Jundishapur Journal of Natural Pharmaceutical Products
Volume:13 Issue: 1, Feb 2018

Fluoroquinolones have been used for empirical treatment of urinary tract infections in recent years. This study aimed at identifying mutations in gyrA and parC genes and their correlation with fluoroquinolone minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) among extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing (ESBL) Escherichia coli.
A total of 240 E. coli were isolated from urine of patients during 2014 and 2015 in the west of Iran. The isolates were screened for ESBL-producing phenotype using combined disc diffusion test. The susceptibility of ESBL isolates to ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin was determined by disk diffusion and microdilution assay. PCR, sequencing and bioinformatics analysis were performed to identify mutations in gyrA and parC genes.
Of 240 isolates, 66 (27.5%) were ESBL positive. Of them, 45 (68.1%) isolates were resistant to both ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin. Sequence analysis showed mutations in the quinolone resistance determining region (QRDR) in the 2 codons (Ser-83, Asp-87) of gyrA and 2 codons (Ser-80, Glu-84) of parC. One mutation at codon of Ala-192 was found outside the QRDR in parC.
Isolates with mutations in QRDR of parC and gyrA had the higher MIC level compared to isolates with mutations only in gyrA. The highest level of resistance was detected in isolates with accumulation of mutations in gyrA and parC. A high frequency of fluoroquinolone resistance among ESBL producing E. coli isolates indicated the clustered transmission of resistance genes in this bacterium. A new mutation outside the QRDR of parC was detected, which may play a role in fluoroquinolone resistance.

In addition to resistance against drugs, no new drugs have reached the market during the last decade for malaria treatment. This implies the urgent need to search for new drugs from different sources. Medicinal plants are one of such sources for novel drugs. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to investigate antimalarial activity of crude extract of leaves of Moringa oleifera Lam (Moringaceae) in Plasmodium berghei in a mice model.
The acute toxicity test was used as per standard guidelines. To determine parasite inhibition, 4-day Peter’s suppressive test was done. Curative and prophylactic tests were done by applying standard methods. Windows SPSS version 16 was used to analyse the data and analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Post Hoc Tukey’s HSD to compare results between groups.
Death was not observed up to a dose of 2000 mg/kg of the plant extract. In all mice treated with the extract, the level of parasitaemia was significantly reduced in comparison with the control group (P The result of the current study revealed that the extract possessed significant anti-plasmodial activity as displayed by its ability to suppress P. berghei infection in mice. The present study can be considered as confirmation for traditionally claimed use of the plant against malaria treatment.

Diabetes mellitus is one of the most common metabolic diseases in the world. Recently, willingness to use alternative treatments to control and reduce blood sugar levels has noticeably increased. The general objective of this study is to investigate the hypoglycemic effect of the active ingredient of Berberis (Berberine) in patients with type 2 diabetes.
In this double-blind randomized controlled placebo trial, 84 patients with type 2 diabetes were evaluated. The patients were divided in 2 groups (42 each). In addition to their previous drugs, new diet, and life style each group received Berberine capsules 500 mg or placebo twice daily for 4 weeks. At baseline, weight, height, blood pressure, and BMI were calculated for all patients. Fasting plasma glucose, post- meal plasma glucose, fructosamine, lipid profile, fasting blood insulin levels, BUN, creatinine, and liver enzymes were taken from all patients before the study and after 4 weeks. HOMA-IR and HOMA-β% were calculated.
After administration of Berberine for a month, average blood sugar (FBS) in the Berberine group decreased from 192 ± 59.6 to 167.7 ± 51.8, which was statistically significant compared with the results of the placebo group (P = 0.036). There was a significant decrease from 266.1 ± 93.7 mg dl to 222.5 ± 76 in 2HPP in the Berberine group compared with the placebo group (P = 0.001). There was also a significant decrease from 425.7 ± 139.7 micromoles per liter to 344.9± 126.1 micromoles per liter in fructoseamine in the Berberine group compared with the placebo group (P = 0.014). In addition, fasting insulin, HOMA-β%, and HOMA-IR increased in the Berberine group compared with the placebo group, however, this increase was not statistically significant. There was a significant decrease in LDL, TG, VLDL in the Berberine group, however, it was not lower than that in the placebo group. Also, total cholesterol in the Berberine group decreased insignificantly compared to the placebo group. There was no significant difference between the 2 groups in terms of BMI, systolic, and diastolic blood pressure.
The results showed taking Berberine in patients with type 2 diabetes for 1 month significantly reduces the fasting plasma glucose, post- meal blood glucose, and fructosamine. No signification changes were found in lipid profiles, fasting insulin, HOMA-IR, and HOMA-β%.

Skin burn is one of the most common complications and it still is considered as a major public health issue throughout the world.
This experiment was conducted in order to study the effects of Capparis spinosa leaves extract (CSLE) cream compared with silver sulfadiazine (SSD) cream to heal burn wounds in rats.
Different parts of the plant (fruit, leaves and petals) were examined for antioxidant activity by 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay and leave extract was chosen for preparation CSLE cream. Ninety adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into six groups; each group consists of 15 animals. After sedation, a metal heated in boiling water was used for type II skin burning in 1.5 cm diameter circle on the back of the rats. Group one was not treated and considered as control. The burned areas in 2 - 6 groups were covered twice a day with eucerin, SSD cream and CSLE cream (2.5, 5 and 10 %), respectively. The percentage of the burn wound contraction and histopathological examinations on days 4, 9, and 14 were regarded as the parameters of our study. The obtained data were compared between the groups and days, statistically.
Our finding showed that 5 and 10% CSLE cream are more effective to decrease burn wound area compared with other groups. Additionally, there was no significant difference between group 5 and 10% regarding wound-size reduction (P This study indicated that Capparis spinosa leaves extract has potential effect to accelerate wound healing and decrease inflammation in the treated rats and it can be applied in the future, clinically.

Diabetes is recognized as a common metabolic disorder, which is treated by different medicines.
The aim of this study was to study the effect of Trigonella foenum and Cinnamon on glycation, some biochemical factors, liver histology and cholesterol 7-alpha hydroxylase activity in type 2 diabetic rats.
Antiglycation and antioxidant ability were determined in vitro. Male Wistar diabetic rats were treated by 2 and 8% of Cinnamon (w/w) and Trigonella foenum. Biochemical factors and liver enzymes were measured using enzymatic spectrophotometric methods. Lipase and cholesterol 7-alpha hydroxylase activity were determined. Liver lipid, antioxidant and morphological change were assessed.
Different concentrations of these plants (0.032, 0.065, 0.125, 0.25, 0.5 and 1mg/ mL) showed potential antiglycation ability. Cinnamon and Trigonella foenum significantly reduced advanced glycosylation end products (AGEs) and fructosamine formation, and also declined protein carbonyl contents and thiol group’s oxidation (P The findings illustrated that Cinnamon and Trigonella foenum extract improved hyperlipidemia and hyperglycemic. The hypolipidemic effect was likely by motivation of cholesterol 7-alpha hydroxylase activity. These plants also showed significant anti-diabetic effects in animal model by reducing blood glucose and inhibition of AGEs and fructosamine formation.

The basic method in prevention of oral disorders and hygiene of an oral cavity is control of plaque growth and germ accumulation on teeth and gingivae. Mouthwashes are most common topical solutions against plaque formation. Although there are many antimicrobial agents in use, only a few have shown clinical effectiveness. Furthermore, their long-term use may lead to several side effects. Therefore, utilizing natural antimicrobial agents such as probiotics may be an effective way to overcome the problem. The purpose of the present investigation was to design a mouthwash formulation containing probiotic extract.
Standard strains of 4 main oral pathogenic bacteria, Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus salivarus, Actinomyces viscosus, and Actinomyces neoslandi were utilized to evaluate the product antimicrobial activity. Lactobacillus casei was cultured in standard medium and its antibacterial effectiveness was evaluated by the spot-test. Each pathogen suspension was inoculated separately on plates containing specific media. Lyophilized probiotic extract (LPE) was prepared in a specific temperature condition and poured in wells. After incubation, the samples growth inhibition zone was measured. Mouthwash formulations containing different concentrations of LPE, Glycerin, and Sorbitol were prepared and based to their physic-chemical properties as well as their long-term stability. The best formulation was chosen and flavorant and sweetener were added. Well-diffusion method was utilized and their mean diameters of growth inhibition was recorded and compared to that of chlorhexidine and a blank Glycerin-Sorbitol solution as positive and negative controls, respectively. Minimum inhibitory concentrations of each formulation were investigated by the macro-dilution method and the formulation with maximum antibacterial activity was determined.
Well-diffusion experiment showed that chlorhexidine mouthwash is stronger than 1% - 4% containing LPE formulations, while there was no significant difference between 5% LPE formulation and the positive control (P > 0.05). There was no growth in the inhibition zone. For negative control, MIC studies proved that 5% LPE and chlorhexidine formulations were similar and their maximum and minimum activities were A. neoslandi and S. salivarous, respectively.
The findings in the present study proved that the 5% LPE formulation is as effective as the chlorhexidine solution and may be utilized as a natural safe mouthwash.

Triphala as a combination of three plant’s fruits including Emblica officinalis Gaertn, Terminalia chebula Retz, and Terminalia bellerica Roxb is valued for its antioxidant properties. It has been routinely used in various medicinal studies.
In this study, the protective effects of E. officinalis, T. chebula, T. bellerica, and Triphala methanolic extracts on cell viability and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated in PC12 cells were studied under serum/glucose deprivation (SGD) induced cell injury. Synergistic activity of three extracts was also explored.
Cells were seeded overnight and then exposed to SGD condition for 18 h. Next, they were pretreated with different concentrations of the four extracts (3 - 250 µg/ml) for 4 h. Cell viability and ROS generation were evaluated by viability assay and flow cytometry, respectively. Synergistic activity of three extracts was analyzed with Compusyn software.
SGD could induce cell toxicity after 18 h (P These results demonstrated the neuroprotection of these extracts possibly by ROS decrement and synergistic activity of them against SGD-induced toxicity.

Vancomycin (VCM) is an important antibiotic that is active against gram-positive cocci, and its nephrotoxicity remain as a major problem in clinical use.
This study was designed to investigate the effect of Nasturtium officinale hydro-alcoholic extract (NOE) and vitamin E aganist VCM-induced nephrotoxicity in adult male wistar rats.
A total of 36 animals were randomly divided into 6 equal groups (n = 6) including 1, control group; 2, VCM group; 3, VCM NOE (250 mg/kg) group; 4, VCM NOE (500 mg/kg) group; 5, VCM vitamin E (250 mg/kg) group; and 6, VCM vitamin E (500 mg/kg) group. VCM (200 mg kg-1 i.p.) was given every 12 hours for 7 consecutive days. NOE and vitamin E were orally given to rats 30 minutes prior to i.p. injection of VCM. Acute renal failure was evaluated by measuring serum urea, creatinine levels, and creatinine clearance. Change in body weight and kidney weight (g/100 g body weight) were measured. The right kidney was fixed in formalin for pathological evaluation and the left kidney was homogenized for determination of malondialdehyde (MDA).
VCM significantly increased serum creatinine and urea levels, MDA levels, kidney weight/100 mg weight of body, as well as reduced creatinine clearance. NOE (250, 500 mg kg-1) and vitamin E (500 mg kg-1) pretreatment considerably alleviated all of these changes when compared with VCM treated alone. Histological examination of VCM-treated group showed a marked renal injury with tubular epithelial cell desquamation, swelling, and tubular dilatation. These changes were mitigated with NOE- and vitamin E.
The data indicate that NOE obviously attenuated VCM-induced nephrotoxicity. Elucidation of the exact mechanism(s) of this protection requires more research, however, it might be mediated by antioxidant effects of NOE.

New Schiff base ligand (L) synthesized by 1, 2-diphenylethane-1, 2-dione and dinitrophenyl hydrazine acts as a bidentate system with O and N as donors readily available for coordination with metal atoms. The metal complexes (ML) were synthesized and characterized by various spectroscopic methods including 1H-NMR (proton NMR, hydrogen-1 NMR), elemental analysis, FT-IR (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy), molar conductance, and ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis). Molar conductance and analytical studies confirmed that the complexes exhibit tetrahedral geometry. The antimicrobial activity of ligand and its metal complexes was assessed on different species of pathogenic fungi and bacteria. The results are suggestive of the fact that the synthesized compounds own notable antimicrobial properties.

Cosmos bipinnatus is an important medicinal plant with antioxidative, antigenotoxic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-proliferative effects on several cancer cell lines. It has great potential for development as a promising cancer chemo-preventive agent. Hairy root-based culture technology is a new sustainable production platform for producing specific pharmaceutical secondary metabolites.
The current study developed and introduced a reliable transformation system for C. bipinnatus by optimization of aspects important in transformation frequency using Agrobacterium rhizogenes.
Five bacterial strains, including ATCC 15834, ATCC 31798, A7, MAFF-02-10266, and MSU440, 2 explant types (leaf and stem), and 2 co-cultivation media (full MS and ½ MS) were examined. Genomic DNA was extracted using a modified CTAB protocol from putative transgenic root lines and the control root. Transgenic hairy root lines were approved by means of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) using specific rolB gene primers.
The highest ratio of genetically transformed root induction was found from leaf explants using A. rhisogenes strains ATCC15834 and MSU440 (72% to 73%). When ½ MS medium was used as a co-cultivation medium, a significant increase in transformation frequency (84%) was observed.
The MSU440 Agrobacterium strain and ½ MS co-cultivation medium could significantly improve genetic transformation efficiency for establishment of hairy root-based cultures for C. bipinnatus.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common disorder that causes damage to the central nervous system. It mainly affects the motor system and is generally diagnosed with the loss of dopaminergic neurons. Fennel plant (Foeniculum Vulgare Mill) belongs to the flowering plant of the fennel Apiaceae family. It is a medicinal plant that is commonly used by the tribes in Iran. Fennel plant has an estrogenic effect.
The intention of this study was to analyze the effects of various doses of foeniculum vulgare mill essence on behavioral motor dysfunction in reserpine-induced model of PD in ovariectomized and non ovariectomized rats.
To create a model of Parkinson’s drug reserpine subcutaneously at a rate of 3 mg was used. Rats were surgically ovariectomized. Ten groups, each consisting of 8 rats, were used. The authors studied a total of 48 ovariectomized rats. Essential oil of fennel (50,100,200 mg/kg) were used for treatment for 5 days. After the 5 days of behavioral and motor tests were performed, the amount of estrogen was measured.
In this study, rats were ovariectomized and fennel essential oils doses (50, 100, 200 mg/kg) significantly increased amounts of estrogen. The motor disorders of the treated groups were reduced. Furthermore, the non-ovariectomized groups were treated with essential oils of fennel. The amount of estrogen increased and motor activity as well as behavior had improved in the control groups.
The present study affirms that essential oils of fennel improve Parkinson’s in animal models. Further studies are needed to demonstrate the possible effects of essential oils of fennel on individuals with Parkinson’s and postmenopausal women.