International Journal of Advanced Biological and Biomedical Research
Volume:10 Issue: 2, Spring 2022

Iran is a privileged country with a high rank in plant biodiversity, including 11 of the 13 globally known climates. According to botanists and researchers, there are about 8000 medicinal plants species, which is at least twice the European continent's species diversity.

Studies have shown that over 2300 plant species in the country have medicinal and aromatic properties and could be as spices andcosmetics. The high diversity of medicinal plants in Iran has made traders aim to export these products. The tariff code (HS Code) for medicinal plants in world customs is 121190. Iran was evaluated as the number one leading country in terms of medicinal plants export in 1998 and the fifth in 2003, and it came to 32 in rankings due to some problems. In 2018, the share of Iran from medicinal plants trade was 440 million dollars, while the total global transaction of medicinal plant import was about 124 billion dollars. This outstanding amount of trade creates unique opportunities for the traders of these products.

The highest export of Iran currently belongs to saffron; damask rose, licorice cumin, and cilantro, with 80-90% of the exports was in bulk and only 10% as essential oils and extracts. The first destinations for medicinal plants export are Pakistan and UAE, followed by Germany, Japan, and China.

High-energy heavy ions and protons produced by accelerators are used in industrial and medical applications. Recently, Helium (He), Argon (Ar), Krypton (Kr), Carbon (C) and Neon (Ne) heavy ions have been used in the treatment of cancerous tumors. High-energy protons are generally used either directly for the treatment of cancerous tumors or indirectly by neutron production of Lithium (Li), Beryllium (Be) and Thallium (Ta) targets by proton irradiation used for born neutron capture therapy (BNCT) technique. Neutron beams that produced by proton spallation, will activate the brain components before tumors. In this study, the neutron brain activation has been investigated using Monte Carlo N Particle X Version (MCNPX). Furthermore, in the direct use of high-energy ions for the treatment of cancerous tumors, the production of radioactive elements by heavy ions spallation process in healthy tissues around tumors was calculated by Monte Carlo simulation. Proton beams, neutrons, and heavy ions are used to treat internal tumors. Neutron source spallation of Li, Be, Ta, Lead (Pb) targets that were used in the BNCT therapy process can produce radioactive elements in the brain tissue. The results indicate that the Sodium-22 (22Na) ,24Na, Aluminium-28 (28Al), 29Al, Silicon-32 (32Si), Chlorin-34 metastable(34mCl), Potasium-38 (38K), 40K radioactive elements were produced in brain tissue for BNCT. In this study, the neutron brain activation has been investigated using MCNPX. Furthermore, in the direct use of high-energy ions for the treatment of cancerous tumors, the production of radioactive elements by heavy ions spallation process in healthy tissues around tumors was calculated by Monte Carlo simulation.

Bacterial infection and the growing resistance of the bacteria to drugs is a global issue which challenges the health system. Therefore, the development of drugs with a different mechanism of action is a reasonable approach to overcome the drug resistance. Nitrofurans are antibacterial agents with broad-spectrum effects on various types of bacteria. In the present study, we aimed to review the reported derivatives of nitrofurans with antibacterial impacts to evaluate the potency and efficiency of these agents as candidates for antibacterial drug development.

A systematic literature search was performed on April 2021 in databases using “Nitrofurans” and “antibacterial” as the keywords using all their equivalents, similar terms, and known forms. The search was first limited to original articles in the English language, and all the relevant articles were included for data extraction. The main outcomes in all the included studies were antibacterial efficacy and bactericidal power.

Overall, 36 articles were found and used for data extraction. Findings showed that nitrofuran-based compounds have satisfactory antimicrobial effects at the micromolar level. Most of these agents also revealed high efficacy on gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria with minimal toxicity on human cells. Findings suggested that chemical modification of nitrofurans with appropriate functional groups and molecules can enhance the efficiency of these agents.

According to the included studies, nitrofuran and its derivatives can be considered promising candidates for future drug discovery to combat drug-resistant bacteria.

Malaria infection, particularly during pregnancy, is a major public health concern in Nigeria, and there is a scarcity of data on it prevalence and scope in many areas, especially in remote villages that lack basic infrastructure and adequate health facilities for treating and managing the disease. The study which was conducted from June to December, 2021 and investigated the prevalence of malaria among pregnant women in some selected villages of Yamaltu-Deba Local Government Area of Gombe State, Nigeria. 384 consented pregnant women attending antenatal at Kwadon primary health clinic were enrolled. Vein puncture technique was used to collect venous blood and analysed microscopically using Gemsa staining technique. Plasmodium falciparum-malaria was detected using microscope with x100 objective lens. Malaria parasites were found in 81(21.09%) of the 384 samples collected, highest prevalence was documented from Wajari village. Malaria infection was not statistically linked with the respondents’ village (x2=5.847, df=4, P>0.05). Older pregnant women aged 40-45 years had the highest prevalence of 2(40.00%), while subjects aged 36-40 years had the lowest prevalence of 36.0%. Malaria infection was not statistically associated with the subject’s age (x2=4.816, df=6, P>0.05). Subjects in first trimester and multigravida had the highest prevalence of 02(28.57%) and 63(29.57%) respectively. Statistically malaria infection was not associated with the pregnant women’s trimester (x2=0.355, df=2, P>0.05) and gravidity (x2=1.825, df=2, P>0.05). In conclusion, moderate level of malaria infection was recorded from the selected villages and older pregnant women suffer most from the disease

Malaria Chemoprevention depends on synthetic drugs, but the parasite is continuously developing resistance to the antimalarial armament, hence a consequential need for surveillance studies on the sensitivity of the drugs is felt. Therefore, the aim of this paper was to determine the presence of biomarkers associated with drug sensitivity in DHFR and DHPS gene of Plasmodium falciparum. 200 blood samples were collected using vein puncture technique and they were analysed using Microscopy, RDT and PCR. DNA was extracted using Quick-DNA™ Miniprep extraction kit. Purity and concentration of the DNA were determined using Nanodrop Spectrophotometer. 57 samples were selected for molecular analysis. Nested PCR was used to amplify PFDHFR and PFDHPS genes; all PCR reactions were carried out in 25 µL reaction mixture (5 µL DNA template, 1 µL Primer, 6.5µldistilled water and 12.5 µL Master mix). The PCR products were subjected to electrophoresis using 2% agarose gel. The amplicons were purified, sequenced and subjected to BLAST software. Mutations were recorded from A16V 05(8.77%), N51I 18(31.58%), C59R 03(5.26%), I164L 12(21.05) variants of DHFR gene, while in DHPS gene, mutations were recorded from K540E 6(10.52%) variant. Basic Biomarkers of resistance in DHFR and DHPS gene were recorded from Gombe.

Hot spring water is used for health and medical treatment. Hot spring water, when passing underground rocks, is contaminated with radioactive materials and water soluble sinter. Therefore, using Hot springs is associated with radiation hazards. There are Thorium (Th), Potassium (K), Uranium (U) and Caesium (Cs) as radioactive elements in sinter, soil and water of hot springs.

First, the Th, K, U and Cs activity in the sinter, soil and water of Jooshan Hot Spring (30°09'38.7"N, 57°35'58.7"E) was measured by a CsI(Tl) detector. Then, using the radiation hazards equations, the amount of radiation hazards caused by radioactive elements in the sinter, soil, and Hot spring water was investigated.

The XRD results indicated that the sinter composite of Jooshan Hot Spring is a combination of CaCO3 and SiO2 materials. The activity of Th, U, K and Cs elements in the water, sinter, and soil of hot spring were 38.76 ,11.07 ,0 and 3.05; 45.8, 2.77 and 3.05 Bq/kg, and 26.42 ,34.0, 0 and 12.19 Bq/kg, respectively. The radiation hazards of Jooshan Hot Spring using the radiation hazards equations was calculated.

Due to the activity of Th, K, U, and Cs, the radiation injuries or hazards, including Daeq, Hin, and Hout for the sinter soil and water were calculated to be less than the reported limit. Therefore, using Jooshan Hot Spring has not any radiation hazards

Respiratory diseases are often caused by the lack of lung energy flow manifested in shortness of breath, generalized weakness, extreme fatigue, and even reluctance to speak. This study evaluates four plants for the respiratory system from a pharmacological perspective. Thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.), sage (Salvia officinalis L), peppermint (Mentha piperita L.) and hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis L.) are discussed from a modern pharmacological perspective, including their scientific name and family, the used parts, active ingredients, therapeutic properties, pharmacological effects, indications, and available medicines. Botany features such as plant shape, description, distribution, and cultivation, including suitable places, range, and cultivation method, are further investigated. Information such as the used plant parts, therapeutic properties, pharmacological effects, indications, and medicine forms were gathered through data collection, library resources, written articles, and reference books. Other information such as plant shape and description, planting method, time, and more were obtained by planting seedlings in a research departments affiliated with the Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Agriculture and Natural Resources Research and Education Center. These medicinal plants, such as Salvia officinalis, contain “Terpene”, “Selenium” and other substances, and clean the sinuses and relieve respiratory and lung disorders. Due to its high “polyphenols” content, this plant protects lung tissue against bacteria which may pose risk and cause infection in the respiratory system. Respiratory diseases are often caused by low energy manifested in short inhalation and exhalation, generalized weakness, extreme fatigue, and even reluctance to speak. Natural substances and plants are useful for treating respiratory problems.  Due to its significance for sustaining human life, even minor respiratory disruptions such as smoking, vitamin deficiency, and other factors cause diseases such as seasonal allergies, bronchitis, tuberculosis, asthma, pulmonary edema, lung problems, pneumonia, and lung cancer.