Journal of Medicinal Herbs
Volume:1 Issue: 3, 2010

Thymus daenensis Celak. is one of the herbal and perennial medicinal plants belonging to Lamiaceae which grows widely in Isfahan and Chaharmahal va Bakhtiari provinces. All of its floral on aerial part has extensive use in preparing traditional medicines. The major constitutes of Thymus daenensis Celak. are thymol and carvacrol. Since ecological conditions have a great role in growth of the plant, and on the quality and amount of effective material in medicinal plants, This study tries to investigate on the effect of ecological factors included geographical factors, climatic and edaphic factors.Martial & This study was collected from 22 different regions in Isfahan and Chaharmahal va Bakhtiari provinces. The composition was determined using high performance liquid chromatography. HPLC chromatograms showed the amount of thymol and carvacrol in every region. The highest content of thymol in all investigated samples was recorded in Sheikhshaban region (35.89 mg/g methanol extract) (altitude 2747 m asl) and highest content of carvacrol was recorded in Lark region (23.53 mg/g methanol extract) (altitude 2370 m asl). The results of regression showed that altitude has a positive and meaningful effect on the amount of thymol and does not effect on the amount of carvacrol. All other edaphic factors and climatic factors have no significant effect on the amount of thymol and carvacrol. Cluster dendrogram analysis of the under study regions was drawn according to 3 parameters: the amount of thymol, the amount of carvacrol and the height of the plant (cm), showed the rate of relatedness in samples of different regions, in separate clusters. Thymus daenensis Celak. in Sheikhshaban and Lark in Chaharmahal va Bakhtiari have a close relationship among themselves that have highest amount Thymol and carvacrol.

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) is an evergreen and aromatic plant that is used in pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries-health. Little research has been reported on the greenhouse production of this plant. This paper presents the effects of municipal solid waste compost (MSWC) and cattle manure on rosemary growth in pots at greenhouse.Martial & Municipal solid waste compost of Kerman city and cattle manure were mixed with soil at rates of 0, 2 and 4 % dry matter basis. The micronutrient and heavy metal contents of the aerial parts of the plant were analyzed to determine nutritional status and heavy metal accumulation. Biomass production increased significantly when plants were grown in the municipal solid waste compost and cattle manure. Plants grown on amended soils showed a general improvement in their micronutrient (Fe and Zn) status, yet their heavy metal (Pb and Cd) contents did not increase significantly. The concentration of heavy metals found in the shoots would not significantly increase their transfer from the soil to humans via the food chain.

Since traditional knowledge is base of producing new herbals and other natural products, and old people of ancient cities know about characteristics of such herbals, therefore, death of such people will gradually causes demolishing of their knowledge about herbals. Therefore, it seems it is necessary to register and save such information. The goal of this research is to study and survey about ethnobotany of herbals among people live in Sirjan city in order to learn about way of using these herbals in this area through traditions and customs.Martial & In this research, at first, the mentioned area divided into different parts by means of geographical maps and then a questionnaire prepared to collect the native's information about using which parts of herbals in what cases and how to use them. After that, herbals grown in different areas were moved to pharmacy department of Kerman when collected, dried and their herbarium made. Finally, 77 species of herbals collected from different areas of Sirjan and registered after identification of each species and their related information (using cases, how and which parts). Due to different cultures of using herbals between natives of Sirjan and other areas of the country and different ways of using various herbals and existence of special herbals in this area, remarkable results about native knowledge of natives using herbals in this area obtained. Considering high potential of herbals in Sirjan, the results of present research and other scientific surveys in this field can provide conditions for better application of herbals in order to prepare products of higher effects and lower harms.

Saffron extract is widely used in the food industry. Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) stigmata contain rare water-soluble carotenoids and the major one is Crocin and this compound have a antitumor in rate and human losomi cells and other model of cancer cells. In this research, we are study on effects of cultivation condition and storage on dried stigmata of Crocus sativus L. on determination of Crocin. Martial & Samples were collected on November 2006 from two providences (Tehran and Markazi). We kept samples for 20 months dried stigmata of Crocus sativus L. in three different conditions light, dark and refrigerator on zero degree and on November 2008 samples were analysed by High- Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Crocin content from Tehran province (Karaj) in light were 0.029%, dark 0.041% and refrigerator 0.030% and for Markazi province (Khomaine) were in light 0.030%, dark 0.030% and refrigerator 0.028%. With the results of above the best condition to kept dried stigmata of Crocus sativus L. are dark.

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease characterized by elevated blood glucose levels and disturbances in carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism. The objective of the present investigation was to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of Morus alba leaves in an animal model of diabetes.Martial & 30 adult male Wistar strain rats (200-250 g) were divided randomly into five groups as follow: (I) healthy control group, (II) healthy control group with mulberry leaf extract treatment, (III) diabetic control group, (IV) diabetic group treated with 600 mg/kg/day of mulberry leaf extract, and (V) diabetic group treated with Insulin. Blood glucose, triglyceride, LDL, HDL and cholesterol were measured at the end of 35 days experiment. Administration of Morus alba leaf extract caused a significant decrease in blood levels of glucose (p < 0.001), cholesterol (p < 0.05), triglyceride (p < 0.01) and LDL (p < 0.05), whereas an increase in HDL (p < 0.05) level was seen in diabetic rats. The results of this study showed that Morus alba leaf extract can have significant seffects on blood glucose and lipids in diabetic rats, although further work is needed to elucidate the extent mechanism of these changes.

Applications of synthetic antioxidant in food have side effects. In present study, the antioxidant potential of Morus alba leaves, as natural antioxidant, was screened with cupric ion reducing assay (CUPRAC assay) and inhibition of lipid peroxidation. The aim of this study was to determine the total antioxidant activity of Morus alba leaves. Martial & The first, total antioxidant activity of Morus alba leaves was determined in two phase; water and methanol extracts by CUPRAC assay and compared with Rosmarinus officinals extract as positive control. In second step, methanol extract of Morus alba leaves was evaluated by lipid peroxidation inhibition of lipids in egg-yolk. CuSo4 induced this lipid peroxidation. In CUPRAC assay, Morus alba leaves have antioxidant activity more Rosmarinus officinals. In addition, the methanol extracts of Morus alba leaves can inhibit lipid peroxidation of lipid in egg-yolk. There was significant difference (p ≤ 0.05) between groups. Our results indicated that Morus alba leaves are a good source of natural antioxidants

Kazeroon, with an area of about 4060 km², is situated at 110 km in the west of Shiraz, Fars province, Iran. This area is important for plant biodiversity, due to the presence of some important habitats such as international Lake of Parishan in the southeast, woodlands of Quercus persica in the east and branches of Shahpoor river in the west of the region. Therefore, for the old antiquity on this city and high biodiversity on plant species; in this work, the medicinal vascular plants were collected, identified and studied for medicinal usages.Martial & For this purpose, many specimens were collected during the vegetative seasons in 2007 to 2010. All the specimens were prepared as standard herbarium sheets, identified by using available references and stored in the herbaria of Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands (TARI) and Payam Noor University. Life forms and chorological status of the species were analyzed. As a result, 90 species belonging to 87 genera and 39 families of angiosperms were reported from the rangelands around the Kazeroon. Lamiaceae, with 11 species, and Asteraceae with 9 species were the largest families respectively, and Plantago (Plantaginaceae) with 3 species was the largest genus in the medicinal flora of this area. The presence of more than 90 medicinal plant species indicates high biodiversity in the studied region. Furthermore, the findings of this investigation are completely in conformance to the conditions of the area that has a semi-arid climate with dry summers and low rainfall.

Energy is one of important debates in agriculture ecology and for this reason; the ratio of output and input energy in different agriculture ecosystems has been calculated. If one can reduce, input energy level into farms through the indices like poisons, fertilization, tractor energy and lab our force. In addition to the net income of the farmers, this issue would play a significant role in preserving farm ecosystem from pollution and wrecker factors.Martial & For this reason, energy balance sheet in dill farms as well as input and output energy in 2009-2010 researched by distributing and questionnaire among farmers Rodehen region. Then, the input energy amount into farms via energy-consuming factors, mentioned above, with regard to special coefficients was computed. Energy was computed based on seed function, chemical compound and its content as well. In this investigation, evaluated the level of stored energy 64668971.48 kcal per hectare and level of output energy 804640 kcal per hectare. Energy efficiency on the basis of seed function 0.011 were estimated that the greatest part of energy depended on irrigation and nitrate fertilizer that with right management may reduce consumptive energy in farm and nitrate fertilizer and, on the other hand, to increase balance sheet.

In countries having traditional medicine (TM), one of the main challenges for any researcher is research methodology. Current methodologies are different with what was in past. The main purpose of this article is to present the steps (herbs, claims and methodology) of research in TM fields. 1. Assessment of herbsHistory, method of study, quality assessment, efficacy, safety, toxicity and therapeutic effect are included in this part. 2. Efficacy and safety of herbsBotany, therapeutic effect, toxicology methods, how to study toxicity will be explained in this part.3. Assessment of TM productsThis part contains herb identification, certification, standardization, claims for therapeutic effect, confirmation of safety of herb.4. Claims for efficacy of herbsIt includes various claims, concept, features, base, importance, and evidence to confirm these claims.5. Method of study This includes for in vitro/in vivo studies (observational and interventional). In addition, the role of Meta analysis will be discussed.6. Ethical committee Ethics in research, ethical committee, their activity, check list of committee for any study will be explained.