hori ghaneialvar

Information related to the use of medicinal plants has been passed down from one generation to another for many years, leading to the establishment of an important field called ethnobotany or herbal ethnography. To date, no research has been conducted to investigate the ethnobotanical medicinal plants of the indigenous people of Ilam to identify medicinal plants effective on kidney stones.

The current study is a cross-sectional ethnobotanical study between April 2023 and November 2023 in Ilam city. Collection of traditional therapeutic information about plants effective on kidney stones (kidney pain) was conducted through an ethnobotanical questionnaire. The individual conducting the inquiry personally carried out interviews by visiting each and every herbal store (Attari) in the city of Ilam. To analyze the data obtained from the interviews, indicators such as the usage report index (UR) and the quantitative index of the relative frequency of registration (RFC) were used to obtain quantitative information.

According to the results, 52% of the participants in the study were male herbalistsand 48% were female. Approximately, 60% of the herbalists had a bachelor's degree, and 60% were Kurds. In Ilam city, 16 plant species from 14 plant families are used to treat kidney pain caused by kidney stones. Alfalfa, corn, Iranian scurvy, prickly pear, three-color marshmallow, tangerine, Japanese parsnip, spectacular artichoke, andole, black seed, Abu Jahl watermelon, murtlekh, desert ivy, two branched horses, yarrow, small-seeded cherry, chicory, fig and Desert monkey flower is one of the most important medicinal plants that are used in the ethnobotany of Ilam city to treat kidney stones.

The findings derived from this research not only preserve the ethnic knowledge related to medicinal plants in the region but also open avenues for further studies aimed at treating kidney stones with these identified plants, potentially leading to the development of effective and safe herbal remedies for this condition.

In order to measure the plasma levels of Losartan and Bosentan, a sensitive Reverse Phase-High Performance Liquid Chromatography (RP-HPLC) technique was developed.

To compare bioavailability, the Area Under the Curve (AUC), peak plasma concentration (Cmax), and time to Cmax (Tmax) were employed. The standard curve (150-2400 ng/ml) was linear (R2=0.999), relative errors were between 2.4 to 10.05% and the coefficient of variation (CV%) ranged from 1.52 to 10.88. A single dosage (test and reference) was used for the in vivo investigation, which involved 16 healthy individuals.

The AUC0-48, AUC0-, Cmax, and Tmax of the test and reference had no statistically significant differences. The Cmax and 95% confidence intervals of the ratio of Cmax of the two formulations were 0.93-0.96 and 97.6-135%, respectively.

Therefore, it was established that generic Bosentan was equivalent to Bosentan from Actelion and that both medications could be regarded as equally effective in clinical settings. The blood level of Bosentan could be measured using this straightforward procedure in all hospital laboratories.

Attention to the daily prescription of large amounts of drugs by doctors; In recent years, much attention has been paid to the effect of plants in the treatment and prevention of drug poisoning. Matricaria chamomilla is one of the oldest medicinal plants known to man and its use dates back to ancient Greece. In this research, the protective effect of green tea extract in hepatotoxicity caused by acetaminophen has been investigated.

So that 48 adult male mice were randomly divided into 6 groups. The control group received only physiological serum. The M. chamomile group received 250 mg/kg and (AgNP)M chamomilla received 0.5 mg/kg for 30 days. The acetaminophen group was prescribed 500 mg/kg of acetaminophen orally, and the experimental groups (acetaminophen + M. chamomile extract) were given chamomile extract with a dose of 250 mg/kg and (silver nanoparticle of M. chamomile plant + acetaminophen) (AgNP) M. chamomilla with a dose of 0.5 received mg/kg for 30 days and a toxic dose of acetaminophen was prescribed on the 29th day.

On the 31st day, blood was drawn to measure alanine transferase (ALT) and aspartate transferase (AST), and after that, the animals' livers were placed in 10% formalin for histopathological examination. The serum levels of ALT and AST enzymes in the silver nanoparticle group were significantly reduced compared to other groups. (P<0.05) so that in histopathological studies, liver necrosis, congestion of red blood cells and the accumulation of inflammatory cells in (AgNP) M. chamomilla were reduced compared to the acetaminophen group.

According to the results of this research (AgNP)M chamomilla is probably involved in liver necrosis caused by acetaminophen. It has a protective role.

 To determine whether neuronal damage and/or neuroinflammation exist in the brain of suicide attempters and to find a novel biological biomarker to help distinguishing high risk individuals with suicide behavior, we aimed to measure glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), neuron specific enolase (NSE), and nerve growth factor (NGF) in suicide attempters.   

 In the present case-control study, the serum level of NSE, GFAP, and NGF were measured quantitatively in 43 suicide attempters and 43 healthy control participants aged 18 to 35 years. Data were analyzed using the nonpaired t test followed by the Mann-Whitney posttest.   

 The mean serum level of NSE and GFAP were significantly higher in suicide attempters compared with healthy control individuals (p = 0.003, p = 0.001, respectively), while no significant difference was detected in NGF serum level between the 2 groups.   

 Our findings of increased level of NSE along with the significant increase in GFAP would propose the presence of low grade neuroinflammation in the brain of these participants. NSE/GFAP might be good markers that is easily accessible and can be considered as prognostic markers in high-risk suicide attempters. 

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) and moderate-intensity continuous training (MCT) in combination with metformin in diabetic patients is likely to be effective. This research aimed to investigate the possible role of HIIT and MCT training alone and also in combination with metformin on biochemical factors and lipid profiles in diabetic and healthy rats.    

Sprague-Dawley rats were allocated randomly into nine groups (in each group n = 5). Streptozotocin and nicotinamide were used to induce diabetes in target rats. Special diets were given to all groups of rats and exercise protocol was performed one time per week for 8 weeks. Rats received metformin (200 mg/kg) daily by gavage. The biochemical factors and serum lipid profiles were measured. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software and the significance level was considered at P < 0.05.     

The lowest serum glucose and insulin levels among diabetic rats belonged to the diabetic group who received metformin and performed HIIT training (P < 0.05). Diabetic groups that performed HIIT and MCT training compared with the diabetic group that consumed metformin alone had lower HbA1c levels, which this difference was not significant (P < 0.05). The lowest triglyceride level among the treated diabetic groups was in the group that received metformin and performed HIIT training (P < 0.05). The results of HDL, LDL and cholesterol changes were similar to those found for triglyceride.    

The study showed that both HIIT and MCT exercise, even in the absence of metformin, significantly reduce some biochemical factors and lipid profile levels as well as improve body weight in the diabetic rats under treatment with metformin compared with the diabetic control group.

Oxidative stress plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders. However, its role in suicidal behavior has not been clarified yet. Consequently, we aimed to evaluate the oxidant-antioxidant status in the serum of suicide attempters in Ilam city. 

Fifty suicide attempters and 40 control subjects (volunteers) aged 18-35 years were studied in the current experiment. To consider the oxidant-antioxidant status, serum levels of Malondialdehyde (MDA), Nitric Oxide (NO), Superoxide Dismutase (SOD), and the Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC) were measured. 

Serum levels of SOD and TAC were significantly lower in the suicide attempters group compared to the controls. Furthermore, serum NO level was significantly higher in the suicide attempters compared to the control groups. Interestingly, the serum level of MDA was significantly lower in the suicide attempters compared to the control groups.

The oxidative stress without MDA elevation, detected in suicide attempters, can be considered a biochemical hallmark in suicide behavior.

In recent decades with the advent of nanotechnology, use of nanoparticles has been increased due to increased bioavailability, improved targeted treatment, and reduced toxicity. Selenium is a trace essential element in bodies of humans and animals. This element is found in the structure of numerous enzymes playing various roles in the body of organisms. Under different conditions, several effects have been reported for selenium nanoparticles, the main objective of this study was to evaluate different researches related to using selenium nanoparticles as anti-cancer, stem cell differentiation, wound healing, and dis-infection agent, also nutrition and reproduction performances.

In this study, we present a summary of studies on the effects of selenium nanoparticles in various conditions, including differentiation, anti-cancer, anti-infective and wound healing effects, also nutritional and reproductive performances.

Different forms of selenium have been used in various studies. However, in most studies, selenium nanoparticles show less toxicity than its salt forms (Sodium Selenate, Sodium Selenite, Selenium Dioxide and Selenous Acid). Positive effects have been observed in inhibiting the proliferation of cancer cells and wound infection, improving nutritional and reproduction performances.

It seems that due to the lower toxicity and greater bio-availability of selenium nanoparticles, it can be used instead of its salt forms.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a preferred cell source for the generation of hepatocyte-like cells in regenerative medicine. They can be isolated from different sources, including adipose tissues. The Raman spectroscopy approach was evaluated for quick and efficient identification of MSCs differentiation status and a broader perspective on cell differentiation.

The human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hASCs) were differentiated toward hepatocyte-like cells using a well-established method. The cells were cultured on fluorescence-free quartz discs, and the efficiency of differentiation was examined using molecular and biochemical methods. The Raman spectra were recorded at days 1, 7, 14, and 21 of differentiation, and HepG2 was used as a positive control.

The changes in Raman spectra were detected during the sequential stages of differentiation, and the pattern of peaks on the last day of differentiation was remarkably similar to the positive control (HepG2).

Raman spectroscopy showed considerable potential to characterize hepatic differentiation.

Ethnomedicinal plants are considered recent resources for producing components that could treat wounds. Stevia rebaudiana is a native plant in Iran, which the plant has been used as an anti-inammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasitic, antiviral, and antidiabetic agent in Iran. In this study, the authors describe the property of aqueous extract of S. rebaudiana on wound healing markers in Sprague-Dawley male rats. Full-thickness excisional wounds (2×2 cm) was induced on the back of 32 rats. In this study, rats were randomly divided into four main groups (n=8), untreated (control) and treated with 1ml basal cream, 1ml tetracycline (3%), and 1ml S. rebaudiana aqueous extract 10% for 10 days. Animals of each group were euthanized at 10 days post-injury (DPI) and wounds were assessed through gross and histopathological analyses. Treated animals with S. rebaudiana demonstrated a considerable decrease in the wound area during the experiment compared to control, basal cream, and tetracycline groups. Parameters such as healing tissue alignment and epithelialization indicated substantial changes when compared to other groups. Moreover, treatment with S. rebaudiana decreased the number of wound surface area, lymphocytes and macrophages and it increased the number of blood vessels and fibrocytes compared to other groups at 10 days. Thus, the present research shows the wound healing effect of the S. rebaudiana, suggesting to use as a therapeutic supplement. Additional in vivo researches and clinical trials would be needed to justify.

Enhancing microbial resistance to antibiotics and their probable side effects leads to the popularity of medicinal plants, so the need for novel antibacterial compounds with plant origin is felt more than ever. The object of the recent study was to assess the antibacterial property of Stachys lavandulifolia Vahl aqueous extract (SLVAE) on Escherichia coli O157:H7 (EC), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA), Staphylococcus aureus (SA) and Bacillus subtilis (BS). The aqueous extract was obtained using a rotary evaporator. Agar disk and well diffusion methods were used to investigate the antibacterial property of the SLVAE. In the agar disk diffusion test, distilled water was used as a negative control whereas streptomycin, oxytetracycline, gentamicin, difloxacin, chloramphenicol, ampicillin, and amikacin were used as positive controls. Macro broth tube test was accomplished to specified Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC). Statistical comparison among groups means were done through one-way ANOVA followed by Duncan’s post-hoc test. P ≤ 0.01 was considered as significant. Indeed compared with many standard antibiotics, the extract showed the higher antibacterial property. Also SLVAE with 125, 15/62 and 7/81 mg/ml concentrations has prevented the growth of EC, SA/BS and PA, respectively, and with 125, 62/5 and 15/62 mg/ml concentrations has destroyed EC, SA/BS and PA, respectively (p≤0.01). SLVAE had the most antibacterial activity on PA.  In conclusion the obtained results indicate the antibacterial effect of SLVAE on EC, PA, SA, and BS. It seems that this plant can be utilized for the treatment of some bacterial infections as an antibiotic.

Cardiomyocytes proliferate and form the heart in the embryonic period, but proliferation stops soon after birth. Cardiac diseases stay the leading reason of death universal, both in developed and developing countries. Cardiac diseases can develop quickly, including acute myocardial infarction, or progress slowly, such as cardiac remodeling, which is determined by cardiac hypertrophy and myocardial fibrosis that can finally cause to heart failure. Stem cells are a good alternative for regenerative medicine because of their characteristics such as self-renewal and differentiation potential. They are classified into different types of stem cells including embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, multipotent stem cells, and ultimately uni-potent stem cells. Albeit embryonic stem cells are able to differentiate into cardiac cells and show powerful therapeutic potential for heart diseases, the ethical controversies surrounding the origin of embryonic stem cells hinder its broad usage in patients. Mesenchymal stem cells can be differentiated into a different of cell types including osteoblasts, chondrocytes, adipocytes, and stromal cells.  They can be extracted from different tissues including the liver, blood, bone marrow, synovium, umbilical cord blood, gut, lungs, adipose tissue, umbilical cord Wharton’s jelly, eye conjunctiva, dermis, dental pulp and amniotic fluid. Also, mesenchymal stem cells can be expressed CD105, CD73 and CD90, and lack expression of the haematopoietic markers CD45, CD34, CD14 or CD11b, CD79alpha or CD19 and HLA-DR surface molecules. Mesenchymal stem cells have various advantages of easy accessibility, strong capacity of proliferation, immune modulatory properties, and migration to damaged tissues. Due to the lack of graft loss, they are an appreciate option for cell therapy, especially ischemic heart disease. Nowadays, it is generally accepted that the observed therapeutic impact induced by mesenchymal stem cells is chiefly based on the secretion of paracrine factors rather than on the differentiation into cardiomyocytes.Many agents such as cytokines, growth factors, and small molecules have been shown to promote cardiac cell differentiation both in vivo and in vitro. Direct and indirect culture systems with myocardial cells and other cardiac cells in order to benefit from the factors secreted by these cells can increase the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells into cardiomyocytes like cells. The cardiomyocytes differentiation is regulated by different transcription factors such as GATA4, and Nkx2.5. Also, different signaling pathways such as Transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β), Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF), WNT, and Notch play key roles in regulating proliferation, cardiomyocytes differentiation, and survival of mesenchymal stem cells. In this review, we focus on miRNAs and their roles on cardiomyocytes differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells. Following an introduction to the non-coding RNAs, micro-RNAs and mechanism of miro-RNA functions, we then discuss what is currently known about the expression of miRNAs in embryonic and mesenchymal stem cells. Finally, we discuss current knowledge of miRNAs regulatory role in mesenchymal stem cells differentiation into cardiomyocytes. microRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of non-coding small RNA (21–25 nucleotides) involved in regulation of cell behavior either through inhibition of mRNA translation or promoting mRNA degradation. Since its identification as a major component of a broadly conserved mechanism that regulates gene expression post-transcriptionally, the miRNA pathway has emerged as one of the most widely evaluated pathways of the past decade. miRNAs are both pleiotropic and redundant, and it has been suggested that at least 30% of human genes are regulated by the cooperation among miRNAs: one mRNA can be recognize by various miRNAs and one miRNA can recognize several mRNAs. miRNA profile studies have showed that miRNAs are selectively expressed in various tissues and at different developmental stages. miRNA signatures for mesenchymal stem cells of different origin have shown the expression of defined patterns of miRNAs involved in the maintenance of stem cell properties such as proliferation, self-renewal, and differentiation capacity. Many miRNAs are expressed in various tissues; they can be used as biomarkers in the diagnosis of certain diseases. Also, mi-RNAs have been studied more than other types of non-coding RNAs. The increasing evidence displays that miRNAs are involved in many pathological conditions, such as cancer, arrhythmias, cardiac infarction, virus infection, and Alzheimerchr('39')s disease, which has been suggested as a new target to cure these diseases. The regulatory function of the miRNA is mostly applied via, and controlled by, different transcription factors and other regulatory mechanisms of gene expression. These complex interactions between miRNAs and other regulators of gene expression at the epigenetic, transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels integrate miRNAs into the cellular network of regulation of gene expression that defines the stem cell fate and behavior. New studies have displayed that different of these key transcription factors directly regulate miRNA expression in embryonic stem cells. Known pluripotent related markers, such as miR-302a, b, c, and d, and miR-200c.Recently, different miRNAs were proposed to associate with cardiomyocyte differentiation of stem cells. Over-expression of some miRNAs such as mi-R1-2 in mouse bone marrow- mesenchymal stem cells could induce their differentiation into cardiomyocytes through Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Also, the miR1 has been reported to be able to modulate cardiomyogenesis and preserve the expression of muscle genes via down regulating the Notch or STAT3 signaling pathways. Furthermore, except mir-1-2 over-expression of miR-499 in rat bone marrow- mesenchymal stem cells induces them toward cardiac differentiation via the activating the wnt/b-catenin signal pathway. Conversely, microRNA-133 blocks the cardiac differentiation of mouse and human mesenchymal stem cells. By modulating miR-1 and -499 expression levels, human cardiomyocyte progenitor cells function can be altered and differentiation directed, thereby enhancing cardiomyogenic differentiation. Overexpression of miR-499a-5p increased the expression of cardiomyogenic differentiation markers in human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. Down regulation of miR-199b-5p induced differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells toward cardiomyocyte-like cells through the HSF1/HSP70 signaling pathway, and had no influence on bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells proliferation and migration. MicroRNAs affect cardiac cellular signaling and gene expression, and implicate miR-199b as a therapeutic target in heart failure. The cooperative association and reciprocal interactions between genetic and epigenetic regulatory factors and miRNAs regulate the self-renewal and differentiation of mesenchymal and embryonic stem cells.

Stomach ache is one of the most chronic and debilitating abdominal pains. Medicinal plants are one of the most accessible sources for treating diseases like gastrointestinal disorders. In this review, we investigate and report the most important medicinal plants recommended by Persian medicine for treating stomach aches and comparing them with their proven effects in modern medicine. Gastric pain was probed in Persian medicine reliable textbooks such as Cannon of Medicine (Ibn Sina), Tibbe-Akbari (Muhammad Akbar Arzaani ), The Complete Art of Medicine (Kitab Kamil as-Sinaa at-tibbiyya) (Haly Abbas), Explanation of insults and signs (Kermani) Tohfeh Al-Mo’menin (Seyed Mohammad Momen Tonekaboni), and some notes were taken. The results showed that Panicum miliaceum, Punica granatum, Solanum nigrum, Calicotome spinosa, Tamarindus indica, Cuminum cyminum, Prunus domestica, Matricaria recutita, Viola odorata, Plantago psyllium, Berberis vulgaris, Pyrus communis, Linum usitatissimum, Vitis vinifera were the most important plant sources used in treating the stomach ache according to Persian medicine. The findings of this study showed that the useful effects of many recommended plants in Persian medicine are confirmed by recent scientific researches and are reliable

Cardiovascular diseases represent significant health risk factors and they are major contributors to the global deaths and chronic illness/disability. For the treatment of cardiovascular disease, chemical and herbal medication are used. Herbal remedies used to treat heart disorders include Carum carvi L., Echium amoenum Fisch. & C.A.Mey., Citrus auranti floria, Zataria multiflora Boiss., Teucrium polium L., Zingiber officinale Roscoe, Falcaria vulgaris Bernh., Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers., Vitis vinifera L., Glycyrrhiza glabra L., Artemisia absinthium L., Ziziphus spina-christi (L.) Desf. and Falcaria vulgaris Bernh., which are of the most important products affecting cardiovascular disorders.