Jundishapur Journal of Natural Pharmaceutical Products
Volume:11 Issue: 4, Nov 2016

Context: In Iranian traditional medicine (ITM), purgation is a simple and effective way of removing waste humors from the body. Purgation not only increases peristaltic movements in the gastrointestinal system but also relieves many symptoms that arise due to the retention of waste humors in the body’s organs. The aim of the present study is to introduce one of the most important Aloe-based purgative medications used in ITM: Ayarij-e-Faiqra..
Evidence Acquisition: The main Iranian medical and pharmaceutical text books, composed between the 9th and 19th centuries, were searched for key words related to Ayarij and Faiqra. All references to and formulations of Ayarij-e-Faiqra were reviewed. Then, scientific databases, including Web of Knowledge, Science Direct, PubMed, and Google Scholar were searched for references to the biological effects of the plants used in Ayarij-e-Faiqra formulations..
Ayarij is the common name for medicines that contain a purgative agent as the main constituent. Other ingredients are often added to improve efficacy and reduce side effects, or to allow the medicine to function as a delivering agent. Aloe is the main constituent of Ayarij-e-Faiqra. It has a wide range of indications and an important role in balancing the body’s humors in ITM. It can be used, therefore, in the treatment of various diseases. The prescriptions given differ across the manuscripts studied, with some formulations having been used more often, although the instructions for administration and dosage tend to differ..
In both ITM and modern medicine, Ayarij-e-Faiqra is a powerful purgative medicine because Aloe spp. dried juice is the main ingredient. This juice has been used with other components to increase the efficacy of the medicine and to reduce the adverse effects associated with Ayarij-e-Faiqra. In ITM, purgative medicine expels and eliminates waste humors from body systems. In modern medicine, most studies focus on the polysaccharide constituent of Aloe spp. gel (not the juice), and although data about the modifying effects of each separate ingredient in Ayarij-e-Faiqra can be found, more studies are required that analyze all the ingredients in Aloe spp. dried juice in order to give a complete medical profile for Ayarij-e-Faiqra..

Pulmonary fibrosis is an idiopathic and chronic inflammatory interstitial lung disease, with a negligible response to available medical therapies and potentially fatal prognosis. Statins (3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A [HMG CoA] reductase inhibitors) have broad pleiotropic properties and are used to treat multiple diseases..
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of different doses of atorvastatin (10, 20, and 40 mg/kg) on bleomycin (BLM)-induced pulmonary fibrosis in rats..
Thirty female 8-wk-old Sprague Dawley rats, weighing 200 ± 20 g, were randomly divided into five experimental groups. Group 1 (control) received saline intratracheally (IT), group 2 received a single dose of BLM (7.5 UI/kg/mL, IT) on day 7 and no treatment, and groups 3 - 5 received atorvastatin orally at doses of 10, 20, and 40 mg/kg, respectively, one week before and again three weeks after BLM administration. The rats were sacrificed 21 days after the administration of BLM. Blood and lungs were collected for plasma malondialdehyde (MDA), lung hydroxyproline, and histopathological examination..
The results showed that lung hydroxyproline and plasma MDA levels were significantly reduced in the atorvastatin-treated groups, especially the 40 mg/kg group, compared to the BLM untreated group (P Atorvastatin may play a protective role in pulmonary fibrosis, with its effects mediated via the station’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Atorvastatin may be a potential agent for the treatment of lung injury and fibrosis..

Silymarin has powerful antioxidant properties, but its effects on athletic performance are poorly understood..
The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of 4 weeks of endurance or strength exercise, with or without silymarin, on body composition, paraoxonase (PON), leptin and adiponectin levels in untrained men..
A total of 45 untrained men were divided into 5 groups (n = 9): endurance training with placebo (ET P), endurance training with 140 mg of silymarin/day (ET S), strength training with placebo (ST P), strength training with 140 mg of silymarin/day (ST S) and placebo (C). Anthropometrical and VO2max measurements and ELISA assay for PON, leptin and adiponectin levels were performed at the beginning and after the 4-week of the study.
There was a significant decrease in weight and body mass index in the ET P and ET S groups and increases in ST P and ST S (P The present study has demonstrated that a combination of exercise and silymarin can improve body composition and adiponectin levels..

Residual microorganisms are the main cause of root canal treatment failure. Due to the occurrence of bacterial resistance against antibiotics and the side effects of these drugs, herbs that possess antimicrobial qualities are drawing more attention than before..
The aim of this study was to compare different concentrations of green tea with 1% sodium hypochlorite with regard to their antimicrobial effects on Enterococcus faecalis..
In this experimental study, extracts of green tea with four different concentrations (40, 80, 100 and 200 mg/mL) were prepared. E. faecalis was cultured on Mueller Hinton agar. Within each culture plate, a disc with one of the concentrations of green tea extract, a disc of 1% sodium hypochlorite, a disc of tetracycline as a positive control, and a disc of distilled water as a negative control was placed. After 48 hours, the mean of the inhibition zone diameter was compared by using one-way ANOVA..
The mean of the inhibition zone diameter around the discs of green tea extract in all concentrations was significantly less than 1% sodium hypochlorite (P Although the antimicrobial effect increases in higher concentrations of extracts of green tea, 1% sodium hypochlorite has a greater antimicrobial effect on E. faecalis in comparison with extracts of green tea..

Aflatoxins are a group of very toxic compounds produced by a fungal species and are found in food products. Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) is a type found in dairy products and resistant to pasteurization. AFM1 can adversely affect hepatocytes in human and leading to various liver diseases. Thus, it is essential to examine raw milk for the presence of AFM1..
The current study aimed to evaluate the levels of AFM1 in raw and pasteurized milk produced in Alborz province, Iran..
Ninety seven samples of raw milk and 20 samples of pasteurized milk were collected from milk collecting centers and different supermarkets, respectively. Samples were analyzed to determine AFM1 level by immunoaffinity column chromatography, and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using a C18 column with fluorescence detector. Mobile phase was water-acetonitrile-methanol (6:2:2 V/V/V) at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/minute..
AFM1 was detected in all samples with various concentration levels ranging from 0.0024 to 0.231 µg/kg, the mean concentration = 0.027 ± 0.018 µg/kg..
According to the results of the current study, 9.27% of the raw milk and 5% of the pasteurized milk samples had higher levels of AFM1 than the maximum recommended limit (0.05 µg/kg) by food and agriculture organization (FAO)..

Biosurfactants are amphipathic molecules that reduce surface tension. Cell encapsulation represents one of the current leading methodologies aimed at the delivery of the biological products. Alginate is one of the most frequently employed materials used for this purpose..
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the achievability of immobilizing Bacillus subtilis in calcium alginate beads to provide a concrete base for further process development of its biosurfactant production..
Alginate and bacterial solutions were mixed by stirring to obtain a uniform mixture and added by drops into CaCl2 solution to form spherical beads. The spherical beads were agitated for two hours to harden. Equal numbers of beads were poured into 50 mL nutrient broth medium and incubated in the shaking incubator. Surface tension, emulsification activity, and foam production were measured every 24 hours..
B. subtilis showed hemolytic activity. Bead formation at concentrations of 3% and above showed the stability of the alginate solution, while in concentrations of 1% or less, it did not show proper stability. Ideal concentration of microbial suspension was achieved in 0.5 McFarland. Beads were the same size, spherical, and concurrent (3 - 4mm). Maximum foam stability, height, and bioemulsifier production were achieved at 24 hours’ incubation, while CMD values were minimal at this point. The growth of typical bacillial colonies was 250 - 300 CFU/bead..
B. subtilis entrapped in beads was able to preserve its viability and produce biosurfactants as secondary metabolites. Therefore, this method could be applied as a continuous culture system of biosurfactant production..

Superoxide dismutase (SOD), which inhibits lipid peroxidation and scavengers oxygen radicals, is an effective enzyme for treatment of skin ulcer lesion especially due to burns. Superoxide Dismutase is a hydrophilic compound with high molecular weight and low affinity for partitioning into skin. Moreover, another important limitation for its use in medicine is thermal denaturation and inactivation..
We developed solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) dispersions for enhancing superoxide dismutase penetration across burned rat skin and enzyme protection against environmental degradation..
Solid lipid nanoparticles were prepared with cold homogenization method because SOD is a thermo sensitive compound. The characteristics of SLNs such as particle size, entrapment efficiency and enzyme release pattern and permeability through burned rat skin were evaluated..
Solid lipid nanoparticles showed more than 90% entrapment efficiency and particle size lower than 102 nm. In vitro release study demonstrated SOD burst and sustained release characters in this manner with maximum of 65% of enzyme released after 48 hours. The SOD activity was measured and results indicated that SLN could protect activity of the enzyme. Differential scanning calorimetry of SLNs showed low crystalinity index percentage that is a reason for high entrapment efficiency and burst release character..
The results indicated that SOD-loaded in SLN was delivered into deep burned skin layer and induced high enzyme activity through the skin. Low particle size, application of lecithin as surfactant and low crystallinity index (CI) percentage were important factors for increasing SOD penetration through the burned rat skin. Percentage of activity by SLN dispersions through rat skin was 13 folds more than the control..

Cyclophosphamide (CP) is one of the most popular alkylating anticancer drugs despite its toxic side effects, including nephrotoxicity, hematotoxicity, mutagenicity, and immunotoxicity. Capparis spinosa is a multipurpose plant that contains a number of chemically active and diverse secondary metabolites, particularly flavonoids. Rutin and quercetin are two major flavonoids in the caper plant..
This study was undertaken to investigate the protective effect of Capparis spinosa L. extract on nephrotoxicity induced by cyclophosphamide in mice..
In this experimental study, 40 male Swiss albino mice (20 - 25 g) were randomly divided into five groups with each group consisting of eight mice. Mice were pretreated with C. spinosa extract (CSE) orally in doses of 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg for five consecutive days, and CP (200 mg/kg, ip) was administrated on the fifth day 1 hour after the last dose of extract. The animals were sacrificed on the sixth day. Blood samples were collected to determine the serum creatinine (Cr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels. The malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) levels were assayed in kidney tissue. The right kidney was maintained in 10% formalin for hematoxylin and eosin staining and histological examination..
Different plant parts (fruit, leaves, and petals) were examined for antioxidant activity by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl assay, and leaf extract was used to determine nephroprotective effects. Results showed a significant increase in the levels of MDA, Cr, and BUN and a reduction of GSH by CP administration. Pre-treatment with CSE decreased the levels of MDA, Cr, and BUN. GSH increased in all doses, but the most significant alteration was observed in the doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg (P Our results indicate that CSE ameliorates biochemical indices and oxidative stress parameters against CP-induced nephrotoxicity..

Neurotoxicity is one of the most recognized effects of acrylamide (ACR) in humans and animals. Oxidative stress is an important mechanism in ACR-induced neurotoxicity..
In this research, the effect of silymarin as a potent antioxidant was evaluated against ACR-induced toxicity in both in vitro and in vivo models..
For the in vitro assay, PC12 cells were exposed to different concentrations (2.5 - 100 µM) of silymarin for 24 hours. ACR at a final concentration of 5 mM was added and cell viability was determined using the MTT assay. For the in vivo study, neurotoxicity was induced using intraperitoneal (IP) administration of ACR (50 mg/kg) for 11 days. The effects of different doses of silymarin (40, 80, and 160 mg/kg IP, respectively) were evaluated in ACR-induced neurotoxicity in Wistar rats based on gait scores..
Exposure to ACR reduced cell viability in PC12 cells. Pre-treatment of cells with silymarin (100 µM) significantly reduced ACR-induced toxicity. In addition, administration of ACR induced severe toxicity in Wistar rats, while silymarin at a dose of 160 mg/kg could improve the rats’ gait abnormalities..
With regard to the potent antioxidant properties of silymarin, the neuroprotective effects of this natural compound suggested in the current study may in part be mediated through inhibition of oxidative stress..

In the present study, free-radical-scavenging and antioxidant activities of Angipars™, an herbal extract which has been registered as a therapeutic drug for diabetic foot ulcer, were examined. We investigated the protective effect of Angipars™ on cytotoxicity produced by exposure to H2O2 (300 µM) in HepG2 and A549 cell lines, using MTT assay, glutathione (GSH) content analysis, and lipid peroxidation evaluation. Angipars™ concentrations of 1 - 20 µg/mL effectively scavenged DPPH radicals in a dose-dependent manner, while hydroxyl-radical-scavenging activity was only observed at high doses. Following a 4-hour cell treatment with H2O2, a noticeable decline in cell viability was observed, which was alleviated by Angipars™ (pre-incubated for 24 hours) at high doses. Angipars™ significantly reduced GSH content and products of lipid peroxidation, resulting from H2O2 exposure. These findings suggest that Angipars™ exhibits positive antioxidant activity in vitro and can attenuate H2O2-induced cytotoxicity; in fact, this may represent the cellular mechanisms for its cytoprotective activity.

Candida albicans, an opportunistic pathogen, causes disseminated infection in immunocompromised host. Artemisia dracunculus L. (Tarragon) is a plant used as meal and remedy for a long time, and possesses some medicinal characteristics. Its pharmacological properties have been shown in a large number of in-vitro and in-vivo studies..
Regarding the antifungal activity, widespread secondary metabolites, and proved biological activities of tarragon, this study aimed to investigate the effect of hydroalcoholic extract of A. dracunculus L. on C. albicans infection in mice..
The mice were divided into six groups including a normal control group, a placebo group, and three treatment groups receiving 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg doses of hydroalcoholic extract via intraperitoneal (ip) injection followed by inoculation with C. albicans. A control group, inoculated only with C. albicans, was also employed. After all treatments, the mice were killed by cervical decapitation and the concentration of C. albicans was measured in the liver and kidney homogenates..
The results showed a significant decrease in C. albicans concentration in the liver and kidney homogenates in the treatment groups (P It can be concluded that hydroalcoholic extract of A. dracunculus L. improves C. albicans infection in mice as a result of possessing antifungal effects..

Acute poisoning by oral ingestion of mixed hazardous materials can lead to multiorgan toxicity and may represent a special challenge in clinical management, in particular if little is known about the effects of the involved agents. This is especially true when industrial chemical substances have been swallowed, as a huge variety of toxic substances must be taken into account..
This case report describes the management of this potentially life-threatening situation in a 21-year-old man with multiorgan system failure, who developed gastrointestinal bleeding, anemia, renal dysfunction, altered visual acuity, seizure, jaundice, and ascites due to multiorgan toxicity. This patient was successfully treated with repeated hemodialysis, and survived. He was discharged from the hospital with an acceptable level of morbidity..
In cases of oral-based multiple hazardous substance toxicity without a specific antidote, hemodialysis seems to be the best treatment. The problems created by multiorgan toxicity and the issues involved in the decision-making process are discussed in the management of this extraordinarily overwhelming complication..