Jundishapur Journal of Natural Pharmaceutical Products
Volume:12 Issue: 3, Jun 2017

Renal colic is a significant painful condition that needs urgent and influential treatment by proper analgesics. The studies showed that histamine receptors expressed in the ureter and causes strong peristaltic contractions in the ureter. The concept of this study assumed that Chlorpheniramine, propylamine H1-receptor antagonist (antihistamine), may have an effective role in management of renal colic pain.
In this randomized clinical trial, 112 patients with renal colic were divided into 2 groups, the intervention group (group A) received 1cc of intravenous chlorpheniramine along with 5 mg morphine. While group B patients received 1 cc of Isotonic solution along with 5 mg morphine. The pain was measured by visual analog scale, before the treatment and 4 time points after treatment including; 15, 30, 45, and 60 minutes after intervention.
Patients’ mean age was 40.20 ± 7.21. The amount of pain score, immediately before starting intervention, time point of 15 minutes and 60 minutes after had no statistical significant differences between 2 groups, however, there were significant differences in the time point of 30 and 45 minutes. Moreover the results showed that use of Chlorpheniramine are in relation with lowering incidence of nausea,vomiting, as well as decreases the morphine required dose.
Our results indicated that Chlorpheniramine may be an effective agent in reliving renal colic pain. Moreover it has been shown that the use of Chlorpheniramine are in relation with lowering incidences of nausea, vomiting, as well as also decreases the morphine required dose. We conclude that additional chlorpheniramine can lower the needed dose for opioids and can probably diminish the opioids adverse effects.

Analyzing a cell or a tissue transcriptome is the best way to understand its functions. cDNA library construction is one of the best methods to achieve this aim, and it is used to determine the structure, functions, and expression profile of a transcriptome. In the construction of a cDNA library, bacterial hosts are very adaptive. One of the most adaptive bacterial hosts is the DH5α strain of Escherichia coli.
The venom peptides of scorpions are applicable in biological and medical research as potent drugs, as they have bioactive components; therefore, their identification is very important. In this project, we set up and improved the Clontech® In-Fusion SMARTer™ Directional cDNA library construction kit in the transcriptome analysis of the venom glands of two Iranian scorpions, Odonthubuthus doriae (O. doriae) and Mesobuthus eupeus (M. eupeus).
RNA extraction and cDNA synthesis and purification were conducted on the venom glands of O. doriae and M. eupeus scorpions. cDNA libraries were constructed by cloning and transforming chemically competent bacterial cells. The blue-white screen method was used to identify the transformed cells. For finding colonies that have scorpion-related inserts, a colony PCR method was designed with specific primers for two sides of the insertion site into the vector.
The obtained white colonies have vectors that include cDNA related to O. doriae and M. eupeus.
The constructed cDNA libraries of O. doriae and M. eupeus glands confirmed that a framework was created for the transcriptome analysis and peptide study of the venom glands of other scorpion species.

Medicinal plants have been considered a good source for finding new pharmaceutical chemicals, and identification of chemical composition is the first step towards uncovering the nature of bioactive compounds.
The aim of this study was to analyze the composition of the essential oil of Ballota nigra subsp. kurdica from Iran for the first time and to test its in vitro antibacterial activity against some bacteria.
The flowers of Ballota nigra subsp. kurdica were subjected to a Clevenger extractor for essential oil extraction, and gas chromatography mass spectrometry analysis was performed for its analysis. Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, Bacillus subtilis, Klebsiella pneumonia and Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria were used to test antibacterial activity of the essential oil using the disk diffusion method.
GC-MS analysis detected 22 components in the extracted essential oil which constituted more than 98% of total essential oil. The main compounds of the oil were caryophyllene oxide (39.43%), trans-caryophyllene (24.88%), germacrene D (7.64%), 1-undecene (4.20%), isoaromadendrene epoxide (3.25%), and tridecane-1 (2.81%). The essential oil showed moderate to high antimicrobial activity against all tested strains.
The data of this study suggests that the essential oil of B. nigra subsp. kurdica could be considered a natural antimicrobial agent to preserve food and treat infections in the near future.

Tanacetum persicum (Boiss.) Mozaff is a plant with a long history in Iranian traditional medicine as an antiseptic medicinal plant.
This study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of T. persicum essential oil and analyze its chemical composition.
In this study, the chemical composition of the aerial part essential oil of T. persicum was analyzed by gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy apparatuses. Antimicrobial activity was evaluated against Helicobacter pylori, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella enterica by disc diffusion and micro-broth dilution assays.
The antioxidant activity of the essential oil was compared with ascorbic acid against ABTS free radicals. Borneol (33.5%), bornyl acetate (12.8%), and linalool (9.1%) were the main components of the essential oil of T. persicum. S. aureus, which has a high inhibition zone diameter (mm) and low minimal inhibitory concentration and minimal bactericidal concentration values, showed the most sensitivity to essential oil, followed by S. enterica and H. pylori. The antioxidant activity of the essential oil was the same as that of ascorbic acid (IC50 = 20 ppm).
The essential oil of T. persicum is a good source of borneol and a valuable antioxidant and antimicrobial agent.

Sea urchins contain high values of antioxidant substances such as polyphenols.
In the present study, the antioxidant activities, α-amylase inhibition, anti-inflammatory activity and the amounts of phenols and flavonoids of purple sea urchin Echinometra mathaei tissues obtained from Persian Gulf were examined.
In December 2012, the purple sea urchin E. mathaei used for this study was harvested in the intertidal zone of Qeshm Island, Hormozgan Province, Iran. In the experimental design, extract isolation of different tissues of sea urchin such as spines, shells, gonads and Aristotle’s lantern was performed with the application of n-hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol solvents. Antioxidant properties of the samples were evaluated using different antioxidant tests such as total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and reducing power. The anti-diabetic and anti-inflammatory effects of samples were examined by inhibition of α-amylase and retardation of serum albumin denaturation, respectively.
With respect to antioxidant properties, the methanol extract of shell containing 40 μg/mL concentration possessed the maximum reducing power (OD = 0.475 ± 0.0049 and, ethyl acetate extract of Aristotle’s lantern at 1 mg/mL concentration presented the highest TAC (OD = 0.439 ± 0.0018). The n-hexane extract of gonad at a concentration of 1 mg/mL revealed the highest α-amylase inhibition (84.7 ± 2.92%). The ethyl acetate extract of Aristotle’s lantern at 20 μg/mL concentration possessed the highest anti-inflammatory property (69.78 ± 1.61 μg/mL). In biochemical analysis, the methanol extract of spine and ethyl acetate extract of Aristotle’ lantern had the highest phenolic (0.33 ± 0.017 mg/g) and flavonoid compounds (24.6 ± 0.72 mg/g), respectively.
The obtained results revealed that sea urchin extracts could be used in pharmaceutical industries. Furthermore, its application in food industries as a supplementary food can be of great value.

Liver toxicity is a state of toxic damage to the liver and is induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), which is wildly used in animal models.
The aim of this study was to compare the therapeutic effects of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSC) and platelet extract (PE) in rats with CCl4 induced liver toxicity.
In this experimental study, liver toxicity was induced by CCl4 in Wistar rats, which were divided into five groups; seven rats were placed in each group. Group I received 0.5 mL/kg olive oil intraperitoneally (IP) twice a week for eight weeks; group II received 1 mL/kg CCl4 1:1 in olive oil IP twice a week for eight weeks; group III received 1 × 106 BM-MSC/rat in 1 mL PBS locally after four weeks of CCl4 injection; group IV received 0.5 mL/kg PE 1:1 in PBS subcutaneously (SC) twice a week for three weeks; and group V received 0.5 mL/kg PE 1:1 in PBS SC twice a week for three weeks after five weeks of CCl4 injection. Blood and tissue samples were collected from all the experimental groups after eight weeks. Histological staining and biochemical analysis were also performed to compare the functional and morphological reconstruction of the liver between groups.
Administration of CCl4 resulted in marked alternation in serum hepatic enzymes (AST and ALT), and α-smooth muscle actins deposition. The amount of liver enzyme was significantly reduced in groups III and V compared to group III. Lipid peroxidation expressed by malondialdehyde concentration was significantly decreased in groups III and gr V compared to group III (P Cell and platelet therapy methods not only have a direct effect on eliminating reactive oxygen species, they may also affect endogenous antioxidants such as GSH. These methods may be a therapeutic approach for liver damage, particularly for the damages associated with oxidative stress.

Recently, medicinal plants have become the focus of more attention due to their potentially effective roles in the prevention and treatment of many diseases.
The aim of this research was to examine the effects of Cinnamomum zeylanicum (CZ) on lipid profile and histological changes due to LDL receptor (LDL-R) gene expression in hamsters fed a high cholesterol diet.
Thirty-two male hamsters were allocated into four groups (eight in each group under four weeks of treatment) as follows: group ND were fed a standard normal diet; group HCD were fed a normal diet supplemented with high cholesterol; group HCD CZ2 were fed a high cholesterol diet (HCD) along with 2% CZ; and group HCD CZ8 were fed an HCD diet along with 8% CZ. After the treatment process, blood samples were taken from all of studied animals, and sera were prepared for lipid profile assays. Liver LDL-R gene expression was assayed using the real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. Liver histological changes were determined using the hematoxylin and eosin staining method.
A significant reduction was observed in serum triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), very-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-c), aspartate transaminase (AST), and alanine transaminase (ALT) levels in the HCD CZ8 group, while serum high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) levels increased when compared with the HCD group (P The administration of CZ improved dyslipidemia in hypercholesterolemic animals, probably by increasing LDL-R gene expression in the liver; consequently, it can be concluded that CZ can reverse hepatic steatosis. Therefore, CZ was determined as having a protective role against hypercholesterolemia.

In most species of gram-negative pathogenic and conditionally pathogenic bacteria, quorum sensing-dependent systems have been discovered, in which various N-acyl-L-homoserine lactones function as signaling molecules inducing the development of resistance towards the effects of antibiotics.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the possibility of stabilizing lactonase activity of His6-OPH by forming enzyme polyelectrolyte non-covalent complexes (EPNCs) containing both this enzyme and polyanionic polymer. It also targeted at studying the efficacy of these EPNCs in combination with a variety of antibiotics (ampicillin, gentamicin, kanamycin, and rifampicin) against gram-negative bacteria. Cheap non-toxic biodegradable polyamino acids (poly-L-glutamic acid and poly-L-aspartic acid) were selected as polyanionic polymers to produce EPNCs.
Recombinant Escherichia coli strain SG13009 [pREP4], transformed by plasmid encoding His6-OPH, was used for His6-OPH production. The His6-OPH lactonase activity was determined according to known methods, using a pH-sensitive indicator (cresol red) and a colorimetric method. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of antibiotics was determined with the suspension of bacteria cells, with antibiotic added in a concentration range from 0 to 500 mg/L at 37°C during 16 hours.
All the tested enzyme preparations were equally efficient in catalyzing the hydrolysis of N-acyl-homoserine lactones of various structures containing and lacking a 3-oxo group in the acyl radical. It has been established that the presence of enzyme preparations facilitates the reduction of MIC of antibiotics (ampicillin, gentamicin sulfate, kanamycin sulfate, and rifampicin) on the growth of highly concentrated (106 cells/mL) cell populations of Pseudomonas aeruginosa B-6643 and Escherichia coli B-6645. Polyelectrolyte complexes of this enzyme have an increased efficiency at a lower pH (6.5) of the medium in comparison to its highly purified form. It is possible to reduce the minimum inhibitory concentration of antibiotics by 10% to 850% in combined use of antibiotics and His6-OPH enzyme preparations.
The discussed approaches for the use of original biological products based on His6-OPH opens up opportunities for creating new ways of effectively controlling bacterial diseases in animals.

Thymoquinone (TQ), a bioactive compound, has many pharmacological actions especially anticancer effects. Prostate cancer (PC) is one of the most common malignancies among males in the world.
The current study aimed at evaluating the effects of TQ treatment on interleukin-6 (IL-6) expression, IL-6 secretion, cell viability, phosphorylated extracellular signal–regulated kinases (pERK1/2), phosphorylated AKT (pAKT), and phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (pSTAT3) signaling pathways in human prostate cancer PC3 cells.
PC3 cells were cultured in different concentrations of TQ for 48 hours. Cell viability, expression, and secretion of IL-6 were assessed by MTT assay, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-q PCR) analysis, and the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique, respectively. The changes of pERK1/2, pAKT, and pSTAT3 were determined using Western blot procedure.
Treatment with TQ caused the reduction of viability (inhibitory concentration [IC50] = 45 µM) and survival in PC3 cells. RT-q PCR had a significant reduction (P The obtained results suggested that TQ can effectively reduce IL-6 signaling pathways (pSTAT3, pAKT, and pERK1/2). Also, TQ can decrease IL-6 gene expression, which leads to the reduction of cell proliferation and viability. Therefore, TQ may be beneficial to treat prostate cancer.

In recent years, many reports have been published regarding the increasing frequency of drug resistance in Leishmania species to antimonial compounds. Accordingly, many researchers have tried to develop new medicines for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro antileishmanial activity of aqueous, ethyl acetate, and butanol fractions of Falcaria vulgaris against Leishmania major promastigotes.
The total extract was obtained using the percolation method. Subsequently, chlorophyll and oil were eliminated from the total extract, using medium pressure liquid chromatography (MPLC), followed by liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) for fractionation of the total extract. The antileishmanial activity of each fraction was examined at 6 concentrations (40, 80, 160, 320, 640, and 1280 µg/mL) and 4 intervals (6, 24, 48, and 72 hours).
The results of repeated measures ANOVA showed P values of 0.16, 0.22, and 0.04 for the aqueous, ethyl acetate, and butanol fractions, respectively. Furthermore, one-way ANOVA test revealed a significant difference between these fractions at 48 and 72 hours (P = 0.04 for both). In addition, Tukey’s HSD test showed a significant difference between the butanol fraction and other fractions at 48 and 72 hours (P As Falcaria vulgaris showed acceptable antileishmanial activity with no side effects in this study, it can be used as an effective complementary or alternative treatment for skin lesions of cutaneous leishmaniasis. However, further in vivo studies are required in the future.

Osthole (7-methoxy-8-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)-2H-1-benzopyran-2-one), a natural coumarin derivative, has exhibited various pharmacological properties. In addition, the possibility of its development as a promising lead compound for drug discovery has been proposed. However, there is little toxicological information regarding safety of repeated exposure to this coumarin.
The present study evaluated the potential toxicity of osthole after acute and subchronic administration in rodents. In addition, we investigated the effect of osthole on different hepatic CYP gene expressions in male rats receiving the highest dose of osthole.
In the acute toxicity study, single doses of osthole (100, 500, and 1000 mg/kg) were administered intraperitoneally to mice and the mice were then monitored for 14 days. In the subchronic toxicity study, osthole was administered orally to rats at doses of 5, 25, and 50 mg/kg/day for 45 days.
The results of acute study indicated that LD50 of osthole is about 710 mg/kg. There was no significant difference in body weight, relative organ weight, and hematological parameters in the subchronic toxicity study. Biochemical analysis showed some significant changes including in creatinine, potassium, glucose, albumin, and urea levels. The results of histopathological studies showed that all the removed organs, specially kidney, were affected by subchronic exposure to osthole. The change in the kidney included peritubular capillary congestion, hemorrhage in renal parenchyma, mild tubular dilatation, and mild interstitial infiltration of inflammatory cells. Furthermore, osthole treatment caused an induction in CYP1A2, CYP2E1, and CYP2C11.
Finally, concerning the common classification of relative toxicity of chemicals, acute toxicity results suggested that osthole is a moderately toxic substance when administered i.p. The obtained data from subchronic study supported the evidence of renal function impairment by osthole. The no-observed adverse-effect level (NOAEL) of the extract for both male and female rats is considered less than 5 mg/kg.

Acute ischemic stroke is one of the most common causes of death worldwide with one new case being diagnosed every five seconds. The mortality rate and permanent disability are very high and the current treatment still needs to improve to a large extent. Minocycline drug, a derivative of tetracycline, is an anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic protection of neurons, the role of which has been studied recently in recovery from nerve degenerative diseases, especially stroke. This study aimed at evaluating the effect of minocycline in the recovery of patients with a history of stroke.
In this randomized clinical trial, 42 patients with ischemic stroke were divided to 2 groups: receiving minocycline 200 mg for 5 days and receiving the placebo. Aspirin was prescribed to all patients. Clinical assessment before and 90 days after the intervention was performed by the National institutes of health stroke scale score (NIHSS).
A total of 36 patients completed the study. The number of females in the case and control groups was 55.5% and 51.1%, respectively. In the case group, NIHSS decreased from 9.55 to 6.1 and in the control group, it decreased from 10.2 to 7.33, which was statistically significant. Although the NIHSS decreased in patients taking minocycline more than the control group, this difference was not statistically significant.
According to the findings of this study, it seems that minocycline could be used as a complementary therapy in patients with ischemic stroke. However, these results need to be confirmed by further studies in this field.