Journal of Medicinal Plants
Volume:3 Issue: 11, 2004

Many women are interested to use complementary and alternative medicines for relief from their menopausal symptoms. The prevalence of herbal medicinal product use among menopausal women highlights the need for investigation into these interventions. The goal of this study was to evaluate the benefit of herbal medicinal products for the treatment of menopausal symptoms by performing a systematic review of clinical trials.Literature searches of four computerized databases were done to identify randomized clinical trials of herbal medicinal products for the treatment of menopausal symptoms. Manufacturers of herbal products were contacted, and our own files were also searched. There were no restrictions on the language of publication. Trials were considered if the outcome measures related to the physical or psychological impact of menopause, whether by compendium scores, questionnaires, or women's symptom diaries, excluding studies describing artificially induced menopause. This review was not concerned with biochemical or pathological data.Eighteen randomized clinical trials that fit our criteria were identified. These studies investigated black cohosh (n = 4), red clover (n = 4), kava (n = 3), dong quai (n = 1), evening primrose oil (n = 1), ginseng (n = 1), and combination products (n = 4). Trial quality was generally good, with 16 of 18 studies scoring 3 or more (maximum 5) on the Jadad Scale.There is no enough evidence for any herbal medical product in the treatment of menopausal symptoms. However, the evidence for black cohosh is promising.The studies involving red clover show it may be of benefit for more severe menopausal symptoms. There is some document for the use of kava, but safety concerns mean this herbal product is not a therapeutic option at present.

Silymarin is the seed extract of silybum marianum herbal medicine widely used for liver and bilary abnormality in China and several European country. It protect liver from several toxicity including acetaminophen, alcohol and amanita mashrom poisoning. Silymarin is composed of several flavonoids with antioxidative, anti-inflammatory and increasing cellular glutathion level properties. Although several experimental and clinical investigation indicating its efficacy against liver and prostate cancer, cisplatin induced kidney toxicity, and type II diabetes, but further clinical study need for its clinical use. However no adverse effect is reported by its chronic use or its administration to children, or pregnancy and lactation women.

Composition of the volatile oils of the C.bigaradia, C.limon and C.delicosa have been investigated. The plant materials (leaves) were collected in spring 2000 from Corta (The medicinal plants garden) near Tonecabon, North of Iran. The oils were collected by means of hydrodistilation procedure. The yields were 1.4% v/w, 1.1 % v/w and 1% v/w respectively. Subesequently the oils were analyzed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry.The main constituents of C.bigaradia were linallol (38.72%), linalyl acetare (36.52%), α-terpineol (8.68%), of C.limon were geranial (31.45%), neral (23.16%), β-pinene (22.39%) and limonenc (6.7%) and of C.deliciosa were sabinene (37.64%), linallol (36.60%), δ-3-carene (4.42%) and citronellal (3.81%).

The genus of Diplotaenia presents two species in Iran, D. damavandica and D. cachrydifolia. The first one is endemic of Iran and the second grow wild in lran and Anatoly. In this research, the aerial parts of D. cachrydifolia were collectcd in three stages of plant growth before flowering full flowering and beginning of fruit formation. The plant materials, after drying in room temperature were hydro-distilled for obtaining the essential oils were analyzed by GC and GC/MS. The oils were obtained at yields of 0.93% (before flowering), 4.49% in full flowering and 2.66% (after flowering) based on dry weights of plant materials. Eighteen compounds were identified in the oil of D. cachrydifolia before flowering. The main components were limonene (28.04%), elemieine (15.35%), cis-isoelemieine (15.12%), and apiol (11.78%) and cis-beta- oeimene (10.87%). In the full flowering stage, eighteen compounds were identified in the oil, with limonene (41.81%), elemieine (21.96%) and cis-beta oeimene (18. 70%) as major constitutents. Twcnty-one components were characterized in the oil of D. cachrydifolia at the beginning of fruit. formation, The main components were limonen (47.63%), clemicine (20.51%), cis-beta-oeimene (8.55%) and I, 8-cineole (5.71%). The main difference of the essential oils of D. cachrydifolia in these three stages, was that cis isoelemieine disappeared in the oil of full flowering and 1,8-cineole was detected only in the oil of after flowering.

Anethum graveolens L. an annual, herbaceouse and aromatic plant is belong to Apiaceae family. All Parts of Dill plant are fragrant. Carvone, Phellandren and Limone compounds are major constituents of Dill essential oil.Previous studies shown that serious variations take place on quantity and quality of Dill essential oil. Therefore, in this research variation on essential oil Percentage and constituent at three stage of plant growth studied.Result shown that best growth stage or harvest time for obtaine highest essential oil and Carvon yield is early seed forming stage (green seeds) or before complet ripening stage (brown seeds).

The excessive use of chemical preservatives, many of which are suspect because of their potential carcinogenic and teratogenic attributes or residual toxicity, has resulted in increasing pressure on food manufacturers to substitute of them by natural ones e.g. plant essential oils. The study of the effects of plant essential oils on different growth kinetics of food borne pathogens or food spoilage microorganisms in different model systems is requested to establish the usefulness of them as a natural antimicrobial preservatives. In this study, lag phase of growth (Lag) of Staphylococcus aureus in Brain Heart Infusion (BHI) broth as affected by different concentrations of Zataria multiflora Boiss. essential oil (0.0, 0.03 and 0.06%) during 43 days storage at three temperatures (35, 25 and 15ºC) was investigated. The Lag of S. aureus affected significantly (p< 0.05) by different concentrations of the essential oil. The Lag of S. aureus in BHI broth with 0% essential oil at 35, 25 and 15ºC were 7.25, 15.25 and 82 h respectively. While in BHI broth with 0.03 and 0.06% essential oils were 34.05, 94.8 h and 235.5 and 44.5, 110.5 and >1032 h respectively.

As in traditional medicine, saffron is used as exhilarating agent and also our previous study showed the antidepressant effect of saffron extracts, in this study, the effects of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Crocus sativus stigma and its constituents safranal and crocin were studied for the antidepressant activity using the forced swimming test in mice. The extracts and constituents were injected intraperitoneally to mice. The aqueous (160-320 mg/kg) and ethanolic extracts (200-800 mg/kg) of stigma decreased the immobility time in comparison to normal saline and also like fluoxetine increased the swimming time. In the open field activity test, the aqueous extract reduced total activity but the ethanolic extract increased the stereotypic activity. Safranal and crocin also reduced the immobility time. Safranal increased the swimming time. Both safranal and crocin increased the climbing time. Crocin increased stereotypic activity and safranal decreased the total activity. On the basis of these results, the antidepressant effect of Crocus sativus stigma extracts may be mediated via safranal and crocin. Crocin may act via the uptake inhibition of dopamine and norepinephrine and safranal via the serotonin. Further experiments are needed to clarify these subjects.

St John’s wort, Hypericum Perforatum L. (Culsiaceae) is an important medicinal plant, which has different bioactive constituents and hypericin (a naphtodianthrone) is one of this compounds. Hypericin has many pharmacological effects such as antidepressant, antiviral and antibacterial, which cause to high production and consumption. It has known that region and genetic (accession) have significant effects on yield and content of active constituents of this plant. Because of existing 5 accessions in gene bank of medicinal plants Institute –ACECR, this study has been conducted in order to determination the best accession and evaluation role of genetic and environment on quantitative yield and hypericin content.This study has been done in research farms of medicinal plants Institute - ACECR along 1999- 2002. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with a split-plot arrangement. The parameters are measured in this study included: dry and wet herbage, content of hypericin, plant height and diameter in flowering stage.Combined analysis of variance indicated that genetic (accession) had significant effect on wet herbage (p<0.05), dry herbage, plant height & diameter (p<0.01) but had not significant effect on hypericin content. Environmental conditions (years) affected on hypericin content (p<0.01). Therefore accession and environment have main roles in production of medicinal parts and hypericin content in this plants, respectively. They could be considered as two key factors for an economically successful cultivation.

So many articles on fennel (Foeniculum Valgare Mill.) essential oil constituents have been published. The goal of this article is influnce of preparations of essential oil on quality and quantity of the essence.We prepared the essences by two methods (hydrodistillation and steam distillation). Hydrodistillation were conducted in four different process time (15, 30, 60 and 150 minutes) and the latter conducted at 150 minutes. The oils were analysed by GC and GC/MS. 37 major compounds were detected in the oild totally 91.37 to 97.57% of the essences were consisted of these compoundes. E Anethole, Estragole and D-(+)- Fenchone were the most frequent compounds. The highest percent of anethole was at 30 minute.