Journal of Medicinal Plants
Volume:18 Issue: 72, 2020

Bladder cherry (Physalis alkekengi L.) is a valuable medicinal plant of the Solanaceae family which has been used in the traditional medicine of Iran and the world and numerous therapeutic properties such as anti-fever and inflammatory, analgesic, anti-bacterial and virus have been reported for this plant. Bladder cherry is extensively used in Chinese medicine, and its fruit is used to treat abscess, cough and relieve fever, and sore throat. Brewed and boiled flower of this plant is also suitable for the treatment of diabetes and its root is used to urinary problems, skin inflammation, uric acid excretion, gout, arthritis, hemorrhoids, hepatitis, bronchitis, and liver enhancement. The most important phytochemical studies of bladder cherry originated in 1965. To date, about 124 components including steroids, flavonoids, phenylpropanoids, and alkaloids have been extracted from different parts of the plant. Approximately, 58 combinations of steroids have been reported with the highest amount of physalins in the different parts of the bladder cherry. Moreover, 19 flavonoid compounds of the bladder cherry have been extracted from its calix in the form of flavon and flavonol. In general, the results of this study indicate that the bladder cherry due to the effective phytochemical properties of the nutrition and treatment of some diseases can be used as an important medicinal plant in the pharmaceutical industry.

Researchers have always been looking for appropriate patterns of nutritional strategies and physical activities to prevent and treat diseases, increase well-being as well as improving physical performance. This study aimed at reviewing several studies on the relationship between saffron and physical activity. In this study, the relationship between saffron consumption and physical activity of valuable Persian and English databases were investigated until 2019 among 29 studies. Considering entry and exit criteria, 23 studies were selected and reviewed. 8 studies indicated that saffron consumption and short-term physical activity enhanced antioxidant capacity, increased cardio-respiratory function and reduced muscle soreness. 9 studies have examined the interaction of saffron consumption and long-term resistance exercise, revealing increased testosterone, FSH, LH, estradiol, improved body composition, decreased cardiovascular risk factors, fasting blood glucose, and increased reproductive performance. 6 studies examined the relationship between saffron consumption and long-term aerobic exercise activity, reporting enhanced antioxidant capacity, improved blood sugar, augmented respiratory diseases, and improved glycemic indexes. The relationship between saffron consumption and physical activity improves physical body and regulates the functions of metabolism. Much of the research has been due to the combination of these two, especially the existence of saffron metabolites, especially the phallenogals (crostein and crocin), as well as polyphenols and increasing the antioxidant defense system by saffron.

Kelussia odoratissima Mozaff. (keluss), is an endemic medicinal herb in the central Zagros region of Iran. Due to its excessive harvesting in the early vegetation period and the relatively long time required for seed establishment and production, this plant does not have the opportunity to regenerate and produce seed and is exposed to extinction. Keluss has two groups of essential oils and flavonoids. Flavonoids are one of the important components of the plant that have anti-inflammatory, antiviral, anti-diabetes and anti-cancer effects. The most important ingredient in the essential oil of keluss is butylidene dihydrophthalide, as well as butylamine phthalide. Phthalides are found mainly in plant seeds. The main fatty acids of the plant are petroselinic acid, linoleic acid and palmitic acid. The aerial parts of the keluss have properties such as anti-inflammatory, analgesic, rheumatic treatment and blood purification in traditional medicine. Keluss has antioxidant and and tissue protection effects. In this article, the plant is reviewed from various aspects such as botanical characteristics, cultivation and production, uses in traditional medicine and clinical research.

Bloating (emphysema) is one of the causes of postoperative cholecystectomy. Studies show that despite various analgesics, 77% of patients hospitalized at surgery and internal wards suffer from pain, for which different drugs can be used to relief the pain. Mint is one of the herbal remedies used for the treatment of bloating (emphysema). Due to the anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of mint, it is effective in the betterment of abdominal cramps.

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of mint product on the relief of postoperative pain severity following cholecystectomy.

This is a double-blind clinical trial carried out in Emdad hospital of Sabzevar City. This study conducted on a total of 107 patients (47 placebo and 60 drug patients), who were candidates for cholecystectomy. Drug and placebo were administered (40 drops three times every 20 minutes) to patients suffering from postoperative pain after the recovery or stimulation of the gag reflux and onset of pain. The effect of mint extract on pain intensity was evaluated using the visual acuity scale.

The results of Mann-Whitney test showed that pain intensity in the drug group was significantly lower than the placebo group at the second and third 20 minutes, as well as 120 minutes after the intervention (P< 0.001).

According to the findings, the hypothesis of mint effect on the reduction of the postoperative cholecystectomy pain intensity was confirmed in the drug group in comparison with the placebo group.

One of the common problems of women is premenstrual syndrome. PMS is associated with mental and physical symptoms. Many therapeutic approaches are recommended. One of the methods is herbal medicine.

The study was conducted to investigate the effect of Yarrow's extract on PMS.

This double blind clinical trial was performed on single female students in the dormitory of QUMS in Qazvin 2016. First a form was presented to diagnose PMS. Then absence of depression was determined by Beck test. Afterward, the subjects were assigned to two groups of test (167) and control (167). The test group received 200 cc of Yarrow extract and control group received placebo for 3 months. They followed up by a daily status record and pain severity form. Data were analyzed using Analysis of variance, independent t-test and chi 2. 

The results showed that trend of changes in the mean scores of the overall severity of symptoms according to the daily records and pain severity form were statistically significant in three stages of one month, two months and three months after the intervention, but in the Control group was not significant. The mean of total symptoms and severity of pain before intervention and three months later was significantly different in the intervention and control groups.

The study showed that using Achillea millefolium extract can reduce the symptoms of PMS and pain severity. Therefore, that can be used to treat symptoms of premenstrual syndrome.

Curcumin ameloriates liver damages but its poor absorption, rapid metabolism, and side effects at high doses may limit its clinical applications

This study aimed to evaluate the protective and regenerative effects of Curcumin Nanomicells on alcohol-induced chronic liver injuries in mice. These effects were compared with Curcumin and Silymarin in the same model.

42 female mice were divided to groups of normal control, alcoholic liver group, dose groups of NanoCurcumin with low (5 mg/kg), medium (50 mg/kg) and high (100 mg/kg) doses, Curcumin 100 mg/ kg and Silymarin 25 mg/kg, and monitored for 60 days. Results were analysed based on the serum levels of ALT, AST, ALP and LDH, and histopathological changes of the liver.

Although the levels of liver enzymes were not significantly reduced in ethanol and NanoCurcumin group, the levels of ALT, AST significantly decreased in NanoCurcumin, Curcumin and Silymarin post treatment groups. Histopathological evidence confirmed the biochemical data which suggested the qualitative potentials of NanoCucumin in reducing alcohol-induced liver injuries. NanoCurcumin differentially reduced the LDH level, but the same effect was not detected in other treatment groups.

NanoCurcumin at 100 mg/kg/day can recover the chronic liver damages induced by alcohol and could reduce the LDH level, making it a possible candidate for future clinical application.

During the removal of the angiographic sheath, due to the patient's vigilance and observation of the process, the patient experiences high levels of anxiety and stress.

To determine the effects of inhalation of lavender essential oil on stress and anxiety during sheath take out in patients after coronary angiography.

In a semi-experimental study, 70 patients were selected by random sampling method in 2012 - 2013 and randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups. After leaving the shield (4 hours after the completion of the angiography), the Spielberger anxiety questionnaire was completed by the patients in both groups. After 70 minutes, the patients in the experimental group smelled two drops of lavender essential oil and the control group smelled placebo for 20 minutes. At the end of 20 minutes, the anxiety and stress levels of the patients assessed again and compared with pretest.

After intervention, anxiety (P = 0.001) and stress (P <0.001) in the experimental group were significantly lower than the control group. Also, the anxiety and stress of the experimental group in the post-intervention phase was significantly lower than before the intervention (P <0.001). Fisher's exact test showed a significant difference between the two groups in terms of anxiety levels after intervention (P = 0.001); such that the majority of the experimental group showed a slight anxiety level (67.9%).

The use of lavender essential oil during sheath take out in patients after coronary angiography can reduce stress and anxiety.

Iranin poppy (Papaver bracteatum Lindl.) belongs to Papaveraceae family which has important alkaloids such as thebain.

Investigation of genetic diversity and population structure of Iranian poppy populations from Alborz Mountains.

Total DNA from 36 genotypes (12 individuals from each population) were extracted by doyle method. Thebaine of capsules were assayed by High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) against standard curve of thebaine.

The 12 primers from 26applied SCoT primers amplified 181 scorable bands. Polymorphism Information Contents (PIC) index ranged from 0.233 to 0.335 with 0.289 mean. Resolving Power (RP) index ranged from 2.61 to 6.5. based on AMOVA the variance of within and among population were 57% and 43% respectively. Unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) based clustering grouped 36 genotypes into three main groups that was supported by principal coordinate analyses (PCoA). The highest (0.86) and lowest (0.76) similarity were between Polur, Siahbisheh and Taham, Siahbisheh populations respectively. Also, thebaine content was differences between populations. The maximum and minimum thebaine content was obtained in Polur and Taham population respectively.

The results showed that the SCoT markers can separate the Iranian poppy population and it’s an efficient tool for study of genetic diversity and population structure. Also results clarified considerable genetic diversity among P. bracteatum population in Alboraz mountains. Based on results of phytochemical and genetic study, thebaine production in Iranian poppy is controled by genetic and environment factors.

Malaria is one of the most important parasitic diseases in the world caused by Plasmodium species. The malaria parasite digests hemoglobin in vacuole to amino acids and heme. Plasmodium has got several detoxification mechanisms to protect itself from toxic heme. The most important mechanism is heme polymerization. Identifying compounds that inhibit heme polymerization is an approach for detecting antimalarial drugs.

This work has intended to screen some plants from Lamiaceae family for mechanism of antimalarial by ITHD (Inhibition Test of Heme Detoxification).

Inhibition of heme polymerization of total methanol extracts from seven plants of Lamiaceae family have been evaluated by the ITHD method. Hemin Chloride, tween 20 and samples were added in each well of a 96-well plate with ratio 9:9:2, and incubated at 60ºC for 24 h. The plate was read with a micro-ELISA reader at 405 nm, and percentage of heme polymerization inhibition was calculated. The fractions including petroleum ether, chloroform, methanol, methanol: water (7:3) and water were obtained by maceration and the inhibition of heme polymerization evaluation were assessed using the ITHD.

Total methanol extracts of Marrubium astracanicum Jacq. and Phlomis caucasica Rech.f. demonstrated inhibition of heme polymerization, 40 and 35% respectively. The aqueous fraction of P. caucasica inhibited heme polymerization 100%.

P. caucasica could be a selective candidate for drug discovery program in malaria.

Pre-drying operations and drying methods have a significant effect on the quantity and quality of plants essential oils.

In this study, the effect of pre-drying operation and vacuum oven-drying was investigated on the essential oil content and composition of Lippia citriodora.

This research was conducted as a factorial experiment in a completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications. The two studied factors were (1) pre-drying operations in two levels including pre-drying and without pre-drying operation, and also (2) drying methods in 5 levels including fresh plant, shade drying and vacuum oven-drying at 35, 45 and 55°C at 0.5 bar atmospheric pressure.  In this study, the amount of pigments and essential oil content and composition were measured.

The results indicated that the highest chlorophyll content was related to treatment of vacuum oven-drying at 55 °C with a pre-drying treatment, while the highest amount of essential oil was obtained by vacuum oven-drying at 45 °C without a pre-drying operation. The highest amounts of monoterpene hydrocarbons, oxygenated monoterpenes, and geranial were obtained by drying at 55 °C, while the highest content of sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, oxygenated sesquiterpenes and neral were observed in Low-temperature drying.

In general, this study indicated that vacuum oven-drying at 45 °C was the best drying method for obtaining maximum content of essential oil and active components.

Medicinal plants have been used for treatment of diseases and finding of new drugs. Botanical valuable traditional methods, offer finding new medicinal plants and herbal medicines.

The aim of this study was the identification of important medicinal plants that widely were used by local inhabitants, in the treatment of skin diseases in the area of Alamut-Qazvin, Iran.

In this study, the questionnaire was included sections for demographic as well as the medicinal plants information such as local name, how to use, time of harvest and medicinal properties of the plants. The questionnaires were completed by through interviews with 42 traditional botanists and 18 old traditional healers. The data were analyzed by SPSS 20 software.

Seventy-five species of medicinal plant were used in the treatment of 9 skin diseases in the area of Alamut-Qazvin, Iran. The most drugs that effecting on 9 known skin diseases are Urtica dioica for corn and eczema, Terminalia chebula in Wart, Cassia fistula in skin leishmaniosis, Crocus sativus in freckles, Nasturtium officinale in Psoriasis, Trachyspermum ammi and Falcaria vulgaris in vitiligo, Matricaria chamomilla in acne and scald skins. In general, most herbal remedies impact on burn patients and the most used plant is Matricaria chamomilla. Ointment 2% was the most used dosage form. Average 2-4 g/day for more than 3 months duration was used for the treatments.

The results of this research could be the basis for selection of useful medicinal plants for Phytochemical and pharmacological studies.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) includes a range of liver damage from early steatosis to cirrhosis. Although NAFLD prevalence in the world is increasing, but there is no effective treatment for it.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of combined extract of jujube, chicory and silymarin on NAFLD induced by high-fat diet (HFD) in rats.

In this experimental study 40 male rats randomly were divided in two groups: a negative control group (n = 8) and a high-fat diet group (n = 32). After 4 months of feeding with HFD, rats were assigned into 4 groups (n = 8) including an HFD group and three groups receiving HFD and the extract at 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg for 2 months. Finally, lipid profile, liver enzymes activity and liver histology were investigated.

High-fat diet increased cholesterol, triglyceride and LDL and decreased HDL levels (P<0.001). This diet also increased serum activity hepatic enzymes and lipid accumulation in liver tissue. Receiving the extract improved lipid profile and hepatic enzyme activity, dose-dependently. Histopathology of liver confirmed the change induced by HFD and protective effect of extract.

Treatment with combined extracts of jujube, chicory and silymarin improves high-fat diet (HFD) induced NAFLD in rats.

The effect of Bunium persicum (Boiss.) B. Fedtsch. on the metabolic syndrome and physical fitness of active people have been less studied.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of B. persicum consumption on metabolic syndrome indices, muscle strength, and cardio-respiratory function in active middle-aged women.

The research method was quasi-experimental and 20 active middle-aged women were selected and were randomly divided into two experimental (n=10) and control (n=10) groups. The assessments were carried out in two stages (pre-supplementation and post-supplementation). The duration of supplementation was eight weeks (a 3.5 g B. persicum per day). Subjects’ general characteristics, cardio respiratory function, muscular strength, lipid profile, fasting blood sugar, blood pressure, and waist circumference were measured. To analyze the data, two factor analysis of variance with repeated measurements was used at the significant level of P<0.05.

B. persicum consumption decreased triglyceride level, while has no significant effects on body weight, body fat percent, body mass index, waist circumference, fasting blood sugar, HDL-c, total cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, upper body muscle strength, lower body muscle strength, and cardio respiratory function.

The consumption of B. persicum for eight weeks and 3.5 g daily improves triglyceride levels in active middle-aged women, but does not seem to have an impact on other indicators of metabolic syndrome and selected components of physical fitness.

In peppermint, precursors for the biosynthesis of monoterpenes are provided by plastidial methyl-erythritol-phosphate (MEP) pathways.

In order to increase our understanding of terpene metabolism in M. piperita, the effect of salicylic acid (SA) and abscisic acid (ABA) in the modulation of expression pattern of genes involved in essential oil biosynthesis and secretion was investigated.

Transcript abundance of MEP pathway genes, some introduced transcription factors (TFs) families that probably involved in regulating MEP pathway and two genes coding lipid transfer protein (LTP1, LTP2) were monitored by quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR) in response to SA and ABA at 12, 24, 48, 72 and 120 h after treatments. As well as, GC/MS was employed to analysis the quality and quantity of essential oil.

In plants treated with SA and ABA, oil yield and menthol content increased. Transcript abundance of MCT and CMK genes increased in response to SA treatment. As well as, ABA treatment substantially enhanced mRNA level of gene encoding HDR and MCT. However, transcript levels of other MEP pathway associated genes were not positively affected by both treatments. Moreover, LTP1 transcript and some trichome activator genes which belong to MYB and C2H2 families were increased. These results suggest that, in addition to the effect of altered isoprene availability on terpenoid biosynthesis, increased quality and quantity of essential oil components in M. piperita upon SA and ABA were mediated by other mechanisms.

These results provide future avenues for investigation of the underlying mechanism of transcriptional regulation of terpenoids to enhance therapeutic efficacy of
M. piperita.

Dermatitis is one of the most common complications of radiation therapy in women with breast cancer. This problem can reduce the quality of life of these patients and may have a devastating effect on the mental state of these patients.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Aloe barbadensis Miller on the prevention of dermatitis in women with breast cancer under radiotherapy.

In this double-blind randomized clinical trial, 76 women who were treated with radiation therapy were selected based on inclusion criteria. They were randomly assigned to intervention and control groups. Then, intervention groups and controls used an Aloe vera gel and placebo twice a day on the on the area under radiotherapy, one week before the start of radiotherapy sessions. Each day, the skin of this area was assessed and the intervention was terminated when each of the symptoms of first grade dermatitis was observed based on the RTOG criteria. The number of sessions that took long to cause dermatitis was also recorded.

The mean duration of onset of dermatitis based on the number of sessions was 6.45 in the control group and 12.26 in the intervention group. Comparing two groups, a significant difference was found in the meantime of dermatitis formation (P = 0.0001).

This study showed that local use of Aloe vera gel was effective in preventing and delaying the onset of radiation-induced dermatitis. Further research is recommended in this area.

Reducing glucose levels in diabetic patients has a lot of clinical significance. Due to the side effects of drugs, finding plants with similar properties will be very helpful.

The purpose of the present study was to determine the effect of hydroalcoholic extract of Rumex scutatus (Rs) and Cerasus vulgaris (Cv) on the serum levels of glucose, lipid profile and histopathological changing in Streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats.

In this experimental study 24 male white Wistar rats were designated into 4 groups (6 rats per group) randomly. Healthy controls, Diabetic control, Diabetic rats treated with Rs (200 mg/kg), Diabetic rats treated with Cv (250 mg/kg). All of the rats were treated with gavage injection for 3 weeks. At the end of the experiment, serum levels of glucose and lipids were assessed. Sampling from the pancreas, liver and kidney tissues were performed in all animals of the groups. Data were analyzed by one way variance analysis (ANOVA) and Tukey’s and Bonferroni's test using SPSS software.

Rs (200 mg/kg) significantly decreased the level of serum glucose, cholesterol, TG, LDL, and VLDL, but on HDL profile was not significant the effect of Cv (250 mg/kg) on glucose and lipid profiles in diabetic rats were not significant. The hydroalcoholic extract of Rs reduced the tissue damages resulted from diabetic better than the hydroalcoholic extract of Cv.

According to the results, consumption of Rumex scutatus and Cerasus vulgaris can affect the complications of diabetes, dyslipidemia; regulate the level of blood glucose and lipids in these patients.

Silicon is the second most structural element in the earth, which in plants, in induces physiological processes and causes resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses as well.

The effect of seed priming with nanosilicon under different levels of drought stress on morphological, physiological, total phenol and flavonoid contents, quercetin levels and antioxidant capacity of the Calendula officinalis L.

This study was conducted as factorial experiment in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) under four levels of drought stress (25, 50, 75 and 100 %FC), and different concentrations (0, 100, 200 and 500 mg/L) of silicon nanoparticles was considered as seed priming treatment.

The results showed that drought stress levels and seed priming with nanosilicon at the various concentrations caused significant changes (P < 0.05) on measured traits of plant. The highest antioxidant activity of the obtained extract was observed in plants pretreated with nanosilicone at 200 mg/L under 25 %FC. Drought stress at moderate level (50 %FC) along with seed priming with nanosilicone at 100 mg /L had the highest effect on quercetin content. Furthermore, the highest and the lowest content of total flavonoid was observed in plants pretreated with silicon nanoparticles at 200 mg/L and control (without priming) under drought stress at 25 %FC, respectively.

Applicationof nanosilicone at lower concentrations (100-200 mg/L) and drought stress at 50 %FC may improve plant physiological and metabolite indices in marigold.

One of the complications of diabetes is delayed wound healing. One of the common treatments for diabetic patients with coronary artery bypass graft surgery is coronary artery bypass surgery.

Regarding the healing effects of chamomile on wounds, a study was conducted to determine the effect of Matricaria recutita on coronary artery bypass graft surgery in diabetic patients.

This is a quasi-experimental study with control group. 60 diabetic patients referred to coronary artery bypass graft surgery were randomly divided into two groups of 30 intervention and control groups. From the second day after surgery, after removal of the endotracheal tube, the wound area of the patients in the intervention group was washed daily with betadine and dressed with M. recutita ointment. In the control group, only washing with betadine and dressing was performed. Intervention was performed up to 14 days after surgery. Wound healing was assessed on days 4, 7 and 14 postoperatively by the Bates-jensen scale.

The two groups were homogeneous in terms of demographic characteristics. The mean and standard deviation of the wound healing score between the two groups was calculated on the fourth days after the intervention (P = 0.75). There was no significant difference between the two groups on the fourth day after surgery, but 7 days after the intervention there was a significant difference in the mean and standard deviation of wound healing in both groups. Also 14 days after the intervention, there was a significant difference between the two groups with the Mann-Whitney U test (P = 0.002).

Chamomile ointment after at least one week of use can accelerate healing of coronary artery bypass graft surgery in diabetic patients.

Environmental factors and biological regulators have effects on plants morpho-physiological and phytochemical charecteristics.

The aim of this study was to investigate the growth and yield of Rosmarinus officinalis in coexistence with plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) under purified urban wastewater.

This study was done in research greenhouse of University of Kashan, Iran, on the base of factorial experiment in as a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four replications. The treatments included PGPR (Pseudomonas putida strain R112) in two levels of inoculation and non-inoculation and also, urban purified wastewater treatment at five levels of 0 (control), 25, 50, 75, and 100 % v/v.

The highest fresh and dry weight of aerial parts were obtained in plants inoculated with bacteria and irrigation control treatment, as well as in the least in non-inoculated plants and irrigation with 100% purified wastewater. The fresh and dry weights of aerial parts decreased by 53.44% and 71.35%, respectively, compared to plants inoculated with bacteria and non-use of treated wastewater. Also, the highest percentage of rosemary essential oil was related to treatment of inoculated plants with 50% treatment of wastewater.

The growth and yield of rosemary decreased with increasing the percentage of wastewater and inoculation with plant growth promoting bacteria increased the plant tolerance.

Since the alpha-glucosidase enzyme degrades complex carbohydrates and opens the way for their subsequent absorption and increases blood glucose levels, inhibitors of this enzyme are used as drugs for the treatment of some forms of diabetes.One of the medical treatments that have been given so much attention throughout the world is herbal medicine. Therefore, plants are a very good source of bioactive compounds.

The aim of this study was to find strong and new inhibitors of alpha-glucosidase enzymes using plant sources.

Methanolic extracts of 32 plant species collected from central regions of Kurdistan province were investigated for their inhibitory activity on alpha-glucosidase enzymes at concentrations of 1, 0.1, 0.01 and 0.001 mg / ml. Acarbose was used as a positive control. All measurements were performed in three replications.

According to the results of this study, the extracts of Campanula involucrata Auch .ex DC, Hypericum scabrum L., Salvia suffruticosa Montbr. & Auch and Silene ampulata Bioss. showed inhibitory activities greater than 60% on the alpha-glucosidase enzyme. The inhibitory activity of the extract of Campanula involucrata and Silene ampulata was significantly higher, and their IC50 was 0.02 mg / ml.

Therefore, it can be concluded that the just-mentioned plants extract, due to the high inhibition rate and low IC50, can be an interesting topic for more accurate studies.

Inflammatory pain is caused by tissue inflammation and injury. Formalin is one of most important compounds used to induce inflammation. At the moment, the recognition and development of anti-inflammatory drugs that are naturally occurring have been very much taken into consideration. Cuminum is one of plants with anti-inflammatory potentials. Considering the importance of a more complete understanding of the mechanisms that create and advance inflammation in order to find better, more complete and less complicated ways to improve inflammation and inflammatory pain, much and sometimes intense side effects of chemical treatments, The growing importance of medicinal plants in various medical fields and importance and diverse applications of Cuminum in medical sciences.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of Cuminum aqueous extract in male rats.

36 rats were used in different groups. Aqueous extract of Cuminum fruits was prepared at doses of 200, 500, 1000 mg / kg. Inflammation induced by subcutaneous injection of formalin in animal's foot and then, inflammatory pain was evaluated. One-way ANOVA was used to analyze the data.

Different doses of the extract reduced the acute and chronic inflammation. The highest reduction effect in the acute phase was related to dose of 200 mg/kg and in the chronic phase, the dose was 1000 mg/kg.

aqueous extract of the Cuminum plant has an acute and chronic anti-inflammatory effect, and this effect is dose-dependent.

Tyrosinase is a multifunctional, glycosylated and copper containing oxidase, and is found in fungi, microorganisms, plants and animals. The most important function of tyrosinase in mammals is melanogenesis. Hyperpigmentation is a serious problem for beauty. It is possible to cure these diseases with inhibition of tyrosinase. There have been attempts to control the metabolism of pigmentations by means of natural chemical agents.

The aim of this study was to find new potent inhibitors for ،tyrosinase among plant extracts.  

The subject of this study was anti-tyrosinase activity of methanolic extracts of 70 plant species, using mushroom tyrosinase inhibition method. All extracts were screened for their tyrosinase inhibitory activity at 400, 100, 25, 6.2 µg/ml final concentrations in reaction mixture. Assay method was based on spectrophotometric study of absorption in 492 nm and kojic acid was used as positive controls.

The results showed that nine plant extracts including Bongardia chrysogonum (L.) Spach, Podophylaceae, Heptaptera anatolica (Boiss.) Tutin, Apiaceae, Hyoscyamus kurdicus Bornm, Solanaceaes, Hypericum scabrum, Marrubium cuneatum, Nonea hypoleia, Salvia suffruticosa, Scrophularia pruinosa Boiss, Scrophulariaceae and Verbascum phoenicum L, Scrophulariaceae, (400 µg/ml) and two plant extracts including Asperugo procumbens L, Boraginaceae and Astragalus siliquosus Boiss. subsp. siliquosus, Papilionaceae (25µg/ml) have inhibitory activity more than 60%. Saliva suffruticosa showed a considerable inhibition value, 92.62% (400 µg/ml) and low IC50 (94.77 µg/ml) and according to kinetic analysis its type of inhibition on tyrosinase is noncompetitive.

Because of its high inhibitory activity and low IC50, Saliva suffruticosa extract would be interesting for further studies.

The Ceratonia siliqua is a species of medicinal plants of the Fabaceae family that has a very strong antioxidant activity.

In regard to, no research has been done so far on the toxicity of carob, this study was conducted to determine the effects of different doses of carob fruit on histopathology of the liver and kidney, as well as serum levels of liver enzymes, urea and creatinine in adult male mice.

In this experimental study, 35 adult male Balb/c mice were randomly divided into five groups (control, sham, and C200 to C800). The C200 to C800 groups received intraperitoneally doses of 200, 400 and 800 mg/kg of carob extract for 14 days. Blood samples were taken from the heart and after serum centrifugation, they were evaluated for liver enzymes, urea and creatinine. In addition, the liver and kidneys were examined histopathologically by staining hematoxylin and eosin. SPSS software and one-way ANOVA were used to analyze the data.

There was no significant difference between the mean level of urea and creatinine in the groups received carob compared to the control group (P > 0.05). Besides, statistical analysis did not show a significant difference in the mean level of ALT and AST in the carob group compared to the control group (P > 0.05). In the liver sections, hepatocytes with normal central venous and normal port veins were visible. In the sections of the kidneys, the glomeruli were visible with normal kidney tubules.

The results of this study showed that the carob extract in these dosages not have a toxic effect on the liver and kidney of the mouse.

Open skin lesions cause many problems for the health and the economy of societies in recent years, importance and effectiveness of traditional and complementary medicine have been increased.

So this study was performed to investigate the synergistic effect of topical use of Mentha pulegium essential oil and honey in healing of cutaneous ulcers in rats.

This experimental study was performed on 75 healthy wistar male rats. Under anesthesia, a 1.5 * 1.5 mm full thickness square wound was created. In the experimental groups, the surface of the wounds was covered once daily with peppermint, honey, a combination of them and phenytoin ointment. No treatments were performed on the wounds of the control group. For histological studies, using staining (H & E) wound surface and wound healing were evaluated. Data were analyzed by using one-way ANOVA with post hoc Tukey test and P < 0.05 was significant.

The results of microscopic study showed histological parameters in wounds bed in the experimental group were significantly different from the control group. Generally, rats treated with honey or mint, or the combination of them, had higher percentage of wound healing and less wound surface, than negative and positive controls groups (P<0.05). Also, combination of honey and peppermint, was more effective than them alone.

The results indicated percentage of wound healing and wound surface, topical use of Mentha pulegium essential oil and honey is effective in healing rat skin ulcers. Also, the synergistic effect of these two agents to accelerate wound healing has been proved.

Hypertension induced-left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is, at least initially, an adaptive response of the heart to pressure overload but it leads to heart failure if left untreated. Over-activity of reactive oxygen species generator, NADPH oxidase enzyme, is intricately linked with LVH progression.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of, natural polyphenole, resveratrol on transcription level of NADPH oxidase subunits (gp91Phox, P22Phox, P67Phox, P47Phox and Rac1) in hypertrophied heart of rats.

Male Wistar rats were divided into the following groups: control (intact animal); sham (DMSO+H), untreated hypertrophy (H) and resveratrol-treated hypertrophy (R+H) groups. LVH was induced by abdominal aortic banding. Blood pressure was measured directly through carotid artery cannulation. Gene expression was evaluated using real time RT-PCR technique.

The animals in H group had higher systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) compared with control (P <0.001). In treated group (R+H) SBP and DBP were decreased significantly in comparison with H group (P <0.001). In H group, cardiac mRNA levels of gp91Phox, P22Phox, P67Phox and Rac1 subunits levels were upregulated by 98.4 ± 14.5%, 64.7 ± 8.8%, 36.4 ± 5% and 73.2 ± 10.8% ,respectively (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, P < 0.05 and P < 0.001, respectively vs. control). However in R+H group gp91Phox, P22Phox and Rac1 mRNA levels were 43.2 ± 4.5%, 28.6 ± 5.7% and 30.5 ± 5.8% which showed a significant difference compared with H group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05 and P < 0.05, respectively).

Transcription level of NADPH oxidase subunits increases in hypertrophied heart. Resveratrol protects the heart against pressure overload-induced LVH partly through downregulation of NADPH oxidase subunits.

Ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) is a common nosocomial infection among patients admitted in ICUs. It results in prolonged intensive care unit (ICU) stay, excess healthcare costs, and higher mortality.

This study aims to assess the effect of nebulized eucalyptus (NE) on ventilator associated pneumonia in ventilated patients.

We performed a randomized clinical trial study in three intensive care units of educational hospital. Seventy intubated patients that likely required mechanical ventilation for more than 72 hours were selected through purposive sampling and randomly divided into NE (n = 35) and Placebo (n = 35) groups. NE group received 4 ml (5%) eucalyptus in 6 ml normal saline (NS) every 8 h. Placebo group received only 10 ml NS in the same way. At the fifth, ninth day and before extubation VAP was diagnosed through modified clinical pulmonary infection score (MCPIS).

VAP was found in 11 (31.4%) patients receiving NE and in 23 (65.7%) patients in the control group (P = 0.004). The median of duration of intubation in study population was 9.4 ± 3.75 (3-14 day) (P = 0.13). Patients with pneumonia had longer intubation than non-infected patients
(P = 0.001).

NE can reduce ventilator associated pneumonia in ventilated patients.