Jundishapur Journal of Natural Pharmaceutical Products
Volume:15 Issue: 4, Nov 2020

Trichomoniasis is the most common non-viral sexually transmitted disease caused by a flagellated protozoan living in the genitourinary tract, which infects both men and women. Metronidazole is the treatment of choice for trichomoniasis. Researchers are seeking an alternative to metronidazole because of its inevitable side effects and toxicity.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the methanolic extract of Sambucus nigra against Trichomonas vaginalis in vitro.

Plants were collected from different areas of Mazandaran Province, northern Iran. Fruits were separated, shade-dried, milled, and their methanolic extract was prepared in concentrations of 100, 200, 400, and 800 µg/mL. Parasites were obtained from patients referring to different health centers of Mazandaran province, cultured in Dorset medium, and incubated at 37°C. The effects were evaluated and compared to a control group. The data were analyzed by SPSS 18 using the ANOVA test.

The exposure time and concentration of the extracts had a direct effect on anti-parasitic activity so that increasing extract concentration and incubation time heightened the anti-trichomoniasis effects. The concentrations of 400 and 800 µg/ml of the plant had 100% efficacy after 72 and 48 hours, respectively.

It can be concluded from our results that the methanolic extract of S. nigra has a remarkable ability to destroy T. vaginalis and it can be considered an effective drug against T. vaginalis with further studies in human and animal models.

Biosurfactants are a group of valuable amphiphilic molecules that have been widely used in different industries such as pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.

The current study aimed to screen and identify a bacterial strain able to produce biosurfactant from environmental soil samples, followed by evaluating factors that contribute to biosurfactant production.

The biosurfactants production was evaluated every 24 hours by emulsification index (EI), oil spreading ability, and surface tension measurement. Thereafter, the sequences of 16S rDNA genes and biochemical tests were performed to identify the isolated bacterial. Furthermore, the effect of different factors, including nitrogen, vegetable oil, and cations on biosurfactant productivity of the selected bacterial strain, was also evaluated.

In primary screening, out of the six bacterial strains, only one isolate was found to produce a hemolytic zone on the blood agar plate. The EI index was increased in a time-dependent manner with a maximum EI of 10% after 12h. Surface tension measurement revealed decreased surface tension (51 mN/m) after 12 hours’ incubation compared to that of the blank sample. The selected isolate was recognized as Bacillus atrophaeus by 16S rDNA gene sequencing and biochemical test. All applied factors in culture media could decrease the surface tension of culture broth compared to that of the blank sample.

This study demonstrated a Bacillus strain able to produce biosurfactants. Such biosurfactant producers would have great potentials in bioremediation activities and microbial enhanced oil recovery.

Oral mucositis is a common debilitating complication of cancer chemotherapy and radiotherapy that can reduce the quality of patient’s lives. Hence, treating this condition plays an important role in increasing the patient’s tolerance.

Doxepin mucoadhesive gel is useful for treating oral mucosa inflammation caused by long-term effects of chemotherapy, which has low adverse effects.

Doxepin gel’s formulation was prepared with various concentrations of poloxamer 407 and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose in deionized water. The prepared gels were evaluated for pH, appearance, viscosity, spreadability, stability, and drug release.

After providing gels containing doxepin, formulations 1, 2, 8, and 9 had low quality and, thus, were removed from the study. Based on qualitative evaluations, formulations 3 and 4 did not meet the criteria for mucoadhesive gel and were removed from the study. The best formulation contained 17% w/w poloxamer 407, 10% w/w hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, and 5% w/w doxepin.

Suitable physicochemical properties of prepared doxepin mucoadhesive gel enable it to well cover inflamed and damaged oral mucosa. On the other hand, doxepin’s slow release from formulation (8 hours) can increase therapeutic effects and reduce side effects, which can heal and soothe inflammations of the oral mucosa and be useful in cancer patient’s treatment.

The Teucrium polium is used in traditional medicine for the treatment of various diseases, including inflammations, rheumatism, diabetes, and ulcers. While this herb and its aqueous extract have been consumed in Iran for hypoglycemia treatment, medicine has proved several side effects such as hepatitis, vomiting, changes in the kidney functions, and allergic responses. Also, using this herb is not safe during pregnancy or lactation. The chick embryo is a live animal model applicable for assessing the pathological property of herbs. In this regard, some details of the embryonic vascular toxicity of the Teucrium polium were evaluated via a chick embryo model.

The current study assessed vessels’ alteration in the chick’s extra embryonic membrane following Teucrium polium treatment. Change in molecular cues involved in early embryonic angiogenesis has also been investigated.

The eggs of the chicken were divided into three equal treatment groups; as follow: first group one: considered as a sham, next groups: herbal extract that eggs injected with T. polium extract of 3 (150 µg/50 µL) or 6 (300 µg/50 µL) mg/kg, respectively.

The anti-angiogenic effect of the herb extract in which vessel area, total vessel length, and vascular branching decreased, whereas lacunarity increased in a dose-dependent manner. VEGF-A expression was also down-regulated in herb-exposed extraembryonic membranes. Concerns regarding the side effects of T. polium during pregnancy were confirmed.

We conclude that changes in early vascular expansion and gene expression might finally lead to developmental defects in embryos following consumption of T. polium. Thus, this herb’s consumption should be decreased during embryonic development, and clinicians should limit the herb prescription in pregnant women, particularly at dosages > 3 mg/kg

Polyphenolic compounds have anti-proliferative effects and can trigger apoptosis in cancer cells. Ferulic acid is excessively found in various herbal products and fruits. Ferulic acid plays a role in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, inflammation, and bacterial and viral infections.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the anticancer effect of ferulic acid on renal carcinoma cells (ACHN).

To assess the anti-proliferative effect of ferulic acid, the renal carcinoma cell line (ACHN) was treated with different ferulic acid concentrations (10, 20, 40, 80, and 160 µM) for 24, 48, and 72 hours. Cell viability was measured using the MTT assay. The apoptosis of cancer cells was evaluated by flow cytometry and real-time PCR.

The IC50 of ferulic acid against ACHN cells was determined to be 30µM at 72 hours with the MTT assay. The treatment of cells with ferulic acid concentrations of 30 and 60 µM caused a significant increase in the apoptosis index. The Bcl-2 gene expression level was significantly lower in the treated group than in the control group, and the Bax gene expression level was significantly higher in the treated group than in the control group (P < 0.001).

The results of this study showed the apoptotic activity of ferulic acid against ACHN cells. These results can be helpful in the better understanding of the anticancer mechanism of ferulic acid, suggesting this substance as an alternative drug or in combination with conventional chemical treatments for cancer treatment.

Black pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is a native plant of East Asia, which traditionally has been used as a folk medicine to treat many diseases.

This research investigated the possible protective effects of hydroalcoholic extract of black pomegranate peel extract (BPPE) on oxidative hepatotoxicity induced by tert-butyl-hydroperoxide (t-BHP) in Wistar rats.

The research was carried out on animals randomly assigned to five groups. In the negative control group, 5 mL/kg of normal saline was given orally. In the positive control group, the same amount of normal saline was administered orally for 5 days, and a single dose of t-BHP was injected on the 6th day. In the test groups, 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg of BPPE was administered orally for 5 days, and then rats were injected with a single dose of t-BHP on the 6th day. The rats were euthanized 24 hours after the last injection. Serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were determined from blood samples. Liver tissue was sampled to measure the level of glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), and catalase (CAT). Hematoxylin and eosin (H & E) staining and histological examination were performed on partial liver samples preserved in 10% formalin.

Pretreatment with BPPE at doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg significantly (P < 0.05) reduced ALT, AST, ALP, and MDA levels and increased GSH level and CAT activity. Histopathology examinations revealed that BPPE significantly improved the histological changes in comparison to the positive control group.

The results of this research demonstrate the capability of supplemented BPPE to reduce the oxidative hepatotoxicity induced by t-BHP.

Bambusa vulgaris (bamboo) is a common plant in tropical regions of the world, with multiple biological activities. Cereal steep liquors have been identified to act against some fecal bacteria. Given the increasing prevalence of antimicrobial resistance coupled with the cost of antibiotics, there is a need for mitigation efforts and the shift by locals to herbal products.

The factorial study design was employed. Bamboo leaves were washed, dried, milled, and soxhlet extracted for 16 h using the steep fermented liquor from Zea mays subsp. mays as the solvent. Rotary evaporated extracts of various weights were used to carry out sensitivity and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) tests. Oral acute toxicity was determined. The in vivo assay was used to determine the effective dosage for the treatment of infected mice while distilled water and ciprofloxacin served as negative and positive controls, respectively.

The average inhibition zone diameters in the sensitivity test at 25, 50, and 100 mg/mL concentrations were 16.20 ± 0.06 mm, 19.10±0.02mm, and 22.10±0.05mm, respectively, while the MIC against Salmonella typhiwas 25mg/mL. The extract was found to be safe at up to 5000 mg/kg dose, which means that the LD50 was ≥ 3808 mg/kg. The Widal test revealed that mice responded to treatment with the extract at different concentrations (50, 100, and 200 mg/mL) as the number of days increased. The in vivo assay on day 14 showed the bactericidal property at a dosage of 200 mg/mL.

Bamboo leaves extract in steep liquor from fermented yellow maize displayed excellent pharmacological activity against the pathogenic organism of typhoid fever with a potential source of active agents.

Bone morphogenetic protein7 (BMP7) and bone morphogenetic protein 8b (BMP8b) can induce browning of white adipose tissue.

The present study aimed to investigate the antioxidative effects of hydro-alcoholic extract of Nigella sativa on the repair of oxidative damage caused by a high-fat diet. Also, Bmp7 and Bmp8b gene expressions were investigated on white adipose tissue of the rats and then compared with metformin effects.

Eighty rats were divided into two groups of prevention and treatment; then each set was divided into four sub-groups based on the administered diet (i.e., ordinary, fat, metformin, and extract of Nigella sativa). Lipid profile, paraoxonase1, malondialdehyde (MDA), HDL, and antioxidant capacity were measured in serum samples, and relative Bmp7 and Bmp8b gene expressions were calculated in white adipose tissue.

For both prevention and treatment sets, the weight of rats who received a high-fat diet decreased more compared to those in the normal diet group. The weight of rats who received metformin or nigella extract was also decreased compared to the high-fat diet group. MDA was also increased, but total antioxidant capacity and catalase were decreased in rats of the high-fat diet group compared to the normal diet group. MDA was also declined in nigella receiving rats, but liver PON1 activity, total antioxidant capacity, and catalase were increased, compared to the second group (P < 0.05). In the prevention and treatment set, Bmp8b gene expression was increased in the metformin and Nigella sativa groups, whereas it was decreased among those who received a highfat diet. Bmp7 gene expression was decreased in the high-fat diet set, but metformin and Nigella sativa extract didn’t influence Bmp7 gene expression.

This study demonstrated that Nigella sativa extract has a protective role against oxidative stress in a high-fat diet.

A main epigenetic change in cancer is DNA methylation, which leads to the inactivation of tumor suppressor genes. Due to its reversible nature, many studies have focused on how to correct epigenetic imbalances via inhibiting DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs). Recent studies have shown that olsalazine can be a potent candidate for DNMT inhibition.

The current study aimed to assess the cytotoxic effect of olsalazine on MCF-7 cells and the expression of CDH1 and uPA, as cancer-related genes, compared to decitabine.

The cytotoxicity of olsalazine and decitabine on MCF-7 cells was assessed by MTT assay. To evaluate the effect of drugs on the expression of CDH1 and uPA genes, MCF-7 cells were treated with olsalazine and decitabine in concentrations below their IC50 values. After 24 h, RNA of treated cells was extracted and then subjected to a quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (Q-RT-PCR).

The MTT assay showed that olsalazine was more toxic (IC50 = 1.75 mM) in MCF-7 cells than decitabine (IC50 = 3mM). Q-RT-PCR analysis showed that olsalazine can significantly increase uPA expression along with a non-significant increase in CDH1 expression. Meanwhile, no significant change was found in gene expression after treatment with decitabine.

This study demonstrated that olsalazine was more cytotoxic than decitabine on MCF-7 cells. Also, compared to decitabine, olsalazine could increase the expression of CDH1 and uPA genes. It suggests that olsalazine might be more potent than decitabine in inhibiting DNMTs, although further studies are needed.

Marine seaweeds synthesize differentmetabolites with various biological activities, including antimicrobial effects. The main object of this study was to fractionate the seaweed Padina australis and analyze the antimicrobial activities of these fractions to isolate the bioactive compounds.

Padina australiswas collected from the Persian Gulf and extracted bymaceration withmethanol-ethyl acetate solvent. The extract was evaporated and partitioned by the Kupchan method to yield hexane, dichloromethane, water, and butanol partitions. Dichloromethane partition was further fractionated by MPLC, and antimicrobial activity of the crude extracts and all fractions were investigated using disc diffusion and agar plate count methods. The MIC values of hexane, dichloromethane, chloroform, and butanol partitions and all fractions were calculated.

Fraction numbers 11, 4, and 7 showed the highest inhibitory effect with MIC value of 87 µg/mL, 156 µg/mL, and 156 µg/mL against E. coli, P. aeruginosa, and S. aureus, respectively.

This study reveals that different fractions of P. australis have antimicrobial activities against various microorganisms

Mycotoxin contamination of rice has been introduced as a big challenge for public health in developing countries in numerous studies. Rice consumption is also considered the main source of secondary metabolites in Iran. Given the diversity of climatic conditions in this region as well as unsuitable storage conditions, including high temperature and humidity, rice can be extremely contaminated via various fungi. The current study is a review of the occurrence of mycotoxins in rice in Iran. In this regard, some investigations had revealed that rice could be contaminated by mycotoxins such as aflatoxins (AFTs) (B1, B2, G1, and G2), deoxynivalenol (DON), fumonisin (FM) (B1 and B2), ochratoxin A (OTA), T-2 toxin, and zearalenone (ZEN). Moreover, the amount of mycotoxins in rice was reported in varying ranges in different provinces and regions and normally less than Iranian maximum tolerated dose (MTD). Given the importance of rice in the Iranian diet, it was finally recommended to screen consumed rice to find about fungal contaminations and mycotoxins.