Jundishapur Journal of Natural Pharmaceutical Products
Volume:17 Issue: 1, Feb 2022

Considering the increased rate of microbial resistance to antibiotics and chemical side effects of antibiotics, there is a need for an alternative antimicrobial agent with fewer complications. Medicinal plants are rich resources of phytochemical compounds with antibacterial activity that could fight off this problem.

The aim of this research was to investigate the chemical composition, antimicrobial, and antibiofilm properties of Malva sylvestris on some pathogenic bacteria.

Antibacterial effect of the extract was assessed by the well diffusion and broth microdilution methods against Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Escherichia coli. The anti-biofilm property of the extract was also examined using the crystal violet assay. Finally, the chemical constituents and phenolic compounds of the extract were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), respectively.

The methanolic extract of M. sylvestris showed antimicrobial activity against all tested Gram-negative and Gram-positive strains by the agar well diffusion method. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the extract ranged from 21.9 ± 0.1 to 51.9 ± 0.5 mg/mL against the tested microorganisms. In addition, the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) spanned from 43.7 ± 0.1 to 85.8 ± 0.3 mg/mL. The biofilm inhibitory concentration (BIC50) of the extract was found to be 40 - 87 mg/mL against the tested bacteria. Analysis of the extract by GC-MS indicated that the most abundant compounds were 1-heptacosanol (38.41%), 17-Pentatriacontene (19.78%), and 6,9,12,15-docosatetraenoic acid, methyl ester (8.08%). High-performance liquid chromatography confirmed the presence of apigenin (6.84 ppm) and salicylic acid (1.5 ppm) as phenolic compounds in M. sylvestris methanolic extract.

The results of this study represent the high potency of M. sylvestris extract as a source of biologically-active compounds for the development of future phytotherapeutic products with antibacterial and antibiofilm activity.

Cytokines are glycoprotein compounds with an important role in inducing and regulating inflammation.

The present study aimed to measure the effect of Aloe vera alcoholic extracts on inflammatory cytokines in rats fed with a high-fat diet.

Forty adult male Wistar rats were purchased and randomly categorized into five groups, including two control groups (control and control fed a high-fat diet (HFD) and three experimental groups (high-fat diet + 150 mg/kg Aloe vera, high fat diet + 300 mg/kg Aloe vera, and high-fat diet + 600 mg/kg Aloe vera). The rats in the experimental groups received high-fat emulsion and three doses of Aloe vera for 60 days in the form of gavage. Following blood sampling, serum concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), interleukin 6 (IL-6), and interferon-γ (INF-γ) were measured. Statistical analysis was administered using SPSS-20 software by ANOVA test. Mean comparisons were conducted via Duncan’s multiple range test at the 0.05 level of significance.

The findings showed that a high-fat diet (HFD) could increase the concentrations of inflammatory factors TNF-αand TGF-β (P < 0.05). Moreover, an increase in the concentration of inflammatory factor IL-6 was observed at P < 0.01. No significant effects were observed in the mean concentration of INF-γ in the study groups. The use of Aloe vera gel extract considerably reduced inflammatory factors TNF-α, TGF-β, and IL-6 in the Aloe vera extract-receiving groups.

In general, the results of the present study revealed that Aloe vera alcoholic extract reduced inflammatory factors in the rats fed with a high-fat diet.

Over the last decades, the prevalence of overweight (BMI > 25) and obesity (BMI > 30) is being the most important health challenge in urban populations. The relationship between obesity and the individual’s temperament has not been studied yet.

This review aimed to study the causes of obesity, especially in middle-aged people, according to the new evidence of conventional medicine and findings of Traditional Persian Medicine (TPM) physicians cited in their books. Databases including PubMed, Scopus, and Iran Medex were also searched with keywords obesity and overweight for recent evidence in conventional medicine.

Based on the traditional Persian medicine findings, dystemprament or disequilibrium in Mizaj may promote obesity in middle-aged and elderly people. The attenuation of innate heat and intrinsic moisture in middle age could increase the chance of overweight and obesity. Recent studies in modern nutrition reveal a linear relationship between diminishing the basal metabolic rate and increasing age, especially in middle age. Accordingly, cold-wet-tempered people have more efficient energy homeostasis than hot-dry-tempered people that is similar to individuals with Firmicutes gut microbiota predominance. People living in high altitudes and cold-dry climates maintain their innate heat better than people living in wet climates. It is in accordance with the increasing brown adipose tissue thermogenesis in cold exposure, which decreases the chance of obesity.

Based on traditional Persian medicine school, it is hypothesized that increasing age and diminishing innate heat besides the accumulation of phlegm (moisture) in the gastrointestinal tract of middle-aged individuals may be influential in altering gut microbiota and consequently obesity. It seems that there may be a correlation between cold/wet Mizaj and risk factors of obesity

Liver fibrosis has become one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the world. Liver fibrosis progresses to cirrhosis and can eventually lead to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). During fibrogenesis, the hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) remain active and continuously produce more extracellular matrix (ECM). Quercetin, one of the main flavonoids in vegetables, has shown hepatoprotective potential, but its effects on liver fibrosis are not apparent.

In this study, we investigated the antifibrotic activity of quercetin following stimulation of TGF-β in the LX-2 cell line (a type of HSC-derived cell line) and its underlying mechanism in vitro.

The LX-2 cells were treated with TGF-β1 (2 ng/mL) for 24 h. Next, the cells were treated with quercetin for 24 h, and the mRNA expression of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), collagen1α1, and p-Smad3 protein levels were measured.

The results showed that the expression of α-SMA, collagen 1α1 (COL1α1) genes, and also the level of p-Smad3 protein in the presence of TGF-β increased significantly compared to the control group. Moreover, quercetin in concentrations of 75 and 100 µM inhibited TGF-β1-induced expression of α-SMA and COL1α1 genes and the p-Smad3 protein in LX-2 cells.

We conclude that quercetin inhibits further activation of HSCs by inhibiting the TGF-β/Smad3 signaling pathway and reduces ECM accumulation during liver fibrosis in vitro, and may prevent the progression of liver fibrosis. Thus, the use of quercetin is suggested as a potential therapeutic agent in the treatment of liver fibrosis.

Acetaminophen (APAP) is a common analgesic and antipyretic medicine that can lead to acute liver injury at high doses. Crocin, a Crocus sativus’ ingredient, has potent antioxidant effects.

This study examined the protective effects of crocin against APAP-induced oxidative stress in mice.

In this study, 56 mice were randomly divided into seven groups (n = 8 per group), including the negative (normal saline, 10 mL/kg) and positive (oral normal saline for five days + a single dose of APAP (300 mg/kg) on day 6th) control groups. The third group (NAC) received normal saline for up to five days, and on the 6th day, immediately after the administration of acetaminophen, received NAC (50 mg/kg). Groups fourth to sixth received respectively 12.5, 25, and 50 mg/kg of crocin (orally for six days), followed by a single dose of APAP (300 mg/kg) on 6th day. The last group received crocin (50 mg/kg) for six days. Then 24 h after the last injection, the animals were sacrificed, and samples were collected for biochemical and histopathological evaluations.

The levels of ALT, AST, and MDA increased, and the activity of CAT, GSH, and GPX decreased in the APAP-treated group compared to the control group. In APAP-treated groups, the administration of crocin decreased the serum levels of AST, ALT, and MDA and increased the activity of CAT, GSH, and GPX. Histopathological evaluations confirmed the above findings.

According to our results, it seems that crocin has a protective effect against acetaminophen-induced liver toxicity and can be used as a therapeutic agent to treat APAP-induced hepatotoxicity

Obesity is a multifactorial disorder, and gut microbiota has a fundamental role in its pathophysiology. Bacteroides spp. has significant roles in gut microbiota- host interactions that determine health and disease development. Since the gut microbiota pattern changes based on different criteria in each population, we studied the abundance of two important Bacteroides strains, Bacteroides fragilis, and Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, in Iranian obese and normal-weight subjects for the first time.

In this study, 100 participants were recruited and classified based on their body mass index (BMI). The subjects were divided into normal (average BMI, 22.37 kg/m2 ) and obese (average BMI, 29.10 kg/m2 ) groups. Bacterial DNA was extracted from the samples, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was conducted based on 16s rDNA universal primers. Finally, the correlation between bacterial abundance and obesity was investigated.

The results of qPCR showed that the relative abundance means of B. fragilis in normal weight and obese subjects was 8.68 × 1012 and 9.27 × 1012 cfu/mL, respectively. Also, the relative abundance mean of B. thetaiotaomicron in normal weight and obese subjects was 2.32 × 1012 and 5.39 × 1012 cfu/mL, respectively. Although obese subjects had more B. fragilis and B. thetaiotaomicron abundance compared to subjects with normal weight, no significant difference was identified between relative abundance of B. fragilis (P = 0.79) and B. thetaiotaomicron (P = 0.18) in the two groups.

Although obese subjects had more B. fragilis and B. thetaiotaomicron abundance compared to normal-weight subjects, no significant difference was identified between the two groups. Since Bacteroides spp. have significant role in gut microbiota-host interaction, determination of their abundance in obesity development and targeting restoration of gut microbiota pattern could be valuable in controlling obesity. In this regard, dietary intervention could be based on determination of gut microbiota pattern in certain populations.

Water hyacinth (WH) is an aquatic weed and one of the most productive plants on earth, causing serious environmental problems. Herein, some nutritional and phytochemical constituents of WH were investigated.

Chemical analysis of Eichhornia Crassipes was carried out to determine total ash, humidity, crude protein, fat, fiber, and carbohydrate contents. Total phenolic and total flavonoid contents of the hydro-methanolic and aqueous extracts of the plant were determined using the Folin Ciocalteu and aluminum chloride colorimetric methods, and HPLC was performed to quantify eight phenolic compounds. The antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the extracts were also evaluated.

The dry matter, total ash, crude protein, crude fiber, nitrogen-free extract, and ether extract contents of WH constituted 9.4, 12.9, 24, 11.5, 49.9, and 1.7%, respectively. The total phenolic contents of the hydro-methanolic and aqueous extracts were 491.2 ± 31.9 and 258.3 ± 10.8 mg gallic acid equivalents/g of dried extract, respectively. The total flavonoid content of the hydro-methanolic extract (76.8 ± 7.8) was higher than that of the aqueous extract (46.1 ± 6). Ferulic acid was found to be the most abundant phenolic compound in both extracts. The antioxidant activities of the hydro-methanolic and aqueous extracts were determined to be 221.52 and 97.07 mg ascorbic acid equivalent/g dry weight, respectively. The aqueous and hydro-methanolic extracts showed the highest antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, respectively.

In conclusion, the present study indicated the applicability of WH as a natural source of antioxidants and antimicrobial agents.

Treatment of hyperpigmentation disorders is a challenge because of the side effects of current topical treatments. Thus, research for potent alternatives, especially of herbal origin, with comparable potency and less side effects is ongoing. Morus alba L. is a perennial plant with multiple established pharmacological effects, including antimelanogenesis effect. This effect has been demonstrated from different parts of the plant, including twigs, root barks, and leaves by measuring tyrosinase inhibition, melanin content, and melanin index, and it has been attributed to phenolic compounds such as oxyresveratrol and moracin M, to name a few. However, no study has considered formulating the total phenolic compounds from the leaves of this plant so far.

The aim of this study was to extract phenolic compounds of leaves with repeated maceration using 70% ethanol, formulate the crude extract, inspect its physicochemical stability under accelerated conditions, and assay for microbial growth and active phenolic compounds.

Total phenolic compounds were extracted using 70% ethanol with repeated maceration, and then they were concentrated. The extract was then assayed for total phenolic content using Folin-Ciocalteu’s reagent. A 3% cream of this extract was manufactured, and its physicochemical parameters, microbial growth, preservative effectiveness, and total phenolic content were examined.

The prepared 3% cream was completely stable and homogeneous during the accelerated conditions and passed the physicochemical, total phenolic content, and microbial tests.

The manufactured cream is a promising formulation for in vivo use as a skin lightening agent.

Curcumin, a bioactive component of Curcuma langa, has been investigated for its anti-proliferative effects against various cancer cell lines. Although results are very promising, the poor water solubility and low bioavailability of curcumin are its main limitations for clinical application.

The purpose of this study was to develop a drug delivery system, consisting of hydroxyapatite (HAp) polymer and sodium alginate (NaAlg), covering the magnetic core of iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs), and loaded with curcumin in order to enhance its bioavailability and therapeutic efficacy.

In this study, IONPs were prepared by the co-precipitation method and coated with HAp and NaAlg. The nanoparticles (NPs) were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and electron microscopy (TEM and SEM). Encapsulation efficiency and curcumin loading rate were examined. Drug release rate was also measured in vitro at pH = 7.5 and 5.5. The toxicity of curcumin-loaded NPs and free curcumin was evaluated against HT-29 and MCF-7 cancer cells.

The assessment of physicochemical characteristics showed the synthesis of spherical particles with nanometer sizes (5 - 7 nm) and a high encapsulation efficiency (84.16 ± 3.51 %) and drug loading capacity (21.03 ± 0.87%). Maximum drug release was obtained at pH = 5.5. Iron oxide nanoparticles showed no significant cytotoxic effects. Curcumin-loaded coated IONPs showed a higher toxicity against HT-29 and MCF-7 cancer cells compared to free curcumin.

This in vitro study showed that the encapsulation of curcumin, as a potent herbal drug, into IONPs enhanced its bioavailability, suggesting the NPs as an efficient vehicle for targeted drug delivery in cancer treatment.

Skin burn is one of the most common complications throughout the world. Olive derivatives have been used for the treatment of skin lesions in Iran. Oleuropein is one of the main constituents of olive leaves.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the healing effects of oleuropein cream on second-degree burns wounds in a rat model.

This experimental study was performed on 72 male Wistar rats. Superficial second-degree burns were induced in the hairless back of the animals. Then, they were randomly divided into six equal groups. The burnt area in the first group was covered twice a day with normal saline, in the second group with eucerin, in the third group with 1% silver sulfadiazine and in the fourthsixth groups, oleuropein cream was applied topically. To evaluate the efficacy of treatment, four rats in each group were euthanized on days 4, 9, and 14, and their skin was processed for wound contraction, glutathione (GSH) level, malondialdehyde (MDA) level, hydroxyproline (HP) content, inflammatory factors (transforming growth factor beta [TGF-β] and interleukin 6 [IL-6]), and histological examination.

In comparison with untreated control rats, the daily application of 5% oleuropein cream significantly increased wound contraction, HP content, and GSH level over time. Moreover, it caused a significant reduction in inflammatory factors and MDA level. Histological examination confirmed the results.

This study indicated that oleuropein has therapeutic value in treating burn wounds and thus supports its traditional use.

Teucrium polium (TP) is a medicinal plant with a long history of consumption as a folk remedy for curing many diseases, including diabetes, common cold, obesity, anxiety, etc.

The present study aimed at investigating the effects of TP crude extracts (TPCE), as well as its diethyl ether (DE) and petroleum ether (PE) fractions, on the brain, kidney, and liver tissue of male rats in the subchronic phase.

In the study, 45 adult male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to five groups as the PBS (receiving phosphate buffer saline), vehicle (receiving dimethyl sulfoxide), as well as CE, PE, and DE receiving 3 mg/kg (100 µL) TPCE, PE, and DE, respectively, for six weeks. Histopathological examinations by hematoxylin and eosin staining investigated morphological changes in all specimens. Also, the brain samples were stained by the immunohistochemistry (IHC) technique with Ki-67, CD31, p53, Nestin, and GFAP markers.

The findings showed that the prolonged consumption of TP caused the formation of histological lesions as apoptosis, degeneration, cytoplasmic vacuolization of neurons, and foamy cells in the brain. The liver, displayed cytoplasmic vacuolization, apoptosis, degeneration, and dilated sinusoids. Moreover, TP led to atrophy, vacuolization, and necrosis in renal cells. IHC studies evidenced an increase in the expression of P53, whereas the expression of Ki67 and CD31 decreased. It should be noted that TP crude extract and fractions were toxic; however, the PE fraction was more cytotoxic than others.

The study findings indicated that long-term administration of a sublethal dose of TP impairs cellular integrity in vital orangs, including the liver, brain, and kidney, through triggering the cell death mechanisms.

Brown seaweeds contain polysaccharides, minerals, proteins, pigments, polyphenols, and fatty acids. Several of these compounds show a wide range of biological activities, such as anticoagulant, anti-tumor, antiviral, and anti-cancer effects.

This study was designed to evaluate the extraction, purification, and characterization of alginate from Sargassum angustifolium simultaneous with fucoidan extraction and the effect of this process on the structure and properties of alginate.

The extraction of alginate from S. angustifolium was carried out using defatting with organic solvents mixture, treatment with acid-base solutions, and purification with absolute ethanol. The novel characterization of this compound was carried out by the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), FT-NMR, energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), and florescent spectrophotometrymethods.

The fluorescent emission of alginate showed 66.54% removal of impurities, such as phenolic compounds. The FT-IR analysis showed the carboxyl and hydroxyl groups as significant signals in the alginate structure. By analyzing the anomeric protons and other aspects of 1H-NMR, M/G ratio, FG, FM, FGG, FMM, FMG (or FGM) were determined to be 0.61, 0.62, 0.38, 0.31, 0.07, and 0.31, respectively. The intrinsic viscosity and molecular weight of alginate were 0.9 dL/g and 41.53 kDa, respectively.

The total amount of alginate from the residual S. angustifolium was 17% of dried seaweed. The structure elucidation of alginate was performed with the FT-IR, FT-NMR, and EDX methods.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic disease, progressing due to inadequate secretion of insulin by pancreas. Salvia officinalis (SVO) has anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative potentials, which may be beneficial in regulating underlying causes of DM.

In this study, we aimed to estimate the protective effects of SVO against Streptozotocin (STZ)-induced pancreatic injury in rat models of DM.

Forty-eight male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups (n = 12); C1: normal group with no treatment, C2: diabetic group with no treatment, E1: diabetic group treated with 200 mg/kg of the SVO extract, and E2: diabetic group treated with 400 mg/kg of the SVO extract. All groups received a single dose of STZ on day 7 except C1. Pancreas volume, shrinkage, volume densities of the islets, numerical densities, and volume of the beta cells were measured using stereological methods.

Blood sugar (BS) levels were significantly lower in SVO-treated groups comparing to C2 group. Also, volume densities and total number of islets and beta cells in E1 and E2 groups were higher than C2 (P < 0.05), but lower than C1 (P < 0.05). Volume densities of the islets and beta cells, and total number of beta cells in E1, and volume densities of the islets and beta cells in E2 groups were considerably higher than C2 group (P < 0.05).

Our result showed the beneficial effects of SVO extract regarding pancreatic damage. We concluded that SVO might be prescribed as a therapeutic food supplement for patients with diabetes