Jundishapur Journal of Natural Pharmaceutical Products
Volume:17 Issue: 2, May 2022

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is considered the deadliest human cancer. Temozolomide is now a part of postresection standard chemotherapy for this type of cancer. Unfortunately, resistance to temozolomide is a major obstacle to treatment success. Combination therapy with natural anticancer agents increases the activity of temozolomide against cancer cells.

This study aimed to assess the effects of temozolomide in combination with harmine against GBM cells.

Cancer cells were treated with temozolomide and/or harmine. After 24, 48, 72, and 96 h, the viability of the cells was assessed by the MTT test. The combination index and dose reduction index were determined by CompuSyn software. Tumor invasion potential was investigated by evaluating cell migration, invasion, and adhesion. The real-time PCR technique was done to study the expression pattern of two genes involved in cancer cell invasion. Statistical analysis was performed using one-way analysis of variance and Tukey’s post-hoc test, and differences were considered non-significant at P > 0.05.

After treatment with temozolomide, cell viability showed a concentration- and time-dependent decrease, and the cells’ survival rate decreased. The combination of temozolomide and harmine had a synergistic effect. Also, temozolomide and/or harmine treatment decreased cancer cells’ migration, invasion, and adhesion potentials, as well as the expression of metalloproteinases 2 and 9 in T98G cells.

The combination of temozolomide and harmine can be promising for the successful treatment of GBM.

Plant extracts or compounds derived from plants are a valuable source for finding new anti-leishmaniasis drugs.

In this study, Capparis spinosa L., Ricinus communis, and Solanum luteum were used as lethal agents for the promastigotes of Leishmania major parasites in the culture medium.

Diluted extracts of 12.5, 100, and 500 mg/mL were prepared from medicinal plant dried extracts. Glucantime at a concentration of 500 mg/mL was used as a positive control.

For all three extracts, concentrations of 100 and 500 mg/mL could kill promastigotes at higher rates and speeds compared to other concentrations. The high concentrations of extracts (500 mg/mL) presented similar effects. According to the findings, hydroalcoholic extract of C. spinosa L. presented considerably lower antiparasitic effects, and S. luteum and R. communis extracts were could kill most of the parasitic promastigotes at higher doses. The ANOVA test did not show any significant viability percentage difference of Leishmania extracts between different extract types.

In this study, the lethal effects of R. communis and S. luteum hydroalcoholic extracts on L. major promastigotes were found to be stronger than the C. spinosa L. extract.

Malaria is one of the most momentous transmittable diseases globally. Medicinal herbs like Artemisia species might be possible sources of new, effective, and cheap antiplasmodial products, making up the leading molecules to investigate new antimalarial drugs. The Artemisia genus, which belongs to the Asteraceae family, is a widely distributed medicinal plant in Iran.

In this study, the antimalarial activities of essential oil, different extracts, and vacuum liquid chromatography (VLC) fractions of A. fragrans Willd. were examined by a cell-free β-hematin formation assay. The aerial parts of A. fragrans were extracted by a Soxhlet extractor, and essential oil was obtained by a Clevenger apparatus. Then, GC-MS analysis was used to identify volatile compounds of essential oil and the 100% VLC fraction of chloroform.

Among the extracts, chloroform extract illustrated considerable antimalarial activity compared to the control (P < 0.001), with the IC50 value of 1.22 ± 0.05 mg/mL. Among the fractions, 100% VLC fraction of chloroform extract illustrated potent antimalarial effects compared to the control (P < 0.001). The volatile oil demonstrated moderate antimalarial effects (P < 0.001) compared with the control. Besides, GC-MS determined that sesquiterpenes in the 100% ethyl acetate fraction of the chloroform extract and oxygenated monoterpenes in the essential oil might be responsible for the potent antimalarial activity of this plant.

The 100% ethyl acetate fraction of chloroform extract along with the essential oil of A. fragrans indicated potent and moderate activity, possibly due to sesquiterpenes and oxygenated monoterpenes, respectively.

Traditional Persian medicine (TPM) has a rich background and has introduced various plants with abortive or emmenagogue activity since ancient times. However, many of them are unknown in modern medicine, and a few trials have been conducted describing their efficacy and safety. These plants may be helpful for the management of incomplete abortion, with potentially lower side effects than chemical agents.

This review introduced these plants and their potential efficiency to link traditional and modern medicine and suggested further studies.

The search strategy for citations in this narrative review was performed in two steps. At first, medicinal plants used as abortifacient or emmenagogue to manage incomplete abortions or retained products of conception were searched and extracted in the most famous TPM literature, including Al-Qanun Fi at-Tibb, Tuhfat-al-Momenin, and Makhzan-ul-advia. The next step was searching electronic databases including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar with the same keywords and herbal plants between 1970 and 2021. The overlapped plants between the manual and electronic search were found and briefly described.

In TPM literature, 88 plants with abortifacient activity were found, of which 47 were used to manage incomplete abortions or retained products of conception. Also, in the electronic database search, 14 plants were found to have abortifacient or emmenagogue activity. Among them, six plants, including Sesamum indicum L. (Sesame), Commiphora myrrha (myrrh), Lawsonia inermis L. (Henna), Opopanax chironium L. (Jooshir), Plumbago rosea (Shitraj or Stumbag), and Juniperus sabina (Abhal), overlapped with the manual search results. The abortifacient or emmenagogue activity and properties of all these 14 plants were described.

The properties of many traditional plants with abortifacient activity are unknown in modern medicine; however, they should not be used in pregnant women. Nonetheless, they may have the power to be entered into modern medicine. Identifying their pharmacology and action mechanisms may be helpful to introduce them as a potential alternative to chemical agents in the management of induced or incomplete abortion with possibly lower side effects.

Food spoilage is one of the major elements of food insecurity that has acquired significant attention over recent decades due to global human population growth. Several studies have investigated increasing shelf life of food products using natural and environmentally friendly compounds. Whey protein (WP) can be an important additive material because it is well-known for its high value of nutrition and well characteristics for the formation of edible films. Furthermore, natural bioactive compounds have been incorporated with WP-based films to confer their antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. Herein, nanotechnology has been effectively potentiated the antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of WP films. A wide range of bioactive agents has been embedded in the WP films, such as essential oils (EOs), TiO2, nano-clay, and even lactic acid bacteria. The current paper reviews the antioxidant and antimicrobial effects of different types of WP films and their applications in food products. This study also discussed the impact of WP films on shelf life, chemical and microbiological quality indices of meats, processed meats, poultry meat products, and fish.

Scutellaria platystegia Juz. is an herbaceous perennial, distributed in the northwest of Iran and southern Caucasian countries?

This study aimed to examine the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of the aerial part of S. platystegia and to determine the phytochemical constituents of its extract and essential oil.

The ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) methods were used to examine the antioxidant effects of fractions obtained from the hydroalcoholic extract of the aerial part of S. platystegia. The antibacterial activity screening was also performed using the disk diffusion and microdilution methods. The phytochemical constituents of the most active fractions were investigated using column chromatography. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging and UV-Vis spectral analysis were used to determine the chemical structure of the isolated compounds. The GC-MS technique was also employed to identify the essential oil composition of the plant.

In the antioxidant activity assay, the n-butanol fraction was the most potent fraction, with a half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 16.14 ± 0.8 µg/mL on the DPPH assay and 736.4 ± 4.6 mmol FeSO4.7H2O equivalent per gram of sample on the FRAP assay. The n-butanol fraction exhibited very strong antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Shigella dysenteriae (inhibition zone diameter: 20 - 25 mm, MIC: 125 - 250 µg/mL). The phytochemical analysis of the most active fractions resulted in the isolation of the following components from the chloroform fraction: 5,7,2’-trihydroxy8,6’-dimethoxyflavone; 5-hydroxy-6,7,8,2’,6’-pentamethoxyflavone; 5,2’,6’-trihydroxy-7,8-dimethoxyflavone; 5,2’,6’-trihydroxy-6,7,8- trimethoxyflavone; and 5,4’-dihydroxy-7-methoxyflavone. Besides, the following components were extracted from the n-butanol fraction: luteolin-7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside; verbascoside; apigenin; kaempferol; caffeic acid; rosmarinic acid; apigenin-7-O-β-Dglucopyranoside; apigenin-7-O-β-D-(-6”-(E)-caffeoyl)-glucopyranoside; and luteolin. Fourteen compounds were also identified in the plant essential oil; terpinen-4-ol (44.41%), α-terpineol (10.75%), caryophyllene oxide (9.61%), and thymol (8.73%) were the main compounds.

This study introduced S. platystegia as a plant rich in bioactive phenolic compounds, with considerable antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. Therefore, it can be suggested as a potential candidate to be evaluated in future biological studies.

Ganoderma lucidum is a well-known fungus that has been widely used in traditional medicine around the world, especially in East Asia, due to its various health promotion properties. Recently, researchers have drawn attention to the biologically active compounds found in this fungus, and this fungus has become very popular due to its pharmaceutical properties.

The aim of this study was to investigate the antifungal properties of the Iranian strain of G. lucidum as a natural antifungal agent against harmful filamentous fungi common in the food industry.

Three filamentous fungi, including Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus ochraceus, and Fusarium graminearum, were used in this study for the antifungal evaluation of ethanolic, hydroalcoholic, and two aqueous extracts of G. lucidum with different concentrations by the broth microdilution method.

The results showed that only the ethanolic and hydroalcoholic extracts completely inhibited the growth of A. flavus at 2 and 3.5 mg/mL, respectively. Also, no antifungal activity was observed for the aqueous extract for all the three studied fungi. In addition, A. flavus was found to be more sensitive to G. lucidum extracts compared to the two other studied fungi.

The ethanolic extract of G. lucidum was effective on A. flavus and can be used as a natural antifungal agent to prevent the growth of this harmful filamentous fungus

Melanoma is the most serious kind of skin cancer which has significantly increased in recent decades, and the importance of its primary treatment is increased widely. Ficus carica leaves have various therapeutic impact such as anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative and apoptotic activity.

Hence, regarding the F. carica effect on the treatment of various diseases, the present research was conducted to identify the effect of methanolic extract of F. carica leaf on apoptosis induction in B16F10 melanoma cancer cells.

Cell survival was estimated by MTT assay after treatment of B16F10 cells in various concentrations of F. carica leaf extract (150, 250, 350, 450, 550, 650, 750 and 850 µg /mL) for 24 and 48 h. Cell apoptosis was analysed by AO/PI and DAPI staining, Annexin V/Propidium Iodide flow cytometry. Moreover, Real-time PCR was utilized to evaluate the expression of apoptotic genes including p53, Bax, caspase-3 and caspase-9 genes.

MTT assay results indicated that methanolic extract of F. carica leaf prevented the proliferation of B16F10 cells in a dose and time dependent manner. AO/PI staining results showed an elevation in apoptotic cells in treated groups and DAPI indicated that F. carica extract resulted in chromatin condensation and fragmentation. Annexin V revealed the increasing percentage of apoptotic cells after treatment. In addition, the up-regulation of apoptotic genes confirmed the apoptosis inducing potential of F. carica leaves in B16F10 cells by Real-time PCR.

Thus, methanolic extract of F. carica leaves could be suggested as an effective anti-cancer agent for further studies on melanoma cancer.

Vaginal candidiasis is the most prevalent infection among reproductive-aged women. The current treatment for this disorder includes azole compounds.

The aim of this study was to compare the effects of two creams, henna (Lawsonia inermis) and clotrimazole, on vaginal candidiasis.

In this trial, 80 women with vaginal candidiasis were recruited and randomly assigned into two groups to receive either henna (n = 40) or clotrimazole (n = 40) for one week. The ethanol extract of henna was prepared. Vaginal discharge was cultured, and vaginal pH, colony formation, lactobacillus formation, and vaginitis subjective symptoms were evaluated before and one, two, and four weeks after the intervention. The chi-square test, independent t-test, and generalized estimating equations were used for analyzing the data using SPSS version 22.

After four weeks of the intervention, almost 90% of the women in the henna group declared no burning sensation, itching, discharge, irritation, or dyspareunia, while only 45%, 5%, 37.5%, 52.5%, and 27.5% of the participants in the clotrimazole group did not have these symptoms, respectively (P < 0.001). The means (SD) of colony formation were 290.85 (47.35) and 265.12 (37.46) in the henna and clotrimazole groups, respectively, at the baseline, which reduced to zero and 25.45 (25.09) in the 4th week of the intervention (P = 0.001). Compared with the clotrimazole group, there was a significant increase in the mean of lactobacillus formation and a significant decrease in vaginal pH in the henna group (P < 0.001).

Henna vaginal cream could significantly reduce the symptoms of vaginal candidiasis, such as burning sensation, itching, disch

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the super-spreading virus, has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives worldwide.

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the novel suggested herbal compound, formulated as compressed tablets, in reducing the length of hospital stay (LoS), intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and mortality in confirmed COVID-19 cases.

Following an open-label, single-blind randomized clinical trial design, a total of 200 patients aged 18-65 admitted to Imam Reza hospital in Tabriz, northwest of Iran, were randomized to intervention and control groups in a 1:1 ratio, i.e., 100 subjects in each group. The former received standard treatment along with the compressed herbal tablets, and the latter only received the standard treatment. Adverse reactions incidence within 180 days after the beginning of the intervention was set as the primary safety endpoint. The most important and active ingredients of the tablets were Terminalia chebula, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Anacyclus pyrethrum, Senna alexandrina, Ferrula asafoetida, Pistacia lentiscus, Zizyphus jujuba, Crocus sativus, Echinacea angustifolia, and Hyssopus officinalis. This trial is registered at the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (code: IRCT20200522047545N1).

Those in the intervention arm had significantly lower rates of LoS (7.38 vs. 9.45, P = 0.030), ICU admission (6 out of 100 vs. 32 out of 100, P = 0.000), and mortality (1 vs. 19 out of 100, P = 0.000).

Our observations suggest that adequate improvement is provided by the prepared herbal compound along with substantial savings in hospitalization hoteling costs. While further multi-center studies with a larger sample size are needed to extend our knowledge regarding the effect of this new option, these novel clinical data may well provide a new alternative for the management of COVID-19 disease.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex endocrine disorder associated with irregular menstrual cycles, hyperandrogenism, obesity, and reduced fertility.

The present study aimed to formulate herbal syrup based on Iranian traditional medicine (ITM) and evaluate its effect on the letrozole-induced PCOS model in female rats.

The herbal syrup contains anise, fennel, and celery seed extracts. Five different formulations were made with different percentages of additive components. Quality control and stability tests were performed on the selected formulation. During the in vivo step, 6 groups of rats were evaluated: The control group (received carboxymethyl cellulose 1% as a vehicle) and the other 5 groups (received letrozole 1 mg/kg orally for 21 days). During 21 days, daily vaginal smears were examined to detect irregularities of the estrous cycle. After induction of PCOS, rats were orally administered with herbal syrup (1, 2, 4 mL/kg) or metformin (200 mg/kg) for 28 days. Moreover, body and ovarian weights, serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone were measured. Finally, ovarian tissues were isolated for histological examination.

The best formulation of the syrup contained the plant extract (totally 10%), sugar (50%), sodium benzoate (0.1%), and potassium sorbate (0.1%). Body weight was significantly increased in all groups compared to the control group, and after treatment, a significant weight reduction was seen in the metformin and 1-mL/kg dose group. Following PCOS induction, ovary weight was significantly increased, while after treatment, it showed a significant decrease. After 21 days of letrozole administration, induction of PCOS was confirmed by the irregularities in estrous cycles and an increase in testosterone and LH levels. After treatments with the syrup, LH levels significantly decreased in all groups (P < 0.05), and serum testosterone and FSH levels significantly decreased in the 2-mL/kg dose group compared to the PCOS group (P < 0.05). Estradiol and progesterone levels significantly increased in the treatment groups in a dose-dependent manner. Histological studies of metformin and herbal syrup groups exhibited normal follicular development with fewer and smaller cystic follicles compared to the PCOS group.

The herbal syrup made from anise, fennel, and celery seed extracts improved serum levels of sex hormones, recovered the ovarian morphology in PCOS-induced rats, and can be a good candidate for further clinical trials.

Nephrotoxicity is a major side effect of aminoglycoside antibiotics, caused by oxidative damage and inflammation. Fucoidan, a group of sulfated polysaccharides derived from different species of brown algae, are well recognized for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities.

In the present study, we aimed to investigate, for the first time, the efficacy of fucoidan extracted from Sargassum angustifolium C. Agardh 1820 against gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats.

Twenty-eight male Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups of control, gentamicin (100 mg/kg), and gentamicin plus 50- and 100-mg/kg/day fucoidan pretreatment. In the end, all rats were killed, and then urine, blood, and tissue samples were prepared. Kidney weight (KW), body weight (BW), and 24-hour urine volume, as well as serum creatinine (Cr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), Cr clearance, and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, were measured. Kidney samples were also evaluated for histopathological changes.

Gentamicin significantly increased KW, KW/BW ratio, 24-hour urine volume, serum Cr, MDA, and BUN levels; however, fucoidan pretreatment, especially at a dose of 50 mg/kg, significantly returned these variables near to the control group values. Gentamicin also decreased BW gain, Cr clearance, SOD activity, and the degree of renal tissue damage compared to the control group, while treatment with fucoidan significantly reversed these alterations.

The results show that fucoidan from S. angustifolium C. Agardh 1820 ameliorates gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity by alleviating oxidative stress and augmenting antioxidant enzymes activity in renal tissue, suggesting the potential use of this fucoidan in a clinical setting

Tooth brushing is a primary method to prevent the onset of oral diseases. Aloe vera is commonly used in dentistry as an herbal alternative due to its anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial actions; recently, it has been used in toothpaste formulations as an active agent. This review aimed to investigate the clinical effects of A. vera as an active ingredient in toothpaste formulations.

The data used in this review was extracted from articles published until 2020. We searched official databases, including Scopus, PubMed, Google Scholar, Embase, and Science Direct, using the “Aloe vera”, “dentifrice”, and “toothpaste” keywords. After screening titles and abstracts, relevant studies were used for full-text review.

Although conflicting results have been reported on the usage of A. vera toothpaste in different studies, the majority of findings suggest that A. vera effectively reduces periodontal indices and removes different organisms, including Streptococcus mutans. However, the overall effects of this herbal toothpaste were found to be equal to those of other commercial toothpaste.

Aloe vera toothpaste is as beneficial as other kinds of toothpaste. Therefore, it can be used as an adjunct agent in toothpaste due to its established effects on improving periodontal problems and reducing different oral cavity micro-organisms

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the last days of 2019 in China, medical experts and organizations worldwide have proposed guidelines for its prevention and treatment. However, despite the availability of state-of-the-art technologies, modern medicine specialists have so far not been successful in controlling it. This has led traditional medicine experts to propagate their knowledge to prevent and cure COVID-19, creating an open debate. According to scientific literature, traditional medicine experts claim beneficial effects of herbal medicines against viral infections and their effectiveness in controlling the symptoms of respiratory disorders. Modern medicine specialists express their concerns about the quality, safety, and efficacy of herbal medicines, in addition to the risk of herb-drug interactions and the lack of randomized clinical studies. Herbal medicines have been popular since prehistoric times, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, they are increasingly used worldwide. The lack of definite cure and the high cost of available modern medicines have also promoted the use of herbal medicines. An evidence-based approach using herbal medicines with proven antiviral activities or containing compounds providing symptomatic relief in COVID-19 can be considered for clinical studies. The interaction of herbal medicines with modern drugs should also be considered in patients taking them. Traditional and modern medicine aim to provide effective and safe treatment and prevent COVID-19 infection. Considering the ground realities of the COVID-19 crisis and keeping in view the worldwide use of herbal medicines, in our opinion, the pros and cons of their use should be carefully weighed, and practical solutions should be considered.