Jundishapur Journal of Natural Pharmaceutical Products
Volume:5 Issue: 1, Nov 2010

Free radicals play an important role in degenerative diseases. They can also induce nutrition and medicines deterioration. Fortunately, formation of free radical is controlled by a variety of systems which are called "antioxidants". Herbal medicines have been focused as new sources of antioxidants with limited complications. Pimpinella barbata (DC.)Boiss is an annual plant from Apiaceae family. In this study, DPPH radical scavenging assay and FRAP method were used for assaying the antioxidant activity and Folin-Ciocalteu, for quantitative determination of total phenolic content of methanolic, n-hexane, and dichloromethane extract of P.barbata. The antioxidant power in DPPH assay and total phenolics in Folin-Ciocalteu method were evaluated as shown in decreasing order: Methanolic extract > dichloromethane extract > n-hexane extract.In FRAP assay, dichloromethane extract was the most potent while the methanolic extract was the weakest one. In both DPPH assay and Folin-Ciocalteu method, methanolic extract exhibited the highest activity and the most phenolic content respectively while in FRAP test dicholoromethane was shown the highest activity. These results are in agreement with other studies and showed that different tests do not necessarily confirm each other.

Hydrolysis is the dominant process in degradation of drugs, especially for esteric compounds e.g. aspirin. There are several methods for moisture protection of drugs including reduction of drug solubility, modification of chemical structure, moisture-resistant packaging and coating of solid dosage forms. Specific polymer coatings are used to protect moisture sensitive drugs. The aim of this study is to design and evaluate a moisture-resistant film formulation based on HPMC and microcrystalline cellulose (Avicel) and its comparison with Sepifilm® as a commercial gastro- soluble composition for the film coating of moisture sensitive solid dosage forms. Free films of HPMC containing different amounts of Avicel (10, 20, 30 and 40% w/w) and 5% w/w stearic acid as plasticizer were prepared by casting-solvent evaporation method. Free films were then evaluated for their mechanical strength (tensile test), moisture permeability (water vapor transmission test) and morphological properties (SEM). The optimum film formulation was selected to apply as a film coating on tablets containing aspirin (as a moisture sensitive model drug) by fluidized-bed coating. Coated tablets were stored at 40ºC and 75% RH for 2 months. In order to evaluate stability; drug release rate, disintegration time, hardness, and amount of remained aspirin, tablets were studied after 30 and 60 days. The results showed that addition of stearic acid led to improvement of mechanical properties and increase elongation of free films. By increasing amount of Avicel, the water transition rate of free films decreased. HPMC films containing 30% Avicel and 5% stearic acid showed closer properties to Sepifilm® and could be applied as a moisture-resistant film coating and provide acceptable stability for aspirin tablets. These tablets showed the same characteristics as Sepifilm® coated tablets.

Several reports claiming a hypoglycemic effect for Black Mulberry (Morus nigra folium) extract. Carbohydrate metabolic disorders have serious acute and chronic complications resulting in high mortality and morbidity rate. In this study along with hypoglycemic effect of extract of black mulberry its toxic effect on liver and kidney have also been investigated in mice. Diabetes was induced in mice using streptozocin (100mg/kg single intraperitoneal injection). Extract of Black Mulberry leave was prepared with maceration method. The treatment schedule was set for oral administration of aqueous extract of mulberry leave (100mg/kg twice daily) for 42 days. Serum creatinine, glutamate-pyruvate Transferase (SGPT), glutamate-oxalate Transferase (SGOT) activities were measured. Mulberry extract could reduce the blood sugar in animals. However; it caused a significant rise in the above mentioned factors in both control and diabetic animals. Based on the data obtained from this study, it is concluded that caution should be taken with the use of mulberry extract or drugs containing this herb in diabetic patients. In the case of chronic use of this herbal product, liver and kidney function need to be monitored.

T-2 toxin is a member of the fungal metabolites known as trichothecene mycotoxin. The major attribute of T-2 toxin is that it inhibit protein synthesis which is followed by a secondary disruption of DNA and RNA synthesis. T-2 toxin affects the actively dividing cells such as those lining the gastrointestinal tract, skin, lymphoid and erythroid cells. It can decrease antibody levels, immunoglobolines and certain other humoral factors. In addition, in this review article acute and chronic effects on health, toxicokinetics, regulatory matters related to its use as a potential warfare and treatment strategies that may be undertaken will be briefly covered.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is endemic in 88 different countries. There are an estimated 1.5 million new cases each year, with over 90% occurring in Afghanistan, Algeria, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Syria and in Brazil and Peru. This study is the first one for evaluating the effect of hydroalcoholic extracts of Stachys lavandulifolia Vahl. and Mespilus germanica L. leaves against L. major (MRHO/IR/75/ER) promastigotes. The results of this study showed that, extracts of S. Lavandulifolia and M. germanica leaves are effective on activity against the proliferation of promastigotes of L. major suggest that these extracts might be a promising approach for developing new anti-leishmanial drugs.

An increase in incidence of illegal use of tablets containing 3, 4-methylene dioxy- metamphetamine (MDMA), has recently become a widespread social problem. MDMA most commonly known today by the street name ecstasy (often abbreviated XTC), is a semi-synthetic member of the amphetamine class of psychoactive drugs. The aim of this study was to investigate the genotoxic effects of MDMA on the basis of the results of an in vitro Ames test.In the first step, a sensitive method of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used for simultaneous quantitation of MDMA in the tablets. The Ames test uses one of the strains of the bacterium Salmonella typhymurium (TA100) that carries mutations in genes involved in histidine synthesis, so that it requires histidine for growth. The variable being tested is the mutagen's ability to cause a reversion, making bacteria grows on a histidine-free medium. When the cultures are exposed to a mutagen, in the absence and presence of a rat liver metabolizing system, some of the bacteria undergo genetic changes due to chemical interactions resulting in reversion of the bacteria to a non-histidine requiring state. The reverted bacteria will then grow in the absence of exogenous histidine. In this test, we used MDMA as a possible mutagen. No increase in bacteria growth in the histidine-free medium was observed. So, no MDMA genotoxicity was observed in this method.