Journal of Medicinal Plants
Volume:11 Issue: 41, 2012

Treatment strategies for AD will have to include a variety of interventions directed at multiple targets. So far, the outcomes with available approved medications for AD are often unsatisfactory, and there is a place for alternative medicine, in particular herbal medicine. Herbal medicines are being used by about 80% of the world population primarily in the developing countries for primary health care. They have stood the test of time for their safety, efficacy, cultural acceptability and lesser side effects. This review tries to summarize the studies regarding Ginkgo biloba, Salvia officinalis, Melissa officinalis and Crocus sativus in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

Autoxidation is considered to be the main route of edible oil deterioration, which produces undesirable odors and flavors (attributed to primary and secondary products of unsaturated fatty acids) during storage and heating. Antioxidant activities of Zataria multiflora (ZMEO) and Bunium persicum (BPEO) essential oils (EOs) in linseed oil (containing higher ω-3 in vegetable sources) were studied with 4 indexes. Total phenol content, electropositive potential (by bleaching using violet ethanol solution of DPPH˚), antioxidant capacity (by radical cation of ABTS), scavenging activity of hydrogen peroxide and Fe-reducing power of the EOs were measured. Then ZMEO and BPEO (0.6, 1, 1.4, 1.8 mg/ml) were added to linseed oils; peroxide and tiobarbituric acid in 0th- 15th days (at 60 ○C) were compared with TBHQ (0.01, 0.02) and BHT (0.1, 0.2). IC50 of ZMEO and BPEO in mentioned assays were 0.78 and 1.52; 0.11 and 7.50; 0.31 and 0.72 mg/ml and RP0.5 for reducing power assay was 0.76 and 2.12 mg/ml. Total phenolic compound of ZMEO and BPEO were 322 and 50.6 mg/ml. The best antioxidant levels of reductive oxidation were 600 for ZMEO and BPEO and 20 for TBHQ. PV and TBA values demonstrated that both of EOs in linseed oil had the same antioxidant activity in 600 ppm (ZMEO>BPEO) in 4 tests, and EOs will be used as natural antioxidants as a good replacement in 600 ppm with BHT (100) and TBHQ (10) as synthetic.

While the use of herbal medicines is common in Tehran, there is scant data regarding various aspects of the use of such medicines during pregnancy. The frequency of the use of herbal medicines in a group of pregnant women in Tehran and their attitude to the use of such medicines were evaluated. In this cross-sectional study, 600 pregnant women were studied. A researcher-made questionnaire was used to explore the demographic and pregnancy related data, the extent of use of the herbal medicines, the subject's sources of information and their attitude regarding such medicines. The data were analyzed using student t- and chi-square tests. Logistic regression was used to determine the predicting factors. 402 (67%) participants had used at least one type of herbal medicine during their current or previous pregnancies, with a mean of 2.71 ± 1.94 herbs per individual. Two commonly used herbs were peppermint (32.8%) and olibanum (26.3%). Maternal and Gestational age, family size, children number, frequency of having medical insurance and positive attitude in users were significantly higher than non-users (P values were 0.02, 0.02, 0.001, <0.001, 0.04 and <0.001 respectively). The score of attitude was the only predictor for taking herbal medicine with the odds ratio 0.89 (95% confidence interval: 0.86-0.92) of logistic regression model for negative attitude. Considering the high frequency of herbal medicine use during pregnancy, pregnant women need appropriate sources of information about these medicines. Further, health care providers should ask pregnant women about taking herbal medicines.

Thymus deanensis is a known aromatic plant which grows widely in Iran and many mediterranean regions. In previous studies composition of essential oils of many species of Thymus genus reported which they were rich of phenols like Thymol and Carvacrol. Water distilled essential oils from aerial parts of Thymus deanensis var. deanensis from three different localities in Iran were analyzed by GC and GC/MS. 20 compounds representing 87.8% of the region of Azerbaijan Mountains (A) oil were identified with thymol (70.8%), carvacrol (6.3%) as main constituents. 13 compounds representing 98.6 % of Damavand, Mosha (B) oil were identified with thymol (53.6%), carvacrol (23.8%) and p-cymene (11.0 %) and then thymol (72.1%) and p-cymene (5.3%) were the major constituents of the latter oil Chaharmahal Bakhtiari (C) among the 16 compounds characterized which represented 99.6% of the oil. The composition of three samples of Th. deanensis oils in our research was similar to the composition of other phenol–rich Iranian species. Although the content of thymol in Th. deanensis is higher than many reported cultivated Thymus vulgaris.

It has been reported that curcumin has anti inflammatory, antibacterial, anti tumor and analgesic properties. The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of curcumin in the treatment of minor aphthous stomatitis. The study was a two week, randomized, double blind, placebo controlled of patients with minor aphthous. Patients between 18 and 65 years old were included if they presented with 1–5 aphthous ulcers of less than 24 h duration. Twenty-eight patients were randomly allocated to curcumin gel containing (2% curcumin) and 29 patients were allocated to placebo gel for a two week, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. The patients used the medication using a swap twice per day. After enrolment, the size of ulcers were measured by the investigator, and pain was evaluated by the patients based on Perceived Pain Rating Scale before drug application (day 0) and at days 4, 7, and 14. Patients overall satisfaction were assessed at the end of treatment. Curcimin gel significantly reduced pain intensity and size of aphthous ulcer compare to placebo. Significant group differences appeared at the end of the trial regarding overall satisfaction of the patients. The results of present study provide evidence that curcumin gel is a well tolerated effective treatment modality for minor aphthous stomatitis.

Natural antioxidants with plant origin are incorporated to foods in the forms of essential oils or extracts. They can retard lipid oxidation and control spoilage bacteria in foodstuffs (e.g. meat products).

This work was aimed to evaluate the effect of nitrite partial replacement with Mentha piperita essential oil (MPEO) on oxidative, microbial and sensory properties of cooked sausage.

GC/MS was used for the identification of essential oil components. Nitrite content (120 ppm) was reduced and replaced with 20, 40 and 60 ppm of MPEO. The effect of MPEO on product rancidity was assessed by peroxide and TBARS values in sausage samples. Antimicrobial properties of the essential oil were evaluated by MICs and MBCs determination against Escherichia coli and Clostridium perfringens by microdilution method. Also, the effect of this replacement on the product color stability was evaluated by determination of L*, a* and b* values, Hue angle, and E (2-30).

Results indicated that peroxide and TBARS values of sample with 20 ppm of MPEO were significantly lower than samples with 40 and 60 ppm of MPEO and control, at the end of storage period. With respect to color parameters, hue angle of the sample with 60 ppm of MPEO was significantly higher than samples with lower essential oil levels and control after 30 days of storage. Moreover, total color difference of sample with 60 ppm of MPEO was lower than other samples and control (p<0.05). Antimicrobial activity of MPEO against Escherichia coli determined as MICs and MBCs were 0.226 and 0.453 mg/ml, respectively. These values turned out as 0.453 and 0.906 mg/ml against Clostridium perfringens.

all samples with different essential oil levels were acceptable after 30 days of storage according to PV and TBARS thresholds determined in literature. Replacement of 50 % of nitrite with MPEO is a reasonable approach in order to put down harmful effects of nitrite in sausage and to enhance functionality of the product.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus with hyperlipidemia is a common disease. Conventional anti-hyperglycemic and anti-hyperlipidemic drugs have limited efficacies and important side effects, so that alternative agents are needed. Previous studies suggest that fiber-free artichoke (Cynara scolymus L.) leaf extract may have anti-hyperglycemic and anti-hypercholesterolemic effects in hypercholesterolemic type 2 diabetic patients. Moreover, artichoke leaves are used traditionally as an anti-hyperglycemic and anti-hyperlipidemic remedy to treat diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidemia. The effects of artichoke leaf extract in treatment of hypercholesterolemic type 2 diabetic patients were studied. In this randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial with hypercholesterolemic type 2 diabetic patients aged 40 to 60 years not using other anti-hyperlipidemic agents and resistant to daily intake of two 5 mg glyburide tablets and two 500 mg metformin tablets, the efficacy and safety of taking fiber-free artichoke leaf extract (one 400 mg capsule t.i.d. for 2 months) combined with the aforementioned drugs in treatment of 36 patients were evaluated and compared with the placebo group (n = 36). The extract lowered the blood levels of total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol significantly (P=0.002 and p=0.040 respectively) without any significant effects on the blood levels of fasting glucose, postprandial glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, other lipids, SGOT, SGPT and creatinine (P>0.05) compared with placebo at the endpoint. No adverse effects were reported. Fiber-free artichoke extract may be a safe anti-hypercholesterolemic agent but does not improve glycemic control in hypercholesterolemic type 2 diabetic patients, suggesting the involvement of fibers in the anti-hyperglycemic effect of artichoke.

Taxol is used to treatment of variety cancers including ovarian, breast, lung, head and neck carcinomas and the AIDS-related Karposi’s carcinoma, and was originally obtained from bark of taxus brevifolia. However the amount of extracted taxol from taxus is extremely low and cannot be considered as a suitable commercial source and it has led to studies for finding new sources of Taxol. In 1998, Angela Hoffman and her team reported that hazel could be as a taxol-producing species and it has been confirmed by recent studies. On the other hand, the genes and enzymes involved in taxol biosynthesis pathway in taxus sp. have been identified and characterized but because of very slow growth and difficult somatic embryogenesis, manipulation of taxus is restricted. Instead, hazel with widely contribution in the world, easy invitro culture and characterization of some genes involved in the pathways of MVA and DXP (such as HMGR, IPI and GGPP), makes possibility of manipulation of taxol biosynthesis pathway. In this paper we reviewed a summary of genetic and biotechnology studies on hazel.

Several herbal remedies are used in traditional medicine for treatment of liver disorders, but their efficacy, safety, and dosage have not been investigated so far. The present study was aimed to evaluate the liver protective effects of medicinal herbs extracts such as Cynara scolymus leave (artichok), Cichorium intybus roots (chichory), Taraxacum officinale root (dandelium), Berberis vulgaris (barberry) root and stems extract in single and in combination form against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) induced liver toxicity. Total 70 wistar male rat, aged 5 months were divided in 7 groups of 10 rats each. One group kept as normal and out of six CCl4 intoxicated groups one served as control, one received mixture of four extract and four groups received artichok, chichory, dandelium, and barberry in the dosage of 150, 300, 300 and 250 mg/kg/day respectively. The plant extracts were injected intra peritoneal simultaneously with intoxication for three days. Three days after intoxication and extract treatments the serum liver enzymes levels such as ALT, AST and ALP as well as serum gluthathion and catalase were determined. In group receiving mixture of 4 herbal extract the blood level of ALT, AST and ALP were reduced significantly as compared to control group. In all the groups receiving herbal extracts the serum glutathione and catalase levels did not differ as compared to control groups. In the present study administration of chichory, artichoke, dandelium and barberry in combination form prevent liver intoxication withought influence on serum antioxidant properties.