فهرست مطالب
Jundishapur Journal of Natural Pharmaceutical Products
Volume:7 Issue: 3, Sep 2012
- تاریخ انتشار: 1391/06/25
- تعداد عناوین: 9
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Pages 87-92BackgroundDegenerative Joint Disease (DJD) is the most common joint disease in human beings. Previous studies have explained that glucosamine is preferred as placebo and in efficacy compared with NSAID’s in treatment of patients’ knee osteoarthritis. Alendronate was used to treat osteoporotic patients and its efficacy was established.ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of administration of glucosamine alone and its combination with alendronate in osteoarthritis of the knee.Patients andMethodsThe study included 130 patients with osteoarthritis who randomly received glucosamine alone (group II) (500mg TDS), or combination of glucosamine (500mg TDS) and alendronate (70mg weekly) (group I) for 12 weeks. Patients were evaluated on 1, 3, 6 and 12 weeks after beginning the treatment to evaluate efficacy of each treatment.ResultsStatistically, there was no significant difference in pain index (P > 0.05) but in the two groups the mean of pain index decreased in a similar fashion. The stiffness index in combination treatment group (group I) decreased more than glucosamine group (group II) (P < 0.05). The function of joints in combination treatment group (group I) improved after 12weeks. The bone mineral density (BMD) at 12weeks in combination therapy group improved.ConclusionsCombination therapy of glucosamine and alendronate indicated significant improvement of stiffness, function, BMD of osteoarthritis compared with glucosamine alone but there was no statistically significant decrease in pain index. It can be concluded that the combination of glucosamine and alendronate provide better and more rapid improvement in patients with osteoarthritis.Keywords: Alendronate Glucosamine Osteoarthritis Clinical Trial
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Pages 93-96BackgroundBiosurfactants are surface-active compounds produced by some microorganisms.ObjectivesIn this study, we collected surface skin samples from breast of poultry (chicken, turkey, and, quail) and screened for biosurfactant-producing bacteria. We also determined the genera of cultured strains.Materials And Methods33 hemolytic bacterial strains (15, 11, and 7 isolates from chicken, turkey, and quail, respectively) were isolated; oil spreading (OS) and bioemulsifying activities were measured for all isolates.ResultsTwo isolates of chicken (6.06%), three of turkey (9.1%), and three of quail (9.1%) were positive in all examinations (hemolysis, emulsification index (E24) and oil spreading). In total, eight isolates (24.24%) were positive in all examinations, out of them, seven isolates (87.5%) were gram positives, mainly belonged to Bacillus spp., Staphylococcus spp. and Lactobacillus spp. 31 isolates (93.9%) (out of 33 hemolytic isolates) were positive in oil spreading test while only eight isolates (24.24%) were positive in E24 test,.ConclusionsThe results showed that biosurfactant-producing bacteria are distributed in breast skin surface of examined birds. Further investigation about the composition of biosurfactants and phylogenetic determination of biosurfactant producing bacteria is suggested.Keywords: Biosurfactant Chicken Turkey Quail Iran
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Pages 97-99BackgroundOxygen therapy, as a therapeutic modality, can be used for long periods of times. However, it may be accompanied by potential complications and side effects.ObjectivesTo evaluate the side effects of normobaric oxygen therapy in rabbits.Materials And MethodsIn a double-blind experiment, 28 white New Zealand rabbits were randomized into an oxygen treatment group (n = 14) and a control group (n = 14).The oxygen treatment group received 100% oxygen at a flow rate of 5 L/min for 1 h daily,for 1 month. The animals were euthanized at the end of the study, and following autopsya histological evaluation was carried out to detect levels of oxygen toxicity in their;lungs, liver, brain, heart, kidney, eyes and spleen.ResultsHistological evaluation revealed no evidence of toxicity in the examined tissues,compared with the control group.ConclusionsOxygen therapy at a flow rate of 5 L/min for 1 h daily for 1 month had no systemic toxicity and it appears to be safe in rabbits.Keywords: Safety, Oxygen Inhalation Therapy, Rabbits
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Pages 100-105BackgroundAn analysis performed on the collected data from the Local Drug and Poison Information Centre (DPIC) of Jundishapur University revealed that stings are the main causes of poisonings with frequency of 56%, followed by drug poisoning in 31%, and chemical exposure poisoning in 5.5% in Khuzestan, the southwestern province of Iran.ObjectivesThe aim of the present study was to report the prevalence of poisoning in Khuzestan province referred to hospitals during the year 2007, on the basis of documents from the local Drug and Poison Information Centre (DPIC) and the main Khuzestan Hospitals Discharge Registry, to elucidate demographic trends of poisoning in this region.Materials And MethodsIn the present study, 3258 cases of poisoning including 4.7% of all admissions to hospitals of Khuzestan during one year (2007) were investigated. Antidepressant drugs were the main-drug category inducing poisoning (24.37%). Others include sedative-hypnotics (19%), tricyclic antidepressants (TCA) (14.7%) and cardiovascular drugs (11.4%).ResultsThe research showed that most poisonings are occurred in autumn (29.6%) season. Besides the high poisoning rate of envenoming by animals in Khuzestan province, it seems that the pattern of poisoning is different with other Iran and worldwide regions.ConclusionsThis may raise the attention of health service policy makers in Iran to establish a more effective diagnosis, management and implementing health policy services.Keywords: Poisoning Bites, Stings Iran Snake Bites
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Pages 106-110BackgroundMajor depressive disorder (MDD) is the most common disorder in our community. Hypericum perforatumm, is a herb with a long application history in treating depression. A controlled study to evaluate the effects of this herbal medicine in Iran did not exist.ObjectivesThis study aimed to assess the effect of Hypericum perforatom (perforan), in combination with tricyclic antidepressants in MDD treatment.Materials And MethodsThe present study was a placebo-controlled double blind randomized clinical trial including 40 patients with major depressive disorder who referred to Psychiatric Clinic and Golestan Hospital in 2011. Patients were randomly distributed in 4 blocks with 10 patients in each. 5 out of 10 patients took medicine (group I) and the others received placebo (group II).ResultsAfter six weeks, both groups indicated some improvement, there was also a significant degree of recovery in the perforan group (P = 0.04).ConclusionsThe results of the current study suggested that combinations of St. John’s Wort and tricyclic antidepressants compared to tricyclic antidepressants alone had significant effect on mild to moderate depression improvement. According to the numerous side effects of antidepressants, their Continuous use was not well tolerated. There is a strong global tendency to use herbal medicines. Hypericum perforatom (St. John’s Wort) is one of the best types of unapproved MDD treatments. Also, the most common reason to discontinue antidepressant treatments is their sexual side effects. None of the patients in the two groups had complained about sexual side effects which was consistent with other studies and it was an advantage of using this herbal medicine. Perforan group had improved in quality of sleep and the increase of energy. This improvement had not been reported in previous studies. Sleep problems are common complications of specific serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).Keywords: Depressive Disorder, Major, Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic
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Pages 111-116BackgroundMolecular farming is the production of important recombinant proteins in transgenic organisms on an agricultural scale. Interferons are proteins with antiviral and antitumor activities and can be used for viral infections and cancers treatments.ObjectivesThis study reports the transformation of INF α2b gene in tobacco plant for the first time in Iran.Materials And MethodsInterferon α2b gene was amplified by PCR using specific primers containing appropriate restriction enzymes, plant highly expression sequence and Histidine tag sequence. Target sequence was cloned in plant expression vector pCAMBIA1304 and the construct named pCAMINFα. pCAMINFα was transferred to E. coli strain DH5α and plated on LB agar medium containing kanamycin 50 mgl-1. The colonies were confirmed by colony PCR and sequencing. The construct was transferred into Agrobacterium tumefaciens by freeze-thaw method and transformed colonies were confirmed by colony PCR. Tobacco plants (cultivar xanthi) were inoculated with A. tumefaciens strain LBA4404 by leaf disc method. Inoculated explants were cultured on MSII (MS + BAP 1mgl-1 + NAA 0.1 mgl-1) at 28°C and darkness for 48 hours. Then explants were transferred to selection medium containing cephotaxime (250 mgl-1) and hygromycin (15 mgl-1) in a 16/8 (day/night) h photoperiod in growth room with an irradiance of 5000 lux. Transgenic plants were regenerated and transferred to perlite. Genomic DNA was extracted from regenerated plants by Dellaporta method at 5-leaf step and transgenic lines were confirmed by PCR with specific primers. Expression of Interferon α2b gene was confirmed by dot blotting.ConclusionsSince no report of interferon alpha production in plants in Iran has been expressed yet, this research could create a field of producing this drug in tobacco, in Iran.Keywords: Molecular Farming Interferons Tobacco DNA Transformation Competence Agrobacterium
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Pages 117-122BackgroundThe increased incidence of fungal resistance has necessitated the need to search for new antifungal agents.ObjectiveThe main objectives of the present study were to investigate the effectiveness of the essential oil of Eucalyptus camaldulensis on dermatophytes growth and to formulate and characterize a liposomal gel loaded with the essential oil.Materials And MethodsThe essential oil extracted from the leaves of E. camaldulensis was analyzed by GC-MS. The antifungal activity of this essential oil was determined against Microsporum canis, M. gypseum, Trichophyton rubrum and T. verrucosum, using the well diffusion method. Liposomes were prepared by the freeze-thaw method and evaluation of size distribution was performed using a particle size analyzer. The liposomal gel was prepared using ‘hydroxethyl cellulose (HEC) as the gelling agent. The rheologic characteristics were determined by a Brookfield viscometer.ResultsThe results showed that the minimum inhibitory volume of the essential oil was 0.125 ml and 95 ± 0.57% of the essential oil was successfully entrapped in the liposomes.The main constituents of the essential oil detected by GC-MS were; phenol, 1, 8 cineole,limonene, alcohol, pinene and terpinen. Results of particle size determination showed a wide range from 40.5 to 298 nm for the different formulations. No significant thixotropy was observed in the rheogram of the formulated liposomal gel.ConclusionLiposomal gel formulation of the essential oil may lead to improved antifungal activity.Keywords: Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Essential Oil, Liposomes, Antifungal Activity
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Pages 123-126BackgroundThe increasing use of herbal drugs and their ease of accessibility and availability have necessitated the use of mutagenicity test to analyze their toxicity and safety.ObjectivesThis study aimed to evaluate the genotoxicity of Sankol herbal medicine in DNA breakage of rat hepatocytes in comparison with H2O2 by single cell gel electrophoresis technique or comet assay.Materials And MethodsIn the current study hepatocytes were prepared from malewistar rats. Hepatocytes cells were counted and kept in a bioreactor for 30 minutes,then cells were exposed to Sankol herbal medicine at doses of 100, 200 and 400 μl/ml.Buffer 4 (incubation buffer) and H2O2 were used for one hour as negative and positive control respectively. After 30 minutes cell suspension with low melting point agarose was put on precoated slides and covered with agarose gel. Then lysing, electrophoresis,neutralization and staining were carried out. Finally the slides were analyzed by fluorescence microscope. The parameter under this analysis was the type of migration which was determined according to Kobayashi pattern.ResultsResults of the study indicated that by increasing the dose of Sankol herbal medicine, the DNA damage slightly increased (P < 0001).ConclusionsIn overall compared to the positive control, significant differences were observed which indicated that the crude extract of Sankol in vitro did not have mutagenic effect.Keywords: Toxicity Tests, Comet Assay, Herbal Medicine