Antifungal activity of the essential oil of Iranian medicinal plants

Plant materials continue to play a major role in primary health care as therapeutic remedies in many developing countries. Medicinal plants contain physiologically active principles that over the years have been exploited in traditional medicine for the treatment of various ailments as they contain antimicrobial properties. Antifungal activities of essential oil of four Iranian herbs including, Thymus daenensis var daenensis Celak, Zataria multiflora Boiss, Thymbra spicata var. spicata L. and Bunium persicum (Boiss.) K.-Pol. were investigated against of Aspergillus niger (PTCC 5298), Aspergillus fumigates (PTCC 5009), Aspergillus flavus (PTCC 5004) and Aspergillus parasiticus (PTCC 5018) by agar disc diffusion assay. Some of the essential oils showed relatively antifungal activity against the tested fungal. Of the herbs studied, the most active extracts were those obtained from essential oil of T. daenensis and T. spicata. The MIC values for active extract ranging between 64 and 256 µg/ml. The results obtained appeared to confirm the antifungal potential of the herbs investigated. The essential oils of T. daenensis and T. spicata could be used as natural antifungal against A. niger, A. fumigates, A. flavus and A. parasiticus in the food preservation and human health

Antimicrobial activity of some Iranian medicinal plants

The major aim of this study was to determine the antimicrobial activity of the extracts of eight plant species which are endemic in Iran. The antimicrobial activities of the extracts of eight Iranian traditional plants, including Hypericum scabrum, Myrtus communis, Pistachia atlantica, Arnebia euchroma, Salvia hydrangea, Satureja bachtiarica, Thymus daenensis and Kelussia odoratissima, were investigated against Escherichia coli O157:H7, Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes and Candida albicans by agar disc diffusion and serial dilution assays. Most of the extracts showed a relatively high antimicrobial activity against all the tested bacteria and fungi. Of the plants studied, the most active extracts were those obtained from the essential oils of M. communis and T. daenensis. The MIC values for active extract and essential oil ranged between 0.039 and 10 mg/ml. It can be said that the extract and essential oil of some medicinal plants could be used as natural antimicrobial agents in food preservation.

Anti-Candida activity of ethanolic extracts of Iranian endemic medicinal herbs against Candida albicans

It has long been known that herbs and their extracts have antimicrobial activities. Heracleum lasiopetalum Boiss., Satureja bachtiarica Bunge., Thymus daenensis Celak., Echiophora platyloba L., Dracocephalum multicaule Benth., Kelussia odoratissima Mozaff. and Achillea kellalensis Boiss. are Iranian endemic plant species that have been traditionally used as medicinal herbs and spices in different regions of Iran especially Central Zagross. Seven ethanolic extracts of endemic medicinal herbs and one extract of native medicinal herb (Stachys lavandulifolia Vahl.) collected from Chaharmahal va Bakhtiari province of Iran were assayed for the in vitro antifungal activity against Candida albicans (ATCC1023), using agar dilution methods. Most of the extracts showed relatively high anti-Candida activity against the tested fungi with the diameter of inhibition zone ranging between 8 and 17 mm. The extracts of S. bachtiarica and T. daenensis exhibited high inhibitory effect against C. albicans. The extracts of S. bachtiarica and T. daenensis were characterized using HPLC, the major components of S. bachtiarica and T. daenensis were carvacrol and thymol, respectively. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values for active extract range between 25 and 50 µg/ml. In conclusion, it can be said that the extract of some of the Iranian endemic medicinal plants (S. bachtiarica and T. daenensis) could be used as natural anti-Candida

Environment effect on diversity in quality and quantity of essential oil of different wild populations of Kerman thyme

Thymus (thyme) is one of the most important genera with regard to the number of species within the family Lamiaceae. Kerman thyme (Thymus carmanicus Jalas) is an endemic Iranian species, intensively utilized because of its wide ranging medicinal and culinary properties. Aerial parts of T. carmanicus collected from various altitudes including 2000-2500, 2500-3000, and 3000- 3500 m above sea level in Zagros Mountains, Kerman province, South Iran. The yellow oil yields ranged between 0.80 to 1.10% (v/w) for populations collected from various elevations and for the populations collected from various regions ranged between 0.55-1.61% (v/w). GC-MS analyses revealed compounds, constituting 92.2-99.9% of total essential oils. The major constituents of essential oils were carvacrol (47.6-57.9%), thymol (8.3-19.0%), α-terpinene (7.3-7.9%) and p-cymene (4.4-7.6%), that monoterpenes, especially oxygenated monoterpenes was the main constituent group in essential oil from the aerial parts of T. carmanicus. The results of current study indicated that increasing elevation decreased thymol content in essential oils of the wild populations of T. carmanicus

The Genesis of the Epithermal Gold Mineralization at North Glojeh Veins, NW Iran.

The Glojeh mineralization district is part of Tarom-Hashtjin metallogenic province. Igneous rocks in Glojeh district include intrusive rocks (granodiorite, granite and quartzmonzonite), and volcanic and sub-volcanic rocks (rhyodacite, rhyolite, andesitic basalt, andesitic, tachyandesite, trachydacite, basalt, tuff and rhyolitic tuff), which are typically of high-K igneous rocks transitional to shoshonites. Rhyodacite are host rocks of North Glojeh veins. Alteration is consisting of propylilitization, sericitization, argillization and silicification. Hydrothermal alteration zones have well-developed and zoned, that extends ? 30 meters into the host rocks. Mass balance calculations indicate that Al, Zr, Ti, Y, Nb, and HREE were immobile elements during alteration. Mineralization occur in four stages: 1) pyrite-magnetite-quartz assemblage; 2) As-Sb-Fe-Au-Cu assemblages; 3) Pb-Zn-Cu-Ag assemblages; and 4) hematite-goethite assemblages associated by precious metals. The veins longitudinal sections show clearly that base metals occur at the deepest levels, whereas precious metals occur at higher elevations with respect to base metals. Silver occur overlapping and slightly above the base metals zone, generally above the zone rich in base metals and beneath of gold zone. This observation contradicts the typical zoning pattern caused by boiling in epithermal veins. The North Glojeh deposit is a typical of epithermal deposit, with features of either high-sulfidation (stage 1 and 2) or intermediate-sulfidation (stage 3) types of epithermal deposits. Also stage 4 (oxidation zone) have features of low sulfidation type

Sensitivity of Lactococcus garvieae isolated from rainbow trout to some Iranian medicinal herbs

Lactococcus garvieae is one of the most important bacterial pathogens that affect different farmed fish species in many countries. Some of the medicinal plants and their extracts have an antibacterial activity. In this study, antibacterial activity of ethanol extracts and essential oils of fifteen Iranian medicinal plants including, Satureja bachtiarica Bunge., Thymus daenensis Celak., Stachys lavandulifolia Vahl., Zataria multifora Boiss., Thymbra spicata L., Teucrium polium L. (Lamiaceae); Myrtus communis L. (Myrtaceae); Heracleum lasiopetalum Boiss., Kelussia odoratissima Mozaff., Bunium persicum (Boiss.) K.-Pol., Echiophora platyloba L. (Apiaceae); Punica granatum L. (Punicaceae); Qurcus branti Lindle (Fagaceae); Glycyrrhiza glabra L., Alhagi maurorum L. (Fabaceae) were investigated against Lactococcus garvieae isolated from rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) by agar disc diffusion and serial dilution assays. Just the extracts of M. communis and T. daenensis showed relatively antibacterial activity against L. garvieae. Almost the essential oils showed strong antibacterial activity against fish pathogen. The results obtained appeared to confirm the antibacterial potential of the essential oils of B. persicum, Z. multifora, T. daenensis, S. bachtiarica and T. spicata against L. garvieae isolated from rainbow trout. The MICs and MLCs of Z. multifora essential oil against L. garvieae were found as 4-8 µl/ml

Application of Activity-Based Costing Method in Calculation the prime Cost of Medical Students’ Education

Introduction: Calculating the prime cost of student education is one of the requirements for achieving the goals of the country's development programs in terms of improving the efficiency of universities. It is also one of the most important goals of the transformation and innovation program in medical education. This study aimed to calculate the prime cost of education for students of the School of Health at Bam University of Medical Sciences using activity-based costing method.Methods: The present study is a descriptive cross-sectional and retrospective study. The required data were collected through designed forms. Then, the service prime cost was calculated using the activity-based costing method and Excel 2016 software.Results: The results showed that the total cost of Bam School of Health was 31016503943 Rials. Of this amount, the environmental health group has the highest (22.53%), and the health services management group has the lowest (9.34%) costs among the existing educational groups. Also, among the cost chapters, the largest share is related to the expenses of the first chapter, salaries and wages.Conclusion: In this study, a cost analysis was performed by cost chapters.  This approach in cost analysis helps planners to estimate a fixed cost enabling them to determine a fixed level of benefit and creating the lowest possible cost. It will help universities to be more accurate and efficient in using the resources available to them

Roles of Two Learning Methods in the Perceived Competence of Surgery and Quality of Teaching: A Quasi-experimental Study among Operating Room Nursing Students

Introduction: Nowadays, Clinical courses are meticulously structured to give students essential opportunities to elevate their professional qualifications, so that the patients’ safety is protected and their conditions improve. Given the many challenges in the clinical environment of the operating room, this study was conducted to compare the impact of team-based and task-based learning methods in the clinical settings on the perceived competence of surgery and the quality of training from the operating room nursing students’ point of view∙Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted on fifty 5th semester operating room technology students at Hamadan University of Medical Sciences in 2023. In this study, studentswere selected using the convenience sampling method and placed in two educational groups (team-based and task-based) of 25 subjects using the matching method. After implementing thetraining process in the operating room setting, the data related to the study were collected using the valid questionnaires of perceived competence in surgery (Cronbach’s alpha=0.86) andquality of education (Cronbach’s alpha=0.94). Also, the data analysis was conducted at the descriptive and inferential (included independent t-test and analysis of covariance) statistics level using SPSS version 16 software. Results: Findings showed that the mean clinical training quality score was significantly higher in the team-based learning group than in the other group (P=0.014). Also, after the medianintervention, the perceived competence score of surgery was higher in the task-based learning group than in the team-based group, and the difference in the average change of the competence score between the two groups was statistically significant (P<0.001).Conclusion: Based on the results, it is suggested that a task-based learning method should be used for the clinical instructors to increase level of the perceived competence of the surgery among operating roon nursing students

Association between anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies and schizophrenia and psychotic bipolar in patients hospitalized in the psychiatric ward

BackgroundToxoplasmosis is caused by an intracellular parasite and is a worldwide disease. In laboratory, a mouse has been observed with the presence of this parasite in the brain which increased the level of dopamine in the brain. The evidence showed that dopamine releasing in the nucleus accumbens by activating the retro hippocampal region can disrupt the fornix section of brain as evolve to develop a psychosis in human.MethodsThis retrospective case-control study was conducted in patients with schizophrenia and psychotic bipolar referred to psychiatric clinic in Amir Kabir hospital, Arak. After psychiatric diagnosis of patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, 2ml of blood samples were acquired from 76 patients and 75 controls without any psychotic illness or bipolar disorder and other mental illnesses with safety issues. The serum of samples was separated in laboratory and was kept until the day of testing at -20˚C. After collecting all the samples; Anti-Toxoplasma lgG on the case and control samples were analysed by ELISA. Results were analysed by SPSS software version 16 and were calculated by &chi;2 tests.Results55.26 per cent of patients (42 persons) were infected with Toxoplasma gondii and in the control group 36 per cent (27 patients) were infected, that the different between them was significant (p < 0/05). Toxoplasmosis in psychotic men was more than psychotic women significantly (p < 0/05). Toxoplasma gondii infection in patients with schizophrenia with psychotic bipolar patients showed no significant difference.ConclusionPatients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder showed significantly higher rate than healthy people against Toxoplasma gondii infection. Prevention of infection with this parasite is effective in reducing the risk of psychosis