Antibacterial Activity of Iranian Green and Black Tea on Streptococcus Mutans: An In Vitro Study

Objective: Dental caries is a common infectious disease.Streptococcus mutans is the prevalent decay microorganism. The anti Streptococcus mutans activity of non fermented and semi-fermented tea has been shown. The aim of this study was to determine the anti Streptococcus mutans activity of Iranian green and black tea (non fermented and fermented type).Materials and Methods: The study was experimental. The aerial parts of wild-growing Camellia sinensis were collected from Lahijan province. The methanolic extract of green and black tea were examined on Streptococcus mutans (ATCC3566). Five different concentrations (50mg/ml, 100mg/ml, 200mg/ml, 300mg/ml and 400 mg/ml) of tea extracts were tested using the well assay method. The agar dilution method recommended by the NCCLS standards (National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards) was used. Theminimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined as the lowest concentration of extract inhibiting visible growth of the organism on the agar media plate. Minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) was detected from MIC.Results: The Iranian green and black tea had an antibacterial effect on 100 to 400 mg/ml concentrations. The minimum inhibitory concentration of green and black tea was 150 and 50 mg/ml, respectively. The mean diameter of inhibition zone were 9.5 mm and 10.9 mm for methanolic extract of green and black tea, respectively.Conclusion: Both Iranian non fermented (green tea) and fermented (black tea) have anti Streptococcus mutans activity in vitro. The anti Streptococcus mutans activity of black tea appears on a lower concentration than green tea

Antioxidant, antimicrobial and antiviral properties of herbal materials

Recently, increasing public concern about hygiene has been driving many studies to investigate antimicrobial and antiviral agents. However, the use of any antimicrobial agents must be limited due to their possible toxic or harmful effects. In recent years, due to previous antibiotics’ lesser side effects, the use of herbal materials instead of synthetic or chemical drugs is increasing. Herbal materials are found in medicines. Herbs can be used in the form of plant extracts or as their active components. Furthermore, most of the world’s populations used herbal materials due to their strong antimicrobial properties and primary healthcare benefits. For example, herbs are an excellent material to replace nanosilver as an antibiotic and antiviral agent. The use of nanosilver involves an ROS-mediated mechanism that might lead to oxidative stress-related cancer, cytotoxicity, and heart diseases. Oxidative stress further leads to increased ROS production and also delays the cellular processes involved in wound healing. Therefore, existing antibiotic drugs can be replaced with biomaterials such as herbal medicine with high antimicrobial, antiviral, and antioxidant activity. This review paper highlights the antibacterial, antiviral, and radical scavenger (antioxidant) properties of herbal materials. Antimicrobial activity, radical scavenger ability, the potential for antimicrobial, antiviral, and anticancer agents, and efficacy in eliminating bacteria and viruses and scavenging free radicals in herbal materials are discussed in this review. The presented herbal antimicrobial agents in this review include clove, portulaca, tribulus, eryngium, cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, thyme, pennyroyal, mint, fennel, chamomile, burdock, eucalyptus, primrose, lemon balm, mallow, and garlic, which are all summarized. © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Promising Antibacterial Effects of Silver Nanoparticle-Loaded Tea Tree Oil Nanoemulsion: a Synergistic Combination Against Resistance Threat

Highly resistant pathogens may be developed in patients with immune disorders after prolonged exposure to antibiotics, a growing threat worldwide. In order to overcome these problems, this study introduces a new class of engineered nanosystems comprising of tea tree oil nanoemulsion (TTO NE) loaded with Ag nanoparticles (NPs). Silver shows a strong toxicity towards a wide range of microorganisms. Also, TTO NE could be employed as a promising and safe antimicrobial agent for local therapies of bacterial infections. The nanosystem was prepared by low-energy method. Mean droplet size of the NE was found to be 17.7 nm. Results of the antibacterial assays showed promising ability of the designed nanosystem for eradication of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria (95). Also, it was shown that introducing colloidal Ag NPs to the TTO NE exerted a synergistic effect against Escherichia coli (FIC 0.48) while only an additive effect was observed against Staphylococcus aureus (FIC 0.75). The antibacterial effects of TTO NE+Ag NPs together with their compatibility with human cells can present them as a suitable candidate to fight against the antibacterial resistance threat. © 2017, American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists

Electrospun Nano-fibers for biomedical and tissue engineering applications: A comprehensive review

Pharmaceutical nano-fibers have attracted widespread attention fromresearchers for reasons such as adaptability of the electro-spinning process and ease of production. As a flexible method for fabricating nano-fibers, electro-spinning is extensively used. An electro-spinning unit is composed of a pump or syringe, a high voltage current supplier, a metal plate collector and a spinneret. Optimization of the attained nano-fibers is undertaken through manipulation of the variables of the process and formulation, including concentration, viscosity, molecular mass, and physical phenomenon, as well as the environmental parameters including temperature and humidity. The nano-fibers achieved by electro-spinning can be utilized for drug loading. The mixing of two or more medicines can be performed via electro-spinning. Facilitation or inhibition of the burst release of a drug can be achieved by the use of the electro-spinning approach. This potential is anticipated to facilitate progression in applications of drug release modification and tissue engineering (TE). The present review aims to focus on electro-spinning, optimization parameters, pharmacological applications, biological characteristics, and in vivo analyses of the electro-spun nano-fibers. Furthermore, current developments and upcoming investigation directions are outlined for the advancement of electro-spun nano-fibers for TE. Moreover, the possible applications, complications and future developments of these nano-fibers are summarized in detail. © 2020 by the authors

Removal of Amoxiclav Antibiotic from Aqueous Solutions Using Ultrasonic Waves

Antibiotics enter the environment, mainly aquatic environments, through the effluents of pharmaceutical industries, antibiotic factories, hospitals, human and animal sewage. Toxicity (carcinogenicity, mutagenicity and damage to the body's DNA), biodegradability, and drug resistance in antibiotics have caused these compounds to be called semi-persistent pollutants in the environment. The present study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of ultrasonic waves in reducing the antibiotic amoxiclav in aqueous solutions. The discharge and flow velocity parameters have been neglected due to their insignificance. The investigated variables included contact time, amoxiclav concentration, and pH. Antibiotics were based on concentrations of 2 and 6 mg/L of Amoxiclav, retention time (30, 45, 60) minutes, and pH values (3, 7, 9) in an ultrasonic device with a volume of 10 liters and internal dimensions (20*30*50), and the frequency was set to 95. Then the remaining concentration in the samples was measured by HPLC. The obtained results were subjected to statistical analysis with SPSS software. As the retention time increases, the initial concentration of the antibiotic decreases, but on the contrary, as the initial concentration increases, the removal of the antibiotic decreases. The highest concentration reduction of amoxiclav in concentration 2 (mg/L) is about 50% in the retention time of 60 minutes and pH = 3, but in concentration of 6 (mg/L), the highest concentration reduction is in the same retention time and pH of about 47%. The advantages of ultrasonication are easy application, acceleration of chemical and biological processes, no production of secondary pollutants, reduction of suspended and soluble substances in water, and an effective and cheap method to remove the antibiotic Amoxiclav

Investigation of presence, distribution and flight period of oak leaf roller moth, Tortrix viridana (Lep.: Tortricidae) using pheromone traps in Kurdistan province

Forests cover about 5,200,000 hectares of the west of Iran, from which 500,000 hectares are located in Kurdistan province. One of the most important pests in the oak forests of this province is oak leaf roller moth, Tortrix viridana L. (Lep.: Tortricidae). This pest significantly damages the oak forest each year. Using pheromone trap is one of the suitable methods for monitoring of this pest. In this work, distribution and flight period of the pest were studied by pheromone traps during two years. Fifteen regions were trapped at the equal distances (40 km) from Kamyaran (south west of Kurdistan province) to Baneh (north west of Kurdistan province) to investigate the presence and distribution of this moth. Also, a region located between Sanandaj and Marivan was selected to study the flight period. Some traps were established in this region and checked every two days. Investigation of pest distribution showed that oak leaf roller moth was present all over the sites from Kamyaran to Baneh. Different populations of moth were trapped in all over the sites. The highest population was trapped in Colit region (mid-west of Kurdistan province). The study of flight period showed that first moths were trapped on May, 16th and the peak of the flight took place on May, 21st and finally the last moths were trapped on June, 24th. Therefore, adults activated during 40 days; mating and oviposition occurred during this period. Incubation period lasted 9 months and activation of larvae was coincident with flashing of foliar buds

Chemical properties of virgin olive oil from Iranian cultivars grown in the Fadak and Gilvan regions

The aim of this study is to evaluate the chemical compositions (total phenol, fatty acid, sterolic compounds) of Iranian virgin olive oil (Zard, Rowghani, Mari) cultivated in the Gilvan (Zanjan Province) and Fadak (Qom Province) regions. Total phenols were determined using the Folin-Ciocalteu assay. Fatty acid and sterol profiles were also analyzed using gas chromatography. In most cases, significant effects (<em>P</em> < 0.05) of cultivars and locations were detected by the chemical composition of the oil samples. The fatty acid analysis indicated that the Mari variety from Gilvan had high oleic/low linoleic acid content; therefore it is a highly resistant olive oil against oxidation. Furthermore, the high mean values of total sterols were also obtained for the Mari variety. The oil of the Zard variety from Gilvan had the maximum amount of phenols as a positive quality index. Therefore, the Mari variety, especially from Gilvan has been suggested as a superior cultivar compared to the Zard and Rowghani varieties.<br><br>El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar la composición química (fenoles totales, ácidos grasos, y esteroles) de aceites de oliva virgen iranies (Zard, Rowghani, Mari) cultivados en las regions de Gilvan (provincia de Zanjan) y Fadak (provincia de Qom). Los fenoles totales se determinaron utilizando el método de Folin-Ciocalteu. Los perfiles de ácidos grasos y de esteroles se determinaron mediante cromatografía de gases. En la mayoría de los casos, existen diferencias significativos de los cultivares y los lugares detectados por la composición química (P < 0,05 ). El análisis de ácidos grasos indicó que la variedad Mari de Gilvan presenta una relación alta oleico/ linoleico; por lo tanto, es un aceite de alta resistencia contra la oxidación. Por otra parte, los valores medios altos de esteroles totales también fueron obtenidos para la variedad Mari. El aceite de la variedad Zard de Gilvan presentó la mayor cantidad de fenoles, considerado este valor como un índice de calidad positivo. La variedad Mari especialmente en Gilvan se sugeriere como un cultivar superior en comparación con las variedades Zard y Rowghani

Ant Mimicry by an Aphid Parasitoid, Lysiphlebus fabarum

In Iran, Lysiphlebus fabarum (Marshall) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Aphidiinae) is a uniparental parasitoid of the black bean aphid, Aphis fabae Scopoli (Hemiptera: Aphididae), that possesses various highly evolved adaptations for foraging within ant-tended aphid colonies. Direct observations and video recordings were used to analyze the behavior of individual females foraging for A. fabae on bean leaf disks in open arenas in the laboratory. Females exploited aphids as hosts and as a source of food, allocating within-patch time as follows: resting - 10.4%, grooming - 8.2%, searching - 11.5%, antennation (host recognition) - 7.5%, antennation (honeydew solicitation mimicking ants) - 31.9%, abdominal bending (attack preparation) 19.7%, probing with the ovipositor (attack) - 10.8%. The mean handling time for each aphid encountered was 2.0 ± 0.5 min. Females encountered an average of 47.4 ± 6.4 aphids per hour, but laid only 1.2 eggs per hour. The ovipositor insertion time for parasitism ranged from 2 sec to longer than a minute, but most insertions did not result in an egg being laid. A. fabae defensive behaviors included kicking, raising and swiveling the body, and attempts to smear the attacker with cornicle secretions, sometimes with lethal results. Food deprivation for 4–6 h prior to testing increased the frequency of ant mimcry by L. fabarum. Females also used ant-like antennation to reduce A. fabae defensive behavior, e.g. the frequency of kicking. L. fabarum attacks primed A. fabae to be more responsive to subsequent honeydew solicitation, such that experienced females improved their feeding success by alternating between the roles of parasitoid and ant mimic. These results reveal the possibility for mutualisms to evolve between L. fabarum and the ant species that tend A. fabae, since L. fabarum receive ant protection for their progeny and may benefit the ants by improving A. fabae responsiveness to honeydew solicitation

Captopril for prevention of Contrast Induced Nephropathy in patients undergoing Coronary Angioplasty: A double blind placebo controlled clinical trial

Background: Contrast induced nephropathy is a potential cause of mortality and morbidity in patients undergoing angiography–angioplasty. Except for hydrating and probably low – isoosmolar contrast agents in high risk groups, other modalities have not provided benefit. We investigated preventive effects of captopril for contrast induced nephropathy during angiography–angioplasty.&#13; Methods: In a double blind placebo controlled clinical trial, 88 patients were randomized to two groups: 42 patients received captopril (12.5 mg) every 8 hours from 2 hours before the procedure until 48 hours thereafter, and 46 patients received placebo in the same manner. Serum creatinine was measured before and 48 hours after angioplasty. The data were analyzed by SPSS software, using unpaired student t-test for comparing mean creatinine rise in both groups and paired student t-test for the changes in serum creatinine in each group.&#13; Results: The mean creatinine rise in captopril group (0.214 mg/dl) and placebo group (0.226 mg/dl) were not significantly different. The incidence of acute renal failure (creatinine rise more than 0.5 mg/dl) in the captopril (11.9 %) and placebo group (10.8 %) were not significantly different.&#13; Conclusion: Captopril does not effectively prevent contrast nephropathy, but it is not harmful for renal function and can be administered safely during angiography – angioplasty in patients with normal renal function. However, the effect of captopril in patients with high- risk characteristics remains to be clarified. Of note, we found a trend for less creatinine rise in diabetics who received captopril during the procedure in comparison to diabetics who received placebo.&#13; Keywords: Angiography, Angioplasty, Contrast induced Nephropathy, Captopril, Angiotension Converting Enzyme Inhibitor, Creatinin