Matricaria chamomilla: an Updated Review on Biological Activities of the Plant and Constituents

Chamomile or camomile (Matricaria chamomilla L. syn. Matricaria recutita L.) belongs to the family Asteraceae. It is native to Europe and West Asia and has spread to other parts of the world. The plant essential oils and extracts have been frequently used for thousands of years in traditional and folk medicines across the world, due to their valuable medicinal properties. Currently, it is widely applied in different industries such as pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and food industry. Herein, the literature was carefully reviewed via search engines such as Google Scholar, Pub Med, and Scopus using keywords including biological activity, chamomile, flavonoids, pharmacological activity, Matricaria chamomilla, and Matricaria recutita. Sesquiterpenes such as bisabolol oxide B, bisabolone oxide, and bisabolol oxide A have been identified as the major constituents of chamomile essential oil. Also, various phenolic compounds and flavonoids were mostly reported as active compounds in the plant extracts. Although there are various reports pinpointing the mechanisms of action of chamomile and its constituents, some points have remained ambiguous and further well-designed clinical trials are required. Focusing on the importance of valuable biological properties of chamomile, the present review precisely discussed the characterized chemical constituents of the plant along with their mechanisms of action

Larvicidal activity of essential oil and methanol extract of Nepeta menthoides against malaria vector Anopheles stephensi

AbstractObjectiveTo investigate the larvicidal activity of essential oil and methanol extract of the Nepeta menthoides (N. menthoides) against main malaria vector, Anopheles stephensi (An. stephensi).MethodsThe essential oil of plant was obtained by Clevenger type apparatus and the methanol extract was supplied with Percolation method. Larvicidal activity was tested by WHO method. Twenty five fourth-instar larvae of An. stephensi were used in the larvicidal assay and four replicates were tested for each concentration. Five different concentrations of the oil and extract were tested for calculation of LC50 and LC90 values.ResultsThe LC50 and LC90 values were determined by probit analysis. LC50 was 69.5 and 234.3 ppm and LC90 was 175.5 and 419.9 ppm for the extract and essential oil respectively.ConclusionsAccording to the results of this study methanolic extract of plant exhibited more larvicidal activity than essential oil. This could be useful for investigation of new natural larvicidal compounds

Effect of the methanolic extracts of different parts of Ferula assa-foetida on naloxone-induced withdrawal behavior in morphine-dependent mice

Objective: Ferula assa-foetida, a native species in Iran, is used for treatment of several diseases particularly for neurological disorders in Iranian Traditional Medicine. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of methanolic roots, fruits, and aerial parts extracts of Ferula assa-foetida on withdrawal syndrome in morphine-dependent mice. Materials and Methods: Aerial parts, roots, and fruits of the plant were separately extracted with 80% MeOH. For induction of dependence, morphine (50, 50 and 75 mg/kg) was injected subcutaneously three times daily (10 am, 1 pm and 4 pm) for three days and a last dose of morphine (50 mg/kg) was administrated on the fourth day. Withdrawal syndrome was induced by injection of naloxone (5 mg/kg, intraperitoneal) 2 hr after the final dose of morphine. Different doses of the extracts were administered i.p. 60 minutes before naloxone injection and withdrawal sign was recorded 2 minutes after naloxone injection for a period of 60 minutes.   Results: Pre-treatment of animals with different doses (2.5, 5, 10, 20 mg/kg) of methanolic extract of the aerial parts of F. assa-foetida caused a significant decrease in naloxone-induced behavior. Intraperitoneal administration of different doses (10, 15, 20, 25 mg/kg) of methanolic extract of the fruit significantly reduced the naloxone-induced withdrawal behavior (

Use of Medicinal Plants and Its Association with Health Literacy in the General Population of Iran During the COVID-19 Pandemy: a Web-Based Cross-Sectional Survey

Background and objectives: During health crises like COVID-19, people with different health conditions turn to traditional/herbal remedies, which can affect their health status. This study aimed to determine medicinal plant consumption and its association with health literacy during the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran. Methods: This web-based cross-sectional study involved 1242 Iranians aged 18 to 65. Data were collected using the Iranian Health Literacy Questionnaire (IHLQ), COVID-19-related variables, and a socio-demographic information questionnaire, analyzed by simple and multiple logistic regression analyses using SPSS 16.0. Results: It was found that 51.4% (n=638) of participants had used medicinal plants and herbal products, with a mean Health Literacy (HL) score of 76.16. Thyme (50.6%), ginger (34.9%), and cinnamon (24.4%) were the most commonly used plants; the most popular methods were infusion (78.3%) and decoction (32.2%). According to the adjusted analysis, the use of medicinal plants was significantly associated with being older (odds ratio (OR)=1.85, 95% confidence interval (CI):1.14-3.00), having contact with suspected/confirmed COVID-19 cases (OR=1.94, 95% CI:1.39-2.71), and having family members, friends, and/or relatives infected with COVID-19 (OR=1.37, 95% CI:1.00-1.88). Also, people who consulted with a physician or pharmacist before using medicinal plants had statistically higher mean HL scores than those who did not (p<0.001), as do those who consider potential interactions with other medications or medicinal plants (p<0.001). Conclusion: Considering that at least half of the people used medicinal plants during the COVID-19 outbreak, providing accurate information by regulatory organizations on medicinal plants, their potential side effects, and interactions, especially during times of crisis, seems to be urgent

Cytotoxic Activity of Juniperus excelsa M. Bieb. Leaves Essential Oil in Breast Cancer Cell Lines

Background and objectives: Juniperus excelsa is a flowering plant that has been applied as traditional medicine for treatment of various disorders such as dysmenorrhea, bronchitis and colds, jaundice and tuberculosis. The aims of the present study were analyzing J. excelsa essential oil and investigation of its cytotoxic activity on three breast cancer cell lines.  Methods:  Juniperus excelsa leaves were collected from Dena mountains, located in the south-west of Iran. The composition of the essential oil was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Cytotoxic activity was evaluated using MTT assay.   Results: Forty-one components, related to 99.83% of the total oil, were identified. Monoterpene hydrocarbons represented the major components of the volatile oil while α-pinene (73.27%) was the major component. The essential oil showed significant cytotoxic activity against breast cancer cell lines MCF-7 (IC50=0.084 µg/mL), MDA-MB-231 (IC50=0.090 µg/mL) and T-47D (IC50=0.124 µg/mL).  Conclusion: The analysis of J. excelsa oil revealed α-pinene and cedrol as the main compounds of the volatile oil that could justifiy its remarkable cytotoxic effect against the tested cell lines

Cytotoxic Flavonoids from the Aerial Parts of Stachys lavandulifolia Vahl

Background: Stachys lavandulifolia Vahl is a herbaceous plant distributed in the west and south western Asia. Despite of the wide medicinal uses, there are some reports on toxicity potential of this plant. In present study we attempted to evaluate the toxicity and to characterize the cytotoxic principles of S. lavandulifolia. Methods: Brine shrimp lethality test (BSLT) was used to evaluate the general toxicity of the extracts and essential oil obtained from the aerial parts of S. lavandulifolia. Phytochemical constituents of the active extract were investigated using various chromatographic and spectroscopic methods. GC and GC-MS were also used to analyze the plant essential oil. GC and GC-MS were used to analyze the plant essential oil. Cytotoxic activities of the isolated compounds were also evaluated using MTT assay method. Results: In brine shrimp lethality test (BSLT), chloroform extract and the plant essential oil exhibited the most toxicity against Artemia salina larvae (LD50: 121.8±5.6 and 127.6±14.7 µg ml-1, respectively). GC and GC-MS analyses of essential oil led to the characterization of forty compounds of which α-bisabolol (23.85%) and thymol (17.88%) were identified as the main constituents. Nine flavonoids, Pachypodol (1), chrysosplenetin (2), kumatakenin (3), velutin (4), penduletin (5), viscosine (6), chrysoeriol (7), hydroxygenkwanin (8) and apigenin (9) were isolated from the chloroform extract of S. lavandulifolia. Among the isolated compounds, chrysosplenetin (2), a polymethoxylated flavonoid, was found as the most toxic compound toward MDA-MB-23 and HT-29 cells, with IC50 values of 88.23 and 116.50 µg ml-1, respectively. Furthermore, chrysosplenetin (2), kumatakenin (3) and viscosine (6) with selectivity indices of 2.70, 2.59 and 3.33, respectively, showed higher preferential toxicity against MDA-MB-23 cells in comparison with tamoxifen (SI:2.45). Conclusion: This study reports methoxylated flavonoids as compounds which could be involved in toxicity of S. lavandulifolia. The results of MTT assay also suggest some of these compounds as appropriate candidates for anti-cancer drug development research

Effect of Juglans regia L. Ridge on Blood Lipids in Type 2 Diabetic Patients with Dyslipidemia: A Double-blind Placebo-Controlled Randomized Clinical Trial

Background: Dyslipidemia and diabetes mellitus are two important risk factors for coronary artery disease and stroke. Traditionally, herbal remedies like walnut were used to treat dyslipidemia. The study aimed to evaluate the effect of Juglans regia L. (J. regia L.) internal septum extract (ISE) on lipid profile of patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods: After preparing hydroalcoholic ISE, Folin-Ciocalteau (FC) and AlCl3 colorimetric methods were used to determine total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC), respectively. In a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial, 86 diabetic patients with dyslipidemia were randomly divided into equal groups and received ISE or placebo capsules 1500 mg/day for 12 weeks. Lipid profile, LFT, SCr, urea, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), blood pressure (BP), weight, waist and waist to hip ratio (WHR) were determined at baseline and after 12 weeks. The paired sample t-test and independent sample t-test were performed to compare the differences within and among the groups, respectively. This study was registered in the Iranian registry of clinical trials (IRCT ID: IRCT20201227049850N1). Results: The mean (SD) of TPC and TFC were measured based on 74.57 (5.20) milligram gallic acid equivalent/gram of dry extract (mg GAE/g DE) and 14.11 (2.73) mg quercetin equivalent/g of DE (mg QE/g DE), respectively. During the trial, 26 patients lost follow-up, and the study continued with remaining 60 patients. After intervention, there were no significant differences in LDL-C (p=0.44), total cholesterol (TC) (p=0.42), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (p=0.99), triglyceride (TG) (p =0.32) and Lp(a) (p=0.55) between two groups. Moreover, no significant (p>0.05) changes were observed in HbA1c, LFT, SCr, urea, BP, weight, waist, and WHR among the groups after 12 weeks. Conclusion: Our findings showed J.regia L. ISE had no significant effect on lipid profile compared to placebo. Moreover, no adverse effect was observed on liver and kidney function tests

The hypoglycemic effects of Juglans regia L. internal septum in type 2 diabetic patients: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial

Introduction: The internal septum of J.regia is traditionally used to control diabetes, and its effectiveness has been shown in animal studies. Accordingly, human clinical trials are needed to confirm its effectiveness on hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), fasting blood sugar (FBS), blood insulin level, and insulin resistance as a complementary for better control of type 2 diabetes. Methods: This study was a randomized, double-blinded, controlled trial. The lyophilized powder of extract of the internal septum of J.regia was used to fill the capsules. Sixty type 2 diabetic patients were randomly divided into two groups. 500 mg capsules three times daily before meal was added to their routine drug regimen, and HbA1c, FBS, and blood insulin level were checked at the baseline and after three months. Results: Sixty patients completed the study. The mean(±SD) age of patients was 49.1(10.2) and 50.9(12.7) years in the placebo and J.regia groups, respectively. We observed that J.regia internal septum increases the level of HbA1c by about 0.02 units, but this effect was not significant (MD=0.02,95%CI=-0.36 to 0.40, P=0.93). Regarding the impact of capsules on insulin level, it seems that J.regia-containing capsules can raise insulin level by one unit. However, it was not significant (MD=1.01,95%CI=-0.86 to 2.88, P=0.28). As for FBS, it can cause a decrease of four units, but this effect is also not significant (MD=-3.98,95%CI=-18.33 to 10.37, P=0.58). Conclusion: Based on our study, the internal septum of J.regia has no significant effect on HbA1c, FBS, and insulin resistance. Moreover, no specific adverse reaction was observed in any of the patients

Standardization of Tragopogon graminifolius DC. Extract Based on Phenolic Compounds and Antioxidant Activity

Tragopogon graminifolius DC. (TG), Compositae family, is traditionally used for the treatment of various diseases like gastrointestinal and hepatic disorders. The aim of the present study is to standardize extracts from TG used for preparation of different dosage forms in traditional Iranian medicine (TIM) based on phenolic compounds. For this purpose, total phenolic content and some phenolic compounds were determined in ethanolic extracts from aerial part and root of TG by HPLC method. Furthermore, antioxidant activity was evaluated using DPPH-HPLC methods. Caffeic acid, gallic acid, -coumaric acid, ferulic acid, and catechin were detected in root and aerial part of TG. -Coumaric acid (6.357 ± 0.014 mg⋅g −1 ) was dominant phenolic compound in aerial part followed by ferulic acid (1.24 ± 0.018 mg⋅g −1 ). Also, -coumaric acid (2.685 ± 0.031 mg⋅g −1 ) was highly abundant in root, followed by catechin (2.067 ± 0.021 mg⋅g −1 ). Antioxidant activity of root extract (460.45 ± 0.78 g Vit.E.E⋅mL −1 ) was better than that of aerial part. Generally, phenolic compounds are one of the major constituents of TG and could be used as markers for standardization of dosage forms prepared from this plant. Also, TG demonstrated significant antioxidant activity using DPPH-HPLC method. Phenolic compounds of TG may be responsible for its marked antioxidant properties