Effects of curzerene and Smyrnium cordifolium Boiss. extract on addiction withdrawal syndrome in mice

Introduction: The purpose of this study was evaluating the effect of Smyrnium cordifolium extract (SCE) and curzerene (Cur) on withdrawal syndrome in mice compared with clonidine. Methods: High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to determine the active ingredients of S. cordifolium. To evaluate the effects of SCE and Cur, 64 mice were divided into 8 equal groups. Groups 1, 2 and 3 were treated Cur (0.03, 0.06, 0.12 mg/kg, respectively). Groups 4, 5 and 6 were treated with SCE (100, 200, 300 mg/kg, respectively). The seventh group received just morphine. Group 8 received morphine and clonidine (0.2 mg/kg). Results: The results of this study showed that Cur was the most important ingredient in the extract of the plant, and the hydroalcoholic extract yield of S. cordifolium was 17.55% (w/w). The dose of 100 mg/kg of extract (SCE100) and 0.03 mg/kg curzerene (Cur1) (P < 0.05), dose of 200 mg/kg of extract (SCE200) and dose of 0.06 mg/kg curzerene (Cur2), (P < 0.01), dose of 300 mg/kg of extract (SCE300) and dose of 0.12 mg/kg of curzerene (Cur3) (P < 0.001) decreased the symptoms compared to clonidine. Doses higher than 300 mg/kg of extract and 0.12 mg/kg of Cur had fatal effects. All doses of SCE and Cur in comparison with the control group at significant level (P < 0.001) reduced the number of jumping, rearing and teeth chattering in morphine-dependent mice. Conclusion: The findings suggest that SCE and Cur are capable of reducing the symptoms of withdrawal syndrome and their effectiveness may be more than clonidine in reducing the addiction withdrawal syndrome, which may have human therapeutic potential

Phytochemical screening of two Ilam native plants Ziziphus nummularia (Burm.f.) Wight & Arn. and Ziziphus spina-christi (Mill.) Georgi using HS-SPME and GC-MS spectroscopy

Essential oils are aromatic compounds widely used in the perfumery, pharmaceutical and food industries. There are several methods to extract essential oils and extracts. These methods include distillation, pressure or scraping, pressing and razor technique, headspace solid-phase micro extraction (HS-SPME), solvent extraction, extraction by bioactive hydrolyzing enzymes, and CO2 extraction. The aim of this study was to investigate the amounts of active ingredients of essential oils of medicinal plants Ziziphus nummularia and Ziziphus spina-christi by HS-SPME so that it can more easily move towards production of effective herbal remedies by identifying the main and active ingredients of the plants. The main chemical compound of Z. spina-christi essential oil was found to be trans-caryophyllene (17.31%), followed by alpha-pinene (15.50%), beta-caryophyllene (10.86%), and beta-pinene (7.32%). The main compound of Z. nummularia essential oil was tetradecane (16.76%), followed by hexadecane (9.35%), dl-limonene (5.75%), cyclohexan-1-ol, 3 meth (5.54%), trans-caryophyllene (5.47%), and beta-myrcene (5.28%). Chemical compounds of Ziziphus spina-christi included carbobicyclic or bicycleheptane, sesquiterpenes derived from germacrene, bicyclic monoterpenes, and monoterpenes, while the main compounds of Z. nummularia included monoterpenes, aliphatic hydrocarbons, alkane hydrocarbons, primary terpene compounds, and decarbonated alcohol. Identification of chemical and biological constituents of essential oils of medicinal plants is a valuable way to identify medicinal compounds that can be used to treat diseases by combining the traditional effects and the main compounds in the experimental pharmacy studies

Machine learning-based EDoS attack detection technique using execution trace analysis

One of the most important benefits of using cloud computing is the benefit of on-demand services. Accordingly, the method of payment in the cloud environment is pay per use. This feature results in a new kind of DDOS attack called Economic Denial of Sustainability (EDoS), in which the customer pays extra to the cloud provider as a result of the attack. Similar to other DDoS attacks, EDoS attacks are divided into different types, such as (1) bandwidth-consuming attacks, (2) attacks that target specific applications, and 3) connection-layer exhaustion attacks. In this work, we propose a novel framework to detect different types of EDoS attacks by designing a profile that learns from and classifies the normal and abnormal behaviors. In this framework, the extra demanding resources are only allocated to VMs that are detected to be in a normal situation and therefore prevent the cloud environment from attack and resource misuse propagation

Comparison of the effect of licorice vaginal cream and estrogen vaginal cream on sexual function of postmenopausal women: An RCT

Background: Menopause is a stage in woman’s life that some women experience in middle age and some at a younger age (premature menopause). Low levels of ovarian hormones, during menopause can lead to various complications. Menopause is one of the factors that can affect a woman’s sexual function. Objective: The present study was conducted to compare the effect of licorice vaginal cream and estrogen vaginal cream on the sexual function of postmenopausal women. Materials and Methods: In this randomized clinical trial study, 82 postmenopausal women who were referred to health centers in Ilam, Iran from July to November 2020 were randomly divided into 2 groups (n = 41/each). One group was given estrogen vaginal cream 2%, and the other vaginal licorice cream 2%. Participants used the 2 medications for 14-day periods each. We used the finite randomization method. Data collection questionnaires, including a demographic information questionnaire before treatment and a female sexual function index questionnaire were completed before, one month after the medication, and 2 months after using the medication. Results: The mean score of sexual function in the licorice group was 17.86 ± 4.37 and increased to 20.31 ± 4.63 at the end of the study. The mean score of sexual function in the estrogen group was 17.14 ± 3.99 and increased to 22.97 ± 5.09 at the end of the study (p = 0.015). Conclusion: The effect of estrogen vaginal cream on the sexual function of postmenopausal women was greater than licorice vaginal cream. Key words: Vagina, Post menopause, Glycyrrhiza, Estrogens

A NOVEL STRATEGY FOR CORRECTION OF LIPID PROFILES VIA MATRICARIA CHAMOMILLA L.

Statins which are most useful in reducing blood fat have a chemical combination and present various side effects. Identifying some plants with positive effects on reducing blood fat can be a great alternative to these chemical drugs. The current study has been carried out to compare the effects of hydroalcoholic extract of Matricaria chamomilla on the serum lipid profile in hypercholesterolemic rats. Twenty-five male Wistar Rats, ranging in weight from 150 to 180 grams, were assigned to five groups: the control group received an ordinary dietary regimen, the sham group was fed on a high cholesterol (2%) dietary regimen, experimental groups 1, 2 and 3 were given an ordinary nutrition plus chamomilla extract and Lovastatin dosages equal to 0.55 mg/ml, 1.1 mg/ml and 10 mg/kg were also, respectively, administered. Blood samples were taken on the first and the last days of the study period. To determine the blood’s lipid profile and the serum cholesterol concentration, LDL-c, HDL-c and TG were measured and the results obtained for the groups were compared. The data were analyzed in SPSS 16 software. The results of the current research paper indicated that the treatment with 1.1 mg/ml chamomile hydroalcoholic extract and 10 mg/kg lovastatin significantly reduced (P<0.001) the total serum cholesterol concentration, LDL-c and TG in experimental hypercholesterolemic groups 2 and 3 as compared to the Sham Group. Also, it was found causing a significant increase in serum HDL-c in experimental hypercholesterolemic groups 2 and 3 in contrast to the Sham Group (P<0.001 and P<0.05, respectively). The mean weight scores of the Sham group and experimental group 1 were demonstrative of a significant increase in respect to control group (P<0.001 and P<0.01, respectively). The present study showed that the use of chamomile extract in hypercholesterolemic rats can bring about clearly discernible hypocholesterolemic effects and cause considerable and desirable effects on the serum lipid profile. Keywords: Hypocholesterolemic, Matricaria chamomilla, Lipid profile, Lovastati

Amelioration of amyloid beta (Aβ1-40) neurotoxicity by administration of silibinin; a behavioral and biochemical assessment

Objective(s): Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most common cause of dementia, is one of the leading causes of morbidity and death in the world. Currently, treatment mostly used to slow down the disease progression. Herbal remedies are considered by many in the community as a natural and safe treatment with fewer side effects. Silibinin, the active ingredient of Silybum marionum, has anti-oxidant, neurotrophic and neuroprotective characteristics. Therefore, here, the effect of different doses of Silibinin extract on oxidative stress and expression of neurotrophic factors was investigated. Materials and Methods: Forty eight male Wistar rats were randomly divided into sham, lesion; Aβ1-40 injection, lesion-treatment; Aβ1-40 injection followed by different doses of silibinin (50, 100, 200 mg / kg) through gavage and lesion-vehicle group; Aβ1-40 injection + vehicle of silibinin. Morris water Maze (MWM) was done 28 days after the last treatment. Hippocampal tissue was removed for biochemical analysis. Production of nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS), expression of BDNF/VEGF and cell viability were measured using Griess, fluorimetry, Western blotting and MTT techniques.  Results: Different concentrations of silibinin improved behavioral performance in animals. Higher doses of Silibinin could improve memory and learning function through MWM. Also, increasing the concentration of silibinin resulted in decreased ROS and NO production in a dose-dependent manner.Conclusion: Consequently, silibinin may act as a potential candidate for alleviating symptoms of AD

The Relationship between Sleep Quality and Happiness in Men with Coronary Artery Disease

Background and Aim: Good sleep quality has beneficial effects on happiness and being unhappy is significantly associated with negative cardiac outcomes. The present research aimed at studying the relationships between sleep quality and happiness in male coronary patients. Methods: One hundred male coronary patients that having been referred to Madani Heart Hospital, Tabriz, Iran, completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (OHQ). All participants were selected by purposive sampling (aged 37 to 67 years). Data were analyzed by multiple regression (simultaneous method) through the SPSS 18 software.Results: There was a significant negative difference between happiness with sleep disturbances and use of sleeping medication in coronary patients. Conclusion: This study showed that poor sleep quality in coronary patients has negative effects on their happiness. Therefore, the quality of sleep in these patients should be given more consideration by community health care providers.Keywords: Sleep Quality, Happiness, Coronary Artery Disease

Is there a value for probiotic supplements in gestational diabetes mellitus? A randomized clinical trial

Background: Although several studies have found probiotics encouraging in prevention of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), the evidence for the use of probiotics in diagnosed GDM is largely limited. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of a probiotic supplement capsule containing four bacterial strains on glucose metabolism indices and weight changes in women with newly diagnosed GDM. Methods: Sixty-four pregnant women with GDM were enrolled into a double-blind placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial. They were randomly assigned to receive either a probiotic or placebo capsule along with dietary advice for eight consecutive weeks. The trend of weight gain along with glucose metabolism indices was assayed. Results: During the first 6 weeks of the study, the weight gain trend was similar between the groups. However, in the last 2 weeks of the study, the weight gain in the probiotic group was significantly lower than in the placebo group (p &lt; 0.05). Fasting blood sugar (FBS) decreased in both intervention (from 103.7 to 88.4 mg/dl) and control (from 100.9 to 93.6 mg/dl) groups significantly, and the decrease in the probiotic group was significantly higher than in the placebo group (p &lt; 0.05). Insulin resistance index in the probiotic group had 6.74 % reduction over the study period (p &lt; 0.05). In the placebo group, however, there was an increase in insulin resistance index (6.45 %), but the observed change in insulin resistance was not statistically significant. Insulin sensitivity index was increased in both groups. The post-intervention insulin sensitivity index in the probiotic group was not significantly different from placebo when adjusted for the baseline levels. Conclusions: The probiotic supplement appeared to affect glucose metabolism and weight gain among pregnant women with GDM. This needs to be confirmed in other settings before a therapeutic value could be approved