In vitro and in vivo antileishmanial activities of Pistacia vera essential oil

This study aims to evaluate the in vitro and in vivo antileishmanial activities of Pistacia vera essential oil and compare their efficacy with a reference drug, meglumine antimoniate (Glucantime®). This essential oil (0–100 µg/mL) was evaluated in vitro against the intracellular amastigote forms of Leishmania tropica (MHOM/IR/2002/Mash2) and then tested on cutaneous leishmaniasis of male BALB/c mice by Leishmania major (MRHO/IR/75/ ER). In the in vitro assay, it could be observed that P. vera essential oil significantly (p < 0.05) inhibited the growth rate of amastigote forms (IC50 of 21.3 ± 2.1 µg/mL) in a dose-dependent response compared with the control drug. Meglumine antimoniate also demonstrated antileishmanial effects with an IC50 value of 44.6 ± 2.5 µg/mL for this clinical stage. In the in vivo assay, the results indicated that 30 mg/mL of the essential oil had potent suppression effects on cutaneous leishmaniasis in BALB/c mice (87.5% recovery), while 10 and 20 mg/mL of the essential oil represented the suppression effects as weak to intermediate. The mean diameter of the lesions decreased about 0.11 and 0.27 cm after the treatment of the subgroups with the essential oil concentrations of 10 and 20 mg/mL, respectively. In contrast, in the subgroup treated with the essential oil concentration of 30 mg/mL, the mean diameter of the lesions decreased about 0.56 cm. In the control subgroups, the mean diameter of the lesions increased to 1.01 cm. The main components of P. vera essential oil were limonene (26.21%), α-pinene (18.07%), and α-thujene (9.31%). It was also found that P. vera essential oil had no significant cytotoxic effect on J774 cells. The present study found that P. vera essential oil showed considerable in vitro and in vivo effectiveness against L. tropica and L. major compared to the reference drug. These findings also provided the scientific evidence that natural plants could be used in traditional medicine for the prevention and treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis

The Wound Healing Effect of Plantago Major Leaf Extract in a Rat Model: An Experimental Confirmation of a Traditional Belief in Persian Medicine

Background and Aim: Plantago major leaf has been traditionally used in Iran and many other countries for wound healing. This study presents a brief report about the depiction of the effects of Plantago major on wound healing in the major texts of Persian medicine. Moreover, the effect of Plantago major’s leaf extract on wound healing duration has been experimentally assessed in male rats. Materials and Methods: In experimental studies, the methanolic extract of Plantago major's leaf was used as an ointment. To make a wound model, a circular ulcer was made on the back of animals. Adult male Wistar rats were divided into two groups: animals in the control group were treated once a day only with the ointment's eucerin base, and the rats in Plantago major's group were treated with the ointment containing the plant extract. Ulcerous areas were measured on days 0 and 14. The durations of complete wound healing processes were determined too. Results: The difference between the mean duration of wound healing was statistically significant using independent samples t-test (20.7±0.4 days in control vs 19.1±0.4 in plant extract group, p=0.022). Furthermore, there was a significant difference in the mean wound surface area on the fourteenth day (p=0.014) despite the fact that there were no significant differences in day 0 (p=0.69). Conclusion: There is a long history of using Plantago major's leaf for wound healing in Persian medicine text books. It was determined, in the experimental studies conducted on rats, that P. major's leaf extract could accelerate wound healing process. This capability justifies its application not only in Persian medicine but also in some other traditional medicines

The synergistic effect of hydroalcoholic extracts of Origanum vulgare, Hypericum perforatum and their active components carvacrol and hypericin against Staphylococcus aureus.

AIM: This study was designed to evaluate the synergistic activities of hydroalcoholic extracts of medicinal plants Origanum vulgare and Hypericum perforatum and their active components, carvacrol and hypericin against Staphylococcus aureus. METHODS: The synergistic effects of the plants, as well as carvacrol and hypericin, were examined using a checkered method against S. aureus (ATCC 12600). RESULTS: A fractional inhibitory concentration of 0.5 was obtained for combination of O. vulgare and H. perforatum and 0.49 for combination of the active ingredients carvacrol and hypericin, both of which indicated a synergistic effect. CONCLUSION: This preliminary evaluation demonstrated a synergistic property of O. vulgare and H. perforatum extracts in treating S. aureus infection. This study indicates that combination of the plants, as well as combination of carvacrol and hypericin, might be used as a new antibacterial strategy against S. aureus. KEYWORDS: Gram positive; Staphylococcus aureus; antibacterial; antibiotic; checkered carried out to Fratini method; combination; fractional inhibitory concentration; herbal medicine; medicinal plant; synergis

The synergistic effect of hydroalcoholic extracts of Origanum vulgare, Hypericum perforatum and their active components carvacrol and hypericin against Staphylococcus aureus

Aim: This study was designed to evaluate the synergistic activities of hydroalcoholic extracts of medicinal plants Origanum vulgare and Hypericum perforatum and their active components, carvacrol and hypericin against Staphylococcus aureus. Methods: The synergistic effects of the plants, as well as carvacrol and hypericin, were examined using a checkered method against S. aureus (ATCC 12600). Results: A fractional inhibitory concentration of 0.5 was obtained for combination of O. vulgare and H. perforatum and 0.49 for combination of the active ingredients carvacrol and hypericin, both of which indicated a synergistic effect. Conclusion: This preliminary evaluation demonstrated a synergistic property of O. vulgare and H. perforatum extracts in treating S. aureus infection. This study indicates that combination of the plants, as well as combination of carvacrol and hypericin, might be used as a new antibacterial strategy against S. aureus. We studied and evaluated the synergistic activities of hydroalcoholic extracts of oregano and St John's wort and their active components, carvacrol and hypericin, against Staphylococcus aureus. The results suggest that a combination of oregano and St John's wort extracts, as well as a combination of hypericin and carvacrol, have potential for use as natural and effective combinations against S. aureus infection

Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using Extract of Oak Fruit Hull (Jaft): Synthesis and In Vitro Cytotoxic Effect on MCF-7 Cells

A green synthetic approach by using oak fruit hull (Jaft) extract for preparation of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was developed and optimized. Parameters affecting the synthesis of AgNPs, such as temperature, extract pH, and concentration of extract (ratio of plant sample to extraction solvent), were investigated and optimized. Optimum conditions for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles are as follows: Ag+ concentration, 1 mM; extract concentration, 40 g/L (4% w/v); pH = 9 and temperature, 45°C. Biosynthesized silver nanoparticles were characterized using UV-visible absorption spectroscopy (UV-Vis), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). TEM and DLS analyses have shown the synthesized AgNPs were predominantly spherical in shape with an average size of 40 nm. The cytotoxic activity of the synthesized AgNPs and Jaft extract containing AgNPs against human breast cancer cell (MCF-7) was investigated and the half maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50) were found to be 50 and 0.04 μg/mL at 24 h incubation, respectively. This eco-friendly and cost-effective synthesis method can be potentially used for large-scale production of silver nanoparticles

OLEUROPEIN REDUCES CISPLATIN-INDUCED NEPHROTOXICITY IN HUMAN EMBRYONIC RENAL EPITHELIAL “GP-293” CELLS

Background and Aim:The protective effect of oleuropein,a chief polyphenol compound in olive tree, on cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in human cultured renal tubular cells, GP-293, was investigated. Materials and Methods:Cell viability was determined by the MTT assay. Cleaved caspase-3 and Bax: Bcl2 ratioas biochemical parameters of cellular apoptosis, was assessed using western blot analysis. Results:Our data showed that cisplatin in the dose of 55µg/ml significantly can reduced cell viability, increased caspase-3 activation and Bax: Bcl2 ratio in GP-293 cells after 24hr. Incubation of the cisplatin treated cells, with 20μg/ml oleuropein decreased the cisplatin-induced cell toxicity, as well as prevented caspase-3 activation and reduced Bax: Bcl2 elevation ratio. Conclusions: Oleuropein protects against cisplatin-induced cellular toxicity. This could be associated with the prevention of cellular apoptosi

Effects of Stress Related Acute Exercise on Reconsolidation of Implicit Motor Memory in Women

Background and Aim: Stress is a powerful modulator of memory performance. Emotional arousal affects the various aspects of learning and memory through stimulation of the amygdala or the hippocampus. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of stress related acute exercise on reconsolidation of dart throwing task learned with errorless method. Materials and Methods: Participants of the study included 60 girls with an average age of 20.5 who were randomly assigned to three groups including: target (n = 20), control (n=20), and control 2 (n = 20). On the first day, all three groups under the same conditions acquired the skill of throwing darts in an errorless method and immediately after that performed the immediate retrieval. On the second day, after memory reactivation, the target group was exposed to stress resulting of acute exercise while the control 1 group did rest. The acute stress was presented to control 2 group without memory reactivation. During the experiment, changes in salivary cortisol were measured. On the third day, the delayed memory retrieval for each of the three groups was implemented. Findings: the results showed that while the control 1 and control 2 groups did not show enhancement of dart throwing learning across delayed memory retrieval than immediate retrieval, the target group showed substantial enhancement across the same time (p<0.05). Conclusion: Our findings indicate that acute stress after memory reactivation can facilitate the implicit motor memory reconsolidation in women

Primary Metastatic Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Male Urethra Presenting with Scrotal Abscess and Subsequent Development of Fournier's Gangrene

This male patient presented with a scrotal abscess and urinary obstruction. The patient's history included a perineal abscess and the development of urethrocutaneous fistulae (watering-can perineum). He underwent multiple debridement procedures without resolution. During the fifth debridement for Fournier's gangrene, a biopsy revealed invasive squamous cell carcinoma. The patient was bedridden because of the large mass, a wide en bloc resection with lymphadenectomy and reconstruction was performed revealing a large (22 cm) squamous cell carcinoma originating from the urethra. He also received palliative chemoradiotherapy and hip hemiarthroplasty. Unfortunately, he succumbed to the disease. Given the recognized relationship between inflammation and the development of cancer, it is important to entertain a differential diagnosis of cancer, especially with erosive infections. This case report highlights the all too common late presentation of urethral cancer. Interestingly, despite correction of the bedridden state with palliative surgery, the patient did not perceive an improvement in quality of life based on the FACT-G questionnaire

Emotional Experience in Iranian Adolescents During COVID-19 Pandemic: A Phenomenological Study

This study was conducted to analyze the lived emotional experience of adolescents during the prevalence of COVID-19 and quarantine. The research method was phenomenological qualitative. To achieve information saturation, 25 adolescents aged 15-17 years were purposefully selected and responded to the research tool which was a semi-structured interview individually and online. After analyzing the six main themes of boredom, loneliness, homesickness, helplessness, stress, anger, and fear of judgment were extracted from the available data. The results of the present study are consistent with empirical evidence showing that although restrictions on quarantine are unavoidable, facilitating conditions to meet mental needs and maintain mental health, such as creating interpersonal relationships and supporting adolescents in critical situations, should be considered by healthcare providers, trainers, and parents