Probiotics and gastrointestinal diseases: A promising complementary medicine resource for treatment of gastrointestinal disorders and diseases

Context: Probiotics are living microorganisms (bacteria or yeasts) whose swallowing in an appropriate number has beneficial effects on host health and improves the host microflora. Different types of digestive diseases are treated by probiotics, including inflammatory gastrointestinal diseases, functional gastrointestinal disorders, irritable bowel syndrome and ulcerative colitis. Aims: To analyze the role of the effect of probiotics on gastrointestinal disorders, especially intestinal illness. Methods: Articles related to “probiotics and digestive disorders and diseases” were searched in citation databases including PubMed, Institute for Scientific Information, Scopus, Google Scholar and Magiran. The search strategy was based on the terms “probiotics and gastrointestinal disorders”. Clinical trials and systematic reviews regarding the effects of probiotics on the prevention and treatment of gastrointestinal diseases were included. Irrelevant articles were deleted, and the rest of the articles were used to conduct review. Results: Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, Bifidobacterium lactys, Streptococcus thermophilus, Saccharomyces boulardii, Escherichia coli Nissle, Probiotic VSL#3, Bacillus coagulants, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Streptococcus thermophilus are one of the most important probiotics that affect gastrointestinal disorders. Conclusions: According to the findings found in this review from clinical trials regarding the effects of probiotics on the prevention and treatment of gastrointestinal diseases, there is evidence that the probiotics have beneficial effects on the gastrointestinal disorders

The Most Important Herbs Used in the Treatment of Sexually Transmitted Infections in Traditional Medicine

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) or venereal diseases are transmitted through various methods of sexual intercourse (oral, vaginal, and anal). The predisposition to contract these types of diseases and infections depends on the immunity system of the body, so the lower the immunity system’s strength, the greater the risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The most important pathogenic causes of STIs include bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Phytochemical investigations have shown that medicinal plants are a rich source of antioxidant compounds, biologically active compounds, phenols, etc. They can have an inhibitory effect on germs and infectious viruses and are very important for a variety of parasitic diseases, microbial infections, and STIs. Some of the most important medicinal plants that produce inhibitory effects on the growth and proliferation of pathogenic agents of the STIs were reported in the present article. A number of plants have been reported to be used in the treatment and prevention of genital tract diseases and STIs, and to produce antiviral and antimicrobial effects, including Taxillus, Aristolochia, Syzygium cumini, Albizia adianthifolia, Bidens pilosa, Carica papaya, Ranunculus, Peltophorum africanum, Vachellia karroo, Rhoicissus tridentate, Houttuynia cordata, Panax notoginseng, Nelumbo nucifera, Astragalus, Hypericum aethiopicum, Spondias mombin, Jatropha zeyheri, Ximenia caffra, Trichilia dregeana, Clematis brachiate, Tabernaemontana, Sarcophyton. Phytochemical investigations have examined the therapeutic and clinical effects of medicinal plants, and the use of their active ingredients to produce herbal drugs has been addressed. The results of phytochemical investigations have shown that the most important compounds of these plants include quercetin, isoquercitrin, Dammarane-type saponin, flavonoids, alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, terpenoids, steroids, astragalosides, flavonoids and polysaccharides, α-pinene, β-pinene, α-pinene, quercetin, myricetin and luteolin flavonoids, β-pinene, 1,3,8-p-menthatriene, ledene, m-menthane, linalyl acetate and 3-carene. β-sitosterol, lupeol, lupeol, sitosterol, spathulenol, β-sitostenone

Medicinal Plants Used for Neonatal Jaundice in Shahrekord: An Ethnobotanical Study

Jaundice begins in the infants from the very early days of birth; the symptoms usually appear with yellow skin and sometimes eyes, jaundice first involves only the face, but it also affects the chest, abdomen, legs, and the soles of the feet and the lower limbs. In this ethnobotanical study, attempt was made to identify medicinal plants used in the herbal medicine of Shahrekord region to treat neonatal jaundice. This cross-sectional study was performed by collecting data through an ethnobotanical knowledge questionnaire from 21 April 2016 to 19 February 2017, through face-to-face interview with 29 traditional therapists. The results of the questionnaire were distributed among traditional therapists and information was obtained. The results showed that in the ethnobotany of Shahrekord, Descurainia sophia (L.) Webb ex Prantl, Cichorium intybus L., Alyssum spp. Stead. Ex Boiss., Fumaria spp., Adianthum capillus-veneris L., Astragalus adscendens (Boiss. & Hausskn.) Podlech, Alcea spp., Vinifera Spp. and Rheum ribes L. are used as anti-neonatal jaundice medicinal plants. The results shows that leaf (41%) is the most commonly used plant organ for jaundice in the studied region. According to the results of our ethnobotanical study, the plants reported in this study are traditionally used to prevent neonatal jaundice, and it is necessary to prove these effects in clinical and pharmacological studies. Keywords Author Keywords:Pediatric Diseases; Jaundice; Ethnobotany; Shahrekord; Ira

Phytotherapy for seizure: An overview of the most important indigenous Iranian medicinal plants with anticonvulsant properties

The statistics show that more than fifty million people worldwide suffer from seizure and epilepsy, and most of them are resistant to antiepileptic drugs. The causes of seizure attacks are different, including various diseases of the nervous system, infections, tumors, brain trauma, congenital diseases, fever, toxicity and metabolic factors. Currently, drugs such as phenytoin, phenobarbital, carbamazepine, valproic acid and diazepam are used to treat epileptic seizures, which in turn lead to side effects. Studies have shown that the use of natural and herbal antiseptic agents has beneficial and protective effects. In this review article, the most important indigenous Iranian medicinal plants used to treat seizures are reported. Information to conduct this review article has been obtained using the search terms seizure, neurological lesion, phytotherapy, Iran, medicinal plants, extracts and essential oils to retrieve articles indexed in databases such as Scopus, Scientific Information Database, Magiran, Google Scholar and other Persian databases. The relevant articles were further reviewed for medicinal plants with anticonvulsant properties. Based on the results, medicinal plants such as Peganum harmala, Lavandula officinalis, Matricaria chamomilla, Tanacetum sonbolii, Launaea acanthodes, Ocimum basilicum, Salvia sahendica, Ruta graveolens, Elaeagnus angustifolia, Ziziphora tenuior, Heracleum persicum and Scrophularia striata are among the most important medicinal plants in Iran with anticonvulsant effect

An overview of the most important medicinal plants effective on the strength of memory and mind in Iranian ethnobotany

Context: Physiologically, memory is created by changes in the synaptic conductivity from one neuron to the next neuron, leading to the emergence of new or facilitating pathways to guide messages in the neuronal circuits of the brain. Throughout the life in today’s industrial conditions in which memory impairment is occurring at a faster pace, humans seek to figure out methods that prevent the development of related disorders and improve memory. The role of medicinal plants in learning and memory is one of the areas that have drawn substantial attention. Hence, this study introduces some of the most effective medicinal plants with memory improving properties according to Iranian ethnobotanical documents. Aim: To analyze some of the most effective medicinal plants with memory-enhancing properties according to the Iranian ethnobotanical documents. Methods: The data for this systematic review were collected from six popular databases including Institute for Scientific Information, PubMed, Google Scholar, Scientific Information Database, Magiran, and Scopus and included in the search terms the words “memory enhancement”, “ethnobotany”, “herbal drug”, “Iran”, “medicinal plants”, “extracts”, and “essential oils”. The present dataset finally included 43 published articles. Results: Based on the available evidence of the studies on Iranian ethnobotany, certain medicinal plants such as Achillea wilhelmsii, Avena sativa, Boswellia papyrifera, Erucaria hispanica, Helianthus annuus, Ixiolirion tataricum, Lagochilus acutilobus, Pistacia atlantica, Pistacia khinjuk, Sinapis abyssinica, Spinacia oleracea, and Vicia sativa are among the plants that improve the mind. Conclusions: According to the findings found in this review, there is evidence that the plants that grow in Iranian territory have beneficial effects on the memory enhancement

Phytotherapy: An anti-hepatotoxicity and hepatoprotective approach in chemotherapy

Chemotherapy induced-hepatotoxicity is one of the prevalent problems among cancer patients, with a wide spectrum of complications from liver dysfunction to liver necrosis. Therefore, in this study, we review the research findings on the effects of medicinal herbs and herbal compounds on the hepatotoxicity induced by anticancer drugs. The words hepatotoxicity and hepatoprotective along with the words cancer drug or chemotherapy in combination with some herbal terms such as medicinal plant, phyto* and herb* were used to search for relevant publications indexed in the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) and PubMed. Available evidence shows that certain medicinal plants and herbal derivatives can reduce cancer drug-induced hepatotoxicity and protect liver cells against complications by regulating hepatic enzymes and increasing antioxidant enzyme activities. Some herbal formulations, including traditional Chinese medicine, have also been reported to exhibit such effects. Medicinal plants can exert anti-hepatotoxicity effects mainly by increasing antioxidant activity, inhibiting inflammatory processes, and reducing cell necrosis induced by anti-cancer drugs. Phytotherapy can be used as an effective complementary treatment for anticancer drug-induced hepatotoxicity and prevent various complications in the liver

Quercetin through mitigation of inflammatory response and oxidative stress exerts protective effects in rat model of diclofenac-induced liver toxicity

Context: Diclofenac (DIC) is known for its anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties but liver toxicity is one of the main targets to use this drug. Previous studies have demonstrated that quercetin may decrease the toxicity of synthetic drugs. Aim: To assess the protective effect of quercetin against DIC-induced liver toxicity in rats. Methods: The rats exposed to DIC (50 mg/kg; i.p.) were treated with different doses of quercetin (20, 40 and 80 mg/kg). The levels of glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD), intracellular glutathione (GSH) and catalase (CAT) in the liver tissue were assessed. Results: Results indicated a significant decline in above-mentioned factors in DIC-alone treated group compared to the control group. Also, levels of the triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C), total bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), nitrite content, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), malondialdehyde (MDA), serum tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), serum interleukin-1β (IL-1β), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and inflammatory cytokines were evaluated and results indicted remarkable elevation in these factors in DIC-alone treated group compared to the control group. Treatment with quercetin caused a significant elevation in GPx, SOD, GSH, CAT and a significant reduction in levels of TG, TC, LDL-C, VLDL-C, total bilirubin, ALP, nitrite content, ALT, MDA, serum TNF-α, serum IL-1β, AST and inflammatory cytokines in DIC-alone treated group compared to the control group (p<0.05). Histopathological alterations were also improved following quercetin administration. Conclusions: Quercetin may exert a protective effect against DIC-induced liver toxicity in rats through mitigation of oxidative stress and inflammatory response

Molecular dynamics mechanisms of the inhibitory effects of abemaciclib, hymenialdisine, and indirubin on CDK-6

Background: Cyclin-Dependent Kinases-6 (CDK-6) is a serine/threonine protein kinase with regular activity in the cell cycle. Some inhibitors, such as abemaciclib, hymenialdisine, and in-dirubin, cause cell arrest by decreasing its activity. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the Molecular Dynamic (MD) effects of abe-maciclib, hymenialdisine, and indirubin on the structure of CDK-6. Methods: The PDB file of CDK-6 was obtained from the Protein Data Bank (http://www.rcsb.org). After the simulation of CDK-6 in the Gromacs software, 200 stages of molecular docking were run on CDK-6 in the presence of the inhibitors using AutoDock 4.2. The simulation of CDK-6 in the presence of inhibitors was performed after docking. Results: Abemaciclib showed the greatest tendency to bind CDK-6 via binding 16 residues in the binding site with hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic bonding. CDK-6 docked to hymenialdisine and indirubin increased the Total Energy (TE) and decreased the radius of gyration (Rg). CDK-6 docked to hymenialdisine significantly decreased the coil secondary structure. Conclusion: CDK-6 is inhibited via high binding affinity to abemaciclib, hymenialdisine, and indi-rubin inhibitors and induces variation in the secondary structure and Rg in the CDK-6 docked to the three inhibitors. It seems that developing a drug with a binding tendency to CDK6 that is similar to those of abemaciclib, indirubin, and hymenialdisine can change the secondary structure of CDK6, possibly more potently, and can be used to develop anticancer drugs. However, additional studies are needed to confirm this argument

A Review on the Most Important Medicinal Plants Effective in Cardiac Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury

Ischemia, referring to reduction and restriction of perfusion to myocardial tissue which involves coronary artery through the formation of misplaced clots and thrombosis, is one of the most important cardiovascular diseases. Plant-based compounds help to improve or prevent disease by affecting the factors involved in the disease. This review was conducted to report the medicinal plants and factors effective in cardiac ischemia-reperfusion (UR) injury to supplement the knowledge about this disease and its prevention and treatment using certain medicinal plants and their active compounds. For this purpose, medicinal plants and their potential antioxidant activities, effects on lipid levels and plaque formation, atherosclerosis and development of cardiovascular diseases and ischemia were reviewed. Methods: To conduct this review, relevant articles published between 1983 and 2018 were retrieved from the Google Scholar, PubMed, Scientific Information Database, Web of Science, and Scopus using search terms antioxidant, ischemia, reperfusion, heart, infarct, inflammation, cholesterol and medicinal plants. Then, the eligible articles were reviewed. Results: The active compounds of plants, including phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and antioxidant compounds, can be effective on certain pathogenic factors particularly in decreasing cholesterol and blood pressure, preventing an increase in free radicals and ultimately reducing blood clots and vascular resistance to reduce and prevent ischemic disease and its harmful effects. Conclusion: Medicinal plants discussed in this article seem to be able to prevent cardiac damage and the disease progression via affecting the factors that are involved in ischemia

Neuroscience and herbal plants: A review on the most important herbal plants effective on chronic pain

Chronic pain can be periodic, persistent, or even a combination of both. Unlike acute pain, chronic pain is not usually useful, reduces the quality of life and functional abilities and also weakens mental health, interpersonal relationships, and financial status, leading to changes in appetite, sleep disorders, psychomotor retardation, tiredness and depression. Human being has always faced various kinds of pain during life and sought to relieve his pain. Pain is a sign of a disease that acts as a warning mechanism and informs of a tissue injury. In this regard, the analgesic effects of many medicinal plants have also been studied. Therefore, in this review study, indigenous medicinal plants with anti-chronic pain effects were reported. Information to conduct this review was obtained using the keywords chronic pain, herbal drug, Iran, medicinal plants, extracts and essential oils to retrieve articles indexed in databases such as Scopus, SID, Magiran, Google Scholar and other Persian databases. The related articles were reviewed for plants serving as chronic pain killers. After reviewing the literature, it was found that Solanum melongena, Hyoscyamus niger, Phoenix dactylifera, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Artemisia sieberi, Crocus sativus, Carum copticum, Euphorbia helioscopia, Hypericum perforatum, Cucurbita maxima, Passiflora caerulea, Rosa damascena, Tanacetum parthenium, Allium jesdianum and Pistacia atlantica among indigenous medicinal plants with analgesic effect