Eterično ulje u perzijskoj kadulji, Salvia rhytidea Benth.

Chemical composition of volatile compounds from Salvia rhytidea Benth. was analyzed, for the first time, by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The volatiles were isolated from dried aerial parts of the plant by hydro-distillation. A total yield of 2.0 mg of essential oil per g of plant dry mass was obtained and sixty compounds were identified, representing 98.2% of total volatiles. The essential oil was characterized by a high content of hydrocarbon and oxygenated monoterpenes. The main constituents were p-cymene-8-ol (11.9%), spathulenol (7.3%), pulegone (6.4%), sabinene (5.8%), terpinen-4-ol (5.5%) and alpha-copaene (5.3%).Po prvi put je ispitivan kemijski sastav hlapljivih komponenata iz biljke Salvia rhytidea Benth. plinskom kromatografijom/masenom spektrometrijom. Hlapljivi sastojci su izolirani iz osušenih vršnih dijelova biljke destilacijom vodenom parom. Dobiveno je 2,0 mg eteričnog ulja po gramu suhe biljke, a identificirano je 60 spojeva (98,2% od ukupnih hlapljivih komponenata). Eterično ulje sadrži visoki udio ugljikovodičnih i oksigeniranih monoterpena. Glavni sastojci su p-cimen-8-ol (11,9%), spatulenol (7,3%), pulegon (6,4%), sabinen (5,8%), terpinen-4-ol (5,5%) i alpha-kopaen (5,3%)

Chemical composition of the essential oil from Kelussia odoratissima Mozaff. and the evaluation of its sedative and anxiolytic effects in mice

OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to evaluate the sedative and anxiolytic effects of the essential oils and hydroalcoholic extract of Kelussia odoratissima Mozaff. (K. odoratissima) in mice by utilizing an elevated plus maze. The chemical composition of its essential oil was also determined. METHODS: The hydroalcoholic extract or essential oil fraction from this plant were administered intraperitoneally to male mice at various doses 30 min before testing. The anxiolytic and sedative effects were determined by an elevated plus maze and locomotor activity tests, respectively. RESULTS: According to the results, none of the administered doses of hydroalcoholic extract or essential oil fraction of K. odoratissima changed the percentage of the time spent or number of entries into the open arms of the elevated plus maze. In contrast, the cumulative spontaneous locomotor activity of mice treated with the essential oil or hydroalcoholic extract was significantly decreased. Chemical analysis of the essential oil by Gas chromatography-mass spectromentry (GC-MS) showed that 3-butylidene-4,5-dihydrophthalide (85.9%) was the major component. CONCLUSION: These data confirm the sedative properties of K. odoratissima, yet there were no profound anxiolytic effects observed

Alleviation of Morphine Withdrawal Signs but Not Tolerance by the Essential Oil of Kelussia odoratissima

The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of chronic and acute treatment of the essential oil (EO) of Kelussia odoratissima Mozaff. on the development of morphine tolerance and dependence in mice. Mice were rendered tolerant to and dependent on morphine by subcutaneous injection of morphine over a period of 5 days. Tolerance was assessed using the tail-pinch test and withdrawal signs of morphine were precipitated by injecting naloxone 2 h after the final morphine injection. Repeated injection of the EO of K. odoratissima (5 and 10 mg/kg) for 4 days significantly suppressed morphine-withdrawal jumps, a sign of the development of dependence to opiate as assessed by naloxone precipitation withdrawal on day 5 of testing. A single injection (25, 50, 100 mg/kg) of the EO on day 5, 1 h prior to morphine failed to produce any significant change in morphine withdrawal signs. Neither the acute nor the chronic administration of EO of the K. odoratissima did significantly influence the development of tolerance to the analgesic effect of morphine. Alleviation in morphine signs of withdrawal after chronic injection with K. odoratissima is indicative of reversal of neuronal adaptation that takes place during morphine presence in the brain

Investigating the effect of psychological empowerment on the internal service quality in female employees of the Ministry of Sports and Youth

Internal service quality and its influencing factors in sport context is a new topic in the management and leadership literature that limited research has been done on it. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of psychological empowerment on the internal services quality in female employees of the Ministry of Sports and Youth, Iran.Methodology: This study is a descriptive-survey research. The population of this study was all female employees of the Ministry of Sports and Youth, Iran of which 232 people were selected as the statistical sample. The tools included Modified Spreitzer (1995) Psychological Empowerment Questionnaire with five dimensions (competence, autonomy, impact, meaningfulness and trust) and Di Xie Internal Service Quality Questionnaire (2005) with three dimensions (individual, unit/department and organizational level). Data were analyzed by structural equation modeling using Smart PLS software.Results: Structural equation modeling confirmed the goodness of fit of the proposed model. The results showed a positive effect of trust (0.14) and competency (0.57) on the internal service quality at the individual level. The meaningfulness (0.16) and impact (0.41) had a positive effect on the unit-level internal service quality and also the effect of autonomy (0.24), trust (0.22), competence (-0.13), meaningfulness (0.17) and impact (0.20) on the internal service quality at the organizational level were confirmed.Conclusion: According to the results, one of the methods to encourage female employees to engage in extra-role behaviors and provide high internal services quality is psychological empowerment

Isolation and Identification of Two Phenolic Compounds from a Moderately Cytotoxic Fraction of Cousinia verbascifolia Bunge

Background: Little information is available about chemical components of the Cousinia genus. A primary cytotoxicity screening on Cousinia verbascifolia showed moderate cytotoxic activity against OVCAR-3 ovarian and HT-29 colon cancer cells. Therefore, the aim of this study is a phytochemical investigation to identify the compounds responsible for this bioactivity. Materials and Methods: Extraction was done through percolation and fractionations by reverse phase column chromatography and normal column chromatography. Using standard 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay Fr.b8 with moderate cytotoxicity was selected for identification of major components. Fr.b8 was subjected to polyamide column chromatography. More purification was done using a new modified recycle high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with flow splitter. Results: Two known compounds: Apigenin (flavone) and caffeic acid (phenolic acid) were obtained from phenolic bioactive fraction for the first time from this plant. Conclusions: Apigenin and caffeic acid with known antitumor and matrix metalloproteinase inhibitory effects seem to be the bioactive components responsible for moderate cytotoxicity of phenolic fraction. Recycle HPLC following with flow splitting is a new method useful for isolation of closely eluted compounds in HPLC chromatogram

Effect of Coriandrum sativum hydroalcoholic extract and its essential oil on acetic acid- induced acute colitis in rats

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the protective effects of Coriandrum sativum on acetic acid-inducedcolitis in rats. C. sativum (Coriander) has long been used in Iranian traditional medicine and its use as an anti-inflammatory agent is still common in some herbal formulations.  Materials and Methods: Colitis was induced by intra-rectal administration of 2ml acetic acid 4% in fasted male Wistar rats. Treatment was carried out using three increasing doses of extract (250, 500, 1000 mg/kg) and essential oil (0.25, 0.5, 1 ml/kg) of coriander started 2 h before colitis induction and continued for a five-day period. Colon biopsies were taken for weighting, macroscopic scoring of injured tissue, histopathological examination and measuring myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity.  Results: Colon weight was decreased in the groups treated with extract (500 and 1000 mg/kg) and essential oil (0.5 ml/kg) compared to the control group. Regarding MPO levels, ulcer severity and area as well as the total colitis index, same results indicating meaningful alleviation of colitis was achieved after treatment with oral extract and essential oil.  Conclusion: Since the present experiment was made by oral fractions of coriander thus the resulting effects could be due to both the absorption of the active ingredients and/or the effect of non-absorbable materials on colitis after reaching the colon. In this regard, we propose more toxicological and clinical experiments to warranty its beneficial application in human inflammatory bowel diseases

Antispasmodic effect of hydroalcoholic and flavonoids extracts of Dracocephalum kotschyi on rabbit bladder

Introduction: Dracocephalum kotschyi extract has antispasmodic activities on smooth muscle including ileum, uterus and trachea. The objective of this research was to investigate antispasmodic activity of hydroalcoholic and flavonoids extracts of D. kotschyi on rabbit bladder contractions. Methods: Rabbits were euthanized by carbon dioxide asphyxiation and the whole bladder was dissected out and immersed in the Tyrode’s solution. Longitudinal bladder strips were mounted vertically in an organ bath at 37°C and gassed continuously with O2 . Bladder strips were contracted with acetylcholine (ACh), KCl, or electrical field stimulation (EFS). Isotonic tension of the tissue was recorded before and after addition of hydroalcoholic or flavonoids rich extracts of D. kotschyi. Nifedipine and propantheline were used as standard drugs. Results: Standard drug propantheline, prevented bladder phasic contraction induced by ACh (1µM) without affecting KCl response. On the other hand, cumulative addition of nifedipine attenuated the tonic contractions induced by KCl (20mM) on bladder smooth muscle. Hydroalcoholic and flavonoids extracts of D. kotschyi at concentration ranges of 10-320 µg/ mL in a concentration dependent way inhibited bladder tonic contraction induced by KCl (n=6). Both extracts also in a concentration-dependent manner relaxed EFS and ACh-induced contractions (range, 20–1280 µg/mL) of bladder smooth muscle in vitro. Complete inhibition was achieved with the highest used concentrations of the extracts. The inhibitory effect of the extract was reversible following washing the tissues with fresh Tyrode’s solution. Conclusion: This study clearly demonstrated that D. kotschyi extracts were able to prevent contractions induced by ACh, KCl or EFS in isolated rabbit bladder. This means that people consuming this medicinal plant may face urinary retention which could be a problem for patients with prostate hypertrophy. On the other hand, this plant might be useful in patients with urinary incontinence. However, its usefulness must be assessed in the controlled clinical trials