Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used in the management of diabetes mellitus in the Urmia, Northwest Iran

Objective: To collect and document information on anti-diabetic plants traditionally used in the treating of diabetes in Urmia at Northwest Iran because ethnomedicines are considered as valuable sources to find new potential drugs. Methods: We used the method of direct observation and interview (35 traditional healers) along with gathering herbarium specimens mentioned plants in site. Results: There were 30 medicinal plants from 17 families for the treatment of diabetes. The family with most plants was Lamiaceae (20). Leaves (20) are often used and its form is decoction (70). It was also found that Citrullus colocynthis has the most frequency of use among traditional healers. Conclusions: Furthermore, base on current findings many of the mentioned plants have potential active ingredients to influence diabetes. © 2014 Hainan Medical College

Evaluating the anti-leech effects of methanolic extracts of Allium sativum L. and Allium cepa L. compared with levamisole

زمینه و هدف: زالو از عوامل بیماری های زئونوز انگلی نوظهور و نوپدید می باشد و مهم ترین عارضه آلودگی با آن بروز کم خونی است. تاکنون در فارماکوپه ملل مختلف دنیا، دارویی برای درمان عوارض زالو ثبت نشده است. پیاز و سیر گیاهانی هستند که عصاره آنها در طب سنتی به وفور مورد استفاده قرار می‌گیرد و معتقدند که اثرات سودمندی به عنوان یک گیاه ضد انگل دارد. این مطالعه با هدف مشخص نمودن اثرات ضد زالویی عصاره های متانولی سیر و پیاز انجام گردید. روش بررسی: در این مطالعه تجربی اثرات ضد لیمناتیس نیلوتیکای عصاره متانولی گیاهان سیر و پیاز با آزمایش ضدزالویی بررسی شد. آزمایش ضد زالویی در ظرف حاوی 600 میلی لیتر آب چشمه و یک عدد زالو انجام شد. زمان فلجی و مرگ زالوها به مدت 720 دقیقه مورد بررسی قرار گرفت. هر آزمایش 9 مرتبه تکرار شد. جهت آنالیز داده ها ار آزمون آماری آنالیز واریانس یک طرفه استفاده شد. یافته ها: نتایج نشان می داد که عصاره متانولی سیر با دوز 300 میلی گرم با میانگین 61/8±44/80 دقیقه و لوامیزول با میانگین 72/2±77/8 دقیقه باعث مرگ زالو شد (05/0

Identification of Plant Flora Affecting Anti-Anxiety and Anti-Depression Disorders Based on Ethnobotanical Knowledge of the Arasbaran Region, Azerbaijan, Iran

Background: Ethnobotany, as a part of every district’s national capital, involves residents' experience and knowledge about plants and their features being the result of a long time of trial and error in nature. The purpose of this study was to obtain and document the culture of the traditional application of Arasbaran medicinal plants from Azerbaijan province in Iran.Methods: In this research, the information and knowledge of the people about the effective medicinal plants on common psychiatric syndromes including anxiety and depression were collected through questionnaires and interviews. Questions contain local names, organ usage, and traditional therapeutic characteristics of plants. Interviews then went on until the repeated answers confirmed the reliability and validity.Results: Labiatae plant family with 4 plants was the most effective herb family for the treatment of common psychiatric diseases. Also, the most plant organs utilized for treating nervous disorders included aerial parts (36%), fruits (22%), flowering branches (each with 21%) and flowers (14%), and seeds (7%). So, identification and documentation of their indigenous knowledge can pave the way for a better application of medicinal plants and their products.Conclusion: In this study, 12 medicinal plant species belonging to 9 families were studied. The largest proportion of plant species was related to the Labiatae family. The most commonly used organs were aerial parts, fruits, and flowering branches, respectively. Native medicinal plants of the Arasbaran region are traditionally used to treat common psychiatric syndromes and can be highly effective in the treatment of disorders such as depression and anxiety.          Keywords: Herbal plants; Ethno-botany; Remedy; Psychiatry    

Listeriosis Phytotherapy: A Review Study on the Effectiveness of Iranian Medicinal Plants in Treatment of Listeriosis.

Listeria monocytogenes can be found in many processed foods, raw milk, dairy products, meat and meat products such as sausages, beef and fish products, seafoods, eggs, fruits, and vegetables such as radish and cabbage. This article is a review study on the Iranian medicinal plants applied for treatment of listeriosis. Information of this review article was obtained by searching various key words such as Listeria monocytogenes, medicinal plants, plant extracts and essential oils among scientific articles published in databases of Google scholar, ISI Web of Knowledge, PubMed, Scopus, SID and Magiran. Thyme, German chamomile, great chamomile, yarrow, onion, oregano, nutmeg, sage, sagebrush, hyssop, rosemary, St John's wort, safflower, ajowan, cumin, peppermint, shallot, anise, and parsnip are known antilisteriosis medicinal plants. Bioactive phytochemicals, antioxidants and monoterpenes, sesquiterpene, coumarin, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, alkaloids, and terpenoids are the main ingredients of antilisteriosis medicinal plants

The most common herbal medicines affecting Sarcomastigophora branches: A review study

Parasitic diseases cause annual mortality of more than 200 thousand people. Currently many drugs are used to treat parasitic diseases; however, they are mostly expensive, toxic, with side effects and drug resistance. Medicinal plants have been shown to represent natural source of cheap drugs with low toxicity. In this review article, the most common and most effective herbal medicines on pathogenic protozoan Sarcomastigophora branches such as Trypanosoma, Leishmania, Amoeba, Trichomonas and Giardia were reviewed. The recently published papers about different drugs as well as herbal medicines as alternative for synthetic drugs were searched using scientific sites such as Medline, PubMed and Google Scholar. The used terms included: Medicinal plants, herbal medicine, protozoa, Trypanosoma, Sarcomastigophora branches, Leishmania, Amoeba, Trichomonas or Giardia. © 2014 Hainan Medical College

Obesity Phytotherapy: Review of Native Herbs Used in Traditional Medicine for Obesity.

Obesity is an important disorders due to which 25 million deaths occur annually worldwide. Synthetic drugs for weight loss have low efficacy and high side effects. Apart from synthetic drugs in modern medicine, various other methods including the use of herbal medications are used to induce weight loss. Cambodia hoodia, green tea, Citrus aurantium, white beans, fenugreek, caffeine, ephedrine, capsaicin, yohimbine, chitosan, fitostreols, and guar gum have been studied in clinical trials and their effects have been confirmed. It seems necessary to study more to determine the effectiveness and safety of medicinal plants and herbal extracts as well as pharmaceutically active ingredients that may have the property of weight loss. In this article, we aimed to review recent knowledge about medicinal plants that are recommended for weight loss

Traditional effects of medicinal plants in the treatment of respiratory diseases and disorders: an ethnobotanical study in the Urmia

Objective: To identify, present and review the respiratoty medicinal plants which used by Urmian herbalists. Methods: The list of traditional healers of West Azarbaijan Province was prepared and data were obtained by direct observation, interviews and the questionnaires After that, herbarium samples were collected from the desired area and deposited in herbarium unit of the Faculty of Agriculture, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran. Results: Our results demonstrated that 20 medicinal plants from 10 plant families are used to treat respiratory disorders. Also, the most plant part that used for treating of respiratory disorders was seed (27%) and the most traditional form prescribed by herbalists was boiled (54%). Forty three percentage of Urmia herbalists have used herbs for the treatment of cough. Conclusions: People in this area have a strong belief that plants have a positive impact in the treatment of respiratory disorders and they have used medicinal plants since ancient times to treat these disorders. Our study revealed the importance of herbal medicines and traditional medicine in this area as medicinal resource for drug discovery in future

A study on anti-diabetic and anti-hypertension herbs used in Lorestan province, Iran

Introduction: Diabetes and hypertension are amongst the most prevalent diseases in the world, while they can be controlled and prevented, create many problems and complications for affected patients. This study was aimed to identify and report the most important and effective herbs for diabetes and high blood pressure treatment in Lorestan province (West of Iran). Methods: By gathering and integrating indigenous data from local inhabitants of Lorestan, Iran, the goal of this study was accomplished. Data were gathered by cooperation of the agents of public health services network all over the towns of Dorud, Boroujerd, Khorramabad, Aleshtar, Poledokhtar, Aligoodarz, Nurabad and Kouhdasht. Results: Results of this study showed that there were overall 17 medicinal plants which were used for treatment and controlling of diabetes and high blood pressure. Conclusion: Medicinal plants reported in this study are indigenous to the Lorestan province. Some of the foresaid herbs seem to have some unknown therapeutic effects which are reported in this study for the first time, and some others have various known therapeutic effects mentioned in other similar studies. It is essential for researchers to find out the actuality of clinical effectiveness of the herbs and their active substances. Once the positive effects of these herbs proved, it would be possible to produce drugs which are useful in curing and controlling diabetes and hypertension.</p

The effects of nutritional and medicinal mastic herb (Pistacia atlantica)

A wide variety of medicinal plants are used as pharmaceutical agents in the treatment of diseases, in Iran. One type of these plants is the mastic. The Genus of mastic is Pistacia and its family is Anacardiaceae. This genus has eleven species, some of them in Asia and the Mediterranean area, have many medical, social and economic importance. The main aim this study we review to present the new achievements in medical, social and economic uses of mastic. The results showed that N. sativa has many therapeutic effects such as antioxidant Activity, analgesic, antiInflammatory, antimicrobial, anticancer, antidiabetic, anticholinesterase, so it can be used as a valuable plant for producing of drugs in treatment of so many disorders and diseases