Study on the effects of origanum majorana essential oil on E.coli and the Chemical constituents of Essential oil

Origanum majorana (Lamiaceae) is well-known for high Phenolic contents. These compounds prone to have antibacterial activity. UTI with high prevalence and increasing resistance to conventional antibiotics is a matter of concern for health services. E.coli is the most detected pathogen in UTI cases(1). So the aim of present study was to investigate the effects on O.majorana essential oil on and E.coli and it’s chemical constituents.  Materials and Methods: Aerial Parts of O.majorana were collected from population growing in Golestan province. A voucher specimen was deposited to the plant species in herbarium of Department of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences. The air dried plant material was subjected to hydrodistillation to prepare essential oil. The essential oil kept in refrigerator until use. The essential oil was injected to GC/MS for identification of constituents. The zone of inhibition against E.coli were determined using Agar well diffusion method. Results: Forty-four Compounds were identified in the essential oil. The major compounds were Thymol (18.58%), P-cymen (14.34%), 4-terpineol (13.25%), γ-terpineol (10.88%), α-terpineol (5.63%), linaleol (4.98%) and E.caryophyllene (3.53%), respectively. The zone of O.majorana essential oil against E.coli was. Discussion: The findings of present study shows profound antibacterial effects of O.majorana essential oil on E.coli. the main component of the plant is thymol as detected by GC/MS. Thymol has a phenolic structure. The profound effect of plant on E.coli may be related to Thymol(1). Conclusion: O.majorana essential oil may be a candidate for treatment of UTI

Iron Chelating Activity of Nepeta Crispa Willd., an Endemic Plant in the West of Iran

Background: Nepeta crispa Willd., a member of Lamiaceae family, is an annual plant native to western Iran, especially Hamedan, with many traditional uses. The plant effects have not been investigated yet. Iron chelating activity is a suitable test for measuring antioxidant activity. Objectives: The present study aimed to evaluate Iron-chelating activity of extract, fractions, and essential oil of the N. crispa, in vitro. Methods: The methanolic extract of N. crispa was prepared adopting maceration method. Then, the total methanolic extract was fractionated using hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and water. The essential oil was isolated by hydrodistillation using a Clevenger-type apparatus. Chelating activity of total extract, each fraction and essential oil of N. crispa on Fe2+ ions was determined using Iron-chelating assay. EDTA was employed as positive control. Results: EDTA as positive control had the best activity with IC50 = 0.02 ± 0.001 mg/mL, and ascorbic acid came second in this regard (IC50 = 0.386 ± 0.021 mg/mL). The hexane fraction was the most active fraction among the different fractions of N. crispa (IC50 = 0.435 ± 0.032 mg/mL). Chelating activity of hexane fraction was followed by aqueous, ethyl acetate, chloroform fractions, and methanolic extract with ICs50 of 1.433 ± 0.098, 2.158 ± 0.074 mg/mL, 3.624 ± 0.112, and 3.051 ± 0.174, respectively. The essential oil showed extremely poor activity in the tested concentrations. Conclusion: It was concluded that the n-hexane fraction had promising Iron chelating activity, and was likely capable of reducing Fe2+ ions concentration and preventing oxidative damage

Investigation of the chemical constituents of Thymus vulgaris essential oil and it’s effect on Streptococcus mutans

Thymus Vulgaris  (Lamiaceae) with common name “Thyme” is a well- known plant with different medicinal uses. Dental Caries and Periodontal disease are one of the common bacterial infections in human beings. Streptococcus mutans is the most etiologic agent. Finding natural sources with capability to inhibit the growth of S.mutans is the focus center of most researches. Investigations on the effects of T.vulgaris essential oil on S.mutans and identification of the constituents of the oil were the aims of present study.  Materials and Methods: The plant was collected from the populations growing in Hamadan province and was authenticated in Department of Pharmacognosy, School of pharmacy, Hamadan university of Medical sciences. The aerial parts of the plant were dried in shade and powdered. The essential oil was obtained by Clevenger type apparatus. Oil was subjected for GC/MS. Zone Of Inhibition of the essential oil against S.mutans were determined by Agar well diffusion test.  Results: Forty- one compounds were identified and 4- Terpineol(16.55%) was the main component. ZOI, for thyme essence were 80mm. Thyme essential oil presents considerable anti streptococcus activity.  Discussion: Considering the constituents of essence, 4- Terpineol is an Oxygenated monoterpene with reported antibacterial effects in previous studies. The results of present study may be attributed to presence of 4- Terpineol and it’s synergistic effects with another constituents present in the oil.  Conclusion: T.vulgare essential oil with profound antibacterial activity may be used in oral hygiene products

The Effects of Foeniculum vulgare Seed Extract on Fertility Results of Assisted Reproductive Technology in Women With Poor Ovarian Response

Objectives: Foeniculum vulgare due to phytoestrogens is important in the treatment of female sexual dysfunction including infertility. Accordingly, this study was conducted to investigate the effect of the F. vulgare seed extract on the fertility results of assisted reproductive technology (ART) in women with a poor ovarian response (POR). Materials and Methods: In this before-after intervention, 19 infertile women with POR were enrolled by a convenience sampling method. The amounts of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), ovarian ultrasound volume, the number of preantral follicles, and the size of the prominent ovary were measured before treatment with F. vulgare. Then, patients were treated with F. vulgare for two months, followed by initiating the in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle. The number of embryos transferred in previous and current cycles was investigated after IVF. Finally, the data were analyzed in SPSS 16. Results: There was a significant difference in the serum LH level (P = 0.002), LH/FSH (P = 0.049), the number of follicles and ovules (P = 0.003), endometrial thickness (P = 0.04), and ovarian volume (P = 0.03) between before and after treatment with F. vulgare. Moreover, a significant difference regarding the decreased number of required days for induction was observed between before and after treatment with F. vulgare (P = 0.022). Conclusions: In general, the use of F. vulgare had positive effects on improving the quality of oocytes and female fertility indices in women with POR. Keywords:Foeniculum vulgare; Fertility; Ovarian failure; Phytotherapy; Assisted reproductive technique

Antioxidativeand hepatoprotective effects of Artemisia absinthium L. hydroalcholic extractin rat

Introduction: Artemisia absinthium L. (AA) is a large, diverse genus of the family Asteraceae. AAhas long been used as customary herbal medicine in world for the treatment of gastric pain, cardiacstimulation, improvement of memory and for the restoration of declined mental function. The aimof present study was to evaluate the hepatoprotective effects of AA on some factors ref lecting thedevelopment of oxidative toxic stress in plasma.Methods: Twenty male rats were equally divided in to 4 groups (5 rats each). Group I actedas control (received normal salin). Treatment groups were II, III and IV which were givenArtemisia 10, 50 and 100 mg/kg/day respectively only by gavage for 24 hours. After treatment,blood specimens were collected. Liver enzymes such as aspartate aminotransferase (AST) andalanine aminotransferase (ALT) with total antioxidant power (TAP) and total thiol groups (TTG)concentrations were measured.Results: Levels of ALT, AST and TTG were decreased in the group II compared to the control(group I). ALT and AST in 50 mg/kg group was observed compared with control group. Also, TTGincreased in Artemisia 50 mg/kg group compared to control group.Conclusion: Results suggests that alcoholic extract of Artemisia can ameliorate liver toxicity inrats through reducing the serum levels of ALT, AST, and oxidative damage

Effect of green tea on inflammation and oxidative stress in cisplatin-induced experimental liver function

Introduction: Cisplatin is one of the most potent chemotherapeutic antitumor drugs. Also, oxidative stress has been established to be involved in cisplatin-induced toxicity. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to examine the antioxidant and anti-inflammation potential of green tea hydroalcoholic extract (GTE) against the liver function of cisplatin in male rats.Methods: Adult male Wistar rats (180–250 g) were divided into 4 groups (n = 5) treated as follows: (1) control group (saline solution, 1 ml kg−1 body weight, i.p.), cisplatin group (7 mg kg−1 body weight, i.p.). Animals of Groups III received only green tea extract (30 mg/kg/day, by gavage). Group IV was given green tea extract+ cisplatin once daily for 24 hours. Liver function was evidenced in the cisplatin group by the increased serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). The mechanism of cisplatin induced liver function was considered as being decreased the total antioxidant power (TAP). Systemic inflammation was assessed by tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) levels.Results: A decrease in TAP level in cisplatin group was observed compared with control group. GTE administration decreased TNF-α and increased TAP compared to cisplatin group, but showed no significant differences between groups.Conclusion: The results suggested that green tea could ameliorate cisplatin liver function in rats through reduction of oxidative toxic stress and inflammation

A comprehensive review on phytochemical, pharmacological and therapeutic properties of Agrimonia eupatoria L.

Agrimonia eupatoria is a perennial herb belonging to the Rosaceae family that all its parts are used to treat various diseases. In this article, we aimed to present a comprehensive review on the phytochemical, pharmacological, and therapeutic effects of this plant. We searched various databases and summarized the data documented in literature from 1976 to 2020. Agrimonia eupatoria has effects on various kinds of cancer, oxidative stress, diabetes mellitus, hepatitis B, and liver damage. It also has anti-adhesive, antibacterial, antimicrobial, and wound healing properties. It induces nitric oxide and inhibits pro-inflammatory cytokines production. Phytochemical studies related to this plant has led to isolation and identification of tannins, coumarins, and flavonoids as the most active chemicals with biological effects. Based on this comprehensive review about Agrimonia eupatoria, there will be more opportunities for investigators to search and discover ways to use bioactive agents of this herb to develop new Agrimony based medicines

A comprehensive review on phytochemical, pharmacological and therapeutic properties of Agrimonia eupatoria L.

Agrimonia eupatoria is a perennial herb belonging to the Rosaceae family that all its parts are used to treat various diseases. In this article, we aimed to present a comprehensive review on the phytochemical, pharmacological, and therapeutic effects of this plant. We searched various databases and summarized the data documented in literature from 1976 to 2020. Agrimonia eupatoria has effects on various kinds of cancer, oxidative stress, diabetes mellitus, hepatitis B, and liver damage. It also has anti-adhesive, antibacterial, antimicrobial, and wound healing properties. It induces nitric oxide and inhibits pro-inflammatory cytokines production. Phytochemical studies related to this plant has led to isolation and identification of tannins, coumarins, and flavonoids as the most active chemicals with biological effects. Based on this comprehensive review about Agrimonia eupatoria, there will be more opportunities for investigators to search and discover ways to use bioactive agents of this herb to develop new Agrimony based medicines

Effect of Carob Supplement on Spermogram Parameters and Sexual Function of Infertile Men Referred to the Infertility Center, Hamadan, Iran, 2019: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective: The purpose of this study is comparison of carob with placebo in the treatment of male infertility. Materials and methods: This study was performed as a clinical trial with two-group pretest-posttest design. Each group consisted of 30 members. The first group received 1.5 grams of carob per day, and the second group received placebo treatments. Treatment lasted for 12 weeks. Semen analysis as well as testosterone, prolactin, (LH), (FSH) and (TSH) were performed before and after drug treatment in two groups. Sexual function was assessed in the groups in two stages before and after the intervention using the standard International Index of Erectile Function. P-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Statistical analysis of data was performed using SPSS 16. Results: The participants’ mean age was 34.83 ±6.22 in the placebo and 33.67 ±5.82 years in the Carob group. The results showed in the carob group compared to the placebo group, the rate of normal sperm counts increased by 17% and also the normal level of testosterone was 40% higher than the abnormal levels of the placebo group and these differences were statistically significant (P 0.05). Conclusion: It is recommended to use carob supplements to improve spermogram parameters and male sex hormones

Cytotoxic effects of hydroalcoholic extract of Cuscuta chinensis on PC3 and MCF7 cancer cell lines

Objective: Chemoprevention of cancer by application of natural phytochemical compounds has been used to prevent, delay or suppress cancer progression. Cuscuta chinensis a traditional Iranian medicinal herb, has biological properties including anticancer, anti-aging, immuno-stimulatory and antioxidant effects. In this study, anti-proliferative effects of hydroalcoholic extract of C. chinensis on prostate (PC3) and breast (MCF7) cancer cell lines were investigated. Materials and Methods: In the current study, we investigated treatment of PC3 cells with different concentrations of C. chinensis (0, 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 µg/ml) for 24 and 48 hr; also, MCF7 cells were treated with various concentrations (0-600 µg/ml) of C. chinensis for 48 and 72 hr and cell viability was assessed by 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. mRNA expression of BCL2 Associated X (Bax), B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl2), Cysteine-aspartic proteases (Caspase3) and Phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) were analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR. Annexin V/PI staining and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) cytotoxicity assay were used to detect apoptosis. Results: C. chinensis decreased PC3 and MCF7 cells viability in a dose- and time-dependent manner (p BAX/Bcl2 ratio, Caspase3 and PTEN increased in C. chinensis-treated cells compared to the control group. C. chinensis induced apoptosis (p <0.001) and LDH activity (p Conclusion: Our findings suggest that C. chinensis extract is able to inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis in PC3 and MCF7 cell lines. Therefore, C. chinensis extract exerts antitumor activity against cancer cells