Plants antioxidants: From laboratory to clinic

Implication for health policy/practice/research/medical education: Eating whole vegetables, fruits and grains, which all are rich in antioxidants, provides protection against most of oxidative stress induced diseases, however, this does not mean that antioxidants will prevent or fix the problem, especially not when they are taken out of their natural context. It should be noted that although the results of the studies are inconclusive, but most of the studies conducted till now have had limitations due to their relatively short duration and conducting on patients with existing diseases. © 2013, Society of Diabetic Nephropathy Prevention. All rights reserved

Nephrotoxicity and hepatotoxicity evaluation of Crocus sativus stigmas in neonates of nursing mice

Background: Crocus sativus, known as saffron crocus, is best known for the spice saffron. Saffron use spans more than 3500 years, however, its toxicity on neonates during lactation has not yet evaluated. Objectives: This study was aimed to examine the acute toxicity of saffron on adult mice and its nephrotoxicity and hepatotoxicity on neonates of lactating mothers that used saffron during lactation. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, following acute toxicity evaluation, 32 pregnant mice were randomly designated into four equal groups. Following delivery, the mothers of groups 1 to 4 were administered orally (by gavage) normal saline (control group), 500, 1000 or 2000 mg/kg/day of saffron for three weeks, respectively. The newborns’ kidney and liver parameters were assessed at the end of the study for possible nephrotoxicity and hepatotoxicity evaluation. The kidney and liver tissue samples of newborns were histopathologically studied after staining with Hematoxylin & Eosin. Data were analyzed using ANOVA and Scheffe’s tests Results: The LD50 value of saffron was calculated to be 4120±556 mg/kg in mice. To evaluate lactating toxicity, saffron was administered orally to the mothers once daily for 21 days, after delivery, during lactating period. Saffron increased serum urea nitrogen (p< 0.05). Histological studies indicated that saffron did not have any toxic effect on liver, however, histopathology changes were seen in the kidney of neonates. Conclusions: From the results of present study, it might be concluded that saffron is a nearly safe spice, however, nursing mothers should avoid high doses of this spice. © 2014, Society of Diabetic Nephropathy Prevention. All rights reserved

Turmeric: A spice with multifunctional medicinal properties

Curcuma longa (Turmeric), belonging to Zingiberaceae family is one of the most useful herbal medicinal plants. Extensive researches have proven that most of the turmeric activities of the turmeric are due to curcumin. It has various useful properties with antioxidant activities and is useful in conditions such as inflammation, ulcer and cancer. It also has antifungal, antimicrobial renal and hepatoprotective activities. Therefore, it has the potential against various cancer, diabetes, allergies, arthritis, Alzheimer&rsquo;s disease and other chronic and hard curable diseases. The purpose of this review was to provide a brief summary of the new and current knowledge of the effects of curcumin. The recently published papers in international cites such as PubMed/Medline, Science Citation Index and Google Scholar about turmeric were searched. Recent studies have authenticated the use of turmeric for various diseases especially oxidative stress induced ones such as cancer, diabetes mellitus and inflammatory disorders. It also is used as hepatoprotective, nephroprotective, anticoagulant and anti-HIV to combat AIDS. Curcumin, as a spice, exhibits great promise as a therapeutic agent. It has very low toxicity, too. As the global scenario is now changing towards the use of non-toxic plant products having traditional medicinal use, development of modern drugs from turmeric should be emphasized for the control of various diseases. Further evaluation needs to be carried out on turmeric in order to explore the concealed areas and their practical clinical applications, which can be used for the welfare of mankind

A review study on medicinal plants affecting amnesia through cholinergic system

Neurotransmitter modification is an important method for the treatment of memory loss or amnesia. Cholinomimetic drugs, particularly, acetylcholine esterase inhibitors are the mainstream in pharmacotherapy of amnesia. Donepezil, tacrine, galantamine, and rivastigmine are cholinesterase inhibitors which are widely used in the treatment of amnesia, however, their therapeutic effects are not significant. Therefore, other possibilities including herbal medicine sources have been considered for memory loss therapy. There are some Medicinal plants with cholinomimetic property which mostly possess antioxidant activity, too. These plants may not only ameliorate amnesia but also can be a good source for drug discovery. In this paper other than introducing the medicinal plants and their components affective on cholinergic system and effective on memory loss, their probable advantages over synthetic drugs are discussed

Ameliorative property of Teucrium polium on second degree burn

Introduction: Traditionally, burn wound healing activities have been claimed for Teucrium polium. Teucrium polium possesses antioxidant and inflammatory activities and seems to ameliorate burn wound healing. This study was performed to evaluate the effects of Teucrium polium on burn healing in Balb/C mice. Materials and Methods: In this preclinical experimental study 56 mice were randomly designated into 4 equal groups. Burn wounds were made using a hot plate with a surface area of 1.5 cm2. Animals were treated with Teucrium 2, Silver sulfadiazine or Vaseline 2 times per day for 21 days. The forth group received no treatment. Results: The percentage of burn wounds healing and total time required for complete healing were evaluated and compared in different groups. Data were analyzed using ANOVA test. Conclusion: Teucrium extract accelerated the burn wound healing more rapidly than control groups (p&lt;0.01). Teucrium polium is effective on burn wounds healing and might be beneficial in these groups of patients.</p

Effect of hydroalcoholic extract of Anethum graveolens leaves on time response to pain stimuli in mice

Background and aims: Pain is the most common clinical complaints of the patients. Due to multiple and complex mechanisms of causing pain, finding new ways to overcome the pain is one of the biggest concerns of scientists. Because of applications of Anethum graveolens in traditional medicine, the effect of hydroalcoholic extract of Anethum graveolens on response time to pain stimuli in mice was studied. Methods: In this experimental study, 84 mice were divided into 3 categories. Each category contained a negative control (saline), a positive control (morphine), and two case groups of 200 ml/kg and 500 ml/kg extract of Anethum graveolens. Delay reaction was evaluated in groups 1, 2, and 3 in 15, 30 and 60 minutes after injection, respectively. The data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Tukey tests. Results: This study showed that 15 minutes after injection, between saline group and the group that received the extract, significant difference was observed in duration of analgesia (P<0.05). 30 minutes after injection, just the group that received 500ml/kg extract, showed a significant difference in duration of analgesia compared with saline group (P<0.05). 60 minutes after injection, between saline group and the group that received the extract, no significant difference was observed in duration of analgesia (P>0.05). Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, it can be concluded that extract of Anethum graveolens has a short analgesic effect. So, more research in this regard is recommended

Comparison of vaginal ointment of honey and clotrimazole for treatment of vulvovaginal candidiasis: A random clinical trial

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is the most prevalent vaginitis in women, accounting for 10 million medical referrals a year. Vaginal clotrimazole is a drug of choice for VVC treatment. However, increased drug resistance to this microorganism has led to an interest in naturally derived antifungal drugs. This study was conducted to compare honey vaginal ointment and clotrimazole vaginal ointment for VVC treatment. METHODS: Eighty women diagnosed with VVC were assigned to two groups for honey ointment and clotrimazole ointment treatment using a simple randomization rule. The ointments were applied at night for seven days. The disease symptoms including inflammation, vaginal discharge, and irritation at baseline in the fourth and eighth days of treatment were examined and compared between the two groups. The data was analyzed by SPSS version 20 with the Friedman test, Chi-square test, and independent t-test. P<0.05 was considered as the significance. RESULTS: The two groups were similar for inflammation severity, irritation, and discharge at baseline. In both the groups, the symptoms disappeared after treatment. On the eighth day of treatment, there was a significant difference in inflammation and vaginal discharge between the two groups. Inflammation (P=0.002) and vaginal discharge (P=0.003) recovered better in the clotrimazole group. But there was no significant difference in irritation severity and satisfaction with treatment between the two groups. In the two groups, no side effects were reported. CONCLUSION: Honey contributes to treating VVC. Thanks to the popular positive attitudes of honey, its availability, no need for sterility, and its cost-effectiveness, it is a choice of treatment for VVC. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS

Remedial effect of Boswellia serrata on thermal burn injuries

Background: It has been shown that inflammation and insufficient blood vessel formation delay wound healing، whereas Boswellia serrata، besides anti-inflammatory activity، increases blood vessel formation.. Objectives: This study was performed to investigate the effect of Boswellia serrata in promoting burn injuries healing in BALB/c mice.. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study، a burn wound was created by placing a 1.5 cm2 hot plate on the back of animals. Fifty four mice were designated in four equal groups، counting 14 each. Three groups of animals were treated with Boswellia 2%، silver sulfadiazine and vaseline two times per day for 21 days. The fourth group represented the control group. The total percentage of wound healing and time required for complete healing were evaluated and compared between groups، using the ANOVA test.. Results: Results showed that the effect of Boswellia on wound healing was statistically significant compared to the control group (P Conclusions: Boswellia serrata is clearly effective for burn injuries healing and might be used i

The effect of aqueous Elaeagnus angustifolia extract on acute non-inflammatory diarrhea in 1-5 year old children

Introduction: Acute diarrhea is one of the most important causes of global childhood mortality and morbidity. The most common complication of acute diarrhea is dehydration. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of aqueous Elaeagnus angustifolia extract in controlling non-inflammatory diarrhea in a hospital setting. Methods: In this case&ndash;controlled randomized double blind clinical trial 80 children in age range of 1-5 years were admitted in pediatric ward with diagnosis of non-inflammatory diarrhea. The patients were randomly divided into two equal groups of 40 cases. The subject in the first group received aqueous Elaeagnus angustifolia extract, 1.2 ml/Kg single dose for 4 days duration and the second group (control group) 1.2 cm/Kg distilled water single dose for 4 days duration. Data analysis were performed by Chi-square and t-tests, using SPSS software. Results: The groups were similar regarding gender, mean age, and frequency, and consistency of defecation (p&gt; 0.05). Although the children seemed better in regard to frequency and consistency of defecation, however the results showed that aqueous extract of Elaeagnus angustifolia was not significantly effective in the treatment of non-inflammatory diarrhea. Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrated that the use of aqueous extract of Elaeagnus angustifolia was not effective in the treatment of non-inflammatory diarrhea in children.</p