Journal of Medicinal Plants
Year:2017 | Volume:16 | Issue:62|Papers Count:24

Curcumin is a natural compound that obtains from the rhizome of turmeric plant. It has a wide range of pharmacological and therapeutic effects via various molecular and cellular mechanisms. With regards to pharmacological effects and drug use of curcumin, the study of its pharmacological properties for using in clinical trials is essential and need. The most important therapeutic effects of curcumin include: antioxidant, anti- inflammatory and anticancer properties. Although, no side effect and toxicity of curcumin has been reported, but the application of this compound as a supplemental therapy in treatment regimes for various diseases is taking into consideration. The clinical studies of curcumin combined with chemotherapy drugs demonstrated that the curcumin increases the effectiveness of drugs and decrease of side effects of chemotherapy drugs. The aim of this work is the review of all studies which conducted on pharmacological and therapeutic properties of curcumin. 

Background: Lippia citriodora H.B.K is an important medicinal and aromatic plant from the Verbenaceae family.Objective: The aim of this study was to investigation of essential oil percentage, E-citral (geranial) content and morphophysiological changes of Lippia citriodora in response to induction of bioactive compounds and plant growth regulators.Methods: This study has been conducted on the base of factorial experiment in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with 3 replications. The first factor included the application of bioregulators at four levels that were distilled water, 50 ppm gibberellic acid (GA3) + 50 ppm IBA, 50 ppm GA3 + 100 ppm IBA and 100 ppm GA3 + 50 ppm IBA. The second factor was chitosan inductions at two levels: distilled water and 400 ppm chitosan. The third factor was methanol induction at two levels: distilled water and 5% v/v methanol.Results: The measured traits were significantly affected (P≤0.01) by the interaction of bioregulators, methanol and chitosan except for plant height, number of branches, leave length that were significantly affected at 0.05 level. The highest content of essential oil achieved by 400 ppm chitosan and 5% V/V methanol. The highest amount of leaves number and E-citral content were observed at 400 ppm chitosan. The maximum value of root and stem fresh and dry weight and leaf dry weight were obtained at 50 ppm GA3 + 100 ppm IBA.Conclusion: Generally, the interaction of foliar application of plant growth regulators, methanol and chitosan could be positively effect on essential oil, E-citral (geranial) content and morpho-physiological traits.

Background: There are many plant extracts which can modulate pain response. Also, studies represented modulatory effects of estradiol on pain.Objectives: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of hydro alcoholic extract of Portulaca oleracea (purslane) and estradiol on pain threshold in female mice.Methods: In this experimental study, 90 female balb c mice were randomly divided into the control and experimental groups which receiving low, moderate and high doses of purslane extract, estradiol and their combination. Following intraperitoneal administration of the hormone or extract, pain threshold was measured using tail flick test, and acquired data have been analyzed using ANOVA.Results: Pain threshold was significantly increased after administration of moderate and high doses of purslane extract with comparing to the control group (P<0.005 and P<0.009, respectively). Also, the administration of moderate and high doses of estradiol caused significantly increasing of the pain threshold with comparing to the control group (P<0.009 and P<0.001, respectively). Finally, co-administration the low doses of estradiol and purslane extract and co-administration the high doses of estradiol and purslane extract resulted increasing of the pain threshold with compare to the control group, but there was not significant changed in comparing to the groups which received low doses of estradiol and extract.Conclusion: Present study showed that purslane seed extract and estradiol caused increasing of the pain threshold in the female mice. Hence, these results maybe demonstrate morphine-like effects of purslane extract and estradiol.

Background: Postpartum after pain relief is effective in convenience of the mother and improve her interaction with the newborn. One of the ways of pain relief is using herbal medicines.Objective: This study was conducted to compare the effect of mefenamic acid (the common pain reliever) and anise capsule on postpartum after-pain.Methods: In this clinical trial, a randomized, double-blind study was conducted. The sample included 96 Mothers in the state of two hours after their vaginal delivery. Their intensity of the pain was between moderate and savior. Women were entered into two groups of mefenamic acid and anise capsule. The capsules were used 4 times a day (each 6 hours one capsule). The pain intensity was evaluated before intervention and one hour after each intervention by the visual analogue scale (VAS). Data was analyzed by the Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS version 17).Results: The two groups were matched in the number of parity and intensity of the pain before intervention. Results revealed that the Reduction of the pain was significantly higher in the anise capsule group (P<0.05). Reduction of the pain had no relation with the number of parity (P<0.05) and both mefenamic acid and anise capsule consume the same time to effect.Conclusion: The anise capsule is effective in order to relief postpartum after-pain.

Background: One of the problems due to aging is apoptosis development in various tissues of body. There is some evidence that some drugs induce apoptosis development via oxidative stress. However, physical activity and herbal drugs through two different mechanisms can cause to inhibit the apoptosis. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of concurrent regular aerobic training and garlic extract on Bax and Bcl-2 levels and Bax to Bcl-2 ratio in cardiac tissue of aged rats with chronic kidney disease.Methods: Forty two aged male rats were selected and randomly divided into control group, Doxorubicin group, Doxorubicin and saline group, Doxorubicin and aerobic training group, Doxorubicin and garlic group, Doxorubicin, garlic and aerobic training group. The chronic kidney disease induced by the subcutaneous injection of doxorubicin (8.5 mg/kg of body weight) .The protocol training included 3 sessions per week, 30 minutes per session for 8 weeks. The garlic extract were given by gavage (2.5 g/kg of body weight). Cardiac levels of Bax and Bcl-2 were measured by ELISA. Results: The results showed that eight weeks swimming training and garlic extract and combination of them caused to significant increase in Bcl-2 levels and significant decrease in Bax levels and Bcl-2 to Bax ratio of aged cardiac tissue rats with chronic kidney disease (P<0.05).Conclusion: Based on the results, although physical training and garlic extract individually imposed protective effects on the cardiac tissue but intervention effect of them had no reinforcement effect on the cardiac protection.

Background: A psychological reaction such as depression and anxiety is a complication of a heart attack. The aromatherapy is one of the processes in Complementary medicine to maintain mental health of diseases.Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effect of inhalation of essential oil on depression and anxiety in patients with acute myocardial infarction.Methods: This Clinical trial study was conducted in 70 heart attack patients by purposive sampling method and randomly divided in two groups (Intervention and control) who were hospitalized in intensive care units of Sirjan in year 2015. Data were collected by self-report DASS-21 questionnaires. In intervention group 0.2 ml of peppermint oil mixed with 2 ml of Normal saline and in control group 2 ml of normal Saline was poured on a gas and attached with clamp to the collar of patients for 20 minutes and inhaled it for 5 days. Before and after the intervention patients completed DASS-21 questionnaire. After collecting the data Inter to SPSS 21 software and using chi-square tests, t-test were analyzed.Results: The age of control and intervention groups was 57.62±11.48, 54.94±10.53 respectively. After aromatherapy in the intervention group in comparative of before intervention and control group, the level of anxiety and depression in patients significantly showed decreased (P=0.001).Conclusion: According to the results of this study, treatment with peppermint oil can reduce depression and anxiety in patients with myocardial infarction, so its use is recommended in clinical situations.

Background: Intensive physical activity can lead to muscle soreness.Objective: Evaluate the effect of short-term use of chamomile essence (CE) on muscle soreness in young girls after an exhaustive exercise.Methods: Twenty young girls volunteered. They were randomly assigned into two equal groups of experimental and control. The experimental group drank 300 ml of CE twice daily for twelve days. The control group drank water and the chamomile essential oil as placebo during this period. In the eleventh day, exhaustive exercise on a treadmill with a negative slope of 5 degrees for all subjects was conducted. Blood samples were taken on the first and tenth days before the exhaustive exercise, and 1, 24 and 48 hours after exercise. Data were analyzed using independent t-test and ANOVA for repeated measure with a significant level of P<0.05.Results: No significant difference was detected between the two groups in the index of serum creatine kinase. Lactate dehydrogenase index in 1 and 48 hours after the test in the experimental group was significantly decreased compared with the control group. Aspartate amino transferase index in the experimental group increased 24 hours after the exercise, and decreased after 48 hours of the exhaustive exercise compared to the control group. Pain scale in the experimental group was reduced 1 and 24 hours after the test compared with the control group.Conclusion: The results suggested that young girls who want to do exhaustive exercises can drink CE to prevent or reduce the effects of muscle soreness.

Background: Lavender belongs to the Labiatae family and possesses antioxidant acivity.Objective: The present study was conducted to evaluate the protective effect of lavender extract on infarct volume and its possible mechanisms in an experimental model of stroke.Methods: Lavender extract (100, 200 mg/kg body weight, ip) was injected for 20 consecutive days. Two hours after the last dose, cerebral artery ligation surgery was performed and 24 hours after induction of ischemia, infarct volume was assessed. Also the amount of serum nitric oxide (NO) level was measured.Results: Treatment of rats with lavender extract at a dose of 200 mg for 20 days resulted in a significant decrease in the infarct volume caused by stroke in penumbra area (cortex) and the core (sub-cortical) of brain compared to the control (P=0.044, P=0.047, consecutively). Lavender extract at a dose of 200 mg significantly increased blood levels of nitric oxide.Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that Lavender extract protects brain against ischemia and reduces infarct volume in rats subjected to ischemia. The mechanism may be related to augmentation in endogenous antioxidant defense in the rat brain. Lavender plant extracts with increasing levels of endothelial nitric oxide, by inhibiting the decrease in cerebral blood flow reduced infarct volume.

Background: One of the most important sources that have been used in treatment of various diseases in human is medicinal plants. Erigeron acer is one of the medicinal plants that used topically to heal toothache and arthritis.Objective: The aim of this experimental study was to evaluate the analgesic effect of hydroalcoholic extract of Erigeron acer (HEEA) in adult male rats.Methods: In this study, thirty-six adult male rats divided into six groups: control, under treated with extract (80, 100, 300mg/kg), morphine (1 mg/kg, IP) and naloxone (1 mg/kg, IP)+ dose of 300 mg/kg of extract. To evaluate the analgesic effects of extract writhing, tail-flick and formalin tests was used. Acute toxicity of extract also was assessing with method of Lork.Results: HEEA at dose of 300 mg/kg clearly has been shown antinociceptive effect in writhing and tail-flick with P<0.01 and chronic phase of formalin test (P<0.001). Results showed there were no significant difference between the morphine and HEEA (200 mg/kg) groups in the chronic phase of formalin. Using naloxone+ HEEA at dose of 300 mg/kg has been reversed analgesic activity in all three assessment pain tests. Injection of different doses of extract up to 5000 mg/kg has been not revealed acute toxicity.Conclusion: The Erigeron acer has central and peripheral analgesic effects. This analgesic effect could possibly be applied through of opioid mechanism.

Background: To reduce the use of organic solvent, Subcritical water extraction has become a popular green extraction technology for production of phytochemicals from a variety of biomasses. Phytochemicals, such as phenolic component, essential oils and carbohydrates, have countless applications in the pharmaceutical, food and other industries.Objective: To review the literature that describes the current status of subcritical water extraction on production of phytochemicals.Methods: This study was based on literature reviews of recent publications in the field of extraction of bioactive compounds by subcritical water.Results: This article was attempted to give overall view about different features of subcritical water extraction include properties of subcritical water, the application of this solvent to extract the bioactive compounds from different plant materials, the parameters affecting subcritical extraction efficiency (such as temperature, flow rate, extraction mode, matrix composition, pH, pressure, modifiers and additives), the technique to modify the extraction of thermally labile bioactive materials, the studies on kinetics and modelling of subcritical water extraction, water as solvent and anti-solvent, Precipitation techniques and particle formation by subcritical water, future trends and perspectives of upcoming potential applications this technology are reviewed.Conclusion: Subcritical water extraction is a simple, inexpensive, convenient and environmentally friendly approach and easily coupled with other extraction and purification methods. Further study and development of appropriate models are required to achieve the best operating conditions and Development of Industrial Application of this method.

Background: One of the complications of diabetes mellitus is "proteins glycosylation in the body" causing the change in nature, structure and biochemical activity of them. Decreasing or inhibiting this reaction causes to improve diabetic symptoms. The use of antioxidant-rich herbs in this case, seems to be effective. Objective: The purpose of this study is to investigate the albumin and hemoglobin glycosylation reaction in the presence of various concentrations of Anethum graveolens and Rosa damascena Mill hydroalcoholic extracts.Methods: 1) plants collection, 2) extraction by maceration method, 3) evaluating the total antioxidant capacity and phenole amount respectively by DPPH and folin-Ciocalteu method, 4) specializing and measuring the amount of hemoglobin from human blood, 5) optimizing the stabilization, 6) investigating the glycosylation amounts, both in the presence and absence of extracts. Results: According to results obtained, the phenol amount and the total antioxidant capacity of Anethum graveolens hydroalcoholic extract is significantly more than Roses's (P<0.05). The highest amount of hemoglobin glycosylation per time unit, has been at a concentration of 10 mgr glucose for 72 hours of incubation and about albumin was 30 mgr within 72 hours. For both extracts in concentration 0.1mg / ml of both proteins, the Anethum graveolens hydroalcoholic extract functions better compared to Rosa damascena Mill (P<0.05).Conclusion: The two Anethum graveolens and Rosa hydroalcoholic extracts on average cause to reduce albumin and hemoglobin glycosylation. But more studies are needed to prove it.

Background: Bilehar or Kandal koohi (Dorema aucheri) which belongs to umbeliferae family is an endemic species of Iran. In respect to the extinction risk of this valuable species, until now no study has been performed to evaluate the effect of climate features on different traits in D. aucheri populations in different geographical areas.Objectives: The goal of the study was to investigate phytochemical, morphological and antioxidant variation of Bilehar (Dorema aucheri) populations cultivated in different environmental conditions.Methods: The experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design in three replicates in November 2014 in three different areas. The total phenolics and flavonoid content were determined colorimetrically. The antioxidant activity of extracts were measured using two model systems, DPPH free radical scavenging (DPPH) and reducing iron (FTC). The essential oil was extracted based on hydro- distillation. To investigate the effect of environmental factors on phytochemical characteristics, Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA) was applied.Results: The results revealed the presense of significant differences between populations and various locations for the studied characteristics. Gorgue and Dishmook populations possessed the highest and the lowest amount of phenolics and essential oil in Margon and Isfahan provinces, respectively. Conclusion: Finally, Gorgue possessed the best performance among all populations in respect to the phytochemical and morphological traits in all provinces, so, further studies are suggested to be done for the domestication of this plant population.

Background: Intensive physical activity is known to induce oxidative stress. that could endanger the health of athletes. Also Quercetin is a flavonoid with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of quercetin on time to exhaustion and oxidative stress in male soccer players.Methods: This placebo‑controlled, double‑blind clinical trial was conducted on 22 football players for Six weeks. The subjects were randomly assigned to one of two groups to receive quercetin (1000 mg) or placebo (1000 mg dextrose). Anthropometric measurements, time to exhaustion and blood biochemical parameters including SOD, CAT, GPx and MDA were measured at the beginning and end of the study. and the data were analyzed using paired t-test.Results: At the end of the study in Quercetin group time to exhaustion, Enzyme activity of SOD, CAT and GPx were significantly increased (P<0.05) and mean serum malondialdehyde (MDA) were significantly decreased (P<0.05). Also mean of these parameters between the two groups were significantly different from each other (P <0.5).Conclusion: In this study, supplementation with 1000 mg of Quercetin per day for 6 weeks, increased time to exhaustion and SOD, CAT and GPx enzyme activity and decreased serum malondialdehyde significantly.

Background: Echinops (Echinops dichorus L.) from the Asteraceae family is a plant which obtained from the kind of insect activity on some species and generated a compound that is called "mann". Objective: Identification of the main chemical compounds of plant, solvent and different methods of extracting in extraction of these compounds is evaluated. Methods: Isolation and identification of extracts constituents is done with GC/MS. In order to evaluate anticancer characteristics, ethanolic and n-Hexane extracts from Manna has been obtained using Maceration and Soxhlet Apparatus methods. The effects of these extracts on CaCO2 cells have been evaluated using MTT and NBT values. Results: The results of phytochemical investigations showed that saponin, steroids, glycoside cyanogenic, tannin and alkaloid compounds are existence. In the GC-MS analysis of extracting showed that fatty acids and terpenes as major constituents in Manna. Based on results, 27 different components in the Maceration method, 30 different components in the percolation and 10 different components in the Soxhlet Apparatus method were identified. The results of MTT showed the least cell survival value of treated cancerous cell was concerned to ethanolic and n-Hexane-derived extract using Maceration method. NBT test results represent the antioxidant properties of ethanolic and n-Hexane extracts using Maceration method. Conclusion: The use of ethanol and Percolation are the best approach for extracting organic compounds of Manna, but to extract the fatty acids and terpenes of plants, Soxhlet method is proposed. All the extracts of Echinops (Mann) showed good cytotoxic properties that represent the presence of antioxidant compounds these extracts.

Introduction: Alzheimer is a neurodegenerative disease which is characterized by progressive memory loss, diminished cognitive ability and behavioral disturbances such as anxiety-like behaviors. Quercetin is a polyphenolic compound with antioxidant and neuroprotective effects. Objective: Purpose of this study is evaluated anxiolytic effect of quercetin and its nanocrystal in model of Alzheimer’s disease.Methods: In this experimental study, forty-nine male rats were randomly divided into seven groups, as follows: control group (intact rats), vehicle (received distilled water orally and intrcerebroventricullary), disease (received 10mg/rat STZ intracerebroventricularly and distilled water orally) and disease treated groups (received quercetin and its nanocrystal at doses of 10 and 25 mg/kg/day orally for four weeks after injection of STZ). Elevated plus maze (EPM) test was used to assess anxiety-like behaviors.Results: Results indicated that icv-STZ injection significantly decrease percent of open arm times (%OAT) and percent of open arm enters (%OAE) in the EPM test (P<0.001) and treatment with the quercetin and its nanocrystal significantly increased these behavioral indexes in the end of third and fourth weeks (P<0.001). Furthermore, treatment with quercetin nanocrystal increased %OAT and %OAE more than the quercetin.Conclusion: This study showed the protective effect of quercetin and its nanocrystal in the prevention of anxiogenic-like behaviors induced by Alzheimer’s model of rat and treatment with quercetin nanocrystal was more effective than quercetin.

Introduction: Chitosan is one of the polysaccharides containing nitrogen which is synthesized naturally by deacetylation reaction of chitin and is confirmed as one of the efficient biostimulants for improvement of secondary metabolites production in medicinal plants.Objective: To evaluate the effect of different concentrations of chitosan biostimulant on vegetative biomass traits and secondary metabolites of Stevia plant.Methods: The experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with three replications in greenhouse conditions. The treatments were spraying of chitosan in four levels (0.05, 0.1 and 0.2 percent) and control treatment (spraying with distilled water). Results: In this study, the obtained results of variance analysis showed that spraying of chitosan had significant effect on leaf dry weight, shoot dry weight, leaf length (P <0.05), phenols and rebaudiosides A (P<0.01). In this experiment, the highest fresh and dry weight of stems, leaves and shoots were observed at 0.1% Chitosan in a way that by increasing the chitosan concentration from 0.1 to 0.2 % the decreasing trend occurred. The highest amount of phenol was recorded at 0.1% concentration. Also, chitosan at 0.2% concentration had the maximum impact on rebaudiosides A. Conclusion: Chitosan spraying improved vegetative biomass traits and biochemical parameters such as rebaudiosides A in stevia plant.

Background: Diabetes type I is a chronic disease mediated by the immune system that the prevalence of it’s in the past two decades has dramatically increased.Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of oral administration of the aqueous extract of the leaf of sugar beet on the immunological aspect of STZ induced diabetes in mice.Methods: For this purpose, 20 male inbred C57 BL/6 mice with 6-8 weeks of age were divided into 4 groups of 5 including: control, diabetic, treatment and pre-treatment groups. In the second, third and the fourth groups, five consecutive daily injections of 40 mg/kg STZ were performed to induce diabetes. The fasting blood sugar was recorded on a weekly basis. At the end, the mice were euthanized and after the removal of the spleens and the preparation of cell cultures, the cells were tested to determine the extent of lymphocyte proliferation and the severity of respiratory burst.Results: The results showed that the administration of Chard extract can significantly reduce blood glucose levels in diabetic mice (P<0.05). The lymphocytes proliferation in the treatment and pre-treatment groups showed a significant decrease compared to the diabetic group (P<0.05). Moreover, treatment with the extract significantly restored the reduced respiratory burst in the diabetic group to levels similar to the control group (P<0.05).Conclusion: In summary, the leaf extract of Chard has a positive effect on the immunological changes and can reduce the complications of autoimmune diabetes in mouse models.

Background: Environmental stresses and biotic and abiotic elicitors induce secondary metabolites biosynthesis and hypersensitive response in plants through activation of defense mechanisms.Objective: This study was carried out with the aim of assessing the effects of different drought stress and multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) levels on physiological variations, flavonoid and phenolic contents, and antioxidant capacity of Salvia mirzayanii.Methods: This study was arranged in a factorial experiment based on randomized complete block design under research greenhouse of medicinal plants department at Arak University. The first factor was considered as drought stress in 4 levels (25, 50, 75 and 100% of field capacity), and the second factor was designated as foliar spray of MWCNT (functionalized and non- functionalized) at 4 different concentrations (0, 50 and 200 mg/L).Results: Results showed that drought stress and MWCNT and their interactions significantly affected some studied traits. Leaf relative water content (P<0.01) and chlorophyll index (P<0.05) was significantly changed under drought stress treatment, however, electrolyte leakage index significantly (P<0.01) affected under different levels of MWCNT. Furthermore, total phenolics was significantly (P<0.01) changed under interaction of experimental treatments. The highest and the lowest phenolics content were achieved in functionalized MWCNT exposed plants at 50 and 200 mg/L under 25% of FC, respectively. Conclusion: Application of functionalized MWCNT at concentration of 50 mg/L along with moderate drought stress improved physiological traits and antioxidant activity of extract in S. mirzayanii plants.