Journal of Medicinal Plants
Year:2006 | Volume:5 | Issue:18|Papers Count:10

Taxol is a diterpeniod with complex structure, which is extracted frequently from the genus Taxus. At present, this drug is one of the most important anticancer natural agents with different mechanism from other similar drugs, used for remedy of different cancers such as, melanoma, lung cancer, non-hodgkins lymphoma, meatus urinarius cancer, esophagus cancer, etc. At present, many scientists are trying total synthesis and semi-synthesis of taxol and also its extraction from cell culture. However, these methods have characteristic problems. The increasing demand of taxol for clinical use as an anticancer drug combined with limited supply from plant sources require a thorough understanding of its biosynthesis and extraction methods.

Objective: Increasing usage of medicinal plants for trapeutic purposes, made a unique place for this branch of complementary medicine. While Echinophora Platyloba has a folkloric usage, unfortunately has not yet reached an eligible palce. This study conducted to evaluate the effect of extract of Echinophora Platyloba on some common dermatophytes.Methods: 4 tubes containing diluted solutions of hydroalcoholic extract (35, 50, 150 and 250 mg/ml) have been prepared and one tube of 0 mg/mL as control hydroalcoholic. Using agar dilution method, fugi were coincubated with diluted solutions of the extract and the growth results were recorded after 21 days.Results: Trichophyton (T) schenlaini and T. verucosum were totally sensitive. T. rubrum and Microsporum (M) gypsum were totally resistant. T. mentagrophyte, M. canis and Epidermophyton flucosum were resistant to 35, 50 and 150 mg/ml dilutions, but they were sensitive to 250 mg/ml. T. violaseum was resistant in 35 and 50 mg/ml but sensitive to 150 and 250 mg/ml.Conclusion: 3 concentrations of hydroalcohalic extract (35, 50 and 150 mg/ml) may have clinical application. On the base of this study, the plant in the mentioned dilutions showed anti fungal effect against T. schoenlieinii, T. verucosum. The plant extract showed weaker antifuongal against T. mentagrophytes, Microsporum canis and Epidermophyton flocusm but this may have not good anti fungal effect aginst T. rubrum and T. gypseum. The next step of study may be the production of drug product and clinical assay.

Background: Thymus kotschyanus (Lamiaceae) is a valuable plant species which mainly grow in mountainous regions. Different species of this plant have worldwide distribution especially in Mediterranean region.The plant is a woody, small, patchy, or perennial herb with a woody base. It is well known as a medicinal plant with energetic and antibacterial actions. The essence is especially used in drying industries, cosmetics and trade industries.Methods: To study genetical biodiversity of the T. kotschyanus and interaction of ecological conditions on the plant essence.The samples were collected from three elevation bands and the essence combination were analysed.Results: The results showed that essence content were between 0/95 - 1/87% and the yield is 1.23% and due to high content of essence is valuable in drugs industry. Generally, 37 different combinations were analysed by GC-MS. in elevation bands which showed Carvacrol (60.82- 82.05%) and Thymol (1.56-13.94%) are the most important substances in T. kotschyanus.Conclusion: This study showed that essence of this species has high content of Thymol and Carvacrol which are two medically important.

Background: Convenient and effective contraceptive methods have been the subject of extensive and versatile research project, during the past 50 years. In this respect, the use of active herbal constituents is one of the topics of research and investigation.Objective: In this study the antifertility activity of seed oil extract of Iranian species of Melia azadarach L. in northern district of country, on male rats, during 2 consecutive steps have been evaluated.Method: The seed oil extract have been prepared according to conventional methods, and were administered orally in 50 and 100 mg/kg daily doses for 60 days. In the first step, the inhibition of fertility indices were assessed with the help of, sperm viability, sperm motility, ESR (Epididymal sperm reserves), DSP (Daily sperm production), GSI (Gonado stomatic index), fertility indices, and serum testosterone content.In the subsequent stage, 3 months after the 60th day of compounds administration, the reversibility of the formentioned indices are determined again.Result: In the first step, a significant reduction in fertility indices to control especially in higher dose was observed. During the next stage, the significant increase in fertility indices are the indication of reasonable recovery and reversibility of extract activity.Conclusion: In summery, the result of this study of this study showed that its activity is reversible.

Background: Noscapine is an isoquline alkaloid from opium with antitussive effect. Our previous study indicated that noscapine is non-competitive inhibitor of bradykinin.Objective: Since bradykinin and histamine contribute in inflammatory processes, the effect of noscapine on rat hind paw inflammation induced by bradykinin and histamine was investigated.Method: Paw edema induced by subplantar injection of 0.1 ml bradykinin solution (3 nmol/paw) or 1% histamine solution. Noscapin (1, 5 and 10 mg/kg) and indomethacin (10 mg/kg) as standard anti-inflammatory drug were administered intraperitoneally (i.p) one hour before injection of bradykinin or histamine. The thickness of hind paw was measured with a caliper and compared to control groups before and 15, 30, 60, 90, 120 minutes after injection of bradykinin and before and 60, 120, 180 minutes after injection of histamine.Results: Administration of noscapine significantly suppressed the inflammation. The maximum anti-inflammatory effect of noscapin observed at dose of 5 mg/kg against bradykinin and at dose of 10mg/kg against histamine. So this activity of noscapine was similar to activity of indomethacin.Conclusion: Our results showed that noscapine has anti-inflammatory effect on inflammatory response of rat hind paw. This effect was comparable to the anti-inflammatory effect of indomethacin.

Objective: Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) has protective effects on Liver and digestive system. Based on the importance of poultry industry and toxic agents that induce disease in broilers, we studied the protective effect of Turmeric on liver.Methods: Pre treatment with turmeric (1 mg/KgB.W) for 14 days and treatment with acetaminophen (650 mg/kgB.W) and turmeric for 30 days were conducted. Determination of daily body weight gain and hystopathological studies on liver, small intestine and forestomach were conducted.Results: pre treatment with turmeric resulted in better rate of growth and improvement of small intestine mocus. The side effect of acetaminophen was reversed after treatment with the extract.Conclusion: it is suggested that addition of Turmeric to poultry nutrient is very useful for protection against toxins. That reffers to curcumin.

Objective: Garlic has been known as an important medicinal plant for centuries; it has been used widely as antibiotic, antidiabetic, antiatherogenic, anticancer and some other therapeutic properties. The anticancer effect of plant is due to inhibitory and cytotoxic effects of different compounds present in garlic. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of aqueous extract of garlic on growth of human larynx carcinoma cell line (Hep-2) as case and normal mouse fibroblast cell line (L929) as control.Methods: Both cell lines were treated with 0.5, 1, 4, 8, 10 and 12 mg/ml of aqueous extract in culture medium for intervals of 24, 48 and 72 hours, when cells were studied under light inverted microscope for shape, granulation and anchorage independency. At the same time antiproliferative properties of the extract were determined by MTT colorimetric assay.Results: The data demonstrated inhibitory effects of aqueous extract at concentrations of 8, 1o and 12 mg/ml on both cell lines after 24 hours treatment. Inhibitory effects were stronger after 48 and 72 hours. Cell viability for both cell lines also were significantly reduced by MTT assay at 8, 10, and 12 mg/ml concentration of aqueous extract after all studied intervals.Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrate that the aqueous extract of this type of garlic exert inhibitory effects on growth of Hep-2 and L929 cell lines. Therefore, it seems that when garlic is used for anticancer purposes, other types of garlic or different extracts may be preferred that don’t show cytotoxic actions on normal cells.

Background: Tagetes minuta L. is an annual plant belonging to the Asteraceae family. This species is not native to Iran. Tagetes minuta is an important medicinal plant with applications in performs flavour and food industry. Essential oil of this plant has more extensive use in these industries.Objective: The aim of this study was the evaluation of the effect of environmental conditions on yield and chemical composition of the plant essential oil.Method: The seeds were sown in two locations at same time. Aerial parts of plant were harvested at full flowering stage and after air drying; their essential oils were extracted by hydrodistillation method. Samples of oils were analyzed by GC and GC-MS.Results: Results showed that yield and chemical composition of Tagetes minuta were different between two regions. The essential oil content of plants cultivated at East and North of Tehran were 1.44% and 0.8%, respectively. Twenty and nineteen compounds identified from oil of plants cultivated in East and North of Tehran, respectively. The main compounds of oil from East of Tehran were dihydrotageton (21.4%), α-terpineol (15.6%), (Z)-tagetone (13.1%), (E)-ocimenone (11.8%), (Z)-β-ocimene (8.3%), spathulenol (4.8%), (Z)-ocimenone (4.5%), limonene (4%) and from North of Tehran were α-terpineol (20.8%), (Z)-β-ocimene (17.7%), dihydrotageton (13.7%), (E)-ocimenone (13.3%), (Z)-tagetone (8.4%), (Z)-ocimenone (6.1%) and cis-dihydrocarvone (5%).Conclusion: Environment condition had significant effect on yield and chemical composition of Tagetes minuta essential oil.

Background: The genus Stachys (Lamiaceae) is distributed in mild regions of the Mediterranean and south-west Asia. About 270 Stachys species are reported; 34 of them are found in Iran of which 13 are endemic. Several Stachys species are used in Iranian folk medicine as medicinal plants. There is no report on Stachys athorecalyx essential oil analysis previously.Objective: Investigation on essential oil constituents of Stachys athorecalyx collected from Arasbaran protected area.Method: in this study, Stachys athorecalyx has been collected from the Arasbaran protected areas; shade dried and the essential oil extracted by means of steam distillation and analyzed with GC/MS.Results: Thirty six compounds representing 98.1% of total oil were identified in the oil of Stachys athorecalyx. Spathulenol (22.1%) was the major compounds. Oxygenated compounds were predominant (71.2%). Eighteen monoterpenes (47.9%), thirteen sesquiterpenes (42.9%) and two aromatic compounds (1.6%) were founded.Conclusion: according to our investigation’s results and considering previously reports on other Stachys species’ essential oil compounds, there is good similarity between essential oil compounds of this species and other reported species in this genus.