JOURNAL OF HERBAL DRUGS
Year:2014 | Volume:5 | Issue:1|Papers Count:8

Background & Aim: Free radicals are produced in ischemic processes. Nerve damage caused by free radicals may play a role in neurological diseases and antioxidants are protective activity. Ellagic acid is a polyphenol compound with antioxidant properties which is found in fruits like pomegranate, blackberry, and all types of mulberry. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of 14 days of oral administration of ellagic acid (50 mg/kg) on brain oxidative stress indices after permanent bilateral common carotid artery occlusion or ischemia/hypoperfusion in male adult rats.Experimental: A number of 30 rats were divided into test and control groups. To make animal model of permanent cerebral hypo perfusion/ischemia, carotid arteries were ligatured as upper and lower and cut bilaterally. Rat brain tissue was extracted to separate hippocampus and measure malondialdehyde, and thiol (-Sh) groups.Results & Discussion: Our results indicated that malondialdehyde and thiol in ischemia group has significantly increased (p < 0.001) than to control group. In addition, the rate of malondialdehyde and thiol in ischemia group receiving the ellagic acid has significantly decreased (p < 0.001), than to ischemia group.Recommended applications/industries: Ellagic acid possibly with powerful antioxidant properties, can improve the effect of ischemia such as production of free radicals.

Background & Aim: Nowadays, the application of traditional medicine and herbal medicinal plants instead of chemical and synthetic drugs has captured the attention of the researchers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the antimicrobial effects of the aquatic, ethanolic and methanolic (80%) extracts of the aerial and root parts of Stachys lavandulifolia Vahl which were taken from the countryside of Marand (Eastern Azerbaijan, Iran) in two generative and vegetative phases against standard strains of microorganisms.Experimental: Antimicrobial activity of the alcoholic and aquatic extracts from different parts of S. lavandulifolia was investigated against standard strains of Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 6538), Escherichia coli (ATCC 8739), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 9027) through well-plate and micro-dilution methods. Ampicillin as antibacterial agent was used as positive control.Results & Discussion: Results of antimicrobial properties of S. lavandulifolia extracts revealed that the aquatic extract of the plant had no antibacterial effects. While the ethanolic and methanolic (80%) extracts showed the growth inhibition effect against standard strains of examined microorganisms. Their effect against Gram-positive bacteria was higher than Gram-negative bacteria. The antimicrobial activity of the ethanolic extract from the inflorescence of S. lavandulifolia was higher than the alcoholic extract of the roots.Recommended applications/industries: The overall results indicated the ethanolic extract of the inflorescence of Stachys lavandulifolia has the best antimicrobial effects and it can be employed in manufacturing desirable bactericidal agents.

Background & Aim: Interest in alternative medicine and plant-derived medications that affect the "mind" is growing. Stachys lavandulifolia Vahl subsp. lavandulifolia (Lamiaceae) is widely used in south Anatolia as herbal tea. It is used for the treatment of gastrointestinal and respiratory disorders. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of the hydro-alcoholic extract of Stachys lavanduifolia Vahl against eight bacteria.Experimental: The present study was done to determine the antimicrobial activity and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of extract Stachys lavandulifolia against human pathogenic bacteria. The antimicrobial effect of ethanolic extracts of Stachys lavandulifolia was determined using a deep-well broth micro dilution method on commercially available bacterial strains.Results: The result indicated that the MICs were observed ranges from 25 to 100 ppm for antibacterial activity of the extract from S. lavandulifolia against eight bacteria. The least MIC value was observed against P. mirabilis and E. faecalis.Recommended applications/industries: It suggests that the extract from Stachys lavanduifolia might be a promising approach for developing new anti-bacterial drugs.

Background & Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the antifungal effect of the watercress extract on the growth of Fusarium solani, the causal agent of potato dry rot.Experimental: This research was done in a completely randomized design with three concentrations and four replicates on potato dextrose agar (PDA) culture medium.Results: Results of this study indicated that all concentrations of alcoholic extract of watercress can significantly inhibit mycelia growth of Fusarium solani on PDA medium. Among different concentrations of watercress extract, the highest inhibition zone of the fungus (26.1 mm in diameter) was obtained at dose of 600 mg/ml. The rate of growth inhibition was concentration dependent. However, no significant difference in the rate of growth inhibition of the fungus by watercress extract was seen between the 500 mg/ml and 400 mg/ml or between 400 mg/ml and 300 mg/ml of the plant extract.Recommended applications/industries: The overall results of this experiment indicated that the alcoholic extract of watercress can inhibit mycelia growth of Fusarium solani in a dose dependent manner. It seems therefore, that the watercress extract has the potential to be employed for manufacturing natural fungicidal compounds. It is recommended that the experiment to be tested on potato tubers (in vivo conditions).

Background & Aim: The world production and consumption of essential oils and perfumes are increasing very fast. Lippia citriodora H.B.K. is an herbal species mainly used as a spice and medicinal plant. Endogenous levels as well exogenous application of plant growth regulators (PGR) could affect essential oil production and chemical compositions.Experimental: To study the effect of exogenous application of pgr on chemical composition and volatile oil content of lemon verbena (Lippia citriodora H.B.K.), an experiment was conducted based on Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. Experimental treatments included distillated water (positive Control), without treatment (negative Control), indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) (2mgL-1), 6-benzyl amino purine (BAP) (2mgL-1) and IAA + BAP (2mgL-1). The hydro-distillated essential oil was analyzed by GC and GC/MS.Results: More than 23 volatile components have been characterized as constituents of L. citriodora oil. Neral, geranial, 1,8-cineole and limonene were the major compounds of the essential oil from lemon verbena. Neral significantly increased by exogenous application of IAA + BAP (2mgL-1), whereas 1,8-cineole significantly increased by IAA (2mgL-1).Recommended applications/industries: Citral (geranial + neral) is a valuable flavor and scent reagent that is used in food and perfume industries. Generally, exogenous application of IAA, IAA+BAP and distilled water can increase medicinal and nutritional values of L. citriodora.

Background & Aim: Essential oil of pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium L.) has many applications in food, perfume and pharmaceutical industries. The aim of this study was to determine the content and chemical constituents of pennyroyal essential oil growing wild in Southern Iran.Experimental: The aerial parts of the plant were collected around Hajiabad, Hormozgan province in 2013. The essential oil of dried aerial parts was extracted by hydro-distillation and analyzed using GC-MS.Results: The oil yield of pennyroyal aerial parts was 0.6% (v/w). In total, 55 compounds were identified in the essential oil that oxygenated monoterpenes were dominant. The major oil constituents were pulegone (46.18%), piperitenone (19.56%), 1,8-cineole (4.55 %), and piperitenone oxide (4.23%).Recommended applications/industries: Mentha pulegium is a good raw source of pulegone that has been widely used in food and drug industries.

Background & Aim: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are commonly used in clinical medicine. The adverse effects they produce in the gastrointestinal tract however, often limit their utility. Oxidative stress has been shown to occur in the small intestine in response to the oral administration of indomethacin. In view of this, the effect of thyme essential oil, an agent with anti-oxidant properties, was evaluated on indomethacin-induced small intestinal damage in a rat model.Experimental: The chemical composition of thyme essential oil was identified by gas chromatography mass spectrometry. Tissues morphology affected by indomethacin, with and without treatment with thyme, was measured.Results & Discussion: The small intestine morphology (villus height, villus width, and crypt depth and crypt width of duodenum, jejunum and ilea) from indomethacin-treated animals with thyme oil was significantly improved than those from indomethacin animals. Treatment with thyme oil was found to ameliorate these drug-induced changes.Recommended applications/industries: The essential oil of thyme appears to hold promise as an agent that can potentially reduce non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs induced small intestinal damage.

Background & Aim: Mammea africana sabine (Guttiferae) stembark commonly used traditionally to treat various diseases and ailments was evaluated for nephroprotective activity against paracetamol – induced kidney injury in rats to confirm its use in the treatment of kidney diseases.Experimental: The nephroprotective effect of the extract was evaluated by the determination of some kidney function parameters such as serum urea and creatinine, electrolyes (K+, Na+, Cl- and HCO-3), antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), reduced glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA) and histopathological study of the liver.Results & Discussion: The administration of the stembark extract caused significant dose-dependent reduction of high levels of serum creatinine and urea. The electrolytes levels were not affected. Histology of the kidney sections of extract and silymarin- treated animals showed reductions in the pathological features compared to the paracetamol- treated animals. The chemical pathological changes were consistent with histopathological observations suggesting marked nephroprotective effect of the stembark extract of M. AfricanaRecommended applications/industries: The results show that the stembark extract of Mammea africana has nephroprotective potential which may be due to its antioxidant effect activity.