JOURNAL OF HERBAL DRUGS
Year:2013 | Volume:4 | Issue:2|Papers Count:11

Background & Aim: Singhnad Guggulu is a traditional Ayurvedic formula for detoxifying and rejuvenating the joints. The present study was to investigate the a-amylase inhibition and antioxidant activities of aqueous extract of Singhnad Guggul (AESG).Experimental: a-Amylase inhibition assay by dinitro-salicylic acid method and antioxidant activity by ferric chelating and ferrous reducing assay.Results: AESG indicated that potent a-amylase inhibition activity (IC50=84.00 mg/ml). AESG also showed ferric chelating and ferrous reducing activities.Recommended applications/industries: Our studies showed that Singhnad Guggulu possess alpha- amylase and antioxidant properties.

Background & Aim: Strawberry (Fragaria vesca L.) is a plant belonging to the Rosaceae family with medicinal properties, including antioxidant activity. The present study aimed at investigating the antioxidant properties of strawberry.Experimental method: To examine the antioxidant effect, fruit extracts at two phonological stages of growth (ripe and unripe strawberry) were prepared. In addition, four different solvents, including 80% ethanol, 80% methanol, acetone and distilled water were used for the preparation of plant extracts. In total, eight different plant extracts were prepared and their properties comparatively studied. To study the antioxidant effect, potassium ferricyanide and reducing power determination method were used.Results & Discussion: Results indicated that strawberry fruit had antioxidant effects in both of two stages. That is due to the presence of the higher pigments and phenolic compounds in ripe fruit than unripe fruit.Recommended applications/industries: The results of present indicated the red fruit had the highest antioxidant activity.

Background & Aim: Psyllium (Plantago psyllium L.) is a native plant that grows widely in India and Iran. Different cases of using psyllium gum for its suitable rheological properties in a wide range of food products exist in nature.Experimental: In this study, different fractions of psyllium gum were extracted by water and alkali treatments. Rheological properties of these fractions were measured by Brookfield rheometer (RV DVIII). The obtained data was fitted by Herschel-bulkly model in three temperatures 30, 60 and 80oC.Results & Discussion: Results indicated that fractions show different behaviours during heating treatment.Recommended applications/industries: According to results of present study, the largest variations were observed in AEG0.5 fraction.

Background & Aim: Peppermint (Mentha piperita L.) oil is one of the most popular and widely used as an essential oil. The aim of this study was to identify of the chemical components of peppermint cultivated in Isfahan climatic conditions.Experimental: The aerial parts of the plants were collected from a filed in Meymeh, Isfahan province in 2012. The essential oil was extracted by a Clevenger approach and analyzed using GC/MS.Results & Discussion: In total, 29 compounds were identified in the essential oil from the aerial parts peppermint. The results obtained in our study indicated that the major components in the oil were camphane (14.01%), menthone (13.89%), menthol (12.37%) b-pinene (7.62%), pulegone (6.41%), b-cubebene (4.95%), a-pinene (4.743%),  g-terpinene (4.08%), delta-carane (3.81%) and piperiton (3.04%).Recommended applications/industries: The oil contents of peppermint varied slightly from year to year mostly due to variations in yearly growing weather conditions.

Background & Aim: Electromagnetic waves can damage sex organs and cause hormonal disorders, whereas garlic is known as reducing risk factors for various diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the probable effects of mobile phone radiation and consumption of garlic on estrogen and progesterone levels and ovarian changes.Experimental: Five groups of rats (n=8) were used which groups included control, sham (exposed to 900 MHz wavelength), receiving garlic extract, and receiving both extract and microwaves. After a month, rats were weighed and serum levels of estrogen and progesterone were measured. Ovaries were also removed, weighed and their probable histological changes were studied.Results & Discussion: The mean body weights in different groups showed no significant changes, whereas a significant increase was seen in serum level of progesterone in experimental groups-II and III. Also, there were no observable histological changes in the ovaries of different groups.Recommended applications/industries: Although microwaves can cause weight lost in mails and presence of allicin and vitamins A and B in garlic can compensate some of this weight lost, this isn’t the case in females. In addition, both microwaves and garlic extract have less effect on female reproductive system, reflected only in the serum progesterone concentration.

Background & Aim: A simple and rapid microwave- assisted extraction (MAE) procedure was developed and optimized for the isolation of borneol and bornyl acetate from Ferulago macrocarpa. Ferulago macrocarpa (Apiaceae) is an endemic plant in Iran.Experimental: Dried powdered aerial parts of plants were soaked in water and irradiated with microwave in a Clevenger extraction approach under optimum conditions (520 W and 0.5 h).Results & Discussion: Compared to traditional heating methods by Clevenger, the present method is more efficiency and proceeds in a short time. The isolation rates of borneol and bornyl acetate increased by about 2 and 1.3, respectively, as compared to the conventional thermal methods. Low cost, easy extraction, high purity of the extracted products and high efficiency are the advantages of this method. Furthermore, solvent free extraction of the essential oils is a good method for the development of green chemistry.Recommended applications/industries: The essential oil of this plant obtained by MAHD and HD methods, contained bornyl acetate as the most abundant component. The extracted essential oil by MAHD was qualitatively similar to that obtained by HD however; it was achieved in a much short time. Therefore pilot microwave reactor might be proven suitable for large scale extraction with potential industrial applications.

Background & Aim: The pigments inside the leaf chloroplasts receive sunlight energy and transport it to photosynthesis reaction center. The most important of these pigments is chlorophyll. In this study, the pigments existence in medicinal plant, sumac (Rhus coriaria L.), was investigated at Biotechnology Laboratory, Isfahan University of Technology.Experimental: Experiments were performed in three replicates by using the upper, middle and lower leaves of sumac. Pigments were extracted by 80% acetone from fresh leaves of the sumac. Extracts have been used for the reading at 645, 663 and 470 nm absorption wavelength for chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and carotenoids, respectively.Results & Discussion: The results showed significant difference between the amounts of pigments in different seasons (p<0.05). The amount of chlorophyll a, b, total chlorophyll and carotenoids was obtained in spring on average 0.78, 0.24, 1.02 and 3.32 mg/g of leaf, whereas it was 1.55, 0.46, 2.01 and 6.61 mg/g of leaf for winter, respectively. The total amount of carotenoid was higher than chlorophylls and both of them were high in early winter. Totally, chlorophyll a content was higher than chlorophyll b in both seasons, as well as other plants.Recommended applications/industries: Chlorophyll, carotenoids and their derivatives are important antioxidants that there are plenty of them in sumac, it reveals the potential for its use in the food industry.

Background & Aim: The use of herbs in traditional medicine to treatment of diseases and other purposes in the food industry and cosmetics has since long been considered. Considering that Heracleum lasiopetalum, Thymus carmanicus and Myrtus communis have many health benefits therefore this research were performed to investigate the chemical composition of essential oils from these plants.Experimental: The essential oil from the fruits of H. lasiopetalum, aerial parts of T. carmanicus and leaves of M. communis were extracted using a Clevenger-type apparatus and analyzed by GC/MS. Also content of the extracted essential oils were calculated.Results & Discussion: Results indicated the amount of essential oils of H. lasiopetalum, T. carmanicus, M. communiswere significant and they had volatile. The main constituents of essential oils were hydrocarbons, aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, phenols, ethers with phenolic and terpenes origin.Recommended applications/industries: Due to the health benefits and antioxidant compounds found in the essential oils of these plants are examined in vitro and in food.