Journal of Medicinal Plants
Year:2002 | Volume:1 | Issue:2|Papers Count:14

Anti-ulcer and acute toxicity effect of Anethum graveolens seed aqueous and ethanolic extracts were studied in mice. Gastric mucosal lesions were induced by oral administration of HCL (1 N) and absolute ethanol to mice. The acidity of gastric juice was measured in pyloric ligated mice. LD50 values of the aqueous and ethanolic extracts were 3.04 g/kg, i.p. (5.69, 6.16) and 6.98 g/kg, i.p. (5.69, 8.56), respectively. The efficacy of high dose of extracts (p.o.) was similar to sucralfate. The acidity was reduced by the orally or intraperitoneally administration of the extracts. The results suggest that A. graveolens seed extracts have significant antisecretory and mucosal protective effects in mice

The anticonvulsant effects of aqueous and ethanolic extracts as well as essential oil of Cuminum cyminum L. seeds were studied in mice. In pentylenetetrazole test, the essential oil and the extracts of seeds prolonged the onset time of tonic convulsion, but failed to produce complete protection against mortality. In this test, the anticonvulsant efficacy of the aqueous (2.8 g/kg) and ethanolic (5 g/kg) extracts was similar as phenobarbital at a dose of 20 mg/kg. In maximal electroshock test, the aqueous (4 g/kg) and ethanolic (5 g/kg) extracts as well as essential oil (0.35 g/kg) decreased the duration of tonic seizures by 37.6%, 68.2% and 59.1%, respectively. These results indicate that the extracts and essential oil of Cuminum cyminum seeds may have efficacy in petit mal and grand mal seizures.

The objective of this study was evaluation of Vitex agnus castus) VACS) extract in alleviation of symptoms of premenstrual syndrome. The study was designed as double blind; placebo controlled in two parallels groups (each 15 patients). Treatment phase lasted 3 consequent menstrual cycles (2 * 30 drops/ day =1.8 ml of VACS) or placebo. For assessment of the efficacy, visual analogue scale was used. Altogether 20 patients were included into the stastiscal analysis (each 10 patients). Good response of mental Symptoms to treatment was 70% for Vitex Compared to 30% for placebo. Seventy percent of women showed a great than 50% improvement in score compared with only 40% of taking placebo. Our results suggest a beneficial effect of Vitex in the treatment of PMS.

The earliest indications of medicinal plant use by humans were found in the Middle East and date back to the Stone Age. Travelers and traders introduced Greek and Roman Curative Practices to Indian & Chinese Practitioners, who blended them with their even older ones. Reintroduced by knights returning from the Crusades, these modified practices energized medieval European medicine and the Unani Medicine al Muslims. This cross- pollination of ideas and theories between European and Asian Cultures regarding medicinal plants helped advanced knowledge about plants and somewhat standardize their uses. Books cataloging medicinal plants helped preserve, disseminate and standardize this knowledge.

Depression is a major health problem and is not only underrecognized and undertreated but is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Lavandula officinalis is used to treat depression. Our objective was to compare the efficacy of tincture of Lavandula officinalis with imipramine in the treatment of mild to moderate depression and to evaluate the possible adjuvant effect of this tincture in a 4 week double-blind, randomized pilot study. 45 adult outpatients who met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition for major depression based on the structured clinical interview for DSM-IV participated in the trial. Patients has a baseline Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression score at least 18. In this double-blind, single-center trial, patients were randomly assigned to receive Lavandula tincture 60 drops/day plus placebo tablet (Group 1) tablet imipramine 100 mg/day plus placebo drop (Group 2) and tablet imipramine 100 mg/day plus Lavandula tincture 60 drops/day, for a 4-week study. In this small preliminary double-blind and randomized comparison of Lavandula tincture and imipramine in the treatment of mild to moderate depression Lavandula was found to be less effective than imipramine. Nevertheless, combination of imipramine and lavandula tincture was more effective than imipramine alone. As this study indicates, one of the advantages of this combination is a rapid onset of activity. In addition, in the imipramine group anticholinergic effects such as dry mouth and urinary retention were observed more often that was predicatable whereas headache was observed more in the lavandule tincture group. The main overall finding from this study is that lavandula tincture may be of therapeutic benetit in the management if mild to moderate depression. A large- sxale trial is justified.

The experimental study indicate that the internal and external gluthation are imprtant in cellular stability aginst sulphur mustared (SM) toxicity. The increase of external gluthation protects cells against SM and the decrease of internal gluthation dcreases cellular stability against SM toxicity. In present study the bee pollen cream (BPC) was tested against skin injury induced by SM due to its potential anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, wound healing, anti-oxidative and capillary strengthen activity that may affect the process of healing. The 20 µl of 10% sulfur mustard in isopropyl alcohol was dropped on shaved skin of guinea pig. The bee pollen (20%), silver sulfadiazine(1%), aloe vera cream and cream base was applied on the affected skin two times a day for 20 days and the area of injury was measured on 10, 25 and 30 days. The results indicate that the area of injury at 10, 25 and 30 days in the BPC treated group was significantly (P<0.05) lowered than compared to silver sulfadiazine, aloe vera cream and cream base treated groups.This positive result may need further experimental study using BPC having different percentage of active gredient as well as cream made up of mixture of alcoholic and water extraction of bee pollen testing for treatment of burn and SM inuced skin injury.

Artemisinin is an antimalarial compound that is naturally found in A.annua L. (Asteraceae) The leaves of A.annua L. growing wild in the north of Iran are collected and extracted for measuring artemisinin by HPLC. The most amount of artemisinin(0.097%) was found in the sample collected from Macaroud and the lowest amount (0.024%) belonged to the sample grown in Doab

In the past, herbs were considered as the primary and most available therapeutic source. Although therapeutic herbs have been limited to be consumed through chemical and synthetic drugs with all diversities, recently they are considered interesting for treatment of disease in the world elucidating the importance of public knowledge and attitude for their accurate usage with physicians advice (pharmacologist or herbal physician). <> br As one of the aims of pharmocognosy is knowing and evaluating herbal drugs, it appreciates that more effort would be performed to introduce these natural riches to public, and generally determine the situation of herbal medicine for public and physicians, and elucidate their benefits for people. This study aimed to determine the level of public knowledge, attitude and practice regarding usage of herbal drugs and tries to promote public to consume these herbs, determining the existing lacks and suggesting practical strategies to improve the situation of herbal medicine. This descriptive qualitative study was performed on the adults aged twenty years up in Isfahan population through multistage sampling. Twenty clusters were selected randomly among 200 clusters in Isfahan population. From each clusters, 84 people aged 20 years up was randomly selected (42 men, 42 women). The total sample size was 1680. The tool for data collection was questionnaire completed through interviewing. This questionnaire included 23 questions (for evaluating knowledge, attitude and practice there were four questions each). The questions were categorized to three levels of credit including weak, moderate & good. The data was entered to a file in SPSS and statistically analyzed with Kruskal Wallis, Mann Withney & also obtained descriptive statistically (including frequency & standard deviation). In this study, 63% of men had a knowledge level of weak to moderate and 59% of women had the good knowledge. Also, 50% of total subjects in all age groups were in a good level for knowledge and less than 50% of them had the weak or moderate knowledge. Regarding attitude, both sexes were good and regarding practice both were weak. Generally, the knowledge, attitude and practice of women were better then mens (P=0.001). Also, there was no significant difference among different age groups as knowledge, attitude & practice regarding usage of herbal drugs (P>0.05). The results showed that women were better than men in all studied aspects probably due to more exposition of women to mass media and having more time for usage of these sources. Also, women have more time to discuss & interchange opinions but men interchange their thought mainly on economic aspects and eliminating problems & obstacles at work. Also the results showed that the practice was weaker than attitude & knowledge in both sexes that probably is due to the ignorance regarding preparation and usage of herbal drugs. It determines the necessity of education by four groups: mass media, intermediate education, high education, clinical- research education in scientific centers and universities.