Armaghane Danesh
Year:2012 | Volume:16 | Issue:5 (65)|Papers Count:10

Background & Aim: Due to the side effects of chemical and synthetic preservatives, consumers have recently become more eager to use foods containing natural preservatives from plants, animals and microbial sources. In the present study, biochemical composition and antibacterial effects (MIC) of Mentha longifolia L. essential oil against Staphylococcus aureus have been evaluated.Methods: In this experimental study, the biochemical composition and antibacterial prosperities of this essential oil was determined by the Gas chromatography/ mass spectrophotometer (GC/MS) and micro dilution method respectively. The morphological and membrane changes of the bacterial cell under the effect of this essential oil were evaluated by transmission electron microscopy. The collected data was analyzed by the SPSS software using ANOVA.Results: The chemical analysis of the essential oil by Gas chromatography/ mass spectrophotometer (GC/MS) revealed the presence of 22 substances (95.30%), mainly including Pulegon (31.54%), 1, 8 Cineol (15.89%), Menthoforan (11.8%) and Cis- Isopulegon (9.74%). Minimum inhibitory concentration of the essential oil determined under different temperature and pH values showed to be in the range of 75-1200 mg/ ml.Conclusion: The MIC results and membrane cell damage observed in the electron microscopy evaluation indicated that this essential oil have a high antibacterial activity. Therefore, this essential oil can be combined with other agents for the preservation of foods against pathogenic and toxigenic microorganisms.

Background & Aim: Quality of life promotion is important for control of type II diabetes and its complications. The aim of this study was to investigate the predictive role of demographical, psychological and disease characteristics factors on quality of life in patients with type II diabetes.Methods: This cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2010-2011 in outpatient’s diabetic clinics of Tehran University of Medical Sciences. 269 outpatients with type II diabetes were selected by convenience sampling method. Data were collected by scales of Quality of Life Scale, Depression of DASS, diabetes self-management, diabetes knowledge, and demographical Information-disease characteristics questionnaire and analyzed, using correlation and stepwise multiple regression.Results: there was a significantly positive relationship between self-management and diabetes knowledge with quality of life. Moreover, there was a significantly negative relationship between diabetes duration, depression, HbA1c and diabetes complications with quality of life (P<0.001). Diabetes duration, self-management, diabetes knowledge, HbA1c, depression, diabetes complications and socio-economic status significantly predicted the quality of life variance in patients with type II diabetes (P<0.001). The duration of diabetes had the most significant role in defining the quality of life among these patients.Conclusion: Findings of this study indicated that diabetes duration, self-management, diabetes knowledge, Glycated hemoglobin, depression, diabetes complications and socio-economic status are important in quality of life for patients with type II diabetes.

Background & Aim: Malassezia furfur is a lipophilic yeast and is known as the agent of skin diseases, especially tinea versicolor. The aim of this study was to compare the antifungal effect of licorice root, Althoca officinalis extracts and ketoconazole on Malassezia furfur.Methods: In this study, the antifungal effect of ethanolic extracts of Althoca officinalis root and licorice and ketoconazole on Malassezia furfur was evaluated by broth dilution method. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum concentration of fatality (MFC) for each of the compounds was calculated according to visual reading and the number of fungal colonies (CFU) compared with the control group. The gathered data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney test.Results: MIC range of Althoca officinalis flower, Althoca officinalis root, licorice root extracts and ketoconazole was determined as: 18.25, 300, 500 and 2.65 mg/ml. MFC range for extracts of Althoca officinalis flower and ketoconazole was determined as: 50 £ and 32 £ mg/ml.Conclusion: The present study showed that Althoca officinalis flower extract compared with the Althoca officinalis root and licorice root extracts have a higher antifungal effect. Also ketoconazole, compared with these extracts, have a high antifungal effect on Malassezia furfur.

Background & Aim: Both exercise and unusual environments cause changes in the immune system function. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of exercise on the total numbers of blood Leukocytes and platelets of the athletes in cold, warm and normal temperature conditions.Methods: In this clinical trial, ten young male endurance athletes conducted the same exercise (treadmill running) for an hour at the intensity of %60 VO2 max in three normal, cold and warm temperature conditions. The number of Leukocytes, neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes and platelets were counted before, immediately and two hours after exercise (during recovery). The collected data were analyzed using the repeated measure and post hoc Bonferroni tests.Results: The total number of leukocytes increased significantly after exercise, in all circumstances (p<0.0001). The number of neutrophils, only in warm temperatures, and lymphocytes, in cold temperatures, didn’t increased significantly (p>0.05). During the rest period (recovery), the number of monocytes and lymphocytes decreased significantly in cold, normal and warm environments (p<0.05) while decreases in the number of leukocyte, exception with neutrophils, was not significant in the warm environment (p<0.05).Conclusion: Exercise in cold, normal and warm environments caused stimulation and aggregation of immune cells. However, the exercise in warm environment increased the number of blood immune cells and also delayed the immune system in reaching the initial condition during the rest period, after the exercise.

Background & Aim: Cinnamon is a plant with many pharmaceutical effects. The present research evaluated the effects of Cinnamon bark extract on serum proteins level in male Balb/c mice.Methods: In this experimental study, 40 small Balb/c mice were chosen and divided into 5 groups: a control group, a case group, and three treatment groups. Normal saline was administered as placebo to the case group while the control group received no injections. Cinnamon extract in doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg/Kg/48hr were injected intraperitoneally for 20 days to treatment groups. The levels of pre albumin, albumin, alpha-1, alpha-2, beta and gamma globulins were separated electrophoretically and calculated from the pattern of electrophoretogram.Results: The result indicated that the levels of pre albumin decreased significantly in two experimental groups (doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg), the levels of alpha-1 and beta in 200 group, alpha-2 level in 100 and gamma in 100 and 200 groups increased significantly.The injection of 100 mg/Kg/48h extract of Cinnamon decreased (p<0.05) the albumin level in plasma in treatment group as compared to the control group.Conclusion: Results of this study indicated that the serum level of globulins has not changed dramatically by the extract of Cinnamon. Since albumin synthesis occurs in the liver cells‚ thus administration of Cinnamon may affect the function of liver cells.

Background & Aim: Antioxidants are compounds that protect the body against damage caused by oxidative stress. This study evaluated the antioxiadant properties of vegetables consumed in Yasouj, Iran.Methods: In this experimental study conducted at Yasouj University of Medical Sciences in 2010, the samples (parsley, coriander, spinach, tomato, and eggplant) were collected from the village of Imam Zadeh Jafar and Yasouj. Their methanol extracts were prepared, then total phenol and flavonoids were assessed by Folin-Ciocalteu and Zyshen methods respectively. The antioxidant activities of the plants were estimated by using Diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH), Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), Ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), phosphomolybdat, and nitric oxide. The collected data were analyzed by the SPSS software (version 17) using one-way ANOVA.Results: parsley and eggplant had the highest and lowest amount of total phenol respectively, while spinach and eggplant had the most and the least amount of flavonoids respectively. Antioxidant activity of coriander and tomato were maximum and minimum by diphenylpicrylhydrazyl method respectively. In both FRAP and TEAC methods, spinach and tomato had the highest and lowest antioxidant activity respectively. By the nitric oxide assay, coriander had the highest and spinach had the lowest amount, while spinach had the highest antioxidant activity according to Phosphomolybdat method.

Background & Aim: Mood disorders refer to a category of mental problems which intensively affect the person's mood quality and change his perception of self and the environment. The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of an eight-week resistance activity on mood disorders (depression and mania) in secondary education students of Yasouj, Iran.Methods: The present research was a quasi-experimental field study. The statistical population of the research included all male secondary education students of Yasouj city, and among the main population, 854 students were selected using cluster-random sampling. A questionnaire was filled up for by each student. Twenty four of the students showed symptoms of depression or mania. The depressed students randomly set in two groups with 9 samples (case & control) and manic students set in two groups with 3 samples in each group. Two subscales of depression and mania, and Minnesota multiphasic questionnaire (MMPI-A) were used in this study. Having completed the pretest, the experimental group completed a course of endurance exercise for 8 weeks, including three 50-minute sessions per week with intensity of 55 to 65% of maximum consuming energy, while the control group had no physical exercise. Finally, four groups were given post tests. The collected data were analyzed using dependent and independent t-test.Results: A significant difference between the mean score of depression and mania in pretest and posttest of the experimental group was seen. Also there was a significant difference between the mean score of depression of the experimental and control groups after intervention (p<0.001), whereas the mean scores of mania between the two groups weren' t statistically significant (p>0.05).Conclusion: It can be mentioned that resistance exercises have a significant effect on lessening depression and mania, and this decrease is much more sensible in depression disorder than mania

Background & Aim: Intensive care units (ICUs) are recognized as stressful environments. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of emotional intelligence education items on job related stress on physicians and nurses who work in intensive care units at hospitals of Yerevan, Armenia.Methods: A interventional study design was implemented with 106 registered hospital physicians and nurses, who were widely distributed all the way through. Case group was taught about 15 E.I items. For data collection, the 20-question Berger situational (overt) anxiety questionnaire, the 20- item personality (covert) anxiety questionnaire, and the Bar-on emotional intelligence questionnaire with 133 questions were used. Statistical descriptive methods, chi-square (X2) and t-tests were used to analyze data.Results: The research achievements revealed that the average score of the case group`s situational anxiety was 46.59 before intervention, which decreased to 39.95 after the training of the items of emotional intelligence. The average score of situational anxiety of control group was 44.32 before intervention which increased to 44.76 after examination. There was a meaningful statistical difference between case and control group after education of emotional intelligence`s items (p=0.001).Conclusion: Results of the current study showed that physicians and nurses experience high level of stress. The ability to effectively deal with emotion intelligence and emotional information in the workplace assists employees in coping with occupational stress and should be developed in stress managing trainings.

Background & Aim: Peer assisted learning is a useful educational method in clinical teaching from which students benefit as teachers and learners. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of peer assisted learning on clinical reasoning in students of medicine in clerkship and internship phases in urology ward.Methods: Six consecutive groups of clerkship students (N=42) and internship students (N=24) who had simultaneously entered the urology ward were assigned to control and case groups by alphabetical order in groups of four and seven. The first three groups were assigned as the control group and the second three groups were assigned as the case group. Some parts of teachers' duties were undertaken by Interns in the case group and data were collected from pre and posttests results. The data were analyzed using dependent t-test.Results: The mean difference of trainees' scores in domains of information gathering, hypothesis formation, and problem solving showed a statistically significant increase in the case group in comparison with the control group (P<0.05).Conclusion: Peer assisted learning was effective in promoting clinical reasoning skill among training students. Training allows the integration of attitudes, skills and knowledge in teacher and solace in learners. The promotion of students' independence in learning can lead to the improvement of their clinical reasoning skills.

Background& Aim: Today, high blood pressure is considered a risk, so this study was carried out to investigate the knowledge and practice of hypertensive patients based on national program to prevent and control the disease in Boyer Ahmad district.Methods: This cross sectional descriptive study was conducted on 237 patients with high blood pressure in 2008. Subjects were selected by stratified random sampling. Data collection instrument was a questionnaire designed by the researcher. The gathered data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi square test.Results: The overall awareness and practice level of the patients were 78.5% and 35.5%, respectively. Overall performance of patients was 35.5%, and 85.2% of patients took the prescribed medicine as directed by their physician.42.2 percent of patients had appropriate physical exercise and 4.2 percent had managed to quit smoking. Relationship between literacy and general awareness of patients was significant (P=0.001). The difference between the blood pressure prior and after the diagnosis was also significant (P<0.001). Systolic blood pressure of subjects has been increased by 1.26 mm Hg unit per year since the diagnosis of their hypertension. Correlation of knowledge and practices of the subjects showed that one point increase in the awareness of patients resulted in 0.12 points in their practices. (P=0.001).Conclusion: The present study revealed that education services to the target populations were consistent with national programming, but their performance in the field of medicine, diet, exercise and quit smoking program was not compliant. A further study to improve the performance of patients is recommended.