[Comparative study of essential oil composition of the aerial parts of three populations of acorus calamus in iran]

Background: Multiple medicinal properties of Acorus calamus, a recently rediscovered plant species in Iran were reported. It is not available any information about chemical composition of essential oil of the species in Iran, therefore such study is necessary

Objective: In this research essential oil composition of aerial parts of three populations of Acorus calamus was studied

Methods: Plant materials were collected from their natural habitats in Mazandaran Province [Arzefoon, Pelesk and Alandan]. Essential oils were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed using GC and GC-MS

Results: In total, 41 components were characterized, and are reported for the first time from Iran. The essential oil yield is 0.5%, 0.45% and 0.48% in Arzefoon, Pelesk and Alandan populations respectively. The main compounds identified in the oils are cis-asarone [27-53%], calamusenone [6.6-9.8%], [E]-caryopyllene [6.3–7.3%], trans-asarone [4.7–6.6%], acorenone [3.6–4.9%] and [E]- and beta;-farnesene [0.8–5%]

Conclusion: The results revealed that essential oil compositions of three studied populations are quantitative and qualitatively different from each other and also other samples from various origins which could be attributed to their ecological growing factors such as altitude

[ ethnobotanical study on the medicinal plants of zarm-rood rural district of neka [mazandaran province]]

Medicinal usage of plants is a main part of indigenous people culture which has been formed during centuries in rural area. This knowledge is regarded as a suitable guideline to discovering of novel drugs in modern medicine. This study has tried to determine and introduce the medicinal plant species, the parts and the way of usage of plants of Zaram-rood in Neka area [North of Iran] using indigenous people questioning. The flora of the region was studied during the years of 1391 and 1392. At first, the villages and paths were carefully identified by using the appropriate geographical maps and the information was gathered by interviewing with knowledgeable indigenous people. The plant samples were collected from their natural habitats and identified by floristic references. They were deposited in Sari Payame Noor University Herbarium. A total of 64 medicinal plant species belonging to 51 genera and 34 families were collected and identified. The largest families from the viewpoint of species number are Rosaceae and Lamiaceae with 9 and 7 species, respectively. The most medicinal effects were observed in remedy of digestive, blood circulation, and urine excretion system disorders. Amongst identified medicinal plants, 16 species were introduced with new usages. Ethnobotanical knowledge of the area has more remained in old people memory and it is possible to be vanished in later decades. As a result, documenting of this knowledge is necessary. Moreover, there is a good chance to find species with more and useful pharmacological features through ethnobotanical studies

[Optimization of gene expression and purification of Legionella pneumophila peptidoglycan associated lipoprotein recombinant protein]

There are many problems with most of the available diagnostic tests used to diagnose Legionella pneumonia, including inadequate sensitivity and specificity, and inability to provide a result in a clinically useful time period. Legionella pneumophila PAL protein has been considred as a target for detecting of Legionella infection from urine specimen, because it is conserved sequence and is secreted into the urine. The aim of this study was to optimize expression and purification of L. pneumophila PAL protein. In this experimental study, optimizing of 5 parameters [cell density, induction time, growth temperature, IPTG concentration and type of medium] was performed. After expression, periplasmic extract was prepared and recombinant PAL protein purified using Ni2+-charged resin column. Finally, recombinant PAL protein was verified by Western blotting. In terrific broth medium, the optimum condition of r-PAL protein induction was occurred at an OD600 of 0.6, 1mM IPTG concentration and 15 hours incubation at 25°C Recombinant periplasmic PAL protein was highly purified [>80%] using Ni-NTA column. Western blotting analysis showed that recombinant PAL protein was also specifically recognized by anti-His6-peroxidase antibody. By purification of recombinant PAL protein in purity greater than 80% it can be used to evaluate its capacity in diagnosis of Legionella infection and preparation of diagnostic kit

Token reinforcement therapeutic approach is more effective than exercise for controlling negative symptoms of schizophrenic patients: aÿrandomized controlled trial

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of exercise and token-behavior therapy on the negative symptoms of schizophrenic patients. Comparison of the effectiveness of exercise and token-behavior therapy on the negative symptoms of schizophrenic patients. This research was a randomized controlled clinical trial that was done on 45 schizophrenic patients, hospitalized in Rasht, Iran. Through systematic random allocation, the samples were placed in one control and two intervention groups, 15 patients in each. To assess the negative symptoms, the scale for the assessment of negative symptoms [SANS] was used. The effect of the interventions used [exercise and token-behavior therapy] was studied by completing the relevant checklists before and after using the interventions, and then, by comparing it with that of the studied control group. In order to analyze the collected data, one way ANOVA and Bonferroni's test and SPSS software were used. Analyses showed that the token reinforcement approach was highly and significantly more effective than exercise for reducing the negative symptoms in schizophrenic patients [-36 +/- 7 vs. -21 +/- 8, respectively; P<0.001]. Exercise was also shown to have a highly significant advantage over no therapy, in controls, to improve the negative symptoms in schizophrenic patients [-25 +/- 8 vs. 0.2 +/- 1.08, respectively; P<0.001]. Both exercise and token-behavior therapies, along with drug treatment, are very effective in reducing the negative symptoms of schizophrenia; but the impact of token therapy is significantly higher

[Effect of intravenous vitamin C on sleep quality in hemodialysis patients]

Poor sleep quality is common among hemodialysis patients and can potentially predict morbidity, mortality and quality of life in these patients. On the other hand, hemodialysis patients are encountered with vitamin C deficiency. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of intravenous vitamin C on sleep quality in hemodialysis patients. In this double blind randomized clinical trial, 60 qualified hemodialysis patients were gone under investigation in Sari a city located in North of Iran during 2010. Patients randomly allocated in two equal intervention and control groups. The main measured outcome was the Pittsburg sleep quality index [PSQI] which consists of seven components. At the end of each hemodialysis session, Intervention group received vitamin C vial [500mg/5cc] intravenously, three times a week for 8 weeks and control group received normal saline in a same way. Data were collected at pretreatment and after two months of treatment. Data were analyzed by Independent t test, Paired t test, Wilcoxon and Chi-Square tests. The result indicated that the sleep quality improves significantly in vitamin C group but not in control group [P<0.001]. Vitamin C caused significant improvement in subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, habitual sleep efficiency and sleep disturbances in intervention group [p<0.05]. Also, Global PSQI score of intervention group had a greater improvement than control group. Moreover vitamin C caused significant improvement in subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, habitual sleep efficiency and sleep disturbances in intervention group after treatment [p< 0.05]. This study showed that intravenous vitamin C can effectively improve sleep quality in hemodialysis patients

Effect of dexamethasone in combination with acetylcysteine at different times on corneal wound healing in dogs

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of different time combinations of dexamethasone and acetylcysteine on experimentally induced corneal ulcers in dogs. Experimental corneal wounds were created surgically to the anterior one third of the cornea in the center of all eyes of 15 mixed breed dogs. The eyes were divided into five groups according to planned post-operative medications: group 1, one drop of N- acetylcysteine 3% and one drop of dexamethasone 0.1% immediately after surgery; group 2, two drops o N. acetylcysteine 3% from day 1, one drop of N-acetylcysteine 3% and one drop of dexamethasone 0.1% from day 15; group 3, two drops of N-acetylcysteine 3%; group 4, two drops of dexamethasone 0.1%; group 5 [control], two drops of normal saline. When applied immediately after corneal ulceration, dexamethasone 0.1% [group 4] decreased corneal haze significantly and did not delay corneal wound healing. Addition of dexamethasone 0.1% to N-acetylcysteine 3% from day 15 [group 2] significantly suppressed opacity at two months after the beginning of the study, but when dexamethasone 0.1% associated to N-acetylcysteine 3% immediately after corneal ulceration [group 1], significant delay in corneal wound healing was induced. It is concluded that combination of dexamethasone 0.1% and NAC 3% immediately after surgery may delay corneal wound healing, also use of these drugs individually, has no obvious clinical effect on corneal haze. On the other hand, use of these drugs in combination with each other may reduce the corneal haze in later months after discontinuation of drugs. However, further studies using larger groups of animals are needed to demonstrate the effectiveness of these pharmacological modulators following experimentally induced corneal wounds in dogs