[Antioxidant activity of different extracts of the Artemisia Annua growing in an area of Babol city]

Background: Plants are an important source of antioxidants that can help to cell's normal metabolism via preventing accumulation of free radicals and so, prevent developing diseases associated with oxidative stress. Thus, the present study was performed to determine the antioxidant properties of Artemissia Annua extracts [AA].

Methods and materials: at first, Artemisia Annua with a local name as Gandvash identified and then some parts of its leaves and flowers into powder. Extracting was done using water, ethanol and methanol solvent. FRAP assay was performed to determine the antioxidant properties. For this purpose, extract solutions with 20% concentration were added to FRAP solution and after incubation, the optical absorption values was measured. The ferrous sulfate and vitamin C were used as standard solutions.

Results: the Mean total antioxidant capacity [TAC] for methanolic leaves extract was 72.18 +/- 4.18 micro mol ferrous sulfate and 90.31 +/- 5.27 mg of vitamin C per gram of dry weight, which is considerably higher than other extracts [p<0.001] . TAC of Ethanolic extract of leaves and Methanolic extract of flowers ranked lower in terms of significance . There was no significant difference between aqueous extracts of leaves and flowers in TAC [p>0.05] while, the ethanol extract of the leaves and flowers were different significantly [p <0.01]

Conclusion: Various extracts of A.A showed different TAC values which may result from some differences in efficiency level of solvents used in extracting of plant's antioxidant substances. It seems that the methanol is better solvent in comparison to the ethanol and water for extracting of antioxidant materials.besides, The TAC findings of methanolic extracts of leaves and flowers suggest this is likely that the A.A antioxidant compounds distributed more in the leaves.

Aflatoxin M1 in pasteurized milk in Babol city, Mazandaran province, Iran

Aflatoxin M1 [AFM1] is the metabolite of aflatoxin B1 [AFB1] and is found in milk when lactating animals are fed with contaminated feedstuff. The presence of AFM1 in milk, pose a major risk for humans especially kids as it can have immunosuppressive, mutagenic, teratogenic and carcinogenic effects. The present study is aimed to investigate the occurrence of AFM1 in subsidized pasteurized milk in Babol, Mazandaran Province, Iran. Some 72 pasteurized milk packages were collected from supermarkets in various districts of city during January to March 2006. Milk samples were centrifuged and amounts of 100 micro l of skimmed milk were tested for AFM1 contamination by competitive ELISA. All the samples [100%] exhibited contamination with AFM1. The contamination levels means in January, February, and March were 227.85, 229.64, and 233.1ng/l, respectively. The amount of AFM1 in all the samples were above 50ng/l, the threshold set by the European community regulations. Monitoring of AFM1 level should be part of quality control procedures in dairy factories, particularly the ones providing infant's milk. Production of safer and healthier milk and other dairy products with minimum AFM1 level can be achieved by adopting prophylactic measures including control of humidity and water content of feedstuff, which favors mould production

First report of intestinal myiasis due to eristalis tenax in Iran

Eristalis tenax, belonging to order Diptera, family Syrphidae seldomly causes intestinal myiasis. Intestinal myiasis caused by E. tenax larvae is a rare manifestation found in both humans and other vertebrate animals. We report a 22-year-old woman presented with this myiasis. The larva in her stool sample was identified as E. tenax related to its typical morphology and authentic clues. Lack of specific control measures in the domestic water supply system was the most probable cause of this infestation

[Oral mycotic flora and its association with dental caries in Babol dental students in 2005]

Candida albicans is colonized on different oral surfaces such as tongue, palate, dental caries and plaques. Different factors like age, sex, diet, dietary habits and oral hygiene play role in amount and severity of colonization of this microorganism. Our goal was to determine the relationship between the existence of Candida albicans in oral cavities and dental caries in students of dentistry. This descriptive-analytical study was performed on 121 students of Babol dental school without any history of systemic disease and use of antibiotics or streoidal drugs. After explaining study goals and getting informed consent, the students' demographic information and medical histories were recorded in data sheets. Then clinical examination for determination of DMFT and plaque index was done. Salivary PH was measured. Dental plaque samples were cultured. Data were analysed by SPSS 10.5 using Student t-test, Fisher's Exact test, Mann-Whitney U test and Chi-Square test. 63 [52.1%] students were male and 58 [47.9%] female. The mean age was 24.61 +/- 5.2 years. Candida culture was positive in 53 [43.8%] salivary and 51 [42.1%] plaque samples which in 50[94.3%] of salivary and 45 [88.3%] of plaque cultures was Candida Albicans. 44 students [36.4%] were caries free. The positive Candida cultures were more common in students with more dental caries, less than 7 restorations, oral PH<7, and moderate dental plaque [P<0.05]. It was also more common among smoker students. Presence of Candida Albicans in saliva and plaque samples had no relationship with sugar intake, number of brushing times and sex. Dental caries have significant relationship with existence of Candida Albicans in mouth, low salivary PH and smoking [P<0.05]. Candida Albicans is the most common type of Candida in oral cavity

Efficacy of Terbinafine 1% cream versus clotrimazole 1% cream in the treatment of pityriasis versicolor

Terbinafine a member of allylamines group is a new class of antimycotic agents that blocks sterol biosynthesis in the fungi through inhibition of sequalene epoxidase and with consequent sequalene accumulation due to a primarily fungicidal process. Terbinafine is very effective on various fungi as an oral and topical antifungal agent. The aim of this study was to compare the antifungal efficacy of terbinafine 1% cream with clotrimazole 1% in patients with pityriasis versicolor. This clinical trial study was performed on 50 patients [30 males and 20 females] with mean age of 20 years [aged between 15-55 years] who randomly treated with terbinafine and clotrimazole for 4 weeks. The efficacy of drug and improving process evaluated mycologically and clinically before starting the study and at the end of each week. A patient was considered mycologically cured when direct microscopy was negative and clinically cured when all clinical parameters were considered negative. Negativizations of all clinical parameters were observed within 2 weeks in 60% of terbinafine and 35% clotrimazole recipients. At the end of four weeks, disappearance of lesions were seen in 90% and 80%, respectively [p<0.05]. The percentage of negativization of direct microscopy in terbinafine group was 1.4 fold higher than that clotrimazole group after 2 weeks of treatment. At the end of therapy, 95% of terbinafine and 90% of clotrimazole treated subjects were clinically cured [p>0.05]. Both drug eruptions and intolerance in two treated groups were similar. Although the efficacy of the both drugs is similar, but considering the expense of therapy, clotrimazole is preferred regimen for therapy of tinea versicolor

Prevalence of superficial mycosis in children of elementary schools [babol; 2003-2004]

Superficial mycoses are the most common infection in Iran. Scalp mycoses are most frequently seen in children especially in elementary schools. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of superficial mycoses in children of elementary schools. In this descriptive study, among 20000 elementary school students in Babol, 2100 were randomly assessed during 2003-2004. Cluster sampling was used in schools. Students were clinically examined for fungal infections of hair, skin and nail and sampling was taken from suspicious cases. Direct microscopic and culture examination of samples were performed. Among 2100 students, 136 cases [6.5%] had skin lesion. Fungal infection was seen in 35% after the microscopic and cultural examination. There were four cases of tinea versicolor [0.2%], 2 cases of periungal candidiasis [0.1%] and 1 case of tinea capitis [0.05%] caused by microsporum canis. According to the result of this study, superficial fungal infections are seen less among elementary school students

[Infection of river whitefishes [rutilus rutilus] by ligula intestinalis parasite in Aras dam; case series]

A lot of organisms including parasites cause damages to the fishes. Ligulosis is one of the most common parasitic infections and is economically the most important fish diseases in sweet water. This study was performed to introduce the cases of river whitefishes infected by Ligula intestinalis parasite. Case: 50 river whitefishes [Rutilus rutilus], which had been hunted from Aras dam prepared from Babol fish market and transferred to parasitology department of Babol medical school. For more investigation, the samples were kept in 10% formalin. On average most of these fishes had 4 to 5 numbers of plerocercoid larvae that their size was on average 30 +/- 5 centimeters. Conclusion: This parasite has been known to infect aquatic animals especially breeding fishes that many scholars in the world reported it and there are some reports from Iran. The important point is the toxin produced by this parasite, which causes special physiologic side effects in fishes such as infertility, reduction of body weight, pale and etc and this toxin can be harmful for human health