Anti-inflammatory and gastroprotective activities of the aqueous extract of micromeria fruticosa [L.] druce ssp serpyllifolia in mice

Micromeria fruticosa is used widely in many Mediterranean regions for various inflammatory conditions. The aim of this work was to assess the anti-inflammatory and gastroprotective activities of the aqueous extract of Micromeria fruticosa. The aqueous extract of Micromeria fruticosa was tested orally in mice at doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg in carrageenan-induced paw edema, vascular permeability, myeloperoxidase activity [MPO] and indomethacin-induced gastric ulceration. In the paw edema model, the extract at dose of 200 mg/ kg, exhibited a significant anti-inflammatory effect, while the extract at 100 and 200 mg/kg reduced significantly the vascular permeability and MPO activity in a dose dependant manner. Oral pretreatment of the aqueous extract reduced significantly the development of gastric lesions induced by indomethacin at dose of 200 mg/kg only. Results suggest that the aqueous extract of Micromeria fruticosa has both anti-inflammatory as well as, gastroprotective activities. Thus it could be used as an alternative or supplementary herbal remedy for the treatment of inflammatory diseases especially when combined with strong anti-inflammatory medications that have ulcerogenic side effects such as NSAIDs

Constituents and biological activity of the essential oil and the aqueous extract of Micromeria fruticosa [L.] Druce subsp. Serpyllifolia

Micromeria fruticosa L Druce subsp. serpyllifolia is a medicinal herb that is widely used as folk medicine in the treatment of abdominal pains, diarrhea, eye infections, heart disorders, elevated blood pressure, colds and wounds. This study aims to investigation the constituents and biological activity of the essential oil and aqueous extract of the plant that had been collected from Nablus. The oil was prepared by hydro-distillation method and analyzed by GC/MS. The oxygenated constituents were prevalent [87.4%] with the pulegone [58.5%] was the major constituents. Antitumor and analgesic activities of the isolated oil and the aqueous extract of M. fruticosa were investigated. Both the oil and the aqueous extract exhibited marked antitumor activities against Human Colon Tumor cells [HCT] and Mammary Carcinoma F7 [MCF7]. The oil showed less IC50s against both cell lines [10, 12.7 microg/ml respectively]. Also the extract significantly inhibited acetic acid-induced writhing response [p<0.05] and increased hot-plate pain threshold of mice at doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg while the oil did not show any analgesic activity on both models. Therefore, we concluded that the aqueous extract of M. fruticosa has a remarkable inhibitory activity in non-inflammatory reactions as well as inflammatory pain

Prevalence of aspirin use and its concurrent use with ibuprofen among two middle eastern countries: Jordan and the UAE - a cross sectional study

The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of aspirin use as a prophylactic agent in two countries: Jordan and the United Arab Emirates in addition to the frequency of concurrent use of aspirin and ibuprofen which might be associated with lower cardio protection. The data was collected using a structured questionnaire from December 2009 to February 2010. The results showed significantly higher proportion of Jordanian patients with cardiovascular problems [85.97%] who were using aspirin as compared to patients from the United Arab Emirates [71.26%] [p= 0.0205, chi square test]. The percentage of Jordanian patients with different cardiovascular problems taking aspirin concurrently with ibuprofen was relatively high. Patients' adherence to aspirin administration in both populations was suboptimal. Patients' age and previous myocardial infarction episodes were found to have a significant [p<0.001] association with the use of aspirin in both populations. These results call for reasonable strategies for aspirin administration in both countries

In vivo acute toxicity study of thyme- primulae syrup

The current study is an acute toxicity study of Thyme - Primulae syrup in Albino male and female rats. The syrup was administered in three escalating doses: 3, 6 and 12 ml/kg body weight. The weight-based doses were given to the rats by intra gastric to minimize loss and variability among them. The treated groups were compared to the untreated control in regards to their body weight gain, hepatic and kidney appearances and their weight. Even at the highest dose, the syrup was found to be non-toxic under the conditions of this study