Phytochemical analysis, antimicrobial, antioxidant activities and total phenols of Ferulago carduchorum in two vegetative stages [flower and fruit]

Ferulago carduchorum [Apiaceae family] is an endemic plant of Iran. The crude extract and four fractions of aerial parts of F. carduchorum in two vegetative stages [flower and fruit] were studied for their total phenolic contents, antimicrobial and antioxidant activities using folin-ciocalteu assay, micro dilution method and DPPH assay, respectively. The results indicated that the best antioxidant activity was determined in flower crude extract [IC[50]=0.44mg/mL]. The flower ethyl acetate fraction [FLE] showed better antimicrobial and antifungal activities than other fractions. So, FLE was selected for phytochemical investigations, resulting in isolation of a flavonoid [hesperetin]. Hesperetin showed antimicrobial activity. The results showed that the antimicrobial and antioxidant effects during the flowering are obviously more than the fruit season

Liver tonics: Review of plants used in Iranian traditional medicine

Considering the fact that liver is one of the most important organs in our body, it deserves special attention and protection. Among various recommended supplements, complementary and alternative medicines particularly herbal remedies have received much attention owing to their truly healing properties. This review profits from Iranian traditional medicine and presents advantageous herbal guide directions for liver protection. According to credible Iranian medical literature such as Al Qanun Fil Tibb, Al-Havi and Makhzan-al-Aadvia, a wide spectrum of plants have been found to be useful for cleansing and protecting the liver. Some herbs such as ghafes (Agrimonia eupatoria), kasni (Cichorium intybus), anar (Punica granatum), darchin (Cinnamomum zeylanicum), za'feran (Crocus sativus), gole-sorkh (Rosa damascena) and zereshk (Berberis vulgaris) appeared to get strong consideration and were well documented as outstanding liver tonics. We conducted a comprehensive review of available Iranian medical resources such as scientific information database and medical sciences databases which cover all in vitro and in vivo studies of medicinal plants as liver tonics and hepatoprotective candidates. Literature survey was accomplished using multiple databases including PubMed, ISI web of knowledge, and Google Scholar.

Effects of the deslagging process on some physicochemical parameters of honey

Some physicochemical parameters of honey have been introduced by the International Honey Commission to evaluate its quality and origin but processes such as heating and filtering can affect these parameters. In traditional Iranian medicine, deslagging process involves boiling honey in an equal volume of water and removing the slag formed during process. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of deslagging process on parameters of color intensity, diastase evaluation, electrical conductivity, pH, free acidity, refractive index, hydroxy methyl furfural [HMF], proline and water contents according to the International Honey Committee [IHC] standards. The results showed that deslagged honey was significantly different from control honey in terms of color intensity, pH, diastase number, HMF and proline content. It can be concluded that the new standards are needed to regulate deslagged honey

Larvicidal activities of some Iranian native plants against the main malaria vector, anopheles stephensi

Malaria is considered a major health problem in Iran. There are different methods for vector control. In this study we tested the larvicidal effects of some Iranian plants. The methanolic extracts of 11 plants were prepared with percolation method. The larvicidal activities of them against malaria vector, Anopheles stephensi were studied using World Health Organization standard method. All LC[50] values of methanolic extracts of plants that we screened were lower than 300 ppm. The methanolic extract of aerial parts of Lawsonia inermis and Stachys byzantine showed high larvicidal activity with LC[50] values 69.40 ppm and 103.28 ppm respectively. The results obtained from this study suggest that the methanolic extracts of these plants have larvicidal effects against Anopheles stephensi larvae and could be useful in the search for new natural larvicidal compounds

Investigation of cytotoxic activity in four stachys species from Iran

The aerial parts of Stachys laxa Boiss. and Buhse. from Siah-bishe in Mazandaran province, Stachys trinervis Aitch. and Hemsl. from Karaj in Alborz province, Stachys subaphylla Rech. F. and Stachys turcomanica Trautv. from Golestan province have been collected in May 2008. Total extracts were obtained through MeOH/H[2]O [80/20] and then partitioned between CHCl[3], EtOAc and MeOH. These fractions and total extracts have been investigated for in-vitro cytotoxic activity against the colon carcinoma [HT-29], colorectal adenocarcinoma [Caco-2], breast ductal carcinoma [T47D] and Swiss mouse embryo fibroblast [NIH 3T3] cell lines using MTT assay [3-[4,5-di methyl thiazol-2-yl]-2,5-di phenyltetrazolium bromide]. At each cell line, doses of 3.125, 6.25, 12.5, 25, 100, 200, 400 and 800 microg/mL in 1% [v/v] DMSO of all samples were tested. Ethyl acetate and chloroform fractions of Stachys laxa against proliferation of T47D and HT-29 cell lines and chloroform fraction of Stachys subaphylla and Stachys subaphylla ethyl acetate fraction toward T47D cell line exhibited highest cytotoxic activity [IC[50] < 50 microg/mL]. Ethyl acetate and chloroform fractions of Stachys turcomanica against HT-29 cell line, except methanol fraction of Stachys subaphylla, the other extrcts on T47D cell line, represented moderate cytotoxic activity [IC[50] < 70 microg/mL]. All fractions of S. trinervis demonstrated no effective cytotoxic activity. IC[50] values confirmed that the growth and proliferation of HT-29 and T47D cells were most affected by chloroform and ethyl acetate fractions of Stachys laxa and Stachys turcomanica due to their nonpolar compounds

[Effects of inhalation aromatherapy on female students' anxiety and depression settling in dormitory of Tehran University of Medical Sciences]

Aromatherapy, as an alternative medicine, is using of volatile oils for inducing psychological and physical well- being. In this study, the effects of inhalation aromatherapy in reducing anxiety and depression in female students of dormitory of Tehran University of Medical Sciences were investigated in 2008-2009. In this experimental study, 260 female students living in dormitory were selected and assigned randomly in 4 groups of 65 people as case and control according to two variables of anxiety and depression. The scales used in this study were Spillberger Anxiety Test and Beck Depression Inventory. At first, pre-test were taken. A mixture of essential oils of Lavender and Rose was inhaled for four weeks, half an hour for each night by the case groups [anxious and depressed]. For control group, only sesame oil inhalation was used. At the end of the second week, post-test 1 and at the end of fourth week, post-test 2 were taken. Students who received inhalation aromatherapy had significant improvement in anxiety and depression symptoms compared with pre-test and control group [p

Simple high-performance liquid chromatographic method for determination of ciprofloxacin in human plasma

A rapid, simple and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography method was developed for determination of ciprofloxacin in plasma by means of ultraviolet detection. Ofloxacin was used as an internal standard and separation carried on a Novapak C18 column using a mobile phase of 0.01 M phosphate buffer [pH =2.6]: methanol [82:18 v/v]. Extraction of drug was performed from plasma by liquid-liquid extraction and the average recovery was 78.2%. The assay is precise, with inter-assay coefficient of variation of 6.70% at 0.25-8 micro g/ml [n=3]. Using UV detection at 277 nm the detection limit for ciprofloxacin was 20 ng/ml of plasma and the mean extraction recovery was 78.2%. Short elution time, using UV detector and usage of ofloxacin as internal standard are advantages of this method