ABSTRACT
Objective@#Animal-free scaffolds have emerged as a potential foundation for consistent, chemically defined, and low-cost materials. Because of its good potential for high biocompatibility with reproductive tissues and well-characterized scaffold design, we investigated whether polyglycolic acid (PGA) could be used as an animal-free scaffold instead of natural fibrin-agarose, which has been used successfully for three-dimensional human endometrial cell culture. @*Methods@#Isolated primary endometrial cells was cultured on fibrin-agarose and PGA polymers and evaluated various design parameters, such as scaffold porosity and mean fiber diameter. Cytotoxicity, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and immunostaining experiments were conducted to examine cell activity on fabricated scaffolds. @*Results@#The MTT (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) assay and SEM results showed that endometrial cells grew and proliferated on both scaffolds. Immunostaining showed cytokeratin and vimentin expression in seeded cells after 7 days of culture. On both scaffolds, an epithelial arrangement of cultured cells was found on the top layer and stromal arrangement matrix on the bottom layer of the scaffolds. Therefore, fibrin-agarose and PGA scaffolds successfully mimicked the human endometrium in a way suitable for in vitro analysis. @*Conclusion@#Both fibrin-agarose and PGA scaffolds could be used to simulate endometrial structures. However, because of environmental and ethical concerns and the low cost of synthetic polymers, we recommend using PGA as a synthetic polymer for scaffolding in research instead of natural biomaterials.
ABSTRACT
Jaundice is the commonest ailments affecting the citizens of both developed and poor Asians countries including Iran. An ethnobotanical survey of plants used by the traditional healers for the treatment of jaundice was conducted in the Mashhad city, Northeastern Iran. A total of 37 plants belonging to 32 genera and 26 families have been documented for their therapeutic use against jaundice. The plant families which contained the most commonly used species for their effects are: Fabaceae [5 species], Polygonaceae [4 sp.], Asteraceae [3 sp.], Plantaginaceae [2 sp.] and Salicaceae [2 sp.]. The plants were arranged with correct nomenclature along with their common name, family, the part used and their medicinal value. The use of decoction is the most preferred method of herbal preparation. In all cases, the treatment involved oral administration of the extracts 2 to 3 times daily from a week to month till the problem disappears. Cichorium intybus, Salix alba, Cotoneaster nummularius, Descurainia sophia, Malva sylvestris, Berberis integrrima, Rumex acetosella, Phyllanthus emblica and Alhagi maurorum were repeatedly mentioned by the traditional healers as the most widely used for the treatment of jaundice in the study area. The study indicates that the local inhabitants rely on medicinal plants for treatment. This paper suggested that further clinical experimentation is needed to scientifically evaluate these widely used herbal remedies for possible bioactive effects
ABSTRACT
Rheum turkestanicum Janischew. [Polygonaceae] is a plant that grows in central Asia and in north-east of Iran. Traditionally, people use roots of/?, turkestanicum as an anti-diabetic and anti-hypertensive as well as anticancer agent. In this study the cytotoxicity and apoptogenic properties of ethyl acetate [EtOAc], [-hexane and H[2]O extracts from Rheum turkestanicum Janischew. [Polygonaceae] root were determined against HeLa and MCF-7 cell lines and human blood lymphocytes. Malignant and non-malignant cells were cultured in RPMI1640 medium and incubated with different concentrations of plant extracts. Cell viability was measured by MTS assay. Apoptotic cells were evaluated using PI staining of DNA fragmentation by flow cytometry [sub-G 1 peak]. The degree of DNA fragmentation was analyzed using agarose gel electrophoresis based on the formation of inter-nucleosomal units. The expression of apoptosis-related protein Bax and PARP cleavage were detected by Western blotting. EtOAc and w-hexane extracts decreased cell viability in malignant but not in non-malignant cells, as a concentration and time dependent manner. EtOAc extract induced a sub-G 1 peak in flow cytometry histogram of treated cells compared to the control. DNA fragmentation indicating apoptotic cell death was involved in R. turkestanicum induced toxicity and cleaved PARP fragment was also detected. In conclusion, this is the first report on the cytotoxic effects of R. turkestanicum in which apoptosis played an important role. However, further evaluations are needed to fully understand the possible anti-tumor properties
ABSTRACT
Medicinal plants organize an effective source of folk and modern medicine. Correct identification, authentication and quality control are essential to ensure safety, therapeutic potency, efficacy and reproducible quality of herbal medicines. The aim of this study is to use taxonomic method for authentication of traditional herbal drugs which are commonly sold in herbal shops in Iran. In this regard, twenty-seven cases of herbal drugs suspected to be adulterated were investigated. Crude raw material of herbal drugs was prepared from the various markets in Iran and was identified at the Ferdowsi University of Mashhad Herbarium [FUMH]. Taxonomic evaluation revealed that 78 species belonging to 21 families which are traded in Iranian market should be considered as authentic, adulterated and substituted samples. It was concluded that nowadays, many of the medicinal plants available in the market have ambiguous identification along with adulteration and contamination. The present study provides awareness amongst the traders, researchers, clinicians and manufacturing units about the ambiguity of authenticity in the traded herbal raw materials