[Effect of lavender ethanolic extract on infarct volume in rats subjected to ischemia-reperfusion]

Background: lavender belongs to the Labiatae family and possesses antioxidant acivity

Objective: the present study was conducted to evaluate the protective effect of lavender extract on infarct volume and its possible mechanisms in an experimental model of stroke

Methods: lavender extract [100, 200 mg/kg body weight, ip] was injected for 20 consecutive days. Two hours after the last dose, cerebral artery ligation surgery was performed and 24 hours after induction of ischemia, infarct volume was assessed. Also the amount of serum nitric oxide [NO] level was measured

Results: treatment of rats with lavender extract at a dose of 200 mg for 20 days resulted in a significant decrease in the infarct volume caused by stroke in penumbra area [cortex] and the core [sub-cortical] of brain compared to the control [P=0.044, P=0.047, consecutively]. Lavender extract at a dose of 200 mg significantly increased blood levels of nitric oxide

Conclusion: the results of this study suggest that Lavender extract protects brain against ischemia and reduces infarct volume in rats subjected to ischemia. The mechanism may be related to augmentation in endogenous antioxidant defense in the rat brain. Lavender plant extracts with increasing levels of endothelial nitric oxide, by inhibiting the decrease in cerebral blood flow reduced infarct volume

[Effect of kombucha tea on depression and motor activity in mice]

Background: Depression is a threatening disease. Due to adverse effects of chemical antidepressant drugs, researcher's attention has been shifted toward natural drug

Objective: In this work, the antidepressant effect of Kombucha tea [KT] evaluated against reserpine induced depression in mice

Methods: In this experimental study, 42 male mice were randomly divided into 6 groups of 7 mice. Vehicle mice received normal saline [1 mg/kg, i.p.], negative and positive control groups received reserpine [5mg/kg, i.p.] and fluoxetine [20 mg/kg, i.p.] respectively and treatment groups received Kombucha tea at doses of 250, 500, 1000 mg/kg, 18 h after administration of reserpine. Mice were then tested with forced swimming and rotarod tests. At the end of behavioral tests, blood sample were collected and used to assess blood antioxidant capacity

Results: There was significant difference in the duration of immobility time between vehicle and reserpine treated groups [P<0.001]. Administration of Kombucha tea at doses of 250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg into depressed mice significantly reduced the duration of immobility time. KT administration significantly improved blood antioxidant capacity of mice blood

Conclusion: These results provide support for the potential antidepressant effects of Kombucha tea against

review on antidepressant effects medicinal plants with emphasis on their mechanisms of action

Background: Depression is a serious, debilitating and common illness among various social groups

Chemical and synthetic drugs available for the disease have numerous side effects and result only around a 50% full recovery

Objectives: Today, researchers are trying to find new and affordable drugs without serious side effects. Medicinal plants showed considerable pharmacological effects in the treatment of depression in different experimental models

Methods: In this study, articles from journals indexed in the Scopus, PubMed, Information Sciences Institute [ISI], and Scientific Information Database [SID] were reviewed

Results: A review of studies in this field showed that most medicinal plants show anti-depressant effects through regulating of the synaptic serotonin and dopamine, regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity, strengthening of the body's antioxidant defenses and reducing of the inflammatory mediators

Conclusion: medicinal plant and their component show protective effect against depression through different mechanism. Medicinal plants can be used as a new source for the development of anti-depressant drugs