RESUMO
Herbal medicines are the major remedy in traditional medical systems and made a great contribution in maintaining human health and in preventing many infectious diseases. The present study was carried out to determine the potential antibacterial effect of ethanol extracts and essential oil of Marrubium vulgare L. against Staphylococcus aureus which is antibiotic resistant. All 17 strains of S. aureus isolated from nose and throat sample from 160 healthy subjects, hospital staffs and inpatient in the city of Zabol [Amir Al-Momenin hospital, Zabol, south-eastern Iran] were screened during years 2010-2011. In this study, the essential oil of Marrubium vulgare L. obtained by hydrodistillation was analyzed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry [GC-MS] in order to determine their chemical composition. The minimum inhibitory concentrations were investigated to characterize the antimicrobial activities of this essential oil and extract. Thirty-one components in the oil of Marrubium vulgare were identified. The results demonstrated that the major components of the essential oil were gamma-Eudesmol [11%], Germacrene [10%], D-Citronelly formate [10%], beta-Citronellol [8%], Geranyl tiglate [7.1%], Geranyl formate [6.02%]. The least MIC value of extract M. vulgare was 2.5 mg/mL and the highest MIC value of essential oil M. vulgare was 2.5 mg/mL. This investigation showed that the M. vulgare essential oil and extract has a potent antimicrobial activity against S. aureus. The present studies confirm the use of this essential oil and extract as antibacterial agent. Further research is required to evaluate the practical values of therapeutic applications
RESUMO
Tuberculosis is a global public health problem in the world. Microscopy of sputum smears is the most widely used method for diagnosing tuberculosis. However, many patients are smears negative for acid fast bacilli. Regarding the pathogenesis of the disease, the effectiveness of interferon-gamma [IFN-gamma] in bronchoalveolar fluid was investigated for the disease diagnosis. This descriptive study was performed at the Ali Ibn-e-Abitaleb hospital, Zahedan, between 2010 and 2012, to assess the role of IFN-gamma level in bronchoalveolar lavage in distinguishing tuberculosis from other pulmonary diseases. In patients who required fiberoptic bronchoscopy as indicated, bronchoalveolar lavage was analyzed in terms of smear acid-fast staining and cytology. The participants were divided into TB patients group [the BK smear of bronchoalveolar fluid or the culture was positive] and pulmonary non-TB patients group [the smear was negative]. Yet non-TB disease was definitively diagnosed by other means, as well. The fluid in each group was examined in terms of IFN-gamma. Then, Mean IFN-gamma levels in BALF were measured in these groups and then compared with each other. Eighty eight patients were enrolled in the study among which, 31 cases had TB and 57 patients suffered from pulmonary non-TB disease. Mean IFN-gamma was 2.85 +/- 4.17 pg/mL in pulmonary TB patients and 2.21 +/- 1.21 pg/mL in pulmonary non-TB patients. Lack of significant differences between the two groups in IFN-gamma indicate that this factor is not suitable for diagnosis of tuberculosis and differentiating it from other pulmonary diseases