[Effect of Elaeagnus angustifolia lozenge on gag reflex in dental patients]

Gag reflex is one of the most common problems in dental treatment. All researches performed to reduce or eliminate this reflex were not effective or were time-consuming. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of Elaeagnus angustifolia lozenge in controlling gag reflex during dental treatment. This study was a randomized double blind controlled trial with convenient sampling on 84 patients that were candidates for radiographic procedures in the School of Dentistry, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. The cases were randomly divided into two groups of case and control. The case group used Elaeagnus angustifolia L extracts and the control group used placebo. Fruit extract was formed into lozenge. Before and after intervention, the gag reflex was evaluated by stimulation of the soft palate and pharyngeal tonsils. Data analysis and comparison was performed with SPSS 11 software and Chi-square, McNamara and t tests. The gag reflex significantly decreased in the soft palate region [p<0.001] and pharyngeal tonsils [p<0.001] in the intervention group. In the placebo group, decrease of gag reflex was not significant in any of these locations [p=0.9]. The decrease in gag reflex in the soft palate and the pharyngeal tonsils in the case and control groups before and after the intervention showed statistically significant differences [P<0.01]. Elaeagnus angustifolia L. extracts seem to be an effective method to control gag reflex during dental treatment. It may be a confident method to use on dental procedures, especially radiographic procedures

Antispasmodic effects of Pycnocycla spinosa seed and aerial part extracts on rat ileum and uterus smooth muscle contractions

Hydroalcoholic extract of Pycnocycla spinosa has a relaxant effect on ileum and inhibits castor oil induced diarrhoea in mice. However, effects of P. spinosa seed extracts on ileum and uterus hasn't been investigated. The aim of this study was to investigate effect of P. spinosa seed and extracts of the aerial part on rat ileum and uterus smooth muscle contraction. A 70% ethanol extract of seed and aerial parts of P. spinosa was prepared by a percolation method. Uterine horns or ileum were dissected from non-pregnant female Wistar rats [200-230g] and cut into longitudinal strips and mounted for isotonic recording under Ig tension in Tyrode's solution. Effects of the extracts were examined on tonic contractions induced by KC1 [80mM] on both tissues and on phasic spasm induced by oxytocin [0.002iu/ml] on the uterus. The aerial part extract inhibited rat ileum contractions induced by 80mM KC1 [IC[50] = 42 +/- 3.4 micro g/ml] in a concentration dependent manner and it also inhibited rat uterus contraction induced by 80 mM KC1. However, its inhibitory effects were observed with higher concentration of the extract [IC5o = 420+90 micro g/ml] and at concentration of 1.28mg/ml of the extract in the bath the response was 19+7%. The aerial part extract [40-640 micro g/ml] also reduced the evoked phasic response of uterus by oxytocin [IC[50] = 71 +/- 17.3 micro g/ml]. The seed extract reduced the uterus response to oxytocin in a concentration-dependent manner, and inhibited tissue response completely at 160 micro g/ml [IC[50] = 27 +/- 4 micro g/ml]. From this study it was concluded that the seed extract of P. spinosa have similar inhibitory properties on rat isolated uterus and ileum contractions, while the extract of the aerial part of P. spinosa is more selective inhibitor of ileum contraction, and at higher concentrations it also inhibits uterus spasm