Multilayer PVA/gelatin nanofibrous scaffolds incorporated with Tanacetum polycephalum essential oil and amoxicillin for skin tissue engineering application.

Wound infection is still an important challenge in healing of different types of skin injuries. This highlights the need for new and improved antibacterial agents with novel and different mechanisms of action. In this study, by electrospinning process Tanacetum polycephalum essential oil (EO), as a natural antibacterial and anti-inflammatory agent, along with Amoxicillin (AMX) as an antibiotic are incorporated into PVA/gelatin-based nanofiber mats individually and in combination to fabricate a novel wound dressing. Briefly, we fabricated PVA/gelatin loaded by Amoxicillin as first layer for direct contact with wound surface to protects the wound from exogenous bacteria, and then built a PVA/gelatin/Tanacetum polycephalum essential oil layer on the first layer to help cleanses the wound from infection and accelerates wound closure. Finally, PVA/gelatin layer as third layer fabricated on middle layer to guarantee desirable mechanical properties. For each layer, the electrospinning parameters were adjusted to form bead-free fibers. The morphology of fabricated nanofiber scaffolds was characterized by Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Microscopic images demonstrated the smooth bead-free microstructures fabrication of every layer of nanofiber with a uniform fiber size of 126.888 to 136.833 nm. While, EO and AMX increased the diameter of nanofibers but there was no change in physical structure of nanofiber. The water contact angle test demonstrated hydrophilicity of nanofibers with 47.35°. Although EO and AMX had little effect on reducing hydrophilicity but nanofibers with contact angle between 51.4° until 65.4° are still hydrophilic. Multilayer nanofibers loaded by EO and AMX killed 99.99 % of both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria in comparison with control and PVA/gelatin nanofiber. Also, in addition to confirming the non-toxicity of nanofibers, MTT results also showed the acceleration of cell proliferation. In vivo wound evaluation in mouse models showed that designed nanofibrous scaffolds could be an appropriate option for wound treatment due to their positive effect on angiogenesis, collagen deposition, granulation tissue formation, epithelialization, and wound closure.

The nephrotoxicity of Aristolochia rotunda L. in rats: Mitochondrion as a target for renal toxicity of Aristolochic acids-containing plants.

In recent years, there has been a growing trend in the usage of traditional medicine and herbal treatments. However, the misconception that they are completely safe resulted in irreversible complications and damages. The present study was conducted to investigate the potential renal toxicity of a commonly used drug in Iran's traditional medicine and pharmacy, known as Zaravand Gerd or Nokhod Alvand (Aristolochia rotunda L.). In Iranian traditional medicine, Zaravand Gerd is used as a remedy for respiratory system ailments, back pain, anxiety, headache and septic wounds. Fifty-six male rats were divided into seven groups (n = 8). The first group served as the control and received normal saline, while the second to seventh groups were administered varying doses of the aqueous extract of Zaravand Gerd (0.1, 0.5, 1.25, 2.5, and 5 g/kg) for a period of three weeks. Various parameters were measured to evaluate the potential kidney damage caused by the extract, including serum creatinine and BUN levels, as well as urine protein and glucose levels, which were analyzed using an autoanalyzer. Additionally, kidney tissue samples were examined pathologically, and mitochondria from the kidney tissue were isolated to assess mitochondrial parameters. The results of this study revealed that high doses of Zaravand Gerd extract led to a significant increase in urinary glucose and protein excretion compared to the control group. Pathological examination of the isolated kidney tissues indicated that the concentrations of 2.5 and 5 g/kg of Zaravand Gerd extract resulted in kidney damage and dilation of proximal convoluted tubules. Furthermore, the study demonstrated that high doses of the extract (2.5 and 5 g/kg) caused damage to the mitochondria. Based on the findings of this study, it can be concluded that the administration of high doses of Zaravand Gerd extract, which are not commonly used in traditional medicine, can have toxic effects on the kidneys in rats as an animal model. These results highlight the importance of considering the potential risks associated with herbal medicines and the necessity of usage based on scientific evidence.

Startup-Based Learning as an Innovative Method for Pharmacy Education: Medicinal Plants Course Model.

Background: Familiarizing students with knowledge-based businesses is one of the goals emphasized in the developed educational systems worldwide. This study aimed to design a startup-based learning model (SBL). Methods: As a qualitative research study, startup teams were formed by the pharmacy students of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in 2020. This model was used to train 120 students as pharmaceutical entrepreneurs through related lectures, simulations, and field activities. We employed this model for students to become familiar with the various stages of examining market needs, knowledge-based company registration, intellectual property, logo design, and even pharmaceutical product development. Students' feedback was assessed with a questionnaire designed by the team of researchers, and its results were used to analyze the course and improve the quality of the proposed model. Results: Most of the studied indices revealed that the students rated this model as good or excellent. Satisfaction with more important indices includes student creativity and ideation in educational activity (60.7%), attractive presentation (60.4%), teamwork among learners (62.2%), appropriateness of evaluation method (65.4%), understanding how to make herbal remedies (49.1%), learner participation in the educational activity (74.8%), entrepreneurial motivation (60.7%), and applicability (64.4%). Conclusion: We found this model effective in boosting students' satisfaction, creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit. Lecturers also play a facilitator role in addition to specialized training. Therefore, in this model, both lecturers and students can grow more and make education more attractive. This study, for the first time, demonstrated that SBL could be applied in education systems and make the students more interested in educational content and help them to prepare for the job market.

Assessment of the Cytotoxic Activity of Triphala: A Semisolid Traditional Formulation on HepG2 Cancer Cell Line.

Cancer chemotherapies may result in resistance, and therefore, contemporary treatments including natural products may find an increasing consideration. As per Persian medicine (PM), many natural products have been used for malignant and chronic diseases. Triphala, with a combination of Terminalia chebula Retz., Terminalia bellirica Retz., Phyllanthus emblica L., and honey, is a multi-ingredient traditional formulation attributed to anticancer activities in PM. This study is aimed at evaluating the cytotoxic activity of this preparation on HepG2, the human liver cancer cell line. Hydroalcoholic extracts were prepared from the formulation and its components. Compared with the control and Cisplatin, the extracts were tested using MTT assay at different concentrations. All concentrations of the preparation, as well as Cisplatin, were effective significantly against HepG2 cells. All extract preparations at multiple concentrations were significantly effective as evidenced by MTT assay when compared to the control group. The IC50 level for Triphala extract was 77.63 ± 4.3 µg/ml. Based on the results, Triphala and its components have cytotoxic activity on the HepG2 cancer cell line and they can reduce the survival rate significantly.

Traditional Aspects of Sciatic Pain Management and Allied Therapies from Persian Medical Reports.

Sciatica is a common back pain caused by irritation of the sciatic nerve. Current pharmacologic therapies have proven inadequate for many patients with sciatic pain. On the other hand, there is a globally increasing demand for the use and administration of natural medicaments for this disorder. Traditional Persian Medicine (TPM) is a school of medicine and a medicinal plant-based resource for clinical studies put forward by Persian scholars. The aim of the present study is to gather and study the effectiveness of all medicinal plants from five main Persian pharmacopeias. Furthermore, different databases such as PubMed and Scopus have been checked to derive relevant activities for these plants. In all, 99 medicinal plants related to 42 families have been authenticated. Asteraceae and Apiaceae were the most frequent families and roots and seeds were the most reported botanical parts. The employed routes of administration were oral (54%), topical (33%) and rectal (13%). Anti-inflammatory, analgesic activity and antinociceptive properties of medicines are known as some main mechanisms to manage sciatic pain. These functions are possessed by 30%, 15%, and 15% of the studied plants, respectively. Medicaments that can be introduced as lead agents for further investigation are Zingiber officinale Roscoe, Olea europaea L., Strychnos nux-vomica L and Artemisia vulgaris L which showed all of these properties in previous studies. Hence, conducting adducible clinical trials using these lead agents may lead to novel drugs with lesser undesirable and much more therapeutic effects on controlling sciatic pain.

Efficacy of inhaled Lavandula angustifolia Mill. Essential oil on sleep quality, quality of life and metabolic control in patients with diabetes mellitus type II and insomnia.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGIC RELEVANCE: Lavandula angustifolia Mill (lavender) odor was traditionally used as sleep enhancer. Previous studies have shown interaction between insomnia, quality of life and control of diabetes mellitus (DM). Insomnia is suggested to increase the risk of depression and decrease the quality of life in diabetic patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of inhaled Lavandula angustifolia Mill. as a complementary therapy for insomnia in diabetic patients. METHODS: In a randomized crossover placebo-controlled clinical trial, 52 patients with type II diabetes mellitus (DM) and insomnia, defined as Pittsburgh Insomnia Rating Scale-20(PIRS-20)>5,were treated with inhaled lavender or placebo for two periods of 4 weeks duration with one week interval as washing period. Sleep quality, quality of life and mood status were assessed by PIRS-20, WHO Quality of Life-BREF(WHOQOL-BREF) Questionnaire and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) scale respectively, at baseline and end of each period of study. Fasting blood glucose (FBS), calorie intake and physical activity were measured before and after the interventions. RESULTS: At the end of study, data of 37 patients (all received both lavender and placebo in cross-over design) were analyzed. Based on crossover analysis the first treatment was not effective on the second treatment. Inhaled lavender resulted in a significant better outcome compared to placebo according to mean PIRS-20, WHOQOL-BREF and Beck Depression Inventory scores in both crossover arms. Likewise there was a significant better outcome in PIRS-20 domains for quality and quantity of sleep after Inhaled lavender compared to placebo. No significant improvement was observed in fasting glucose in lavender compared to placebo administration period. CONCLUSION: Inhaled lavender can improve sleep quality and quantity, quality of life and mood in diabetic patients suffering from insomnia with no significant effect on metabolic status.

Dementia Etiologies and Remedies in Traditional Persian Medicine; A Review of Medicinal Plants and Phytochemistry.

BACKGROUND: Dementia is a chronic neurodegenerative disease causing progressive and gradual impairment of different brain's cognitive functions. The prevalence of dementia is about 3 to 7% in different parts of the world. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the etiologies of dementia according to the Traditional Persian Medicine scientists' viewpoint and introduce their recommended herbal remedies for this disease. METHOD: The authors explored six main Traditional Persian Medicine textbooks for the disease of dementia, its etiologies and related recommended herbal treatments. Two main keywords of "Lisarghes" and" Nesyan" were searched for this purpose. Medical databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Science Direct were searched for related articles published between 1966 and 2016 to review the pharmacological components and active ingredients of suggested herbal medicines. RESULTS: According to the Traditional Persian Medicine, dementia is resulted from brain dystemperament, a condition caused by cold and moist or cold and dry tempers. To treat this disease, Traditional Persian scientists recommended various herbal remedies. Current studies have demonstrated that some of these medicinal plants have beneficial effects for the aforementioned disease, including acetyl cholinesterase inhibitory function, neuroprotective effects, and memory enhancing role. CONCLUSION: The Traditional Persian Medicine literature suggested different herbal remedies for treating dementia. Modern studies support the usefulness of some of these medicines. However, the effect of a large number of these remedies has remained unexamined, a matter which needs to be investigated in future researches.

Randomized clinical trial of peganum oil for knee osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis affects about 50% of people aged older than 65 years. Pain is the most important symptom in this disease. Today public interest in the use of complementary medicine, especially traditional herbal medicines has increased. The present study was designed to investigate the efficacy of traditional preparation of Peganum harmala L oil on patients with knee osteoarthritis. The product has been analyzed and standardized by high-performance liquid chromatography. A double blind controlled randomized clinical trial consisting of 54 patients were performed. Patients rubbed the drug or control (olive oil) on the knee 4 drops 3 times a day for 4 weeks. The patients were asked to fill out the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index and Visual Analogue Scale questionnaires at week 0 and 4. The adapted results from the questionnaires showed that pain and difficulty in function were significantly decreased in Peganum oil group after 4 weeks. There was no significant difference in stiffness change between 2 groups.

Sphygmology of ibn sina, a message for future.

Sphygmology is a 2000-year-old method that is still used in some traditional medicine systems, mainly Iranian, Chinese and Ayurveda. Ibn Sina is one of the most popular physicians in the history of Sphygmology, who had made great contributions to this method, but few meticulous studies have been made on his concepts. In this article, his standpoints on Pulsology are studied. Ibn Sina has mentioned 10 parameters for pulse palpation, and 13 compound pulses, as well. Besides, some pulse patterns applicable for differentiating similar diseases have been introduced. Nowadays some concepts on pulse patterns, such as pulse change in sleep and pregnancy have been studied; but unfortunately many of the ideas on Pulsology have not yet been examined. Sphygmology, as an accessible and inexpensive means, having a substantial diagnosis yield, has been accepted by the people since its rise, and its development over centuries ago. Although some new instruments have been innovated, which can measure different parameters of pulse, yet sphygmology can be one of the most commonly usable diagnostic methods in future, not only applicable by cardiologists but also by all the physicians.