The iron chelating activity of Gundelia tournefortii in iron overloaded experimental rats.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Gundelia tournefortii is a member of the Asteraceae (Compositae) family which is widely consumed as edible plant in the Eastern Mediterranean. In folkloric medicine, it is used for the treatment of various diseases and conditions, including pain, liver diseases, kidney stones and inflammations. AIM OF THE STUDY: Recently, many commoners use this plant as adjuvant therapy for treating symptoms associated with liver diseases and thalassemia. Thus, the present study was conducted to evaluate, biochemically, the iron chelating activity of G. tournefortii methanolic extract in iron overloaded rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty Wister male rats were divided into five groups: one group was a healthy control, while iron overload was induced in the other four groups by 100 mg/kg iron-dextran. Of these, one group was left untreated as a control, while the other three groups were treated with 50 mg/kg deferoxamine, 100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg of G. tournefortii methanolic extract, respectively. The total flavonoid and phenolic contents of the methanolic extract were estimated. The biochemical assessment was performed by measuring blood levels of iron, ferritin, liver biomarkers (ALT, ALP and AST), cardiac biomarkers (CPK and LDH) and lipid profile. RESULTS: Not only the blood levels of iron, ferritin, liver biomarkers and cardiac biomarkers were reduced significantly by G. tournefortii methanolic extract, but also the lipid profile was improved. This clearly supports the chelating activity of G. tournefortii and its hepatoprotective and cardioprotective effects in iron overloaded rats. CONCLUSIONS: This highlights the value of medicinal plants as alternative therapies for iron overload conditions such as thalassemia.

Hepatoprotetive, Cardioprotective and Nephroprotective Actions of Essential Oil Extract of Artemisia sieberi in Alloxan Induced Diabetic Rats.

The aim of the current study is to evaluate the potential mechanism of antidiabetic action of the essential oil of Artemisia sieberi and its effects on some hematological and biochemical parameters in alloxan induced diabetic rats. Extraction of the essential oil from aerial parts of A. sieberi was preformed by hydrodistillation. Fifty rats were divided into five groups. Groups I and II normal rats given 1 mL/day of dimethyl sulfoxide and 80 mg/kg BW of this oil extract, respectively. Groups III, IV and V diabetic rats given 1 mL/day of dimethyl sulfoxide, oil extract (80 mg/kg BW) and metformin (14.2 mg/kg BW), respectively. Several hematological and biochemical parameters were assessed. Oral administration of the extract resulted in a significant reduction in the mean values of blood glucose, glucagon, cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL-C, ESR, urea, uric acid, creatinine accompanied by an increase in the mean values of the total protein, albumin, insulin, HDL-C, neutrophile count and PCV in diabetic rats. No significant changes in these parameters were found in the control group. The effects produced by this extract were closely similar to a standard antidiabetic drug, metformin. In conclusion, the present study indicates that the essential oil extract of A. sieberi appears to exhibit cardioprotective, nephroprotective and hepatoprotective activities in alloxan induced diabetic rats.

Ethnopharmacological survey of medicinal herbs in Jordan, the Northern Badia region.

AIM OF THE STUDY: This study sought to gather information from aboriginal Bedouins in North Badia region of Jordan about used medicinal herbs besides their folk uses. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The data were collected from 40 practitioners who utilized medicinal plants and who were regarded as professional. Subsequently, the uses were compared with the reported ones in the literature. The informant consensus factor (Fic) and use value (UV) have been calculated to those herbs and the managed illnesses. RESULTS: The data of 73 species were collected; the vast majority of them are safe such as Achillea falcata, Tamarix aphylla and Teucrium polium. Treatment of inflammation and pain presented the major targeted use of these herbs. While, the herbs used for delivery and female problems were limited. This might be due to the culture conservations about the talk of feminine issues. Diseases of kidney, gastrointestinal and respiratory systems as well as diabetes depicted the largest Fic values. Artemisia herba-alba possessed the highest UV value among the studied herbs.