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Aims: As a medical herb, Capparis spinosa is used in the traditional medicine. Nevertheless, its side-effects are not yet studied, especially during the pregnancy. The aim of this study was to investigate the tratogenic effects of hydro-alcoholic extract of the leaves of Capparis spinosa on the embryo of Balb/c mice. Materials & Methods: In the experimental method, 32 pregnant Balb/c mice were randomly divided into four groups including control and experimental groups. The experimental groups were the groups received 200, 400, and 800mg/kg hydro-alcoholic extract doses of the leaves of Capparis spinosa. Experimental and control groups received the extract doses and urban water as 14-day gavage, respectively. The 18-day embryos, removed out of the uterus by Cesarean, were investigated in the physical deformations. Alizarin staining method was used to assess the embryonic skeletal system. Data was analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Newman-Keuls method. Findings: There was a significant reduction in the mean weight of the pregnant mice at the 18th day of pregnancy in 800mg/kg extract group compared to control group (p<0.05). In addition, there were significant reductions in the mean height and weight of the embryos of the mice in 800mg/kg extract group than control group (p<0.05). There was no embryonic physical and skeletal deformation in the experimental groups. Conclusion: 800mg/kg hydro-alcoholic extract of the leaves of Capparis spinosa affect height and weight of the embryos of Balb/c mice and might have tratogenic effects on embryo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A number of studies on reproduction have mentioned Origanum Vulgare extract's ability to reduce mortality rates and improve fertility rates. However, other studies have suggested that it is possible to use Origanum Vulgare extract to induce abortion. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different doses of Origanum Vulgare on embryo survival and macroscopic abnormalities in mice. Methods: In this study, 24 mice Balb/c female weighting approximately 25-30 g were divided into 4 groups. Origanum Vulgare extract was prepared; different concentrations (2.5, 12.5, and 25 mg in 0.25 ml distilled water) were administered, by oral gavage, to three experimental groups of mice between day 6 (starting gastrulation) until day 15 of pregnancy (end of organogenesis). The control group consisted of six mice that received 0.25 ml of distilled water daily. On day 16 of study, pregnant mice were anesthetized by chloroform and fetuses were removed and stained with Alcian Blue, Alizarin Red s and microwave irradiation. Morphological and skeletal abnormalities were investigated by light and stereomicroscopes. Results: The results of this study showed that high doses of the Origanum Vulgare extract significantly decreased the mean number of embryos (10±0.5, P>0.05), mean number of live embryos (7±0.5, P>0.05) in each mouse and resulted in significant reduction in mean weight(1184±8 mg, P>0.05) and crown-rump length(11.9±0.23 mm, P>0.05) and the overall size of fetuses compared to control group, whereas there was no significant difference between the groups receiving low dose of Origanum Vulgare extract with control group. In addition, under the effect of the Origanum Vulgare extract the subcutaneous bleeding seemed (2±0.1, P>0.05) significantly more frequent compared to the control group. Conclusion: Origanum Vulgare extract did not have any positive effect on fetal development; and high dosages led to an increased incidence rate of abortion and fetal malformations in the fetuses of women who received it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Kelussia odoratissima Mozaffarian is an endemic plant which grows wildly in Iran. The plant is used as food supplement and medical herb in traditional medicine. Extracts and essential oil of the plant have been proved to possess anti-inflammatory, sedative, fibrinolytic, antacid, memory enhancer and antioxidant effects. Damage to deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) has a very important role in mutagenesis, aging, and cancer. This study aimed to evaluate the protective effects of methanolic and aqueous extracts of K. odoratissima on DNA damage induced by methyl methanesulfonate (MMS). Methods: The comet assay method was selected to evaluate the antigenotoxicity as it is a fast, sensitive, inexpensive, and easy method to perform. Therefore, after incubation of different concentrations of extracts with liver hepatocellular cells (HepG2) for one hour, cells were exposed to MMS for an hour. Then, cell suspension was added to precoated normal agarose slides. After lysing the cells with lysis solution, electrophoresis method was used to assess DNA damage. Using comet score, tail length, percent of DNA in tail, and tail moment were measured. Findings: Concentrations of 5, 10, 50 μg/ml of aqueous extracts and 0.5, 1, 5 μg/ml of methanolic extracts of K. odoratissima significantly reduced MMS-induced damage to DNA of HepG2 cells. Conclusion: We observed the antigenotoxic or genoprotective effect of aqueous and methanolic extracts of K. odoratissima against DNA damage caused by MMS. Therefore, the use of K. odoratissima can probably prevent the complications of these damages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]