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Objective. This study aims to evaluate the effects of Plantago major (P. major) seed on liver enzymes and ultrasound patterns in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Design. In this randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial, 74 patients with NAFLD were administered either 2 g P. major or placebo twice daily for 12 weeks. All patients were advised to follow the recommendations for daily exercise and diet modification. Levels of liver enzymes as well as other laboratory indexes were measured at the beginning of the study and after 12 weeks. Indeed, the alteration in ultrasound grade was evaluated in NAFLD patients. Results. Sixty-three participants completed the study in the intervention and control groups. The mean age of participants was 43.3 (±8.927) and 38.7 (±8.48) years in the intervention and control groups, respectively. P. major group showed significant reduction in alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (47.32 ± 21.77 IU/L vs. 50.03 ± 21.19, P = 0.021), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (28.29 ± 10.49 IU/L vs. 32.03 ± 13.30, P = 0.004), triglyceride (TG) (200.93 ± 106.741 mg/dl vs. 183.75 ± 73.96, P = 0.001), waist circumference (WC) (101.25 ± 9.27 cm vs. 101.18 ± 8.63, P = 0.027), and grade of fatty liver in ultrasonography ( P = 0.038), comparing to the placebo group. There was no significant difference between the two groups regarding serum levels of fasting blood sugar (FBS), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), cholesterol, and other outcomes. Conclusion. P. major supplementation with a daily dose of 2 g for 12 weeks improved serum levels of ALT, AST, and TG in patients with NAFLD. Further studies with a larger sample size are recommended.

Objectives: Regarding the high prevalence of cancer in Iran and the cytotoxic properties of T. polium, the current study aimed to investigate the cytotoxic and anti-mutagenicity effect of T. polium essential oil (TpEO) on human colon adenocarcinoma cell line (HT29). Methods: HT29 cells were cultured in L-glutamine, RPMI Sigma (1640), with 10% of FBS (fetal bovine serum). Then, the cultures were incubated with 5% CO2 at 37°C, and MTT assay was used to recognize cell proliferation under the inhibitory influence of TpEO. The cell cycle progression was monitored by Sub-G1 apoptosis assay using flow cytometry. Eventually, the anti-mutagenicity property was evaluated using the Ames test employing TA100 and exposure to sodium azide as the carcinogenic substance. Results: The cytotoxic effect of TpEO on HT29 cells was 66.867 ± 1.37 µg/mL. Cultured HT29 cells treated with TpEO exhibited morphological features of apoptosis. TpEO preventive effect was about 78.18%. Conclusions: This study showed that TpEO may be useful for treating colon cancer.

Background: Natural products derived from various sources are being used to develop chemotherapeutic drugs. Euphorbiaceae is widely used to treat different types of cancers. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second and third cause of cancer in women and men, respectively. CRC is strongly associated with the deregulation of the Adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene and Poly [ADP-ribose] polymerase (PPAR) protein. Objectives: The current study aimed to examine the effect of doxorubicin, ethanol extract, and the flavonoid-rich fraction of Euphorbia Splendida Mobayen on colon cancer HT-29 cell line death, APC gene expression, and PPAR concentration. Methods: Following treatment of cells by Euphorbia ethanol extract, Euphorbia flavonoid-rich fraction, and doxorubicin, cell viability assay was used to investigate the viability status of the HT-29 cell line. Total RNA was isolated from the cell line and converted into cDNA. The expression level of the APC gene was determined by quantitative real-time PCR. Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PPAR) protein was detected by the ELIZA method. Results: We found that Euphorbia ethanol extract, Euphorbia flavonoid-rich fraction, and doxorubicin can stimulate dose-dependent cell death in the HT-29 cell line, increase ACP gene expression (P = 0.001, P = 0.041, P = 0.019), and decrease PARP level (P = 0.001, P = 0.001, P = 0.001, respectively). Conclusions: The findings indicated that doxorubicin, ethanol extract, and the flavonoid-rich fraction of Euphorbia Splendida Mobayen had cytotoxic effects on human colon cancer HT-29 cell line by possibly stimulating apoptosis.

The objective of the current study was to investigate the anti-epileptogenic and anticonvulsant effects of Dorema ammoniacum gum, which is used in Iranian traditional medicine for the treatment of seizures. Animals received pentylenetetrazol (IP, 30 mg/kg/48 h) for inducing seizures. Five different seizure stages were evaluated for 20 min and parameters including maximum seizure stage, the latency to the onset of stage 4, stage 4 duration, and seizure duration were measured. D. ammoniacum (50 and 100 mg/kg) or its vehicle was administered 30 min before or after pentylenetetrazol injection in different groups. In addition, the effective dose of D. ammoniacum (100 mg/kg) on different seizure stages was compared with the common antiseizure drug phenobarbital. In another set of experiments, we investigated the effective dose of D. ammoniacum on fully kindled animals in which an interictal electroencephalogram was recorded by superficial electrodes placed on the skull. The results showed that D. ammoniacum administration, before and after pentylenetetrazol injections, significantly decreased seizure stage, seizure duration, stage 4 duration, and 1/stage 4 latency. The anti-epileptogenic effect of D. ammoniacum was about 50 to 60% of phenobarbital. In addition, D. ammoniacum significantly decreased seizure stage, seizure duration, stage 4 duration, and 1/stage 4 latency when administered to fully kindled animals but had no effect on the power of EEG sub-bands. These results indicate that D. ammoniacum has anti-epileptogenic and anticonvulsant effects in a chemical kindling model of seizures.

In this study, the effect of doxorubicin, flavonoid extract of white Morus alba leaf (MFE) and a combination of doxorubicin and flavonoid extract on Bax and Bcl2 levels and caspase 3 activity of cancer A-172 GBM cell line was investigated. Bax/Bcl2 levels of treated A-172 GBM cell line with flavonoid extract of white mulberry leaf were estimated by ELISA methods. Caspase 3 activity of treated A-172 GBM cells was determined by calorimetric assay. The flow cytometry assessment was used to estimate the apoptosis percent of treated A-172 GBM cells. Treatment of A-172 GBM cells with MFE, doxorubicin and a combination of MFE and doxorubicin caused a significant decrease in Bcl2 level and an increase in Bax level. The apoptosis percent of treated cells were also elevated significantly. Present results suggest that concomitant use of herbal medicine and chemotherapy may be an effective alternative method for the treatment of cancers.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Epilepsy is one of the most common serious neurological conditions. The current therapeutic treatment of epilepsy with modern antiepileptic drugs is associated with side effects, dose-related and chronic toxicity, and teratogenic effects and in approximately 30% of the patients is ineffective. Alpinia officinarum is used in Iranian traditional medicine for treatment of different diseases like back pain and seizure. METHODS In this study, anticonvulsant effects of hydroalcoholic extract of Alpinia officinarum rhizomes were examined by using pentylentetrazole (PTZ) model in mice. Alpinia officinarum rhizomes extract (200, 400 and 600 mg/kg), diazepam (1 mg/kg) and normal saline (10 mL/kg) were injected (ip) 30 minutes before PTZ (90 mg/kg, ip). The time taken before the onset of clonic convulsions, the duration of colonic convulsions, and the percentage of seizure and mortality protection were recorded. For further clarification of the mechanism of action for Alpinia officinarum, flumazenil (2 mg/kg, ip) and naloxone (5 mg/kg, ip) were also injected 5 minutes before Alpinia officinarum extract. RESULTS Alpinia officinarum extract at the doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg prolonged the time of onset of seizure and decreased the duration of seizures compared to control (saline) group (p < 0.05). At the dose of 600 mg/kg, percentage of seizure protection was 16.66%. Naloxone and flumazenil could suppress anticonvulsant effects of Alpinia officinarum. CONCLUSIONS It seems that Alpinia officinarum could be a good candidate and be useful for seizure control and treatment, and in these effects, opioid and benzodiazepine receptors might probably be involved.

This study investigated the anticonvulsant activity and possible mechanism of action of an aqueous solution of Dorema ammoniacum gum (DAG) which has been used traditionally in the treatment of convulsions.In this study, the anticonvulsant activity of DAG was examined using the pentylentetrazole (PTZ) model in mice. Thirty male albino mice were divided randomly and equally to 5 groups, and pretreated with normal saline, diazepam, or various doses of DAG (500, 700, and 1000 mg/kg, i.p.), prior to the injection of PTZ (60 mg/kg, i.p.). The latency and duration of seizures were recorded 30 min after PTZ injection. Pretreatments with naloxone and flumazenil in different groups were studied to further clarify the mechanisms of the anticonvulsant action. Phytochemical screening and thin layer chromatography (TLC) fingerprinting of ammoniacum gum was also determined. DAG showed significant anticonvulsant activity at all doses used. The gum delayed both the onset and the duration of seizures induced by PTZ. Treatment with flumazenil before DAG (700 mg/kg) inhibited the effect of gum on seizure duration and latency to some extent and administration of naloxone before DAG also significantly inhibited changes in latency and duration of seizure produced by DAG. The percentage inhibition was greater with naloxone than with flumazenil. This study showed that DAG had significant anticonvulsant activity in PTZ-induced seizures, and GABAergic and opioid systems may be involved. More studies are needed to further investigate its detailed mechanism.

Ethnopharmacological relevance Undesired effects of synthetic antidiabetic agents have made researchers to seek for safer and healthier resources. With this aspect, herbal materials have attracted substantial research interest and are being extensively investigated. Considering that herb-drug interactions can be a double-edged sword presenting both risks and benefits, investigation of such interactions is greatly in demand. Aim of the study to investigate possible beneficial effects of hydroalcoholic extract of Securigera Securidaca seed (HESS) on antioxidant capacity, fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) and insulin resistance in Streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats, alone and in combination with glibenclamide. Materials and methods Forty male Wistar rats were randomly divided in to eight equal groups including healthy and diabetic controls and six treated groups with a various doses of HESS alone and in combination with glibenclamide, for 35 consecutive days. Serum samples were taken and analyzed for biochemical profile, HOMA indexes, FGF21, oxidative/nitrosative stress and inflammatory biomarkers as compared with the controls. Moreover, total phenolic and flavonoid contents of herbal extract were assessed. Results The herbal extract was found to be rich in flavonoid and phenolic components. Both of glibenclamide and the HESS decreased glucose and insulin resistance, as well as increased body weight and insulin sensitivity. Moreover, the extract could mitigate oxidative/nitrosative stress and inflammation dose-dependently, however, the standard drug was less effective than HESS. Induction of diabetes increased FGF21 levels and both of the treatments could reduce its contents, however, glibenclamide was more effective than HESS. Conclusions The results clearly show that there is no contradiction between HESS and glibenclamide. Moreover, the herbal extract could augment antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of the standard drug.

Background: The main goal of the present study was to evaluate the effect of topical mastic oil, compared to placebo on treatment of functional dyspepsia (FD). Materials and Methods: Sixty-three patients with FD were included. Thirty-two subjects received the topical mastic oil (10 drops/TDS after meal) with massage and 31 patients received topical sesame oil with massage. Both groups received pantoprazole (40 mg daily) along with oil and massage. The severity of early satiation, postprandial fullness, epigastric pain and epigastric burning was assessed after 4 weeks using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) as well as frequency of symptoms. Satisfaction with the treatment was also assessed using a researcher-made questionnaire. Changes in the severity of symptoms were evaluated by Friedman’s test. Results: Mean and standard deviation of age of the subjects were equal to 36.95±13.64 and 50 (79.4%) patients were female. Both groups experienced a significant decrease in the severity of all the four symptoms (P

Background: Ziziphus jujuba, which is known as “Annab” or “Onnab” in Iran, is an effective compound against some cancer cell lines. The present study aimed to investigate the anti-mutagenic and anticancer effects of the aqueous extract of Z. jujuba on C643 human thyroid carcinoma cells. Methods: C643 cells were cultured in (Roswell Park memorial institute) RPMI 1640 medium (Sigma) supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS), penicillin-streptomycin, and L-glutamine. After incubating the cultures at 37oC with 5% CO2, MTT assay was used to determine the inhibitory effect of Z. jujuba on cell proliferation. Cell cycle progression was monitored by sub-G1 apoptosis assay using flow cytometry. Finally, anti-mutagenicity properties of the extract were evaluated using a standard reverse mutation assay (Ames test), which was performed with a histidine auxotroph strain of Salmonella typhimurium (TA100) and exposure to a carcinogenic substance (sodium azide). Results: The aqueous extract of Z. jujuba inhibited the growth of C643 cells in a concentration range of 0.5 - 2 mg/mL and exhibited cytotoxic effects on C643 cells in a concentration-dependent manner (IC50: 1.671 mg/mL). The mechanism of action was the induction of apoptosis in the cells. The results of Ames test indicated a significant difference in the anti-mutagenic effects of Z. jujuba aqueous extract and controls (distilled water and sodium azide) (1.671 mg/mL) (P < 0.01). In addition, the herbal extract prevented reverted mutations and the hindrance percent was 87.97%. Conclusions: According to the results, the aqueous extract of Z. jujuba fruit exerted anti-proliferative and apoptotic effects on C643 thyroid carcinoma cell lines and may be potentially useful as an anticancer agent.

This study investigated the anticonvulsant activity of Citrullus colocynthis fruit extract used traditionally in the treatment of convulsion. Albino mice were pretreated with extract in different doses (10, 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg), prior to injection of pentylenetetrazole. Animals received pretreatments with naloxone and flumazenil to further clarify the mechanisms of anticonvulsant action. The total flavonoid content of Citrullus colocynthis extract was also determined. Citrullus colocynthis hydroalcoholic extract with doses 25 and 50 mg/kg prolonged the onset of seizures and decreased the duration compared with control group. Pretreatment by flumazenil could inhibit the effect of Citrullus colocynthis on latency of seizure to some extent and administration of naloxone significantly inhibited changes in latency and duration of seizure produced by Citrullus colocynthis. This study showed that Citrullus colocynthis has significant anticonvulsant effect in pentylenetetrazole-induced seizures in mice, and these effects may be related to its effect on γ-aminobutyric acid-ergic and opioid systems. These results confirmed the traditional use of Citrullus colocynthis in Iranian traditional medicine.