Search

Introduction: Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) is an ornamental flowering plant with numerous traditional medicinal uses. It has been claimed to have anti-spasmodic activities, but only limited studies have been done to support this. The objective of this research was to investigate anti-spasmodic effect of L. japonica flower extract on uterus contractions. Methods: Hydroalcoholic extract was prepared using the maceration technique. In addition, chloroform and ethyl acetate fractions were prepared using a solvent in solvent fractionation technique. Essential oils were collected using the hydro-distillation technique. Rat isolated uterus was suspended in an organ bath and contracted with oxytocin, acetylcholine (ACh), KCl, or application of electrical field stimulation (EFS). The relaxant effects of the extract, its fractions, and nifedipine were examined on uterine contrition induced by the above-mentioned stimuli. Results: Nifedipine in a concentration-dependent manner inhibited uterine contraction induced by oxytocin, KCl, ACh, and EFS. L. japonica flower extract also exhibited an inhibitory effect on the isolated rat uterus. Comparison of the hydroalcoholic extract with its chloroform and ethyl acetate fractions showed that the chloroform fraction was the most potent and the ethyl acetate the weakest part of the plant with antispasmodic activity. The relaxant effect of essential oil had close similarities to that of chloroform extract. Conclusion: Lipophilic compounds isolated by the chloroform partition of crude hydroalcoholic extract of L. japonica flower exhibited the most antispasmodic activity. Ethyl acetate partition of the same extract exhibited the least activity. Therefore, it can be concluded that the spasmolytic constituents of L. japonica flower reside in chloroform partitioning. The nonpolar essential oils may also have a contribution.

Introduction: Pharmacological studies confirm antispasmodic activities of chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) extract on intestinal smooth muscles and it has been suggested that chamomile increases uterus tone, but so far there is no scientific studies which support this assumption. Therefore, this study was designed to determine spasmodic and spasmolytic activities of M. chamomilla extracts on rat isolated uterus. Methods: Hydro-alcoholic extract of M. chamomilla was prepared by maceration technique. Flavonoids rich extract was prepared by liquid in liquid extraction technique. The spasmodic effects of the extracts were assessed on spontaneously contracting rat uterus. The myorelaxant effect of M. chamomilla extracts was validated on isolated uterus contractions induced by KCl, acetylcholine (ACh), electrical field stimulation (EFS) and oxytocin. Results: Hydro-alcoholic extract of M. chamomilla (0.8 and 1.6 mg/mL) enhanced spontaneous movement of rat isolated uterus smooth muscle suspended in an organ bath. On the other hand, flavonoids rich fraction only diminished uterus contractile activities. Flavonoids rich extract of the plant at bath concentration ranges of 40 μg/mL to 400 μg/mL attenuated uterus response to ACh, KCl, EFS and oxytocin. The hydro-alcoholic extract of M. chamomilla at higher concentration ranges (250 μg/mL to 1.5 mg/mL) inhibited uterus contractions induced by the above spasmogens. Conclusion: The present study confirms both spasmodic and spasmolytic activities M. chamomilla hydro-alcoholic extract. Therefore, medicinal use of the crude extract of M. chamomilla may initiate uterus contraction which could increase risk of spontaneous miscarriage or premature parturition.

Objectives. Dracocephalum has over 60 species and is found mainly in the temperate regions of Asia and Europe. One of these species, i.e., Dracocephalum kotschyi Boiss, is known to have a number of medicinal properties and active ingredients in many parts of the world. Despite being an endemic wild-flowering plant of great importance, the plant is currently considered endangered in Iran. Besides, there is paucity of information on the significance of the medicinal properties and active constituents of D. kotschyi among the Iranian people. On that account a systematic review of studies reporting on the medicinal properties and active ingredients and its significance to human and animal health was conducted and the existing knowledge gaps were identified. Methods. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were used in the search for published articles on medicinal properties and active ingredients of D. kotschyi and its significance on humans and animals in Iran. The search was confined to scientific articles from repositories of popular data bases and search engines among them PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Science Direct, SpringerLink, and Scopus. The search narrowed down on scientific journals, books, and book chapters focusing on the medicinal properties of D. kotschyi in Iran for the period between 1970 and 2018. Results. A total of 1158 scientific articles were sourced from the various databases, out of which 38 met the search criteria and qualified for this review. The studies were conducted in only 9 of the 31 provinces of Iran, with a large proportion in Isfahan province, central Iran. The studies showed that all plant parts (roots, aerial parts, flowers, and leaves) had active constituents. Essential oils and aerial plant parts were the main components studied. Nevertheless, the most frequently reported constituents were xanthomicrol, limonene, luteolin, geranial, apigenin, and calycopterin. A number of medicinal properties were reported among them antioxidant, antibacterial, anticancerous, antinociceptive, antihyperlipidemic, antispasmodic, cytotoxic, and immunomodulatory effects. The plant was also reported to be a remedy for inflammatory pain, headaches, congestion, liver disorders, ulcer, fever, renal pain, dyspepsia, stomach ache, abdominal pain, joints pains, muscle spasm, congestion, bloating, and wound healing effects, among others. Conclusion. This review has shown that D. kotschyi is an important medicinal plant with a large number of active constituents and great potential to safeguard human and animal health in Iran. However, over utilization of the D. kotschyi plant is already endangering its existence. Nevertheless, more studies need be conducted across the country.

Hyperlipidemia is associated with increased risk of atherosclerosis; therefore, control of this risk factor is very important in preventing atherosclerosis. Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) seed is used traditionally as a lipid-lowering nutritional supplement. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of cucumber seed extract on serum lipid profile in adult patients with mild hyperlipidemia. In a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial, hyperlipidemic patients with inclusion criteria were randomly and equally assigned to either Cucumis or placebo groups and used one medicinal or placebo capsule, respectively, once daily with food for 6 wk. Body mass index (BMI) as well as fasting serum levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C) were measured for all patients pre- and post-intervention and finally the changes were compared between the groups. Twenty-four patients in Cucumis group and 23 patients in placebo group completed the study. Cucumis seed extract resulted in significant reduction of total cholesterol (P = 0.016), LDL-C (P < 0.001), TG (P < 0.001), and BMI (P < 0.001) as well as significant increase of HDL-C (P = 0.012) compared to placebo. In conclusion, the consumption of C. sativus seed extract with daily dose of 500 mg results in desirable effects on serum lipid profile in adult hyperlipidemic patients. Therefore, cucumber seed could be considered as a food supplement for treatment of dyslipidemia.

There is an ever-growing need to develop green, non-toxic, and eco-friendly procedures for synthesis and assembly of nanoparticles (NPs) with the desired morphologies and sizes. The hydroalcoholic extract of Persian oak leaves [Quercus brantii Lindl. (Fagaceae)] contains high content of phenolic and flavonoid compounds with strong antioxidant activities, and it seems that this plant can be considered a good candidate for metal nanoparticle synthesis.The potential of Q. brantii leaves in the production of silver NPs and the effect of the extract ethanol concentration on the produced NPs were studied.Quercus brantii leaves were freshly collected, air-dried at room temperature, powdered, and sieved. Hydroalcoholic extracts (70% and 96%) were prepared by percolation of the plant powder. The reaction mixtures contained (final concentrations): AgNO3 (1 mM) as the substrate, plant extract as the biocatalyst, and phosphate buffer (pH = 7, 100 mM) as the reaction medium. Silver ions were determined using atomic absorption analysis. Particle size distribution of NPs was analyzed using Nano-Zeta Sizer (Malvern Instruments Ltd, Malvern, UK). Samples for TEM were prepared by drop-coating the silver nanoparticle suspensions onto carbon-coated copper grids.Hydroalcoholic extract (96%) of Q. brantii successfully produced quite small (as small as 0.83 nm and the mean size of 6 nm), spherical, and poly-dispersed NPs with low aggregates. The conversion was fast and completed in 5 h.This plant and the extraction method seem to be quiet attractive for industrial scale production of NPs.

Hairy roots induced by Agrobacterium rhizogenes are distinguished by their high growth rate, genetic stability, and lateral branching. Datura metel is an important medicinal plant whose hairy roots are used for the production of atropine, a tropane alkaloid applied as an anticholinergic and parasympathetic agent. To increase the yield of atropine, biotic (Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus) and abiotic (AgNO3 and nanosilver) elicitors were added to the hairy root cultures of D. metel and then analyzed through high-performance liquid chromatography. All the elicitors influenced biomass accumulation and atropine production. Among the tested elicitors, nanosilver was most effective in enhancing the hairy roots' atropine content. To the authors' knowledge, the application of nanosilver for increasing tropane alkaloid production is reported for the first time here and could improve the atropine production of pharmaceutical industries.

The objectives were to study the potential of Pulicaria gnaphalodes (Vent.) Boiss. aerial parts in production of nanoparticles and the effect of the extraction solvent on the produced nanoparticles. Methanol and dichloromethane extracts were prepared by percolation of the plant powder. Both the extracts of P. gnaphalodes (Vent.) Boiss. successfully produced small and polydispersed nanoparticles with low aggregates in early hours of the biotransformation. Methanol extract produced spherical and many single nanoparticles, whereas dichloromethane produced porous polyhedral and more aggregated nanoparticles. Methanol extract of this plant seems to be quiet useful for industrial scale production of nanoparticles.

Background: Artemisia aerial parts are well known for antimicrobial activities including anti malaria. Objectives: This study was carried out to evaluate the antimicrobial activity and chemical composition of essential oil from the seeds of Artemisia aucheri Boiss (Asteraceae). Materials and Methods: Essential oil was extracted from the powdered seeds of Artemisia aucheri by hydrodistillation. Antimicrobial activity against five bacterial species was tested using the disc diffusion method, and the chemical composition of the essential oil was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Results: The essential oil of Artemisia aucheri seed showed activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Listeria monocytogenes. The essential oil constituents identified by GC-MS were as follows: decane, ρ-cymene, 1,8-cineole, linalool, ρ-mentha-8-ol, triene, borneol, lavandulol, bornyl acetate, chrysanthenyl acetate, dehydro aromadenderene, and caryophyllene oxide. Most of these compounds are also found in the aerial parts of Artemisia aucheri. Conclusions: Variation in the compositions of essential oils from Artemisia aucheri, and thus variation in the antimicrobial activity of these oils, may be due to the plant parts used for essential oil prepration.

This study was carried out to evalute antimicrobial activities of aerial parts of Inula viscosa (Asteraceae). Aerial parts of I. viscosa were collected in summer 2010 from Lazeghiyah, Syria. The powdered aerial part of the plant was extracted with acidic methanol. Methanolic extract was partitioned in distilled water and diethyl ether. The pH of aqueous parts were changed by adding NaHCO3 solution, and then extracted with chloroform to obtain non-phenolic compounds. The pH of aqueous part again was acidefied and extracted with ethyl acetate to obtain phenolic fraction. Antimicrobial activity tests were carried out using disc diffusion methods aginst five bacterial species. The results showed that different fraction of Inula viscosa extract was effective against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella entritidis. Variation in antimicrobial activity of I. viscosa may be due to polarity of solvent used for extract prepration and the role of extract compositions on plant biological ...

Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra L. var. glabra, Fabaceae) is considered as a model plant synthesizing triterpenoid secondary compounds. It is known that glycyrrhizin is accumulated in thickened intact licorice roots. The effects of methyl jasmonate (MeJa) and salicylic acid (SA) on plant growth and production of glycyrrhizin in the roots of in vitro cultured 65-day-old plants were studied. Increasing amounts of glycyrrhizin in the roots treated with MeJa inhibited root growth, while SA increased the amount of glycyrrhizin without negative effects on growth. Treatment of plantlets with 0.1–2 mM MeJa and 0.1 and 1 mM SA enhanced the production of glycyrrhizin by 3.8 and 4.1 times, respectively, as compared to the controls. Results support the hypothesis that production of glycyrrhizin is related to a defense response system of the licorice.

Six labdanes (1-6) and four isopimaranes (7-10), including three new natural products (7, 9, and 10), were isolated from Platycladus orientalis, and their structures determined using 1D and 2D NMR methods, ion-cyclotron resonance HRMS, and optical rotation data. Relative configurations of all chiral centers in the isopimaranes were determined using NOESY experiments at 600 and 800 MHz. Specific optical rotation data were used to correlate absolute configurations. Compounds 1-9 and aframodial (11) were tested for their in vitro antiplasmodial activity and for their ability to induce changes of erythrocyte shape in order to obtain data about possible correlation between the two effects. All compounds tested exhibited weak (IC(50) > 25 microM) in vitro antiplasmodial effects against Plasmodium falciparum strain 3D7. At the same time, the compounds caused echinocytic or stomatocytic changes of the erythrocyte membrane curvature, indicative of their incorporation into the lipid bilayer, in the concentration region where the antiplasmodial activity was observed. The antiplasmodial effect of these compounds thus appears to be an indirect effect on the erythrocyte host cell. Weak or moderate antiplasmodial activity observed with many other apolar natural products, in particular those with amphiphilic structures, is also likely to be an indirect effect.

Lamiaceae familyasindan bircok bitki tum dunyada geleneksel halk ilaci olarak kullanilmaktadir. Bu familyadan hareketle izole edilen sekonder metabolitlerinde ilgi cekici biyolojik etkilere sahip oldugu gosterilmistir. Calismamizda, Lorestan ilinin Aligudarz bolgesinde halk ilaci olarak sikca kullanilan Lamiaceae familyasindan bazi bitkilerin fitokimyasal analizi yapilmistir. Bu amacla 2014-2015 yillari arasinda bitkiler toplanmis ve sistematik olarak tanimlanmistir. Bitkilerin geleneksel ve bolgesel kullanilislari bolge halkindan bilgilendirilmis onam ve yari yapilandirilmis gorusme yontemiyle derlenmistir. Bitkilerde; alkaloidler, flavonoidler, saponinler, taninler, antrakinon ve glikozitler gibi bilesenlerin varligini saptamak icin fitokimyasal analizler yapilmistir. 13 Gene ait 25 bitki turu toplanmis ve tanimlanmistir. Bitkilerin en cok, soguk alginligi ve gastrointestinal rahatsizliklarin tedavisinde ve aroma verici olarak kullanildigi saptanmistir. 25 Bitki turunden 23’unun tanen icerdigi, 22 turun flavonoid, 4 turun alkaloid ve 1 turun saponin tani tepkimeleri sonucunda pozitif sonuc verdigi tespit edilmistir. Bu arastirma insan sagligina katkida bulunmak icin geleneksel halk ilaci olarak kullanilan sekonder metabolitlerin kullanimi icin bir yaklasim saglamaktadir. Bu makale kapsaminda incelenen bitkiler, yeni ilaclar kesfetmek icin potansiyel birer kaynak olarak degerlendirilebilir.

Background: Perovskia abrotanoides Karel. is a medicinal plant used in Iranian folk medicine as a pain killer. Forty-one components have been identified in P. abrotanoides samples collected from Baluchistan Province, and 29 components have been recognized in samples collected from Khorasan Province. The leaves of P. abrotanoides have glandular trichomes (capitates and peltate) on both sides of the lamina. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the variation of oil constituents of the plant and illustrate the glandular trichomes types and then show the influence of environment on oil constituents and glandular trichomes. Materials and Methods: The essential oil of the plant was obtained using hydrodistillation and the analysis of oils carried out using GC-MS. The anatomical analysis of leaves was done by fixing, coloring, and photoing the sections. Results: Glandular trichomes composed of capitates and peltate trichomes. The essential oil composition differs. Viridiflora and neryl acetate were not identified in yellow glandular trichomes. Conclusions: It seems that there is no relation between anatomical characteristics of the plant leaves and its essential oil composition.

The objectives were to study the potential of Althaea officinalis radix in production of silver NPs, and the effect of the extract ethanol concentration on the produced NPs. Seventy and ninety-six percent hydroalcoholic extracts were prepared by percolation of the plant powder. The extract was concentrated by rotary evaporator and then freeze-dried. Silver ions were determined using atomic absorption analysis. The NPs were characterized by Nano-Zeta Sizer and TEM. Both of 70% and 96% of hydroalcoholic extracts of A. officinalis radix successfully synthesized spherical and poly-dispersed silver NPs. The conversion was fast and almost completed in 5 h.

Traditional herbal medicines such as Ferula gummosa Boiss. have been used for treatment of intestinal disorders in Iran. To date no pharmacological evidence for their effectiveness has been reported. The aim of this study was to examine the relaxant effect of essential oil, hydro-alcoholic, etheric, petrolic and methanolic extracts of Ferula gummosa and two of its components, alpha-pinene and beta-pinene, on isolated rat ileum contractions induced by KCl and acetylcholine (ACh). Ferula gummosa essential oil (FGEO) and hydro-alcoholic, etheric, petrolic and methanolic extracts all inhibited the response to 80 mM KCl in a concentration-dependent manner and attenuated the maximum attainable response of the ACh concentration-response curve. Although the effect of etheric extract on ACh contractions was less than that of petrolic extract, the overall order of effectiveness on the weight basis was the etheric, petrolic, methanolic, and hydro-alcoholic extracts, and the essential oil, respectively. A mixture of etheric and petrolic extracts together had a similar effect on KCl response to etheric extract was used alone. Alpha-pinene and beta-pinene both exhibited inhibitory effect on the contraction of rat ileum, but the inhibitory effect of beta-pinene on KCl contraction was more pronounced. The inhibitory effect of a mixture of these two compounds was, however, less than the sum of their separate effects. When a mixture of alpha-pinene and beta-pinene together were examined on the ileum, without presence of the spasmogen, they initially caused contraction of the tissue, while neither of them used alone caused a noticeable contraction of the ileum. This study shows that Ferula gummosa essential oil and its various extracts are relaxant of rat isolated ileum and that at least part of their inhibitory effect is due to alpha-pinene and beta-pinene components. As the inhibition of contractile over-activity of the ileum is the basis of the treatment of some gastero-intestinal disorders such as diarrhea, Ferula gummosa may have clinical benefits for treatment of this condition.

Callus cultures of Carum copticum were established from cotyledons and healthy suspensions grown using Murashige and Skoog medium. The dichloromethane extract of cell suspension culture of Carum copticum was analysed by GC and GC–MS; 41 components were identified, of which the major constituents were found to be elemol (11.5%), α-cadinol (10.6%), δ-cadinene (7.8%), caryophyllene (6.2%), muurolol (4.9%), β-eudesmol (3.1%), β-elemene (3.9%), α-muurolene (2.6%), limonene (2.4%) and α-humulene (2.0%). Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Background: Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) is the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), which remains one of the major public health problems in the world. The increasing incidence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) worldwide highlights the urgent need to search for alternative antimycobacterial agents. More and more people in developing countries utilize traditional medicine for their major primary health care needs. It has been determined that the medicinal plants Pulicaria gnaphalodes and Perovskia abrotanoides possess strong antibacterial effect. Materials and Methods: In this study, the antimycobacterial effects of P. gnaphalodes and P. abrotanoides essential oil on MTB were examined. Essential oil was prepared from P. gnaphalodes aerial parts and P. abrotanoides flower. The effects of six different concentrations (20 μg/ml, 40 μg/ml, 80 μg/ml, 160 μg/ml, 320 μg/ml, and 640 μg/ml) were examined against sensitive isolates of MTB and MTB H37Rv (ATCC 27294). Results: The results showed that P. gnaphalodes and P. abrotanoides essential oil extracts have strong inhibitory effects on MTB. This activity for P. gnaphalodes was observed from very low (4%) to good (70.9%) effect; meanwhile, this activity for P. abrotanoides was observed from very low (4%) to strong (86%) effect. Conclusion: The mean of inhibition percentage for P. gnaphalodes and P. abrotanoides in 640 μg/ml was 58.1% and 76.2%, respectively. So, P. abrotanoides plant is more effective against MTB than P. gnaphalodes. Identification of the effective fraction against MTB is a further step to be studied.