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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.

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.

Introduction: Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia Mill) is a herbal medicine widely used for gastrointestinal (GI) disorders. However, its pharmacological action on isolated ileum has not been studied. In this research effect of hydroalcoholic extract of L. angustifolia on isolate ileum contractions was studies and compared with loperamide. Methods: Hydroalcoholic extract of the plant was prepared by percolation method. The total flavonoid contents were assessed by colorimetric technique. A portion of rat ileum was suspended in an organ bath containing Tyrode’s solution. The tissue was kept under 1 g tension at 37°C and continuously gassed with O2. The tissue was stimulated with KCl (80 mM), acetylcholine (ACh, 2 μM) and electrical field stimulation (EFS). Effect of the L. angustifolia extract was studied on ileum contractions and compared with that of loperamide. Results: The yield of hydroalcoholic extract was 17% with total flavonoid content of 185 μg/mL in the stock solution. Loperamide in concentration dependent manner inhibited ileum contractile response to KCl, ACh and EFS. Hydroalcoholic extract of L. angustifolia (8-512 μg/mL) concentration dependently inhibited ileum contraction induced by KCl (IC50 = 88 ± 21 μg/mL), ACh (IC50 = 119 ± 251 μg/mL) and EFS (IC50 = 87 ± 33 μg/mL). The vehicle had no significant effect on ileum contractions. Conclusion: From this study it was concluded that L. angustifolia extract at microgram concentration shows an inhibitory effect on rat ileum smooth muscle. Therefore, isolation and identification of active ingredients are recommended.

Introduction: Aerial parts of Dracocephalum kotschyi have been used as antispasmodic agents in Iranian traditional medicine. Recent pharmacological studies confirmed antispasmodic activity of D. kotschyi extract. The objective of this research was to investigate antispasmodic activities of apigenin and luteolin to find out if they are responsible for the spasmolytic activity of hydroalcoholic extract of D. kotschyi. Methods: Aerial parts of D. kotschyi were extracted with ethanol. Antispasmodic effect of hydroalcoholic extract of D. kotschyi, apigenin and luteolin were examined on KCl and/or acetylcholine (ACh)-induced contractions in rat isolated ileum. Results: Hydroalcoholic extract of D. kotschyi concentrations-dependently inhibited KCl and ACh induced contractions with IC50 values of 41 ± 10 μg/mL and 133 ± 19 μg/mL, respectively. Apigenin concentrations-dependently inhibited KCl and ACh induced contractions with IC50 values of 57 ± 12 μM and 80 ± 18 μM, respectively. Luteolin concentrations-dependently inhibited KCl induced contractions with IC50 values of 68 ± 14 μM. Loperamide reduced both KCl and ACh induced contraction with IC50 values of 189 ± 44 nM and 82 ± 20 μM, respectively. Conclusion: In this study apigenin and luteolin were identified as two active ingredients responsible for antispasmodic activities of D. kotschyi extract.

Introduction: Zataria multiflora Boiss. is an indigenous herbal plant found in many parts of Iran. This herb is traditionally used as a remedy for treating gastrointestinal disorders including diarrhea. Despite the existence of few pharmacological evidences which support the antispasmodic action of Z. multiflora in vitro, there is no scientific report about therapeutic efficacy of Z. multiflora in animal models. The objective of this research was to investigate the antispasmodic activity of hydroalcoholic and hexane extracts of Z. multiflora on intestinal peristaltic movement as well as assessment of its antidiarrheal action in mice. Methods: Dried leafy branches of Z. multiflora were coarsely powdered and subjected to extraction by ethanol or hexane in a percolator apparatus. Antispasmodic activity of Z. multiflora in vivo was assessed by investigating effect of the extracts on intestinal charcoal meal transit. The antidiarrheal activity of Z. multiflora extracts was evaluated by castor oil and magnesium sulfate‑induced diarrhea. The inhibitory effects of the extracts were compared with the standard drug loperamide. Results: The antispasmodic activity of Z. multiflora (20 & 40 mg/kg) hydroalcoholic and hexane extracts was confirmed by a reduction in the distance traveled by charcoal meal alongside the small intestine. Z. multiflora extracts (20 & 40 mg/kg) also significantly attenuated the castor oil and magnesium sulfate‑induced diarrhea. Loperamide was more efficacious in reducing number of total stools in both models of diarrhea. Conclusion: The obtained results have established a pharmacological evidence for the folkloric use of the Z. multiflora as an antidiarrhoeal and spasmodic agent.

Trichomoniasis is a common sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by a protozoan parasite called Trichomonas vaginalis. This disease, with roughly 170 million new infected people worldwide per year, is associated with various problems such as pre-term delivery, high infant mortality or low birth weight. In addition, trichomoniasis increases patient susceptibility to HIV infection. The mainstay medication for trichomoniasis is metronidazole, but some resistant strains to this treatment have been identified. Moreover, treatment with metronidazole is associated with numerous side effects. Thus efforts to identify new alternative drugs in order to control trichomoniasis are vital. The use of medicinal herbs has gained widespread acceptance in both developing and non-developing societies because of owing to fewer side effects and better patient tolerance. In our search for alternative drugs in the treatment of trichomoniasis, we reviewed the effect of different plant extracts on Trichomonas vaginalis in vitro.

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.

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.

Higher plants have been shown to be a potential source for the new anti-microbial agents. Essential oils are becoming increasingly popular as naturally occurring antimicrobial agents. In this work the chemical composition and the antimicrobial properties of Echinophora platyloba essential oils were determined. The aims of this work were to assess the antimicrobial properties of the essential oils isolated from the aerial parts of E. platyloba. The plant was collected from Isfahan and identified by Pharmacognosy Department of Isfahan Faculty of Pharmacy. Hydrodistillation was used to isolate the essential oils and the chemical analyses were performed by gas chromatography and GC coupled to mass spectrometry. The antimicrobial activity of the oils and components was determined against several microorganisms, using a disc agar diffusion method. Ciprofloxacin, ketoconazole and amphotericin B are used in the test as positive control. The GC-MS analysis showed that the major constituents of the oils we...

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.

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.

Pycnocycla spinosa is an essential oil from a wild plant growing in central Iran. However, so far its pharmacological effects have not been studied. The aim of this study was to look for relaxant effects of the essential oil and hydro-alcoholic extract of P. spinosa on rat isolated ileum contractions induced by KCl and acetylcholine (ACh). P. spinosa essential oil (PSEO) and the hydro-alcoholic extract inhibited the response to 80 mM KCl in a concentration-dependent manner and attenuated the maximum attainable response of ACh concentration-response curve. Furthermore, in caster oil induced diarrhoea, the hydro-alcoholic extract had a dose-dependent anti-diarrhoeal effect. This study showed that P. spinosa essential oil and its hydro-alcoholic extract act as a relaxant of rat isolated ileum. As the inhibition of contractile over-activity of the ileum is the basis for the treatment of gastro-intestinal disorders such as diarrhoea, P. spinosa may have clinical benefits for treatment of this condition. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Hydroalcoholic extract of Pycnocycla spinosa was shown to have spasmolytic action in vitro and antidiarroheal effect in vivo. The hydroalcoholic extract of P. spinosa is composed of alkaloid-, flavonoid- and saponin-rich components. These components were separated by fractional separation technique. The pharmacological objective of this study was to look for relaxant effect of these components of hydroalcoholic extract of P. spinosa on rat isolated ileum contractions. The alkaloid-, flavonoid- and saponin-rich fractions of P. spinosa inhibited the response to 80 mM KCl in a concentration-dependent manner. The alkaloid-rich fraction was the most and saponin-rich fraction the least effective relaxant of ileum contractions. The alkaloid-rich fraction also inhibited the response to acetylcholine (ACh) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT). From this study, it can be concluded that the antispasmodic action of hydroalcoholic extract of P. spinosa could be due to components in the alkaloid-rich fraction and to a lesser extent, to its flavonoid-rich fraction.

Background: Moringa peregrina (Forssk.) Fiori. is a tropical tree growing in southeast of Iran. All parts of this plant have nutritional uses and pharmacological activities. The present study was designed to evaluate the effect of hydroalcoholic extract from the leaves of M. peregrina in dexamethasone (Dex)-induced hypertension in rats. Materials and Methods: Male Wistar rats received Dex (30 μg/kg, subcutaneously; s.c.) or saline (as vehicle, 1 ml/kg, s.c.) for 14 days. In a prevention study, the rats received M. peregrina extract (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg, orally) for 4 days, followed by Dex for 14 days. In a reversal study, the animals received M. peregrina extract orally from day 8 to 14. The systolic blood pressure (SBP) was measured using tail-cuff method. The hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) concentration and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) were assessed in plasma samples. Results: Dex significantly increased the SBP and the plasma H 2 O 2 and decreased the plasma FRAP value (P < 0.001). M. peregrina extract at a dose of 400 mg/kg prevented (P < 0.01) but did not reverse Dex-induced hypertension in rats. It also dose-dependently reduced the plasma H 2 O 2 concentration and improved the FRAP value upon Dex administration. Conclusions: The findings of the present study indicated the antioxidant and partially antihypertensive effects of the hydroalcoholic extract from the leaves of M. peregrina in Dex-induced hypertension. Further experiments on other fractions of the leaves and also other parts of this plant are suggested for better evaluation of its antihypertensive effect and finding its mechanisms of action.