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Background Diabetic patients are at increased risk for coronary artery disease. Since phytotherapy has been greatly common, finding safe and effective treatments is of importance. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a Melissa officinalis L. based product (MO) in patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods A randomized double-blinded controlled study was conducted with 37 dyslipidemic diabetic patients, assigned to either MO or placebo (P) groups receiving two 500 mg capsules daily for 3 months. Finally, 32 cases completed the study and were included in the analysis; MO (n=16) and P (n=16). Results Safe and significant effects in terms of decreasing the serum level of triglyceride (TG) in all patients after 2 months (p-value=0.02) and in patients with higher baseline serum levels of TG (TG≥200 mg/dl) after 3 months (p-value=0.04) were shown in the MO group. However, no metabolic significant changes were seen compared to the control group. Significant decrease in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure from baseline values were also found in patients with higher systolic blood pressure (SBP≥130 mmHg) (p-value=0.02) and those with higher diastolic blood pressure (DBP≥85 mmHg) (p-value=0.02) in the MO group. Conclusion This study showed that MO might be safe and beneficial in decreasing the serum TG level in dyslipidemic diabetic patients. Although, larger long-term studies are required.

Background Despite growing demand for medicinal plants, there is little data about their use by patients with dyslipidemia. We aimed to determine the prevalence, pattern, and associated factors for the use of medicinal plants among patients with dyslipidemia. Methods A 17-item semi-structured questionnaire was filled out by 195 patients with dyslipidemia in a cross-sectional study carried out in two academic endocrinology clinics in Shiraz, Iran. The questionnaire comprised of three main domains of demographic data (6 questions), clinical data (2 of them), and data related to the use of medicinal plants (totally 9 questions). Results A total of 77.4% of patients took medicinal plants. The most common medicinal herbs used by dyslipidemic patients were Zataria multiflora, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, and Zingiber officinale. Duration of dyslipidemia was significantly longer in herbal users than non-herbal users (p=0.04). Patients believing that concomitant use of conventional drugs and herbal preparations had synergic positive effects in addition to those persuaded that herbal preparations possessed less side effects, were significantly more likely to use medicinal plants (p=0.008 and 0.005, respectively). Additionally, most of the medicinal herb users (87.4%) changed neither the pattern nor the dosage of their medications all during herbal preparations use. Conclusions This study demonstrated a high prevalence of medicinal plants' use among patients with dyslipidemia, which was associated with the duration of dyslipidemia, patients' viewpoints about herbal preparations' synergic positive effects, and their fewer side effects.

Objective: Cassia fistula L. fruit extract has been traditionally used in the treatment of pemphigus vulgaris (PV) lesions in Iran. The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of C. fistula fruit gel on healing time of PV lesions in a clinical setting., Materials and Methods: This was a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial that was performed in dermatology ward at Saadi hospital, affiliated to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. Right- or left- sided lesions of PV patients on standard systemic treatment were randomized for treatment with either C. fistula fruit gel or placebo prescribed twice daily. The largest diameter of each lesion was measured at the baseline (day 0) and on days 10 and 20. Epithelialization Index (EI), as outcome measure was calculated and compared between the two groups., Results: The present study comprised 20 patients, with overall 82 cutaneous lesions including 41 lesions in the C. fistula fruit gel group and 41 lesions in the placebo group. The EI in the C. fistula fruit gel group was significantly higher than that of the placebo group both on day 10 (65±28vs 30±34; p=0.001) and at the end of the study (91±22 vs 69±49; p=0.003)., Conclusion: Topical application of C. fistula fruit gel can be considered as an effective adjuvant therapy in treatment of PV., Competing Interests: No potential conflict of interest was identified in this study.

Objectives: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease with a recurrent nature. Treatment of this disorder takes long due to patients' non-compliance and its severe side effects. Traditional Persian medicine (TPM) is an ancient medical system dating back to 6000 years ago, originating from Persian regions, the most important of which was Iran. This research is designated to determine the treatments and natural remedies that ancient Iranian scientists have used to treat lesions described with symptoms close to common modern psoriasis. One of the complexities of using TPM known diseases is describing and finding the current medical problems in the traditional medicine manuscripts. Materials and Methods: In this study, using TPM treatment books such as, Tebb-e- akbary, Exir-e-azam, Moalejat-e-Aghili and Alhavy, the symptoms of psoriasis were matched with diseases that were described with similar symptoms as psoriasis, such as Bahaq-e- asvad, baras-e- asvad, saafe, Guba. Search for herbal remedies was done using the keywords found in the main TPM manuscripts, especially in remedy (Mofradat) and treatment (Moalejat) TPM books. Herbs mentioned for different TPM keywords were investigated for effects on psoriasis. Searches were performed in the digital libraries and databases with the keywords including "Psoriasis", "keratinocytes", "inflammation" and "Skin disorder" without time limit. Results: According to Iranian humoral medical system, we introduced categorized lists of causes of diseases and the treatments used including mineral and herbal remedies and combinations used orally and topically and advises regarding lifestyle modification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Bitumen is a natural substance effusing from rocks' notches in some highland areas; it has been known as an effective remedy for treating some illnesses. Considering pain relieving properties of bitumen in traditional Persian medicine (TPM) sources, this study aims to review the viewpoints of TPM sages regarding bitumen in the context of traditional Persian medicine. It also provides applicable information for interested researchers to conduct well-designed clinical trials and evaluate therapeutic effects of bitumen claimed in TPM sources., Material and Method: Various databases including Embase, SID, IRANDOC, IranMedex, Scopus and PubMed were searched with keywords "bitumen" and "Shilajit". Furthermore, main traditional Persian medicine sources including Avicenna's "Canon of medicine", "Continens Liber" by Razes, "The storehouse of medicaments" by Aghili, "Gift for the faithful" by Momen Tonekaboni and "Measure for medicine" written by Muhammad Akbar Shah Arzani were reviewed with Persian keywords "Moomiaii" and "Mumnaei" Results: According to TPM sources, bitumen was used by Iranian's physicians to treat a wide range of diseases. It was known especially as an effective remedy to improve gastrointestinal digestive problems., Conclusion: Bitumen is cited in traditional Persian medicine sources as an effective remedy for treatment of a wide range of diseases, especially GI disorders and bone pain. Recent studies showed the beneficial effects of bitumen in treatment of wound healing, however using it in medical practice for other health dilemma should be confirmed by conducting well-designed clinical studies in the future.

Quince (Cydonia oblonga Mill) is a popular medicinal herb in different traditional medicines. Concentrated quince fruit extract, also known as quince sauce (QS), is traditionally used for the treatment of a variety of gastrointestinal disorders. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of QS versus ranitidine on gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in pregnant women. We compared the efficacy of 4 weeks of ranitidine (150 mg, twice daily) with the efficacy of QS (10 mg, after meals) on 137 pregnant women with GERD. Their General Symptom Score (GSS) and Major Symptom Score (MSS) were compared at the baseline, 2 weeks and 4 weeks after intervention. After 2 weeks of the study, the mean GSS score of the QS group was significantly lower compared with the ranitidine group (p = .036). Although, the GSS value at the end of the study had no difference between groups (p = .074). However, the MSS of the different symptoms of the two groups at 2 weeks and 4 weeks had no significant differences. It seems that the efficacy of QS for the management of pregnancy-related GERD is similar to ranitidine. Impact statement What is already known on this subject? Quince is a traditional gastric tonic, an appetiser, and a remedy for nausea/vomiting and epigastric pain. Also, there are several previous positive experiences about quince products for GERD treatment. What do the results of this study add? It seems that the efficacy of QS for the management of pregnancy-related GERD is similar to ranitidine. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? QS can be suggested as an alternative medicine for pregnant patients with GERD.

Purpose: In Traditional Persian Medicine (TPM), different natural treatments have been suggested for skin damages such as Narcissus tazetta L. bulb application. New drug delivery systems such as niosomes have shown considerable increase transdermal drug delivery through stratum corneum, the main barrier against substances transport into skin. The aim of this study is preparation of niosomal formulations from N. tazetta bulb extract and evaluation of its in vitro wound healing effect., Materials and Methods: Non-ionic surfactant vesicles (NSVs or niosomes) were prepared by film hydration method from percolated extract of N. tazetta bulb. A number of 12 niosomal formulations (F1-F12) were prepared using different proportions of Span 60/Tween 60/cholesterol and 80% methanol-dissolved/aqueous PEN (percolation extract of N. tazetta) (30 and 50 mg/ml). Their morphology, particle size, physical and chemical stability and encapsulation efficiency was studied. In vitro wound healing effect of various concentrations of the best PEN niosomal formulation (F9) was evaluated in comparison to PEN on human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs)., Results: Increasing the aqueous/methanolic PEN concentration from 3 to 5% resulted size reduction of NSVs with statistically significant difference (p < 0.05). F9 showed the most physicochemical stability and was chosen for in vitro wound healing effect. This formulation exhibited significantly effects (p < 0.05) on cell proliferation in HDF cells at 1.562 and 3.125 μg/ml compared with the untreated cells using neutral red assay., Conclusion: Formulation of PEN in niosome carrier significantly decreased the gap width on human dermal fibroblasts. Graphical abstract Schematic processes of proliferation effect of narcisus tazetta bulb on fibroblast cells.

Historical literature on portal hypertension is mainly focused on the contemporary advances in therapeutic methods, especially surgical ones. However, it seems that the origin of the human knowledge on the portal system, its association with the caval system, obstructive pathologies in this system and the gastrointestinal bleeding due to hepatic diseases might be much older than previously believed. Avicenna provided a detailed anatomy of the portal venous system and its feeding branches in the Canon of Medicine. Soddat al-Kabed va al-Masarigha (liver and mesenteric occlusion) is also a disease presented by Avicenna with clinical, etiological and therapeutic descriptions suggesting the fact that Soddat al-Kabed va al-Masarigha has multiple similarities with the currently identified concept of "portal hypertension". He presented sense of heaviness in the liver area with or without mild pain, anemia, pale and inappropriate body color, and loose stool which can be complicated with ascites, infection, fever and abdominal pain as clinical manifestations of this disease. He has also suggested therapeutic approaches including laxative and diuretic herbs to help excreting the obstructive material into stool or urine.

Background: Herbal distillates have been used for many centuries as herbal medicines in Traditional Persian medicine. The main purpose of this study was to determine methanol and ethanol contents in commonly-used industrial herbal distillates produced by three famous factories in Khorasan Razavi, Mashhad, Iran (2014-2015)., Methods: Ninety herbal waters of ten types of most commonly used herbal distillates including Willow (Salix alba) , Ajava seeds ( Carum copticum ), Fennel ( Foeniculum vulgare ) , Poleigamander (Teucrium polium) , Forty plants, Peppermint (Mentha piperita) , Camel thorn (Alhagi camelorum) , Chicory (Cichorium intybus) , Fumitory (Fumaria officinalis) and Rose water (Rosa damascene) of three famous company in Mashhad were randomly bought from market. Methanol and ethanol contents of each sample were measured by Gas chromatography according to the standard method. Collected data were analyzed by SPSS using appropriate descriptive statistical tests., Results: The highest average amount of methanol of all tested distillates is for forty plants (46.06 mg/dl) and M. piperita (46.72 mg/dl) and the lowest for ajava seed (8.46 mg/dl). The maximum and minimum ethanol level was reported for rose water (0.39 mg/dl) and ajava seed (0.15 mg/dl), respectively., Conclusion: High methanol and ethanol concentrations may induce toxicity in people taking these products regularly for a long time. Therefore, considering the harmful effects of methanol and ethanol on human health, further studies are required for determining permitted levels of methanol and ethanol in herbal distillates., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interests The authors declare that there is no conflict of interests.

Background: Globally, female sexual dysfunction is a serious concern based on negative family and social consequences, high side effects of medications and lack of effective treatment. Thus, the evaluation of treatment approach for this problem is an important priority for healthcare systems. Sexual life and its related disorders are considered the main aspects of a healthy lifestyle in traditional Persian medicine (TPM)., Objective: The present study aimed to determine and compare the effects of food products containing Daucus carota, TPM-based training program, and a combination of these two interventions on the improvement of female sexual dysfunction., Methods: This randomized clinical trial was conducted on 96 women with sexual dysfunction based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5®), aged 18-35 years who referred to the Gynecology Clinic of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran, during 2016 and 2017. The patients were randomly divided into three groups (n=32) and received the intervention over an eight-week period. The first group was provided with TPM-based sexual health training, the second group received 30 g of a traditional food product (wild carrot halva: mixed Daucus carota and several herbs with honey) on a daily basis, and the third group received a combination of this traditional food product plus education. Data analysis was performed using Chi square test, repeated measures ANOVA, two-way ANOVA, ANCOVA, post hoc Bonferroni, Friedman and Wilcoxon signed-rank test in SPSS version 11.5., Results: According to the results of this study, there was a significant difference in terms of sexual desire (p=0.002), lubrication (p=0.002), orgasm (p=0.004) and pain (p<0.001) after eight weeks of the intervention among the three groups., Conclusion: The use of two interventions of TPM including a food product containing Daucus carota and this product with TPM-based education improved desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction and pain in females with sexual dysfunction. Furthermore, TPM-based education alone, led to the improvement of all domains of sexual dysfunction, except for pain in the females with sexual dysfunction., Trial Registration: The trial was registered at the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials with the IRCT ID: IRCT2015122425681N1)., Funding: The present study was supported by a grant from the Research Council, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran (ref. no.: 941503)., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest: There is no conflict of interest to be declared.

Introduction: The beneficial effects of breastfeeding for the infant and mother are well recognized. Many natural products are reputed to be galactogogue agents in major Traditional Persian Medicine (TPM) textbooks. The aim of this study is to review those medicinal plants that are reported to be effective in increasing breast milk in TPM and to compare the data from TPM texts with the findings of modern pharmacological and clinical research., Materials and Methods: Data on the medicinal plants used to increase breast milk were obtained from major TPM textbooks. A detailed search in PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Web of Science databases was performed to confirm the effects of medicinal plants mentioned in TPM on lactation in view of the identified pharmacological actions., Results: Foeniculum vulgare, Anethum graveolens, Pimpinella anisum, Nigella sativa, and Vitex agnus-castus are among the most effective galactogogue TPM plants. Many pharmacologically relevant activities have been reported for these herbs., Conclusion: The use of traditional knowledge can pave the way toward finding effective phytopharmaceuticals for increasing breast milk.

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia that is an irretrievable chronic neurodegenerative disease. In the current study, we have examined the therapeutic effects of Iris germanica extract on Amyloid β (Aβ) induced memory impairment., Materials and Methods: Wistar rats were divided into five groups of 8 per each. Groups were as followed: control group which were normal rats without induction of AD, Aβ group which received Aβ (50 ng/side), iris 100 group which received Aβ + Iris (100 mg/kg), iris 200 group which received Aβ + Iris (200 mg/kg), and iris 400 group which received Aβ + Iris (400 mg/kg). AD was established by intrahippocampal injection of 50 ng/μl/side Aβ1-42. The day after surgery, animals in treatment groups received different doses of the aqueous extract of Iris by gavage for 30 days. Morris water maze test (MWM) was performed to assess the effects of I. germanica on learning and memory of rats with Aβ induced AD., Results: Data from MWM tests, including escape latency and traveled distance, demonstrated that I. germanica extract could markedly improve spatial memory in comparison to control. Moreover, the plant had a significantly better effect on the performance of AD rats in the probe test., Conclusion: I. germanica extract can successfully reverse spatial learning dysfunction in an experimental model of AD. Further neuro psyco-pharmacological studies are mandatory to reveal the mechanism of action of this natural remedy in the management of AD symptoms.

This study aimed to determine the frequency and pattern of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use in thalassemia patients in south of Iran. The survey was done using a validated questionnaire which was distributed among 122 thalassemia patients. Only 108 questionnaires were completed and turned back (response rate 88.5%). Patients referred to an outpatient thalassemia clinic in Shiraz, southern Iran for blood transfusion. The mean age of the patients was 22.9 ± 7.9 years (range 4-45 years) with female/male ratio 1.84. Seventy four (68.5%) of the responders used CAM at least once during their life, and about half of them used it concurrently with their conventional treatments. The most reported CAM product was mint juice (50%). The most common reason of CAM use was increased general health. The most common information source about CAM was physicians who were the most trusted source as well. CAM is frequently being used in thalassemia patients to ensure their sense of well-being and help them overcome the complications of their illnesses.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder in women of reproductive age. Its cause is unknown and it remains the most enigmatic of reproductive disorders. The extant written documents of Traditional Persian Medicine (TPM) - with holistic approaches towards human health - contain remedies used for centuries. Before further experimental research on any of these treatments, it is appropriate to study current related scientific evidence on their possible pharmacological actions. This work aims to study PCOS and its treatments in TPM. To collect data from medieval medicinal texts, six of the most famous manuscripts of Persian medicine were studied. Medicinal treatments for a problem similar to PCOS were searched for in these books. The plants were listed and their authentications were confirmed in accordance with botanical books. PubMed and ScienceDirect databases were searched for related mechanisms of action or pharmacological activities of the medicinal plants reported. From numerous articles, the current work tried to cite the latest publications with regard to each reported plant and PCOS-related mechanisms of action. We studied herbal treatments recommended by ancient Persians to treat a condition called Habs-e-tams , which had the same symptoms of PCOS. It could be concluded that ancient physicians not only wanted to treat the irregular menstrual cycle-which is the most obvious symptom of PCOS-but also their treatment options were aimed at ameliorating the related underlying metabolic dysfunctions. The recommended herbs, which have the most scientific proof for their related actions, can be studied further in experimental analyses.

Kidneys have an important role in the body. Any damage to kidney role can damage many organs of the body. Traditional Persian Medicine (TPM) or Iranian traditional medicine (ITM) is an ancient temperamental medicine with many literatures about kidney diseases and Avicenna (980-1025 AD) describes kidney diseases in details. This is a review study by searching of the most important clinical and pharmaceutical TPM textbooks such as The Canon of Medicine by Avicenna and scientific data banks using keywords such as "Hozal-e-Kolye", renal atrophy, tubular atrophy, kidney, chronic kidney disease, and end stage renal disease. This paper found that "Hozal-e-Kolye" in TPM texts is the same tubular atrophy in conventional medicine due to some similar symptoms between them. Lifestyle modification and use of proposed foodstuffs can be considered as a complementary medicine in addition to conventional treatments to manage these patients. TPM scholars prescribed some foodstuffs such as camel milk, sheep's milk and Ficus carica for this disease as a complementary management. This study aimed to explain HK (the same tubular atrophy considering their similar symptoms) and introduce some foodstuffs. It seems using of foodstuffs affecting tubular atrophy based on TPM literatures can has a role as a supplemental method in company with conventional medicine management.

Background: Loss of olfaction can cause noticeable reduction in general quality of life. Only a small portion of patients with olfactory loss respond to current medications. Thus, development of novel therapeutic strategies seems to be necessary. Looking into traditional medical knowledge can be of great value in addressing useful remedies. Traditional Persian Medicine (TPM) has been practiced in Persia for more than 2000 years. Avicenna is the most eminent Persian physician., Objective: To survey Avicenna's views on etiology and management of olfactory loss and to search for relevant modern pharmacological data., Methods: Avicenna's views on etiology and management (including suggested medicinal plants) of olfactory loss were obtained from "Canon of Medicine". In addition, a detailed search in ScienceDirect, PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar databases was performed to elucidate relevant pharmacological actions and mechanisms of the plants and their major compounds with special focus on neuroprotective activity., Results: Acorus calamus L., Allium cepa L., Allium sativum L., Aloe spp., Cinnamomum cassia (L.) J.Presl, Lavandula stoechas L., Mentha longifolia (L.) L., Nigella sativa L., Peganum harmala L., Piper nigrum L. and Zingiber officinale Roscoe were found to be the most emphatic plants for the treatment of olfactory loss. Pharmacological studies revealed biological activities including neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, free radical scavenging activities and promoting endogenous antioxidant capacity for these plants and their major components., Conclusion: regarding the lack of effective treatments for recruiting normal smell in many cases, treatments suggested by Avicenna worth entering pharmacologic experiments and clinical trials., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.)

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a spectrum of diseases involving the heart and blood vessels, and the first cause of mortality worldwide. Medicinal plants have been used for thousands of years to treat CVD. In Traditional Persian Medicine (TPM), there is a special focus on heart diseases. Avicenna, a Persian physician of the eleventh century compiled a book devoted to this field named "The treatise on cardiac drugs" which is a compendium of TPM knowledge on CVD. Avicenna mentioned 50 cardiovascular active plants and described their therapeutic effects in the treatment of CVDs., Methods: Here, we perform a detailed search in scientific databases to verify the cardiovascular activities of the medicinal plants suggested by Avicenna. Also, we discussed cardiovascular activities of a number of the most important suggested plants as well as their efficacy in clinical studies. Major bioactive compounds identified from these plants are also discussed., Results: Pharmacological studies have revealed that the majority of these plants are effective in cardiovascular health with various mechanisms. Among them, Crocus sativus L., Cinnamomum cassia (L.) J. Presl, Punica granatum L., Ocimum basilicum L., Elettaria cardamomum (L.) Maton, Melissa officinalis L. and Phyllanthus emblica L. have proved to be more effective., Conclusion: The above-mentioned plants can be rich sources for developing new and effective pharmaceuticals for the treatment of CVDs., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.)

Objectives: Each of the four seasons of the year like the human body has a certain temperament. Seasonal contraption is the most important issue In health maintenance in Persian medicine. In this article the necessary contraptions are presented to maintain health and prevent common diseases in each season. Materials and Methods: The topic of contraptions of seasons was studied using reliable health sources of traditional Persian medicine. Results: Contraptions of spring include consumption of soft foods such as lamb, fried eggs, barberry syrup, rhubarb, and sekanjabin; body purgation with enema and bloodletting through phlebotomy; and avoiding excess activity, excess bathing, extreme anger and excitement. Contraptions of summer include consumption of fresh fish, chicken, sour pomegranate juice, verjuice, rhubarb syrup, cherries, plums, watermelon, lettuce, spinach; increasing the amount of rest; avoiding excess movement, and excess intercourse. Contraptions of autumn include consumption of spicy foods, lamb, melon, quince, apples and pears; bathing once every two days with lukewarm water and body purgation with enema. Contraptions of winter include consumption of foods such as lamb with spicy seasonings; excess movement and activity; avoiding phlebotomy and bloodletting. Conclusion: According to Persian medicine resources health protection and disease treatment start with prevention. In this article, recommendations about lifestyle, especially eating habits and regulating sleep, wakefulness and physical activity in different seasons are given, which when followed will improve community health and save health care costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: according to the classification of knowledge in the ancient wisdom, music is one of the branches of mathematics. Some sage physicians believed it as a necessary knowledge in medical education and training. Famous philosophers and physicians, such as Farabi and Ibn Sina, authored professional books and treatises about the theoretical and practical principles of music and its instruments, and some other like Qotb-al-din shirazi, was a proficient lute player. Teachings about medical applications of instrumental and vocal music appear in different types of manuscripts including medical literature, music treatises, mystical essays, and also in the ethnic traditions of Persian people. This study aimed to review the principles of music therapy in health and sickness states based on Persian medicine. Materials and Methods: In this review, different sources including literature of Persian medicine, manuscripts on music, mystical texts, and official reports on ethnic musical traditions were searched. The textual findings were analyzed, classified and interpreted in order to categorize the medical usages of music, and also to discover the main principles and rules of music therapy from the Persian medicine perspective. Results: According to the sources, music could play a pivotal role in maintaining physical health and treatment of some physical and mental ailments. Any medical approach to music should conform to certain rules, and several considerations should be concerned such as the compatibility of rhythms, melodies, and lyric content in accordance with the temperament and biopsychological characteristics of listeners, especially the states of the heart and brain. Conclusion: Despite the changes in the configuration of Persian music, and physical alterations of music instruments in the recent centuries, we could discover new guidelines to apply the current Persian music in health promotion and treatment of some diseases. Therefore, it is recommended that further comparative and interdisciplinary studies be conducted in this regard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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., (© The Author(s) 2015.)

Bloating and abdominal distention are common complaints present in quite a number of organic and functional diseases. An important subject in traditional Persian medicine is digestive disorders, particularly bloating and its etiology. This is a literature review study conducted on The Canon in Medicine written by Avicenna and using the keywords: bloating, gas. In this article, causes for bloating, according to Avicenna, include diet causes, inappropriate lifestyle, gastrointestinal, and miscellaneous reasons. These were compared with causes suggested in modern medicine. Avicenna classifies causes based on the place of origin into upper part of the abdomen (stomach) and intestinal part of the abdomen. Also, 38 medicinal plants used as remedies were listed. Modern scientific data support all bloating causes that have been mentioned in the canon. Obviously, some causes such as uterine disorders and posterior nasal discharge need to be studied further., (© The Author(s) 2016.)

Laūq is a pharmaceutical dosage form that had been mainly used for the treatment of various respiratory disorders in traditional Persian medicine. It is important from 2 aspects: a dosage form with efficient and optimum delivery of drugs to the respiratory tract and biological effects of its ingredients. Natural medicine in laūq has been demonstrated to act in respiratory disorders by their antitussive, antiallergic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, spasmolytic, and antibacterial activities. Some of these natural remedies act by most of the mentioned mechanisms such as Cydonia oblonga, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Crocus sativus, Hyssopus officinalis, Foeniculum vulgare, and honey. However, the evidence is limited including Cassia fistula, Papaver somniferum, and Drimia maritima. According to positive pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic aspects of laūqs, they may be considered as efficient dosage forms for delivery of drugs to the respiratory tract. For better compatibility of patients, it could be substituted laūqs with newer drug delivery systems like lozenges., (© The Author(s) 2015.)

Background: Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a common gastrointestinal disease that is highly prevalent worldwide. Because of its heterogeneous pathophysiology, treatment options for FD can be difficult to choose; in this context, complementary and alternative medicine modalities have been suggested as promising options., Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of a traditional Persian medicine, jollab, in reducing patients' FD symptoms., Methods: In a double-blind randomized clinical trial, 160 patients with a diagnosis of FD were enrolled and treated with either jollab or placebo (15ml, t.i.d., four weeks, orally). The outcomes reported were changes in symptom frequency and severity as recorded in patients' diaries and evaluated with the Short Form of the Leeds Dyspepsia Questionnaire (SF-LDQ), and physical examination., Results: The response rate was higher in the treatment group (78%) than in the placebo group (31%) according to per-protocol sample analysis (P < .001). Symptoms of FD disappeared significantly more frequently, and the rate of concomitant synthetic drug consumption was significantly lower, in the jollab group compared to the placebo group at the end of the trial. Mean total symptom frequency and severity according to the SF-LDQ score was 1.55 ± 2.78 in the treatment group versus 5.61 ± 3.80 in the placebo group at the last follow-up time point (P < .001). A promising safety profile for jollab was observed throughout the trial., Conclusions: In patients with FD, jollab appeared to be more effective than the placebo. Complementary and alternative therapies such as the use of this traditional medicinal substance may be beneficial in relieving symptoms of dyspepsia [ACTRN12613000584730]., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)