فهرست مطالب heibatullah kalantari

Caffeine is an edible chemical compound obtained from various plants, such as tea and coffee. Caffeine is an alkaloid that is highly hydrophilic and has limited skin permeability. The lipophilic nature of the stratum corneum is a major barrier to the passage of this substance through the skin. Topical drug delivery systems can effectively transfer caffeine to the skin.

This study investigated the effect of pretreatment time with chemical enhancers on caffeine’s skin permeation.

The skin was subjected to additives such as sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium lauryl ethyl sulfate, tynoline, nanoxinol, and lecithin for 5, 15, and 30 minutes. Then, the parameters of caffeine permeability and structural changes in the skin due to additive adsorption were studied using Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectrometry.

The enhancers increased the permeation of caffeine through the skin. There are different mechanisms for penetration enhancers, including lipid liquefaction, disruption of lipid bilayers, and irreversible denaturation of intracellular keratin.

Sodium lauryl sulfate can affect the skin permeability of caffeine.

Methotrexate (MTX), a folate antagonist used to treat cancer and inflammatory diseases, isknownto generate reactive oxygen species.

The research investigates the impact of dimethyl fumarate (DMF), a nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) activator, on an MTX-induced mouse hepatotoxicity model.

Forty-two mice were divided into 6 groups: control, MTX, DMF 120, and 3 groups of MTX co-treated with DMF 30, 60, and 120 mg/kg. Dimethyl fumarate was gavaged once daily for 10 days. On the fifth day, the animals received MTX 20 mg/kg intraperitoneally. On the eleventh day, the animals were sacrificed, and serum and liver samples were collected to assess the level of oxidative/anti-oxidative and apoptotic/anti-apoptotic markers.

Dimethyl fumarate prevented the increase of liver function enzymes, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) induced by MTX (P < 0.001). It prevented the increase in AST and ALT levels, indicating liver recovery (P < 0.001). Furthermore, DMF restored antioxidant markers superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and total thiol while reducing the level of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (P < 0.001). Dimethyl fumarate also downregulated hepatic mRNA expression of caspase 3 and upregulated Bcl-2, heme oxygenase 1, and Nrf2 genes in MTX co-treated DMF groups.

Dimethyl fumarate alleviates oxidative stress and apoptosis, which may be achieved by the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway. Therefore, DMF may be clinically effective in preventing or treating MTX-induced hepatotoxicity.

Acrylamide (ACR) is a toxic substance that has renal toxicity. We aim to investigate the therapeutic activity of ellagic acid (EA) on renal injury induced by ACR in Wistar rats.

Thirty-five male Wistar rats were assigned into 5 groups: the control group (5ml/kg normal saline), the ACR group (20mg/kg ACR), the ACR+EA10 group (ACR and 10mg/kg EA), the ACR+EA30 group (ACR and 30mg/kg EA) and the EA30 group (30mg/kg EA). ACR and EA were daily administered by gavage for 30 days. Renal function was assessed by measuring the sera levels of creatinine (Cr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN). Renal oxidative and inflammatory markers including malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO), protein carbonyl (PC), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione (GSH), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β). hematoxylinand eosin staining was employed to assess pathological alternations of the kidney.

EA (more potentially 30mg/kg) administration alleviated the ACR-induced alterations in Cr and BUN levels. Moreover, EA treatment reduced the elevated levels of MDA, NO and PC as well as TNF-α and IL-1β content in renal tissue. Furthermore, reduced activity of SOD and CAT as well as GSH content in the kidney was increased by EA treatment. EA attenuated the ACR- induced pathological alterations in kidney.

These findings suggested that EA could mitigate ACR-induced kidney injury due to its potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a serious contemporary public health problem. Different CE treatment methods are of considerable importance, with albendazole (ABZ) being one of the most preferred drugs for CE treatment and prophylaxis. In this study, we evaluated the nephrotoxicity caused by ABZ and ABZ-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) in mice with experimental hydatid cyst.

ABZ-loaded SLNs were produced by micro-emulsification and a high shear homogenization technique. Thereafter, we evaluated the physicochemical characterization of the product. Live protoscolices were injected into mice to induce experimental hydatidosis. Mice were then treated with ABZ and ABZ-loaded SLNs. The nephrotoxicity effects were evaluated by biochemical and histopathological surveys.

Significantly different blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels were observed between the two infected groups (ABZ treatment and ABZ-loaded SLN treatment) and the control group. The kidney malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) levels of the infected groups were not significantly different from those of the control group. The histopathological study revealed nephropathic and pathologic changes in the ABZ and ABZ-loaded SLN groups.

ABZ formulated for ABZ-loaded SLNs had a more prominent chemoprophylactic efficacy on CE and fewer side effects than ABZ alone. Neither ABZ nor ABZ-loaded SLNs caused significant biochemical and histopathological defects on the kidney, and all functional biochemical markers stayed within the normal range. Therefore, ABZ-loaded SLNs could be a potential new product for CE treatment.

Candida infections constitute a large group of diseases, so today the need for low-harm antifungal agents is felt more than ever. Securigera Securidaca L. is a medicinal plant with antimicrobial, anti-pest, anti-parasitic and anti-fungal properties. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the anti-candida effects of microemulsion of ethanolic and methanolic extracts of Securigera Securidaca on different strains of Candida.

In this laboratory study, ethanolic and methanolic extracts of Securigera Securidaca and twin 80 were used to make microemulsions. After examining the physicochemical characteristics (viscosity and pH), the well diffusion method was used to investigate the anti-yeast effect of the formulation on Candida strains.

Microemulsions in concentrations of 0.01% of Securigera Securidaca extracts showed significant anti-candidal properties. These microemulsions had the highest inhibitory effect against Candida albicans.

Synthesized microemulsions based on Securigera Securidaca plant extract have good stability and showed high anti-yeast properties against Candida strains.

The purpose of this study was to determine the concentration levels of hippuric acid and 2, 3, 4- methyl hippuric acid isomers as biological indicators of exposure to toluene and xylene isomers in the urine of the gas stations workers of Ahvaz, Iran. The urine sample was taken the first time in January and the second time in June. The mean concentration of hippuric acid, 2, 3 and 4- methyl hippuric acid in the investigated urine of the workers were 0.245, 0.017, 0.012, and 0.101g/g creatinine, respectively. There was no relationship between variable of season and levels of hippuric acid, 2, 3 and 4- methyl hippuric acid in the urine of exposed and control groups. There was no significant difference in the analyzed results of urine samples between control and exposure groups. There was at least one methyl hippuric acid isomer, indicating that all subjects were exposed to xylene, which was lower than the threshold limit value. In conclusion, the variable of season cannot cause a significant change in the metabolites of toluene and xylene isomers. Exposure of workers to toluene and xylene at gas stations are within acceptable limits.

Mycotoxin contamination of rice has been introduced as a big challenge for public health in developing countries in numerous studies. Rice consumption is also considered the main source of secondary metabolites in Iran. Given the diversity of climatic conditions in this region as well as unsuitable storage conditions, including high temperature and humidity, rice can be extremely contaminated via various fungi. The current study is a review of the occurrence of mycotoxins in rice in Iran. In this regard, some investigations had revealed that rice could be contaminated by mycotoxins such as aflatoxins (AFTs) (B1, B2, G1, and G2), deoxynivalenol (DON), fumonisin (FM) (B1 and B2), ochratoxin A (OTA), T-2 toxin, and zearalenone (ZEN). Moreover, the amount of mycotoxins in rice was reported in varying ranges in different provinces and regions and normally less than Iranian maximum tolerated dose (MTD). Given the importance of rice in the Iranian diet, it was finally recommended to screen consumed rice to find about fungal contaminations and mycotoxins.

Arsenic, an environmental pollutant, is a carcinogenic metalloid and also an anticancer agent.

To evaluate the toxicity of arsenic nanoparticles in rat hepatocytes.

Freshly isolated rat hepatocytes were exposed to 0, 20, 40, and 100 µM of arsenic nanoparticles and its bulk counterpart. Their viability, reactive oxygen species level, glutathione depletion, mitochondrial and lysosomal damage, and apoptosis were evaluated.

By all concentrations, lysosomal damage and apoptosis were clearly evident in hepatocytes exposed to arsenic nanoparticles. Evaluation of mitochondria and lysosomes revealed that lysosomes were highly damaged.

Exposure to arsenic nanoparticles causes apoptosis and organelle impairment. The nanoparticles have potentially higher toxicity than the bulk arsenic. Lysosomes are highly affected. It seems that, instead of mitochondria, lysosomes are the first target organelles involved in the toxicity induced by arsenic nanoparticles.

Candida species are opportunistic fungi, capable of causing acute and chronic infections in the gastrointestinal tract, vagina, and oral mucosa, among which Candida albicans is the most important species. The Securigera securidaca L. is used as an antiseptic to treat some diseases in traditional Iranian medicine. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of S. securidaca extracts and vaginal gel against different Candida species.

Antifungal effects of different extracts and vaginal gel of S. securidaca were investigated against Candida species. By using well diffusion test, different concentrations of the collected S. securidaca extracts and vaginal gel were examined to test their antifungal activity against C. albicans, C. parapsilosis, and C. krusei.

The ethanol extract and vaginal gel with the ethanol extract of S. securidaca showed the most anti-fungal activity against all three strains.

The S. securidaca extract had a significant inhibitory effect on the different species of Candida; however, the highest inhibitory effect was found against C. albicans. In order to treat candidiasis, more research is required to check the efficacy of this plant in this domain.

Capparis spinosa L. (caper) is an aromatic plant, commonly used in the Mediterranean diet, possessing numerous antioxidant compounds, such as phenols, rutin, tocopherols, carotenoids, and vitamin C in its leaves. Thus, the present study investigated the effects of Iranian caper leaves extract on oxidative stress caused by CCl4 in the mice’s liver.This study was conducted on 42 male mice in seven groups. The control group, the sham group, the CCl4 group, the Iranian caper leaves extract 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg + CCl4 groups. Then, Biochemicals, oxidative stress, and hepatic histopathology parameters were evaluated. The co-administration of Iranian caper leaves extract, and CCl4 significantly decreased the levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and reactive oxygen species, malondialdehyde (P<0.001) and significantly increased the levels of glutathione and catalase in comparison with the group treated with CCl4 alone (P<0.01). Furthermore, Iranian caper leaves extract improved histopathological changes such as the the inflammation and necrosis of hepatocytes. Iranian caper leaves extract has protective effects on hepatotoxicity induced by CCl4, mainly through suppressing oxidative stress.

  Microemulsion (ME) is a method that has been developed in the recent years for synthesizing the nano-sized drug, metal or non-metal particles. These systems offer various advantages for drug delivery, such as ease of preparation, complete stability, and high drug solvability in many pharmaceutical applications. This study aimed at evaluating the protective effect of sour cherry kernel extract microemulsion on methimazole-induced nephrotoxicity in mice. Sixty‐four male Swiss albino mice were divided to eight groups; each group consisted of eight mice. Group 1 was served as control, received normal saline; group 2 received base of ME without extract for 10 days; group 3 received a single dose of methimazole (100 mg/kg, ip) as positive control only on the 10th day; groups 4 to 6 received ME extract orally in doses of 250, 500, and 1000 mg/kg, respectively, during 10 days and methimazole (100 mg/kg, ip) on the 10th day; group 7 and 8 received ME extract and extract in dose of 1000 mg/kg for 10 days, respectively. Then, on the 11th day, serum samples were collected and used to determine the levels of serum creatinine (Cr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN). After removing the kidney, malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) levels and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were also determined. The results obtained from the present study indicated a significant increase in the levels of Cr, BUN and MDA, and decrease of GSH, GPx and SOD by methimazole administration. Pre-treatment with ME extract showed reduction in the levels of Cr, BUN, MDA, and increase of GSH, GPx, and SOD. In addition, these observations were confirmed by histopathological changes of the kidney. The current study showed that the extract had a protective effect on methimazole-induced nephrotoxicity and this effect was more for ME extract.

The liver plays an important role in detoxification of harmful materials and chemical agents. Many medicines, such as acetaminophen, are potential for oxidative stress and liver toxicity. The brown algae Sargassum swartzii possesses many pharmacological benefits. The present study investigated the aqueous extract of Persian Gulf brown algae Sargassum swartzii effect on acetaminophen-induced liver injury in mice. It seems that Persian Gulf algae (Sargassum swartzii) with its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties has preventive effects on acetaminophen-induced liver toxicity, yet no research has been reported in this regard so far. Therefore, this study aimed at evaluating the effect of acetaminophen-induced liver toxicity in mice. Brown algae (Sargassum swartzii) was collected from the low tide area of Boushehr coasts, Persian Gulf). After transfer to the laboratory, the collected sample was washed with distilled water, air dried, and pulverized to powder. The air dried S. swartzii powder was soaked in 95% ethanol to remove pigments and small lipophilic molecules. The residue was then extracted with 10 mL of distilled water at 90°C for three hours, three times. All water extracts were combined, filtrated, and concentrated by water bath at 90°C and stored at 0°C for further analysis. Hepatoprotective activity of the S. swartzii extract was confirmed by aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and alkaline ahosphatase (ALP) levels and histopathologic findings as evidences. Aqueous extract of S. swartzii at dose of 200 mg/kg showed a significant (P < 0.05) decrease in the levels of ALT, AST, and ALP, yet at dose of 100 mg/kg, it showed a significant (P < 0.05) decrease in the level of ALT. Administration of the aqueous extract of S. swartzii (100 and 200 mg/kg) could improve hepatotoxicity induced by acetaminophen via change in liver marker enzymes and also improved histopathological alterations in liver tissue.

Chronic arsenic toxicity is a widespread problem; the role of brain oxidative stress has been suggested in the genesis of epilepsy and in the post-seizure neuronal death. However, studies investigating the effects of arsenic on seizure and related mechanisms are limited. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of prolonged exposure to sodium arsenite on oxidative damage in pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced seizures in mice. In this study, male NMRI mice received sodium arsenite (0, 25, 50, and 100 ppm) in the drinking water for a period of 30 days. After exposure, all animals were injected PTZ (PTZ; 85 mg/kg, i.p.) to induce seizure, and the seizure parameters were evaluated for 30 minutes. Then, the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and reduced glutathione (GSH) were measured in the brain.   The results of this study showed that sodium arsenite decreases the latency to the seizure onset and time of death (p<0.05). The greatest effect was observed at concentration of 50 ppm. The data indicated that exposure to sodium arsenite increases the levels of MDA (p<0.05) and decreased the levels of GSH in brain (p<0.05). Our results suggest that PTZ effects potentiated by arsenic and oxidative damage involved in exacerbation of arsenic convulsive effects. Considering the role of arsenic in brain tissue damage following the seizure, it is recommended to control arsenic in drinking water.

Paraquat (PQ), a potent herbicide, is extremely toxic to humans when exposed orally and it is known to induce lung injury via a redox cyclic reaction.
The current study aimed at examining the effect of gallic acid (GA), a polyphenolic compound, which is a constituent of plant-derived foods, against PQ-induced lung injury and pulmonary fibrosis in association with its antioxidant activity.
Male rats were randomly divided into 5 experimental groups each containing 14 rats. Group 1 received normal saline for 21 days. Group 2 received a single dose of oral administration of PQ (50 mg/kg, only on first day) for 21 days. Groups 3 to 5 were treated with different doses of GA after PQ ingestion for 21 days. Seven animals from each group were sacrificed on the days 7 and 21.
The results showed that paraquat gavage, significantly enhanced the inflammatory and fibrotic modifications, hydroxyproline (HP), levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), main proinflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 as a pro-fibrotic mediator in lung tissue. It also, significantly diminished enzymatic antioxidant amounts such as catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity and non-enzymatic amounts such as glutathione (GSH) content in the rat lung tissue. However, after GA treatment all of these biochemical indices were diminished with a dose dependent manner and histopathological alterations were also close to normal status.
The current study indicated that the GA improved the PQ-induced lung injury and prevented the process of pulmonary fibrosis via its antioxidant and immunomodulatory properties.

Allium Jesdianum Boiss (Allium) has many pharmacological beneficial effects. However, its protective effects against hepatotoxicity induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) have not been explained. The present study was undertaken to investigate the protective effects of Allium on liver oxidative stress in male mice treated to CCl4. Forty-two male mice were randomly divided into six groups. Control group, sham group, CCl4 group, Allium 500 mg/kg + CCl4, Allium 1000 mg/kg + CCl4, Allium 2000 mg/kg + CCl4. Results showed that CCl4 significantly increased serum levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, lipid peroxidation and decreased catalase activity and glutathione level, and also caused inflammation, coagulative necrosis, degeneration of hepatocytes, fatty change, and dilated sinosouids in liver tissue. While administration of Allium at the all doses used significantly altered all examined endpoints that induced by CCl4. Overall, our findings suggest that Allium possesses hepatoprotective effects against CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity by suppressing oxidative stress and improving the antioxidative defense system.

The heavy metal pollutions were accumulated in aquatic animals such as fish. Whereas consumption of canned fish is increased in many countries, contaminated fish meat would make a hazard to food security and public health. In this study, the levels ofiron and chromium were measured in canned fish products in in Khuzestan, Iran, in 2015.
Forty-six of canned fish composite samples were analyzed for levels of iron and chromium after dry digestion and then determined by atomic absorption spectrometry.
The mean concentrations of A and B canned brandsfor iron were 4.6504348 and 0.1908696 and for chromium were 1.36030435 and 0.67629565, respectively. There were significant differences in the iron and chromium levels between two brands of canned fishes (P According to US EPA health criteria for carcinogens, there was no health risk to chromium in canned fish.

Background and Treatment of life-threatening fungal infections caused by Candida species has become a major problem. Candida spp. are the most important causative agents of candidiasis. Allium tripedale is a medicinal plant that has been traditionally used to treat infections. In the present study, we aimed to determine the chemical compounds and antimicrobial activity of hydroalcoholic extract of A.tripedale against different species of Candida.
Phytochemical analysis was performed to identify the possible bioactive components of this extract by using gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). The hydroalcoholic extract of A. tripedale were collected.Different concentrations of A. tripedale (50, 25, 12.5, and 6.25 mg/ml) were used to evaluate its antifungal activity against Candida species (C. albicans, C. parapsilosis,and C. krusei) using disk diffusion assay.
The GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of 40 different phytoconstituents with peak area; the major compounds were tetracosane, hexadecanoic acid, 1-eicosanol, 1,2-dihydro-pyrido[3,2,1-kl]phenothiazin-3-one, 2-hexadecen-1-ol, and 3,7,11,15-tetramethyl. Hydroalcoholic extract showed strong antimicrobial activity (inhibition zone ⩾ 20 mm), moderate antimicrobial activity (inhibition zone A. tripedale extract had a considerable inhibitory effect against various Candida species, but its highest inhibitory effect was against Candid albicans. Further investigations are required to detect the performance of this plant in the treatment of Candida infection.

T-2 toxin is a mycotoxin, exposure to which causes dermal and systemic toxicity. Crataegus pontica (a member of the Rosaceous family) is a small tree with caduceus foliage that is widely distributed throughout the western and central areas of Iran.
This study was performed to examine the healing effects of creams prepared using Crataegus pontica leaf extract on dermal toxicity induced by T-2 toxin.
Iranian rabbits were used for this study. The back left flanks of the animals were shaved and to induce toxicity, a solution of 100 µg/12 µl of T-2 toxin in ethanol was applied to the skin for 2 successive days. Creams were prepared using Crataegus pontica leaf extract in a eucerin base at concentrations of 5%, 10%, and 15% (w/w). Beginning on the third day, the creams were applied to the skin lesions twice per day until complete healing occurred. The positive control group received the toxin only without treatment and the negative control group received solvent (ethanol) only. Healing was defined as a decreased wound margin, as well as treatment of the erythema and blisters.
Our findings indicated that wound healing occurred 15, 15, 12, 10, and 10 days after initial wounding in the negative control, eucerin, 5%, 10%, and 15% C. pontica extract groups, respectively. The most effective treatments were obtained with the creams containing 10% and 15% C. pontica extract. Histological findings confirmed wound reduction in the affected areas.
The results obtained in this study indicate that C. pontica extract has a healing effect on dermal toxicity caused by T-2 toxin and is effective for its treatment.

Jundishapur Journal of Natural Pharmaceutical Products. 10(4): e25470, DOI: 10.17795/jjnpp-25470 Article Type: Research Article; Received: Nov 22, 2014; Revised: Feb 18, 2015; Accepted: Mar 3, 2015; epub: Nov 16, 2015; collection: Nov 2015 Abstract QT prolongation is a problem that increases the ventricular arrhythmias in the cirrhotic patients. Sour cherry seed extract has been reported to have potential anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity. This study aimed to find the effect of Prunus cerasus (sour cherry) kernel seed extract on QT interval of heart and its histopathological parameters in rats with biliary cirrhosis induced by bile duct ligation (BDL). Thirty-two male Sprague Dawley rats (200 - 250 g) were divided into 4 groups; negative control, cirrhotic, and 2 cirrhotic groups treated with sour cherry kernel extract in doses of 10 mg/kg and 30 mg/kg orally for 4 weeks. In all groups before BDL and 4 weeks after surgery animals were anesthetized and their electrocardiograms were recorded. After the required period of BDL, liver was isolated and immersed in 10% formalin solution and stained by hematoxylin and eosin for histological studies. Results were analyzed by using Student t-test and one-way ANOVA. P < 0.05 was considered as significant level. The QT interval was calculated using the Bazettʼs formula and corrected QT (QTc) was obtained. Four weeks after BDL, the QTc and amount of total and direct bilirubin in cirrhotic group were found as 213.6 ± 6.8 ms, 10.5 ± 1.02 mg/dL, and 7.9 ± 0.7 mg/dL, respectively. These values significantly increased compared to the negative control group (119.9 ± 6.2 ms, 0.11 ± 0.00102 mg/dL, and 0.1 ± 0.0002 mg/dL) (P < 0.001). Histopathological parameters were reduced in cirrhotic groups treated with extract compared to control cirrhotic group. These results revealed that cirrhosis produce prolonged QT interval and sour cherry extract has an ameliorating effect on QT prolongation probably via its antiarrhythmic property.

Rice is one of the major cereals that are primarily consumed by humans. It may become contaminated with aflatoxins (AFs). Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is known as one of the most potent environmental mutagens and carcinogens.. This study was carried out to determine the concentration of AFs in the rice currently sold at the supermarkets in the city of Ahvaz, Khuzestan Province, Iran.. The levels of AFs in 90 collected imported rice samples after clean-up by AflaTest columns were measured by using a High-Performance Liquid Chromatographer equipped with a C18 column, fluorescence detector (excitation 360 nm and emission 440 nm) and post-column bromide derivatization method, mobile phase of water-acetonitrile-methanol (600:200:200 v/v) +119 mg potassium bromide +100 µL con. HNO3 at a flow rate of 1 mL/min.. The results showed that the highest concentration of AFB1 and total AFs in the rice samples were 2.3500 and 2.7040 ng/g, respectively. The different mean concentration of AFB1 and total AFs in three brands of the rice samples was significantly lower than the maximum tolerable level (MTL) of AFB1 (5 ng/g) and total AFs (30 ng/g) set by the Institute of Standards and Industrial Research of Iran.. In all of the investigated imported rice samples, the level of AFB1 and total AFS were found to be lower than the Iranian MTL, and no health risk for consumers were detected at these levels of contamination..

Hepatotoxicity due to drugs is the most common cause of deaths. Nephrotoxicity of the drugs is usually associated with the drugs accumulation in renal tissue. Paromomycin sulfate (PMS) is an anti-leishmania drug. Although the topical approach for the treatment of leishmania is attractive, its use might cause nephrotoxicity and hepatotoxicity.. This study aimed to evaluate probable nephrotoxicity and hepatotoxicity of topically administered PMS liposomes.. Nine groups of male rats were used in this study; each group consisted of 6 rats that were evaluated in 3 time periods of 10, 20, and 30 days. Three groups were placed in each time period; a control group did not receive any medicine; a negative control group received liposome without paromomycin sulfate; and a positive control group received nanoliposomal formulations containing paromomycin sulfate. Pharmaceutical formulation (topical form) was used 2 times a day in a 12-hour interval. At the end of the period, hepatic enzymes (ALT, AST, and ALK), BUN levels, and serum creatinine were measured.. The results showed that no significant change was occurred in the amount of the above factors compared with the control group with the negative control group in 3 time periods (P > 0.05). The histopathological results of the liver and kidney showed that there was no difference in the between the negative control and positive control groups and the control group in the 10- and 20-day periods, and they had a normal structure. However, after the 30-day time period a reversible cellular inflammation in the liver and mild kidney necrosis was seen in the positive control group versus the control and negative control groups.. In general, it can be said that the application of nanoliposomal paromomycin sulfate formulations for topical treatment of the cutaneous leishmaniasis does not create serious side effects in the short term, but its long-term use leads to mild renal and liver side effects that requires more attention..

Liver is a major organ of the body which can be exposed to various chemicals, drugs, and many other xenobiotics such as bromobenzene. Bromobenzene must be converted to its active metabolites to produce liver and kidney toxicity. Livergol is an herbal product which contains silymarin. The objective of this study was to find out the protective effect of livergol against liver toxicity induced by bromobenzene in mice. In this study, doses: 50, 100, 200, 300 mg/kg of livergol were administrated to mice orally 2 hours after bromobenzene(460 mg/kg) administration for 7 days (test groups). The negative control group received normal saline. The positive control group received 460 mg/kg of bromobenzene orally. 24 hours after the last administration animals were sacrificed; their blood was collected to determine serum enzyme activities of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) , alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). The livers were removed for histological examination.The results showed that livergol at doses 200 and 300 mg/kg cause significant reduction in the level of enzymes (p > 0.05). The histopathological study of liver tissues showed that doses of 200 and 300 mg/kg are more effectively restore tissue damage to the normal state. Our finding indicated that livergol in the high doses (200 and 300 mg/kg) have protective effects and cause significant improvement in the liver tissue and biochemical markers in bromobenzene intoxicated mice.

In the recent years nanostructured materials have been the focus of researches due to their wide-spread possibilities to provide new shapes and structures for some materials. Microemulsions can provide uniform nano-sized droplets for templating. Microemulsions are isotropic, thermodynamically-stable systems of oil, water and surfactant with a 20-200 nm droplet size. They can be prepared as oil-in-water (o/w), water-in-oil (w/o) or bicontinuous systems, depending on the equilibrium spontaneous curvature of the surfactant layer at the oil-water interface.. The aim of this study was to introduce a system designed to improve and enhance the bioavailability of bioflavonoids in the Prunus cerasus (sour cherry) seed kernel extract by developing a novel delivery system, i.e. microemulsion (nanosized particles).. Microemulsion formulations were prepared by mixing appropriate amounts of surfactants (Tween 80 and Span 20), cosurfactant (propylene glycol) (3:1 ratio), and oil phase (olive oil). The prepared microemulsions were evaluated regarding their mean droplet size, transparency, viscosity, and pH. Sour cherry kernel extract microemulsion was orally administered to mice at doses of 2.5%, 5%, and 10% for 10 days. On the last day, their blood as well as their liver and kidney were used for biochemical and histopathological analyses, respectively.. Biochemical factors levels and the pathological study indicated that there were not significant differences in microemulsion extracts compared with the control group (P > 0.05).. Not only no toxicity evidence of this product was observed in the dose range used in foods or healthcare, but also it improved the cardiac function recovery..

Apoptosis or programmed cell death is an essential process for elimination of damaged cells. Also, induction of apoptosis is fundamental for treating cancer. Screening for agents that induce apoptosis in tumor cells help in the development of novel agents for cancer treatment. Numerous studies suggest that the exposure of tumor cells to statins can lead to cell death via two separate processes: apoptosis or necrosis. Severe fragmentation of DNA during apoptosis can be readily measured by the neutral comet assay. Migration of DNA fragments of apoptotic cells by the electrical field can produce comet-like images.. The aim of this study was to determine the type of cell death induced by lovastatin on human colon tumor cells by using the neutral comet assay and to evaluate the utility of this method for detection of apoptosis.. HT29 cells were grown in DMEM medium then exposed to different concentrations of lovastatin, and DNA fragmentation associated with apoptosis was detected by the neutral comet assay method.. Lovastatin induced an apoptotic response in the HT29 cell line and produced a comet pattern similar to the positive control.. This study showed that lovastatin can induce apoptosis in the HT29 cell line and confirmed the utility of comet assay for detection of apoptosis..

Traditional medicines are among the oldest medicines and their extensive use in the recent years reflects the public’s interest in alternatives to conventional medicine.. The aim of this study was to investigate the genotoxicity of Dillsun herbal medicine in DNA damage of rat hepatocytes compared to sodium dichromate using a comet assay technique.. Male Wistar rats were caught and their liver was washed with a perfusion buffer, followed by another wash with collagenase buffer. Hepatocytes were isolated and transferred on to a petri dish which contained a washing buffer. Hepatocytes were then separated and the cells were filtered and centrifuged at 1500 rpm for 3 minutes. The hepatocytes were counted using neubauer slides and kept in a bioreactor for 30 minutes. Cells were then exposed to different doses of Dillsun such 0.2, 1, 2.5, 5 and 10 mg/mL. Sodium dichromate was the positive control and incubated buffer was used as a negative control. Cell suspensions were placed on slides pre-coated with low melting point agarose and were covered with agarose gel. Agarose gels were then lysed and electrophoresis was done, followed by neutralization and staining. Slides were analyzed by fluorescence microscopy. The size and extent of DNA damage visualized by this technique was evaluated by examining cells. Migration behavior was classified according to the Kobayashi pattern.. The results indicated that with an increase of Dillsun dose, the mutagenicity index slightly increased but compared to the positive control, there were significant differences, which suggests that the crude extract of Dillsun in vitro did not have mutagenic effects.. In conclusion the results showed that Dillsun has no mutagenic effects when compared to the positive control. Although by increasing the Dillsun dose, DNA damage also increased but this increase was not significant..