mohaddese mahboubi

In this study, the possibility of microencapsulation of Oliveria decumbens essential oil (ODEO) was investigated on the microstructure of microfibers. The fibers were produced using polymeric cellulose acetate (CA) and the essential oil was added to the electrospun solution at different concentrations (0, 15, 25, 35 and 45%). The samples were analyzed using SEM and FTIR. SEM micrographs showed that all of fibers had homogenous structure without nodes. However addition of ODEO at 45% significantly increased the diameter of fibers compared to control sample. FTIR results of control and 45% ODEO fibers showed that in both samples there are distinct peaks of CA, and in fiber containing essential oils in addition to the CA peaks, the peaks in the 812 belong to the compound containing para and in 771 and 899 are related to compounds containing meta bonds. Both of them represent the aromatic compounds of the essential oil. The results of the antimicrobial activity of the fibers showed that the inhibition of the ODEO fibers against Staphylococcus aureus was generally higher than E. coli. Antimicrobial activity was increased with increasing ODEO concentrations.

Rose oil (Rowghan-E-Gol) is valuable fixed oil from macerating or boiling Rosa damascena petals in olive or sesame oils. There is difference between the rose oil and rose essential oil. The aim of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic applications of rose oil in modern and traditional medicines. The information of this article was extracted from books (traditional and modern ones) and electronic resources. The results showed that there are four methods for extracting the rose oil, but macerating the fresh rose petals in sesame oil is resulted to higher quality oil. Traditionally, rose oil is used orally or topically in management of ailments with pain and inflammatory conditions such as hemorrhoid, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), earache, gastro-esophageal reflux diseases. In modern medicine, there are two clinical trials (topical oil) and one case report study (oral oil), which confirmed the efficacy of rose oil in backache of pregnancy, migraine headache and gastritis. Therefore, evaluating the potential of rose oil in treatment of hemorrhoid, IBD and gastrointestinal tract diseases should be performed in large clinical studies.

Obesity is a chronic, relapsing, progressive disease which is associated with a wide range of fatal diseases in the world. This review article evaluated the efficacy of Lactobacillus gasseri </em>in the management of obesity. The information was extracted from electronic resources (PubMed, Science Direct, Wiley, and Google). The results of the research showed that the efficacy of L. gasseri o</em>n weight loss is strain-sensitive. There are two well-known strains, BNR17 and SBT2055, which come from different sources and are used in many animal and clinical studies. More evidence on the efficacy of L. gasseri </em>SBT2055 than on BNR17 is present in the literature. The daily dose of L. gasseri </em>SBT2055 in clinical trials is higher than BNR17 at the dose of 1011</sup>. It seems that the use of a high dose of L. gasseri </em>BNR17 in clinical trials is associated with more pleasant results on weight loss.

Physical and antibacterial properties of ultrasound assisted emulsions from two essential oils (Cuminum cyminum and Oliveria decumbens) at concentrations of 1, 3, 5, 10 and 15% were studied. The results showed that all emulsions were stable after centrifugation. Although the samples were stable after heat-cool cycles, they became unstable at the freeze-thaw cycles. Emulsion samples with concentrations of 10 and 15%, were stored at 45 ºC for 35-days were unstable and became two-phase. Measuring the turbidity of emulsion samples with a spectrophotometer showed that with increasing concentrations of dispersed phase, the emulsion turbidity increased. Both emulsions showed antibacterial activity. But the  C. cyminum emulsions showed higher inhibition zones against Escherichia coli, while O. decumbens emulsions represented higher inhibition zone against Staphylococcus aureus. Generally, the inhibition zone diameters of both emulsions increased dose dependently.

Fraxinus excelsior L. has been traditionally used as a diuretic, carminative and gallstone crusher. The antimicrobial activity of Fraxinus excelsior L. leaves and bark extract has been confirmed against bacteria and fungi. The aim of this study was to evaluate the chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of Fraxinus excelsior L. seed essential oil. Chemical composition of F. excelsior was analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and its antimicrobial activity was evaluated by disc diffusion and micro broth dilution assays. Overall, 53 components were identified in the essential oil, which constitute 99.98% of total oil composition. Carotol (16.25%), α-cadinol (13.33%), δ-cadinene (12.4%), bicyclogermacrene (10.34%), α-muurolol (9.69%), and E-caryophyllene (5.9%) were the main components of the essential oil. The essential oil showed the best activity against the standard strain of Staphylococcus aureus, while Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans had less sensitivity to it. The mean minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values of the essential oil against clinical isolates of S. aureus were 0.162 ± 0.024 and 0.31 ± 0.067 μL/mL, respectively. Therefore, the essential oil can be a suitable candidate for further studies against staphylococcal infections.

The number of diabetic patients in adult population is increasing. All this population are at risk of developing diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) that are associated with unwanted ailments and high mortality. In spite of current therapies for DFUs, further therapies are needed to help the patients.
The efficacy of herbal cream containing Pelargonium graveolens and Oliveria decombens essential oils was evaluated topically for treatment of DFUs in rat animal model in comparison with two other herbal formulas containing each essential oil alone, placebo (the basic formula without active ingredients) and normal saline as control groups. After anesthesia of diabetic rats (n=75) induced by streptozotocin (STZ), diabetic wounds were visible on the hind dorsal surface of the foot. The treatments were initiated on Day 1 and repeated 3 times a day for thirteen consecutive days. On day 1, 3, 5, 8 and 13, the wound sizes were determined and assessed histologically.
Three herbal formulations reduced the size of wounds in rats with DFUs, while the cream containing combined herbals of O. decumbens and P. graveolens essential oils had the highest tissue repair in DFU rat models.
Due to better wound healing effects of combined herbal cream containing O. decumbens and P. graveolens essential oils, it can be recommended in treatment of DFUs.

Tanacetum persicum (Boiss.) Mozaff is a plant with a long history in Iranian traditional medicine as an antiseptic medicinal plant.
This study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of T. persicum essential oil and analyze its chemical composition.
In this study, the chemical composition of the aerial part essential oil of T. persicum was analyzed by gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy apparatuses. Antimicrobial activity was evaluated against Helicobacter pylori, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella enterica by disc diffusion and micro-broth dilution assays.
The antioxidant activity of the essential oil was compared with ascorbic acid against ABTS free radicals. Borneol (33.5%), bornyl acetate (12.8%), and linalool (9.1%) were the main components of the essential oil of T. persicum. S. aureus, which has a high inhibition zone diameter (mm) and low minimal inhibitory concentration and minimal bactericidal concentration values, showed the most sensitivity to essential oil, followed by S. enterica and H. pylori. The antioxidant activity of the essential oil was the same as that of ascorbic acid (IC50 = 20 ppm).
The essential oil of T. persicum is a good source of borneol and a valuable antioxidant and antimicrobial agent.

Nowadays, the use of chemical preservatives has been limited due to the controversial adverse effects. In this study, we evaluated the preservative potency of product with active herbal ingredients (Barij Baby cream) in contrast with the same products with two different chemical preservatives including methylparaben plus propylparaben and potassium sorbate plus sodium benzoate. The efficacy of herbal formulation against pathogens (E. coli, P. aeruginosa, C. albicans, A. niger, S. aureus) was evaluated by antimicrobial effectiveness test during 28 days. 2 log reductions in bacterial counts at 14 days from the initial count, and no growth in bacterial and fungal (molds and yeasts) counts at 28 days from the 14 days is essential for accepting the antimicrobial effectiveness of category 2 products in United States Pharmcopia (USP). Our results of antimicrobial effectiveness test showed that the active herbal ingredients in Barij Baby cream passed the USP criteria as chemical preservatives in the same product. Therefore, in designing new herbal products, it is essential to evaluate the antimicrobial effectiveness of products before supplemented the product with chemical preservatives.

Calf diarrhea is an important disease that is caused by different pathogens including bacteria, virus and parasites and is associated with economic losses.
In this study, we evaluated the antibacterial activities of Zatacin (Z. multiflora aerial part ethanol extract), colistin, co-Trimoxazole and enrofloxacin against clinical isolates of Salmonella sp, E. coli and Campylobacter sp isolated from diarrheic calves. Disc diffusion method and microbroth dilution assay were used for antimicrobial evaluation.
In disc diffusion method, the antibacterial activity of Zatacin increased dose dependently. The sensitivity of different isolates of E. coli, Salmonella sp and Campylobacter sp to Zatacin was almost the same. The antibacterial activity of Zatacin was lower than that of enrofloxacin but it was higher than co-Trimoxazole and colistin. The means of MIC values of Zatacin for E.coli were higher than that of Campylobacter sp and Salmonella sp but its means of MBC values for E. coli were lower than that of two other bacteria.
Zatacin can be used as an antimicrobial agent in treatment of infectious causes of calf scours instead of antibiotics with undesired adverse effects on animal and humans.

Boswellia serrata and Melissa officinalis is traditionally used for its memory enhancing effects.
In this study, we evaluated the protective effects of combined form of these extracts on memory improvement of scopolamine treated rats by the Morris water maze method.
Two groups (group 1 and 2) of animals were pretreated with combined extracts of B. serrata and M. officinalis (200, 400 mg/Kg body weight) for four weeks and then, 30 minutes before starting the experiment scopolamine was injected (0.1 mg/kg body weight) intraperitoneally to pretreated animals. The control group was the animals that were injected by scopolamine and pre treated with distilled water (group 3). The normal group was treated with distilled water alone (group 4).
For time spent and distance, there was no substantial difference between groups 1, 2 and 4, while they had statistical difference with group 3 (P = 0.001). The spatial memory evaluation showed no significant difference between treated groups and normal group.
Therefore, the combination of the two extracts had the ability to improve memory as its traditional use.

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most causative organisms in the skin wound infections. Development of resistant S. aureus to current treatments in individuals with low immunity is a global concern. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of herbal formulation against skin wound infection.
The efficacy of herbal formulation containing Oliveria decumbens and Pelargonium graveolens essential oils was evaluated in comparison to mupirocin against Methicillin Resistant S. aureus (MRSA) related skin wound infection in mice animal model.
The herbal cream and mupirocin decreased the log CFU by 2.5±0.26 and 2.46±0.32, respectively, while the log CFU of S. aureus from wound skin were 5.9±0.26 and 5.65±0.23 for placebo and control groups, respectively. Moreover, the histological examinations showed that this cream improved the wound healing and increased the collagen deposition and wound contraction.
This natural new formulation with O. decumbens and P. graveolens essential oils could be recommended as a new candidate for wound healing.

In folk medicine, Satureja khuzestanica infusion is prescribed to use before the meals to treat muscle pains, indigestion, cramps, nausea, diarrhea, and infectious diseases, especially bladder infections and inflammations..
This study aimed to evaluate the antibacterial activity of S. khuzestanica essential oil against clinical isolates of E. coli from urinary tract infections..
The chemical composition of S. khuzestanica essential oil was determined by gas chromatography (GC) and mass spectrometer (GC-MS) analyses. The antibacterial activity of S. khuzestanica essential oil and carvacrol as its main component was evaluated by disk diffusion and microbroth dilution assays. Then, the synergistic activity of essential oil and carvacrol with gentamicin were determined by checkerboard microtiter assay..
The chemical analysis of S. khuzestanica essential oil revealed the presence of carvacrol (94.1%) as its main component. The inhibition zone diameters of S. khuzestanica essential oil and carvacrol dose-dependently increased. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) values of S. khuzestanica essential oil and carvacrol were 0.14 ± 0.08 µL/mL and 0.09 ± 0.04 µL/mL, respectively. S. khuzestanica essential oil and carvacrol showed bactericidal effects against clinical isolates of E. coli and synergistic effect with gentamicin (fractional inhibitory concentration index The antibacterial activity of S. khuzestanica essential oil is associated with carvacrol as its main component. The presence of other minor components in essential oil decreases the antibacterial activity of S. khuzestanica essential oil. Other clinical studies are essential to demonstrate the antibacterial effects of S. khuzestanica for treatment of urinary tract infection..

Probiotics, as live microbial food ingredients or functional foods, are often related to health promotion and diseases prevention. The growth of these beneficial probiotics was improved by non-digestible food ingredients that are defined as prebiotics. Inulin is one of the known prebiotics that improves the gastrointestinal health.
Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the functional properties of Lactobacillus paracasei TD3 (IBRC-M 10784) and the effects of inulin as prebiotic on these properties in vitro.
The tolerance of L. paracasei TD3 for low pH and pepsin (stomach condition), bile salt and trypsin conditions (small intestine conditions), antibiotics and pathogenic bacteria were evaluated by different methods.
Lactobacillus paracasei TD3 was obtained from TakGene Company. L. paracasei TD3 was resistant to acidic pH higher than 3.5 and was tolerant to pepsin condition lower than 0.723 µg/mL and to bile salts ≤ 0.4% w/v and tripsin condition equal to 72.32 u/g and lower. This strain was resistant to vancomycin, nalidixic acid, colistin and gentamicin while was sensitive to penicillin, streptomycin and tetracycline. L. paracasei TD3 showed antimicrobial activity against S. typhimurium, Sh. dysanteriae, Sh. flexneri and E. coli, respectively. Inulin promoted the growth of L. paracasei TD3 (log CFU) in different conditions and increased the antibacterial activity of L. paracasei TD3 against pathogenic bacteria without changing the tolerance of bacteria to pH and other conditions (P > 0.05).
L. paracasei TD3 (IBRC-M 10784) in combination with inulin can be considered a valuable strain for further investigations in human clinical studies.

Malassezia spp. is an opportunistic dimorphic Basidiomycetous fungi associated with a variety of diseases including dandruff, atopic eczema, pityriasis versicolor, seborrheic dermatitis and folliculitis. It also causes systemic infections in immune compromised patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of nettle leaves (Urtica dioica), colocynths fruits (Citrullus colocynthis), green tea (Camellia sinensis), burdock root (Arctium lappa) extracts and ketoconazole against 26 isolates of Malassezia spp., isolated from patients with Malassezia infections. Twenty-six (26) Malassezia spp. identified by RFLPPCR, were isolated from patients with Malassezia infections. The antifungal activity was evaluated by micro broth dilution assay. M. globosa (50%), M. furfur (46%) and M. slooffiae (4%) were the isolated strains. There was no significant difference between the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values for colocynth extracts and ketoconazole. Also, the antimicrobial activity of green tea and burdock extracts against Malassezia spp. was not significantly different (P>0.05). The minimal fungicidal concentration (MFC) values for green tea, colocynth extracts and ketoconazole against Malassezia spp. were the same (P>0.05). Further clinical studies are required to determine the efficacy of C. colocynthis ethanol extract, in the treatment of Malassezia skin disorders.

Outer inflammatory protein A (OipA) is one of the important adhesins of H. pylori and a valuable candidate for vaccine development. Its gene is under “on-off” switch status which correlates with OipA protein expression. We aimed to obtain a recombinant OipA clone (with “on” status) from an Iranian clinical isolate.Aclinical H. pylori-isolate demonstrating high expression for an outer membrane protein (OMP) with an apparent MW of 33-35 kDa was selected. oipA specific primer was designed according to oipA sequences from B8 strain. The purified PCR-product was sequenced and submitted to Gene Bank. The pET-28a plasmid and E. coli DH5α were used for cloning and transformation. The recombinant plasmid was transferred to E. coli BL21 (DE3). Extracted proteins were purified and presence of OipA was confirmed by western blotting using both anti His-tag monoclonal antibody and anti-OipA specific antibody. The sequence of the oipA gene and the MW of the purified recombinant OipA protein consisted on 924 bp and 33-35 kDa, respectively. Its identity with other published oipA genes was 92-96%; highest identity was observed with that of a Mexican oipA clone, obtained from a H. pylori strain associated with severe symptoms. Recombinant oipA clone obtained in this work, may be a functional oipA gene with “on” status, associated with more severe outcomes of H. pylori infection.

An outer membrane protein (OMP) of Helicobacter pylori namely OipA, is an important virulence factor associated with peptic ulcer and gastric cancer risks. The purpose of this study was to isolate the 34 KDa OMP of H. pylori and evaluate its immunogenicity in experimental animals for rapid detection of more virulent H. pylori isolates. Sarcosine insoluble fraction of membrane proteins (OMPs) were prepared from 15 clinical isolates of H.pylori and their profiles were analyzed by SDS-PAGE. Two out of 15 isolates which demonstrated higher expression for apparent 34 KDa proteins were selected. Under optimal conditions, 34 KDaprotein was recovered from 5% SDS-Agarose gel, purified and injected into the New Zealand white rabbits with Fruend′s adjuvant in multiple stages with two weeks intervals. Collected antiserum was purified through affinity chromatography with Sepharose columnand its titer was determined by ELISA. Specific immune response was demonstrated by Dot blot and western blotting methods. The titer of antibody was determined about 1/3000 and western blotting demonstrated a 34 KD-protein.Screening of various strains by Dot blot method for its presence showed that its expression was more frequent in strains isolated from the patients with more severe pathology. High titer obtained for pAbs antibody, suggested the high immunogenicity of this protein in experimental animals. Detection of 34 KDa OMP in strains isolated from the patients with more severe pathology proposes the possible application of this pAbs in detecting more virulent strains of H. pylori.

Pycnocycla spinosa (P. spinosa) a member of the Umbelliferae family is traditionally used for treatment of different ailments. This study aimed to evaluate the total phenolic and flavonoid content of P. spinosa extracts (methanol, ethanol and aqueous) and their antioxidant and antimicrobial effects. The antimicrobial activity of different extracts of P. spinosa was evaluated using micro broth dilution. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents were measured. Their antioxidant effect was evaluated using DPPH assay and β-carotene linoleic acid test. P. spinosa ethanol extract with higher-level phenolic and flavonoid contents showed the highest antioxidant and antimicrobial effects, in comparison with the other extracts. Bacillus sp. and Streptococcus sp. showed higher sensitivity to P. spinosa ethanol extract. P. spinosa ethanol extract can be used as a mouthwash for treatment of the oral infections. More clinical and toxicological studies are required for providing its efficacy.

Scrophularia striata (Scrophulariaceae family) is an herbaceous plant that is traditionally used for treatment of microbial infections. Antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of different extracts (methanolic, ethanolic, aqueous and ethyl acetate) from S. striata aerial parts was evaluated. The antimicrobial activity of different extracts from S. striata was evaluated against a large number of bacteria and fungi by micro broth dilution. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents were measured and their antioxidant activities evaluated by DPPH assay and beta carotene linoleic acid test. Antimicrobial screening exhibited the positive relation between the total phenolic content and its antimicrobial activity but their antioxidant activity had a negative relation.. Further studies are recommended against clinical isolate of sensitive bacteria and deep investigation on flavonoid and phenolic compounds of S. striata and detecting the antioxidant portion in aqueous extract.