saeideh saadat

Species of the genus Achillea (from the family Compositae or Asteraceae) are widely used for their numerous pharmacological properties. The present paper reviews pharmacological actions and their possible underlying molecular mechanisms reported for various species of Achillea.

Various databases including PubMed, Science Direct, and Scopus were used.

Immunosuppressive, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects were shown for these plants. In addition, it was shown that these plants pose wound-healing properties and antimicrobial effects on various bacteria as well as antitumor effects on different cell lines. Achillea species showed anti-arrhythmic, anti-thrombotic, vasorelaxant, anti-hyperlipidemic, anti-hypertensive, hepatoprotective and gastroprotective effects. In addition, the plants showed different endocrine effects such as anti-diabetic, estrogenic and anti-spermatogenic properties. Neurological effects of the plants also included anti-nociceptive and anti-anxiety actions. Clinical studies also indicated therapeutic effect of A. millefolium on multiple sclerosis, chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis in cancer patients, and dysmenorrhea but did not affect atopic dermatitis.

Achillea species could be of therapeutic potential for treating of a wide range of diseases but further investigations are needed regarding the other properties of Achillea plants.

Several pharmacological effects were described for Nigella sativa (N. sativa) seed and it has been used traditionally to treat various diseases. In this review article, the updated and comprehensive anti-oxidant effects of N. sativa and its main constituent, thymoquinone (TQ), on various disorders are described. The relevant articles were retrieved through PubMed, Science Direct, and Scopus up to December 31, 2023. Various extracts and essential oils of N. sativa showed anti-oxidant effects on cardiovascular, endocrine, gastrointestinal and liver, neurologic, respiratory, and urogenital diseases by decreasing and increasing various oxidant and anti-oxidant marketers, respectively. The main constituent of the plant, TQ, also showed similar anti-oxidant effects as the plant itself. The anti-oxidant effects of different extracts and essential oils of N. sativa were demonstrated in various studies which were perhaps due to the main constituent of the plant, TQ. The findings of this review article suggest the possible therapeutic effect of N. sativa and TQ in oxidative stress disorders.

Crocus sativus L. was used for the treatment of a wide range of disorders in traditional medicine. Due to the extensive protective and treatment properties of C. sativus and its constituents in various diseases, the purpose of this review is to collect a summary of its effects, on experimental studies, both in vitro and in vivo. Databases such as PubMed, Science Direct, and Scopus were explored until January 2023 by employing suitable keywords. Several investigations have indicated that the therapeutic properties of C. sativus may be due to its anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects on the nervous, cardiovascular, immune, and respiratory systems. Further research has shown that its petals also have anticonvulsant properties. Pharmacological studies have shown that crocetin and safranal have anti-oxidant properties and through inhibiting the release of free radicals lead to the prevention of disorders such as tumor cell proliferation, atherosclerosis, hepatotoxicity, bladder toxicity, and ethanol induced hippocampal disorders. Numerous studies have been performed on the effect of C. sativus and its constituents in laboratory animal models under in vitro and in vivo conditions on various disorders. This is necessary but not enough and more clinical trials are needed to investigate unknown aspects of the therapeutic properties of C. sativus and its main constituents in different disorders.

To investigate the correlation between health literacy and self-care behaviors among patients with COVID-19 in Rafsanjan, Iran. Due to the prevalence of corona disease worldwide and the lack of definitive and known treatment for it, the ability of patients to take care of themselves and Adherence to maintaining health is the best known way to prevent.  This descriptive study was performed in the first 6 months of 2020 on patients referred to health centers in Rafsanjan in 2020 with a confirmed COVID-19. Samples were selected by census method. The Health Literacy Questionnaire (HELIA) and the researcher-made self-care questionnaire were used and completed electronically.  One hundred and one eligible COVID-19 patients were enrolled in the study, 44.6% of participation having (THL < 132) and 55.4% of participation having (THL ≥ 133), and self-care had a significant weak and positive correlation only with Understand (one of the components of health literacy).   The results, showed that health literacy had a significant weak correlation with self-care in patients with COVID-19, therefore patients need proper knowledge and attitude to successfully develop self-care ability in order to successfully control their disease and prevent transmission to others.

Zataria multiflora Boiss L. (Z. multiflora) is belonged to the Lamiaceae family, formerly used for culinary and medicinal purposes. Various pharmacological effects of Z. multiflora such as bronchodilation, effect on lung inflammation, cold and gynecology disorders have been reported. A literature search was performed in the following databases: Science Direct, PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar. The keywords including “Zataria multiflora Boiss.”, “carvacrol”, “thymol”, “linalool”, “smooth muscle” and “relaxant effects” were searched. The relaxant effects of Z. multiflora and its ingredients on different smooth muscles including trachea, vascular, gastrointestinal and urogenital smooth muscle were demonstrated. The relaxant effect of Z. multiflora on smooth muscles could be of therapeutic importance, such as bronchodilation in obstructive respiratory disorders, vasodilation in hypertension and reliving digestive or urogenital disorders. The possible mechanisms of the relaxant effect of Z. multiflora and its components, mainly carvacrol on smooth muscle such as inhibitory effect on histamine (H1) and muscarinic receptors, calcium channel blocking effects and stimulatory effect on the beta adrenergic receptor were shown.

This study was done to investigate the effects of feeding by the hydro-alcoholic extract of Nigella sativa (NS) during lactation on prolactin level of mothers and weight gain of offspring in propylthiouracil (PTU) induced- hypothyroid and euthyroid rats. Forty pregnant rats were randomly divided into 8 groups and treated by: (1) Normal drinking water as a control group; (2) 0.005% PTU in drinking water; (3-5) 100, 200, or 400 mg/kg hydro-alcoholic extract of NS plus PTU (6-8) 100, 200 or 400 mg/ kg of the plant extract in drinking water without PTU. Mothers received the experimental treatments from the first day after delivery through the lactation period. The offspring continued to receive the experimental treatments up to the first two months of their life. PTU decreased serum thyroxin concentration of mothers and their dams compared to the control ones (P<0.001) which improved by the plant extract (P<0.001). There was no significant difference between the groups in TSH concentration. There was no significant difference between PTU and control groups in the duration of the lactation period and also in serum prolactin level. All doses of the plant extract increased the duration of lactation period of both hypothyroid and euthyroid rats compared to both control and PTU groups which were accompanied by serum prolactin concentration (P<0.001). The extract also increased the body weight gain of offspring rats (P < 0.01- P<0.001). In the present study we showed hypothyroid status induced by PTU during the lactation period did not change serum prolactin level. Administration of NS extract during lactation period improved prolactin concentrations in both hypothyroid and euthyroid rats, prolonged lactation period, and improved weight gain of the offspring.

Human T‑cell leukemia virus type 1(HTLV‑1) infection is likely to induce nonneoplastic inflammatory pulmonary diseases. Therefore, an experimental study was conducted to evaluate the leukocytes’ number alteration and oxidative stress in the lung and blood of HTLV‑1‑infected BALB/c mice, which could be of benefit for the recognition of HTLV‑1 mechanism in the induction of pulmonary disorders.

Twenty female BALB/c mice were divided into two groups of control and HTLV‑1‑infected animals. The HTLV‑1‑infected group was inoculated with 106 MT‑2 HTLV‑1‑infected cells. Two months later, the infection was confirmed using real‑time polymerase chain reaction, and then lung pathological changes, total and differential inflammatory cell counts in the blood and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), along with oxidative stress biomarker levels in the BALF and lung tissue were evaluated.

In the HTLV‑1‑infected group, the peribronchitis score (P < 0.01), the number of total leukocytes, neutrophils, lymphocytes, and monocytes (P < 0.05) in the blood and BALF were increased. The number of eosinophils in the blood of the HTLV‑1‑infected group was higher than in the control group (P < 0.01), whereas the number of basophils of BALF was increased in the HTLV‑1‑infected group (P < 0.001).The lung and BALF oxidative stress results showed that the MDA level was increased, while the total thiol level and superoxide dismutase activity were decreased in the HTLV‑1‑infected group (P < 0.01).

The HTLV‑1 infection seems to induce pulmonary inflammatory reactions by recruiting leukocytes as well as inducing oxidative stress in the lung tissue.

This study was conducted to evaluate the possible mechanisms of the relaxant effects of hydroalcoholic extract of Plantago major (P. major) on tracheal smooth muscle (TSM) in rats. The effects of cumulative concentrations of P. major (5, 10, 20 and 40 mg/mL) and theophylline (0.2, 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8 mM) were evaluated on pre-contracted TSM with 10 μΜ methacholine or 60 mM KCl. To determine the possible mechanisms, the relaxant effect of the plant was also examined on incubated TSM with atropine, indomethacin, chlorpheniramine, glibenclamide, diltiazem, papaverine, and propranolol. The results indicated concentration-dependent relaxant effects for P. major in non-incubated TSM contracted by methacholine or KCl. There was no statistically significant difference in the relaxant effects of P. major between non-incubated and incubated tissues with indomethacin, papaverine, and propranolol. However, the relaxant effects of P. major in incubated tissues with atropine (p<0.01 to p<0.001), chlorpheniramine (p<0.05 to p<0.001), glibenclamide (p<0.05), or diltiazem (p<0.01) were significantly lower than non-incubated TSM. P. major indicated relatively potent relaxant effects which were lower than those of theophylline. Muscarinic and histamine (H1) receptors inhibition, as well as calcium channel blocking and potassium channel opening effects are suggested to contribute to the TSM relaxant effect of the plant.

Statins provide greater protection than predicted from just cholesterol-lowering effects, which is possibly mediated by other pleiotropic actions. This study aimed to examine the possible interaction effect of asthma on lipid profiles and evaluate the effect of rosuvastatin treatment on asthma. The animals were assigned into (1) control, (2) asthmatic, (3) hyperlipidemic, (4) asthmatic-hyperlipidemic, (5) rosuvastatin (40 mg/kg/day intraperitoneally, for 3 weeks)-treated asthmatic, (6) rosuvastatin-treated hyperlipidemic and (7) rosuvastatin-treated asthmatic-hyperlipidemic groups. Tracheal responsiveness to methacholine and ovalbumin, total and differential WBC (white blood cell) counts, and oxidative stress markers in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were evaluated. In the asthmatic and asthmatic-hyperlipidemic groups, tracheal responsiveness to ovalbumin, total WBC count, numbers of eosinophils, neutrophils, and monocytes were higher than the control group (p<0.001). A left-ward shift in the concentration-response curves to methacholine, an increase in nitrite and malondialdehyde concentrations, and a decrease in total thiol content, superoxide dismutase and catalase activities were also observed in the asthmatic and asthmatic-hyperlipidemic groups compared to control group (p<0.01 to p<0.001). Beyond lipid-lowering effect in the treated hyperlipidemic and asthmatic-hyperlipidemic groups, rosuvastatin treatment decreased tracheal responsiveness to methacholine, reduced total WBC count, the numbers of eosinophils, neutrophils, and monocytes, as well as decreased malondialdehyde concentration, and increased total thiol content, superoxide dismutase and catalase activities in treated asthmatic and asthmatic-hyperlipidemic groups (p<0.05 to p<0.001). The improving effect of rosuvastatin on asthmatic and asthmatic-hyperlipidemic animals was shown due to pleiotropic mechanisms including the effect on airway hyperresponsiveness, lung inflammation, and oxidative stress.

Baicalein, a compound extracted from a variety of herbs, showed various pharmacological effects. This study evaluated the relaxant effects of baicalein and its underlying molecular mechanisms of action on rat’s isolated tracheal smooth muscle. Tracheal smooth muscle were contracted by 10 μM methacholine or 60 mM KCl and the effects of cumulative concentrations of baicalein (5, 10, 20 and 40 mg/ml) and theophylline (0.2, 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8 mM) were evaluated. To examine the possible mechanism(s) of the relaxant effect of baicalein, its effect was also evaluated on incubated tissues with atropine, indomethacin, diltiazem, N(G)-Nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), glibenclamide, propranolol and chlorpheniramine. A concentration-dependent and significant relaxant effect was seen for baicalein in non-incubated tissues contracted by KCl or methacholine (P A potent relaxant effect comparable to the effect of theophylline was shown for baicalein, which was probably mediated via inhibition of histamine (H1) receptors, stimulation of beta2-adrenergic receptors and potassium channels activation.

Crocin, a component of saffron, showed hypotensive which is perhaps due to vascular smooth muscle relaxant effect. The relaxant effects of saffron on tracheal smooth muscle also could be due to its constituent, crocin. In the present study, the relaxant effects of crocin and its possible mechanisms on rat tracheal smooth muscle were investigated. The relaxant effects of three cumulative concentrations of crocin (30, 60, and 120 μM) or theophylline (0.2, 0.4, 0.6 mM) as positive control was examined on pre-contracted tracheal smooth muscle by methacholine or KCl in non-incubated or incubated conditions with different agents including atropine, chlorpheniramine, indomethacin, diltiazem, glibenclamide and propranolol. In non-incubated tracheal smooth muscle, crocin showed significant relaxant effects on KCl induced muscle contraction (p

In this study we aimed to examine the relaxant effect of berberine, a compound extracted from a variety of herbs, on rat tracheal smooth muscle (TSM) and its possible mechanism(s). Cumulative concentrations of berberine (20, 65, 200 and 600 μg/mL) were added on pre-contracted TSM by methacholine or KCl in non-incubated or incubated tissues with atropine, chlorpheniramine, propranolol, diltiazem, glibenclamide, indomethacin, L-NG-nitro arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) and papaverine. The relaxant effects of theophylline (0.2, 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8 mM) as positive control and saline (1 mL) as negative control were also examined in non-incubated tissues. Berberine showed significant and concentration-dependent relaxant effects in non-incubated tissues contracted by KCl and methacholine (p<0.01 to p<0.001). There was no significant difference in the relaxant effects of berberine between non-incubated and incubated tissues with atropine, propranolol, diltiazem, glibenclamide, and papaverine. The relaxant effects of second concentrations of berberine in incubated tissues with L-NAME, its three lower concentration in incubated tissues with chlorpheniramine and its all concentrations in incubated tissues with indomethacin were significantly lower than non-incubated tissues (p<0.05 to p<0.001). The EC50 values of berberine in incubated tissues with chlorpheniramine was significantly higher than the non-incubated condition (p<0.05). Our findings reveal a relatively potent relaxant effect of berberine that is lower than the effect of theophylline. Proposed mechanisms for the relaxant effect of berberine are histamine (H1) receptor blockade, inhibition of cyclooxygenase pathways and/or nitric oxide formation.

Medicinal plants have been identified and used as primary sources in prevention and treatment of pulmonary diseases (mainly obstructive pulmonary diseases) from ancient times due to various pharmacological activities. In this review, the stimulatory effects of extracts, some fractions and constituents of medicinal plants on β2-adrenoceptors which could be used as possible therapeutic agents in the future were reviewed. Various databases including; Medline, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Google Scholar were searched using stimulatory effect, β2-adrenoceptors, possible mechanism, tracheal smooth muscle (TSM), medicinal plants and their constituents as keywords from 1985 to 2017. All studied plants including; Nigella sativa, Rosa damascena, Thymus vulgaris, Carum copticom, Carum carvi, Zataria multiflora, Crocus sativus, Cuminum cyminum, Liomnia acidissima, Portulaca oleraceae, Satureja hortensis, Ephedra sinica and Achillea millefolium showed relaxant effect on tracheal smooth muscle with a stimulatory effect on β2-adrenoceptors mechanism. The studied plants and their constituents could be of therapeutic value in clinical practice as a bronchodilatory drug by β2-adrenoceptors stimulatory mechanism for treatment of obstructive pulmonary diseases.

In previous studies the therapeutic effects of Nigella sativa have been demonstrated on asthmatic animals. In the present study, the preventive effect of single dose of alpha-hederin, its active constituent, has been evaluated on lung inflammation and some inflammatory mediators in lungs of ovalbumin sensitized rat in order to elicit its mechanism. Forty rats were randomly grouped in 4 groups; control (C), sensitized (S), sensitized pretreated groups with thymoquinone (3 mg/kg i.p., S+TQ) and alpha-hederin (0.02 mg/kg i.p., S+AH). Levels of IL-13 mRNA and miRNA-126 in lung tissue and its pathological changes in each group were assessed. Elevated levels of miRNA-126, IL-13 mRNA and pathological changes were observed in the sensitized group compared to the control group (p The results suggested that alpha-hederin had preventive effect on sensitized rats like thymoquinone. It may intervene in miRNA-126 expression, which consequently could interfere with IL-13 secretion pathway leading to a reduction in inflammatory responses.

Context and Today the scope of security of countries doesnt limit to its extensive domestic borders rather, because of development of technology, facilitated situation of transportation the borders get less important. Many offenders would escape from borders of their crime committed location and would prevent observance of law against them. So with regards to importance of extradition of offenders as one of the ways to develop the security and justice in of levels of national and international, the purpose of present study is to discover the existence difficulties and hindrances in this path providing ways for optimization existent development of extradition of offenders. The present essay uses practical research is descriptive. Moreover, in order to analyzing the gathered information and extracting strategies, this essay uses comprehensive frame work in complication of strategy. Studies show that cases in which these are juridical/ legal hindrances and defection in present laws. Less coordination between authorities of extradition of offenders, absence of contracts with many countries, especial and long bureaucracy ceremonies in process of extradition of offenders, are of main hindrances of Iran's Interpol in expedition of this process. According to obtained results, one of the effective factors in extradition of offenders is having mutual amity with other countries. Therefore, getting strategies like sign/make/have a of mutual or multilateral contracts of extradition of offenders between Iran's Interpol and other members, and also, developing coordination between judiciary, ministry of foreign Affairs police force along side with developing political relations with countries, will be stepping stone for optimization of extradition of offenders.