Research Journal of Pharmacognosy
Volume:2 Issue: 2, Spring 2015

Baneh tree or Pistacia atlantica subsp. kurdica is an endemic plant of Iran which belongs to Anacardiaceae family. It has various traditional uses including astringent and anti-diarrheal as well as improving some of the symptoms of gastrointestinal upsets. In this study we decided to investigate the effects of various fractions of baneh gum with different doses in an animal model of ulcerative colitis as one of the important chronic inflammatory bowel diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

The volatile oil and aqueous baneh gum suspensions were prepared and the constituents of the volatile oil were analyzed by GC/MS. They were used to treat colitis induced by acetic acid 4% in rats. Three doses of gum (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg) were administered both orally (p.o.) and intra-rectally (i.r.) while volatile oil was administered p.o. with doses 100, 200 and 400 µl/kg for four constitutive days. Anti-inflammatory effects of the test compounds were compared with oral prednisolone and hydrocortisone enema. Wet colon weight/ length ratio and tissue damage scores and area as well as indices of colitis and tissue myeloperoxidase activity were evaluated for each specimen.

Alpha-pinene was the main constituent of baneh volatile oil (41.23%). We observed therapeutic effects in applied doses of oral gum as well as volatile oil to reduce all indices of colitis and myeloperoxidase activity. Unlike the oral form of gum, its rectal administration was not significantly effective to improve colitis.

This research has proved the anti-inflammatory potential of oral gum of Pistacia atlantica subsp. kurdica and its volatile oil in an experimentally induced colitis.

Prunus domestica (plum) has been considered as a useful remedy for several disorders in Iranian Traditional Medicine (ITM). It has cold and wet temperament and is used as syrup for hot temperament diseases such as hot headache and stomach disorders. In the present study, plum syrup has been formulated according to ITM manuscripts and quality control evaluations have been accomplished to present a suitable formulation.

The fruits of Prunus domestica L. were macerated in water, then decocted. The mixture was filtered. The filtrate was concentrated to have a suitable viscosity. The extract was sweetened by adding sugar (1:2) and heated till sugar was completely dissolved. The final product was evaluated physicochemically and microbiologically according to standard protocols and total phenolics content of the syrup stability was determined. The syrup was assessed in accelerated condition (40 ºC) during 6 months.

The prepared formulation was a viscose and brown syrup with plum flavor and fragrance. No precipitation and cap locking were observed in the syrup. Dry residue, pH, density, viscosity and total phenolics of the syrup were found 43.1%, 3.49, 1.27 g/ml, 6.5 cP and 152.3 mg/100ml, respectively. No microbial growth was observed in the formulation. In the accelerated stability tests, no remarkable changes were seen in the product. Total phenolics content was decreased 2.2% during 6 months in 40 ºC.

The formulated Prunus domestica syrup could be introduced for further mass production after completing the final required evaluations.

Nasturtium officinale W.T.Aiton (Brassicaceae) is used as an edible vegetable in various parts of Iran. The aim of the present study was to investigate the protective activity of the methanolic extract of Nasturtium officinale against gamma-radiation-induced hepatotoxicity in terms of histopathological changes.

Male C57 mice were divided into 10 groups. Groups 1 and 2 received saline solution intra-peritoneally (IP) for 15 days (subacute) and 2 h (acute) before whole body γ-irradiation (6 Gy). Groups 3 to 5 (subacute) and 6 to 8 (acute) received the extract at doses of 20 mg/kg, 50 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg body weight IP, respectively. Group 9 served as radiation group. Group 10 received nothing. Finally, sections of the liver tissue were evaluated for any histopathologic changes. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents were determined using Folin Ciocalteu andaluminium chloride methods.

Pre-treatment with 100 mg/kg body weight per day for 15 days and 2 h before γ-radiation significantly lowered incidence of inflammation (portal and periportal inflammation). Furthermore, liver cells necrosis, edema and congestion were slightly reduced. The total phenolic and total flavonoid contents of the extract were 11.3 ± 0.4 mg gallic acid equivalents and 9.4 ± 0.7 mg quercetin equivalents per gram of dried extract.

This protection can be attributed to the presence of phenols and isothiocyanates in the extract of N. officinale which act as antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents.

Salvia species are important because of their medicinal, traditional and economical uses. They are used traditionally for treatment of several diseases. The genus Salvia is represented in the Iranian flora by 61 species of which, 17 are endemic.  In the present study, the phytochemical and biological effects of two Iranian Salvia species have been evaluated.

1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) radicals scavenging activities of extracts of Salvia urmiensis Bunge and Salvia hydrangeawere evaluated. Total flavonoid and phenolic contents and brine shrimp lethality potential of the extracts were also determined.

Compared to podophyllotoxin (LC50 =42 µg/mL), the ethyl acetate extract of S. hydrangea demonstrated a significant cytotoxicity (LC50=36 µg/mL). The ethyl acetate extract of S. urmiensis was found to have significant antioxidant properties with IC50 value of 10.0±0.2 µg/mL. All tested extracts showed moderate to high flavonoid and phenolic contents.

Findings showed that these plants contain important metabolites and could be suggested for discovery of biologically active natural compounds.

Silymarin is a unique flavonoid complex with documented hepatoprotective properties. Silybum  marianum hairy root culture as a source for producing silymarin has been an important strategy for study the cell signaling pathway. In the present investigation Trichoderma strains- Silybum marianum hairy root cultures interactions have been studied.

The effects of two Trichoderma Strains (KHB and G46-7) (0, 0.5, 1, 2 and 4 mg/ 50 mL culture) in 6 different exposure times (0, 24, 48, 72, 96 and 120 h) have been investigated on flavonolignans production. The flavonolignans were analyzed by High Performance Liquid Chromatography method. Cell signaling pathway was evaluated by determination of H2O2 content, peroxidase and ascorbate peroxidase activities.

The elicitation effects of two Trichoderma Strains (KHB and G46-7) were examined on flavonolignans accumulation and the activation of cell defense system in S. marianum hairy root cultures. The results indicated that the highest silymarin accumulation (0.45 and 0.33 mg/g DW) was obtained in media elicited with 0.5 mg/50 mL cultures of T. harzianum Strains (KHB and G46-3, respectively) after 120 h. Feeding time experiments indicated that a significant higher content of silymarin production was achieved after 120 and 72 h in media treated with 0.5 mg/50 mL cultures of KHB and G46-3, respectively. Our results showed that S. marianum treated by KHB strain, increased taxifolin, silychristin, isosilybin and silydianin productions significantly. The H2O2 content in the control hairy root cultures remained lower than the treated cultures. There was significant enhancement in both peroxidase and ascorbate peroxidase activities in treated hairy roots reaching a peak after 72 h.

These findings suggested that some Trichoderma strains are positive elicitors for promoting silymarin accumulation in S. marianum hairy root cultures. The results also suggested the presence of H2O2 and oxidative burst induced by T. harzianum as a signaling pathway.

Iran owns a rich and prestigious heritage of medicinal herbs but the majority of these plants have not yet undergone chemical, pharmacological and toxicological studies. In the present study some species form northern parts of Iran were evaluated for cytotoxicity.

Sixteen medicinal plants were extracted with methanol and screened for their cytotoxic activities. The inhibition of cell growth for these extracts was evaluated against MCF-7, WEHI-164, HepG-2 and MDBK cell lines. Their 50% inhibitions of growth (IC50) were determined by MTT assay. Moreover, cytotoxic evaluation of different fractions of the most potent species was performed.

Among examined samples, the IC50 values of methanol extract of Centaurea bruguierana (DC.) Hand.-Mzt. on mentioned cell lines were found 47.30-87.40 µg/mL. In addition, the chloroform fraction of the species was cytotoxic with IC50 values 17.00-23.03 µg/mL.

It was concluded that the chloroform fraction of C. bruguierana was the best candidate for identification and isolation of active principles with cytotoxic effects. These results recommend further studies about this species.

The main aims of this study have been finding out the antibacterial activity and preliminary phytochemical screening of some fern species.

The antimicrobial activity of the methanol extracts of Polypodium interjectum Shivas, Polystichum woronowii Fomin, Polystichum aculeatum (L.) Roth., Dryopteris affinis (Lowe) Fraser-Jenk, Athyrium filix-femina (L.) Roth, Asplenium scolopendrium L., Asplenium adiantum-nigrum L. and Pteris cretica L., was screened by measuring the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values against two Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, using standard assays. Besides, the phytochemical evaluation and measurement of the total flavonoid contents were also performed.

The maximum activity was exhibited by the extract of Dryopteris affinis with MIC value of 2 µg/mL. Polystichum aculeatum showed the same antibacterial potential against S. aureus. Some of the extracts had strong antibacterial activity (2-8 µg/mL) and others demonstrated moderate activity. Phytochemical analyses showed the presence of some important secondary metabolites in Iranian fern species. Triterpenoids and polyphenols were present in rhizome and aerial part of all plants. Total flavonoid contents range was 1.66 to 44.22 mg of catechin equivalents per gram of dry extract.

Findings indicated that Iranian ferns have good antibacterial potential and could be a suitable source for antibiotic drug discovery.

Halitosis is an oral health condition characterized by unpleasant odors emanating constantly from oral cavity. Almost 22-50% of the population experiences such a condition during lifespan and about half of them suffer from personal discomfort and social embarrassment. Based on the literature survey, it seems that the oral cavity is the most important origin of halitosis; therefore, this area could be considered as the best target for the treatment. Halitosis is a well-known disorder in Iranian Traditional Medicine (ITM); Avicenna and some other famous Iranian traditional physicians have described this condition in their manuscripts precisely. Herbal therapy was the major treatment suggested by Iranian scholars in which mixtures of medicinal plants were used in the form of mouthwashes and other oral formulations. In the present study, six Iranian ancient medical texts were screened for the herbs with anti-halitosis effects. Subsequent to this study, the medicinal herbs were listed and scored based on the frequency of their repetition. Moreover, the effort has been taken to provide the best scientific name for each plant as well as searching modern studies about their biological effects. In our investigation fourteen plants were obtained as the most frequent herbs for treatment of halitosis in ITM. Previous studies revealed that some of these plants have shown biological activities relating to anti-halitosis effect. The present study introduces some more plants for future studies about anti-halitosis property.