Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine
Volume:11 Issue: 5, Sep-Oct 2021

Medicinal plants provide better and cheaper alternative therapy for management of several diseases compared to orthodox medicines. This study evaluated the effects of feed formulated with Ficus ottoniifolia (Miq.) Miq. (FFFO) leaves in the management of alloxan-induced diabetes mellitus (DM) in rats.

DM was induced in overnight-fasted rats by administration of alloxan monohydrate intraperitoneally. DM rats in Groups 1−3 were fed with graded FFFO while group 4 (diabetic control) and group 5 (normal control) were fed with commercial feeds (Vital-Feeds), daily for 21 days. Changes in body weight and some biochemical parameters were thereafter determined.

Results showed significant decreases (p <0.05) in serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) but significant increases (p <0.05) in blood glucose, serum low-density lipoprotein (LDL), triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activities in DM-induced rats compared to the normal control group. Feeding with FFFO significantly increased (p <0.05) the body weight and HDL, decreased the blood glucose, serum LDL, TG and TC and attenuated ALT activities in FFFO-fed DM rats compared to the diabetic control group.

This study revealed that FFFO-diet may mitigate hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia and liver-damage associated with DM.

Coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) is an annual herb belonging to the Apiaceae (Umbellifera) family that is used as food additives traditionally. This plant is called “Geshniz” in Persian and is native to Mediterranean regions but it is currently cultivated in several countries. All parts of coriander are edible and have been traditionally used to treat different disorders, including digestive problems, flatulence, diarrhea, colic and other gastrointestinal diseases.

The databases PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar and Scopus were considered. The search terms were “Coriandrum sativum” or “linalool” and “anti-anxiety”, “sedative”, “antioxidant effect”, “anticonvulsant” and “neuroprotective effect”.

Antioxidant, diuretic, cholesterol lowering, anxiolytic, sedative-hypnotic and anticonvulsant activities were reported for the seeds and leaves of the plant. Furthermore, linalool as the main component of coriander has different neuropharmacological effects, including anti-anxiety, sedative, anticonvulsant and anti-Alzheimer’s disease activities.

Various neuropharmacological effects of C. sativum and its component which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, have been summarized in the current review article.

Diabetes, obesity, and their associated metabolic disorders are public health problems that require prevention and new efficient drugs for treatment. We evaluated the anti-hyperglycemic, lipid-lowering, and anti-obesity effects of semisynthetic α, β-amyrenones (ABA).

BALB/c mice were used for performing an acute model of oral carbohydrate and triglyceride tolerance, and in a streptozotocin-induced diabetes model, where glycemia and body weight changes were measured during ten days. C57BL/6 strain mice were used in the diet-induced obesity model, where lipidemia and body weight were measured during four weeks, and biochemical and histological parameters were analyzed after euthanasia. The doses considered in this study were 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg of ABA, used following some criteria for each experiment. 

ABA 25 mg/kg reduced the postprandial glycemia peak higher than acarbose 50 mg/kg (p <0.05). ABA 50 mg/kg significantly reduced glycemia in diabetic mice compared to acarbose 50 mg/kg (p <0.05). There was a reduction in the weight of the obese animals treated with ABA 25 and 50 mg/kg (p <0.05). ABA 50 mg/kg also significantly reduced lipidemia in these animals compared to orlistat 50 mg/kg.

This study presents evidence of ABA's action in reducing postprandial glycemia and obesity in mice.

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of squill oil on dyspareunia and sexual satisfaction in menopausal women. The present triple-blind randomized two-group controlled trial was conducted on 60 menopausal women (n=30 in placebo group and n=30 in squill oil group) in Mashhad in northeast of Iran in 2019. The Sabbatsberg Sexual Self-Rating Scale and Marinoff dyspareunia scale were the main tools used in this study. The participants were randomly assigned to two groups namely, squill oil group and placebo group and they received the treatments for 4 weeks. Questionnaires were completed before and 4 weeks after the intervention in both groups. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 24 by Mann-Whitney, t-test, and repeated measures ANOVA with a significance level of less than 0.05. The average age in the squill oil group and placebo group were 53.5±2.2 and 51.7±4.5 years, respectively. There was a significant difference (p <0.001) between the two groups in terms of dyspareunia score before (1±3.6 vs 1±3.5) and after intervention (0.7±0.1 vs 1.2±1.2) in two groups. Results of independent t-test indicated that there was a significant difference (p <0.001) between the two groups in terms of sexual satisfaction before (23.4±5.7 vs 23.1±2.8) and after intervention (36.5±5.6 vs 24.8±2.5) in two groups. Using squill oil can cause a reduction in painful sexual intercourse and an increase in sexual satisfaction in postmenopausal women.

Regulation of cholesterol level is essential for the brain optimal function. The beneficial effect of garlic consumption on cholesterol homeostasis is well known; however, the molecular mechanism to support its properties is unclear. Here, we investigated the beneficial effect of aqueous extract of garlic and allicin on lipid profile and the main players involved in brain cholesterol homeostasis including ABCA1, HMG-CoA reductase, and CYP46A1 in both C57BL/6J mice brain and astrocytes.  Thirty mice were divided into control and garlic groups. Garlic group was fed with the aqueous extract of garlic. Serum lipids were measured and brain protein levels of ABCA1, HMGCR, and CYP46A1 were determined by western blotting. Changes in these proteins expression were also studied in the presence of allicin in cultured astrocytes. A moderate decrease in serum total cholesterol and a significant increase in plasma HDL-C levels (p <0.05) were detected. A significant increase in ABCA1, HMGCR, and CYP46A1 protein levels was observed in the garlic group and in the cultured astrocytes treated with allicin by western blotting (p <0.05). Our findings indicated that the main players involved in cholesterol turnover including HMGCR that is involved in cholesterol synthesis, ABCA1 that is important in cholesterol efflux, and CYP46A1 that is necessary in cholesterol degradation, were up regulated by garlic/allicin in both animal and cell culture model. We concluded that increasing cholesterol turnover is a possible mechanism for the beneficial effects of garlic in cholesterol homeostasis.

The effect of trans-anethole and metformin on biochemical and hormonal changes of testosterone-induced Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in rats was investigated.

Female Wister rats (n=48) were randomly divided into six groups: control; PCOS; PCOS+metformin (300 mg/kg); and PCOS+trans-anethole (20, 40, and 80 mg/kg). PCOS was induced by intraperitoneal injection of testosterone (1 mg/kg/day) for 35 days. After induction of PCOS, trans-anethole and metformin were given orally for 30 days. Finally, blood sugar, insulin, lipid profile, and testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEAS) as well as animals’ weight, and water and food intake were determined.

In all treated and untreated PCOS groups, serum testosterone levels were significantly increased compared to the control group (p

These results showed that trans-anethole significantly decreased serum levels of insulin, DHEAS and blood lipids. It can be concluded that trans-anethole ameliorates PCOS biochemical and hormonal change in PCOS rats; therefore, it might be suggested as a beneficial remedy for further clinical evaluations in PCOS patients.

Several species of Pinus have shown anti-nociceptive and anti-inflammatory properties. This study was aimed to evaluate anti-nociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of hydroalcoholic extract of bark and essential oil of leaves of P. eldarica in animal models.  Hydroalcoholic extract of bark and essential oil of leaves of P. eldarica were prepared and phenolic content and essential oil composition were analyzed using Folin-Ciocalteu method and GC/MS, respectively. Anti-nociceptive effect was assessed using acetic acid, formalin and hot plate tests in male Swiss mice (25-30 g) and for evaluation of anti-inflammatory activity, carrageenan test in male Wistar rats (180-200 g) and croton oil-induced ear edema in male mice, were used. Involvement of opioid, α2-adrenergic, 5-HT3 receptors and adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-dependent K+ channels in pain relief was tested using naloxone, ondansetron, yohimbine and glibenclamide. The total phenolic content of the extract in terms of gallic acid equivalent was 404.9±7.7 mg/g of the extract powder. P. eldarica hydroalcoholic extract (200 and 400 mg/kg) and essential oil (100 and 200 µl/kg) significantly (all, p <0.001) decreased pain behavior in acetic acid and formalin tests but not in hot plate test. The extract and essential oil suppressed edema in carrageenan and croton tests. Glibenclamide partially reversed the anti-nociceptive effect of hydroalcoholic extract while the other antagonists were ineffective. Hydroalcoholic extract of bark and essential oil of leaves of P. eldarica significantly decreased acute and chronic pain as well as inflammation. ATP-dependent K+ channels mediate a part of the observed anti-nociceptive effect.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of B. persicum essential oil on colonic inflammation and the role of suppression of NF-κB pathway in rat colitis induced by acetic acid solution. Induction of acute colitis was done by intra-luminal instillation of 2 ml of acetic acid (4%) diluted in normal saline. Two hours after colitis induction, 0.2% tween 80 in normal saline, prednisolone (4 mg/kg) or B. persicum essential oil (100, 200, and 400 mg/kg) were administered to the rats orally and continued for 5 consecutive days. The severity of macroscopic and microscopic damages was assessed. Myeloperoxidase and TNF-α activity was evaluated by biochemical analysis and ELISA respectively and protein expression of p-NF-κB was assessed by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Prednisolone and B. persicum essential oil (100, 200, and 400 mg/kg) decreased macroscopic and microscopic injuries compared to the acetic acid group. On the other hand, prednisolone and B. persicum essential oil (200 and 400 mg/kg) decreased the activity of MPO and TNF-α in the colon tissue of rats compared with the acetic acid group. Furthermore, they suppressed the expression of p-NF-κB protein induced by acetic acid administration. It is suggested that the anti-inflammatory effect of B. persicum essential oil on acetic acid-induced colitis in rats may be due to the suppression of NF-κB pathway.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is among the most prevalent diseases in the world, and its severity is usually assessed through coronary angiography (CA). Anxiety is the most prevalent problem before angiography. The aim of this study was to evaluate Crocus sativus (saffron) and Lippia citriodora Kunth (lippia) extracts and saffron-lippia extract combination on anxiety among the candidates for CA.

This double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial in four month was conducted on 120 angiography candidates in Valiasr hospital, Birjand, Iran. The random allocation was doing through block randomization to saffron, lippia, saffron-lippia, and placebo groups; four hours before angiography, participants in these groups respectively received a single dose of saffron extract capsule (40 mg), lippia extract capsule (40 mg), saffron-lippia extract capsule (20 mg saffron and 20 mg lippia), and lactulose capsule (40 mg). Participants’ anxiety was assessed before, thirty minutes after, and three hours after the intervention via Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory.

The mean scores of state, trait, and total anxiety in the saffron group reduced significantly (p <0.05), while the mean scores in the other groups did not change significantly, except for the mean score of trait anxiety in the saffron-lippia group which decreased significantly (p=0.05). Therefore, after the intervention, the mean scores of state, trait, and total anxiety in the saffron group were significantly lower than the other groups (all, p <0.05).

This study suggests that the oral use of a single-dose of 40 mg saffron extract is effective in alleviating anxiety among the candidates for CA.

The burden of diseases and death related to environmental pollution is becoming a major public health challenge. This study was designed to evaluate the deleterious effects of a combination of dust exposure and high-fat diet on liver function. Gallic acid as a potent antioxidant was used to prevent/alleviate non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in rats exposed to dust and HFD. 24 rats were randomly divided into 3 experimental groups: HFD+Clean air, HFD+N/S+Dust and HFD+gallic acid+Dust. Animals were exposed to CA/ dust for six weeks on alternate days. At the end of the experiments, rats were anesthetized and samples were taken to perform molecular, biomedical, and histopathological evaluations. Dust exposure induced NAFLD features in rats under HFD. Dust exposure and HFD disrupted liver enzymes and lipid profile. Dust exposure and HFD increased liver MDA level, mRNA expression of NF-Kβ, TNF-α, IL-6, Nrf2, HO1 and miRs122, and 34a. Dust+HFD also decreased liver total antioxidant capacity level. Pretreatment with GA improved almost studied variables in the HFD+GA+Dust group. The present study showed that HFD given for 6 weeks and dust exposure induced NAFLD in Wistar rats through inducing oxidative stress. Oxidative stress through activating the inflammatory pathways caused NAFLD features. GA pretreatment by inhibiting oxidative stress, effectively protected liver functions against HFD+Dust induced inflammation.