Journal of Medicinal Herbs
Volume:1 Issue: 1, 2010

Ginger is common named Zingber officinale Roscoe. belongs to Zingiberaceae family which extensively used to pharmaceutic industries in addition to food industries uses. Dut to Iran is located at world saline lands, salinity is a main problem to native and nonnative plant species cultivation such as ginger and because in plants salinity induces antioxidative and defensive systems, therefor the effect of salinity on ginger was considered in this research. Experimental: This plan was done in a random block design with three replications. Salt treatment was done at four levels by using NaCl in hogland nutrient solution in different salinity levels: 2 (control), 4, 6 and 8 dsm-1 for 14 days when the palnt was one month. Our results revealed that ginger has a moderately salt tolerance, because only 6 and 8 dsm-1 caused reduction in chlorophyll a, b and chlorophyll content and a/b ratio and consequently growth and dry mater accumulation. In spite of negative effect of salinity on ginger vegetative growth, antioxidant and defensive enzymes activity such as catalase, PAL and TAL was increased at 4 dsm-1 as compared with control but these enzymes activity was decrease at 6 and 8 dsm-1.

Different species from mint family (Lamiaceae) are used as spices and fragrance in food or as medicine against viral or microbial diseases in many countries for generation. Lamiaceae family contains 46 genus and 410 species. One of the valuable and medicinal species of this family is Ziziphora clinopodioides Lam. This species contains the essential oil with pulegone as major compound and used for many medicinal uses. Experimental: In this investigation, the effect of some ecological factors on essential oil content and composition were studied. The aerial parts of Z. clinopodioides were collected at flowering stage from four habitats in Hamedan and Kurdestan provinces. The main parameters from each habitat like altitude, and percentage of slope, soil characters and other plant species were determined. The plant materials were subjected to hydro-distillation in three replications to obtain their essential oils. The essential oils were analyzed by GC and GC/MS. The results showed that ecological factors had significant effect (p<0.01) on oil yields. Identification of chemical constituents of the oils showed that main compounds (pulegone and 1, 8-cineole) and minor compounds exist in different percentage in different habitats. So the ecological factors had effect on essential oil composition of Z. clinopodioides.

Introduction & The ethanol and aqueous extracts of Alhagi camelorum Fisch. (Fabaceae) whole plant, Scrophularia desertii Del. (Scrophulariaceae) whole plant and ethanol extracts of Echinophora platyloba DC. (Apiaceae) whole plant, Teucrium polium L. (Lamiaceae) whole plant and Berberis integerrima Bunge root brake were investigated for anti-Brucella in-vitro and in-vivo conditions. Experimental: Clinical isolated of Brucella abortus was studied using the disk diffusion method. Brucellosis was induced by repeated injection of Brucella abortus on Balb/C mice. In Balb/C model, we evaluated factors included primary weight/secondary weight ratio (W1/W2), spleen weight, spleen weight/body weight ratio and antibody titer with Wright method. The results of disk diffusion approach that the extracts from different plant species studied showed antibacterial activity against B. abortus, with the diameters of zone of inhibition ranging between 1 and 27 mm. Of the plants studied, the most active extracts at the concentration 500 µg/ml were those obtained from aqueous extracts of A. camelorum whole plant and showed strong inhibitory effects (zone of inhibition ≥15 mm) but ethanol extract of S. desertii at the concentration 125 µg/ml showed lowest of inhabitation effect. The bacteria in the study were sensitive to some of antibiotics, erythromycin and streptomycin being the most sensitive (inhibition zone values of 21 and 23 mm, respectively), while was resistant to some of the plant extracts at the concentration 62.5 µg/ml. The best results for W1/W2 were obtained from extract-treated by ethanol extract of B. integrrima root in dose of 400 mg/kg/day and following treated by erythromycin in dose of 400 mg/kg/day. The lowest of Spleen weight were obtained from aqueous extract of A. camelorum and following treated by erythromycin. The best results for Spleen W/Body were obtained from extract-treated by aqueous extract of A. camelorum and following treated by erythromycin in dose of 200 mg/kg/day. Also, the best results for antibody titer with Wright method were obtained from ethanol extract B. integrrima root brake. However, the results of mean of comparison with Duncan's test for antibody titer with Wright method showed no significant difference.

Onosma stenosiphon has been used as herbal medicine for healing skin cuts and rashes. However, burn healing effect of this herb has not been yet reported in pharmaceutical texts. The aim of this study was to find out the effect of herb ointment on burn healing the superficial wounds post type II burns of back and testis region in Wistar rats.Experimental: A total of 24 rats were divided into 3 (21 rats) and 1 control (3 rats) groups. Type II burn was performed on right and left sides of back and right testicular skin of all experimental animals. For burn healing, herb ointment was applied on right sides of back and testis skins of experimental rats. For histo-pathological evaluation, seven rats were killed at 7, 14, 21 days intervals. Then, skin samples were obtained from both left and right (with herb ointment) sides of back, as well as testicular tissue samples. All samples from experimental animals were compared with control samples following tissue staining. All skin samples (both with and without herb ointment applications) showed patho-morphological changes one week post experimental burns. Two week following burns, epidermis were relatively healed, and lymphohistocytological inflammation with initiation of fibrosis was observed. But, epidermis and dermis inflammation were recovered after three weeks. There were no noticeable changes in healing rate of burned tissues in rats under herb ointment versus non ointment applications. Also, there were no alternations in testicular tissue or spermatozoa cells in experimental groups.

In order study the effect of Thiobacillus, sulphur and organic materials on vegetative growth and essence production in lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.) was conducted in pots in field condition at Shahrekord, Iran on 2008. Experimental: The factors were ten soil treatments inclusive 200 kg/ha sulphur, 400 kg/ha sulphur, 600 kg/ha sulphur, 200 kg/ha sulphur + Thiobacillus, 400 kg/ha sulphur + Thiobacillus, 600 kg/ha sulphur + Thiobacillus, 200 kg/ha sulphur + Thiobacillus + organic materials, 400 kg/ha sulphur + Thiobacillus + organic materials, 600 kg/ha sulphur + Thiobacillus + organic materials and without application of sulphur, Thiobacillus and organic materials. The results revealed significant differences between treatments in cupper, zinc, iron and manganese content in soil after harvesting and fresh weight, dry weight and number of lateral stems in plants. Also, differences between essence content in dry plants in various treatments were significant. Treatment of 400 kg/ha sulphur + Thiobacillus + organic materials and control demonstrated the highest and lowest cupper and manganese content in soil after harvesting and fresh weight, dry weight and lateral stems in plants respectively. In this research we observed the significant effect of sulphur on content of essential oil. The highest essence content in dry plants was produced by 400 kg/ha sulphur + Thiobacillus + organic materials and 600 kg/ha sulphur + Thiobacillus + organic materials. The correlation between traits showed that the more dry weight, Fe and Zn content in soil made the more essence content.

Ocimum basilicum L. is belong to the Lamiaceae family which is cultivated as a culinary, industrial and medicinal plants in some countries from thousands years ago. The seed of this plant is rich in poly un-saturated fatty acids (PUFA) and produced a large amount of mucilage.Experimental: The oil of seed was extracted separately and converted to fatty acids methyl esters, and composition of fatty acids in seed oil was determined by Gas Chromatography. The results show that the highest content of total fat between (A.W.L.P.), (28.98 % of dw) in Ardabil (L.P.) and lowest (17.25 % of dw) in A.G.2 (W.P.). The highest Palmitic acid content is between (A.W.L.P.), (34.81 mol %) in Kermanshah (L.P.) and lowest (2.05 mol %) is in Kerman (L.P.). The highest Stearic acid content is between (A.W.L.P.), (7.56 mol %) in Ahwaz (L.P.) and lowest (1.42 mol %) in Ardabil (W.P.). The highest of Oleic acid between (A.W.L.P.), (22.81 mol %) in Ghom (L.P.) and lowest (11.10 mol %) in A.G.2 (W.P.). The highest Linoleic acid content between (A.W.L.P.), (25.60 mol %) in A.G.1 (L.P.) and lowest (15.55 mol %) in Kermanshah (L.P.). The highest amount of Linolenic acid between (A.W.L.P.), (53.89 mol %) in A.G.1 (W.P.) and lowest (28.08 mol %) in Kermanshah (L.P.). The results also definite clearly that the seed of O. basilicum populations have large amount of un-saturated fatty acids, mucilage and they have a few amount of saturated fatty acids.

Reason destroyer and side effectories some chemical drugs, many pations would to use medicinal plants, on the other hand new medicine nevereless cost and powerful, have problems for treat some maladies specically chronic maladies. We at this article surveid satisfactoryُ s pations of herbal medicine to compare with new therapeutic ways and defined that further pations for what maladies performed tradition way on new way and what factors effect on their decision. Experimental: This is a cross sectional study and hoarding tools information is questionnaires that was include demographic and characterizes pattern and believe and malady kind pations. entry criterion was Isfahan pations that refer to treatment centers such as Alzahra hospital. Number 247 participants were randomly selected and were asked to fill the questionnaires. Data were collected and analyzed by statistical tests. According to opinions pations 37% affect plant drugs knew well and better than chemical drugs, 21% chemical drugs knew better and 42% didn’t give opinion. 67% was habitant at townships and villages and 33% was in Isfahan city. Relation women to men for use of plant drugs was 69% to 31%, of course more men expressed that refer to physician seldom and by suitable nutrition Preservation self health. Of View point document education attention to literacy pations were a few at between samples not given meaningful and analogical difference.

Various novel techniques including ultrasound-assisted extraction, microwave-assisted extraction and supercritical fluid extraction have been developed for the extraction of medicinal plants in order to shorten the extraction time, decrease the solvent consumption, increase the extraction yield, and enhance the quality of extracts. This review was conducted to introduce and compare the conventional soxhlet extraction and the new alternative methods used for the extraction of nutraceuticals from plants.