Search

Background and objectives: Garlic (Allium sativum L.) oil has been introduced in Iranian traditional medicine (ITM) as an effective topical agent for urine dribbling. Additionally, the beneficial effects of garlic on prostatic proliferation have been revealed in recent studies. The purpose of this research was formulation of a topical ointment using garlic oil proposed by ITM and quality control of the product. Methods: Garlic oil was prepared according to ITM instructions and analysed using GC/MS method. In order to formulate garlic ointment, several experimental formulations were examined. Microbial tests as well as physical assessments including thermal stability evaluation and study of rheological behaviour were performed on the final product. Results: GC/MS analysis of garlic oil showed the presence of dialyl trisulfide, one of the major organo-sulfur components of garlic. The herbal ointment containing garlic oil (70%), white petrolatum (23.7%) and white beeswax (6%), showed suitable physical properties as well as plastic tixotropic behaviour and was free of any microbial contamination. Conclusion: Regarding the modern evidences about the beneficial effects of garlic and its sulphur compounds on improvement of BPH and prevention of prostate cancer, garlic ointment could be an appropriate candidate for studies in the field of prostate related diseases with respect to its traditional use in ITM.

Introduction: Herbal medicines play a significant role in global health-care systems. In this investigation, a polyherbal syrup has been reformulated pursuant to Iranian traditional medicine and its antidepressant effect has been evaluated. Materials and Methods: The syrup was prepared by decocting a mixture containing: Lavandula angustifolia, Melissa officinalis, Echium amoenum, Cordia myxa, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Ziziphus jujuba, Foeniculum vulgare, Fumaria parviflora, Adiantum capillus-veneris, and Alhagi spp. along with glycerin and potassium sorbate. Physicochemical characteristics of the syrup were examined. An accelerated stability test was carried out for syrup as well. Moreover, antidepressant evaluations were performed by the forced swimming test using the drug as gavage (3.3 mL/kg/day) for three consecutive weeks. The serum levels of serotonin (5-HT), noradrenaline (NA), and brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) were determined in rats as well. Finally histopathological examinations were done on liver, kidney and spleen. Results: The herbal syrup was brown in color with a special taste and flavor. Density, pH, viscosity, dry residue, and total phenolics content were 1.085g/ml, 5.56, 5.35 cP, 15.22%, and 194 mg/100 mL, respectively. The syrup was stable during accelerated stability tests, and no significant changes were observed. The polyherbal syrup exhibited significant antidepressant effects by decreasing immobility time through increasing in NA and 5-HT levels without affecting BDNF levels. Formulated syrup also did not have any toxic effects on the liver, kidney, and spleen. Conclusion: The syrup could be an appropriate candidate for pharmaceutical companies after complementary tests such as toxicity and clinical trials.

Primary dysmenorrhea (PD) is defined as painful menstrual in the absence of any pelvic pathology. Nowadays, the first line treatment is the use of NSAIDs that unfortunately has contraindication and side effects. Persian Medicine has noted menstrual pain with the defined treatments by use of herbs and herbal formulations. The aim of this study is to introduce the medicinal plants used to treat menstrual and uterine pains (M & UP) in Persian Medicine for evaluating in field of PD. For this purpose, first the medicinal plants used to treat M & UP were listed using prominent Persian Medicine references. In the next step, data were collected in relation to treat PD by searching in ‘Google Scholar’, ‘Scopus’, ‘PubMed’ and ‘SID’ databases between 2000 and 2016. Finally, the plants from identified Persian Medicine list, whose effect on PD have been revealed in modern literatures were introduced. According to this review, more than 100 medicinal plants were recommended for the treatment of M & UP in Persian Medicine. They belong to 60 plant families, the most frequent of which are Asteraceae, Apiaceae, Fabaceae, Rosaceae and Lamiaceae, respectively. Also, only about 13% of the aforementioned medicinal plants have been evaluated for the treatment of PD. It seems that many plants have been introduced in Persian Medicine for the treatment of menstrual pain, which have not yet been evaluated for their therapeutic effects and precise mechanisms of action. Thus, the introduced plants could be suitable candidates for future investigations.

Background: Alopecia areata (AA) is a common immune-mediated hair loss disorder. AA has a reported incidence of 0.1-0.2% with a lifetime risk of 1.7%. Histologically, AA is characterized by the accumulation of mononuclear cells around the bulb of the affected hair follicles. Corticosteroids are the most popular drugs for the treatment of this disease. Despite its high prevalence, currently available treatments are mostly unsatisfactory and inefficient for the more chronic and severe types of the AA. Alopecia areata is a well-known disorder in Iranian traditional medicine (ITM). “Da oth-tha,lab” was the term used by ITM scholars to indicate AA. Traditional Iranian physicians believed that the presence of morbid matter in the scalps is the main cause of the disease, which blocks nutrients and causes hair roots to deteriorate. Herbal medicines in the form of topical preparations were applied by ITM scholars for the treatment of AA. This study was performed to determine the most frequent useful herbs for AA as mentioned in ITM. Methods: Seven ITM references such as Canon of Medicine (Avicenna), Alhavi (Razes) Tuhfat ul-Momineen (Mo,men tonekaboni), Makhzan-ul-Adwiah (Aghili), Ikhtiyarat Badi,i (Ansari), Al-abnia An-Haghyegh el-advia (Heravi) and al-jāmi li-mufradāt al-adwiyawa al-aghdhiya (Ibn al-Baitar) were studied for anti-AA medicines. Subsequent to our study, the herbal medicines were listed and scored based on the frequency of their prescriptibility. Moreover, we took the effort to provide the best scientific name for each plant. Results: This study showed that Allium cepa L., Artemisia abrotonon L., Allium sativum L., and Asphodelus ramosus L. were the most frequent herbs mentioned in ITM references for the recovery of AA. Conclusion: These herbs can be introduced as new herbal medicines for clinical research in the field of alopecia areata treatment.