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Introduction and purpose: Oral thrush, a mucocutaneous infection caused by an overgrowth of Candida albicans, manifests as white, curd-like lesions on oral mucosal surfaces, often accompanied by burning sensations and altered taste perception. Conventional treatment modalities primarily rely on antifungal medications, while adjunctive therapies include topical saline or sodium bicarbonate rinses and rigorous oral hygiene practices. The current investigation seeks to elucidate and document the indigenous medicinal flora of Iran that is employed in the treatment of oral thrush induced by Candida albicans. Methodology: In this review article, a search was made in Web of Science, PubMed, Magiran, SID, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases using keywords such as medicinal plants, extract, essential oil, traditional medicine, candidiasis, and Candida albicans. Articles that were not relevant were removed and finally, relevant articles were used for literature review. Results: A variety of medicinal herbs, including Purple Coneflower, Persica, Matrica, Cinnamol, Jaftex, Green Cumin, Lemon Balm, Green Tea, Valerian, Oregano, Water Hyacinth, Ginger, Jujube, Hatchet Vetch, Sumac, Blue Mint Bush, Dandelion, Zaatar, Yarrow, Ephedra, Danish Thyme, Cinnamon, Curly Catnip, Barberry, Myrtle, Garlic, Kah-makki and Putar, Black Caraway, Nettle, Chamomile, Tarragon, Harmala, Lavender, Honey Garlic, Asafoetida (Devil's Dung), and Saffron, are indigenous to Iran. These plants demonstrate an anti-candidal effect against Candida albicans in the oral cavity, particularly when compared to commercial mouthwashes and standard chemical treatments. Conclusion: Medicinal plants offer a promising therapeutic approach to oral thrush due to their inherent antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties. Herbal mouthwashes containing phytochemicals derived from plants like thyme, chamomile, and sage can effectively alleviate oral thrush symptoms and suppress Candida overgrowth. As a natural and well-tolerated alternative to synthetic antifungals, these mouthwashes can be employed as adjunctive or primary treatments for oral candidiasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salinity stress significantly constrains agricultural productivity and vegetation decline worldwide, particularly in Iran. Potassium, the second most prevalent nutrient in plants, is well known to be essential for cell metabolism. Here, the effects of potassium fertilizer in two biogenic nanoparticles (K-NPs) and conventional (potassium sulfate) forms (0.1 mg/ml) on Melissa officinalis L. under salinity (0, 50, 100, and 150 mM) were investigated. The results demonstrated that stress markers (electrolyte leakage, malondialdehyde, and hydrogen peroxide) increased as salinity levels increased. Plant growth parameters (shoot and root length, fresh and dry weight of shoot and root) and physiological and photosynthetic parameters (stomatal conductance, relative water content, chlorophyll fluorescence, and photosynthetic pigments) were reduced in salinized plants. The highest reduction in fresh weight root, dry weight root, fresh weight shoot, dry weight shoot, root length, and shoot length was recorded under 150 mM NaCl by 30.2%, 51.6%, 30.5%, 24.7%, 26.4%, and 21%, respectively. In contrast, bulk potassium sulfate and K-NPs increased these parameters. Furthermore, K-NPs improved M. officinalis tolerance to NaCl toxicity by enhancing the content of osmolytes such as proline, soluble sugars, and antioxidant enzymes, improving antioxidant contents such as phenols, tannins, anthocyanins, and flavonoids; increasing total protein; and lowering stress markers in plant tissues. Given the results of the physiological, biochemical, and phytochemical parameters obtained from this study, it can be stated that K-NPs, in comparison to the conventional form of potassium fertilizer, exhibit a greater potential to mitigate damages caused by salinity stress in M. officinalis plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Herb shops are important for preparing medicinal plants. Improper packaging can lead to contamination of these plants by various types of microorganisms, fungi and yeasts. Objective This study aims to investigate the prevalence of microbial and fungal contamination in four plants from the Lamiaceae family in herb shops in Rasht, Iran. Methods In this study, 15 samples from mint, rosemary, and wild mint plants, and 16 samples from lemon balm were collected. The samples were diluted and incubated for one hour, then transferred onto Tryptic soy agar culture medium for bacterial enumeration. The sabouraud dextrose agar culture medium was used to count total mold and yeast, while McConkey Broth culture medium was used for specific identification of Escherichia coli. Data analysis was conducted in SPSS software, version 16. For comparing the bacterial and fungal contamination levels in the plant samples with the Pharmacopeial quality standard values, the non-parametric Wilcoxon signed rank test was used. Results Out of 61 plant samples, 59 (73.7%) were contaminated with bacteria, and 60 samples (86.6%) were contaminated with fungi. The number of samples contaminated with Escherichia coli was 27 (44.2%). The mean counts of bacteria and fungi in the plant samples were 3.39×105 and 6.3×105, respectively. Conclusion The microbial contamination in most of the plant samples examined in this study is significantly higher than the permissible limit. It is necessary for health authorities to implement stricter policies for monitoring the quality of natural products in herb shops of Rasht, Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Melissa officinalis L. is a cosmopolitan aromatic and medicinal plant from the Lamiaceae family, which is necessary for pharmaceutical and cosmetic production. To evaluate the impact of different harvesting times and plant materials on the essential oil content and composition of M. officinalis 4-year-old plants, the present study was conducted in Fars province, Iran, under industrial field conditions. A randomized factorial experiment with three replications was used. Each replication contained six treatments [3 harvesting of M. officinalis × 2 treatments (shade drying + fresh state)]. Hydrodistillation was used to obtain the essential oils from each treatment, which were subsequently analyzed using GC-FID and GC-MS. The results demonstrated a significant influence of harvesting times and plant materials on the essential oil content and composition of M. officinalis. The average essential oil content was 0.028% to 0.095% (w/w). At different harvest times, the fresh plant yielded a higher content of essential oil compared to the dry plant. The number of chemical constituents in the essential oils was influenced by different harvesting times and plant materials. The predominant and common constituents in all harvested plant materials were the oxygenated monoterpenes geranial (28.7-43.2%) and neral (12.9-30.9%). Based on the major compounds, the essential oils from different harvesting times and plant materials were categorized into two chemotypes: chemotype I (geranial/thymol) and chemotype II (geranial/neral). It is recommended that drying operations not be used as a post-harvest processing method to achieve the highest essential oil yield from M. officinalis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medicinal plants are an important source for treatment of diseases in many countries. Today, controlling the quality of the products of medicinal plants is an important task. Customer health may be in danger due to the fraud and misconduct by the sales associates in the sales centers. Melissa officinalis L. (Lamiaceae) is an important medicinal plant used for treatment of several diseases. In Iran, the species of Dracocephalum, Hymencrater, Nepeta and Stachys are mistakenly sold under the name of Badranjboye that have different pharmaceutical properties. For avoiding this mistake, this investigation was performed with the following aims: 1) Checking for the cheating and identifying the Badranjboye in the Iran's market of medicinal plants, 2) Providing the molecular barcode for the medicinal species of Melissa. For this purpose, Market-sold plant samples (leaves) and original reference plant species were compared by morphology, odor as well as Internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and chloroplast DNA ((psbA–trnH) and (trnL–trnF)) sequences. Various molecular analyses, such as sequencing, determination of genetic distance, and construction of phylogenetic tree were performed. These reports have shown that internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and chloroplast DNA (psbA–trnH) sequences are an efficient molecular marker to produce barcode gap and differentiating Melissa officinalis from other species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We designed this project to determine the nutritional potential and ruminal microbial fermentation properties of eight rangeland plants (Dracocephalum moldavica L., Melissa officinalis L., Ruta graveolens L., Perovskia abrotanoides Kar., Cichorium intybus L., Borago officinalis L., Peganum harmala L., and Teucrium polium L.) collected from the semi-arid region of Iran at two consecutive years (2019 and 2020) for ruminant diets. Medicago sativa as a common forage was also considered as control. We determined the chemical-mineral composition, buffering capacity, in vitro gas yield, ruminal fermentation, and protozoa population in a culture medium with the standard laboratory methods. A significant difference in chemical-mineral compounds was observed among the studied plants (p < 0.05). A lower crude protein range (6.28% for Cichorium intybus L. to 18.4% for Melissa officinalis L.) was observed rather than Medicago sativa (20.3%). The amount of calcium was highest in Peganum harmala L. (23.5–24.2 g/kg DM) and lowest in Ruta graveolens L. (1.15–1.25 g/kg DM). Dracocephalum moldavica L. exhibited the highest acid–base buffering capacity (235–242 mEq×10−3) among other plants. The highest decrease in total protozoa and other protozoan populations was observed when Perovskia abrotanoides Kar. was added to the culture medium. Teucrium Polium L. had the greatest potential gas yield and its total volatile fatty acid was comparable with Medicago sativa. It seems that eight plants are nutritionally suitable for partial replacement of the conventional plants such as Medicago sativa in diets of small ruminants, however dietary supplementation of Peganum harmala L. due to its alkaloids content should be done with caution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Influenza A virus (IAV) infection is a continual threat to the health of animals and humans globally. Consumption of the conventional drugs has shown several side effects and drug resistance. This study was aimed to screen some Iranian medicinal plants extracts and their fractions against influenza A virus. Methods: Glycyrrhiza glabra (rhizome), Myrtus commonis (leaves), Melissa officinalis (leaves), Hypericum perforatum (aerial parts), Tilia platyphyllos (flower), Salix alba (bark), and Camellia sinensis (green and fermented leaves) were extracted with 80% methanol and fractionated with chloroform and methanol, respectively. The cytotoxicity of the compounds were determined by MTT colorimetric assay on MDCK cells. The effective concentrations (EC50) of the compounds were calculated from the MTT results compared to the negative control with no significant effects on cell viability. The effects of EC50 of the compounds on viral surface glycoproteins and viral titer were tested by HI and HA virological assays, respectively and compared with oseltamivir and amantadine. Preliminary phytochemical analysis were done for promising anti-IAV extracts and fractions. Results: The most effective samples against IAV titer (P ≤ 0.05) were crude extracts of G. glabra, M. officinalis and S. alba; methanol fractions of M. communis and M. officinalis; and chloroform fractions of M. communis and C. sinensis (fermented) mostly in co- and pre-penetration combined treatments. The potential extracts and fractions were rich in flavonoids, tannins, steroids and triterpenoids. Conclusion: The outcomes confirmed a scientific basis for anti-influenza A virus capacity of the extracts and fractions from the selected plants for the first time, and correlated their effects with their phytochemical constituents. It is worth focusing on elucidating pure compounds and identifying their mechanism(s) of action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the relatively high prevalence of seizures (8%), the cases of prescribing these drugs are very high and usually have many side effects, so in this review study, the use of medicinal plants in different regions of Iran in ethnobotanical documents was extracted and reported. In this study, for this purpose, keywords such as convulsion (seizure), medicinal plants, ethnobotany, identification of medicinal plants, region and Iran were performed. Databases such as ISI Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, ISC, Magiran and Google Scholar were used to review articles and resources. Based on the results, Anthemis nobilis L., Leonurus cardiac L., Lotus corniculatus L., Hyoscyamus niger L., Salvia spp., Grammosciadium platycarpum Boiss. & Hausskn., Nigella sativa L., Anethum graveolens L., Papaver fugax Poir., Lotus corniculatus L., Verbascum thapsus L., Ferula assa-foetida L., Ferula gumosa Boiss., Heracleum persicum Desf.ex Fischer., Angelica archangelica L., Vicia faba L., Verbascum pseudonobile Stoj & Stef., Melissa officinalis L., Teucrium polium L., Datura stramonium L., Hymenocrater spp. and Melissa officinalis L., are medicinal plants that are used in different parts of Iran to treat seizures. The data collected in this study were analyzed using Microsoft Excel program. According to the results, the plants of this study belong to 11 plant families. The aerial part with 32% is the most plant part used for seizures. Also, most of the medicinal plants used to treat seizures were related to the northern region of Khuzestan. Ethnobotanical knowledge can provide pure ideas for modern pharmacological knowledge and lead to the production of effective natural anticonvulsant drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Melissa officinalis L. is used since ancient times in folk medicine because of its sedative, digestive, carminative, spasmolytic and analgesic effects. Its therapeutic impact is due to the essential oil content and rosmarinic acid. This study was designed to determine chemical composition of essential oil and rosmarinic acid content of M. officinalis cultivated in Fars province in south of Iran. The essential oil was obtained by hydro-distillation of dried aerial parts of harvested M. officinalis and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Rosmarinic acid content was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. The results showed that essential oil content was 0.37% and its main constituents were geranial (28.9%), neral (21.5%), geranyl acetate (19.3%), caryophyllene oxide (7.0%), (E)-caryophyllene (6.8%), thymol (3.1%) and citronellal (2.9%). Rosmarinic acid content was 3% in dry weight. Our findings show south of Iran has suitable potential for production of M. officinalis with high quality for therapeutic usages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Insomnia is a prevalent sleep disorder that has not been well managed thus far. There are numerous medicaments for treatment of insomnia, but they have undesirable side effects that make herbal medicine a more viable option. Objectives: The effectiveness of a combination of Melissa officinalis L. (dry powder) and Nepeta menthoides Boiss. & Buhse (freeze-dried aqueous extract) on insomnia was evaluated. Design and Setting: Insomniacs who met the entry criteria participated in a triple-blind randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial at the Persian Medicine (PM) clinic in Tehran. Interventions: The subjects received either 1000 mg of M. officinalis plus 400 mg N. menthoides or a placebo nightly for four weeks in accordance with prescriptions from the pharmaceutical manuscripts on PM and the results of previous studies. Outcome measures: The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), sleep diary, and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) were used for assessment of insomnia. Results: Comparison of the treatment and placebo groups showed a significant decrease in the mean difference of ISI (4.97 ± 4.69 vs. 1.60 ± 3.70; p =; 0.002) and total PSQI (4.14 ± 3.69 vs. 1.42 ± 2.81; p = 0.001) scores in the treatment group. A significant increase was also observed in total sleep time of treatment group (p < 0.001) based on the sleep diary. Conclusions: A combination of M. officinalis and N. menthoides Boiss. & Buhse could be an alternative sleep improvement therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Depression is more common in diabetic patients, with a 1.5-fold increased risk of death.Melissa officinalis (M. officinalis) have anti-diabetic and anti-depression activities. The study aimed to determine the efficacy of M. officinalis extract on depression, anxiety, and sleep quality in patients with type 2 diabetes with depressive symptoms., Methods: In this double-blind clinical trial, 60 volunteer patients (age range 20-65 years) with type 2 diabetes mellitus with symptoms of depression were randomized into the intervention (received 700 mg/day hydroalcoholic extract; n = 30) or control group (received 700 mg/day toasted flour; n = 30). Dietary intake, physical activity, anthropometric indices, FBS (Fasting blood sugar), hs-CRP(High-sensitivity C-reactiveprotein), depression, anxiety, and sleep quality were determined at the beginning and end of the study. Depression and anxiety were assessed by Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), respectively; sleep quality was evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)., Results: Sixty participants received M. officinalis extract or placebo, of which 44 patients completed the 12-week double-blind clinical trial. After 12-week the mean change of depression and anxiety scores were statistically significant between the two groups (p < 0.001 and p = 0.04, respectively), but no significant differences were observed in FBS, hs-CRP, anthropometric indices, sleep quality, and blood pressure.In the intervention group, there was a significant decrease in depression and anxiety severity(p < 0.001 and p = 0.01, respectively) at the end of the study compared to the baseline., Trial Registration: All protocols in this study were followed in accordance with the Helsinki Declaration (1989 revision). Ethical approval for this study was obtained from the Iran University of Medical Sciences Ethics committee (IR.IUMS.FMD.REC 1396.9413468004; research.iums.ac.ir). The study was registered at the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT201709239472N16); Registration date: 09/10/2017., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Ethnopharmacological relevance In Traditional Iranian Medicine (TIM), Melissa officinalis L. is commonly regarded as an effective therapy for heart palpitations. Objective Heart palpitation is a common complaint that is often benign and associated with a marked distress that makes the condition difficult to treat. Herbal medicines provide an alternative to conventional drugs for treating various kinds of diseases. This study was done as a double blind randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the dried extract of M. officinalis on adults suffering from benign palpitations. Materials and methods Eligible volunteers were randomly assigned as outpatients to a 14 day treatment with 500 mg twice a day of lyophilized aqueous extract of M. officinalis leaves (or placebo). Participants in the tests, physicians and researchers were blind to group assignments. Both primary and secondary outcomes were patient-reported. Primary outcomes were obtained from two measures: mean frequency of palpitation episodes per week, derived from patients׳ diaries, and mean intensity of palpitation estimated through Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) in a self-report questionnaire. Psychiatric symptoms (somatization, anxiety and insomnia, social dysfunction and severe depression) were evaluated as secondary outcomes by General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28), before and after intervention. Results Fifty-five volunteers out of 71 recruited study subjects completed the trial. Results showed that 14-day of treatment with lyophilized aqueous extract of M. officinalis leaves reduced frequency of palpitation episodes and significantly reduced the number of anxious patients in comparison to the placebo ( P =0.0001, P =0.004 resp.). Also, M. officinalis extract showed no indication of any serious side effects. Conclusion Lyophilized aqueous extract of M. officinalis leaves may be a proper and safe herbal drug for the treatment of benign palpitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The compositions of the essential oils of leaf, flower and stem of Melissa officinalis L. were analyzed by GC-MS. Twenty-seven volatile components in the leaf oil, twenty-eight components in the flower oil, and thirty five components in the stem oil were identified. The main constituents of the leaf oil were: β-caryophyllene oxide (27.8%), geranial (21.3%), neral (12.9%), β-caryophyllene (8.0%) and geranyl acetate (5.6%); while the major components of the flower oil were: geranial (27.4%), neral (18.0%), β-caryophyllene (15.6%), β-caryophyllene oxide (7.5%) and E-cadina-1(6),4-diene (7.1%). The main constituents of the stem oil were: n-hexadecanoic acid (47.4%), (Z,Z)-9,12-octadecadienoic acid (14.9%), dodecanoic acid (4.6%), β-caryophyllene (4.2%) and geraniol (2.2%). Oils of the leaf and flower were almost completely composed of mono- and sesquiterpenoids, while oil of the stem is mainly consisted of the saturated and unsaturated fatty acids as well as some normal saturated hydrocarbons along with minor quantities of volatile terpenoids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.) a perennial medicinal plant, of Labiateae family is grown in the most parts of Iran and it have shown the sedative, hypnotic, analgesic, antiviral and antimicrobial effects. In this study, 14 landraces of balm with two out group (Basil and Moldavian balm) were investigated by Cytogenetic and PCR-RFLP of rDNA ITS region (ITS1, ITS2, 5.8S). Cytogenetic results showed that all of the Balm landraces, Moldavian balm and Basil had chromosome number 2n=2x=32, 2n=2x=10 and 2n=6x=72 respectively. In order to study variation within and between landraces of balm ITS (internal transcribed spacer) region was used to design markers. Also four enzymes Taq1, EcoR v, BssM1 and AspLE1 were used for investigating polymorphism in ITS region. Enzyme BssM1 showed the polymorphism in number and length of digested fragments better than other enzymes. Diversity was observed just for five of landraces (3, 7, 8, 9 and 11). Results of cluster analysis separated landraces on eight groups and Basil genetic distances were less than Moldavian balm to the Balm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In Iranian and other traditional medicines, an antidepressant effect has been indicated for Melissa officinalis (Lamiaceae). However, studies showing its antidepressant effect is lacking. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to examine whether the aqueous extract and essential oil from leaves of Melissa officinalis have an antidepressant-like activity in mice. Materials and Methods: The effect of subchronic administration of different doses of the aqueous extract (25, 75, 150, 300 mg/kg or water; n=9-10) and the essential oil (10, 25, 75, 150, 300 mg/kg or almond oil; n=9-10) on immobility, climbing, and swimming behaviors were evaluated in the forced swimming test. Fluoxetine (20mg/kg) and imipramine (15 mg/kg) were used as reference drugs. Additionally, the effect of both plant preparations on spontaneous activity was examined. Results: All doses of the aqueous extract, used in this study, produced a significant reduction in immobility along with an increase in climbing behavior which is similar to those which have been observed with imipramine. Essential oil caused a dose-dependent reduction in immobility and an increase in climbing at all studied doses, compared to control group. Only the highest dose (300mg/kg) of essential oil showed a significant increase in swimming behavior. The aqueous extract, but not the essential oil, decreased spontaneous activity in a dose dependent manner. Conclusion: The results of this study suggests that the Melissa officinalis possess an antidepressant-like activity similar to imipramine which may have a potential clinical value for treatment of depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In European Traditional Medicine and Iranian Traditional Medicine, Melissa officinalis L. is commonly regarded as an anti-anxiety agent. This study aimed to investigate the effects of Melissa officinalis leaf extract on anxiety among patients undergoing orthopedic surgeries. In this randomized clinical trial (RCT), 80 candidates for orthopedic surgery were selected by purposeful sampling in an urban area of Iran. These patients were assigned to intervention and control groups using minimization methods. The intervention group consumed 500 mg capsules containing Melissa officinalis leaf extract at 4 pm and 10 pm on the day before the surgery. In the control group, the patients consumed a 500 mg capsule containing starch as a placebo at hours similar to those in the intervention group. Data gathering tools were a demographic questionnaire and the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). The STAI questionnaires were completed before the intervention and again at 8:00 am on the next day before the surgery. Data were analyzed using SPSS 18. According to the results, no significant difference was found between the two groups before the intervention (Mann-Whitney test, P = 0.67). But there was a significant difference between the two groups on the next day before the surgery, and the mean anxiety level was lower in the intervention group (Mann-Whitney test, P < 0.05). Results of the present study showed that Melissa officinalis extract could reduce anxiety among patients before surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The medicinal herb, lemon balm ( Melissa officinalis L.), which is high in rosmarinic acid (RA), has well-known therapeutic value. The goals of this study were to investigate the effects of methyl jasmonate (MeJA) on RA content, total phenolic content (TPC), and total flavonoid content (TFC), as well as changes in expression of their biosynthesis-related key genes ( MoPAL , Mo4CL , and MoRAS ) in Iranian lemon balm ecotypes, as first reported. Our results revealed that MeJA doses significantly increase the RA content, TPC, and TFC in both ecotypes compared with the control samples. Additionally, the higher expression levels of MoPAL , Mo4CL , and MoRAS following treatment were linked to RA accumulation in all treatments for both Iranian lemon balm ecotypes. After 24 h of exposure to 150 µM MeJA concentration, HPLC analysis showed that MeJA significantly increased RA content in Esfahan and Ilam ecotypes, which was about 4.18- and 7.43-fold higher than untreated plants. Our findings suggested that MeJA has a considerable influence on RA, TPC, and TFC accumulation in MeJA-treated Iranian M. officinalis , which might be the result of gene activation from the phenylpropanoid pathway. As a result of our findings, we now have a better understanding of the molecular processes behind RA production in lemon balm plants.