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Background and objectives: Traditional medicine could provide a hopeful area of research to mitigate the suffering of patients. “Qust” is one of the medicinal plants that are mentioned in Persian Medicine (PM) for treatment of neurological diseases. There is diversity within the scientific name of “Qust” in different references. Some have introduced Saussurea costus (Falc.) Lipsch. (Asteraceae), while others have presented Costus speciosus (J. Koenig) Sm. (Costaceae) as “Qust”. Since “Qust” is not endemic in Iran, there is difficulty to access to the whole plant for its identification. Hence, this study has aimed to identify available bitter “Qust” which is composed of roots of the plant in the Iranian market. Methods: Macroscopic characters and microscopic properties of powders and transverse sections of specimens with essential oil analysis of the Indian and one of the Iran herbal market samples using chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were investigated for identification of bitter “Qust”. Results: Microscopic evaluation showed presence of secretory cavities and their specific size, narrow radial rows of conducting tissue alternating with broad medullary rays in the secondary phloem and xylem, presence of inulin, absence of starch and calcium oxalate crystals in the bitter “Qust” particles. Further, positive response was observed to S. costus identifying test. In the analysis of essential oils, active components of S. costus, such as dehydrocostus lactone, were identified in the examined essential oils. Conclusion: According to the results, it could be concluded that bitter “Qust” in Iran herbal market most probably is S. costus.

Osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee is one of the important medical complications in elderly peoples. Various pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies are described for treatment of knee OA, but considerable side effects especially in old populations are the limiting factors. Traditional, complementary and integrative medicines have a long history in treatment of chronic diseases such as OA. Many different oral and topical drugs have been introduced for curing of OA in Persian medicine (PM) as one of the most important and historical systems of medicine. The aim of this survey was to review the clinical trials related to pharmacological treatment of knee OA with medicinal methods of PM. The main databases including PubMed, Scopus and ISI Web of Knowledge were searched and consequently eight clinical trials were achieved. Some of common dosage forms such as gel and oil and some of traditional ones like “Marham” and “Dohn” were used for treatment of OA in these studies. The investigated plants were suppressors for different pathways of inflammatory responses. Antioxidant capacity and analgesic effects were other recognized effects for some of these herbs. In clinical aspect, seven of eight papers that were presented in this study, showed a significant effect in the treatment of OA; however, more researches are required to judge these traditional therapies. eatinine and urea as compared to the untreated diabetic mice. Multipledoses of GTAE and G10 significantly (p≤0.05) decreased the volume and length of renal structures, compared to the diabetic untreated group. Conclusion: According to the obtained results, GTAE groups can regulate the levels of biochemical parameters and inhibit kidney damages in alloxan induced diabetic mice. It appears that GTAE can be suggested for treatment of diabetes as an anti-diabetic supplement or drug.

Background and objectives: Urinary incontinence is a public complaint that causes discomfort, embarrassment and costs. Also, there are some limitations and insufficiencies of drug therapy and surgical complications. This study has compared the effect ofSaussurea costus (qost) oil as an Iranian traditional medicine product and other contemporary medicine treatment methods on female urinary incontinence. Methods: A parallel double blinded placebo-controlled study was conducted. Thirty to 70 years old women with urinary incontinence were allocated in placebo and intervention groups, 41 patients in each group.Intervention and placebo groups received qost oil and placebo, respectively by local application twice daily below the navel without massage. The results were evaluated with valid questionnaires (ICIQ-SF and I-QOL). For evaluation, Chi-square test, independent-sample t-test and repeated measure analysis of variance were used. Significant p value was Results: A significant decrease in mean scores of the questionnaires during the study was noted in the qost group compared to the placebo group (p

Background and objective: Medicinal oils are one of the most common and special dosage forms in oral and topical therapies of Persian medicine (PM). The oil of Saussurea costus (bitter qust) root is prominent topical oil with different applications in PM. In this study, the oil of bitter qust was prepared according to ancient Persian medical texts. Methods: To prepare traditional qust oil, 100 g of the root was soaked in 600 mL aqueous ethanol 25% overnight. The supernatant was then filtered and boiled in 800 g sesame oil until all water was evaporated. The essential oil of the root and volatile components of its traditional oil were extracted using hydro-distillation method in a Clevenger-type apparatus and were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method. Total phenolics, flavonoids, tannins and polysaccharides were determined by spectrophotometric methods to evaluate the chemical parameters of traditional bitter qust oil. Results: The content of volatile compounds in both investigated samples was determined (0.5% and 0.1% (v/w), respectively). Dehydrocostus lactone and 1, 3-cyclooctadiene were two similar main compounds in the both analyzed samples. Total phenolics (788.290±0.61 mg/L gallic acid equivalent (GAE)), flavonoids (303.2±2.52 mg/L catechin equivalent (CE)), tannins (23.97±0.52 mg/L GAE) and polysaccharides (9.240±0.13 mg/L dextrose equivalent (DE)) contents were determined. Conclusion: According to the obtained data, dehydrocostus lactone could be used for determination and evaluation of traditional bitter qust oil.

Adiantum Capillus veneris L. from the family Polypodiaceae, is one of the medicinal herbs used in Iranian traditional medicine (ITM). It has been identified as “Parsiavashan” in Iranian traditional medicine and commonly known as “Maidenhair fern” in English. Triterpenoids and flavonoids are the major compounds identified in Maidenhair fern. It has been used in Iranian traditional medicine for treating respiratory tract diseases, irregular menstruation, flatulence, jaundice, splenomegaly and scrofula. It has been topically used in skin and hair disorders, too. The pharmacological activities reported from this plant are anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, diuretic and antioxidant. However, there is not direct relationship between pharmacological activities of this plant in Iranian traditional medicine and modern phytotherapy; the anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties of this plant could make it useful for respiratory tract disorders. Anyway, it is recommended to design experimental and clinical studies on pharmacological activities and indications of Adiantum capillus veneris mentioned in Iranian traditional medicine literatures

Similar to other traditional medicines, Traditional Persian Medicine (TPM) applies its special terms for description of drug functions. Among these functions, convoy (Mobadregh) medicines are unique, mainly due to the interaction of them with the pharmacokinetics of other herbal medicines. These interactions suggest the potential herb-herb and herb-synthetic drug interactions with convoy medicines that necessitate the study and precise definition of them. For this purpose, old Persian medical texts and pharmacopeias were searched and investigated for the name of convoys, their target organ(s), primary qualities, and other functions. Relationships among convoy and other functions based on notes on the texts and statistical analysis were considered. Based on the old resources, the convoys were defined as modifiers (of drug actions), which facilitate access of drugs and foods to whole body or organs. The concept of targeting in some convoys was also implied as well as other disciplines such as Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda. Descriptive analysis of the available data showed that most of the convoys contain warm and dry primary qualities. Anti-blockage and thin consistencies are main characteristics of this class of drugs. Statistical analysis also showed diuretic activity is another major characteristic of them. Other functions such as discutient, attenuant, and tonic are capable to assist convoying by thinning of humors and organs. Analysis of TPM literature shows the presence of a logic approach in the formulation of compound drugs. Owing to the potential influence of convoys on the pharmacokinetic profile of other herbs and synthetic drugs, it is necessary to conduct future studies to evaluate these interactions in TPM and modern medicine.