Farid Firouzbakhsh, Seyed Mohammad Hosein Afsarian, Saeedeh Hooshangi , Hamid Badali,
Volume 17, Issue 5 (8-2014)
Abstract
Background: Saprolegniasis is an important aquatic fungal disease that causes severe damages at different growth stages of aquatic animals. Saprolegnia parasitica has been identified as an important pathogen in aquaculture. This study was investigated the activity of antifungal methanolic extracts of Foeniculum vulgare, Achillea millefolium, Satureja hortensis, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, as well as Artemisia annua essential oil against S. parasitica in comparison with formalin.
Materials and Methods: In this descriptive study, Saprolegnia parasitica originated from rainbow trout’s farm effluent. Phenotypic identification was performed and amplification of ITS rDNA region was adjusted by using of two general primers like ITS1 and ITS4, subsequently sequencing by use of internal primer were performed. The antifungal effects of the plants were investigated based on broth microdilution method and compared by formalin.
Results: The results of sequencing verified the obtained fungus is S. parasitica. In broth microdilution method, the essential herb Artemisia inhibited the growth of S. parasitica at a concentration of 128 &mug/ml (MIC = 128 &mug/ml). At the same concentration, however, it did not show any fungicidal activity (MFC &ge 2048 &mug/ml). Methanolic extracts of the plants fennel, yarrow, Savory, and cinnamon displayed no direct effects on S. parasitica.
Conclusion: Based on the results obtained in the present study, Artemisia can be classified as a powerful antifungal essential plant. The essence of Artemisia performed more effectively compared to formalin for the growth inhibition of S. parasitica.
Mokhtar Nosrati, Zahra Shakeran, Zainab Shakeran,
Volume 20, Issue 5 (8-2017)
Abstract
Abstract
Background: Hepatitis B virus infection (HBV) is a significant global health problem and is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Therefore, currently, introducing novel anti Hepatitis B drugs is taken into consideration. This study was planned to in silico screening novel Hepatitis B virus DNA polymerase inhibitors from two medicinal plants Terminalis chebula and Caesalpinia sappan.
Materials and Methods: This is a descriptive-analytic study. In the study, three-dimensional structure of the Hepatitis B virus DNA polymerase was predicted using homology modeling method. A set of phytochemicals from mentioned plants were retrieved from Pubchem database in SDF format. In silico screening was carried out using molecular docking between mentioned phytochemicals and modeled polymerase by iGemdock 2.1 software.
Results: Results of the study confirmed that all evaluated ligands have appropriate interactions to the polymerase with least toxicity and without genotoxicity potential. Results also showed that most interactions occur in reverse transcriptase domain which located in 354-694 area in the amino acid sequence of tested polymerase. Analysis of energy and amino acids involved in ligand-polymerase interaction revealed that Terchebin, Chebulinic Acid and Terflavin A have more effective interaction with the polymerase in compared to other ligands.
Conclusion: Based on the results it can be concluded that evaluated compounds could be good candidates for in vitro and in vivo research in order to develop novel anti- Hepatitis B drugs.
Komeil Amini, Kamran Mansouri,
Volume 21, Issue 5 (10-2018)
Abstract
Background and Aim: Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is a prevalent, life-threatening disease and cause of cancer among women. Therefore, in recent years, developing novel anti-HPV agents is highly regarded. The study was planned to bioinformatic screening for E1 and E2 potential inhibitors of HPV serotypes including 16,18,31,33 and 45 types from medicinal plants.
Materials and Methods: This is a descriptive-analytic study. In the first step, three-dimension structure of phytochemicals were retrieved from PubChem database and then the cell cytotoxicity and mutagenesis potential of them were evaluated. In the next step, the amino acid sequences of two key proteins of mentioned types of HPV including E1 and E2 were obtained from Uniprot database. Furthermore, the conserved and variable regions of the protein sequences were predicted using multiple sequence alignment method. Finally, the three-dimension structure of mentioned proteins was determined by homology modeling method and potential interactions of the phytochemicals with the proteins were investigated using molecular docking method through Autodock 4.2.6 software.
Findings: The results demonstrated that ursolic acid has no cytotoxicity and mutagenesis potential with appropriate physicochemical properties. Results also showed that mentioned compound had strong interaction with both E1 and E2 of all studied serotypes. Furthermore, the evaluation of ursolic acid and E1 and E2 interactions showed that amino acid is involved in conserved regions of mentioned serotypes.
Conclusion: Based on the obtained results of present study ursolic acid could be good candidate for more in vitro and in vivo studies of its anti HPV activity.
Azam Mivefroshan, Roghaiyeh Afsargharehbagh,
Volume 27, Issue 4 (10-2024)
Abstract
Introduction: Hyperlipidemia, a chronic metabolic disorder marked by elevated blood lipid levels, significantly increases the risk of cardiovascular disease in individuals with diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. While pharmacological interventions exist, factors such as medication side effects, cost considerations, and a growing interest in complementary and alternative medicine have stimulated research into the therapeutic potential of medicinal plants in managing hyperlipidemia. This study aims to assess the efficacy and safety of these botanical agents in reducing blood lipid levels.
Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted across reputable databases, including PubMed, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, and other relevant online platforms. Keywords such as "hyperlipidemia," "herbal medicine," "traditional medicine," "herbal extract," and "herbal therapy" were employed to identify studies published up to 2024. Inclusion criteria were established to select studies that reported the impact of medicinal plants on lipid profile modifications.
Results: Based on the results, the study revealed that various medicinal plants, including Thymus vulgaris, Apium graveolens, Cichorium intybus, Fumaria officinalis, Heracleum rawianum, Anthemis altissima, Gundelia tourneforttii, Cynodon dactylon, Anthriscus sylvestrianum, Solanum nigrum, Arum elongatum, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Berberis vulgaris, Rheum ribes, and Mentha spicata, are commonly used in traditional medicine to address hyperlipidemia.
Conclusions: The use of indigenous Iranian medicinal plants for managing hyperlipidemia is deeply rooted in the country’s ancient history and has been increasingly validated by contemporary scientific research. These natural compounds can help lower blood lipid levels by inhibiting fat absorption and boosting lipid metabolism. The growing interest in traditional medicine and medicinal plants can be attributed to their inherent advantages, such as a lower incidence of side effects compared to synthetic drugs. Ongoing scientific research in this field offers promising avenues for developing innovative and effective herbal-based therapies
