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Abstract Background: Methanol causes so many severe toxicities. Chronic low dose methanol ingestion can cause severe toxicity. There are many unpublished reports from doctors about side effects of toxicity by methanol like blinding in chronic user of herbal essences. Regarding to kinds of herbal essences producing and side effects of its chronic using, probability, there is methanol in the process of making. Therefore we decided to evaluate rate of methanol in various products. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional analytic study, 3 samples of high consumption homemade herbal essences in Arak (Pussy, Mint, Fenugreek, Hedysarum, Dill and Chicory) and 3 samples of the same herbal essences from industrial products with trademarks were gathered. All of them have been analyzed with spectrophotometer in five times. Results: The maximum methanol concentration was related to a sample of industrial Mint (415.04 ppm) and the minimum methanol concentration was related to a sample of handmade Fenugreek (60.26 ppm). There was no significant difference between methanol concentration in handmade and industrial herbal essences. Conclusion: There is probability of methanol toxicity after chronic usage of some herbal essences. Due to lack of maximum permissible concentration for non methanol essences, it is recommended that a cut of point of methanol concentration was determined and inform people about it.

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Background: Lamiaceae family has about 200 genuses and 4000 species. The majority of species of the family have essence that was used for nutritional, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industry. The aim of this study was to investigate the chemical composition of essential oil from aerial parts of Bollota platyloma  and antibacterial activity of it.

Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, study Ballota platyloma, belonging to lamiaceae family and entomic of iran, was collected from Versk region in Mazandaran provinc. Essential oil from aerial parts was obtained by hydro distillation method by using Clevenger apparatus. GC/MS analysis of essential oil was carried out to identify major volatile constituents. Extraction was prepared by maceration method. Antibacterial activity of methanolic extracts against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis, Stapylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli was investigated by disc diffusion method and minimal inhibitory concentration(MIC) method.

Results: Results showed that GC/MS analysis of the essential oil confirms the presence of 24 constituents in Ballota platyloma. The main constituents were Hexadecanoic Acid (40.03%), Germacrene D (26.6%) and Beta Caryophylene (4.76%). The results indicated that methanolic extract of Ballota platyloma possessed antibacterial activity. Among the aforementioned bacteria, the highest antibacterial activity was seen against S. aureus and the lowest activity against P. aeruginosa.

Conclusion: The findings of the present study showed that the major component of oil essential was germacrene-D and methanolic extract from the aerial parts of Ballota platyloma Rech. f. possess anti-bacterial effects. Thus, in order to find the underlying mechanism of this activity, further research should be carried out.