Effect of Cymbopogon olivieri-based herbal vaginal product on bacterial vaginosis.

OBJECTIVE: Bacterial vaginosis is the most common vaginal infection in reproductive-age women. If it is not treated, the quality of life will be reduced. In this study, the herbal medicine product Cymbopogon olivieri was used for its treatment. METHODS: This study was conducted with 90 women. The patients were randomly divided into two groups of 45: Cymbopogon olivieri and metronidazole. The treatment period was 7 days for each group. Improvement status was determined by eliminating at least three out of four of Amsel's criteria. A new variable with two order levels (negative and positive) was constructed. This new variable shows the status of the treatment process. Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were used to examine the relationship between the new variable and treatment status. RESULTS: The results demonstrate that Cymbopogon olivieri and metronidazole significantly reduced the burning, itching, malodor, abnormal vaginal discharge, pH, clue cell, and positive whiff test (p<0.05). The findings also demonstrate that neither treatment was statistically different from the other for at least three of Amsel's criteria. CONCLUSION: This study shows that the effect of Cymbopogon olivieri on bacterial vaginosis is similar to that of metronidazole. Hence, Cymbopogon olivieri is a suitable option to treat bacterial vaginosis.

Mechanistic support of traditional Persian medicine for the treatment of acne vulgaris: A scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Acne vulgaris is one of the most prevalent skin diseases, which also contributes to many psychological problems. Despite the recent progress in the treatment of acne vulgaris, the necessity for discovering more effective solutions has motivated many lines of research on natural and medicinal plants. The Traditional Persian Medicine (TPM) introduced some plants and remedies for acne treatment. Given the universal welcome for herbal medicine, this review was performed to formally assess the evidence for herbal medicines for acne vulgaris in TPM. METHODS: The medicinal plants used in this study for treating acne vulgaris were selected based on common references to the plants in five famous textbooks of TPM from different time periods. Then, the anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial effects of these medicinal plants were investigated according to the recent literature available in five electronic databases including Scopus, Web of Sciences, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Science Direct. RESULTS: Twenty-one herbs were commonly references in traditional TPM texts as helpful for topical treatment of acne vulgaris. The data collected from the electronic databases demonstrated most of these plants (eg, Astragalus sarcocolla, Ficus carica, and Hordeum vulgare) have both anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial mechanisms, which may assist to treat acne vulgaris. CONCLUSION: This scoping review demonstrated many medicinal plants recommended by TPM books have therapeutic potential for acne vulgaris via multiple mechanisms.

Treatment of opium addiction in persian medicine: A review study.

Drug abuse is one of the most important threats to human beings today, leading to disability and even early death. In the past, opium had only therapeutic uses, but now, drug addiction is one of the major public health problems in Iran. Opium and its derivatives are the most commonly used illicit drugs in this country. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the treatment strategies of opium addiction from the perspective of Persian medicine. In this narrative review, the search was conducted using appropriate keywords in the authoritative books of Persian medicine documentations of databases of PubMed, Google Scholar, PsycINFO, American Academy of Medical Sciences, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes with keywords of opioid and opium since 2000 AD. In Persian medicine books, "Afioon" means poppy plant (Papaver somniferum), which is called opium in English and "Theriac" in Persian. To quit, they should be gradually reduced and replaced with appropriate spices such as henbane (Hyoscyamus niger) seeds or mandrake (Mandragora officinarum) fruit or root or poppy (P. somniferum) seeds or poppy shell or Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) seeds, or castor testis or nutmeg (Myristans fragrans) fruit or ajwain (Trachyspermum copticum) seeds or baked bread. Opioid quit should be gradual and delayed in time of consumption and gradual reduction of opium levels, and bodies that have become lean for a long time will gradually recover with adequate nutrition over time.

Effectiveness of Wet Cupping on Patients with Facial Acne Vulgaris: A 12-Week, Randomized, Single-Blind, Intervention-Sham-Controlled Trial.

INTRODUCTION: Acne vulgaris is a widespread skin disorder. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of wet cupping in the treatment of moderate to severe facial acne vulgaris. METHODS: Between August 2018 and January 2020, eligible patients with moderate to severe facial acne were recruited in this single-blind, intervention-sham-controlled clinical trial in Iran. The intervention group received wet cupping twice and likewise the control group received sham cupping. Also, both groups received 500 mg azithromycin 3 times/week for 12 weeks. Acne grades were assessed 6 weeks and 12 weeks after beginning of the treatment by the dermatologist uninformed of group allocation and participant self-assessment. Quality of life was assessed with valid questionnaire before and after the treatment. RESULT: Totally, 103 patients completed the trial. The patients in the intervention group had better improvement and grade of acne compared to the control group at the end of the trial. Patients showed a shorter time to removing facial lesions in the intervention group in contrast with the control group (p < 0.001). Quality of life significantly increased in the intervention group compared with the control group (p = 0.004). CONCLUSION: Wet cupping plus antibiotic therapy seems to be more effective than antibiotic therapy per se in patients with facial acne vulgaris.

Consequences of Opioid Abuse and their Treatments in Persian Medicine: A Review Study.

BACKGROUND: Drug addiction is a major health problem for modern human communities. The earliest historical evidence of opium use can be found in the writings of Theophrastus in the 3rd century BC. Since then, opium use and abuse has spread to all corners of the world, specifically the Eastern countries. This study aimed to investigate the consequences of opium use and their treatments according to Persian medicine. METHODS: In this narrative review, primary sources of Persian medicine and modern medicine databases of PubMed, Google Scholar, PsycINFO, the American Academy of Medical Sciences, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) were searched with relevant keywords. FINDINGS: In Persian medicine, the Persian equivalent of the word "Opium" is "Afioon", which refers to the sap of "Khashkhaash" or Papaver somniferum, traditionally used as a recreational drug as well as a sedative. Opioid use can cause social and psychological anxiety, muscle and tissue degradation, irritability, stomach weakness, loss of skin softness, and change in facial features. CONCLUSION: Opium addiction is generally harmful to the body's faculties. The repeated use of opium, disregarding circumstances and dosage of use and without the simultaneous use of its modifiers, can harm the entire body and even lead to fatality.

Alcohol Abuse, Consequences, and Treatments from the Perspective of Traditional Iranian Medicine: A Review Study.

BACKGROUND: Alcohol use has always been prevalent in human societies, but in many Muslim-majority countries, including Iran, national laws prohibit the consumption of this substance. METHODS: In this study, reference books on traditional Iranian medicine and electronic documents from Google Scholar, PubMed, and Scopus were searched for entries about the consequences and treatments of alcohol abuse. FINDINGS: Seminal books of traditional Iranian medicine refer to alcoholic beverages using two terms, namely, "khamr" and "sharâb" (wine). These sources indicate that the temperament of "sharâb" is generally warm but may vary depending on color, taste, concentration, and age. Traditional Iranian medicine views wine as a cause of multiple adverse effects on health. CONCLUSION: Traditional Iranian medicine advocates the beliefs that no level of alcohol use is beneficial for health and that physicians should advise against alcohol consumption even in small amounts. Scholars of indigenous medical practices have long been opposed to the adoption of wine as a remedy or otherwise, as they believe that the benefits of alcohol are dwarfed by its harmful effects.

Efficacy of combination of Viola odorata, Rosa damascena and Coriandrum sativum in prevention of migraine attacks: a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Migraine is the second most common type of headache after tension headaches. In Iranian traditional medicine several herbal drugs are used for the treatment of headache. Including, a product of Iranian traditional medicine, a combination of Viola odorata L. flowers, Rosa damascena L. flowers and Coriandrum sativum L. fruits. OBJECTIVE: To determine the effectiveness of a combination of Viola odorata flowers, Rosa damascene flowers and Coriandrum sativum fruits on severity, duration and frequency of migraine headaches. METHODS: This randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was performed on 88 patients who had migraine and visited Besat Neurology Clinic No. 4 at Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran, from September 2016 to march 2017. Patients were randomly divided into the intervention (n=44) or placebo group (n=44). The intervention group received a product of Iranian traditional medicine, a combination of Viola odorata L. flowers, Rosa damascena L. flowers and Coriandrum sativum L. fruits in 500 mg capsules three times a day and propranolol 20mg tablet twice a day, and the control group received placebo capsules (500mg) three times a day and propranolol 20mg tablet twice a day for four weeks. Patients were asked to report the frequency, duration and severity of their headaches in designed forms at home. Then at the end of the 2nd and 4th weeks of treatment, patients were followed for clinical efficacy. RESULTS: In terms of duration, frequency and severity of headaches between the two groups of herbal medicine and placebo, the behavior of the two protocols was changed over time (p<0.001). During the 4 weeks, the time and drug interactions, were significant (p <0.001). In other words, the pattern of changes to the two protocols over time, was different. Also, at the end of the 4th week, there was a significant difference between the two groups (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: The study findings suggest that the Iranian traditional product combination of Viola odorata flowers, Rosa damascena flowers and Coriandrum sativum fruits may be effective in improving headaches in patients with migraine. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial was registered at the Iranian registry of clinical trials (IRCT: www.irct.ir) with registered NO. IRCT 2016110830776N1. FUNDING: The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.