Review of pharmacological effects of Myrtus communis L. and its active constituents.

Myrtle (Myrtus communis L., Myrtaceae) is a medicinal herb used worldwide in traditional medicine. A large number of components have been isolated from this herb. Polyphenols, myrtucommulone (MC), semimyrtucommulone (S-MC), 1,8-cineole, α-pinene, myrtenyl acetate, limonene, linalool and α-terpinolene are among the compounds considered to be the main biologically active components. Various parts of this herb such as its berries, leaves and fruits have been used extensively as a folk medicine for several centuries. The herb is used traditionally for the treatment of disorders such as diarrhea, peptic ulcer, hemorrhoid, inflammation, pulmonary and skin diseases, although clinical and experimental studies suggest that it possesses a broader spectrum of pharmacological and therapeutic effects such as antioxidative, anticancer, anti-diabetic, antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, hepatoprotective and neuroprotective activity. The present review attempts to give an overview on the phytochemical, pharmacological, toxicological and clinical studies of total extracts and the most relevant active ingredients of M. communis.

Phytotherapy of opioid dependence and withdrawal syndrome: a review.

Development of tolerance and dependence is a major problem associated with opioid treatment. Withdrawal syndrome is common between medical and illicit users of these agents. Phytomedicine has shown promise in the treatment of this complicated psychosomatic condition. In this study, the effects of plant extracts and active components on morphine dependence and withdrawal syndrome are discussed. Proper keywords were used to search through PubMed, Google Scholar, and SciVerse, as well as two local scientific databases, www.iranmedex.com and www.SID.com. All relevant results (original articles, meeting abstracts, patents, etc.) published from 2000 to 2013 were chosen for final review. A total of 35 plant species were studied on this subject. Plants from Lamiaceae, Ranunculaceae, and Apiaceae families were especially effective. A few studies were carried out on human subjects and the rest in animal models. Opioid dependence and withdrawal syndrome remain an intimidating challenge. Nonetheless, plants and their derivatives are suitable sources for their treatment. Although there are several plants shown to be effective in animal models, few clinical studies are available.

Comparison of Oocyte Maturation Trigger Using Follicle Stimulating Hormone Plus Human Chorionic Gonadotropin versus hCG Alone in Assisted Reproduction Technology Cycles.

BACKGROUND: The goal of this study was to investigate oocyte maturation, fertilization and pregnancy rates among infertile women, by concomitant follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) administration at the time of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) trigger, compared to hCG trigger alone. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this prospective randomized controlled trial, 109 infertile women between the ages of 20 and 40 years, received gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist and fresh embryo transfer. Following the procedure, the subjects were randomly divided into two groups on the oocyte-triggering day. In the experimental group, final oocyte maturation was achieved by 5000 IU hCG plus 450 IU FSH. In the control group, however, oocyte triggering was performed by 5000 IU hCG, only. The primary outcome was clinical pregnancy and the secondary outcomes included oocyte recovery rate, oocyte maturity rate, fertilization proportion rate, fertilization rate, implantation rate and chemical pregnancy rate. RESULTS: Fifty-four women were appointed to the group with the FSH bolus injection at the time of hCG trigger and 55 women were assigned to the hCG alone group. Women in the FSH group had a significantly higher metaphase II (MII) oocyte (7.17 ± 3.50 vs. 5.87 ± 3.19), 2 pronuclear embryos (2PNs) (5.44 ± 3.20 vs. 3.74 ± 2.30) and total embryos (4.57 ± 2.82 vs. 3.29 ± 2.13) compared to hCG alone group, respectively. Furthermore, fertilization rate (0.75 ± 0.19 vs. 0.68 ± 0.25), implantation rate (14.2 vs. 8.5%) as well as clinical (27.9 vs. 15.9%) and chemical (32.6 vs. 20.5%) pregnancy rates were higher in the FSH group, but no statistically significant difference was found (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Combination of FSH and hCG for oocyte triggering improves oocyte maturity and fertilization proportion rates without increasing the chance of implantation, chemical and clinical pregnancy rates (Registration number: IRCT2017082724512N5).

Traditional Chinese and Indian medicine in the treatment of opioid-dependence: a review.

OBJECTIVE: In this study, the current literatures on the use of herbs and herbal preparations of Traditional Chinese and Indian Medicine for the treatment of opioid addiction were reviewed. Matherials and Methods: Search was done in databases such as Pub Med, Science Direct, Scopus, Springer Link, and Google Scholar. RESULTS: Among 18 retrieved studies, 3 studies were about asafetida extract, an approved preparation for ameliorating drug abstinence in China. Chinese preparations including Composite Dong Yuan Gao, Qingjunyin and TJ-97 (a water extract of dai-bofu-to) as well as Indian ones, Mentate and Shilajit, were reported to have positive effects against opioid withdrawal, dependence, and tolerance. Moreover, Levo-tetrahydropalmatine and L-Stepholidine, in addition to extracts of Caulis Sinomenii and Sinomenium acutum showed similar effects. Banxia Houpu Decoction, Fu-Yuan pellet, Jinniu capsules, Qingjunyin, Tai-Kang-Ning capsule, and Xuan Xia Qudu Jiaonang (WeiniCom) from Chinese preparations, showed anti-addiction effects in randomized, double-blind and, in some studies, multicenter clinical trials. Conclusion : Traditional herbal preparations of China and India have anti-addiction effects with less adverse effects than alpha2-adrenergic or opioid agonists.