The Open, Randomized, Positive Control Clinical Trial of Guluronic Acid (G2013) on SARS-CoV-2 Patients.

INTRODUCTION: Recently, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection, with a vast spectrum of clinical and paraclinical symptoms has been a major health concern worldwide. Therapeutical management of COVID-19 includes antiviral and anti-inflammatory drugs. NSAIDs, as the second-line therapy, are often prescribed to relieve the symptoms of COVID-19. The α-L-guluronic acid (G2013) is a non-steroidal patented (PCT/EP2017/067920) agent with immunomodulatory properties. This study investigated the effect of G2013 on the outcome of COVID-19 in moderate to severe patients. METHODS: The disease's symptoms were followed up during hospitalization and for 4 weeks postdischarge in G2013 and control groups. Paraclinical indices were tested at the time of admission and discharge. Statistical analysis was performed on clinical and paraclinical parameters and ICU admission and death rate. RESULTS: The primary and secondary outcomes indicated the efficiency of G2013 on COVID-19 patients' management. There were significant differences in the duration of improvement of fever, coughing, fatigue/malaise. Also, a comparison of paraclinical indices at the time of admission and discharge showed significant change in prothrombin, D-dimer, and platelet. As the main findings of this study, G2013 significantly decreased the percentage of ICU admission (control:17 patients, G2013:1 patient) and death (control: 7 cases, G2013:0). CONCLUSION: These results conclude that G2013 has sufficient potential to be considered for moderate to severe COVID-19 patients, can significantly reduce the clinical and physical complications of this disease, has a positive effect on modulating the coagulopathy process, and aids in saving lives.

Free Radical Scavenging Principles of Salvia reuterana Boiss. Aerial Parts.

Salvia reuterana Boiss. is an aromatic perennial plant traditionally used for its anxiolytic and sedative properties. In the present study, various fractions and essential oil of S. reuterana aerial parts were investigated to find its free radical scavenging principles. Hydroalcoholic fraction with IC50 value of 112.6 ±3.2 µg mL-1 in DPPH assay demonstrated the highest free radical scavenging activity and was selected to further phytochemical investigation. RP-18 and Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography of the hydroalcoholic fraction resulted in the isolation and structural elucidation of four phenolic derivatives, including apigenin-7-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (1), luteolin-7-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (2), rosmarinic acid (3), and luteolin (4). Isolated compounds showed potent free radical scavenging activities (5.1-34.2 µg mL-1), compared with BHT (21.30 ± 1.9 µg mL-1). Twenty four compounds were also identified in GC-MS analysis of the plant essential oil, of which benzyl benzoate (26.64%), n-hexyl benzoate (22.99%) and n-hexyl isovalerate (6.04%) were the main compounds. The results of the present study introduced S. reuterana as a valuable source of natural phenolic antioxidants which can be utilized in prevention of oxidative stress related diseases. Moreover, interesting composition of S. reuterana essential oil, dominated by non-terpenes compounds (76.17%) especially aromatic derivatives, make it an appropriate candidate for more detailed studies.

The effect of on-demand caffeine consumption on treating patients with premature ejaculation: a double-blind randomized clinical trial.

Premature ejaculation (PE) is an important and common sexual issue in male adults, since its etiology is still unknown. There are many suggested treatments such as paroxetine, clomipramine, dapoxetine, tramadol and topical agents; all of them have stigma or considerable side effects. Therefore, present study aimed to examine the effect of on-demand caffeine consumption on treating patients with PE. In this double blind RCT, 40 otherwise healthy individuals with PE were allocated into 2 groups of caffeine and placebo group. The caffeine group received 100 mg encapsulated caffeine for 3 weeks, 2 hours prior to each intercourse. Intravaginal ejaculation latency time (IELT) and index of sexual satisfaction (ISS) were measured before and after treatment in both groups. Suitable statistical analysis was performed. (Registration code: IRCT2013091614677N1). Mean age of the participants was 39.88±8.72 years. No significant difference was found between pre-treatment and post-treatment values of both IELT and ISS in the placebo group, but significant difference was seen in post treatment values between our two groups and pre-treatment and post-treatment values of the caffeine group (IELT: 144s vs 312s, p<0.001 and ISS: 77 vs 97, p<0.001; respectively). Furthermore, high significant correlation was found in post-treatment values (r>0.07, p<0.05). There are negligible scientific evidences regarding the beneficial effects of caffeine on several aspects of sexual life, which makes comparison impossible. Considering the fact that caffeine is a well-known and widely used drug in common disease, using this compound will not result in any stigma. Our study demonstrates that 100mg on-demand caffeine can significantly increase both IELT and ISS. Furthermore, the slope of these increasings is correlated with each other. More studies are needed to make stronger conclusions.

Laboratory evaluation of dimethyl phthalate against Anopheles stephensi and Culex pipiens.

Two repellents includes Iranian and Merck dimethyl phthalate (DMP) were evaluated against Anopheles stephensi and Culex pipiens, using American Society for Testing and Material (ASTM) standard ED 951-83 procedure, a free choice method based on the variable dose-fixed time. Also a modified of ASTM method we used for determination of effective dosages of the repellents. In ASTM method there were no significant differences between the two repellents (Iranian and Merck's DMP) as indicated by the ED50 and ED95 values (p > 0.05). But, there were significant differences in repellent sensitivity between An. stephensi and Cx. pipiens at the ED95 level. In modified ASTM method there were no significant differences between the two repellents against An. stephensi, as indicated by the ED50 values (p > 0.05). But, there are significant differences between the two repellents against Cx. pipence based on ED50 value. Results of this study showed that the Iranian synthesized DMP has necessary potential and specificity to compare with Merck manufactured product.