The Human Host Defense Peptide LL-37 Overexpressed in Lung Cell Lines by Methanolic Extract of Valeriana officinalis

Abstract The present study investigated the effects of valerian methanolic extract and valerenic acid on the expression of LL-37 gene and protein in A549 and MRC5 line cells. After preparing Valerian seeds, sowing them in March 2020, and harvesting the rhizome in October 2020, the extract was prepared from the valerian rhizome by maceration method. Valerian acid content was determined using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Two cell lines (A549 and MRC-5) were used to study the effects of valerian extract, and the MTT test was used to evaluate cell viability. The expression of LL-37 mRNA and protein was assessed by Real-Time PCR and western blot, respectively. In vivo safety assessments and histopathological analysis were also conducted. Data was analyzed by Graphpad Prism 8 software. Valerian methanolic extract and valerenic acid upregulated the LL-37 mRNA and protein expression in both treated cell lines. Valerenic acid showed a greater effect on upregulating LL-37 expression than valerian methanolic extract. A549 cells were more sensitive to valerian methanolic extract compared to MRC5 cells, and its cell viability was reduced. Furthermore, liver and kidney-related safety assessments showed that valerian methanolic extract had no toxic effects. In general, it was concluded that the methanolic extract of valerian as well as the resulting valerenic acid as the most important component of the extract has the ability to upregulate LL-37expression. Therefore, methanolic extract of valerian and valerenic acid can be considered for improving the immune system.

The most common herbal medicines affecting Sarcomastigophora branches: a review study.

Parasitic diseases cause annual mortality of more than 200 thousand people. Currently many drugs are used to treat parasitic diseases; however, they are mostly expensive, toxic, with side effects and drug resistance. Medicinal plants have been shown to represent natural source of cheap drugs with low toxicity. In this review article, the most common and most effective herbal medicines on pathogenic protozoan Sarcomastigophora branches such as Trypanosoma, Leishmania, Amoeba, Trichomonas and Giardia were reviewed. The recently published papers about different drugs as well as herbal medicines as alternative for synthetic drugs were searched using scientific sites such as Medline, PubMed and Google Scholar. The used terms included: Medicinal plants, herbal medicine, protozoa, Trypanosoma, Sarcomastigophora branches, Leishmania, Amoeba, Trichomonas or Giardia.

An ethnoveterinary study of medicinal plants in treatment of diseases and syndromes of herd dog in southern regions of Ilam province, Iran.

This paper describes a selection of the ethnoveterinary medicines used for herd dogs in the southern regions of Ilam province, Iran. Traditional botanical medicine is the primary mode of healthcare for most of the rural population in Ilam province. In this study, a questionnaire was distributed among 45 residential areas in 22 rural zones of the southern areas of Ilam province. The objective of this study was the recognition of natural medicinal methods using medicinal plants, and the classification of ethnoveterinary applications and collection of domestic science. Twenty-two medicinal plants from 16 families were identified. The main application of these plants was for the detection and treatment of digestive disorders using Citrullus colocynthis, Aristolochia clematis, Scrophularia deserti, Quercus brantii, Ceracus microcarpa, Echium strigosa, Pistacia atlantica, and Pistacia khinjuk which have been applied using Euphurbia graminifolius, Peganum harmala, Salsola rigida, Artemisia herba-alba, Amygdalus arabica, jolbak of salt water, Peganum harmala L., and Nicotina tabacum for external and internal parasite disorders. S. deserti for ophthalmic disorders, and P. atlantica, P. khinjuk, and Q. brantii for respiratory disorders were applied. The present study confirmed the traditional medical effects of some plants and revealed the unique medical effects of other plants, which if recognized could be useful in the creation of new ideas and increasing knowledge for the modern pharmaceutical industry. Since very few clinical trials have been conducted on plants native to Ilam province, it is necessary that more research be conducted to ensure that labeled and standardized products are introduced for human consumption.