The effects of Cynodon dactylon (Poaceae family) and Dolichos biflorus (Fabaceae family) extracts on decreasing size and excretion of kidney and urinary tract stones: a randomized, double-blind controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: Given high and growing prevalence rate of urolithiasis in most societies as well as the problems caused by this issue, it is necessary to apply more cost-effective and safer therapeutic methods, which are accessible for all the individuals worldwide. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate efficacy of herbal medicines named Cynodon dactylon and Dolichos biflorus on solving and excretion of renal and urinary tract stones in patients with urolithiasis. METHODS: This study included 96 patients with urolithiasis who were randomly allocated into three groups. The first group received the extract of D. biflorus seeds (1,600 mg), the second group received extract of C. dactylon rhizome (1,600 mg) and the third group received placebo for 21 days. In this study, we used an hydroalcoholic extract of D. biflorus and C. dactylon prepared by Soxhlet method. For each patient, the size of the stones, the amount of calcium in the urine, the number of stones excreted and their chemical substance type were measured. RESULTS: In this study, changes were observed at the significance level in the interventions groups of 1 and 2, and the placebo group in the left kidney, so that changes in size of the stone in left kidney as intergroup were significantly different in these three groups (p=0.02). The mean of changes in stone size in left kidney in the group C. dactylon was 3.78 ± 7.1 and in the group D. biflorus, it was 0.27 ± 0.6. CONCLUSIONS: A significant difference in the results of this study show that C. dactylon rhizome and D. biflorus seed extracts are able to decrease the size of the stone and can be effective on kidney stones excretion.

The Impact of Aromatherapy with Citrus Aurantium Essential Oil on Sleep Quality in Pregnant Women with Sleep Disorders: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.

Background: Sleep disorders are so prevalent during pregnancy. The present study was conducted to investigate the impact of aromatherapy with Citrus aurantium essential oil on sleep quality in pregnant women with sleep disorders. Methods: This randomized clinical trial study was conducted on 68 pregnant women in their 28-34 weeks of pregnancy who sufferred sleep disorders and referred to Jiroft health centers in 2021 (January-June). Those meeting the inclusion criteria were divided into the intervention and placebo groups, using random sequence generated through the randomization website. They were given five drops of Citrus aurantium essential oil and the placebo twice a day, every day for one month in the form of facemasks which they inhaled through normal breathing for 20 minutes. Sleep quality was assessed before the intervention and one month after the start of the intervention. The demographic questionnaire and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) were used for collecting the data. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 24 software. The Mann-Whitney-U, Wilcoxon and fisher exact tests were carried out. P-value<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Before the intervention, the mean and standard deviation scores of pregnant women's sleep quality in the intervention (9.89±3.00) and placebo (8.12±2.53) groups were not significantly different (P=0.10). One month after the intervention, the score was significantly lower in the intervention group (4.37±1.85) than the placebo group (8.48±2.62) (P<0.001). Conclusion: Based on the results of the present study, it seems that aromatherapy with Citrus aurantium essential oil enhances the sleep quality in pregnant women with sleep disorders, so it can be used to diminish sleep disorders in these women.Trial Registration Number: IRCT20200512047414N1.

The effect of massage and topical violet oil on the severity of pruritus and dry skin in hemodialysis patients: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Pruritus is one of the common problems in hemodialysis patients that involves more than 45% of Iranian patients. Its exact pathogenesis is unclear. Meanwhile, violet is an old plant with anti-scratching effects, which is extensively used to treat diseases in the Persian medicine. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of massaging the body with and without violet oil in the treatment of uremic pruritus. METHODS: In this study 57 hemodialysis patients who had uremic pruritus were categorized randomly into two groups. The treatment involved massage with and without topical 5 ml violet oil for 7 min during six sessions (two weeks) on the healthy hand which did not have fistula pruritus score questionnaire were completed before and after the intervention. RESULTS: There was no difference between the two groups before the intervention; however, after the intervention, a significant difference was observed within each group and between the groups in terms of skin dryness score, severity, location, and frequency of pruritus, which were recovered significantly in both groups. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicated that massage with violet oil is more effective than massage alone and is recommended as a complementary treatment for patients with uremic pruritis.

Characterisation of human skin impedance at acupuncture point PC4 Ximen and pericardium meridian using the four-electrode method.

INTRODUCTION: Traditional Chinese medicine offers several theories to explain the mechanism of acupuncture. One of these theories proposes that acupuncture points and meridians have unique electrical properties and their electrical skin impedance is lower than surrounding areas. The aim of this study was to evaluate the differences in electrical skin impedance between PC4 and the pericardium meridian compared with the surrounding areas. METHODS: Eighteen healthy subjects (10 women) were recruited to participate in the study. An impedance meter based on the four-electrode technique was designed specifically for the study. Twenty-five points were marked on the skin: one on the point PC4, four others on the pericardium meridian and 20 points around it. The electrical impedance of each point was measured with the four-electrode device. RESULTS: The mean electrical skin impedance at PC4 was significantly different from the 20 of the surrounding points but not significantly different from the four adjacent points. The mean skin impedance of the five points over the pericardium meridian was significantly different from that of parallel rows of points using repeated measures analysis of variance (p<0.001) CONCLUSION: Within the possible limits of this measurement technique, skin impedance along the pericardium meridian is lower than surrounding areas, supporting the idea of different properties of the pericardium meridian compared with the control areas. Evidence on skin impedance at PC4 is inconclusive and further studies are needed.