Therapeutic Efficacy of Great Plantain (Plantago major L.) in the Treatment of Second-Degree Burn Wounds: A Case-Control Study.

Background: Great plantain (Plantago major L. or P.major) is a medicinal plant that is available all around the world. The whole plant has several bioactive compounds including terpenoids, flavonoids, phenolic compounds, alkaloids, fatty acids, iridoid glycosides, polysaccharides, and vitamins. Scientific studies have recognized several medical benefits like wound healing, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiulcerative, and antioxidative agents. The wound-healing capacity of this plant has been investigated under in vivo and ex vivo conditions. In the current study, we aim to compare the therapeutic effect of the P.major extract with 1% sulfadiazine on the healing of second-degree burn wounds. Method: Second-degree burn victims were included in our study. The investigation and control group, respectively, received P. major ointment 10% and silver sulfadiazine ointment 1%. The bacterial culture from the wound site was taken on days 3, 7, 10, 13, and last day of hospitalization. Patients' subjective complaints were obtained through the visual analog scale (VAS). All patients were treated and evaluated in the hospital. Result: Among the 15 patients, 11 were male, and the mean age was 33.3 years. The average complete healing duration was 11.73 vs. 13 days in the P. major and control group, respectively (P=0.166). On the third day, infection control was similar between the two groups, and on the seventh day, all bacterial cultures were negative. Although there was a significant reduction in pain scores during the recovery time, no significant differences in pain reduction were noted between the two groups (P=0.849). Conclusion: We showed that P.major ointment is a safe and suitable herbal compound in the treatment of second-degree burn wounds that not only has wound-healing properties but also is an analgesic and antimicrobial compound.

The Effect of a Spirituality-Based Program on Stress, Anxiety, and Depression of Caregivers of Patients with Mental Disorders in Iran.

One of the important issues regarding caring for patients with mental disorders is the high prevalence of stress, anxiety, and depression in their caregivers. This study aimed to investigate the effect of a spirituality-based program on stress, anxiety, and depression of caregivers of patients with mental disorders. This clinical-trial study involved 60 family caregivers of patients with mental disorders who were referred to the clinic of Shahid Ayatollah Modarres Psychiatric Hospital in Isfahan, Iran, during 2019-2020. Accordingly, the samples were selected using convenient sampling method and then divided into two groups of experimental and control by simple random allocation. Next, the spirituality-based intervention was performed for the intervention group, and the needed data were collected in both intervention and control groups before, immediately after, and one month after the intervention. The data collection tool used in this study was DASS-21 questionnaire. No significant differences were observed between the two groups in terms of the mean scores of stress, anxiety, and depression (p > 0.05) before the intervention. However, some significant differences were found in terms of the stress, anxiety, and depression scores between the two groups immediately (p < 0.001) and one month after the intervention (p < 0.001). The spirituality-based program seemed to affect stress, anxiety, and depression of caregivers of patients with mental disorders positively. So, it is suggested to perform this intervention as an inexpensive and available supportive method for family caregivers of patients with mental disorders.