Effectiveness of Fortified Garlic Extract Oral Capsules as Adjuvant Therapy in Hospitalized Patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Triple-Blind Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.

Background: Herbal medicines have been extensively used to treat coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Garlic, known to exert antiviral and anti-inflammatory effects, can be coadministered with standard treatments to combat COVID-19. Objectives: The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety profile of Gallecina oral capsules (Samisaz Pharmaceutical Company, Mashhad, Iran), a fortified garlic extract, as adjunctive therapy to improve the clinical status and symptoms in noncritically ill patients hospitalized for COVID-19. Methods: This triple-blind randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted on noncritically ill patients with COVID-19 hospitalized in the nonintensive care wards of Imam Hassan Hospital. Patients received remdesivir plus 90 mg Gallecina capsule or a placebo every 8 hours for 5 days or until discharge. The clinical status, respiratory symptoms, and laboratory parameters were recorded during the study period. Results: Patients were enrolled between April 24 and July 18, 2021. Data from 72 patients in the Gallecina group and 69 patients in the placebo group were analyzed. Oxygen saturation, C-reactive protein levels, and the distribution of respiratory distress and cough were similar between groups on the day of discharge. Although body temperature was significantly lower in the Gallecina group than that in the placebo group on the day of discharge (P = 0.04), it was within the normal range for both groups. The proportion of patients requiring supplemental oxygen for at least 1 day during the study was significantly reduced in the Gallecina group on days 3 and 4 and the day of discharge (P < 0.05). Gastrointestinal complaints were more prevalent in the Gallecina group than in the placebo group but the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.12). Conclusions: There was no significant effect on the primary outcome of clinical status on study day 6. Although the proportion of Gallecina-treated patients who needed supplemental oxygen significantly decreased on days 3 and 4 and the day of discharge, there was no significant difference between the groups on other days. The possible beneficial effects on oxygen requirements in noncritically ill COVID-19 patients may warrant further investigation. (Curr Ther Res Clin Exp. 2023; 84:XXX-XXX). Clinical trial registration: IRCT20201111049347N1.

Allicin and Digestive System Cancers: From Chemical Structure to Its Therapeutic Opportunities.

Digestive system cancer tumors are one of the major causes of cancer-related fatalities; the vast majority of them are colorectal or gastric malignancies. Epidemiological evidence confirmed that allium-containing food, such as garlic, reduces the risk of developing malignancies. Among all compounds in garlic, allicin has been most researched, as it contains sulfur and produces many second degradation compounds, such as sulfur dioxide, diallyl sulfide (DAS), diallyl trisulfide (DATS), and diallyl disulfide (DADS) in the presence of enzymatic reactions in gastric juice. These substances have shown anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antihypertensive, antifungal, antiviral, antibacterial, and anticancer efficacy, including gastrointestinal (GI) cancers, leukemia, and skin cancers. Herein, we summarize the therapeutic potential of allicin in the treatment of GI cancers.

Antibacterial, Antifungal, and Antioxidant Activity of Cleome coluteoides: An In Vitro Comparative Study Between Leaves, Stems, and Flowers.

OBJECTIVES: Cleome coluteoides, which belongs to the Capparidaceae family, and has been used in folk medicine for a long time. Our research aims to measure the antioxidant, antibacterial, and antifungal activities of C. coluteoides. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Various solvents, such as ethyl acetate, methanol, and dichloromethane, were used to extract different plant parts. Antibacterial and antifungal activities were assayed by disk and well diffusion methods, and the antioxidant activity was screened by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric reducing ability of plasma methods. RESULTS: Results showed that Gram-negative bacteria and fungus were resistant to various plant extracts. Against all Gram-positive bacteria tested, C. coluteoides' flower extract had the highest inhibition effects. Also, the most sensitive bacterium was Bacillus cereus, which had an 18-mm inhibition zone. Due to the solvent's physical and chemical properties, different C. coluteoides extracts exhibited various antioxidant activities in the antioxidant activity assay. To some extent, methanol extract of leaves showed the highest DPPH radical scavenging activity at various concentrations that ranged from 5 to 160 mg.mL-1. The methanol extract of flower was observed to have the highest level of phenolics among all tested extracts. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that different extracts from various C. coluteoides parts are different in their properties, therefore, a proper solvent should be used to extract maximum amounts of antioxidant and antibacterial components from a typical plant material.

Effects of methadone, opium tincture and buprenorphine maintenance therapies on thyroid function in patients with OUD.

Various types of medications are used as maintenance therapies for substance use disorder; However, the side effects of these drugs are shown to restrict their use and increase the risk of relapse in patients. As a result, alternative maintenance therapies are tested in the hope for optimum therapy. Since opium tincture is a new and innovative maintenance treatment in Iran, we attempted to compare the therapeutic and side effects of opium tincture with two standard therapies, i.e., methadone and buprenorphine. Hence, thyroid function was tested in three methods of maintenance therapies with methadone, buprenorphine, and opium tincture in a cross-sectional study. In this study, 150 patients with the mean age of 51.63 ± 13.56 years and a history of opioid or opioid-derivatives use disorder, underwent the maintenance treatment with methadone, buprenorphine, and opium tincture at Bojnurd Addiction Treatment Centers in northeastern Iran. These patients were selected using convenience sampling. Then, they were placed into three treatment groups of methadone, buprenorphine, and opium tincture. The thyroid functionality was assessed with measuring TSH, fT4, fT3, T3RU, and Anti TPO, carried out in a reference laboratory. Finally, these data were analyzed by ANOVA using SPSS.16 software. The results showed that there was no significant difference in the average levels of TSH, fT3, fT4, and Anti TPO in these treatment groups; except for T3RU concentration, which was increased significantly in the opium tincture group as compared to the methadone treated group. Also, the frequency of fT4, and T3RU disorders demonstrated a significant change in three groups. The findings of the present study demonstrated that opium tincture in comparison with methadone could increase T3RU levels resulting in euthyroidism possibly through TBG.

Cardiogenic effects of characterized Geum urbanum extracts on adipose-derived human mesenchymal stem cells.

Stem cell therapy is considered as a promising treatment for cardiovascular diseases. Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs) have the ability to undergo cardiomyogenesis. Medicinal plants are effective and safe candidates for cell differentiation. Therefore, the aim of our study was to investigate cardiogenic effects of characterized (HPLC-UV) extracts of Geum urbanum on ADMSCs of adipose tissue. The methanolic extracts of the root and aerial parts of G. urbanum were obtained and MTT assay was used for studying their cytotoxic effects. Then, cells were treated with 50 or 100 µg/mL of the extracts from root and aerial parts of G. urbanum. MTT assay showed that the extracts of G. urbanum did not have any toxic effects on ADMSCs. Immunostaining results showed increase in the expression of α-actinin and cardiac troponin I (cTnI), and quantitative real-time reverse-transcription PCR data confirmed the upregulation of ACTN, ACTC1, and TNNI3 genes in ADMSCs after treatment. According to HPLC fingerprinting, some cardiogenic effects of G. urbanum extracts are probably due to ellagic and gallic acid derivatives. Our findings indicated that G. urbanum extracts effectively upregulated some essential cardiogenic markers, which confirmed the therapeutic role of this plant as a traditional cardiac medicine.

Standardized Sophora pachycarpa Root Extract Enhances Osteogenic Differentiation in Adipose-derived Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells.

Bone defect is an important topic in public health. Novel therapies are based on osteogenic induction by natural antiosteoporotic compounds including plant-derived estrogens. In the current study, the osteogenic potential of Sophora pachycarpa root extract (SPRE) was explored on human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells. Herein, adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells were osteoinducted in the presence of increased concentrations of the extract for 21 days. Then, cell viability was evaluated by MTT assay, and the differentiated cells were stained by Alizarin Red S for calcium deposition and subjected to alkaline phosphatase (ALP) assay for enzymatic activity. To assess the expression of bone-related genes, treated cells were evaluated by real-time polymerase chain reaction. The MTT test demonstrated that SPRE had no toxic effects on the cell viability. Treating the cells with SPRE noticeably promoted ALP activity, mineralization, and mRNA expression of runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2), bone gamma-carboxyglutamate protein (BGLAP), secreted phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1), and collagen type I alpha 1 (COL1A1). Additionally, cells subjected to 0.1 µg/mL SPRE showed the highest osteogenic effects. According to high-performance liquid chromatography fingerprinting of SPRE, the osteoprotective effects of SPRE is probably due to presence of phytochemicals with estrogen-like activity in the extract. Thus, SPRE might be a suitable therapeutic agent for bone defects therapy in the future research. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The enhancement of vincristine cytotoxicity by combination with feselol.

Urinary bladder cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide. Human transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) cells are epithelial-like adherent cells originally established from a primary bladder carcinoma. Studies have shown that TCC cells are resistant to some chemotherapeutic agents such as vincristine (VCR). In the present study, the effect of feselol, a sesquiterpene coumarin isolated from the fruits of Ferula badrakema, was investigated on VCR effectiveness. Our results demonstrated that feselol itself did not have any cytotoxic effect on TCC cells. In order to check its combinatorial effects, TCC cells were exposed to various combined concentrations of feselol and VCR. Then, morphological changes were monitored and cytotoxicity was analyzed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay for three consequent days. Results showed that the combination of 40 microg/ml VCR with 16 microg/ml feselol increased the cytotoxicity of VCR by 28.32% after 48 h. This effect might be due to inhibition of P-glycoprotein in TCC cells by feselol.

Cytotoxicity of vincristine on the 5637 cell line is enhanced by combination with conferone.

Bladder cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide, with the highest incidence in industrialized countries. There are three major histological subtypes of bladder cancer: transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) (> 90%), squamous cell carcinoma (< 10%) and adenocarcinoma (1-2%). The present study was carried out to assess the effects of conferone, a sesquiterpene coumarin isolated from Ferula badrakema, on a TCC subline, 5637 cells. In order to test the effects of conferone, 5637 cells were treated with different concentrations (16, 32, 64, 128 microg/ml) of conferone. The results indicated that conferone did not have any significant cytotoxic effect on these neoplastic cells. To determine the combining effects, the cells were cultured in the presence of different concentrations of conferone (16, 32, 64, 128 microg/ ml) and vincristine (30, 40, 50 microg/ml) in combination. The morphological changes were then observed and cytotoxicity effects were studied using the MTT assay 24, 48 and 72 h following drug administration. The cells were more rounded and granulated after treatments with both drugs in comparison to vincristine only. The results of the MTT assay confirmed the morphological observations. After 48 h of combined treatment with 40 microg/ml vincristine and 16 microg/ml conferone, the cytotoxicity of vincristine was increased by 23.6%.