Fabrication, in Vitro, and in Vivo Characterization of Mucoadhesive Berberine-Loaded Blended Wafers for Treatment of Chemotherapy-Induced Oral Mucositis.

This study aims to design and characterize berberine-loaded wafers for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis. Wafers were prepared by lyophilization of hydrogels of various ratios of chitosan (CS)/sodium alginate (SA) as well as CS/hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC). In vitro release, in vitro mucoadhesion, porosity, and swelling studies were conducted to select the optimized formulations. Moreover, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and mechanical properties studies were also performed for further characterization. The efficacy of optimized berberine-loaded wafers in the treatment of oral mucositis was investigated in a 5FU-induced oral mucositis rat model. F2-CS-SA and F6-CS-HPMC wafers exhibited sustained release profile and excellent mucoadhesion strength. Therefore, these wafers were selected as the optimized formulations. SEM confirmed the porous structure of these wafers and is in agreement with the results of porosity and swelling studies. XRD and FTIR studies indicated that berberine was incorporated into the wafer matrix in the amorphous form. In vivo studies demonstrated that topical application of berberine-loaded optimized wafers reduced significantly the severity of 5FU-induced oral mucositis and decreased the expression of inflammatory markers (TNF-α and IL-1ß). The results of in vitro and in vivo studies revealed that berberine-loaded F2-CS-SA and F6-CS-HPMC wafers can be effective in the treatment of chemotherapy-related oral mucositis.

Traditional and modern aspects of hemorrhoid treatment in Iran: a review.

Hemorrhoidal disease is a prevalent anorectal condition which is generally not managed well with current pharmacologic interventions. However, in Iranian traditional medicine (ITM) there are numerous plants with hemorrhoid-healing properties. The present research assembled plants with hemorrhoid-healing properties in ITM; their related pharmacological effects, phytochemical constituents and mechanisms of action in the modern medicine were also gathered. For this purpose, leading ITM textbooks were searched for plants with hemorrhoid-healing effects. Further, in vitro, in vivo and clinical studies on the most cited species were considered using scientific databases. Studying ITM textbooks revealed 37 medicinal plants with hemorrhoid-healing effects. Among the mentioned herbal medicines, six species, including Allium ampeloprasum, Phyllanthus emblica, Aloe vera, Terminalia chebula, Vitis vinifera and Commiphora mukul, had the largest number of related pharmacological effects documented in scientific databases. These herbs from ITM should be considered as important resources for producing novel drugs for hemorrhoid treatment.

Evaluation of the Wound Healing Activity of a Traditional Compound Herbal Product Using Rat Excision Wound Model.

Iranian Traditional Medicine (ITM) manuscripts contain prescriptions that have long been used for healing of wounds. The present study evaluates the healing effect of a poly herbal paste (PHP), retrieved from ITM sources, containing Aloe vera, Commiphora myrrha and Boswellia carteri using rat excision wound model. Excision wounds were induced in six groups consisting of six rats each. Group 1 received no treatment, while groups 2 and 6 received tetracycline ointment, Alpha ointment, PHP 40%, PHP 10% and paste base every day, respectively. The percentage of wound contraction on days 2, 7, 14 and 21 and histopathology parameters of healed wounds on 14th and 21st days were evaluated. Moreover, antioxidant activity of PHP was evaluated using DPPH method. There was a significant improvement in wound healing in PHP 10% group on the 7th day of the treatment (p<0.05). Moreover, the healing effect of PHP 10% was significantly greater than the control, tetracycline and paste base groups on the 2nd, 14th and 21st days (p<0.05). On day 14, PHP 40% showed significant healing effect compared to the control, tetracycline and paste base groups (p<0.05). Fewer inflammatory cells were observed in PHP 10%-treated animals and this group demonstrated better re-epithelialization with remarkable neovascularization. Besides, the PHP 10% formulation exhibited antioxidant activity. In vivo and histopathologic examinations showed considerable wound healing in PHP 10% group. This finding could probably be due to the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities of phytoconstituents of A. vera, B. carteri and C. myrrha.

Formulation of a Traditionally Used Polyherbal Product for Burn Healing and HPTLC Fingerprinting of Its Phenolic Contents.

Nowadays, plants have been considered as powerful agents for treatment of disorders regarding to their traditional use. In Iranian Traditional Medicine (ITM), plants have a special role in the treatment of various diseases. Burns with their devastating outcomes have been discussed in ITM as well. In the present study, a polyherbal ointment (PHO), retrieved from ITM, was formulated for burn healing and it's HPTLC fingerprint was prepared. Aqueous extracts of Malva sylvestris and Solanum nigrum leaves and oily extract of Rosa damascena petals (4.85%, 4.85% and 33%, respectively) were added to white beeswax, eucerin and white petrolatum as ointment base. In addition to the microbiological tests, physical stability and rheological behavior of the product were assessed. Fingerprinting of phytochemical constituents of PHO was performed by using silica gel plates and toluene: ethyl acetate: acetic acid (60:40:1) and ethyl acetate: formic acid: acetic acid: water (100:11:11:10) as mobile phases. The results showed that PHO was stable towards physical changes and successfully passed microbiological tests. Moreover, PHO exhibited plastic behavior which is in favor of a topical burn product. In addition, HPTLC fingerprinting of PHO demonstrated the presence of several phenolic constituents corresponding to the plant extracts. Regarding to the role of phenolic compounds in wound healing process, PHO could be an appropriate candidate for burn healing with respect to its traditional use in ITM. Moreover, HPTLC fingerprinting could be utilized as an applicable method for quality control of the prepared formulation.

A Wound Healing Formulation Based on Iranian Traditional Medicine and Its HPTLC Fingerprint.

Herbal therapy was the common treatment prescribed by Iranian physicians for wound healing. "Zemad" was the most ancient pharmaceutical dosage form used in Iranian Traditional Medicine (ITM) for skin diseases. In the present research, formulation of a traditionally used Poly Herbal Paste (PHP) for wound healing was performed. Moreover, the fingerprint of the product was prepared by HPTLC method for identification and quality assessment of the formulation. 3.33 % of each plant materials containing Aloe vera, Boswellia carteri and Commiphora myrrha were used in a hydrophilic base. The physical stability and rheological behavior of the formulation was evaluated. Moreover, microbiological tests was performed. Methanol fraction of A. vera, C. myrrha and B. carterri were used as standard materials in HPTLC method. Stability and rheological behavior evaluations as well as microbiological tests showed that the prepared formulation was stable towards physical changes with no growth of pathogenic microorganisms and suitable for topical application. HPTLC fingerprinting of PHP confirmed the presence of compounds corresponding to the plants used in the formula. Regarding to the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects of the constituents of PHP, the product could be an appropriate candidate for wound healing with respect to its traditional use in ITM. In addition, HPTLC fingerprinting could be used as an applicable method for quality control assessment of the prepared formulation.

Wound Healing Activity of a Traditionally Used Poly Herbal Product in a Burn Wound Model in Rats.

BACKGROUND: Burns are known as one of the most common and destructive forms of injury with a vast spectrum of consequences. Despite the discovery of various antibacterial and antiseptic agents, burn wound healing still has remained a challenge to modern medicine. Plants, with a valuable traditional support, have been considered as potential agents for prevention and treatment of disorders in recent years. However, modern scientific methods should be applied to validate the claims about the therapeutic effects of the herbal products. OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to evaluate the wound-healing activity of a poly herbal cream (PHC), retrieved from Iranian Traditional Medicine (ITM), in a rat burn wound model in Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this experimental study, PHC containing aqueous extracts of Malva sylvestris and Solanum nigrum leaves and oily extract of Rosa damascena petals was used. Second-degree burn wounds were induced in four groups of five rats each. Group 1 received no treatment while groups 2, 3 and 4 were given cream base, silver sulfadiazine (SS) 1% and PHC, respectively to compare the efficacy of PHC with the negative and positive control groups. The percentage of wound healing on days 2, 6, 10 and 14 and histopathological parameters of healed wounds on the 14th day were assessed. Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of PHC were evaluated using 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and micro-dilution methods, respectively. RESULTS: There was a significant improvement in healing percentage of PHC-treated rats in comparison to the other groups at the end of the treatment period (87.0% ± 2.1% for PHC in comparison to 32.2% ± 1.6%, 57.0% ± 5.3% and 70.8% ± 3.5% for the control, cream base and SS groups, respectively). Moreover, the healed wounds in PHC-treated animals contained less inflammatory cells and had desirable re-epithelialization with remarkable neovascularization. In addition to the antioxidant activity, PHC exhibited antibacterial effect against Staphylococcus aureus. CONCLUSIONS: Poly herbal cream experimentally and histopathologically revealed a burn wound healing activity probably due to the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities of its phytochemical contents. Therefore, this study confirms the use of M. sylvestris, S. nigrum and R. damascena in burn prescriptions in ITM.

The effect of germination on phenolic content and antioxidant activity of chickpea.

Germination is one of the most effective processes to improve the quality of legumes. Vitamins and some other compounds that might be considered beneficial as antioxidants, often change dramatically during the course of germination. Antioxidants might be defined as compounds which are capable of preventing, delaying or retarding the development of rancidity or other flavor deterioration in foods or as protective factors against the oxidative damage in the human body. In this research, three different solvents were employed to extract the phenolic compounds present in chickpea seeds and sprouts. Total phenolic contents were measured by Folin Ciocalteau method and the antioxidant activity was determined by two different methods including the assay of hydroxyl radical scavenging activity and the oven test method. For the later, different concentrations of extracts (0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08 and 0.1% w/w) were added to tallow and the stabilities of the treatments were determined. Peroxide value and induction period measurements were used as means to evaluate the antioxidant activities. The results indicated that germination process modifies the antioxidant activity. Although the amount of phenolic compounds was higher when acetone solvent was employed, methanolic extract indicated better hydroxyl radical scavenging activity. The evaluation of the antioxidant activity of the extracts activity was concentration-dependent by delaying the indicated oxidation and increased when higher concentrations of the extracts were applied. Therefore, chickpea sprout flour or extract might be used as a source of natural antioxidants in functional foods or in the formulation of the oil-based supplements or medicine in the form of capsule.

Study of Anti Cancer Property of Scrophularia striata Extract on the Human Astrocytoma Cell Line (1321).

There are considerable efforts to identify naturally occurring substances as new drugs in cancer therapy. Many components of medicinal plants have been identified that possess substantial anticancerous properties. This prompted us to investigate the effect of Scrophularia striata (an Iranian species belonging to the Scrophulariace family) extract on the growth of astrocyte cancer cell line (1321). The 1321 cell line were seeded in 96-well culture plates in the presence and absence of various concentrations of either leaf and seed filtered and unfiltered extract of Scrophularia striata to determine their probable anticancer effects in comparison with etoposide (chemical anticancer reagent). filtered leaf extract of S. Striata showed strong anticancer effect on 1321cell line as compared to control group (cells not exposed to extracts), and even the group (adenocarcinoma gastric cell line) exposed to etoposide. Unlike the leaf extract, the seed extract activated cell proliferation in all experiments. Flow cytometry findings indicated that apoptosis is the mechanism by which the leaf extract inhibits cell proliferation. Our findings indicate that both leaves and seeds of S. Striata contain both anti cancer and cell growth enhancing agents.