Peppermint and menthol: a review on their biochemistry, pharmacological activities, clinical applications, and safety considerations.

In this manuscript, we conducted a comprehensive review of the diverse effects of peppermint on human health and explored the potential underlying mechanisms. Peppermint contains three main groups of phytochemical constituents, including essential oils (mainly menthol), flavonoids (such as hesperidin, eriodictyol, naringenin, quercetin, myricetin, and kaempferol), and nonflavonoid phenolcarboxylic acids. Peppermint exhibits antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, anti-cancer, anti-aging, and analgesic properties and may be effective in treating various disorders, including gastrointestinal disorders (e.g., irritable bowel syndrome, dyspepsia, constipation, functional gastrointestinal disorders, nausea/vomiting, and gallbladder stones). In addition, peppermint has therapeutic benefits for psychological and cognitive health, dental health, urinary retention, skin and wound healing, as well as anti-depressant and anti-anxiety effects, and it may improve memory. However, peppermint has paradoxical effects on sleep quality and alertness, as it has been shown to improve sleep quality in patients with fatigue and anxiety, while also increasing alertness under conditions of monotonous work and relaxation. We also discuss its protective effects against toxic agents at recommended doses, as well as its safety and potential toxicity. Overall, this review provides the latest findings and insights into the properties and clinical effects of peppermint/menthol and highlights its potential as a natural therapeutic agent for various health conditions.

New Cu(II), Mn(II) and Mn(III) Schiff base complexes cause noncovalent interactions: X-ray crystallography survey, Hirshfeld surface analysis and molecular simulation investigation against SARS-CoV-2.

In this study, polynuclear Cu(II) complex (1), Mn(II) and Mn(III) complex (2) have been prepared with a Schiff base ligand derived from 2-Hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde with 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol. The compounds were characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR, and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The molecular and crystal structures of (1-2) were determined by the single-crystal x-ray diffraction technique. It turned out that Cu(II) complex (1) forms an S4 -symmetrical tetrameric cage structure, with square-planar coordinated Cu and bridging O atoms at the vertexes of the approximate cube. In the crystal structure of 1, there are large channels along the c-axis, between the tetramers; the solvent- DMSO molecules, occupies these channels. In turn, the complex (2) creates a centrosymmetric trimeric structure, with three octahedrally coordinated Mn ions bridged by O atoms from ligand molecules and acetate ions. The electrochemical behavior studies of the complexes in DMSO displayed the electronic effects of the groups on the redox potential. The redox behavior of Schiff base (1) and (2) complexes included quasi -reversible and irreversible voltammograms, respectively. Intermolecular interactions in the solid states were studied by Hirshfeld surface analysis. These studies provide a comprehensive description of these inter-contact exchanges using an attractive graphical representation using Hirshfeld surfaces and fingerprint plots, along with enrichment ratios. Furthermore, assessment of the inhibitory effect against coronavirus (main protease SARS-CoV-2) was performed by a molecular docking study for both complexes (1 and 2). Both complexes showed a good affinity for CoV-2 for PDB protein ID: 6M03 and 6Y2F.

Zn0.94Mn0.06O for adsorption and photo-degradation of methyl orange dye under visible irradiation: Kinetics and isotherms study.

Three photocatalyst-adsorbents consist of Zn0.97Mn0.03O, Zn0.94Mn0.06O, and Zn0.92Mn0.08O were synthesized by hydrothermal method and calcined at 800 °C. The structural and optical properties of the sample Zn0.94Mn0.06O were characterized by using XRD; TEM; SEM; EDS; DLS; and DRS. The surface of the sample Zn0.94Mn0.06O consists of nano-particles (<100 nm) and nano-holes (18.4 nm), also the band-gap of it was obtained 2.89 eV. Adsorption and photo-degradation of methyl orange (MO) dye was investigated in darkness and under visible light irradiation (200 W tungsten). The sample Zn0.94Mn0.06O showed the most decolorization efficiency in the shortest time, so that 0.15 g of it adsorbed and destroyed the MO dye molecules (99 ± 1 %) in 40 s under irradiation. The most adsorption capacity of Zn0.94Mn0.06O was obtained 30.06 mg/g and the mechanism of the dye adsorption was investigated by using BET analysis and zeta potential. Also the adsorption isotherm and kinetics were calculated for describing the adsorption of MO onto the Zn0.94Mn0.06O.

Biochanin-A has antidiabetic, antihyperlipidemic, antioxidant, and protective effects on diabetic nephropathy via suppression of TGF-ß1 and PAR-2 genes expression in kidney tissues of STZ-induced diabetic rats.

One of the major complications of diabetes is diabetic nephropathy, and often many patients suffer from diabetic nephropathy. That is why it is important to find the mechanisms that cause nephropathy and its treatment. This study was designed to examine the antidiabetic effects of biochanin A (BCA) and evaluate its effects on oxidative stress markers and the expression of transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1) and protease-activated receptors-2 (PAR-2) genes in the kidney of type 1 diabetic rats. After induction of diabetes using streptozotocin (STZ), 55 mg/kg bw dose, rats were randomly divided into four groups with six rats in each group as follows: normal group: normal control receiving normal saline and a single dose of citrate buffer daily; diabetic control group: diabetic control receiving 0.5% dimethyl sulfoxide daily; diabetic+BCA (10 mg/kg) group: diabetic rats receiving biochanin A at a dose of 10 mg/kg bw daily; diabetic+BCA (15 mg/kg) group: diabetic rats receiving biochanin A at a dose of 15 mg/kg bw daily. TGF-ß1 and PAR-2 gene expression was assessed by real-time. Spectrophotometric methods were used to measure biochemical factors: fast blood glucose (FBG), urea, creatinine, albumin, lipids profiles malondialdehyde (MDA), and superoxide dismutase (SOD). The course of treatment in this study was 42 days. The results showed that in the diabetic control group, FBG, serum urea, creatinine, expression of TGF-ß1 and PAR-2 genes, and the levels of MDA in kidney tissue significantly increased and SOD activity in kidney tissue and serum albumin significantly decreased compared to the normal group (p < 0.001). The results showed that administration of biochanin A (10 and 15 mg/kg) after 42 days significantly reduced the expression of TGF-ß1 and PAR-2 genes and FBG, urea, creatinine in serum compared to the diabetic control group (p < 0.001), also significantly increased serum albumin compared to the diabetic control group (p < 0.001). The level of MDA and SOD activity in the tissues of diabetic rats that used biochanin A (10 and 15 mg/kg) was significantly reduced and increased, respectively, compared to the diabetic control group (p < 0.001). Also, the result showed that in the diabetic control group lipids profiles significantly is disturbed compared to the normal group (p < 0.001), the results also showed that biochanin A (10 and 15 mg/kg) administration could significantly improved the lipids profile compared to the control diabetic group (p < 0.001). It is noteworthy that it was found that the beneficial effects of the biochanin A were dose dependent. In conclusion, administration of biochanin A for 42 days has beneficial effect and improves diabetes and nephropathy in diabetic rats. So probably biochanin A can be used as an adjunct therapy in the treatment of diabetes.

Comparison of oil removal in surfactant alternating gas with water alternating gas, water flooding and gas flooding in secondary oil recovery process.

Growing oil prices coupled with large amounts of residual oil after operating common enhanced oil recovery methods has made using methods with higher operational cost economically feasible. Nitrogen is one of the gases used in both miscible and immiscible gas injection process in oil reservoir. In heterogeneous formations gas tends to breakthrough early in production wells due to overriding, fingering and channeling. Surfactant alternating gas (SAG) injection is one of the methods commonly used to decrease this problem. Foam which is formed on the contact of nitrogen and surfactant increases viscosity of injected gas. This increases the oil-gas contact and sweep efficiency, although adsorption of surfactant on rock surface can causes difficulties and increases costs of process. Many parameters must be considered in design of SAG process. One of the most important parameters is SAG ratio that should be in optimum value to improve the flooding efficiency. In this study, initially the concentration of surfactant was optimized due to minimization of adsorption on rock surface which results in lower cost of surfactant. So, different sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) concentrations of 100, 500, 1000, 2000, 3000 and 4000 ppm were used to obtain the optimum concentration at 70 °C and 144.74×105 Pa. A simple, clean and relatively fast spectrophotometric method was used for determination of surfactant which is based on the formation of an ion-pair. Then the effect of surfactant to gas volume ratio on oil recovery in secondary oil recovery process during execution of immiscible surfactant alternating gas injection was examined experimentally. The experiments were performed with sand pack under certain temperature, pressure and constant rate. Experiments were performed with surfactant to gas ratio of 1:1, 1:2, 1:3, 2:1 and 3:1 and 1.2 pore volume injected. Then, comparisons were made between obtained results (SAG) with water flooding, gas flooding and water alternating gas (WAG) processes. This study shows that using the concentration of 1500 ppm of surfactant solution is practical and economical. Results also show that the SAG ratio of 1:1 with 0.2 cm3/min at temperature and pressure of 70 °C and 144.74×105 Pa, has the maximum oil removal efficiency. In this SAG ratio, stable foam was formed and viscous fingering delayed in comparison to other ratios. Finally, the results demonstrated that SAG injection has higher oil recovery in comparison to other displacement methods (water flooding, gas flooding and WAG).

Assessing the impact of history of medicine research: A scientometric and altmetric analysis.

Background and Aims: After conducting a comprehensive literature search of two medical electronic databases, PubMed and Embase, as well as two citation databases, Web of Science Core Collections (WoS) and Scopus, we aimed to conduct an Altmetric and Scientometric analysis of the History of Medicine literature in medical research. Methods: The following software tools were used for analyzing the retrieved records from PubMed and Embase databases and conducting a collaboration analysis to identify the countries involved in scientific medical papers, as well as clustering keywords to reveal the trend of History of Medicine research for the future. These software tools (VOSviewer 1.6.18 and Spss 16) allowed the researchers to visualize bibliometric networks, perform statistical analysis, and identify patterns and trends in the data. Results: Our analysis revealed 53,771 records from PubMed and 54,405 records from EMBASE databases retrieved in the field of History of Medicine by 105,286 contributed authors in WoS. We identified 157 countries that collaborated on scientific medical papers. By clustering 59,995 keywords, we were able to reveal the trend of History of Medicine research for the future. Our findings showed a positive association between traditional bibliometrics and social media metrics such as the Altmetric Attention Score in the History of Medicine literature (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Sharing research findings of articles in social scientific networks will increase the visibility of scientific works in History of Medicine research, which is one of the most important factors influencing the citation of articles. Additionally, our overview of the literature in the medical field allowed us to identify and examine gaps in the History of Medicine research.

Effect of stachys lavandulifolia on occupational stress in emergency medical technicians.

OBJECTIVE: According to studies, occupational stress is quite prevalent among Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs). On the other hand, it has been shown that Stachys lavandulifolia, also known as the Mountain Tea in Iran, has anxiolytic properties. Considering the current increasing trend of using remedies based on alternative medicine for stress management, the present clinical trial intended to investigate the effect of Stachys lavandulifolia on occupational stress in EMTs METHODS: The present study included 60 EMTs working in Arak, Markazi province, Iran, who were randomly divided into study and control groups. The study group was treated with tea made of Stachys lavandulifolia (2 g daily) for 2 months, while the control group was treated with black tea. Moreover, the level of occupational stress in the study participants was assessed using the Hospital Stress Scale (HSS-35) before and after the intervention. Data analysis was performed using the SPSS software version 22. RESULTS: According to our results, the mean occupational stress score was significantly decreased in the study group after the intervention (p < 0.05). Moreover, the post-intervention scores were significantly lower in the study group compared to the control group (p < 0.05). However, there was no significant change in occupational stress in the control group after the intervention (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: In combination with other stress-relieving options, the tea made of Stachys lavandulifolia can be used as a complementary therapy for alleviating occupational stress in EMTs.

Experimental and theoretical studies of new Co(III) complexes of hydrazide derivatives proposed as multi-target inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2.

Cobalt(III) complexes with Schiff base ligands derived from hydrazone, (HL 1 = (E)-N'-(3,5-dichloro-2-hydroxybenzylidene)-4-hydroxybenzohydrazide, HL 2 = (E)-N'-(3,5-dichloro-2-hydroxybenzylidene)-4-hydroxybenzohydrazide (3,5-dibromo-2-hydroxybenzylidene), and HL 3 = (E)-4-hydroxy-N'-(2-hydroxy-3-ethoxybenzylidene)benzohydrazide), were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry. X-ray diffraction was used to determine the single crystal structure of the complex (1). Co(III) was formed in a distorted, very regular octahedral coordination in this complex; three pyridine moieties complete this geometry. Schiff base complexes' redox behaviors are represented by irreversible (1), quasi-reversible (2), and quasi-reversible (3) voltammograms. A density functional theory (DFT)/B3LYP method was used to optimize cobalt complexes with a base set of 6-311G. Furthermore, fragments occupying the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) were investigated at the same theoretical level. Quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) computations were also done to study the coordination bonds and non-covalent interactions in the investigated structures. Hirshfeld surface analysis was used to investigate the nature and types of intermolecular exchanges in the crystal structure of the complex (1). The capacity of cobalt complexes to bind to the major protease SARS-CoV-2 and the molecular targets of human angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE-2) was investigated using molecular docking. The molecular simulation methods used to assess the probable binding states of cobalt complexes revealed that all three complexes were stabilized in the active envelope of the enzyme by making distinct interactions with critical amino acid residues. Interestingly, compound (2) performed better with both molecular targets and the total energy of the system than the other complexes.

Health Literacy and Media Literacy: Is There Any Relation?

BACKGROUND: The health information is an important factor for improving people's health behaviors. On the other hand, media literacy plays an important role in the search and selection of valid information and resources about health. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the correlation between health literacy and media literacy. METHOD: This study was a cross-sectional study. Random cluster sampling was used to select 700 citizens in Kerman, Iran. Health literacy for Iranian adults' questionnaire and media literacy questionnaire were used to collect the data. RESULTS: Health literacy of 53.2% of the citizens was insufficient. Media literacy of 38.6% of the citizens was moderate and it was high in 61.3%. A significant positive correlation was found between health literacy and media literacy. CONCLUSION: The media literacy was an important determinant factor for health literacy. The development and increase of media literacy can also increase health literacy.

Amelioration of STZ-induced nephropathy in diabetic rats by saffron hydro alcoholic extract.

OBJECTIVES: Type 1 diabetes is one of the most important causes of microvascular complications such as nephropathy. On other hand, the use of herbal medicines is more affordable and has fewer side effects. Therefore, this study was conducted to assessment the therapeutic effect of saffron in diabetic nephropathy by regulating the expression of CTGF and RAGE genes as well as oxidative stress in rats with type 1 diabetes. METHODS: In this study, we used 24 Wistar rats in four groups. To induce diabetes, we used a 55 mg/kg.bw dose of streptozotocin intraperitoneally. Type 1 diabetic rats were administered saffron (20 and 40 mg/kg/day) by gavage once daily for 42 days. Finally, serum urea, creatinine, albumin and SOD, MDA levels in kidney tissue were measured using spectrophotometric methods and CTGF and RAGE gene expression in kidney tissue was measured using real-time PCR method. RESULTS: Diabetes significantly increases serum FBG, urea, creatinine and decreases albumin (p<0.001). AS well as increased the CTGF and RAGE genes expression, MDA level and decreased the SOD activity in the kidney tissue (p<0.001). Serum urea, creatinine, albumin was significantly ameliorated by saffron (p<0.001). It was shown the saffron significantly decrease the kidney expression CTGF and RAGE genes and MDA level and increased the SOD activity (p<0.001). Also, it was found that the beneficial effects of the saffron were dose-dependent (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that saffron as an adjunct therapy may prevent development and treatment of diabetic nephropathy by regulating the expression of the CTGF and RAGE genes and oxidative stress.

Piroxicam reduces acute and chronic pain response in type 1 diabetic rats.

OBJECTIVES: Pain associated with various underlying pathologies is a major cause of morbidity and diminished life quality in diabetic patients. Effective control of pain requires the use of analgesics with the best efficacy and with minimal side effects. Therefore, our aim in this study was to investigate the effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on pain in diabetic rats. METHODS: In this study, we investigated the analgesic effects of drugs belonging to three different classes of NSAIDs in a rat model of diabetes. Four diabetic groups received normal saline, diclofenac, piroxicam and ketorolac, respectively, and four non-diabetic groups received normal saline, diclofenac, piroxicam and ketorolac. Type 1 diabetes was induced in rats by a single injection of streptozotocin (60 mg/kg bw). Formalin (50 µL of 2.5%) nociception assay was used to examine the effect of treatment with diclofenac, piroxicam and ketorolac on acute and chronic pain in healthy and diabetic rats. RESULTS: Piroxicam showed significant analgesic effects both in the acute phase of pain (5-10 min after injection of formalin into the left hind paw), and in the chronic phase (20-60 min after formalin injection) in healthy as well as diabetic rats. Diclofenac and ketorolac also reduced pain scores in healthy rats. However, these two drugs failed to diminish pain in diabetic rats. CONCLUSION: Our data point for better efficacy of piroxicam in controlling pain in diabetes.

The Effect of a Persian Herbal Medicine Compound on the Lipid Profiles of Patients with Dyslipidemia: A Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial.

INTRODUCTION: It has been well established in the world that lipid disorders promote the development of atherosclerosis and its clinical consequences. This study aimed to assess the impacts of a Persian medicinal (PM) compound on lipid profile. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From June 21 to October 21, 2020, a randomized double-blind controlled clinical trial was conducted with 74 dyslipidemic patients, who were randomly divided into two equally populated groups: one prescribed with a Persian medicinal herbal compound (n = 37) and a placebo group (n = 37). A Persian herbal medicine including fenugreek, sumac, and purslane is introduced. Biochemical parameters including 12-hour fasting serum levels of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), and triglyceride (TG) were measured before the initiation and after the completion of study protocol. RESULTS: Percent changes of biochemical parameters include the following: intervention group = cholesterol: 35.22, Tg: 45.91, LDL: 24.81, HDL: 2.05, VLDL: 8.94 and placebo group = cholesterol: 6.94, Tg: -7.3, LDL: 7.37, HDL: 2.88, VLDL: -0.14. The serum levels of total cholesterol (p=0.01) and LDL (p=0.01) significantly decreased and no increase was recorded in HDL (p=0.03) levels over time in the intervention group. Furthermore, between-group analysis showed a statistically significant difference between the intervention and placebo groups in this regard. VLDL (p=0.2) and TG (p=0.2) levels also decreased, however not significantly. CONCLUSION: This study showed that a Persian medicinal herbal compound could be safe and beneficial to decrease the levels of serum cholesterol and LDL in dyslipidemic patients. However, larger long-term studies are recommended to clarify this effect.

Effects of Helichrysum Psudoplicatum supplementation on pruritus intensity, fatigue, quality of life and anorexia in hemodialysis patients: a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: Anorexia, fatigue and pruritus are common complications of hemodialysis (HD) patients. Today, the use of medicinal plants is more than synthetic drugs due to their safety. Therefore, we designed a randomized controlled clinical trial to evaluate the effects of Helichrysum psudoplicatum (H. psudoplicatum) supplementation on biochemical parameters, pruritus intensity, fatigue, quality of life and anorexia in HD patients. METHODS: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was performed on 50 subjects with, aged 55-65 years old. HD patients were randomly divided into two groups. Intervention group received 250 mg/day of H. psudoplicatum supplement capsule for 6 weeks (n=25), and the placebo group was given placebo capsule for the same time duration and dosage (n=25). The serum concentrations of urea, creatinine, albumin and hemoglobin were measured enzymatically methods. Anorexia, pruritus intensity, quality of life the dialysis patients with pruritus and fatigue score was measured using a Simplified Nutritional Appetite Questionnaire (SNAQ), Numerical rating scale (NRS), Fatigue severity scale (FSS) and ItchyQoL questionnaire, respectively. Shapiro-Wilk and independent-samples t-test or Mann-Whitney test were used for the analysis of the data. RESULTS: The results showed that the H. psudoplicatum supplementation significantly improved the pruritus intensity, quality of life the dialysis patients with pruritus and fatigue in HD patients, for 6 weeks (p<0.001). However, it did not significantly effect on the anorexia, albumin, hemoglobin, urea, creatinine, arm circumference, and body mass index (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: According to the results of this study, H. psudoplicatum supplementation can be effective as an adjunct therapy to improve pruritus intensity, quality of life, fatigue and relative improvement of anorexia in HD patients.

Allium jesdianum hydro alcoholic extract ameliorates diabetic nephropathy by suppressing connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) and receptor for advanced glycation endproducts (RAGE) gene expression in diabetic rats with streptozotocin.

OBJECTIVES: Diabetic nephropathy is one of the major complications of diabetes, the use of medicinal plants is increasing due to fewer side effects. This study was designed to examine antidiabetic effects of Allium jesdianum (A. jesdianum) ethanolic extract and evaluate its effects on oxidative stress markers and the expression of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) and receptor for advanced glycation endproducts (RAGE) genes in the kidney of type 1 diabetic rats. METHODS: In this study, we randomly divided 24 rats into four groups with six rats in each group as follows: Cnt group: normal control receiving normal saline, Dibt group: diabetic control receiving normal saline daily, Dibt + A. jesdianum 250 group: diabetic rats receiving A. jesdianum at a dose of 250 mg/kg bw daily, Dibt + A. jesdianum 500 group: diabetic rats receiving A. jesdianum at a dose of 500 mg/kg bw daily. To induce diabetes, we used 55 mg/kg bw dose of streptozotocin intraperitoneally. The concentration of fasting blood glucose (FBG) and serum urea, creatinine and albumin, SOD, MDA (using spectrophotometric methods) and gene expression of CTGF and RAGE in kidney tissue (using real-time PCR methods) were quantified in the diabetic rats that received A. jesdianum for 42 days, and were compared to control rats. RESULTS: The results showed that in the diabetic group the FBG and serum urea, creatinine and expression of kidney CTGF and RAGE genes and the levels of SOD and MDA significantly increased and serum albumin significantly decreased compared to the Cnt group (p<0.001). Administration of A. jesdianum significantly improved the FBG and serum urea, creatinine and albumin compared to Dibt group (p<0.05). It was shown the A. jesdianum significantly decrease the kidney expression levels of CTGF and RAGE genes and improve oxidative stress (increased SOD and decreased MDA) in the kidney tissues when compared to Dibt group (p<0.001). Also, it was found that the beneficial effects of the A. jesdianum were dose-dependent. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study showed that administration of A. jesdianum for 42 days has beneficial anti-diabetic and anti-nephropathic effects in diabetic rats and can be used as an adjunct therapy in the treatment of diabetes.

{2,2'-[1,1'-(Ethane-1,2-diyldinitrilo)-diethyl-idyne]diphenolato}bis-(pyrrolidine)cobalt(III) perchlorate p-xylene hemisolvate.

In the mononuclear title complex, [Co(C(18)H(18)N(2)O(2))(C(4)H(9)N)(2)]ClO(4)·0.5C(8)H(10), the Co(III) ion has a slightly distorted octa-hedral coordination geometry. In the Me-salen ligand, the benzene rings are almost parallel, making a dihedral angle of 0.48 (13)°, but the torsion angle along the central C-C bond is 41.1 (2)°·The pyrrolidine rings are in slightly distorted chair conformations. The N atoms of the pyrrolidine axial ligands are involved in N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds with the perchlorate anions, and these hydrogen bonds connect the ionic species into infinite chains along the b axis. Some relatively short C-H⋯π inter-actions are also present in the crystal structure and C-H⋯O inter-actions occur. The guest solvent p-xylene mol-ecule lies on a special position at the inversion centre.

Developing a biopolymeric chitosan supported Schiff-base and Cu(II), Ni(II) and Zn(II) complexes and biological evaluation as pro-drug.

Chitosan derivatives are widely used as key classes of medicinal compounds owing to their non- toxic and biodegradable properties. So, in this work, to enhance chitosan biological activities, a new synthesis of a series of Schiff base and its metals complexes (Cu(II), Ni(II) and Zn(II)) of chitosan (CS) was prepared. Moreover, their physicochemical properties were characterized by IR, UV-Vis, SEM, melting point, thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), elemental analysis and 1H NMR techniques. Elemental analysis data confirmed the formation of chitosan-Schiff base as well as the coordination reaction with metals ions by increasing the carbon content caused by substitution. By elemental analysis, the degrees of acetylation (DA), deacetylation (DD) and substitution (DS) were acquired 23, 77.63 and 57.90%, respectively. Additionally, the 1H NMR spectroscopy was used for the determination of degree of deacetylation (DD) and Substitution (DS) of chitosan ranging from 87.5 and 85%, respectively. The presence of a new low-field signal at 10.23 ppm in the 1H NMR spectra confirmed the imine proton of Schiff base. The cytotoxicity of Chitosan, Chitosan-Schiff base and its metals complexes was tested against K562 chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) and MG-63 (osteosarcoma cancer) cell lines by the MTT assay. The results suggested that the anticancer activity of Schiff base and their complexes was much better than that of pure CS against cancer MG63 cell line. Finally, through flow cytometry, we demonstrated that all compounds were efficient in inducing apoptosis effect in K562 and MG63 cell lines except Schiff base- chitosan in K562 cell lines.

Effect of Artemisia absinthium ethanolic extract on oxidative stress markers and the TLR4, S100A4, Bax and Bcl-2 genes expression in the kidney of STZ-induced diabetic rats.

OBJECTIVES: The present study was conducted to examine antidiabetic effects of Artemisia absinthium ethanolic extract [A. absinthium] and to investigate its effects on oxidative stress markers and the expression of TLR4, S100A4, Bax and Bcl-2 genes in the kidney of STZ-induced diabetic rats. METHODS: Thirty six rats (weight 200-250 g) were randomly divided into diabetes and control groups. Induction of diabetes was performed using STZ (55 mg/kg.bw). Biochemical parameters and oxidative stress markers (SOD and MDA) were measured using spectrophotometry after 60 days of treatment. The expression of TLR4, S100A4, Bax and Bcl-2 were analyzed by real-time PCR. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Bonferroni post hoc test were used to compare the data. RESULTS: Diabetes significantly impairs the serum fasting blood glucose (FBG), lipid profile, urea, creatinine and albumin. At the end of treatment with A. absinthium extract, these parameters were close to the normal range. The results showed that the A. absinthium extract significantly decreased the kidney expression of TLR4, S100A4, Bax and increased the expression of Bcl-2 and improved oxidative stress markers (SOD and MDA) in the kidney tissues of treated rats. Also, all of these beneficial effects of the A. absinthium were dose-dependent. CONCLUSIONS: The extract of A. absinthium possesses antidiabetic effects. A. absinthium decreased the expression of TLR4, S100A4, Bax and increased the expression of Bcl-2 and improved oxidative stress. Therefore, this herbal extract can be used as an adjuvant treatment for diabetic complications.

Induction of Cell Cycle Arrest in MKN45 Cells after Schiff Base Oxovanadium Complex Treatment Using Changes in Gene Expression of CdC25 and P53.

Compounds containing heavy metals such as vanadium, nickel, and cobalt may be useful for the treatment of various diseases. Multiple studies have been carried out on the anticancer effects of vanadium-contained compounds on different cell types. This study aimed to evaluate the role of schiff base oxovanadium complex ([N,N'-bis(3-methoxy-salicylidene)-1,2-phenylenediamine]Vanadium(IV) Oxide Complex) on cell cycle arrest and different cell cycle phases in MKN45 cell of gastric cancer. Schiff base oxovanadium complex was used to assessthe amount of cytotoxicity via cell viability test. PI color and flow cytometry technique were applied to evaluate the effects of vanadium synthetic compounds on cell cycle phases; subsequently, we analyzed the change rates of gene expression in P53, GADD45, and CDC25 genes, which are involved in cell division phases. The findings indicated that the vital activities of time-dependent and concentration-dependent MKN45 cells with schiff base oxovanadium complex were significantly reduced; therefore, this complex is able to inhibit the migration of cancer cells and metastatic activities in a time-dependent mode. Cell cycle arrest was obtained after 48 h of treatment in phase G2/M at 1 microgram/milliliter (µg/ml) concentration. This is probably attributed to the increased gene expression of P53 and GADD45 genes and reduced gene expression of CDC25 gene. Compounds containing such heavy metals as vanadium decrease the growth, proliferation, and migration of MKN45 cells. They arrest cell cycle in phase G2/M via changing the controllers of cell division phases activated due to DNA damage.

A comparative study of the antidiabetic effect of two training protocols in streptozotocin-nicotinamide diabetic rats.

Background Physical inactivity is the major risk factor for type 2 diabetes (T2D). The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of resistance training and endurance training on diabetic-related metabolic parameters in diabetic rats. Materials and methods Twenty-four male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to four groups of six rats each: control group (C), diabetic group (D), resistance training group (RES) and endurance training group (END). T2D was induced intraperitoneally using nicotinamide (120 mg/kg) and streptozotocin (STZ, 65 mg/kg). The training period was 70 days. The irisin, betatrophin, insulin, fasting blood glucose (FBG) and lipid profiles were measured in the serum of all rats. Results Diabetes significantly increased serum levels of FBG (p < 0.001), which were decreased significantly after the administration of training (p < 0.001). Training administration had a significant effect in normalizing serum lipid profiles (p < 0.001) and it was shown to increase the serum levels of irisin, betatrophin (p < 0.001) and insulin (END: p < 0.001 and resistance training: p < 0.05). It was also found that the endurance training was more effective in improving this parameters when compared with resistance training (p < 0.05). In addition, the irisin revealed a significant positive association with betatrophin (END: p < 0.01 and resistance training: p < 0.05) and insulin (END: p < 0.01 and RES: p < 0.05) values in diabetic groups. Conclusion This study demonstrated that endurance training was more effective in diabetic related metabolic derangement compared with resistance training. This effect is probably due to better regulation of irisin, betatrophin and insulin relative to resistance training.

The effect of novel simple saffron syrup on fatigue reduction in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Objectives Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a progressive and often debilitating neurological disorder. This chronic disease has a high prevalence in the world and also in Iran. Fatigue is a common symptom of the disease, which causes serious mental and psychological discomfort. Simple saffron syrup, contains some compounds that can be effective in relieving the symptom. The object of this study is to investigate the effect of simple saffron syrup on fatigue in patients with MS. Methods This study is a pre-post study which evaluates the fatigue rate of MS patients (30 participants) according to the FSS scale. The participants were given a saffron simple syrup to consume a tablespoon (7.5 cc) every 8 h for two months. After 60 days of prescribing, patients are assessed for fatigue based on fatigue severity scale (FSS) criteria. Results One-way ANOVA showed that there was a notable difference between the mean score of fatigue in MS patients before and after the intervention (p<0.001). So, the fatigue severity of the subjects after saffron syrup consumption dropped dramatically for two months. (p<00.01). Conclusions According to the outcomes of this study, simple saffron syrup can be effective as an adjunct therapy for fatigue reduction in patients with MS due to effectiveness besides no significant side effects.