ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Extensive research has been done to assess the efficacy of herbs for treating different disorders. Dorema ammoniacum (D. ammoniacum) is used in folk medicines for various goals. The application of herbs in medicine is accompanied by harmful effects. Chick embryo is considered a suitable model for assessing drugs toxicity. The present study aimed to evaluate the changes in vasculature in chick's extra-embryonic membrane following D. ammoniacum treatment. Alterations in molecular pathways associated with early embryonic angiogenesis such as vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) were also evaluated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fertile chicken (Ross 308) eggs were allocated into three similar groups; sham, control and D. ammoniacum groups; in D. ammoniacum group, eggs were inoculated with plant's extract at doses of 50 or 100 mg per kg egg-weight. RESULTS: Analysis of the extra-embryonic membrane vasculature revealed that D. ammoniacum extract decreases some vascular parameters such as vessels area, total vessels length, vascular branch and increases lacunarity. This herb's vascular toxicity was in a dose-dependent manner. Down-regulation of the expression of VEGF-A was also seen in the extract-treated extra-embryonic membrane. CONCLUSION: Vascular toxicity of D. ammoniacum was confirmed by data presented in this paper. We conclude that alteration of vascular parameters and gene expression might finally lead to embryo malformation due to D. ammoniacum consumption. Therefore, the use of this herb must be limited during the fetal growth period especially at doses higher than 50 mg per kg.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Wounds are physical injuries that cause a disturbance in the normal skin anatomy and function. Also, it has a severe impact on the cost of health care. Wound healing in human and mammalian species is similar and contains a complex and dynamic process consisting of four phases for restoring skin cellular structures and tissue layers. Today, therapeutic approaches using herbal medicine have been considered. Although the benefits of herbal medicine are vast, some medicinal plants have been shown to have wound healing effects in different experimental studies. Therefore, the current review highlights information about the potency of herbal medicine in the experimental surgical skin wound healing. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Electronic database such as PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Medscape were searched for Iranian medicinal plants with healing activity in experimental surgical skin wounds. In this area, some of the most important papers were included. RESULTS: There are numerous Iranian medicinal plants with skin wound healing activity, but clinical application and manufacturing are very low in comparison to the research volume. CONCLUSION: In normal instances, the human/animal body usually can repair tissue damage precisely and completely; therefore, the utilization of herbs is limited to special conditions or in order to accelerate the healing process.
