Use of mineral waters in the treatment of psoriasis: Perspectives of Persian and conventional medicine.

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease, which is accompanied by social and emotional complications leading to considerable disability. There is no definitive cure and treatment options carry complications. Balneotherapy has been used for years in psoriasis. Antibiotic, keratolytic, and anti-inflammatory effects of these waters have been proved. Persian medicine (PM) is a source of natural remedies for skin disease. The aim of study is to explain scientific evidences of Persian mineral waters as a treatment option for psoriasis. This is a narrative review, which investigates medical manuscripts of medieval Persia from 10th to 19th centuries AD noted as credible textbooks about mineral waters. Furthermore, balneotherapy evidences searched in databases including Pubmed, Scopus, and Cochrane until December 2017 to obtain clinical evidences related to psoriasis. In PM, mineral waters have keratolytic activity and can regulate superficial skin layers hyperproliferation, which is recommended for psoriasis treatment. In various studies, antiproliferative, keratolytic, antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects of these waters have been proved completely. There are scientific evidences, which demonstrate that mineral waters in Persia, can reduce clinical symptoms of psoriasis and improve quality of life in patients. Therefore, this method might be considered as treatment options for psoriasis.

An Evidence-Based Review of Medicinal Plants Used for the Treatment of Vaginitis by Avicenna in "the Canon of Medicine".

Vaginitis is one of the most common gynecological problems in reproductive age. Because of the limitations of the conventional drugs, identification of new pharmacological interventions for this disease seems to be necessary. The purpose of this article is to review the medicinal herbs mentioned for the treatment of vaginitis by the great Iranian scientist, Avicenna, in his book "the Canon of Medicine " to scientifically demonstrate their effects and their potential to be used as complementary therapies. The medicinal plants listed for vaginitis treatment in "the Canon of Medicine " were extracted. The scientific name and English common name of the given medicinal plants were searched in databases including PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane Library until December 2017 to obtain any in vitro, animal, and clinical evidence related to vaginitis. Various pharmacological activities, including anti-inflammatory, wound healing, antimicrobial, antifungal, analgesic, and anti-prostaglandin E2, have been demonstrated for medicinal plants emphasized by Avicenna for vaginitis. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on Myrtus reported an improvement in the treatment of bacterial vaginosis. Four RCTs on pomegranate indicated a reduction in inflammatory factors in the patients. Medicinal herbs offered in Herbal Medicine are valuable sources for the treatment of various diseases. Effects and pharmacodynamics having been proved by conventional medicine confirm the effectiveness of these herbs. Therefore, these plants can be used in the treatment of vaginitis thanks to further clinical studies.

Medicinal plants and their isolated compounds showing anti-Trichomonas vaginalis- activity.

Trichomonas vaginalis is a major of non-viral sexually-transmitted infection and an important cause of serious obstetrical and gynecological complications. Treatment options for trichomoniasis are limited to nitroimidazole compounds. The increasing resistance and allergic reactions to nitroimidazole and recurrent trichomoniasis make it essential to identify and develop new drugs against trichomoniasis. Medicinal plants are an important source for discovery of new medications. This review discusses the anti-trichomonas effects of medicinal plants and their chemical constituents to find better options against this pathogenic protozoon. Electronic databases were searched to collect all data from the year 2000 through September 2015 for in vitro, in vivo and clinical studies on the effect of medicinal plants on T. vaginalis. A total of 95 in vitro and clinical studies were identified. Only four human studies were found in this review. The Asteracea, Lamiaceae and Myrtaceae families contained the greatest number of plants with anti-trichomonas activity. Persea americana, Ocimum basilicum and Verbascum thapsus were the most efficacious against T. vaginalis. Plant metabolites containing alkaloids, isoflavonoid glucosides, essential oils, lipids, saponins and sesquiterpene lactones were found to possess anti-trichomonas properties. Assessing the structure-activity of highly-potent anti-trichomonas phytochemicals is suggested for finding natural, semisynthetic and synthetic anti-trichomonas compounds. Further clinical studies are necessary for confirmation of natural anti-trichomonas substances and completion of their safety profiles.

Toxicology from the Perspective of Iranian Traditional Medicine.

BACKGROUND: The science of toxicology has a long history and been highly valued in Islamic countries. Numerous scientists were the expert in this field, particularly during the third and fourth centuries. Through reading such literature and gaining the experience of the scientists, one can use such valuable information to promote this science. METHODS: In this article, different sources of traditional medicine from the first to the fourteenth century were evaluated. RESULTS: The first toxicologist during the Islamic era was Ibn Uthal. Jaber ibn Hayyan offered interesting ideas about the pharmacokinetics of toxins. Ibn Wahshia, along with translating books, described his personal experiences in a book called Al-Somum va al-Tary aghat. The most important bites, poisons, and related treatments were specifically viewed by Rhazi. Then, Ibn Sina explained different aspects of poisons, including their identity and constituents, diagnoses of poison types, methods of detoxification, and treatment of poisoning. Jorjani suggested some drugs for poisoning prevention. He recommended these drugs to be consumed before an individual enters a place that has poisoning potential. An important achievement of Imad al-Din is the innovation of new methods for detoxification of some poisons. Aghili described the symptoms of poisoning and special methods of detoxification by which toxicity is greatly reduced. Finally, Abdolhossein Zonouzi Tabrizi in Marefat-al-Somum mentioned the identification of natural and synthetic poisons. In fact, this book is a bridge between the traditional and modern toxicology. CONCLUSION: It seems that the study of these manuscripts would provide valuable clinical experiences from medieval Islamic toxicologists on different types of poisoning. Therefore, it helps to gain new ideas for the prevention and treatment of poisoning.