Phenolic content and antioxidant activity of different Iranian populations of Anabasis aphylla L.

The Anabasis aphylla L. aerial parts was harvested from five different populations located in Golestan National Park, Iran. The phenolic content and antioxidant potencies of the ethanolic extracts were measured using the Folin-Ciocalteu and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) methods, respectively. Moreover, the effects of two factors soil electrical conductivity and soil acidity on phenolic content and antioxidant properties of the extracts were evaluated. Consequently, no significant difference between different populations of Anabasis aphylla L. in terms of total phenol content was detected; however, a significant difference was observed between the electrical conductivity of the soil samples. The studied factors showed no significant correlation between the electrical conductivity and soil acidity with the total phenol and antioxidant effect, although a negative correlation between total phenol and IC50 (-0.81) was identified. In conclusion, the present study the effect of two factors of soil acidity and electrical conductivity on the amount of total phenol is not confirmed.

Resveratrol-Mediated Gold-Nanoceria Synthesis as Green Nanomedicine for Phytotherapy of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: In the present study, resveratrol was used to prepare complexes of cerium and nanoceria, also coated with gold (CeO2@Au core-shells) to improve the surface interactions in physiological conditions. METHODS: The CeO2@Au core-shells were characterized using powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscope (TEM) analysis, dynamic light scattering (DLS) and ζ potential. RESULTS: The experiment was led to the successful synthesis of nanosized CeO2@Au core-shells, although agglomeration of particles caused the distribution of the larger particles. The TEM analysis demonstrated the particles sizes ranged from 20 nm to 170 nm. Moreover, the PXRD analysis showed that both nanoceria and gold with the same crystal systems and space groups. To investigate the anticancer activity of the CeO2@Au core-shells, the cytotoxicity of the nanoparticles was investigated against liver cancerous cell lines (HepG2). CONCLUSIONS: The results indicated biosynthesized NCs have significant cellular toxicity properties against HepG2 and could be utilized in hepatocarcinoma therapy. Further in vivo investigations is proposed to be designed to assess anti-cancer and safety effects of fabricated nanocomposites.

Ethnobotanical knowledge of Astragalus spp.: The world's largest genus of vascular plants.

OBJECTIVE: Astragalus L. (Fabaceae) is the largest genus of vascular plants in the world, that comprises an estimated number of 2900 annual and perennial species. The members of this genus have a broad spectrum of usages (e.g. medicine, food, fodder, fuel, ornamental plants, etc.). Here, we present a review of ethnobotanical applications of different species of Astragalus by various ethnic and cultural groupings worldwide, to provide an exhaustive database for future works. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Literature survey was performed using Scopus, Google Scholar, PubMed, Medline, and Science Direct, and English and non-English reference books dealing with useful properties of the Astragalus species from 1937 to 2018. Consequently, we reviewed a total of 76 publications that supported lucrative information about various uses of this huge genus. RESULTS: Several ethnobotanical uses of 90 Astragalus taxa were documented which were mainly originated from Asian and European countries. The two most frequently mentioned Astragalus treatments, were against urinary and respiratory diseases. The most commonly used part was gum and the most frequently used preparation method was decoction. CONCLUSION: This review highlights that various Astragalus species have great traditional uses in different ethnobotanical practices throughout the world. However, there is still lack of phytochemical and pharmacological researches on many species of Astragalus and further studies are required to substantiate the therapeutic potential of them which will develop new generation of plant-derived drugs in the near future.

Ethnomedicinal uses of plants for the treatment of nervous disorders at the herbal markets of Bojnord, North Khorasan Province, Iran.

OBJECTIVE: Since ancient times, plants have been commonly used to cure human ailments by indigenous people throughout the world. Nervous diseases are rising all around the world. This paper provides important ethnobotanical information on plants that are used against neurological disorders and are available in medicinal markets of Bojnord, northeastern Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This survey, as an ethnobotanical study, was carried out between 2017 and 2018. The identification of the intended plant species was done using the available Floras. Some important indices such as the frequency of citations, relative frequency of citation (RFC), family importance value and use report were calculated for the medicinal plants included in the present study. RESULTS: The present study includes 58 medicinal plant species belonging to 36 families and reports their mentioning scientific and vernacular names, parts used, and preparation method. The most common family was Lamiaceae. The major parts of the identified plants used for treatment of nervous )neuropsychological( disorders were flower and aerial parts. The most common methods used for preparation of these plants were infusion and decoction. Stachys turcomanica, Tripleurospermum disciforme, Melissa officinalis, Nardostachys jatamansi, and Aloysia citriodora had the highest rate of use report. Echium amoenum and Melissa officinalis had the highest RFC. CONCLUSION: The study indicated that although people in Bojnord have access to modern medicinal preparations, a considerable number of them still use medicinal plants for therapeutic purposes. Seemingly, most cited plants are worth more precise evaluations for their pharmacological activity.