Exploring the Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Rhoifolin Isolated from Teucrium Polium on Rats' Lungs Exposed to Tobacco Smoke.

Cigarette smoking exacerbates respiratory diseases, while plant-derived polyphenols offer antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. This study exploresd the effects of Rhoifolin (ROF), a polyphenol from Jordanian Teucrium polium, on lung health in rats exposed to tobacco smoke. Male rats were divided into two groups: one exposed to cigarette smoke (CS), and the other to ROF treatment alongside smoke exposure (CS/ROF). ROF was administered orally for 21 days before smoke exposure. Results showed smoke-induced lung inflammation and oxidative stress, mitigated by ROF treatment. Histological examination revealed smoke-related morphological changes in lung tissue. ROF treatment reduced oxidative stress and inflammation, as evidenced by decreased proinflammatory cytokines. In silico docking demonstrated ROF's potential as an inhibitor of proinflammatory cytokines. This study demonstrates the therapeutic potential of ROF and similar polyphenols in mitigating the harmful effects of cigarette smoke on lung health.

Methanolic extract of Teucrium persicum up-regulates and induces the membrane restoration of E-cadherin protein in PC-3 cells.

Teucrium persicum Boiss. an Iranian endemic plant is used in Iranian traditional medicine. E-cadherin transmembrane protein participates in adherens junctions and is the main partner for ß-catenin protein. The GC-MS analysis was used to detect the chemical constituents of the methanolic extract. Its effects on the transcription of the E-cadherin encoding gene, cellular levels, and localization of E-cadherin protein in PC-3 cells were investigated. About 70 chemical constituents were identified. Indirect immunofluorescence microscopy and western blotting results revealed the restoration of E-cadherin protein at cell adhesion contact sites in cells treated with T. persicum extract. Gene expression studies revealed that the extract increased the transcription of the E-cadherin encoding gene in PC-3 cells. These results suggest that T. persicum extract may contain potent compounds that provide further support for the anticancer properties of T. persicum. Surely, detailed molecular investigations are needed to find the mechanism(s) behind these effects.

Antioxidant and antiproliferative effects of Teucrium polium extract: computational and in vivo study in rats.

The current study aimed to assess the antioxidant and antiproliferative effects of teucrium polium extract: computational and in vivo study in rats. Three groups of animals: Group (i) constitute the control group; Group (ii) HeLa group received an intrafemoral inoculation of HeLa cells and Group (iii) constitue the combination between HeLa + T. polium. The plant was administered by gavage. Our results revealed that HeLa cell injection showed an elevation in aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total bilirubin (TB), creatinine, urea, calcium and phosphorus. The pretreatment with the plant extract reduced the level of these parameters. Injection of HeLa cells showed a significant decrease in phosphorus and calcium respectively. However, the pretreatment by T. polium modulated the level of these two minerals. Rats treated with HeLa cells line showed an increase in the level of lipid peroxidation as evaluated by the TBARS substances, at the same time, a significant decreases in SOD, CAT and GPx activities were noted in the HeLa group compared to the control. On the other hand, pretreatment with the plant improved the level of these enzymes. Our results revealed that T.polium has a therapeutic effect on some health problems. HeLa cell line induced a small infiltration in liver and kidney. T. polium reduced the damage in both liver and kidney, but did not reveal any proliferation of tumor cells from trabecular bone tissue. The computational study revealed that T. polium compound bound with high free binding energies and established promising network of molecular interactions with COX-2 and TNF-α macromolecules.

Comparative analysis of phenolic compositions and biological activities of three endemic Teucrium L. (Lamiaceae) species from Turkey.

This study investigates the chemical compositions and biological activities of the methanol extracts of three endemic Teucrium species (T. ekimii, T. pestalozzae and T. semrae) collected from Turkey. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents were assessed spectrophotometrically. The total phenolic and flavonoid content in the T. ekimii methanolic extract were importantly higher than other both extracts. The polyphenolic components of the extracts were identified by liquid chromatography. Seven phenolic compounds were identified namely catechin, rutin, luteolin, apigenin chlorogenic acid, sinapic acid and rosmarinic acid. Antioxidant activities were determined by five in vitro assays namely phosphomolybdenum assay, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging activity, ß-carotene bleaching assay, ferric ions reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and cupric ions reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC). The total antioxidant activity method exhibited that T. ekimii methanol extract exerted better antioxidant activity. The methanol extract of T. ekimii showed better antiradical scavenging activity as measured by DPPH assay. The antimicrobial capacities were determined by agar diffusion assay. Three endemic Teucrium species tested showed slight antibacterial activity only against Aeromonas hydrophila, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Streptococcus pneumoniae. The findings showed that three endemic Teucrium species may be utilized as natural sources of antioxidant and antimicrobial compounds in food and farmacy products.

Teucrium fruticans L., a Multi-Scale Study: From Trichomes to Essential Oil.

This work represents the first multi-scale study on Teucrium fruticans L. cultivated at the Ghirardi Botanic Garden (Lombardy, Northern Italy), combining a micromorphological and a phytochemical survey on the plant's aerial parts. Micromorphological investigations, performed by Light Microscopy, Fluorescence Microscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy, highlighted the presence of five trichomes morphotypes, distinguished by a different distribution pattern: peltates, short-stalked and ball-like medium-stalked capitates, ubiquitous on the whole plant, medium-stalked and long-stalked capitates, exclusive to the floral whorls. Both peltates and medium-stalked capitates were recognized as the main terpene production sites. Phytochemical characterization focused on the essential oils (EOs), obtained by Clevenger-type hydrodistillation in February and April 2022 and characterized by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS), which resulted mainly formed by sesquiterpene hydrocarbons. The February EO profile was characterized by ß-caryophyllene (28.30 %) and germacrene D (19.16 %) as main compounds, while in April ß-myrcene was detected at high percentage (13.77 %), in addition to the previous two components (15.72 % and 11.55 %, respectively). Literature data, dealing with the biological activities of the main oil constituents, highlighted an anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumor potential, due to the high content in sesquiterpenes and, particularly, of ß-caryophyllene and germacrene D.

Screening of Volatile Compounds, Traditional and Modern Phytotherapy Approaches of Selected Non-Aromatic Medicinal Plants (Lamiaceae, Lamioideae) from Rtanj Mountain, Eastern Serbia.

Ironwort (Sideritis montana L.), mountain germander (Teucrium montanum L.), wall germander (Teucrium chamaedrys L.), and horehound (Marrubium peregrinum L.) are species widely distributed across Europe and are also found in North Africa and West Asia. Because of their wide distribution they express significant chemical diversity. For generations, these plants have been used as medical herbs for treating different aliments. The aim of this paper is to analyze volatile compounds of four selected species that belong to the subfamily Lamioideae, family Lamiaceae, and inspect scientifically proven biological activities and potential uses in modern phytotherapy in relation to traditional medicine. Therefore, in this research, we analyze the volatile compounds from this plants, obtained in laboratory by a Clevenger-type apparatus, followed by liquid-liquid extraction with hexane as the solvent. The identification of volatile compounds is conducted by GC-FID and GC-MS. Although these plants are poor in essential oil, the most abundant class of volatile components are mainly sesquiterpenes: germacrene D (22.6%) in ironwort, 7-epi-trans-sesquisabinene hydrate (15.8%) in mountain germander, germacrene D (31.8%) and trans-caryophyllene (19.7%) in wall germander, and trans-caryophyllene (32.4%) and trans-thujone (25.1%) in horehound. Furthermore, many studies show that, in addition to the essential oil, these plants contain phenols, flavonoids, diterpenes and diterpenoids, iridoids and their glycosides, coumarins, terpenes, and sterols, among other active compounds, which affect biological activities. The other goal of this study is to review the literature that describes the traditional use of these plants in folk medicine in regions where they grow spontaneously and compare them with scientifically confirmed activities. Therefore, a bibliographic search is conducted on Science Direct, PubMed, and Google Scholar to gather information related to the topic and recommend potential applications in modern phytotherapy. In conclusion, we can say that selected plants could be used as natural agents for promoting health, as a source of raw material in the food industry, and as supplements, as well as in the pharmaceutical industry for developing plant-based remedies for prevention and treatment of many diseases, especially cancer.

Antibacterial activity of phenolic compounds of Teucrium polium L.

Teucrium polium L., a member of the Lamiaceae family. The plant's leaf ingredients were extracted with hexane, ethyl acetate and ethanol, in that order. Column chromatography (CC), thin-layer chromatography (TLC), and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were used to figure out what phenolic components were in different extracts. Through these methods, three distinct fractions were isolated, originating from ethyl acetate and ethanolic extractions. Further examination of these fractions led to the discovery of 4-Hydroxybenzoic acid, catechol and coumaric acid. The antibacterial activity of isolated components was examined through rigorous testing. To evaluate the efficacy against different types of bacteria, the disc-diffusion assay was employed. This involved testing each fraction against Staphylococcus aureus, a Gram-positive bacterium, as well as four Gram-negative bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella typhi, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli. Fraction (F1) was able to stop the growth of K. pneumoniae, P. aeruginosa, and S. aureus well with an inhibition zone of 19-21 mm. Fraction (F2) showed high activity against all types of bacteria used in this study, with an inhibition zone of 19-23 mm. This study's findings suggest that Teucrium polium holds potential as a valuable source of natural antibacterial phenolic compounds.

Membrane Localization of ß-Catenin in Prostate Cancer PC3 Cells Treated with Teucrium persicum Boiss. Extract.

Teucrium persicum Boiss. is an Iranian endemic plant which belongs to the Lamiaceae family and has been used to relieve pains in traditional Iranian medicine. We have previously found that treatment of prostate cancer PC3 cells with Teucrium persicum extract leads to the formation of small populations of epithelial cells. ß-Catenin is a component of cell adherens junctions in epithelial cells and therefore, in this study, we have investigated the effect of Teucrium persicum extract on expression, cellular localization, and transcriptional activity of ß-Catenin protein in PC-3 cells. Indirect immunofluorescence microscopy results showed that the cells treated with T. persicum extract had higher levels of ß-Catenin protein at the cell membrane. Western blotting experiments produced consistent results. Gene expression studies by using a few ß-Catenin-target genes including c-MYC, CYCLIN D1, and a reporter Luciferase gene under the control of several ß-Catenin/TCF binding elements showed that treatment of PC3 cells with the methanolic extract of T. persicum decreases the transcriptional activities of ß-Catenin. The results of this study provide further support for the anticancer properties of T. persicum. Definitely, more detailed molecular investigations are needed to find the mechanism(s) behind these effects. Highlightsß-Catenin protein is a main component of Wnt signaling pathway and adherens junction.Activation of Wnt signaling pathway affects translocation of ß-Catenin.Teucrium persicum extract induces ß-Catenin localization at cell membrane.Teucrium persicum affects the transcriptional activity of ß-Catenin.It stabilizes E-cadherin/ß-Catenin protein complex and adherens junction.

Therapeutic potential of second degree's skin burns by topical dressing of Teucrium ramosissimum that promotes re-epithelialization.

The aim of the report is to assess the protective effect of powder aerial part of Teucrium ramosissimum (TS) on the in vivo wound-healing of second-degree burn injuries. Teucrium phytocompounds were characterized by FTIR, HPLC, and GC/MS spectra. Burn wound models were employed to evaluate the in vivo wound-healing activity. Thirty six wistar rats with burn wounds were divided into six groups and treated daily with TS, the mixture of Teucrium and honey (TS-HY), thymol and Dermosalic® (0.05%) (DS) creams. Skin epithelialization was monitored on the 4th, 13th, and 21st days. Proteins and the level of malondialdehyde in the burned skin were assessed. Microscopic and macroscopic investigations of skin wound tissues showed significant wound closure rate via complete epidermal reepithelization and regeneration, higher protein content, collagen synthesis and deposition, hair follicles growth post wounding that were promoted in TS-, thymol-, TS-HY- and DS-treated wound tissues compared to the untreated burned wound tissues that was characterized by the absence of the epithelialization, vascularization and the formation of the epidermis layer. Additionally, the skin healing potential of TS and TS-HY was validated by markedly decreased of lipid peroxidation. Overall, TS was found to possess complete wound closure and improves the healing process.

Methanol extracts of Teucrium arduini L. and Teucrium flavum L. induce protective effect against mitomycin C in human lymphocytes in vitro.

The study was designed to evaluate antigenotoxic effect of methanol Teucrium arduini and Teucrium flavum extracts against mitomycin C (MMC)-induced chromosome and DNA damage in vitro. Cytokinesis-block micronucleus (CBMN) and comet assays were used to investigate effect of plant extracts in different concentrations (125, 250, 500 and 1000 µg/mL) on human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs). The obtained results showed that the all tested concentrations of T. arduini and the highest concentration of T. flavum significantly reduced the MMC-induced micronucleus (MN) frequency in comparison to positive control (only MMC). There were significantly negative correlations between the extracts concentrations and MN frequencies (Pearson, r = -0.905, p = 0.0001 for T. arduini; r = -0.861, p = 0.0001 for T. flavum). The extracts of both plants further lowered the MMC-decreased nuclear division index (NDI) in a dose dependent-manner (Pearson, r = -0.837, p = 0.001 for T. arduini; r = -0.598, p = 0.040 for T. flavum), but significantly only in the highest concentration (1000 µg/mL). Comet assay showed that extracts reduced MMC-increased genetic damage index (GDI), significantly in the concentrations of 500 and 1000 µg/mL, in comparison with positive control. Based on our results, it can be concluded that methanol T. arduini and T. flavum extracts possess protective proapoptotic and antigenotoxic effect which is indication of their medicinal relevance and use in treatment.

Bio-Active Compounds from Teucrium Plants Used in the Traditional Medicine of Kurdistan Region, Iraq.

Herbal medicine is still widely practiced in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq, especially by people living in villages in mountainous regions. Seven taxa belonging to the genus Teucrium (family Lamiaceae) are commonly employed in the Kurdish traditional medicine, especially to treat jaundice, stomachache and abdominal problems. We report, in this paper, a comprehensive account about the chemical structures and bioactivities of most representative specialized metabolites isolated from these plants. These findings indicate that Teucrium plants used in the folk medicine of Iraqi Kurdistan are natural sources of specialized metabolites that are potentially beneficial to human health.

The multiple-response modeling of heat-assisted, microwave-assisted and subcritical water extraction on selected phenolics from traditional plant species Teucrium montanum.

The growing popularity of integration of functional compounds into food and pharmaceutical products has greatly influenced the intense investigation of aromatic plants as its notable sources. One of the insufficiently explored plant species-Mountain Germander (Teucrium montanum)-may represent a prominent source of biologically active components-polyphenols. Hence, to maximally enhance their recovery, conventional (HAE) and non-thermal extraction methods-microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) and subcritical water extraction (SWE) were employed by using multiple response surface methodology (RSM). Optimization of temperature, solid-to-solvent ratio, and extraction time was evaluated by measuring total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant capacity (DPPH and ABTS assays), with the further estimation of the extraction efficiency of two selected phenylethanoid glycosides present in final extracts-verbascoside and echinacoside determined by HPLC analysis. The optimum HAE, MAE, and SWE extraction conditions with the highest measured dependent variables were, as follows: 100 °C, 0.5 g/50 mL and 30 min, 90 °C, 0.5 g/50 mL and 9 min, 200 °C, 0.5 g/50 mL and 15 min, respectively. Regarding examined phenylethanoid glycosides, HAE extract showed to be its richest source (16.64 mg/g dw) while SWE was estimated as at least suitable extraction technique (5.42 mg/g dw). In conclusion, this study outlined the most appropriate extraction technique and conditions for the recovery of selected phenolic compounds using RSM and gave closely insight into the antioxidative potential of valuable ethnomedicinal plant from the Balkan peninsula-Teucrium montanum.

Iridoids Isolation from a Phytochemical Study of the Medicinal Plant Teucrium parviflorum Collected in Iraqi Kurdistan.

Herbal medicines are still widely practiced in Kurdistan Region-Iraq, especially by people living in villages on mountainous regions. Among plants belonging to the genus Teucrium (family Lamiaceae), which are commonly employed in the Kurdish traditional medicine, we have analyzed, for the first time, the methanol and aqueous methanol extracts of T. parviflorum aerial parts. The plant is mainly used by Kurds to treat jaundice, liver disorders and stomachache. We aimed to determine the phytochemical profile of the extracts and the structures of the main components, so to provide a scientific rationale for the ancient use of the plant in the ethno-pharmacological field. TLC analysis of the two extracts on silica gel and reversed phase TLC plates, using different visualization systems, indicated similar contents and the presence of phenolics, flavonoids, terpenoids and sugars. The chlorophyll-free extracts exhibited weak/no antimicrobial activities against a panel of bacteria (MICs = 800-1600 µg/mL) and fungal strains (MICs ≥ 5 mg/mL). At the concentration of 600 µg/mL, the methanol extract showed moderate antiproliferative effects against A549 and MCF-7 cancer cell lines in the MTS assay. Moreover, both extracts exhibited a significant dose-dependent free radical scavenging action against the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical (EC50 = 62.11 and 44.25 µg/mL, respectively). In a phytochemical study, a high phenolic content (77.08 and 81.47 mg GAE/g dry extract, respectively) was found in both extracts by the Folin-Ciocalteu assay. Medium pressure liquid chromatographic (MPLC) separation of the methanol extract on a reversed phase cartridge eluted with a gradient of MeOH in H2O, afforded two bioactive iridoid glucosides, harpagide (1) and 8-O-acetylharpagide (2). The structures of 1 and 2 were established by spectral data, chemical reactions, and comparison with the literature. Interestingly, significant amounts of hepatotoxic furano neo-clerodane diterpenoids, commonly occurring in Teucrium species, were not detected in the extract. The wide range of biological activities reported in the literature for compounds 1 and 2 and the significant antiradical effects of the extracts give scientific support to the traditional use in Iraqi Kurdistan of T. parviflorum aerial parts for the preparation of herbal remedies.

Vasorelaxant Mechanism of Herbal Extracts from Mentha suaveolens, Conyza canadensis, Teucrium polium and Salvia verbenaca in the Aorta of Wistar Rats.

Mentha suaveolens (MS), Conyza canadensis (CC), Teucrium polium (TP) and Salvia verbenaca (SV) are used in Morocco to treat hypertension. Our aim was to characterize the composition and vasoreactivity of extracts of MS, CC, TP and SV. The chemical compositions of aqueous extracts of MS, SV and TP, and of a hydromethanolic extract of CC, were identified by HPLC-DAD. The vasoreactive effect was tested in rings of the thoracic aorta of female Wistar rats (8-14 weeks-old) pre-contracted with 10 µM noradrenaline, in the absence or presence of L-NAME 100 µM, indomethacin 10 µM or atropine 6 µM, to inhibit nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase or muscarinic receptors, respectively. L-NAME and atropine decreased the vasorelaxant effect caused by low concentrations of MS. Atropine and indomethacin decreased the vasorelaxant effect of low concentrations of SV. High concentrations of MS or SV and the effect of SV and TP were not altered by any antagonist. The activation of muscarinic receptors and NO or the cyclooxygenase pathway underlie the vasorelaxant effect of MS and SV, respectively. Neither of those mechanisms underlines the vasorelaxant effect of CC and TP. These vasorelaxant effect might support the use of herbal teas from these plants as anti-hypertensives in folk medicine.

A Review of the Phytochemistry, Traditional Uses and Biological Activities of the Essential Oils of Genus Teucrium.

The genus Teucrium is a large and polymorphic genus of the Lamiaceae family distributed in mild climate zones, particularly in the Mediterranean basin and Central Asia. Studies of nonvolatile constituents of Teucrium species showed that they are a rich source of neo-clerodane diterpenoids, considered as chemotaxonomic markers of the genus. In addition to the nonvolatile metabolites, there has been a large interest in the essential oils of this genus. In this review, a complete survey of the chemical composition and biological properties of the essential oils isolated from Teucrium taxa is provided. In traditional medicine, since ancient times, species of this genus have been widely implemented for their biological properties, including antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, insecticidal, anti-malaria, etc. Therefore, a complete review of all of the traditional uses of Teucrium taxa are also reported.

Flavonoids and Acid-Hydrolysis derivatives of Neo-Clerodane diterpenes from Teucrium flavum subsp. glaucum as inhibitors of the HIV-1 reverse transcriptase-associated RNase H function.

Bioassay-guided fractionation of the ethyl acetate extract from Teucrium flavum subsp. glaucum, endowed with inhibitory activity towards the HIV-1 reverse transcriptase-associated RNase H function, led to the isolation of salvigenin (1), cirsimaritin (2) and cirsiliol (3) along with the neo-clerodanes teuflavin (4) and teuflavoside (5). Acid hydrolysis of the inactive teuflavoside provided three undescribed neo-clerodanes, flavuglaucins A-C (7-9) and one known neo-clerodane (10). Among all neo-clerodanes, flavuglaucin B showed the highest inhibitory activity towards RNase H function with a IC50 value of 9.1 µM. Molecular modelling and site-directed mutagenesis analysis suggested that flavuglaucin B binds into an allosteric pocket close to RNase H catalytic site. This is the first report of clerodane diterpenoids endowed with anti-reverse transcriptase activity. Neo-clerodanes represent a valid scaffold for the development of a new class of HIV-1 RNase H inhibitors.

The Essential Oil Compositions of Three Teucrium Taxa Growing Wild in Sicily: HCA and PCA Analyses.

The chemical composition and the qualitative and quantitative variability of the essential oils of three taxa belonging to the Teucrium genus were studied. The investigated taxa, that grow wild in Sicily, were Teucrium flavum L. (section Chamaedrys (Mill.) Scheb.), Teucrium montanum and Teucrium capitatum L. of section Polium (Mill.) Scheb. Essential oils were extracted by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC-MS. In total, 74 compounds were identified. Sesquiterpene hydrocarbons were found to be the main group for T. flavum (48.3%). T. capitatum consisted essentially of monoterpene hydrocarbons (72.7%), with α-pinene (19.9%), ß-pinene (27.6%) and sylvestrene (16.6%) as the most abundant compounds whereas ledene oxide (12.1%), epiglobulol (13.5%) and longifolenaldehyde (14.5%) were identified as the main constituents among the oxygenated sesquiterpenes (63.5%) of T. montanum. Furthermore, a complete literature review on the composition of the essential oils of all the other accessions of these Teucrium taxa, studied so far, was performed. Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) and Principal Component Analyses (PCA) were used in order to demonstrate geographical variations in the composition of the essential oils.

Habitat potential modelling and mapping of Teucrium polium using machine learning techniques.

Determining suitable habitats is important for the successful management and conservation of plant and wildlife species. Teucrium polium L. is a wild plant species found in Iran. It is widely used to treat numerous health problems. The range of this plant is shrinking due to habitat destruction and overexploitation. Therefore, habitat suitability (HS) modeling is critical for conservation. HS modeling can also identify the key characteristics of habitats that support this species. This study models the habitats of T. polium using five data mining models: random forest (RF), flexible discriminant analysis (FDA), multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS), support vector machine (SVM), and generalized linear model (GLM). A total of 119 T. poliumlocations were identified and mapped. According to the RF model, the most important factors describing T. polium habitat were elevation, soil texture, and mean annual rainfall. HS maps (HSMs) were prepared, and habitat suitability was classified as low, medium, high, or very high. The percentages of the study area assigned high or very high suitability ratings by each of the models were 44.62% for FDA, 43.75% for GLM, 43.12% for SVM, 38.91% for RF, 28.72% for MARS, and 39.16% for their ensemble. Although the six models were reasonably accurate, the ensemble model had the highest AUC value, demonstrating a strong predictive performance. The rank order of the other models in this regard is RF, MARS, SVM, FDA, and GLM. HSMs can provide useful output to support the sustainable management of rangelands, reclamation, and land protection.

Radioactivity level in relation to geological substrate: dynamics of natural and artificial radionuclides on Teucrium montanum L. (Lamiaceae) habitats.

There are no results of comparative ecological studies of the radionuclide activity concentration in the plants and soil in relation to geological substrate. Presented research encompasses the comparative analysis of the concentration of four radionuclides, three natural (40K, 226Ra, 232Th) and one artificial (137Cs) in soil samples and aerial plant parts of Teucrium montanum from different natural habitats on serpentinite and calcareous geological substrate. The activity concentrations of radionuclides were measured with high purity germanium (HPGe) detector and expressed as Bq kg-1. The calculated activity concentrations of 40K, 226Ra, 232Th, and 137Cs in soil samples from serpentinite/calcareous habitats are in range 39.6-91.0/59.3-1018.8, 1.7-5.5/4.3-52.4, 2.4-10.9/5.9-72.9, and 57.2-844.9/29.6-701.5 Bq kg-1, respectively. The activity concentrations of 40K, 226Ra, 232Th, and 137Cs in plant samples are in range 152.9-445.9/228.0-521.4, n.d.-1.2/0.6-5.6, n.d./0.2-0.9, and 1.0-46.4/1.7-7.0 Bq kg-1, respectively. The obtained results showed that the quantities of 137Cs are greater in the soil and plant material from the serpentinite habitats, while quantities of 40K, 226Ra, and 232Th are greater in the soil and plant material from calcareous habitats. In general, the level of radioactivity in plants and soil depends on the type of the geological substrate. The content of radionuclides in plants is correlated with the radionuclide content in the soil. In addition to other specifics in physical and chemical properties, serpentinite habitats are characterized by an increased amount of Cs in the soil, which causes an increased amount of this radionuclide in plants such as Teucrium montanum.

The effect of antimicrobial activity of Teucrium Polium on Oral Streptococcus Mutans: a randomized cross-over clinical trial study.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of a mouthwash containing Teucriumpolium herb on Streptococcus mutans in mouth. METHODS: This study was a randomized, crossover, double-blind clinical trial, where we selected 22 volunteers (dental students) randomly and we divided them into two groups. The study had two phases. In each phase, one group acted as the intervention group, while the other one was the control group. Both the intervention and control groups were given the mouthwash with and without Teucriumpolium, respectively. S. mutans of saliva were measured before and after each phase to compare the effects of the mouthwashes. A three-week washout period was considered between the two phases. An independent two-sample t-test was utilized to compare the mean of S. mutans colonies. Additionally, we used a standard AB/BA crossover model to find the results of the treatment and the impact of carryover on the residual's biological effects. The significance level was considered 0.05 in this experiment. RESULTS: There is no significant difference observed between the two groups in the number of S. mutans before using the mouthwashes. When the mouthwash containing Teucriumpolium was used, there was a significant decrease in the number of S. mutans colonies in both phases' extract (P = 0.002). CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate the mouthwash containing aqueous extract of Teucrium polium can majorly reduce the colonization of S. mutans in human saliva. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Ethical issues approved by the Ethics Committee of the Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences with the approval number of 937/9/31, IRCT code Number of IRCT2013121815842N1 and it was approved on 06/16/2014. The study was conducted in the period of September to November 2014.