Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine

789–795

Authors: Nahid Jivad, Zahra Rabiei

Brain ischemia and reperfusion is the leading cause of serious and long-range disability in the world. Clinically significant changes in central nervous system function are observed following brain ischemia and reperfusion. Stroke patients exhibit behavioral, cognitive, emotional, affective and electrophysiological changes during recovery phase. Brain injury by transient complete global brain ischemia or by transient incomplete brain ischemia afflicts a very large number of patients in the world with death or permanent disability. In order to reduce this damage, we must sufficiently understand the mechanisms involved in brain ischemia and reperfusion and repair to design clinically effective therapy. Cerebral ischemia and reperfusion is known to induce the generation of reactive oxygen species that can lead to oxidative damage of proteins, membrane lipids and nucleic acids. A decrease in tissue antioxidant capacity, an increase in lipid peroxidation as well as an increase in lipid peroxidation inhibitors have been demonstrated in several models of brain ischemia. This paper reviews the number of commonly used types of herbal medicines effective for the treatment of stroke. The aim of this paper was to review evidences from controlled studies in order to discuss whether herbal medicine can be helpful in the treatment of brain ischemia and reperfusion.

801–805

Authors: Ibrar Alam, Said Hassan, Iftikhar Alam, Rahmat Gul, Farhad Ali, Ijaz Ali, Sana Ullah, Imtiaz Ali Khan, Aasif Awan

Objective: To understand the impact of platelet associated immunoglobulin G (PAIgG)/ platelet associated immunoglobulin M (PAIgM) on severity of dengue virus infection leading to thrombocytopenia. Methods: In this study we examined a total of 52 patients who were having secondary infection of dengue in acute phase by using competitive ELISA. Results: A decrease in the platelet count was observed at the acute phase of infection while all along the recovery stage the count of platelet was significantly increased. A significant decrease was observed in PAIgG and PAIgM in these subjects. Inverse correlation was found between platelets count and PAIgG/PAIgM among the subjects studied. In the platelets elution from ten subjects, anti-dengue virus immunoglobulin G and immunoglobulin M were observed. PAIgG and PAIgM with inclined levels were higher in dengue hemorrhagic fever than the classical dengue fever. In the development of dengue hemorrhagic fever PAIgM inclined level was independently associated with high specificity, showing a possible indication of dengue hemorrhagic fever. Conclusions: This study suggests that in secondary dengue virus infection, the PAIgG and PAIgM levels, and the activity of anti-dengue virus play key roles, both in the development and severity of the disease.

812–818

Authors: Ali Yousaf, Wan Fatma Zuharah

Objective: To explore the larvicidal activities of different plant parts of Melanochyla fasciculiflora (M. fasciculiflora), Gluta renghas (G. renghas), Anacardium occidentale and Mangifera indica from family Anacardiaceae against the laboratory and field strains of dengue vectors Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus (Ae. albopictus). Methods: Leaves and bark parts of study plants were collected from Taman Nageri, Bukit Pancor and Teluk Bahang National Park, Penang, Malaysia. Leaves and stem barks were separated, air dried, ground and extracted with methanol by Soxhlet apparatus. Crude extract was obtained by evaporating the extra solvent in rotary evaporator. The 4th instar larvae from laboratory and field strains were exposed to 50–1300 mg/L concentrations according to World Health Organization standard larval bioassay. Larval mortality was recorded after 24 h of exposure. Results: Highest larvicidal activity was exhibited by G. renghas bark extract against Ae. albopictus laboratory strain at 600 mg/L. G. renghas also showed the highest larvicidal activities for other strains as compared to other plant extracts, followed by Mangifera indica and M. fasciculiflora and Anacardium occidentale. Conclusions: Ae. albopictus has been found to be more susceptible as compare to Aedes aegypti in both laboratory and field strains in this study. G. renghas and M. fasciculiflora were tested for the first time and exhibited prompting larvicidal activities against dengue vectors. These results revealed that all the plants especially G. renghas and M. fasciculiflora have the higher larvicidal activities and can be used for the control of dengue vector as a new environment friendly, target specific and low cost phytochemical.

824–828

Authors: Faruck Lukmanul Hakkim, Mohammed Al-Buloshi, Jamal Al-Sabahi

Objective: To investigate the anti-cancer effect of frankincense derived heavy oil obtained by Soxhlet extraction method on breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231), and to study its chemical profile using gas chromatography mass spectrometry analysis. Methods: Hexane was used to extract heavy oil from frankincense resin. Chemical profiling of heavy oil was done using Perkin Elmer Clarus GC system with mass spectrometer. MDA-MB-231 cells were treated with different dilutions (1:1000, 1:1500, 1:1750, 1:2000, 1:2250, 1:2500, 1:2750, 1:3000, 1:3250) of heavy oil for 24 h. The cells were observed by using light microscopy. Cell viability was measured by MTT assay. Results: Gas chromatography mass spectrometry chemical profiling of frankincense derived heavy oil revealed the presence of terpenes such as a-pinene (61.56%), a-amyrin (20.6%), b-amyrin (8.1%), b-phellandrene (1.47%) and camphene (1.04%). Heavy terpene cocktail induced significant MDA-MB-231 cell death at each concentration tested. Noticeably, very low concentration of Soxhlet derived heavy terpenes elicits considerable cytotoxicity on MDA-MB-231 cells compared to hydro distillated essential oil derived from frankincense resin. Conclusions: Extracting anti-cancer active principle cocktail by simple Soxhlet method is cost effective and less time consuming. Our in vitro anti-cancer data forms the rationale for us to test heavy terpene complex in breast cancer xenograft model in vivo. Furthermore, fractionation and developing frankincense heavy terpene based breast cancer drug is the major goal of our laboratory.

834–840

Authors: Su Chern Foo, Fatimah Md. Yusoff, Maznah Ismail, Mahiran Basri, Nicholas Mun Hoe Khong, Kim Wei Chan, Sook Kun Yau

Objective: To compare the in vitro antioxidant capacity of a diatom, Chaetoceros calcitrans (C. calcitrans) extracted using six types of solvents. Methods: Each extract was evaluated in terms of extraction yield, total carotenoid, fucoxanthin content, total phenolic and antioxidant capacities (DPPH
and ABTS
+ scavenging activity and iron chelating activity). Results: The methanol extract exhibited the highest yield [(22.71 ± 0.96) g/100 g dry weight (DW)], total carotenoid [(4.46 ± 0.36) mg/g DW], total phenolic [(2.49 ± 0.08) mg gallic acid equivalents/g DW] and second highest fucoxanthin content [(2.08 ± 0.03) mg fucoxanthin/g DW] as compared to other solvent extracts. Methanolic extract also exhibited significantly higher (P < 0.05) scavenging (DPPH
, ABTS
+) and iron chelating activities. Conclusions: Methanol was the recommended solvent for the production of antioxidant rich extract from C. calcitrans. Both carotenoids and phenolic acids were found to be positively correlated to the antioxidant capacities of C. calcitrans. Lead bioactives confirmed by subsequent high performance liquid chromatography studies were fucoxanthin, gallic acid and protocatechuic acid.

845–851

Authors: Zahra Rabiei, Shiva Mokhtari, Samira Asgharzade, Mostafa Gholami, Samira Rahnama, Mahmoud Rafieian-kopaei

Objective: To investigate the effect of Thymus vulgaris (T. vulgaris) on learning and memory functions in scopolamine-induced memory deficit in rats. Memory enhancing activity in scopolamine-induced amnesic rats was investigated by assessing the Morris water maze and passive avoidance paradigm. Methods: A total of 42 male Wistar rats were divided into 6 equal groups as follow: control group: received water, scopolamine treated group: received scopolamine 1 mg/kg for 15 days, two scopolamine + T. vulgaris treated groups: received scopolamine and T. vulgaris extract 50 and 100 mg/kg body weight per day for 15 days, two intact groups: received T. vulgaris extract 50 and 100 mg/kg body weight per day for 15 days. Results: Administration of T. vulgaris extract significantly restored memory and learning impairments induced by scopolamine in the passive avoidance test and Morris water maze test. Conclusions: T. vulgaris extract has repairing effects on memory and behavioral disorders produced by scopolamine and may have beneficial effects in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

858-864

Authors: Mahmoud Bahmani, Kourosh Saki, Somayeh Shahsavari, Mahmoud Rafieian-Kopaei, Reza Sepahvand, Ahmad Adineh

Objective: To identify the medicinal plants effective in infectious diseases. Methods: Initially, we obtained a list of herbalists and traditional healers from Food and Drug Deputy. Direct observations and interviews as well as collection of herbarium specimens of indigenous medicinal plants effective in infectious diseases of urinary tract, reproductive, digestive, respiratory and skin systems were performed. This study was conducted through questionnaires and interviews; the questionnaires were distributed among traditional healers and simultaneous interviews were also run. The plants were herbariumized, herbarium specimens were authenticated, and their species were determined by using reliable flora and other sources. Finally, the data were input into Excel 2010 and analyses were performed. Results: Out of the studied plants, 35 native medicinal plants belonging to 17 families were effective in the treatment of various diseases and infections. In this study, the Lamiaceae family had the highest frequency of plants for the treatment of infections. Traditional healers of Urmia in 24% of cases used the leaves of medicinal herb to treat patients. In 68% of cases, they prescribed medicinal herbs in the boiled forms. Most medicinal herbs showed therapeutic effect on the digestive system. Conclusions: Traditional medicinal sources, valuable knowledge of traditional healers in Urmia, the scientific investigation of the effects of the herbs offered in this study and their effects in traditional medicine may provide a good source for new drugs in modern medicine.

870-873

Authors: Mohammed Djellouli, Houcine Benmehdi, Siham Mammeri, Abdellah Moussaoui, Laid Ziane, Noureddine Hamidi

Objective: To extract and identify the main constituents of the essential oil of Cotula cinerea (Del.) (Asteraceae family) from southwest of Algeria. Methods: The essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation, from the aerial parts of the endemic plant Cotula cinerea which was collected in the region of Sahara from southwest of Algeria, were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Results: A total of 33 compounds were identified representing 98.66% of the oil. The main compounds were (E)-citral (24.01%), limonene epoxide cis- (18.26%), thymol methyl ether (15.04%), carvacrol (15.03%), trans-carveol (13.79%), carvone (3.06%) and trans-piperitol (2.54%). Conclusions: The main constituents in essential oil of the aerial part of the plant from southwest of Algeria were different from that collected from southeast of Algeria or in Morocco.

878-879

Authors: Elham Behrangi, Amir Houshang Ehsani, Forouzandeh Sadrzadeh, Gholamhossein Ghaffarpour, Shooka Esmaeeli, Mansour Deylami, Romina Espahbodi, Zahra Azizian

Objective: To study the neurological symptoms of psoriasis patients who used infliximab. Methods: We studied psoriasis patients who used infliximab in two referral general hospitals in Tehran from January 2013 to January 2014. We completed neurological symptoms checklists by questioning the patients. Results: Sixty patients with psoriasis were included in this study. Among them, 3 patients had sensory symptoms as side effect and one patient showed motor symptoms as side effect. There was no statistically significant difference between age, gender, and session count with the sensory and motor side effects (P > 0.05). Conclusions: Neurological symptoms can be detected among 6% of patients under treatment with infliximab and there is no significant association between symptoms and gender, duration of drug use as well as age.