Biological effects of essential oils and extracts
saeid valipour chahardahcharic; mehran arabi; Hamed Hoseinzadeh
Abstract
Background and objectives: Stress affects the body's systems and can lead to many disorders, including depression. To deal with stress and depression, the use of medicinal plants that have fewer side effects than chemical drugs has attracted the attention of researchers. Melilotus ...
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Background and objectives: Stress affects the body's systems and can lead to many disorders, including depression. To deal with stress and depression, the use of medicinal plants that have fewer side effects than chemical drugs has attracted the attention of researchers. Melilotus officinalis L. contains compounds such as coumarin, flavonoids, triterpene, saponin, and volatile oils with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. The present study investigated the effect of the hydroalcoholic extract of the M. officinalis plant on depression caused by chronic immobility stress in adult male rats.Methodology: In this experimental study, 48 male Wistar rats weighing 250-300 grams were used. The rats were randomly divided into 6 groups of 8 (n=8) including control (intact), sham (under chronic immobility stress and receiving normal saline), experimental groups (under chronic immobility stress and subjected to doses 25, 50, and 100 mg.kg-1 of M. officinalis extract), and the positive control group (under chronic immobility stress and receiving fluoxetine). To establish an animal model of chronic immobility stress, the rats were placed in the restraint device daily for 2 hours, for 3 weeks. Injections were made intraperitoneally (IP), 30 minutes before stress induction. The depression model was evaluated by the Forced Swimming Test (FST) and motor activity by the Open Field Test (OFT). Then with deep anesthesia in the animals, blood was taken from the heart. By separating the serum, the amount of corticosterone in the rats’ blood was evaluated and measured using special kits and the ELISA method.Results: The results of this research showed that in the sham group, the duration of immobility in the FST increased significantly in comparison to the control group (P<0.001). In the experimental groups, a high dose of M. officinalis extract led to a significant increase in the duration of immobility in the FST (P<0.01). However, the lower doses of the extract led to a significant decrease in immobility duration compared to the sham group (P<0.001) (P<0.01). The fluoxetine-receiving group also showed a significant reduction in immobility duration compared to the sham group (P<0.01). Lower doses of M. officinalis extract caused a significant increase in blood corticosterone relative to the sham group (P<0.001). Administration of fluoxetine also caused a significant increase in corticosterone levels in the blood in comparison to the sham group (P<0.001). In the OFT, the number of crossing lines in the sham group showed a significant increase relative to the control group (P<0.01) in the experimental groups, a high dose of M. officinalis extract resulted in a significant decrease in the number of times the rats crossed the lines in comparison to the sham group (P<0.01).Conclusion: Phytochemical studies have shown some active substances, such as quercetin and phenolic acids in M. officinalis, which have antioxidant and antidepressant activity by inhibiting monoamine oxidase and increasing dopamine and serotonin. Therefore, due to active biological molecules, M. officinalis can play a vital role in preventing depression. The results have also shown that M. officinalis extract, particularly in lower doses, has better antidepressant effects in rats under chronic stress.
P. Owlia; H. Saderi; H. Aghaee; F. Zayeri
Volume 23, Issue 2 , August 2007, , Pages 157-165
Abstract
Herpes simlex virus causes various infections such as cold sore, encephalitis, keratoconjunctivitis and many other infections. In some cases, these diseases may lead to the patient's death. Myrtus communis L. essential oil is used in traditional medicine since antiquity. In this study, we have evaluated ...
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Herpes simlex virus causes various infections such as cold sore, encephalitis, keratoconjunctivitis and many other infections. In some cases, these diseases may lead to the patient's death. Myrtus communis L. essential oil is used in traditional medicine since antiquity. In this study, we have evaluated the effect of the Myrtus communis essential oil at various concentrations on the infection caused by the Herpes simplex 1 virus in mice. The HSV-1 virus was reproduced in cell culture and then its titer was determined in terms of PFU/ml. PFU of 10-6 of the virus dilution was used to infect mice. After shaving hair on body sides of the animals, a scratch was created by the needle and five micro liters of the 10-6 PFU was inoculated onto the scratch. The mice were divided into five member groups. Tree groups were treated with 5, 10 and 15 mg/ml concentration of the Myrtus communis essential oil, the fourth was the control group that was treated with the vaselin (free from the medicine). The fifth and sixth groups were treated with commercial Myrtoplex and Asiclovir ointments. The mice were treated for 10 days and probable deaths and wounds were examined. The time of initiation and development of wounds or deaths in the experimental and those of the control groups were recorded. Results obviously showed the creation of vesicles in the group treated with Myrtus communis essential oil (5, 10 and 15 mg/ml) was delayed as compared to the control group (vaselin). The results also clearly show a delay in the creation of pustules in the group treated with Myrtus communis essential oil at 15 mg/ml concentration as compared to the group treated at 5mg/ml and 10 mg/ml concentrations (P=0.001). This study show that Myrtus communis essential oil at 15mg/ml concentration delays the creation of pustules that could be used in control or treatment of herpes simplex.
E. Ghaemi; D. Khorshidi; A. Moradi; A. Seifi; M. Mazendrani; M. Bazouri
Volume 22, Issue 3 , November 2006, , Pages 242-249
Abstract
Daily increasing of Staphylococcus aureus resistance to various antibiotics in particular penicillin and Methecilin has led the scientist to look for new medicines in this area. In an in vitro laboratory studies, it has been demonstrated that ethanolic extract of Lemon verbena can prevent ...
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Daily increasing of Staphylococcus aureus resistance to various antibiotics in particular penicillin and Methecilin has led the scientist to look for new medicines in this area. In an in vitro laboratory studies, it has been demonstrated that ethanolic extract of Lemon verbena can prevent the growth of Staphylococcus aureus. In this study the efficacy of ethanolic extract of Lemon verbena against Staphylococcus aureus skin infection were assessed in an in vivo, in animal model. We inoculated 200λ of Staphylococcus aureus suspension with turbidity equal to 0.5 McFarland, interadermally on the shoulder of 63 laboratory 20-30 gram mice. The mice were divided in to 4 groups, 2 control groups: negative(without treatment) and positive (treated with Mupirocin) and 2 test groups that treated for 7 days by ointment prepared from ethanol extract of Lemon verbena (group3), or injection of Lemon verbena solution (group 4). The status of wounds and the rate of recovery was studied, and the presence of local pus after dissection of mice on day 8 recorded and compared with each other. The wound appearance in the second day, on the injection site of S. aureus, in groups1, 4, 3 and 2 were 84.2%, 66.7%, 46.2% and 23.1%, respectively. In the last day, the lesion still was remained in 78.9, 23.1, 92.3 and 77.7% in group 1 -4, respectively. The necrotic and wide wounds were more observed in groups 1 and 3 versus two other groups. The results from this investigation indicated that the ointment prepared from ethanol extract of Lemon verbena is a proper medication to prevent the skin infection by Staphylococcus aureus in the early phase but injected solution of this extract cannot show this effect, and none of them can prevent the wound itself completely.
