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.
Biological effects of essential oils and extracts
Hanieh Mohseni fazel; Karim Nozad namini; Hossein Hoseini; H. Zeinali
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus L.) is one of the most widespread weeds in the world, and regarding the amount of damage caused to crops, it is the third dominant dicotyledonous weed in the world. It is recommended to reduce the use of chemical herbicides ...
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Background and Objectives: Pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus L.) is one of the most widespread weeds in the world, and regarding the amount of damage caused to crops, it is the third dominant dicotyledonous weed in the world. It is recommended to reduce the use of chemical herbicides through the replacement of non-chemical methods in sustainable agricultural management, and the use of plants' allelopathic effects is one of these methods. On the other hand, plants in different growth stages have different allelopathy sensitivity.Methodology: To evaluate the allelopathic effect of aqueous and alcoholic extracts of eucalyptus (Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh) on Pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus) growth stages, an experiment was carried out as a factorial based on a randomized complete block design with three replications in the greenhouse of Kashan Barij Essential Company, Iran. Treatments included aqueous and alcoholic extracts of eucalyptus (50, 75, and 100 %), controlled (0.002 concentration of 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, Ethanol 70%, distilled water), and three growth stages (five-leaf stage, seven-leaf stage, and stem elongation). The studied traits were measured in all three growth stages one week after treatments. To measure traits, ten plants were randomly selected from each pot. The studied traits included leaf length and width, total leaf wet weight, total leaf dry weight, stem wet weight, stem dry weight, stem length, root length, root wet weight, root dry weight, total plant weight, and shoot/root ratio. A ruler was used to determine the length and width of the leaf, the length of the root, and the length of the stem. Analysis of the variance of the data was done by MSTAC software. If the experimental factor was significant, the LSD test was used to compare the means.Results: Leaf width, total leaf fresh weight, total leaf dry weight, stem fresh and dry weight, stem length, root length, root fresh and dry weight, total plant weight, and shoot/root ratio were affected by the growth stage where the extracts were used. The effect of the concentration of aqueous and ethanol extracts of eucalyptus on leaf length and width, total leaf fresh weight, total leaf dry weight, stem fresh weight, stem dry weight, stem length, root length, root fresh weight, root dry weight, total dry plant weight, and shoot/root ratio was significant. Spraying at the stem and 5-leaf stages had the highest and lowest leaf width, stem length, and root dry weight, respectively. The extract application at the stem elongation and five-leaf stage had the highest and lowest leaf width, stem length, and root dry weight, respectively. The application of distilled water in the stem elongation phase produced the maximum leaf length (3.06 cm), total fresh and dry weight of plant leaf (1.00 and 0.2764 gr), stem fresh and dry weight (1.35 and 0.393 gr), and total fresh and dry plant weight (2.80 and 0.801 gr), respectively. The application of 75% concentration of eucalyptus ethanol extract at the 5-leaf stage produced the lowest total fresh and dry weight of plant leaf (0.188 and 0.0521 gr), stem fresh and dry weight (0.303 and 0.046 gr) and total fresh and dry plant weight (0.633 and 0.1157 gr), respectively.Conclusion: The aqueous and alcoholic extracts significantly decreased Pigweed growth indices, and its inhibitory effect was not significantly different in most traits with 2-4-D herbicide. The inhibitory effect of alcoholic extract on pigweed growth was greater than aqueous extract. Given that almost all eucalyptus extracts, either alcoholic or aqueous, significantly reduced Pigweed growth, it may be possible to reduce the pressure of this weed on crops by combining and using them as a bio-herbicide.
Biological effects of essential oils and extracts
Hassan Hassani Kumleh; Sanaz Etemadi Shalkouhi; Mohsen Farhadpour; Mohammad Hossein Rezadoost
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Cancer is one of the most serious causes of death, and breast cancer is the most common malignancy among women. Medicinal plants can play a vital role in cancer treatment. Many effective cancer drugs today are derived from natural plant products. This ...
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Background and Objectives: Cancer is one of the most serious causes of death, and breast cancer is the most common malignancy among women. Medicinal plants can play a vital role in cancer treatment. Many effective cancer drugs today are derived from natural plant products. This study evaluates the cytotoxic effect of Pterocarya fraxinifolia leaf methanolic extract. It also evaluates its effect on the expression of the P21, BID, BCL-2, RB1, and MDM2 genes in the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line.Methodology: Extraction was done from 20 grams of dried and powdered leaves exposed to air by the soaking (maceration) method using pure methanol and after 24 hours in an incubator shaker at a speed of 120 rpm, temperature of 25°C and in the dark. After filtering and drying the extract, 5 mg of the resulting dry substance was dissolved in 1 ml of RPMI-1640 medium. After re-filtration, it was stored as a stock to prepare different concentrations. MCF-7 breast cancer cell lines and HGF-1 as a normal cell line were cultured in RPMI1640 medium containing FBS 10% (w/v), penicillin antibiotics, streptomycin 1% (w/v), and at 37°C temperature and 5% carbon dioxide pressure in an incubator. These cells were exposed to various concentrations of methanolic extract from Pterocarya fraxinifolia leaves for 24 hours. Cell survival rate was assessed with MTT colorimetric assay, and expression of genes involved in apoptosis (P21, BID, BCL-2, RB1, MDM2) in cancer cells treated with IC25 concentration of plant extract was evaluated by real-time PCR technique. RNA extraction from MCF-7 and HGF-1 cells was performed according to the RNX-plusTM kit instructions. cDNA synthesis was performed using Fermentase Company's kit (RevertAid First Strand cDNA Synthesis Kit) and according to its instructions. In this study, the GAPDH gene was used as an internal control.Results: The results of the MTT assay showed that the Pterocarya fraxinifolia (Poir) spach leaf methanolic extract had a concentration-dependent cytotoxic effect on MCF-7 breast cancer cells, and during the experiment, with increasing drug concentration, the effect of cytotoxicity increased in both cancer and normal lines and high inhibition was observed at concentrations of 1000 and 1200 μg.ml-1. The IC50 of Pterocarya fraxinifolia methanol extract against MCF-7 and HGF-1 cell lines was 452.1 and 479.2 μg.ml-1, respectively. Real-time PCR results showed that treatment with the Pterocarya fraxinifolia plant extract enhanced the expression of the P21 gene, while expression was nearly constant in extract-treated normal cells. The BID gene expression was increased in cancer cells treated with the plant extract. In contrast, normal cells under the influence of the extract showed a slight decrease in gene expression. The plant extract decreased the expression of the BCL-2 gene in cancer cells, whereas the expression of this gene in normal cells did not change significantly under the extract. The RB1 gene expression was not significantly altered in healthy cells after plant extract treatment but increased in the cancer cell line MCF-7. MDM2 gene expression in cancer cells treated with plant extract remained unchanged, whereas it slightly increased in healthy cells treated with extract.Conclusion: This study provides an overview of how Pterocarya fraxinifolia extract can inhibit cancer cell growth. This study confirms the inhibitory activity of the plant's methanolic extract on breast cancer cells. With further investigation, the plant compounds may one day be used to treat cancer.
Biological effects of essential oils and extracts
Z. Hejri; Y. Sadeghzadeh Yazdi
Abstract
Background and objectives: In type 2 diabetes, the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or the insulin it produces does not work properly. Type 2 diabetes, also known as insulin-independent diabetes, is the most common type of diabetes in the world, which usually occurs due to the resistance of ...
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Background and objectives: In type 2 diabetes, the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or the insulin it produces does not work properly. Type 2 diabetes, also known as insulin-independent diabetes, is the most common type of diabetes in the world, which usually occurs due to the resistance of the body's cells to insulin. Many useful compounds in dandelion (Taraxacum officinale L.) increase insulin production and reduce blood sugar levels.Methodology: In the present research, the effect of an aqueous dandelion root extract on blood sugar level reduction in type 2 diabetic patients in Mashhad was studied. After cleaning and removing impurities, the dandelion roots were dried on a grinding machine. Extraction from dandelion roots was performed with the Soxhlet apparatus. After the extraction process, the resulting extract was passed through a filter to separate the solid compounds. The prepared extract was consumed as tea twice a day by the selected diabetic patient for four days. A glucometer measured the diabetic patient's blood sugar level. Each day, blood sugar level measurement was performed for one hour and two hours (to study stability) after taking the second dose of the extract. The patient did not use supplements or drugs to lower blood sugar levels during the research. Since blood sugar fluctuations in fasting conditions at the beginning of each day depend on various factors such as mental, physical, nutritional, and especially nervous conditions, to reduce the error rate, fasting blood sugar was measured as a control one month before and one month after extract consumption.Results: Present research showed that blood sugar decreases significantly with the increase in the number of days of dandelion root extract consumption and the increase in the frequency of consumption per day. Based on the data obtained from the measurement of blood sugar levels in different time intervals, the four-day average blood sugar level of a diabetic person one month before consuming the extract was 233, which decreased by 81 units one month after consuming the extract and reached 152; Therefore, based on the obtained results, the consumption of the root extract of this plant causes a 35% decrease in blood sugar. A study of the interaction effect of the number of days of using dandelion root extract and the time of its use also showed that the simultaneous reduction of blood sugar level with increasing the number of days of extract consumption and the number of times of consumption per day is significant. The results of the analysis of variance for the response of blood sugar levels also indicated that the effect of factors A (number of days of extract use) and B (hours of extract use) with a P-value much lower than 0.05, on the reduction of blood sugar level is significant. Based on the numerical optimization of the data, the blood sugar level can be reached at 150.167 by consuming the extract twice daily for four days.Conclusion: Overall, this research shows the positive effect of dandelion root extract on type 2 diabetes. The decreasing trend of blood sugar with increasing the number of days of use and the number of times of use per day indicates that the long-term use of this extract can have more stable effects on reducing blood sugar in people with diabetes.
Biological effects of essential oils and extracts
A. Zamini; R. Taati; M.R. Rezaeiardeh; A. Najafikhah
Abstract
Background and objectives: Medicinal plants have a much healthier effect than chemical drugs, and due to the presence of various effective substances, they can be used in the prevention and treatment of many diseases. This research aims to compare the performance of hydroalcoholic extracts of eucalyptus ...
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Background and objectives: Medicinal plants have a much healthier effect than chemical drugs, and due to the presence of various effective substances, they can be used in the prevention and treatment of many diseases. This research aims to compare the performance of hydroalcoholic extracts of eucalyptus and garlic in reducing the fungal and bacterial load of Persian sturgeon (Acipenser persicus) eggs during incubation.Methodology: At first, enough sperm and eggs were obtained from Persian sturgeon male and female breeders after artificial propagation stages. After fertilization, the eggs were weighed by a digital scale. The number of eggs per gram, the total weight of eggs per tray, and the final number of eggs stored in the incubator were calculated. Considering the allocation of three trays for each treatment, the number of stored eggs for each treatment was 15000. The total number of stored eggs for five treatments was 75000. Hydroalcoholic extracts (70% ethanol solvent) of eucalyptus (appearance: clear, color: brown, pH=5.02) and garlic (appearance: clear, color: light brown, pH=6.49) were prepared. Five experimental treatments containing control (no extract), Eucalyptus 50 mg.l-1, eucalyptus 100 mg.l-1, Garlic 50 mg.l-1, and 100 mg.l-1 were designed in three replicates by the short-term bath method in three stages (days). At the end of the three disinfection stages, eggs were randomly sampled from each replicate for the total bacterial and fungal count.Results: No significant difference was observed in the water's physical and chemical factors, such as pH, dissolved oxygen, and temperature, during the disinfection stages of eggs (p<0.05). The results showed that treatments containing eucalyptus and garlic extracts at 50 and 100 mg/l showed lower total bacterial and fungal counts than the control treatment (P<0.05). Still, the eucalyptus extract at 100 mg/l performed much better than the rest of the experimental treatments (P<0.05). In incubation indices such as hatching rate and healthy larvae, statistically significant differences were observed in four treatments containing garlic and eucalyptus extracts (50 and 100 mg.l-1) with the control (P<0.05). Based on Duncan's test, the average rate of hatching and the number of healthy larvae were more in eucalyptus at 100 mg.l-1 than in other studied treatments (P<0.05). Egg hatching rates were equal in garlic and eucalyptus at 100 and 50 mg.l-1, respectively.Conclusion: During the research, there was no change in the appearance of the larvae, which can be considered the safety of plant extracts. Various factors such as the type and compounds in the plant, the amount of used concentration, the type of microorganism, the pH level, and the environment's temperature can influence the antimicrobial potential of herbal extracts and compounds. According to the obtained findings, it can be stated that hydroalcoholic extracts of Garlic and Eucalyptus played a very decisive role in reducing the fungal and bacterial contamination of Persian sturgeon eggs during the incubation period.
Biological effects of essential oils and extracts
Z. Norbakhsh; I. Hajkhodadadi; H.A. Ghasemi; M.H. Moradi
Abstract
Background and objective: Today, in the poultry industry, food additives are used to achieve the highest production at the lowest cost. Growth stimulants and food additives are chemical, biological, or natural compounds added to water and feed. They are used to improve growth and feed efficiency and ...
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Background and objective: Today, in the poultry industry, food additives are used to achieve the highest production at the lowest cost. Growth stimulants and food additives are chemical, biological, or natural compounds added to water and feed. They are used to improve growth and feed efficiency and obtain the highest and most economical production. The use of medicinal plants in poultry nutrition showed that, in addition to stimulating feed consumption, these plants also have antibiotic and anti-coccidiosis properties. This experiment aimed to investigate the effects of different levels of the herbal Bilhar (Dorema aucheri Boiss.) on the Production Parameters, hematology, and thigh and breast meat quality traits of broiler chickens in a completely randomized design.Methodology: In this study, 240 one-day-old Ross 308 were exposed to five treatments (four replicates), and 12 chickens in each replicate were raised for 42 days. The chickens had free access to water and feed during the rearing period. The necessary care was following scientific rearing principles and commercial catalog recommended methods. The experimental treatments included 1) control-common diet with no additive 2) control diet + 0.1% flavophospholipol antibiotic, 3) control diet + Bilhar (0.1 % in starter and grower, 0.05 % in finisher phase), 4) control diet + Bilhar (0.3 % in starter and grower, 0.15 % finisher phase), 3) control diet + Bilhar (0.5 % in starter and grower,0 .25 % in finisher phase). The experiment measured body weight and food consumption at the end of the initial, growth, and final periods. On the 42nd day, one chicken from each replicate was randomly selected and blood was collected through the wing vein. Two blood samples, one into the venoject tubes containing 0.5 cc of the anticoagulant ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), to collect and measure blood hematological parameters (the amount of red blood cells, white blood cells, hemoglobin, hematocrit and the subtracted population of white blood cells) and the other part of the blood into tubes free of anticoagulants in order to separate the blood serum, to measure the metabolites Serum biochemical tests were transferred. Results: Chick's body weight at 24 and 42 d was higher in the first Bilhar group and antibiotic level than in the control group. Different experimental groups significantly affected feed intake at the starter and grower phases (P> 0.05). Adding bilhar to the diet did not change red blood cell numbers but impacted hemoglobin, hematocrit percentages, and white blood cell count. Different levels of Bilher powder and antibiotics significantly influenced villus height, villus thickness, and villus area in the duodenum (P<0.05). But the depth of the crypt and the ratio of the height of the villi to the depth of the crypt in the duodenum did not show a statistically significant effect between the treatments (P<0.05). Despite no significant improvement in breast water holding capacity, dripping loss, or cooking loss, dietary billiards significantly decreased breast PH. Experimental treatments significantly affected thigh water holding capacity, dripping loss, and pH but did not affect thigh cooking loss.Conclusion: It can be concluded that in the case of most traits, especially functional traits, the first level of bilhar (treatment 3) improved compared to the control treatment. Therefore, this plant can be used at the indicated level as a plant additive in a broiler chicken diet. This will improve functional and histological traits.
Biological effects of essential oils and extracts
s. Akbari; Sh. Aramideh
Abstract
Aphis gossypii Glover. is one of the most important pests of Cucurbitaceae family. Nowadays, control of the pest population using the environmentally compatible compounds has been increased. In this study, fumigant toxicity of different concentrations and time intervals of Achillea millefolium L. and ...
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Aphis gossypii Glover. is one of the most important pests of Cucurbitaceae family. Nowadays, control of the pest population using the environmentally compatible compounds has been increased. In this study, fumigant toxicity of different concentrations and time intervals of Achillea millefolium L. and Mentha pulegium L. essential oils (EO) was studied in a completely randomized design on adults of mentioned pest. Also, sublethal effects of EOs were evaluated on life table parameters of adult aphids. The results showed that these plants EOs caused significant mortality of adult insects. LC50 of A. millefolium and M. pulegium EOs on A. gossypii were 34.90 and 23.34 µl.l-1 of air, respectively. LT50 of EOs were obtained 12.30 h in 34.90 µl.l-1 of air concentration of A. millefolium EO and 12.02 h in 23.34 µl.l-1 of air concentration of M. pulegium EO. Intrinsic rate of population increase (rm) as the most important life table parameter of the pest was obtained 0.28 (female/female/day: the number of female individuals produced per female each day) in the M. pulegium EO treatment and 0.27 (female/female/day) in the A. millefolium EO one, which had a significant decrease compared to control (0.34). The study results of sublethal effects of these two essential oils on population growth parameters indicated that age-specific survival rate of the aphid was lower in the treatments compared to control. Life expectancy (ex) was the lowest in the M. pulegium treatment (10.97 days) and highest in control (20.73 days). Net reproductive rate was calculated 15.64, 9.38, and 35.76 (female/female/generation) for A. millefolium, M. pulegium, and control, respectively. Our results revealed that the plant EOs studied could be suggested to be used in the integrated A. gossypii management programs in greenhouses due to the high potential in fumigant toxicity and population decrease of this pest.
Biological effects of essential oils and extracts
P. Shiri; A. Arasteh; G. Tajadod
Abstract
Plantago major L. is a herbaceous perennial plant with many biological effects such as strong antioxidant properties. This study aimed at investigating the inhibitory effect of P. major seeds extract on amyloid nanofibrils production and also to antioxidant properties of this extract. First, the plant ...
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Plantago major L. is a herbaceous perennial plant with many biological effects such as strong antioxidant properties. This study aimed at investigating the inhibitory effect of P. major seeds extract on amyloid nanofibrils production and also to antioxidant properties of this extract. First, the plant powdered-seeds hydroalcoholic extract was prepared using 96% ethanol. The extract compounds were then analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) method. The production of amyloid fibrils was confirmed using the concord spectrometry method and transmission electron microscope imaging and its antioxidant effects were evaluated by the DPPH method. The presence of pyrrolidinone (2.95%) and N-(4-aminobutyl) acetamide (17.98%) in the extract was confirmed by GC/MS. The highest antioxidant activity (99.18%) and lowest amyloid nanofibrils production (55.73%) were obtained in the concentrations of 2 and 0.4 mg.ml-1 of the extract, respectively. The presence of amyloid fibrils was confirmed by electron microscopic imaging. The results of this research showed that the P. major seeds extract can be introduced as a suitable candidate to reduce the complications caused by Alzheimer's disease.
Biological effects of essential oils and extracts
Z. Kalvandi; J. Nazemi rafie; A. Sadeghi; A. Salimi; R. Kalvandi; M. Negahban
Abstract
Nowadays, the invention and application of agricultural pest control non-chemical methods is one of the important and practical ones in pest management programs in most societies of the world. Meanwhile, a large number of studies have been focused on bio-based pesticides. In this regard, new formulations ...
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Nowadays, the invention and application of agricultural pest control non-chemical methods is one of the important and practical ones in pest management programs in most societies of the world. Meanwhile, a large number of studies have been focused on bio-based pesticides. In this regard, new formulations of plant insecticides have been developed as a suitable alternative to artificial pesticides. In this research, respiratory and contact toxicity of pure and formulated Eucalyptus globulus Labill. essential oil and respiratory toxicity durability of its essential oil nanocapsules on adult insects of Tribolium confusum Herbest. (Col., Tenebrionidae) were investigated under laboratory conditions. According to the results, for respiratory toxicity, the pure and formulated essential oil LC50 at 24 h was obtained 46.39 and 1472 μl.l-1 of air, respectively. The formulated essential oil LT50 in three concentrations of LC25, LC50, and LC90 was determined 12.3, 10.39, and 0.36 days, respectively. The results also showed that the contact toxicity of formulated essential oil (LC50= 19030 μl.l-1) on this insect was much higher than the contact toxicity of pure one (LC50= 3770 μl.l-1). Therefore, due to the good stability of the formulated essential oil in respiratory toxicity and the excellent effect in contact toxicity, after additional tests, eucalyptus essential oil nanocapsules could be used in the management of this important pest.
Biological effects of essential oils and extracts
F. Moraghebi; Sh. Aghazadeh Yamchelo; S.M. Maddah
Abstract
Gastric cancer is a malignant tumor that is one of the most common types of cancer in the world and Iran. Plants are rich sources of a variety of antioxidant compounds which can be used to produce anti-cancer drugs. In this study, the antioxidant properties and cytotoxicity of Ephedra major Host. extract, ...
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Gastric cancer is a malignant tumor that is one of the most common types of cancer in the world and Iran. Plants are rich sources of a variety of antioxidant compounds which can be used to produce anti-cancer drugs. In this study, the antioxidant properties and cytotoxicity of Ephedra major Host. extract, collected from "Parandak" in Robat Karim city, Tehran province, were investigated on AGS gastric cancer cells. Ethanol and methanol hydroalcoholic extracts (80%) of plant vegetative shoots were extracted by soaking method. Phenolic content of the extracts was measured by Folin-Ciocalteu agent and their antioxidant activity was assessed using DPPH test. Also, the cytotoxicity degree of different concentrations of this plant extract on the AGS gastric cancer cells was evaluated at three times of 24, 48, and 72 hours using MTT method. BCL2 gene expression change was measured using Real time-PCR. The results showed that the antioxidant properties and phenolic content of ethanol extract were higher than methanol one. The results of MTT test showed that with increasing concentration of ethanol extract, cell viability decreased and after 48 hours, IC50 was obtained 250 µg.ml-1 of extract. The BCL2 gene expression decreased in the extract treatment, although this decrease was not significant. Overall, the ethanol extract of the aerial shoots of this plant could inhibit the growth of gastric cancer cells, but did not have a significant effect on reducing the expression of BCL2 anti-apoptotic gene.
Biological effects of essential oils and extracts
B.H. Bahador; J. Bahrampour; A. Moosaei; H. Doomari
Abstract
Henna (Lawsonia inermis L.) leaves have unique medicinal properties like antibiotic ones due to the large amounts of phenolics such as tannins. To investigate the effects of feeding with henna leaves on performance, some blood parameters, and liver enzymes of 20 Kermani male lambs, an experiment was ...
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Henna (Lawsonia inermis L.) leaves have unique medicinal properties like antibiotic ones due to the large amounts of phenolics such as tannins. To investigate the effects of feeding with henna leaves on performance, some blood parameters, and liver enzymes of 20 Kermani male lambs, an experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with five replications. Experimental treatments included (T1) basic diet (BD) (control), (T2) BD+30 g henna leaves (HL), (T3) BD+60 g HL, and (T4) BD+90 g HL. The results showed that although the treatments did not have significant effects on performance, but the highest and lowest amount of feed consumption and food conversion ratio were respectively observed in control and T4, as well as the highest and lowest amount of daily weight gain belonged to T4 and control, respectively. Glucose and blood urea nitrogen concentrations were not affected by the experimental treatments (P≥0.05). Cholesterol, triglyceride, and total protein concentrations were significantly increased with increasing henna leaf amount in the diet (P≤0.05). The lowest concentrations of liver enzymes aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were obtained in T3 (P≤ 0.05). Overall, it was revealed that using different levels of henna in the diet of Kermani lambs did not affect their growth performance and glucose, but significantly increased cholesterol, triglycerides, and total protein and decreased AST and ALT.
Biological effects of essential oils and extracts
T. Soleimani; A. Ebrahimi; F. Mahjoubi; M. Sadeghi
Abstract
Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe.) is a spicy medicinal plant with antioxidant, antitumor, and anticancer properties. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of ethanol extract of fresh ginger rhizome on inhibiting HCT-116 colon cancer cells and the expression of TGFBR2 and DDC genes ...
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Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe.) is a spicy medicinal plant with antioxidant, antitumor, and anticancer properties. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of ethanol extract of fresh ginger rhizome on inhibiting HCT-116 colon cancer cells and the expression of TGFBR2 and DDC genes as tumor suppressor genes and β-Actin gene as reference gene. HPLC analysis was used to identify and measure the amount of 6-gingerol in the extract. Toxicity of different concentrations of the complete extract (0, 10, 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 350, 400, and 500 μg.ml-1) on the HTC-116 cell line was investigated using the MTT test, 16 and 24 hours after the start of the test (at 16 and 24). The expression of TGFBT2, DCC, and β-Actin genes was assessed by RT-PCR after treatment with concentrations of 150 and 300 μg.ml-1 of the complete extract at 16 and 24 hours. The amount of 6-gingerol was obtained 86.2 ± 2.03 mg per 100 g dry weight of ginger ethanol extract powder based on the HPLC results. The MTT test results showed that IC50 was 80.44 at 16 h and 473.19 at 24 h. Cell mortality was significantly increased at concentrations of 150 and 300 μg.ml-1 of the extract. Also, expression of the TGFBT2 and DCC genes increased at 150 μg.ml-1 at both 24 and 16 hours significantly (P<0.01). The present research proved the ginger extract effect on tumor inhibitory genes induction in HCT-116 colon cancer cell line.
Biological effects of essential oils and extracts
M. Mohammadalizadeh; A. Asgharzadeh; M. Tatari
Abstract
Plants polyphenolics play an important role in reducing the effects of the diseases on the body. Chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) is one of the natural sources of polyphenols. Chicory leaves contain minerals and glucosides called chicory (sicorin) and its roots contain sugars, inulin, pectin and essential ...
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Plants polyphenolics play an important role in reducing the effects of the diseases on the body. Chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) is one of the natural sources of polyphenols. Chicory leaves contain minerals and glucosides called chicory (sicorin) and its roots contain sugars, inulin, pectin and essential oil. The liver is an essential organ of the body that performs over 500 vital functions. The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of consumption on liver enzymes concentration, fertility, and masculinity in rats. Thirty-two rats were divided into four groups. Chicory extract was prepared using Soxhlet method and methanol solvent. The treatment groups received the chicory extract in different amounts and concentrations for 28 days. One group was also considered as the control group. On the 29th day, blood samples were taken from the ventricular area of the heart. To determine the effects of chicory consumption on fertility and masculinity, fertilization was performed naturally in each group and the number of offspring and their gender were determined and compared. The results showed that chicory methanol extract consumption made significant differences between the different treatments compared to the control on LH (in 100 (P<0.01) and 200 (P<0.001) mg.kg-1) and FSH (in 100 (P<0.001) and 200 (P<0.001) mg.kg-1) hormones, number of births (in 100 (P<0.01) and 200 (P<0.01) mg.kg-1) and male offspring (in 100 (P<0.05) and 200 (P<0.01) mg.kg-1), but there was no significant difference in the liver enzymes concentration in different treatments compared to the control.
Biological effects of essential oils and extracts
D. Yazdani; M. Ebrahimi; A. Moodi; F. Nabati; M. Pouyan; S. Alvani; F. Jokar Shourijeh
Abstract
South Khorasan province is considered as the largest producer of jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.) in Iran and the lives of a significant part of the locals depend on this product. The spread of jujube pest Monosteira alticarinata Ghauri in recent years, in addition to reducing the crop production, has ...
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South Khorasan province is considered as the largest producer of jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.) in Iran and the lives of a significant part of the locals depend on this product. The spread of jujube pest Monosteira alticarinata Ghauri in recent years, in addition to reducing the crop production, has threatened the health of jujube consumers due to the widespread use of chemical pesticides to control this insect at harvest time. Therefore, the possibility of controlling this pest with formulations of some medicinal plants extracts and essential oils was investigated for the first time in this study. In the laboratory phase, the formulations included Capsicum annuum L. extract (30%)+Allium sativum L. oil (10%), Mentha piperita L. essential oil (10%)+Pelargonium graveolens L’Hér. essential oil (10%), Syzygium aromaticum L. essential oil (30%), Azadirachta indica A. Juss. oil (5%)+Thymus vulgaris L. essential oil (5%), and A. indica oil (5%)+ Th. vulgaris essential oil (5%)+potassium soap (50%) with deltamethrin (0.1%) and water as positive and negative controls, respectively were assayed in bioassay test. The results showed the high efficiency of the 5thformulation, which after four hours with a concentration of 2% caused 100% death of the pest and placed in the same statistical group with deltamethrin (92.5% efficiency in killing the pest). The results of Polo Plus software showed LC50 at a concentration of 0.91% of 5thformulation. The results of field data analysis showed the relative controlling potential of the formulation used in the field surveys, so that after 24, 48, and 72 hours, the insect control percentage at a concentration of 2% of this formulation was 27.43, 43.99, and 56.24%, respectively. These results showed that the fifth herbal formulation (2%) had a good ability to control M. alticarinata and could be used as an alternative to common chemical pesticides after official registration.
Biological effects of essential oils and extracts
S. Malekpur; S. Nosrati; B. Behboodian; J. Gholamnezhad; M. Armin
Abstract
In the present study, first, an in vitro experiment was conducted to study the effects of Thymus vulgaris L., Foeniculum vulgare Mill., Rosmarinus officinalis L., and Mentha piperita L. water extracts on reducing the growth of Fusarium rot disease factor of cucumber (Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radicis-cucumerinum ...
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In the present study, first, an in vitro experiment was conducted to study the effects of Thymus vulgaris L., Foeniculum vulgare Mill., Rosmarinus officinalis L., and Mentha piperita L. water extracts on reducing the growth of Fusarium rot disease factor of cucumber (Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radicis-cucumerinum (forc)) by the saturated paper disk method. According to the results, the water extracts of Th. vulgaris, F. vulgare, R. officinalis, and M. piperita at a concentration of 250 ppm with the inhibitory zone diameter of 24.66, 17.33, 11.66, and 10.33 mm, respectively, showed the highest antifungal activity compared to the control (the inhibitory zone diameter of 3.66 mm). Then, it followed by a greenhouse experiment to investigate the effects of Th. vulgaris and F. vulgare water extracts on the cucumber cv. Nagene treated with F. oxysporum. The water extract of Th. vulgaris at a concentration of 200 ppm with the disease index of 31% showed the greatest reduction in the disease symptoms compared to the infected control and the F. vulgare treatment with the disease indices of 82.66 and 42%, respectively. Study on the activity of polyphenol oxidase, β-1, 3-glucanase, and peroxidase enzymes under the greenhouse conditions showed that the activity of all three enzymes had an increasing trend. So that the activity of enzymes in the combined treatment of Th. vulgaris water extract (200 ppm) and pathogen increased respectively from 1.12, 1.11, and 0.27 ΔOD/min/mg protein on the first day after the inoculation to 5.25, 4.81, and 2.88 ΔOD/min/mg protein on the 12th day, and it had a significant difference with the control. Considering the results of this research, it was found that the water extract of Th. vulgaris, in addition to the direct fungicidal effect, could increase the activity of defense enzymes in the cucumber plants resulted in the host plant resistance induction against the pathogen.
Biological effects of essential oils and extracts
F. Mashhadi; M. Ghorbani Nohooji; R. Yaraee
Abstract
Plants from the fam. lamiaceae are the rich sources of medicinal compounds with the anticancer properties. In many studies, only the anticancer properties of these compounds have been investigated and their toxicity on the healthy cells has not been addressed. The present study was designed to evaluate ...
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Plants from the fam. lamiaceae are the rich sources of medicinal compounds with the anticancer properties. In many studies, only the anticancer properties of these compounds have been investigated and their toxicity on the healthy cells has not been addressed. The present study was designed to evaluate and compare the toxic effects of Origanum vulgare L. and O. majorana L. essential oils on the cancer cells line BCL-1 and normal lymphocytes and macrophages under in vitro conditions. The plant samples essential oils were extracted using the hydro-distillation method and analyzed by GC and GC/MS. The cancer cells line BCL-1 and normal lymphocytes and macrophages were cultured with the various concentrations of essential oils for 24h. The viability and cells toxicity under the influence of essential oils were determined by the MTT and LDH assays. The GC/MS results showed that the two essential oils had only 12 common components. Both essential oils inhibited the growth of cancer cells line BCL-1 (O. vulgare, 47-79% and O. majorana, 30-82%) at a concentration of 0.01-1% (O. vulgare essential oil IC50: 0.01% and O. majorana essential oil IC50: 0.03%). The essential oils at the highest concentration (1%) did not decrease the immune cells viability. Also, according to the LDH test results, none of the concentrations of both essential oils had a toxic effect on the normal lymphocytes and macrophages. Overall, based on the present study results, the O. vulgare and O. majorana essential oils could be recommended as good candidates for the cancer treatment because they had no cytotoxic effect on the normal immune system cells in addition to having the strong anticancer properties.
Biological effects of essential oils and extracts
E. Ostovar; S. Khodayari; Sh. Aramideh
Abstract
Annually a significant portion of agricultural products is destroyed by the stored products pests. The chemical pesticides are commonly used to control pests. The residual hazards of pesticides on the storage products as well as increase in the pest resistance necessitate the selection of safe and effective ...
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Annually a significant portion of agricultural products is destroyed by the stored products pests. The chemical pesticides are commonly used to control pests. The residual hazards of pesticides on the storage products as well as increase in the pest resistance necessitate the selection of safe and effective control methods. The plant compounds can be the subject of researches on the storage pests control with the low-risk methods. Therfore, this experiment was conducted to study the effects of peel essential oil from three Citrus spp. including Citrus limon L., C. sinensis L., and C. aurantium L. on the adults of Callosobruchus maculatus F., Sitophilus granarius L., and Tribolium confusum Duv. The probit analysis was performed after 24 and 48 hours to evaluate the effects of essential oils on the pests. After determining the LC50 and LC25, the combinations of C. limon LC25 + C. aurantium LC25, C. limon LC25 + C. sinensis LC25, and C. sinensis LC25 + C. aurantium LC25 were tested to evaluate the combined effects of essential oils. The treatments had three replications and each replicate was performed on ten two-days-old adult insects in a completely randomized design. Also, the essential oils were analyzed by GC/MS to evaluate their major constituents. The LC50 value (µl.l-1) of essential oils of C. limon, C. sinensis, and C. aurantium was 3.8, 2.65, and 3.11 after 24 hours and 2.48, 1.93, and 2.88 after 48 hours on the S. granaries adults, 0.23, 2.41, and 2.66 after 24 hours and 0.13, 1.38, and 2.35 after 48 hours on C. maculatus, and 5.33, 2.76, and 1.35 after 24 hours and 24.2, 2.49, and 0.89 after 48 hours on T. confusum, respectively. The study on the combined effects of essential oils showed that the C. limon LC25 + C. sinensis LC25 treatment was more effective than the effect of each essential oil alone on all three pests. According to the results of this study, the use of Citrus peel essential oil, especially C. limon, could be recommended in the production of bio-pesticides.
Biological effects of essential oils and extracts
M. Mohammadzadeh; M. Salarmoini; M. Afsharmanesh; M. Khajeh Bami
Abstract
To investigate the effects of sex and fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) seed powder on the growth performance, immune response, and intestinal microflora and morphology of broilers, a factorial experiment was conducted with 240 one-day-old broilers (strain Ross308, 120 males and 120 females) in ...
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To investigate the effects of sex and fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) seed powder on the growth performance, immune response, and intestinal microflora and morphology of broilers, a factorial experiment was conducted with 240 one-day-old broilers (strain Ross308, 120 males and 120 females) in a completely randomized design with three levels of fenugreek seed powder (zero, 0.5, and 1 %) and two sex (male and female) with four replications and 10 birds per replicate. The results showed that the body weight gain, feed intake, European efficiency factor, and intestinal Lactobacillus bacteria population were higher in the males than the females (P<0.05). The main effects of fenugreek seed powder and sex showed that the length and villi width and villus length to crypt depth ratio were higher in the intestine of chickens fed with the diet containing 1% fenugreek than the control and in the males than the females (P<0.05). The interactions showed that the length and villi width and villus length to crypt depth ratio were lower in the intestines of males fed with the control diet compared to the other groups (P<0.05). The antibody titer against the sheep red blood cells in the serum of chickens fed with the diet containing 1% fenugreek was higher than the control (P<0.05). In general, the results showed that adding 1% fenugreek seed powder to the broilers diet had beneficial effects and could improve the intestinal morphology and immune response.
Biological effects of essential oils and extracts
M. Hejazy; R. Norouzi
Abstract
From the past until now, the plants and their products have been used as food and medicine in the nutrition and treatment of diseases in humans and animals. However, in the popular perception, the herbal nature of a medicinal or food product was equivalent to its lack of toxicity and safety, and the ...
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From the past until now, the plants and their products have been used as food and medicine in the nutrition and treatment of diseases in humans and animals. However, in the popular perception, the herbal nature of a medicinal or food product was equivalent to its lack of toxicity and safety, and the side effects and toxicity of the plants and their products have been less studied. Therefore, the use of a system that incorporates the bioethical considerations, speed, simplicity, and at the same time economic considerations is necessary to estimate the toxicity and determine the LC50 of medicinal plants before consumption. The aim of this study was to use the organism Artemia salina in the evaluation of toxicity and LC50 of some medicinal plants. In this study, the extract toxicity of medicinal plants Rosa damascena Mill., Descurainia sophia (L.) Schur, Ferula assa-foetida L., Colchicum autumnale L., Allium sativum L., and Taxus baccata L. was assessed by determining the LC50 index using the Artemia salina test. The extracts were prepared by the maceration technique. The Artemia salina cysts were hatched out in the artificial seawater at 27 °C and the larvae were then exposed to the plant extracts at the different concentrations (10, 100, and 1000 mg.ml-1) for 24 hours. The concentration needed to kill half of the larvae (LC50) was calculated. The LC50 levels of D. sophia, A. sativum, R. damascena, T. baccata, C. autumnale, and F. assa-foetida were obtained 4812, 3316, 997, 44.07, 10.44, and 2.37 mg.ml-1, respectively. Overall, the results showed that A. salina test could be used as a model in determining the LC50 index for the toxicological tests of herbal products.
Biological effects of essential oils and extracts
S. Masoud-Moghaddam; J. Mehrzad; A.H. Alizadeh Ghamsari; R. Bahari Kashani; J. Saeidi
Abstract
This study aimed at comparing the effects of four commercial herbal additives and a growth-promoting antibiotic (virginiamycin) on the productive traits, some blood biochemical parameters, and serum hepatic enzymes activity of broilers. Nine hundred one day-old male broilers (Ross 308 strain) were used ...
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This study aimed at comparing the effects of four commercial herbal additives and a growth-promoting antibiotic (virginiamycin) on the productive traits, some blood biochemical parameters, and serum hepatic enzymes activity of broilers. Nine hundred one day-old male broilers (Ross 308 strain) were used in a completely randomized design with five treatments and six replicates of 30 birds. The experimental treatments included the diets containing Noviherb®, Bioessence®, and Biostrong® (each at a rate of 100 g ton-1 of diet), diet containing Novigrow® (1000 g ton-1 of diet), and diet containing virginiamycin (100 g ton-1 of diet) as positive control. The amount of feed intake, body weight, mortality percentage, feed conversion ratio, and European broiler index were measured during 1 to 42 days of broilers age. At the 28 and 42 days of age, the blood samples were taken from four birds per replicate and the blood parameters including the concentration of total protein, uric acid, albumin, glucose, triglyceride, cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and the activity of gamma-glutamyl transferase, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase serum enzymes were measured. The results showed that the effects of tested herbal additives on the performance and European broiler index were not significant in comparison with the antibiotic. The concentration of blood parameters and the activity of serum liver enzymes at the 28 and 42 days of age were not affected by the experimental treatments. Based on these results, the additives evaluated could be suitable alternatives to the growth-promoting antibiotics without adversely affecting the performance and serum biochemical parameters of broilers.
Biological effects of essential oils and extracts
F. Zafarmand Kashani; D. Khademi Shurmasti
Abstract
The environmental hazards of polymer packaging have increased the tendency to use the biodegradable composites. Due to the use limitations of synthetic antioxidants and antibiotics, the use of alternative natural products has been developed. In this study, the antioxidant and antimicrobial effects of ...
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The environmental hazards of polymer packaging have increased the tendency to use the biodegradable composites. Due to the use limitations of synthetic antioxidants and antibiotics, the use of alternative natural products has been developed. In this study, the antioxidant and antimicrobial effects of Zataria multiflora Boiss. and Cuminum cyminum L. alcoholic extracts in the bioactive coatings on the shelf life of chicken meat were evaluated and compared with propyl gallate. For this purpose, an experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with five experimental treatments including the uncoated chicken fillets (control), fillets coated with 8% sodium caseinate, sodium caseinate-based coated enriched with thyme extract (1.5%), cumin extract (1.5%), and propyl gallate (100 ppm) and three replications for 10 days at refrigerator temperature. The results showed that the use of sodium caseinate coating reduced the number of aerobic mesophilic bacteria, psychrophilic bacteria, thiobarbituric acid index, peroxide value, and total volatile nitrogen compounds of the fillets during storage. The use of plant extracts and propyl gallate increased the antioxidant and antimicrobial efficiency of the bioactive coatings. At the end of storage period, the fillets coated with sodium caseinate- cumin extract showed the lowest amount of aerobic mesophilic and psychrophilic bacteria and the total volatile nitrogen compounds (p < /em><0.05) and the fillets coated with sodium caseinate- thyme extract showed the lowest thiobarbituric acid index and peroxide value (p < /em><0.05) with no statistically significant difference with the bioactive coatings containing propyl gallate. Therefore, the bioactive coating of sodium caseinate containing cumin and thyme extracts can be used to increase the shelf life of chicken fillets at the refrigerator storage for at least 10 days.
Biological effects of essential oils and extracts
S. Esfandyari; M. Mazhari; O. Esmaeilipour; H. Doumari
Abstract
To investigate the antioxidant properties of Oxalis corniculata L. leaves powder and compare the effects of its addition with vitamin C on the performance and meat quality of broilers under heat stress conditions, an experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with four treatments, five ...
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To investigate the antioxidant properties of Oxalis corniculata L. leaves powder and compare the effects of its addition with vitamin C on the performance and meat quality of broilers under heat stress conditions, an experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with four treatments, five replications, and 10 birds per replication. The experimental treatments included the corn-soybean diet as a basal diet (control), basal diet + 250 mg kg-1 vitamin C, basal diet + 0.5% O. corniculata leaves powder, and basal diet + 1% O. corniculata leaves powder. To apply heat stress, the chickens from 25 to 42 days of their age were exposed to 34 ± 2 °C for eight hours a day. The performance traits including feed intake, weight gain, and feed conversion ratio were recorded at the end of the experiment. Also, at the end of the experiment, two birds per replicates were randomly selected and slaughtered to measure the meat quality traits. The total phenolic compounds content in the methanolic extract of O. corniculata was 11.73 mg of gallic acid / g of dry matter. The free radical scavenging activity (DPPH assay) percentage and the amount of vitamin C of this plant were obtained 46.63% and 88 mg/g of dry matter, respectively. The consumption of 1% leaves powder of the plant increased the feed intake and weight of broilers compared to the control (p < /em><0.05). The lowest feed conversion ratio was observed in the group of 1% leaves powder of the plant and vitamin C (p < /em><0.05). The highest water holding capacity and meat moisture was observed in the broilers fed with O. corniculata leaves powder compared to the control (p < /em><0.05). All the treatments reduced the cooking loss and dripping loss of meat compared to the control (p < /em><0.05). According to the results of this experiment, the basal diet + 250 mg kg-1 vitamin C and basal diet + 1% O. corniculata leaves powder treatments could improve the growth performance and some meat quality parameters of broilers under heat stress conditions.
Biological effects of essential oils and extracts
Z. tahami; S.M. Hosseini; A. Valizadeh Ghalebeig
Abstract
To evaluate the effects of a mixture from Cinnamomum cassia (L.) J.Presl, Mentha pulegium L., and Capsicum annuum L. extracts on the relative weight of visceral and gastrointestinal organs, gastrointestinal tract acidity, blood parameters, and tibia characteristics of Ross 308 broilers, an experiment ...
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To evaluate the effects of a mixture from Cinnamomum cassia (L.) J.Presl, Mentha pulegium L., and Capsicum annuum L. extracts on the relative weight of visceral and gastrointestinal organs, gastrointestinal tract acidity, blood parameters, and tibia characteristics of Ross 308 broilers, an experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with five treatments, four replications, and eight chickens per replication. The experimental treatments included basal diet (BD), BD+500 mg kg-1 oxytetracycline, BD+50 mg kg-1 mixed extract, BD+100 mg kg-1 mixed extract, and BD+200 mg kg-1 mixed extract. After 42 days of raising the broilers with the mixed extract, the sampling was performed to evaluate the desired traits. The results showed that the consumption of 100 mg kg-1 mixed extract increased the pancreas and heart weight, relative length of ileum and jejunum, and relative weight and length of tibia and reduced the acidity of duodenum and jejunum compared to the control (p < /em><0.05). The results showed that the experimental treatments did not affect the concentration of blood elements of broilers, but the amount of magnesium and phosphorus in tibia was affected by 50 and 100 mg kg-1 mixed extract (p < /em><0.05). Based on the findings of this study, it could be concluded that the use of 100 mg kg-1 mixed extract improved the performance of broilers by increasing the relative length and weight of gastrointestinal organs and reducing the acidity of gastrointestinal tract.
Biological effects of essential oils and extracts
M. Ajamhassani
Abstract
< p >The lethal and physiological effects of plant secondary metabolites on a wide range of pest insects have been proved. These compounds, while having a direct effect on the target pest, are low risk to humans and the environment, and this has led to their advantage over chemicals. In this study, ...
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< p >The lethal and physiological effects of plant secondary metabolites on a wide range of pest insects have been proved. These compounds, while having a direct effect on the target pest, are low risk to humans and the environment, and this has led to their advantage over chemicals. In this study, the lethal effect of Ferula assa-foetida L. and Aloysia citriodora Palau ethanolic extracts was determined on the third instar larvae of Ephestia kuehniella. The larval mortality was directly related to increasing the extracts concentration. The activity of some digestive enzymes in the gastrointestinal tract and the changes in hemocytes were also studied in the third instar larvae treated with the extracts. First, sublethal concentration of plant ethanolic extracts was calculated. The larvae then fed the diet contaminated by the lethal concentration of 25% (LC25) of the extracts (40 and 30 ppm for F. assa-foetida and A. citriodora,respectively). The control group consisted of larvae that fed the diet contaminated with diluted ethanol. The results indicated that both extracts significantly reduced the activity of trypsin and chymotrypsin enzymes. F. assa-foetida extract significantly reduced the activity of lipase and beta-glucosidase enzymes compared to the control, but the effect of A. citriodora extract on the activity of these two enzymes was in a statistical group with the control. The extracts had no significant effects on the alpha-glucosidase enzyme activity. The immune activity of larvae was also stimulated by changes in the number of blood cells affected by both extracts. The total number of cells and granulocytes of hemolymph showed a significant increase after 12 hours of feeding in the both extracts treatments, but gradually decreased until 24 hours that was still higher than the control group. The plasmatocytes showed a significant increase in the A. citriodora extract treatment after 12 hours,but in the F. assa-foetida extract treatment, this increase was significant after 24 hours. Understanding the intractions of plant extracts with the insect physiological characteristics such as the physiology of digestive and blood circulatory systems can lead to the possibility of appropriate use of these factors in the target pest control and be used in the pests management programs.
Biological effects of essential oils and extracts
E. Kianifar; S. Ketabchi
Abstract
Nowadays, considering the side effects of chemical preservatives and the attention of food manufacturers to the natural preservatives, it seems necessary to evaluate the antimicrobial effects of natural preservatives in the laboratory and food models. In this study, the stems and leaves essential oil ...
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Nowadays, considering the side effects of chemical preservatives and the attention of food manufacturers to the natural preservatives, it seems necessary to evaluate the antimicrobial effects of natural preservatives in the laboratory and food models. In this study, the stems and leaves essential oil of Anethum graveolens L. was extracted by Clevenger apparatus and its compounds were identified using GC-MS. The fresh celery juice was stored for 7 days at the room temperature until it was rotten, then the serial dilution was prepared and the bacterial culture was performed using pour plate method. The different bacterial isolates were purified and the antibacterial effect of different essential oil concentrations was investigated by disk diffusion method on the dominant bacteria. The sensitive bacteria to the dill essential oil were identified by the standard microbiological methods and 16S rRNA gene amplification method. Then the effective concentration was added to the celery juice and the effect of essential oil on the population of total and dominant bacteria was investigated. The sensory acceptance of different essential oil concentrations among the population groups was assessed by a five-point hedonic questionnaire. This research was conducted in a completely randomized design with three replications. Based on the GC-MS results, dillapiole (21.2%), α-phellandrene (37.2%), and β-phellandrene (9.2%) were the most important constituents of dill essential oil. The results of sequence blasting showed that Bacillus cereus and Acetobacter fabarum were the most dominant putrefactive bacteria in the celery juice. Based on the results, there was a significant difference between the five concentration groups in terms of halo diameter in the bacteria. The highest halo diameter in both bacteria was obtained at the concentration of 1000. In general, the results of the present study showed that dill essential oil is a suitable additive for the celery juice based on the results of sensory evaluation and in terms of controlling the putrefactive bacteria.
