Essential oils and their volatile constituents are used widely to prevent and treat human disease. The possible role and mode of action of these natural products is discussed with regard to the prevention and treatment of cancer, cardiovascular diseases including atherosclerosis and thrombosis, as well as their bioactivity as antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidants and antidiabetic agents. Their application as natural skin penetration enhancers for transdermal drug delivery and the therapeutic properties of essential oils in aroma and massage therapy will also be outlined.

Pharmaceutical and therapeutic potentials of essential oils and their individual volatile constituents: a review.

A status review on the medicinal properties of essential oils

Labiatae family is well represented in Iran by 46 genera and 410 species and subspecies. Many members of this family are used in traditional and folk medicine. Also they are used as culinary and ornamental plants. There are no distinct references on the ethnobotany and ethnopharmacology of the family in Iran and most of the publications and documents related to the uses of these species are both in Persian and not comprehensive. In this article we reviewed all the available publication on this family. Also documentation from unpublished resources and ethnobotanical surveys has been included. Based on our literature search, out of the total number of the Labiatae family in Iran, 18% of the species are used for medicinal purposes. Leaves are the most used plant parts. Medicinal applications are classified into 13 main categories. A number of pharmacological and experimental studies have been reviewed, which confirm some of the traditional applications and also show the headline for future works on this family.

http://ijpr.sbmu.ac.ir/article_619_8e4fc23c02e59f3e168216be5cc02a85.pdf

Labiatae Family in folk Medicine in Iran: from Ethnobotany to Pharmacology

Toxicological and pharmacological concerns on oxidative stress and related diseases.

Objective: This review focuses on the medicinal plants growing and having history of folk medicine in Iran and found effective as anti free radical damage in animal or human. Design: Embase, Scopus, Pubmed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, IranMedex, and SID databases were searched up to 2 February 2008. The search terms were antioxidant or "lipid peroxidation" and "plant, medicinal plant, herb, traditional, natural or herbal medicine" limited to Iran. Studies that assessed effects on cell lines or isolated organs, fetal toxicity, and reviews or letters were excluded. Antioxidative effect and lipid peroxidation inhibition were the key outcomes. Results: Forty-six animal studies on the efficacy of medicinal plants were reviewed. Lipid peroxidation was reduced in different clinical circumstances by Ferula szovitsiana, Nigella sativa, Rosa damascene petal, Phlomis anisodonta, Rose- mary, Zataria multiflora Boiss, Saffron, Amirkabiria odorastissima mozaffarian, Ficus carica Linn., Ziziphora clinopoi- des, Carica papaya, Chichorium intybus, Turmer, Eugenol, Curcumin, and Pistacia vera L. Human studies showed that Cinnamomum zeylanicum and Echium amoenum Fisch & C.A. Mey reduce lipid peroxidation and improve total antioxi- dant power in healthy subjects. Improvement of blood lipid profile was shown by Silybum marianum, garlic, and wheat germ. Conclusion: Amongst these useful herbs, some like Cinnamon, Silybum marianum, Garlic, Nigella, and Echium seem po- tential targets of future effective drugs for diseases in which free radical damage play a pathogenical role.

A Systematic Review of the Potential Herbal Sources of Future Drugs Effective in Oxidant-Related Diseases

BACKGROUND: Satureja Khuzestanica is an endemic plant of Iran that is widely distributed in the southern part of the country. It is famous for its medical uses as an analgesic and antiseptic in folk medicine. The present study was designed to explore the toxicological and pharmacological effects of essential oil of Satureja Khuzestanica (SKEO) in vivo. MATERIAL/METHODS: The intraperitoneal LD50 of SKEO was determined. Teratogenicity was determined by administration of SKEO at doses of 500, 1000 and 1500 ppm to pregnant rats during days 6 to 015 of gestation. FRAP and TBARS assays were used to determine total antioxidant power and lipid peroxidation respectively. Diabetes and hyperlipidemia were induced by administration of streptozocin and lipid regimen in rats. SKEO (1000 ppm) was administered in drinking water for 10 days. RESULTS: SKEO is not lethal up to a dose of 2 g kg-1 in rats. In the teratogenicity test, dams of the treated group were active and did not show any signs of toxicity. A significant increase in the number of implantation and live fetuses were observed with SKEO (500 and 1000 ppm) in comparison to the control group. SKEO treatment decreased the normal blood lipid peroxidation level and increased total antioxidant power. Significant decreases in fasting blood glucose and triglyceride levels were observed with SKEO in diabetic and antihyperlipidemic rats respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This preliminary study indicates the safety and interesting stimulatory effect of SKEO on reproduction. The antioxidant properties of SKEO may explain its antidiabetic and triglyceride-lowering effects.

Antioxidant, antidiabetic, antihyperlipidemic,reproduction stimulatory properties and safety of essential oil of Satureja Khuzestanica in rat in vivo: a toxicopharmacological study

Although herbicides are used for weed control in the field, their residues can have unfavourable environmental impacts. The objective was to determine the sulfosulfuron herbicide residues in wheat field soil using bioassay and laboratory (HPLC) methods. The two-year experiment was a randomised complete-block design (RCBD) with three replicates using herbicide at control, recommended (26.6 g/ha, D1) and doubled (53.2 g/ha, D2) rates. Soil samples (0–10 cm) were collected randomly at intervals ranging from 0 to 125 days after spraying. Greenhouse experiments (bioassay method) with eight plant species indicated garden cress (Lepidium sativum L.) and corn (Zea mays L.) as the most and the least sensitive ones, respectively. The herbicide residues were stable at D1 up to 90 days after herbicide use, at 1.41 and 0.52 μg/kg in 2019 and 2020, respectively. However, 125 days after herbicide use no residues were observed. With time and for both treatments, soil herbicide residues decreased or the percentage of herbicide loss increased. The sensitivity of HPLC method to detect the herbicide residues was less than the bioassay method. The three-parameter sigmoid equation indicated the mean of DT50 for D1, averaged for the two years it was 19 days.  

Alireza Kazemi

Papers

Antioxidant, antidiabetic, antihyperlipidemic,reproduction stimulatory properties and safety of essential oil of Satureja Khuzestanica in rat in vivo: a toxicopharmacological study

Soil residues of sulfosulfuron herbicide in wheat field determined by bioassay and laboratory methods

Determination of toxic metal burden and related risk factors in pregnant women: a biological monitoring in Sabzevar, Iran