Effects of Pretreatment with Satureja Bachtiarica Essential Oil in Preventing Seizure in Pentylenetetrazol-Kindled Mice

Introduction: Epilepsy is a group of chronic neurological disorders characterized by seizures. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of pretreatment with Satureja bachtiarica essential oil in preventing epilepsy. Methods: In this experimental study, 50 mice were randomly assigned to five groups of 10 each. The control group received normal saline plus tween80 and, 30 min later, PTZ. Groups 2 and 3 were treated with S. bachtiarica essential oil at 50 and 100 mg/kg and 30 min later received PTZ, respectively. Group 4 received diazepam and 30 min later received PTZ. Group 5 received flumazenil and 30 min later received PTZ. After the last injection of PTZ, the time of seizure onset, seizure severity and score, the completion time of each seizure (attack episode), and mortality rate in different groups were recorded and compared. Results: The administration of S. bachtiarica essential oil at 50 and 100 mg/kg to PTZ-treated mice caused significant increase in latency to first seizure and survival, and significant decrease in the frequency of the head and upper limbs seizure, total body seizures, tonic seizures, and jumping. S. bachtiarica essential oil at 100 mg/kg caused a significant decrease in the head ticks frequency. The administration of flumazenil significantly inhibited S. bachtiarica essential oil induced effects and increased the head and upper limbs seizures, tonic seizures, and jumping. Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that S. bachtiarica essential oil can prevent PTZ-induced seizure and these findings authenticate the traditional claims about use of Satureja bachtiarica in treatment of epilepsy.

Medicinal plants with preventive and therapeutic effect on diarrhoea: A cross-sectional epidemiologic and ethnobotanical study in traditional therapists of Shahrekord, south-west of Iran

Chemical treatments for diarrhoea usually lead to side effects, so humans are seeking out a safe pharmaceutical source to cure them. From ancient times, medicinal plants have served as an important pharmaceutical source for the treatment of various acute and chronic diseases and infectious and non-infectious diseases. This study was carried out from April 2017 to February 2018 by interviewing with and administering a questionnaires to 29 traditional therapists. The questionnaire also included demographic items. The interviewers referred to the participants in person and asked them certain questions to elicit their beliefs about herbal medicine. Data were finally analyzed by the Excel software. In this study, the frequency of plant use was calculated by using a formula. According to the ethnobotanical knowledge of the region under study, Astragalus hamosus L., Ziziphora taurica M.Bieb., Anthemis hyalina DC., Plantago major L., Quercus brantii Lindl., Myrtus communis L., Satureja bachtiarica Bung., Glycyrrhiza glabra L., Peganum harmala L., Rheum ribes L., Rumex pulcher L., Artemisia absinthium, Descurainia sophia (L.) Prantle., Plantago major L. and some others medicinal plants are used as antidiarrhoeal medicinal plants. Most plant species reported belong to the Asteraceae family and the aerial part (36%) is the most frequently used plant organ for cases of diarrhoea in Shahrekord. The scientific registration and review of the written and non-written knowledge of different ethnicities in Iran regarding traditional medicine will help preserve the valuable treasure of thousands of years of Iranians’ medical knowledge and experience and will provide the basis for the discovery of new drugs and the progress of the pharmaceutical industry.

Anti-microbial Properties of Valeriana officinalis, Satureja bachtiarica and Thymus daenensis Methanolic Extracts against Helicobacter pylori

Aims: Helicobacter pylori infection spreads widely in the world and has several complications including gastric cancer. The aim of this work is to investigate the antimicrobial properties of Valeriana officinalis L., Satureja bachtiarica and Thymus daenensis extracts against H. pylori. Methods: The disk diffusion test was used in this experiment. Methanolic extract was isolated from Valeriana officinalis L., Satureja bachtiarica and Thymus daenensis. Ten clinical isolates of H. pylori were used in this experiment, which was obtained at Alzahra hospital, Tehran, Iran from individual patients with gastrointestinal disorders. H. pylori strains were identified using the checking of bacterial growth (0.5 – 1 mm), Gram staining, urease test, catalase test and the drug resistance standard was performed on them. To determine the MIC of the extracts, disk diffusion (Kirby-Bauer) test in agar was used. Results: The clinical strains showed the highest susceptibility to tetracycline (10%). The inhibition zone diameter was the highest at 10% concentration of methanolic extracts of Valeriana officinalis L., Satureja bachtiarica and Thymus daenensis and had the highest growth inhibitory effect at higher concentrations. Conclusion: The methanolic extracts of Valeriana officinalis L., Satureja bachtiarica and Thymus daenensis herbs showed high anti-H. pylori effects in high concentrations and among them, Satureja bachtiarica showed the highest antibacterial effect.