“Lemongrass” and its applications for the treatment of hypertension

Hypertension (high blood pressure) is the pre-symptom of cardiovascular disease. The number of people living with hypertension has doubled to 1.28 billion and proportionally increased until today. This is a long-term disease and requires continuous monitoring. A traditional Chinese herbal, “Lemongrass”, might be a good choice for the mainstay of hypertension. Some library search engines are used, such as SCI/SCIE, PubMed, and Scopus, within ten to twenty years, from 1999-2020. The searched keywords and phrases are “lemongrass”, “formulation”, “traditional Chinese medicine”, “hydrogel”, “hypertension”, “lemongrass + tea formulation”, “lemongrass + hydrogel”, “Lemongrass + Hypertension”, “Lemongrass + traditional Chinese medicine” etc. This minireview discusses the background of hypertension, lemongrass, research progress, mechanism, lemongrass tea formulations, lemongrass with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) formulations, and the lemongrass hydrogel application in the treatment of hypertension.

Medicinal herbs: The missing link to sustainable aquaculture

Aquaculture, given its direct role in the human diet, mandates strict quality assurance and health protocols. Healthy fish require a strong immune system to defend themselves from a broad spectrum of pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Stimulating the immune system is a prevalent measure taken to ensure satisfactory immune response and disease control. Measures against disease outbreaks are available, such as chemoprophylaxis with vaccines, chemical therapeutics, and antibiotics. All of which, alongside their benefits, pose certain risks to the fish’s habitat and itself. Natural substances extracted from herbs or their parts (roots, leaves, etc) tend to be the most effective therapeutics with the least adverse effects. In this study, natural remedies have been discussed as a potent method of preventive care in aquaculture.

Could Scutellaria barbata D. Don be used for treating lung cancer and SARS-CoV-2?

Dear Editor, Scutellaria barbata D. Don (SBD) is a perennial herb and belongs to the “Lamiaceae” family. This is widely used in China for a long time as Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Based on the TCM theory, SBD is in the category of “Heat-Clearing”. Its functions are to remove heat and detoxification, disperse blood stasis and diuresis. [...]

Dried seahorse in traditional medicine: A narrative review

Seahorses are classified as members of Syngnathidae family, which includes pipefishes, pipehorses, and seadragons. China, including Hong Kong, uses 250 tons of seahorses as Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) every year. It is popular in Traditional Medicines (TM) especially TMC and its derivatives. The TCM formulations of dried seahorse strengthens the kidney and enhances immunity to treat the aging process. Base on the molecular biology analysis, S6 ribosomal protein gene, S7 ribosomal protein gene, and the S20 ribosomal protein gene have been identified in dried seahorses, which help to reduce the cough symptoms. The present mini-review discusses the background of the use of dried seahorses, the TCM theory, the TCM formulations, the molecular biology, and analysis of its usage in traditional medicine.

A review of giardiasis and its parasite genotypes in Iran

Giardia lamblia is one of the most prevailing intestinal protozoa in many vertebrates like humans, domestic and wild animals. Molecular studies show that Giardia lamblia is a complex parasite. Currently, giardiasis disease is one of the main problems of social and personal health in different countries around the world. Giardia is known as a zoonotic parasite that is divided into eight genetic assemblages (A to H). In this review study, by referring to the molecular epidemiology of Giardia lamblia and emphasizing its zoonotic factors, the background of Giardia and its genotypes in Iran have been studied. The study population consisted of indexed articles in reputable databases such as Scopus, Magiran, SID, Science Direct, PubMed, and Google Scholar in Iran from 1990 to 2020. Based on limited studies in Iran, assemblage BIII and AII are the most common types of Giardia assemblages. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct comprehensive studies on various human and animal isolates in different areas of the country, especially places where no researches have been done.

Infection status of hydatid cysts in Iran: A review

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a significant zoonosis, and is endemic in some parts of the world including Iran. Hydatid cyst in Iran has been studied from different aspects and has been reported from most parts of the country. But there is no comprehensive report on the appearance of pollution in the country. This study was conducted to investigate the approximate status of infection from 1985 to 2019. In this review article, various reports on hydatid cysts were collected from 1985 to 2019. According to three criteria, i.e. the rate of infection of dogs with adult worms, the rate of infection of livestock, and the rate of infection of humans with hydatid cysts, the articles were summarized and presented to approximate the status of infection in Iran. In this study, the average infection among 11593 dogs was estimated to be 11.28%. In the case of livestock, according to this review, the maximum infection of sheep was in Ardebil with 74.4%, goats and cattle were in Sari with 37.8% and 40.1%, camels in Khorasan Razavi with 40.40%, and Tabriz had the highest amount of infection in buffaloes. Out of 70907 people tested, the summary of seroepidemiological studies shows that the average infection in humans is 5.57%. The information obtained from this review article shows that despite the efforts of health organizations and veterinary organizations, the rate of infection in Iran is still high compared to some countries.

A review of the effect of medicinal plant on helminthic infections

Nowadays, parasitic worm infection is one of the most critical global health problems. Worm infections cause severe detriments to the livestock industry and also it can cause irreparable damages to immunocompromised persons. Therefore, the present study aimed to review conducted research on the treatment of worm diseases using medicinal plants’ extract. In this systematic review, seven databases including 4 English (Scopus, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar) and 3 Persian databases (Magiran, ISC, SID) were obtained between 2008 and 2020 to evaluate conducted studies related to the aim of the current review. Most of the studies focused on the Balanites aegyptiaca and Carica papaya plant. Water was the most common solvent (38.1%) and then it was methanol. The most studied parasite was Haemonchus contortus (35.5%), followed by Aacharidia galli (10.5%). Studies showed that plant extracts could reduce effect of worm infections in the host compared to synthetic drugs. Plant extracts can produce a medicine based on natural compounds and effective on worms with fewer side effects than synthetic drugs.

Erratum - Dermatophytes, dermatophytosis in the Caribbean and potential for herbal therapy

This corrects the article entitled "Dermatophytes, dermatophytosis in the Caribbean and potential for herbal therapy" by the author Harish C. Gugnani published with DOI: doi:10.4081/idhm.2020.96

Comparative analysis of the Immunoglobulin G antibodies (IgG and IgG subclass) responses in children (≤15 years) with severe and uncomplicated malaria in Buea, South West region, Cameroon

Studies assessing the immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody responses in severe malaria are not readily available. This study was designed to compare the IgG and IgG1-4 antibody responses in severe malaria and its major clinical presentations (cerebral malaria, severe malarial anemia and respiratory distress) in children (≤15 years) in Buea, Cameroon. In a hospital-based cross-sectional comparative study, children presenting for consultation at the outpatient department/Emergency unit of the Buea Regional Hospital were enrolled and assigned into one of three groups: severe malaria, uncomplicated malaria and negative controls. Baseline characteristics were determined; blood glucose level was measured by glucometer, complete blood count was performed using an automated heamatology analyser and participants were screened for malaria parasites by light microscopy and severe malaria was categorized based on WHO criteria. Total IgG and IgG1-4 antibodies were measured using standard ELISA with Plasmodium falciparum 19-KDa C-terminal region of merozoite surface protein 1 (P.fMSP-119) antigen as capture antigen. A total of 236 participants were enrolled comprising: 66 severe malaria, 70 uncomplicated malaria and 100 negative controls. The participants in the different groups were similar with regards to their ages (p=0.06) and gender (p=0.900). Children with severe malaria had significantly higher levels of anti-P.fMSP-119 IgG4 (p<0.0001) antibodies and significantly lower levels of anti-P.fMSP-119 IgG1 (p<0.0001) and IgG3 (p<0.0001) antibodies. There was no significant variation in the IgG antibody responses between the major clinical forms of severe malaria. The study finding of significantly higher levels of the non-cytophilic antibody IgG4 is suggestive of the role the antibody plays in the pathogenesis of severe malaria. Larger studies investigating how these immune effector cells vary in the major phenotypes of severe malaria are recommended.

An iridoid, lamiide, its extraction method from Phlomis bruguieri, and evaluation of its antioxidant capacity

Phlomis bruguieri is a native plant in Iran, which deserves phytochemical study. The aim of this study was evaluation of its iridoid contents along with its antioxidant capacity. Aerial parts of the plant material were extracted with methanol and applied on repeated normal column chromatography using hexane: chloroform (70:30), chloroform: methanol (90:10), and methanol (100%). The fraction eluted with methanol (100%) containing polar glycosides was selected and medium pressure liquid chromatography (MPLC) on a RP-18 cartridge. Fraction elute by MeOH: water 30:70 was loaded on HPLC on RP-18 column for final purification. Structure elucidation was done using 1D and 2D NMR, and mass spectra. Antioxidant activity including total antioxidant capacity, DPPH and FRAP methods were designated to assess the in vitro antioxidant capacities. This study indicated the presence of lamiide as iridoid compound in the aerial parts of Phlomis bruguieri for the first time in this plant [350 mg/2 kg; 0.0175 % (w/w)]. Lamiide showed moderate antioxidant activity using TAC (EC50: 55 μg/mL; ascorbic acid EC50: 7.5 μg/mL), DPPH (EC50: 116.2 ± 3.51 μg/mL; ascorbic acid:34.7 ± 0.97 μg/mL), and FRAP (EC50:>200 μg/mL; quercetin: 7.5 ± 0.68 μg/mL) methods.