Medicinal plants that are used today have been known by people of ancient cultures around the world and have largely been considered due to their medicinal properties. Cornus mas L. (Cornelian cherry) is one of these medicinal plants with high level of antioxidant activity. Cornelian cherry is an attractive ornamental plant with delicious fruit having nutritional and therapeutic values. The main purpose of this paper is to present and summarize the pharmacological and therapeutic effects from researches done on Cornelian cherry in studies from 2000 to 2016. Information and findings in this review were taken from electronic journals in some websites including PubMed, Elsevier, ISI, Google scholar, SID and relevant books. C. mas L. is important in terms of decoration and is used in traditional medicine to treat diarrhea, inflammatory bowel disease, cholera, fever, malaria, kidney stones, urinary tract infections, cancer, bleeding and heat stroke. Several studies have shown that Cornelian cherry fruit plays an important role in prevention of atherosclerosis, blood sugar, lipid profiles and reduction of fat accumulation in the liver. Cornelian cherry has antimicrobial, antiparasitic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anticancer effects as well as protecting liver, kidney and cardiovascular system. Using Cornelian cherry in pharmaceutical and food industries has caused fantastic value of this plant. Pharmaceutical properties of Cornelian cherry seeds, fruits, leaves and stems have led the need of further studies to explore the other unknown effects or review mechanism of its pharmacological effects for preparation of new drugs.

Preclinical studies have shown positive effects of statins against specific cancers. This study aimed to determine the therapeutic effect of simvastatin in 12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA)-induced breast cancer. Female albino mice were divided into two groups, with or without DMBA administration. After tumor appearance, DMBA-treated group was further divided into four groups (D1-D4) as control (D1), treated with simvastatin at 80 and 40 mg/kg/day, orally (D2 and D3) and tamoxifen (50 mg/kg/day, orally) treated group (D4). After 4 weeks, animals were sacrificed, serum samples were collected and tumors were dissected for histopathological study and determination of selected parameters. The tumor marker carcinoma antigen 15-3 (CA15-3), oxidative stress parameters and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) levels were analyzed in serum and tumors in experimental groups. Tamoxifen and high dose of simvastatin improved parameters of mammary carcinogenesis including mean tumor volume, body weight and percent of mortality as compared to mice with breast tumors without treatment (D1). Additionally, simvastatin usage increased total antioxidant capacity (TAC) level, paraoxonase 1 (PON1) activity in serum and decreased total oxidant status (TOS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in tumors similar to tamoxifen. No significant decrease was found in serum CA 15-3 and tumor PGE2 levels in simvastatin and tamoxifen treated groups as compared to D1 group. These data suggest that simvastatin has anticancer effects which are relatively similar to that of tamoxifen in an animal model of breast cancer.

No abstract

Background:GABA can influence the steroidogenesis in peripheral and central nervoussystems.Objectives:The present study investigates the interactive effect of GABAA receptors and extremely low frequency electromagnetic field on serum testosterone level of male rats.Patients and Methods:Fifty adult male rats were randomly assigned into 10 groups. Groups 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 were exposed to ELF-EMF for 30 days 8hrs per day; while, the remaining groups (1, 3, 5, 7, and 9) were sham exposed animals. At the end of the experiment, animals in groups 1 and 2 received normal saline; while, animals in groups 3 and 4 were treated with 1 mg/kg of bicuculline methiodide, and for animals of groups 5 and 6,3 mg/kg of bicuculline was injected. Animals of groups 7 and 8 were treated with 0.5 mg/kg of muscimol hydrobromide and rats in groups 9 and 10 received 2 mg/kg muscimol hydrobromide. About forty minutes after the injection, blood samples were collected and serum testosterone level was assayed using RIA.Results:Administration of muscimol hydrobromide at both doses to sham exposed rats significantly decreased serum testosterone level as compared to sham exposed animals which received saline. Administration of bicuculline methiodide without exposure to ELF-EMF, had no significant effect on testosterone level as compared to group 1. Serum testosterone levels of rats in different groups, exposed to ELF-EMF were statistically the same. Moreover, serum testosterone of exposed and sham exposed rats in each treatment showed no significant difference.Conclusions:No interactivity is present in modulatory effects of GABAA receptors and ELF-EMFs on serum testosterone of male rats.

Objectives Synthesizing and characterization of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) by Ferula persica gum essential oil and investigating in vitro anti-cancer effects. Methods Characterization of NPs was performed. Cytotoxicity and apoptosis were determined on cancerous CT26 and non-cancerous Vero cells using MTT assay and acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/EB) staining, respectively. Clonogenic assay was also performed. Key findings The absorption peak in UV-visible spectroscopy was at 530 nm. In TEM image, Au NPs were spherical in shape with average size of 37.05 nm (78.6 nm in DLS analysis). Comparison of the FTIR spectrum of the Au NPs with the essential oil revealed the presence of compounds responsible for reducing and capping the gold ions. XRD pattern showed metal crystal structure. Au NPs exerted dose-dependent cytotoxicity with IC50 values of 0.0024 and 0.0307 mg/ml against CT26 and Vero cell lines, respectively. Au NPs induced apoptosis on both cell lines with statistically more intense effect on CT26 cells (P < 0.0001). Colony formation of CT26 and Vero cells was also inhibited in comparison to untreated cells (P < 0.05). Conclusions Ferula persica gum can be successfully used for green production of Au NPs. Au NPs show in vitro anti-cancer activity including cytotoxic, apoptotic and antiproliferative effects.

This study evaluates the effect of different periods of chronic heat stress (CHS) on selected bone and serum parameters of broiler chickens with or without vitamin C administration. Ninety 23-day-old chickens were randomly allocated into seven groups: (1) control, (2) short-term CHS (5 days), (3) short-term CHS + vitamin C (12 g/100 l drinking water of a 50% product), (4) medium-term CHS (10 days), (5) medium-term CHS + vitamin C, (6) long-term CHS (20 days) and (7) long-term CHS + vitamin C. In heat-stressed groups the temperature was increased to 39 ± 1°C for 8 h/day. At the end of the experiment, blood samples were collected and shank, keel and tibia bones were removed. CHS was not associated with a drastic change in serum Ca and corticosterone, or bone characteristics (both cortical and trabecular bones in radiographical and histological evaluation), or birds' performance. Oxidative stress was present especially with short-term CHS. CHS, especially for short or medium periods, showed a tendency to increase serum vitamin C and administration of this vitamin did not make a significant change in its serum levels although it ameliorated oxidative stress. In conclusion, it seems that CHS is not associated with an appreciable change in broiler performance, bone characteristics, or selected serum parameters; and simultaneous vitamin C administration at the dosage of 12 g/100 l in drinking water has no beneficial effect apart from reducing oxidative stress especially in short-term chronically heat-stressed birds.

Staphylococcus aureus is an important human and veterinary pathogen that causes economic loss in the poultry industry. This study aimed to compare therapeutic efficacy of 4 commonly used antibiotics in poultry on S. aureus-induced arthritis in broilers. Sixty broilers, 8 weeks of age, were assigned at random into 7 groups as follows: (1) negative control (n = 5); (2) vehicle control (n = 5); (3) sulfadiazine-trimethoprim, 250 ml/1000 l drinking water (n = 10); (4) oxytetracycline 20%, 1 mg/l drinking water (n = 10); (5) florfenicol 10%, 1/1000 v/v in drinking water (n = 10); (6) enrofloxacin 10%, 1/1000 v/v in drinking water (n = 10) and (7) positive control (n = 10). Birds in group 2 were injected with 1 ml of sterile TSB medium into the right tibiotarsal joint on d 0 while other birds (except group 1) were challenged with 1 ml of 1.2 × 10(10) CFU/ml suspension of S. aureus bacteria. Antibiotic therapy was started from d 4 post challenge and continued for 5 d. At the end, birds were weighed and clinical severity of arthritis was determined. After blood collection, birds were slaughtered and tibiotarsal and hip joints were evaluated grossly. The content of inflammatory exudates of tibiotarsal joint and the degree of femoral head necrosis were recorded. Mucin clot test and histopathological evaluation were performed on right tibiotarsal joint. Serum interleukin 6 was also assayed. Sulfadiazine-trimethoprim had higher therapeutic efficiency with regard to most of the assayed criteria, whereas none of the antibiotics significantly affected femoral head necrosis and body weight. These data will help clinicians to have better antibiotic choice in field conditions.

No abstract