Background: The outbreak of COVID-19 has spread quickly all over the world. Apparently, the uncontrolled increases in the inflammatory and the immune processes are its major pathologies. Therefore, ...the use of natural plants containing antioxidant factors for the regulation of the immune system can be useful for the inflicted patients. Many epidemic diseases have occurred throughout human history. Persian physicians such as Avicenna offered solutions to these epidemics that were helpful in controlling these diseases. Objective: In this study, we introduce the herbs according to traditional Persian medicine’s point of view that confirm their having antitussive, antipyretic, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Methods: In this regard, a thorough search was done on the detoxifier and immuno-modulatory plants in the Persian medicine books such as Makhzan-ol Advieh” and “Tohfat ol momenin” and “Qanun fi al tib”. Then, the herbs that were effective in fever and pulmonary diseases were browsed and arranged, and their pharmacological properties were also searched in the scientific databases. Results: This study examined the antipyretic, antitussive and immune-enhancing properties of the plants cited in Persian medicine books and showed that plants such as orange, sweat lemon, citron, myrtle and lavender have antipyretic, antitussive, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Conclusion: It seems that the introduced plants could be potential candidates for animal studies and clinical trials. However, more studies are needed to prove their specific effectiveness.
Background: Post-market surveillance (PMS) is an integral part of ongoing safety evaluation, for natural health products. Matricaria chamomilla (chamomile) and Thymus vulgaris (thyme) are the most ...widely used plants in herbal medicinal products. Thymus species contain phenolic compounds such as thymol, carvacrol and terpenoids, flavonoids, and saponins. T. vulgaris is an antiseptic and antitussive, so it is very effective in treating dry coughs, colds, and inflammation of the upper respiratory tract. Matricaria chamomilla (chamomile) products containing apigenin-7-glycoside, some flavonoids and chamazulene in its essential oil that have anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial therapeutic properties. Objective: In this study, various dosage forms containing thyme (8 products) and chamomile (9 products) separately, (which are available in the form of drops, syrups, ointments, and creams) were provided. Then, physicochemical controls were performed based on the reference methods of herbal pharmacopeias and in-house validated methods to ensure quality and stability of these products. Methods: Since many of these products have no special monograph in pharmacopeias, so validated extraction and analysis methods were developed to quantify the apigenin-7-glycoside by high performance liquid chromatography, and chamazulene by gas chromatography in the chamomile products and thymol and carvacrol by gas chromatography in thyme products in different complex dosage forms. Results: In some products that formulated by thyme and chamomile products, the amount reported for standardization does not match the values obtained. Conclusion: It’s recommended more control of herbal medicines for appropriate and effective consumption of them.
A methanol poisoning outbreak occurred in Iran during the initial months of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We aimed to evaluate the epidemiology of the outbreak in terms of ...hospitalizations and deaths. A cross-sectional linkage study was conducted based on the hospitalization data collected from thirteen referral toxicology centers throughout Iran as well as mortality data obtained from the Iranian Legal Medicine Organization (LMO). Patient data were extracted for all cases aged > 19 years with toxic alcohol poisoning during the study period from February until June 2020. A total of 795 patients were hospitalized due to methanol poisoning, of whom 84 died. Median interquartile ratio; IQR age was 32 26, 40 years (range 19-91 years). Patients had generally ingested alcohol for recreational motives (653, 82.1%) while 3.1% (n = 25) had consumed alcohol-based hand sanitizers to prevent or cure COVID-19 infection. Age was significantly lower in survivors than in non-survivors (P < 0.001) and in patients without sequelae vs. with sequelae (P = 0.026). Twenty non-survivors presented with a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score > 8, six of whom were completely alert on presentation to the emergency departments. The time from alcohol ingestion to hospital admission was not significantly different between provinces. In East Azerbaijan province, where hemodialysis was started within on average 60 min of admission, the rate of sequelae was 11.4% (compared to 19.6% average of other provinces)-equivalent to a reduction of the odds of sequelae by 2.1 times 95% CI 1.2, 3.7; p = 0.009. Older patients were more prone to fatal outcome and sequelae, including visual disturbances. Early arrival at the hospital can facilitate timely diagnosis and treatment and may reduce long-term morbidity from methanol poisoning. Our data thus suggest the importance of raising public awareness of the risks and early symptoms of methanol intoxication.
Introduction: Recent genome-wide association studies have explored some new loci in association with Parkinson's disease (PD). RAB7L1 is an important gene involved in one of the important ...neurological pathways, located in PARK16 locus. We performed a case-control study to examine the association between rs823144 SNP located in the promoter region of the RAB7L1 gene and PD risk in Iranian population.
Methods: A total of 960 samples including 480 PD patients and 480 healthy controls were collected for analysis of the RAB7L1 rs823144 polymorphism using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR - RFLP) method.
Results: We found significant differences in genotypic and allelic frequencies between patients and controls. Significant association was found between presence of minor allele (C) and decreased risk of PD development (p = 0.008, OR = 0.74 (0.605-0.924)). Also another significant association was observed between the CC genotype and PD (p = 0.004, OR = 0.441 (0.252-0.772)).
Conclusion: Our data support the association between rs823144 and decreased risk of PD.
Background
During the first wave of COVID‐19, many Iranians were poisoned by ingesting hand sanitizers and/or alcoholic beverages to avoid viral infection. To assess whether the COVID‐19 pandemic ...resulted in an increased prevalence of accidental hand sanitizer/alcoholic beverage exposure in children and adolescents, we compared pediatric hospitalization rates during COVID‐19 and the previous year. For poisoning admissions during COVID‐19, we also evaluated the cause by age and clinical outcomes.
Methods
This retrospective data linkage study evaluated data from the Legal Medicine Organization (reporting mortalities) and hospitalization data from nine toxicology referral centers for alcohol‐poisoned patients (age 0 to 18 years) for the study period (February 23 to June 22, 2020) and the pre‐COVID‐19 reference period (same dates in 2019).
Results
Hospitalization rates due to ethanol and methanol exposure were significantly higher in 2020 (n = 375) than 2019 (n = 202; OR 95% CI 1.9 1.6, 2.2, p < 0.001). During COVID‐19, in patients ≤15 years, the odds of intoxication from hand sanitizers were significantly higher than from alcoholic beverages, while in 15‐ to 18‐year‐olds, alcoholic beverage exposure was 6.7 times more common (95% CI 2.8, 16.1, p < 0.001). Of 375 children/adolescents hospitalized for alcoholic beverage and hand sanitizer exposure in 2020, six did not survive. The odds of fatal outcome were seven times higher in 15‐ to 18‐year‐olds (OR (95% CI) 7.0 (2.4, 20.1); p < 0.001).
Conclusion
The Iranian methanol poisoning outbreak during the first wave of COVID‐19 was associated with significantly increased hospitalization rates among children and adolescents—including at least six pediatric in‐hospital deaths from poisoning. Public awareness needs to be raised of the risks associated with ingesting alcoholic hand sanitizers.
During the first wave of COVID‐19 pandemic, Iran experienced the worldwide biggest methanol outbreak recorded to date. The outbreak triggered by consumption of toxic alcoholic beverages or hand sanitizers, partially motivated by the belief that ingestion would protect against COVID‐19 infection. Our study shows that children and adolescents were also affected, with 22 deaths due to methanol exposure recorded in 2020. These were significantly higher in Feb‐June 2020 (during COVID‐19), compared to the corresponding time period in 2019.
A new inspection technique for complex mechanical structures is proposed in this paper, where a fuzzy inference system carries out structural inspection. The inputs to the fuzzy inference system are ...the elements of a fault signature, an array of numbers prepared with use of below 5 kHz resonance frequencies of faultless and a number of faulty specimens.
Advantage: Below 5 kHz resonance frequencies are easier and less expensive to obtain compared to higher frequency ones.
Limit: Due to high expenses of experiments, reliable finite element models were alternatively used to obtain resonance frequencies of the faulty specimens.
Results: The developed fuzzy inference system in this research accurately located an under-surface fault in an engine cylinder block.
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one the most common diseases in the world and about one-third to one-half of the patients don’t respond to routine treatment. Thus, the role of alternative ...medicines, like herbal drugs, is important. The aim of this present randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 6-week trial was to assess the efficacy and tolerability of Cinnamomum tamala as an adjuvant to sertraline in treatment of patients with MDD.
In a randomized double-blind clinical trial, 50 patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD) based on DSM V, were assigned into two parallel groups to receive sertraline (100 mg twice a day) plus placebo or sertraline (100 mg twice a day) plus Cinnamomum tamala (500 mg daily) for 6 weeks. Patients were evaluated for response to treatment using the HAM-D score at baseline and at weeks 2, 4 and 6. The main outcome measure was to assess the efficacy of C. tamala in improving the MDD symptoms.
Forty-two patients completed the trial. Repeated-measure analysis of variance showed a significant effect for time × treatment interaction (Greenhouse-Geisser corrected: F = 5.12, df = 2.19, p-value = 0.006) in HAM-D score. There was significant improvement in HAM-D score of the C. tamala group compared with the placebo group from baseline to weeks 2, 4 and 6. Ps = 0.012, 0.008 and 0.009; respectively. The frequency of adverse effects was similar between the two groups.
The results of this study suggest that Cinnamomum tamala may be effective as an adjuvant agent in the treatment of MDD.
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