Artemisia Sieberi Research Articles

A new species of Obtusicauda (Hemiptera: Aphididae) from Iran living on Artemisia

A new species of the genus Obtusicauda Soliman, 1927 (Hemiptera: Aphididae: Aphidinae: Macrosiphini) is described and illustrated from North-Khorasan province, Iran: Obtusicauda iranica sp. n. The species is described based on apterous viviparous females, an alate viviparous female and oviparous females found living on the terminal parts of shoots of Artemisia sieberi, A. kopetdaghensis, A. scoparia and Artemisia sp. (Asteraceae). The new species is morphologically most similar to Obtusicauda dolychosiphon (Umarov, 1964). This holocyclic aphid is not typically attended by ants.http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:AE524BA1-B04C-40EF-A818-724F6AA48669

Impact of Combined Heat and Drought Stress on the Potential Growth Responses of the Desert Grass Artemisia sieberi alba: Relation to Biochemical and Molecular Adaptation.

Artemisia sieberi alba is one of the important plants frequently encountered by the combined effect of drought and heat stress. In the present study, we investigated the individual and combined effect of drought and heat stress on growth, photosynthesis, oxidative damage, and gene expression in A. sieberi alba. Drought and heat stress triggered oxidative damage by increasing the accumulation of hydrogen peroxide, and therefore electrolyte leakage. The accumulation of secondary metabolites, such as phenol and flavonoids, and proline, mannitol, inositol, and sorbitol, was increased due to drought and heat stress exposure. Photosynthetic attributes including chlorophyll synthesis, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, photosynthetic efficiency, and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters were drastically reduced due to drought and heat stress exposure. Relative water content declined significantly in stressed plants, which was evident by the reduced leaf water potential and the water use efficiency, therefore, affecting the overall growth performance. Relative expression of aquaporin (AQP), dehydrin (DHN1), late embryogenesis abundant (LEA), osmotin (OSM-34), and heat shock proteins (HSP70) were significantly higher in stressed plants. Drought triggered the expression of AQP, DHN1, LEA, and OSM-34 more than heat, which improved the HSP70 transcript levels. A. sieberi alba responded to drought and heat stress by initiating key physio-biochemical and molecular responses, which were distinct in plants exposed to a combination of drought and heat stress.

Neuroscience and herbal plants: A review on the most important herbal plants effective on chronic pain

Chronic pain can be periodic, persistent, or even a combination of both. Unlike acute pain, chronic pain is not usually useful, reduces the quality of life and functional abilities and also weakens mental health, interpersonal relationships, and financial status, leading to changes in appetite, sleep disorders, psychomotor retardation, tiredness and depression. Human being has always faced various kinds of pain during life and sought to relieve his pain. Pain is a sign of a disease that acts as a warning mechanism and informs of a tissue injury. In this regard, the analgesic effects of many medicinal plants have also been studied. Therefore, in this review study, indigenous medicinal plants with anti-chronic pain effects were reported. Information to conduct this review was obtained using the keywords chronic pain, herbal drug, Iran, medicinal plants, extracts and essential oils to retrieve articles indexed in databases such as Scopus, SID, Magiran, Google Scholar and other Persian databases. The related articles were reviewed for plants serving as chronic pain killers. After reviewing the literature, it was found that Solanum melongena, Hyoscyamus niger, Phoenix dactylifera, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Artemisia sieberi, Crocus sativus, Carum copticum, Euphorbia helioscopia, Hypericum perforatum, Cucurbita maxima, Passiflora caerulea, Rosa damascena, Tanacetum parthenium, Allium jesdianum and Pistacia atlantica among indigenous medicinal plants with analgesic effect.

Insecticidal activity of Artemisia sieberi, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Thymus persicus and Eruca sativa oils against German cockroach, Blattella germanica (L.)

The German cockroach, Blattella germanica (L.) (Blattodea: Blattellidae), has been recognized as a serious health problem because of its potential to harbor and transmit human disease-causing pathogens. The development of new and environmentally friendly control agents is essential as alternative tool to conventional chemical insecticides. The aim of the current study was to determine the fumigant and contact toxicity of essential oils (EOs), Artemisia sieberi Besser, Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehn. and Thymus persicus (Ronniger ex Rech. f.) and cold press oil of Eruca sativa (Miller) (ESO) against first instar nymphs and adults. According to results, the LC50 values of EOs were between 15.01 and 28.80 μl/l air for fumigant toxicity, 2202.8 and 5600.2 mg/l for dipping toxicity and 9484.2 and 34,421.1 mg/l for applied surface toxicity. Fumigant activity of the oils were significantly more toxic than other methods. In general, the toxicity of A. sieberi was higher than other EOs. Also, the first instar nymphs were more susceptible than adults. Additionally, the results showed that the EOs were significantly more toxic than ESO in both fumigant and dipping methods. In addition to contact effects, the fumigant activity of ESO was proved, although the toxicity was lower than the EOs. Hence, it is important to consider the production cost benefit of ESO in comparison with the EOs. So, the ESO could be considered as a good candidate in control of the cockroach but in enclosed spaces such as inaccessible cockroach hiding places, the EO of A. sieberi can be useful.

Phytoplasma Infection could Affect Chemical Composition of Artemisia sieberi.

Artemisia sieberi showing symptoms resembling those caused by phytoplasma were observed in Geno Mountain, Hormozgan Province, Iran, and were examined for phytoplasma presence by PCR assays. In addition, the essential oils hydrodistilled from the aerial parts of phytoplasma-infected and healthy plants have been analyzed and compared by GC and GC/MS. Phylogenetic and virtual RFLP analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that the phytoplasma associated with A. sieberi witches’ broom (AsWB) was a strain of ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma aurantifolia’. The presence of the disease, however, induced a further enrichment (from 4.9 to 45.2%, a relative increase of 90%) of the entire monoterpene class as compared to the abundance in healthy samples. Conversely, a matching decrease in monoterpenoid (from 48.7 to 2%, a relative decrease of 90.2%) was observed in the infected plants. Besides the first report of phytoplasma infection of A. sieberi, the changes of its essential oils are reported.

Prediction of habitat suitability for Wild Goat, Capra aegagrus (Erxleben, 1777) in Kavir National Park, Semnan Province, Iran

Habitat with its components is the most important need of wildlife species. So that, habitat management is a critical procedure in wildlife conservation. In the present study, desirable habitats of Kavir National Park for Wild goat are determined in two distinguished warm and cold seasons, applying Random Forests, Maximum Entropy, and Classification Tree algorithmsa and for this matter “Salford Predictive Modeler” and MaxEnt software were used. Consequently, an ensemble habitat suitability map was provided based on weight-averaging method. The results illustrated that elevation, water resources, vegetation type, and slope are the most important factors in predicting Wild goat’s suitable habitats with a slightly different impact on each season. In general, among the existing plant species, Wild goat prefers Artemisia sieberi, Stipa arabica, Zyghophylom eurpterum, and Sieditzia rozmarinus. Also, the altitudes higher than 1050 meters above sea level, slopes over 20 to 35 percent, and distances less than 5,000 meters to water resources are desirable. Meanwhile, several suitable patches for Wild goats were found which are greatly in need of conservation. Considering the importance of water resources in this region, in order to improve the quality of the habitat, further study on water resources status is suggested.

Analgesic and antiinflammatory activities of the essential oil from Artemisia sieberi Besser

The analgesic activity of Artemisia sieberi oil was assessed by acetic acid-induced writhing test and Eddy’s hot plate method; while the acute anti-inflammatory effect was investigated by inflammatory paw edema test in rats. The administration rout of the essential oil, standard drugs and the vehicle used in all assays was intraperitoneal injection. The 1 and 2.5 mg/kg doses of the studied oil significantly decreased the number of acetic acid-induced writhes in mice. The dose of 1 mg/kg of the oil also exhibited a central analgesic effect as evidenced by a significant increase in reaction time at several time points after 15 min treatment in the hot plate method. In addition, the 1 mg/kg dose of the oil significantly reduced carrageenan induced paw edema in rats at the first hour of the test by 72.7% inhibition and lasted to the third hour of the test by 74.3% inhibition found to be very close to that of the standard drug, diclofenac sodium (50 mg/kg). The major components of the oil were characterized as camphor (31.2%) and 1,8-cineole (20.0%). The results suggest that A. sieberi essential oil has a significant effect against acute inflammation and has central and peripheral anti-nociceptive effects.

In vitro effects of Artemisia sieberi on Echinococcus granulosus protoscolices

Hydatidosis is a parasitic zoonotic disease. Surgery is one of its treatment modalities during which protoscolices are likely to be released into the peritoneal cavity and cause recurrence of the disease. Given the above problem and the complications associated with conventional anti-parasitic agents, it is imperative to find an effective and natural protoscolicidal agent. The present study was conducted to evaluate effects of Artemisia sieberi on Echinococcus granulosus protoscolices. Protoscolices were collected from slaughtered livestock in Kerman abattoir and the effect of three concentrations of aqueous extract of A. sieberi (25 mg ml-1, 50 mg ml-1 and 75 mg ml-1) was assessed over three different exposure periods. Results showed that scolicidal effect of this extract at exposure periods of 2, 5 and 10 min was 76 ± 1.4, 76.8 ± 1.41 and 85.7 ± 3.29 percent at concentration of 25 mg ml-1 and 76.8 ± 1.4, 78 ± 3.18 and 86.4 ± 24.9 percent at concentration of 50 mg ml-1 and finally 80 ± 2.73, 90 ± 0.79 and 92.6 ± 1.27 percent at concentration of 75 mg ml-1, respectively. It can be concluded that the aqueous extract of A. sieberi has a protoscolicidal activity and can be considered a natural agent against hydatid cyst protoscolices.

Allelopathic effect of two medicinal plants on seed germination, seedling growth and grain production of purslane (Portulaca oleraceae L.) weed

<p>A laboratory factorial (2 × 5) experiment was carried out based on completely randomized block in four replications to evaluate the effect of plant species and concentration of their allelopathic extracts on seed germination and seedling growth of purslane weed (<em>Portulaca oleraceae</em> L.). The first factor studied was plant species (<em>Artemisia sieberi </em>and <em>Salvia syriaca</em>) and the second one the concentration percentage of plant ethanol extract (0.0, 5 %, 10 %, 15 % and 20 %). The effect of <em>Artemisia </em>on<em> </em>germination reduction of purslane<em> </em>was stronger compared to <em>Salvia.</em> The results indicated that higher extract concentration led to decreased germination percentage, germination speed and seedling growth indices of purslane including leaf length, leaf number, leaf width, leaf dry mass, stem mass and stem length. The effect of <em>Artemisia </em>was higher than that of <em>Salvia</em>. In a complementary experiment, the effect plant residues of <em>Artemisia </em>and <em>Salvia </em>(0.0, 1, 2, 3 and 4 g kg<sup>-1</sup> soil) were evaluated in a factorial experiment base on completely randomized block design with three replications. The results of field experiment showed that plant residues significantly (P ≤ 0.01) reduced capsule number per plant, seed number per capsule, seed production and shoot dry mass, while its effect on 1000-seed mass was not substantial. The effect of plant species and the interaction of plant species and their allelopathic extracts concentration had no major impact on the above-mentioned properties. The increase in plant residues in soil, led to the reduction of growth and seed production of purslane induced by plant number per unit area and capsule per plant. <em>Artemisia sieberi </em>Bess<em>. </em>and<em> Salvia syriaca </em>L.<em> </em>residues can be successfully used for non-chemical control of purslane weed.</p>

Antimicrobial Survey of Local Herbal Drugs against Acinetobacter baumannii Isolated from Patients Admitted to a Level-I Trauma Center.

Objective:To determine the antimicrobial activity and entity of several local herbal plants against Acintobacters isolated from trauma patients admitted to a Level-I trauma center. Methods:The antibacterial activities of the Satureja bachtiarica oil and someselected Iranian medicinal plants (Artemisia sieberi and Tanacetum dumosum belonging to the Asteraceae/Compositae; Salvia mirzayanii and Mentha mozaffarianii belonging to the Lamiaceae/Labiatae) were assayed on A. baumannii by microdilution and agar disc diffusion methods. Having obtained the acceptable antibacterial data, the shade-dried aerial parts of the plants were extracted by hydrodistillation method using Clevenger apparatus according to European pharmacopeia for 3 h. The analysis of S. bachtiarica essential oil accompanied by other herbal drug oils were performed by using GC/FID and GC/MS methods.Results:Outcomes revealed that the S. bachtiarica essential oil exhibited the potent antibacterial capability against Acinetobacter strains in comparison with Colistin, as a positive control. For S. bachtiarica,the growth inhibition zone and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values were 21 mm and 0.5 mg/ml, while, for Colistin, the data were in order: 8 mm and 0.016 mg/ml. Consequently, GC/MS outcomes demonstrated that the major components of the essence were carvacrol (48.6%), followed by p-Cymene (16.6%), γ-terpinene (6.9%) and linalool (5.3%).Conclusion: Based on the considerable inhibitory activity against nosocomial infections by essential oil of S. bachtiarica, it could be considered as the suitable candidate in the food industry and pharmaceutical uses.

Endemic gypsophytes composition delimitated by soil properties and altitude: From calciphytes to halophytes in the south–central Alborz Ranges

Specialized plant species have long served as geobotanical tools for locating mines and ores. Despite their importance, not much research has been dedicated to studying the ecology of endemic specialized plant species, such as those of gypsum or calcareous habitats. Here we describe and analyze the occurence of endemic plant species in gypsum habitats of the south–central Alborz Ranges (Semnan), Iran, in relation to altitude and soil properties. Ecological data and soil samples were collected from 120 plots along along an altitudinal gradient correlated with differences in soil properties. Forty seven plant species, including 6 species endemic to the Semnan area and 20 species endemic to Iran, were identified. The occurrence of the species were analyzed using canonical correspondence (CCA) and detrended correspondence Analysis (DCA), and based on the results the species were categorized as gypsophytes G1 (1600–2245 m a.s.l.), calciphytes (1500–1700 m a.s.l.), gypsophytes G2 (1300–1600 m a.s.l.) and halophytes (1100–1300 m a.s.l.). Gypsum content, elevation and salinity (Na content) were identified as the environmental factors having the largest effects on vegetation compositon. Endemic Semnan plant species included Astragalus fridae, Euphorbia gypsicola and Gypsophila mucronifolia at higher altitudes, and Astragalus semnanensis, Centaurea lachnopus and Nepeta eremokosmos at lower altitude gypsic soils. More frequent Iranian endemic plant species included Moltkia gypsaceae at higher altitudes, Echinops nizvanus and Acantholimon cymosum at lower altitude gypsic soils, Astragalus glaucacanthos, A. podolobus and A. microcephalus occurring mainly in calcic carbonate soil, and halophyte species such as Artemisia sieberi dominating at lower altitudes with more saline–alkaline soil.

A review of the most effective medicinal plants for dermatophytosis in traditional medicine

Fungi can evade the immune system via different processes, including recombination, mitosis, and expression of genes involved in oxidative stress responses. These processes can lead to chronic fungal diseases. Despite the growth of health care facilities, the incidence rate of fungal infections is still considerably high. Dermatophytes represent the main cause of cutaneous diseases. Dermatophytes attack keratinized tissues, such as nail, hair, and stratum corneum, due of their gravitation towards keratin, which leads to dermatophytosis. Medicinal plants have long been used to treat different diseases, and in the recent years, use of plant-based products to fight fungal, bacterial, and parasitic infections have attracted extensive attention. This is because the use of medicinal plants has many advantages, such as decreased costs and fewer side effects. This review article was conducted to report medicinal plants with anti-dermatophytosis properties. Seventy-six articles were retrieved from databases Google Scholar, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Scopus. After exclusion of duplicate and irrelevant articles, 54 articles were selected. Of the remaining articles, 23 articles were screened and included in this study. According to the findings, Azadirachta indica, Capparis spinosa, Anagallisarvensis, Juglans regia, Inula viscosa, Phagnalon rupestre, Plumbago europaea, Ruscus aculeatus, Ruta chalepensis, Salvia fruticosa, Artemisia judaica, Ballota undulate, Cleome amblyocarpa, Peganum harmala, Teucrium polium, Aegle marmelos, Artemisia sieberi, Cuminum cyminum, Foeniculum vulgare, Heracleum persicum, Mentha spicata, Nigella sativa, and Rosmarinus officinalis are the most effective plants against dermatophytes which have been identified to date.

Comparative Studies of Chemical Compostion, Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Activity of Essential Oil of Some Species from Genus Artemisia

Background and Objective: Some species from genus Artemisia were used in ancient medicine since Pharaonic civilization, most species of this genus are grown in arid or desert zones in Egypt. The present study aimed to evaluate and compare the chemical constituents, antimicrobial and antioxidant potential of the essential oils of three species of Artemisia ( Artemisia sieberi , Artemisia judaica and Artemisia monosperma ) grown in Egypt. Materials and Methods: Chemical constituent of the essential oils of these species were analysed by GC-MS, antibacterial activities were carried out using disc-diffusion test and antioxidant properties were investigated with Iron, Fe (III) to Fe (II) reduction and DPPH radical scavenging capacity. Results: The results of chemical analysis revealed similarity between the three species in 20 compounds, the major compounds identified in essential oils were verbenol, (7.5 % and 11.51%) in A. sieberi and A. monosperma , I²-caryophyllene oxide (1.25 % – 0.78%) and Methyl jasmonate (0.9 % and 1.21 %) in A. sieberi and A. judaica , respectively. While the major compound in A. judaica was Lilac alcohol C (9.6%) and camphor (4.5%). The antibacterial investigation exhibited significant and broad-spectrum antibacterial efficacy of A. monosperma and A. judaica against different strains of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Whereas, A. sieberi showed higher antibacterial efficacy against the gram-positive bacteria but weak or no effect against the Gram-negative bacteria. The results of the antioxidant investigation showed that A. sieberi present the higher reduction capacity with an IC 50 of 0.17 ± 0.03g/L, followed by A. judaica with an IC 50 of 0.58 ± 0.04g/L and A. monosperma with an IC 50 of 6.35 ± 0.41g/L. However, the reducing capacity of ascorbic acid and quercetin were 0.091 ± 0.002g/L and 0.026 ± 0.002g/L respectively. Conclusion: The present study revealed that the essential oils of A. sieberi , A. judaica and A. monosperm a possesses significant antioxidant and antibacterial activity, which attributed to the plenty of varied chemical compounds in these medicinal plants.

Effects of Artemisia sieberi extract on growth and nutrients uptake of Peganum harmala

This study was conducted to determine the effects of Artemisia sieberi extract (0.2%, 0.4%, and control) on germination, some morphological characteristics, photosynthesis pigments, and nutrients uptake of Peganum harmala. Results showed that the extract of A. sieberi had a significant effect on seed germination and morphological characteristics of P. harmala. The highest seed germination was calculated in 0.2% treatment. The lowest seed germination was observed in the control treatment.The highest and lowest radicle lengths were calculated in the control and 0.4% treatments, respectively. With increasing concentration of the extract, dry weight and pedicel length of P. harmaladecreased. A. sieberiextract had phytotoxic effect on chlorophyll contents of P. harmala. The highest photosynthesis pigments were related to the control treatment, and by increasing the concentration of extract, photosynthesis pigments decreased. The highest contents of nitrogen and zinc were found in 0.2% treatment. The lowest amounts of nitrogen and zinc were related to 0.4% treatment. The highest amount of phosphorus was related to the control treatment and with increasing concentration of extract, phosphorous content decreased.0.2% treatment exhibited the highest potassium content while the lowest amount of potassium was related to the 0.4% treatment. In general, results showed that A. sieberibesser, increased nutrients uptake of P. harmala, in 0.2% treatment, but increased concentrations of the extract prevented germination and growth of P. harmala. It is recommended not to cultivate the two plants together if we considerP. harmala as a medicinal plant.

Analysis of relationship between drought and NDVI variations in different vegetation types (Case study: Southern rangelands of Yazd Province)

Drought can be caused by reducing rainfall and/or increasing temperature. Drought has negative impact on water resources and vegetation, accelerates the desertification. In order to investigate the relationship between annual droughts and vegetation changes in southern part of the Yazd province, meteorological drought indices and remote sensing technology were employed. Firstly, annual drought intensities were determined using SPI and RDI indices. Five interpolation methods have been investigated and compared for drought zoning. In the next step, mean annual and seasonal NDVI were calculated using time series of MODIS images of 2000 to 2014 years. Then, relationship between drought indices and NDVI in 16 vegetation types were determined. According to the results, the drought intensity of the study area during time span of 1999-2000 and 2007-2008 were moderate and very high, respectively. Analyzing of correlation between NDVI and drought indices in different vegetation types indicates a significant correlation between annual, spring, and summer NDVI in most of the vegetation types (P<0.01). Coefficient of determination (R2) between annual variations of NDVI and annual SPI was obtained in Artemisia sieberi-Ebenus stellata, Zygophyllum eurypterum-Artemisia sieberi, Artemisia sieberi - Amygdalus scoparia and Amygdalus scoparia-Acer cineracens-Pistasia atlantica vegetation type with R2 = 0.75, 0,68, 0.65 and 0.63, respectively. So, in these plant types, 75, 68, 65 and 63 percent of variations of the annual NDVI index are in order subject to changes in the SPI drought index. Moreover, depending on ecological condition, species type, life forms, and accompany species; effect of drought on vegetation types is different.

Seasonal evaluation habitat of Asian Houbara in the Central and East Iran

The Asian Houbara is vulnerable species, the population of which is dwindling. Its protection must be prioritized in conservation programs. In this study, maximum entropy models were developed in four seasons to evaluate habitat suitability and factors affecting Asian Houbara in the Center and East Iran. Environmental variables used in modeling and evaluating the niche consisted of 24 environmental and climate variables for Gharetapeh hunting prohibited region and 36 environmental and climate variables for Petregan protected area. Also, seasonal overlap area was obtained using the ENM TOOLS software. The results showed that the most important factors affecting habitat suitability of the Asian Houbara in all seasons included the ratio of distance to the type of Artemisia sieberi–Zygophyllum eurypterum, distance to the slope 2–5%, distance to the type of Seidlitzia rosmarinus in the Gharetapeh hunting prohibited region, distance to the type of Artemisia aucheri, distance to the land passion, and distance to the dry land farming in the Petregan region. In summer and fall–winter, the most suitable habitat is Gharetapeh but is Petergan during fall–winter. There is maximum overlap in fall and winter, and the least overlap in the spring in these areas.

Distribution of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in tailings, soils, and plants around Gol-E-Gohar iron mine, a case study in Iran.

This study investigated the concentration of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) including Al, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, V, and Zn in 102 soils (in the Near and Far areas of the mine), 7 tailings, and 60 plant samples (shoots and roots of Artemisia sieberi and Zygophylum species) collected at the Gol-E-Gohar iron ore mine in Iran. The elemental concentrations in tailings and soil samples (in Near and Far areas) varied between 7.4 and 35.8mgkg-1 for As (with a mean of 25.39mgkg-1 for tailings), 7.9 and 261.5mgkg-1 (mean 189.83mgkg-1 for tailings) for Co, 17.7 and 885.03mgkg-1 (mean 472.77mgkg-1 for tailings) for Cu, 12,500 and 400,000mgkg-1 (mean 120,642.86mgkg-1 for tailings) for Fe, and 28.1 and 278.1mgkg-1 (mean 150.29mgkg-1 for tailings) for Ni. A number of physicochemical parameters and pollution index for soils were determined around the mine. Sequential extractions of tailings and soil samples indicated that Fe, Cr, and Co were the least mobile and that Mn, Zn, Cu, and As were potentially available for plants uptake. Similar to soil, the concentration of Al, As, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, and Zn in plant samples decreased with the distance from the mining/processing areas. Data on plants showed that metal concentrations in shoots usually exceeded those in roots and varied significantly between the two investigated species (Artemisia sieberi>Zygophylum). All the reported results suggest that the soil and plants near the iron ore mine are contaminated with PTEs and that they can be potentially dispersed in the environment via aerosol transport and deposition.

In vitro antifungal activity of essential oils extracted from plants against fluconazole-susceptible and -resistant Candida albicans.

Candidaalbicans is the most common cause of candidal infections. Various studies have shown drug resistance among C. albicans isolates; thus, it is necessary to discover replacement treatments for Candida infections. In this study, we aimed to compare the effects of different essential oils against azoles-resistant and azoles-susceptible isolates. Twenty fluconazole-resistant and 20 susceptible C. albicans isolates obtained from oral, vaginal, and cutaneous tissues of patients with candidiasis were evaluated. The efficacy and minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of Zataria multiflora, Geranium herbarum,Lavendula officinalis,Cuminum, cyminum,Allium heamanthoides, and Artemisia sieberi essential oils against C. albicans were determined on the basis of a reference method for broth microdilution susceptibility testing of yeasts as suggested by Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI, M27-S4). After inoculation, incubation, and subculturation, the MICs were determined through comparison with the control. The obtained MICs for Zataria multiflora, Geranium herbarum, Artemisia sieberi, Allium heamanthoides, Cumminum cyminum, and Lavendula officinalis were 0.1-0.25 µl/ml (mean: 0.155 µl/ml), 0.625-1.66 µl/ml (mean: 0.93 µl/ml) 0.833-2.0 µl/ml (mean: 1.21 µl/ml), 0.1-0.25 µl/ml (mean: 0.155 µl/ml), 2-4 µl/ml (mean: 3.1 µl/ml), and 1.5-3.0 µl/ml (mean: 2.4 µl/ml), respectively. The results showed that Zataria multiflora and Allium heamanthoides essential oils were more efficient than other essential oils against Candida species. There were no significant differences between various Candida strains in terms of susceptibility to the essential oils. In addition, there were no significant differences in the MICs of these essential oils against the azoles-resistant and azoles-susceptible isolates. In this study, the anti-Candida effects of six essential oils against both azoles-resistant and azoles-susceptible isolates were similar. Given the documented resistance of different Candida species to synthetic and chemical antifungals, these essential oils are effective replacement treatments for cutaneous and mucosal Candida infections, especially in resistant or recurrent cases.

In vitro antifungal activity of essential oils extracted from plants against fluconazole-susceptible and -resistant Candida albicans

Background and Purpose: Candida albicans is the most common cause of candidal infections. Various studies have shown drug resistance among C. albicans isolates; thus, it is necessary to discover replacement treatments for Candida infections. In this study, we aimed to compare the effects of different essential oils against azoles-resistant and azoles-susceptible isolates.Materials and Methods:Twenty fluconazole-resistant and 20 susceptible C. albicans isolates obtained from oral, vaginal, and cutaneous tissues of patients with candidiasis were evaluated. The efficacy and minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of Zataria multiflora, Geranium herbarum, Lavendula officinalis, Cuminum, cyminum, Allium heamanthoides, and Artemisia sieberi essential oils against C. albicans were determined on the basis of a reference method for broth microdilution susceptibility testing of yeasts as suggested by Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI, M27-S4). After inoculation, incubation, and subculturation, the MICs were determined through comparison with the control.Results:The obtained MICs for Zataria multiflora, Geranium herbarum, Artemisia sieberi, Allium heamanthoides, Cumminum cyminum, and Lavendula officinalis were 0.1-0.25 µl/ml (mean: 0.155 µl/ml), 0.625-1.66 µl/ml (mean: 0.93 µl/ml) 0.833-2.0 µl/ml (mean: 1.21 µl/ml), 0.1-0.25 µl/ml (mean: 0.155 µl/ml), 2-4 µl/ml (mean: 3.1 µl/ml), and 1.5-3.0 µl/ml (mean: 2.4 µl/ml), respectively. The results showed that Zataria multiflora and Allium heamanthoides essential oils were more efficient than other essential oils against Candida species. There were no significant differences between various Candida strains in terms of susceptibility to the essential oils. In addition, there were no significant differences in the MICs of these essential oils against the azoles-resistant and azoles-susceptible isolates.Conclusion: In this study, the anti-Candida effects of six essential oils against both azoles-resistant and azoles-susceptible isolates were similar. Given the documented resistance of different Candida species to synthetic and chemical antifungals, these essential oils are effective replacement treatments for cutaneous and mucosal Candida infections, especially in resistant or recurrent cases.

Phytochemical components, total phenol and mineral contents and antioxidant activity of six major medicinal plants from Rayen, Iran

The aim of this work was to evaluate the phytochemical components, minerals, the antioxidant activity and total phenol contents of the essential oil from aerial parts of six major medicinal plants in Rayen, Iran. The plants included Ranunculus arvensis, Teucrium polium, Dracocephalum polychaetum, Kelussia odoratissima, Artemisia sieberi and Thymus kotschyanus. Total phenol content ranged from 0.03 to 0.158 mg/mL. A. sieberi showed the highest radical scavenging ability (IC50 = 94 μg/mL). The amount of minerals ranged as follows: P (0.23–29%), K (1.08–4.76%), Ca (0.78–2.35%), Mg (0.24–0.94%), Cu (8.3–15 mg/kg), Cd (0.7–1.1 mg/kg), Pb (2–11.7 mg/kg) and Fe (250–1280 mg/kg). A total of 79 compounds were identified across all plants. The main components studied in the plants were l-perillaldehyde, biosol, carvacrol, 1,8-cineol, terpinyl acetate and 1,2,3,6,7,7 a-hexahydro-5 h-inden 5-one.