Saeideh Momtaz

• University of Pretoria

Background Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a serious multifactorial disorder. This study intended to assess the effect of cinnamon supplementation on estradiol level, and fasting- and two-hour (2 hpp) insulin and sugar levels in women with PCOS. Material and Methods This study was a double-blinded randomized clinical trial (RCT), conducted betw...

Neuroinflammation is a key pathophysiological mechanism implicated in the neurodegenerative condition. One such condition implicating neuroinflammation is traumatic brain injury (TBI). Over the past decades, various alternative natural compounds, such as curcumin, have been investigated as novel therapeutic options to mitigate the pathophysiologica...

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the primary cause of death globally. Activation of oxidative stress and inflammatory pathways are contributory to the development of CVD. Pharmacological activities of vanillic acid have been investigated suggesting that they may have therapeutic utility clinically. Given its phenolic nature, the anti-inflammatory...

Achillea wilhelmsii contains several anti-inflammatory and antioxidant phytochemicals, proposing protecting effect on inflammatory responses in autoimmune diseases such as inflammatory bowel diseases. However, its protective and anti-inflammatory activities against Ulcerative Colitis are unknown. This study intended to verify whether A. wilhelmsii...

Chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), atherosclerosis, chronic liver disease, and neurodegenerative diseases are major causes of mortality. These diseases have gained much attention due to their complications, and therefore novel approaches with fewer side effects are an important research topic. Free radicals and oxidative stress...

Adverse cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes, such as sudden cardiac death, acute myocardial infarction, and stroke, are often catastrophic. Statins are frequently used to attenuate the risk of CVD-associated morbidity and mortality through their impact on lipids and they may also have anti-inflammatory and other plaque-stabilization effects via d...

Licofelone is a dual Cyclooxygenase 1,2 (COX1,2)/5-lipoxygenase) 5-LOX (inhibitor with analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects with possible functions on Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which is a chronic recurrent condition with no particular treatment. This study evaluates the anti-inflammatory effects of Licofelone on acetic acid-induced colit...

Background: The green synthesis of nanoparticles using plants presents important advantages over other biological systems. Natural compounds present in plant extracts can reduce metal ions to nanoparticles in a single-step green synthesis process. Seeds of fenugreek with various compounds and antioxidant activity are suitable for green synthesis. O...

Pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (pALL), a malignancy of the lymphoid line of blood cells, accounts for a large percentage of all childhood leukemia cases. Although the 5-year survival rate for children with ALL has greatly improved over years, using chemotherapeutics as its first-line treatment still causes short- and long-term side effects....

Background : Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a class of lung diseases including chronic bronchitis, asthma, and emphysema. Long-time smoking is considered the main reason for developing emphysema. Emphysema can be defined as damage to the walls of the air sacs (alveoli) of the lung. It has been demonstrated that natural compounds wi...

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic recurrent disease with no certain treatment. Tamarisk is a medicinal plant mentioned in Persian medicine as an effective treatment for gastrointestinal bleeding. Current study aimed to investigate the ameliorative effect of Tamarix stricta Boiss. on acetic acid-induced colitis in rats and the role of ni...

Almost half of the treatments with common antidepressants are failed or result in a relapse of symptoms after cessation. Moreover, the antidepressants side effects rationalize the use of complementary medicine as an adjunctive therapy. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of propolis in complementary therapy of depressive disorder....

Multiple studies reported that systemic levels of antioxidants and cancer are inversely correlated, thereby; antioxidants might have both the preventive and therapeutic effects for cancer management through their interactions with multiple cancer-related pathways. Although there are some inconsistencies in the reports relating to the intake of anti...

Background: Diabetic neuropathy is a consequence of chronic hyperglycemia that leads to neural damage over time. The fruits of Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schard. (C. colocynthis) have long been used in Iranian traditional medicine for treatment of diabetes. Objective: In this study, we investigated the protective effects of C. colocynthis against h...

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) refer to a subgroup of chronic, progressive, long-term, and relapsing inflammatory disorders. IBD may spontaneously grow in the colon, and in severe cases may result in tumor lesions such as invasive carcinoma in inflamed regions of the intestine. Recent epidemiological reports indicate that old age and underlying...

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), with obscure etiology, are rising and are of worldwide concern. Of the various components of IBD pathogenesis and progression, irritation appears to play a major part. Investigations on the molecular and cellular pathways that activate the IBD provide the focus for the development of useful therapies. Ginger (the...

Aluminum phosphide (AlP) poisoning is common in many countries responsible for high mortality. The heart is the main target organ in AlP poisoning. Several studies have reported the beneficial effects of cannabidiol (CBD) in reducing heart injuries. This study aimed to investigate the possible protective effect of CBD on cardiac toxicity caused by...

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder in which inflammation and oxidative stress play key etiopathological role. The pathology of PD brain is characterized by inclusions of aggregated α-synuclein (α-SYN) in the cytoplasmic region of neurons. Clinical evidence suggests that stimulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines leads to neuroi...

Neurological disorders result in disability and morbidity. Neuroinflammation is a key factor involved in progression or resolution of a series of neurological disorders like Huntington disease (HD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Spinal Cord Injury (SCI), and Seizure. Thereby, anti-inflammatory drugs have been developed to impr...

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Inflammation and oxidative stress play critical roles in progression of various types of CVD. Broad pharmacological properties of ginger (the rhizome of Zingiber officinale) and its bioactive components have been reported, suggesting that they can be a therapeutic...

The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/serine-threonine kinase (Akt)/mammalian target of the rapamycin (mTOR)-signaling pathway has been suggested to have connections with the malignant transformation, growth, proliferation, and metastasis of various cancers and solid tumors. Relevant connections between the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway, cell survival,...

Background: Scleroderma is a complex disease involving autoimmune, vascular, and connective tissues, with unknown etiology that can progress through any organ systems. Objective: Yet, no cure is available; the thorough treatment of scleroderma and current treatments are based on controlling inflammation. Nowadays, medicinal plants/natural-based...

Considering the high prevalence of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), the primary cause of death during the last several decades, it is necessary to develop proper strategies for the prevention and treatment of CVDs. Given the excessive side effects of current therapies, alternative therapeutic approaches like medicinal plants and natural products are...

Cinnamon and its bioactive ingredients such as cinnamaldehyde (CA), with broad pharmacological profiles, are important parts of daily diet in many cultures. Moreover, there are plenty motivating patents on efficacy of nutritional phytochemicals as novel anti-inflammatory drugs in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This study intended t...

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder and the most common form of dementia in the old age population, making it a worldwide concern. Unfortunately, few drugs have been presented for treatment of mild and moderate AD. To meet this need, more effective anti-AD agents are emerging. Accumulating evidence supports the bene...

Background: Throughout history, the plant kingdom has been a source of medicine in almost all cultures. Nowadays, ensuring the safety, quality, and effectiveness of medicinal herbs and their products has become an essential issue in industrialized and developing countries. Phytochemicals are usually involved in pharmacological actions and are used...

The dysregulation of Notch signaling is associated with a wide variety of different human cancers. Notch signaling activation mostly relies on the activity of the γ-secretase enzyme that cleaves the Notch receptors and releases the active intracellular domain. It is well-documented that γ-secretase inhibitors (GSIs) block the Notch activity, mainly...

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) belong to a subgroup of persistent, long-term, progressive, and relapsing inflammatory conditions. IBD may spontaneously develop in the colon, resulting in tumor lesions in inflamed regions of the intestine, such as invasive carcinoma. The benefit of opioids for IBD treatment is still questionable, thereby we inves...

Organophosphoruses (OPs) are a group of pesticides that include some of the most toxic chemicals employed in agriculture. OPs toxicity is due to the capability of these chemical substances to inhibit the enzyme cholinesterase (ChE) at cholinergic junctions of the nervous system; however, oxidative stress and generation of cellular reactive oxygen s...

Background: Althaea officinalis L., Lavandula angustifolia Mill. and Rosa x damascena Herrm. are used to treat excision or burn lesions in traditional medicine. Objective: To evaluate the healing effect of a polyherbal ointment containing L. angustifolia, R. x damascena, and A. officinalis combination on wounds caused by third grade skin cut. Metho...

Mitochondria are central pieces of machinery of energy production within the cells. Mitochondrial deficits may be functional and structural or a result from aberrations in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), which is associated with several metabolic and chronic impairments. Improvement of mitochondrial function may be achieved by a verity of natural and ch...

Liver neoplasms are a kind of digestive cancers, by which hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the main pathological types of liver cancer that are associated with chronic viral hepatitis and cirrhosis. Conventional treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy are not efficient enough to eliminate residual cancer cells. In recent years, tumor imm...

Currently, healthy aging is a major public concern. In between, nutritional interventions and dietary patterns are supposed to play crucial roles in regulation/delaying the aging process. High intake of dietary fiber is inversely associated with reduced risk of several age-related diseases. A bulk of evidence indicated that consumption of dietary f...

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorder with negative impacts on quality of life of patients. Although the etiology of the disease is still unclear, there are a set of mechanisms and factors involved in IBS pathogenesis. Visceral hypersensitivity, impaired gut barrier, along with minor inflammation and...

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) refers to a group of disorders characterized by chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The elevated levels of nitric oxide (NO) in serum and affected tissues; mainly synthesized by the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) enzyme; can exacerbate GI inflammation and is one of the major biomarkers o...

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a general term for a group of chronic and progressive disorders. Several cellular and biomolecular pathways are implicated in the pathogenesis of IBD, yet the etiology is unclear. Activation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway in the intestinal epithelial cells was also shown to induce inflammatio...

Chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal system is mediated by both the immune system activity and homeostasis, mainly through releasing of various cytokines and chemokines, as well as the transmigration of the inflammatory cells to the affected site. In between, macrophages are key mediators of the immune system, nearly located all over the ga...

Nanotechnology is one of the methods that influenced human life in different ways and is a substantial approach that assists to overcome the multiple limitations of various diseases, particularly neurodegenerative disorders (NDs). Diverse nanostructures such as polymer nanoparticles, lipid nanoparticles, nanoliposomes, nano-micelles, and carbon nan...

Misfolded proteins are the main common feature of neurodegenerative diseases, thereby, normal proteostasis is an important mechanism to regulate the neural survival and the central nervous system functionality. The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) is a non-lysosomal proteolytic pathway involved in numerous normal functions of the nervous system, m...

Background: Ethnomedicinal plants are of interest for treatment of various wound types. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate burn wound healing potential of the hydro-alcoholic extract of the flowers of Lilium candidum L. in rats. Methods: DPPH free radical scavenging power, total flavonoids, and the phenolic content of the extract were evaluate...

Opiates are the second most prevalent abused illicit substance after cannabis in the world. The latest United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) report estimated 30% increment in opium cultivation worldwide. High prevalence of opium consumption in eastern countries may be due to the high availability and traditional misconceptions. Opium con...

A balanced metabolic profile is essential for normal human physiological activities. Disproportions in nutrition give rise to imbalances in metabolism that are associated with aberrant immune function and an elevated risk for inflammatory-associated disorders. Inflammation is a complex process, and numerous mediators affect inflammation-mediated di...

The grape seed extract (GSE) and its main active polyphenol, resveratrol (RES), have shown considerable antioxidant activities, besides possessed protective and therapeutic effects against various skin complications. This paper discusses the favorable effects of RES, GSE and their nanoformulations for dermatological approaches, with specific emphas...

Regarding the widespread progression of diabetes, its related complications and detrimental effects on human health, investigations on this subject seems compulsory. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a serine/threonine kinase and a key player in energy metabolism regulation. AMPK is also considered as a prime target for pharmaceutical and ther...

Background Cardiac disease is accounted as the leading cause of worldwide morbidity and mortality, mainly in association with induction of inflammation and oxidative stress. The disease is characterized by the overproduction of reactive oxygen and/or nitrogen species (ROS/RNS), and reduced antioxidant capacity. Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-psychoacti...

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a well diagnosed disease, thoroughly attributed to series of symptoms criteria that embrace a broad range of abdominal complainers. Such criteria help to diagnosis the disease and can guide controlled clinical trials to seek new therapeutic agents. Accordingly, a verity of mechanisms and pathophysiological conditio...

We summarized 16 controlled studies and evaluated the correlation of resveratrol supplementation with metabolic parameters such as the body weight, waist circumference (WC), systolic blood pressure (sbp), HDL, total cholesterol, triglyceride and glucose levels. This meta-analysis was carried out to determine the association between the resveratrol...

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a devastating chronic autoimmune demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS), thought to affect more than 2.5 million people worldwide. Regulation of the sleep-wake cycle might influence disease activity and the frequency of relapses in patients. As melatonin (or sleep hormone) involves the regulation of cir...

Background Algal polysaccharides and oligosaccharide derivatives have been shown to possess a variety of therapeutic potentials and drug delivery applications. Algal polysaccharides contain sulfated sugar monomers derived from seaweed including brown, red, and green microalgae. Here in this review, the recent progress of algal polysaccharides’ ther...

Objectives: Gallic acid is a natural phenolic compound found in several fruits and medicinal plants. It is reported to have several health-promoting effects. This review aims to summarize the pharmacological and biological activities of gallic acid in vitro and animal models to depict the pharmacological status of this compound for future studies....

Background: Diabetes is an enduring condition that causes impaired, peripheral insulin resistance. Curcumin was shown to exert notable anti-diabetic effects, which might be possible by overexpression of certain glucose transporter genes and glycoprotein content within the cells. Objectives: To investigate the effect of curcumin alone and in concomi...

Background: Ecballium elaterium is endemic to the northwestern Iran and its fruit is traditionally used for therapeutic purposes in Iran. The toxicological and phytochemical characteristics of the Iran’s Ecballium elaterium have not been investigated so far. Objective: Study on some toxicological and phytochemical features of the Iran’s Ecballium e...

Vaspin, as a newly discovered adipocytokine, can modulate obesity with insulin-sensitizing effects. This study mainly focused on the plasma level of vaspin in insulin resistant rats, which received high-fat diet (HFD) and diazinon (DZN) (70 mg/kg). Upon 30-day experiment, related oxidative stress and inflammatory markers of plasma, the toxic effect...

The term “metabolic syndrome” (MetS) refers to a combination of diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity. The origin of MetS includes a combination of multiple factors, such as sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy diet choice, and genetic factors. MetS is highly prevalent and adversely affects the general population by elevating risk of cardiovascular...

Background: Exposure to the environmental toxicants poses a serious threat to human health. The extent of exposure and the development of diseases are interrelated with each other. Chronic exposure to mercury (Hg) increases the risk of developing serious human disorders from embryo to adulthood. Objectives: The purpose of this review is to highlig...

Aging contributes to an increased risk of developing a number of neurodegenerative and chronic disorders, predominantly related to oxidative stress (OS) and defects in the antioxidant balance. This study focused on the antisenescence effect of four plant species (Falcaria vulgaris, Ixiolirion tataricum, Ajuga chamaecistus, and Scabiosa flavida) on...

We aimed to review and meta‐analyze the inflammatory and oxidative factors following alpha lipoic acid (ALA) and its derivative “andrographolid‐lipoic acid‐1” (AL‐1) in ulcerative colitis (UC). ALA plays an important role in scavenging intracellular radicals and inflammatory elements. AL‐1 is found in herbal medicines with potent anti‐inflammatory...

Introduction: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic idiopathic inflammatory disorder. A wealth of data pointed out that various aspects of chronic inflammation may be affected by several specific dietary factors. This paper calls attention to anthocyanins enriched plant food and anthocyanin dietary supplements, whose role in the management...

Numerous chemicals, such as phenolic compounds are strong radical scavengers, capable of alleviating oxidative stress associated neurodegeneration. Dietary antioxidants, especially flavonoids, are being considered as a promising approach to prevent or slow the pathological development of neurological illness and aging. One of the major advantage of...

Globally, food and animal feed contamination with mycotoxins is one of the most important challenges affecting human health. Zearalenone is a non-steroidal mycotoxin with estrogen-like activity that has been reported to induce reproductive dysfunctions including polycystic ovary in women. The aim of this study was to assess the possible impact of p...

Introduction: Citrullus colocynthis (L.) fruits are traditionally used for treatment of diabetes in eastern nations. The present study evaluated the cytotoxicity of the total methanolic extract of bitter melon in PC12 cells as an appropriate in-vitro model for investigation of neuronal functions. Method: Pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells, were seeded...

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic metabolic disorder in which blood glucose level raises that can result in severe complications. However, the incidence increased mostly by obesity, pregnancy, persistent corpus luteum, and diestrus phase in humans and animals. This review has focused on addressing the possible understanding and pathogenesis of sp...

Over the last decades, an exponential increase of efforts concerning the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been practiced. Phytochemicals preparations have a millenary background to combat various pathological conditions. Various cinnamon species and their biologically active ingredients have renewed the interest towards the treatment of pa...

Background: Exposure to inorganic arsenic (iAs) is a major threat to the human health worldwide. The consumption of arsenic in drinking water and other food products is associated with the risk of development of type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The available experimental evidence indicates that epigenetic alterations may play an important role in...

Styrene is an aromatic hydrocarbon compound present in the environment and have primary exposure through plastic industry. The current study was designed to evaluate styrene-induced toxicity parameters in rat plasma fasting blood glucose (FBG) level, oral glucose tolerance, insulin secretion, oxidative stress, and inflammatory cytokines in cellular...

Cannabinoids have shown diverse and critical effects on the body systems, which alter the physiological functions. Synthetic cannabinoids are comparatively innovative misuse drugs with respect to their nature of synthesis. Synthetic cannabinoids therapy in healthy, chain smokers, and alcoholic individuals cause damage to the immune and nervous syst...

This review discusses the past and recent advancements of biosensors focusing on detection of organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) due to their exceptional use during the last decades. Apart from agricultural benefits, OPs also impose adverse toxicological effects on animal and human population. Conventional approaches such as chromatographic techniqu...

Salient evidence testifies the link between organophosphorus (OPs) exposure and the formation of free radical oxidants; and it is well accepted that free radicals are one of the basic concerns of senescence. To show the oxidative features of phosalone (PLN) as a key member of OPs, to induce senescence in rat embryonic fibroblast (REF) cells and to...

Melanoma or malignant melanocytes appear with the low incidence rate, but very high mortality rate worldwide. Epidemiological studies suggest that polyphenolic compounds contribute for prevention or treatment of several cancers particularly melanoma. Such findings motivate to dig out novel therapeutic strategies against melanoma, including research...

Skin hyper-pigmentation is a condition initiated by the overproduction of melanin existing in the melanocytes. Melanin pigment is responsible for the colour of skin in humans. It is formed through a series of oxidative reactions involving the amino acid tyrosine in the presence of the key enzyme tyrosinase. In continuation with our efforts to ident...

The possible biochemical activities of the acetonic/ethanolic extract of the leaves of Maytenus procumbens (L.M.P), and its isolated compounds were investigated in the present study. In cytotoxicity assay, L.M.P showed IC(50) of 68.79, 51.22, 78.49, 76.59, and 76.64μg/ml on Caco-2, HeLa, HT29, NIH3T3, and T47D cells, respectively. Bioassay guided f...

Aging is an undeniable fact shadowing animal life but while it comes to human, aging affects all aspects of their physical and emotional abilities. Aging occurs by multi-stimuli which is affected by both environmental and internal conditions. During the past decade, remarkable recognition of cellular senescence and its related pathways has happened...

Since ancient, the genus Satureja L. is well recognized for its therapeutic values. Only recently, scientists have been aware of its new medicinal aspects. In our last review, we evaluated existing scientific data about this genus. Regarding ongoing reports and new multi-functional properties of this plant we were interested to update pharmacology...

The present study was undertaken to explore the possible biochemical activities of Hyaenanche globosa Lamb. and its compounds. Two different extracts (ethanol and dichloromethane) of four different parts (leaves, root, stem, and fruits) of H. globosa were evaluated for their possible antibacterial, antityrosinase, and anticancer (cytotoxicity) prop...

Pigmentation has become an important phenotypical characteristic, in the pharmaceutical, medicinal as well as in the cosmetic field. Plants and their extracts are inexpensive and rich resources of active compounds that can be utilized to inhibit tyrosinase activity as well as melanin production. Natural and synthetic chemical agents can frequently...

The stembark of Sideroxylon inerme is traditionally used as a paste in KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa for lightening skin. [1]. Skin lightening can be achieved by the use of inhibitors of tyrosinase, a key enzyme in the formation of the pigment melanin. A methanolic extract of the stembark gave inhibition of monophenolase tyrosinase in a colo...

To investigate the stem bark of Sideroxylon inerme L. and its compounds for tyrosinase-inhibition activity and to evaluate the mechanism involved of the most potent compounds in tyrosinase inhibition. Three different extracts (acetone, methanol and dichloromethane) of Sideroxylon inerme L. were evaluated for their inhibitory effect in vitro on the...