Herbal medicines have been used for centuries to treat different illnesses. Among more than 20,000 herbal medicines available for humans, a limited number have sufficiently been studied and numerous remained to be investigated for their efficacy in treating human diseases. A number of herbal products are in use for their immunosuppressive effects. This capacity of herbs may have useful applicat...

four chinese pomegranate (punica granatum l.) cultivars were analyzed for their individual flavonols and flavones (in fruit peel extracts) using high performance liquid chromatography (hplc), with changes in flavonols and flavones as occurring during fruit development. the results revealed the presence of kaempferol, quercetin, myricetin, luteolin, and apigenin in all the four cultivars. in add...

The first line of defense in plants against pathogens is induced by the recognition of microbe-associated molecular patterns (MAMP). Perception of bacterial flagellin (flg22) by the pattern recognition receptor flagellin-sensing 2 (FLS2) is the best characterized MAMP response, although the underlying molecular mechanisms are not fully understood. Here we studied the relationship between salicy...

Earlier studies, including our own, revealed that activation of mast cells is accompanied by production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that help to mediate the release of the inflammatory mediators, including histamine and eicosanoids. However, little is known about the mechanisms of ROS production, including the species of oxidants produced. In this study we show that in both the RBL-2H3 mas...

Pyometra is a disease that affects a large proportion of intact bitches, and typically is seen during the latter half of dioestrus. Several factors contribute to the development of pyometra, including genetic factors, an infectious component (most often Escherichia coli), and hormonal factors. Hormones may act directly on the endometrium, and also affect the immune system. In dogs, the phagocyt...

Dietary long-chain n-3 PUFA (n-3 LCPUFA) are thought to have immune-modulating effects, but the specific effects and mechanisms are not fully elucidated. The aim of this study was to determine whether dietary n-3 LCPUFA could affect ex vivo oxidative burst in healthy young men. The study had a randomised 2 x 2-factorial design in which subjects were randomly assigned to 8-week supplementation w...

Neutrophils are important effector cells in innate and acquired immunity, but the magnitude and character of their phagocytic and bactericidal responses depend on cues derived from mediators in the local microenvironment. This study investigated the effect of bovine interleukin-8 (IL-8) and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) on priming and activation of bovine neutrophils in vitro an...

OBJECTIVES Herbal medicine is known as a valid alternative treatment. Salvia Reuterana, which has been used in the Iranian traditional medicine, is mostly distributed in the central highlands of Iran. Salvia Reuterana is a medicinal herb with various therapeutic usages. The aim of the present review is to take account of pharmacological properties of Salvia Reuterana. MATERIALS AND METHODS Th...

Complement plays an essential role in inflammation and tissue damage. However, it is largely unknown to what extent the system acts as a primary inducer of secondary mediator systems in the inflammatory network of human whole blood. Here we describe a novel in vitro model using the thrombin-specific hirudin analog lepirudin as anticoagulant, which, in contrast to heparin, did not interfere with...

As plants are confined to the place where they grow, they have to develop a broad range of defence responses to cope with pathogenic infections. The oxidative burst, a rapid, transient, production of huge amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS), is one of the earliest observable aspects of a plant's defence strategy. First this Review describes the chemistry of ROS (superoxide radical, hydroge...