Melissa officinalis (L.) (Lamiaceae), a plant known as the lemon balm, is native to the east Mediterranean region and west Asia. Also found in tropical countries, such as Brazil, where it is popularly known as "erva-cidreira" or "melissa", it is widely used in aqueous- or alcoholic-extract form in the treatment of various disorders. The aim was to investigate in vivo its antigenotoxicity and an...

Obesity is a global health problem. It is also known to be a risk factor for the development of metabolic disorders, type 2 diabetes, systemic hypertension, cardiovascular disease, dyslipidemia, and atherosclerosis. In this study, we elucidated that Buddleja officinalis Maximowicz extract significantly inhibited lipid accumulation during 3T3-L1 adipocyte differentiation. Furthermore, Buddleja o...

To evaluate the anticonvulsant activity of the aerial parts of Verbena officinalis used traditionally by local Iranians for the treatment of convulsion. The anticonvulsant activity of the extract was assessed in pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) and maximal electroshock (MES) induced seizures in mice. Diazepam was used as reference drug. In addition, for investigating the mechanism of V officinalis in P...

Cephalopods are sensitive to the linear polarization characteristics of light. To examine if this polarization sensitivity plays a role in the predatory behavior of cuttlefish, we examined the preference of Sepia officinalis when presented with fish whose polarization reflection was greatly reduced versus fish whose polarization reflection was not affected. Cuttlefish preyed preferably on fish ...

PURPOSE Aldose reductase (AR) has been a drug target because of its involvement in the development of secondary complications of diabetes including cataract. Although numerous synthetic AR inhibitors (ARI) have been tested and shown to inhibit the enzyme, clinically synthetic ARIs have not been very successful. Therefore, evaluating natural sources for ARI potential may lead to the development ...

The cephalopod circulatory system includes an efferent systemic ventricle and two afferent branchial hearts. Branchial hearts lack coronary arteries and thus must be nourished by only venous blood. During routine metabolism in normoxic water, oxygen availability to branchial hearts is only a small percentage of that to the systemic heart; during hypoxic excursions the venous oxygen content may,...

After 60 MeOH and water extracts of natural crude drugs were screened for their ability to stimulate osteoblast proliferation, four MeOH extracts (Cynomorium songaricum, Drynaria fortunei, Lycium chinense, Rehmannia glutinosa) and seven water extracts (Cornus officinalis, Dendrobium nobile, Dioscorea spongiosa, Drynaria fortunei, Eucommia ulmoides, Lycium chinensis, Viscum coloratum) showed tha...

Unshelled cephalopods have a remarkable ability to alter their appearance, using textural, postural, and chromatic elements to generate a myriad of body patterns. Of the unshelled cephalopods, it is generally acknowledged that cuttlefish express the most detailed and widest range of body patterns, including static and dynamic patterns. In this paper we present data on the neuronal mechanisms un...