Microbiological investigation of unexplored ecosystems is crucial for discovering of antibiotic producing actinomycetes. The present study was conducted to determine antimicrobial activity and identify the most active strains. Actinomycetes were isolated using the spread plate technique following by serial dilution of samples on starch casein agar. The screening method consists of primary and secondary testing. The most active isolates were identified based on molecular and cultural methods. 42 out of 66 isolates displayed antimicrobial potential. 63% exhibited antibacterial activity, 16% antifungal activity, and 16% displayed both activities. Identified isolates, Streptomyces scabrisporus, Streptomyces sparsogenes, Streptomyces misakiensis, Streptomyces cirratus, Streptomyces lincolnensis, Streptomyces endophyticus, Streptomyces chartreusis, and Streptomyces alboniger showed a broad spectrum of enzymatic activities. The results indicated that these isolates may serve as antibiotic and enzyme-producing microbes.

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Helicobacter pylori is an important risk factor for chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer, and gastric cancer. Three-drug regimen is the first-line treatment for this infection, but the response rate to treatment varies in different geographical regions. This study was conducted to comparatively determine the effect of amoxicillin and metronidazole on three-drug regimen to treat H. pylori infection in 1–15-year-old children. This clinical trial was conducted on 82 patients aged 1–15 years with convenience sampling referring to the Endoscopy Unit of Hajar Hospital, Shahrekord. Group 1 was administered with clarithromycin, amoxicillin, and omeprazole (CAO), and Group 2 with, clarithromycin, metronidazole, and omeprazole (CMO). One month after completion of the treatment, stool antigen test was used to study the eradication of H. pylori. Data were analyzed using SPSS software by Chi-square test. Three of the 82 patients were excluded from the study because of side effects caused by drugs. Nearly 87.2% of the patients in CAO-treated group and 92.5% in CMO-treated group had response to treatment. There was no significant difference in eradication rate between the two regimens (P = 0.43). The two regimens displayed no superiority over each other for eradicating H. pylori infection and response rate to treatment in children aged 1–15 years.

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Cyclophosphamide is a widely used medication and can cause oxidative stress. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of Vitamin C on reproductive organs' weight and the quality of sperm parameters in laboratory rats. In this experimental study, 40 rats were randomly assigned into five groups of eight each. Distilled water (DW) group received only food and water, Group 2 was administered with drug solvent (DW) by gavage, Group 3 intraperitoneally administered with 1.6 mg/kg cyclophosphamide, Group 4 gavaged Vitamin C at 0.88 mg/kg, and Group 5 administered with effective doses of Vitamin C and cyclophosphamide by gavage with 1-h intervals. Sperm parameters of the samples were taken from distal epididymis and tissues were studied, and the data were analyzed by SPSS version 22. The lowest weight of testicles and epididymis was seen in cyclophosphamide-exposed rats and the highest weight of testicles and epididymis in Vitamin C-exposed rats (P < 0.05). The highest motility, progression, viability, and count of sperm were seen in the Vitamin C-treated group and the lowest in the cyclophosphamide-exposed group. The highest proportion of sperm anomalies was seen in the cyclophosphamide-exposed group. Vitamin C, as an antioxidant, can be effective on some of the sperm parameters and can reduce cyclophosphamide-induced complications in animal model.

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Fasciculation is a minor adverse effect of succinylcholine and may be an unpleasant experience for patient. The aim of this study was to compare the use of atracurium and methocarbamol to decrease the occurrence and severity of succinylcholine-induced muscle fasciculation. Fifty-nine adults with American Society of Anesthesiologists I or II hospitalized for elective surgery were randomly assigned to two groups: Group A (n = 29) who received succinylcholine 1 mg/kg body weight (BW) intravenously followed by 0.2–0.5 mg/kg BW atracurium and patients in Group B (n= 29) who received succinylcholine 1 mg/kg BW intravenously followed by methocarbamol 0.2–0.5 mg/kg BW. Anesthesia was induced in all patients with thiopental sodium 3–5 mg/kg. Fasciculation was scored on a four-point (0–4) Likert scale. There were no statistically significant differences in demographic variables between two groups, whereas in Group A, 27 patients (93.1%) suffered from mild fasciculation and two (6.9%) from moderate fasciculation. In Group B, twenty patients (68.9%) suffered from mild fasciculation, five (17.2%) from moderate fasciculation, and four (13.9%) from severe fasciculation. The difference between the groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Atracurium is more effective than methocarbamol in decreasing the occurrence and severity of succinylcholine-induced fasciculations. In addition, the use of methocarbamol before succinylcholine administration can decrease the incidence of severe fasciculation.

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Simultaneous micronization and purification of DLBS3233 bioactive fraction, a combination of two Indonesian herbals Lagerstroemia speciosa and Cinnamomum burmannii has been successfully performed via supercritical anti-solvent (SAS) technology. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of SAS technology to micronize and reduce coumarin content of DLBS3233. The effects of four SAS process parameters, i.e. pressure, temperature, concentration and solution flow rate on particle formation were investigated. In SAS process, DLBS3233 was dissolved in dimethylformamide (DMF) as the liquid solvent. The solution was then pumped through a nozzle into a chamber simultaneously with supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) which acts as the anti-solvent, resulting in DLBS3233 precipitation. Physicochemical properties of unprocessed DLBS3233 and SAS-processed DLBS3233 particles were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). Total polyphenol content (TPC) was also analyzed.Particles with mean particle size ranging from 0.107±0.028 μm to 0.298±0.138 μm were obtained by varying the process parameters. SAS-processed DLBS3233 particles showed no coumarin content in all experiments studied in this work. Results of TPC analysis revealed no significant change in SAS-processed DLBS3233 particles compared to unprocessed DLBS3233. Nano-sized DLBS3233 particles with no coumarin content have been successfully produced using SAS process. This study demonstrates the ability of SAS for processing herbal medicine in single step process.

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Vulvovaginal candidiasis is one of the most common infections of the genital tract in women that causes many complications. Therefore, we examined the clinical effect of ginger cream along with clotrimazole compared to vaginal clotrimazole alone in this study. This double-blind clinical trial was conducted on 67 women admitted to the Gynecology Clinic of Hajar Hospital with vaginal candidiasis. The patients were divided randomly into two groups of 33 and 34 people. The diagnosis was made according to clinical symptoms, wet smear, and culture. Ginger-clotrimazole vaginal cream 1% and clotrimazole vaginal cream 1% were administered to groups 1 and 2, respectively, once a day for 7 days and therapeutic effects and symptoms were evaluated in readmission. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 22, t-test and Chi-square. The mean value of variables itching (P > 0.05), burning (P > 0.05), and cheesy secretion (P < 0.05) in users of ginger-clotrimazole was less than the other group after the treatment. Recurrence in clotrimazole group was 48.5% and in ginger-clotrimazole group 51.2% during the 1-month follow-up with no significant difference. Study results showed that cream containing ginger and clotrimazole 1% was more effective and may be more useful than the clotrimazole to treat vaginal candidiasis.

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Psychotherapy and drug therapy are considered useful in quality of life (QOL) and symptoms of patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The aim of this study was to examine the effects of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) associated with drug therapy in comparison to drug therapy alone on the QOL and symptoms of IBS patients with diarrhea predominance. This study was a randomized clinical trial on 64 IBS patients. The patients were selected according to Rome III criteria and were assigned into two groups. Bowel symptom severity and frequency scale and QOL-IBS were used to investigate the patients' symptoms. The first group underwent CBT with medication therapy, and the second group received only medication. Data were analyzed using analysis of multiple covariance. The two groups showed a significant difference in the QOL-IBS in posttreatment and follow-up stages (P < 0.05). There were significant differences in the severity and frequency of IBS symptoms between the two groups after the intervention (P < 0.05). However, no significant difference was observed at follow-up stage between the two groups (P > 0.05). CBT accompanied by drug therapy can be useful for IBS patients with diarrhea predominance. However, discontinuing this treatment may lead to recurrence of the symptoms.

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