The efficacy of henna (Lawsonia inermis L.) mouthwash versus chlorhexidine gluconate 0.2% mouthwash as adjuvant therapy of oral lichen planus: A randomized double-blind clinical trial

Effect of Topical Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) Seed Oil on Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Double-Blind Controlled Trial

PURPOSE, AND DESIGN

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most common and debilitating diseases, especially in the elderly. Hemp seed oil is a plant product that has been used as a food or drug since ancient times because of its anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties.

METHODS

A double-blind, active, placebo-controlled trial was done to assess the efficacy of hemp seed oil on knee OA. Ninety patients were randomly allocated to three groups; hemp seed oil, diclofenac gel, and placebo via a blocked randomization method, and were asked to apply the topical treatment daily for 2 months. The study participant underwent assessments before, and four and 8 weeks after the intervention. Evaluation included measurements of the heel-to-thigh distance, utilization of Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), and application of visual analog scale (VAS). Data analysis was performed using SPSS.24 and the significance level was considered as p < .05.

RESULTS

All parameters, except heel-to-thigh distance, improved significantly in the hemp seed oil group compared to placebo group. Improvements in VAS and WOMAC parameters were not different comparing the hemp seed oil and diclofenac gel groups. Heel-to-thigh distance decreased significantly within all groups during the study. There were no significant differences in improvements in heel-to-thigh distance comparing the three groups.

CONCLUSION, AND CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

Hemp seed oil led to greater improvements in VAS pain score and WOMAC parameters, but not knee flexion range, compared to placebo. There were no differences in measured outcomes comparing hemp seed oil and diclofenac gel.

Effects of the Ethanol and Ethyl Acetate Extracts of Terminalia chebula Retz. on Proliferation, Migration, and HIF-1α and CXCR-4 Expression in MCF-7 Cells: an In Vitro Study

Over recent years, much attention has been devoted to the field of screening natural products and/or their novel structures because of reversing cancer progression. The current research work was intended to explore the cytotoxic activity of ethanol and ethyl acetate extracts of dried fruit of Terminalia chebula Retz. (T. chebula) in MCF-7 cell line. High-performance thin-layer chromatographic (HPTLC) method and Folin-Ciocalteu colorimetric techniques were performed. Anti-proliferative activities of T. chebula fruit extracts on the MCF-7 cell line were evaluated using MTT assay. Effects of both extracts on the migration of MCF-7 cells and the size of MCF-7-derived spheroids were also evaluated. Moreover, antioxidant properties were measured by DPPH and FRAP methods. Western blotting was used to measure the HIF-1α and CXCR-4 protein levels. Chebulagic acid, gallic acid, chebulinic acid, and ellagic acid were found as major compounds in both extracts. The total phenolic contents based on gallic acid equivalent (GAE) in the ethanol and ethyl acetate extracts of T. chebula were found to be 453.68 ± 0.31 and 495.12 ± 0.43 mg GAE/g dry weight of the extract, respectively. Both extracts exerted a significant dose- and time-dependent cytotoxicity effect on MCF-7 cells. They also had a marked negative effect on the average size of MCF-7-derived spheroids and their migration rate. None of the extracts exhibited stronger antioxidant activities than vitamin C. Furthermore, both extracts at a concentration of 125 µg/ml could meaningfully decrease the expression levels of HIF-1α and CXCR-4 in MCF-7 cells. These data represent that T. chebula may be a valuable medicinal resource in the regulation of breast cancer proliferation, growth, and metastasis.