Introduction: Calamintha officinalis Moench (COM) is an aromatic herb from Lamiaceae family with high similarities to the common mints not only in its appearance but also in terms of aroma. The aim of this research was to evaluate antioxidant activity of plant extract and to identify constituents of its essential oil. Material and Methods: The plant samples were collected from North of Iran (Guilan, Lahijan) and its identity was certified by a systematic botanist in University of Guilan. The dried leaves of COM were subjected to hydro-distillation using a Clevenger-type apparatus and the composition of the essential oil was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Results: It was found that major constituents of oil were trans-caryophyllene (8.55%), isomenthol (2.98%), tetrahydrolinalyl acetate (2.96%), and pinene (2. 24%). In other part of the research, the biological activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) were assayed by in extracts of the leaves spectrophotometric method. It was found the extract contained a considerable superoxide anion radical scavenging power. On the other hand, the biological activity of CAT in extract of COM leaves showed gradual increase during time with a gentle slope indicating an increase in oxidative stress. Conclusions:The result of our study on Calamintha revealed the existence of a specific component of the essential oil (trans-caryophyllene) that has not been reported by other researchers. In addition to the antioxidant property that was confirmed in this study, the major component of its essential oil was found to be an antimicrobial agent.

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The aim of this study was evaluation of antioxidant and anti-proliferative activities of the Calamintha officinalis Moench (COM). Calamintha officinalis is a genus of aromatic herbs, which is native in north parts of Iran. Some of its pharmaceutical profits are already known, however, a scientific evidence seems necessary before any proposal for its pharmaceutical arrangements. Total antioxidant activity of the plant extract was assayed by spectrophotometric methods. Folin-ciocalteu reagent assay was used to evaluate the phenolic contents of extract. A zymogram assay of peroxidase (POX) was performed to observe its activity. Antiproliferative activity of the plant extract was examined on human breast cancer cell line (MCF-7) using [3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazolyl)-2, 5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) method. The results showed a considerable antioxidant activity and a high reducing power. On the other hand, a reasonable antiproliferative role played by the extract, the POX in this plant is composed of two isozymes. The results indicated that COM can be regarded as a suitable candidate for designing anticancer pharmaceutical preparations.

Background: The arboviruses Zika virus (ZIKV) is a pathogen that threatens human health. Scientists have warned that a single mutation in the mosquito-borne ZIKV could spark another major outbreak of the disease in humans. Therefore, designing a suitable vaccine for this virus seems necessary. This study aimed to predict the protective epitopes of envelope protein from the Zika virus with bioinformatics methods for multi-epitope vaccine development. Materials and Methods: Computational studies including the identification of potential B-cell and T-cell epitopes were used. For generating a multi-epitopic vaccine construct (MEVC), selected epitopes are connected by suitable linkers. To enhance protein immunogenicity, Maltosebound protein was added to the MEVC after the prediction and refinement of the 3D structure of the designed vaccine. The binding mode of the MEVC with toll-like receptor was investigated by molecular docking technique. Finally, molecular dynamics and in silico cloning were performed for the designed vaccine. Results: This study showed that this recombinant vaccine is nontoxic, nonallergenic, and thermostable and elicits immune responses against the Zika virus. Conclusion: The computational data suggest that the MEVC has appropriate characteristics and a high-quality structure.