No abstract

There are numerous plants that have beneficial influence on BPH although the mechanisms of action in some plants are not well understood yet. Active ingredients of some of these plants are known and can be used as lead components for development of new effective and safe drugs.

To overview phytotherapy of vaginitis in order to identify new approaches for new pharmacological treatments. All related literature databases were searched for herbal medicinal treatment in vaginitis. The search terms were plant, herb, herbal therapy, phytotherapy, vaginitis, vaginal, anti-candida, anti-bacterial and anti-trichomonas. All of the human, animal and in vitro studies were included. Anti-candida, anti-bacterial and anti-trichomonas effects were the key outcomes. The plants including carvacrol, 1,8-cineole, geranial, germacrene-D, limonene, linalool, menthol, terpinen-4-ol and thymol exhibited anti-candida effects. A very low concentration of geranium oil and geraniol blocked mycelial growth, but not yeast. Tea tree oil including terpinen-4-ol, alpha-terpinene, gamma-terpinene and alpha-terpineol showed anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-protozoal properties against trichomonas. Allium hirtifolium (persian shallot) comparable to metronidazole exhibited anti-trichomonas activity due to its components such as allicin, ajoene and other organosulfides. The plants having beneficial effects on vaginitis encompass essential oils that clear the pathway that future studies should be focused to standardize theses herbs.

Purpose To describe a new technique for performing maximum-depth anterior lamellar keratoplasty. Methods This was a case series study using a novel method. We introduce and describe a new sign (sunny-side up sign) that reveals the presence and extent of the air bubble at the Descemet membrane (DM)-stroma interface. We also report a novel technique to expand the bubble by injecting viscoelastic material into the bubble cavity and to excise the stromal tissues within the trephination area almost completely. The follow-up period ranged from 12 to 16 months. In all patients we recorded the best spectacle-corrected visual acuity, keratometry, and endothelial cell count preoperatively and postoperatively and the air bubble diameter using the sunny-side up sign. Results In eight of nine patients, a big bubble formed. The size of the air bubble ranged from 2 to 7 mm. All the bubbles were expanded to 8 mm and the bare DM throughout the trephination area was obtained in all cases. The postoperative mean keratometric readings were reduced compared with the preoperative mean keratometric readings. The BSCVA was increased postoperatively compared with the preoperative acuity. The difference between the preoperative and postoperative endothelial cell counts was not statistically significant. Conclusions The early outcomes in our series using the expanding bubble technique suggest that it is safe and easy in performing maximum-depth anterior lamellar keratoplasty.