Manganese inhibits oxidative stress damage. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective role of manganese on testis structure and sperm parameters in adult mice exposed to formaldehyde (FA). Twenty adult male NMRI mice were selected and randomly divided into four groups: (i) control; (ii) sham; (iii) 'FA'-exposed group; and (iv) 'FA and manganese chloride'-exposed group. The FA-exposed groups received 10 mg kg(-1) FA daily for 14 days, and manganese chloride was just injected intraperitoneally 5 mg kg(-1) on 2nd weeks. Mice were sacrificed, and spermatozoa were collected from the cauda of the right epididymis and analysed for count, motility, morphology and viability. The other testicular tissues were weighed and prepared for histological examination upon removal. Seminiferous tubules, lumen diameters and epithelium thickness were also measured. The findings revealed that FA significantly reduced the testicular weight, sperm count, motility, viability and normal morphology compared with control group (P ≤ 0.05). In addition, seminiferous tubules atrophied and seminiferous epithelial cells disintegrated in the FA group in comparison with the control group (P ≤ 0.05). However, manganese improved the testicular structure and sperm parameters in FA-treated mice testes (P ≤ 0.05). According to the results, manganese may improve and protect mice epididymal sperm parameters and testis structure treated with FA respectively.

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Background: Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women. The natural chemopreventive agent phenyl ethyl isothiocyanate (PEI) has been shown to inhibit cell growth in cancer cells. This natural antioxidant compound is derived primarily from watercress (Rorripa Nasturtium Aquaticum).

Background: Esophageal cancer is the eighth most common cancer and the sixth most frequent cancer-related death. Despite improvements in treatment approaches, it has remained one of the most challenging cancers for treatment. Thus, it is necessary to introduce novel and efficient methods for treatment. In this regard, the anti-cancer and antioxidant properties of pomegranate have been more concerned. Objectives: The present study aimed to assess the potential cytotoxicity effects of pomegranate on the esophageal cancer cell line. Methods: We cultured esophageal cancer cell line (KYSE-30) and fibroblast cell line (HF2FF) as normal cell line in RPMI-1640/Ham's F12 and RPMI-1640 medium, respectively, with different concentrations of pomegranate seed oil (2, 1, 0.5, 0.25, 0.125, 0.0625, and 0.03125 mg/mL). Then, we evaluated the cytotoxic effects of pomegranate seed oil via morphologic observation and MTT assay after 24, 48, and 72 hours. The wound-healing assay was used for the evaluation of the mobility and migration potential of the treated cells. Results: The results of the MTT assay showed the cytotoxicity and growth inhibitory effects of pomegranate seed oil on esophageal cancer cells. The viability of tumor cells was significantly reduced compared with the untreated control cells and normal cells (P < 0.05), which were dose and time-dependent. The results of the wound-healing assay indicated that pomegranate seed oil could reduce the migration ability of KYSE-30 cells. Conclusions: According to the results, pomegranate seed oil seems to have cytotoxicity effects on esophageal cancer cells. Thus, it might be considered a new, cheap, and safe treatment option for esophageal cancer.

Background: Despite the mental, physical, and behavioral problems of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) in reproductive women, there is no general agreement on effective treatment. Objectives: To determine the safety and effectiveness of herbal medicine capsules of peppermint oil as a novel formulation used for the severity management of PMS symptoms. Methods: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was carried out on 50 high school students who were diagnosed with PMS in Babol, Iran. The subjects were divided into two groups based on blocked randomization to receive capsules of Colpermin ® containing the peppermint oil (187 mg peppermint oil/0.2 mL), or placebo twice daily for 10 days, from the 15th day of one period to the first day of the next period for two cycles. The degree of PMS was assessed using Delany's PMS checklist with 28 items as primary, at the first luteal phase of the menstrual cycle and at the third luteal phase. Results: The PMS score was decreased for the two menstrual cycles, from 30.3 ± 10.1 to 15.5 ± 6.0 in peppermint oil group and from 23.2 ± 7.0 to 20.7 ± 8.0 in the placebo group. The mean difference of the total PMS score between the two groups was-9.77; 95% CI:-12.52 to-7.02 (P < 0.0001). The number of participants needing treatment (NNT) for the peppermint oil group was approximately two compared with that of the placebo group. Conclusions: The proposed novel peppermint oil formulation was proved to be safe and may be used as an effective treatment for reducing the severity of PMS symptoms.