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INTRODUCTION: Febrile neutropenia is a serious complication of cancer chemotherapy that can result in delays in treatment. This study evaluates the efficacy of A. ampeloprasum L. at neutrophil recovery time in children with chemotherapy-associated febrile neutropenia. METHODS: This single-center, parallel-group, double-blind, randomized clinical trial was conducted at an oncology hospital. Patients selected among childhood cancers with febrile neutropenia. Overall, 97 febrile neutropenic children were enrolled. The intervention group (n=49) was given A. ampeloprasum L. in capsules (500 mg twice daily) for seven days plus supportive care. The control group (n=48) was treated similarly with supportive care and placebo capsules. Total white blood cell (WBC) and absolute neutrophil counts (ANC) were checked daily and neutrophil recovery time in both groups was compared. RESULTS: Patients in the intervention group experienced shorter neutrophil recovery compared to the control group (4.02 ± 2.32 days vs. 6.38 ± 2.80 days, respectively, P less than 0.001). The intervention group was discharged from the hospital earlier than the control group with a mean of two days, but it did not reach statistical significance (P=0.133). Mean WBC and ANC were not significantly different in the two groups. Herbal medicine was well tolerated, and no adverse effect was reported. CONCLUSIONS: A fresh, lyophilized extract from deciduous leaves of A. ampeloprasum L. can effectively shorten the ANC recovery time leading to an earlier release from the hospital. The trial was registered in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials with registration No. IRCT2015051615666N2 (http://www.irct.ir/).

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Objective: Obesity is an important public health concern in the world. Considering the limited medications and their side effects and lack of a known effective way to reduce appetite, traditional herbs have been considered a complementary treatment for obesity. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the effect of an Iranian Traditional Medicine (ITM)-based herbal candy on body composition and appetite in obese and overweight adults. Materials and Methods: In this preliminary study that conducted in nutrition clinic of Ghaem Hospital of Mashhad, participants were selected from overweight and obese people and randomly assigned to either groups. Participants in the intervention group received herbal candy which contained a combination of Portulaca oleracea, Plantago psyllium, and peanut oil, while participants in the control group received placebo candy for 8 weeks. The primary (appetite response, and weight changes) and secondary (body mass index (BMI), anthropometric parameters, blood pressure, and laboratory variables) outcomes were collected at baseline and during the intervention. Results: Fifty participants between the age of 18 and 65 years old were included in this study. Herbal candy resulted in a greater reduction in mean weight and BMI compared to placebo (p<0.001). Mean of hunger, satiety, and eating capacity indicators decreased more significantly at all three intervals (30 min after herbal candy, 1 hour after meal and 2 hours after meal) at lunch and dinner meal in the intervention group compared to the control group (p<0.05). Conclusion: A combination of produced herbal candy at a dose of 4 g (2 pcs), given half an hour before each meal for 8 weeks, can be effective in reducing weight and appetite in obese and overweight people.

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BACKGROUND: One of the most important aromatic species of the Apiaceae family is Heracleum persicum Desf. ex Fisch., C.A.Mey. & Avé-Lall, which used as a spice and condiment in food. It is widely used in traditional Iranian medicine due to its anti-toxic properties. The aim of this study was to evaluate the essential oil of this plant in terms of content and ingredients, cytotoxicity and antimicrobial activity. METHODS: The fruit of H. persicum was collected in June 2019 from Maragheh region of Kashan, Iran. The essential oil was extracted by water distillation using Clevenger for 3 h. Identification analysis of H. persicum fruit essential oil (HPFEO) components was performed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Evaluation of the effect of the HPFEO on the growth and proliferation of ovarian cancer cell line (OVCAR-3) was performed using MTT colorimetric method. Its antimicrobial activity was evaluated by agar diffusion method, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal/fungal lethality concentration (MBC/MFC). RESULTS: The results of analysis of the HPFEO by GC-MS showed that there were 35 compounds with 99.54% relative content. Hexyl butyrate (35.24%), octyl 2-methylbutyrate (11.65%), octyl isobutyrate (9.23%), and octyl acetate (8.42%) were the predominant compounds. Examination of cell survival showed that the viability of cells decreased depending on the concentration of the HPFEO in 24 h and had value of IC50 ~ 12.08 µg/ml against OVCAR-3 cell line. The strongest inhibitory activity of the HPFEO was against Gram-negative bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella paratyphi-A serotype (MIC < 62.50 µg/mL). Also, the strong inhibitory and lethal activity of this essential oil against Candida albicans (MIC and MBC 250 µg/mL was one degree weaker compared to nystatin (MIC = 125 µg/mL). CONCLUSIONS: Thus, HPFEO, in addition to its traditional use, may have a strong and potential potential for the production of anti-proliferative and antimicrobial drugs.

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Background: Fatigue is one of the most prevalent symptoms, increasing worldwide with no specific medication for fatigue. Iranian traditional medicine (ITM), or Persian medicine, is a reliable source for discovering natural medicine for diseases and their symptoms. Myrtus communis L. (Myrtle), Malus domestica Borkh. (Apple), and Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merr. & L. M. Perry (Clove) have been utilized as brain and heart tonics in ITM. Based on ITM, cardiac tonics decrease fatigue by enhancing heart function and increasing blood flow to tissues. These plants, particularly myrtle berries, have been utilized as potent enlivening agents that reduce mental fatigue. Objectives: This study aims to investigate the effects of aqueous extracts of these plants on weight-loaded forced swimming (WLFS) tests and three doses of aqueous myrtle extract in an animal model of chronic sleep deprivation-induced fatigue. Methods: Five groups of rats (n = 6) were evaluated: Sham, control, apple-treated, clove-treated, and myrtle-treated groups. After 28 days of treatment, the WLFS test was performed, and swimming time was recorded. Subsequently, central fatigue was induced in rats by chronic sleep deprivation for 21 days. Five groups of rats (n = 6) were evaluated: Sham, control (sleep-deprived, which received water), and three sleep-deprived + treatment groups, which received aqueous myrtle extract (350, 700, and 1000 mg/kg). An open field test on the 20th day and a WLFS test on the 21st day were performed. Results: The myrtle berries significantly increased glucose, reduced lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels, and enhanced swimming time. Fatigue caused by chronic sleep deprivation increased malondialdehyde (MDA), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), and LDH while decreased superoxide dismutase (SOD), glucose, and swimming time. In all treatment groups, SOD levels and swimming time were increased, whereas MDA, IL-1ß, and TNF-α levels were decreased significantly. Only the 1000 mg/kg dose significantly reduced LDH levels (P < 0.001). The treatment significantly improved the velocity and the total distance moved in the open-field test. Conclusions: According to the results, the myrtle berries reduced fatigue in two animal models, probably due to its phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and polysaccharides.

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BACKGROUND: Liver and heart are two important organs in the human body, whose function strongly affects other organs. On the other hand, these two main organs affect each other due to common metabolic pathways. Therefore, a disorder in any of them can lead to disease in other organs. Today, using the network medicine perspective, these complex connections can be easily mapped and discovered. From the Persian medicine viewpoint, links are formed based on the material causes of diseases, while from the conventional medicine viewpoint, they are mostly formed due to metabolites, genes, and pathways. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this article, we first investigated the recent articles of conventional medicine that examine the relationship between heart and liver in the important databases. Then, we checked out the sources of Persian medicine and finally, using the RStudio software used in network medicine for text mining, we drew the communication network centered on heart and liver and their mutual causes from the perspective of Persian Medicine. RESULTS: Examining the network connection between the heart and the liver showed that the definitions based on Persian medicine, which are based on the material causes of diseases, are very compatible with the genes, metabolites and pathways between these two organs. CONCLUSION: Understanding these concepts can be helpful in detecting the co-occurrence of diseases of these two organs, as well as predicting the possible occurrence of related diseases between the heart and liver, and ultimately in better treatment.

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Background: Gastric disorders are one of the most common human ailments, which impose a huge economic burden on countries. In Persian Medicine (PM), it is possible to predict the susceptibility to gastric diseases with diagnosis of gastric Mizajes (temperaments) and dystemperaments. The semiology of gastric dystemperaments has been investigated in PM textbooks, although the value of each sign and symptom is not mentioned. Consequently, this research is designed to determine the major and minor criteria for classifying gastric dystemperaments on the basis of valid manuscripts and with the help of PM specialists in the present era. Methods: This was a consensus-based study consisting of four phases. In the first phase, reference PM textbooks were studied. Symptoms and signs of gastric dystemperaments were collected and listed in four groups. In the second phase, semi-structured interviews with a sample of PM experts were carried out. Phase three included a focused group discussion with experts. Eventually, findings were integrated from the three study phases in a two-day meeting in Sari City. Results: Selected criteria included eight major and eight minor criteria for hot-cold dystemperament, as well as six major and eight minor criteria for wet-dry gastric dystemperament. Conclusion: Modern lifestyles and the interfering factors are responsible for some changes in diagnostic signs and symptoms according to PM. This was the first step to coordinate PM diagnostic criteria for gastric dystemperaments. Further studies are recommended to reach a unique protocol in the field of PM diagnostics. The next step includes design and validation of national diagnostic tools.

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Objective: Allergic asthma is a complex inflammatory disorder that affects the airways. As an ancient medical system, Iranian Traditional Medicine (ITM) recommends a polyherbal formula called "Monzej-e-balgham" for the treatment of asthma. In the present investigation, the antiasthmatic effects of "Monzej-e-balgham" were examined in a murine model of allergic asthma. Materials and Methods: Twenty-eight Balb/c mice weighing 15-20 g were allocated into 4 groups. As negative and positive controls, groups I and II received phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and ovalbumin (OVA) solutions, respectively. Groups III and IV were first sensitized with OVA and then respectively treated with "Monzej-e-balgham" (63 mg/kg) and budesonide. Finally, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and lung tissues of the animals were collected and used for eosinophil counting, Th2 type interleukins (IL-5, IL-13, and IL-33) measurement, and histological examinations. Results: "Monzej-e-balgham" significantly reduced the number of eosinophils and the levels of IL-5, IL-13, and IL-33 in BALF specimens compared to OVA-sensitized group (p<0.05). It also ameliorated histopathological changes of the lung tissues such as goblet cells hyperplasia and mucus overproduction in comparison to group II. Interestingly, the results of the "Monzej-e-balgham"-treated group were comparable with those obtained for budesonide-inhaled mice. Conclusion: The present data indicated a mechanism that involves Th2 inflammatory responses in allergic asthma and suggested a polyherbal mixture for the treatment of this disease.

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ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Ustukhuddus Alavi is a polyherbal formula which is introduced by Persian medicine scholars. It is traditionally used to treat brain disorders and is claimed to do so by preprocessing and cleansing the waste products from the brain. According to Persian medicine, the disposal of brain waste products is necessary for optimal cognitive performance. AIM OF THE STUDY: Sustaining optimal cognitive performance is crucial for ideal quality of life and higher academic achievements in high school students. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of this multi-component herbal product on the cognitive performance and salivary cortisol levels of adolescent female students. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The effect of a 6-week randomly assigned Ustukhuddus Alavi versus placebo administration on cognitive performance was assessed by the paced auditory serial addition test (PASAT) at the baseline and after the 3- and 6-week intake of Ustukhuddus Alavi or placebo and the one-month follow-up in 86 healthy female high school students in grades 10 and 11. Additionally, we measured the levels of salivary cortisol of the students pre- and post-intervention. RESULTS: Significant mean difference between the Ustukhuddus Alavi and placebo groups in three of the paced auditory serial addition test (PASAT) subscales, namely mental health (p-value = 0.006), sustained attention (p-value = 0.001) and mental fatigue (p-value = 0.001), were observed after six weeks. We also found a significant difference between the mean salivary cortisol level of the two groups after the intervention (p-value = 0.047). CONCLUSIONS: These findings reveal that the intake of the multi-ingredient herbal product Ustukhuddus Alavi for six weeks can be helpful for cognitive function and cortisol levels in female high school students. These positive effects seem to be related to the increase in sustained attention and the decrease in mental fatigue.

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Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an age-related neurodegenerative disorder. Sever cognitive and memory impairments, huge increase in the prevalence of the disease, and lacking definite cure have absorbed worldwide efforts to develop therapeutic approaches. Since many drugs have failed in the clinical trials due to multifactorial nature of AD, symptomatic treatments are still in the center attention and now, nootropic medicinal plants have been found as versatile ameliorators to reverse memory disorders. In this work, anti-Alzheimer's activity of aqueous extract of areca nuts (Areca catechu L.) was investigated via in vitro and in vivo studies. It depicted good amyloid ß (Aß) aggregation inhibitory activity, 82% at 100 µg/mL. In addition, it inhibited beta-secretase 1 (BACE1) with IC50 value of 19.03 µg/mL. Evaluation of neuroprotectivity of the aqueous extract of the plant against H2O2-induced cell death in PC12 neurons revealed 84.5% protection at 1 µg/mL. It should be noted that according to our results obtained from Morris Water Maze (MWM) test, the extract reversed scopolamine-induced memory deficit in rats at concentrations of 1.5 and 3 mg/kg.

La enfermedad de Alzheimer (EA) es un trastorno neurodegenerativo relacionado con la edad. Los severos deterioros cognitivos y de la memoria, el enorme aumento de la prevalencia de la enfermedad y la falta de una cura definitiva han absorbido los esfuerzos mundiales para desarrollar enfoques terapéuticos. Dado que muchos fármacos han fallado en los ensayos clínicos debido a la naturaleza multifactorial de la EA, los tratamientos sintomáticos siguen siendo el centro de atención y ahora, las plantas medicinales nootrópicas se han encontrado como mejoradores versátiles para revertir los trastornos de la memoria. En este trabajo, se investigó la actividad anti-Alzheimer del extracto acuoso de nueces de areca (Areca catechu L.) mediante estudios in vitro e in vivo. Representaba una buena actividad inhibidora de la agregación de amiloide ß (Aß), 82% a 100 µg/mL. Además, inhibió la beta-secretasa 1 (BACE1) con un valor de CI50 de 19,03 µg/mL. La evaluación de la neuroprotección del extracto acuoso de la planta contra la muerte celular inducida por H2O2 en neuronas PC12 reveló una protección del 84,5% a 1 µg/mL. Cabe señalar que, de acuerdo con nuestros resultados obtenidos de la prueba Morris Water Maze (MWM), el extracto revirtió el déficit de memoria inducido por escopolamina en ratas a concentraciones de 1,5 y 3 mg/kg.

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BACKGROUND: Iranian traditional medicine, also known as Persian Medicine, is a holistic school of medicine with a long prolific history. It describes numerous concepts and the relationships between them. However, no unified language system has been proposed for the concepts of this medicine up to the present time. Considering the extensive terminology in the numerous textbooks written by the scholars over centuries, comprehending the totality of concepts is obviously a very challenging task. To resolve this issue, overcome the obstacles, and code the concepts in a reusable manner, constructing an ontology of the concepts of Iranian traditional medicine seems a necessity. CONSTRUCTION AND CONTENT: Makhzan al-Advieh, an encyclopedia of materia medica compiled by Mohammad Hossein Aghili Khorasani, was selected as the resource to create an ontology of the concepts used to describe medicinal substances. The steps followed to accomplish this task included (1) compiling the list of classes via examination of textbooks, and text mining the resource followed by manual review to ensure comprehensiveness of extracted terms; (2) arranging the classes in a taxonomy; (3) determining object and data properties; (4) specifying annotation properties including ID, labels (English and Persian), alternative terms, and definitions (English and Persian); (5) ontology evaluation. The ontology was created using Protégé with adherence to the principles of ontology development provided by the Open Biological and Biomedical Ontology (OBO) foundry. UTILITY AND DISCUSSION: The ontology was finalized with inclusion of 3521 classes, 15 properties, and 20,903 axioms in the Iranian traditional medicine General Ontology (IrGO) database, freely available at http://ir-go.net/ . An indented list and an interactive graph view using WebVOWL were used to visualize the ontology. All classes were linked to their instances in UNaProd database to create a knowledge base of ITM materia medica. CONCLUSION: We constructed an ontology-based knowledge base of ITM concepts in the domain of materia medica to help offer a shared and common understanding of this concept, enable reuse of the knowledge, and make the assumptions explicit. This ontology will aid Persian medicine practitioners in clinical decision-making to select drugs. Extending IrGO will bridge the gap between traditional and conventional schools of medicine, helping guide future research in the process of drug discovery.

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OBJECTIVE: Portulaca oleracea L. (PO) is abundantly found in Iran and is used in both nutritional and traditional medicine. Delaying thirst is one of the uses of the medicinal product of this plant which has been emphasized in Iranian traditional medicine though it was not proven scientifically. Accordingly, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of PO product on thirst. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this research, two main Set of experiments were considered: acute water deprivation group and chronic water restriction group. The urine parameters analyzed were osmolality, and sodium, and potassium concentration, and blood parameters evaluated included blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, osmolality, and sodium, and potassium concentration. The PO dosages were 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg. RESULTS: The findings showed that the effects of PO 100 and 200 (mg/kg) on blood and urine parameters were greater than that of PO 50 mg/kg, but there were no significant differences between them. CONCLUSION: In general, these findings indicate that PO extract can play an important role in reducing thirst symptoms most likely by affecting intra- and extra-cellular environments. Also, it is recommended to study the beneficial effects of this plant on diseases that lead to hypokalemia or blood potassium depletion.

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OBJECTIVE: Numerous studies demonstrated the effect of grape on memory improvement. According to Iranian traditional medicine, "mavizË® as a specific type of dried grapes can effectively improve memory. However, there is no reported clinical trial on the effect of "mavizË® on memory improvement in humans. Hence, this study was conducted to investigate "mavizË® effect on memory in university students. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This randomized open-label clinical trial was conducted on a total number of 53 students of Shahed University, Tehran, Iran, from November 2017 to February 2018. The participants were randomly allocated into an intervention group (receiving "mavizË®, 25 g in the morning for 4 weeks) or a control group (who did not take "mavizË®). The Digit Span Task and the N-Back Task were used for the measurement of working memory at the pre- and post-intervention stages. RESULTS: According to the results, no significant differences were found between the two groups regarding age, gender, marital status, and initial working memory test scores. "mavizË® consumption produced a highly significant improvement in total working memory score in the Digit Span Task (5.18 vs. 2.35, p<0.001) and Acoustic Memory Span (1.29 vs. 0.62, p=0.021). Moreover, "mavizË® consumption significantly increased the percentage of true responses in the N-Back Task and reduced the mean reaction time in the first level of the task. CONCLUSION: "mavizË® consumption was improved working memory in young healthy adults.

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Pediatric infections still represent a leading cause of mortality in many developing countries. Since ancient times, traditional healing systems provided some herbal remedies to treat pediatric diseases, only in some cases validated by an evidence-based approach. Therefore, this review covers the herbal remedies in Iranian traditional medicine and aims to assess the potential of phytotherapeutics as safe and effective alternatives to conventional therapies for the treatment of pediatric infectious diseases. Notably, pediatric patients may also benefit from adjuvant therapy, i.e., combined treatment with herbal remedies and conventional therapies, to improve the efficacy of conventional drugs, decrease their adverse effects at the cell-tissue-organ-organism level and reduce the occurrence of microbial strains resistant to antibiotics. Therefore, traditional healing systems still represent an unlimited source of active ingredients to be tested in preclinical assays as well as in humans in terms of efficacy and safety.

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Iran has a rich and diverse cultural heritage, consisting of a complex traditional medicine deeply rooted in the history of the territory that goes back to the Assyrian and Babylonian civilizations. The ethnomedical practices that can be identifiable nowadays derive from the experience of local people who have developed remedies against a wide range of diseases handing down the knowledge from generation to generation over the millennia. Traditional medicine practices represent an important source of inspiration in the process of the development of new drugs and therapeutic strategies. In this context, it is useful to determine the state of the art of ethnomedical studies, concerning the Iranian territory, and of scientific studies on plants used in traditional Iranian medicine. Data regarding 245 plants used in Iranian ethnomedical practices and scientific studies conducted on 89 plants collected in the Iranian territory have been reported. All of the scientific studies here reported draw inspiration from traditional medicine. The World Health Organization (WHO) has repeatedly called for an intensification of the scientific validation processes of traditional medicines intended as an important contribution to public health in various parts of the world. The process of study and validation of Iranian ethnomedical practices appears to be at an early stage.

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The problem of infertility is growing rapidly in the world. Traditional medicine with thousands of years of history has claimed that it can treat some kinds of infertility using nutritional and lifestyle modifications and interventions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a traditional medicine-oriented diet and lifestyle on infertility treatment. Based on a clinical trial study, 180 infertile women who were 20-40 years old and candidates for in vitro fertilization (IVF) were randomly assigned to 2 groups: an intervention group and a control group. The intervention group used diet and lifestyle recommendations based on Iranian traditional medicine for at least 3 months. The number of ova, mature ovum number, embryo number, embryo quality, and fertilization rate were significantly higher in the intervention group than in the control group (for all items; p < 0.05). Overall pregnancy rate was significantly higher in the intervention group (35.2 vs. 12.4%; odds ratio [OR], 3.8; 95% CI, 1.8-8.3). The intervention group had a higher rate of getting spontaneous pregnancy than the control group (20.9 vs. 2.2%; OR, 11.5; 95% CI, 2.6-50.9). Chemical pregnancy was significantly higher in the intervention group (64 vs. 27.5%; OR, 4.7; 95% CI, 1.9-11.6). Diet and lifestyle modifications based on traditional medicine can contribute greatly to the infertility treatment. Thus, many infertility cases can be treated without the need to use advanced methods. In case of using assisted reproductive techniques, traditional medicine can enhance the efficiency of these methods.

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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Infertility is a major problem in medical sciences. Despite recent advances in diagnosing and treatment of infertility, it is still one of the most important medical problems. The aim of this study is to review the role of the parsnip (Pastinaca sativa L), a proposed remedy as to a fertile agent in the viewpoint of Iranian traditional medicine (ITM) and review the evidence in the conventional medicine. METHODS: In this literature research, we investigated some important Persian medical and pharmaceutical manuscripts in ITM. The search was conducted with the keyword of the fertile agent, and the parsnip was one of the choices mentioned as a fertile agent which is also available. In order assess the current findings, a search was done in the PubMed and Google Scholar databases. RESULTS: In ITM, the parsnip is recognized as a stomach astringent, liver and uterine tonic and Stimulates ovulation. It is named as semen or sexual desire increaser and fertile agent. In the viewpoint of ITM, attention to the health of main or vital members of the body (including the heart, brain, and liver) in addition to the health of the urogenital system, may have led to the treatment of infertility. CONCLUSION: In some studies, the effects of the parsnip on spermatogenesis, number, and sperm motility are investigated but no studies have been done on women's infertility. This review shows that the parsnip can be as a fertile agent in female infertility. So, further clinical research is recommended.

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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Regarding the development of diagnostic tests based on saliva and the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS), the aim of this study is to review Persian Medicine manuscripts in the field of saliva manifestations, its relation to metabolic syndrome, and treatment recommendations. METHODS: This study is a mini-review. We investigated the canon of medicine and some important Persian medical or pharmaceutical manuscripts from the 9th to the 19th centuries. PubMed and Google Scholar databases were explored for finding relevant information about the relationship between saliva and metabolic syndrome and its treatment. RESULTS: Studies have suggested that maldigestion is one of the important causes of MetS. Sialorrhea may be an early symptom of maldigestion. Attention to sialorrhea and its treatment may be useful in the prevention and treatment of metabolic syndrome based on PM sources. In PM, sialorrhea is treated with 3 major approaches: lifestyle modification along with simple or compound medicines. CONCLUSION: Saliva manifestations could be considered as early symptoms of metabolic syndrome. As mentioned in WHO strategies, traditional medicine can be used along with modern medicine due to its effectiveness in the management of various ailments.

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Scalp dandruff is one of the most common complaints of patients visiting dermatologic clinics. It has significant influence on the self-confidence and social image of the individuals it affects. The current study aimed to analyze this problem from the viewpoint of Persian medicine. This paper is a literature review in which the text of selected books on Persian medicine is investigated using content analysis based on the theoretical sampling method. The studied keywords in the Persian medicine books included Hozaz, Ebrieh, and Ghooba. Relevant points were extracted from the text of papers selected from PubMed, Scopus, and SID and analyzed further. Persian medicine considers the incidence of scalp dandruff to be an output of the interaction between internal and external factors and concentrates more on disorder in the process of waste removal through the skin and its role in the development of scaling diseases. In order to dandruff treatment, Persian medicine sages considered nutrition, personal hygiene, status of the digestive system, and the health status of other organs in addition to topical treatment. Clinical examination of Persian medicine hypotheses, especially how the quality of skin secretions affects the development of scaly skin, can improve the treatment of scalp dandruff and other scaling skin diseases.

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BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common health disorders among children. Some patients do not respond to methylphenidate or cannot tolerate its side effects. Sweet almond syrup as a Persian Medicine preparation has been used for many years. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of sweet almond for ADHD children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty children aged 6-14 years with ADHD were recruited to the study. The participants were randomly assigned to two groups to receive either methylphenidate or sweet almond syrup. The outcomes were assessed using the Parent and Teacher ADHD Rating Scale every two weeks for 8 weeks. RESULTS: Results showed that the two treatments had similar effects on symptom reduction in ADHD children. No significant differences were observed between the two groups (F=2.3, df=1, p=0.13, F=0.57, df=1, p=0.47). CONCLUSION: Sweet almond may be an effective treatment for ADHD children.

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