Background: 7 species of the annual plants of genus Fumaria, grow in Iran. Fumaria officinalis is the medicinal species, which is used as a cholagogue. F. officinalis is not found in Iran but F. parviflora is used instead, in folk medicine. It is thought to be a expectorant, diuretic, diaphoretic, gastric tonic, blood purifier, bitter tonic, laxative, intoxicant, astringent, sedative and has favorable effects on skin complaints. Objective: The aim of this study was quantitative determination of the effective component (fumaric acid) of Fumaria parviflora Lam. Methods: Medicinal parts of F. parviflora are aerial parts. The aerial parts of F. parviflora in the flowering stage were collected in July 2003 from Halejerd. Powdered plant was extracted with petroleum ether, chloroform, acetone and methanol using a soxhlet extractor. Fumaric acid content was analyzed by HPLC. Results: Fumaric acid content of the dried plant was determined to be about 0.93% w/w.

Background: Liver, the largest internal organ in the body, plays a central role in many essential physiologic processes and has numerous functions. Nevertheless, its disorders are many fold. Hepatic disease may result from a variety of therapeutic drugs or toxins that cause wide hepatic lesions.Objective: From the old times, plants have been used for the treatment of liver disorders. In this study, protective effect of hydroalcoholic extract of Fumaria parviflora L was determined.Methods: Male rats were used in this study. In the test groups, they received l00, 200 and 300mg/kg of the extract, alone or with CCl4 (3 ml/kg). The liver function test and hystopathological observations were performed for all groups.Results: Carbon tetrachloride caused severs liver damage and the extract of the plant with doses higher than 100mg/kg prevented CCl4-induced liver damageConclusion: The results of the present study support the traditional beliefs on hepatoprotective effects of Fumaria parviflora.

Purpose: Fumaria parviflora Lam (Fumariaceae) has been used in traditional medicine in the treatment of several diseases such as diabetes. The present work was designed to evaluate the hypoglycaemic effects of methanolic extract (ME) of F. parviflora in normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.Methods: The rats used were allocated in six (I, II, III, IV, V and VI) experimental groups (n=5). Group I rats served as ‘normal control’ animals received distilled water and group II rats served as ‘diabetic control’ animals. Diabetes mellitus was induced in groups II, V and VI rats by intraperitoneal single injection of streptozotocin (STZ, 55 mg kg-1). Group V and VI rats were addi-tionally treated with ME (150 mg kg-1 day-1 and 250 mg kg-1 day-1, i.p. respectively) 24 hour post STZ injection, for seven consecutive days. Groups III and IV rats received only ME 150 mg kg-1 day-1 and 250 mg kg-1 day-1, i.p. respectively for seven days. The levels of blood glucose were determined using a Glucometer.Results: Administra-tion of F. parviflora extract showed a potent glucose lowering effect only on streptozo-tocin (STZ) induced diabetic rats below 100 mg/dl (P<0.001). However, no significant differences in the blood glucose levels were recorded between diabetic rats received 125 or 250 mg/kg of plant extracts.Conclusion: The findings of the study indicated that F. parviflora has significant hypoglycemic effect on STZ-induced diabetic rats with no effects on blood glucose levels of normal rats.

In this study the antinoiciceptive and histopathological effects of the methanolic extract of fumaria parviflora Lam. in animal models was investigated. For this purpose, the antinociceptive effects of percolated and soxhlet extracts were evaluated in mice subjected to acute thermal (hot-plate) and persistent chemical (formalin) pain stimuli. Intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of the percolated extract evoked significant antinociceptive effects at a dose of 100 mg/kg in the second phase of formalin test. The maximum antinociceptive effect was induced by the dose of 300 mg/kg that was significant in both phases of formalin test. Dose of 400 mg/kg of the percolated extract induced acute adverse effects such as diarrhea, polyurea, malasia and hyperventilation in mice. Soxhlet extract of F. parviflora (300 mg/kg, i.p.) also showed significant effects in the both phases of formalin test. The most effective dose of the percolated extract as well as the soxhlet extracts (300 mg/kg, i.p.) were evaluated in hot plate test. The results showed that only percolated extract had significant antinociceptive effect in hot-plate. Pretreatment of mice with naloxane, an opioid antagonist did not change antinociceptive effect of percolated extract in formalin test, but in hot-plate it increased extract’s effect after the first 15 minutes. In histopathological evaluation of liver, toxic dose of percolated extract (400 mg/kg) caused degeneration, necrosis and regeneration of hepatic cells. The study of ulcerogenic effects of oral percolated extract on stomach in rats showed that this adverse effect was significantly lower in comparison with the same dose of indomethacin. These results showed F. parviflora is relatively safe for use and it is a good candidate for further studies to determine its effective and probable toxic compound(s).

Background: There is growing concern that occupational, environmental and lifestyle factors adversely affect male reproductive health. Fumaria parviflora Lam. is being used traditionally in Persian folk medicine to cure various ailments and has been supposed to have fertility-enhancing properties.Objective: A dose-response study was designed to assess effects of F. parviflora ethanolic leaves extract on reproductive parameters in adult male Wistar rats.Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, healthy adult male rats were treated with 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg/day of F. parviflora leaves extract via gavage for 70 days. Blood samples were collected for determination of testosterone, LH and FSH serum levels. Reproductive organs weight, motility, morphology and density of epididymal sperm, seminiferous tubules diameter and germinal epithelium height were evaluated in each experimental group.Results: The body weight was not affected, while the weights of testis and epididymis were significantly enhanced in rats treated with 200 and 400 mg/kg/day F. parviflora extract. No significant changes were observed in seminal vesicle and ventral prostate weight between experiment groups. Significant increase was found in epididymal sperm density and percent of morphologically normal sperm in extract-treated rats. Serum testosterone levels were significantly higher in rats received 200 and 400 mg/kg/day.Conclusion: The results indicated that ethanolic extract of F. parviflora leaves have a potential to improve reproductive parameters and enhance male fertility.

Introduction: Chemical drugs and herbal medicine play a significant role in the management of diabetes mellitus complications. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Fumaria parviflora as an herbal source and glibenclamide as a chemical drug, on the liver tissue of diabetic rats. Methods: Male Wistar rats (n=32) were classified randomly into four groups (8/group), including control, diabetic (induced by 50mg/kg streptozocin), 250mg/kg hydroalcoholic extract of Fumaria parviflora (DFP) and 5mg/kg glibenclamide groups. After 21 days of treatment, liver tissues and blood samples were stored at-80° C to test lipid profile, liver enzymes and some oxidative stress markers. Results: In the diabetic group compared to the control group, the activities of SOD and GPx and also the serum levels of alkaline phosphatase were significantly decreased, while the levels of malondialdehyde, alanine aminotransferase and aspartate transaminase enhanced. Treatment with DFP and glibenclamide could manage the levels of all mentioned-parameters. Furthermore, in both treated groups, the rate of damages in the liver of rats reduced compared to the diabetic group. Conclusion: According to the obtained results, the administration of DFP or glibenclamide could ameliorate the deleterious effects of diabetes mellitus on some investigated-parameters. As there were no difference between DFP and glibenclamide effects, Fumaria parviflora could be considered as an alternative drug, at least for the diabetic complications examined in this study. However, further investigation is needed.

Background: Hepatoprotective effects of Fumaria parviflora have been approved in pharmaceutical and chemical toxicity models. Given the importance of the vincristine-induced hepatotoxicity during chemotherapy, the aim of this study was to investigate the potential hepatoprotective effects of F. parviflora extract on vincristine induced toxicity in adult male rats. Materials and methods: In this experimental study, the rats (n=42) were divided into 7 groups: 1) Sham group, 2) vehicle group, 3) vincristine group (VCR) (0. 5 mg/kg, i. p. ), 4) F. parviflora extract (300 mg/kg, p. o. ), 5) F. parviflora extract (500 mg/kg, p. o. ), 6) Pretreatment group: F. parviflora extract (300mg/kg for 10 days, p. o. ) + VCR (0. 5 mg/kg, i. p. ) on 9th and 10th days of the experiment, and 7) Pretreatment group: F. parviflora extract (500mg/kg for 10 days, p. o. ) +VCR (0. 5 mg/kg, i. p. ) on 9th and 10th days of the experiment. Serum values of AST, ALT, ALP and malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured. Data were analyzed by one way ANOVA using prism software. Results: F. parviflora extract with dose of 500 mg/kg markedly decreased ALT hepatic enzyme level caused by vincristine (P<0. 01). In addition, the dose of 300 mg/kg could not decrease the elevated liver enzymes, including ALP, ALT and AST and also MDA levels. Conclusion: Hepatoprotective effects of F. parviflora extract were not considerable in pretreatment groups.