Objective: To estimate the prevalence of antibiotic resistance of Neisseria species in Iran. Methods: A systematic and electronic search using relevant keywords in major national and international databases was performed until 6th July, 2018 in order to find studies reporting the prevalence of antibiotic resistance of Neisseria species in Iran. Results: A total of nine studies were found to be eligible based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Our analysis indicated that the prevalence of Neisseria gonorrhoeae resistance to different antibiotics was as follows: 66.9% to penicillin, 59.1% to ciprofloxacin, 11.1% to ceftriaxone, 21.6% to spectinomycin, 13.8% to cefixime, 82.4% to co-trimoxazole, 52.7% to tetracycline, 29.9% to gentamicin, 87.5% to ampicillin, 11.1% to azithromycin, 2.2% to chloramphenicol, 50.1% to cefepime and 50.0% to vancomycin. Antimicrobial resistance rates of Neisseria meningitidis was as follows: 30.0% to penicillin, 33.3% to amoxicillin, 33.3% to cephalexin, 55.6% to ampicillin and 0.0% to ciprofloxacin, ceftriaxone, cefotaxime, amikacin, co-trimoxazole, gentamicin, kanamycin, chloramphenicol and ceftizoxime. Conclusion: Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Neisseria meningitidis isolates of Iran show resistance to different types of antibiotics. Therefore, care should be exercised for the use of penicillin, ciprofloxacin, co-trimoxazole, tetracycline, gentamicin, ampicillin, cefepime and vancomycin for gonococcal infections, and also with respect to the use of penicillin, amoxicillin, ampicillin and cephalexin for meningococcal infections in Iran.

The gut-brain axis describes the bidirectional communication between the gut, the enteric nervous system, and the central nervous system. The gut-brain axis has attracted increasing attention owing to its regulatory effect on dysbiosis and a wide range of related diseases. Several types of nutrients, such as curcumin, have been proposed as regulators of the dysbiotic state, and preclinical experiments have suggested that curcumin is not only beneficial but also safe. This review focuses on the interplay between curcumin and the gut microbiota. Moreover, it provides a comprehensive review of the crosstalk between the gut-brain axis and disease, whilst also discussing curcumin-mediated gut-brain axis-dependent and -independent signaling about modulation of gut microbiota dysbiosis. This will help to define the utility of curcumin as a novel therapeutic agent to regulate intestinal microflora dysbiosis.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effectiveness of curcumin, a natural polyphenolic compound with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, on the frequency of symptoms of anxiety and depression in obese individuals.

METHODSIn this double blind, cross-over trial, 30 obese subjects were randomized to receive either curcumin (1 g/day) or placebo for a period of 30 days. Following a wash-out interval of 2 weeks, each subject was crossed over to the alternative regimen for a further 30 days. Severity of anxiety and depression was assessed at baseline and at weeks 4, 6 and 10 of the trial using the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) scales, respectively.

RESULTSMean BAI score was found to be significantly reduced following curcumin therapy (P=0.03). However, curcumin supplementation did not exert any significant impact on BDI scores (P=0.7).

CONCLUSIONCurcumin has a potential anti-anxiety effect in individuals with obesity.

Adult ; Anxiety ; complications ; drug therapy ; Curcumin ; therapeutic use ; Demography ; Depression ; complications ; drug therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Obesity ; complications ; drug therapy ; Placebos ; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales