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Sweet basil leaves as adjunct therapy for stage 1 and 2 hypertension: a pilot clinical trial
Get PDFOcimum basilicum L. (Sweet Basil) is a medicinal herb used in traditional Indian and Chinese medicine to treat a variety of disease conditions including hypertension, and has well established antihypertensive effects among renovascular hypertensive rats. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antihypertensive effects of O. basilicum as adjunct in the management of stage 1 and 2 hypertensive patients. A double blind-randomized controlled trial was performed, with participants (n=24) randomized into a control and treatment group. Participants randomized into the control group (n=12) were given their prescribed antihypertensive medication plus placebo while those in the treatment group (n=12) were given their antihypertensive medication plus Ocimum basilicum L. capsules containing 128 mg of dried, powderized leaves once a day. Participants’ blood pressure (BP) was measured at baseline, 1 week, and 2 weeks of drug administration and the Mean Arterial Pressure (MAP) calculated. Results showed that systolic and diastolic BP in the treatment group measured from baseline, one and two weeks of drug administration are significantly different, whereas the control group had insignificant findings. Furthermore, the MAP in the control group (105.25±9.52 mm/Hg, 104.08±8.45 mm/Hg and 104.47±8.85 mmHg) were comparable while that in the treatment group (106.47±6.65 mm/Hg,100.89±9.99 mm/Hg, and 97.14±9.96 mm/Hg) showed significant lowering (p=<0.0001) over time by Repeated Measures-Anova with Bonferroni’s post-hoc test. The significant findings in this study support the antihypertensive action of Ocimum basilicum L. among humans which warrant further exploration.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.427494
Efficacy of Detarium microcarpum extracts and synergistic effect of combine extract and ivermectin against Caenorhabditis elegans
Get PDFThis work tested the efficacy of crude methanol and aqueous extracts from the stem bark of Detarium microcarpum and the effect of combined extract and ivermectin in vitro against the motility of C. elegans Bristol N2 and C. elegans DA1316 L4 larvae. Series of concentrations (0.2, 0.6, 0.8, 1.0, and 2.0 mg/ml) of aqueous and methanolic extracts of D. microcarpum was used for the test. Counting of the motile larvae was carried out after 24 hours and 48 hours. A further test was carried out using a combination of plant extract and ivermectin. Both the aqueous and the methanolic extracts exhibited good anthelmintic activity in the inhibition of larval motility of C. elegans Bristol N2 as well of C. elegans DA1316 with a significant difference at P < 0.05 when compared to the negative control. However, a significant difference occurred between treatment with aqueous and methanolic extract at P < 0.05. The performance of the extracts was concentration and time-dependent. A combination of plant extract and ivermectin prove more potent than the pure extract against both strains of C. elegans. These extracts may be used to control parasitic nematodes including ivermectin resistant type. Treatment using combined plant anthelmintic and synthetic drugs should be encouraged as the combination was more promising. Further studies should be carried on the identification of active compounds in the extracts and studying the mode of action of the drugs on the nematodes and in vivo tests of the extract.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.448809
Total phenol and flavonoid content, antioxidant and cytotoxicity assessment of Algerian Launaea glomerata (Cass.) Hook.f. extracts
Get PDFEl-Oued province (southeast Algeria), is located in a medicinal plant-rich area; Launaea glomerata (Cass.) Hook. f. is one among them which is a perennial herb spread widely in the arid regions of the Mediterranean Sea. The selection of the studied plant corresponds perfectly to the scientific needs due two reasons, firstly because these samples are used by the Algerian population as herbal remedies for primary health care, secondly, for the lack of published data on it. The aim of this investigation is to provide new data on quantities of phenols, which were estimated at 25.81 mg GAE/g extract and flavonoids (49.13 mg RE/g extract), and the determination of antioxidant activities by three ways (DPPH, CAT, ABTS), the results of IC50 equals to 98.07 mg TE/g extract for DPPH• and 286.5 mg eq. AG/g for ABTS assays, noted that the best inhibition was by the ABTS root. We also conducted a test for the inhibitory ability of extract against cancer cells tested on both human hepatocellular carcinoma (HePG2) and colon cells (HCT116), the results were negative. The data obtained in this work can be useful for the pharmaceutical industry, also used in the Algerian medicinal herbs database.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.442970
Antimicrobial activity of crude henna extract against Gram-positive bacteria
Get PDFHenna plant has been used in herbal medicine for ages, but the medical uses of this plant as antimicrobial agent had not been well discussed. In this study we aim to examine the effect of ethanolic extract of local Basra henna leaves on Gram-positive bacteria species. Also, to assess the antibacterial properties of henna crude extract in vitro and compare them with antibiotics. Lawsonia inermis (henna) leaves were extracted with ethanol via using the solvent extraction technique. The pathogens were isolated from wound samples obtained from hospitalized patients in two different hospitals in Duhok city. Culture of thirty isolates had been recognized by routine methods. Different concentrations of ethanol crude extract were acquired and bio-assayed in vitro to inhibit the growth of five human pathogenic Gram-positive bacteria. Agar well diffusion assay was used for achieving henna antibiotic activity. Moreover, antibiotics susceptibility test was done by the disk diffusion method using Muller-Hinton agar medium. The growth of all tested bacteria was suppressed to various degrees by increasing the concentration of the extract. The data has revealed that Staphylococcus aureus was more sensitive than other examined isolates, where the diameter zone of inhibition were ranging from 16-27, 14-25, and 8-18 mm for Staphylococcus epidermidis, Lactobacillus spp. and Streptococcus pneumoniae respectively. The antimicrobial activity of henna extract indicates that it is suitable for being used as significant certain medications. Consequently, henna is active to serve as an anti-bacterial agent against multi-drug resistant Gram-positive bacteria.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.456911
Antimicrobial activity of dried fig (Ficus carica L.) extracts from the region of Mascara (Western Algeria) on Enterobacter cloacae identified by MALDI-TOF/MS
Get PDFEnterobacter cloacae is currently known as a urinary tract infection agent, especially in hospitals recognized by its resistance to 3rd generation cephalosporin’s, which makes it a target for different works in order to find natural and definitive means of fight and treatment. Their limited biochemical reactivity and their different morphotypes is a real obstacle to their identification by conventional phenotypic means. 16S rRNA and 18S rRNA gene sequencing is highly successful for bacterial identification. However, in recent years, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time in flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has emerged as a very valid technique for the identification and diagnosis of microorganisms. Our study aims to identify three bacteria belonging to the Enterobacter cloacae species isolated from various environments by the MALDI-TOF/MS method and then to study their antimicrobial activity against some extracts of dried figs of Ficus carica fruits grown in the mascara region (western Algeria). The determination of the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) shows a significant inhibition of the activity of E. cloacae by the methanolic extract of El-Keurt variety at 2.34 mg/ml of extract. This study seems to give good guidance for the use of dried figs against Enterobacter infections.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.464137
Sero-prevalence and associated risk factors of Hepatitis B among adults attending selected government hospitals in Nigeria
Get PDFHepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is one of the major public health problems globally. This study aims to determine the frequency of occurrence of HBV infection and associated risk factors for acquisition of the disease in clinically-ill adult patients attending selected government hospitals in Ondo State, Nigeria. Seven hundred and sixty-seven (767) ill adult individuals attending five medical out-patient Departments of the hospitals who consented to the study were recruited for the investigation. A structured questionnaire which covered sociodemographic characteristics and risk factors were used for primary information. Positivity for HBV was determined using a quality assured commercial enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit for the detection of Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). Of the 767 patients, 11.0% were positive for HBsAg. The prevalence rate for HBsAg positivity was higher in the males (13.5%) than the females (9.3%) (pv = 0.043). The study also revealed the highest prevalence rate of HBsAg infection among the age group 19 – 39 years with mean percentage of 17.5%. Alcohol consumption, history of HBV in the family, multiple sex partners, history of injections in road side chemist shops, and intake of traditional herbs showed significant association respectively (p < 0.05), however no significant association among individuals with history of HBV vaccination, blood transfusion and tattoo/tribal mark (p > 0.05). Conclusively, this study gives information on the prevalence rate of HBV in the community sampled to be 11.0%. This shows that HBV is endemic in Ondo State, Southwest Nigeria
Fumigant toxicity and repellency of citronella grass essential oil (Cymbopogon nardus (L.) Rendle) to German cockroaches (Blattella germanica L.)
Get PDFCitronella grass (Cymbopogon nardus (L.) Rendle) is a tropical plant that can develop as an insect pest fumigant and repellent, especially for the control of the populations of German cockroaches (Blattella germanica L.). The research aims to investigate the fumigation toxicity and repellency of citronella grass essential oil against German cockroach males and nymphs. Fumigation toxicity and repellency tests are the protocol that uses in the present research. The field populations of cockroaches collected in Indonesia from several locations. The essential oil of citronella grass is not fumigant. In contrast, the citronella grass essential oil effectively repels the cockroach, and the repellency ranges from 65.72–100.00% at 1 hour and still effective after 24 hours. The citronella grass essential oil can develop as a repellent product than as a fumigant to the German cockroach pest.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.467050
Determination of total phenolic content, total flavonoid content and total antioxidant capacity in some endemic Sideritis L. (Lamiaceae) species grown in Turkey
Get PDFIn this study, total phenolic, total flavonoid and antioxidant activities of the some endemic species Sideritis rubriflora Hub.-Mor., Sideritis libanotica Labill. subsp. violascens (P.H.Davis) P.H.Davis, Sideritis erythrantha Boıss. Et Heldr. Apus Bentham var. cedretorum P.H.Davis, Sideritis congesta P. H. Davis Et Hub.-Mor., Sideritis brevidens P.H.Davis and Sideritis vuralii H. Duman Et Başer, which were collected from Anamur district of Mersin province in Turkey, were analyzed. Total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC) and total antioxidant capacity (DPPH), (ABTS), (FRAP) of the ground surface parts were evaluated. As a result of the study, the highest TPC value was observed in S. erythrantha subsp. cedretorum and S. rubriflora extracts as being 366.9 and 328.3 mg/g DW, respectively; the highest TFC value was observed in S. rubriflora extract as being 155.7 mg/g; the highest DPPH radical scavenging activity was observed in S. congesta and S. brevidens extracts as being 39.1% and 38.9%, respectively; the highest ABTS radical scavenging activity was observed in S. erythrantha subsp. cedretorum and S. rubriflora extracts as being 54.9% and 51.9%, respectively; the highest FRAP value was observed in S. libanotica subsp. violascens extract as being 1500.2 µmol/g. In the light of the acquired findings, it is suggested that Sideritis species used in the study can be used as a possible natural source in the pharmaceutical and food industries.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.466007
Use of statistical analysis to monitor novel coronavirus-19 cases in Jammu and Kashmir, India
Get PDFCoronavirus disease (COVID-19) has been increasing slowly and steadily in all the districts of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is essential for the government and health management system to monitor the districts affected due to COVID-19. The main objective of this study is to ascertain and categorize the COVID-19 affected districts into real clusters based on similarities within a cluster and differences among clusters in order to imply standard operating procedures (SOPs) policies, decisions, medical facilities, etc. could be improved for reducing the risk of infection and death and optimize the deployment of resources for preventing subsequent outbreaks.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.467747
A review on CRISPR-Cas9 and its role in cancer immunotherapy
Get PDFSince the discovery of CRISPR, the field of Molecular Genetics has revolutionized and has opened so many different doors to improve molecular techniques and interpret the early microbial life forms. The diversity found within the CRISPR-Cas systems has led to its application in various fields like diagnostics, medicine and also has given rise to an interesting field of genome engineering. The Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Emanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna for their work on CRISPR-Cas9 and its application as a genome engineering tool. Scientists have been using the CRISPR-Cas9 system to edit genomes and cure various genetic diseases associated with mutations in the human genome. One such application is the use of CRISPR-Cas9 in cancer immunotherapy. The entire world has been known to be affected by the rapidly dividing cellular disease of cancer. Since cancer cells have different morphology, they are attacked by our immune system. Cancer cells possess the ability to camouflage themselves and avoid these immune responses and thereby proliferate and metastasize to a much greater extent. Scientists have been able to genetically engineer T-cells with the help of CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing tool which has shown promising results in the course of immunotherapy. On the 4th of June 2021, in India, the first patient underwent CAR-T Cell therapy setting a milestone for future treatments. In this review, we aim to evaluate the potential and diversity of the profound CRISPR-Cas systems and the application of CRISPR-Cas9 in immunotherapy for refractory cancer.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.552722