Bioautography for evaluation of several Lavandula L. and origanum species antimicrobial and antioxidant activity

In the search of bioactive natural compounds, bioautography of plant extracts were associated in an antioxidant screening. Due to containing variety of phenolic compounds Lavandula and Origanum species are important medicinal plants. The antioxidant and free radical scavenging activities of Lavandula angustifolia, L. stoechas, L. heterophylla, Origanum majorana, O. onites, O. vulgare, O. minituflorum, and their main phenolic compounds linalool and carvacrol was carried out by TLC-bioautography method based on the DPPH· andABTS·+ assays to compare essential oils and known main active constituents. The antimicrobial activity of the materials was tested using the in vitro broth microdilution assay towards two different microorganisms. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus mutans were used for the study. As a result of our studies, it is determined that O. vulgare showed the highest activity against S. mutans and O. onites and O. vulgare showed the highest activity against MRSA. compared to the tested antibiotic

The effect of prolonged incubation and temperature on oocyte activator phospholipase C-zeta activity of sperm

Objective: Fertilization capacity of capacitated sperm decreases exponentially over time, but the reason is still under investigation. The aim of the study was to analyze the effect of prolonged incubation and temperature on sperm fertilization capacity with motility and staining parameters of phospholipase C-zeta (PLCZ), which is considered to be the oocyte activation factor. Materials and Methods: Density gradient washing was applied to semen of 11 infertile patients without severe oligoasthenospermia out of 16 patients. The samples were divided and cultured either at room temperature or at 37°C for 3 days. The spermatozoons were evaluated for motility, PLCZ staining and intensity daily. Results: All parameters decreased both at room and body temperature with increased incubation time. There was a strong correlation between the change in motility and in the percentage of PLCZ stained sperms, but this correlation decreased with incubation time. Conclusion: Prolonged incubation results show the correlation between PLCZ staining parameters and motility. Routine use of PLCZ staining together with semen analysis, will be useful to predict fertilization capacity of the sperm especially for unexplained infertility and fertilization failure cases, and also can increase the success of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) cycles

Prepubertal testis hücre süspansiyonun dondurulmasında seeding etkisi

Prepubertal testis kriyoprezervasyonu, kanser tedavisi yapılacak erkek çocuklarda fertilitenin korunması için günümüz teknolojisinde umut vadetmektedir. Kriyoprezervasyonda en uygun yöntemin geliştirilmesi için prepubertal testis hücre süspansiyonunda farklı taşıyıcılar kullanarak seeding etkisi araştırıldı

Patient Characteristics and Frequent Localizations of Rhinoliths

Objective:A rhinolith is a rare entity affecting all people in all age groups. It is defined as a mineralized foreign body. The purpose of the present study was to reveal the distribution in age and gender and the localization, side, and prominent symptoms of rhinoliths to identify the risk groups and characteristics of the rhinoliths in a large case series.Methods:A retrospective review was performed from the medical charts of 28 patients who were diagnosed with rhinolith and underwent surgery between May 2011 and January 2015 in Ankara Research and Training Hospital. All data, including age, gender, duration of symptoms, localization of the lesion and accompanying pathologies, were documented.Results:In total, 28 patients (18 females and 10 males) with a mean age of 26.2±16.6 (5-62) years who were diagnosed with rhinolithiasis were reviewed. Nasal obstruction (71.4%) and nasal discharge (64.3%) were the most common complaints. The rhinolith was located in the right nasal cavity in 24 patients and in the left in four; this difference was statistically significant (p<0.001). There were 11 accompanying pathologies including nasal septal deviation (n=6), nasal polyposis (n=2), concha bullosa (n=2), and adenoid vegetation (n=1). In 21 (75%) patients, the most common site was the nasal base of the cavity between the inferior turbinate and the nasal septum.Conclusion:If unilateral right-sided nasal obstruction with foul-smelling purulent discharge is detected in a young adult and a nasal examination reveals a mass in the floor of the cavity, a rhinolith should be strongly considered in the differential diagnosis

Adipoz doku ve adipoz dokudan salgılanan bazı proteinler

Gelişmiş ve gelişmekte olan ülkelerde yaşam şartlarının değişmesi nedeniyle hareketsizlik ve aşırı yağlı gıdalarla beslenme sonucu obezite yaygın olarak görülmektedir. Yapılan çalışmalarda obezitenin aslında düşük seviyede seyreden kronik bir adipoz doku yangısı olduğu ve bu durumun obezite ilişkili sistemik metabolik fonksiyon bozukluklarına katkıda bulunduğu ortaya konmuştur.  Adipoz dokudan salgılanan adipokinler, metabolik ve/veya pro/antiinflamatuar etkilere sahip olan biyoaktif maddelerdir. Obezitedeki adipoz doku disfonksiyonu nedeniyle bu adipokinlerin yapımı veya salgılanmasının düzensizliği birçok hastalık komplikasyonları oluşturmakta, yaşam koşullarının kalitesinin azalmasına ve mortalite oranının artmasına neden olmaktadır. Bu derlemede, farklı adipoz doku yapıları, yapılarına göre değişen fonksiyonları ve adipoz dokudan salgılanan pro/anti inflamatuar ve enerji dengesinde etkili adipokinlerden bazıları hakkında bilgi verilmesi amaçlanmıştır

In vivo wound healing and in vitro anti-inflammatory activity evaluation of phlomis russeliana extract gel formulations

The air-dried aerial parts of Phlomis russeliana (Sims) Lag. Ex Benth. was extracted by methanol and fractionated by n-hexane, dichloromethane, and ethyl acetate, respectively. The wound healing properties of P. russeliana extract gel was evaluated using the in vivo excisional wound model using Balb-c mice. Initially, the P. russeliana methanol extract showed LOX inhibitory activity at IC50 = 23.2 mu g/mL, whereas the DPPH center dot assay showed IC50 = 0.89 mg/mL, and the ABTS(center dot) assay showed IC50 = 0.99 mg/mL, respectively. In addition, a remarkable anti-inflammatory activity was observed in the cell culture assay. Thereafter, activity-guided fractionation was performed by LOX enzyme inhibition assays, and the structures of the two most active fractions were revealed by both GC-FID and GC/MS analyses, simultaneously. Phytol and 1-heptadecanoic acid were characterized as the active constituents. Moreover, the P. russeliana extract gel formulation was applied for in vivo tests, where the new gel formulation supported the in vitro anti-inflammatory activity findings. As a conclusion, this experimental results support the wound healing evidence based on the ethnobotanical application of Phlomis species with further potential.Anadolu University Scientific Research Projects Commisio

Opuntia ficus indica fruits ameliorate cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in mice

This study aims to determine the potential renal protective effects of Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Miller (OFI) fruits against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in mice. The antioxidant activity of OH methanol extract was calculated by 2,2-dipheny1-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzthiazoline6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) free radical scavenging assays. Furthermore, the LC-mass spectroscopy (MS) analysis of the OFI fruit extract was carried out. Mice were treated with OFI extract (250mg/kg) for 10d and injected with a single dose of cisplatin (20 mg/kg) on the 7th day. The blood samples were collected to measure blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine level on the 10th day. Their kidneys were removed for histopathological examination. The renal morphological alterations were assessed through the mesangial matrix index and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The OH fruit extract showed significant in vitro antioxidant activity. In further, it was revealed that the cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in mice was ameliorated; this outcome was supported by both histological examination results and the depicted reduced levels of BUN and serum creatinine. The potent antioxidant compounds which were detected in the extract of OH fruits such as myricetin, quercetin, luteolin might be responsible for the observed renoprotective effect. The results clarified that the OFI fruit extract could ameliorate cisplatin-induced renal toxicity in mice via including antioxidant and renoprotective compounds

The effect of prolonged incubation and temperature on oocyte activator phospholipase C-zeta activity of sperm

Objective: Fertilization capacity of capacitated sperm decreases exponentially over time, but the reason is still under investigation. The aim of the study was to analyze the effect of prolonged incubation and temperature on sperm fertilization capacity with motility and staining parameters of phospholipase C-zeta (PLCZ), which is considered to be the oocyte activation factor. Materials and Methods: Density gradient washing was applied to semen of 11 infertile patients without severe oligoasthenospermia out of 16 patients. The samples were divided and cultured either at room temperature or at 37°C for 3 days. The spermatozoons were evaluated for motility, PLCZ staining and intensity daily. Results: All parameters decreased both at room and body temperature with increased incubation time. There was a strong correlation between the change in motility and in the percentage of PLCZ stained sperms, but this correlation decreased with incubation time. Conclusion: Prolonged incubation results show the correlation between PLCZ staining parameters and motility. Routine use of PLCZ staining together with semen analysis, will be useful to predict fertilization capacity of the sperm especially for unexplained infertility and fertilization failure cases, and also can increase the success of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) cycles