In vivo nematicidal potential of camel milk on Heligmosomoides polygyrus gastro-intestinal nematode of rodents

Following our previous fi ndings on the in vitro anthelmintic effect of camel milk on Haemonchus contortus, the current study aimed at investigating its in vivo effect. Investigations were carried out using mice infected with Heligmosomoides polygyrus which is a parasite commonly used to test the effi cacy of anthelmintics. Thirty six Swiss white mice of both sexes aged 5 – 6 weeks old, and weighing between 20 and 25 g were orally infected with 0.5 ml dose of 100, 1-week-old H. polygyrus infective larvae (L3 ). After the pre-patent period, infected animals were randomly divided into 6 groups of 6 animals each. The nematicidal effi cacy of camel milk was monitored through faecal egg count reduction (FECR) and total worm count reduction (TWCR). Four doses (8.25; 16.5; 33.0; 66.0 ml/kg body weight (bw)) for fresh camel milk and 22 mg/kg bw for albendazole were studied using a bioassay. Albendazole and 4 % dimethylsulfoxide were included in the protocol as reference drug and placebo, respectively. For all tested doses except 8.25 ml/kg bw, camel milk was effective in vivo against H. polygyrus reducing both faecal egg count and worm count (p < 0.05). The dose 66 ml/kg bw showed the highest nematicidal activity causing a 76.75 % FECR and a 69.62 % TWCR 7 day after initiating the treatment. These results support the possible use of camel milk in the control of gastro-intestinal helminthiasis

Novel 6-aryl-7-alkyl/aryl-[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a][1,3,5]triazine-5(6H)-thiones, processes for their preparation, characterization and evaluation of their in vitro antioxidant activity

ABSTRACT. A series of nine new 6-aryl-7-alkyl/aryl-[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a][1,3,5]triazine-5(6H)-thiones (2a-i) were synthesized by a reaction of N-triazol-3-yl imidates (1) with three different isothiocyanate derivatives (RNCS)  in refluxing toluene. The structures of the final heterocyclic compounds were confirmed by 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, FT-IR, elemental analysis, and mass spectral analysis. The target compounds (2a-i) were in vitro screened for their activity as antioxidants using DPPH (2,2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and FRAP (ferric reducing/antioxidant power) methods. The results revealed that some triazolotriazine-5-(6H)thiones exhibited antioxidant activity ranging from moderate to high. The obtained findings revealed that the triazolotriazine-5-(6H)thiones (2g, 2h, and 2i) have superiority among all compounds, It is obvious that the presence of a hydroxyl group in the structure is essential for the antioxidant properties and should be taken into consideration in further design of structures with potential antioxidant properties.                     KEY WORDS: Imidates, Isothiocyanates, Antioxidant, Triazole, DPPH, FRAP   Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2021, 35(3), 565-572. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/bcse.v35i3.

Time-of-day dependence of neurological deficits induced by sodium nitroprusside in young mice

Sodium nitroprusside (SNP) is widely used in pharmacological studies as a potent vasodilator or a nitric oxide donor. SNP-induced ataxic effects were assessed in mice by the Joulou-Couvoisier test. Swiss albino mice of both genders, 2-8 weeks of age, were acclimated at least for 2 weeks to 12 h light (rest span)/12 h dark (activity span). In 2 and 4 week old mice, maxima of ataxia were found following intraperitoneal administration of a dose ranging from 3 to 3.6 mg.kg-1 SNP at ≈ 1 and 13 HALO (Hours After Light Onset). The sublethal toxicity was statistically dosing-time dependent (χ2 test: P < 0.005). No rhythm was validated in neurotoxicity by cosinor analyses. At the 8th week of post-natal development (PND), SNP-induced ataxia was greatest at ≈ 1 HALO (69% in males vs. 49% in females) and lowest at ≈ 13 HALO (21% in males vs. 11% in females) (χ2 test: P < 0.00001). Cosinor analysis also revealed no statistically significant rhythm in mice injected with 3 or 3.3 mg.kg-1. However, a significant circadian (τ = 24 h) rhythm was detected by adjusted cosinor in 3.6 mg.kg-1-treated mice (P < 0.004). In all studied groups, SNP-induced motor impairment (expressed in %) was lower during the dark than the light phase. Furthermore, there was a non-significant gender-related difference in SNP-induced neuronal toxicity with the males more sensitive than females at every studied PND. The ataxic effects were inversely proportional to the lag time from injection and to the age of animals (with P < 0.05 only between 2 and 8 week old mice). These data indicate that both the administration time and age of the animal significantly affect the neurotoxic effects of SNP

Impact of kaolin-based particle film dusts on Callosobruchus maculatus (F.) and C. chinenesis (L.) after different storage periods of treated broad bean seeds

Adults of Callosobruchus maculatus (F.) and C. chinenesis (L.) were exposed to broad been seeds treated with kaolin-based particle film dusts (powder) at different concentrations 1.0, 0.8, 0.6, 0.4, 0.2, 0.1, 0.05, 0.025% w/w and untreated control. The effect of kaolin powder film was clearly effective in the first month of storage period of the treated seeds resulted a 100% protection of treated seeds at high concentrations from 1.0 to 0.2 w/w for both tested insects. After three months of storage of the treated seeds only the highest two concentrations 1.0 and 0.8 w/w gave a 100% protection for both tested insects. After six months of storage of the treated seeds, kaolin powder still could protect the broad bean seeds against C. maculatus and C. chinensis attacks although the efficacy of kaolin powder decreased with aging. Thus, residual effect of Kaolin powder film was reduced by prolongation of the storage period. A negative relationship was recorded between the kaolin concentration and the tested biological parameters (number of eggs laid, hatchability, developmental period, F1 adult emergence, and seeds weight loss%) for both tested insects C. maculatus and C. chinensis. The comparison of the kaolin application methods, kaolin powder was more effective than kaolin suspension which gave a better protection to the treated seeds. Broad bean seeds viability was slightly affected by kaolin powder application, the reduction of germination was most greatest at highest concentration. Keywords: Kaolin powder, Broad been seeds, Protection, Callosobruchus maculatus (F.), C. chinenesis (F.)

Cerebellar liponeurocytoma with extracranial extension: Case report

Cerebellar liponeurocytoma is a newly recognized, rare clinicopathological entity commonly described in the cerebellar hemispheres or the vermis. We present a rare case of cerebellar liponeurocytoma arising from the left cerebellar amygdala with extracranial extension. Such a condition has never been previously reported

Dosing-Time Dependent Effects of Sodium Nitroprusside on Cerebral, Renal, and Hepatic Catalase Activity in Mice

To investigate the time dependence of sodium nitroprusside- (NPS-) induced oxidative effects, the authors study the variation of the antioxidant enzyme CAT activity in various tissues after the administration of a single 2.5mg/kg dose of SNP or sodium chloride (NaCl 0.9%). For each of the two dosing times (1 and 13 hours after light onset, HALO, which correspond to the beginning of diurnal rest span and of nocturnal activity span of mice, resp.), brain, kidney, and liver tissues were excised from animals at 0, 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 24, and 36 h following the drug administration and CAT activity was assayed.The results suggest that SNP-induced stimulation of CAT activity is greater in all three tissues when the drug is administered at 1 HALO than at 13 HALO. Two-way ANOVA revealed that CAT activity significantly (P \u3c 0.004) varied as a function of the sampling time but not of the treatment in all three tissues. Moreover, a statistically significant (P \u3c 0.004) interaction between the organ sampling-time and the SNP treatment was revealed in kidney regardless of the dosing time, whereas a highly significant (P \u3c 0.0002) interaction was validated in liver only in animals injected at 13 HALO

Review of the utilization of HEEPF – competitive projects for educational enhancement in the Egyptian medical sector

In Egypt, the medical sector has been facing the same problems that challenged the system of higher education in the past decades, mainly an increasing student enrollment, limited resources, and old governance and bylaws. These constraints and the escalating paucity of resources have had a major negative influence on quality of education. Consequently, thoughts of educational reform came forward in the form of competitive projects, which have attracted several institutes from the health sector to improve their educational performance. The aim of this paper is to review the share of the medical sector in the higher education enhancement project fund (HEEPF), its outcomes, sustainability, and to provide recommendations for keeping the momentum of reform pursuit in the future. The methodology included obtaining statistics pertaining to the medical sector in Egypt as regards colleges, students, and staff. We also reviewed the self-studies of the medical sector colleges, HEEPF projects reports, performance appraisal reports, and World Bank reports on HEEPF achievements in order to retrieve the required data. Results showed that medical sector had a large share of the HEEPF (28.5% of projects) as compared to its size (8% of student population). The projects covered 10 areas; the frequency distribution of which ranged between 4.4% (creation of new programs) to 97.8% (human resource development). In conclusion, educational enhancement in the medical sector in Egypt could be apparently achieved through the HEEPF competitive projects. A study of the long-term impact of these projects on the quality of education is recommende

Health promoting potential of herbal teas and tinctures from Artemisia campestris subsp maritima: from traditional remedies to prospective products

This work explored the biotechnological potential of the medicinal halophyte Artemisia campestris subsp. maritima (dune wormwood) as a source of health promoting commodities. For that purpose, infusions, decoctions and tinctures were prepared from roots and aerial-organs and evaluated for in vitro antioxidant, anti-diabetic and tyrosinase-inhibitory potential, and also for polyphenolic and mineral contents and toxicity. The dune wormwood extracts had high polyphenolic content and several phenolics were identified by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array-mass-spectrometry (UHPLC-PDA-MS). The main compounds were quinic, chlorogenic and caffeic acids, coumarin sulfates and dicaffeoylquinic acids; several of the identified phytoconstituents are here firstly reported in this A. campestris subspecies. Results obtained with this plant's extracts point to nutritional applications as mineral supplementary source, safe for human consumption, as suggested by the moderate to low toxicity of the extracts towards mammalian cell lines. The dune wormwood extracts had in general high antioxidant activity and also the capacity to inhibit a-glucosidase and tyrosinase. In summary, dune wormwood extracts are a significant source of polyphenolic and mineral constituents, antioxidants and a-glucosidase and tyrosinase inhibitors, and thus, relevant for different commercial segments like the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and/or food industries.FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology [CCMAR/Multi/04326/2013]; Portuguese National Budget; FCT [IF/00049/2012, SFRH/BD/94407/2013]; Research Foundation - Flanders (FWO) [12M8315N]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio