INHIBITORY EFFECTS OF ANCHUSA AZUREA EXTRACTS ON XANTHINE OXIDASE ACTIVITY AND ITS HYPOURICEMIC EFFECTS ON MICE

Objective: The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of the polyphenols and flavonoids from Anchusa azurea on XO activities in vitro and on serum and liver uric acid levels in normal and potassium oxonate-induced hyper uricemic mice. In addition, the renal function of the mice after flavonoid administration was estimated by the determination of blood urea and creatinine analysis.Methods: In the present study, Anchusa azurea were extracted with solvent of varying polarity allowed its separation into four subfractions: crude extract (Cr) chloroform extract (ChE), ethyl acetate extract (AcE), and aqueous extracts (AqE). Total polyphenol and flavonoids contents of Anchusa azurea extracts were determined. The inhibitory activity of the extracts on the XO was evaluated and the type of inhibition was determined. Hyperuricemia is induced by intraperitoneally injection of potassium oxonate, the uric acid, urea and creatinine were measured in serum and supernatant of the liver. The effect of the extracts on renal function was evaluated. The rate of urea and creatinine levels can be indicators for the assessment of renal function.Results: AcE were the richest in polyphenols and ChE was the richest fraction in flavonoids. The inhibitory activity of the extracts on the XO was evaluated, the results obtained showed that the inhibition is dose-dependent and ChE and AcE have the best inhibitory effect (IC50= 0.334±0.006 and 0.263±0.002 mg/ml, respectively), and both showed a noncompetitive type of inhibition. For antihyperuricemic effect, AqE and CrE caused a decrease in serum uric acid (a decrease of 66%) followed by ChE with a percentage of 29.22 %. The AcE keeps almost the same value of uric acid of "PO" group. For the supernatant, only CrE caused a significant decrease of liver uric acid (18.5±4.83 mg/l). This decrease can be explained by the significant inhibition of the XO by inhibition of the synthesis pathways of uric acid. Comparing the urea level of "OP" group (0.48 g/l), only extracts CrE-AA, AqE-AA (0.41g/l, 0.39 g/l) decreased the level of urea significantly (P ≤ 0.05) to the normal values of urea (0.34 g/l), we can conclude that the rate of urea and creatinine after treatment with plant extracts are normal and that the results of this study indicate the absence of renal damage in miceConclusion: Anchusa azurea fractions have a strong inhibitory effect on xanthine oxidase and also have a significant lowering effect on serum and liver creatinine and urea levels in hyper uricemic mice.Â

Effet de quelques flavonoïdes sur une pénicillinase de Bacillus cereus

L’effet inhibiteur de certains flavonoïdes sur l’activité d’une β-lactamase d’une souche de Bacillus cereus a été testé et la relation structure-fonction a été établie. L’activité de La β-lactamase est déterminée en présence de différentes concentrations de la pénicilline G; le Km est de 106,3256 ± 32,0861 µM et la Vmax est de 0,6836 ± 0.00974 µM/min. Ces résultats reflètent une affinité de l’enzyme sur la pénicilline G. Six molécules de flavonoïdes ont été testées pour leur capacité à inhiber la b-lactamase. Le type d’inhibition et les constantes d’inhibition (Ki) ont été déterminés à une concentration de 150 µM. Parmi les molécules testées, l’épicatéchine et la naringine sont des inhibiteurs incompétitifs. La catéchine, la morine et la rutine sont des inhibiteurs compétitifs. La naringénine ne présente aucun effet inhibiteur. Les flavonoïdes ont une fonction 4-oxo semblable à celle de l’acide clavulanique et la pénicilline G. Il semble que le type du cycle, la position de OH et la présence d’un sucre dans les structures des molécules ont une importance majeure

The Role of Health Beliefs in Preventive Behaviors of Individuals at High- Risk of Type2 Diabetes Mellitus

Background: Diabetes mellitus is an important health problem that leads to severe complications, is the cause of early death, and is showing an increase in frequency. Development of positive health behaviors is extremely important for prevention of diabetes in at high- risk individuals. This study aims to identify the relationship between health beliefs and diabetes preventive behaviors in individuals at high-risk for developing type2 diabetes mellitus in Taft city. Methods: A study using the Health Belief Model (HBM) framework was undertaken with 114 subjects of both genders aged 30 years and above from three urban health centers who were diagnosed as at high risk for type2 diabetes during the screening program. Research tool was a 66-item questionnaire. Data was analyzed with descriptive statistics, Spearman correlation and Mann–Whitney U-test. Results: Of the total, 29.8% of subjects were male and 70.2% were female. Regarding education, 68.4% of the subjects had not completed high school and 89.4% of them was married. Mean score of knowledge and preventive behaviors was 5.80 ±2.87 and5.41 ±2.83, respectively such that subjects scored 30.05% of maximum obtainable score of preventive behaviors. There were significant correlations between preventive behaviors and perceived susceptibility, r=0.243(P<0.009), perceived severity, r=0.312(P<0.001), perceived barrier, r=0.245 (P<0.006) and perceived self-efficacy, r=0.497 (P<0.001). Conclusion: Preventive behaviors among the subjects at high- risk for developing type 2 diabetes despite the presence of risk factors was poor due to lack of susceptibility, severity, barriers and self-efficacy perception

Kinetics of Inhibition of Xanthine Oxidase by Lycium arabicum and its Protective Effect against Oxonate- Induced Hyperuricemia and Renal Dysfunction in Mice

Purpose: To evaluate the in-vitro inhibition of xanthine oxidase (purified from bovine milk) by extracts of Lycium arabicum, as well as it is in vivo hypouricemic and renal protective effects.Methods: Four extracts of Lycium arabicum, methanol (CrE), chloroform (ChE), ethyl acetate (EaE) and aqueous (AqE) extracts, were screened for their total phenolics and potential inhibitory effects on purified bovine milk xanthine oxidase (XO) activity by measuring the formation of uric acid or superoxide radical. The mode of inhibition was investigated and compared with the standard drugs, allopurinol, quercitin and catechin. To evaluate their hypouricemic effect, the extracts were administered to potassium oxonate-induced hyperuricemic mice at a dose of 50 mg/kg body weight.Results: The results showed that EaE had the highest content of phenolic compounds and was the most potent inhibitor of uric acid formation (IC50 = 0.017 ± 0.001 mg/mL) and formation of superoxide (IC50 = 0.035 ± 0.001 mg/ml). Lineweaver-Burk analysis showed that CrE and EaE inhibited XO competitively, whereas the inhibitory activities exerted by ChE and AqE were of a mixed type. Intraperetoneal injection of L. arabicum extracts (50 mg/kg) elicited hypouricemic actions in hyperuricemic mice. Hyperuricemic mice presented a serum uric acid concentration of 4.71 ± 0.29 mg/L but this was reduced to 1.78 ± 0.11 mg/L by EaE, which was the most potent hyporuricemic extract.Conclusion: L. arabicum fractions have a strong inhibitory effect on xanthine oxidase and and also have a significantly lowering effect on serum and liver creatinine and urea levels in hyperuricemic mice.Keywords: Lycium arabicum, Uric acid, Creatinine, Superoxide, Phenolic compounds, Flavonoids, Hyperuricemi