Larvicidal, nematicidal, antifeedant and antifungal, antioxidant activities of Mentha spicata (Lamiaceae) root extracts

Purpose: To evaluate the larvicidal, nematicidal, antifeedant, and antifungal effects of 10 solvent extracts of Mentha spicata root.Methods: Ten solvent extracts were investigated for their total flavonoid and phenolic content and screened for larvicidal, nematicidal, antifeedant, and antifungal activities. The total phenolic content of the extracts was determined using the Folin–Ciocalteu method, while total flavonoid content was determined by aluminium chloride (AlCl3) colorimetric assay. Four solvents extracts were screened for antifungal activity against Aspergillus niger, Candida albicans, recultured Cryptococcus neoformans, and Microsporum audouinii using the agar diffusion method. The nematicidal activity of the compounds was evaluated against the juvenile Meloidogyne javanica organism, while larvicidal properties were evaluated against the urban mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus using a standard bioassay protocol. The antifeedant activity of marine acclimated Oreochromis mossambicus was used for evaluating ichthyotoxic potential.Results: The total flavonoid content in the extracts ranged from 18.5 to 83.4 mg/g, and the amount of free phenolic compounds ranged from 14.7 to 91.9 mg/g of extract powder. The water extract of these plants exhibited significant antioxidant activity and significant levels of phenolics and flavonoids. The water extract exhibited higher larvicidal (LD50 = 11.77 μg/mL), nematicidal (LD50 = 11.78 μg/mL), antifeedant (LD50 > 40 μg/mL), and antifungal activities (minimum inhibitory concentration: 16 μg/mL) against M. audouinii compared with the other extracts.Conclusion: These results show that the water extract of Mentha spicata may be used as a potential natural alternative source of nutritional and pharmaceutical ingredients.Keywords: Mentha spicata, Larvicidal, Nematicidal, Antifeedant and Antifungal activities, Nutritional supplement, Pharmaceutical ingredient

Evaluation of antioxidant and anticancer activities of chemical constituents of the Saururus chinensis root extracts

Evaluation of antioxidant and anticancer activities were screened by various Saururus chinensis root extracts. Four solvents (ethyl acetate, methanol, ethanol, and water) extracts were investigated for their total flavonoids, phenol contents and their antioxidant activity of DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl), NO (nitric oxide), H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide), ABTS 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonicacid)diammonium assays, FRAP (ferric reducing ability of plasma) assays and anticancer activity. The total phenolic and flavonoid content of extracts were determined by using FC (Folin–Ciocalteu) and AlCl3 colorimetric assay method. Total flavonoid content in these plants ranged from 24.7 to 72.1 mg g−1 and amount of free phenolic compounds was between 11.2 and 67.1 mg g−1 extract. The all extracts have significant levels of phenolics and flavonoids content. Anticancer activity was screened for MCF-7 breast cancer cell line. Ethanol extract shows significant of antioxidant activity and water extract shows significant of anticancer activity compared with standard (BHT) butylated hydroxy toluene. These ethanol and water extracts could be considered as a natural source for using antioxidant, and anticancer agents compared to commercial available synthetic drugs. Keywords: Saururus chinensis root, Solvent extracts, Antioxidant activity, Anticancer activit

Indications, retrieval rate, and complications of inferior vena cava filters: Single-center experience in Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND: Inferior vena cava (IVC) filter is indicated in patients with acute venous thromboembolism (VTE) in whom therapeutic anticoagulation is contraindicated. While prophylactic insertion of an IVC filter may be considered for patients at high risk of VTE, there are significant differences between clinical guidelines on the role of IVC filters. These discrepancies have arisen predominantly because of the paucity of data on the efficacy and safety of IVC filters. We, therefore, evaluated the indications for filter insertion, the rate of filter retrieval and complications in patients who received IVC filters at King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. METHODS: A descriptive, retrospective review of electronic- and paper-based medical records was performed. Consecutive sampling was used to study all adult patients who received an IVC filter at KAMC between 2007 and 2016 and met the inclusion criteria. RESULTS: A total of 382 IVC filters were inserted. 113 patients (30%) had an acute VTE and a contraindication to anticoagulation while 53 patients (14%) received an IVC filter in the absence of VTE (i.e., prophylactic). Only 124 (32.5%) IVC filters were eventually retrieved. The most common reason for nonretrieval was the need for permanent filtration (155, 60%). Thrombotic complications developed in 72 (19%) patients; nine patients had fatal pulmonary embolism. CONCLUSION: The insertion of IVC filters in this cohort was associated with low retrieval rate and relatively high incidence of thrombotic complications. Follow-up of patients is required to detect IVC filter-related complications and to increase retrieval rate

Supersaturation-Based Drug Delivery Systems: Strategy for Bioavailability Enhancement of Poorly Water-Soluble Drugs

At present, the majority of APIs synthesized today remain challenging tasks for formulation development. Many technologies are being utilized or explored for enhancing solubility, such as chemical modification, novel drug delivery systems (microemulsions, nanoparticles, liposomes, etc.), salt formation, and many more. One promising avenue attaining attention presently is supersaturated drug delivery systems. When exposed to gastrointestinal fluids, drug concentration exceeds equilibrium solubility and a supersaturation state is maintained long enough to be absorbed, enhancing bioavailability. In this review, the latest developments in supersaturated drug delivery systems are addressed in depth

Melatonin Mitigates Drought Induced Oxidative Stress in Potato Plants through Modulation of Osmolytes, Sugar Metabolism, ABA Homeostasis and Antioxidant Enzymes

The effect of melatonin (MT) on potato plants under drought stress is still unclear in the available literature. Here, we studied the effect of MT as a foliar application at 0, 0.05, 0.1, and 0.2 mM on potato plants grown under well-watered and drought stressed conditions during the most critical period of early tuberization stage. The results indicated that under drought stress conditions, exogenous MT significantly (p ≤ 0.05) improved shoot fresh weight, shoot dry weight, chlorophyll (Chl; a, b and a + b), leaf relative water content (RWC), free amino acids (FAA), non-reducing sugars, total soluble sugars, cell membrane stability index, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), guaiacol peroxidase (G-POX), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) compared to the untreated plants. Meanwhile, carotenoids, proline, methylglyoxal (MG), H2O2, lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde; MDA) and abscisic acid (ABA) were significantly decreased compared to the untreated plants. These responses may reveal the protective role of MT against drought induced carbonyl/oxidative stress and enhancing the antioxidative defense systems. Furthermore, tuber yield was differentially responded to MT treatments under well-watered and drought stressed conditions. Since, applied-MT led to an obvious decrease in tuber yield under well-watered conditions. In contrast, under drought conditions, tuber yield was substantially increased by MT-treatments up to 0.1 mM. These results may imply that under water deficiency, MT can regulate the tuberization process in potato plants by hindering ABA transport from the root to shoot system, on the one hand, and by increasing the non-reducing sugars on the other hand