Phytochemical, Antioxidant, Cytotoxic, Antibacterial Activity, and Enzymatic Inhibition Study of Piper Betle Leaves

The Piper betle plant, known for its pharmacological properties, has been traditionally used in Asian cultures. The objective of the current study is to assess the antioxidant, cytotoxic, antibacterial, and enzymatic inhibitions of leaf extracts of the P. betle. DPPH radicals were used to assess the antioxidant potential. The Lethality Assay for Brine Shrimp was used to assess the cytotoxic potential of plant extracts. The disc diffusion method was used to measure the leaves' antibacterial activity against various Gram stains. The inhibitory potential of four enzymes linked to different diseases was screened spectrophotometrically. Chromatographic procedures were used to isolate active substances, and their structures were determined using spectroscopic approaches. The results indicated that the P. betle leaves extracts to possess potent antioxidant activity, highest with the EAPB (ethylacetate, P. betle) followed by DCPB (dichloromethane, P. betle), HPB (n-hexane, P. betle), BPB (n-butanol, P. betle) and AQPB (aqueous P. betle). For cytotoxic activity, the EAPB has the most potent cytotoxic activity among the tested extracts. AQBP and HPB showed activity against all bacteria used, while (EAPB and DCPB displayed good activities against all organisms except Streptococcus aglaciate. For anti-diabetic activity, DCPB, and EAPB both showed high percent inhibition and low IC50. The identified compound, allylpyrocatechol, isolated from the EAPB fraction of betel leaf attributed higher inhibitory activity than the standard against α-glucosidase with an IC50 of 42.61 ± 1.27. For anti-ulcer activity, the DCPB had the highest urease % inhibition and the lowest IC50 value, while (BPB) and AQBP fractions had lower levels of inhibition and higher IC50 values. DCPB and EAPB exhibited neurodegenerative therapeutic potential by targeting prolyl endopeptidase with good activity having IC50 values of 26.82 ± 0.36 and 52.92 ± 21.30 µg/mL). Furthermore, these extracts were tested for their therapeutic potential for skin diseases by targeting the tyrosinase enzyme. Interestingly, HPB and DCPB displayed good inhibitory capability with IC50 values of 36.14 ± 0.72, and 44.72 ± 1.28 µg/mL, respectively, compared to the standard kojic acid (IC50 = 7.49 ± 0.21 µg/mL). In conclusion, crude extracts of Piper betle leaves exhibit potent antioxidant, antibacterial, and moderately cytotoxic effects. It also has strong anti-ulcer and anti-diabetic properties. Additionally, it exhibits strong anti-pigentation properties and good neurodegenerative potential

Assessment of aflatoxin B1 content and aflatoxigenic molds in imported food commodities in Muscat, Oman

Aflatoxins, mainly produced by Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus are considered as serious food safety and human health issues due to their hepatotoxic effects. In the present study, the occurrence of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), the most potent human liver carcinogen, and prevalence of toxigenic isolates of Aspergillus spp. were assessed in 140 food commodities in Muscat markets, Oman, and the 95 quarantined imported food commodities. These samples consisted of rice, corn, peanut, red chilli powder, soybean, dried dates and tree nuts. AFB1 was analyzed using competitive ELISA/LC-MS and the aflatoxigenic fungi were detected using plating technique followed by molecular identification. No AFB1 was detected in 89 (63.6%) samples collected from local markets, while 44 (31.4%) samples contained 1-5 ppb and the remaining 7 (5%) samples (red chili powder) contained 6-10 ppb. None of the samples exceeded the maximum permissible limit of 10 ppb set for foods by Oman legislation. Of the 95 quarantined samples, only 17 (17.9%) samples were positive and contained AFB1 at concentrations ranging from 1-3.4 ppb. Four isolates of Aspergillus pp. were isolated from the collected samples and were identified as Aspergillus flavus (A14, A16 and A23) and A. chevalieri (A46) on the basis of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences of ribosomal DNA. Among them, A. flavus strain A14 alone produced AFB1 (7.6 ppb), while A16, A23, and A46 were non-toxigenic. This is the first detailed report on the occurrence of AFB1 in food commodities imported into Oman

Pathogenesis and management of traumatic brain injury (TBI): role of neuroinflammation and anti-inflammatory drugs.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an important global health concern that represents a leading cause of death and disability. It occurs due to direct impact or hit on the head caused by factors such as motor vehicles, crushes, and assaults. During the past decade, an abundance of new evidence highlighted the importance of inflammation in the secondary damage response that contributes to neurodegenerative and neurological deficits after TBI. It results in disruption of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and initiates the release of macrophages, neutrophils, and lymphocytes at the injury site. A growing number of researchers have discovered various signalling pathways associated with the initiation and progression of inflammation. Targeting different signalling pathways (NF-κB, JAK/STAT, MAPKs, PI3K/Akt/mTOR, GSK-3, Nrf2, RhoGTPase, TGF-β1, and NLRP3) helps in the development of novel anti-inflammatory drugs in the management of TBI. Several synthetic and herbal drugs with both anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective potential showed effective results. This review summarizes different signalling pathways, associated pathologies, inflammatory mediators, pharmacological potential, current status, and challenges with anti-inflammatory drugs

Emerging Burden of Frail Young and Elderly Persons in Oman: For whom the bell tolls?

Recent improvements in health and an increased standard of living in Oman have led to a reduction in environment-related and infectious diseases. Now the country is experiencing an epidemiological transition characterised by a baby boom, youth bulge and increasing longevity. Common wisdom would therefore suggest that Omanis will suffer less ill health. However, a survey of literature suggests that chronic non-communicable diseases are unexpectedly becoming common. This is possibly fuelled by some socio-cultural patterns specific to Oman, as well as the shortcomings of the ‘miracle’ of health and rapid modernisation. Unfortunately, such new diseases do not spare younger people; a proportion of them will need the type of care usually reserved for the elderly. In addition, due to their pervasive and refractory nature, these chronic non-communicable diseases seem impervious to the prevailing ‘cure-oriented’ health care system. This situation therefore calls for a paradigm shift: a health care system that goes beyond a traditional cure-orientation to provide care services for the chronically sick of all ages

Combined Effect of Drying Temperature and Varied Gelatin Concentration on Physicochemical and Antioxidant Properties of Ginger Oil Incorporated Chitosan Based Edible Films

In the present work, ginger essential oil (GEO) loaded chitosan (CS) based films incorporated with varying concentrations of gelatin (GE) were fabricated and dried at different conditions (25 °C and 45 °C). The physio-chemical, mechanical and antioxidant potential of the films were determined. Films dried at 45 °C showed better physical attributes and less thickness, swelling degree (SD), moisture content, water vapor permeability (WVP), more transparency, and better mechanical characteristics. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) revealed the chemical composition and interaction between the functional groups of the film components. X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) findings revealed that samples dried at 45 °C had more crystalline structure, were thermally stable, and smoother. Antioxidant results showed that films dried at low temperature showed comparatively more (p p < 0.05), however, had no significant impact on other parameters. The overall results suggested better characteristics of GEO-loaded CS-GE based edible films when dried at 45 °C

Frankincense Derivatives Enhanced Bone Marrow and Spleen Cellularity Following Busulfan - Cyclophosphamide Conditioning Regimen: Management of Busulfan/Cyclophosphamide toxicity

Background and Aim: The power of chemotherapy on prolonging and improving the life of patients is undeniable, but it often consists of various side effects. Therefore, developing of effective strategies for reduction of chemotherapy drugs toxicity is necessary. Natural products including frankincense - derived products have been demonstrated to reduce chemotherapy side effects. The aim of this study was to diminish the side effects of Busulfan - Cyclophosphamide (Bu - Cy) regimen as chemotherapeutic agents with the aid of frankincense derivatives administration in the mice model. Methods: The chemotherapy conditioning regimen was created in Female Balb / c mice by intraperitoneal injection of 60 mg Busulfan and 150 mg Cyclophosphamide per kg of mice. Frankincense derivatives including essential oil (Ess), soxhlet oil (Sox) and n-hexane extract (Ext) were extracted and injected intraperitoneally to chemo - conditioned mice. Results: As expected, mice treated with Bu - Cy chemotherapy had lower bone marrow cells count and spleen index compared to the control, whereas frankincense derivatives helped reducing side effects and modifying immune system and general health. Conclusion: Despite that all three extracts have decreased the side effects of chemotherapy; Ext could simultaneously increase the spleen index and the bone marrow cells count and also improve the health in comparison with the negative control group

Composition and Biological Activities of different Date Seed varieties (Phoenix dactylifera) of Oman: Cultivation Zone Influence

Date (Phoenix dactylifera L.) seeds (pits) account for ca. 10% of the date fruit and it is the date pits that present a major problem to the date palm industry in the USA as a waste product. Currently  date pits are employed as a food source for animals and poultry, as a soil fertilizer and also as a road base gravel In order to understand the varietal effects of Omani date seeds on the nutritional properties of dates and to explore the use of this waste product from the food industry, twenty two native date seeds (Phoenix dactylifera L.) including the varieties; Qushbu Narenjahn, Fardh, Naghal, Manhi, Qush Balquan, Helali Oman, Khasab, Seedi, Qush Jabrin, Khalas, Qush Basrah, Qushbu Maan, Handal, Khunaizi, Qush Mamoor, Barshi, Barni, Azad, Zabad, Qush Tabak, Qush LuLu, and Halali Alhasa were collected from six regions of the Sultanate of Oman and were examined for their nutritional value, antioxidant and urease properties. Energy values, dry matter, and carbohydrate level were the predominant components examined in the date seeds , followed by fiber, moisture, along with small amounts of ash, protein, and fat. The results of the 22 varieties of date seeds showed a significant energy value of between 283.0 to 407.9 kcal/100g, dry matter of between 93.3%-96.3%, carbohydrate content of between 43.8%-80.6%, moisture in the range of 4.3%-6.6%), fat in the range of  5.0%-10.9%, ash content of between 0.73%-1.08%, protein content of 0.2%-6.9% and fiber content of between 5.0%-32.5%. Furthermore the antioxidant potential ranged between 7.4 - 88.3% depending upon the type of date seeds and location of samples. In this regard the Handal date seeds collected from Al-Hamra showed the highest antioxidant potential with 88.3% inhibition. Similarly urease inhibition ranged from 0.94-70.3% and Qush Tabak date seeds collected from Al-Hamra demonstrated the highest urease potential with 70.3% inhibition. It is noteworthy that Qush Basrah, Seedi, Qush Balquan, and Handal date seeds have significantly higher nutritional attributes compared to the rest in the study group. Moreover Fardh, Khasab, Khalas, and Handal date seeds collected from more than one region of Oman showed variation in some nutritional values. The nutritional analysis further demonstrated the correlation of proximate parameters in different regions of Oman. Results of the current investigation indicate a promising and significant potential for date seeds to be used as a supplementary source of a healthy diet as well as in specific pharmaceutical applications

Triterpenic Acids as Non-Competitive α-Glucosidase Inhibitors from Boswellia elongata with Structure-Activity Relationship: In Vitro and In Silico Studies

Fourteen triterpene acids, viz., three tirucallane-type (1&ndash;3), eight ursane-type (4&ndash;11), two oleanane-type (12, 13) and one lupane type (21), along with boswellic aldehyde (14), &alpha;-amyrine (15), epi-amyrine (16), straight chain acid (17), sesquiterpene (19) and two cembrane-type diterpenes (18, 20) were isolated, first time, from the methanol extract of Boswellia elongata resin. Compound (1) was isolated for first time as a natural product, while the remaining compounds (2‒21) were reported for first time from B. elongata. The structures of all compounds were confirmed by advanced spectroscopic techniques including mass spectrometry and also by comparison with the reported literature. Eight compounds (1&ndash;5, 11, 19 and 20) were further screened for in vitro &alpha;-glucosidase inhibitory activity. Compounds 3&ndash;5 and 11 showed significant activity against &alpha;-glucosidase with IC50 values ranging from 9.9&ndash;56.8 &mu;M. Compound 4 (IC50 = 9.9 &plusmn; 0.48 &mu;M) demonstrated higher inhibition followed by 11 (IC50 = 14.9 &plusmn; 1.31 &mu;M), 5 (IC50 = 20.9 &plusmn; 0.05 &mu;M) and 3 (IC50 = 56.8 &plusmn; 1.30 &mu;M), indicating that carboxylic acid play a key role in &alpha;-glucosidase inhibition. Kinetics studies on the active compounds 3&ndash;5 and 11 were carried out to investigate their mechanism (mode of inhibition and dissociation constants Ki). All compounds were found to be non-competitive inhibitors with Ki values in the range of 7.05 &plusmn; 0.17&ndash;51.15 &plusmn; 0.25 &micro;M. Moreover, in silico docking was performed to search the allosteric hotspot for ligand binding which is targeted by our active compounds investigates the binding mode of active compounds and it was identified that compounds preferentially bind in the allosteric binding sites of &alpha;-glucosidase. The results obtained from docking study suggested that the carboxylic group is responsible for their biologic activities. Furthermore, the &alpha;-glucosidase inhibitory potential of the active compounds is reported here for the first time

Development and Characterization of Chitosan and Porphyran Based Composite Edible Films Containing Ginger Essential Oil

Recent research shows the growing interest in the development of composite edible films (EFs) by using multiple biopolymers for the substantial improvement in the shelf life and quality of food products, via preventing oxidation among other benefits. In the present work, EFs based on chitosan (CS) and porphyran (POR) loaded with ginger essential oil (GEO) have been developed to study the effect of GEO, glycerol (Gly), and POR on the film structure as well as physical and antioxidant properties. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) results showed the level of crystallinity and electrostatic interactions between CS, POR, Gly, and GEO. It was found that electrostatic interactions between CS and POR and the incorporation of GEO substantially improved barrier, thermal, optical, and mechanical properties and reduced the moisture content, swelling index, and thickness values. The color values of the S5 film altered apparently with a shift towards yellowness. SEM micrographs of the composite CS-POR-GEO film (S5) showed improved morphological attributes such as more uniformity and homogeneous structure than other films (S1–S4). Results obtained from total phenolic content assay suggested the presence of high phenolic components (5.97 ± 0.01) mg of GAE/g in GEO. Further, findings obtained from antioxidant assays revealed that the addition of GEO and POR significantly increased the antioxidant effects of CS films. All these findings suggested that GEO loaded CS-POR based films showed better physical and chemical properties with a significant improvement in antioxidant potential and thus can be used as a potential packaging material in the food industry

Conversion of Industrial Sludge into Activated Biochar for Effective Cationic Dye Removal: Characterization and Adsorption Properties Assessment

This paper presents an in-depth characterization of a raw industrial sludge (IS-R) and its KOH-activated biochar pyrolyzed at 750 &deg;C (IS-KOH-B) followed by their application to remove a cationic dye from aqueous solution. Materials characterization shows that compared to the IS-R, the IS-KOH-B has improved structural, textural, and surface chemical properties. In particular, the IS-KOH-B&rsquo;s BET surface area and total pore volume are about 78 and 6 times higher than those found for the IS-R, respectively. The activated biochar efficiently retained the cationic dye under wide experimental conditions. Indeed, for an initial dye concentration of 50 mg L&minus;1, removal yields were assessed to be more than 92.5%, 93.5%, and 97.8% for a large pH range (4&ndash;10), in the presence of high contents of competing cations (3000 mg L&minus;1 of Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, and K+), and a low used adsorbent dose (1 g L&minus;1), respectively. The Langmuir&rsquo;s adsorption capacities were 48.5 and 65.9 mg g&minus;1 for of IS-R and IS-KOH-B, respectively, which are higher than those reported for various adsorbents in the literature. The dye removal was found to be monolayer, spontaneous, and endothermic for both the adsorbents. Moreover, this removal process seems to be controlled by chemical reactions for IS-KOH-B whereas by both physico&ndash;chemical reactions for IS-R. This study demonstrates that the raw industrial sludge and especially its KOH-activated derived biochar could be considered as promising adsorbents for the removal of dyes from aqueous solutions