Effects of Withania coagulans extract and morphine on spermatogenesis in rats

Purpose: To investigate the comparative effects of Withania coagolans extract and morphine on spermatogenesis in rats Methods: W. coagolans was collected from Sistan and Baluchestan, Iran and 50 and 100 mg/kg body weight doses of methanol extract and 5, 10 and 15 mg/kg body weight doses of morphine were administered parenterally to the rats which were divided into groups. Blood samples were collected and the levels of luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), and testosterone were assayed. The testicular tissue was isolated for histopathological examination. Results: No significant changes were observed in levels of LH, FSH and testosterone in treated groups (p < 0.05). However, there was significant difference between the treated groups for extract plus morphine groups, in terms of the number of spermatogonium, spermatocytes and spermatide variation. Moreover, the results indicate tissue disorders in all groups relative to control. The extract caused more disturbances in spermatogenesis compared to morphine, and appears to improve parameters related to spermatogenesis. Conclusion: The results show that the higher dose of Withania coagolans extract (100 mg/kg) exerts varying effects on reproductive parameters. Moreover, the lower dose of Withania coagolans extract (50 mg/kg) enhanced spermatogenesis while also protecting against the damaging effects of morphine

Phytochemical study and anti viral effect evaluation of methanolic extract with fractions of aerial parts of euphorbia spinidens

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Several species of the genus Euphorbia (Euphorbiaceae) have been tested for their efficiency as anti-viral and anti-tumor agents. Herpes Simplex Viruses (HSV) are pathogenic to human. Antiviral drugs are mostly weak or are associated with side effects. Medicinal plant products have been used as folk remedies for different kinds of ailments including viral diseases. The objective of this study was to compare the phytochemical study and anti-viral effect evaluation of methanolic extract with fractions of aerial parts of euphorbia spinidens. METHODS: In this experimental and laboratory research the methanolic extract of aerial parts of E. spinidens with maceration method was subjected to solvent partitioning and afforded chloroform, butanol and hexane fractions. β-carotene-linoleate model system, folin-Ciocalteu method and aluminum chloride colorimetric method, respectively, were employed for evaluation of antioxidant activity, total phenolic, flavonoid and flavonol contents of the extract and fractions of this plant. The cytotoxic and anti-viral effects of methanolic extract and fractions were determined using MTS assay and the CC50)50 cytotoxic concentration(and EC50 (50 effectiveness concentration) were evaluated on Herpes Simplex Virus Type-1. FINDINGS: The highest antioxidant activity and phenolic and flavonoid and contents were in buthanol fraction (59.33±0.576, 99±1, 70±1), methanolic extract (44±1, 70±1, 49.96±0.996), chloroform fraction (33.33±0.996, 35.33±0.577, 25.33±0.996) and hexane fraction (19.66±1.146, 27±1, 9.33±1.628) respectively. The highest CC50 was in hexan fraction with 9.92± 0.072 mg/ml and the lowest CC50 was in methanolic extract with 5.072±0.063 mg/ml. Also, the highest anti viral activity revealed in the butanol fraction (SI: 28.125), methanolic extract (SI: 15.85), chloroform fraction (SI: 8.44) and hexane fraction (SI: 2.07), respectively. CONCLUSION: Based on the results, methanolic extract and buthanol, chloroform and hexane fractions of E. spinidens show anti HSV-1 activity. Antiviral effect observed can be attributed the presence of various secondary metabolites, particularly polyphenols, flavonoids, terpenes and saponins. © 2014, Babol University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved

Event-B based invariant checking of secrecy in group key protocols

Abstract—The correctness of group key protocols in commu-nication systems remains a great challenge because of dynamic characteristics of group key construction as we deal with an open number of group members. In this paper, we propose a solution to model group key protocols and to verify their required properties, in particular secrecy property, using the event-B method. Event-B deals with tools allowing invariant checking, and can be used to verify group key secrecy property. We define a well-formed formal link between the group protocol model and the event-B counterpart model. Our approach is applied on a tree-based group Diffie-Hellman protocol that dynamically outputs group keys using the logical structure of a balanced binary tree. I

Determination of antioxidant activity, phenolic contents and antiviral potential of methanol extract of Euphorbia spinidens Bornm (Euphorbiaceae)

Purpose: This study was aimed to evaluate the antioxidant activity of the methanol extract of Euphorbia spinidens Bornm (Euphorbiaceae) and its effect on Herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) replication. Methods: The methanol extract of aerial parts of E. spinidens collected from Khorasan State in North- Eastern part of Iran was used in this study. Total phenolic, flavonoid contents and the antioxidant activity were evaluated using Folin-Ciocalteu method, aluminum chloride colorimetric method and β- carotene-linoleate model system, respectively. Both the cytotoxic and antiviral effects of the crude extract on Vero cell line were determined by quantifying the viability of Vero cells using 3-(4,5- dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)2H-tetrazolium (MTS) assay. Results: Total phenolic and flavonoid contents of E.spinidens were 70 ± 1 mg of gallic acid equivalent/g of dry extract (mg GAE/g extract) and 49.66 ± 1.00 mg rutin equivalent/g of dry extract (mg RTN/g extract), respectively. Antioxidant activity was 44 ± 1 % compared with the standard, buthylated hydroxytuloene (BHT). The 50 % cytotoxic concentration (CC50) of the extract on Vero cells was 5.072 ± 0.063 mg/ml and its antiviral concentration of 50 % effectiveness (EC50) value was 0.34 ± 0.003 mg/ml. Conclusion: The findings of this study show that the methanol extract of E. spinidens has high content of phenolic and flavonoid compounds with good antioxidant activity. Furthermore, this extract has significant antiviral effect on HSV-1 probably due to the inhibition of viral replication. © Pharmacotherapy Group, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Benin, Benin City, 300001 Nigeria. All rights reserved

Formal Verification of Secrecy in Group Key Protocols Using Event-B

Group key security protocols play an important role in today’s communication systems. Their verification, however, remains a great challenge because of the dynamic characteristics of group key construction and distribution protocols. Security properties that are well defined in normal two-party protocols have different meanings and different interpretations in group key distribution protocols, specifically, secrecy properties, such as group secrecy, forward secrecy, backward secrecy, and key independence. In this paper, we present a method to verify forward secrecy properties for group-oriented protocols. The method is based on a correct semantical link between group key protocols and event-B models and also uses the refinement process in the B method to model and verify group and forward secrecy. We use an event-B first-order theorem proving system to provide invariant checking for these secrecy properties. We illustrate our approach on the Tree based Group Diffie-Hellman protocol as case study

Effect of High Fiber Cereal Intake on Satiety and Gastrointestinal Symptoms during Ramadan.

(1) Background: Fasting during Ramadan involves large changes in daily eating patterns which strongly impacts the daily biorhythm and challenges the regular function of the digestive tract. The aim of this study was to assess satiety, bowel habits, body composition, blood glycaemia, and blood lipidemia after the consumption of high fiber cereal at dawn (Sohor) during the month of Ramadan; (2) Methods: A two-arm randomized, controlled, single-blinded, parallel-design study was conducted in Ramadan month. Participants were randomized to consume either 90 g of high fiber cereal (11 g fiber/90 g) at Sohor for 20 consecutive days (intervention group, n = 45) or to maintain their habitual diet intake (control group; n = 36); (3) Results: The intervention group reported higher satiety rating scores, improved bowel habits and reduced bloating frequency after the 20-day intervention. Significantly higher intake of carbohydrates and dietary fiber were observed in the intervention group. Total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol were significantly lower among the intervention group compared to the control group (p-value = 0.043, and p-value = 0.033, respectively) at the end of the intervention. No significant differences in body weight, body fat percentage, waist circumference, body mass index, blood glucose, high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and triglycerides were observed between the two groups; (4) Conclusions: Consuming high fiber cereal had a positive effect on health and well-being during the month of Ramadan with better satiety, improved bowel functions, and improved blood lipids