HIV case reporting and HIV treatment outcomes in Qatar

AimThe aim of the paper is to provide an overview of available HIV case reporting and treatment data for in Qatar for the period 2015–2020.MethodsHIV case reporting data were analyzed by sex and mode of transmission. To construct HIV care continuum from the data available, we obtained information on the total number of HIV diagnosed patients on antiretroviral treatment (ART) between January 1st 2015 and December 31st 2020, number of patients on ART who had an HIV viral load test and the number who were virally suppressed (defined as having the viral load of less than 1,000 copies/mL).ResultsA total of 515 HIV cases were reported to the Ministry of Public Health since beginning of reporting in 1986, and that included Qatari nationals and expatriate residents diagnosed in Qatar. There was an increase in the annual number of newly reported HIV cases from 16 cases in 2015 (of these, 14 were males) to 58 cases in 2020 (of these, 54 were males). The total number of HIV diagnosed people on ART increased from 99 in 2015 to 213 in 2020. During 2020 the overall viral load testing coverage and viral load suppression among those tested for viral load in men were 72.5% and 93.1%, respectively, while in women these values were 60.4% and 84.4%, respectively.ConclusionDue to increase in newly reported HIV cases, there is a need to develop an effective HIV strategic information system in Qatar and data-driven and targeted national HIV response

Antioxidant and Antifungal activities of Padina Pavonica and Sargassum Vulgare from the Lebanese Mediterranean Coast

ABSTRACT The aim of our investigation was to evaluate the antioxidant, the antifungal activities and the phenolic content of extracts from two brown algae Padina Pavonica and Sargassum Vulgare from the Lebanese coast. Two different extraction methods with methanol, followed by fractionation (petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, butanol and aqueous) were carried out. Antioxidant activities were evaluated using the DPPH method. The method of disk diffusion was used to evaluate the antifungal activity of seaweed extracts against Candida. The total phenolic content was determined with the Folin-Ciocalteu method. The ethyl acetate fraction of the algae Padina Pavonica showed a significant antifungal activity against Candida glabrata (diameter of inhibition = 16 mm) and Candida krusei (diameter of inhibition = 14 mm). The ethyl acetate fraction of the algae Padina Pavonica showed the highest antioxidant activity (42.5%); those activities may be due to phenolic compounds present in significant amounts in this fraction (8.98 GAE/g). Also, on the other hand, the petroleum ether fraction of the algae Sargassum Vulgare had the highest antioxidant activity (40.6%), which seems to be due to lipids because the phenolic content in this fraction is lower (6.10 GAE/g). No antifungal activity was detected with all extract of Sargassum Vulgare

Effect of Processed Chickpea Flour Incorporation on Sensory Properties of <i>Mankoushe Zaatar</i>

Chickpea flour is known to have good nutritional values. Nevertheless, it is commonly made from ground grains, and characterized by an &#8220;off-flavor&#8221;. Processing of chickpea grains before flour formation reduces the intensity of the off-flavor. Therefore, two experiments were conducted: first to examine the effect of conventional processing (soaking, boiling, and drying) on the nutritional composition of the chickpea flour; and second, to investigate the impact of processed chickpea flour incorporation with different ratios on the sensory properties of mankoushe zaatar, a popular Lebanese pastry, usually made up of refined wheat flour. Chickpea flour was found to be nutritionally superior compared to refined wheat flour, and conventional processing of the flour was found not to affect its content of protein, fats, carbohydrates, and phosphorus, while total dietary and crude fibers were significantly increased. The fatty acid profile was minimally affected, while magnesium and potassium were reduced. The sensory test conducted among panelists (n = 60) showed that the incorporation of processed chickpea flour into the dough of mankoushe zaatar with ratios of 30% and 50% provided an end-product with better taste and overall acceptability compared to the regular mankoushe. Hence, conventionally processed chickpea flour can be used as a fortifier to improve the nutritional quality of bakery products without negatively affecting their sensory properties

Impact of Pre-Processed Chickpea Flour Incorporation into “Mankoushe” on Appetite Hormones and Scores

Recently, there has been an increasing interest in integrating pulse flours into pastries and baked products to improve their nutritional and health benefits. &ldquo;Mankoushe,&rdquo; a popular Lebanese pastry made up of refined wheat flour was enriched with chickpea flour that is of better nutritional value, and its postprandial glycemia, insulinemia, lipidemia and appetite measures were monitored. A randomized cross-over study was performed on sixteen healthy Lebanese females, age (years): 22.90 &plusmn; 3.00, and BMI (kg/m2): 22.70 &plusmn; 2.65. Over-night fasted females were asked to consume two iso-energetic meals (201 g; 681 kcal) on two separate days, three days apart. One meal was the &ldquo;Regular Mankoushe&rdquo; (RM) made with white flour 100%, and the second meal was the &ldquo;Chickpeas Mankoushe&rdquo; (CM) made with a mixture of wheat/chickpea flour (70/30). Blood samples were collected 15 min before meal ingest and at 30, 90, 150 and 210 min postprandial. Glucose, insulin, triglycerides (TG), ghrelin, and glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) plasma levels were measured. Subjective appetite rating and food intake were also assessed. Incorporation of pre-processed chickpea flour into &ldquo;Mankoushe&rdquo; as 30% of the dough was associated with a modest reduction in both glucose and insulin levels, and TG was minimally affected. At the level of appetite hormones, changes in GLP-1 were similar, whereas the reduction in ghrelin was significantly lower after the RM meal and thus favored a higher satiating effect compared to CM. This was not paralleled by a similar change in subjective appetite scores and subsequent energy intake. In conclusion, findings suggest that pre-processed chickpea flour could be a promising functional ingredient of traditional pastries to improve their nutritional quality. Nevertheless, further investigations are warranted regarding its satiating effect

Fucoidan and Alginate from the Brown Algae <i>Colpomenia sinuosa</i> and Their Combination with Vitamin C Trigger Apoptosis in Colon Cancer

Brown seaweeds are producers of bioactive molecules which are known to inhibit oncogenic growth. Here, we investigated the antioxidant, cytotoxic, and apoptotic effects of two polysaccharides from the brown algae Colpomenia sinuosa, namely fucoidan and alginate, in a panel of cancer cell lines and evaluated their effects when combined with vitamin C. Fucoidan and alginate were isolated from brown algae and characterized by HPLC, FTIR, and NMR spectroscopy. The results indicated that highly sulfated fucoidans had higher antioxidant and cytotoxic effects than alginate. Human colon cancer cells were the most sensitive to the algal treatments, with fucoidan having an IC50 value (618.9 µg/mL−1) lower than that of alginate (690 µg/mL−1). The production of reactive oxygen species was increased upon treatment of HCT-116 cells with fucoidan and alginate, which suggest that these compounds may trigger cell death via oxidative damage. The combination of fucoidan with vitamin C showed enhanced effects compared to treatment with fucoidan alone, as evidenced by the significant inhibitory effects on HCT-116 colon cancer cell viability. The combination of the algal polysaccharides with vitamin C caused enhanced degeneration in the nuclei of cells, as evidenced by DAPI staining and increased the subG1 population, suggesting the induction of cell death. Together, these results suggest that fucoidan and alginate from the brown algae C. sinuosa are promising anticancer compounds, particularly when used in combination with vitamin C

Extracted and depolymerized alginates from brown algae Sargassum vulgare of Lebanese origin: chemical, rheological, and antioxidant properties

International audiencePurified sodium alginate (PS alginate) was isolated from the brown seaweed Sargassum vulgare collected from the Lebanese Mediterranean coast and then depolymerized into homopolymeric polyguluronate (PolyG) and polymannuronate (PolyM) blocks by controlled acid hydrolysis. These fractions of PS alginate issued from S. vulgare were characterized in terms of composition and structure by SEC, elemental analysis, FTIR and 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy. An alginate with a low content of protein (\textless0.62 %) and a molecular weight of 110 200 g mol-1 was identified as sole polysaccharide. Depolymerized PS alginate fractions, PolyG (32.6 %) and PolyM (22.3 %), were found to have close molecular weights, of 7500 and 6900 g mol-1, respectively. From NMR analysis, values of F G, F M, M/G ratio, F GG, F MM, and F GM (or F MG) blocks were determined and compared with those of alginates from S. vulgare of Brazilian origin and other Sargassum species. Our PS alginate appeared different from the Brazilian S. vulgare alginate, with a lower M/G ratio (0.785 instead of 1.27), a predominance of the G blocks (F G and F GG \textgreater 0.5) instead of the M blocks, and it showed more similarity to the composition of some alginates extracted from other species of Sargassum. High G or M contents (≥80 %) were measured from PolyG and PolyM blocks, respectively. The viscosity of the PS alginate and its fractions PolyG and PolyM was determined. PS alginate from S. vulgare of Lebanese origin showed a Newtonian flow behavior for concentration lower than 0.5 % in 0.1 M NaCl solution, while a shear-thinning pseudoplastic behavior is observed for concentration range between 0.75 and 10 %. Also, storage (G′) and loss (G″) moduli were studied for two concentrations of PS alginate solutions (5 and 10 %). Antioxidant properties of the non-depolymerized and depolymerized alginates were evaluated by determining the scavenging ability of the stable radical DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1 picrylhydrazyl). Clearly, the results demonstrated differences in radical scavenging efficacy between PolyG and PolyM fractions. The higher hydroxyl radical scavenging activity was observed for the PolyG fractions (~92 % at 2 mg mL-1) and this activity was comparable with those of standard antioxidants. These PolyG fractions could be valuable in foods or pharmaceutical products as alternatives to synthetic antioxidant

The Cytotoxic and Apoptotic Effects of the Brown Algae Colpomenia sinuosa are Mediated by the Generation of Reactive Oxygen Species

Brown algae are a novel resource of biogenic molecules, however few studies have been conducted in the Mediterranean to assess the cytotoxic mechanisms of algal-derived compounds. This study focuses on the antineoplastic activity of extracts from non-investigated algae of the Lebanese coast, Colpomenia sinuosa. Extracts&rsquo; antineoplastic activities were evaluated by MTT and trypan blue on different tumorigenic cells. Results indicated that the most potent extract was obtained by soxhlet using dichloromethane:methanol solvent (DM soxhlet) against HCT-116. Wound healing assay confirmed that this extract decreased the migration potential of HCT-116 cells with minimal effects on non-tumorigenic cells. It also induced an increase in the subG1 population as determined by flow cytometry. Western blot analysis demonstrated that apoptosis in treated HCT-116 cells was induced via upregulation of p21 protein and downregulation of the anti-apoptotic Bcl 2, which led to caspases activation. The latter, catalyzes the degradation of PARP-1, and thus suppresses cancer proliferation. Morphological alterations, further confirmed apoptosis. A strong pro-oxidant activity evidenced by the enhanced generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was observed in HCT-116 treated cells. Interestingly, a strong antioxidant effectively blocked effect induced by the extract. These results indicate that C. sinuosa is a source of bioactive compounds possessing pro-apoptotic and anti-migratory efficacy

Extracted ulvans from green algae Ulva linza of Lebanese origin and amphiphilic derivatives evaluation of their physico-chemical and rheological properties

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The Cytotoxic Effect of Apis mellifera Venom with a Synergistic Potential of Its Two Main Components—Melittin and PLA2—On Colon Cancer HCT116 Cell Lines

International audienceColon carcinogenesis is ranked second globally among human diseases after cardiovascular failures. Bee venom (BV) has been shown to possess in vitro anticancer effects against several types of cancer cells. The two main biopeptides of Apis mellifera BV, namely, melittin (MEL) and phospholipase A2 (PLA2), are suspected to be the biomolecules responsible for the anticancer activity. The present work aims to evaluate the cytotoxic effect of the A. mellifera venom on human colon carcinoma cells (HCT116), and to assess the synergistic effect of MEL and PLA2 on these cells. After analyzing, through high-pressure liquid chromatography, the proportions of MEL and PLA2 on BV, we have established a cell viability assay to evaluate the effect of BV, MEL, PLA2, and a mixture of MEL and PLA2 on the HCT116 cells. Results obtained showed a strong cytotoxicity effect induced by the A. mellifera venom and to a lower extent MEL or PLA2 alone. Remarkably, when MEL and PLA2 were added together, their cytotoxic effect was greatly improved, suggesting a synergistic activity on HCT116 cells. These findings confirm the cytotoxic effect of the A. mellifera venom and highlight the presence of synergistic potential activities between MEL and PLA2, possibly inducing membrane disruption of HCT116 cancer cells. Altogether, these results could serve as a basis for the development of new anticancer treatments

The Lebanese Red Algae Jania rubens: Promising Biomolecules against Colon Cancer Cells

International audienceColorectal cancer (CRC) is ranked the second most lethal type of tumor globally. Thus, developing novel anti-cancer therapeutics that are less aggressive and more potent is needed. Recently, natural bioactive molecules are gaining interest as complementary and supportive antineoplastic treatments due to their safety, effectiveness, and low cost. Jania rubens (J. rubens) is a red coral seaweed abundant in the Mediterranean and bears a significant pharmacological essence. Despite its therapeutic potential, the natural biomolecules extracted from this alga are poorly identified. In this study, the proximal analysis revealed high levels of total ash content (66%), 11.3% proteins, 14.5% carbohydrates, and only 4.5% lipids. The elemental identification showed magnesium and calcium were high among its macro minerals, (24 ± 0.5 mg/g) and (33 ± 0.5 mg/g), respectively. The Chlorophyll of J. rubens was dominated by other pigments with (0.82 ± 0.02 mg/g). A 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay identified effective antioxidant activity in various J. rubens extracts. More importantly, a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) tetrazolium reduction and wound healing assays indicate that organic extracts from J. rubens significantly counteract the proliferation of colon cancer cell lines (HCT-116 and HT-29) and inhibit their migratory and metastatic properties in a dose and time-dependent manner. Overall, this study provides insight into the physicochemical properties of red seaweed, J. rubens, and identifies its significant antioxidant, cytotoxic, and anti-migratory potential on two colorectal cell lines, HCT-116 and HT-29