Pancreatic lipase inhibitory activity of selected pharmaceutical agents

Twenty-five structurally diverse compounds have been tested in vitro for their pancreatic lipase (PL) inhibitory activity. Despite the diversity of tested compounds, the relationship comprising structural attributes of the compounds could be established to correlate with the observed inhibitory activity. Compounds that exerted inhibitory action through surface activity were of different profile from the rest of compounds. When co-incubated with orlistat (OsT), important synergistic effects for some compounds (orphenadrine, gliclazide, cefuroxime and sulfacetamide) were revealed, while antagonistic effects were demonstrated for others (camphor sulfonic acid and dinitro salicylic acid). Docking studies for the most active molecules were performed and molecular interaction forces with the PL active site were identified. The results suggested co-binding of OsT along with the other inhibitor in the binding site in cases of synergistic effect but not in the case of antagonistic effect. These results were additionally supported by affinity capillary electrophoresis. In conclusion, synergistic lipase inhibitory activity between OsT and some other pharmaceutical compounds was demonstrated for the first time, which might help improve the pharmacological effect of OsT

Evaluation of Antiproliferative Activity of Some Traditional Anticancer Herbal Remedies from Jordan

Purpose: To evaluate the in vitro antiproliferative activity of the extracts of the three plants against a panel of human tumor cell lines representing the most common types of cancer in Jordan, viz, breast and colorectal and skin cancers.Methods: The methanol extracts of the aerial parts of the three plants (Arbutus andrachne L., Chrysanthemum coronarium L., and Teucrium polium L.) were prepared and assessed for antiproliferative activity against six human tumor cell lines (A375.S2, WM1361A, CACO-2, HRT18, MCF-7, T47D) using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5 diphenyltetrazolium bromide MTT cell proliferation assay.Results: C. coronarium extract, at the concentration range of 25 to 400 μg/mL, significantly inhibited (10 – 50 %) the proliferation of the 6 cell lines in a dose-dependent manner, whilst the extracts of the other two plants exhibited weak antiproliferative activity (2 – 10 % inhibition). The half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of C. coronarium extract against the six cell lines were in the range of 75.8 to 138.5 μg/mL.Conclusion: The methanol extract of the aerial parts C. coronarium possesses a relatively potent antiproliferative activity and therefore might be a potential source of natural compounds that can be developed into new antineoplastic agents.Keywords: Antiproliferative, Arbutus andrachne L., Chrysanthemum coronarium L., Teucrium polium L. Jordan flora, Medicinal plants, Cancer, Antineoplasti

Evaluation of the efficacy and mechanisms of action of traditional plant treatments of diabetes

EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

The Motivation and Commitment of Teachers in Arab Secondary Schools in Israel: Problems and Improvement Strategies

When the state of Israel was established in 1948, about 150,000 Arabs remained in the country. Since then, this minority, now more than a million, has faced a massive educational problem. For example, the Arab educational system, which was not headed by an Arab until the early 1970’s, is segregated from the Jewish system. This segregation militated against Arab children’s education, in terms of, funding, buildings, the restricted curricular aims of Arabic language and literature teaching, civics and history of the Arabs. Furthermore, unqualified teachers and head teachers were appointed, thereby lowering teacher status in the Arab community. The consequent loss of motivation and commitment among Arab school teachers contributed to the high drop-out rate of Arab pupils in the Local Education Authority (LEA) schools, reaching about 50 per cent in 1992, while the Matriculation pass rate averaged only 30 per cent. Significantly, however, the 33 private Arab secondary schools, affiliated to Christian Churches (PC), revealed both a minimal drop-out rate and the highest Matriculation pass rate, namely 59.5 per cent in 1998 (Statistical Abstract of Israel, 2000, 22.21). To investigate this discrepancy, the present research compares the motivation and commitment of Arab LEA school teachers with those in the PC schools. The research also analyses the effect of segregation and discrimination on Arab pupils’ achievements, and how the performance gap between Arab and Jewish schools might be bridged. The investigation further reveals significant job dissatisfaction among LEA teachers, an unacceptably low level of school culture, teachers’ motivation and commitment in school staffs, together with a lack of vision, of school policy and of teachers’ involvement in the process of decision-making. Conversely, the PC school teachers motivation and commitment to these factors was found to be more professional and dedicated. Furthermore, the PC teachers displayed a more positive attitude than their LEA colleagues towards the issue of educational discrimination. The research concludes that cultural and motivational change in Arab schools is needed to produce better educational results

The motivation and commitment of teachers in Arab secondary schools in Israel : problems and improvement strategies

When the state of Israel was established in 1948, about 150,000 Arabs remained in the country. Since then, this minority, now more than a million, has faced a massive educational problem. For example, the Arab educational system, which was not headed by an Arab until the early 1970’s, is segregated from the Jewish system. This segregation militated against Arab children’s education, in terms of, funding, buildings, the restricted curricular aims of Arabic language and literature teaching, civics and history of the Arabs. Furthermore, unqualified teachers and head teachers were appointed, thereby lowering teacher status in the Arab community. The consequent loss of motivation and commitment among Arab school teachers contributed to the high drop-out rate of Arab pupils in the Local Education Authority (LEA) schools, reaching about 50 per cent in 1992, while the Matriculation pass rate averaged only 30 per cent. Significantly, however, the 33 private Arab secondary schools, affiliated to Christian Churches (PC), revealed both a minimal drop-out rate and the highest Matriculation pass rate, namely 59.5 per cent in 1998 (Statistical Abstract of Israel, 2000, 22.21). To investigate this discrepancy, the present research compares the motivation and commitment of Arab LEA school teachers with those in the PC schools. The research also analyses the effect of segregation and discrimination on Arab pupils’ achievements, and how the performance gap between Arab and Jewish schools might be bridged. The investigation further reveals significant job dissatisfaction among LEA teachers, an unacceptably low level of school culture, teachers’ motivation and commitment in school staffs, together with a lack of vision, of school policy and of teachers’ involvement in the process of decision-making. Conversely, the PC school teachers motivation and commitment to these factors was found to be more professional and dedicated. Furthermore, the PC teachers displayed a more positive attitude than their LEA colleagues towards the issue of educational discrimination. The research concludes that cultural and motivational change in Arab schools is needed to produce better educational results.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

The Antiglycation Effect of Monomethyl Branched Chained Fatty Acid and Phytochemical Compounds and their Synergistic Effect on Obesity Related Colorectal Cancer Cell Panel

Background and aims: monomethyl branched chain fatty acids (mmBCFA) and phytochemicals including: Hydroxycitric Acid, Chlorogenic Acid and Piperine have been considered as an interesting agent for researches due to their role in diabetes and cancer. The present study examines the antiglycation effect of mmBCFA and phytochemicals and investigate their Synergistic effect on different colorectal cancer cell lines

Pharmacological and Phytochemical Appraisal of Selected Medicinal Plants from Jordan with Claimed Antidiabetic Activities

Plant species have long been regarded as possessing the principal ingredients used in widely disseminated ethnomedical practices. Different surveys showed that medicinal plant species used by the inhabitants of Jordan for the traditional treatment of diabetes are inadequately screened for their therapeutic/preventive potential and phytochemical findings. In this review, traditional herbal medicine pursued indigenously with its methods of preparation and its active constituents are listed. Studies of random screening for selective antidiabetic bioactivity and plausible mechanisms of action of local species, domesticated greens, or wild plants are briefly discussed. Recommended future directives incurring the design and conduct of comprehensive trials are pointed out to validate the usefulness of these active plants or bioactive secondary metabolites either alone or in combination with existing conventional therapies