Antioxidant activity of different extracts of Vitex agnus-castus (L.) and phytochemical profile

The main goal of this study was to evaluate antioxidant activity of Vitex agnus-castus aerial parts and also to investigate the main phytoconstituents in the plant extracts. Nhexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate and methanol 80% extract were tested for free radical scavenging activity on model reaction with stable 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH). The results showed that ethyl acetate was the most active one as antioxidant agent and phytochemical analysis of the ethyl acetate extract revealed the presence of triterpenes, flavonoids, tannins, alkaloids and carbohydrates. The results suggest new chemical classes of natural antioxidant substances that could serve as selective agents for infectious diseases

Performance Evaluation of IFAS System Using Honeycomb PVC Media

Recently, Egypt is facing serious problems caused by the deterioration of effluent quality of many wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) especially in rural areas. Unexpected rapid increase in population associated with the increase of organic loading are the main factors causing the failure in operation for many WWTPs. Absence of periodic maintenance and lack of operators’ experience in these rural areas make the situation worse. Many WWTP are recently under rehabilitation and upgrading for the above reasons, however decision makers are facing a real challenge due to the space-limit in many cases. The integrated fixed film activated sludge (IFAS) system has recently proved to be an effective choice to expand the WWTP capacity for growing communities, enhance nitrogen removal and comply with more stringent effluent limits with small footprint. In this research, an IFAS pilot-scale reactor is constructed to optimize its application in upgrading conventional activated sludge (CAS) plants. The effect of carrier position, hydraulic retention time (HRT) and organic loading rate (OLR) on the biological treatment efficiency and nutrient removal compared to CAS process are studied. IFAS configurations with no media, vertical position and cross flow media position are tested with 4, 8 and 12 hours retention times and organic loading rates of 0.84 and 1.44 Kg COD/m3.day. Keywords: Integrated fixed film IFAS, biological nitrogen removal, honeycomb PVC media DOI: 10.7176/CER/11-2-06 Publication date:March 31st 2019

Методика выбора параметров ПИ-регулятора для интервальной системы автоматического управления

Разработана процедура выбора настроек линейного регулятора, обеспечивающих максимальную степень устойчивости системы с интервальными параметрами. В основу процедуры положены оценка корневых робастных показателей качества (колебательности и степень устойчивости) с применением коэффициентного подхода

Antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of Lagerstroemia tomentosa

Abstract: Background: Some Pathogens are resistance to various antimicrobial agents. Many plants parts contain primarily polyphenols and terpenes which can combat with the problem of resistance bacteria and drug residue hazards. Materials and Methods: Methanol (70%) extract of Lagerstroemia tomentosa aerial parts was tested for antimicrobial activity against bacterial and fungal strains and for antioxidant activity using oxygen radical absorbance capacity and the trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity assays and also total content of polyphenols with phytochemical analysis of the extract was determined. Results and Discussions: The results showed that the extract has a significant antimicrobial activity, it inhibited the growth of Bacillus subtilis and also it was highly active against Candida albicans suggesting that it can be used in the treatment of fungal infections, and it showed a moderate antimicrobial activity against Klebsiella pneumoniae, it has shown high values of oxygen radical absorbance capacity and polyphenol content while it has shown a lower value of the trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity. Phytochemical analysis of the extract showed the presence of carbohydrates, flavonoids, tannins, coumarins and this clarify the high content of total polyphenol in the extract

In vitro cancer cell growth inhibition and antioxidant activity of Bombax ceiba (Bombacaceae) flower extracts.

The flowers of Bombax ceiba were investigated for their chemical composition, antioxidant effects and antiproliferative activity against seven human cancer cell lines. The antiproliferative responses of diethyl ether (DE) and light petroleum (PE) extracts were evaluated by sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay against MCF-7, HeLa, COR-L23, C32, A375, ACHN, and LNCaP cells in comparison with a human normal cell line, 142BR. Moreover, extracts were characterized by GC-MS analysis and tested for their antioxidant properties by different in vitro systems, namely DPPH, Fe-chelating activity and β-carotene bleaching test. Both PE and DE extracts showed the highest antiproliferative activity against human renal adenocarcinoma (ACHN) in a concentration-dependent manner. PE extract showed the highest radical scavenging activity against the DPPH radical, while DE extract was more active in the β-carotene bleaching test. The presence of β-sitosterol and some fatty acids may contribute to the bioactivity of B. ceiba flower extracts

Anti-cancer activity of three terminalia species and preliminary phytochemical

This study evaluated anticancer potential of three Terminalia species, Terminalia muelleri, Terminalia bellerica, and Terminalia laxiflora and also their phytochemical content were determined. Anticancer potential of the plant extracts was measured according to MTT assay. The results showed that T. muelleri methanolic extract was active against breast cancer cell line with IC50 40 µg/mL. T. bellerica methanolic extract exerted cytotoxic effects only against colon cancer and liver cancer cell lines with IC50 of 50 and 15µg/mL, respectively. While T. laxiflora methanolic extract did not inhibit the proliferation of all cancer cell lines tested. Phytochemical investigation of the three plant species proved the presence of carbohydrates, flavonoids, tannins, and triterpenes. The methanolic extracts of T. muelleri and T. bellerica had a significant anticancer activity and so further phytochemical study to isolate and identify the bioactive molecules responsible for the observed anticancer activity is necessary

Identification of the bioactive constituents and the antibacterial, antifungal and cytotoxic activities of different fractions from Cestrum nocturnum L.

This study was carried out to evaluate the antibacterial, antifungal and cytotoxic effects of chloroform, ethyl acetate and aqueous fractions obtained from a methanol 80 % extract of Cestrum nocturnum L. (family Solanaceae) aerial parts, and to investigate the bioactive constituents present in these fractions. The results showed that the chloroform fraction had the highest antibacterial effect and cytotoxicity against lung, colon and hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines, while the ethyl acetate fraction displayed the highest antifungal activity and cytotoxicity against cervical carcinoma cell lines. Phytochemical analysis showed the presence of triterpenes, coumarins and flavonoids in the chloroform fraction. Flavonoids, triterpenes and carbohydrates in the ethyl acetate fraction while tannins, flavonoids, saponins, carbohydrates and triterpenes were detected in the aqueous fraction. β-sitosterol, stigmasterol, protocatechuic acid and apigenin were isolated from the chloroform fraction; Kaempferol 8-O-methyl ether, kaempferol, kaempferol 3-O-α-rhamnoside and luteolin 7-O-β-glucoside were isolated from the ethyl acetate fraction, while kaempferol di-sugars: kaempferol 3-O-β-glucoside-7-O-α-rhamnoside and kaempferol 3,7-di-O-α-rhamnoside, were isolated from the aqueous fraction. This study proves the bioactivities of C. nocturnum aerial parts that can be explored as a source of medicinal compounds.The authors are grateful to the strategic project PEst-OE/AGR/UI0690/2011 for the financial support to CIMO. R. Calhelha thanks to FCT, POPH-QREN and FSE for his grant (SFRH/BD/78307/2011) and the Serbian Ministry of Education and Science, grant number 173032 for financial support.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Bilaterality of varicocele: The overlooked culprit in male infertility. Case series study

Objectives: Varicocele is the most common correctable cause of male infertility that always has been a debatable subject as regards how it affects fertility and the best way to treat it. Proper assessment of the disease bilaterality is crucial not to miss one side and not to jeopardize treatment outcome. This study aimed to objectively assess varicocele bilaterality in infertile men aiming to improve treatment outcome in this cohort of patients. Methods: This prospective study was conducted between January 2019 and January 2022 including infertile males with varicoceles. Assessment of missed concomitant contralateral varicocele done pre-operatively by Color Doppler Ultrasound and intraoperatively by intraoperative Doppler device and measurement of maximal vein diameter of contralateral side. Results: A total of 329 cases completed the study. A hundred cases (30.4%) were initially referred as unilateral varicoceles and 229 (69.6%) as bilateral varicoceles. After reassessment of the study population, bilaterality of varicocele was found to be as high as 98.5% (324/329). Repeat CDUS strongly correlated with the intraoperative measured varicocele diameter (r = 0.9, p < 0.001). Moreover, sperm parameters showed significant improvement 3 and 6 months post varicocelectomy. Normal pregnancy after 1 year of surgery occurred in 118 cases (35.9%). Conclusions: Varicocele bilaterality in infertile men is underreported. Thorough assessment by expert radiologists and andrologists is of paramount importance not to miss significant pathology or hazard treatment outcome

Antimicrobial Activity, Growth Inhibition of Human Tumour

The hydromethanolic extract of Sapindus saponaria L. aerial parts was investigated for antimicrobial activity (against several Grampositive and Gram-negative bacteria and fungi) and capacity to inhibit the growth of different human tumor cell lines as also nontumor liver cells. The evaluated extract was further characterized in terms of phytochemicals using UV, 1 H-NMR, 13 C-NMR, and MS spectroscopic tools. The extract has shown a significant antimicrobial activity on all tested bacterial and fungal species. The best activity was achieved against Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus among bacteria and against all three Penicillium species tested. It also revealed cytotoxicity against human colon (HCT-15), cervical (HeLa), breast (MCF-7), and lung (NCI-H460) carcinoma cell lines, with HeLa being the most susceptible tumor cell line. The extract was not toxic for nontumor liver cells. Chromatographic separation of the extract resulted in the isolation and identification of stigmasterol, oleanolic acid, luteolin, luteolin 8---glucoside (orientin), luteolin 6---glucoside (isoorientin), luteolin 7---glucuronide, and rutin. The results of the present findings may be useful for the discovery of novel antitumor and antimicrobial agents from plant origin