Comparative studies on the effect of environmental pollution on secondary metabolite contents and genotoxicity of two plants in Asir area, Saudi Arabia

Purpose: To investigate the phytochemical contents and genotoxic effects of Ficus carica and Schinus molle grown in healthy and polluted environments in Asir area, Saudi Arabia.Methods: Extracts of the aerial parts of the plants were screened for phytochemical constituents. Genotoxicity tests were carried out in mice using Comet assay, micronucleus test and chromosomal analysis.Results: Extracts of the two plants grown in polluted soil showed elevations in phytochemical and heavy metal contents, when compared with extracts from non-polluted sites. In genotoxicity tests, F. carica and S. molle extracts produced significant increases in the number of micro-nucleated cells in mice, compared to control. Cytotoxicity tests showed that extracts from plants grown in non-polluted environments did not decrease polychromatic erythrocytes (PCE) to normochromatic erythrocytes (NCE) ratio in bone marrow cells, relative to control. Mice in the vehicle control group showed some aberrant metaphases and a few aberrations per hundred metaphases.Conclusion: Pollution has significant effects on phenolic compounds, total flavonoids, and genotoxic potential of the two plants.Keywords:  Ficus carica, Schinus molle, Pollution, Genotoxicity, Total phenolic compounds, Total flavonoid

Aptamer based nanobiosensors: Promising healthcare devices

Nanobiosensors based on aptamer are extensively being studied as potent analytical tools in clinical analysis. These biosensors provide high sensitivity, fast response, specificity and desired portability in addition to simplicity and decreased cost compared to conventional methods. The purpose of this manuscript is to provide readers with an overview of current advances about electrochemical, electrochemiluminescent and photoelectrochemical aptasensors from the sea of available literature. These are mainly used for determination of protein-based biomarkers, especially for cancer diagnosis. Here in we have given special emphasis on nanosize-based aptasensors which have been reported to show considerable improvement in the analytical performance. Keywords: Nanobiosenors, Aptasensors, Electrochemical, Electrochemiluminescent, Photoelectrochemical, Nanomateria

Antioxidant and Antimutagenic Activities of Different Fractions from the Leaves of Rhododendron arboreum Sm. and Their GC-MS Profiling

In this era of urbanization and environmental pollution, antioxidants and antimutagens derived from plants are promising safeguards for human health. In the current investigation, we analyzed the antioxidant and antimutagenic effects of the hexane, chloroform, and ethyl acetate fractions of Rhododendron arboreum Sm. leaves and determined their chemical composition. The different fractions inhibited lipid peroxidation, repressed the production of nitric oxide radicals, and prevented deoxyribose degradation. The antimutagenic activity of the leaf fractions was analyzed against 4-nitro-O-phenylenediamine, sodium azide and 2-aminofluorene mutagens in two test strains (TA-98 and TA-100) of Salmonella typhimurium. The experiment was conducted using pre- and co-incubation modes. The best results were obtained in the pre-incubation mode, and against indirect acting mutagen. The presence of a number of bioactive constituents was confirmed in the different fractions by GC-MS analysis. The study reveals the strong antioxidant and antimutagenic activity of R. arboreum leaves. We propose that those activities of R. arboreum might correspond to the combined effect of the phytochemicals identified by GC-MS analysis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the antimutagenic activity of R. arboreum leaves

Antioxidant potential of Rumex vesicarius L.: in vitro approach

Objective: To assess in-vitro antioxidant activity of different fraction and perform high performance thin layer chromatography fingerprint analysis of most active fraction of Rumex vesicarius L. (R. vesicarius). Methods: In the present study, acetone, ethyl acetate, n-butanol, and methanol extracts of R. vesicarius were evaluated for radical scavenging activity by studying the inhibition of the level of lipid peroxidation induced by Fe(++)/ascorbate, DNA sugar damage, scavenging of hydrogen peroxide, diphenylphosphine DPPH radical scavenging activity, total phenolic content, total flavonoids content and total proanthocyanidin. High performance thin layer chromatography finger print profiling of R. vesicarius L. was also done. Results: Lipid peroxidation induced by the iron/ascorbate system, hydrogen peroxide, diphenylphosphine and DNA sugar damage were inhibited by the addition of different extract of R. vesicarius. Among them, methanolic extract showed maximum efficacy. The methanolic extract showed the highest total phenolic, total flavonoids and total proanthocyanidin contents. Conclusions: The results suggest that the extracts can be a vital source of phytochemical antioxidants

Neuroprotective potential of Afzelin: A novel approach for alleviating catalepsy and modulating Bcl-2 expression in Parkinson's disease therapy

The lost dopaminergic neurons in the brain prevent mobility in Parkinson's disease (PD). It is impossible to stop the disease's progress by means of symptoms management. Research focuses on oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and neuronal degeneration. Exploration of potential neuroprotective drugs against prosurvival B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) protein is ongoing. An investigable cause behind PD, as well as preventive measures, could be discovered considering the association between such behavioural manifestations (cataleptic behaviours) and PD. The compound Afzelin, known to guard the nervous system, was chosen for this study. The study was done on rats divided into six different groups. First, there was a control group. The other group was treated with Reserpine (RES) (1 mg/kg). The third group received RES (1 mg/kg) and levodopa (30 mg/kg). The remaining three groups were given RES (1 mg/kg) in conjunction with Afzelin at the following doses: 5 mg/kg, 10 mg/kg, and 20 mg/kg. Cataleptic behavior and mobility in rats was assessed using the rotarod, open field, and modified forced-swim tests. thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), nitric oxide (NO), biogenic amines, and Bcl-2 level in rat tissue homogenates were considered. According to the study's findings, the rats treated through co-administration of RES and Afzelin improved significantly in their cataleptic behaviours and locomotor activity. In addition, administering Afzelin itself caused Bcl-2 expression, which could have some neuroprotection properties. This study provides meaningful information on the effectiveness of Afzelin in handling catalepsy and other degenerative neurologic disorders. As a result, other studies need to be conducted to establish the reasons behind the reactions and determine the long-term effects of Afzelin on these conditions

Optimized Ribociclib nanostructured lipid carrier for the amelioration of skin cancer: Inferences from ex-vivo skin permeation and dermatokinetic studies

Current research focuses on explicitly developing and evaluating nanostructured lipidic carriers (NLCs) for the chemotherapeutic drug Ribociclib (RCB) via the topical route to surmount the inherent bioavailability shortcomings. The absolute oral bioavailability has not been determined, but using a physiologically based pharmacokinetic model it was predicted that 65.8 % of the standard dose of RCB (600 mg) would be absorbed mainly in the small intestine. RCB-NLCs were produced using the solvent evaporation method, and Box-Behnken Design (BBD) was employed to optimize composition. The prepared NLCs had an average PS of 79.29 ± 3.53 nm, PDI of 0.242 ± 0.021, and a %EE of 86.07 ± 3.14. The TEM analysis disclosed the spherical form and non-aggregative nature of the NLCs. The outcomes of an in-vitro release investigation presented cumulative drug release of 84.97 ± 3.37 % in 24 h, significantly higher than that from the RCB suspension (RCB-SUS). Ex-vivo skin permeation investigations on rodent (Swiss albino mice) revealed that RCB-NLCs have 1.91 times increases in skin permeability comparable to RCB-SUS. Compared to RCB-SUS, RCB-NLCs were able to penetrate deeper into the epidermis membrane than RCB-SUS as per the findings of confocal microscopy. In dermatokinetic study, higher amount of RCB was maintained in both the layers of mice's skin when treated with RCB-NLCs gel comparable to the RCB-SUS gel preparation. The in-vitro, ex-vivo, CLSM, and dermatokinetics data demonstrated a significant possibility for this novel RCB formulation to be effective against skin cancer