GC-MS Analysis: In Vivo

Liver disease is a worldwide problem. It represents one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality in humans. Achillea biebersteinii is used as herbal remedy for various ailments including liver diseases. But the scientific basis for its medicinal use remains unknown. Thus, this research was undertaken to evaluate the efficiency of A. biebersteinii essential oil (ABEO) (0.2 mL/kg) in the amelioration of CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity in rodent model. Moreover, the chemical content of the oil was investigated using GC and GC-MS. The following biochemical parameters were evaluated: serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (GPT), gamma-glutamyl-transpeptidase (γ-GGT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and total bilirubin. Furthermore, lipid profile, malondialdehyde (MDA), nonprotein sulfhydryl (NP-SH), and total protein (TP) contents in liver tissue were estimated. 44 components (92.0%) of the total oil have been identified by GC-MS analysis where α-terpinene and p-cymene were the most abundant. The high serum enzymatic (GOT, GPT, GGT, and ALP) and bilirubin concentrations as well as the level of MDA, NP-SH, and TP contents in liver tissues were significantly reinstated towards normalization by the ABEO. Histopathological study further confirmed these findings. In addition, ABEO showed mild antioxidant activity in 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging and β-carotene-linoleic acid assays

Infected pancreatic necrosis: outcomes and clinical predictors of mortality. A post hoc analysis of the MANCTRA-1 international study

: The identification of high-risk patients in the early stages of infected pancreatic necrosis (IPN) is critical, because it could help the clinicians to adopt more effective management strategies. We conducted a post hoc analysis of the MANCTRA-1 international study to assess the association between clinical risk factors and mortality among adult patients with IPN. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify prognostic factors of mortality. We identified 247 consecutive patients with IPN hospitalised between January 2019 and December 2020. History of uncontrolled arterial hypertension (p = 0.032; 95% CI 1.135-15.882; aOR 4.245), qSOFA (p = 0.005; 95% CI 1.359-5.879; aOR 2.828), renal failure (p = 0.022; 95% CI 1.138-5.442; aOR 2.489), and haemodynamic failure (p = 0.018; 95% CI 1.184-5.978; aOR 2.661), were identified as independent predictors of mortality in IPN patients. Cholangitis (p = 0.003; 95% CI 1.598-9.930; aOR 3.983), abdominal compartment syndrome (p = 0.032; 95% CI 1.090-6.967; aOR 2.735), and gastrointestinal/intra-abdominal bleeding (p = 0.009; 95% CI 1.286-5.712; aOR 2.710) were independently associated with the risk of mortality. Upfront open surgical necrosectomy was strongly associated with the risk of mortality (p < 0.001; 95% CI 1.912-7.442; aOR 3.772), whereas endoscopic drainage of pancreatic necrosis (p = 0.018; 95% CI 0.138-0.834; aOR 0.339) and enteral nutrition (p = 0.003; 95% CI 0.143-0.716; aOR 0.320) were found as protective factors. Organ failure, acute cholangitis, and upfront open surgical necrosectomy were the most significant predictors of mortality. Our study confirmed that, even in a subgroup of particularly ill patients such as those with IPN, upfront open surgery should be avoided as much as possible. Study protocol registered in ClinicalTrials.Gov (I.D. Number NCT04747990)

Review of Biological Effects of Acute and Chronic Radiation Exposure on Caenorhabditis elegans

Knowledge regarding complex radiation responses in biological systems can be enhanced using genetically amenable model organisms. In this manuscript, we reviewed the use of the nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), as a model organism to investigate radiation’s biological effects. Diverse types of experiments were conducted on C. elegans, using acute and chronic exposure to different ionizing radiation types, and to assess various biological responses. These responses differed based on the type and dose of radiation and the chemical substances in which the worms were grown or maintained. A few studies compared responses to various radiation types and doses as well as other environmental exposures. Therefore, this paper focused on the effect of irradiation on C. elegans, based on the intensity of the radiation dose and the length of exposure and ways to decrease the effects of ionizing radiation. Moreover, we discussed several studies showing that dietary components such as vitamin A, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and polyphenol-rich food source may promote the resistance of C. elegans to ionizing radiation and increase their life span after irradiation

High-performance thin-layer chromatography based concurrent estimation of biomarkers ent-phyllanthidine and rutin in the dried aerial parts of Flueggea virosa

The biomarkers are needed to be defined for standardization purposes so that safe and effective herbal formulations can be catered to the society. There is an urgent need for statistical support of herbal drugs because most of the herbal products are still used in the non-standardized form. This study is based on the development of a simple and sensitive RP-HPTLC method for concurrent estimation of two biomarkers ent-phyllanthidine and rutin in the methanol extract of aerial parts of Flueggea virosa. The developed method was found to be simple, economic and sensitive. Separation and quantification were performed with acetonitrile: water (4:6 V/V) used as the mobile phase on glass-backed RP-HPTLC plate. Detection of absorption maxima and quantification was done at 310 nm of UV region. The developed chromatographic system was found to give a sharp band for ent-phyllanthidine and rutin at Rf 0.73 ± 0.01 and 0.68 ± 0.01, respectively. The linearity ranges for ent-phyllanthidine, and rutin were found to be 200–1600 ngband−1 and 100–1400 ngband−1, respectively, with correlation coefficients (r2 values) of 0.998 and 0.997, respectively. The percentage of ent-phyllanthidine and rutin was found to be 9.121 ± 0.02% and 1.018 ± 0.04% (w/w), respectively. The resolution of bands and separation of constituents in FVME exhibited the perfect optimization of the developed method. The validation statistics supports the proposed method for standardizing crude drugs as well as formulations of a natural product containing ent-phyllanthidine and rutin

Prevalence, knowledge and potential determinants of COVID-19 vaccine acceptability among university students in United Arab Emirates : findings and implications

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence, knowledge, attitude and acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccines and related factors among university students in the United Arab Emirates. Methods: Analytical cross-sectional study undertaken among a convenient sample of medical and non-medical colleges of Ajman University using a self-administrated question-naire. The questionnaire included demographic data as well as assessing knowledge of COVID-19, attitudes and acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines. Results: A total of 467 students participated in the study and completed the questionnaire. A total of 181 (38.8%) participants reported that they have been vaccinated against COVID-19 virus, principally with the Sinopharm vaccine (84%). Vaccination against the COVID-19 virus was less prevalent among Arabic nationalities compared to other nationalities, but more prevalent among students from health science colleges compared to those from non-health science colleges. The acceptance rate of COVID-19 vaccine among study participants was 56.3%, exacerbated by worries regarding unforeseen problems (65.5%, 306), general mis-trust (47.3%, 221) and unforeseen impacts (35.1%, 164). The average knowledge score was 60.1%, with 142 (30.4%) having poor knowledge, 127 (27.2%) acceptable knowledge and 198 (42.4%) good knowledge. There were common misconceptions about symptoms including nausea and diarrhoea, as well as the route of transmission, with half believing antibiotics are effective treatment. Conclusion: There was variable knowledge of COVID-19 among students. Misconceptions need addressing going forward. To enhance COVID-19 vaccination uptake in the country and world-wide, health education targeting diverse sociodemographic categories should be prioritized

Social anxiety disorder and its impact in undergraduate students at Jazan University, Saudi Arabia

Although social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a common mental disorder, it is often under diagnosed and under treated. The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence, severity, disability, and quality of life towards SAD among students of Jazan University, Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study was conducted among a stratified sample of 500 undergraduate students to identify the prevalence of SAD, its correlates, related disability, and its impact on the quality life. All participants completed the Social Phobia Inventory, Leibowitz Social Anxiety Scale, Sheehan Disability Scale, and the WHO Quality of Life – BREF questionnaire. Of 476 students, 25.8% were screened positive for SAD. About 47.2% of the students had mild symptoms, 42.3% had moderate to marked symptoms, and 10.5% had severe to very severe symptoms of SAD. Students who resulted positive for SAD reported significant disabilities in work, social, and family areas, and this has adversely affected their quality of life as compared to those who screened negative for SAD. Students reported several clinical manifestations that affected their functioning and social life. Acting, performing or giving a talk in front of an audience was the most commonly feared situation. Blushing in front of people was the most commonly avoided situation. Since the present study showed a marked prevalence of SAD among students, increased disability, and impaired quality of life, rigorous efforts are needed for early recognition and treatment of SAD

Enhancement of Optical Telecommunication Bands: Pr3+-Doped Halide Phosphate Glasses Display Broadband NIR Photoluminescence Emission

In the optical energy gap, visible and near-IR emission of halide phosphate glasses with a composition of 40P2O5-30ZnO-20LiCl-10BaF2 in mol% doped with 3.5 × 104 ppm Pr2O3, referred to as PZLBPr, were synthesized. The UV-VIS-NIR and spectroscopic properties of these glasses were also predicted. The current glasses had broadband emission photoluminescence covering a wavelength range of 1250 to 1700 nm when excited at 455 nm. These bands for near-infrared emission luminescence relate to the transitions 1G4 → 3H5, 1D2 → 1G4, and 3H4 → 3F3, 3F4 in the optical telecommunication window. The significant PL emission wideband was caused by the radiative transition from Pr3+: 1D2 to 1G4. At 445 nm excitation, these glasses exhibited emission bands that corresponded to blue/reddish orange spectral ranges in visible ranges. The prepared glass has a high lasing quality factor (Ω4/Ω6 = 0.9), high optical energy (4.72 eV), and quantum efficiency = 87.3% with FWHM = 156 nm of transition emission from the 1D2 → 1G4 level. As a result, broadband near infrared optical amplifiers can be fabricated from the prepared glasses

The Influence of Mycorrhizal Fungi on the Accumulation of Sennosides A and B in Senna alexandrina and Senna italica

Symbiotic arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play a major role in plant development, growth, and relationships with the environment through a change in the accumulation of secondary metabolites; hence, we planned to investigate AMF’s influence on sennoside A and B accumulation in Senna alexandrina (SA) and Senna italica (SI). Seeds of SA (S. alexandrina free of mycorrhizae) and SI (S. italica free of mycorrhizae) were planted in two types of soils: +mycorrhiza and—mycorrhiza. The plant leaves of SA, SI, S. alexandrina with mycorrhizae (SAM) and S. italica with mycorrhizae (SIM) were collected and extracted (with 85% methanol), and sennoside A and B content was evaluated by the HPLC–UV method. The antioxidant activity of SA, SI, SAM and SIM was evaluated by using 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) methods, while antimicrobial properties were evaluated by the minimum inhibitory concentration method (MIC). The AMF colonization was 85.66% and 85%, respectively, in the roots of SA and SI. The HPLC analysis showed a significant increase in (%) the content of sennoside A/sennoside B by 71.11/88.21, respectively, in SAM and 6.76/36.37 in SIM, which clearly indicated positive AMF effects. The DPPH/ABTS [The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50): 235.9/321.5 µg/mL] scavenging activity of SAM was comparatively higher and it also exhibited strong antibacterial action (MIC: 156.25 µg/mL), which supported the increase in sennoside content. This finding may be useful for further investigations of the symbiotic relation of mycorrhizal fungi with other plant species