Nerium oleander L. as a Phytoremediation of Heavy Metals in Diyala Governorate – Iraq

The study samples were collected during the months of April and May 2022, samples were collected from different regions in Diyala Governorate – Iraq. The study aimed to assess the role of oleander plant in the phytoremediation  of heavy metals (lead , cadmium , arsenic and selenium)  within Diyala Governorate by estimating their concentration in the leaves of the plant and the soil on which it grows as well as calculating the bioaccumulation factor (BAF). Al-Muqdadiyah Industrial area was one of the most polluted areas with lead,  the highest concentration of lead appeared in the leaves of the oleander plant grown in this area, as well as the soil on which it grows (2.452 and 0.904 ) ppm respectively. The highest concentration of cadmium was recorded for oleander leaves in the old city of Baqubah (2.208ppm), while the highest concentration appeared in the soil on which it grows in the Al-Muqdadiyah Industrial area (0.363ppm). The Al-Muqdadiya industrial area also recorded the highest concentration of arsenic in the leaves of the oleander plant ( 0.559 ppm) ,but the highest concentration in the soil on which it grows was in the central city of Al-Muqdadiyah (0.218ppm) , followed by the industrial city off Al-Muqdadiyah.( 0.132ppm) . The highest concentration of selenium appeared in the industrial city of Al-Muqdadiya in both the leaves of the oleander plant and the soil on which it grows (0.441 and 0.104) ppm. The value of the bioaccumulation factor (BAF) shows the efficiency of the oleander plant in the phytoremediation of cadmium, followed by lead, arsenic and selenium in varying proportions. Keywords : Phytoremediation , Neium oleander , Heavy metals DOI: 10.7176/JEES/12-9-04 Publication date:September 30th 202

Prevalence and Characterization of Some Colibactin Genes in Clinical Enterobacteriaceae isolates from Iraqi Patients

                افراد العائلة المعوية تمتلك مجموعة من الجينات تدعى Polyketide synthase (pks). هذه المجموعة من الجينات تكون مسؤولة عن تصنيع الذيفان الذي يطلق عليه Colibactin والذي له دور مهم في استحثاث تكسر اشرطة الدنا المزدوجة DNA والذي يؤدي الى استحثاث ورم او ما يعرف بسرطان القولون، احد عشر من اصل ثمانية وثمانين عزلة  بكتيرية وتمثل (12.5%) كانت قد توزعت 7(8%) عزلة تعود لبكتربا E. coli، 2(2.25%) عزلة تعود لبكتريا K. pneumonia و 2(2.25%) تعود لبكتريا E. aerogenes كانت حاملة لجينات الكولبكتين قيد الدراسة. تم اختبار لتأثير السمي الخلوي لعزلتين كانت موجبة للجينات قيد الدراسة وهي E. coli and E. aerogenes تجاه خط الخلايا السرطاني المعروف بـ HeLa  بينت النائج انخفاض عدد الخلايا وحصول استطالة في انوية الخلايامقارنة بالخلايا الغير معاملة. اظهرت النتائج حصول تغيرات نسيجية في الخلايا بأستخدام صبغة AO/EBr تم ملاحظتها بأستخدام المجهر الفلورسيني: بعض هذه التغيرات تم ملاحظتها في لون كروماتين النواة ومصحوب بتكثف الدنا النووي وكذلك حصول تكسر في النوية، خلايا الـ HeLa التي ظهرت بلون اخضر ولم تحصل فيها اي تغيرات في لون المادة الكروماتينية هي خلايا حية ولم تتم معاملتها مع البكتريا الحاملة للجينات قيد الدراسة، بينما الخلايا المعاملة مع خلايا بكتيرية حاملة للجينات ظهرت انويتها بلون برتقالي داكن وهي خلايا ميتة. يستنتج من ذلك ان عزلات البكتريا المعوية المعزولة من مرضى عراقيين يمكنها ان تفرز مواد سامة (ذيفان الكولبكتين) يمكنها قتل قتل الخلايا السرطانية نوع HeLa وهذا ناتج عن تغيرات حصلت في انوية الخلايا المعرضة للبكتريا وكان واضح في كثافة وتكسر المادة الوراثية للخلايا قيد الدراسة. The members of the family of Eentrobacteriaceae harbour a gene cluster called polyketide synthase (pks) island. This cluster is responsible for the synthesis of the genotoxin colibactin that might have an important role in the induction of double-strand DNA breaks, leading to promote human colorectal cancer (CRC). Eleven out of the eighty eight isolates (12.5%) were pks+, distributed as 7 (8%) isolates of E. coli, 2 (2.25%) of K. pneumoniae and 2 (2.25%) of E. aerogenes. The cytotoxic effects of selected pks+ isolates (E. coli and E. aerogenes) on HeLa cells were represented by decreasing cell numbers and enlarged cell nuclei in comparison to the untreated cells. Cytological changes were observed when the infected HeLa cells cultures were stained with AO/EBr and visualized under fluorescent microscope. Some changes that happened in the color of the nuclear chromatin were accompanied by DNA condensation and degradation and fragmentation of nuclei. HeLa cells with green unchanged nuclear chromatin were alive while those with orange-dark and bright red nuclei were dead. It was concluded that a proportion of the Entreobacteriaceae isolates from Iraqi patients was pks+, which exerted cytotoxic effects upon using them to kill HeLa cells. In this study the microscopic observation of the cell morphology reveals the cellular response to the genotoxic insult, with reduced numbers, striking giant cells phenotype (megalocytosis) and fragmentation of nuclei due to the cell cycle arrest and cellular senescenc