Antibacterial Activity of Moringa oleifera Plant Extracts in Comparison with Ciprofloxacin Antibiotic Against Staphylococcus aureus

The current drug resistance in human pathogens is a result of the abuse of antibacterial drugs commonly used to treat diseases. Early human civilizations used Moringa oleifera extracts to treat illnesses and infections caused by food-borne bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus. In order to calculate the antibacterial effect of Moringa oleifera against Staphylococcus aureus, methanolic extracts from its three parts were prepared. A photochemical analysis of the methanolic leaves, seeds, and roots extracts was performed when the extracts were ready for testing. We used well-diffusion methods to add the three extracts, and the ciprofloxacin antibiotic was used as the standard. From the stock solution, serial dilutions were made in order to calculate the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). In the phytochemical screening test, steroids, terpenoids, tannins, phenolic compounds, saponins, and flavonoids were most abundant in leaves extract, followed by seeds then roots extracts. Moringa oleifera seeds have the highest inhibition zone, which is about 10mm, followed by Moringa oleifera roots at 9mm, and Moringa oleifera leaves at 7mm. In comparison to the other two extracts, the MIC of methanolic extract from Moringa oleifera leaves was 250 mm, the highest concentration, with a MIC of 125 mm for roots and 62.50 mm for seeds. Methanolic extracts of Moringa seeds demonstrated antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus in the present study. For further studies, it is suggested a deeper investigation to study the antibacterial agent dosages of these plant parts, which may be used by the pharmaceutical industry

Antifungal Activity of Moringa peregrina Plant Extracts Against Candida kruzei

Commercial antibacterial drugs commonly used to treat diseases have led to the current drug resistance in humans. Early human civilizations used Moringa peregrina extracts against a variety of illnesses and infections caused by food. M. Peregrina grows well in a variety of harsh conditions, including high temperatures, limited water supply, and nutrient-deficient soils. There is something remarkable about this plant's resilience and ability to survive in challenging environments. To conserve water and withstand extreme drought conditions, it has evolved unique adaptations. M. peregrina's deciduous leaves allow it to shed its leaves during dry periods to reduce water loss through transpiration. As a result of this adaptation, it is able to endure prolonged periods of water scarcity. A serious infection can be caused by Candida kruzei, an opportunistic fungal pathogen that is especially dangerous to immuno-compromised individuals, and the increasing drug-resistance of several Candida strains have necessitated the search for alternative to standard anti-fungal agents to which resistance has grown. The objective of this study was to investigate the antifungal effect of M. peregrina ethanolic extract derived from its leaves, seeds, and roots against C. kruzei. The phytochemical screening of M. peregrina extracts were performed using qualitative determination whilst the antifungal activity of methanol and water extracts of leaves, seeds, and roots was performed using the agar diffusion method. The results of the phytochemical analysis demonstrated the presence of phenolic compounds, steroids, flavonoids, tannins, and saponins. The studied extracts displayed various degrees of antifungal activities against C. kruzei. The extract of the leaves was active against C. kruzei with recorded minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 10mg/ml. There is a need for further research to isolate and identify the antimicrobial agent in different parts of M. peregrina. A deeper investigation should be conducted into the antibacterial agent dosages of these plant parts, which may then be used by the pharmaceutical industry.&nbsp

Multi-ancestry genome-wide association analyses improve resolution of genes and pathways influencing lung function and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease risk

Lung-function impairment underlies chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and predicts mortality. In the largest multi-ancestry genome-wide association meta-analysis of lung function to date, comprising 580,869 participants, we identified 1,020 independent association signals implicating 559 genes supported by ≥2 criteria from a systematic variant-to-gene mapping framework. These genes were enriched in 29 pathways. Individual variants showed heterogeneity across ancestries, age and smoking groups, and collectively as a genetic risk score showed strong association with COPD across ancestry groups. We undertook phenome-wide association studies for selected associated variants as well as trait and pathway-specific genetic risk scores to infer possible consequences of intervening in pathways underlying lung function. We highlight new putative causal variants, genes, proteins and pathways, including those targeted by existing drugs. These findings bring us closer to understanding the mechanisms underlying lung function and COPD, and should inform functional genomics experiments and potentially future COPD therapies

Petroleum resources, linkages and development : the case of Oman

After four decades of oil resource utilization, Oman is faced with the challenge of reducing its dependency on oil income and adjusting to becoming a non-oil economy within twenty years. The overall objective of this thesis is to contribute to the discussion of how this transformation can take place. The specific aims of the study are to examine: (1) linkages between oil resource extraction activities and economic development in Oman; (2) linkages between government expenditure and non-oil GDP growth; (3) economic efficiency and the changing dynamics of factor inputs and their contribution to GDP growth; and (4) the underlying issues associated with fiscal sustainability when oil income ceases

Mineral and Non-Mineral Sector Interdependency: Empirical Evidence From Oman

Most work on mineral dependent economies use simple and straightforward calculations to estimate the level of dependency on the mineral sector. Typical assessments by researchers on mineral dependency look at the contribution of the mineral sector to total exports, its share in GDP, or the share of mineral revenues in total government revenues. Empirical research on the inter-sectoral dependencies between the mineral and non-mineral sectors is, however, quite rare. In this paper, the inter-sectoral relationships between the mineral sector, represented by oil, and the non-mineral sectors in Oman since 1967, have been investigated using VAR and multivariate cointegration techniques and Granger causality tests. This modeling procedure will provide an understanding of the potential links between oil income and non-oil sectors growth and its impact on the overall economy. While also highlighting important policy and development strategies, the results reveal important information about sector dependency and the dynamics of the oil and non-oil sectors

A population study of clinically actionable genetic variation affecting drug response from the Middle East

Clinical implementation of pharmacogenomics will help in personalizing drug prescriptions and alleviate the personal and financial burden due to inefficacy and adverse reactions to drugs. However, such implementation is lagging in many parts of the world, including the Middle East, mainly due to the lack of data on the distribution of actionable pharmacogenomic variation in these ethnicities. We analyzed 6,045 whole genomes from the Qatari population for the distribution of allele frequencies of 2,629 variants in 1,026 genes known to affect 559 drugs or classes of drugs. We also performed a focused analysis of genotypes or diplotypes of 15 genes affecting 46 drugs, which have guidelines for clinical implementation and predicted their phenotypic impact. The allele frequencies of 1,320 variants in 703 genes affecting 299 drugs or class of drugs were significantly different between the Qatari population and other world populations. On average, Qataris carry 3.6 actionable genotypes/diplotypes, affecting 13 drugs with guidelines for clinical implementation, and 99.5% of the individuals had at least one clinically actionable genotype/diplotype. Increased risk of simvastatin-induced myopathy could be predicted in ~32% of Qataris from the diplotypes of SLCO1B1, which is higher compared to many other populations, while fewer Qataris may need tacrolimus dosage adjustments for achieving immunosuppression based on the CYP3A5 diplotypes compared to other world populations. Distinct distribution of actionable pharmacogenomic variation was also observed among the Qatari subpopulations. Our comprehensive study of the distribution of actionable genetic variation affecting drugs in a Middle Eastern population has potential implications for preemptive pharmacogenomic implementation in the region and beyond. 2022, The Author(s).PVJ is supported by faculty funding from the College of Health & Life Sciences, HBKU. Qatar Biobank and Qatar Genome Program are Research, Development & Innovation's entities within Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development. Funders had no role in the design of the study and collection, analysis, and interpretation of data and in writing the manuscript.Scopu