Undiagnosed Phenylketonuria Can Exist Everywhere: Results From an International Survey

peer reviewedMany countries do not have a newborn screening (NBS) program, and immigrants from such countries are at risk for late diagnosis of phenylketonuria (PKU). In this international survey, 52 of 259 patients (20%) with late diagnosed PKU were immigrants, and 145 of the 259 (55%) were born before NBS or in a location without NBS. © 2021 The Author

Isolation and characterization of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors from Piper longum L.

Background and objectives: The cholinergic deficit correlates with the severity of Alzheimer’s disease. The cholinergic function can be improved by AChE inhibitors blocking this key enzyme in the breakdown of acetylcholine. Based on traditional medicine, during two last decades the use of herbal medicinal substances in dementia therapy has been studied. The fruit extract of Piper longum L. (Piperaceae) has been used in traditional medicine with various therapeutic properties, among those for the enhancement of cognitive performance in several herbal mixtures. It has been demonstrated that the fruit extract of P. Longum inhibites AChE. In order to find new natural compounds with AChE inhibitory effect, in this study the fruits of P. longum were investigated. Methods: First the fruits were pulverised smoothly, and then extracted with dichloromethane by stirring after sonification. The extract was investigated by a enzymatic TLC bioautography assay to identify the active zones. Then the active compounds were isolated using several chromatographic techniques. Results: The structures of active components were characterized by different methods like 1H, 13C NMR-spectroscopy, FTIR and mass-spectrometry. The four isolated substances were identified as methylen-dioxide and piperine derivatives. Conclusion: The present study indicated the reasonability of the use of this plant in traditional medicine for treatment of cognitive performance

Iranian medicinal plants for diabetes mellitus: A systematic review

In the Iranian traditional medicine a significant usage of herbs is promoted for their anti-diabetic activity. The aim of this review to assess the efficacy of glucose lowering effects of medicinal plants cultivated in Iran. An electronic literature search of MEDLINE, Science Direct, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library Database, Ebsco and Google Scholar from database inception conducted up to May 2012. A total of 85 studies (18 humans and 67 animals) examining 62 plants were reviewed. The quality of Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) assessed by using the Jadad scale. Among the RCTs studies, the best results in glycemic control was found in Aloe vera, Citrullus colocynthus, Plantago ovata, Silybum marianum, Rheum ribes and Urtica dioica. The majority of plants that have been studied for antidiabetic activity showed promising results. However, efficacy and safety of the most plants used in the treatment of diabetes are not sufficient. © 2013 Asian Network for Scientific Information

Evaluation of anti-melanogenic activity of Ziziphus jujuba fruits obtained by two different extraction methods

Background and objectives: Dried pulps and peels of Ziziphus jujuba fruits are commonly applied as food because of their high nutritional value. It has been widely used in traditional medicine as laxative, tonic, wound healing agent and appetizer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-melanogenic effects of Z. jujuba fruit. Methods: Fruit extracts were obtained by two different extraction methods, percolation (cold extraction) and soxhlet (hot extraction) using methanol 80% as the solvent. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents, DPPH radical scavenging activity and anti-tyrosinase capacity of the MeOH extracts from Z. jujuba fruits were evaluated in vitro. In addition, the effects of fruit extracts on the melanin content and cytotoxicity on human melanoma SKMEL-3 cells were determined after 72 hours. Results: The amount of total phenolic and flavonoid contents of the cold extract were found higher in comparison to the hot extract. Moreover, the antioxidant (SC50 =1.40 mg/mL) and anti-tyrosinase activities (IC50 = 0.54 mg/mL) of the cold extract were significantly stronger than the hot extract. At the dose of 500 μg/mL, the cold extract showed weaker toxicity to the melanoma cells than the hot extract. Melanin content of the cold extract was reduced to 30% at this concentration, while the hot extract had no inhibitory effect on melanin formation. Conclusion: The results showed that the percolation method was more suitable for extraction of the (poly) phenolics from Z. jujuba fruits. In addition, the results of tyrosinase activity and melanin content assays suggested that the cold extract of Z. jujuba fruit can be considered as a dermatological whitening agent in skin care products

Evaluation of anti-melanogenic activity of Ziziphus jujuba fruits obtained by two different extraction methods

Abstract Background and objectives: Dried pulps and peels of Ziziphus jujuba fruits are commonly applied as food because of their high nutritional value. It has been widely used in traditional medicine as laxative, tonic, wound healing agent and appetizer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimelanogenic effects of Z. jujuba fruit. Methods: Fruit extracts were obtained by two different extraction methods, percolation (cold extraction) and soxhlet (hot extraction) using methanol 80% as the solvent. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents, DPPH radical scavenging activity and antityrosinase capacity of the MeOH extracts from Z. jujuba fruits were evaluated in vitro. In addition, the effects of fruit extracts on the melanin content and cytotoxicity on human melanoma SKMEL-3 cells were determined after 72 hours. Results: The amount of total phenolic and flavonoid contents of the cold extract were found higher in comparison to the hot extract. Moreover, the antioxidant (SC 50 =1.40 mg/mL) and anti-tyrosinase activities (IC 50 = 0.54 mg/mL) of the cold extract were significantly stronger than the hot extract. At the dose of 500 μg/mL, the cold extract showed weaker toxicity to the melanoma cells than the hot extract. Melanin content of the cold extract was reduced to 30% at this concentration, while the hot extract had no inhibitory effect on melanin formation. Conclusion: The results showed that the percolation method was more suitable for extraction of the (poly) phenolics from Z. jujuba fruits. In addition, the results of tyrosinase activity and melanin content assays suggested that the cold extract of Z. jujuba fruit can be considered as a dermatological whitening agent in skin care products