Proximate and Phytochemical composition and antioxidant properties of indigenous landraces of omani fenugreek seeds.

Background: Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum graecum L) is receiving global attention as a functional food due to its unique nutritional and medicinal properties as anti-diabetic, hypocholesterolemic, antipyretic, anti-carcinogenic and seasoning and flavoring agent.Materials and Methods: Seeds of indigenous fenugreek accessions were collected from three different ecological regions (Al-Dakhaliyah, Al- Dhahirah, and Al-Batinah) of Sultanate of Oman. The samples were analyzed for proximate chemical composition, phytochemical contents and antioxidant properties.Results: Only significant (P<0.05) differences were observed in the crude fiber and gross energy values of fenugreek seeds collected from different regions of Oman. The highest crude fiber content (8.6 %) was observed in samples collected from Al-Dhahirah region whereas the lowest value (7.1%) was found in samples collected from Al-Dakhaliyah region. No significant (P<0.05) differences were however observed in the moisture, crude protein, crude fat, and ash contents of samples collected from the three regions of Oman. The regional variability significantly (P<0.05) affected the phytochemicals composition and the highest amount of total phenolics (139.2 mg GAE/100g) were recorded in samples collected from Al-Batinah, followed by Al-Dhakhliyah (130.0 mg GAE/100g) and Al-Dhahirah (127.8 mg GAE/100g) regions, respectively. A significant correlation was also observed between the total phenolic contents and the antioxidant properties of fenugreek seeds as determined by reducing power potential  (FRAP).Conclusion: Indigenous landraces of Omani fenugreek seeds are a rich source of protein, dietary fiber, and many important bioactive components, which were found to be significantly correlatedwith its antioxidant properties.Keywords: Omani fenugreek, landraces, phytochemical composition, antioxidant properties

Biosynthesis of CdS Quantum Dots Mediated by Volatile Sulfur Compounds Released by Antarctic Pseudomonas fragi

Previously we reported the biosynthesis of intracellular cadmium sulfide quantum dots (CdS QDs) at low temperatures by the Antarctic strain Pseudomonas fragi GC01. Here we studied the role of volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) in the biosynthesis of CdS QDs by P. fragi GC01. The biosynthesis of nanoparticles was evaluated in the presence of sulfate, sulfite, thiosulfate, sulfide, cysteine and methionine as sole sulfur sources. Intracellular biosynthesis occurred with all sulfur sources tested. However, extracellular biosynthesis was observed only in cultures amended with cysteine (Cys) and methionine (Met). Extracellular nanoparticles were characterized by dynamic light scattering, absorption and emission spectra, energy dispersive X-ray, atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Purified QDs correspond to cubic nanocrystals of CdS with sizes between 2 and 16 nm. The analysis of VSCs revealed that P. fragi GC01 produced hydrogen sulfide (H2S), methanethiol (MeSH) and dimethyl sulfide (DMS) in the presence of sulfate, Met or Cys. Dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) was only detected in the presence of Met. Interestingly, MeSH was the main VSC produced in this condition. In addition, MeSH was the only VSC for which the concentration decreased in the presence of cadmium (Cd) of all the sulfur sources tested, suggesting that this gas interacts with Cd to form nanoparticles. The role of MeSH and DMS on Cds QDs biosynthesis was evaluated in two mutants of the Antarctic strain Pseudomonas deceptionensis M1T: megL- (unable to produce MeSH from Met) and mddA- (unable to generate DMS from MeSH). No biosynthesis of QDs was observed in the megL- strain, confirming the importance of MeSH in QD biosynthesis. In addition, the production of QDs in the mddA- strain was not affected, indicating that DMS is not a substrate for the biosynthesis of nanoparticles. Here, we confirm a link between MeSH production and CdS QDs biosynthesis when Met is used as sole sulfur source. This work represents the first report that directly associates the production of MeSH with the bacterial synthesis of QDs, thus revealing the importance of different VSCs in the biological generation of metal sulfide nanostructures

Polycystic ovarian syndrome is linked to increased oxidative stress in Omani women

Maha AH Sulaiman,1 Yahya M Al-Farsi,1 Maha M Al-Khaduri,2 Jumana Saleh,3 Mostafa I Waly4,5 1Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Al-Khoudh, Sultanate of Oman; 2Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Al-Khoudh, Sultanate of Oman; 3Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Al-Khoudh, Sultanate of Oman; 4Department of Food Science and Nutrition, College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Al-Khoudh, Sultanate of Oman; 5Nutrition Department, High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria, Egypt Purpose: Literature emerging from Western countries has reported increased levels of serum oxidative stress markers among polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) women. In the Arab region, there is limited research about the association between oxidative stress and PCOS. This study aimed to compare sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, sex hormones, and oxidative stress indices between PCOS women and non-PCOS women and to investigate the correlation between oxidative stress biomarkers and sex hormones.Methods: This hospital-based case-control study was conducted among reproductive-aged women. The study included 51 women diagnosed with PCOS (as per Rotterdam 2003 criteria) and 45 control women who were not diagnosed with PCOS. Serum samples were collected to measure the mean levels of the following sex hormones: total testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, estradiol and progesterone, as well as to measure biomarkers of oxidative stress including glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione (GSH), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC).Results: PCOS women exhibited clinical characteristics including irregular menses, hirsutism, and acne compared to the control group (P≤0.05). Significant differences were observed in the waist-hip ratio of PCOS women compared to controls (P=0.004). GPx and GR activity levels appeared to be higher among PCOS women compared to controls; however, no statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups (P>0.05). PCOS women had lower GSH and TAC levels compared to controls with a statistically significant difference observed for GSH levels (P=0.006). Correlation analysis showed a significant negative correlation between estradiol and TAC in the total sample (r=-0.284, P=0.005).Conclusion: This study provides supportive evidence that oxidative stress might play a role in the pathogenesis of PCOS and, hence, oxidative stress parameters could be suggested as diagnostic markers for early diagnosis of high-risk groups. Also, the study provides supportive evidence that obesity and sex hormones, particularly estradiol, in PCOS may contribute to enhanced oxidative stress. Keywords: PCOS, oxidative stress, Oman, case-control, anthropometric, glutathion

Psychological burden among women with polycystic ovarian syndrome in Oman: a case–control study

Maha AH Sulaiman,1 Yahya M Al-Farsi,1 Maha M Al-Khaduri,2 Mostafa I Waly,3 Jumana Saleh,4 Samir Al-Adawi5 1Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, 2Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, 3Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences, 4Department of Biochemistry, 5Department of Behavioral Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Al-Khoudh, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman Purpose: Previous studies in Euro-American populations have shown that women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) have increased levels of “psychological burden”. While PCOS has been reported in Arab countries such as Oman, there is a dearth of studies of the occurrence of psychological burden among PCOS women in the Arab region. This study aimed to compare sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of PCOS women diagnosed with non-PCOS women and prevalence of severity of depression, anxiety and stress and to explore the association between PCOS and indices of psychological disturbances after adjusting for potential confounding factors.Patients and methods: This hospital-based case–control study was conducted among women aged 16–49 years. The study included 52 women diagnosed with PCOS (as per Rotterdam 2003 criteria) and 60 control who were PCOS-free. The presence of psychological burden – depression, anxiety and stress – was quantified using Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21).Results: The crude odds ratios (ORs) generated by logistic regression models indicated an increased risk of depression, anxiety and stress among women with PCOS compared to controls. The adjusted OR also indicated an increased risk of depression (OR =1.10; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.50, 2.43), anxiety (OR =1.09; 95% CI 0.47, 2.52) and stress (OR =1.45; 95% CI 0.68, 3.12), However, no statistical differences were observed along the three psychological distresses (p>0.05) between the two study groups.Conclusion: The study indicates that the presence of PCOS is associated with an increased risk of psychological burden. If this study will withstand further scrutiny, meeting psychological needs of such population would need to be contemplated. Keywords: PCOS, depression, anxiety, stress, Oman, case–contro