ANEMIA IN PREGNANT WOMEN OF EASTERN SUDAN

 It has been estimated that over half of all women in the world experience anemia during pregnancy with 95% occurring among women in the developing counteries1. Many risk factors for anemia were identified in pregnancy 2. In a community-based study we have recently reported that around 26% of the women of Eastern Sudan were anaemic, as well as we have shown that anaemia is one of the risk factors for deep venous thrombosis in the Sudanese pregnant women 3,4. However no proper published data exist for anaemia, its epidemiology and the risk factors during pregnancy in Sudan.   We performed a prospective study to estimate the incidence, timing and the risk factors for anemia during pregnancy in a population of Sudanese women in Eastern Sudan. Pregnant women attended antenatal care clinic at New Halfa Teaching Hospital were approached for participation in the study during September- November 2003. After a verbal consent a fixed questionnaire containing sociodemographic characters, obstetrical history as well as the known risk factors for anemia was filled (history of abortion, lack of iron supplementation, oral contraceptive pills (OCP) use and pica). All patients were examined clinically to detect signs of anemia–if present. Spleen was palpated and the gestational age was confirmed by Ultrasound in cases of discrepancy. Hemoglobin was estimated by colorimeter (WPA, U.K) and blood films for malaria were prepared using Geimsa stain. A well-trained technician who was blinded about the women’s data did the laboratory investigations. Data was entered in microcomputer using SPSS for windows the students, t-test, compared the mean ± SD of the age, gestational age, and hemoglobin. Relative risk was calculated for the possible factors. P < 0.05 was considered significant. &nbsp

A Current Review from Recent Literature on Novel Sars-cov-2 Outbreak

The outbreak of a novel coronavirus 2019 was traced back in China in late 2019, followed by their worldwide transmission as a pandemic. From January to August 2020, a total of 1,724 papers were published, where 125 were only published in August 2020, demonstrating the importance and need for current awareness and research to overcome this deleterious virus. This paper briefly highlighted the major characteristics of the SARS-CoV-2 in detail, including; a brief history of coronavirus, various transmission routes, range of mild to severe symptoms, available diagnostic tests, treatment options, measures for infection control and prevention, and particular emphasis on self-acceptance and upholding to face mask-wearing. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is limitless and has affected all the nation throughout the horizon; the voyage is indeed hard but not impossible to overcome. However, it is the responsibility of each and every individual to be cautious, know, and understand their role in this difficult situation. To conclude, due to the lack of cohesive data, this review has collated the most recent literature regarding COVID-19 and provided the reader with clear and simple knowledge and instructions on the control and prevention of COVID-19 and hence to protect the most vulnerable population

In-vitro Biological Study of Sudanese Medicinal Plants for their Anti-diabetic and Antiretroviral Activities

熊本大

Chemical constituents from the flowers of Satsuma mandarin and their free radical scavenging and <i>α</i>-glucosidase inhibitory activities

<p>Flowers of <i>Citrus</i> plants are used as mild sedatives and for the treatment of insomnia in traditional medicines. In Japan, tea made from the flowers of Satsuma mandarin is consumed as healthy drink. Hesperidin (<b>1</b>), hesperetin (<b>2</b>), rutin (<b>3</b>), quercetin (<b>4</b>), nicotiflorin (<b>5</b>), eriocitrin (<b>6</b>), narirutin (<b>7</b>), phenylethyl glucoside (<b>8</b>) and unshuoside A (<b>9</b>) were isolated from the MeOH extract of fresh flowers. Structure elucidation of these compounds was performed on the basis of NMR spectroscopic data. Among them, rutin (<b>3</b>), quercetin (<b>4</b>) and eriocitrin (<b>6</b>) showed potent free radical scavenging activity, whereas hesperetin (<b>2</b>) and quercetin (<b>4</b>) showed potent <i>α</i>-glucosidase inhibitory activity.</p

Free radical scavenging, α-glucosidase inhibitory and lipase inhibitory activities of eighteen Sudanese medicinal plants

Abstract Background Lifestyle-related diseases such as diabetes are steadily increasing worldwide. In Sudan, there are a variety of plant species used traditionally for the treatment of diabetes, obesity and other symptoms which need to be validated through scientific studies for their claimed traditional uses. Therefore, in the current study, the free radical scavenging activity, α-glucosidase inhibitory and pancreatic lipase inhibitory activities of 70% ethanol and water extracts of eighteen Sudanese medicinal plants were investigated using various in vitro assays. Moreover, the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity were assessed for the bioactive plant extracts. Methods Eighteen plants were selected on the basis of their traditional uses and extracted with 70% ethanol and water to obtain thirty-six extracts. The obtained extracts were screened using different in vitro bioassays namely, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging, α-glucosidase inhibitory and pancreatic lipase inhibitory assays. Furthermore, the active plant extracts were investigated for their cytotoxicity and genotoxicity on HeLa cell line using HCS DNA Damage Assay. Results Both 70% ethanol and water extracts of Acacia nilotica, Ziziphus spina-christi, Abrus precatorius, and Geigeria alata along with the 70% ethanol extract of Martynia annua showed potent free radical scavenging activity. Regarding the α-glucosidase inhibition assay, both extracts of Acacia nilotica, Ziziphus spina-christi, Geigeria alata, and Cyperus rotundus showed potent activity. In general, 70% ethanol extracts were more potent compared to water extracts with exception of Cordia sinensis and Cymbopogon proximus, for which water extracts also showed potent enzyme inhibitory activity. Similarly, water extracts of Acacia nilotica and Ziziphus spina-christi showed potent inhibitory activity against pancreatic lipase enzyme. Some of the extracts also showed significant genotoxicity and cytotoxicity at the concentration range used for bioactivities. Conclusion The extracts of Acacia nilotica, Ziziphus spina-christi, Geigeria alata, Martynia annua and Abrus precatorius exhibited an appreciable range of activity on antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory assays

Pathogenic Variants in ABHD16A Cause a Novel Psychomotor Developmental Disorder With Spastic Paraplegia

International audienceIntroduction: Hereditary spastic paraplegia is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous neurological entity that includes more than 80 disorders which share lower limb spasticity as a common feature. Abnormalities in multiple cellular processes are implicated in their pathogenesis, including lipid metabolism; but still 40% of the patients are undiagnosed. Our goal was to identify the disease-causing variants in Sudanese families excluded for known genetic causes and describe a novel clinico-genetic entity.Methods: We studied four patients from two unrelated consanguineous Sudanese families who manifested a neurological phenotype characterized by spasticity, psychomotor developmental delay and/or regression, and intellectual impairment. We applied next-generation sequencing, bioinformatics analysis, and Sanger sequencing to identify the genetic culprit. We then explored the consequences of the identified variants in patients-derived fibroblasts using targeted-lipidomics strategies.Results and Discussion: Two homozygous variants in ABHD16A segregated with the disease in the two studied families. ABHD16A encodes the main brain phosphatidylserine hydrolase. In vitro, we confirmed that ABHD16A loss of function reduces the levels of certain long-chain lysophosphatidylserine species while increases the levels of multiple phosphatidylserine species in patient's fibroblasts.Conclusion: ABHD16A loss of function is implicated in the pathogenesis of a novel form of complex hereditary spastic paraplegia