Seasonal variation in cardiac conductive disorders in Egyptian patients

To evaluate seasonal variation in cardiac conductive disorders leading to permanent pacemaker implantation. Conductive disorders of all patients who had implanted cardiac pacemakers during the period from January 2007 to end of March 2009 were evaluated. All conduction disorders in atrial and atrio-ventricular node were included. Statistical analysis was done by SPSS version 13. 627 patients, 346 males and 281 females were included in the study divided into multiple age groups. We recorded seasonal variability in the incidence of conductive disorder with two peaks in months march and June i.e. at the end of winter and end of spring. incidence of conduction disorders which lead pacemaker implantation was higher at the end of Winter and the end of Spring than other seasons. This recorded observation opens the discussion about the etiology and provocation in cardiac conductive disorders

Flavone Biotransformation by Aspergillus niger and the Characterization of Two Newly Formed Metabolites

Aspergillus niger isolated from Allium sativum was used at large scale fermentation (150 mg flavone/200 ml medium) to obtain suitable amounts of the products, efficient for identification. Then spectral analysis (UV, IR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR) and mass spectrometry were performed for the two products, which contributed to the identification process. The metabolite (1) was identified as 2'-hydroxydihydrochalcone, and the metabolite (2) was identified as 2'-hydroxyphenylmethylketone, which were more active than flavone itself. Antioxidant activities of the two isolated metabolites were tested compared with ascorbic acid. Antioxidant activity of metabolite (1) was recorded 64.58% which represented 79% of the antioxidant activity of ascorbic acid, and metabolite (2) was recorded 54.16% (67% of ascorbic acid activity). However, the antioxidant activity of flavone was recorded 37.50% which represented 46% of ascorbic acid activity. The transformed products of flavone have antimicrobial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Aspergillus flavus and Candida albicans, with MIC was recorded 250 microg/ml for metabolite (2) against all three organism and 500, 300, and 300 microg/ml for metabolite (1) against tested microorganisms (P. aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Klebsiella pneumonia, Fusarium moniliforme, A. flavus, Saccharomyces cerviceae, Kluveromyces lactis and C. albicans) at this order.