Investigation of the chemical composition, antioxidant activity and hypoglycemic effect of the Egyptian guava leaves volatiles

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder with many complications which has associated with oxidative stress. The present work aimed to study the protective effect of the Egyptian guava [Psidium guajava L.] leaves aqueous extract on streptozotocin [STZ]-induced diabetic rats and its complementary effects. The volatile compounds of guava leaves aqueous extract were isolated and analyzed by using GC and GC/MS. The total phenolic content and in vitro antioxidant activity were done by Folin-Ciocalteu reaction and thiobarbituric acid [TBA] assay, respectively. Four groups of rats [six rats each] used in this study [control, guava extract supplemented, STZ-diabetic, and protected groups]. Serum glucose level was determine as well as liver function, kidney function, lipid profile, activities of some antioxidant enzymes, blood hemoglobin, and histopathological changes in the liver, kidney and pancreas were investigated. Fifty six components were identified using GC and GC/MS. The main chemical compounds in guava leaves volatile oils were; alpha-pinene [11.77%], epi-alpha-bisabolol [10.85%], 1, 8-cineol [9.22%], 1-epi cubenol [8.56%], globulol [5.88%], thujone [5.35%], hexenal [5.03%] and terpipineol [4.35%]. The Egyptian guava volatile extract exhibited a high antioxidant activity in vitro. Also, the results revealed that administration of aqueous guava extract [1gm/dl] to streptozotocin [STZ] induced diabetic rats for 4 weeks as their only source of fluid, enhanced most of the endogenous antioxidant enzymes activity as glutathione reductase [GR], superoxide dismutase [SOD] and total antioxidant capacity [TAC] and produced a pronounced hypoglycemic effect as well as the amelioration of most of the studied biochemical parameters in STZ-induced diabetic rats, which confirmed by histo-pathological examination of different body organs, The potential antioxidant and hypoglycemic activities of guava leaves extract, respectively, are attributed to the presence of relatively high percentage of phenolic compounds [456 +/- 10.4 mg gallic acid equivalent/L] and other active volatile compounds with high antioxidant activity. Egyptian guava aqueous extract is effective in controlling hyperglycemia, reducing diabetic complications arising due to oxidative stress in diabetic rats, improve lipid metabolism as well as amelioration of the associated biochemical parameters

new process approach for ultra-low sulfur fuel

Carbon-based CoMo catalyst was synthesized and investigated for adsorption of the sulfur containing compounds as well as hydrodesulfurization of the straight run gas oil. The catalyst is effective on extracting selectively most of the sulfur containing compounds and nitrogen containing compounds as well. The adsorption was performed at ambient temperature and under atmospheric pressure. Although, the catalyst showed a high affinity on adsorbing the most refractory sulfur containing compounds from the gas oil, it exhibited no tendency on adsorbing benzothiophene and like species. A new process that uses the bi-functionality advantages of the catalyst being both active adsorbent and catalyst is proposed. A reactor with multiple bed sections is essentially required to achieve ultra low sulfur over the present dual functional catalyst. Treatment of the gas oil by adsorption followed by hydrodesulfurization under moderate practical conditions reduced substantially the sulfur content as low as

Hyperhomocysteinemia and the risk of cardiovascular disease in hemodialysis patients and renal transplant receipients

The aim of this work was to study serum total homocysteine [tHcy] in dialysis dependent end stage renal disease [ESRD] patients as well as in renal transplant recipients [RTR] in relation to the established cardiovascular disease [CVD] risk factors. The study included 20 ESRD patients on hemodialysis [HD, group I], 20 RTR [group II] as well as 15 healthy age and sex matched controls. In HD patients, the mean fasting tHcy was significantly higher than that of the controls and hyperhomocysteinemia occurred in 90% of the patients. In RTR, mean tHcy level was significantly lower than in HD patients, yet still significantly higher than the controls and hyperhomocysteinemia occurred in 60% of the patients. None of the studied CVD risk factors [blood lipids, smoking, and hypertension] was significantly correlated to tHcy. In RTR, tHcy was not correlated to blood cyclosporine trough level. It was concluded that hyperhomocysteinemia was a common characteristic of HD patients and a frequent finding in RTR. The results indicated that hyperhomocysteinemia was associated with the occurrence of cardiovascular disease in both patient groups as an independent risk factor

Histological and immunohisto chemical study of pancreatic islets of albino rats; normal and after streptozotocin injection

Thirty two adult albino rats were used in the present study; 12 constituted the control group while 20 animals were injected intravenously with streptozotocin [STZ] [40 mg/k body weight]. Animals were sacrificed one day, one week, two weeks and five weeks after STZ injection. The pancreatic islets decreased in size, their proportional cellular content was disrupted and their morphology was permanently distorted from the first week after STZ injection. The drug caused irreversible subtotal damage of beta-cells which may explain its diabetogenic action

Nutritional and Biochemical significant studies on Friesian diary cows productivity

Proper nutrition for diary herds assesing the high yield. Adequate crurde protein content of the dairy ration is important to maintain the high productivity. This importance is maximized if it maintain sufficient level of degradable and undegradable intake protein. Dietary calcium and phosphorus must be enough and in balanced manner to enable the high producing cows to meet their requirements for lactation and / or pregnancy. Metabolic profile results showed that reduced milk yield may be -due to failier in maintenance adequate level of certain blood constituents due to dietary insufficiency of their parent nutrients

High performance liquid chromatographic assay of urinary sucrose as a marker of gastric mucosal damage

In this study, a total of 164 patients underwent upper gastroduodenal endoscopy and sucrose permeability test to evaluate the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of increased urinary sucrose excretion in the prediction of endoscopic finding. It was found that the urinary sucrose excretion, reflecting the sucrose permeability, was highly significantly increased in patients with severe gastritis and gastric ulcer; while, there was no significant difference in sucrose permeability between controls and patients with esophagitis, mild gastritis, duodenitis or duodenal ulcer. Compared with endoscopy, sucrose permeability test provided a new, simple, cheap and noninvasive diagnostic tool that was readily accepted by the patients for effectively screening large populations at a risk of gastric mucosal damage and for a follow up

Earlier loss of HCV RNA in interferon therapy can predict a long-term response in chronic hepatitis C

This study evaluated whether the loss of serum hepatitis C virus [HCV] RNA early in interferon [IFN] therapy would predict a subsequent response to IFN therapy. Thirty patients with chronic active hepatitis were enrolled in the study. The patients were positive for anti-HCV antibodies and serum HCV RNA. All patients were divided into two groups: Group I consisted of sustained responders [8 patients] and group II of non-sustained responders [22 patients]. Results showed that genotype 1 is the most prevailing in group II and genotype 4 is the most prevailing in group I. HCV RNA disappeared from the serum early in group I, 75% after 2 weeks, 87.5% after 4 weeks, and 100% after 24 weeks, while in group II none of the patients became negative after 2 weeks. After 6 months all patients of group II changed to positive again. ALT levels decreased significantly in both groups. It was normalized in all patients of group I after 24 weeks of therapy and remained normal after 6 months. In group II, 22.7% had normal ALT after 24 weeks, which changed again to high 6 months later [when PCR changed to positive]. Group I of sustained responders had 6 patients of genotypes 4, one patient of genotypes 1 and 3, while group II had 12 patients of genotype 1, 7 of genotype 2 and 3 of genotype 4

Inferior vena cava echography and plasma cGMP level as markers of hydration state of hemodialysis patients

Adequate estimation of the dry weight of hemodialysis [HD] patients represents a central issue for renal replacement therapy. This work aimed to evaluate inferior vena cava [IVC] echography as well as cGMP plasma levels as reliable, non invasive markers of the hydration state of HD patients. Twenty five uremic patients [group A] as well as fifteen healthy volunteers [group B] were included in the study. Blood pressure, body weight, plasma cGMP level and IVC echography were recorded before and after HD both expiratory and inspiratory IVC diameters decreased significantly as compared to predialysis values [p < 0.05 and p < 0.05 respectively]. A significant positive correlation was observed between the expiratory IVC diameter and the body weight in patients of group A before [r = 0.57, p < 0.05] and after [r = 0.62, p < 0.05] HD. There was a positive correlation between the decrease in body weight and decrease in mean BP [MBP] [p < 0.05]. There was no significant, increase in WC collapse index [CI] after HD [p>0.05]. Also, there was no correlation between the CI and body weight of RD patients before and after HI] [p>0.05 and p> 0.05 respectively]. Predialysis cGMP levels were highly significantly greater [p <0.001] in group A patients compared to group B patients. HD resulted in a decrease in plasma cGMP levels, and this decrease is of a high statistical significance [p < 0.001]. However, postdialysis plasma cGMP level was highly significantly greater in Group A than in group B [p < 0.001]. There was a significant positive correlation between HD induced percent decrease in plasma cGMP level and reductions recorded in body weight [p < 0.05]. There was no significant correlation between plasma cGMP and MBP changes both pre and post dialysis [p > 0.05 and p > 0.05 respectively]. A significant correlation was found between IVC diameter and cGMP before HD [r = 0.69, p < 0.001]. No such correlation was found between CI and cGMp values [p > 0.05]. Furthermore, a significant correlation was observed between IVC diameter before and after HD and the change in cGMP during HD [r = 0.66, p < 0.01]. We conclude that cGMP is a sensitive marker for overhydration and fluid overload in HD patients, however, it cannot be considered as a marker for the dry weight of such patients since it does not return to normal found in healthy subjects after fluid removal. Furthermore, IVC diameter as estimated by echography appears to be a valuable accurate non invasive tool to assess the hydration state of HD patients

Activated ester-carbamate type redox chemical delivery system for improved specific delivery of dopamine to the brain

Enhanced central delivery of dopamine [DA] was proposed by application of a dihydropyridine <=> pyridinium salt redox system. the dihydronicotinate moiety was chemically attached to the amino group of dopamine [DA] by a substitued carbamate linkage.this was achieved by acylation of the amino group of DA with chloroethyl chloroformate, followed by condensation with sodium nicotinate under mild conditions. The product was selectively N-alkylated at the pyridine ring and subjected to regioselective reduction to the corresponding 1,4-dihydropyridine derivative. In vitro stability of the prepared chemical delivery system [Dopamine -Chemical Delivery system; DA-CDS2] was studied in phosphate buffer at physiological pH 7.4,acidic as well as at alkaline pH values. Oxidation studies showed that dihydronicotinate is readily converted to the quaternary salt, both chemically and enzymatically. In vivo changes is spontaneous locomotion studies in rat indicated that the new system exerted a significant biological activity

study of the ultrastructure of the intestines of mice experimentally infected with S Mansoni and treated with praziquantel

The present experimental work studied the ultrastructural changes occurring in the intestines of mice infected with S. mansoni and treated with praziquantel. Mild degenerative changes of the intestinal cells together with degranulation of the APUD cells were observed. The enterochromaffin cells in the intestines secrete serotonin which is a vaso constrictor and a strong stimulator of the smooth muscles. A possible explanation of the side effects of praziquantel is thus offered

Groundwater resources in the Wadi Nahda area, Western province, Saudi Arabia

The principle water-bearing unit in Wadi Nahda area is the alluvium formations. The groundwater flow in this formation is generally to the south; the same direction of the main valley. The aquifer is unconfined. The salinity of groundwater increases from the upstream to downstream with the direction of the groundwater flow

Immunoglobulin levels and intensity of infection in patients with fascioliasis, single or combined with schistosomiasis

The levels of IgG, IgM and IgE were measured in patients with single Fasciola infection or Fasciola combined with Schistosoma mansoni. They were found in the two groups above the normal levels. Comparison between the two groups revealed no difference in IgE level. IgG was significantly raised in the group with single Fasciola infection and IgM in the group with combined infection. It was suggested that the raised IgM level was due to the delayed maturity of some worms due to the presence of the other parasite. The study of egg counts lead to the conclusion that oviposition of Fasciola worms in the human host was lower than that in the suitable animal host. There was no correlation between the different immunoglobulin levels and the egg counts