ABSTRACT
Aims: Medicinal plants have recently received the attention of the antimicrobial activity of plants and their metabolites due to the challenge of growing incidences of drug-resistant pathogens. The aims of this study were to determine the antibacterial activities of plant extracts used as ethnomedicinal in Egypt. Methodology and Results: Investigations were carried out to assess the antibacterial efficiency of 11 plant extracts used as ethnopharmacological among Egyptian native people against infectious diseases. Crude methanol, ethanol, chloroform, hexane, acetone and aqueous extract of plants were tested for antibacterial activity in vitro against ten bacterial isolates using the disc diffusion method test. Discs were impregnated with 2 mg/mL of different solvent extracts. Among all the crude extracts, the methanol extract showed the highest activity than other extracts. P. harmala and S. officinalis exhibited highest antibacterial activity against gram positive and negative bacteria while the remaining plants extracts showed less activity. All the plant extracts showed no significant effect against the Bordetella bronchisepta ATCC 4617 except the extracts of M. fragrans and L. sativum. E. coli is the most sensitive microorganism tested, with the lowest MIC value (0.5 mg/mL) in the presence of the plant extract of P. harmala and S. officinalis. Conclusion, significance and impact of study: Results obtained herein, may suggest that the ethnomedicinal Egyptian plants possess antimicrobial activity and therefore, they can be used in biotechnological fields as natural preservative ingredients in food and/or pharmaceutical industry.
ABSTRACT
Aims: The study focused on finding if there is any possible relation between the intestinal bacterial population quantitative and qualitative and the deficiency of the most important iron compounds as haem precursors. Methodology and Results: Blood complete picture and stool analyses were done to 750 volunteer cases whom were asked for these analyses by their physicians. Analyses proved that 560 cases representing 75.2 % were anemic as the RBC(s) based on counts of the total studied cases of less than 263 x 104 and the haemoglobin amount ranged between 7.2 and 11.3 g/dl, while the remainder 24.8 % of the volunteer sample was not anemic. A high male/female ratio of anemic cases, 1:27 was also documented. Considering that all the studied stool samples should be completely free from any parasites or any other anemia-related diseases was a priority. Bacteriological analysis of stool samples of the anemic cases resulted in the detection of high counts of total viable bacteria, exceeded 42 x 109 cfu/g, while it was never more than 26 x 106 cfu/g and decreased to 4 x 106 cfu/g in many cases in this study. Identifying of the 361 bacterial isolates, were found to belong to 12 genera and 19 species, 6 of them; Pseudomonas putrefaciens, Micrococcus luteus, Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae, Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus pumilus and Bacillus coagulans , were found and in high counts in the stool samples of only anemic cases. The ability of these isolates to compete for iron compounds such as ferrous fumarate alone or with glucose and phytate as activators or inhibitors to these abilities was investigated. Results proved 11 species out of the 19 identified species are capable to use and compete on ferrous fumarate as a haem precursor. Sensitivity test for the representatives of the 19 species and 6 of the most commonly used antibiotics in the Egyptian pharmacy, using standard disc method, revealed variable susceptibilities of almost all of them to more than one of the studied antibiotics, except Corynebacterium equatium, which was found very resistant to two antibiotics; colistin sulfate and erythrocin. Conclusion, significance and impact of study: The study finally concluded the strong role of intestinal bacterial counts and types as competitors on the haem precursor iron-containing compounds like ferrous fumarate.
ABSTRACT
To investigate the influence of transfer distance to the fundus on pregnancy rate. Retrospective single center study, including 674 consecutive cycles of ICSI done at Adam International Clinic between January 2005 and December 2005. All patients were included and data examined regarding; their age, endometrial thickness at day of HCG, endometrial pattern at day of HCG, number and quality of embryos transferred, difficulty of embryo transfer as reported by the transferor, transfer distance to the fundus as measured by trans abdominal ultrasound and if the ejection of the media inside the inner sheath of the transfer catheter was seen or not. Our data indicate that the actual distance to the fundus did not affect the pregnancy rate. Our data proves that the exact position of embryo deposition from the fundus does not influence pregnancy rate, however the use of trans-abdominal ultrasound can be of help in visualizing the catheter in the more difficult transfer and air bubbles can be documented, also ultrasound guidance adds to the confidence in the procedure by both the physician and the patient
Subject(s)
Humans , Female , Embryo Transfer , Abdomen/diagnostic imaging , Pregnancy Rate , Retrospective StudiesABSTRACT
Platelet-derived endothelial cell growth Factor [PD-ECGF], basic fibroblast growth factor [b-FGF], gangliosides [Gs] and nitric oxide [NO] are angiogenic factors expressed in various cancer tissues as well as non malignant tissues. Little is known about the role of these factors in patients with chronic liver diseases such as chronic hepatitis [CH], cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma [HCC] with cirrhosis. The levels of these factors were determined in 28 patients with chronic hepatitis, 43 with cirrhosis and 29 patients with HCC. The study also included 18 normal individuals who are comparable to patients in age as a control group. The study revealed that the levels of these angiogenic factors are significantly increased in patients with HCC in comparison with either patients with hepatitis or liver cirrhosis. Moreover, both Gs and NO are also increased in patients with cirrhosis in comparison with controls. In HCC the levels of angiogenic factors reflected tumor burden where they were significantly increased in higher burden. These angiogenic factors are derived from HCC cells as well as inflammatory cells. In cirrhosis the elevation of these factors might be related to the extent of inflammation and angiogenesis in the cirrhotic liver. These factors showed significant positive correlations with liver enzymes in HCC. Assessment of the angiogenic factors in patients with chronic liver diseases would help to follow progression of liver affection. The expression of PD-ECGF in HCC would predict its chemosensitivity