effect of different garlic extracts against oxidative stress induced in streptozotocin diabetic rats

The present study is a trial for minimizing the oxidative stress that may be one of the risk factors responsible for diabetic complications. For this purpose, different forms of garlic extracts were investigated using diabetic rats. Hyperglycemia was induced in male albino rats by IP injection of streptozotocin [STZ] in a total dose of 50 mg/Kg b.wt. STZ-diabetic rats were treated orally with garlic oil [10 mg/Kg b.wt.], fresh garlic extract [10 ml/Kg b.wt.] and aged garlic exract [800 microl/Kg b.wt.] daily for three weeks. The data revealed that, STZ injection induced a significant increase in plasma glucose level, plasma and liver malondialdehyde [MDA] concentrations. The significant increase in the activities of antioxidant enzyme [total superoxide dismutase [SOD] glutathione peroxidase [GSHPx] and catalase] in liver homogenate was associated with a significant reduction in blood-reduced glutathione [GSH]. The treatment of diabetic rats by different forms of garlic revealed that, aged garlic extract exhibited a more pronounced hypoglycemic and antioxidant effect followed by fresh garlic extract then garlic oil

Antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects of thymoquinone against carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity in isolated rat hepatocytes

Herbs are known to play a vital role in the management of various liver diseases. Thymoquinone [TQ] is the bioactive constituent of Nigella sativa seed. The present work was planned to evaluate the potential hepatoprotective effects of TQ against the cytotoxic effects and the oxidative stress induced by carbon tetrachloride [CCl4] in isolated primary rat hepatocytes. Cytotoxicity was determined by assessing cell viability and leakage of cytosolic enzymes, such as lactate dehydrogenase [LDH], alanine transaminase [ALT] and aspartate transaminase [AST]. Oxidative stress was assessed by determining reduced glutathione [GSH] level and lipid peroxidation as indicated by thiobarbituric acid reactive substances [TBARS] production. Exposure of isolated rat hepatocytes to CCl4 [5mM] caused cytotoxicity and oxidative injury, manifested by loss of cell viability and significant increase in LDH, ALT and AST leakages. As well as, CCl4 caused progressive depletion of intracellular GSH content and significant enhancement of TBARS accumulation. Preincubation of hepatocytes with either TQ [1mM] or silymarin [5 mM] which is a known hepatoprotective agent, ameliorated the hepatotoxicity and oxidative stress induced by CCl4, as indicated by significant improve in cell viability, significant decrease in LDH, ALT and AST leakages, significant prevent GSH depletion and significant decrease in TBARS formation as compared to CCl4 alone-treated cells. The present results indicate that CCl4 has a potential cytotoxic effect in rat heptocytes; and TQ can afford a significant protection against CCl4 -induced hepatotoxicity

Use of the RAPD-PCR technique to fingerprint of Ralstonia solanacearum and its phages

Brown Rot disease of potato is an important plant disease. It leads to significant decreases in potato yield in Egypt and other parts of the world. Therefore, the focus of this work aimed an analysis of the causal agent of this disease [Ralstonia solanacearum] and its phages [from the rhizosphere of potato plants in Egypt] that infect an avirulent strain of this bacterium. The approach taken was to use random amplified polymorphic DNAs [RAPD] by the polymerase chain reaction [PCR] technology. Five decamer oligonucleotide primers OP-Al3; OP-BO2, OP-Bo3, OP-Bo8 and OP-B09 were used in this study to differentiate between the two bacterial isolates virulent [WRCI] and avirulent [DRI] isolataes of R. solanacearum and three lytic phages growing on avirulent strains of this pathogen [RSP1, RSP2 and RSP3]. Statistical analysis of RAPD-PCR polymorphisms results revealed a degree of similarity with ratio of 92.7% between these bacterial isolates. In the case of phages, the statistical analysis of RAPD-PCR polymorphisms revealed a degree of similarities with ratio from 85.7% to 94.7. Therefore, the study paid an attention for the use of RAPD-PCR technology as a new molecular tool for identification and classification of the bacteria as well as the phages