ABSTRACT
Background: Zamzam water is naturally alkaline and rich in a variety of minerals which may represent a powerful tool for cancer therapy. In this research, the cytotoxic effects of Zamzam water were investigated in human lung cancer (A549) cell line and compared with human skin fibroblasts (HSF). Methods: Two different preparations of Zamzam water were used: Z1, with pH adjusted to 7.2 and Z2, with no pH adjustment. The effects of both treatments on the morphology of the A549 and HSF cell lines were investigated. The cell viability of HSF and A549 cells was identified by the MTT assay and trypan blue exclusion. Detection of apoptotic cells and cell cycle analyses were determined using flow cytometry. Moreover, reactive oxygen species (ROS) were measured for both cell lines. Results: Both Zamzam water treatments, Z1 and Z2 showed reductions in the cell viability of A549 cells. Cell death occurred via necrosis among cells treated with Z2. Cell cycle arrest occurred in the G0/G1 phases for cells treated with Z2. Cellular and mitochondrial ROS productions were not affected by either treatment. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that Zamzam water might have potential therapeutic efficacy for lung cancer.
ABSTRACT
Objective: To evaluate the indigenous bacterial strains of drinking water from the most commercial water types including bottled and filtered water that are currently used in Saudi Arabia
Methods: Thirty randomly selected commercial brands of bottled water were purchased from Saudi local markets. Moreover, samples from tap water and filtered water were collected in sterilized glass bottles and stored at 4[degree]C. Biochemical analyses including pH, temperature, lactose fermentation test [LAC], indole test [IND], methyl red test [MR], Voges-Proskauer test [VP], urease test [URE], catalase test [CAT], aerobic and anaerobic test [Ae/An] were measured. Molecular identification and comparative sequence analyses were done by full length 16S rRNA gene sequences using gene bank databases and phylogenetic trees were constructed to see the closely related similarity index between bacterial strains
Results: Among 30 water samples tested, 18 were found positive for bacterial growth. Molecular identification of four selected bacterial strains indicated the alarming presence of pathogenic bacteria Bacillus spp. in most common commercial types of drinking water used in Saudi Arabia
Conclusion: The lack of awareness about good sanitation, poor personal hygienic practices and failure of safe water management and supply are the important factors for poor drinking water quality in these sources, need to be addressed