ABSTRACT
Oleanolic acid (OA) was isolated from Syzygium aromaticum L. buds, and structurally characterised using different spectroscopic techniques; MS, IR,1H/13C-NMR and 2D NMR experiments. The antimycobacterial activity according to a resazurin microtiter assay (REMA) showed important inhibitory effect of OA on the virulent H37Rv strain, with the lowest minimum concentration of 50 µg/mL, compared to other fractions. Molecular docking of OA with BacA drug efflux pump resulted in good binding affinity of hydrophobic interaction type. Therefore, OA could contribute to the antimycobacterial action of clove buds, and has potential as an efflux pump inhibitor. Further studies are required on its use to combat multidrug resistant strains.
ABSTRACT
Syzygium aromaticum is used in traditional and modern medicine for its various and outstanding pharmacological properties. Here, we studied the chemical composition of hexane extract and non-polar fractions (NPF) obtained from the maceration and fractionation of clove buds, in order to evaluate their inâ vitro antimycobacterial activity, as well as their contribution against efflux pump (EP) resistance through molecular docking experiments. The gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of the volatile profiles revealed the presence of eugenol, followed by eugenyl acetate, and ß-caryophyllene as common major compounds. According to Resazurin microtiter assay (REMA), Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37 Rv strain was sensitive to all volatile samples at concentration range between 10 and 100â µg/mL. The NPF of ethanol extract was the best inhibitor with a MIC=10â µg/mL. The in silico study revealed a strong binding affinity between eugenol and Mmr EP protein (-8.1â Kcal/mol), involving two binding modes of hydrogen bond and π-alkyl interactions. The non-polarity character of clove volatile constituents, and their potential additive or synergistic effects could be responsible for the antimycobacterial activity. In addition, these findings suggest the benefic effect of eugenol in the management of mycobacterium drug resistance, whether as potential inhibitor of Mmr drug EP, or modulator during combination therapy.
ABSTRACT
Context and objective: In Morocco, autism is a frequent disorder and no epidemiological studies have been carried out. The aim of this work is to analyze the characteristics of the onset of autism in children. Settings and Design: We conducted a cross-sectional retrospective study, spread over a period of 10 months. Methods: We included in our survey children who, according to the DSM 5 definition, had one of the autism spectrum disorders and had a well-defined diagnosis. For the statistical analysis we used Excel® software. We used the percentages for the description of the qualitative variables. Results: Of the parents of children with ASD, 49% were biological mothers. Of these, 30% women had their child when they were between 30 and 35 years of age. Males accounted for 61% of children with a sex ratio of 2.6. The first autistic traits appeared at the age of 18 months for 22% of our population. Of mothers with children with ASD, 83% had regular medical follow-up throughout their pregnancy. All autistic children in our population were vaccinated according to the National Immunization Program. According to parent reports, 70% affirmed that the first autistic features appeared after vaccination with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, knowing that this statement is not based on evidence. Conclusions: The quality of care depends on the age at which the diagnosis of autism is established.
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Chemical spermicides currently marketed and widely used are known to have many side effects. Thereby, and in order to look for more tolerated natural spermicidal agents, the aim of this work was to evaluate the spermicidal potential of saponin extracts from the roots of Saponaria officinalis/Caryophyllaceae, Glycyrrhizia glabra/Fabaceae, and Herniaria glabra/Caryophyllaceae by studying their in vitro effects on sperm mobility and vitality. METHODS: Methanolic saponin extracts from the plants roots were performed. Sperm suspensions were prepared by centrifugation on a PureSperm® density gradient (70 and 45%) and incubated with various concentrations of saponin extracts (50, 250, 500 and 750 µg/mL) at 37°C. The spermicidal activity was evaluated by studying the mobility and vitality of spermatozoa at different time intervals ranging from 10 to 240 minutes. RESULTS: A dose and time dependent effect on sperm mobility and vitality was observed for our extracts.Extracts from Saponaria officinalis roots induced an irreversible immobilization and a total non-viability of sperm within 10 minutes at a concentration of 750 µg/mL. A similar effect was observed within 30 minutes at 750 µg/mL for Herniaria glabra extract and within 90 minutes at 500 µg/ml for Glycyrrhizia glabra extract. CONCLUSION: The results of our study showed that the saponin extracts of our plants roots possess potent in vitro dose and time dependant spermicidal effect. These natural products could therefore represent a safer and better tolerated alternative to chemical spermicides.
ABSTRACT
The asymmetric unit of the title compound, C10H11NO4, which was synthesized via nitration reaction of eugenol (4-allyl-2-meth-oxy-phenol) with a mixture of nitric acid and sulfuric acid, consists of three independent mol-ecules of similar geometry. Each mol-ecule displays an intra-molecular hydrogen bond involving the hydroxide and the nitro group forming an S(6) motif. The crystal cohesion is ensured by inter-molecular C-Hâ¯O hydrogen bonds in addition to π-π stacking inter-actions between the aromatic rings [centroid-centroid distances = 3.6583â (17)-4.0624â (16)â Å]. The Hirshfeld surface analysis and the two-dimensional fingerprint plots show that Hâ¯H (39.6%), Oâ¯H/Hâ¯O (37.7%), Câ¯H/Hâ¯C (12.5%) and Câ¯C (4%) are the most important contributors towards the crystal packing.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Malnutrition is a high risk health complication that occurred with cancer, the deterioration of the nutritional status in cancer patients increases morbidity and mortality, decreases the efficacy and tolerance of oncology treatments and the quality of life. It was thus considered important to evaluate the prevalence of malnutrition, to assess the nutritional knowledge and eating habits among cancer patients. METHODS: observational descriptive study based on a questionnaire, conducted in the unit of oncology at University Hospital Center of Casablanca, Morocco, Mal nutrition was defined as a body mass index (BMI) <18.5 in patients ≥18 years old. RESULTS: A total of 216 questionnaires were analyzed. The extremes of age ranged between 28 and 79 years with an average age of 44 years. The objective evaluation of the nutritional status showed that 48% of the patients were malnourished. Our population of patients had poor knowledge of the nutritional problems caused by cancer with rate of 78%, and 88% did not benefit from nutritional monitoring by a dietitian. The most common causes of the decline in food intake were loss of appetite (84.5%), taste loss (45.7%), (26%) nausea and swallowing disorders, loss of smell (19.2%), vomiting (18.6%), abdominal pain (15%). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of malnutrition is high in patients with cancer, and the nutritional care seems still insufficient. An improvement in the information tools on nutrition available to patients is required
INTRODUCCIÓN: la desnutrición es una complicación de alto riesgo para la salud que se produce con el cáncer, el deterioro del estado nutricional en pacientes con cáncer aumenta la morbilidad y la mortalidad, disminuye la eficacia y la tolerancia de los tratamientos oncológicos y la calidad de vida. Por lo tanto, se consideró importante evaluar la prevalencia de la desnutrición, evaluar el conocimiento nutricional y los hábitos alimenticios entre los pacientes con cáncer. MÉTODOS: estudio descriptivo observacional basado en un cuestionario, realizado en la unidad de oncología del Centro Hospitalario Universitario de Casablanca, Marruecos, la malnutrición se definió como un índice de masa corporal (IMC) <18.5 en pacientes ≥18 años. RESULTADOS: se analizaron un total de 216 cuestionarios. Los extremos de edad oscilaron entre 28 y 79 años con una edad promedio de 44 años. La evaluación objetiva del estado nutricional mostró que el 48% de los pacientes estaban desnutridos. Nuestra población de pacientes tenía poco conocimiento de los problemas nutricionales causados por el cáncer con una tasa del 78%, y el 88% no se benefició del monitoreo nutricional por parte de un dietista. Las causas más comunes de la disminución de la ingesta de alimentos fueron pérdida de apetito (84.5%), pérdida de sabor (45.7%), (26%) náuseas y trastornos de la deglución, pérdida del olfato (19.2%), vómitos (18.6%), dolor abdomianl (15%) CONCLUSIÓN: La prevalencia de desnutrición es alta en pacientes con cáncer, y la atención nutricional aún parece insuficiente. Se requiere una mejora en las herramientas de información sobre nutrición disponibles para los pacientes
