ABSTRACT
Schwann cell tumors are benign tumors originating from Schwann cells of the peripheral nervous system and are extremely rare in the gastrointestinal system. They usually originate in the colon or rectum but can also occur in the esophagus and small intestine. Their occurrence is rare in GI tract and mainly in the sigmoid colon. Schwann cell tumors have no association with any familial cancer syndromes. We present a 65-year-old female patient who underwent routine colon cancer screening. In addition to open mouth diverticulosis, she was found to have a 3 mm polyp, which was diagnosed as a Schwann cell hamartoma after a biopsy. This study aimed to present this rarely reported case in the literature as an example of a tumor that should be included in the differential diagnosis when considering submucosal colonic lesions. Though the reported reoccurrence rate is low, this case highlights the lack of published guidelines regarding appropriate follow-up surveillance periods.
ABSTRACT
Phoenix dactylifera L. (Date palm) is the most widely consumed fruit around the world and is rich source of nutrients containing dietary fibers, minerals, vitamins, sugar, protein and antioxidants with potent bioactivities against various microbial pathogens. This study evaluated the therapeutic potential of 2 varieties of ethanolic extracts of Phoenix dactylifera i-e Ajwa and Khalas against bacterial biofilms. This study also investigated the protective effect of Ajwa and Khalas against hydroxyl radical damage to calf thymus DNA. Antioxidant potential through different antioxidant assays showed that Ajwa has higher antioxidant potential than Khalas. Both Ajwa and Khalas presented good antimicrobial activities against Bacillus subtilis and Pasteurella multocida. Biofilm inhibition assay showed that increasing concentration of Ajwa and Khalas exhibited higher percentage of bacterial biofilm inhibition. Microscopic examination revealed significant inhibition of microbial biofilm. Ajwa and Khalas protected the calf thymus DNA against damage caused by hydroxyl radicals produced by fenton reagent. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectra confirmed the presence of O-H, C=C and C-O functional groups in tested extracts. The study concluded that tested varieties of Date palm have the potential to inhibit bacterial biofilms and can be used for therapeutic purposes against biofilm producing pathogens.
