Alpha-Hemoglobin Stabilizing Protein Gene Polymorphism (rs4499252 A/G) and its Association with Beta-Thalassemia Major in Iraqi Patients.

Beta thalassemia (ß-thalassemia) major is a genetic disorder of hemoglobin production that results in a diminished rate of synthesis of one or more of the globin chains causing variable degrees of anemia. Alpha-hemoglobin-stabilizing protein (AHSP) is a specific alpha-globin factor that affects the severity of the disease in patients with ß-thalassemia. A recent study was conducted to investigate the polymorphism in the AHSP (rs4499252) gene and its association with ß-thalassemia in Iraq. Blood samples were obtained from 90 ß-thalassemia patients and 60 healthy individuals as a control group in the Wasit Center for Hereditary Anemia from August 2020 to January 2021. After DNA extraction from the whole blood, to determine the genotype of the AHSP gene, the High-Resolution Melt (HRM) Real-Time PCR was used. The results showed a significant increase (P<0.05) in genotype GG (wild type) of the SNP (rs4499252) in ß-thalassemia patients, compared to the control group. On the other hand, genotype AA was significantly higher (P≤0.05) in ß-thalassemia patients than in the control group, while the genotype GA showed a non-significant difference (P<0.01) between ß-thalassemia patients and the healthy controls. The results also showed that the AHSP expression is a biomarker of hemoglobin H disease severity, and the A allele was more frequent in ß-thalassemia patients than the G allele in Iraqi patients.

Assessment of Interleukin-8 in Bronchial Asthma in Iraq.

It has been approved that neutrophils are responsible for many inflammatory lung diseases, such as acute respiratory distress syndrome, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and asthma. It is well documented that the CXC chemokine interleukin-8 (IL-8) plays a key role as a potent neutrophil recruiting and activating factor. Asthma is one of the most common major non-contagious diseases and has a substantial impact on the patient's quality of life. The current evidence suggests that asthma is a complex multifactorial disorder, and its etiology is increasingly attributed to interactions between genetic susceptibility, host factors, and environmental exposures. IL-8 plays an important role in respiratory diseases and is a known regulator of pulmonary inflammation and immunity, induced phagocytosis, and promoted angiogenesis. This study aimed to investigate the IL-8 gene expression in blood samples of bronchial asthma patients. Therefore, the blood samples were taken from two groups of participants, including the group of patients with asthma (n=100) in the age range of20-61years and the group of healthy individuals (n=50).The obtained results indicated that the expression of IL-8 mRNA in the group of asthma patients was three times higher than that in the group of healthy individuals. Therefore, it is suggested that the antagonism of IL-8 could be a potent therapeutic strategy in the treatment of asthma.

Antifungal properties of organic extracts of eight Cistus L. species against postharvest citrus sour rot.

UNLABELLED: The effectiveness of methanol and chloroform extracts of eight Cistaceae species to control citrus sour rot decay, caused by Geotrichum citri-aurantii, was investigated in both in vitro and in vivo conditions. Methanol extracts of these plant species exhibited more interesting activity against G. citri-aurantii, in both in vitro and in vivo conditions, compared with chloroforme extracts. Under in vitro trials, obtained results showed that methanol extracts of all tested plants revealed a highest significant antifungal activity with inhibition zones that ranged between 12·33 and 16·33 mm in diameter. All tested methanol extracts totally inhibited spore germination when tested at 10 mg ml(-1) . Incidence of sour rot was significantly lowered to 11·11% when fruits were treated with Cistus populifolius and Cistus ladanifer methanol extracts compared with 100% in the control. The disease severity was lowered to 5·19% and 6·04% when fruits were treated with the same methanol extracts respectively. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The methanol Cistus extracts had sufficient antifungal activities in vitro and in vivo against G. citri-aurantii to consider its use in the citrus industry after it has been tested under production and natural infection conditions. Such natural products therefore represent a viable alternative approaches for sour rot postharvest management of citrus.

Use of Moroccan medicinal plant extracts as botanical fungicide against citrus blue mould.

UNLABELLED: The aim of this work was to find an alternative to chemical fungicides currently used in the control of postharvest citrus fruit diseases. In this study, we screened eight Moroccan medicinal and aromatic plants extracted with petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanol for their anti-fungal activity against Penicillium italicum, the causal agent of citrus blue mould. The anti-fungal activity of these extracts was tested based on the disc diffusion method. Petroleum ether extracts of Inula viscosa, Asteriscus graveolens, Bubonium odorum and Thymus leptobotrys and chloroformic extract of Anvillea radiata revealed the highest significant anti-fungal activity with inhibition zones that ranged between 25·83 and 28·33 mm in diameter. In the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) study, we observed that petroleum ether extract of I. viscosa was the most effective extract with both the significantly largest halo (27·50 mm) and the lowest MIC (1 mg ml(-1)). The most active plant extracts in in vitro studies were tested in vivo, and results indicated that solvent extracts of the selected plant species significantly decreased the incidence and severity of blue mould, after 7 and 10 days of storage at 20°C. In addition, Halimium umbellatum methanol extract and T. leptobotrys petroleum ether extract completely inhibited the development of P. italicum under both storage periods, and no phytotoxic effects were recorded on citrus fruit. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This study demonstrates that plant extracts have a high potential to control blue mould of citrus and will provide a starting point for discovering new compounds with better activity than chemical fungicides currently available. Such natural products therefore represent a sustainable alternative to the use of chemical fungicides.

Antifungal activity of Moroccan medicinal plants against citrus sour rot agent Geotrichum candidum.

AIMS: The aim of this work was to find an alternative to the chemical fungicides currently used in the control of Geotrichum candidum, the causal agent of citrus sour rot. METHODS AND RESULTS: Minimal inhibition concentrations (MIC) and minimal fungicidal concentrations (MFC) were determined using agar dilution method. The methanol extracts of Cistus villosus, Ceratonia siliqua and Halimium umbellatum exhibited strong antifungal activity with MIC values ranged between 0.156 and 1.25 mg ml(-1), and MFC values ranged between 2.5 and 5 mg ml(-1). Incidence of sour rot was lowered to 0.00, 3.33 and 11.66% when mandarin fruit was treated with C. villosus, C. siliqua and H. umbellatum methanol extracts at 50 mg ml(-1), respectively, compared with 95% in the control. CONCLUSIONS: Cistus villosus, C. siliqua and H. umbellatum methanol extracts successfully reduced the disease incidence caused by G. candidum, and no phytotoxic effects were recorded on citrus fruit. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: These findings suggest that C. villosus, C. siliqua and H. umbellatum plants may be useful and effective agents for control of citrus sour rot. Such natural products therefore represent a sustainable alternative to the use of synthetic fungicides.