ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Juniperus Phoenicea (JP) and Calicotome Villosa (CV) are used by Jordanian populations as herbal remedies in traditional medicine. Herein, the phytochemical contents of their methanolic extracts were analyzed and their antioxidant as well as in vitro anti- ß-Galactosidase activities were evaluated; their effect on ß-Galactosidase enzyme kinetics was evaluated and the thermodynamic of the enzyme was determined. METHODS: The antioxidant activity of JP and CV crude methanolic extracts was evaluated using 1,1-diphenyl,2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays; however, the effect of the plants' crude extracts on ß-Galactosidase activity and kinetics was evaluated in vitro. Moreover, total phenolic, flavonoids, and flavonols content in plants' extracts were determined and expressed in Gallic acid equivalent (mg GAE/g dry extract) or rutin equivalent (mg RE/g dry extract). RESULTS: Phytochemical screening of the crude extracts of JP and CV leaves revealed the presence of phenols, alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, anthraquinones, and glycosides. Flavonoids and flavonols contents were significantly higher in JP than in CV (p < 0.05). Furthermore, an analogous phenolic content was detected in both JP and CV methanolic extracts (103.6 vs 99.1 mg GAE/g extract). The ability of JP extract to scavenge DPPH radicals was significantly higher than that of CV extract with IC50 = 11.1 µg/ml and 15.6 µg/ml, respectively. However, their extracts revealed relatively similar antioxidant capacities in FRAP assay; their activity was concentration dependent. The JP extract inhibited ß-galactosidase enzyme activity with a significant IC50 value compared to CV extract; they exhibited their inhibitory activities at IC50 values 65 µg/ml and 700 µg/ml, respectively. Rutin revealed anti-ß-galactosidase activity at IC50 = 75 µg/ml. The mode of inhibition of ß-galactosidase by JP, CV, and rutin was non-competitive, mixed, and competitive inhibition, respectively. Thermodynamic and enzyme inactivation kinetics revealed that ß-galactosidase has a half-life time of 108 min at 55 °C, activation energy of 208.88 kJ mol-1 and the inactivation kinetics follows a first-order reaction with k-values 0.0023-0.0862 min-1 and positive entropy of inactivation (∆S°) values at various temperatures, indicating non-significant processes of aggregation. CONCLUSIONS: The methanolic extracts of JP and CV possess anti-hyperglycemic and antioxidant activities with potential pharmaceutical applications.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Infestation of insects can cause myiasis due to dipetran larvae and canthariasis due to coleopteran larval or adult stages. OBJECTIVE: To report a case of facial myiasis and canthariasis in a patient known to have panniculitis due to systemic lupus erythematosus and autoimmune hemolytic anemia. METHOD: Larval and pupal stages of insects were recovered from the face of a patient, mounted, and identified. RESULT: Initially, the pupal stage of the common green bottle fly Lucilia sericata was extracted from the patient's face, treated, and then came back with secondary infestation caused by two species of beetles, the drugstore beetle, Stegobium paniceum, and a beetle of the genus Trogoderma. CONCLUSION: This is the first report on facial canthariasis due to larval stages caused by two species of beetles and recovery of pupal stages of the common green bottle fly.
