Phytochemical profiling, in vitro biological activities, and in silico (molecular docking and absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, toxicity) studies of Polygonum cognatum Meissn.

Polygonum cognatum Meissn, a perennial herbaceous belonging to the Polygonaceae family, is an aromatic plant. High-performance liquid chromatography/diode array detector method was developed and validated for the phytochemical analysis of the plant. Also, various methods were used to investigate the antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic activities of the methanolic extracts. Antioxidant activities were researched by 2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and cupric reducing antioxidant capacity methods. Among the tested standard microbial strains, Candida albicans was found to be more sensitive with a 24.60 ± 0.55 mm inhibition zone according to the diffusion tests. In the microdilution tests, the minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal/fungicidal concentration values were 4.75 and ≥ 4.75 mg/mL, respectively, for all tested pathogens. Human colon carcinoma cells were used to investigate cytotoxicity by using 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide analysis (IC50  = 2891 µg/mL for Plant A, IC50  = 3291 µg/mL for Plant B). Molecular docking and absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity analysis were used to explain inhibition mechanisms of major phenolic compounds of plants against Tankyrase 1, Tankyrase 2 enzymes, and deoxyribonucleic acid gyrase subunit B and found compatible with experimental results.

Early administration of the second surfactant dose in preterm infants with severe respiratory distress syndrome.

The aim of this study was to determine whether early administration (2 hours after the first surfactant dose) of the second surfactant dose would be superior to late surfactant treatment (6 hours after the first surfactant dose) in preterm infants with severe respiratory distress syndrome. Between June 2003 and March 2005, 40 newborns born with respiratory distress syndrome in Uludag University Hospital were investigated in this prospective study. The inclusion criteria for the recruitment of the infants were: age < or = 2 hours, birth weight between 600-2500 g, gestational age between 24-36 weeks, X-ray consistent with respiratory distress syndrome, and need for mechanical ventilation with inspiratory oxygen fraction > or = 0.4 and mean airway pressure > or = 7 cm H2O to obtain arterial pressure of oxygen between 70-80 mmHg. Infants with lethal congenital anomalies or being treated with high-frequency oscillatory ventilation were excluded from the study. Birth weight, gestational age, gender, and Apgar scores were recorded and complications of the surfactant therapy were examined. Twenty boys and 20 girls were enrolled in the study. The first surfactant dose was administered in the first hour of life in all infants. The second surfactant dose was given 2 hours after the first dose in 20 of them and 6 hours after the first dose in the other 20. Infants in both groups (early versus late) were similar with respect to gestational age, birth weight, gender, and the rate of prenatal corticosteroids. There were also no significant differences between the two groups in terms of the response to surfactant therapy and complications. The results of this study show that administration of the second surfactant dose earlier is as effective as late administration, and it may be suggested that the second surfactant dose can be applied earlier in severe respiratory distress syndrome.