Chemical Composition and Antioxidant, Antiparasitic, Cytotoxicity and Antimicrobial Potential of the Algerian Limonium Oleifolium Mill. Essential Oil and Organic Extracts.

This work aimed to investigate, for the first time, the chemical composition, antioxidant, antiparasitic, cytotoxicity, and antimicrobial activities of the aromatic plant Limonium oleifolium Mill. essential oil (EO) and organic extracts. L. oleifolium aerial parts essential oil was analyzed by GC-FID and GC-MS, and 46 constituents representing 98.25±1.12 % of the oil were identified. γ-Muurolene (10.81±0.07 %), cis-caryophyllene (7.71±0.06 %), o-cymene (7.07±0.01 %) and α-copaene (5.02±0.05 %) were the essential oil main compounds. The antioxidant activity of L. oleifolium EO and organic extracts (MeOH, CHCl3 , AcOEt, BuOH) was explored using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ABTS, ß-carotene/linoleic acid, cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC), and ferric reducing power assays. The results showed that L. oleifolium EO exhibit antioxidant capacity (IC50 =17.40±1.32 µg/mL for DPPH assay, IC50 =29.82±1.08 µg/mL for ß-carotene assay, IC50 =25.23±1.01 µg/mL for ABTS assay, IC50 =9.11±0.08 µg/mL for CUPRAC assay and IC50 =19.41±2.06 mg/mL for reducing power assay). Additionally, the EO showed significant activity against trophozoite form of Acanthamoeba castellanii (IC50 =7.48±0.41 µg/mL) and promastigote form of Leishmania amazonensis (IC50 =19.36±1.06 µg/mL) and low cytotoxicity on murine macrophages (LC50  90.23±1.09 µg/mL), as well as good antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella oxytoca, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. These results suggest that L. oleifolium essential oil is a valuable source of bioactive compounds presenting antioxidant, antiparasitic, and antimicrobial activities. Furthermore, it is considered nontoxic.

Oxidative stress assessment and its relationship with the prevalence of atherogenic risk in patients with type 2 diabetes.

OBJECTIVES: During diabetes, prolonged hyperglycemia is characterized by the generation of free radicals via multiple mechanisms leading to various diabetic complications including cardiovascular diseases. This study aims to determine the relationship between a deregulation of the oxidative state in type 2 diabetes patients and the prevalence of atheroma plate formation. METHODS: This research was carried out at the Bouguerra Boulaares hospital and Alia Salah hospital in Tebessa, Algeria, on 560 patients with type 2 diabetes (300 women and 260 men), compared with 100 normal subjects (50 women and 50 men). For all subjects the following parameters were estimated: blood pressure, BMI (body mass index), glucose, glycated hemoglobin, total cholesterol, HDL Cholesterol, LDL Cholesterol, Triglycerides, Creatinine, serum redox status indicators (GSH, GPx, GSTs, and MDA) and a complete blood count was performed. RESULTS: The findings of this study indicated a slight increase in arterial pressure in 336 diabetic patients (60%) with an HbA1c level between 7 and 9% (210 patients) and > 9% (126 patients); while the flow of the glomerular filtration remained within the norms for all the studied subjects. Patients showed an increase in blood glucose levels, disturbance of the lipid parameters with an increase in lipid peroxidation and a decrease in serum and erythrocyte antioxidant defense. CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that the formation of atheroma plate in diabetics is caused by the oxidation of circulating lipoproteins by free radicals generated following hyperglycemia, which can be avoided by supplementing antioxidant molecules such as antioxidant vitamins, trace elements.

Revisiting the cytotoxicity of quantum dots: an in-depth overview.

Recently, medical research has been shifting its focus to nanomedicine and nanotherapeutics in the pursuit of drug development research. Quantum dots (QDs) are a critical class of nanomaterials due to their unique properties, which include optical, electronic, and engineered biocompatibility in physiological environments. These properties have made QDs an attractive biomedical resource such that they have found application as both in vitro labeling and in vivo theranostic (therapy-diagnostic) agents. Considerable research has been conducted exploring the suitability of QDs in theranostic applications, but the cytotoxicity of QDs remains an obstacle. Several types of QDs have been investigated over the past decades, which may be suitable for use in biomedical applications if the barrier of cytotoxicity can be resolved. This review attempts to report and analyze the cytotoxicity of the major QDs along with relevant related aspects.

Classic Labyrinth Test for Neurobehavioral Evaluation in Wistar Rats.

The Classic Labyrinth Test (CLT) is a simple way to evaluate behaviors in rodents such as learning ability, memory, and anxiety. The protocol presented here describes the procedure for use with rats, but the protocol can also be adapted for use in mice if a smaller device is used. In short, the CLT uses a square-shaped maze with a starting point and a stopping point. After the animal is trained, the animal is allowed to view and explore the labyrinth freely for 10 min. During this time, all of the animal's vertical and horizontal movements within the labyrinth are recorded. This is a very challenging task because it requires the animal to remember the quickest path between the starting points and the end. In cases where the labyrinth is designed so that the animal only needs to walk forward, it is quite easy for healthy rats, but for rats exposed to neuro-xenobiotics (drugs, pesticides) there will be disturbances in their path. Researchers use many different versions of this test and the procedure for each version can vary significantly. Here, we present a working protocol that enables the detection of traces of some toxic substances that may be exposed to individuals over a long period and in very small amounts under specific conditions such as drugs, medicines and pesticides.

Alteration of membrane integrity and respiratory function of brain mitochondria in the rats chronically exposed to a low dose of acetamiprid.

The pesticides are used in several fields of agriculture and farms to protect crops against harmful insects and herbs. The increased and uncontrolled use of these pollutants is very hazardous for the population health. Consumption of contaminated food matrices with these pesticides could impair the cell integrity and its molecular function. The main aim of this present study was to evaluate the alteration of the integrity of mitochondrial membranes and respiratory chain potential in the brain of rats exposed during 90 days to acetamiprid (AC), organochlorine of the new generation. After oral administration of AC in rats with 3.14 mg/kg of body weight, the results of this current study showed enhance in mitochondrial oxidative stress status by significant decrease of glutathione (GSH) level, glutathione pyroxidase (GPx), and catalase (CAT) activities. On the other hand, there is an increase in the enzymatic activity of the glutathione s-transferase (GST) and superoxide dismutase (SOD); at the same time, the MDA level was also highly increased. Furthermore, evaluation results of brain mitochondrial integrity revealed a significant increase in membrane permeability and mitochondrial swelling in rats exposed chronically to AC. Instead, other results of this present work showed a significant decrease in mitochondrial respiration potent (O2 consumption) in acetamiprid-treated rats. In conclusion, the long duration exposition of the animals to AC has led to respiratory chain dysfunction, disturbance of matrix oxidative status, and a loss of mitochondrial membranes integrity.

Impairment of mitochondrial integrity and redox status in brain regions during a low-dose long-term exposition of rats to pyrethrinoïds: the preventive effect of quercetin.

Pyrethrinoïds are synthetic pesticides widely used in agriculture and farms to protect crops from weeds, insects, fungi, and molds. Increased and uncontrolled use of these pollutants can have harmful effects on human health via consumption of contaminated food products. In the present study, deltamethrin (DLT = 3.72 mg/kg) and Bifenthrin (BF = 2.6 mg/kg) were used during a long-term exposition in the rats to assess their effect on mitochondrial integrity and function in different brain areas (hippocampus, striatum, cortex, and cerebellum). The results of this study have shown that chronic treatment of rats by both DLT and BF, on their own or in a mixture, has induced a significant increase in mitochondrial MDA, but when quercetin (Que) was co-administered with pesticides, this enhancement has been prevented in the almost of treated rats compared to solvent and control groups. In hippocampus area, GSH has significantly increased in all treated rats, except for BF and DLT-Que.-treated groups. In striatum, GSH has been depleted in the BF and DLT-treated groups compared to control and solvent groups; in contrast, when Que. was associated with pesticides, the rate of this tripeptide has been maintained at normal levels. In the cortex and cerebellum, GSH has been depleted significantly in all treated animals but has increased in DLT-Que. and mixture-Que.-treated groups in the cerebral cortex, at the same time; it has been maintained at normal levels in BF-Que.-treated groups in the cerebellum compared to control and solvent rats. On the other side, the results of this study have shown a loss of catalase (CAT) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) activities in all brain regions of pesticide-treated rats, but such a fall in enzymatic activities has been prevented by Que. when it was co-administered to rats with pesticides at the dose of 5 mg/kg, except in the cerebellum. In addition, this study has shown mitochondria's swelling in almost all the brain areas with exception of the cerebellum, providing information about a loss of mitochondrial membrane integrity in brain neurons of rats exposed to pyrethrinoïds. Furthermore, preventive administration of Que., in association with pesticides (5 mg/kg) or their mixture (10 mg/kg), has prevented mitochondria swelling in almost all of the analyzed brain tissues.

Effects of Deltamethrin on striatum and hippocampus mitochondrial integrity and the protective role of Quercetin in rats.

The present work is to evaluate the neurotoxicity induced by pyrethroid insecticide "Deltamethrin" at 0.32 mg/kg/day in two main regions of the Wistar rat brain (hippocampus and striatum) and the protective effects of Quercetin at 10 mg/kg/day on this toxicity after 90 days of exposure. The assay of brain parameters showed that Deltamethrin caused a significant increase of mitochondrial metabolite level (proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates) and enzyme activity (glutathione S-transferase and superoxide dismutase); a decreased amount of mitochondrial glutathione level and catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities; and an increase of malondialdehyde (MDA) acid levels of the two regions. Furthermore, mitochondrial functional testing in the brains of treated rats exhibited a significant increase in permeability followed by a mitochondrial swelling. Instead, a statistically significant decrease in mitochondrial respiration (O2 consumption) was recorded in the striatum and hippocampus. Our study showed that the pesticide caused a significant increase of the cytochrome c amount correlated with activation of neuronal apoptosis mechanisms by the significant increase of caspase-3 of hippocampus and striatum. In particular, the results of behavioral tests (open field, classic maze tests of sucrose, and Morris water maze) have significant changes, namely bad behavior of the treated rats, affecting the level of anxiety, learning, and memory, and general motor activity has mainly been shown in treated rats. In addition, the histological cuts clearly confirm cerebral necrosis in the hippocampus and the striatum caused by the pesticide. They allow us to consider the necrotic areas, black spots, reduction, and denaturation of these brain regions in the treated rats. On the other hand, we have studied the protective effects against the neurotoxicity of Deltamethrin (DLM). In this context, after the gavage of Quercetin at the dose of 10 mg/kg/day, we have noticed an improvement in the entire parameters: mitochondrial enzyme, metabolic, histological, and behavioral parameters. This confirmed the improvement of preventive and curative effect of Quercetin against free radicals induced by the DLM.