Medicinal plants contain bioactive substances that are highly bioavailable in extracts or pure molecules, making them promising for therapeutic applications and precursors for chemo-pharmaceutical semi-synthesis. Harpagophytum procumbens (Devil’s Claw) is widely recognized as one of the most potent therapeutic herbs. This study aimed to extract seeds from H. procumbens using two types of solvents and to assess both qualitative and quantitative aspects of the extracts. The two extracts were evaluated for antibacterial and anti-biofilm activities using agar well diffusion assays against four bacterial isolates and two yeast isolates. Qualitative analysis identified the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, and terpenoids. The active components detected were: alkaloids (12.69%), flavonoids (3.25%), total phenolic compounds (24.58%), total terpenoids (8.55%), and total steroids (1.25% for methanolic and 4.55% for petroleum ether). Both methanolic and petroleum ether extracts exhibited antioxidant activities of approximately 85.33% and 74.19%, respectively, compared to ascorbic acid, which had an antioxidant effect of 67.99% at a concentration of 200 µg/ml. The extracts demonstrated a broad spectrum of activity against all tested bacteria (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes) and fungi (Candida albicans, C. tropicalis, C. parapsilosis). At a concentration of 1000 µg/ml, the seed extracts showed the highest bactericidal activity, with inhibition zones ranging from 10 to 22 mm. Moreover, both extracts exhibited greater anti-biofilm activity at 1000 µg/ml compared to lower concentrations. Our study found that seed extracts of H. procumbens possess significant antibacterial and antioxidant activities, particularly at a concentration of 1000 µg/ml.
The aim of the current study is to demonstrate the effect of honey on the sperms characteristics (sperm concentration, sperm motility, grade of activity and sperm normal morphology) as well as pregnancy rate in mice. Sperms were obtained from caudal epididymis of male mice and prepared by adding10% of honey to the IVF medium using direct sperms activation technique for 30 minute incubation period before artificial insemination.
The study revealed a significant (P > 0.05) increase in active sperm motility (grade A and grade B) 49% and pregnancy rate 53.3% in female mice artificially inseminated with sperms. On the other hand, there were no significant differences in sperm con
... Show MoreStable isotope (?18O, ?D) values were determined along with the chemical compositions at 10 different locations along the Tigris river between Baghdad-Ammara cities of Iraq. The physico-chemical parameters and isotopic data were measured. The sampling site represents 34 % of total Tigris river in the republic of Iraq. The systematically increased in values of stable isotope as move from the downstream of the river and the most significantly appears at Kut lake. This increase occurs as a result of several factors, viz. (a) evaporation occurs low water level in the river and its tributaries, and (b) return flow water to the river from irrigation water in groundwater systems. The change in ion distribution and in the isotopic values related di
... Show MoreHuman cytomegalovirus (HCMV) has a worldwide distribution and extremely common infections. The presence of HCMV genome and antigens has been detected in many kinds of human cancers especially breast cancer. In Iraq, the incidence of breast cancer generally exceeds any other type of malignancies among Iraqi population. The study was performed in the period between October 2016 and June 2017 in Central public health laboratory/Baghdad. It involve samples from 90 women including 60 breast cancer patients, 20 benign tumor patients, and 10 normal breast tissues. A blood sample was obtained from each woman included in this study. Anti-HCMV IgG antibody was presented in 9/10 (90%) of normal women, benign breast tumor patients 19/20 (95%) and malig
... Show MoreDoppler broadening technique is suggested to monitor the development of tumours. It depends on the sensitivity of positronium (Ps) annihilation parameters to the sub- microstructural changes in biological tissues. This technique uses high resolution HpGe detector to measure the lineshape parameters (S and W) in normal mice's mammary tissues and adenocarcinoma mammary tissues as a function of tumour growth. The results demonstrate that the central parameter (S) decreases and the wing parameter (W) increases as the tumour grow. It is found that the S parameter changes considerably with the distribution of voids which are affected by the tumour development. Therefore the present technique can successfully be employed to monitor the developm
... Show MoreBackground: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy
has become the standard of care for the
elective management of cholelithiasis. Little
information exists, however, regarding the
appropriateness of this procedure in the setting
of acute symptomatology.
Objective: This study was designed to
evaluate the outcome of laparoscopic
cholecystectomy in acute and severe acute
cholecystitis based on early and late biliary
complications, their incidence and
management, and conversion rates to open
surgery.
Methods: A prospective study done between
April 2007 and November 2010, in the
department of general surgery, medical city
teaching hospital, Baghdad. Includes patients
with acute cholecystitis admitted f
Background: Bilastine is a non-sedating, second-generation antihistamine used to treat urticaria and allergic conjunctivitis. Objective: to formulate and test bilastine as a mucoadhesive ophthalmic in situ gel in order to extend its presence at site for longer time and help treat conjunctivitis and allergic rhinitis. Methods: We prepared formulations using different concentrations of poloxamers (Poloxamer 407 (P407) and Poloxamer 188 (P188)) in combination with hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC). The prepared formulas were evaluated for their physicochemical properties, sol-gel transition temperature, viscosity, mucoadhesive strength, drug release, and kinetic modeling. Results: The prepared in situ gels were clear and transparen
... Show MoreSafety programmes are considered one of the means to protect workers from different accidents and injuries and also to protect all assets including machines equipment and various materials. In spite of world state interests in occupational safety, this subject didn't get the required attention by senior staff of management at most of our country construction factories and the application of safety programmes still limited and in active. In order to a achieve the goal of the study, scientific method has been pursued to obtain the necessary information related to this study through tours to related companies and their construction factories and review literature that deal with occupational safety subject and their programmes and cost, in a
... Show MoreParonomasia is a recognized rhetorical device by which poets could play with words that are similar or identical in form but different in meaning. The present study aims to identify paronomasia in Arabic and English. To achieve the aim of the study, a corpus of selected verses chosen from two famous figures in Arabic and English literatures and analyzed thoroughly. The analysis of data under investigation reveals that paronomasia is a crucial aid used by poets to portrait the real world as imaginative. It further shows that the concept of paronomasia in English is not the same as in Arabic. In English, there are echoes of the Arabic jinās, i.e., there are counterpart usages of similar devices, yet English rhetoricians have not defined or c
... Show MoreBackground: Obesity is a worldwide challenge and is closely
connected to many metabolic diseases. Two types of
adipose tissue, white adipose tissue (WAT) and brown
adipose tissue (BAT) have been identified. White fat cells
store chemical energy, brown adipocytes defend against
hypothermia, obesity and diabetes.
Objective: To localize and quantify brown adipocytes in
human subcutaneous (S) and visceral (V) adipose tissue by
histology and immunohistochemistry.
Type of the study: A cross –sectional study.
Methods: Adipose tissue was obtained from histopathology
specimens taken from ten patients, of different age, sex and
body mass index (BMI), undergoing surgery for different
pathologies