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 objective of this study was to investigate and compare among five different methods of contraception including combined oral contraceptive pills (COC), Depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA), copper Intrauterine contraceptive device (IUCD), vaginal spermicides and male condom used in Hawler City through estimate of their effect, relative failure rate, percentage of use, adherence and compliance and adverse effects of each contraceptive method. In order to reach to these aims, a retrospective study was conducted in Hawler City in Azadi Health Care Center over a period of 6 months from 22th November, 2010 to 15th May, 2011 during which data collection and subjects follow up for 3 months had been achieved. A conv
... Show MoreA numerical study has been carried out to investigate heat transfer by natural convection and radiation under the effect of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) for steady state axisymmetric twodimensional laminar flow in a vertical cylindrical channel filled with saturated porous media. Heat is generated uniformly along the center of the channel with its vertical surface remain with cooled constant wall temperature and insulated horizontal top and bottom surfaces. The governing equations which used are continuity, momentum and energy equations which are transformed to dimensionless equations. The finite difference approach is used to obtain all the computational results using the MATLAB-7 programming. The parameters affected on the system are Rayl
... Show MoreA series of benzohydrazide derivatives attached to coumarin moiety at position 6 and 7 have been synthesized. The reaction of coumarin derivatives (coumarin I and II) with p-nitrophenyl hydrazine yield Schiff bases (compound1a and IIa).These Schiff bases were refluxed with benzoyl chloride to give benzohydrazide derivatives of coumarin substituted at its 6 or 7 nucleus position (Ia1 and IIa1).The reaction and the purity of the products were checked by thin layer chromatography (TLC). The structures of the final compounds and their intermediates were confirmed by their melting points, infra red spectroscopy, and elemental microanalysis(CHN).
Compounds (Ia1 and IIa1) were evaluated for&n
... Show MoreIn this work, novel compounds of hydrazones derived from (2,4-dinitrophenyl) hydrazine were synthesized. Benzamides derivatives and sulfonamides derivatives were prepared from p-amino benzaldehyde. Then these compounds were condensed with (2,4-dinitrophenyl) hydrazine through Imine bond formation to give hydrazones compounds. The compounds were characterized using FT-IR (IR Affinity-1) spectrometer, and 1HNMR analyses. The majority of the compounds have a moderate antimicrobial activity against “Gram-positive bacteria staphylococcus Aureus, and staphylococcus epidermidis, Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli, and Klebsiella pneumoniae, and fungi species Candida albicans” using concentrations of 250 µg\ml.
(1) Background: Plant flavonoids are efficient in preventing and treating various diseases. This study aimed to evaluate the ability of hesperidin, a flavonoid found in citrus fruits, in inhibiting lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced inflammation, which induced lethal toxicity in vivo, and to evaluate its importance as an antitumor agent in breast cancer. The in vivo experiments revealed the protective effects of hesperidin against the negative LPS effects on the liver and spleen of male mice. (2) Methods: In the liver, the antioxidant activity was measured by estimating the concentration of glutathione (GSH) and catalase (CAT), whereas in spleen, the concentration of cytokines including IL-33 and TNF-α was measured. The in vitro expe
... Show MoreHypercholesterolemia is a predominant risk factor for atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease (CVD). The World Health Organization (WHO), ) recommended reducing the intake of cholesterol and saturated fats. On the other hand, limited evidence is available on the benefits of vegetables in the diet to reduce these risk factors, so this research was conducted to compare the hypolipidemic effect between the extracts of two different types of Iraqi peppers, the fruit of the genus Capsicum traditionally known as red pepper extract (RPE), and Piper nigrum as black pepper extract (BPE), respectively, in different parameters and histology of the liver of the experimental animals. The red pepper was extracted by ethyl acetate, while the black pepp
... Show MoreAll the available reports on the issue of infertility confirmed the increase in this population problem worldwide. Although the accurate estimate of the number of infertile people is due to several reasons, including the discrepancy in the true definition of infertility (whether it extends for one, two or five years of failed pregnancy attempts), as well as the great discrepancy in the size of the selected population groups (large population sample size versus epidemiological studies) and defining the category that diagnosed included (individuals, women, or couples). The goal of today’s IVF program is to obtain high-quality embryos with high efficiency in development, which leads to an increase in live birth rates.
The present investigation was conducted to evaluate the effect of the crude extracts mixture of three plants (Tribulus terrestris, Phoenix dactylifera and Nasturtium officinale) on semen quality,sex hormones and reproductive performance of mature male mice. A group of 25 male mice given 150mg/kg/day of the powder of the plants mixture with the food for four weeks and another three groups of 25 animals each given intraperitoneal injection from each of the aqueous and ethanolic extracts with a doses 75, 150, and 300mg/kg/day for two weeks. A remarkable increase in sperm concentration and motility with a decreased abnormal morphology was obtained in the experimental groups. A significant increase in hormones level were recognized in most grou
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