Background: Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a neglected disease in tropical countries, including Iraq. Several studies have sought to examine chemotherapies for leishmaniasis treatment but most of them are of toxic and/or undesirable side effect, therefore, the need for investigating new fewer toxic therapies is essential. Aim of study: In this study, the cytotoxic effect of Artemisinin (ART), a novel herbal compound, was screened against the two forms, promastigotes and amastigotes, of the Iraqi isolate of Leishmania tropica, the causative agent of Baghdad boil. Material and methods: Different concentrations (1000, 500, 250, 125, 62.5, 31.25, 15.6 and 7.8) µM of Artemisinin were screened to investigate the leishmanicidal activity of the herbal compound against the two forms of the parasite along three times of follow up (24, 48, 72) hour using MTT cytotoxicity assay. Results: The results showed that growth rate and cell viability were significantly decreased at all studied concentrations. The IC50 was measured after 72 hours of follow up and was 2.625 µM and 2.636 µM for promastigotes and amastigotes, respectively. Conclusion: These findings approved the leishmanicidal efficacy of Artemisinin against the of L. tropica and can be further studied to screen its effectiveness in vivo for exploring a safer herbal drug for treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis.
Dox, is still widely used in modern cancer treatments for different type of malignancy despite the advent of targeted therapy. However, its beneficial effect was limited by its toxicity on various organs. The objective of this study was to investigate the hepatoprotective effect of menaquinone-7 against hepatotoxicity induced by doxorubicin in rats. Sixty adult rats of both sexes were used in this study; the animals were randomly enrolled into six groups of 10 animals each. Group I: negative control; Group II: Menaquinones-7 at a dose of 16µg/kg; Group III: Menaquinones-7 at a dose of 48µg/kg; Group IV: positive control (Doxorubicin 15mg/kg); Group V: Menaquinones-7 at a dose of 16µg/kg administered prior to a single dose of Doxorubicin
... Show MoreBackground: Complete removal of filling material from the root canal is an essential requirement for endodontic retreatment. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate and compare the dissolving capabilities of various solvents (Xylene, Eugenate Desobturator, Eucalyptol, EDTA and Distilled water (as a control)) on four different types of sealer (Endofill, Apexit Plus, AH Plus and EndoSequence bioceramic sealer). Materials and method: Eighty samples of each sealer were prepared according to the manufacturers' instructions and then divided into ten groups (of 8 samples) for immersion in the respective solvents for 2 and 5 min immersion periods. Each sealer specimen was weighed to obtain its initial mass. The specimens were immersed in
... Show MoreBackground: Alum has been used as a treatment medication in cases of oral and gingival ulcers, and also as antiseptic mouthwash. This study aimed to examine the effects of different concentrations of Alum on inhibition zone, viability counts and adherence ability of Mutans streptococci compared with deionized water and chlorhexidine gluconate in vitro. Materials and methods: The study dealt with an in vitro study to establish a concentration of Alum mouthrinse that would have the minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bacteriocidal concentration. The second part evaluated the anti-adherence ability of the experimental agents. Results: This study found that the antibacterial effect of Alum increases with its concentration from 50 to 1
... Show MoreAbstract Inflammation of periodontal tissues is the consequence of interaction between periodontal pathogens and immune system. This is associated with increased expression of inflammatory cytokines, which may exert destructive effect to the periodontal tissues when released over long period. The aim of this study was to chronologically track the homeostasis of oral keratinocytes following removal of periodontal pathogens. This was done by investigating expression of selected inflammatory markers and integrity of epithelial monolayers in vitro. Rat oral keratinocytes were stimulated with heat-killed Fusobacterium nucleatum and Porphyromonas gingivalis over 7-days then bacteria were washed away and epithelial cells re-cultured for 3-
... Show MoreObjective: Carbamazepine is typically used for the treatment of seizure disorders and neuropathic pain. One of the major problems with this drug is its low solubility in water; therefore the objective of this study was to enhance the solubility of carbamazepine by complexation with cyclodextrin to be formulated as effervescent and dispersible granules.Methods: Solvent evaporation method was used to prepare, binary (Carbamazepine/β-cyclodextrin) complex and ternary (Carbamazepine/β-cyclodextrin/hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC E5). The more soluble complex will be further formulated as unit dose effervescent and dispersible granules. The complexes were evaluated for their solubility, drug content, percentage practical yield and
... Show MoreMedicinal 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 terpen
... Show MoreBackground: Apicoectomy and retrograde filling is indicated when conventional endodontic treatment is impossible or failed to achieve apical seal. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of ER: YAG laser on apical microleakage. Materials and Methods: Sixty extracted single-rooted teeth were used in this study. The roots were divided into six groups. Group 1: apicoectomy by fissure bur, and apical cavities prepared by round bur, then cavities were filled with MTA. Group 2: the roots preparations and fillings were the same as group 1, then the apical areas were treated by Er:YAG Laser. Group 3: apicoectomy by fissure bur, and apical cavities prepared by ultrasound retrotip and cavities were filled with MTA. Group 4: the roots prepara
... Show MoreMedicinal 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 terpen
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