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.
The Effect of Chicken Eggshell Extract on Microhardness of Artificially Induced Dental Erosion in Permanent Teeth (In Vitro Study), Shatha A Abbas*, Alhan A Qasim
Production of the steroidal saponin digitonin in multiplied shoots of Digitalis purpurea , (var. Excelsior Mixed) has been achieved in vitro by two experiments. In the experiment 1, shoot tips ( 1cm length ) explants from the sterilized seedlings were excised and cultured on MS medium ( Murashige and Skoog medium) supplemented with 0.5 mg/L TDZ (thidiazuron) and cholesterol at the concentrations 0.0, 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 or 4.0 mg/L. After 45 day, results showed that the treatment with 0.5 mg/L TDZ and 2.0mg/L cholesterol had a positive effected on increasing the dry weight of multiplied shoots and their production of digitonin when compared with other treatments, where this treatment gave 2
... Show MoreLignans are natural products widely distributed in the plant kingdom. They are composed of two β-β-linked phenylpropane (shikimate-derived biogenetic subunits). Although the backbone of lignans is composed of phenylpropane units, there is enormous diversity in the structure of lignans leading to different classes of lignans, such as γ-butyrolactone derivatives, eg. Hymatairesinol, bicyclooctadiene derivatives, e.g. pinoresinol, tetrahydrofuran derivatives e.g.lariciresinol, di-arylbutandiol derivatives, e.g. secoisolariciresinol. Introduction of a further carbon –carbon linkage leads to a class of lignans collectively known as cyclolignans such as tetrahydro-naphthalene derivatives, for example podophyllotoxin. Lignans ha
... Show MoreBackground: Fruits and their by-products are the primary sources of bioactive chemicals in plants. Because of its phytochemical richness, Annona squamosa fruits have gained the alertness of people willing in health-promoting diets. The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the cytocompatibility effect of ethanolic crude extract of Annona squamosa pulp against a human normal cell line as a mouthwash for children. Material and method: The ethanolic extract of Annona squamosa pulp was extracted using the ultrasonic method and then lyophilized to make it powder. The MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide) test was performed to investigate the cytotoxic activity of the pulp extract on a human normal cell l
... Show MoreAim: The present study aims to improve the poor water solubility of zaltoprofen which is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAIDs) with a potent analgesic effect using solid dispersion then formulate it as a hollow type suppository to be more convenient for geriatric patients. Materials and Method: Zaltoprofen solid dispersions were prepared by solvent evaporation technique in different zaltoprofen: Soluplus® ratios. Results: Among the formulations tested, zaltoprofen solid dispersion preparation using 1:5 (zaltoprofen: Soluplus®) ratio showed the highest solubility and selected for further investigation. Solid dispersion characterization was evaluated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction study (XRD) and Fou
... Show MoreBackground: Dental erosion is a common oral condition which results due to consumption of high caloric and low pH acidic food such as carbonated drinks and fruit juices. It is expected that these food types can cause irreversible damage to dental hard tissues and early deterioration of the dental restorations. So, this study aimed to evaluate and compare the erosive potential effects of orange fruit juice and Miranda orange drink on the microhardness of an orthodontic composite material. Materials and methods: Thirty discs with a thickness of 2 mm and a diameter of 10 mm were prepared from orthodontic bonding composite. The prepared discs were equally divided into three groups (n=10). Microhardness analysis was carried out both prior to
... Show MoreBack ground: Zygote produce from once a sperm fertilizes an egg cell. Then, the zygote (unicellular) will begin chain of cellular cleavages to produce multicellular mass, its embryo, the differentiated to different tissues and organism. The development of the embryo is called embryogenesis. Coenzyme Q10, is an antioxidant produced in the body. It boosts cellular energy and may enhance the immune system. CoQ10 is present and measurable in seminal fluid, the concentration of CoQ10 directly correlates with both sperm count and motility. It is beneficial in the prevention and treatment a wide range of health problems. Objectives: The present study was aimed to investigate the possibility of using coenzyme Q10 to improve in vitro fertilization (
... Show MoreTo evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of three minimally invasive (MI) techniques in removing deep dentin carious lesions. Forty extracted carious molars were treated by conventional rotary excavation (control), chemomechanical caries removal agent (Brix 3000), ultrasonic abrasion (WOODPECKER, GUILIN, China); and Er, Cr: YSGG laser ablation (BIOLASE San Clemente, CA, USA). The assessments include; the excavation time, DIAGNOdent pen, Raman spectroscopy, Vickers microhardness, and scanning electron microscope combined with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM–EDX). The rotary method recorded the shortest excavation time (p < 0.001), Brix 3000 gel was the slowest. DIAGNOdent pen va