Cardiac toxicity can occur during the therapy with several cytotoxic drugs, including 5- Fluorouracil (5- FU). It is an antimetabolite that acts during the S phase of the cell cycle and is activated by thymidine phosphorylase into fluorodeoxyuridylate (5 fluoro 2'deoxyuridine 5'monophosphate, 5-FdUMP) that inhibits thymidylate synthase, thus preventing DNA synthesis that leads to imbalanced cell growth and ultimately cell death. It is still a widely used anticancer drug, since 1957. The present study aimed to evaluate the possible cardio-protective effects of ethanolic artichoke extract (Cynara scolymus L.) against 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) induced cardio-toxicity in rats by evaluating serum levels of Alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase and creatine kinase enzymes. Methods: Twenty -four female albino rats were randomly divided into 4 groups each group with 6 rats. Group I: (negative control) received oral daily dose of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) (2 ml/kg /day) for 10 successive days. Group II: (positive control) received oral daily dose of DMSO (2 ml/kg /day) for 10 successive days and subsequently administered single dose of 5-FU (150 mg/kg) by intraperitoneal injection on 8th day in association with DMSO. Groups III: received oral daily dose of ethanolic artichoke extract (200 mg/kg/day) for 10 successive days. Groups IV: received oral daily dose of ethanolic artichoke extract (200 mg/kg/day) for 10 successive days with subsequently administered single intraperitoneal dose of 5-FU (150 mg/kg) on 8th day in association with ethanolic extract. Results: Treatment of ethanolic artichoke extract prior 5-FU intoxication significantly attenuate the increase of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and creatine kinase (CK) enzymes activities caused by 5-FU-induced cardio-toxicity in rats. Conclusions: Results of the present finding suggest that the ethanolic artichoke extract may be an effective modulator in mitigating 5-FU induced cardiac toxicity in rats.
Keywords: Ethanolic artichoke extract, 5-Fluorouracil, Cardio-protection, AST, ALT and CK.
Honey is one of the most products has been used as an antimicrobial agent since the ancient times. The potential antimicrobial activity of honey is arise from its physiochemical proprieties such as high osmotic pressure, low pH, in addition to other factors and enzymes that work as antimicrobial agents. All these components and characteristics of honey led to consider it as one of the most efficient, useful and natural antimicrobial agents. From this point of view, recent study aim to evaluate the antibacterial activity of bee honey on some common species of pathogenic bacteria. The study included some of both gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Streptococcus spp.)
... Show MoreThe development of new cephalosporins with improved activity against resistant microbes, such as, MRSA (methicillin resistant Staph. aureus), P. aeruginosa, is of high potential. Chemical synthesis of two new series of thiadiazole linked to cysteine (series 1) and cephalosporins containing thiadiazole linked to cysteine through disulfide bond (series 2) were achieved. The chemical structures of the synthesized compounds were confirmed using spectral (FT-IR, 1H-NMR) and elemental microanalysis. The incorporation of privileged chemical moieties, such as, thiadiazole, Schiff base, cysteine and sulfonamide, has been found to have great contribution to the antimicrobial activities. Compounds of series 1 (1
... Show MoreHydatidosis is a sickness that affects human and farm animals. This disease is deemed as a public health problem in different regions of the world until nowadays. Surgical overlaps is the best way to treat the disease, while the risk of surgery lies in the possibility of cyst rupture and leakage of protoscolices and the recurrence of infection again, this prompted researchers to use scolicidal agents before surgery such as ethanol, plant extracts, to reduce parasite spread and recurrence of infection, recently researchers have been using nanoparticles as a scolicidal agent, like gold nanoparticles, silver nanoparticles, selenium nanoparticles, and others. This research aims to evaluate the fatal effect of zirconium oxide (ZrO2) nanoparticle
... Show MoreThe study was performed to isolate and identify the Myxococcus fulvus from the one hundred samples of soils of farms. Special growth conditions had been used to support the growth of M.fulvus local isolates and suppressed the growth of other microorganisms like (Drying , High Temperature , High concentration of antibiotics and specific growth media ) M.fulvus isolates had been subjected to the morphological, cultural , biochemical examination for identification , as well as , study the inhibitory activites of cells and filtrates of localized isolates against some pathogenic fungi include (Trichophyton mentagrophytes , Microsporum gypseum , Aspergillus niger and Fusarium oxyporum ) by using three methods :- Cup assay , well diffusio
... Show MoreThis study aims to determine the effect of exposure to cigarette smoke with a biofilter of bidara leaf powder on the histology of the liver, lungs and blood viscosity of mice. This test was carried out for 28 days by giving cigarette smoke with a biofilter of bidara leaf powder and observing the histology of the liver, lungs and blood viscosity. The results showed that exposure to cigarette smoke with a biofilter of bidara leaf powder was very effective in reducing damage to the liver and lungs of mice, and also very effective in reducing blood viscosity as in normal mice blood viscosity. The use of Bidara leaf powder biofilter can affect the histology of the liver, lungs and blood viscosity in mice. Bidara leaf powder biofi
... Show MoreEphedra alata. is a plant that widely available around the world and long used in folk medicine as a natural medication, was employed in the current work to prepare extracts rich in alkaloids and to test their cytotoxic potential. Alkaloids-rich and crude extracts of E.alata were compared to pure ephedrine medication for mitosis on Allium cepa. test system. Alkaloids and crude aqueous extracts of A. cepa root tips were examined for a total of five hours at five different concentrations compared to ephedrine standard. Mitotic index, phase index, and chromosomal aberration as part of the study. IC50 values of 35 mg/ml were found for each extract, indicating a sub-lethal influence on cell viability. (Toxic and sublethal effects are thought to
... Show MoreThe phytoremediation technique has become very efficient for treating soil contaminated with heavy metals. In this study, a pot experiment was conducted where the Dodonaea plant (known as hops) was grown, and soil previously contaminated with metals (Zn, Ni, Cd) was added at concentrations 100, 50, 0 mg·kg-1 for Ni and Zn, and at concentrations of 0, 5, 10 mg·kg-1 for cadmium. Irrigation was done within the limits of the field capacity of the soil. Cadmium, nickel and zinc was estimated in the soil to find out the capacity of plants to the absorption of heavy and contaminated metals by using bioconcentration factors (BCFs), bioaccumulation coefficient (BAC) and translocation factor (TF). Additionally, BCF values of both Ni and Zn were l
... Show MoreCurrent studies interested on the biosynthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) using hot plants extracts of Allium sativum and characterization of them using: Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), X-ray diffractions (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT- IR), UV–visible spectral and Hot stage. The results found that all NPs are had nano-size. ZnO NPs was produced by four procedures using hot extract of Allium sativum. The average diameters were: 101.59 nm, 110.33 nm, 75.69 nm, 88.67 nm for first, second, third and fourth procedures respectively compared with 47.57 nm for standard NPs. The Roughness averages (Ra) were: 10.8 nm, 6.83 nm, 13.8 nm, 0.541 nm for first, second, third and fourth respectively. The Root mean square (Sq
... Show MoreSince more than a decade, human rights dialogue in the European Mediterranean Region has been marked by a number of tensions. Although a number of factors contribute to such disputes, the effect of human rights conditionality, which ties EU economic cooperation progression with partner countries human rights advancement, on the dialogue has not been studied. Understanding the aspects, impacts, and effects of conditionality on Euro-Med relations is crucial for furthering dialogue. Yet this variable has been almost entirely neglected in academic and policy research. The research concludes several direct and indirect impacts of conditionality on human rights dialogue using a mixed methodology approach. Direct effects are reflected in the wi
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