Antibiotic resistance is the major growing threat facing the pharmacological treatment of bacterial infections. Therefore, bioprospecting the medicinal plants could provide potential sources for antimicrobial agents. Mimusops, the biggest and widely distributed plant genus of family Sapotaceae, is used in traditional medicines due to its promising pharmacological activities. This study was conducted to elucidate the antimicrobial effect of three unexplored Mimusops spp. (M. kummel, M. laurifolia and M. zeyheri). Furthermore, the mechanisms underlying such antibacterial activity were studied. The Mimusops leaf extracts revealed significant antibacterial activities against the five tested bacterial strains with a maximum inhibition zone diameter of 22.0 mm against B. subtilis compared with standard antibiotic ciprofloxacin. The minimal inhibitory and bactericidal concentration values against tested Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains ranged from 3.15-12.5 µg/ml. However, weak antifungal effect was recorded against Candida albicans with MIC value ˃25 µg/ml. The 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay showed that M. caffra was the best antioxidant (IC50=14.75±0.028 µg/ml), while M. laurifolia was the least one (IC50=34.22±0.014 µg/ml). The phenolics in plant leaves extracts were identified and quantified by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) which revealed the presence of seven phenolic acids and four flavonoids. The abundant phenolic compounds were rutin (5.216±0.067 mg/g dried wt.) and gallic acid (0.296±0.068 mg/g) followed by myricetin (0.317±0.091 mg/g) then kaempferol (0.113±0.049 mg/g) as flavonoids. The antibacterial mechanism of M. laurifolia extract, as a representative species, induces ultrastructural changes in the model bacterium Staphylococcus aureus with cell wall and plasma membrane lysis as revealed by transmission electron microscopy. Overall, Mimusops species (M. laurifolia, M. kummel and M. zeyheri) are promising natural alternative sources for antimicrobial agents.
A design for a photovoltaic-thermal (PVT) assembly with a water-cooled heat sink was planned, constructed, and experimentally evaluated in the climatic conditions of the southern region of Iraq during the summertime. The water-cooled heat sink was applied to thermally manage the PV cells, in order to boost the electrical output of the PVT system. A set of temperature sensors was installed to monitor the water intake, exit, and cell temperatures. The climatic parameters including the wind velocity, atmospheric pressure, and solar irradiation were also monitored on a daily basis. The effects of solar irradiation on the average PV temperature, electrical power, and overall electrical-thermal efficiency were investigated. The findings i
... Show MoreBy taking into account various food components in the ecosystem, the research intends to develop a set of difference equations to simulate a plant-herbivore interaction of Holling Type II. We determine the local stability of the equilibrium points for the scenarios of extinction, semi-extinction (extinction for one species), and coexistence using the Linearized Stability Theorem. For a suitable Lyapunov function, we investigate theoretical findings to determine the global stability of the coexisting equilibrium point. It is clear that the system exhibits both Flip and Neimark-Sacker bifurcation under particular circumstances using the central manifold theorem and the bifurcation theory. Numerical simulations are
... Show MoreThyroid hormones, triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxin (T4) play an important role in growth, development, and physiology of the kidney. The kidney has a central role in metabolism and clearance of these hormones as well as thyroid – stimulating hormone (TSH). Chronic renal failure (CRF) is a state of irreversible deceleration in renal function results in alterations in internal milieu, which affects the synthesis and secretory rate of hormones. To evaluate the thyroid hormone levels in non-dialyzed patients with chronic renal failure (CRF); 24 patients with CRF aged 30-70 years, mean±S.d. (48.458 ± 13.569) and 48 healthy volunteers who served as controls aged 30-70 years (43.104 ± 12.387) were studied for their thyroid function status u
... Show MoreThe present study provides the first record species of the genus Lithobius Leach, 1814, L. ferganensis (Trotzina, 1894) which was collected from the middle of Iraq. A detailed explanation of the morphology and the diagnostic characters of specimens of both sexes is provided.
Activity test of the inhibitors purified from barley and broad beans crop proved the inhibition activity against 6 types of rots Pencillium ssp and Aspergellusflavus and Aspergillus niger and Fusarium solani and Fusarium semitectum and Mucor with three concentrations 0.1 and 0.2 and 0.3 mg/ml, where the inhibitor purified from the second peak of broad beans proved that it had a higher inhibition activity against the growth of test rots which were 53.75 and 62.5 and 78.5 and 76.25 and 84 and 18.8% respectively, at 0.3 mg/ ml followed by the first peak of the inhibitor purified from broad beans the inhibition activity were 43.75 and 50 and 62.96 and 75 and 80 and 12.5 then the inhibitor purified from barley in which the inhibition activity
... Show MoreThis research is drawn from a doctoral dissertation, studying the approach of Sheikh Abd al-Qadir al-Muhajir al-Sanandji al-Kurdi (1303 AH) on the issue of proving the existence of God Almighty.
Sheikh Abd al-Qadir al-Sanandji was one of the scholars well versed in mental sciences. He has many books, all of them in the sciences of speech and wisdom, and among his books is the book (Raising the Eyebrow in Explanation of Ithbat al-Wajib), which is still a manuscript that has not been printed.
Through this book, the researcher studied the evidence of Sheikh Abdul Qadir to prove the existence of God Almighty, and compared it with the evidence of philosophers and theologians.
At the beginning, he presented a study on the import
The aim of the study was to find out the correlations and impact between the variable of ethical leadership behavior and university performance at Sumer University. Use the descriptive analytical method by adopting the questionnaire tool to collect data. The questionnaire was distributed electronically to 113 teachers at Sumer University and the response was from 105 teachers. The research results showed that there is a correlation and effect relationship between the search variables. In addition, the responding university does not have ethically defined standards in terms of performance of the work of the cadres working there. Finally, the research presented a set of recommendations aimed at tackling problems in the ethical lead
... Show MoreAbstract
On 11/1/2008 amounts of snows fell on various sections of Iraq, one of
which is Baghdad. The analysis process of climatic maps proved that the
advance trough of Sudanese depression towards the city is the reason behind
the formation of this weather state supported by could trough in the (500) mb
pressure level. .
The research concluded that the phenomenon of global warming
witnessed by the world recently had a main role in the occurrence of this
phenomenon due to the raise in earth temperature as a result of evaporation
rate increase leading to an increase in water vapor and cloud formation with
high tops and low bases which form sows with high rates accumulating at high
and moderate latitudes le