Portulacaria afra is a small succulent tree, previously belonging to the Portulacaceae family, but with further studies, the plant transferred to the Didieracea family. P. afra was used as an ornamental, vegetable, and ethnomedicinal plant. Uses of the plant by rural South Africans to treat chronic skin conditions and rashes, alleviate exhaustion, and aid in treating TB and diarrhea have been documented in folklore. According to pharmaceutical research, plant extracts off er a wide range of remedial outcomes, such as antidiabetic, antifungal, antibacterial, anticancer, antioxidant, and anti-infl ammatory. The study aims to determine some bioactive constituents responsible for pharmacological activities and traditional usefulness. Th
... Show MoreCalendula officinalis L. (Asteraceae) known as marigold is known to have several pharmacological activities and used for the treatment of several diseases as measles, jaundice, constipation and several inflammations. Marigold flowers contain several chemical constituents mainly flavonoids, triterpenoids and essential oil. In this study marigold flowers cultivated in Iraq had been investigated for its flavonoids content. The study revealed the presence of quercetin and kaempferol glycosides and the absence of myricetin glycosides. The flowers were extracted with ethanol 70% fractionated with different solvent and the flavonoids were isolated by preparative HPLC. The isolated flavonoids were identified by measuring melting points, UV, IR,
... Show MoreThe production of polyhydroxyalkanoates PHAs from biopolymer degrading bacteria was examined
Twenty purified isolates were obtained by using different soil sources, only twelve isolates belonging to Aspergillus genera depending on cultural and morphological characterization. The isolates were used as alkaline protease producer. The highest proteolytic, enzymatic activity (95.83U/ml) was obtained from
Q fever is an infectious disease of animals and humans, caused by globally distributed C. burnetii. In Iraq, there are no previous studies associated with the detection of the organism in cattle. An overall of 130 lactating cows were submitted to direct collection of milk samples. Initially, the samples of milk were tested using the molecular polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay targeting three genes (16S rRNA, IS1111a transposase, and htpB). However, positive results (18.46%; 24/130) were detected only with the 16s rRNA gene. Concerning risk factors, the highest prevalence of C. burnetii was showed in the district of Badra (42.86%), whereas the lowest - in Al-Numaniyah and Al-Suwaira districts (P=0.025). There was no significant v
... Show MoreAwsaj (Lycium barbarum) is a plant belong to family Solanaceae serves as a good source of bioactive compounds like phytosterols which have many important biological activity. Literature survey available so far revealed that there was no studies about Iraqi wild Awsaj phytosterols especially B-sitosterol, there for the objective of this study was to examine the efficiency of ultrasound assisted extraction (probe and bath) as compared to the conventional (Soxhlet) extraction method for extraction of phytosterols especially B-sitosterol from fruits, leaves, stems and roots of Iraqi wild Awsaj plant. This goal was achieved by comparing the extraction mass yield, also by a quick and easy approach for identification and quantification of bioac
... Show MoreA microbial desalination cell (MDC) is a new approach to bioelectrochemical systems. It provides a more sustainable way to electrical power production, saltwater desalination, and wastewater treatment at the same time. This study examined three operation modes of the MDC: chemical cathode, air cathode, and biocathode MDC, to give clear sight of this system's performance. The experimental work results for these three modes were recorded as power densities generation, saltwater desalination rates, and COD removal percentages. For the chemical cathode MDC, the power density was 96.8 mW/m2, the desalination rate was 84.08 ppm/hr, and the COD removal percentage was 95.94%. The air cathode MDC results were different
... Show MoreCitric acid is an essential ingredient for the manufacture of (12) key industrial chemicals. Citric acid use is increasing steadily with a high annual growth rate as a result of the development of ever more sophisticated applications. Citric acid is widely utilized in the food and pharmaceutical industries due to its low toxicity when compared to other acidulous. Other uses for citric acid can be found in cleaning supplies and detergents. Based on information from a review of the literature, Citric acid production substrates and methods for surface fermentation, submerged fermentation, solid-state fermentation, and international market expansion are all covered in the current review study. Finally, there is still much to learn about the
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