Clausena excavata (Lour.), locally known as “Kemantu hitam,” is a common plant in Malaysian folklore medicine. This study evaluated the antioxidant properties of the solvent extracts of C. excavata leaves and determined the acute toxicity of methanolic extract C. excavata (MECE) leaves in Sprague‐Dawley rats. Harvested leaves were dried and subjected to solvent extraction using petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanol in succession. The antioxidant activity of each extract was determined using the ferric‐reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picryl dihydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity. The total pheno

     This research was conducted to measure the levels of asbestos fibers in the air of some dense sites of Baghdad city, which were monitored in autumn 2019. Samples collection was conducted via directing air flow to a mixed cellulose ester membrane filter mounted on an open‑faced filter holder using sniffer with a low flow sampling pump. Air samples were collected from four studied areas selected in some high traffic areas of Baghdad city, two of them were located in Karkh (Al-Bayaa and Al-Shurta tunnel) and two in Rusafa (Al-Jadriya and Al-Meshin complex), then analyzed to determine concentrations of asbestos. Measuring of levels of asbestos fibers on the filters was carried out via using scanning electron micros

The detection of fungi contaminating maize grain and the effect of four plant extracts Azadirachta indica, Eucalyptus globulus Glycyrrhiza glabra and Zingiber officinale on the growth of A. flavus and its ability to produce AflatoxinB1. The results showed that the incidence of Aspergillus spp., was 52.75% of the isolated fungi, of which 29.50% was due to Aspergillus flavus, followed by Penicillium spp., with an incidence of 21.06%, and then Fusarium spp., with a rate of 18.13%. The percentage of toxin-producing A. flavus isolates reached 70.8% out of 24 isolates. The results showed the effect of alcoholic plant extracts at a concentration of 10 mg/ml on the fungal growth activity of A. flavus, the alcoholic extract of neem leaves was superi

Biscuits are a global snack due to their convenience, variety, and durability. Biscuits with nutritious ingredients are in demand as customers become more health conscious. This change led to interest about utilizing agricultural by-products to enhance the nutritional value of widely consumed foods. Mango (Mangifera indica L.), a frequently cultivated tropical fruit, produces vital by-products during its processing, mainly comprising peels and kernels. The by-products, comprising around 35–60% of the mango fruit's weight, are high in bioactive compounds including dietary fiber, polyphenols, carotenoids, and essential fatty acids. Mango peels and kernels, even with their nutritional potential, frequently neglected, resulting in ris

Levan is an exopolysaccharide produced by various microorganisms and has a variety of applications. In this research, the aim was to demonstrate the biological activity of levan which produced from B. phenoliresistens KX139300. These were done via study the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer and antileishmanial activities in vitro. The antioxidant levan was shown 80.9% activity at 1250 µg/mL concentration. The efficient anti-inflammatory activity of 88% protein inhibition was noticed with levan concentration at 35 µg/mL. The cytotoxic activity of levan at 2500 µg/mL concentration showed a maximum cytotoxic effect on L20B cell line and promastigotes of Leishmani tropica. Levan has dose-dependent anticancer and antileishman

Introduction and Aim: Kruppel Like Factor 14 (KLF14) gene plays an important role in metabolic illnesses and is also involved in the regulation of many other biological processes. This study's objective was to determine whether or not the KLF14 single-nucleotide-polymorphism (SNP) known as rs972283 was linked to an increased risk of peptic ulcer disease in the population that was being investigated.   Materials and Methods: Participants in this study included 71 people who had been diagnosed with peptic ulcers and 50 people who were considered to be healthy controls. In order to genotype the KLF14 SNP rs972283, an amplification refractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction (ARMS-PCR) was carried out, and the PCR results were

Diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a multifactorial syndrome that israpidly rising in all the continents ofthe globe, causing elevated blood sugar levels in affected people. A sample of 81 Iraqi T2DM patients was investigated based on several parameters. Glycemic control parameters includedlevels of fasting blood glucose (FBG),
glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C), and insulin, along with insulin resistance (IR) and insulin sensitivity (IS). Renal function tests includedmeasuring the blood levels of urea and creatinine. Oxidative stress parameters included total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and thelevel of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The results of the present
study showed a highly significant (P˂0.01) increase in FBG, HbA1c, insulin and IR leve

ABSTRACT : Bacillus cereus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the ability to produce a wide antimicrobial active compounds (Bacillin and S-Pyocin) against pathogenic microorganism. In vitro assay with the antagonists of both crude bacteriocin and partial by precipitation 75% ammonium sulfate showed that the effectively inhibited growth of the following (Candida kefyer and Fusarium spp) and Propionibacterium acnes. The results showed the inhibition zone of reached Bacillin (9-13 mm), while Pyocin (13 - 16mm) in solid medium.

       The gene expression of the most important structural genes ica A and D of biofilm, sarA, and sigB regulatory genes of some methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates were examined using the real-time polymerase chain reaction after 24 hours of growth. The results revealed that the isolates with strong biofilm production had the highest gene expression of the structural icaA and D genes. Whereas the isolates that showed moderate and weak biofilm production, recorded the lowest gene expression. The results of the regulatory genes sarA, and sigB fluctuated among all MRSA isolates. Isolate No. 64 recorded the highest gene expression

The aim of this study is to describe the leech species that are used in some of the alternative medicine clinics in Baghdad Province based on morphometric measurements and colouring pattern of the body. A collection of twenty leeches was provided from some clinics. All specimens were identified and described based on standard available keys. The morphometric characteristics and colouring patterns were recorded and the indicated that these leeches were Hirudo orientalis Utevsky & Trontelj, 2005 and H. verbana Carena, 1820.

     Pseudomonas aeruginosa produces an extracellular biofilm matrix that consists of nucleic acids, exopolysaccharides, lipid vesicles, and proteins. Alginate, Psl and Pel are three exopolysaccharides that constitute the main components in biofilm matrix, with many biological functions attributed to them, especially concerning the protection of the bacterial cell from antimicrobial agents and immune responses. A total of 25 gentamicin-resistant P. aeruginosa selected isolates were enrolled in this study. Biofilm development was observed in 96% of the isolates. In addition, the present results clarified the presence of pelA and pslA in all the studied isolates. The expression of these genes was very low. Even though all biof

Zerumbone (ZER), a natural compound has been extracted from Zingiber zerumbet with known pharmacological activities. The aim was to determine the anti-human Burkitt’s lymphoma (Raji) cell effect of ZER. The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5,-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was used to determine cytotoxic effect while the Annexin-V-fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide-PI flow cytometric assays was used to determine apoptotic effect of ZER on the human Burkitt’s lymphoma (Raji) cell (ATCC CCL-86) cell line. The expressions of Bax, Bcl-2, and c-Myc genes were determined via real-time PCR. ZER suppressed the proliferation of Raji cells with a 48 h IC50 value of 5.1 μg/mL. Treated Raji cells also underwen

Introduction and Aim: Forkhead box P3 (FOXP3) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) are the key regulators controlling the activity of Treg cells, which are crucial for maintaining immune tolerance and reducing autoimmune reactions. The objective of this study was to investigate the potential utility of elevated levels of FOXP3 and IL-10 gene expression as a diagnostic indicator in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).   Materials and Methods: The study used quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to examine the expression levels of FOXP3 and IL-10 transcripts in whole blood samples from Iraqi patients with rheumatoid arthritis. A group of healthy control subjects were also included in the study.   Results: In blood samples taken fr

The present study is considered the first on this sector of the Tigris River after 2003. It is designed for two aims, the first is to demonstrate the seasonal variations in physicochemical parameters of Tharthar-Tigris Canal and Tigris River; the second is to explain the possible effects of canal on some environmental properties in the Tigris River. Water samples were being collected monthly. Six sampling sites were selected, two on Tharthar Canal and four along the Tigris River, one before the confluence as a control site and the others downstream the confluence with the canal. For a period from January to December 2020, nineteen physicochemical parameters were investigated including air and water temperature, turbidity, electrical cond

Seven isolates were identified as Pseduomonas aeruginosa from clinical samples. Antibiotic sensitivity test were done to determine their sensitivity to number of antibiotics, the results illustrated all that isolates were resistant to most used antibiotics. The ability of Pseduomonas isolates to produce haemolysin, protease and pyocyanin were detected in this study, all isolates had the ability to produce pyocyanin pigment, hemolysis and protease. The antimicrobial activity of the ethanolic extracts of Thuja orientalis and green tea against P.aeruginosa were investigated. The results showed that both these plant extracts have inhibitory effect against Pseduomonas isolates and it was shown that ethanolic extract of green tea was more efficie

Biofilms formation by pathogens microbial Control considered important in medical research because it is the hazarded virulence factor leading to becoming difficult to treat because of its high resistance to antimicrobials. Glycopeptide antibiotic a (Vancomycin) and the commercial bacteriocin (Nisin A) were used to comparative with purification bacteriocin (MRSAcin) against MRSA biofilm. One hundred food samples were collected from Baghdad markets from July 2016 to September 2016, including (cheese, yogurt, raw milk, fried meat, grilled meat, and beef burger). All samples were cultures; S. aureus was confirmation by macroscopic culture and microscopic examination, in addition to biochemical tests. Methicillin resistance S. asureus (

    Conventional identification of three coccoid green algae isolates was attempted to characterize the studied algae morphologically under compound microscope, which demonstrated confusional phenomenal convergence; all were classified microscopically as the green alga Chlorella vulgaris Beijerinck, 1890.

    Phylogenetic studies were conducted to settle the argument about the phenotype by studying the genotype. Genotype the promising field in advance classification by using 18S rRNA and compared to GenBank database using to search the related sequences. The determined sequences showed high a similarity to the strains registered in GenBank.

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Introduction and Aim: Cancers are a complex group of genetic illnesses that develop through multistep, mutagenic processes which can invade or spread throughout the body. Recent advances in cancer treatment involve oncolytic viruses to infect and destroy cancer cells. The Newcastle disease virus (NDV), an oncolytic virus has shown to have anti-cancer effects either directly by lysing cancer cells or indirectly by activating the immune system. The green fluorescent protein (GFP) has been widely used in studying the anti-tumor activity of oncolytic viruses. This study aimed to study the anticancer effect of a recombinant rNDV-GFP clone on NCI-H727 lung carcinoma cell line in vitro.   Materials and Methods: The GFP gene was inserted t

Antimicrobial resistance is one of the most significant threats to public health worldwide. As opposed to using traditional antibiotics, which are effective against diseases that are multidrug-resistant, it is vital to concentrate on the most innovative antibacterial compounds. These innate bacterial arsenals under the term «bacteriocins» refer to low-molecularweight, heat-stable, membrane-active, proteolytically degradable, and pore-forming cationic peptides. Due to their ability to attack bacteria, viruses, fungi, and biofilm, bacteriocins appear to be the most promising, currently accessible alternative for addressing the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) problem and minimizing the negative effects of antibiotics on the host’s m

Given the paucity and toxicity of available drugs for leishmaniasis, coupled with the advent of drug resistance, the discovery of new therapies for this neglected tropical disease is recognised as being of the utmost urgency. As such antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been proposed as promising compounds against the causative Leishmania species, insect vector-borne protozoan parasites. Here the AMP temporins A, B and 1Sa have been synthesised and screened for activity against Leishmania mexicana insect stage promastigotes and mammalian stage amastigotes, a significant cause of human cutaneous disease. In contrast to previous studies with other species the activity of these AMPs against L. mexicana amastigotes was low. This suggests that ama

Staphylococcus lugdunensis, isolation between 12.5 to 1.8% routine works may be a possible peroral route of infective endocarditis and found in the oral cavity by examined using saliva. Similar supragingival plaque isolation was observed. The increased bacteria resistance to antibiotics multiple have led to novel methods for resistance bacteria; antimicrobial agents are well known (ZnO NPs) by biological method and are lower toxicity and biology safety ZnNOPs activity by plant extraction and less toxicity as well as bio-safe. The nanoparticle was synthesized by biological method (Green) by barberry (Berberis vulgaris) extract. In this study using (WAD) method using different concentrations between (128, 64, 32, and 16) mg/mL of ZnO

Abstract. Al-Abbawy DAH, Al-Thahaibawi BMH, Al-Mayaly IKA, Younis KH. 2021. Assessment of some heavy metals in various aquatic plants of Al-Hawizeh Marsh, southern of Iraq. Biodiversitas 22: 338-345. In order to describe the degree of contamination of aquatic environments in Iraq, heavy metals analysis (Fe, Ni, Cr, Cd, Pb, and Zn) was conducted for six aquatic macrophytes from different locations of Al-Hawizeh Marsh in southern Iraq. The six species were Azolla filiculoides (floating plant), Ceratophyllum demersum, Potamogeton pectinatus, Najas marina (submerged plants), Phragmites australis, and Typha domingensis (emergent plants). The results indicate that cadmium, chromium, and iron concentrations in aquatic plants were above the

Introduction and Aim: Klebsiella pneumoniae is a Gram-negative bacterium responsible for a wide range of infections, including respiratory tract infections (RTIs). This research was aimed to study the antibacterial and antibiofilm effect of AgNPs produced by Gram positive and negative bacteria on RTIs associated with K. pneumoniae. Materials and Methods: The biofilm formation of K. pneumoniae was determined by tube method qualitatively from select bacterial species characterized by UV-Visible spectroscopy. The antibacterial susceptibility of the bacteria AgNPs was tested for their antibacterial and antibiofilm activity on a clinical isolate of K. pneumoniae. Results: K. pneumoniae isolated from RTIs were strong biofilm producers. The ant

The current study was carried out to study a high injection dose of the ethanolic extract thymus vulgaris leaf (500 ug /Kg) against the immune response combination with partially purified extracted Lipopolysaccharide ( LPS) from Proteus mirablis.Study groups were included four groups; Group I :treated with normal saline. Group II : treated with LPS antigen, Group III: injected subcutaneously ((500 ug /Kg) from ethanolic extract thymus vulgaris, group IV : injected subcutaneously (500 ug /Kg) from ethanolic extract thymus vulgaris leaf and LPS antigen, the immunological assays were measured through the phagocytic activity as (non specific immunity) after day 8 by using the phagocytic activity index.After day I4 the lymphocyte proliferations