Search

This work focuses on the leaves and stems of Euphorbia nicaeensis All. to confirm its historical use by the Moroccan population. The phytochemical profile of the plant by HPLC-UV-MS/MS was identified for the first time, and the biological activities of each plant organ was evaluated separately by maceration and ultrasonic-assisted extraction. The evaluation of antioxidant activity based on DPPH assay and hydrogen peroxide scavenging assay showed that leaves could be used as a natural source of antioxidants as they provide a potent antioxidant effect (DPPH IC50 = 23.47±0.62 µg/ml), (H2O2 IC50 = 110.27 ± 3.59 µg/ml) compared to stems. These results were proven by HPLC-UV-MS/MS analysis and revealed that E. nicaeensis leaves are richer in phenolic compounds, especially quercetin and derivatives, known for their antioxidant properties. In contrast, the stems could be considered a potential anti-inflammatory agent considering their solid anti-inflammatory activity. The most potent effects were obtained at a concentration of 2 mg/ml, which induced 83.98% and 82.04% inhibition against bovine albumin and egg albumin denaturation, respectively, compared to the control. In addition, the stem phytochemical profile indicated the presence of some compounds with anti-inflammatory effects, such as fargesin and nuciferine. Likewise, the findings showed that ultrasound-assisted extraction was more effective than maceration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explored the potential applications, benefits, and risks of using ChatGPT in medical and health sciences research. The experimental study was performed with content analysis of the potential applications, benefits and risks of using ChatGPT in medical and health sciences research. This study shows many potential applications, benefits, and risks of using ChatGPT in medical and health sciences research. The average experts’ ChatGPT appropriateness and accuracy rates in the eight research themes were between 60% and 95%. This concludes that ChatGPT could help medical and health sciences researchers, especially new researchers, with caution in many aspects of research. The ChatGPT is still in the early phase of use by researchers worldwide, and its ability to help in research will be better soon. Attending training workshops about ChatGPT and AI is very important and highly recommended. The practice of ChatGPT in medical and health sciences research is important and recommended to explore the potential uses, benefits, risks and suggest recommendations for the best practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rabies, a deadly viral zoonosis, that has driven mankind for centuries continues to be a major global public health threat, primarily affecting under developed areas. The virus targets the central nervous system of warm-blooded animals and claims the lives of over 60,000 individuals annually. Often categorized as a "neglected" disease, zoonoses constitute the majority of emerging infectious ailments. India carries the greatest share of worldwide mortalities resulting from rabies transmitted by dogs to humans. Despite this, rabies is not definable in India, and it continues to be denied adequate consideration when it comes to public health issues. Dogs serve as the primary reservoirs for the rabies virus, transmitting it through direct contact with their saliva including bites, scratches, and exposure to broken skin and mucous membranes. Despite, the fact that the cure for rabies remains elusive, it is possible to prevent this fatal disease through proper pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis and early laboratory diagnosis. Diagnostic technologies like RT PCR, qPCR, dRIT, dFAT, and LFA are highly sensitive and specific in the rapid detection of rabies virus and play a crucial role in preventing the disease. Furthermore, vaccination both, pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis, coupled with increased public awareness, can significantly mitigate the impact of health concerns at the community level. Hence this comprehensive review emphasizes its transmission dynamics, diagnostic techniques, and preventive strategies aiming to raise awareness and enhance efforts to combat this neglected zoonotic disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Modulator of Apoptosis 1 (MOAP-1) protein, a crucial regulator of apoptosis, has recently attracted considerable interest in oncology research. Its potential as a therapeutic target in bladder, breast, and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) offers intriguing new therapeutic approaches. This comprehensive review consolidated work on MOAP-1's role in cancer biology, notably as a therapeutic target. A systematic review was conducted by searching digital databases for studies. Based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, ten articles were thoroughly assessed. Emerging evidence links MOAP-1 to bladder cancer chemosensitivity and MOAP-1-dependent chemosensitization of breast cancer mediated by phenylquinazoline derivatives. In addition, apoptosis in breast cancer cells was induced by α-mangostin, a potential therapeutic drug targeting MOAP-1 and BCL-XL interaction. Studies showed MOAP-1's importance in NSCLC, with its upregulation in the cancer cells as a potential treatment. This review also highlights the role of miR-25 as a cellular regulator of MOAP-1 and its implication for MOAP-1-mediated therapeutics. The intricate control of MOAP-1 in cancer highlights the need for more research to understand its function and regulation across cancer types completely. MOAP-1's tumor suppressor activity suggests it could be a therapeutic target, as evidenced by current research findings, which is likely to spur further research into MOAP-1-targeted cancer treatments. This systematic review fills a gap in the literature by bringing together a variety of study findings to promote a deeper understanding of MOAP-1 and its therapeutic potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most drugs undergo metabolism and elimination primarily by the kidneys. Consequently, drug dosages are largely contingent upon kidney function and require careful adjustment in patients with compromised renal function. Inaccurate dosage adjustments can lead to toxicities, therapeutic failures, and adverse drug reactions. This study sought to assess the appropriateness of dose adjustments for antimicrobials and other medicines among patients with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) attending both a public and a private hospital. A multicenter, retrospective observational study was carried out from January 1st to February 28th, 2023, among hospitalized CKD patients in two distinct facilities: Northwest General Hospital & Research Centre (a private institution) and the Institute of Kidney Diseases, Peshawar, Pakistan (a public institution). The goal was to compare adherence to dosing guidelines and to identify factors contributing to incorrect renal dose adjustments for antimicrobials and other medications. The study incorporated 358 CKD patients, with 179 patients from each hospital. Medications necessitating dosage adjustments were more frequently prescribed in the private hospital (n=515) compared to the public one (n=368). Nonetheless, dosages were more accurately adjusted in the private hospital (52.6%) than in the public hospital (40.5%). Of all the prescribed medications, 71.1% of antimicrobials in both hospitals were inaccurately adjusted. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the number of drugs requiring adjustment (AOR=0.6; p=0.001) was independently correlated with inappropriate drug adjustments in the private hospital. Conversely, in the public hospital, both the number of drugs requiring adjustment (AOR=0.6; p=0.019) and the length of hospital stay (AOR=0.8; p=0.048) were independently linked with inappropriate drug adjustments. The research revealed that a significant number of hospitalized CKD patients receive inappropriate drug dosages, especially in public hospitals. This predisposes these patients to heightened risks, including therapeutic failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydroxychloroquine is the most commonly prescribed antimalarial extensively used to treat rheumatoid arthritis. It is extensively utilized as a repurposing drug, as well, in many countries worldwide to treat COVID-19. The pharmaceutical sector of Bangladesh is much enriched, and different pharmaceutical companies in Bangladesh produce this drug. Since the drug quality might vary significantly among different brands, assuring the quality of medicine is absolutely necessary considering the health issues, particularly therapeutic efficacy and safety. Therefore, this study examined the quality of hydroxychloroquine produced by Bangladeshi pharmaceutical companies, concentrating on quality control parameters: the assay, dissolution, disintegration, hardness, friability, and weight fluctuation. All the brands of hydroxychloroquine tablets contained the stated amount of API between the range of 96.41±0.62 and 100.61±0.71 that met USP specification (100±5%). All brands met the pharmacopeial limit for the percentage of weight fluctuation, hardness test, friability, and disintegration time. Weight variation was between 0.31±0.01% and 0.46±0.02%, hardness was between 4.31 ± 0.88 and 7.36 ± 0.74 kgf, friability was less than 1%, and disintegration time was 5.42± 0.11 and 5.42± 0.11 min. In the dissolution test, all the samples attained more than 70% dissolution after 30 minutes. The mean percentage of hydroxychloroquine released in phosphate buffer was between 95.44±0.55 (Brand B) and 98.19±0.39 (Brand C) after 60 min. No significant difference was among the tested drugs from different companies, and all quality assessment parameters were within USP specifications. Therefore, hydroxychloroquine from the Bangladesh market is safe and effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The argan tree is a versatile forest tree (silviculture-fruit-forestry) of great importance for the country both in biological, phytogenetic and ecological biodiversity as well as in economic and social aspects. It has significant medicinal and therapeutic potential. The present study concentrated on saccharide-containing molecules, particularly saponins, for their medicinal properties. Butanol was used to fractionate phytochemical groups from different parts of Argania spinosa (branch, leaf, pulp, shell and seed), which were subsequently precipitated in ether. It was found that solvent fractionation increased the total saponin amount according to the colorimetric test using vanillin and sulfuric acid. The butanol fraction of the argan shell and its precipitate showed the highest levels of triterpene saponins compared to the rest of the plant parts studied. The samples showed antioxidant capacity by DPPH versus ascorbic acid (IC50 = 1.92 µg/mL) and by ABTS using the similar standard (IC50 = 11.31 µg/mL). The antioxidant activity of the samples was significantly improved from the crude shell extract (IC50 = 5.85 µg/mL) to its butanolic fraction (IC50 = 2.94 µg/mL) and its precipitate (IC50 = 1.57 µg/mL) using 2,2-diphenyl-picrylhydrazyl. Indeed, the ABTS test, showed similarity to the core results. Also, the solid disc diffusion method was used to highlight the antimicrobial activity of extracts from different parts of the Argania spinosa plant. The EtOH 70% and Aqueous leaf extracts exhibited the highest antibacterial activity, resulting in an inhibition zone of approximately 13 mm against the growth of Staphylococcus saprophyticus. On the other hand, the extract of saponin filtrate from the pulp part of the plant displayed the lowest antibacterial activity, with an inhibition zone of 9 mm. All studied types of saponin extract from different parts of the plant do not contribute to any antifungal activity against Botrytis cinerea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Important Moroccan medicinal plants known for their food and medicinal potential include Urtica urens and Mercurialis annua. We examined the antioxidant activity of the methanolic and aqueous extracts by several in vitro systems of the assay, namely the ferric reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP) assay, the DPPH radical-scavenging activity, and the ABTS free radical-scavenging capacity. In addition, all active extracts were subjected to phytochemical screening to determine the key groups of chemicals implicated in their therapeutic activity. Total phenolic and flavonoid concentrations were also measured to see how they affected the antioxidant properties of the plant extracts. The extracts of Urtica urens and Mercurialis annua were found to have different levels of antioxidant effect in the systems tested. Based on the three different antioxidant assays, the Mercurialis annua extracts showed the highest values of antioxidant ability, based on the three used assays. Phytochemical testing of studied extracts revealed the presence of flavonoids, anthocyanins, and tannins. Total phenol and flavonoid contents were shown to provide the highest association with different antioxidant methods. The present study provides evidence that the extracts of Urtica urens and Mercurialis annua are a potential source of natural antioxidants, and this justifies their uses in Moroccan traditional medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]