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Curcuma longa (Family, Zingiberaceae) is rich in polyphenolic compounds; curcuminoids which is used in traditional medicine as antioxidant, anti-tumor, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, wou...

The expedient fungi Candida albicans (C. albicans) is able to thrive in many host niches including blood stream, skin, mucosal surfaces, and different body organs. Herein, the assessment of novel synthesized pyrimidine derivatives as anti fungal agent was investigated. Female albino mice were injected intraperitoneally by C. albicans (1.5 × 106 CFU). infected Mice then subjected to treatment with two different doses which was low (50 mg/kg) and high one (200 mg/kg) of diflucan in addition to the newly synthestic compounds (2-(4- (Pyridine- 2- yl) aminosulfonyle phenylamino) - 6 -(naphthalene-2- yl)-4-(pyridine-2- yl) n - 3 carbonitril) and (2-(4-(Pyrimidine-2- yl) aminosulfonyle phenylamino)- 6 -(naphthalene-2- yl)- 4 -(pyridine-2- yl) pyridine-3- carbonitril) donated as (C1 & C2, respectively). Three weeks later gene expression of renal alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) protein expression were assessed as well as serum malondialdehyde (MDA) and total antioxidant capacity in both kidney and brain tissues. Furthermore, acetylcholinestrase activity was assessed. Candida albicans significantly elevated serum MDA. On the other hand, C. albicans injection revealed a significantly reduction in total antioxidant capacity in kidney as well as in brain tissue. Furthermore, acetylcholine assessment declared a significant elevation. All biochemical parametersۥ upset were modulated upon new synthesized compounds treatment. Molecular analyses declared a significant down - regulation in renal α -smooth muscle actin gene expression in addition to, a significant down- regulation in COX-2 protein expression. From data recorded, it could be concluded that, C2 in a dose 200 mg ∕kg noticeably declared a significant effect comparing with the other treated groups revealing its promising effect as anti-fungal agent. Keywords: Candida albicans, Diflucan, α-SMA, COX-2, Total antioxidant, Acetylcholinestrase

Despite effective chemotherapy, schistosomiasis remains the second major public health problem in the developing world, second to malaria. The present study was undertaken to explore the therapeutic effect of the micronutrients (vitamin E and selenium) and chloroform extract of Citharexylum quadrangular leaves and their mixture against the deleterious pathological impacts induced in mice livers by Schistosoma mansoni infection. Parasitological markers showed that oral ingestion of the different supplements to S. mansoni infected mice was effective in reducing the worm burden with concomitant decrease in the egg burden, granuloma count and its diameter as well as total area of infection in their livers versus untreated ones. Parasitological parameters were reflected by the improvement of the histopathological pictures of livers of infected-treated mice. The current investigation also showed that the used agents and their mixture successfully modulated liver fibrosis of infected mice which was documented by a marked decrease of liver hydroxyproline level ( as biomarker of liver fibrosis) as well as the serum levels of inflammatory fibrogenic mediators namely, fructosamine, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) and total immunoglobin E (IgE). In addition, the used agents showed ameliorative action on the elevated liver oxidative stress- nitric oxide (NO) and malondialdehyde (MDA) and the decreased antioxidant biomarkers, reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione reductase (GR), thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) and catalase (CAT) which may have a role in liver damage and fibrosis due to S mansoni infection. In conclusion, treatment with the used micronutrients and plant extract either alone or in combination attenuated the deleterious impacts of S. mansoni infection on mice livers. The combination of all supplements was more effective as it greatly modified the inflammatory mediators and oxidative stress responsible for schistosomal liver fibrosis. Key words: Citharexylum quadrangular; Vitamin E, selenium, Shistosoma mansoni, antioxidants.

Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate the efficacy of microalgae Dunaliella salina to improve apelin, oxidative damage, inflammatory, and apoptotic function implicated in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity in rats.Methods: Fifty male Westar albino rats weighing 150–160 g were fed on HFD for 12 weeks. Treatment of obese rats with D. salina was carried out in a dose 150 mg/kg body weight as compared to orlistat as anti-obesity standard drug. Blood nuclear factor kappa-B cells (NF-kB), apelin, apoptosis regulator (B-cell lymphoma 2 [BCl2]), monocytes chemo attractant protein-1, paraoxonase-1 (PON1) were determined in serum of different groups. Besides, lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde [MDA]), glutathione (GSH) levels as well as histopathological examination were investigated in liver tissue of obese rats.Results: Serum apelin, MDA, and NF-kB levels were significantly high, reached to 97.25, 158.18, 511.433, and 170.73%, respectively. While significant decrease in PON1 (47.82%), BCl2 (74.88%), and GSH (63.54 %), levels were detected in the obese rats compared to controls. Obviously improvement in all biomarkers under investigation upon treated obese rats with ethanol extract of D. salina. Histopathological examination of obese hepatic tissue showed dilatation in the central portal veins associated with inflammatory cells infiltration in the portal area and congestion. However, treatment of obese rats with D. salina confirmed biochemical analysis and declared less diffuse inflammatory cells infiltration as well as less focal infiltration in both hepatic parenchyma and portal area with higher improvement in D. salina than drug.Conclusion: It could be concluded that D. salina has a great ability to improve inflammation associated with obesity as well as damaged hepatic architectures which can be used as a promising anti-obesity nutraceuticals.

Praziquantel (PZQ), the drug of choice according to the World Health Organization (WHO), causes some side effects. The appearance of drug resistance against PZQ in Schistosoma mansoni infected species leads to must introduce new effective compounds and/or suppress its side effects. The aim of present work is a trial to solve this problem. Chloroform extract of Citharexylum quadrangular jacq leaves was used as a medicinal plant, which affect the Schistosoma mansoni adults. Prophylactic and therapeutic treatment of Schistosoma mansoni infected mice with the plant extract and/or the antioxidants vitamin E and selenium in combination with PZQ was studied. The study revealed that the combination of the chloroform extract together with vitamin E and selenium improved the efficiency of PZQ. These supplementations are very effective in ameliorating the oxidative insult as well as other parameters: glutathione reductase (GR), thioredoxin reductase (TrxR), catalase (CAT) and reduced glutathione (GSH), nitric oxide (NO) and lipid peroxidation (MDA), hepatic hydroxyproline content, Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), Gamma-glutamyltransferase (γ-GT), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα), interleukin- 10 (IL-10) and total immunoglobulin E (total IgE) associated with Schistosoma mansoni infection.