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Raphanus raphanistrum and R. pugioniformis (Brassicaceae) are wild radishes, native to the Eastern Mediterranean region. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of growing soil media (perlite, sand, and terra rossa) on the growth performance of two Raphanus species. For this, seeds of the selected species were germinated and seedlings were transferred to plastic cylinders, filled with growing soil media. At harvest, various growth parameters including shoot length, shoot fresh weight, shoot dry weight, root length, root fresh weight, and root dry weight were determined. Root and shoot fresh and dry weight, before and after oven dry for 24 h at 70 °C was measured. Results of the study revealed statistically significant differences (P value ≤ 0.05) among the various studied growth parameters for the selected Raphanus species and are affected by different growing media including types of soil and growing time (days after potting from 33 to 78). After 33 days of potting, the average shoot length for R. pugioniformis was found 6.6, 8.0, and 8.6 cm in terra rossa, sand, and perlite growing media respectively. On the other hand, the fresh (0.8, 1.6, and 2.5g) and dry (0.25, 0.48, and 0.72g) shoot weight for R. pugioniformis was reported in terra rossa, sand, and perlite soil media respectively. From the results of the study, it can be concluded that among the tested growing media, perlite growing medium is the best medium for the growth of both studied Raphanus species. This study demonstrated that the three studied growing media affected all the growth performance parameters of both Raphanus pugioniformis and Raphanus raphanistrum differently.

S. securidaca seeds are reported to treat a variety of diseases; they contain multiple antidiabetic constituents and are widely used as anti-hyperglycemic, antibacterial, as well as anti-hyperlipidemic agents. The present work aimed to propose tablet formulations containing extracts of S. securidaca seeds in an attempt to obtain antibacterial and anti-hyperglycemic formulations with a more efficient oral hypoglycemic impact, limited side effects, and higher patient compliance for the first time, resulting in multiple benefits. Tablet formulations were created by encapsulating granules from S. securidaca seed extracts with varying concentrations of sodium starch glycolate as a super-disintegrant (0–3%). The final formulations were examined for weight variation, solubility, hardness, water content, disintegration time, friability, drug content (trigonelline and diosgenin), and in vitro drug release. The S. securidaca tablet formulations completed the weight test because the percentage deviation in the personal tablet weight and mechanical resistance from the mean were identified to be within the average range. In accordance with the results, formulations containing diosgenin as well as trigonelline as a super-disintegrant were identified as the ideal formulations. The amount of the active substance released from the tablet (S. securidaca seed extract formulation) was consistent throughout the results with the standard methods recommended by the FDA (94.05%) for diosgenin and 87.25% for trigonelline after 45 min. The acceptable limit, according to the FDA, is not more than (N.L.T.) 80% after 45 min for phase #1. The present study aimed to obtain an optimized formula for S. securidaca extract tablets that met the requirements of a good pharmaceutical preparation according to the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) and National Formulary (NF). This has important implications for the development of novel, effective treatments and significantly advances the development of natural medicine. Our findings are expected to be of interest to researchers, clinicians, and other experts in this field of study. Based on these findings, it can be inferred that the formulation of S. securidaca seed extracts with appropriate and compatible herbal dosage forms has fewer side effects and is more effective than traditional treatments.

Background: The development of digital technologies and the evolution of open innovation approaches have enabled the creation of diverse virtual organizations and enterprises coordinating their activities primarily online. The open innovation platform titled "International Natural Product Sciences Taskforce" (INPST) was established in 2018, to bring together in collaborative environment individuals and organizations interested in natural product scientific research, and to empower their interactions by using digital communication tools. Methods: In this work, we present a general overview of INPST activities and showcase the specific use of Twitter as a powerful networking tool that was used to host a one-week "2021 INPST Twitter Networking Event" (spanning from 31st May 2021 to 6th June 2021) based on the application of the Twitter hashtag #INPST. Results and conclusion: The use of this hashtag during the networking event period was analyzed with Symplur Signals (https://www.symplur.com/), revealing a total of 6,036 tweets, shared by 686 users, which generated a total of 65,004,773 impressions (views of the respective tweets). This networking event's achieved high visibility and participation rate showcases a convincing example of how this social media platform can be used as a highly effective tool to host virtual Twitter-based international biomedical research events.

Screening of phytochemical Ephedra alte crude extract by GC–MS and HPLC analysis indicated the presence of alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids, terpenoids, and phenolic acid in the extract. The total phenolic content of E. alte methanol extract was 39.43 mg of Gallic acid eq/g, crude E. alte with 56.74, and 2.42 µg Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC)/g of plant extract according to DPPH and FRAP assay, respectively. The antimicrobial activity of E. alte against Staphylococcus aureus, staphylococcus epidermidis, Escherichia coli, and Klebsiellaoxytoca demonstrated a mean zone diameter of inhibition ranging from 0 to 17 mm. The MIC of the extracts ranged from 0.5 to 1.0 mg/mL. E. alte extract inhibits pepsin enzyme activity with IC50 values of 213.67 µg/ml. This study revealed that E. alte extract has pepsin enzyme inhibitory, antibacterial, antioxidant activities. The current outcomes indicate that E. alte might be employed as a natural agent for managing GERD and infectious diseases.

Flavonoids are natural phenolic compounds found in dietary sources such as plants, fruits, and vegetables. They have a wide range of biological activities including cytostatic and anti-inflammatory effects. In this research, we synthesized flavone derivatives via the introduction of various aryl functional groups. Furthermore, we combined flavones with gallic acid derivatives. The synthesized compounds were tested against cervical (HeLa) and colon cancer cells (CaCo-2). Moreover, the synthesized compounds were evaluated for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities using DPPH and COX inhibition tests, respectively. The success of the synthesis of our target compounds was confirmed using IR and NMR. Compound 3 potently inhibited the proliferation of CaCo-2 cells (IC50 = 2.42 µg/mL). Meanwhile, compound 4 exhibited antioxidant activity (IC50 = 3.53 ± 0.1 µg/mL). Moreover, compound 4 selectively inhibited COX-2 with an IC50 = 6.02 ± 0.33 µg/mL; it was approximately 6-fold more selective for COX-2 than for COX-1 enzymes. In conclusion, the results strongly indicate that the chemical modification of flavones enhances their bioactivity. Further investigation of in vivo anti-inflammatory and anticancer evaluation of active compounds is required to prove both safety and efficacy.

Validating ethnobotanical data from underexplored traditional plant remedies provides an infinite source of new pharmaceutical chemicals. The purpose of this study was to determine the phytochemical composition and several biological activities (antioxidant, anti-lipase, anti-α-amylase, anti-α-glucosidase, and antimicrobial) of aqueous, ethanol, hexane, and acetone Artemisia scoparia leaf extracts. An exhaustive technique was employed to extract A. scoparia four extracts. At the same time, standard analytical and biochemical assays were utilized to determine preliminary phytochemical screening, anti-DPPH, anti-lipase, anti-α-glucosidase, and anti-α-amylase activities. Furthermore, the antimicrobial effects against seven microbial strains were evaluated using a broth micro-dilution assay. Acetone A. scoparia extract exhibited the highest DPPH scavenging and anti-α-glucosidase activities (IC50 = 21.87 ± 0.71, and 149.75 ± 1.33 µg/mL, respectively), as well as the ethanol extract, exhibited the highest anti-α-amylase activity (IC50 = 251 ± 1.34 µg/mL) while the aqueous extract had the best anti-lipase activity (IC50 = 102 ± 0.27 µg/mL) among other extracts. Moreover, A. scoparia hexane extract has more powerful activity against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus vulgaris, Pseudomonas aeruginosa than Ciprofloxacin and Ampicillin antibiotics with MICs of 0.78 ± 0.01, 0.39 ± 0.01, 0.78 ± 0.01, and 1.56 ± 0.22 µg/mL, respectively. In addition, hexane and acetone extracts of A. scoparia have the same antifungal power as Fluconazole (1.56 ± 0.22 µg/mL). The outcomes of the current study indicated that the A. scoparia acetone, ethanol, and aqueous extracts had promising antioxidant, anti-lipase, and anti-α-amylase effects, while hexane and acetone extracts had interesting antimicrobial potential. A. scoparia four extracts of potentially bioactive compounds can be selected for further isolation and purification. Moreover, clinical investigations and in vivo approaches should be implemented to confirm the pharmaceutical benefits of these extracts against diabetes, obesity, oxidative stress, and microbial infections.

Teucrium polium leaf is one of the folkloric medicinal plants used traditionally to treat many diseases in the Palestinian community. It has antibacterial antioxidant and anti-inflammatory consequences. Present study aims the evaluating the in vitro inhibitory effect of Teucrium polium leaf extracts on tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) using polymorphonuclear cells (PMNCs), in addition to determine its antioxidant and total phenolic and flavonoids contents. Polymorphonuclear cells were withdrawn from whole blood according to Histopaque (Ficol-1077) method. Blood cells were cultured in an enriched Roswell Park Memorial Institute (RBMI) medium. The levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) were determined after 24 h using LPS stimulation. Total phenolic contents, flavonoids contents and antioxidant activity were measured using spectrophotometric method. The TNF-α concentrations were compared using paired-samples t test. The leaf extracts of Teucrium polium revealed significant reduction in terms of TNF-α levels. The extract contained high phenolic and flavonoids contents and its antioxidant activities were remarkable. The reduced values in the TNF-α levels as affected by Teucrium polium leaf extracts indicate its effect in anti-inflammation. The plant is rich with polyphenolic compounds and flavonoids and has strong antioxidant activity. The observed anti-inflammatory effect of the extracts under study may be discussed as the influence of the significant presence of the phenolic compounds and flavonoids.

CDK1 (cyclin dependent kinase 1) is a key regulator of the cell cycle and is frequently dysregulated in cancer, making it a promising target for anticancer therapy. Securigera securidaca L. (S. securidaca) seeds, traditionally used in folk medicine for various ailments including cancer, were examined for their potential as CDK1/Cks2 inhibitors using in silico approaches. A total of 14 phytocompounds was identified in the GC/MS chromatogram, with gingerone being the most abundant at 25.67% and hippeastrine the least at 2%. Major constituents of the essential extract, including gingerol, eugenol, α-curcumene, and gingerol, showed high values and made up 52% of the total content of the volatile extract. Molecular docking and ADMET studies suggested that hippeastrine and naringenin are potential hit candidates against CDK1, exhibiting good drug-like properties and molecular interactions with desirable pharmacokinetic and toxicological characteristics close to dinaciclib. Furthermore, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations showed that both compounds exhibited stable conformations inside the binding site over the 100 ns MD simulation, suggesting they may stabilize the protein structure by reducing the flexibility of the CDK1 backbone. Additionally, MM-PBSA calculations further supported the stability of hippeastrine and naringenin in CDK1 complexes. Overall, these findings suggest that hippeastrine and naringenin are potential hit candidates for CDK1 inhibition, providing valuable insight into their binding and stability within the active site of CDK1. Further investigation of these compounds with in vitro and in vivo assays is warranted to assess their potential as CDK1 inhibitors for cancer therapy.

An in-vitro evaluation of the antioxidant activities of wild Palestinian Pistacia palaestina extracts was done. In parallel, the total phenolic content (TPC) and the total flavonoids content (TFC) were measured. The antioxidant activities were determined spectrophotometrically by DPPH, FRAP, CUPRAC and the ABTS methods. The phenolic and flavonoid contents were separated and identified using LC-PDA-MS. The P. palaestina extract was found to contain many phenolic and flavonoids that enhance its reducing activity and free radical scavenging ability. Total phenolic content, and total flavonoids contents were found to be 66.5 ± 2.2 mg Gallic acid/g, and 20.3 ± 1.1 mg catechin/g, respectively. Antioxidant activity represented as FRAP, CUPRAC, DPPH and ABTS was found to be 23.5± 1.2 mmol Fe+2/g, 4562 ± 63 µmol Trolox/g, 344 ± 11 µmol/g, 53.1 ± 6.6 µmol/g, respectively. The aim of the study is therefore to employ different antioxidant tests to evaluate the antioxidant activities of crude ethanol leaf extracts of P. palaestina, and to determine its phenolic and flavonoids content. Key words: Pistacia palaestina, flavonoids, antioxidants, Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS).

Background and objectives Salvia officinalis (Sage) is a plant native to the Middle East and Mediterranean areas. It is from the family of Labiatae used for the treatment of different kinds of disorders. In the present study, ethanolic extracts of Salvia officinalis screened for its chemical composition. Materials and methods The extract obtained from Silvia officinalis growing wild in Al-Karak, Jordan, investigated for its photo components for the first time. The extract analyzed by GC-MS and HPLC instruments. The aerial part of the plant collected at the beginning of spring 2018. Results Results show that the ethanolic extract has 28 natural compounds with 95.30% of the total identified components. Two peaks with 4.70% of total composition could not be identified. This analysis revealed that the compounds are mainly composed of aromatics and oxygenated hydrocarbons. Such as; L-Ascorbic acid, Silane, D-Glucuronic acid, Phenobarbital and Undecanedioic acid. Conclusion Overall this study highlights the identification of several oxygenated hydrocarbons of phytochemical compounds with two unknown components. Further investigation is needed for structural elucidation directed with pharmacological activity.

The most efficient and safe source of medications is the natural and traditional medications which are produced from plants and herbs. In this study

Verthimia iphionoides extract from Palestine was tested in vitro for its antioxidant, antibacterial, and anticancer activities. Total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) measurements were made concurrently. By using FRAP and DPPH methods, the antioxidant activity were measured spectrophotometrically. By using HPLC-PDA, phenolic and flavonoid compounds of the extract were determined. Results showed strong antioxidant activity of the plant extract revealed by inhibition of stable free radicals (DPPH test) and strong reducing ability (FRAP test). According to spectrophotometric methods for total phenolic compounds and total flavonoids content, the extracts were also found to be rich in polyphenolic compounds and flavonoids. Verthimia iphionoides extract had high antibacterial activity against three bacterial strains (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus aureus), with inhibition zone values of 14 mm, 25 mm, and 27 mm, respectively. Bioactivities were primarily attributed to plants’ abundant phenol-based chemical composition. Additionally, the extract was found to be abundant in phenolic and flavonoids, which improved its reducing activity and capacity to scavenge free radicals. Plant extracts were subjected to HPLC analysis, which identified different flavonoids and phenolic compounds in the extracts.

Aims: The objective of this study is to use different essential oils (cinnamon, clove, rosemary, almond sweet, sesame, wheat germ, and cedar wood) in concentrated yoghurt as antimicrobial agents to increase shelf life of concentrated yoghurt. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Food Technology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Al-Quds University, Palestine, between January 2015 to August 2016. Methodology: Essential oils were added to concentrated yogurt at a concentration of 250 μl\kg. Antibacterial activity and properties of major borne bacteria such as total aerobic count bacteria, yeast, mold, Staphylococcus aureus, were evaluated by plate count method, (pouring plate method). All yogurt samples were sensory evaluated for flavor, body and texture, and appearance. Total solid content, and titratable acidity of different yogurt samples were also determined. Results: Total solids and pH of concentrated yogurt samples treated with essential oils were only slightly affected. The best three essential oils used in terms of influence on total bacterial viable count and mold count were found to be cinnamon, clove and rosemary. The most acceptable organoleptic properties of treated concentrated yogurt were those samples treated with sesame and rosemary oils. Conclusion: The addition of cinnamon, clove and rosemary essential oils could increase the shelf life of concentrated yogurt.

The Authors thank Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University for providing facilities, financial support, and encouragement.

In this work, a rapid and straightforward technique was developed with bio-synthesized silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) coated on a porous membrane which utilizes electrical potential to extract perchlorate from seafood samples. The biosynthesized Ag-NPs was well characterized by Ultraviolet-Visible Spectrophotometry (UV-Vis), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). After extraction, analyses were performed using ion chromatography (IC). The Ag-NPs coated porous polypropylene membrane shows higher extraction efficiency due to the high electrical conductivity of the silver nanoparticles. The performance of this efficient technique was compared with those previously reported in the literature. The extraction variables that affect extraction of the target analyte and influencing % recovery, such as pH of sample solution, extraction time and applied voltage, were investigated and optimized. Results demonstrated sample solution (pH=6), short extraction time (10 min), and applied voltage of 5 V was found to be the optimum conditions to achieve low detection limits (LODs). The developed method shows excellent linearity for perchlorate ion in the range from 0.001 to 350 μg L-1 with a coefficient of determination (r2 ) of 0.9991. The detection limit (LODs) and quantification limits (LOQs) were found to be 0.04 μg kg-1 and 0.1225 μg kg-1 , respectively. The mean recovery percentages for three replicates of ten different spiked fish samples by 3 μg g-1 of perchlorate were between 92.2% and 106.2%, with an observed relative standard deviation (RSDs) in the range of (0.8-3.7%). The proposed method is fast, sensitive, inexpensive, environmentally friendly, and highly effective in extracting perchlorate from different seafood samples.

Screening of phytochemical Ephedra alte crude extract by GC–MS and HPLC analysis indicated the presence of alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids, terpenoids, and phenolic acid in the extract. The total phenolic content of E. alte methanol extract was 39.43 mg of Gallic acid eq/g, crude E. alte with 56.74, and 2.42 µg Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC)/g of plant extract according to DPPH and FRAP assay, respectively. The antimicrobial activity of E. alte against Staphylococcus aureus, staphylococcus epidermidis, Escherichia coli, and Klebsiellaoxytoca demonstrated a mean zone diameter of inhibition ranging from 0 to 17 mm. The MIC of the extracts ranged from 0.5 to 1.0 mg/mL. E. alte extract inhibits pepsin enzyme activity with IC50 values of 213.67 µg/ml. This study revealed that E. alte extract has pepsin enzyme inhibitory, antibacterial, antioxidant activities. The current outcomes indicate that E. alte might be employed as a natural agent for managing GERD and infectious diseases.

Berberine is an alkaloid with a wide range of reported beneficial health effects. The current work provides an extensive literature analysis on berberine. Bibliometric data were identified by means of the search string TOPIC=(“berberin*” OR “umbellatine*”), which yielded 5,547 publications indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection electronic database. The VOSviewer software generated bubble maps to visualize semantic terms with citation results. The ratio of original articles to reviews was 13.6:1. The literature has been growing more quickly since the 2010s. Major contributing countries were China, the United States, India, Japan, and South Korea. Most of the publications appeared in journals specialized in pharmacology pharmacy, biochemistry molecular biology, chemistry, and plant science. Some of the frequently mentioned chemicals/chemical classes were alkaloid, palmatine, jatrorrhizine, coptisine, isoquinoline, and sanguinarine. The prevalent medical conditions under investigation included Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, diabetes, and obesity.

Two new hydrated monocationic Cu(II) complexes with 1,3-propylenediamine and 1,2-ethylenediamine of general formula [CuBr(N-N)2·H2O]Br were prepared. The complexes were identified by means of several spectroscopic tools (Uv-visible, IR and MS), thermally (TG/DTA) and CHN-elemental analysis. The three dimensional structure for complex A and B was provide by X-ray diffraction studies and showed the Cu(II) ion as 4 + 1 + 1 coordinated, four nitrogen atoms of the diamine ligands, one bromide ion and one H2O semi-coordinated to the Cu(II) center, a typical trans effect is clearly observed in the two complexes. The molecular crystal structures are linked via several H-bonds like N_H…Br and N_H…O. Additionally, intra-molecular H-bonds of kind C_H…Br is observed; these interactions lead to crystal structure three dimensional architecture packing. Hirshfeld surfaces (HSA) analysis was served to figure out the inter-contacts and fingerprints atoms percentage. DNA-binding, antitumor and antibacterial effectiveness of the desired complexes were evaluated.

Three medicinal plants grown wild in Jordan, namely Achillea santolina L, Achillea fragrantisimma, Asteriscus graveolens (Forssk) Less, were extracted with ethyl acetate by continuous shaking at room temperature for three days. The antibacterial activity of the crude extract was evaluated. The extracts were analyzed for their phenolic and flavonoids content by HPLC-PDA. The HPLC analysis of the plant extracts revealed the presence of flavonoids and phenolic compounds in the three plant extracts. Results revealed a strong antibacterial activity of A. graveolens against three bacterial strains (B. subtilis, E. coli, and S.aureus) while A. fragrantissima inhibited the growth of B. subtilis. Bioactivities were attributed mainly to the immense content of phenol-based compounds in plants.

Dried aerial parts of three medicinal plants grown wild in Jordan, namely Ononis natrix L., Salvia spinosa L. and Salvia verbenace L., were extracted upon soaking with ethyl acetate by continuous shaking at room temperature for three days. The extracts were analyzed for their phenolic and flavonoids content by HPLC-PDA. The HPLC analysis of the plant extracts revealed the presence of flavonoids and phenolic compounds in the three plant extracts. The antibacterial activity of the crude extract was evaluated. The PDA wavelengths range was from 227-347 nm. Bioactivities were attributed mainly to the immense content of phenol-based compounds in plants.

In this study, the removal of selected pharmaceuticals including ibuprofen, diclofenac sodium, indomethacin, chlorpheniramine maleate, and paracetamol from water using natural Jordanian zeolite was studied. The influence of pH, contact time, adsorbent dosage, and initial pharmaceutical concentration on the adsorption process was investigated using batch and column methods. The optimal pH for the removal of all selected pharmaceuticals was found to be 2 except for diclofenac sodium where the optimal pH was 6. The optimum adsorption time was found to be 80 min. The percentage removal increased as the initial concentration of the pharmaceuticals increased from 10.0 to 50.0 mg/L except for indomethacin where the removal decreased as the initial concentration increased. After optimization, the highest removal was found to be 88.3, 30.1, 59.0, 85.8, and 12.7% for ibuprofen, diclofenac sodium, indomethacin, chlorpheniraminemaleate, and paracetamol, respectively. Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models were used to evaluate the adsorption efficiencies of the investigated pharmaceuticals. The results demonstrated that Langmuir isotherm fits the experimental data for diclofenac sodium, indomethacin and paracetamol with adsorption capacity $$(Q_{\mathrm{max}})$$ of 4.8, 26.6, and 55.6 mg/g, respectively, whereas Freundlich isotherm fits the experimental data for both ibuprofen and chlorpheniramine maleate. Continues flow experiment was performed on ibuprofen under constant influent concentration and fixed flow rate. Equal eluted fractions of 100 mL were collected and analyzed for ibuprofen content. The results indicated that percentage removal of ibuprofen on zeolite was found to be the highest after fraction 9 with 78% removal.

The emergence of pathogenic microbes with increased resistance to established antibiotics provides a major incentive for the discovery of new antimicrobial agents. Herbals may provide valuable solutions for this global problem. In addition, the replacement of harmful synthetic antioxidants with natural ones may prevent various serious diseases. The present investigation describes for the first time the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the aqueous and organic extracts of Helichrysum sanguineum, Moluccella spinosa and Styrax officinalis plants aerial parts. The free radical scavenging activity was estimated using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl method, while the antimicrobial activity was evaluated against selected microbial strains from American Type Culture Collection and clinical isolates such as Shigella sonnie, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcuss feacium, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans, Epidermophyton floccosum and Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) using minimum inhibitory concentration assay. A mixture of phytochemical compounds was found in all of the studied plants extracts which also showed remarkable potentials of antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. The current study provides initial data that justify the use and importance of these plants in the Palestinian traditional medicine. In addition, it provides evidence that the aqueous and organic extracts of H. sanguineum, M. spinosa and S. officinalis exhibited interesting antioxidant activity comparing with Trolox. Furthermore, the organic extract of H. sanguineum strongly exhibited bacterial growth of S. aureus, E. faecium and MRSA which suggested to be used as antibiotic alternative or as sufficient natural food preservative.

Introduction: In the last thirty years, interests in searching for plants with potential antimicrobial and antioxidant activities have been increased due to their probable health benefits. This study aimed to investigate the antimicrobial and antioxidant effects of various solvents fractions of Bupleurum lancifolium. Methods: The antioxidant activities of four fractions of Bupleurum lancifolium were assessed by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH ) scavenging assay, while the antimicrobial activity was assessed by broth microdilution method. The antimicrobial activity of four plant fractions was examined against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Shigella sonnie and Enterococcus faecium American Type Culture Collection reference strains. Results: The fractionation extraction method succeeds in the assessment of the antibacterial and antioxidant activity of B. lancifolium plant. Hence the methanolic fraction has antioxidant potential with 33.03% of inhibition according to the Trolox antioxidant standard molecule, while n-hexane and methanol fractions showed powerful antibacterial activity against E. faecium and S. sonnie strains with Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC )1.5625 mg/ml for both fractions. Conclusion: All plant fractions have potent antioxidant and antibacterial activities. Further investigations, i.e. isolation, identification, and clinical assessment, of the active compound(s) are needed for the possible formulation of new therapeutic alternatives. [J Complement Med Res 2017; 6(4.000): 401-406]

Trans fatty acids occur in food either naturally or produced during heat processing of food containing unsaturated fats. Naturally occurring trans fatty acids have different physiological and biological functions as compared to those formed in heat processed food which increase the risk of coronary heart disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of heat treatments [heating temperature: 120, 150, 190 and 250°C and heating period: 10, 30, 60 and 180 minutes] on the amount of trans fatty acids (as elaidic acid) of fat and oil samples [two solid-state (margarine and ghee) and two liquids-state (olive oil and corn oil)]. Results showed that elaidic acid content in margarine was not affected by heat at 120°C at all studied heating durations. At 150, 190 and 250°C, there is a cubic significant relationship between elaidic acid content and time of heating. Elaidic acid content in ghee was not affected by heat treatment at 120°C, while at 150°C, there was a cubic significant relationship between elaidic acid content and heating time. At 190°C, there was a negative linear relationship between elaidic acid content and time of frying, while at 250°C, there was oscillatory relationship in the amounts of elaidic acid with time of heating. As a conclusion, all margarine and ghee samples analyzed in this study had elaidic acid before and after heat treatment used in the study. However, corn oil and olive oil were free from elaidic acid before and after studied heat treatments. Therefore, it is recommended to cook and bake with vegetable oils (such as corn oil) instead of solid fats, and to keep margarine and ghee consumption as low as possible in nutrition.

Introduction Antibiotic resistance has become a serious global concern, and the discovery of novel antimicrobial herbal constituents may provide valuable solutions to overcome this problem. It is important to identify new sources of natural antioxidants and antimicrobials. The present study describes for the first time the antioxidant, and antibacterial activities of various fractions of Ononis pubescens L., a traditional Palestinian medicinal plant. Methods Antimicrobial activity was tested against selected strains from American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) and clinical isolates including Shigella sonnie, Staphylococcus aureus, Entrococuss feacium, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Candida albicans and Epidermatophyto flacosum using minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assay, while antioxidant activity was analyzed using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging method. Results A mixture of phytochemicals was found in all of the studied fractions of O. pubescens, which also showed remarkable potential with antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. Conclusion The current study provides initial data that justify the use and importance of Ononis species in Palestinian folkloric medicine. Our results showed that Ononis pubescens n-hexane fraction has powerful antibacterial bioactivity against Staphylococcus aureus, as well as the acetone, n-hexane and methanol fractions which showed excellent potential against Epidermatophyto flacosum fungi, while the acetone fraction showed the highest antioxidant activity among other fractions. Further investigations are needed to identify and characterize these constituents.

Water soluble mono-cationic copper(II) complex of the general formula [Cu(NO2-phen)2Br]Br, (NO2-phen=5-nitro-1.10-phenantholine) was prepared in good yield under ultrasonic irradiation. The desired complex was isolated as a bromide salt and identified by MS, EA, UV-Vis., TG/DTA, FT-IR and XRD. The single-crystal X-ray diffraction and Hirschfield analysis revealed a square pyramidal distorted geometry around the Cu(II) center. The geometry of the [Cu(NO2-phen)2Br]+ complex was fully optimized with ab-initio methods and (DFT/B3LYP) density functional theory, then structural parameters were compared to the XRD data. The solvatochromism of [Cu(NO2-phen)2Br]Br complex was investigated in several polar solvents. Absorption and viscosity titration studies concluded that the [Cu(NO2-phen)2Br]Br complex is a very good CT-DNA binder.

The combination of the powerful antimicrobial agent florfenicol and the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory flunixin meglumine is used for the treatment of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) and control of BRD-associated pyrexia, in beef and nonlactating dairy cattle. This study describes the development and validation of an HPLC-UV method for the simultaneous determination of florfenicol and flunixin, in an injectable preparation with a mixture of excipients. The proposed RP-HPLC method was developed by a reversed phase- (RP-) C18e (250 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) column at room temperature, with an isocratic mobile phase of acetonitrile and water mixture, and pH was adjusted to 2.8 using diluted phosphoric acid, a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min, and ultraviolet detection at 268 nm. The stability-indicating method was developed by exposing the drugs to stress conditions of acid and base hydrolysis, oxidation, photodegradation, and thermal degradation; the obtained degraded products were successfully separated from the APIs. This method was validated in accordance with FDA and ICH guidelines and showed excellent linearity, accuracy, precision, specificity, robustness, LOD, LOQ, and system suitability results within the acceptance criteria.

Background: Ephedra is among Palestinian medicinal plants that are traditionally used in folkloric medicine for treating many diseases. Ephedra is known to have antibacterial and antioxidant effects. The goal of this study is to evaluate the antioxidant activity of different extracts from the Ephedra alata plant growing wild in Palestine, and to analyze their phenolic and flavonoid constituents by HPLC/PDA and HPLC/MS. Materials and Methods: Samples of the Ephedra alata plant grown wild in Palestine were extracted with three different solvents namely, 100% water, 80% ethanol, and 100% ethanol. The extracts were analyzed for their total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), antioxidant activity (AA), as well as phenolic and flavonoids content by HPLC/PDA/MS. Results: The results revealed that the polarity of the extraction solvent affects the TPC, TFC, and AA of extracts. It was found that both TPC and AA are highest for plant extracted with 80% ethanol, followed by 100% ethanol, and finally with 100% water. TFC however was highest in the following order: 100% ethanol > 80% ethanol > water. Pearson correlation indicated that there is a significant correlation between AA and TPC, but there is no correlation between AA and TFC. Simultaneous HPLC-PDA and UHPLC-MS analysis of the ethanolic plant extracts revealed the presence of Luteolin-7-O-glucuronide flavone, Myricetin 3-rhamnoside and some other major polyphenolic compounds that share myricetin skeleton. Conclusion Ephedra alata extract is rich in potent falvonoid glycosidic compounds as revealed by their similar overlaid UV-Vis spectra and UHPLC-MS results. On the basis of these findings, it is concluded that Ephedra alata constitutes a natural source of potent antioxidants that may prevent many diseases and could be potentially used in food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical products.

Hu&aacute, ngl&oacute, ngb&igrave, ng (HLB), citrus greening, is one of the most destructive diseases of citrus plants worldwide. In North America, HLB is caused by the phloem-limited bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus and is transmitted by the Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri. No cure exists at present, and the use of antibiotics for the control of HLB has gained interest due to the significant losses to the citrus industry. Because of unsatisfactory results when using foliar applications of antibiotics, concerns were raised regarding the uptake and translocation of these materials within trees. We, therefore, investigated a method that allows us to study the movement of antibiotic materials in citrus plants. Herein, we utilized a fluorescence-labeled penicillin, BOCILLINTM FL-Penicillin (FL-penicillin), to study the uptake and translocation of penicillin in citrus plants. FL-penicillin was applied by puncture to the stem of young citrus seedlings and was traced by using fluorescence microscopy. After application, we detected FL-penicillin in the leaves and in the stem xylem and phloem tissues above and below the application site in both intact and partially bark-girdled citrus seedlings, indicating that it is easily taken up and transported through the plant vascular system. In addition, we detected FL-penicillin in the gut of D. citri, which were allowed to feed on the treated plants, suggesting translocation of this molecule into the vascular tissue. We propose that the use of fluorescent-labeled molecules could be an effective tool for understanding the uptake and translocation of antibiotics and other macromolecules in plants and insects.