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Wound healing is a critical process essential for the body’s recovery from injuries, often complicated by bacterial infections. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have gained attention due to their antibacterial and tissue-regenerative properties. However, conventional chemical synthesis methods for AgNPs pose environmental risks. This study utilizes Ziziphus spina-christi (ZSC) extract for the eco-friendly synthesis of AgNPs, evaluating their antibacterial and wound-healing capabilities. The AgNPs-ZSC showed an absorption maximum at λ max of 460 nm, a particle size of 111.2 ± 1.09 nm, a polydispersity index of 0.38 ± 0.006, and a zeta potential of −27.0 ± 0.231 mV. The synthesized AgNPs-ZSC were spherical, non-aggregated, and exhibited potent antibacterial activity superior to chloramphenicol. Furthermore, the AgNPs-ZSC cream significantly promoted wound closure, epithelial tissue proliferation, and granulation tissue formation in rats, showing no signs of toxicity or adverse reactions. In conclusion, AgNPs-ZSC cream demonstrates excellent antibacterial and wound-healing properties, presenting a sustainable alternative to conventional chemical methods for AgNP synthesis.

The goal of this study was to see ethanolic extract of Ipomoea staphylina leaves could protect rats from D-GalN/LPS-induced AHF. Five groups (n=6) of male Wistar rats were created. Group I was given a normal control (1ml/kg); Group II was given D-GalN/LPS; Group III was given D-GalN/LPS + silymarin (100 mg/kg; p.o. ); Group IV was given D-GalN/LPS+ethanolic extract of I. staphylina (100mg/kg); and Group V was given D-GalN/LPS+ethanolic extract of I. staphylina (200mg/kg). All animals in groups II-V were given D-GalN/LPS (400mg/kg; and 30g/kg) on the 15th day after being treated with silymarin or I. staphylina extract for 15 days. Blood was collected from all groups of animals 24 hours after D-GalN/LPS administration to conduct biochemical analysis. The levels of SGOT, SGPT, ALP, GGT and total bilirubin in animals pretreated with the extract were all considerably lower. In addition, the total protein content was considerably greater in the extract-treated mice. The extract led to a considerable decrease in LPO levels as well as a notable increase in SOD, CAT and GSH levels in liver tissue. The extract dramatically lowered TNF-α, IL-6, iNOS, NO and MPO levels in the liver tissue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to find out if the ethanolic fruit extract of Sechium edule fruits could prevent Imquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriasis-like dermatitis in male Wistar rats. The rats were divided into four groups of five rats each group. Group 1 served as a negative control, while groups 2 and 4 received 5 percent IMQ cream topically on shaved backs, topical 5 percent IMQ cream + S. edule (200mg/kg) orally once daily and topical 5 percent IMQ cream + S. edule (400mg/kg) orally once daily, respectively. From days 3 to 9, the animals treated with IMQ developed characteristic erythmea, scaling and thickening, according to the findings. Furthermore, skin thickness and the psoriasis area severity index (PASI) both were increased significantly. In IMQ-challenged mice, histological investigation revealed epidermal cuticle, including parakeratosis, acanthosis and perivascular infiltration of inflammatory cells. In IMQchallenged rats, treatment with S. edule (200 and 400mg/kg) significantly reversed all of these symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sechium edule , commonly known as chayote is known for its low glycemic index, high fiber content, and rich nutritional profile, which suggests it may be beneficial for individuals with diabetes. While research specifically examining the impact of chayote on diabetes is limited, this study screened its biological impacts by using different biomarkers on streptozotocin-induced diabetic (STZ-ID) rats. The ethanolic extract of the Sechium edule fruits was assessed for different phytochemical, biochemical, and anti-diabetic properties. In the results, chayote extract had high phenolic and flavonoid contents respectively (39.25 ± 0.65 mg/mL and 12.16 ± 0.50 mg/mL). These high phenolic and flavonoid contents showed high implications on STZ-ID rats. Altogether 200 and 400 mg/kg of the extract considerably reduced the blood sugar level and enhanced the lipid profile of the STZ-ID rats. Additionally, they have decreased blood urea and serum creatinine levels. Besides, the levels of SGOT, SGPT, LDH, sodium, and potassium ions were significantly lowered after the administration period. More importantly, the electrocardiogram (ECG) parameters such as QT, RR, and QTc which were prolonged in the diabetic rats were downregulated after 35 days of administration of S. edule extract (400 mg/kg). And, the histological examination of the pancreas and kidney showed marked improvement in structural features of 200 and 400 mg/kg groups when compared to the diabetic control group. Where the increase in the glucose levels was positively correlated with QT, RR, and QTc (r 2  = 0.76, r 2  = 0.76, and r 2  = 0.43) which means that ECG could significantly reflect the diabetes glucose levels. In conclusion, our findings showed that the fruit extract exerts a high potential to reduce artifacts secondary to diabetes which can be strongly suggested for diabetic candidates. However, there is a need to study the molecular mechanisms of the extract in combating artifacts secondary to diabetes in experimental animals., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Background: The leaves of Zizyphus spina-christi (L.) Willd contain several compounds exhibiting different pharmacologic activities. However, studies on the cytotoxic activity of these compounds are limited., Objectives: We aimed to investigate and isolate cytotoxic compounds with selective antitumor effects from the leaves of Z. spina-christi using bioassay-guided fractionation of methanol extract., Methods: Powdered, dried leaves were subjected to methanol extraction and fractionated using n -hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and n -butanol. Fractions with positive cytotoxicity against HeLa and THP-1 cell lines were further fractionated and eluted using various concentrations of organic solvents. Active compounds were isolated using different chromatographic methods and their chemical structures were determined using extensive spectroscopic methods, such as 1D NMR ( 1 H NMR, 13 C NMR, and DEPT), 2D NMR (COSY, HMBC, and HMQC), HRFAB-MS, and IR. Furthermore, the cytotoxic effects of the isolated compounds were evaluated against 62 tumor cell lines (including HeLa and THP-1) in addition to normal bone marrow cells., Results: The chloroform and aqueous methanol fractions of the leaves showed cytotoxic activity. Two compounds were successfully isolated and named "sidrin" (13-β-hydroxy-lup-20(30)-ene-2,3-β-epoxy-28-carboxylate) and "sidroside" (3- O -β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-3)-α-L-arabinopyranosyl-jujubogenin-20- O -α-L-rhamnopyranoside). Sidrin exhibited cytotoxic activity against the human leukemia (Hl-60, RPMI-8226), lung cancer (A549, EKVX), breast cancer (BT-549, MDA-MB-231/ATCC), colon cancer (KM12), melanoma (M14, SK-MEL-5), and central nervous system (CNS) cancer (SF-295) cell lines, and selectivity was observed against the Hl-60, EKVX, BT-549, KM12, and SF-295 cell lines. In addition, sidrin was more active than sidroside and doxorubicin against the Hl-60 and EKVX cell lines. In contrast, sidrin had a similar effect to doxorubicin against the BT-549 and renal cancer (UO-31) cell lines. Sidroside was more selective against the leukemia (CCRF-CEM, MOLT-4), lung cancer (HOP-92, NCI-H322M), breast cancer (MDA-MB-468), melanoma (LOX IMVI), CNS cancer (SNB-19), ovarian cancer (OVCAR-8), renal cancer (UO-31, RXF 393), and prostate cancer (PC-3) cell lines. Both compounds exhibited similar activity against the breast cancer (MDA-MB-231, T-47D), colon cancer (HCC-2998, HCT-116), ovarian cancer (OVCAR-3), renal cancer (UO-31, 786-0, and SN 12C) cell lines. Normal bone marrow cells were unaffected at the same concentrations of sidrin and sidroside applied to tumor cells., Conclusions: These results suggest tumor-selective cytotoxicity of sidrin and sidroside., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 The Author(s).)

Background: Terfezia claveryi truffles are known for their nutritional value and have been considered among traditional treatments for ophthalmic infections and ailments., Objectives: We sought to investigate the in vitro antimicrobial efficacy of several T. claveryi extracts from Saudi Arabia. Certain pathogenic fungi and gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria were included., Methods: Dry extracts were prepared using methanol, ethyl acetate, and distilled water, while the latter was used for preparing fresh extracts. The extracts were microbiologically evaluated through the disc-diffusion agar method; the zones of inhibition of microbial growth were measured post-incubation. The minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) were determined in Müller-Hinton Broth through the microdilution susceptibility method. anti-biofilm activity was assessed for potent extracts., Results: Dry extracts showed potent activity (>16-mm inhibition zones) against gram-positive ( Bacillus subtilis IFO3007 and Staphylococcus aureus IFO3060) and gram-negative ( Pseudomonas aeruginosa IFO3448 and Escherichia coli IFO3301) bacteria. The activity against fungi was moderate (12-16-mm inhibition zones) for both Aspergillus oryzae IFO4177 and Candida albicans IFO0583; there was no activity against Aspergillus niger IFO4414 growth. Methanolic extract had the lowest MIC and MBC, exhibiting remarkable activity against B. subtilis growth. Fresh extract showed moderate activity against bacterial growth and inactivity against fungal growth. Methanolic extract showed potent anti-biofilm activity (IC 50 , 2.0 ± 0.18 mg/mL) against S. aureus ., Conclusions: T. claveryi extracts showed antibacterial effects potentially suitable for clinical application, which warrants further in-depth analysis of their individual isolated compounds., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2022 The Author(s).)