Aly M. El-Sayed

Hepatic fibrosis is a common pathway leading to liver cirrhosis, which is the end result of any injury to the liver. Accurate assessment of the degree of fibrosis is important clinically, especially when treatments aimed at reversing fibrosis are being evolved. Despite the fact that liver biopsy (LB) has been considered the "gold standard" of assessment of hepatic fibrosis, LB is not favored by patients or physicians owing to its invasiveness, limitations, sampling errors, etc. Therefore, many alternative approaches to assess liver fibrosis are gaining more popularity and have assumed great importance, and many data on such approaches are being generated. The Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver (APASL) set up a working party on liver fibrosis in 2007, with a mandate to develop consensus guidelines on various aspects of liver fibrosis relevant to disease patterns and clinical practice in the Asia-Pacific region. The first consensus guidelines of the APASL recommendations on hepatic fibrosis were published in 2009. Due to advances in the field, we present herein the APASL 2016 updated version on invasive and non-invasive assessment of hepatic fibrosis. The process for the development of these consensus guidelines involved review of all available published literature by a core group of experts who subsequently proposed consensus statements followed by discussion of the contentious issues and unanimous approval of the consensus statements. The Oxford System of the evidence-based approach was adopted for developing the consensus statements using the level of evidence from one (highest) to five (lowest) and grade of recommendation from A (strongest) to D (weakest). The topics covered in the guidelines include invasive methods (LB and hepatic venous pressure gradient measurements), blood tests, conventional radiological methods, elastography techniques and cost-effectiveness of hepatic fibrosis assessment methods, in addition to fibrosis assessment in special and rare situations.

ADVERTISEMENT RETURN TO ISSUEPREVArticleNEXTCatharanthus Alkaloids. XXXIV. Catharanthamine, A New Antitumor Bisindole Alkaloid From Catharanthus roseusAly El-Sayed and Geoffrey A. CordellCite this: J. Nat. Prod. 1981, 44, 3, 289–293Publication Date (Print):May 1, 1981Publication History Published online1 July 2004Published inissue 1 May 1981https://doi.org/10.1021/np50015a009Request reuse permissionsArticle Views321Altmetric-Citations33LEARN ABOUT THESE METRICSArticle Views are the COUNTER-compliant sum of full text article downloads since November 2008 (both PDF and HTML) across all institutions and individuals. These metrics are regularly updated to reflect usage leading up to the last few days.Citations are the number of other articles citing this article, calculated by Crossref and updated daily. Find more information about Crossref citation counts.The Altmetric Attention Score is a quantitative measure of the attention that a research article has received online. Clicking on the donut icon will load a page at altmetric.com with additional details about the score and the social media presence for the given article. Find more information on the Altmetric Attention Score and how the score is calculated. Share Add toView InAdd Full Text with ReferenceAdd Description ExportRISCitationCitation and abstractCitation and referencesMore Options Share onFacebookTwitterWechatLinked InReddit PDF (306 KB) Get e-Alertsclose Get e-Alerts

<italic>Passiflora edulis</italic> Sims <italic>F. flavicarpa</italic> along with several other plants belonging to the genus <italic>Passiflora</italic> have been reported as sedatives and for treatment or prevention of central disorders.

In Africa, Aframomum species have been traditionally used to treat illnesses such as inflammation, hypertension, diarrhea, stomachache and fever. Moreover, Aframomum melegueta seed extracts (AMSE) are used in traditional medicine to relieve stomachaches and inflammatory diseases.Chronic administration of diclofenac (DIC) has been reported to cause acute kidney injury (AKI), which is a serious health condition. The nephroprotective effect of AMSE is yet to be elucidated. Accordingly, this study aims to investigate the phytoconstituents of standardized AMSE, evaluate its nephroprotective effects against DIC-induced AKI in rats, and elaborate its underlying molecular mechanisms.The quantitative estimation of major AMSE constituents and profiling of its secondary metabolites were conducted via RP-HPLC and LC-ESI/Triple TOF/MS, respectively. Next, DIC (50 mg/kg)-induced AKI was achieved in Sprague-Dawley rats and DIC-challenged rats were administered AMSE (100 and 200 mg/kg) orally. All treatments were administered for five consecutive days. Blood samples were collected and the sera were used for estimating creatinine, urea and, kidney injury molecule (KIM)-1 levels. Kidney specimens were histopathologically assessed and immunohistochemically examined for c-Myc expression. A portion of the kidney tissue was homogenized and examined for levels of oxidative stress markers (MDA and GSH). Heme oxygenase (HO)-1, TNF-α, IL-6, Bax, Bcl2 and caspase-3 renal levels were quantified by ELISA. Moreover, the protein expression levels of NF-ҡB p65 was quantified using Western blot analysis, whereas mRNA expression levels of AMPK, SIRT-1, nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor (Nrf2) and STAT3 were detected using qRT-PCR in the remaining kidney tissues.Standardized AMSE was shown to primarily contain 6-gingerol, 6-shogaol and 6-paradol among the 73 compounds that were detected via LC-ESI/Triple TOF/MS including phenolic acids, hydroxyphenylalkanes, diarylheptanoids and fatty acids. Relative to DIC-intoxicated rats, AMSE modulated serum creatinine, urea, KIM-1, renal MDA, TNF-α, IL-6, Bax, and caspase-3 levels. AMSE has also improved renal tissue architecture, enhanced GSH and HO-1 levels, and upregulated renal Nrf2, AMPK, and SIRT-1 mRNA expression levels. Furthermore, AMSE suppressed NF-ҡB p65 protein and STAT3 mRNA expression, and further reduced c-Myc immunohistochemical expression in renal tissues. Overall, our findings revealed that AMSE counteracted DIC-induced AKI via its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiapoptotic activities. Moreover, AMSE activated Nrf2/HO1 and AMPK/SIRT1, and inhibited NF-ҡB/STAT3 signaling pathways. Therefore, AMSE is a promising agent for inhibiting DIC-induced nephrotoxicity.

ADVERTISEMENT RETURN TO ISSUEPREVArticleNEXTCatharanthus Alkaloids XXXVII. 16-Epi-Z-Isositsirikine, a Monomeric Indole Alkaloid with Antineoplastic Activity from Catharanthus roseus and Rhazya strictaSibabrata Mukhopadhyay, Aly El-Sayed, George A. Handy, and Geoffrey A. CordellCite this: J. Nat. Prod. 1983, 46, 3, 409–413Publication Date (Print):May 1, 1983Publication History Published online1 July 2004Published inissue 1 May 1983https://doi.org/10.1021/np50027a019Request reuse permissionsArticle Views264Altmetric-Citations32LEARN ABOUT THESE METRICSArticle Views are the COUNTER-compliant sum of full text article downloads since November 2008 (both PDF and HTML) across all institutions and individuals. These metrics are regularly updated to reflect usage leading up to the last few days.Citations are the number of other articles citing this article, calculated by Crossref and updated daily. Find more information about Crossref citation counts.The Altmetric Attention Score is a quantitative measure of the attention that a research article has received online. Clicking on the donut icon will load a page at altmetric.com with additional details about the score and the social media presence for the given article. Find more information on the Altmetric Attention Score and how the score is calculated. Share Add toView InAdd Full Text with ReferenceAdd Description ExportRISCitationCitation and abstractCitation and referencesMore Options Share onFacebookTwitterWechatLinked InReddit PDF (324 KB) Get e-Alertsclose Get e-Alerts

ADVERTISEMENT RETURN TO ISSUEPREVArticleNEXTCatharanthus Alkaloids, XXXVIII. Confirming Structural Evidence and Antineoplastic Activity of the Bisindole Alkaloids Leurosine-N'b-Oxide (Pleurosine), Roseadine, and Vindolicine from Catharanthus roseusAly El-Sayed, George A. Handy, and Geoffrey A. CordellCite this: J. Nat. Prod. 1983, 46, 4, 517–527Publication Date (Print):July 1, 1983Publication History Published online1 July 2004Published inissue 1 July 1983https://doi.org/10.1021/np50028a016RIGHTS & PERMISSIONSArticle Views231Altmetric-Citations24LEARN ABOUT THESE METRICSArticle Views are the COUNTER-compliant sum of full text article downloads since November 2008 (both PDF and HTML) across all institutions and individuals. These metrics are regularly updated to reflect usage leading up to the last few days.Citations are the number of other articles citing this article, calculated by Crossref and updated daily. Find more information about Crossref citation counts.The Altmetric Attention Score is a quantitative measure of the attention that a research article has received online. Clicking on the donut icon will load a page at altmetric.com with additional details about the score and the social media presence for the given article. Find more information on the Altmetric Attention Score and how the score is calculated. Share Add toView InAdd Full Text with ReferenceAdd Description ExportRISCitationCitation and abstractCitation and referencesMore Options Share onFacebookTwitterWechatLinked InReddit PDF (772 KB) Get e-Alertsclose Get e-Alerts

Fractionation of the ethanolic extract of the flowers of Delonix regia led to the isolation of three sterols, namely, stigmasterol (1.54 %), ß-sitosterol and its 3-O-glucoside (6.93 %), a triterpene, namely, ursolic acid (3.61 %) and four flavonoids: quercetin (2.92 %), quercitrin (0.59 %), isoquercitrin (3.87 %) and rutin (5.12 %) in addition to the amino acid L- azeditine-2-carboxylic acid. The structures of the isolated compounds were established on the basis of physicochemical properties and spectral analysis (IR, UV, EI/MS, 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR). The concentration of the isolated compounds was determined by HPLC technique. The ethanolic extract and its non-polar and flavonoid rich fraction as well as the isolated compounds evidenced cytotoxic activities against human liver cancer cell line (HEPG2) which were potent for ursolic acid (IC50 0.55 μg/ml) and L-azeditine-2-carboxylic acid (IC50 2.51 μg/ml). Meanwhile, rutin and isoquercitrin were inactive. Moreover, the ethanolic extract and its two fractions were tested for hepatoprotective activity against CCl4 induced hepatic cell damage in rats at two dose levels (50 and 100 mg/kg), and the flavonoid rich fraction showed statistically significant hepatoprotection at 100 mg/kg. The presence of the aforementioned flavonoids with their efficient free radical scavenging properties may explain this liver protection ability. This could suggest the use of the ethanolic extract of the flowers of D. regia as a chemopreventive agent against the two main causes of liver damage; liver toxicity by chlorinated agents and liver cancer.

Ferula tingitana L. (Apiaceae) has been considered to have abortive and menstruation-inducing properties. It used to treat sore throat, fever, indigestion, and pains.The objective of this study is to establish the chemical composition of the essential oil of flower, leaves of F. tingitana, and to throw light on antimicrobial, cytotoxic activities of Libyan plant.The chemical composition of the essential oil of flower (0.06% w/v) and leaves (0.1% w/v) of F. tingitana was comparatively analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry using nonpolar column DB-5.A total of 28-32 components were identified, 15 being common in both samples. The main constituents of both flower- and leave-derived oil samples were α-thujene (13.5%-2.3%), elemol (8.9%-8.3%), eudesmol (0.6%-9.7%) and cadinol (2.2%-13.8%), respectively. The principle difference was a considerably more pronounced sesquiterpenes presence in the leaves-oil, amounting to 74.0%, than in the flower counterpart (39.9%). Caryophyllene (5.6%) and elemol (8.9%) were the major sesquiterpenes detected in flower-oil while leaves-oil showed less amounts of sesquiterpenoid hydrocarbons (27.7%) and represented by eudesmadiene (9.0%). On the contrary, while remaining the dominant group in both oil samples, monoterpenoids are relatively more abundant in flower-derived oil constituting 57.7% versus 24.5% detected in leaves.Leaves-oil sample being mostly efficient as antibacterial against Bacillus subtilis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae with potency 48.3, 41.9% compared to tetracycline standard antibacterial drug. The essential oil samples revealed marked in vitro cytotoxicity against breast (MCF7), cervical (HELA) and liver(HEPG2) carcinoma cell lines with IC50% (6.9, 4.8), (8.6, 10.9), and (4.4, 4.2) for the flower-, leaves-derived oil sample, respectively.Comparative analysis of the investigated oil samples indicates more pronounced monoterpene contents in Ferula tingitana flower. The principle monoterpenoid constituents of both oils are α-thujene. Sesquiterpenes presence is considerably more pronounced in the leaves-derived oil sampleElemol, cadinol, α-thujene and a-terpinoline, the major components of the flower- and leaves-derived oil in the present work and were not detected in the Turkish sample. The differences may be due to climatic and other extrinsic conditions such as where and when the samples were collectedWhen screened for antimicrobial activity, the flower- and leaves-derived oil of F. tingitana exhibited a mild effect against all tested Gram-negative and Gram-positive microorganisms. However, not displayed growth inhibitory effect against the fungus Aspergillus flavus and Candida albicansOn assessing the cytotoxic activity, the flower- and leaves-derived oil exhibited specific and significant effects on the viability of the selected human cell lines, viz., hormone-responsive breast carcinoma cell line (MCF7), cervical carcinoma cell line (HELA), and liver carcinoma cell line (HEPG2). Abbreviations used: F: Flower-derived oil of F. tingitana; L: Leaves-derived oil of F. tingitana; IPP: Isopentenyl pyrophosphate or also isopentenyl diphosphate; DMAPP: Dimethylally pyrophosphate or also dimethylallyl diphosphate; GPP: Geranyl pyrophosphate; GGPP: Geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate; MEP: Methylerythritol phosphate pathway; FPP: Farnesyl pyrophosphate; GC/MS: Analysis gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy; SRB: Sulforhodamine B.

Interest in developing coffee substitutes is on the rise, to minimizing its health side effects. In the Middle East, date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) pits are often used as a coffee substitute post roasting. In this study, commercially-roasted date pit products, along with unroasted and home-prepared roasted date pits, were subjected to analyses for their metabolite composition, and neuropharmacological evaluation in mice. Headspace SPME-GCMS and GCMS post silylation were employed for characterizing its volatile and non-volatile metabolite profile. For comparison to roasted coffee, coffee product was also included. There is evidence that some commercial date pit products appear to contain undeclared additives. SPME headspace analysis revealed the abundance of furans, pyrans, terpenoids and sulfur compounds in roasted date pits, whereas pyrroles and caffeine were absent. GCMS-post silylation employed for primary metabolite profiling revealed fatty acids’ enrichment in roasted pits versus sugars’ abundance in coffee. Biological investigations affirmed that date pit showed safer margin than coffee from its LD50, albeit it exhibits no CNS stimulant properties. This study provides the first insight into the roasting impact on the date pit through its metabolome and its neuropharmacological aspects to rationalize its use as a coffee substitute.

Diclofenac (DIC)-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) causes high morbidity and mortality. With the absence of satisfactory treatment, we investigated the protective effects of 6-Paradol (PDL) against DIC-induced AKI, with focus on renal autophagy and NLRP3 inflammasome pathways . PDL has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and AMPK-activation properties. PDL was administered to DIC-challenged rats. Nephrotoxicity, oxidative stress, inflammatory, and autophagy markers and histopathological examinations were evaluated. Compared to DIC, PDL restored serum nephrotoxicity, renal oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory markers. PDL almost restored renal architecture, upregulated renal Nrf2 pathway via enhancing Nrf2 mRNA expression and HO-1 levels. PDL suppressed renal NF-κB mRNA expression, and NLRP3 inflammasome pathway expression. Moreover, PDL enhanced renal autophagy through upregulating LC3B, AMPK and SIRT-1, and suppressed mTOR, p-AKT mRNA expressions and phosphorylated-p62 levels. Our study confirmed that autophagy suppression mediates DIC-induced AKI via AMPK/mTOR/AKT and NLRP3-inflammasome pathways. Also, PDL's nephroprotective effects could provide a promising therapeutic approach against DIC-induced AKI.

Chemical profile analyses of artichoke (Cynara scolymus L., Asteraceae) edible parts (fleshy receptacle, inner bracts) as well as roots are compared with the commercially usable leaf extract using HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS via chlorogenicacid as a marker. Overall polyphenolic constituents demonstrated by means of LC/MS profiling. The nutritional values and inulin contents of different assessed parts were investigated. The present study was designed to determine the effect of artichoke: leaves, bracts, receptacles and roots alcoholic extracts against CCl4-induced acute hepatotoxicity and hyperlipidemia in rats by means of histopathological and biochemical parameters. Serum liver enzymes levels of aspartate amino transferase, alanine amino transferase, alkaline phosphatase and lipid peroxidase content (malondialdehyde MDA) were estimated. Blood glutathione, total cholesterol, triacylglycerides and high density lipid level were estimated in plasma. The ethanol extract of roots, leaves, bracts and receptacles were standardized to (0.82 ± 0.02, 1.6 ± 0.06, 2.02 ± 0.16 and 2.4 ± 0.27 mg chlorogenic acid/100 mg extract), respectively. The receptacle showed the highest content of polyphenols and exhibits the highest antioxidant activity. HPLC analysis of inulin in the receptacles of globe artichoke revealed high content of inulin (41.47 mg/g) dry extract. All artichoke parts contain comparable vitamins and minerals. Artichokes receptacles extract when taken in dose of (500 mg/kg/day) reduce the lesion caused by CCl4 alone more than groups receiving silymarin. Bracts and leaves extract exert nearly the same effect.

The present study was conducted to evaluate the analgesic, anti-inflammatory and gastroprotective activities of ethanol, de-fatted ethanol extracts and n-hexane fractions of Pouteria campechiana (Kunth) Baehni leaves and seeds.Further chemical analysis was done to isolate and identify its bioactive compounds.The seeds ethanolic extract produced 85% inhibition of inflammation in the rat paw oedema test at the dose of 100 mg/kg after 4 h (p<0.05).On the other hand, the leaves ethanolic extract (200 mg/kg) exhibited maximum analgesic activity after 90 min (p<0.05) in the hot plate test.Both leaves and seeds ethanolic extracts showed significant decreases in gastric ulcer number and severity (p<0.05).Phytochemical investigation of P. campechiana leaves and seeds yielded six compounds: protocatechuic acid (C 1 ), gallic acid (C 2 ), quercetin (C 3 ), myricetin (C 4 ), myricetin-3-O-α-L-rhamnoside (C 5 ) and myricetin-3-O-β-galactoside (C 6 ).The study supports the use of P. campechiana in traditional medicine for conditions associated with inflammation, pain and peptic ulcers.

ADVERTISEMENT RETURN TO ISSUEPREVArticleNEXTCatharanthus Alkaloids XXXIII. 21'-Oxo-Leurosine From Catharanthus Roseus (Apocynaceae)Aly El-Sayed, George A. Handy, and Geoffrey A. CordellCite this: J. Nat. Prod. 1980, 43, 1, 157–161Publication Date (Print):January 1, 1980Publication History Published online1 July 2004Published inissue 1 January 1980https://doi.org/10.1021/np50007a016RIGHTS & PERMISSIONSArticle Views152Altmetric-Citations12LEARN ABOUT THESE METRICSArticle Views are the COUNTER-compliant sum of full text article downloads since November 2008 (both PDF and HTML) across all institutions and individuals. These metrics are regularly updated to reflect usage leading up to the last few days.Citations are the number of other articles citing this article, calculated by Crossref and updated daily. Find more information about Crossref citation counts.The Altmetric Attention Score is a quantitative measure of the attention that a research article has received online. Clicking on the donut icon will load a page at altmetric.com with additional details about the score and the social media presence for the given article. Find more information on the Altmetric Attention Score and how the score is calculated. Share Add toView InAdd Full Text with ReferenceAdd Description ExportRISCitationCitation and abstractCitation and referencesMore Options Share onFacebookTwitterWechatLinked InReddit PDF (345 KB) Get e-Alerts Get e-Alerts

Chenopodium botrys L. growing in Saudi Arabia is rich in essential oil (2% v/w). The GC/MS and spectroscopic data of the gross terpenoid constituents are presented. α and β-eudesmol were the major sesquiterpenes in the oil. The antimicrobial activity of the oil is also recorded.

Context: There is a need to use the new technologies to induce immunity with minimum number of vaccination sessions to ensure compliance with reducing cost. Objectives: To develop single shot vaccines of tetanus, diphtheria and divalent toxoids microsphere’s formulations and to induce their immune response after intranasal and subcutaneous administration in mice. Materials and methods: The microspheres were prepared using different concentrations of chitosan. Microsphere’s morphology, particle size analysis, encapsulation efficiency and antigen integrity were performed and the best formulations were selected for in vitro and in vivo testing in mice. Results: The developed microspheres have a yield percent of 70.3–91.5%. In vitro release of antigens indicated that tetanus release was increased up to 75 and 81% post T5 and TD5 formulations respectively, whereas diphtheria cumulative release increased up to 74 and 69% post D3 and TD5, respectively. Discussion: Antibody levels produced were lower than that obtained from alum adsorbed vaccine but higher than the minimum level required to induce immunogenicity (>0.01 IU/mL). The subcutaneous route of administration was superior over the intranasal route in producing higher antibody levels. Conclusion: Chitosan microspheres were developed successfully and prove that chitosan represents a good candidate for vaccines delivery.

Activity-directed study of Juniperus polycarpos led to the isolation of active antimicrobial viz., hinokiol, sandaracopimaric acid 4-eniabietic acid, and other minor terpenes in addition to sabinic acid. The antiinflammatory activity of hinokiol was also demonstrated, using carrageenan-induced inflammation_in rats. The structures of the isolated terpenes were determined by 1HNMR, 13CNMR and 2DNMR, APT, DEPT, PND spectra.

The immune system and its relation to psychiatric disorders has attracted many investigators, but there is still great controversy about the extent of immunological changes associated with different psychiatric disorders. Bipolar disorder is the least studied among the three major psychiatric disorders: schizophrenia, major depression and bipolar disorder. The current study was conducted on 20 patients with mania in comparison to 20 healthy controls, to evaluate changes in percentage of lymphocytes, active T-lymphocytes and natural killer (NK) cells. We found a significant decrease in the percentage of lymphocytes in mania patients as compared to controls. Assessment of Active T. lymphocyte (HLADR+) and NK cell (CD56+) by flowcytometry using a battery of paired (FITC and PE) monoclonal antibodies, revealed significant decrease in NK cells (P < 0.001), while no significant difference was found between patients and controls as regards percentage of active T lymphocytes. It is concluded that the immune response is altered in manic patients. However, further studies on large number of cases using various immunological parameters related to CMI are needed to confirm these findings.

Applying a bioactivity-guided isolation strategy for the ethanolic extract of crown gall tumours induced on an Eucalyptus tereticornis tree, two new compounds in addition to a known one were isolated. The new compounds were identified as an amino acid derivative named 1-ethyl-6-(1'-methyl-1'-phenylethyl) piperidin-2-one (1) and a lanostane tetracyclic triterpene named 3beta-hydroxy-24-methyllanosta-8,17(20),24(28)-trien-22-oic acid (2), together with stigmasterol-3-O-glucoside (3). The three compounds exhibited significant cytotoxic activity against two human cell lines, breast (MCF7) and colon (HCT116), with IC50 values of 1.01, 1.54, and 2.15 microg/ml, respectively, against MCF7 and 3.49, 3.83, and 3.39 microg/ ml, respectively, against HCT116. Furthermore, in rats elevated levels of blood cholesterol, triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein (LDLc) were significantly reduced, while the level of high-density lipoprotein (HDLc) was significantly increased by administration of the ethanolic extract as well as of 3. These results support a correlation between the reduction of blood cholesterol levels and improvement of colorectal cancer.

Applying a bioactivity-guided isolation strategy for the ethanolic extract of crown gall tumours induced on an Eucalyptus tereticornis tree, two new compounds in addition to a known one were isolated. The new compounds were identified as an amino acid derivative named 1-ethyl-6-(1´-methyl-1´-phenylethyl) piperidin-2-one (1) and a lanostane tetracyclic triterpene named 3β-hydroxy-24-methyllanosta-8,17(20),24(28)-trien-22-oic acid (2), together with stigmasterol-3-O-glucoside (3). The three compounds exhibited significant cytotoxic activity against two human cell lines, breast (MCF7) and colon (HCT116), with IC 50 values of 1.01, 1.54, and 2.15 μg/ml, respectively, against MCF7 and 3.49, 3.83, and 3.39 μg/ ml, respectively, against HCT116. Furthermore, in rats elevated levels of blood cholesterol, triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein (LDLc) were significantly reduced, while the level of high-density lipoprotein (HDLc) was significantly increased by administration of the ethanolic extract as well as of 3. These results support a correlation between the reduction of blood cholesterol levels and improvement of colorectal cancer.

Nigella sativa and its oil are used in Egypt in folk medicine. The fatty acid methyl esters and sterols isolated from the oil were studied by using gas liquid chromatogrophy. The fatty acids were identified as myristic, palmitic, Palmitoleic, stearic, oleic, linoleic, linoenic, eicosenoic and eicosadienoic acids. The study of the sterol fraction revealed the presence of campesterol, stigmasterol, p-sitosterol and isofucosterol. The oil of N. sativa promoted mycelial growth of Aspergillus parasiticus which was grown in yeast extract sucrose (YES) media. Aflatoxins accumulation was inhibited gradually with increasing the concentration of N. sativa oil. The inhibitory effect of N. sativa oil was greatest at the lowest level of sucrose than the highest levels used in YES media.

Aframomum melegueta seeds (AMS) is an African spice with well known traditional and therapeutic values. Its pharmacological activities are attributable mainly to phenolics. This study aimed to investigate and optimize the parameters affecting the ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) of AMS major constituents and total phenolic content (TPC) using response surface methodology. 6-gingerol, 6-shogoal and 6-paradol were isolated from AMS and a Box-Behnken design (3 factors /3 levels) was used to determine the effect of three extraction parameters (extraction time, methanol concentration and liquid/solid ratio) on their extraction yield. The results showed that methanol concentration and liquid/solid ratio have positive and significant impact on the UAE of TPC and the three investigated compounds, while extraction time has no significant effect. Under optimal conditions, each 1 g dry sample provides 9.32±0.02 mg, 3.72±0.01 mg, 12.32±0.04 mg and 10.71±0.19 mg/GAE of 6-gingerol, 6-shogoal, 6-paradol and TPC, respectively. The optimized UAE conditions were validated and are recommended for the recovery of 6-gingerol, 6-shogoal, 6-paradol and TPC from AMS for further applications as alternative to conventional extraction method.

HCV is a worldwide health problem and with the lack of effective treatment, vaccination becomes an urgent task, especially in developing countries. The effective vaccine should elicit long-lasting antibodies but most importantly induce a vigorous, multi-specific cellular immune response that includes both helper and cytotoxic T lymphocytes. Advances in liposome technology account for much of the progress in vaccine delivery systems. Therefore, this study aimed at investigating the potential immunogenicity of HCV core antigen, and assessing the influence of the novel antigen carried on liposomes on T cell proliferation and IFN-gamma production as potent markers of cellular immune response. Several formulations for immunization were prepared, including liposomal encapsulation of the Ag. The study was conducted on a total of 95 female inbred (C57B1/6J) mice divided into five groups including a control group. Spleen lymphocytes were evaluated for cellular proliferation using 3-(4, 5-Dimethylthiazol-2-YI)-2, 5-Diphenyltetrazolium Bromide (MTT) assay and for secretion of IFN-gamma by ELISA. Mice injected with liposomes carrying HCV core Ag (group 1) showed a highly significant increase in splenocytes proliferation (spontaneously and after stimulation with the Ag) compared to all other groups, with a stimulation index (S.I) of 1.47 (P < 0.001). The second highest cellular proliferation was noticed in mice injected with core Ag and CFA (group 2) (S.I = 1.29) with a significant difference from group I (P = 0.001). Mice injected with core Ag alone showed a non-significant difference from the control group (P = 0.126). IFN-gamma level was the highest in liposomal Ag group with a highly significant difference; both spontaneously (56.3 pg/L) and with stimulation (68.32) (P < 0.001) followed by mice injected with core Ag with CFA. In conclusion, Liposomal formulation of HCV peptide vaccine is effective as direct in vivo antigen loading and activation of T cells leading to protective HCV antiviral responses.

The photo and thermal cis/trans isomerization reactions are studied for 1-methyl-4-(4 ʹaminostyryl)pyridinium iodide, Cy, which is prepared in the trans form.In a basic solution the trans form, Cy tr , cannot isomerise directly to the cis form.Its protonated form, Cy tr H + , is active and reacts photochemically from trans to cis configuration, Cy c H + .The quantum yields Ф tc and Ф ct are determined in water.Deprotonation process of Cy c H + yields the cis isomer, Cy c , which can thermally back to the stable trans form.The rate constants and the activated parameters of the thermal reaction are determined.Due to irreversibility of the thermal reaction, a complete molecular reaction cycle is performed in one direction.To get more information on the spectral characteristics of protonated form, the photochromic of the title compound is studied in different fourteen solvents.The linear relationships between absorption energy with hydrogen bond acceptor ability of the solvents and fluorescence energy of CyH + with free energy for transferring the proton to the solvent, DG t o were determined.

The essential oil of Plectranthus assurgens was analysed by GC/MS where several components were identified for the first time. The components of the oil of P.assurgens as well as Callistemon citrinus prepared from Ethiopian plants were compared with those oils prepared from other species growing abroad.