Cytotoxicity,Phytochemical Analysis and Antioxidant Activity of Crude Extracts from Rhizomes of Elephantorrhiza Elephantina and Pentanisia Prunelloides

Background

Elephantorrhiza elephantina (Ee) and Pentanisia prunelloides (Pp) are two medicinal plants which are widely used to remedy various ailments including diarrhoea, dysentery, inflammation, fever, rheumatism, heartburn, tuberculosis, haemorrhoids, skin diseases, perforated peptic ulcers and sore joints in southern Africa (South Africa, Swaziland, Botswana and Zimbabwe). The following study was conducted to explore the in vitro cytotoxicity, antioxidant properties and phytochemical profile of the two medicinal plants.

Materials and Methods

The cytotoxicity of the aqueous and methanol extracts and fractions of both species was studied using the brine shrimp lethality tests (BST) for the first time.

Results

The results demonstrated that the lethality (LC₅₀) for crude extracts for both plants ranged between 1.8 and 5.8 ppm and was relatively greater than that for the methanol, ethyl acetate and chloroform fractions of the extracts which ranged between 2.1 ppm and 27 ppm. This suggested that crude extracts were more potent than their respective fractions, further explaining that the different fractions of phytochemicals in these plant species work jointly (in synergy) to exert their therapeutic efficacy. Both aqueous and methanol extracts of the two medicinal plants demonstrated a high degree of antioxidant capacity against the DPPH radical with the Duh and Yen inhibition percentage ranging between 4.5% and 72%. Phytochemical studies of the rhizome extracts showed that the major compounds present include flavonoids, tannins, anthocyanidins, anthraquinones, triterpenoids (oleanolic acid), the steroidal saponin Diosgenin, the sugars, rhamnose, glucuronic acid, Arabinose and hexoses.

Conclusion

This is the first report of the detection and isolation of diosgenin and oleanolic acid from the rhizome extracts of Ee and Pp. All structures were determined using spectroscopic/spectrometric techniques (1H NMR and 13C and LC-ESI-MS) and by comparison with literature data.     

Fabrication and Characterization of Highly Efficient As-Synthesized WO3/Graphitic-C3N4 Nanocomposite for Photocatalytic Degradation of Organic Compounds

The incorporation of tungsten trioxide (WO₃) by various concentrations of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) was successfully studied. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), and Diffused Reflectance UV-Vis techniques were applied to investigate morphological and microstructure analysis, diffused reflectance optical properties, and photocatalysis measurements of WO₃/g-C₃N₄ photocatalyst composite organic compounds. The photocatalytic activity of incorporating WO3 into g-C₃N₄ composite organic compounds was evaluated by the photodegradation of both Methylene Blue (MB) dye and phenol under visible-light irradiation. Due to the high purity of the studied heterojunction composite series, no observed diffraction peaks appeared when incorporating WO₃ into g-C₃N₄ composite organic compounds. The particle size of the prepared composite organic compound photocatalysts revealed no evident influence through the increase in WO₃ atoms from the SEM characteristic. The direct and indirect bandgap were recorded for different mole ratios of WO₃/g-C₃N_4, and indicated no apparent impact on bandgap energy with increasing WO₃ content in the composite photocatalyst. The composite photocatalysts’ properties better understand their photocatalytic activity degradations. The pseudo-first-order reaction constants (K) can be calculated by examining the kinetic photocatalytic activity.     

Evaluation of therapeutic laser influences on the healing of third-degree burns in rats according to different wavelengths

Introduction: One of the most important innovative methods for tissue repair promotion is therapeutic lasers with photobiomodulution effects. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of four different wavelengths of therapeutic laser (405, 532, 660 and 810 nm) on healing of third-degree burns from both clinical and pathological standpoints in rats. Materials and methods: 60 male Wistar rats were used. Animals were anesthetized and dorsal hairs were shaved and third-degree skin burns were created by use of a 95°C copper stamp. Lesions were irradiated with 1.5 J/cm² energy densities and 200 mW/cm² power densities. Results: Statistical analyses of the “wound contraction” changes between five groups during the study showed more reduction in wound size in all laser groups in comparison with the control group; but these differences were not statistically significant except between red and blue lasers on the last day of experiment. Discussion: Results of our study showed that using therapeutic lasers with green, blue, red, and infrared wavelengths may accelerate healing process. This trend is more obvious in red and infrared groups especially after acute phase, however, this effect was neither statistically nor clinically significant.     

Prevalence of Candida spp., xerostomia,and hyposalivation in oral lichen planus – A controlled study

Objective

To determine the frequency of Candida spp., xerostomia, and salivary flow rate (SFR) in three different groups: patients with OLP (OLP group), patients with oral mucosal lesions other than OLP (non‐OLP group), and subjects without oral mucosal lesions (control group).

Material and methods

Xerostomia as well as SFR was investigated in the three groups. Samples for isolation of Candida spp. were collected from OLP lesions (38 patients), non‐OLP lesions (28 patients), and healthy subjects (32 subjects).

Results

There was no statistically significant difference regarding the frequency of xerostomia and hyposalivation among the three groups (P > 0.05). A higher prevalence for colonization by Candida spp. was found in the healthy subject as compared to that of patients with OLP (P = 0.03) and non‐OLP (P = 0.02) groups. Low SFR was not a factor for colonization by Candida spp.

Conclusions

Xerostomia and hyposalivation occur with similar frequency in subjects with and without oral lesions; also, the presence of oral lesions does not increase the susceptibility to colonization by Candida spp. It seems that any study implicating Candida spp. in the malignant transformation of oral lesions should be carried out mostly on a biochemical basis, that is, by testing the capability of Candida spp. to produce carcinogenic enzyme.     

Root and canal morphology of permanent mandibular molars in a Sudanese population

AIM: To investigate variations in the root canal systems of first and second permanent mandibular molar teeth in a Sudanese population using a clearing technique. METHODOLOGY: Two hundred extracted first and second permanent mandibular molars from three cities in the state of Khartoum were studied. Access cavities were prepared and pulp tissue was removed by immersion in 5% sodium hypochlorite under ultrasonication; Indian ink was then injected into the root canal systems assisted by a vacuum applied apically. The teeth were rendered clear by demineralization and immersion in methyl salicylate before evaluation. The following observations were made (i) number of roots and their morphology; (ii) number of root canals per tooth; (iii) number of root canals per root and (iv) root canal configuration. RESULTS: Overall 59% of mandibular first molars had four canals with 3% having a third distolingual root. Seventy-eight per cent of second mandibular molars had two separate flat roots, whilst 10% were C-shaped. The most common canal system configurations were type IV (73%) and type II (14%). Inter-canal communications were more common in the mesial roots. The prevalence of inter-canal communications was 65% in first molars and 49% in second molars. CONCLUSIONS: In this sample of Sudanese teeth, 59% of the mandibular first permanent molars had four root canals whilst 10% of the mandibular second molars had C-shaped roots/canals.     

Discoid lupus erythematosus

Discoid lupus erythematosus is a manifestation of chronic cutaneous lupus erythematosus with a small risk of systemic involvement. In this review article, the role of predisposing factors such as haplotype, hormones, antibodies and sunlight are discussed. The clinical features, including variants and associations, and management options are presented.     

4种支架构建复合式口腔黏膜的组织学特点

目的利用4种不同支架材料构建复合式口腔黏膜,并比较其组织结构特点。方法体外培养人口腔黏膜的成纤维细胞和角质形成细胞,在4种支架材料中加入成纤维细胞,培养7d后,在支架表面加入角质形成细胞,培养4d后,移至气-液界面继续培养7d。苏木精-伊红染色镜下观察构建的复合式口腔黏膜的组织形态学特点。结果 4种支架均可构建形成复层上皮。其中,上皮层与脱细胞真皮基质材料(de-epidermised dermis,DED)结合紧密,形成的人工黏膜有明显的上皮钉突。不同于以往报道,上皮层与Alloderm结合并不十分紧密。以胶原凝胶为基质形成的人工口腔黏膜最厚,有明显分层。以胶原海绵-胶原凝胶为基质形成的复层上皮在部分区域长入至胶原海绵的空隙中。结论以DED和胶原凝胶为支架构建的口腔黏膜更接近于天然结构,而后者脆性较大,限制了其临床应用的可能。     

Prospective evaluation of posttransfusion hepatitis

The incidence of posttransfusion hepatitis (PTH) was determined prospectively at our institution. An active surveillance program of transfused surgical patients was set up; alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels were determined before transfusion and at monthly intervals for 6 months after transfusion. Patients with confirmed ALT values greater than 2.5 times the upper reference values were referred to the out-patient clinics for diagnosis. Of 4051 surgical patients who underwent transfusion between January 1986 and December 1989, 2459 (60.7%) were enrolled in the surveillance program, and 1018 (25.1%) completed the follow-up; 238 patients received autologous blood only and were used as controls. No PTH was observed in the control patients, and the incidence of the disease in patients receiving homologous blood was 10.97 percent in 1986, 6.58 percent in 1987, 5.55 percent in 1988, and 4.29 percent in 1989; the decreasing trend is significant (p = 0.018).     

A founder mutation in BBS2 is responsible for Bardet‐Biedl syndrome in the Hutterite population: utility of SNP arrays in genetically heterogeneous disorders

Innes AM, Boycott KM, Puffenberger EG, Redl D, MacDonald IM, Chudley AE, Beaulieu C, Perrier R, Gillan T, Wade A, Parboosingh JS. A founder mutation in BBS2 is responsible for Bardet‐Biedl syndrome in the Hutterite population: utility of SNP arrays in genetically heterogeneous disorders. Bardet‐Biedl syndrome (BBS) is a multisystem genetically heterogeneous disorder, the clinical features of which are largely the consequence of ciliary dysfunction. BBS is typically inherited in an autosomal recessive fashion, and mutations in at least 14 genes have been identified. Here, we report the identification of a founder mutation in the BBS2 gene as the cause for the increased incidence of this developmental disorder in the Hutterite population. To ascertain the Hutterite BBS locus, we performed a genome‐wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis on a single patient and his three unaffected siblings from a Hutterite family. The analysis identified two large SNP blocks that were homozygous in the patient but not in his unaffected siblings, one of these regions contained the BBS2 gene. Sequence analysis and subsequent RNA studies identified and confirmed a novel splice site mutation, c.472‐2A>G, in BBS2. This mutation was also found in homozygous form in three subsequently studied Hutterite BBS patients from two different leuts, confirming that this is a founder mutation in the Hutterite population. Further studies are required to determine the frequency of this mutation and its role, if any, in the expression of other ciliopathies in this population.