Amani S. Awaad

Effects of dihydroquercetin obtained from deodar (Cedrus deodara) on immune status of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata L.)

The use of medicinal plants as prophylactic method in fish is considered safe and a very promising alternative to the use of chemicals in aquaculture practices. The prospective mode of action of dihydroquercetin, fraction of the medical plant deodar (Cedrus deodara), was evaluated on immune status of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata L.). Fish were divided into 4 groups before being fed for 14 days with commercial diets supplemented with 0% (control), 0.1%, 0.5% and 1% of dihydroquercetin. Cellular (phagocytosis and respiratory burst activities) and humoral (seric complement activity, antiprotease, total protein, peroxidase, bactericidal activity and IgM level) immune parameters were investigated. The results recorded enhancement in all the tested parameters and in all the dihydroquercetin supplemented groups compared to the control. Interestingly, the fish received the lowest dose of dihydroquercetin (0.1%) showed a highly significant difference (p < 0.05) in phagocytosis, respiratory burst, IgM level, total protein, complement, antiprotease and bactericidal activities compared to the control. Direct effect of different doses of dihydroquercetin on head-kidney leucocytes was also studied in a previous in vitro assay. Again, the lowest doses tested provoked the highest immune cellular activities, where, the highest phagocytic and respiratory bust activities were recorded in leucocytes incubated with 0.025% and 0.0125% doses, respectively. Therefore, the results suggest that low concentrations of dihydroquercetin as food supplements are able to increase the immune status of gilthead seabream.

Role of medicinal plants on growth performance and immune status in fish

Abstract Disease outbreaks increase proportionally with increases in intensive aquaculture. Natural products including medicinal plants have been known from thousands of years for treating some human diseases. It is well known that many active compounds are responsible for potential bio‐activities. For that reason, there has been considerable interest in the use of medicinal plants in aquaculture with a view to providing safe and eco‐friendly compounds for replacing antibiotics and chemical compounds as well as to enhance immune status and control fish diseases. This article describes a wide range of medicinal plants such as herbs, seeds, and spices with different forms such as crude, extracts, mixed and active compounds, used as immunostimulants and resulting in a marked enhancement in the immune system of fish to prevent and control microbial diseases. Moreover, different activity was recorded from plant parts like seeds, roots, flowers and leaves. The mode of action of medicinal plants was stimulation of the cellular and humoral immune response which was monitored through elevation in immune parameters. Various levels of immune stimulation have been shown by medicinal plants at different concentrations through injection or immersion or oral administration. However, it is critically important to determine the optimal dose to enhance the immune system of fish and avoid the risk of immunosuppression. Some medicinal plants have been used to replace the protein in fishmeal as a cheap source of protein and proved to be efficient in this respect. Medicinal plants can act as a growth promoter and immunomodulator at the same time. Further investigations should be carried out to examine the influence of those plants on fish health (including physiological and histological parameters) as a preliminary step for use in large scale in aquaculture. The current review describes the role of medicinal plants and their derivatives on innate and adaptive immune status as well as growth performance in fish. Graphical abstract Figure. No Caption available.

Synthesis, analgesic, anti-inflammatory and anti-ulcerogenic activities of certain novel Schiff's bases as fenamate isosteres

A series of certain novel Schiff bases as fenamate isosteres (VI:a-k) were synthesized to locate analgesic, anti-inflammatory agent with minimal ulcerogenic potential. The structures of the newly synthesized compounds were elucidated on the basis of their elemental analysis as well as IR, and NMR and mass spectroscopic data. All the compounds were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory activity by carrageenan induced paw oedema method. The compounds possessing good anti-inflammatory activity were further tested for analgesic, ulcerogenic, lipid peroxidation potentials and liver toxicity. Compounds (VI-c), (VI-f), (VI-h) and (VI-i) showed the best anti-inflammatory and significant analgesic activities at doses comparable to that of the standard drug Indomethacin. However, compounds (VI-c) and (VI-f) could be considered the most potent anti-inflammatory and analgesic molecules with maximum reduction in gastro-intestinal ulceration with no hepatocyte necrosis or liver degeneration.

New Activities for Isolated Compounds from Convolvulus austro-aegyptiacus as Anti-ulcerogenic, Anti-Helicobacter pylori and Their Mimic Synthesis Using Bio-guided Fractionation

Bio‐guided fractionation of the total alcoholic extract of Convolvulus austro‐aegyptiacus was screened for its anti‐ulcerogenic activity, using an absolute‐ethanol‐induced ulcer model at 500 and 1000 mg/kg doses. Two compounds were isolated from the butanol extract of C. austro‐aegyptiacus and identified by 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance as scopoletin and scopolin. The isolated compounds (50 mg/kg) showed a remarkable anti‐ulcerogenic activity because they exhibited control‐ulcer protection by 16.7% and 90.8%, respectively. The acute toxicity study showed that the extract is highly safe; the median lethal dose (LD50) was more than 4000 mg/kg. Moreover, the obtained results were confirmed by the sub‐chronic toxicity because the rats that have been administered 1000 mg/kg of the extract for 15 consecutive days showed no alteration in the liver and kidney functions. Copyright

Analysis of Quercetin and Kaempferol in an Alcoholic Extract of Convolvulus pilosellifolius using HPLC

A simple, rapid, and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was developed and validated for identification and determination of flavonoids in Convolvulus pilosellifolius. The chromatographic separation was achieved in less than 6 min using C18 column (150 × 4.6 mm, 3 μm) with isocratic mixture of methanol and water containing 0.1 percent v/v formic acid in the ration of 80:20 at 258 nm with a flow rate of 0.4 mL/min. The method was validated in the linear calibration curve ranged between 1 and 300 μg/mL with detection limits of 0.39 and 0.26 μg/mL and quantification limits of 1.20 and 0.79 μg/mL for quercetin and kaempferol, respectively. Good repeatability of the method were achieved at percent relative standard deviation (RSD < 2.18 percent) with respect to inter- and intraday repeatability. Recovery values were found to be in the range of 98.2–100.2 percent, indicating high accuracy of the method. The maximum flavonoid contents were 1.07 and 1.54 percent for quercetin and kaempferol, respectively.

In – Vitro activity of Desmostachya bipinnata (L.) Stapf successive extracts against Helicobacter pylori clinical isolates

Helicobacter pylori are well acknowledged as a major cause of gastrointestinal ailments and gastric cancers. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the potential in vitro activity of Desmostachya bipinnata against H. pylori, focusing on the determination of the most active extract responsible for the anti-helicobacter activity to produce new active drug from natural source. Desmostachya bipinnata total alcohol and successive extracts were in vitro tested against H. pylori. All extracts showed promising anti Helicobacter pylori activities. The most effective extract was diethyl ether extract, it showed 75% growth inhibition of the clinical Isolates bacterial Helicobacter pylori, in addition it showed high count reduction on the selected organisms in the different concentrations used (2xMIC, MIC & ½ MIC) compared with the untreated controls as well as the other extracts (chloroform, ethyl acetate and n-butanol). The oral median lethal dose (LD50) of the alcohol extract of the plant by doses up to 5000 mg/kg didn’t showed any mortality or morbidity, in addition no side effects were recorded on both liver and kidney functions this means that the extract was safe for use.