Mansour S. Alsaid

Pharmacological Studies on Aerial Parts of Calotropis Procera

The decoction of the aerial part of Calotropis procera is commonly used in Saudi Arabian traditional medicine for the treatment of variety of diseases including fever, joint pain, muscular spasm and constipation. The present investigation was undertaken to confirm its claimed activity in traditional medicine. The ethanol extract of the plant was tested on laboratory animals for its antipyretic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, purgative and muscle relaxant activities. The results of this study showed a significant antipyretic, analgesic and neuromuscular blocking activity. On smooth muscle of guinea pig ileum, the extract produced contractions which was blocked by atropine supporting its use in constipation. The extract failed to produce significant anti-inflammatory and antibacterial activities. Our phytochemical studies on the aerial parts of C. procera showed the presence of alkaloids, cardiac glycosides, tannins, flavonoids, sterols and/or triterpenes. However, the chemical constituents responsible for the pharmacological activities remains to be investigated. The safety evaluation studies revealed that the use of extract in single high doses (up to 3 g/kg) does not produce any visible toxic symptoms or mortality. However, prolong treatment (90 days) causes significantly higher mortality as compared to control group.

Studies on ruta chalepensis, an ancient medicinal herb still used in traditional medicine

An ethanolic extract of the aerial parts of Ruta chalepensis was studied for its anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, analgesic and CNS depressant activities. The extract produced a significant inhibition of carrageenan-induced paw oedema and cotton pellet granuloma in rats. The studies on spontaneous motor activity in mice and conditioned avoidance responding (CAR) in rats showed a dose-dependent depression of the central nervous system in treated animals. Reduction of yeast-induced hyperthermia in mice confirmed its reputed antipyretic activity. The extract did not produce any significant changes in prothrombin time and fibrinogen level. It also failed to produce any analgesic activity in the hot plate reaction-time test in mice. Phytochemical screening of the aerial parts of the plant showed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, coumarins, tannins, volatile oil, sterols and/or triterpenes.

Synthesis and in vitro anticancer evaluation of some novel hexahydroquinoline derivatives having a benzenesulfonamide moiety.

Inhibition of carbonic anhydrase isozymes has been found to have a role in the treatment of cancer. Several sulfonamide compounds bearing an aromatic or a heteroaromatic ring were found to posses potent carbonic anhydrase inhibitory activity and so can be used in the treatment of several types of cancer. In this paper, we present the synthesis of some novel quinoline 7-13, 21-26, 28 and pyrimidoquinoline 14-18, 20, 27 derivatives having a sulfonamide moiety. All the newly synthesized compounds were evaluated for their in vitro anticancer activity. Several compounds showed interesting cytotoxic activities when compared with the used reference drug. In addition, docking of the synthesized compounds into carbonic anhydrase isozyme II (CA II) active site was performed in order to give a suggestion about the proposed mechanism of action.

Anti-inflammatory activity of some Saudi Arabian medicinal plants

Five plants which have been used for the treatment of rheumatism, arthritis and gout in the traditional medicine of Saudi Arabia, were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory properties. Of these the ethanolic extract of Capparis decidua and the aqueous extract of Capparis spinosa were found to possess significant anti-inflammatory activity against carrageenan induced oedema in rats. These two plants were also tested for their antipyretic and analgesic activity. C. decidua was found to possess significant antipyretic effect. Both of them are devoid of analgesic activity.

Aloe vera extract functionalized zinc oxide nanoparticles as nanoantibiotics against multi-drug resistant clinical bacterial isolates

ZnO nanoparticles (ZnONPs) were synthesised through a simple and efficient biogenic synthesis approach, exploiting the reducing and capping potential of Aloe barbadensis Miller (A. vera) leaf extract (ALE). ALE-capped ZnO nanoparticles (ALE-ZnONPs) were characterized using UV-Vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses. XRD analysis provided the average size of ZnONPs as 15 nm. FTIR spectral analysis suggested the role of phenolic compounds, terpenoids and proteins present in ALE, in nucleation and stability of ZnONPs. Flow cytometry and atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS) data analyses revealed the surface binding and internalization of ZnONPs in Gram +ve (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram -ve (Escherichia coli) cells, respectively. Significant antibacterial activity of ALE-ZnONPs was observed against extended spectrum beta lactamases (ESBL) positive E. coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA) clinical isolates exhibiting the MIC and MBC values of 2200, 2400 μg/ml and 2300, 2700 μg/ml, respectively. Substantial inhibitory effects of ALE-ZnONPs on bacterial growth kinetics, exopolysaccharides and biofilm formation, unequivocally suggested the antibiotic and anti-biofilm potential. Overall, the results elucidated a rapid, environmentally benign, cost-effective, and convenient method for ALE-ZnONPs synthesis, for possible applications as nanoantibiotics or drug carriers.

Anti-inflammatory activity of Commiphora molmol.

The petroleum ether extract of the oleo-gum resin of Commiphora molmol, at a dose of 500 mg/kg body weight, produced significant inhibition of carrageenan induced inflammation and cotton pellet granuloma. The extract also showed significant antipyretic activity in mice. Further studies on the fractionation of phytoconstituents and their mechanism of action are in progress.

Synthesis and in vitro anticancer screening of some novel 4-[2-amino-3-cyano-4-substituted-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroquinolin-1-(4H)-yl]benzenesulfonamides.

It has been reported that aryl/heteroaryl sulfonamide compounds may act as anticancer agents through a variety of mechanisms and the most prominent of these mechanisms is through the inhibition of carbonic anhydrase isozymes. The present work reports the possible utility of 4-(cyclohexenylamino)benzenesulfonamide in the synthesis of some novel 4-(quinolin-1-yl)benzenesulfonamide derivatives 6a-u. The structures of these compounds were confirmed by elemental analyses, IR, (1)H NMR and mass spectral data. All the newly synthesized compounds were evaluated for their in vitro anticancer activity. Some compounds showed interesting in vitro anticancer activities when compared with doxorubicin as a reference drug. In addition, docking of the synthesized compounds into carbonic anhydrase isozyme II (CA II) active site was performed in order to give a suggestion about the proposed mechanism of action.

Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors: Synthesis, molecular docking, cytotoxic and inhibition of the human carbonic anhydrase isoforms I, II, IX, XII with novel benzenesulfonamides incorporating pyrrole, pyrrolopyrimidine and fused pyrrolopyrimidine moieties

A series of novel pyrroles, pyrrolopyrimidines, pyrazolopyrrolopyrimidine, triazolopyrrolopyrimidines, tetrazolopyrrolopyrimidine, triazinopyrrolopyrimidines and pyrrolopyrimidotriazepines bearing the biologically active benzenesulfonamide moiety were synthesized by using pyrrole-o-amino-carbonitrile as key intermediate. All the synthesized compounds were evaluated for their in vitro carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1) inhibitory effects against the human (h) isoforms hCA I, II, IX and XII. Among the tested derivatives, compounds 16, 18 and 20-24 showed potent activity as inhibitors for the tumor associated transmembrane isoforms (hCA IX and XII) in the nanomolar and subnanomolar range, with high selectivity. All compounds underwent cytotoxic activity assays on human breast cancer cell line (MCF-7) showing effective activity, comparable to that of the clinically used drug doxorubicin.

GASTRIC AND DUODENAL ANTIULCER AND CYTOPROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF AFRAMOMUM MELEGUETA IN RATS

AbstractAn ethanol extract of Aframomum melegueta (AMZ) has been studied for its ability to inhibit gastric secretion and to protect gastroduodenal mucosa against the injuries caused by pyloric ligation, hypothermic restraint stress, indomethacin, cysteamine and cytodestructing agents (80% ethanol, 0.6 M HCl, 0.2 M NaOH and 25% NaCl) in rats. The results of this study demonstrate that ethanol extract of AMZ had significant effects on various experimentally-induced ulcers. It produced a dose-dependent inhibition of basal gastric secretion in pylorus-ligated rats and reduced significantly the intensity of gastric lesions induced by pylorus ligation, hypothermic restraint stress, indomethacin, mucosal damaging agents and duodenal ulcers induced by cysteamine. The concentration of nonprotein-sulfhydryls was decreased significantly in gastric mucosa after administration of 80% ethanol. Treatment with AMZ extract replenished the reduced level of gastric mucosal nonprotein sulfhydryls. Acute toxicity tests showe...

Traditional medicinal plants of Saudi Arabia

The work gives an account of the use of twenty plant species in Saudi traditional medicine and their main chemical constituents. The botanical name, local name or names (in Arabic language), family, mode of administration and voucher herbarium numbers are recorded. Such a study is not only to document the current status of traditional uses of medicinal plants in Saudi Arabia, but also to give awareness of possible new drug resources.