Mohamed F. AlAjmi

Biogenic synthesis of Zinc oxide nanostructures from Nigella sativa seed: Prospective role as food packaging material inhibiting broad-spectrum quorum sensing and biofilm

Bacterial spoilage of food products is regulated by density dependent communication system called quorum sensing (QS). QS control biofilm formation in numerous food pathogens and Biofilms formed on food surfaces act as carriers of bacterial contamination leading to spoilage of food and health hazards. Agents inhibiting or interfering with bacterial QS and biofilm are gaining importance as a novel class of next-generation food preservatives/packaging material. In the present study, Zinc nanostructures were synthesised using Nigella sativa seed extract (NS-ZnNPs). Synthesized nanostructures were characterized hexagonal wurtzite structure of size ~24 nm by UV-visible, XRD, FTIR and TEM. NS-ZnNPs demonstrated broad-spectrum QS inhibition in C. violaceum and P. aeruginosa biosensor strains. Synthesized nanostructures inhibited QS regulated functions of C. violaceum CVO26 (violacein) and elastase, protease, pyocyanin and alginate production in PAO1 significantly. NS-ZnNPs at sub-inhibitory concentrations inhibited the biofilm formation of four-food pathogens viz. C. violaceum 12472, PAO1, L. monocytogenes, E. coli. Moreover, NS-ZnNPs was found effective in inhibiting pre-formed mature biofilms of the four pathogens. Therefore, the broad-spectrum inhibition of QS and biofilm by biogenic Zinc oxide nanoparticles and it is envisaged that these nontoxic bioactive nanostructures can be used as food packaging material and/or as food preservative.

Evaluation of the in vitro antiplasmodial, antileishmanial, and antitrypanosomal activity of medicinal plants used in saudi and yemeni traditional medicine.

The antiplasmodial, antileishmanial, and antitrypanosomal activity of twenty-five medicinal plants distributed in Saudi Arabia and Yemen was evaluated. The plants were extracted with methanol and screened in vitro against erythrocytic schizonts of Plasmodium falciparum, intracellular amastigotes of Leishmania infantum and Trypanosoma cruzi, and free trypomastigotes of T. brucei. To assess selectivity, cytotoxicity was determined on MRC-5 cells. Criteria for activity were an IC50 < 10 μg/mL and high selectivity (SI). Seven plants showed interesting antiprotozoal activity in one or more models. Extracts of Caralluma penicillata and Acalypha ciliata showed fairly good activity against P. falciparum with IC50 of 6.7 and 10.8 μg/mL and adequate selectivity (SI > 9.6 and >5.9). Interesting activity against L. infantum was obtained with Verbascum bottae (IC50 of 3.2 μg/mL, SI 10.2) and Solanum glabratum (IC50 8.1 μg/mL, SI 3.4). The extracts of C. penicillata, Leucas virgata, Loranthus regularis, and V. bottae exhibited moderate activity against T. brucei (IC50 8.5, 8.1, 8.3, and 2.3 μg/mL; SI > 7.6, 7.7, 4.3, and >14.1). These results partly support the traditional use of some of the selected medicinal plants and warrant further investigations into the putative active constituents.

Stability-indicating densitometric high-performance thin-layer chromatographic method for the quantitative analysis of biomarker naringin in the leaves and stems of Rumex vesicarius L.

A simple, sensitive, and stability-indicating high-performance thinlayer chromatography (HPTLC)-densitometric method was developed for the quantification of biomarker naringin in the methanol extracts of stems and leaves of Rumex vesicarius. Chromatography was performed on glass-backed silica gel 60 F254 high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) plates with ethyl acetate- glacial acetic acid-MeOH-H2O (30:10:5:1, v/v) as mobile phase. Scanning and quantification were done at 275 nm. The system was found to give compact spot for naringin at RF = 0.46 ± 0.001. The linear regression analysis data for the calibration plots showed good linear relationship with r2 = 0.998 with respect to area in the concentration range of 100–1000 ng. The regression equation of standard was found to be Y = 3.438X + 38.485. Naringin was subjected to acid and alkali hydrolysis, peroxide oxidation, photodegradation, dry heat, moist heat, and ultraviolet (UV) treatment. The drug undergoes complete degradation under acidic treatment and mild degradation under basic and hydrogen peroxide treatment. The degraded products were well-separated from the pure drug. The statistical analysis proves that the developed method for quantification of naringin is reproducible and selective. Due to the ability of the method in separating naringin from other constituents including its degradation products, it can be employed as stability-indicating method for in-process as well as finished products in the market. It is for the first time that authors are reporting a complete stability-indicating densitometric HPTLC method for the estimation of biomarker naringin in the leaves and stems of R. vesicarius L.

Quantification of bioactive marker β-amyrin by validated high-performance thin-layer chromatographic- densitometric method in different species of Maytenus grown in Saudi Arabia

A simple and sensitive high-performance thin-layer chromatographic (HPTLC)-densitometric method was developed and validated for quantification of β-amyrin in the crude extracts of two species of Maytenus (Maytenus obscura and Maytenus parviflora) grown in Saudi Arabia. HPTLC-densitometry was performed on glass-backed silica gel 60 F254 TLC plates with the binary mobile phase hexane-ethyl acetate (3:1, v / v). The developed plate was derivatized with p-anisaldehyde, then scanned and quantified densitometrically at 550 nm. The system was found to give a compact spot for β-amyrin at RF value of 0.38 ± 0.01. The method was found to be satisfactory in terms of sensitivity, accuracy, precision, and recovery. The content of β-amyrin was estimated as 0.42% ± 0.01% and 0.88% ± 0.01% w / w in M. obscura and M. parviflora, respectively. The developed HPTLC technique can be very useful for the quantification of β-amyrin present in various medicinal plants.

Anti-inflammatory activity and qualitative analysis of different extracts of Maytenus obscura (A. Rich.) Cuf. by high performance thin layer chromatography method

OBJECTIVE To perform aqueous ethanol soluble fraction (AESF) and dichloromethane extract of aerial parts of Maytenus obscura (A. Rich.) Cuf. using high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) and to test anti-inflammatory activity of these extracts. METHODS HPTLC studies were carried out using CAMAG HPTLC system equipped with Linomat IV applicator, TLC scanner 3, Reprostar 3, CAMAG ADC 2 and WIN CATS-4 software were used. The anti-inflammatory activity was tested by injecting different groups of rats (6 each) with formalin in hind paw and measuring the edema volume before and 1 h later formalin injection. Control group received saline i.p. The extracts treatment was injected i.p. in doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg 1 h before formalin administration. Indomethacin (30 mg/kg) was used as standard. RESULTS The results of preliminary phytochemical studies confirmed the presence of protein, lipid, carbohydrate, phenol, flavonoid, saponin, triterpenoid, alkaloid and anthraquinone in both extracts. Chromatography was performed on glass-backed silica gel 60 F254 HPTLC plates with the green solvents toluene: ethyacetate: glacial acetic acid (5:3:0.2, v/v/v) as mobile phase. HPTLC finger printing of AESF revealed major eight peaks with Rf values in the range of 0.28 to 0.80 and the dichloromethane revealed major 11 peaks with Rf values in the range of 0.12 to 0.76. The purity of sample was confirmed by comparing the absorption spectra at start, middle and end position of the band. Treatment of rats (i.p.) with AESF and dichloromethane in doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg inhibited singnificantly (P<0.05, n=6) formalin-induced inflammation by 50%, 55.9%, 45.5%, and 51.4%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS HPTLC finger printing of AESF and dichloromethane of Maytenus obscura revealed eight major spots for alcoholic extracts and nine major spots for dichloromethane extracts. These HPTLC profiles may be of great usefulness in the quality control of herbal products containing these extracts. The anti-inflammatory activity of both extracts also revealed the medicinal importance of these extracts. The plant can be further explored for the isolation of phytoconstituents having anti-inflammatory activity.

Studying Data Mining and Data Warehousing with Different E-Learning System

Data Mining and Data Warehousing are two most significant techniques for pattern detection and concentrated data management in present technology. ELearning is one of the most important applications of data mining. The foremost idea is to provide a proposal for a practical model and architecture. The standards and system structural design are analyzed here. This paper provides importance to the combination of Web Services on the e-Learning application domain, because Web Service is the most complex choice for distance education during these days. The process of e-Learning can be promising more efficiently by utilizing of Web usage mining. Mor07/e sophisticated tools are developed for internet customer’s behaviour to boost sales and profit, but no such tools are developed to recognize learner’s performance in e-Learning. In this paper, some data mining techniques are examined that could be used to improve web-based learning environments.

HPTLC finger print and anti-inflammatory activity of ethanolic extract of different Maytenus species grown in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Objective To evaluate and compare the anti-inflammatory activity and to develop HPTLC fingerprint profile of ethanolic extract of Maytenus obscura (M. obscura) and Maytenus parviflora (M. parviflora).

Comparative study of antioxidant activity and validated RP-HPTLC analysis of rutin in the leaves of different Acacia species grown in Saudi Arabia

The present study assessed the comparative antioxidant potential of the ethanol extract (EE) of leaves of four Acacia species (Acacia salicina, AS; Acacia laeta, AL; Acacia hamulosa AH; and Acacia tortilis, AT) grown in Saudi Arabia, including RP-HPTLC quantification of antioxidant biomarker rutin. In vitro DPPH radical scavenging and β-carotene-linoleic acid bleaching assays showed the promising antioxidant activities of Acacia extracts: ASEE (IC50: 60.39 and 324.65 μg/ml) >ALEE (IC50: 217.06 and 423.36 μg/ml) >ATEE (IC50: 250.13 and 747.50 μg/ml) >AHEE (IC50: 255.83 and 417.28 μg/ml). This was comparable to rutin tested at 500 μg/ml. Further, a RP- HPTLC densitometric method was developed (acetonitrile:water; 6:4; v/v) using glass-backed RP-18 silica gel F254 plate, and scanned at UV max 254 nm. The method was validated as per the ICH guidelines. Analysis of the validated RP-HPTLC displayed an intense peak (Rf = 0.65 ± 0.004) of rutin that was estimated (μg/mg dry weight) to be highest in ASEE (10.42), followed by ALEE (2.67), AHEE (1.36) and ATEE (0.31). Taken together, presence of rutin strongly supported the high antioxidant property of the tested Acacia species, especially Acacia salicina. The developed RP-HPTLC method therefore, affirms its application in the quality control of commercialized herbal drugs or formulation containing rutin.

In vivo assessment of newly synthesized achiral copper(II) and zinc(II) complexes of a benzimidazole derived scaffold as a potential analgesic, antipyretic and anti-inflammatory

Two new complexes of copper(II), [CuL2], and zinc(II), [ZnL2], with a tridentate –ONN′– Schiff base ligand (L), a bioactive scaffold derived from 2-aminobenzimidazole and 2-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde, were synthesized and characterized using various spectroscopic techniques, viz, IR, 1H and 13C NMR, EPR, HRMS, and elemental analysis and purity analysis using UPLC studies. Both the complexes are non-electrolytic by nature. The newly synthesized compounds were screened for acetic acid-induced analgesic and yeast-induced antipyretic activities in mice and carrageenan-induced paw edema in rats (anti-inflammatory). The results showed that the [CuL2] compound (at 100 mg kg−1 b.w) possessed potent anti-inflammatory activity whereas [ZnL2] (at 50 mg kg−1 and 100 mg kg−1 b.w) exhibited significant analgesic activity when compared with standard drugs. Both the complexes have apparently moderate and nearly akin antipyretic activity.

Chromatographic finger print analysis of anti-inflammatory active extract fractions of aerial parts of Tribulus terrestris by HPTLC technique.

OBJECTIVE To develop HPTLC fingerprint profile of anti-inflammatory active extract fractions of Tribulus terrestris (family Zygophyllaceae). METHODS The anti-inflammatory activity was tested for the methanol and its fractions (chloroform, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and aqueous) and chloroform extract of Tribulus terrestris (aerial parts) by injecting different groups of rats (6 each) with carrageenan in hind paw and measuring the edema volume before and 1, 2 and 3 h after carrageenan injection. Control group received saline i.p. The extracts treatment was injected i.p. in doses of 200 mg/kg 1 h before carrageenan administration. Indomethacin (30 mg/kg) was used as standard. HPTLC studies were carried out using CAMAG HPTLC system equipped with Linomat IV applicator, TLC scanner 3, Reprostar 3, CAMAG ADC 2 and WIN CATS-4 software for the active fractions of chloroform fraction of methanol extract. RESULTS The methanol extract showed good antiedematous effect with percentage of inhibition more than 72%, indicating its ability to inhibit the inflammatory mediators. The methanol extract was re-dissolved in 100 mL of distilled water and fractionated with chloroform, ethyl acetate and n-butanol. The four fractions (chloroform, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and aqueous) were subjected to anti-inflammatory activity. Chloroform fraction showed good anti-inflammatory activity at dose of 200 mg/kg. Chloroform fraction was then subjected to normal phase silica gel column chromatography and eluted with petroleum ether-chloroform, chloroform-ethyl acetate mixtures of increasing polarity which produced 15 fractions (F1-F15). Only fractions F1, F2, F4, F5, F7, F9, F11 and F14 were found to be active, hence these were analyzed with HPTLC to develop their finger print profile. These fractions showed different spots with different Rf values. CONCLUSIONS The different chloroform fractions F1, F2, F4, F5, F7, F9, F11 and F14 revealed 4, 7, 7, 8, 9, 7, 7 and 6 major spots, respectively. The results obtained in this experiment strongly support and validate the traditional uses of this Sudanese medicinal plant.