To replace and avoid synthetic chemicals toxicity, there is a growing interest in the investigation of natural products from plant origin for the discovery of active compounds with antimicrobial properties. This work was devoted to determine chemical composition and antimicrobial properties of the EO of M. piperita harvested in the garden of the National Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants of Morocco. Experiments have been conducted at the Microbial Biotechnology Laboratory at the Sciences and Technology Faculty, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Fez, Morocco. M. piperita oil was screened for its antimicrobial activity against seven bacteria and two fungi using broth microdilution method. Chemical EO analysis was performed using CPG/MS. The EO revealed menthol (46.32%), menthofuran (13.18%), menthyl acetate (12.10%), menthone (7.42%), and 1,8-cineole (6.06%) as the main constituents. The tested EO exhibited strong inhibitory effect against all tested microorganisms with minimum inhibitory concentrations ranging from 0.062% to 0.5% (v/v), except for Pseudomonas aeruginosa that was the least sensitive and was only inhibited by concentrations as high as 0.5% (v/v). The studied EO showed an antimicrobial potential. This reinforces its use as an alternative to chemical additives that can be applied to the food and drug industry.

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The aim of this study was to characterize of chicken egg yolk immunoglobulins (IgYs) specific as immunotherapy to Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) infection. Lohmann laying hens were immunized intramuscularly with antigenic of MTBC. Egg yolk was separated from egg white, and IgY antibody was then purified by multiple polyethylene glycols 6000 extraction and ammonium sulfate purification steps. The IgY anti-MTBC concentration in egg yolk increased at 2 weeks and it reached a maximum at 4 weeks after immunization. After 6 weeks, the levels of IgY anti-MTBC decreased gradually. The antibody of MTBC was detected and produces a specific line of precipitation in agar gel precipitation test beginning the week 2 after the first immunization. Analysis of results obtained with ELISA showed a significant increase in the MTBC specific antibodies after 2 weeks and reached a plateau at 4 weeks from the booster immunization. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed the IgY preparation to be pure and dissociated into protein bands with molecular weights of 112, 78, 69, 49, and 28 kDa and Western blot analysis shown the presence of anti-MTBC IgY in egg yolks, with molecular weights of approximately 78 kDa. These results suggested that egg yolk could be a practical strategy in large-scale production of specific anti-MTBC IgY for immunotherapy of TBC.

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Leptocarpus disjunctus Mast. (Restionaceae) is an edible plant which has indigenous warnings regarding its side effects which can manifest as dizziness. This study investigated hypnotic and anxiolytic properties using several animal models. Anxiolytic activities were evaluated using locomotor determination by elevated plus-maze test, open-field test, and rotarod performance test. Hypnotic activities were performed using pentobarbital sodium-induced sleeping time test. Sleep architecture and quality were obtained from sleep–wake analysis and nonrapid eye movement (NREM) delta activity using electroencephalography. An ethanolic extract of L. disjunctus indicated effective potencies for hypnotic test, locomotor activities, and sleep–wake analysis. Ethanolic extract showed a dose relationship with sleeping time for pentobarbital-induced sleeping time test (P < 0.01) and also an antagonistic effect on shortening in sleep time induced by flumazenil. The consort significantly decreased locomotor activities among animals undergoing elevated plus-maze test, open-field test, and rotarod performance test, whereas sleep–wake analysis showed that sleeping time and NREM sleep increased. Ethanolic extract of L. disjunctus was shown to be anxiolytic, with the possibly of benzodiazepine-like hypnotic activity.

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Artesunate (ART) is a semisynthetic derivative of artemisinin. Artemisinin and its derivatives have shown profound cytotoxicity and antitumor activity in addition to antimalarial activity in various studies. As the in vivo chemopreventive efficacy of ART in colon carcinogenesis has not been investigated so far, the aim of the current study was to study the chemopreventive effect of ART in 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH)-induced rat colon carcinogenesis. Animals were divided into four groups (n = 6): Group I - vehicle (1 mM ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid), Group II - DMH (20 mg/kg), Group III - DMH + 5-fluorouracil (81 mg/kg), Group IV - DMH + ART (6.7 mg/kg). After completion of 15 weeks of treatment, rats were sacrificed under ether anesthesia by cervical dislocation for assessment of lipid peroxidation (LPO), antioxidant status, average number of aberrant crypt foci (ACF), and cytokine levels. ART administration significantly decreased the average number of ACF/microscopic field. Similarly, LPO level was decreased and antioxidant activities were enhanced after ART treatment. ART decreased the levels of proinflammatory cytokines and induced apoptosis in the colons of DMH-treated rats. The results of this study suggest that ART has a beneficial effect against chemically induced colonic preneoplastic progression in rats.

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Conventionally, the juice and extract of Alangium salvifolium leaves have been used for the treatment of diabetes, wound healing, dog bite, and as a poultice in rheumatism. To carry out the sub-chronic toxicity and thereafter safety evaluation of A. salvifolium leaves. The aqueous extract of A. salvifolium leaves was administered orally at the doses of 200, 400, and 800 mg/kg/day for 90 days. All the animals were observed daily for general behavior, changes in body weight, food, and water consumption. At the end of the treatment period, biochemical and hematological parameters were analyzed; and the animals were sacrificed for histopathological examination of heart, lungs, liver, and kidney. The general behavior and water intake were normal in all the rats. The increase in body weight was observed in female rats of all the groups while body weight was decreased in high dose group animals of both sexes. Hematological parameters were not disturbed by the continuous use of extract. A significant decrease in glucose level was observed in intermediate- and high-dose group animals while urea and creatinine level were significantly high in animals of high-dose group. Although histopathological examination of most of the organs exhibited no structural changes, some tubal damage in kidneys was observed in high-dose group animals. The high dose of extract has shown mild signs of toxicity on kidney function test, but no toxic response was observed on hematological and liver biochemical parameters. The extract also exhibited hypoglycemic potential.

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