: The purpose of this study is to compare the attitudes, views, and factors that influence drug abuse among pharmacy and nursing students at a Saudi Arabian university.
: A cross-sectional study, was ...conducted among pharmacy and nursing students who are currently enrolled in the respective courses at the study site. The data were collected over 4 months from August to November 2019 using structured self-administered paper-based questionnaires.
: Among the participants, pharmacy students accounted for 184 (58.2%) while 132 (41.8%) of the students were from nursing. More than a third of the students 129, (40.8%) smoked cigarettes. The majority of pharmacy (80.4%) and nursing students (67.4%) reported having undertaken a drug misuse course in college. Among the participants, 132 (41.7%) stated that an offer from friends, followed by joy seeking 129 (40.8%), parents' divorce 126 (39.8%), having access to drugs 125 (39.5%), family issues 110 (34.8%), 66 (20.8%) having a family member who is addicted, and 101 (31.9%) reported curiosity to be the factors regarding the use of abusive drugs. Transient euphoria (75.9%) followed by depression 197 (62.3%) was the most prevalent physical or psychological change that occurred following drug use. The family size and father's education have significantly affected the attitudes scores of the students (F = 5.188;
= 0.0001).
: In this study, joy-seeking, access to drugs, and family issues were found to be the major factors listed as reasons for drug abuse, with some of them being controllable or reversible. Educating about the adverse outcomes of abused drugs is warranted.
The present study is based on a multidisciplinary approach carried out for the first time on
var.
and
var.
, two varieties from the endemic and endangered medicinal species listed in the IUCN red ...list,
(L.) Link. Therefore, morphological, phytochemical, and genetic characterisations were carried out in the present work. Morphological characterisation was established based on 23 qualitative and quantitative characters describing the vegetative and floral parts. The phytochemical compounds were determined by UHPLC. Genetic characterisation of extracted DNA was subjected to PCR using two sets of universal primers, rbcL a-f/rbcL a-R and rpocL1-2/rpocL1-4, followed by sequencing analysis using the Sanger method. The results revealed a significant difference between the two varieties studied. Furthermore, phytochemical analysis of the studied extracts revealed a quantitative and qualitative variation in the chemical profile, as well as the presence of interesting compounds, including new compounds that have never been reported in
. The phylogenetic analysis of the DNA sequences indicated a similarity percentage of 91%. Based on the morphological characterisation and congruence with the phytochemical characterisation and molecular data, we can confirm that
var.
and
var.
represent two different taxa.
Introduction The post-harvest period of cowpea Vigna unguiculata (L) Walp is marked by substantial losses due to the insect pest Callosobruchus maculatus (Fabricius). The primary goal of the current ...study is to identify environmentally appropriate substitutes for synthetic pesticides in the management of stored seed pests. Thus, in a laboratory setting, the insecticidal activity of essential oils (EOs) from Ziziphora hispanica and Satureja calamintha against the cowpea weevil C. maculatus was assessed. Methods The fumigant effects of these two EOs were tested with concentrations (4, 8, 12, 16, and 20 μL L−1 of air per 10 g of cowpea seeds) on four biological parameters of C. maculatus: adult mortality, fecundity, fertility, and adult emergence, while concentrations of 4, 12, 16, and 20 μL/cm2 of air were used for the repulsion test. Results and discussion The fumigant effects of these two EOs were tested with concentrations (4, 8, 12, 16, and 20 μL L −1 of air per 10 g of cowpea seeds) on four biological parameters of C. maculatus : adult mortality, fecundity, fertility, and adult emergence, while concentrations of 4, 12, 16, and 20 μL/cm 2 of air were used for the repulsion test. The results of fumigation tests showed a remarkable efficacy of both essential oils against adult C. maculatus after 24 h of exposure. Z . hispanica EO yielded a mortality rate of 80 ± 20%, with an LC 50 of 2.77 μL L −1 for males and 66.66 ± 11.54% with an LC 50 of 3.57 μL L-1 for females at 4 μL L −1 of air. However, the S. calamintha EO resulted in a mortality rate of 100% for males and 86.66 ± 23.09% with an LC 50 of 2.17 μL L −1 for females at low doses. The fecundity was 1.33 ± 0.57 eggs per female. In contrast, this parameter was absent with S. calamintha EO at the low dose, while fertility and emerging adults were missing for both EOs. Furthermore, both EOs showed highly repellent activity towards C. maculatus adults, with 81.66% for Z. hispanica and 91.67% for S. calamintha EO. According to the results of the GC–MS analysis, the primary components of Z. hispanica EO were found to be pulegone (28.17%), alpha-naphtonitrite (10.77%), and 3-(3-thienyl) pro-2-enoic acid (10.62%). Similarly, the main constituents of S. calamintha EO were pulegone (21.48%), piperitenone oxide (17.71%), and eucalyptol (11.99%). Hence, these substances are regarded as the volatile compounds accountable for controlling C. maculatus activities. The study reports that Z. hispanica and S. calamintha show promising fumigant and repellent efficacy and offer new avenues for their potential use as an alternative to synthetic pesticides against stored seed pests.
The present study is based on a multidisciplinary approach carried out for the first time on Anacyclus pyrethrum var. pyrethrum and Anacyclus pyrethrum var. depressus, two varieties from the endemic ...and endangered medicinal species listed in the IUCN red list, Anacyclus pyrethrum (L.) Link. Therefore, morphological, phytochemical, and genetic characterisations were carried out in the present work. Morphological characterisation was established based on 23 qualitative and quantitative characters describing the vegetative and floral parts. The phytochemical compounds were determined by UHPLC. Genetic characterisation of extracted DNA was subjected to PCR using two sets of universal primers, rbcL a-f/rbcL a-R and rpocL1-2/rpocL1-4, followed by sequencing analysis using the Sanger method. The results revealed a significant difference between the two varieties studied. Furthermore, phytochemical analysis of the studied extracts revealed a quantitative and qualitative variation in the chemical profile, as well as the presence of interesting compounds, including new compounds that have never been reported in A. pyrethrum. The phylogenetic analysis of the DNA sequences indicated a similarity percentage of 91%. Based on the morphological characterisation and congruence with the phytochemical characterisation and molecular data, we can confirm that A. pyrethrum var. pyrethrum and A. pyrethrum var. depressus represent two different taxa.
In this study, ultrasound-assisted extraction conditions were optimized to maximize the yields of sennoside A, sennoside B, aloe-emodin, emodin, and chrysophanol from
(aerial parts). The three UAE ...factors, extraction temperature (
), extraction time (
), and liquid to solid ratio (
), were optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). A Box-Behnken design was used for experimental design and phytoconstituent analysis was performed using high-performance liquid chromatography-UV. The optimal extraction conditions were found to be a 64.2 °C extraction temperature, 52.1 min extraction time, and 25.2 mL/g liquid to solid ratio. The experimental values of sennoside A, sennoside B, aloe-emodin, emodin, and chrysophanol (2.237, 12.792, 2.457, 0.261, and 1.529%, respectively) agreed with those predicted (2.152, 12.031, 2.331, 0.214, and 1.411%, respectively) by RSM models, thus demonstrating the appropriateness of the model used and the accomplishment of RSM in optimizing the extraction conditions. Excellent antioxidant properties were exhibited by
methanol extract obtained using the optimized extraction conditions with a DPPH assay (IC50 = 59.7 ± 1.93, µg/mL) and ABTS method (47.2 ± 1.40, µg/mL) compared to standard ascorbic acid.
plants have a significant place in traditional medicine due to their numerous therapeutic properties, including their anti-tumor effects, which have been observed in several species. In the current ...study, a phytochemical investigation of
methanolic extract led to the isolation and characterization of four secondary metabolites from the chloroform (CHCl
) and ethyl acetate (EtOAc) fractions, which are reported for the first time in this species. One of the constituents, saudiarabicain F (
), is a rare C-19 oxidized ingol-type diterpenoid that has not been previously reported. The structures of these compounds were determined by extensive spectroscopic (HR-ESI-MS, 1D and 2D NMR) analyses. The anticancer properties of the
crude extract, its fractions and its isolated compounds were examined against several cancer cells. The active fractions were evaluated for their effects on cell-cycle progression and apoptosis induction using flow cytometry. Furthermore, RT-PCR was employed to estimate the gene-expression levels of the apoptosis-related genes. It was demonstrated that the
CHCl
and EtOAc fractions suppressed the proliferation of the cancer cells. The MCF-7 cells were the most sensitive to both fractions, with IC
values of 22.6 and 23.2 µg/mL, respectively. Notably, both fractions caused cell-cycle arrest in the G2/M phase of the treated MCF-7 cells. The inhibition of the MCF-7 cells' proliferation was also linked with apoptosis induction by flow-cytometry analysis. Additionally, the activation of apoptosis by both fractions was demonstrated by an increase in the ratio of Bax to Bcl-2, with an increase in the expression of caspase-7. Among the isolated compounds, glutinol (
) showed potent activity against the MCF-7 cell line, with an IC
value of 9.83 µg/mL. Our findings suggest that
has apoptosis-inducing effects and shows promise as a potential source of new chemotherapeutic drugs.
L., (chicory) is employed in various traditional medicines to treat a wide range of diseases and disorders. In the current investigation, two new naphthalane derivatives viz., cichorins D (
) and E (
...), along with one new anthraquinone cichorin F (
), were isolated from
In addition, three previously reported compounds viz., β-sitosterol (
), β-sitosterol β-glucopyranoside (
), and stigmasterol (
) were also isolated from
Their structures were established via extensive spectroscopic data, including 1D (
H and
C) and 2D NMR (COSY, HSQC and HMBC), and ESIMS. Cichorin E (
) has a weak cytotoxic effect on breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-468: IC
: 85.9 µM) and Ewing's sarcoma cells (SK-N-MC: IC
: 71.1 µM); cichorin F (
) also illustrated weak cytotoxic effects on breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-468: IC
: 41.0 µM and MDA-MB-231: IC
: 45.6 µM), and SK-N-MC cells (IC
: 71.9 µM). Moreover compounds
-
did not show any promising anthelmintic effects.
Background. Lichens present a complex symbiotic relationship between a filamentous fungus, photoautotrophic partner (algae or cyanobacteria), and bacterial community. The Objective of the Study. This ...study aimed at investigating the chemical composition and cytotoxic, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activities of acetone extracts of Moroccan Evernia prunastri (E. prunastri), Ramalina farinacea (R. farinacea), and Pseudevernia furfuracea (P. furfuracea). Materials and Methods. The phytochemical analysis was carried out by HPLC-UV. The cytotoxic effect was assessed on human prostate cancer (22RV1), human colon carcinoma (HT-29), human hepatocellular carcinoma (Hep-G2), and Hamster ovarian cancer (CHO) cells lines by WST1 assay. The antioxidant power was assessed by DPPH and FRAP assays. The antibacterial effect was obtained using the broth microdilution method. Results. The findings of phytochemical analysis showed that the lichens studied possess interesting bioactive molecules such as physodalic acid, evernic acid, and usnic acid, as well as protocetraric acid. According to the American National Cancer Institute guidelines, the WST-1 test showed that all crude extracts did not show significant cytotoxic effects against all concerous cell lines, and IC50 values ranged from 42.30 to 140.24 µg/mL. Regarding the antioxidant activity, P. furfuracea extract showed the highest free-radical-scavenging ability (IC50 = 498.40 µg/mL). The most potent antibacterial extract was recorded for P. furfuracea extract with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ranging from 0.039 to 0.31 mg/mL. Conclusion. In this research work, we report that the studied lichen extracts exhibit an important biological effect, supporting that lichens represent a hopeful source of original natural products for the research of new bioactive molecules having a pharmaceutical interest.
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