Advanced Journal of Microbiology Research

Abstract: We determined the ability of mixed gangliosides (16% GD1b, 19% GT1b, 21% GM1, and 40% GD1a) and individual gangliosides GM1 and GD1b to modulate the NV-PLA2 induced human erythrocyte ghost membrane damage. CM-Sephadex purification of crude Naja naja venom yielded eight peaks of which peak VII, a major phospholipase A2 (NV-PLA2) accounted for 22% of the total protein recovered and 8% of the total PLA2 activity recovered. The membrane damage induced by NV-PLA2 was assessed by measuring the decrease in the relative in…

Abstract: Nitrosamine compounds are known hepatic carcinogens. This study was designed to study the efficacy of dietary supplementation with blueberries (BB) on diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-initiated hepatocarcinogenesis in male wistar rats. Rats were divided into three groups. The first group served as normal control group, the second group received DEN at a dose of 10 mg/kg body weight five times a week for 15 weeks. The third one received DEN as in DEN-treated group simultaneously with 4% BB-supplemented diet. The results sho…

Abstract: The symbionts of lichen species Arthothelium awasthii, Heterodermia podocarpa, and Parmotrema tinctorum were isolated and cultured on various nutrient media incubated in a growth chamber. Methanolic extracts of one year old symbiont cultures were taken for evaluating their potential to inhibit lipid peroxidation and tyrosinase enzyme activity. The extracts of all cultured lichen-symbionts have shown a concentration-time dependent inhibition of lipid peroxidation and tyrosinase activities. IC50 values for inhibition…

Abstract: The present study was carried out to evaluate the anti-arthritic nature of evening primrose oil (EPO) rich in -linolenic acid (GLA), on adjuvant -induced arthritic rats. Results were compared to those of diclofenac sodium, a reference standard non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. Arthritis was induced by subcutaneous injection of complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA) in the right hind paw of male Wistar rats. EPO (5 g/kg b.w.) was orally administered from day 0 till day 28, while diclofenac sodium (5 mg/kg b.w.) was or…

Abstract: Effect of irrigation bread wheat plants (Triticum aestivum L., cv. Giza 94) with sea water (10 and 20% v/v), spraying with microalgae extracts obtained from Chlorella ellipoida and Spirulina maxima (5 gL-1 dry weight in 0.1% Tween solution) cultivated under normal and stress conditions were studied. Some plant bioregulators (BRGs, ascorbic acid and benzyl adenine, at 200 ppm) at the vegetative growth stage on photosynthetic pigments, antioxidant components, activity of some antioxidant enzymes, lipid peroxidation p…

Abstract: We have examined the protective effect of ethanol extract of Sargassum polycystum on hepatic antioxidant status in D-galactosamine-induced hepatitis in rats. Levels of diagnostic marker enzymes [alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and creatine phosphokinase (CPK)] in plasma, lipid peroxides, reduced glutathione and the activities of glutathione dependent antioxidant enzymes [glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione- S-transferase (GST)] and antiperoxidat…

Abstract: Erythrocyte membranes from twelve human volunteers exposed regularly to allethrin, a mosquito repellent of type-I pyrethroid, were analyzed for cholesterol (C), phospholipids (P), and individual phospholipid classes to assess changes induced by this toxicant. A decrease in C and P moieties with no change in C: P ratio was observed with allethrin exposure. A significant reduction in the amount of phosphotidyl serine (PS) was noticed indicating that PS is an allethrin sensitive phospholipid species. Furthermore, decr…

Abstract: The effects of aqueous extract of Landolphia owariensis leaves on the biochemical indices of liver function were investigated in Wister strain of albino rats. Preliminary phytochemical analysis of the plant leaves showed the presence of tannins, alkaloids, flavonoids and saponins. Acute toxicity tests of the extract gave an LD50 of 3370 mg/kg. Liver function tests revealed that the serum activities of alanine aminotransferrase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), as well as the co…

Abstract: The aim of this work was to determine the sensitivity among compounds in common use for detecting laccase activity. In this study, three assay procedures to measure laccase activity of Trametes sp. were performed in Kirk’s basal salts mediums of three dyes. In the assay methods, three substrates were employed, which were 2,2©-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonate) (ABTS), -dianisidine and guaiacol. The results indicate that laccase activity used ABTS as a substrate was significantly higher than the other two…

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the hepatoprotective activity of hydroalcholic extract of Cichorium intybus (Cichorium intybus) using a carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) - induced liver injury in rats. The leaf extract at oral dosage of 200, 400 and 500 mg/kg exhibited significant (P[...]

Abstract: An in vivo study of the trypanocidal potential of Bridelia ferruginea benth bark was investigated to determine its possible use against African sleeping sickness. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, tannins, saponins, steroids and phlobatanins. Four groups of male albino rats weighing 220-250 g were used. The groups included the control, infected -untreated, uninfected-treated, and infected-treated. A daily dose of 20 mg/Kg body weight methanolic extract of B. ferruginea benth bark was admin…

Abstract: The combined hepatoprotective effect of Bi- herbal ethanolic extract (BHEE) was evaluated against carbon tetra chloride (CCl4) induced hepatic damage in rats. Ethanolic extract from the leaves of Eclipta alba and seeds of Piper longum at a dose level of 50 mg/kg body weight was administered orally daily once for 14 days. The substantially elevated serum marker enzymes such as SGOT, SGPT, ALP, LDH, ACP, gGT and 5’ Nucleotidase, due to CCl4 treatment were restored towards normalization. The biochemical parameters lik…

Abstract: Hyperlipemia and Hepatic metabolism was studied in hyperlipemic albino rats maintained on a high fat diet. Aqueous extract (100, 200, 300mg/kg/day) of Urtica dioica corrected dyslipidemia and restored hepatic chemistry in hyperlipemic animals. The extract was effective in normalizing the atherogenic lipoprotein phenotype. Total cholesterol (CHOL), Triglyceride (TG), Low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), LDL/HDL-ratio, and Total Non-HDL cholesterol (TNH-CHOL) were significantly reduced by the treatment. There w…

Abstract: With its hallucinations, delusions, thought disorder, and cognitive deficits, schizophrenia affects the most basic human processes of perception, emotion, and judgment. Evidence increasingly suggests that schizophrenia is a subtle disorder of brain development and plasticity and oxidative injury contributes largely to pathophysiology of schizophrenia, indicated by the increased lipid peroxidation products in plasma and altered levels of enzymatic antioxidants in schizophrenic patients. However, the status of antiox…

Abstract: The phytochemical screening of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of the stem bark of Enantia chlorantha Oliv as well as the antipyretic effect of the solvent extracts at 25, 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight was investigated in albino rats. Phytochemical analysis of the aqueous and ethanolic extracts of E. chlorantha stem bark revealed the presence of phenolics, flavonoids, alkaloids, glycosides and saponins. The concentrations of these phytochemicals in the ethanolic extracts were slightly higher than in the aqueous…