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Evidence-based Complementary and... 2022is a medicinal plant that has traditionally been used as a diuretic, anti-infective, and antiasthmatic. Our investigation was designed to explore the diuretic and...
Identification of Potential Diuretic and Laxative Drug Candidates from L. Bark through Mice Model Studies and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry and Molecular Docking Analysis.
BACKGROUND
is a medicinal plant that has traditionally been used as a diuretic, anti-infective, and antiasthmatic. Our investigation was designed to explore the diuretic and laxative potentials of different fractions of this plant's bark extract as well as the identification of possible drug candidates for the activity.
METHODS
Collected bark was extracted in ethanol and fractionated in different polar and nonpolar solvents, i.e., water, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and -hexane. Phytoconstituents were identified following the published protocols and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In the diuretic test, Na and K ions were measured using a flame photometer whereas the Cl ion content was measured by titrimetric method against AgNO. In the laxative test, feces amount and consistency were also measured. Molecular docking analysis was conducted using the "Vina Wizard" program in PyRx-Python Prescription 0.8.
RESULTS
Phytochemical analysis indicated that alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids, saponins, glycosides, and terpenoids were detected in the most bioactive crude extracts, whereas alkaloids, terpenoids, saponins, and gums were found in bioactive -hexane fraction and steroids, glycosides, and terpenoids were found positive in chloroform fraction. Almost all the fractions demonstrated a dose-dependent increment of stool production with a soft consistency; however, the chloroform fraction was found to be the most active ( < 0.001). The crude extract and -hexane fractions significantly increased ( < 0.01) the urinary output at the dose of 200 and 400 mg/kg. The concentrations of Na, K, and Cl in collected urine were found to be more compared with the control group. The GC-MS analysis identified seven compounds in bioactive hexane fraction (phenolic and ester-type mainly) whereas seven other compounds (acidic and ester-type mainly) were identified in chloroform fraction. In molecular docking, two drug candidates of this extract (2,4-bis(2-phenylpropan-2-yl)phenol and 2-[4-[2-(dimethylamino)-2-oxo-1,1-diphenylethyl]phenyl]-2-phenylacetic acid) showed excellent binding affinity with the receptor compared with furosemide.
CONCLUSION
bark might be a potential source of bioactive compounds for treating hypertension, edema, and constipation.
PubMed: 36193132
DOI: 10.1155/2022/4409250 -
Scientific Reports Apr 2023This paper reports on developing a low cost but efficient paired emitter-detector diode (PEDD)-based photometer. The photometer consists of a white light-emitting diode...
This paper reports on developing a low cost but efficient paired emitter-detector diode (PEDD)-based photometer. The photometer consists of a white light-emitting diode (LED) as the emitter diode, an RGB LED as the detector diode, and a multimeter for recoding the signal. The developed PEDD-based photometer was utilized for the determination of liquid bleach adulteration in cow milk samples. N,N-Diethyl-p-phenylenediamine sulfate aqueous solution of pH 6 was used as a probe to monitor the presence of residual active chlorine in milk. The results showed that the developed method could be used to determine sodium hypochlorite in the concentration range of 0.5 to 20.0 ppm Cl with 0.14 and 0.46 ppm Cl limit of detection and limit of quantification, respectively. The intraday and interday precisions of the method at two concentration levels of 5.5 and 13.7 ppm Cl were 1.04% and 0.52%, and 1.81% and 1.02%, respectively. The recoveries of 114.2% and 106.9% were obtained for 5.5 and 13.7 ppm Cl concentrations levels, respectively. Real sample analyzes results showed that "maybe" liquid bleach adulteration in milk is the case for local distributors of raw milk.
Topics: Animals; Milk; Sodium Hypochlorite; Photometry
PubMed: 37069217
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-33527-y -
Journal of Visualized Experiments : JoVE Feb 2022Short-lived or transient interactions of macromolecules at and with lipid membranes, an interface where a multitude of essential biological reactions take place, are...
Short-lived or transient interactions of macromolecules at and with lipid membranes, an interface where a multitude of essential biological reactions take place, are inherently difficult to assess with standard biophysical methods. The introduction of mass-sensitive particle tracking (MSPT) constitutes an important step toward a thorough quantitative characterization of such processes. Technically, this was made possible through the advent of interferometric scattering microscopy (iSCAT)-based mass photometry (MP). When the background removal strategy is optimized to reveal the two-dimensional motion of membrane-associated particles, this technique allows the real-time analysis of both diffusion and molecular mass of unlabeled macromolecules on biological membranes. Here, a detailed protocol to perform and analyze mass-sensitive particle tracking of membrane-associated systems is described. Measurements performed on a commercial mass photometer achieve time resolution in the millisecond regime and, depending on the MP system, a mass detection limit down to 50 kDa. To showcase the potential of MSPT for the in-depth analysis of membrane-catalyzed macromolecule dynamics in general, results obtained for exemplary protein systems such as the native membrane interactor annexin V are presented.
Topics: Biophysics; Cell Membrane; Diffusion; Membranes; Motion
PubMed: 35253804
DOI: 10.3791/63583 -
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Mar 2022Visibility and aerosol optical depth (AOD) characterization, and their relationship with PM and local and synoptic meteorology, were studied for January-March in 2014...
Visibility and aerosol optical depth (AOD) characterization, and their relationship with PM and local and synoptic meteorology, were studied for January-March in 2014 and 2015 over Bangkok. Visibility degradation intensifies in the dry season as compared to the wet season due to increase in PM and unfavorable meteorological conditions. The average visibility is lower in January and February as compared to the other months. Relatively higher AOD in March despite lower PM is attributed to the synergetic effect of moderate relative humidity, secondary aerosols, elevated aerosol layer due to summertime convection, and biomass burning. Larger variability in visibility and PM in winter months is due to more synoptic weather fluctuations while AOD shows similar variability for all months attributed partly to fires. Higher PM and moderate-to-high relative humidity cause lower visibility in the morning while it improves in afternoon as PM and relative humidity decrease. AOD is higher in the afternoon as compared to that in the morning and evening as it is less sensitive to diurnal change in aerosols and meteorology at the surface level. Visibility and AOD relationships with PM are dependent on relative humidity. Weaker winds lead to lower visibility, higher PM, and higher AOD irrespective of wind direction. Stronger winds improve visibility and decrease PM for all directions while AOD is higher for all directions except eastern and northeastern. The back-trajectory results show that the transport of pollutant and moist air is coupled with the synoptic weather and influence visibility and AOD. Two low-visibility events were investigated. The first event is potentially caused by the combined effect of local emissions and their accumulation due to stagnant weather conditions, secondary aerosols, and forest fires in the nearby regions. The second event can be attributed to the local emission and fires in the nearby area with hygroscopic growth of aerosols due to moist air from the Gulf of Thailand. Based on these findings, some policy implications have also been given.
Topics: Aerosols; Environmental Monitoring; Seasons; Thailand; Weather
PubMed: 35357591
DOI: 10.1007/s10661-022-09880-2 -
Hemodialysis International.... Oct 2016Background The results of studies investigating the effects of hyponatraemic dialysates have been mixed, with some reporting positive effects including reduction in...
Background The results of studies investigating the effects of hyponatraemic dialysates have been mixed, with some reporting positive effects including reduction in blood pressure and inter-dialytic weight gains, whereas others have not been able to demonstrate any effect. These studies assume that setting a lower dialysate sodium results in the delivery of a hyponatraemic dialysate. We therefore measured delivered sodium to determine reliability. Methods We measured dialysate sodium in 10 BBraun Dialog+ and 6 Fresenius 4008H dialysis machines, which had been set up to deliver a sodium of 136 mmol/L, using flame photometry and indirect ion selective electrode (ISE) methods. Results Dialysate conductivity was 13.85 ± 0.05 mS/cm, but dialysate sodium measured by flame photometry was 141.8 ± 2.9 mmol/L, and 142.5 ± 2.4 mmol/L by ISE. Both dialysis machines delivered a dialysate sodium in excess of the 136 mmol/L set, with a mean bias of 7.0 ±2.1 mmol/L for the Dialog+ , and 3.7 ± 2.6 for the 4008 with the flame photometer method, and a mean bias of 6.3 ± 1.3 mmol/L for the Dialog+ , and 6.8 ± 3.7 for the 4008 by ISE. Conclusion It is assumed when setting a dialysate sodium concentration that this sodium concentration is delivered. However we found that the dialysate sodium concentration delivered was greater than that set, despite the dialysis machines reporting a conductivity measurement in keeping with a lower sodium dialysate. Trials of lowered dialysate sodium therefore need to measure dialysate sodium concentrations to ensure what has been set is delivered.
PubMed: 27669545
DOI: 10.1111/hdi.12465 -
RSC Advances Apr 2023The demand for the development of portable and low-cost analytical devices has encouraged studies employing additive manufacturing techniques, such as 3D-printing. This...
The demand for the development of portable and low-cost analytical devices has encouraged studies employing additive manufacturing techniques, such as 3D-printing. This method can be used to produce components such as printed electrodes, photometers, and fluorometers for low-cost systems that provide advantages including low sample volume, reduced chemical waste, and easy coupling with LED-based optics and other instrumental devices. In the present work, a modular 3D-printed fluorometer/photometer was designed and applied for the determination of caffeine (CAF), ciprofloxacin (CIP), and Fe(ii) in pharmaceutical samples. All the plastic parts were printed separately by a 3D printer, using Tritan as the plastic material (black color). The final size of the modular 3D-printed device was 12 × 8 cm. The radiation sources were light-emitting diodes (LEDs), while a light dependent resistor (LDR) was used as a photodetector. The analytical curves obtained for the device were: = 3.00 × 10 [CAF] + 1.00 and = 0.987 for caffeine; = 6.90 × 10 [CIP] - 3.39 × 10 and = 0.991 for ciprofloxacin; and = 1.12 × 10 [Fe(ii)] + 1.26 × 10 and = 0.998 for iron(ii). The results obtained using the developed device were compared with reference methods, with no statistically significant differences observed. The 3D-printed device was composed of moveable parts, providing flexibility for adaptation and application as a photometer or fluorometer, by only switching the photodetector position. The LED could also be easily switched, permitting application of the device for different purposes. The cost of the device, including the printing and electronic components, was lower than US$10. The use of 3D-printing enables the development of portable instruments for use in remote locations with a lack of research resources.
PubMed: 37077256
DOI: 10.1039/d3ra01281f -
Journal of Applied Clinical Medical... Mar 2017The purpose of this work was to perform the initial evaluation of primary diagnostic monitor (PDM) characteristics following the implementation of New York City quality...
The purpose of this work was to perform the initial evaluation of primary diagnostic monitor (PDM) characteristics following the implementation of New York City quality assurance (NYC QA) regulations on January 1, 2016, and compare the results of the QA measurements performed by an external photometer and the PDM manufacturer's built-in photometer. TG-18 and Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers test patterns were used to evaluate monitor performance. Overall, 79 PDMs were included in the analysis. The verification of grayscale standard display function (GSDF) calibration, using a built-in photometer, showed that only 2 out of 79 PDMs failed calibration. However, the same measurements performed by the external luminance meter showed that 15 out of 79 monitors had failed GSDF calibration. Measurements of the PDMs maximum luminance (L ), using an external photometer showed that 10 out of 53 PDMs calibrated for L = 400 cd/m and 17 out of 26 PDMs calibrated for L = 500 cd/m do not meet the manufacturer's recommended 10% tolerance limit for the target L calibration. Two PDMs did not pass the L ≥ 350 cd/m NYC QA regulations with L = 331 cd/m and L = 340 cd/m . All tested PDMs exceeded the minimum luminance ratio (LR) of 250:1 as required by NYC QA regulations. Measurements taken of L and LR performed by a built-in photometer showed that none of the PDMs had failed the NYC QA regulations. All PDMs passed the luminance uniformity test with a maximum nonuniformity of 17% (according to NYC regulations it must be less than 30%). The luminance uniformity test could only be performed using an external photometer. The evaluation of 79 PDMs of various ages and models demonstrated up to 18% disagreement between luminance measurements performed by the manufacturer's built-in photometer when compared with those performed by an externally calibrated luminance meter. These disagreements were larger for older PDMs.
Topics: Calibration; Diagnostic Imaging; Humans; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Luminescent Measurements; Photometry; Quality Assurance, Health Care; Reference Standards
PubMed: 28300388
DOI: 10.1002/acm2.12047 -
Toxicology Reports 2022The recent expansion of industries in Addis Ababa is causing additional environmental pollution through wastewater discharges; this is becoming a critical concern. Addis...
The recent expansion of industries in Addis Ababa is causing additional environmental pollution through wastewater discharges; this is becoming a critical concern. Addis Ababa is located in the upper Awash River basin, and is the main source of industrial pollutants to the river. In this study, physicochemical parameters, nutrients and heavy metal content of wastewaters released from 16 factories, 6 tanneries, 6 beverages and 4 diverse factories, and the Akaki-Kality central wastewater treatment plant in Addis Ababa, were sampled to assess the level of pollutants. Heavy metals were determined using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Analysis of nutrients were conducted using Palintest Photometer. Physicochemical characteristics were measured either in situ using a portable micro meter or in the laboratory. Among the measured physicochemical properties, critical issues were observed with electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids and total hardness. Effluents from all of the tanneries, and a number of other factories, were found at levels higher than the maximum limits of various guideline standards. In addition, samples from two of the tanneries (T1 and T5), two beverage factories (B3 and B6) and the central wastewater treatment plant showed elevated concentrations of PO , which violated the limit (10 mg/l) set by Environmental Protection Agency of Ethiopia (ETHEPA). The two tanneries (T1 and T5) also contained higher SO than the guideline limit of 1000 mg/l. On the other hand, only one factory, one brewery (B3), exhibited NO above the standard limit of 20 mg/l. Whereas NH, NH , Cl, S and NO were within the limits in all of the samples. Severe pollution was found in wastewaters from tanneries, where half of them (T1, T5 and T6) contained Cr beyond the maximum limit of 2000 µg/l. Furthermore, a third of the tanneries (T1 and T5) and a beverage factory (B5) contained Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu, higher than the ETHEPA limits of 10000, 5000, 5000 and 2000 µg/l, respectively. Waste disposal from factories without proper treatment can cause great harm to the local people and the environment. Hence, the results of this study call for regulatory bodies to pay close attention to factories, particularly tanneries, in Addis Ababa in implementing adequate treatments of their wastewater discharges.
PubMed: 36518430
DOI: 10.1016/j.toxrep.2022.06.002 -
PloS One 2018To identify in vitro inhibitors of xanthine crystallization that have potential for inhibiting the formation of xanthine crystals in urine and preventing the development...
OBJECTIVE
To identify in vitro inhibitors of xanthine crystallization that have potential for inhibiting the formation of xanthine crystals in urine and preventing the development of the renal calculi in patients with xanthinuria.
METHODS
The formation of xanthine crystals in synthetic urine and the effects of 10 potential crystallization inhibitors were assessed using a kinetic turbidimetric system with a photometer. The maximum concentration tested for each compound was: 20 mg/L for 3-methylxanthine (3-MX); 40 mg/L for 7-methylxanthine (7-MX), 1-methylxanthine (1-MX), theobromine (TB), theophylline, paraxanthine, and caffeine; 45 mg/L for 1-methyluric acid; 80 mg/L for 1,3-dimethyluric acid; and 200 mg/L for hypoxanthine. Scanning electron microscopy was used to examine the morphology of the crystals formed when inhibitory effects were observed.
RESULTS
Only 7-MX, 3-MX, and 1-MX significantly inhibited xanthine crystallization at the tested concentrations. Mixtures of inhibitors had an additive effect rather than a synergistic effect on crystallization.
CONCLUSION
Two of the inhibitors identified here-7-MX and 3-MX-are major metabolites of TB. In particular, after TB consumption, 20% is excreted in the urine as TB, 21.5% as 3-MX, and 36% as 7-MX. Thus, consumption of theobromine could protect patients with xanthinuria from the development of renal xanthine calculi. Clinical trials are necessary to demonstrate these effects in vivo.
Topics: Aldehyde Oxidase; Chemical Precipitation; Crystallization; Down-Regulation; Humans; In Vitro Techniques; Kidney Calculi; Metabolism, Inborn Errors; Purine-Pyrimidine Metabolism, Inborn Errors; Urolithiasis; Xanthine; Xanthine Dehydrogenase; Xanthines
PubMed: 30157195
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0198881 -
Scientific Reports Oct 2023Photoelectric observations of night sky brightness (NSB) at different zenith distances and azimuths, covering all the sky, at the Egyptian Kottamia Astronomical...
Photoelectric observations of night sky brightness (NSB) at different zenith distances and azimuths, covering all the sky, at the Egyptian Kottamia Astronomical observatory (KAO) site of coordinates ϕ = 29° 55.9' N and λ = 31° 49.5' E, were done using a fully automated photoelectric photometer (FAPP). The Bessel wide range system (UBVRI) is used for the first time to observe NSB for three consecutive nights (1-3 August, 2022) under good seeing conditions after the moon sets. The deduced results were taken in photons and converted into mag/arcsec. The average zenith sky brightness for U, B, V, R and I filters are found to be 20.49, 20.38, 19.41, 18.60 and 17.94 mag/arcsec respectively. The average color indices (U-B), (B-V), (V-R) and (R-I), at the zenith are detected to be 0.11, 0.98, 0.81 and 0.66, respectively. We plotted the isophotes of the sky brightness at KAO in U, B, V, R and I colors (filters) and determined both the average atmospheric extinction and sky transparency through these UBVRI filters. The atmospheric and other meteorological conditions were taken into our consideration during the observational nights. The results of the current study illustrate the main impact of the new cities built around KAO on the sky glow over it, and which astronomical observations are affected.
PubMed: 37798327
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43844-x