AIM: Aluminum chloride (AlCl3) is commonly used in daily life but it can be induce reproductive toxicity. Propolis has been reported to be important antioxidant. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the protective effects of propolis against reproductive toxicity of aluminum chloride (AlCl3) in male rats. METHODS: Sixty male albino rats were divided into three equal groups, the first served as negative control, the second received AlCl3 (34 mg/kg bw, 1/25 LD50), the third received AlCl3 and treated with propolis (50 mg/kg bw.). Treatment was continued for 70 days. RESULTS: AlCl3 caused a decrease in body and testes weights and testosterone hormone. In addition, histological changes as damages within the seminiferous tubules and vascular degeneration of the germ cells and Sertoli cells cytoplasm were observed. On the other hand, electron microscopy study showed changes in the testis seminiferous tubules such as atrophy of the tubular membrane, mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus and nucleus. Our results revealed that propolis alleviated the reproductive toxic effects of AlCl3. CONCLUSION: Treatment with propolis alleviates AlCl3-associated hazards and protects the testicular tissues from AlCl3 toxicity.

Background: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) cause gastrointestinal damage both in the upper and lower gastrointestinal tract, in addition to their undesirable side effects on the pancreas. Meloxicam like all NSAIDs has damaging effects on the gastrointestinal tract including perforations, ulcers and bleeding. Objective: The present work describes the effects of Gum acacia aqueous extract on the histology of intestine and enzymes of both intestine and Pancreas of albino rats treated with Meloxicam. Materials and Methods: This study was performed on four groups of equally weighed male rats, each group included ten animals; the first group was received a diet containing 0.2 mg/kg bw meloxicam per day; the second was given 1gm gum acacia per day in its diet; the third was given meloxicam followed by gum in the same doses per day; while the fourth group (control rats) was placed on a normal diet and water. All rats were received their diet for a period of 21 days. Results: A considerable protective effect of Gum acacia aqueous extract on the histology of intestine of albino rats treated with meloxicam was recorded. In addition, the study displayed a significant increase (P0.001) in the intestinal enzymes; lipase, amylase, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in the 1st and 3rd groups animals while these enzymes were significantly decreased (P0.001) in the 2nd group when compared with the 4th control group. Conclusion: This study concluded that gum acacia provides a protection and defense against the harmful effects of meloxicam therapy used as one of the novel anti-Cox-1 and Cox-2 NSAIDs.

The antidiabetic activity of both leaves and MJ-treated cell cultures of Morus nigra was evaluated after their oral administration to streptozotocin - induced diabetic rates. The antidiabetic activity of extracts from leaves given to streptozotocin (STZ) - diabetic rats for 10 days increased with increasing doses of leaves extract up to 500 mg/kg/day. The administration of 500 mg/kg/day of leaves extract reduced the concentration of glucose from 370 ± 7.31 mg/dl (control) to 154 ± 6.27 mg/dl and a significant increase in the insulin level from 11.3 ± 0.31 mU/ml (control) to 14.6 ± 0.43 mU/ml was recorded. Cell suspension cultures were established from the young leaves of Morus nigra cultivated on modified MS medium supplemented with 2.0 mg/l 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), 0.2 mg/l 6-(furfurylamino)-purine (kinetin). The changes in cells weight and flavonoids content were followed between day zero and 12. The linear increase in fresh weight was found to be parallel to flavonoids production. Cell cultures treated with 100 mM methyl jasmonate for 24 hours showed a noticeable increase in level of flavonoids and significant and more effective hypoglycemic activity than that for extract from leaves. The major flavonoids were isolated by TLC and HPLC and identified as rutin, quercetin, Morusin and cyclomorusin by co-chromatography and mass spectrometry in comparison to samples of authentic reference compounds.

Background: Monosodium glutamate is commonly used in our foods and reported many physiological effects. Propolis is a natural product widely used in folk medicine due to its bioactive compounds. It is considered one of the richest sources of phenolic acids and flavonoids. Methods: The phenolic acids and flavonoids content of Saudi Arabian propolis was determined by HPLC analysis. Three groups of albino rats were used in the present study for histological and histochemical studies. Group 1 (control group) received 0.9% NaCL, group 2 was given monosodium glutamate (6 mg/g bw) and group 3 received monosodium glutamate (6 mg/g body weight) and propolis (50 mg/kg body weight). Results: The HPLC analysis of the Saudi Arabian propolis revealed presence of predominant phenolic acids; trans-cinnamic, p-coumaric, caffeic, ferulic, sinapic, and flavonoids; apigenin, kaempferol, quercetin, rutin. The rats administered orally with the monosodium glutamate (6 mg/g body weight) and propolis (50 mg/kg body weight) for 8 weeks showed a significant protective effect of propolis in prevention monosodium glutamate induced toxic pathological changes in kidney of the rats. Conclusion: The presence of phenolic compounds in the Saudi Arabian propolis is coincided with its role in improving the histological and ultrastructural pictures of kidney treated with monosodium glutamate.

Two methyl esters of fatty acids, namely octadecanoic acid methyl ester (methyl stearate) (1) and hexadecanoic acid methyl ester (methyl palmitate) (2), in addition to four cinnamyl alcohol derivatives, sinapyl alcohol (3), coniferyl alcohol (4), p-coumaryl alcohol (5) and coniferyl alcohol 4-O-glucoside (coniferin) (6), were isolated from callus cultures of Wedelia prostrata. The structure of coniferin was established by spectroscopic and chemical methods, while the other compounds were identified by gas chromatography – mass spectrometry and thin layer chromatography in comparison with standards

Cell suspension cultures of Trigonella foenum graecum L. (fenugreek) were initiated from the cotyledon portions of sterile germinated seeds and maintained on MS medium supplemented with 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2, 4-D) (1 mg/l), kinetin (0.1 mg/l) and sucrose (5%). The changes in cell mass and both trigonelline and 4- hydroxyisoleucine content were followed between days zero and 12. The linear increase in fresh weight was found to be parallel to both trigonelline and 4-hydroxyisoleucine production. Cell suspension cultures treated with 100 μM methyl jasmonate (MJ) for 24 hours showed a noticeable increase in the level of trigonelline and 4-hydroxyisoleucine. The marked improvement in the histological and electron microscopically pictures of pancreas of STZ-diabetic rats fed with extract of cells treated with MJ is coincided with more effective and significant hypoglycemic activity than that for seeds extract. The extract of cultured cells treated with MJ lowered blood glucose from 284 ± 7.4 to 123 ± 8.1 units and increased the insulin level from 4.42 ± 0.23 μU/ml to a high level 8.33 ± 0.41 μU/ml.

Two methyl esters of fatty acids, namely octadecanoic acid methyl ester (methyl stearate) (1) and hexadecanoic acid methyl ester (methyl palmitate) (2), in addition to four cinnamyl alcohol derivatives, sinapyl alcohol (3), coniferyl alcohol (4), p-coumaryl alcohol (5) and coniferyl alcohol 4-O-glucoside (coniferin) (6), were isolated from callus cultures of Wedelia prostrata. The structure of coniferin was established by spectroscopic and chemical methods, while the other compounds were identified by gas chromatography – mass spectrometry and thin layer chromatography in comparison with standards

Cardiac glycosides in shoot cultures of Cryptostegia grandiflora were identified when grown in modified MS medium. The change in shoot segments and cardiac glycosides content was followed between day zero and day 12 at 2-day intervals. The content of cardiac glycosides in leaves and shoot cultures of cryptostegia grandiflora was monitored by HPLC. Two major compounds were detected and isolated from shoot cultures extract, named oleandrigenin 3-O--glucopyranosyl-(14)--cymaropyranosyl-(14)--digitoxopyranoside (cryptostigmin I) and oleandrigenin 3-O--glucopyranosyl-(14)--rhamnopyranoside (cryptostigmin II). The structures of the isolated compounds were verified by means of MS and NMR spectral analysis as well as by comparison with authentic samples. The leaves and shoot cultures were analyzed for their cardiac glycosides content. The shoot cultures inoculated into MS-based culture media supplemented with 0.1 mg L-1 BA, 30 g L-1 sucrose, 0.1 g L-1 myo-inositol and 0.1 g L-1 ascorbic acid were found to contain a quantity of cardiac glycosides that was about four fold the cardiac glycosides content of leaves extract

Shoot tips of the germinated seeds of Astragalus sieberi DC. were cultured on MS-medium supplemented with 0.1 mg L-1 each of naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) and benzyl adenine (BA) for establishment of shoot cultures. The effect of different concentrations of growth regulators on saponin content was studied and optimized. Saponin content was monitored by HPLC analysis. The most appropriate growth regulator with which to produce the highest content of saponins in shoot cultures was 0.5 mg L-1 each of NAA and BA. The isolated cycloastragenol-3-O-glucoside was identified by spectral analysis and compared with an authentic sample

The finding that oxygenase-catalyzed protein hydroxylation regulates animal transcription raises questions as to whether the translation machinery and prokaryotic proteins are analogously modified. Escherichia coli ycfD is a growth-regulating 2-oxoglutarate oxygenase catalyzing arginyl hydroxylation of the ribosomal protein Rpl16. Human ycfD homologs, Myc-induced nuclear antigen (MINA53) and NO66, are also linked to growth and catalyze histidyl hydroxylation of Rpl27a and Rpl8, respectively. This work reveals new therapeutic possibilities via oxygenase inhibition and by targeting modified over unmodified ribosomes.