The plant Conyza canadensis, which belongs to Asteraceae (Compositae) family and known as Canadian horseweed. It was used as traditional medicine in China, Pakistan, India, and Africa for the treatment of various diseases causing by bacteria, fungi, or viruses. The plant has antimicrobial, antioxidant, anticoagulant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer pharmacological activity. This study provides the first phytochemical investigation of the plant in Iraq and is concerned with extraction, fractionation, isolation, and purification of some of the important phytochemicals detected in the plant-like phenolic acids, flavonoids, and alkaloids. Also, the literature survey has revealed that the plant has a substantial antimicrobial activity, so it was deemed desirable to make a study for the antimicrobial activity of the plant. The whole plant was collected from Baghdad city / College of Pharmacy/ University of Baghdad farm during July (2020). The aerial parts and roots were washed thoroughly, dried in shade, chopped, pulverized into a coarse powder, and then weighed. The shade-dried crushed plant materials were first defatted by maceration in hexane for 24 h. Then extracted by two extraction methods (hot method using soxhlet apparatus and cold method by maceration in solvent), using 85% aqueous ethanol as solvent extraction, and fractionated by petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol. The phytochemical screening of the ethanolic extract from both extraction methods revealed alkaloids, saponin glycosides, coumarins, flavonoids, steroids, phenolic compounds, proteins, anthraquinones, terpenoids, and cardiac glycosides. However, depending on the percentage yields, the hot method yield was better than the cold method, so the extraction method by soxhlet was preferred upon maceration as it gives a higher percentage yield. The petroleum ether, chloroform, and ethyl acetate fractions were analyzed by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for their steroids, alkaloids, and polyphenolic (phenolic acids and flavonoids) contents, respectively. The different chromatographic results revealed the presence of stigmasterol and β- sitosterol in petroleum ether fraction, harmine alkaloid in chloroform fraction, quercetin, quercitrin, apigenin, p-coumaric acid, and caffeic acid in ethyl acetate fraction of the Iraqi C. canadensis plant. Three polyphenolics compounds (p-coumaric acid, caffeic acid, apigenin) were isolated from ethyl acetate fraction by preparative thin-layer chromatography plates (PLC), and Harmine alkaloid was isolated from chloroform fraction by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using a fraction collector. The isolated compounds were subjected to various chromatographic and spectral analytical techniques for their identification, such as TLC, FTIR, HPLC, and high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC). Petroleum ether fraction was analyzed for the detection of coumarins by TLC. One compound was isolated, purified by PLC, symbolized as MS compound, and identified by FTIR and 1H -NMR since there is no standard available for this compound. The isolated MS compound could be pyranocoumarin glycoside. To investigate the essential oil composition of Iraqi C. canadensis, hydrodistillation of fresh aerial part of the plant was done using Clevenger-type apparatus for 3hr. The essential oils components and the hexane fraction obtained by maceration of the plant material in hexane solvent were identified using GC/MS analysis. The results of GC/MS analysis of the essential oil were abundant by hydrocarbon compounds, particularly by sesquiterpene hydrocarbon. This study also involves a preliminary determination of the antimicrobial activity of ethyl acetate fraction of the plant against two Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis), two Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli and Klebsiella sp.) and one fungi species (Candida albicans) by measuring the inhibition zone diameter around the hole in mm, compared with streptomycin and fluconazole standard drugs for antibacterial and antifungal activity, respectively. The antimicrobial results showed significant antibacterial activity against S.aureus (gram-positive bacteria) and important antifungal activity against Candida albicans. In contrast, no antibacterial activity was demonstrated against the tested gram-negative bacteria. Furthermore, the antibacterial activity exerted against S. epidermidis (gram-positive bacteria) was affected by dilution dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO).
Zerumbone is a well-known compound having anti-cancer, anti-ulcer, anti-inflammatory and anti-hyperglycemic effects. During its use for the disease treatment, the membrane of erythrocyte can be affected by consumption of this bioactive compound. The current study was the first report of investigation of the hemolytic activities on human erythrocytes and cytotoxic profile of zerumbone. The toxicity of zerumbone on human erythrocytes was determined by in vitro hemolytic assay. Brine shrimp lethality assay was used to evaluate the cytotoxic effect of zerumbone at concentrations 10, 100 and 1000 μg/mL. The human erythrocyte test showed no significant toxicity at low concentrations, whereas hemolytic effect was amplified up to 17.5
... Show MoreAntacids are commonly used drugs which are considered inert and free of pharmacological effect by many patients and physicians. They are weak bases that neutralize the gastric acid and relief pain. These weak bases dissociate to neutralize gastric acid and form neutral salts. The ultimate goal of antacid therapy is to reduce the concentration and a total load of acid in gastric juice to a pH 4 - 5. This in vitro study was promised to study the acid neutralizing capacity (ANC) of six commonly available antacids tablets in the Iraqi market by using back titration method. The highest ANC values were for Rennie (17.131± 0.083 and 16.926± 0.052 mEq) in two different hydrochloric acid (HCl) concentrations 1N and 0.5 N, respectively. The static
... Show MoreBackground: Pharmacy internship programmes are driven by most developed countries to outweigh the ongoing growth in the pharmacy career which encourages pharmacists to play a significant role as healthcare providers. Objectives: This study examines pharmacy students' perception, satisfaction, challenges, and limitations with the internship curriculum. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online survey with different elements to examine students' perceptions of various aspects. Result: Most students reported a positive impression regarding their internships, however, they were less satisfied with the allowance for filling prescriptions and compounding also, the college's follow-up was inadequate. F
... Show MoreA series of coumarin derivatives linked to amino acid ester side chains were synthesized and evaluated of their antibacterial and antifungal activity. The coumarin derivatives was alkylated by the ethyl bromoacetate and then using potassium carbonate to get alkylated hymecromone. Conventional solution method for amide bond formation was used as a coupling method between the carboxy-protected amino acids with acetic acid side chain of coumarin derivatives. The DCC/ HOBt coupling reagents were used for peptide bond formation. The proposed analogues were successfully synthesized and their structural formulas were consistent with the proposed struct
... Show MoreThe present study deals with the synthesis of four different azo-azomethine derivatives; this is done by two steps; the first step is diazotization of sulfonamides (sulfanilamide, sulfacetamide, sulfamethoxazole, and sulfadiazine) separately, followed by the second step; the coupling reaction of diazotized compounds with isatin bis-Schiff base named 3-((4-nitrobenzylidene) hydrazono)indolin-2-one. The later one (bis-Schiff base) was synthesized by the reaction of 3-hydrazono-indolin-2-one with p-nitrobenzaldehyde. The chemical structures of newly synthesized compounds were approved on the basis of their FTIR, 1H-NMR, and CHNS elemental analysis data results. The synthesized azo compounds were tested in vitro for their antimicrobial potentia
... Show MoreOne of the major health problems causing defects or damage to one or more of the four heart valves [aortic, mitral, pulmonary, and tricuspid] is valvular heart disease [VHD]; it occurs due to congenital abnormalities or acquired pathology. It is a defect that results in weak heart valves and is therefore unable to function as precise pathways of the blood. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the ferroxidase activity of ceruloplasmin (Cp) and the lipid profile of valvular heart disease patients in sera. Ninety subjects were included in this study and 60 patients with HDV were divided into two subgroups according to the affected valve: 33 patients with aortic valve disease (AV) and 27 patients
Abstract: The study aimed to investigate the effect of oral administration of hot aqueous extract of beetle cocoon Larinus maculatus Faldermann, in a two doses 50 and100mg/Kg/B.wt for 3 and 6 weeks respectively on the levels of serum glucose, weight of body, and lipid profile in male mice Mus musculus. The results revealed that there was a significant (p<0.05) decrease in serum glucose level was dose and period dependent. Weight of body also reduced significantly (p<0.05) with doses and period dependent. The lipid profile level significantly (p<0.05) decreased in dose and period’s manner in each of Total cholesterol (TC), Triglyceride (TG), High Density Lipoprotein- (HDL), Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL), and Very Low Density Lipoprotei
... Show More