Organophosphorus insecticide and growth regulator namely Ethephon (2-chloroethylphosphonic acid) are widely used as a ripening process accelerator and a cultivation duration inhibitor. Pomegranate extract (PPE) has recently been taken into consideration due to its pharmacological effects especially those associated with renal diseases. Thus, this study aims to investigate the possible protective effect of PPE against ethephon-induced nephrotoxicity in rats. In this study four groups of adult male rats were divided into control group, PPE 400 mg/kg group, Ethephon 250 mg/kg group, and finally, PPE + Ethephon group (treated with the same dose of PPE group and Ethephon group). In the current study, kidney function parameters (KIM-1, creatinine, and urea) along with oxidative stress markers, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor 2 (Nrf2), glutathione (GSH) and its correlated enzymes, nitric oxide (NO), superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA) and catalase (CAT) were estimated. Additionally, mediators of renal inflammation: interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) were measured. Apoptotic biomarkers (Bax, caspase 3, and Bcl2) in addition to renal histopathological data were also investigated. Results revealed that Ethephon elicited a significant increase in oxidation markers and reduced antioxidant levels, accompanied by oxidative renal tissue injury. Consequently, administration of Ethephon was reported to provoke secretion of the pro-inflammatory mediators. Moreover, histopathological results showed that deformities in the renal tissues were noticed which is attributed to Ethephon exposure. Interestingly, co-administration of PPE and Ethephon resulted in significantly ameliorated the biochemical and histopathological alterations produced by Ethephon. Current results propose the potential effect of PPE in the protection of renal tissue from Ethephon induced nephrotoxicity in rats.
Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) is an enzyme containing copper, presents in various fruits and vegetables. It is responsible for the browning reactions when the cells are damaged during handling. The best conditions for extraction of polyphenol oxidase from banana peel was by using an extraction buffer containing phosphate buffer (0.05 M, pH 7), 0.01 M ascorbic acid and 0.5% polyethylene glycol, with extraction ratio 1:4 (w:v) for one minute by using blender. The enzyme activity was measured spectrophotometrically at 425 nm. PPO was studied to prevent the browning of banana peel which results in the loss of their marketability. The aim of this study was to determine the optimum conditions for polyphenol oxidase extraction from banana peel.
Nanomaterials, including nanoparticles such as iron oxide nanoparticles, have received great attention from researchers due to their unique properties and applications. There are several diverse methods, including chemical, physical, and green biological methods, to prepare iron oxide nanoparticles. The green method was chosen because it is safer, purer, and less toxic compared to other methods. Therefore, the green method is a promising and environmentally friendly method in the near future. The aqueous extract of Iraqi orange leaves was used to prepare nano iron oxide, it was examined structurally and spectrally by several techniques (X-ray diffraction- XRD, Fourier transform infrared - FT-IR, field emission scanning electron micr
... Show MoreDoxorubicin (DOX) is a potent antineoplastic drug used to treat many types of human tumor. The long-term adverse effect is cardiomyopathy. Chromium is an essential trace element mostly used to regulate glucose levels and enhance the response to insulin, especially in diabetes. Current study aimed to evaluate the cardioprotective effect of chromium picolinate against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity in 28 male rats divided into four groups. Group I (Control group): received distilled water orally for 8 days. Group II (Doxorubicin group): received distilled water orally for 7 days, followed by a single doxorubicin dose (25 mg/kg) intraperitoneally. Group III (Chromium 2 mg): received chromium picolinate at a dose
... Show MoreBackground: Iron homeostasis is crucial to many physiological functions in the human body, such as cellular activity, erythropoiesis, and the innate immune response. Iron deficiency anemia may occur from obesity's ability to disturb iron homeostasis. Obesity may be seen as a pre-inflammatory condition with mild, ongoing systemic inflammation. Additionally, an increase in hepcidin levels by chronic inflammation causes iron insufficiency in obese people. For this reason, this current experiment is designed to investigate the iron profile and some hematological and inflammatory parameters in obese adults in the Kurdistan region-Iraq.
Subjects and Methods: The cross-sectional study w
... Show MoreThis study aims to identify the impact of social support on breast cancer patients’ psychological rigidity using a sample in Ramallah and al-Bireh. A descriptive correlative approach was adopted to fulfill the goals of the study and a questionnaire consisted of two criteria: social support and psychological rigidity, which was adopted as a tool for data collection for the study. In order to achieve the goals of the study, the researcher selected a convenient sample that consisted of 123 female breast cancer patients in Ramallah and al-Bireh. This sample represented 50% of the original patient population. The study showed that the average estimated percentage of social support and psychological rigidity for women with breast cancer, in
... Show MoreA cantilevered piezoelectric beam with a tip mass at its free end is a common energy harvester configuration. This paper introduces a new principle of designing such a harvester which increases the generated voltage without changing the natural frequency of the harvester: The attraction force between two permanent magnets is used to add stiffness to the system. This magnetic stiffening counters the effect of the tip mass on the natural frequency. Three setups incorporating piezoelectric bimorph cantilevers of the same type in different mechanical configurations are compared theoretically and experimentally to investigate the feasibility of this principle. Theoretical and experimental results show that magnetically stiffe
... Show MoreGross domestic product (GDP) is an important measure of the size of the economy's production. Economists use this term to determine the extent of decline and growth in the economies of countries. It is also used to determine the order of countries and compare them to each other. The research aims at describing and analyzing the GDP during the period from 1980 to 2015 and for the public and private sectors and then forecasting GDP in subsequent years until 2025. To achieve this goal, two methods were used: linear and nonlinear regression. The second method in the time series analysis of the Box-Jenkins models and the using of statistical package (Minitab17), (GRETLW32)) to extract the results, and then comparing the two methods, T
... Show MoreThe aim of this study is to evaluate the anti fungal activity of a combination of essential oils against water molds. HPLC analysis was done to evaluate the quantity and quality of the active compounds in this combination which extracted from three herbs( Peppermint Menthapiperita ,Thyme Thymusvulgaris, Common sage Salvia officinalis L.) and the active compounds are Camphor,Menthol,,Thujone and Thymol with different concentrations. In this study (MIC) , (MFC) were measured and (LD50) determined after 48,96 h from fingerlings treatment of common carp in aquariums .The results of (MIC) were 0.025µl/ml for Aphanomyces sp. and 0.015µl/ml for both Achlya sp. and Fusariumsolani which showed significant differences(p<0.05) from Malachite gre
... Show MoreThe present study aimed to investigate the histological, enzyme histochemical changes and liver function effects of Maxxthor insecticide on albino rats in liver. The experiment included 20 rat which were divided into four groups, the first group 5 rats were considered the control animals and the others were divided equally into three groups with a dose of 0.01, 0.1and 1 mg / kg of body weight, respectively for a period 40 days. The animals given each 48 hours via oral route Maxxthor by tube dosage after dissolved with distilled water. Microscopic examination of liver showed inflammatory cell aggregation around vessels, congestion and dilation of sinusoids hepatocytes hypertrophy with severs inflammatory cells infiltration, kupffer cells pro
... Show More