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Objective: Most research on the therapeutic effects of wild pistachio species has focused on bacteria and fungi. This study investigated the flavonoid and phenolic contents of different leaves and hulls of Pistacia atlantica (P. atlantica) subsp. Kurdica (P. atlantica subsp. Kurdica) extracts and their effect on herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV1). Methods: In this study, aqueous, ethanolic, and methanolic extracts of the leaf and hull of P. atlantica subsp. Kurdica were prepared by the percolation method. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents in different extracts were measured by UV/Vis spectrophotometry using the Folin-Ciocâlteu reagent and the colorimetric method of aluminum chloride, respectively. On African green monkey kidney cells (VERO), the ethanolic extract of P. atlantica subsp. Kurdica was tested for toxicity. Furthermore, 50% cytotoxic and inhibitory concentrations (CC50 and IC50) were identified. Results: Compared with aqueous and methanolic extracts, the ethanolic extract of the leaf and hull of P. atlantica subsp. Kurdica had the highest phenolic and flavonoid concentrations. In addition, our study showed that CC50 values were 661.81 and 795.21 μg/mL. Also, IC50 values were 97.51 and 110.82 μg/mL for leaf and hull extracts, respectively. The selectivity index for the ethanolic leaf and hull extracts were 6.79 and 7.18, respectively. Conclusion: Our results showed that P. atlantica subsp. Kurdica had an anti-HSV1 effect in a dose-dependent manner but at a higher dose than acyclovir. Ethanolic extract of P. atlantica subsp. Kurdica is probably a suitable herbal medicine with anti-herpetic effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Objectives Methods Results Conclusion Diabetes mellitus poses a global health challenge, driving the need for innovative therapeutic solutions. Experimental methods play a crucial role in evaluating the efficacy of potential antidiabetic drugs, both in vitro and in vivo. Yet concerns about reproducibility persist, necessitating comprehensive reviews.This review aims to outline experimental approaches for inducing diabetes and evaluating antidiabetic activity, synthesizing data from authoritative sources and academic literature.We conducted a systematic search of prominent databases, including PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Scopus, to identify relevant articles spanning from 1943 to the present. A total of 132 articles were selected for inclusion in this review, focusing on in vitro and in vivo experimental validations of antidiabetic treatments.Our review highlights the diverse array of experimental methods employed for inducing diabetes mellitus and evaluating antidiabetic interventions. From cell culture assays to animal models, researchers have employed various techniques to study the effectiveness of novel therapeutic agents.This review provides a comprehensive guide to experimental approaches for assessing antidiabetic activity. By synthesizing data from a range of sources, we offer valuable insights into the current methodologies used in diabetes research. Standardizing protocols and enhancing reproducibility are critical for advancing effective antidiabetic treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antibiotic resistance has dramatically spread in recent decades and has become a serious problem in modern medicine. Honeybee venom or bee venom (BV) has anticancer, anti-inflammation, and antimicrobial properties. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of BV on certain pathogenic bacteria. The effects of different concentrations of BV against Klebsiella pneumonia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus were evaluated by disk diffusion method (inhibition zone, IZ), minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC). Additionally, the antibacterial activity of BV was compared with that of ampicillin, penicillin, and tetracycline. The results indicated that different concentrations of BV had an inhibitory effect on the pathogen species. The MIC and MBC of BV were 18 and 24 μg/mL for K. pneumonia, respectively, 38 and 42 μg/mL for P. aeruginosa, respectively, and 21 and 31 μg/mL for S. aureus, respectively. Among the bacterial species tested, BV was the most effective against K. pneumonia. Meanwhile, P. aeruginosa was the most resistant against BV. The comparison revealed that 100 μg/mL BV had a greater effect on IZ against P. aeruginosa and K. pneumonia compared with evaluated common antibiotics (p < 0.05). This study showed that BV demonstrated antibacterial effects. Precise toxicology examinations are required for the development of new antibiotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current study, an integrated physiochemical method was utilized to remove tonalide (TND) and dimethyl phthalate (DMP) (as emerging contaminants, ECs), and nickel (Ni) and lead (Pb) (as heavy metals), from synthetic wastewater. In the first step of the study, pH, current (mA/cm2), and voltage (V) were set to 7.0, 30, and 9, respectively; then the removal of TND, DMP, Ni, and Pb with an electro-ozonation reactor was optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). At the optimum reaction time (58.1 min), ozone dosage (9.4 mg L−1), initial concentration of ECs (0.98 mg L−1), and initial concentration of heavy metals (28.9 mg L−1), the percentages of TND, DMP, Ni, and Pb removal were 77.0%, 84.5%, 59.2%, and 58.2%, respectively. For the electro-ozonation reactor, the ozone consumption (OC) ranged from 1.1 kg to 3.9 kg (kg O3/kg Ecs), and the specific energy consumption (SEC) was 6.95 (kWh kg−1). After treatment with the optimum electro-ozonation parameters, the synthetic wastewater was transferred to a fixed-bed column, which was filled with a new composite adsorbent (named BBCEC), as the second step of the study. BBCEC improved the efficacy of the removal of TND, DMP, Ni, and Pb to more than 92%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil contamination with heavy metals is a global problem, and these metals can reach the food chain through uptake by plants, endangering human health. Among the metal pollutants in soils, zinc (Zn) and lead (Pb) are common co-pollutants from anthropogenic activities. Thus, we sought to define the accumulation of Zn and Pb in agricultural soils and maize. Concentrations of Pb in agricultural soil (in Namibia) could reach 3015 mg/Kg, whereas concentrations of Zn in soil (in China) could reach 1140 mg/Kg. In addition, the maximum concentrations of Zn and Pb were 27,870 and 2020 mg/Kg in maize roots and 4180 and 6320 mg/Kg in shoots, respectively. Recent studies have shown that soil properties (such as organic matter content, pH, cation exchange capacity (CEC), texture, and clay content) can play important roles in the bioavailability of Zn and Pb. We also investigated some of the genes and proteins involved in the uptake and transport of Zn and Pb by maize. Among several amendment methods to reduce the bioavailability of Zn and Pb in soils, the use of biochar, bioremediation, and the application of gypsum and lime have been widely reported as effective methods for reducing the accumulation of metals in soils and plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herbal drugs in this category are in alternative agents and for several years they have been used all around the world. The aim of this study is to examine the antimicrobial properties of three species of Punica granatum on Candida albicans and Escherichia coli and to compare it to some common antibiotics. Firstly the extracts of P. granatum var. pleniflora, P. granatum var. Sweet Alak, P. granatum var. Saveh Black leather and leaf Portulaca olearaceae were prepared and the amount of total phenol and free radical scavenging activity had been measured in the plants. Next the antimicrobial activity of prepared extracts was determined on Candida albicans and Escherichia coli and it was compared to some common antibiotics. Also MIC50, MIC90, MFC and MBC of extracts were determined. The statistical analysis of data for checking inhibition zone (IZ) was done using Factorial test in random design and means comparison was done via Tokey method. Results showed that the high concentration of treatment P. granatum var. pleniflora had the most effect on IZ (P<0.0001) and the highest amounts of phenol and antioxidant activity is related to P. granatum var. pleniflora flower. The comparison of antibiotics and herbal extracts on Candida albicans and Escherichia coli showed that concentration 30% of P. granatum var. pleniflora has a more significant potential compared to Amfoterisin B and antibacterial drugs. From the obtained results, it is clear that the methanolic extract of P. granatum flower can be used against Candida albicans and Escherichia coli in different concentrations. It is suggested to conduct other experiments in alternative medicine and to use the extract on different microbial species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to check the interaction between four ligands (Acacetin, Chrysin, Naringenin and Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Ester) and protective antigen. These ligands are the main flavonoids of propolis of honey. Bioinformatics checking was done using Molegro virtual docker (MVD) and Chimera 1.7. Also in order for the study to be more accurate, servers like SwissDock and BSP-SLIM, and all outputs obtained from these softwares were compared with each other. The results obtained from docking showed that the best pose which is derived from MolDock score for Naringenin was -98.8273 with reranking score equal to -74.3555 and for Acacetin was -82.3757 with reranking score equal to -60.4836 and for Chrysin was -74.6467 with reranking score equal to -57.3663 and for Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Ester was -95.4875 with reranking score equal to -73.8375. Generally, results show that every 4 ligands possess interaction with protective antigen and so could inhibit its interaction with cell. Glu117 is a critical amino acid in binding to its ligand at cell surface. In the case of Acacetin, due to it interaction with Glu117, it is predicted that its inhibitory effect is more strong. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trichoderma spp. serves as biocontrol and growth promoting agents for many crop plants due to their antagonistic properties against plant pathogens. Nanoparticles have become of an interest relatively recently, mostly because of their possible use in diverse technologies. In this research we have investigated the role of silver nanoparticles on growth rate of two biocontrol agent species of Trichoderma viride and T. harzianum by measuring the diameter of colonies of fungi on potato dextrose agar and the dry weight of mycelia culture medium. In this test in order to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration, 25, 50, 100 and 150 ppm of silver nanoparticles were used. General Regression Analysis was used to determine both the time and concentration variable and the possible interactions. The results showed that silver nanoparticles caused inhibited the growth of the two species of fungi. In this paper we suggest that silver nanoparticles, because of the harmful effects on environment, should be used less. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]