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Background and Objectives: Epilepsy is a chronic disease that causes substantial morbidity and mortality. Pharmacists represent an integral role in managing patients with epilepsy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the level of knowledge about the pharmacology and pathophysiology of epilepsy among senior pharmacy students. Materials and Methods: Cross-sectional study using a designed questionnaire to measure the pharmacological and physiological knowledge of senior pharmacy students regarding epilepsy who are studying at Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia, from August to October 2022. Results: A total of 211 senior clinical pharmacy students responded to the questionnaire. The majority of the respondents were 4th year pharmacy students. The numbers of female and male participants were equal (106 and 105 students, respectively). The participants represented an acceptable level of knowledge about the pathophysiology aspects of epilepsy, with a mean total score of 6.22 ± 1.9 out of a maximum score of 10. The respondents reported that epilepsy could be due to genetic predisposition combined with environmental conditions (80.1%) or brain stroke (17.1%). Regarding the respondent knowledge about the pharmacology of epilepsy, the total score was 4.6 ± 2.1 (maximum attainable score: 9). Conclusions: The majority of pharmacy students had knowledge about the pathophysiology concept of the disease; however, low knowledge was shown by the respondents regarding the pharmacology of epilepsy. Thus, there is a need to identify better strategies to improve students' education.

Malachite green (MG) dye is a common environmental pollutant that threatens human health and the integrity of the Earth's ecosystem. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential biodegradation of MG dye by actinomycetes species isolated from planted soil near an industrial water effluent in Cairo, Egypt. The Streptomyces isolate St 45 was selected according to its high efficiency for laccase production. It was identified as S. exfoliatus based on phenotype and 16S rRNA molecular analysis and was deposited in the NCBI GenBank with the gene accession number OL720220. Its growth kinetics were studied during an incubation time of 144 h, during which the growth rate was 0.4232 (µ/h), the duplication time (td) was 1.64 d, and multiplication rate (MR) was 0.61 h, with an MG decolorization value of 96% after 120 h of incubation at 25 °C. Eleven physical and nutritional factors (mannitol, frying oil waste, MgSO 4 , NH 4 NO 3 , NH 4 Cl, dye concentration, pH, agitation, temperature, inoculum size, and incubation time) were screened for significance in the biodegradation of MG by S. exfoliatus using PBD. Out of the eleven factors screened in PBD, five (dye concentration, frying oil waste, MgSO 4 , inoculum size, and pH) were shown to be significant in the decolorization process. Central composite design (CCD) was applied to optimize the biodegradation of MG. Maximum decolorization was attained using the following optimal conditions: food oil waste, 7.5 mL/L; MgSO 4 , 0.35 g/L; dye concentration, 0.04 g/L; pH, 4.0; and inoculum size, 12.5%. The products from the degradation of MG by S. exfoliatus were characterized using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results revealed the presence of several compounds, including leuco-malachite green, di(tert-butyl)(2-phenylethoxy) silane, 1,3-benzenedicarboxylic acid, bis(2-ethylhexyl) ester, 1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid, bis(2-ethylhexyl) ester, 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid, di-n-octyl phthalate, and 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid, dioctyl ester. Moreover, the phytotoxicity, microbial toxicity, and cytotoxicity tests confirmed that the byproducts of MG degradation were not toxic to plants, microbes, or human cells. The results of this work implicate S. exfoliatus as a novel strain for MG biodegradation in different environments.

Background: Balanites aegypticea is used medically for many purposes e.g. anti-spasmodic, stomach pain, malaria, and yellow fever. The extract of the fruit is also used to reduce the blood glucose levels., Objectives: The objective of this study was to investigate the hypoglycemic effects of the aqueous extract of the fruits of the Balanites aegypticea in alloxan-induced diabetic rats., Materials and Methods: Twenty-five adult male Vistar rats were used in this study. The rats were randomly collected and divided into 5 groups (5 rats in each group). The untreated rats (negative control group) received basal diet and tap water only for 15 days. The experimental rats became diabetic by intraperitoneal injection of alloxan (150 mg/kg body weight). The fruit of Balanites aegypticea was powdered, extracted, and dried using organic solvents. The diabetic rats received aqueous extract 200 mg/kg, 400 mg/kg, and 800 mg/kg, respectively, for 2 weeks. Plasma glucose levels were measured by using Glucose GOD-PAP method through spectrophotometer., Results: The results showed that 800 mg/kg aqueous extract decrease significantly the plasma glucose level (P ≤ 0.05) in diabetic rats, and there is a considerable gain in body weight (P ≤ 0.05) compared to the diabetic control group. Four-hundred mg/kg aqueous extract has a mild effect on body weights and plasma glucose levels, while 200 mg/kg aqueous extract has no significant effect on plasma glucose level and a little effect on body weight., Conclusions: The results of the presented study revealed that the aqueous extract of Balanites aegypticea has hypoglycemic properties. It can decrease the plasma glucose level and can improve weight in diabetic experimental animals.