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Background: The obesity increased incidence of diabetes, hypertension and atherosclerosis and rate of morbidity and mortality. The main cause of atherosclerosis is endothelial dysfunction and formation of foam cells and macrophage that lead to unfavorable complications. This study evaluated specific biomarkers for endothelial dysfunction as sensitive indices for early predication of atherosclerosis in obese subjects. Study Design: One hundred fifty male age and sex matching were included in the current study divided into three groups according to body mass index (BMI): Control (BMI ≤ 22), obese (BMI> 28) and obese with atherosclerosis (BMI> 28). Fasting serum was subjected for determination of adhesion molecules, sICAM-1, sVCAM-1, E-selectin, oxo-LDL and 8-iso-PGF2α by ELISA technique. Results: Data obtained showed that, a significant elevation of serum inflammatory markers CRP, IL-6 and TNF-α and adhesion molecules sICAM-1 (p

Serum total and free calcium reflect the status of the body health and disease. Smoking is risk factor for many diseases as cardiovascular, lung, and cancers. The goal of this work is to evaluate the correlation between serum lead, cadmium arsenate resulting from passive smoking, and bone status in females. This study was conducted on two hundred women (age 30-50 years) divided into four groups (each 50). Group I, control, included non-smoking healthy women. Group II included heavy smoker (>20 cigarettes/day). Group III, nonsmoker women with osteoporosis, have many fractures. Group IV, smoking women with osteoporosis, included heavy smokers (>20 cigarettes/day) with osteoporotic women and have many fractures. Data obtained showed that T-score of osteoporotic smokers was -3.5 that indicated reduced bone mineral density (BMD) while serum total and ionized calcium were statistically significant decreased in smokers with or without osteoporosis compared with nonsmokers (p < 0.001). A negative correlation between total and free calcium and cadmium levels in smokers was compared with nonsmokers (r =-0.65). The levels of C-terminal pro-peptide of pro-collagen type I (PICP) and N-terminal pro-peptide of procollagen type I (PINP) were higher in smoker osteoporotic women than nonsmokers. It was concluded that cadmium resulting from smoking may compete with absorption of calcium and reduced its level and BMD and increased incidence of osteoporosis. The elevated PICP and PINP indicated decreased rate of proto collagen I turnover in bone tissue and increased incidence of osteoporosis.

The elevated blood sugar slowly attacks reactive amino group of functional proteins and impairs its functions, generates reactive oxygen species (ROS) as byproduct and increases risk of cancer. Bioactive peptides might act as protecting agent via trapping excess sugar. In this study, the bioactivity of peptides from Vicia faba by tryptic digestion was evaluated as antiglycation, antioxidant and antiproliferative assays. Results obtained indicated that V. faba peptides fractions

Cancer response to chemotherapeutic agents and its side effects remain a challenge for the development of new anticancer compounds. Dates are consumed worldwide due to their high nutritional value. We investigated the cytotoxicity and expression of the proapoptotic BAX gene in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cells treated with Ruthana date ethanolic extract (RDE). The RDE ingredients analyzed by GC/MS and HepG2 cells were treated with different concentrations of RDE for 24, 48, and 72 h. Cytotoxicity, cell viability, DNA fragmentation, and BAX expression were determined. The GC/MS analysis of RDE showed its high content of quercetin, myricetin kaempferol, thymine, and catechol as the most active ingredients. HepG2 treated with RDE showed a significant change in morphological characteristics related to cell death. The antiproliferative activity determined by WST-1 demonstrated that RDE significantly reduced cell viability. Cells treated with RDE (10-60 mg) showed gradual DNA fragmentation in a dose-dependent manner. Gene expression analysis showed upregulation of BAX at 30 mg/ml of RDE (p 0.001). However, it showed downregulation at (40-60 mg/ml) as compared to control. Our findings indicated that RDE exert cytotoxicity against HepG2 cells due to its high content of flavonoids. This effect through DNA fragmentation and activation of the proapoptotic BAX gene.

Serum toxic metals have been implicated in development of many diseases. This study investigated the association between blood levels of lead and cadmium with abnormal bone mineral density (BMD) and incidence of osteoporosis. Sixty Saudi male adults age matching were assigned into two groups: A healthy control group (n = 30) and osteoporosis patients diagnosed according to T-score (n = 30). Serum calcium, vitamin D, osteocalcin, lead, cadmium were measured. Osteoporotic group showed a highly significant elevation of blood lead and cadmium levels compared to the control group (p

It has been well-established that obesity is the major contributing factor forthe development of metabolic syndrome (MetS), diabetes, cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancer. According to WHO, 44% increase of diabetes, 23% increase of ischaemic heart disease, and between 7% and 41% increase of certain cancer are due to obesity. The Middle East region is reported to have the highest prevalence of diabetes in adults in the world. In Saudi Arabia, over 35% of the population are obese, and it is estimated that 24% of adult has diabetes including undiagnosed diabetes cases. Obesity and chronic metabolic disease associated obesity impose the heavy financial burden on national healthcare in the Gulf countries as they do in most countries worldwide. Biochemical markers for MetS included changes in trace elements, vitamin D,hormonal (adipokines, leptin, adiponectin, ghrelin), inflammatory mediators (IL-6, TNF-α, IL-10), biochemical markers (Ox-LDL, uric acid) and prothrombic factors (PAI-1). Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) is the primary of four serine peptidase inhibitors that functions to modulate extracellular matrix remodeling and fibrinolysis. The link between PAI-1 and MetS has been established. This review screening major factors and the association between PAI-1, trace elemnts, vitamin D, obesity hormone and expression of obesity genes for early prediction of MetS for control and management to prevent late complications.

Bioactive peptides produced from natural sources are considered as strategic target for drug discovery. Hyperglycemia caused protein glycation alters the structure of many tissues that impairs their functions and lead complications diseases in human body. This study investigated the bioactive peptides produced from red and brown Lens culinaris that might inhibit protein glycation to prevent diabetic complications. In this study, red and brown Lens culinaris protein hydrolysates were prepared by tryptic digestion, using an enzyme/substrate ratio of 1:20 (g/g), at 37°C, 12 hr then peptide fractions

Progressive encephalopathy, edema, hypsarrhythmia, and optic atrophy (PEHO) syndrome is an unusual Mendelian phenotype of unidentified origin that causes profound intellectual disability, optic nerve/cerebellar atrophy, epileptic seizures, developmental progress, pedal edema, and early death. Uncharacteristic affected individuals are often classified as having PEHO-like syndrome, although they may be misdiagnosed as having epileptic encephalopathy, a potential result of early birth. In this study, we report a consanguineous Saudi family with a novel homozygous nonsense mutation of the CCDC88A gene causing PEHO-like syndrome. The children were suffering from developmental delay, epilepsy, mental disability, optic nerve/cerebellar atrophy, and pedal edema. Whole exome sequencing was conducted for the members of the family who have the disorder to study the novel mutation. Whole exome sequencing data analysis, confirmed by subsequent Sanger sequencing validation, identified a novel homozygous nonsense mutation c. 1292G > A, which was caused by p.Trp431* stop gain. This mutation was ruled out in 100 unrelated healthy controls. The nonsense homozygous mutation detected in this study has not yet been reported as pathogenic in the literature or various databases. In conclusion, a complete loss of protein function due to premature stop gain was caused by a mutation in exon 12 of CCDC88A. This loss may lead to PEHO phenotype. CCDC88A gene may therefore play an important and critical role for multiple aspects of normal human neurodevelopment.

In this study, we investigated the inhibitory effects of m-coumaric acid on the glycosylation of proteins in the retinas of diabetic rats. Male rats were divided into two main groups, Group I (normal control) and Group II (diabetic); Group II was further divided into four subgroups: Group IIa (diabetic control), Group IIb (diabetic rats were given m-coumaric acid orally [150 mg/kg, body weight (bw)/day]), Group IIc (diabetic rats were given HCA m-coumaric acid orally [300 mg/kg bw/day]), and Group IId (diabetic rats were given insulin [10 units/kg bw/day]) as a positive control). The treatment lasted for six weeks, and the data obtained suggested that m-coumaric acid reduced glucose and glycated hemoglobin levels, which further decreased the formation of glucose-derived advanced glycation end products. Hence, it protected the tissues from the detrimental effects of hyperglycemia and enhanced antioxidant activity. In conclusion, m-coumaric acid could be a potential candidate to prevent the onset and progression of retinopathy in diabetic patients.

Objective: Sickle cell anemia is a widespread inherited hemolytic anemia, characterized by chronic hemolysis, infections, recurrent occlusion of the microcirculation and painful crises. In this cross-sectional study, we investigated the correlation between biomarkers of inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, coagulation activation and bone metabolism, with the frequency of painful crisis in sickle cell anemia adult patients, to understand the potential role of these biomarkers in the management of sickle cell anemia. Methods: Sixty-three sickle cell anemia patients were enrolled in this study. They were divided into three groups based on the frequency of pain crises to mildly, moderately, and severely affected. Twenty-five healthy volunteers were enrolled as controls. Plasma levels of different biomarkers were tested, including tumor necrosis factor alpha, soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1, D-dimer, sclerostin, and nitric oxide. Results: Tumor necrosis factor alpha, soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1, and D-Dimer plasma levels were significantly higher in sickle cell anemia patients when compared to the controls, while nitric oxide levels were notably lower in the patients' group. Sickle cell anemia patients with severe pain showed higher tumor necrosis factor alpha, soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and D-dimer levels than those mildly and moderately affected with painful crisis. Positive correlations were observed between all measured biomarkers and the frequency of the painful crisis, except for nitric oxide, which showed a negative correlation. Conclusion: Tumor necrosis factor alpha, soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1, nitric oxide, and D-dimer can be used to assess sickle cell anemia severity and prognosis, and thus may affect determining appropriate management strategies.

The monoclonal antibodies 6E10 and 4G8 are among the first anti-amyloid monoclonal antibodies against Aβ and the most widely used antibodies in Alzheimer's disease research. Although the epitopes for 6E10 and 4G8 have been reported to correspond to residues 1-16 and 17-24, a more recent high-resolution mapping approach indicates that 6E10 maps to residues 4-10 while 4G8 maps to residues 18-23. To characterize the binding specificity of both antibodies in greater detail, we used immunoselection of random sequences from phage display library followed by deep sequencing and analysis of resulting patterns from thousands of immunoselected sequences. We found that the minimum sequence required for 6E10 binding is R-x-D with over half (53%) of the immunoselected sequences conforming to this pattern. The vast majority of these sequences contain an H at position x (R-H-D), corresponding to residues 5-7 of the Aβ target sequences, but Y is also permitted at this position in a minority of sequences. For 4G8 we found that the most frequent pattern is F-x-A contained in approximately 30% of the sequences, followed by F-A, L-x(3)-A, L-x-F, and F-F each accounting for approximately 18% of the sequences. The F-x-A motif also occurs in islet amyloid poly peptide which may explain why 4G8 also recognizes amyloid fibrils of this peptide. Immunoselection of random sequences and deep sequencing may also be a facile and efficient means of determining residues critical for antibody binding and validating the specificity of monoclonal antibodies and polyclonal antisera.

Chemotherapy shows some promising results in the inhibition of cancer, but resistance to chemotherapy and its severe side effects may occur in due course, resulting in only restricted and narrow benefits. Therefore, there is a pressing need to find alternative chemotherapeutic drugs for combating cancers. Plants have been used since ages in medicine, and by the dawn of 19th century, various potent and promising anti-cancer products have been derived from plants. Strigolactones (SLs) are a novel class of phytohormones involved in regulating the branching of shoots. Recently, many novel synthesized SL analogues have been found to be effective against solid and non-solid tumours. These hormones have been reported to have a unique mechanism of inhibiting cancer cells by lowering their viability and promoting apoptosis and cell death at micromolar concentrations. Therefore, synthetic SL analogues could be future potent anti-cancer drug candidates. Further research is needed to identify and deduce the significance of these synthetic SL analogues.

Curcumin is chemically known as diferuloylmethane, which is an important nutraceutical obtained from the yellow spice Curcuma longa. It has been used traditionally as a folklore medicine in countries like India, China and Thailand for nearly 2000 years without any prior knowledge of the mechanism of action. Cell-based studies and clinical trials that have been reported so far have provided evidence that curcumin could be effectively used as antimicrobial, anticancer, antidiabetic, antiinflammatory, antimalarial and antioxidant. There are more than 9400 articles published on this “magical molecule” till date. Furthermore, nearly 100 clinical trials have been done using curcumin, which demonstrated safety, efficacy and prophylactic activity of curcumin. On the molecular level, curcumin has shown to modulate several crucial and significantly interlinked pathways in rendering an optimistic outcome against life-threatening diseases like cancer, diabetes, lupus nephritis, and other autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases. In this communication, the chemical structure, biological properties and possible molecular targets of curcumin have been reviewed along with some recent developments in drug delivery systems of curcumin.

The current study focused on testing the hypolipidemic activity of two doses of barley bran on hypercholesterolemic male rats. Twenty-four male albino rats weighing 180–200 gm were divided into four groups. The first group (G1) was the negative control, the second group (G2) was the positive control group fed 2% cholesterol in the diet, and rats of the third and the fourth groups were fed 2% cholesterol and were cosupplemented with 5% and 10% barley bran, respectively, for 8 weeks. The hypercholesterolemic rats of (G2) showed an increase in lipid profile, liver enzymes, lactate dehydrogenase, creatine kinase-MB, and lipid peroxide and a decrease in antioxidant enzymes, whereas kidney function, fasting blood sugar, glycated hemoglobin total protein, and total bilirubin were not significantly affected compared with the negative control group in G1. Moreover, histology of heart, liver, and kidney of G2 rats showed histopathological changes compared with the negative control. Administration of the two doses of barley bran in G3 and G4 to the hypercholesterolemic rats ameliorated the level of lipids, liver enzymes, lactate dehydrogenase, and creatine kinase-MB. In addition, the histology of heart, liver, and kidney tissues nearly restored the normal state as in G1.

Triclosan (TCS) and Triclocarban (TCC) are widely used as antimicrobial preservatives in personal care products (PCPs). Because of their potential for endocrine disrupting effects, human exposure to these chemicals is a concern. Biomonitoring studies of human exposure to TCS and TCC have shown widespread exposure of populations in western European countries and the USA. However, exposure to TCC and TCS by populations in Asian countries is less well known. In this study, concentrations of TCS and TCC were determined in human urine collected from seven Asian countries (China, India, Korea, Kuwait, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and Vietnam), and Greece and the USA. A total of 430 urine samples were analyzed for TCS and TCC, of which 355 (83%) and 82 (19%), respectively, contained measurable levels of these chemicals. The overall geometric mean [GM] concentrations of TCS and TCC, were 1.36 and 0.03 ng/mL, respectively. The highest mean concentration of TCS was found in urine from China (100 ng/mL) and the lowest concentration was found in urine from Vietnam (2.34 ng/mL). We also analyzed urinary 8-OHdG, a marker of oxidative stress, to elucidate the association with TCS and TCC levels for samples from Saudi Arabia (n=130) and a positive correlation between Ln-transformed TCC levels and 8-OHdG was found, although this was not statistically significant. This is the first study to report urinary levels of TCS and TCC in several Asian countries, especially for Vietnam, Kuwait, and Japan.

This research had three complementary parts, in which the first investigated the broiler’s protection on endemic areas with prevalence of v-NDV (genotype VI) by priming day-old broilers on farms with vectored-NDV vaccines and boosting with classical NDV Clone 30 versus priming and boosting on another farms with NDV Clone 30. The second part evaluated protection and immunity by a developed autogenous killed v-NDV in broilers against controlled challenge by genotype VI. The third part included seven broiler flocks on seven different farms located in v-NDV (genotype VI)-endemic area, introducing an additional subcutaneous dose of the developed autogenous vaccine at 6 days of age to their program of priming at d1 with vectored-NDV vaccine and boosting with NDV Clone 30 at d14. The additional autogenous vaccination was delivered to 100 tagged birds embedded in each flock of 22,000 birds. Results of the first part showed protection against genotype VI by NDV clone 30 alone and by combination of vectored-NDV vaccine and Clone 30 of 47.1 and 84.7%, respectively (P

An anionic peroxidase POIII, molecular weight 56 kDa, was purified from the roots of horseradish cv. Balady. The enzyme exhibited high activity towards o-phenylenediamine and guaiacol, while o-dianisidine had moderate peroxidase activity. Pyrogallol and p-aminoantipyrine had low affinity toward POIII. POIII was found to have a temperature optimum at 40 °C; the enzyme activity remained stable up to 40 °C and retained 87%, 51% and 29% of its activity at 50, 60 and 70 °C, respectively. The enzyme exhibited more than 50% of activity in the pH range between 4.0 and 8.0 with its pH optimum at 5.5. Several metal cations had partial inhibitory effects toward POIII. Fe3+ enhanced the activity of the enzyme by 160% at 5 mM. All the metal chelators caused partial inhibitory effects toward POIII, except for EDTA at 1 mM, which had no effect on the enzyme.

This study was carried out to study the proteome of date palm under salinity and drought stress conditions to possibly identify proteins involved in stress tolerance. For this purpose, three-month-old seedlings of date palm cultivar “Sagie” were subjected to drought (27.5 g/L polyethylene glycol 6000) and salinity stress conditions (16 g/L NaCl) for one month. DIGE analysis of protein extracts identified 47 differentially expressed proteins in leaves of salt- and drought-treated palm seedlings. Mass spectrometric analysis identified 12 proteins; three out of them were significantly changed under both salt and drought stress, while the other nine were significantly changed only in salt-stressed plants. The levels of ATP synthase alpha and beta subunits, an unknown protein and some of RubisCO fragments were significantly changed under both salt and drought stress conditions. Changes in abundance of superoxide dismutase, chlorophyll A-B binding protein, light-harvesting complex1 protein Lhca1, RubisCO activase, phosphoglycerate kinase, chloroplast light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b-binding protein, phosphoribulokinase, transketolase, RubisCO, and some of RubisCO fragments were significant only for salt stress.

This study is focused on reconstructing the phylogeny of 60 accessions representing ten species of the genus Hordeum based on amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers and SDS-PAGE of seed storage proteins. We obtained 339 polymorphic AFLP bands and 46 polymorphic protein bands from the SDS-PAGE of water soluble and non-soluble seed storage proteins. The phylogenetic tree deduced from AFLP analysis is concordant with that deduced from seed storage proteins electrophoresis. The studied taxa were clustered according to their genome type into two main groups representing the Old and New World’s species. Inside each group the species were clustered according to their genome type. Highly significant cophenetic correlation coefficients obtained in both AFLPs (0.96) and seed storage proteins (0.89) indicate the reliability of the results. It can be concluded that both AFLP and SDS-PAGE are adequate techniques to study the Hordeum phylogeny.

Background Brucellosis is a common zoonosis that can cause a severe febrile illness in humans. It constitutes a persistent health problem in many developing countries around the world. It is one of the most frequently reported diseases in Saudi Arabia and incidence is particularly high in the Central region, and around the city of Riyadh. The aim of this study was to evaluate a two-stage PCR assay for detection of human brucellosis particularly in endemic areas. Methods A total of 101 serum samples were collected from patients with acute febrile illness (AFI) of unknown cause from two different locations in the Western region of Saudi Arabia. The first location (Northern) is characterized by a nomadic rural population while the second (Central) is a modern urban city. All samples were subjected to DNA extraction and Brucella genus-specific PCR amplification using B4/B5 primers of the bcsp31 gene. Positive B4/B5 samples were subjected to multiplex species-specific Brucella PCR amplification. Results In the Northern location, 81.9% of the AFI samples were confirmed Brucella positive, while all the samples collected from the Central region proved to be Brucella negative. Samples positive for Brucella were subjected to multiplex species-specific Brucella amplification. B. abortus was detected in 10% and B. melitensis in 8% of the samples, while the majority (82%) of samples showed both B. abortus and B. melitensis. As expected, B. suis was not detected in any of the samples. Conclusions This study concluded that a two-stage PCR assay could be useful as a rapid diagnostic tool to allow the consideration of brucellosis as a possible cause of AFI, particularly in non-urban locations. It also recommends the collection of epidemiological data for such patients to obtain further information that may help in rapid diagnosis.

The phylogenetic relationships of 60 accessions representing ten species of the genus Hordeum were investigated based on AFLP markers and seed storage protein SDS-PAGE electrophoresis. A total of 339 AFLP polymorphic markers were scored as a result of fingerprinting the studied taxa using seven AFLP primer combinations, whereas 46 polymorphic protein bands resulted from the water soluble and water non-soluble seed storage protein electrophoresis. The phylogenetic tree deduced from AFLP analysis is concordant in a large extent with that deduced from seed storage protein electrophoresis. The studied taxa were clustered according to their genome type into two main groups representing the Old and New World’s species. Inside each group the species were clustered according to their genome type. Highly significant cophenetic correlation coefficient was obtained between both AFLP (0.96) and seed storage protein (0.89) indicating the reliability of the results.

Single-cell protein (SCP) was produced by utilization of Morgan gas-oil as the carbon source by Canadida lipolytica YB-423. The chemical constitutents of the gas oil SCP were compared with SCP produced by C. lipolytica YB-423 grown on yeast extract and malt extract (YM), Saccharomyces carlsbergensis grown on malt (obtained from the Al-Ahram Beer Company) and Sac. cerevisiae on molasses (obtained from the Egyptian Sugar and Distillation Company). The whole cells produced on gas-oil contained more crude protein (42%) and crude fat (6.98%) than the other SCP. The gas-oil cells were treated by different techniques to reduce the nucleic acid content. The most suitable technique was extraction of protein from yeast cells with sodium hydroxide, which increased the total protein (about 1.68 fold) in the product and removed about 75% of the RNA and 81% of the DNA. The protein-extract solubility was higher than that of the crude yeast cell, except at the highest pH values.

The impact of flaxseed (FSD) intake, a rich source of alpha linolenic acid (ALA), fiber and lignans, on the cardiovascular system is well documented. However, mechanisms by which flaxseed improve cardiovascular health are not clear. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary flaxseed on vascular permeability and endothelial function in streptozotocin-induced type 2 diabetes in rats. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) was induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (35 mg/kg body weight) after short term feeding of high fructose diet. Diabetic rats were divided into three groups, one group fed standard diet, second group fed standard diet supplemented with defatted flaxseed powder (FSD), and third group received Metformin (200 mg/kg BW (body weight)) for 8 weeks. Fasting serum concentrations of glucose (FPG), insulin, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), nitric oxide (NO), uric acid (UA) and lipid profile were measured. Vascular permeability index (VPI) was assessed at the end of experiment by quantifying the extravasation of albumin-bound Evans blue (EB) dye in the heart. Dietary FSD supplementation is comparable to Metformin in modulating blood lipid profiles, insulin and FPG levels. FSD intake was associated with significant reductions in serum insulin (-66%), glucose (-68%), VEGF levels (-66.8%) and UA (-63%), and NO (-37.5%) as compared to diabetic group without FSD supplementation. There were also improvements in lipid profile, vascular permeability index (VPI), insulin resistance and atherogenic indices in diabetic rats supplemented with flaxseed. These results suggest that dietary FSD supplementation may reduce the incidence of diabetic vascular complications through improvement of insulin sensitivity, vascular permeability and lipid profile. Key words: Diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, vascular permeability, endothelial dysfunction, insulin resistance, vascular endothelial growth factor, nitric oxide.

The bleaching herbicide diflufenican ( N -(2,4-difluorophenyl)-2-[3-(trifluoromethyl)phenoxy]-3-pyridine-carboxamide) has been shown to inhibit plant fatty acid synthase. The mechanism of this inhibition was studied further by measuring the activities of the reductase components of the Type II fatty acid synthase complexes from Escherichia coli and avocado ( Persea americana ) mesocarp. Diflufenican had no effect on β-ketoacyl-ACP reductase activity, but competitively inhibited both NADH- and NADPH-dependent enoyl-ACP reductases. This result suggests that chemicals based on the diflufenican structure may be potential herbicides by virtue of their inhibition of fatty acid synthesis.

Summary Analyses of blackstrap molasses revealed that it contains many miscellaneous compounds in the form of monosaccharides such as glucose, fructose, arabinose and dissacharide such as sucrose and trisaccharid such as raffinose. It also contains some amino acids beside citric and aconitic acids and many elements such as sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium. Utilization of urea as organic nitrogen source was more effective than (NH4)2SO4 as inorganic nitrogen source for the oxytetracycline formation by Streptomyces rimosus. The suitable urea concentration was in the range of 1.5 mg/ml. The suitable KH2PO4 concentration was also in the range of 1.5 mg/ml. Blackstrap molasses was better for the antibiotic formation than glucose as carbon source. The suitability may be attributed to its content of a balance of materials such as different sugars, minerals and amino and organic acids. Moreover, it is cheaper than other raw resources.

The bleaching herbicide diflufenican (DFF) has been shown to produce effects on the membranes of sensitive plant tissues which may be independent of its inhibition of carotenoid synthesis. Therefore, we examined whether DFF had any action on acyl lipid metabolism. In leaves from a variety of plants, DFF was shown to inhibit the incorporation of radioactivity from [1- 14 C]acetate and [2- 14 C]malonate into acyl lipids. The labeling of all lipid classes was reduced equally and there was no change in the pattern of fatty acids labeled, suggesting that fatty acid synthesis de novo was affected. Further experiments suggested that fatty acid synthetase rather than acetyl-CoA carboxylase was the site of action. Direct measurement of fatty acid synthetase in soluble fractions from pea and barley leaves and avocado mesocarp confirmed that DFF inhibited the enzyme complex in vitro . The inhibition was competitive against pyridine nucleotides and suggested that one or both of the reductase components of fatty acid synthetase was the target site.

We have studied the effects of ethofumesate on fatty acid synthesis in germinating pea seeds and developing barley leaves. Ethofumesate inhibited labelling of fatty acids from 14C-acetate, this inhibition being much greater for very long chain fatty acids than for those of shorter chain length made de novo. Measurement of elongation reactions, using pea seed microsomal fractions and [2-14C]malonyl-CoA, confirmed that ethofumesate had a preferential action on fatty acid elongases. The data provide a possible explanation for the action of ethofumesate on epicuticular wax formation.

The thiocarbamate herbicides, diallate and triallate, inhibit very long chain fatty acid synthesis in germinating peas without affecting the de novo formation of palmitate and stearate. This result explains the herbicides' ability to interfere with cutin and suberin formation. When the herbicides were tested directly with a microsomal fraction from pea seeds, they inhibited the labelling of all fatty acids from [ 14 C]malonyl-CoA and did not selectively reduce elongation. On the other hand, pre-treating seeds before the isolation of microsomes yielded preparations which lacked the ability to synthesise very long chain fatty acids but not palmitate and stearate. The latter result was not due to prevention of the translation of the elongation enzymes as shown by experiments where exogenous precursors were used for elongation. We conclude, from our experiments, that the thiocarbamates are converted to more active metabolites (possibly sulphoxides) and it is these metabolites which are responsible for the selective inhibition of fatty acid elongation and, hence, interfere with the formation of surface coverings.

Cellulases are used in the food and pharmaceutical industries. In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, palm-tree leaves are agricultural by-products and could be utilized in the production of these enzymes. Trichoderma viride produced greater amounts of cellulases when grown on palm-tree leaves than when grown on an equivalent concentration of filter-paper cellulose. The cellulases produced in palm-tree-leaf medium were precipitated by ammonium sulphate, and the precipitate was shown by column chromatography to contain Cx and C1 components.

It has been found that various thiocarbamate herbicides, known to alter surface wax and cutin synthesis, inhibit the elongation of fatty acids. We have proposed this as a mode of ac­tion of such compounds. Because it is believed that the sulphoxide metabolites of thiocarba­mates are the active intermediates, we have examined the action of 1-aminobenzotriazole (an inhibitor of sulphoxide formation) on the inhibition of very long-chain fatty acid biosynthesis. In all tissues tested, aminobenzotriazole was able to block the specific inhibitory effect of thio­carbamates on fatty acid elongation. These results add further support to our proposal that fatty acid elongation is a sensitive target site for thiocarbamate herbicides in plants.

The action of the thiocarbamate herbicide, diallate [ S -(2,3 dichloroallyl-)diisopropylthiocarbamate], on lipid metabolism in several monocotyledonous plants was investigated. In all systems tested, diallate reduced very long chain (20–24 carbons) fatty acid labelling from [ 1- 14 C] acetate without altering de novo synthesis. Young leaf blades from barley and oats were particularly active at labelling very long chain fatty acids (up to 40% of total [ 14 C]-fatty acids) and these tissues were thought to be potentially useful in investigating further the action of diallate. The data confirmed conclusions from experiments with germinating peas and aged potato slices that thiocarbamates such as diallate, which alter the production of plant surface layers (waxes, cutin, suberin), may do so by inhibiting synthesis of their precursor very long chain fatty acids.

Background and Objectives: Acne vulgaris is a distressing skin condition, which can carry with it significant psychological disability. Oxidant/antioxidant imbalance leads to increased production of free radicals, that cause many diseases. Some nutrients, along with systemic oxidative stress, have been implicated in acne vulgaris. The goal of the present study was to assess oxidant and antioxidant status in correlation with the incidence of acne vulgaris in adolescent obese females. Materials and Methods: A total of 60 adolescent females (age 16-22 years) were divided into four groups (15 each) as follows: The first included obese females with acne; the second included obese females without acne; the third included non obese with acne and the fourth included non obese without acne. Fasting serum Malondialdehyde (MDA), β-carotene, and Vitamins A, E, and C were measured. In addition, platelet monoamineoxidase (MAO), and erythrocyte catechol-o-methyltransferase (COMT) activities were determined. Results: It was found that serum MDA was statistically significantly decreased in obese and non obese subjects with acne, as compared to those without acne ( P