Articles

Jatropha dioica sesse ex cerv is a specie native to Mexico and Texas, commonly known as “sangre de drago“, its name is due to its colorless juice turning dark at exposure to the wind. This mini-review aims to collect information about the phytochemical and pharmacological properties of Jatropha dioica. The phytochemicals identified are diterpenes, (citlalitrione, jatrophone and riolozatrione), β-sitosterol, oxalic acid and ellagic acid. The stems, whole plant, or the root of J. dioica in traditional medicine are used to avoid hair loss, as an antibacterial, and antiviral, to strengthen teeth, and to heal some injuries among others uses. Among the biological activities attributed to Jatropha dioica are found in antiviral activity, antifungal, antimicrobial, chemopreventive, anti-hyperglycemic and cytotoxic. However, the little information about the chemical composition of this species and the scarce scientific studies validating its pharmacological properties make J. dioica an interesting species to study.

Renal impairment is one of the most severe non-communicable diseases around the world. Especially patients with diagnosed/newly diagnosed renal impairment who needed surgery are more focused on preoperative and postoperative preparation. Serum creatinine is the prime biochemical marker for assessing renal function and the level of impairment is widely measured by this marker as well as Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR). Objective: Factors responsible for fluctuating serum creatinine during preoperative and postoperative periods and minimizing the process of serum creatinine is the ultimate goal of this study. Method: 37 patients participated in this cross-sectional study who were previously diagnosed/newly diagnosed. They were admitted to different tertiary-level hospitals for emergency or elective surgery. 15 patients were admitted in the renal function impairment stage and 22 were admitted as normal patients’. Values of creatinine at the pre-admission stage and 2nd/3rd post-admission follow-up were compared. Results: 0.41 was the average of 22 patients’ creatinine between pre-admission and 2nd/3rd follow-up. The responsible factor like prolonged staying, immobilization, co-morbidities, different preoperative antibiotics and NSAIDs were also inducers for creatinine elevation. After postoperative hemodialysis rapid decrease of creatinine is seen in normal patients but this decrease is very much minor in CKD-diagnosed patients. 

Chronic foot and heel pain is a clinical dilemma that Pain Physicians often encounter in their daily practice. In the younger active patients, this is often attributed to plantar fasciitis but other rarer etiologies should also be considered. In patients who present with pain over the medial calcaneus, entrapment neuropathy of the inferior calcaneal nerve, the first branch of the lateral plantar nerve (FBLPN), also known as “Baxter’s nerve” must be considered [1,2]. Initially described in 1984 by Baxter and Thigpen, it is often overlooked as a cause of medial heel pain, particularly in athletes, where it may coexist with plantar fasciitis [3]. The nerve has a tortuous course in the foot and can be entrapped as it passes through the fascia of the abductor hallucis, travels in close proximity to a plantar spur or the medial calcaneal tuberosity, or gets enmeshed in scar tissue from prior surgery [1,3].

A comprehensive study was carried out to assess the microbiological, nutritional, biochemical and essential oil characteristics of three Egyptian traditional cultivars seeds, namely, cumin (Cuminum cyminum) and coriander (Coriandum sativum) spices as well as basil whole herb (Ocimum basilicum) collected from different Egyptian export centers as being ready for export. The found values for humidity in dry seeds of cumin (7.4%) and coriander (6.4%), as well as total ash and ash insoluble in acid (in cumin 7.7% and 0.74%, but in coriander 5.3% and 0.55%, respectively), were lower than the maximum limits indicated by the Egyptian Specification Standards (ES) and by International Standards Organization (ISO) for cumin and coriander seeds. Analysis of essential minerals in seed spices and herbs indicated that they were rich in K, Ca, Na, Fe and Zn. The total bacterial count was low content in seeds of cumin and coriander as well as fresh whole basil herb. The microbiological load in all tested seed spices and herbs was found lower than those indicated by the ES and ISO for cumin and coriander seeds. Yields in hydro-distilled essential oils (EOs) were the highest in cumin seeds (3.762%), while both coriander and basil herbs had lower amounts (0.285% and 0.686%, respectively). EOs contents were found higher than the maximum limits for cumin (1.5% - 2.5% on a dry weight basis), but within the limits for coriander (0.1% - 0.5% on a dry weight basis) as indicated by the ES and ISO for cumin and coriander seed oils. Gas chromatography of extracted EOs from seeds of cumin and coriander as well as basil herbs indicated the presence of 41, 35 and 47 compounds, respectively, where cumin aldehyde was the major component in cumin volatiles but was linalool in volatiles of both coriander seeds and basil herbs. EOs of basil herbs grown in Egypt were of the high linalool chemotype which was characterized by high contents of linalool and relatively lower amounts of eugenol. However, the major compounds in the three tested EOs from seeds or herbs grown in Egypt are in accordance with literature reports from different parts of the world. Volatile oil components in EOs of the three tested Egyptian spices and herbs were classified into groups, based on the relative area (%). The proportion of the major and the other main components in EOs from seeds of cumin and coriander cultivars were within the ranges indicated by both the ES and ISO for cumin seed oils (cumin aldehyde between 15% - 46%) and for coriander seed oils (linalool between 65% - 78%). The aim of the present work was to Assessment study certain commonly used Egyptian spices and herbal products for characterizing their physical, biochemical and microbiological properties.

In our study, we aimed to show that alternative iron salts containing different additives are safe to use in patients who have type 1 hypersensitivity reactions to iron drugs and need iron replacement therapy.Materials and methods: Between January 2022 and June 2022, patients who had previously developed type 1 hypersensitivity reactions with iron preparations and needed iron replacement were included in the study. The study was designed retrospectively. Skin tests were first performed on patients to demonstrate a type 1 hypersensitivity reaction. If skin tests were negative and there was no history of life-threatening anaphylaxis, oral provocation tests were continued. If the absence of variability in symptoms and perimeter values, the drug allergy test was considered negative. Results: Twenty-two patients were included in the study. Twenty-one of the patients were female and one was male. Iron deficiency anemia was found in nine patients, and low iron stores in thirteen patients without anemia were found. Type 1 hypersensitivity reaction developed with Iron 3 Carboxymaltose in 7 patients, Iron 2 Sulfate in 5 patients, Iron 2 Glycine in 4 patients, Iron 3 Hydroxy Polymaltose in 4 patients, Iron 2 Fumarate in 1 patient and Iron 3 Hydroxide Sucrose in 1 patient. Allergy tests with all alternative iron drugs containing additional additives were negative.Conclusion: If patients with allergic reactions cannot be referred to allergy clinics, we think that oral iron salts with different additives can be used after the first dose is given in the hospital under general anaphylaxis precautions. We show that oral iron salts containing different additives can be safely used.

A growing number of synthetic plastics derived from fossil fuels are produced, and improper plastic waste management has caused a lot of pollution problems. There are many microplastics in the environment, and they disintegrate slowly in soil and water. The properties of microplastics (MPs) include long residence times, high stability, high fragmentation potential, and the ability to adsorb other contaminants. Invertebrates and planktonic organisms are easily able to accumulate microplastics in aquatic species. Therefore, microplastics (MPs) must be removed from the water and other media. This paper aims to review the occurrence, raw polymers and additives, and remediation methods for removing microplastics from the environment. Several methods are available for removing contaminants, including sorption, filtration and chemical treatments. Various removal methods are discussed along with their methods, efficiency and advantages.

Objectives: To examine the effect of dietary supplements on diabetic risk progression, blood glucose level, and lipid profiles.Methods: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted at Rajavithi hospital, Thailand. Participants with prediabetes were randomly allocated to three arms of dietary supplements: placebo (PL) or curcumin plus fish oil and vitamin D (CFD), or curcumin plus fish oil (CF) for 24 weeks. Primary outcomes were the progression of glycemic status and the progression to overt diabetes at 24-week and 36-week follow-ups. Secondary outcomes were changes in glycemic profiles (fasting plasma glucose, 75 g OGTT 2-h plasma glucose or HbA1C), body weight, BMI and lipid profiles.Results: A total of forty-seven participants (PL, n = 16; CFD, n = 15; CF, n = 16) were included in the study. At the 24-week follow-up, the participants with worsening glycemic status in the intervention groups were lower, CFD, CF and Placebo, 14.29%, 13.33% and 31.25%, respectively. However, the primary outcome, progression of glycemic status, was statistically different, with p - value = 0.046 (p < 0.05) when excluding previous diabetes in the study. As well as the incidence of type 2 diabetes at 24-week follow-up was not statistically different between the three groups, 14.29%, 13.33%, and 12.5%, p - value = 0.699 (p < 0.05) in CFD, CF, PL group, respectively. The secondary outcomes also failed to demonstrate the effect of dietary supplements on blood glucose, lipid profiles, weight, BMI and blood chemistry.Conclusion: The combined dietary supplements which contained curcumin-fish oil-vitamin D,could lower the glycemic status progression in prediabetes at six months follow-up and were well-tolerated among the participants.

A large systematic review and meta-regression analysis found that sperm counts all over the world appeared to be declining rather than stabilizing. The decline in male sperm counts does not necessarily translate to a decline in male fertility. The cause of declining sperm counts remains unknown; however, several potential causative factors have been identified: 1. Chronic diseases: diabetes mellitus, hypertension; hyperlipidemia, hyperuricemia and skin Diseases & metabolic syndrome. 2. Environmental factors: bisphenol a; phthalates; heavy metals and heat. 3. Lifestyle: obesity, diet, tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, stress, reduced sleep & sedentary life. Addressing these causes is required to stop or decrease male fertility decline. Action to improve semen quality such as prevention & treatment of chronic disease, decreasing unhealthy lifestyle behaviors such as smoking, poor diet, or lack of physical activity & eliminating toxic environmental chemicals.

The Anterolateral Ligament (ALL) [1,2] is a ligamentous structure of the knee whose definition as a ligament has been disputed in the past, however in the last decade more and more anatomical studies have concluded that its definition as a separate ligament is the most accurate. In this case report we present our findings from the dissection of a formalinized cadaver which we find are consistent with the anatomical characteristics of the anterolateral ligament and with that we aim to further its morphological definition.

In this article, we made a research on the subject of Time and Growth. In the life, the Growth is seen as the increase of mass which operates during a certain period. In physics, it is the same. By the Growth, a physical body gets its density increased. The goal of this article is to calculate or predict the energy and force that a physical system can have at its total Growth. To study the Growth, we have defined some equations which help to evaluate the Growth internal force and energy. By the same way, we have also discovered that all physical systems in the Universe are connected by the same interaction. This interaction leads to the loss of density or mass. The Time is the consequence of its manifestation. For studying the effect of this interaction, we have calculated the density of the Universe. We found that the density of the Universe is equal to the density of a photon. In other words, the Universe is a huge photon. That means, like a photon, the Universe does not know the Time. It also means that the Universe is eternal. Its Expansion (not its growth) is due by the fact that, at the moment small systems inside to it grow, the Universe maintains its density constant like a photon. Do not confuse Growth and Expansion. The Growth is the increase of the density; and the Expansion is the increase of the volume without the change of density. The Universe does not know the Growth, it knows the Expansion. All these conclusions are detailed in the development of this article.