Insecticidal Activity and Free Radical Scavenging Properties of Isolated Phytoconstituents from the Saudi Plant Nuxia oppositifolia (Hochst.)

Chromatographic purification of the alcoholic extract from the aerial parts of the Saudi plant Nuxia oppositifolia (Hochst.), Benth., resulted in five isolated phenolic compounds. Two flavones, hispidulin (1) and jaceosidin (2), and the phenylethanoid glycosides, verbascoside (3), isoverbascoside (4), and conandroside (5), were identified and their chemical structures were determined by spectroscopic analyses. The insecticidal activity of compounds 1 and 2, in addition to 11 compounds isolated in a previous research (6–16), was evaluated against the Yellow Fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti. Four compounds displayed adulticidal activity with LD₅₀ values of 2–2.3 μg/mosquito. Free radical scavenging properties of the plant extracts and compounds (1–5) were evaluated by measuring the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) and 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate radical cation (ABTS^•+) scavenging activity. All compounds exhibited notable activity, compared with the positive control, l-Ascorbic acid. This study suggests that N. oppositifolia could be a promising source of secondary metabolites, some with lethal adulticidal effect against Ae. aegypti.     

Diagnostic value of different antigenic fractions of hydatid cyst fluid from camel and sheep in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Hydatid cyst fluids (HCF) crude extracts from camels and sheep slaughtered in Riyadh region, KSA were subjected to Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate–Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis (SDS–PAGE) and Western blot analysis. Sera from 17 confirmed human cases of hydatidosis, 25 patients with other parasitic infections and 10 clinically healthy subjects were used to evaluate the diagnostic value of the different antigenic fractions of these extracts. Immunoblotting results revealed that, at least 11 major discrete protein fractions (110–8 kDa) were recognized by sera from hydatidosis patients, sera from patients with other parasitic diseases showed cross-reactivity with few of these bands. The cluster of bands (38–35 kDa) that may be a breakdown of “Arc 5” antigen (39–38 kDa) was detected by 100% and 94% of sera from hydatidosis cases with HCF extracts from camel and sheep, respectively. This cluster showed also some cross reactivity (20% and 8%) with control sera from patients with other parasitic infections with camel and sheep HCF extracts, respectively. Polypeptides at 24–22, 16 and 8 kDa which may probably correspond to antigen B subunits were also identified by all samples from hydatidosis patients with sheep HCF extracts and by 100%, 65% and 74% with camel HCF extracts respectively. Sera from control subjects did not react with any of these polypeptides (24–22, 16 and 8 kDa). According to our results, the identified molecular weight bands (16 and 8 kDa using HCF crude extracts from sheep and 24–22 kDa using HCF crude extracts either from camel or sheep) represent good candidates for immunodiagnosis of hydatidosis.     

Evaluation of pathogenicity of certain mitosporic ascomycete fungi to the house fly,Musca domestica L. (diptera: muscidae)

The virulence of five fungal strains, Acremonium cephalosporium, Aspergillus niger, Penicillium chrysogenum, Trichoderma viride, and Verticillum albo-atrum by application of 10⁸ conidia mL^?1 to larvae and adults of house flies, Musca domestica was determined. A. niger produced the highest percentage of mortality to larvae, 85.1 ± 1.60, and adults, 98.2 ± 3.10, of house flies. Topical application of the fungal strains to larvae showed concentration-dependent response and caused mortality ranged between 41% and 83% with LT₅₀ values varying between 5.22 and 7.81 days. The highest percentage of mortality, 83.9 ± 3.52, was produced by 10⁷ conidia mL^?1 of A. niger with LT₅₀ 5.22. The lowest mortality percentage, 41.2 ± 3.00 with LT₅₀ 7.81, was produced by 10⁵ conidia mL^?1 of V. alboatrum. On the other hand, the highest percentage of mortality to adults of house flies, 97.3 ± 3.52, was produced by 10⁷ conidia mL^?1 of A. niger with LT₅₀ 3.49. While the lowest mortality percentage, 59.1 ± 2.38 with LT₅₀ 6.91, was produced by 10⁵ conidia mL^?1 of V. albo-atrum.     

Flavonol Derivatives for Determination of Cr(III) and W(VI)

 Simple, rapid, sensitive and selective methods for the determination of Cr(III) and W(VI) with flavonol derivatives in the presence of surface-active agents are proposed. In the pH ranges 3.4–4.2 and 1.9–2.5, the molar absorptivities of Cr(III)-morin-emulsifier S (EFA) and W(VI)-morin-polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) systems are 1.13×10⁵ and 2.13×10⁴ L mol⁻¹ cm⁻¹ at 435 and 415 nm, respectively. The Cr(III)-quercetin-PVP and W(VI)-quercetin-cetylpyridinium bromide (CPB) systems are formed in the pH ranges 4–4.6 and 2.2–2.8 with molar absorptivities 1.02×10⁵ and 9.02×10⁴ L. mol⁻¹ cm⁻¹ at 441 and 419 nm, respectively. The linear dynamic ranges for the determination of Cr(III) and W(VI) with morin in the presence of EFA and PVP are 0.03–0.46 and 0.71–8.1 μg mL⁻¹, respectively. The corresponding ranges with quercetin are 0.04–0.54 and 0.14–2.1 μg mL⁻¹ of Cr(III) and W(VI), respectively. The r.s.d (n = 10) for the determination of 0.25 and 3.7 μg mL⁻¹ of Cr(III) and W(VI) with morin and their detection limits are 0.88 and 0.99% and 0.016 and 0.63 μg mL⁻¹, respectively. Using quercetin, the r.s.d (n = 10) for 0.22 and 1.2 μg mL⁻¹ of Cr(III) and W(VI) and their detection limits are 0.92 and 0.91% and 0.015 and 0.08 μg mL⁻¹, respectively. The critical evaluation of the proposed methods is performed by statistical analysis of the experimental data. The proposed methods are applied to determine Cr in steel, non-ferrous alloys, wastewater and mud filtrate and to the determination of W in steel. Received March 8, 1999. Revision January 21, 2000.     

Polysaccharide Chemistry in Drug Delivery,Endocrinology, and Vaccines

Polysaccharides, due to their outstanding properties, have attracted the attention of researchers, working in the biomedical field and especially of those working in drug delivery. Modified/functionalized polysaccharides further increase the importance for various applications. Delivery of therapeutics for diverse ailments in different endocrine glands and hormones safely, is a focal point of researchers working in the field. Among the routes followed, the transdermal route is preferred due to non-exposure of active moieties to the harsh gastric environment and first-pass metabolism. This review starts with the overview of polysaccharides used for the delivery of various therapeutic agents. Advantages of polysaccharides used in the transdermal route are addressed in detail. Types of polysaccharides will be elaborated through examples, and in this context, special emphasis will be on the polysaccharides being used for synthesis of the membranes/films. Techniques employed for their modification to design novel carriers for therapeutics delivery will also be discussed. The review will end with a brief discussion on recent developments and future perspectives for delivery of therapeutic agents, and vaccine development.     

A convenient synthesis of new thiaazacrown ethers and study of their complexation reactions with some transition metal cations in binary acetonitrile–chloroform mixture using the conductometric method

Three novel thiaazacrown ethers 1, 2 and 3 were synthesized in a simple way and in high yield. The complex formation between Ag⁺, Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺, Pb²⁺, Hg²⁺ and Cd²⁺ metal cations with thiaazacrown ethers 1, 2 and 3 have been studied in acetonitrile:chloroform (1:1) binary solvent system using conductometric technique. The conductance data show that the stochiometry of the complexes with Ag⁺, Cu²⁺ and Zn²⁺ cations is 1:1 (L:M), but in the case of Pb²⁺ and Hg²⁺ cations, a 1:2 (L:M) complex is formed in solutions. The formation constants of the resulting 1:1 complexes were determined from the molar conductance-mole ratio data at 25 °C. It was found that the stability constants of 1-Ag²⁺, 2-Ag⁺ and 3-Ag⁺ complexes are higher than those of their corresponding Zn²⁺ and Cu²⁺ complexes and found to vary in order 3 > 1 > 2 for Ag⁺.