The present study aimed at determining the antioxidant activity, total phenols and flavonoids and to evaluate the antiproliferative activity of ethanolic extract of Matricaria recutita L. (chamomile). The antioxidant activities were measured using the 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. The total phenolic content was measured by the Folin–Ciocalteu assay. The flavonoid content was determined using the aluminum chloride method. The MTT assay was used to estimate the antiproliferative activities against human hepatoma (HepG2) cancer cell line. We assessed the mode of action of the extract as a cancer preventive agent and reported its ability to regulate tumor angiogenesis by down regulating in a dose dependent manner the expression of some proteins involved in the process.

Cannabis products (marijuana, weed, hashish) are among the most widely abused psychoactive drugs in the world, due to their euphorigenic and anxiolytic properties. Recently, hair analysis is of great interest in analytical, clinical, and forensic sciences due to its non-invasiveness, negligible risk of infection and tampering, facile storage, and a wider window of detection. Hair analysis is now widely accepted as evidence in courts around the world. Hair analysis is very feasible to complement saliva, blood tests, and urinalysis. In this review, we have focused on state of the art in hair analysis of cannabis with particular attention to hair sample preparation for cannabis analysis involving pulverization, extraction and screening techniques followed by confirmatory tests (e.g., GC–MS and LC–MS/MS). We have reviewed the literature for the past 10 years’ period with special emphasis on cannabis quantification using mass spectrometry. The pros and cons of all the published methods have also been discussed along with the prospective future of cannabis analysis.

The use of plants to improve dental health and to promote oral hygiene has been practiced for centuries and persists in several communities throughout the world. Salvadora persica (Miswak) has a wide geographic distribution. The ancient Arabs had the habit of using it to whiten and polish the teeth. Here, we determined in vitro antioxidant activity, total phenols and flavonoids and evaluated antiproliferative activity of the extract of S. persica (Miswak). The MTT assay was used to estimate the antiproliferative activities of the extract against human hepatoma (HepG2) cancer cell line. Inhibition percentage of DPPH scavenging activity was dose-dependent and ranged from (30.7% ± 0.62) to (5.89% ± 0.98). The phenolic content was (2.7 ± 0.11) mg GAE/g while the flavonoid content was (2.70 ± 0.45) mg QE/g. Antiproliferative results of the extracts were found to be consistent with their antioxidant activity. Our extract also exhibited clear antiangiogenic activity. These findings introduce S. persica as the useful and novel potential anti-tumor agent for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treatment.

Here, we determined in vitro antioxidant activity, total phenols and flavonoids and evaluated antiproliferative activity of three medicinal plant extracts: Trigonella foenum-graecum (Fenugreek), Cassia acutifolia (Senna) and Rhazya stricta (Harmal).

Research shows that immunoassay techniques are not the best choice for the estimation of vitamin D in human blood samples. The main reasons are that some immunoassays are not able to distinguish between 25-OHD3 and 25-OHD2 vitamin D metabolites. Furthermore, immunoassays cannot differentiate between 250HD and inactive epimers of vitamin D. Vitamin D epimers and isobars have been known to overlap with the 250HD signals and give false positives when tested. Liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) can differentiate between 250HD3 and 250HD2. Separating epimers and isobars (which have the same molecular weight) from vitamin D is achieved through chromatographic separation from actual 250HD peaks, although this could also cause inaccuracies in vitamin D measurements. The main aim of this study was to develop and validate an improved LC-MS/MS method (using a Shimadzu 8060 system) that could accurately detect and quantitate up to 10 different metabolites of vitamin D, as well as differentiate the epimers and isobars. The secondary aim was to apply the developed LC-MS/MS method for the accurate measurement of blood vitamin D levels in the Emirati population. The Shimadzu 8060 system was run using positive ion electrospray ionization (ESI) in Dynamic Multiple Reaction Monitoring (DMRM) mode for quantification. The method involved blood sample collection from 80 Emirati volunteers, followed by serum extraction and liquid-liquid extraction. The chromatography column used for the analysis was an Ascentis Express F5. Precursor and product ions were detected using a Shimadzu 8060 LC-MS/MS system, and 10 metabolites of vitamin D were detected and quantified, including epimers and isobars. The method validation showed good sensitivity, recovery, linearity, precision, specificity, and accuracy. Furthermore, the data showed that vitamin D epimer 3-epi-250HD and isobar 7-alpha-hydroxy-4cholesten-3-one (7 alpha C4) accounted for a significant portion of vitamin D results in the Emirati population. We report a more reliable, reproducible, and robust LC-MS/MS method for the accurate detection of 250HD (vitamin D) in the Emirati population. The method has the capacity to detect and separate 10 metabolites of vitamin D as well as separate 250HD from co-eluting epimers and isobars. The method has also been successfully implemented in gauging vitamin D deficiency in the Emirati population. Thus, this improved LC-MS/MS method could prove very useful in accurately estimating the levels of vitamin D in the Emirati population and in further clinical studies.

The MraY transferase catalyzes the first membrane step of bacterial cell wall peptidoglycan biosynthesis, namely the transfer of the N-acetylmuramoyl-pentapeptide moiety of the cytoplasmic precursor UDP-MurNAc-pentapeptide to the membrane transporter undecaprenyl phosphate (C55P), yielding C55-PP-MurNAc-pentapeptide (lipid I). A paralogue of MraY, WecA, catalyzes the transfer of the phospho-GlcNAc moiety of UDP-N-acetylglucosamine onto the same lipid carrier, leading to the formation of C55-PP-GlcNAc that is essential for the synthesis of various bacterial cell envelope components. These two enzymes are members of the polyprenyl-phosphate N-acetylhexosamine 1-phosphate transferase superfamily, which are essential for bacterial envelope biogenesis. Despite the availability of detailed biochemical information on the MraY enzyme, and the recently published crystal structure of MraY of Aquifex aeolicus, the molecular basis for its catalysis remains poorly understood. This knowledge can contribute to the design of potential inhibitors. Here, we report a detailed catalytic study of the Bacillus subtilis MraY and Thermotoga maritima WecA transferases. Both forward and reverse exchange reactions required the presence of the second substrate, C55P and uridine monophosphate (UMP), respectively. Both enzymes did not display any pyrophosphatase activity on the nucleotide substrate. Moreover, we showed that the nucleotide substrate UDP-MurNAc-pentapeptide, as well as the nucleotide product UMP, can bind to MraY in the absence of lipid ligands. Therefore, our data are in favour of a single displacement mechanism. During this "one-step" mechanism, the oxyanion of the polyprenyl-phosphate attacks the β-phosphate of the nucleotide substrate, leading to the formation of lipid product and the liberation of UMP. The involvement of an invariant aspartyl residue in the deprotonation of the lipid substrate is discussed.

AIM To measure biochemical parameters in stomach biopsies and test their suitability as diagnostic biomarkers for gastritis and precancerous lesions. METHODS Biopsies were obtained from the stomachs of two groups of patients (n = 40) undergoing fiber-optic endoscopy due to upper gastrointestinal symptoms. In the first group (n = 17), only the corpus region was examined. Biopsies were processed for microscopic examination and measurement of mitochondrial O2 consumption (cellular respiration), cellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP), glutathione (GSH), and caspase activity. In the second group of patients (n = 23), both corpus and antral regions were studied. Some biopsies were processed for microscopic examination, while the others were used for measurements of cellular respiration and GSH level. RESULTS Microscopic examinations of gastric corpus biopsies from 17 patients revealed normal mucosae in 8 patients, superficial gastritis in 7 patients, and chronic atrophic gastritis in 1 patient. In patients with normal histology, the rate (mean ± SD) of cellular respiration was 0.17 ± 0.02 μmol/L O2 min(-1) mg(-1), ATP content was 487 ± 493 pmol/mg, and GSH was 469 ± 98 pmol/mg. Caspase activity was detected in 3 out of 8 specimens. The values of ATP and caspase activity were highly variable. The presence of superficial gastritis had insignificant effects on the measured biomarkers. In the patient with atrophic gastritis, cellular respiration was high and ATP was relatively low, suggesting uncoupling oxidative phosphorylation. In the second cohort of patients, the examined biopsies showed either normal or superficial gastritis. The rate of cellular respiration (O2. μmol/L min(-1) mg(-1)) was slightly higher in the corpus than the antrum (0.18 ± 0.05 vs 0.15 ± 0.04, P = 0.019). The value of GSH was about the same in both tissues (310 ± 135 vs 322 ± 155, P = 0.692). CONCLUSION The corpus mucosa was metabolically more active than the antrum tissue. The data in this study will help in understanding the pathophysiology of gastric mucosa.

In populations with high prevalences of iron deficiency and thalassemia trait, many apparently healthy individuals have abnormal erythroid parameters, which may cause diagnostic problems in clinical practice. We studied the prevalence and causes of red cell parameter values outside their reference ranges in 394 healthy individuals of Bedouin Arab origin, who had complete blood counts (CBCs), hemoglobin (Hb) analyses and serum ferritin tests done. Their mean age ± standard deviation (SD) was 24.8 ± 4.9 years and 51.8% were females. Overall, 53.0% (209/394) had low Hb, MCV or MCH or high RDW. Anemia was present in 27.0% (55/204) of the women and 3.0% (6/190) of the men. Overall prevalence of MCV < 80.0 fL was 45.0% (176/394) and MCH < 27.0 pg was 48.0% (190/394); RDW > 14.0% was found in 21.0% (43/204) of women and 7.0% (14/190) of men. Of the women, 16.0% had iron deficiency anemia (33/204) and 65.0% had ferritin values of < 30.0 μg/L (133/204). The estimated prevalence of α-thalassemia (α-thal) trait in men was 32.0% (60/190) and that of β-thalassemia (β-thal) trait in both sexes was 3.0% (12/394). In conclusion, half of the healthy Emirati population have abnormal CBC values. For clinical purposes, they require reference standards for red cells that are derived from their own population. Screening of women for iron deficiency is justified due to a high prevalence of iron deficiency.

We investigated the association between in-hospital and peri-hospital mortality and body mass index (BMI)/waist circumference (WC) in a prospective acute coronary syndrome (ACS) registry in the Arabian Gulf. No significant associations with in-hospital mortality were found. Normal BMI had highest peri-hospital mortality, notably those with high WC. In logistic regression of mortality on obesity measures and potential confounders, the effects of obesity measures were no longer significant. In-hospital death increased by 5% with age and decreased by 42% in males. Mortality increased 3.7-fold with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and 3.0-fold with heart failure (HF) but decreased by 33% with dyslipidemia. Peri-hospital death increased by 4% with age and decreased by 30% in males. Mortality increased 2.8-fold with STEMI and 2.4-fold with HF. In- and peri-hospital mortality in ACS is significantly associated with age, gender, STEMI, HF, and dyslipidemia but not obesity measures.

BACKGROUND:Gender-related differences in mortality of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) have been reported. The extent and causes of these differences in the Middle-East are poorly understood. We studied to what extent difference in outcome, specifically 1-year mortality are attributable to demographic, baseline clinical differences at presentation, and management differences between female and male patients. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:Baseline characteristics, treatment patterns, and 1-year mortality of 7390 ACS patients in 65 hospitals in 6 Arabian Gulf countries were evaluated during 2008-2009, as part of the 2nd Gulf Registry of Acute Coronary Events (Gulf RACE-2). Women were older (61.3±11.8 vs. 55.6±12.4; P<0.001), more overweight (BMI: 28.1±6.6 vs. 26.7±5.1; P<0.001), and more likely to have a history of hypertension, hyperlipidemia or diabetes. Fewer women than men received angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE), aspirin, clopidogrel, beta blockers or statins at discharge. They also underwent fewer invasive procedures including angiography (27.0% vs. 34.0%; P<0.001), percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) (10.5% vs. 15.6%; P<0.001) and reperfusion therapy (6.9% vs. 20.2%; P<0.001) than men. Women were at higher unadjusted risk for in-hospital death (6.8% vs. 4.0%, P<0.001) and heart failure (HF) (18% vs. 11.8%, P<0.001). Both 1-month and 1-year mortality rates were higher in women than men (11% vs. 7.4% and 17.3% vs. 11.4%, respectively, P<0.001). Both baseline and management differences contributed to a worse outcome in women. Together these variables explained almost all mortality disparities. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE:Differences between genders in mortality appeared to be largely explained by differences in prognostic variables and management patterns. However, the origin of the latter differences need further study.

Screening for β -thalassemia trait (BTT) relies on measuring hemoglobin (Hb) A2. Since multiple factors can affect HbA2 levels, the screening can become unreliable. In 1356 healthy Arabs enrolled into a federally funded premarital BTT screening program, the effects of iron deficiency (ID), α (+)-thalassemia trait, gender, smoking, and tribalism on HbA2 were studied. The complete blood count and hemoglobin fractions were determined on the entire cohort; serum ferritin (<15 μ g/L) in 391 subjects was used to determine ID. BTT was present in 29 (2.1%) subjects (HbA2 > 3.5%). Among 77(20.3%) subjects with ID, the mean HbA2 (2.30 ± 0.23%) was 0.2% lower than in subjects without iron deficiency (2.50 ± 0.24%, P < 0.0001). In 65 (38%)/172 subjects with phenotypic α (+)-thalassemia trait, the mean HbA2 (2.43 ± 0.24%) was 0.13% lower than in subjects without α (+)-thalassemia trait, P < 0.0001. The mean HbA2 did not differ between males and females, smokers and nonsmokers, and between the tribes. Thus, 35 (2.6%) subjects with HbA2 between 3.2 and 3.5% were at a risk of false negative diagnosis of BTT. Since iron deficiency and α (+)-thalassemia are both common and both lower HbA2, modifications in screening recommendations for BTT are proposed.

Atorvastatin (a 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme-A reductase inhibitor) is a widely used cholesterol-lowering drug, which is recognized for its potential hepatotoxicity. This study investigated in vitro effects of this agent on hepatic tissue respiration, ATP content, caspase activity, urea synthesis and histology. Liver fragments from Taylor Outbred and C57Bl/6 mice were incubated at 37°C in Krebs-Henseleit buffer continuously gassed with 95% O 2 : 5% CO 2 in the presence and absence of atorvastatin. Phosphorescence O 2 analyzer that measured dissolved [O 2 ] as a function of time was used to monitor cellular mitochondrial O 2 consumption. The caspase-3 substrate N -acetyl-asp-glu-val-asp-7-amino-4-methylcoumarin was used to monitor caspase activity. The rates of hepatocyte respiration (μM O 2 min -1 mg -1 ) in untreated samples were 0.15 ± 0.07 (n = 31). The corresponding rates for samples treated with 50 nM (therapeutic concentration), 150 nM or 1.0 μM atorvastatin for ≤13 h were 0.13 ± 0.05 (n = 19), p = 0.521. The contents of hepatocyte ATP (pmol -1 mg -1 ) in untreated samples were 40.3 ± 14.0 and in samples treated with 1.0 μM atorvastatin for ≤4.5 h were 48.7 ± 23.9 ( p = 0.7754). The concentrations of urea (mg/dL mg -1 , produced over 50 min) for untreated samples were 0.061 ± 0.020 (n = 6) and for samples treated with 1.0 μM atorvastatin for ≤6 h were 0.072 ± 0.022 (n = 6), p = 0.3866. Steadily, hepatocyte caspase activity and histology were unaffected by treatments with up to 1.0 μM atorvastatin for ≤6 h. Thus, the studied murine model showed preserved hepatocyte function and structure in the presence of high concentrations of atorvastatin.

Background The aim of this study was to develop liver tissue preparation suitable for investigating toxins. Hepatocyte respiration, ATP content, urea synthesis, caspase activity and morphology were measured as a function of in vitro incubation time. Mice were anesthetized by sevoflurane inhalation. Small liver fragments were then rapidly excised and incubated at 37°C in Krebs-Henseleit buffer (continuously gassed with 95% O 2 : 5% CO 2 ) for up to 6 h. Phosphorescence O 2 analyzer was used to determine the rate of cellular mitochondrial O 2 consumption ( k c , μM O 2 min -1 mg -1 ). Cellular ATP was measured using the luciferin/luciferase system. The caspase-3 substrate N -acetyl-asp-glu-val-asp-7-amino-4-methylcoumarin (Ac-DEVD-AMC) was used to monitor intracellular caspase activity; cleaved AMC moieties (reflecting caspase activity) were separated on HPLC and detected by fluorescence. Findings Respiration was inhibited by cyanide, confirming the oxidation occurred in the respiratory chain. The values of k c (mean ± SD) for 0≤ t ≤6 h were 0.15 ± 0.02 μM O 2 min -1 mg -1 (n = 18, coefficient of variation, CV = 13%), ATP content 131 ± 69 pmol mg -1 (1≤ t ≤6 h, n = 16, CV = 53%), synthesized urea 0.134 ± 0.017 mg/dL mg -1 in 50 min (0≤ t ≤6 h, n = 14, CV = 13%), and AMC peak area 62,540 ± 26,227 arbitrary units mg -1 (1≤ t ≤6 h, n = 3, CV = 42%). Hepatocyte morphology and organelles were reasonably persevered. Conclusions The described liver tissue preparation demonstrates stable hepatocyte structure, ultrastructure and biomarkers for up to 6 h, permitting in vitro studies.

The consumption of dates with coffee is common among Arabs and may affect postprandial hyperglycemia ex-cursion. The study aimed to determine the effect of coffee on the glycemic index of a common variety of dates (Khalas) tested in healthy and type 2 diabetes mellitus individuals. Study subjects were thirteen healthy volunteers (mean age: 40.2±6.7 years) and ten diabetic participants with a mean HbA1c of 6.6±(0.7%) and a mean age of 40.8±5.7 years. Each subject participated in five days of tests with 50 g of glucose and 50 g equivalent of available carbohydrates from the dates (with/without coffee). Capillary glucose was measured in the healthy subjects at 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90 and 120 min, and for the diabetics at 0, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150 and 180 min. Glycemic indices were determined as ratios of the incremental areas under the response curves for the interventions. Statistical analyses were performed using the independent samples and paired t-tests. Mean±SE glycemic indices of the Khalas dates for the healthy individuals were 55.1±7.7 and 52.7±6.2 without and with coffee consumption, respectively. Similar values were observed for those with diabetes (53.0±6.0 and 41.5±5.4). Differences between glycemic indices of Khalas with or without coffee were not significant (p=0.124). There were no significant differences in glycemic index between the diabetic and healthy subjects (p=0.834 and p=0.202 without and with coffee respectively). In conclusion, at least in the short term, coffee does not adversely affect capillary glucose levels following Khalas dates consumption in healthy and diabetic volunteers.

We describe the baseline characteristics, management, and in-hospital outcomes of patients in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with DM admitted with an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and assess the influence of DM on in-hospital mortality. Data was analyzed from 1697 patients admitted to various hospitals in the UAE with a diagnosis of ACS in 2007 as part of the 1st Gulf RACE (Registry of Acute Coronary Events). Of 1697 patients enrolled, 668 (39.4%) were diabetics. Compared to patients without DM, diabetic patients were more likely to have a past history of coronary artery disease (49.1% versus 30.1%, P < 0.001), hypertension (67.2% versus 36%, P < 0.001), and prior revascularization (21% versus 11.4%, P < 0.001). They experienced more in-hospital recurrent ischemia (8.5% versus 5.1%; P = 0.004) and heart failure (20% versus 10%; P < 0.001). The mortality rate was 2.7% for diabetics and 1.6% for nondiabetics (P = 0.105). After age adjustment, in-hospital mortality increased by 3.5% per year of age (P = 0.016). This mortality was significantly higher in females than in males (P = 0.04). ACS patients with DM have different clinical characteristics and appear to have poorer outcomes.

Gender differences exist in many aspects of acute coronary syndrome (ACS), including presentation and delay in diagnosis and treatment. The aim of the study was to evaluate gender-related differences in ACS patients in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). We analyzed a subset (n = 1697) of the Gulf Registry of Acute Coronary Events (Gulf RACE) data collected in 2007 of patients with ACS from 18 UAE hospitals. Women were significantly older (mean age: 64.0 ± 12.4 years for females and 50.9 ± 10.6 years for males, P < .001), more often had cardiac risk factors and were significantly less treated with β-blockers and reperfusion therapy. The adjusted mortality rate of women was 4.6% versus 1.2% in men (P < .001). Heart failure was higher in females compared with men (24.6% vs 12.5%; P < .001). Reasons for the high in-hospital mortality in women need to be investigated further.

Heart failure (HF) is a serious complication of acute coronary syndromes (ACS), and is associated with high in-hospital mortality and poor long-term survival. The aims of this study were to describe the clinical characteristics, management and in-hospital outcomes of coronary syndrome (ACS) patients with HF in the United Arab Emirates.