GC-MS analysis, phytochemical composition of Hertia cheirifolia L. essential oil with pharmacological assessments: antioxidant, antibacterial, and antifungal activities.

The genus Hertia, which belongs to the Asteraceae family, is a flowering genus with 12 species found in Africa, North and South. Among the species present in Algeria, Hertia cheirifolia L. is distributed in the eastern regions of Algeria. The aim of this study is to evaluate its phytochemical composition with following pharmacological assessments: the antioxidant, antibacterial, and antifungal activities of Hertia cheirifolia L. essential oil (EO). GC-MS analysis was used to analyze the chemical constituents of H. cheirifolia essential oil. The antioxidant capacity was assessed using DPPH, FRAP, and H2O2 tests. The EO was also tested for its ability to inhibit six strains of microorganisms, including two Gram (+) and four Gram (-) strains. The antifungal activity was tested by analyzing the effect of the EO on the mycelial growth of Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lycopersici (FOL) fungi. Results showed that primary volatile components were α-pinene (32.59%), 2-(1-cyclopent-1-enyl-1-methylethyl) cyclopentanone (14.62%), (-)-germacrene D (11.37%), and bakkenolide A (9.57%). H. cheirifolia EO showed inhibitory effects against DPPH, H2O2, and FRAP (IC50 = 0.34 ± 0.1, 0.053 ± 0.1, and 0.047 ± 0.01 mg mL-1, respectively). The EO also exhibited moderate antibacterial effects against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 (S. aureus), Streptococcus pneumoniae ATCC 49619 (S. pneumoniae), and Enterobacter aerogenes ATCC 13048 (E. aerogenes), as well as significant antioxidant potential and varied antifungal activity based on dosage and fungal strain. To our knowledge, no previous research has examined the antifungal capacity of H. cheirifolia oil and oil-mycelial development of the FOL relationship. To fully explore the benefits of H. cheirifolia EO, more in vivo research is necessary, along with more testing on other bacterial and fungal strains.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of COVID-19 Safety Measures Among Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus Patients at King Abdulaziz University Hospital: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), an infectious disease caused by an enveloped RNA beta coronavirus, has become a pandemic, with a mortality rate ranging from 0.7% to 10.8%. Although older adults with comorbidity are more likely to suffer severe disease and eventual mortality, diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the most frequently reported noncommunicable diseases shown to predict poor prognosis in COVID-19 patients. AIM:  To determine the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of COVID-19 safety measures and factors associated with poor knowledge and practice among type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) patients at King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH), Jeddah. METHODOLOGY:  This cross-sectional study included 267 patients with T1DM aged 18-65, admitted to the hospital from January to June 2020. Data were collected via phone interviews during September 2020. The questionnaire consisted of 15 questions for knowledge, five for attitude, and eight concerning practices, and some questions were based on diabetes and COVID-19 specifically. RESULTS:  Overall, 64 participants with a median age of 53 years were studied. The median COVID-19 knowledge score showed poor (11.50%), average (43.75%), and good knowledge (6.25%). Most of the participants practiced precautionary measures outside their homes. CONCLUSION:  In conclusion, half of the population had poor COVID-19 knowledge, 60.9% of the participants felt anxious, and most of them performed precautionary measures, including wearing a facemask, maintaining a 1-m distance, and washing their hands regularly.

Depression Among Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus at King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH): A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND:  Depression can increase the risk of diabetes-related complications, healthcare expenditures, and morbidity in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). There have been increasing cases of diabetes in Saudi Arabia; however, research correlating depression with diabetes is lacking. The aim of this study was to find out how common depression is among T2DM patients at King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH), Jeddah, and assess any additional risk factors for depression in these patients. METHODOLOGY:  A cross-sectional study using computer-assisted telephone interviews was conducted among patients with T2DM from June to August 2021. A total of 215 participants completed the survey. Symptoms and signs of depression were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Univariate, bivariate, and multivariate statistical analyses were used to determine the prevalence and risk factors associated with depression. RESULTS: Depression was shown to be prevalent in 54% of type 2 diabetes patients, with the most common associated risk factors being not exercising (p=0.00) and having at least one diabetes-related complication (p=0.001). There was no evidence of a significant relationship between depression and gender or age, although females were, in general, more depressed than males. CONCLUSION: Diabetic patients have a significantly high prevalence of depression; therefore, it is vital to conduct regular screening for depression in patients diagnosed with T2DM.

Essential oil constituents of Juniperus oxycedrus L. and Cupressus sempervirens L. (Cupressaceae) growing in Aures region of Algeria.

The purpose of this study was to determine the chemical composition of essential oils from the aerial parts of two species belonging to the Cupressaceae family growing in the Aures region of Algeria Juniperus oxycedrus and Cupressus Sempervirens. The analysis by GC-MS and GC-FID techniques showed the presence of 38 compounds in J. oxycedrus oil where the major constituents were manoyl oxide (23.5%), pentadecan-2-enone 6Z (12.6%), abietatriene (8.0%), abieta-8,11,13-triene-7-one (6.5%), cubebol (4.6%), epi-torilenol (3.8%) and α-cadinol (2.6%), while, a total of 65 compounds were showed in C. sempervirens oil where the major constituents were α-pinene (68.0%), epi-cedrol (6.1%), α-terpenyl acetate (3.5%) and germacrene D (2.5%). It is the first time that the compounds pentadecan-2-enone 6Z, abieta-8,11,13-trien-7-one, cubebol and epi-torilenol have been identified in our J. oxycedrus and epi-cedrol in C. sempervirens essential oils with high contents, as we noticed the absence of α-pinene in our J. oxycedrus essential oil.

Antioxidant and Leishmanicidal Evaluation of Pulicaria Inuloides Root Extracts: A Bioguided Fractionation.

Leishmaniasis remains a major world health problem, and in particular, Algeria ranks second for the incidence of cutaneous leishmaniasis. Pulicaria inuloides is a well-known Arabian Peninsula medicinal plant. In the present study, the chloroform, ethyl acetate and n-butanol extracts from the roots of Pulicaria inuloides were analyzed for antioxidant activity and its correlation with the total phenolic and flavonoid contents. The highest antioxidant activity using a DPPH assay was showed by the ethyl acetate extract (IC50 4.08 µg/mL), which also had the highest total phenolic content (307.12 µgAGE). Furthermore, P. inuloides root extracts were evaluated against Leishmania amazonensis and Leishmania donovani. The results highlighted the chloroform extract as the most active one against both tested Leishmania strains. A bioguided fractionation of the chloroform extract led to the isolation of (8R:8S)-(75:25 er)-10-isobutyryloxy-8,9-epoxy-thymol isobutyrate as the main bioactive component, showing a potent leishmanicidal activity on L. amazonensis promatigote and amastigote stages (IC50 5.03 and 2.87 µM, respectively) and a good selectivity index on murine macrophages (CC50 19.37 µM). This study provides the first report of the antioxidant and leishmanicidal activities of P. inuloides root extracts and the results point to this species as a source of potential bioactive agents.

Assessment of the antiprotozoal activity of Pulicaria inuloides extracts, an Algerian medicinal plant: leishmanicidal bioguided fractionation.

The lack of an effective chemotherapy for treatment of protozoan disease urges a wide investigation for active compounds, and plant-derived compounds continue to provide key leads for therapeutic agents. The current study reports the in vitro antiprotozoal evaluation of the Algerian medicinal plant Pulicaria inuloides against Leishmania amazonensis, Trypanosoma cruzi, and Acanthamoeba castellanii str. Neff. All the extracts from the aerial part showed to be present a higher leishmanicidal activity than anti-Acanthamoeba or Trypanosoma. Therefore, bioguided fractionation of the active CHCl3 extract led to the isolation and characterization of the flavonol, quercetagetin-3,5,7,3'-tetramethyl ether (1) as the main component. The structure of compound 1 was established by extensive 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic analysis (COSY, HSQC, HMBC, and ROESY experiments), chemical transformation (derivatives 2 and 3), and comparison with data in the literature. Compound 1 and derivatives 2 and 3 were further evaluated against the promastigote and amastigote stage of L. amazonensis. Compounds 1-3 exhibited moderate leishmanicidal activity with IC50 values ranging from 0.234 to 0.484 mM and from 0.006 to 0.017 mM for the promastigote and amastigote forms, respectively, as well as low toxicity levels on macrophages (CC50 ranging from 0.365 to 0.664 mM). This study represents the first report of the antiprotozoal evaluation of Pulicaria inuloides, and the results highlight this species as a promising source of leishmanicidal agents.