A two-generational reproductive study to assess the effects of Juglans regia on reproductive developments in the male and female rats.

Environmental pollutants and lifestyle severely threaten human and animal health, leading to disturbances of various functions, including infertility. So, exploring a safe treatment that could effectively reverse infertility remains a challenge. The current study was intended to explore the fertility-enhancing effect of Juglans Regia oil in two successive generations of rats; F0 and F1. J. Regia oil was initially tested for in vitro antioxidant assay via ROS and DPPH, followed by in vivo toxicity testing. In the fertility assessment, eighteen pairs of male and female rats (n=36, 1:1, F0 generation) were divided into three groups and dosed with 1 mL/kg and 2 mL/kg daily of J. Regia oil and saline, respectively, up to pre-cohabitation, cohabitation, gestation and lactation periods. The reproductive performance, including body weight, live birth index, fertility index, and litter size, was assessed. Hormonal and antioxidant markers of F1 generations were assessed with the histopathological evaluation of male and female organs. The oil of J. Regia showed great antioxidant potential (P < 0.05) in DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) and ROS (Reactive Oxygen Species) methods (P<0.05). The continued exposure of the F0 and F1 generations to J. Regia oil did not affect body weight, fertility index, litter size, and survival index. We have found pronounced fertility outcomes in both genders of F0 and F1 generations with J. Regia 2 mL/kg/day in comparison to the control. Results showed that J. Regia significantly increased (P < 0.05) luteinizing hormone (LH), plasma testosterone, follicular stimulating hormone (FSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities in both generations. Histology of both generations reveals improved spermatogenesis and folliculogenesis with enhanced architecture. Altogether, the present results suggest that J. Regia improved fertility in both male and female rats by improving hormonal activities and oxidative stress.

Photo-induced biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles from aqueous extract of Dunaliella salina and their anticancer potential.

The synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) via green route, using biological entities is an area of interest, because one of the potential applications in the nanomedicine. In the present study, we have developed photo-induced, ecofriendly, low cost method for biosynthesis of the stable silver nanoparticles using aqueous extract of Dunaliella salina (AED) which act as both reducing as well as stabilizing agent. Biosynthesis of the AgNPs was optimized as: sunlight exposure (30min), AED (5% (v/v)) and AgNO3 (4mM). Biosynthesis of AgNPs was monitored by using UV-Vis spectroscopy which exhibited sharp SPR band at 430nm after 30min of bright sunlight exposure. SEM and TEM analyses confirmed the presence of spherical AgNPs with average size of 15.26nm. Crystalline nature of AgNPs was confirmed by SAED and XRD analyses where Braggs reflection pattern at (111), (200), (220) and (311) corresponded to face centered cubic crystal lattice of metallic silver. FTIR analysis revealed the involvement of various functional groups present in AED. AFM analysis confirmed the average surface roughness of synthesized AgNPs as 8.48nm. AgNPs were also screened for anticancer potential using assay of calcein AM/PI, Annexin/PI and cancer biomarkers against cancer cell line (MCF-7), while normal cell line (MCF-10A) were kept as control. Interestingly, anticancer potential was comparable to the known anticancer drug (Cisplatin), and was not detrimental to the normal cell line. Therefore, such green synthesized AgNPs may be explored as anticancer agent.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (gist) of the duodenum.

This is a report of a rare gastrointestinal stromal tumor of the duodenum in a 75 years old man who presented with recurrent episodes of intestinal obstruction and melena. The patient underwent successful Whipple's procedure.