Mineral Profile, Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory, Antibacterial, Anti-Urease and Anti-α-Amylase Activities of the Unripe Fruit Extracts of Pistacia atlantica.

Pistacia Atlantica in folk medicine is used by Algerian traditional healers for treating a wide variety of diseases and conditions including dyspepsia, digestive problems, peptic ulcers, and, in particular, inflammatory diseases. The present study aimed to assess the phytochemical composition, in vitro antioxidant activity (using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ABTS+, and reducing power methods), enzyme inhibitory activity (towards α-amylase and urease), antibacterial activity, and in vivo anti-inflammatory activity of the unripe fruit extracts of Pistacia atlantica collected from different parts of the Djelfa region of Algeria. According to the findings, various aqueous extracts exhibited significant antioxidant and enzymatic activities in all tests, but showed that they have a weak inhibitory effect against all tested bacterial strains. Twenty-one minerals comprising both macro- and microelements (Ba, Br, Ca, Cl, Co, Cr, Cs, Eu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Rb, Sb, Sc, Sr, Th, U, and Zn) were determined using the technique of neutron activation analysis (INAA). The result indicates that the concentration of the mineral element is close to the minimal FAO recommendation. In addition, the result revealed significant anti-inflammatory activities. The data generated can be a valuable source of information for the pharmaceutical industry and medical research. These results suggest that the unripe fruit extracts of Pistacia atlantica have an appropriate potential to be utilized across a wide range of contexts as an agent with multifunctional uses, as well as a natural remedy for other physiological diseases.

Performance revaluation of a N-type coaxial HPGe detector with front edges crystal using MCNPX.

The MCNPX code was used to determine the efficiency of a N-type HPGe detector after two decades of operation. Accounting for the roundedness of the crystal`s front edges and an inhomogeneous description of the detector's dead layers were shown to achieve better agreement between measurements and simulation efficiency determination. The calculations were experimentally verified using point sources in the energy range from 50keV to 1400keV, and an overall uncertainty less than 2% was achieved. In order to use the detector for different matrices and geometries in radioactivity, the suggested model was validated by changing the counting geometry and by using multi-gamma disc sources. The introduced simulation approach permitted the revaluation of the performance of an HPGe detector in comparison of its initial condition, which is a useful tool for precise determination of the thickness of the inhomogeneous dead layer.