Chemical Composition, Antibacterial Activity and In Vitro Anticancer Evaluation of Ochradenus baccatus Methanolic Extract.

Background and Objectives: Ochradenus baccatus belongs to the family Resedaceae. It is widely spread in Saudi Arabia and other countries in Southwest Asia. O. baccatus is extensively used in traditional medicine as an anti-inflammatory and antibacterial agent, in addition to being a vital source of food for certain desert animal species. The aim of the present study was to investigate the chemical composition and antibacterial/anticancer activities of O. baccatus methanolic extracts collected from Hail, Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: The O. baccatus extracts were obtained by macerating the crude powder in methanol, followed by filtration and evaporation. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was used to analyze the methanolic extracts' chemical constituents. Broth microdilution assay for minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) determination was used to assess antimicrobial activity, while the extracts' anticancer potential was assessed by sulforhodamine B Assay (SRB) assay. Results: The results of the antibacterial assay showed that the methanolic extracts from the roots and branches possessed varying degrees of activity against particular bacterial strains, with the highest activity being exerted by the branches' extract against Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium (St), demonstrating MIC values of 15.6 µg/mL and 20 µg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, the SRB cell viability assay revealed that only the branches' extract inhibited the growth of A549 cancer cells, with an IC50 value of 86.19 µg/mL. The LC-MS analysis of the methanolic extracts from the plant's roots and branches was then conducted, resulting in the identification of 8 and 13 major chemical constituents, respectively. Azelaic acid, ß-amyrin, and phytanic acid are some of the bioactive compounds that were detected in the extracts via LC-MS, and they are thought to be responsible for the observed antibacterial/anticancer activity of O. baccatus methanolic extracts. Conclusions: This study confirmed the antibacterial/anticancer potential of O. baccatus methanolic extracts and analyzed their phytochemical constituents. Further isolation and biological screening are warranted to understand the therapeutic potential of O. baccatus.

Association of SARS-CoV-2 and Polypharmacy with Gut-Lung Axis: From Pathogenesis to Treatment.

SARS-CoV-2 is a novel infectious contagion leading to COVID-19 disease. The virus has affected the lives of millions of people across the globe with a high mortality rate. It predominantly affects the lung (respiratory system), but it also affects other organs, including the cardiovascular, psychological, and gastrointestinal (GIT) systems. Moreover, elderly and comorbid patients with compromised organ functioning and pre-existing polypharmacy have worsened COVID-19-associated complications. Microbiota (MB) of the lung plays an important role in developing COVID-19. The extent of damage mainly depends on the predominance of opportunistic pathogens and, inversely, with the predominance of advantageous commensals. Changes in the gut MB are associated with a bidirectional shift in the interaction among the gut with a number of vital human organs, which leads to severe disease symptoms. This review focuses on dysbiosis in the gut-lung axis, COVID-19-induced worsening of comorbidities, and the influence of polypharmacy on MB.

The current reproduction number of COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia: is the disease controlled?

The infectiousness of COVID-19 is high among the susceptible population, making the calculation of the reproduction number (R) an essential step to implement preventive measures. We aim to estimate COVID-19 transmission to determine if the disease is successfully controlled or extra measured should be adopted to attain this goal. The daily incidence data of COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia from March 2nd, 2020, to April 4th, 2021, were obtained from the continuously updated Saudi Ministry of Health COVID-19 repository. To get accurate estimation of the situation over the last 4 months (from December 1st, 2020, to April 4th, 2021), we calculated the weekly (every 7 days) R starting from March 2nd, 2020, and till the last week of the available data. The calculated values of R were represented as median, first quantile (Q1), and third quantile (Q3). As early as the first week of December 2020, the median R was 0.81 (0.80-0.83) which means that each existing infected case would transmit infection to only one person. This was followed by fluctuations over the next few weeks around R value of 1, reaching its highest level of 1.45 (1.42-1.47) between December 31st, 2020, and January 6th, 2021. This was followed by a relatively steady decline over the following weeks, with some till mid-March where the R values started to slightly rise again. Social distancing, protective precautions, avoiding abuse of the partial lifting, expanding the screening process, and other Saudi measures sound to be successful and should be replicated in similar communities. This measure should be continued till the vaccination process is completed, to reduce the number of contacts and to avoid uncontrolled transmission of the disease.