An ancient plant Lawsonia inermis (henna): determination of in vitro antifungal activity against dermatophytes species.

World is endowed with a rich wealth of medicinal plants. There is a widespread belief that green medicines are healthier and more harmless or safer than synthetic ones. Medicinal plants have been used to cure a number of diseases. The ancient plant Lawsonia inermis or henna is used as medicinal plant because of its attributed strong fungicidal, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antibacterial, virucidal, antiparasitic, antiamoebiasis, astringent, antihemorrhagic, hypotensive, sedative, anticancer effect and possible anti-sweating properties. In this study, we investigated antifungal activity of L. inermis against clinical dermatophytes species. This study was carried out using 70 clinical isolates of dermatophytes representing six different species; 44 Trichophyton rubrum, 8 Trichophyton mentagrophytes, 6 Microsporum canis, 6 Trichophyton tonsurans, 4 Epidermophyton floccosum, and 2 Trichophyton violaceum. The antifungal activity of L. inermis (henna) was determined by agar diffusion method and henna was used as paste form. Henna paste showed the high antifungal activity against all dermatophytes species (20 to 50mm inhibition zone).

Hyperbaric oxygen treatment and N-acetylcysteine ameliorate acetaminophen-induced liver injury in a rat model.

An overdose of acetaminophen (APAP) produces centrilobular hepatocellular necrosis. We aimed to investigate the hepatoprotective effects of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) only and hyperbaric oxygen (O(2)) treatment (HBOT) combined with NAC, and their anti-inflammatory properties in liver tissue. In the current study, a total of 32 male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into 4 groups: sham, APAP, NAC, and NAC + HBOT. In the APAP, NAC, and NAC + HBOT groups, liver injury was induced by oral administration of 1 g/kg APAP. The NAC group received 100 mg/kg NAC per day. NAC + HBOT group received intraperitoneal injection of 100 mg/kg/day NAC and were given HBOT at 2.8 ATA pressure with 100% O(2) inhalation for 90 min every 12 h for 5 days. Rats in the sham group received distilled water only by gastric tube. All animals were killed on day 6 after APAP or distilled water administration. Serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activities, hepatic neopterin, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin 6 (IL-6) levels were measured. There was a significant increase in serum AST and ALT activities in the APAP group compared with the sham group (in both p = 0.001). NAC and NAC + HBOT groups had significant decreases in hepatic neopterin, TNF-α, and IL-6 levels compared with the APAP group. APAP administration caused extensive hepatic necrosis. NAC and NAC + HBO treatments significantly reduced APAP-induced liver injury. Our results showed that the liver damage in APAP toxicity was attenuated by NAC and NAC + HBO treatments. NAC + HBOT exhibit hepatoprotective activity against APAP-induced liver injury in rats.

Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of bitter and sweet apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) kernels.

The present study describes the in vitro antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of methanol and water extracts of sweet and bitter apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) kernels. The antioxidant properties of apricot kernels were evaluated by determining radical scavenging power, lipid peroxidation inhibition activity and total phenol content measured with a DPPH test, the thiocyanate method and the Folin method, respectively. In contrast to extracts of the bitter kernels, both the water and methanol extracts of sweet kernels have antioxidant potential. The highest percent inhibition of lipid peroxidation (69%) and total phenolic content (7.9 +/- 0.2 microg/mL) were detected in the methanol extract of sweet kernels (Hasanbey) and in the water extract of the same cultivar, respectively. The antimicrobial activities of the above extracts were also tested against human pathogenic microorganisms using a disc-diffusion method, and the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of each active extract were determined. The most effective antibacterial activity was observed in the methanol and water extracts of bitter kernels and in the methanol extract of sweet kernels against the Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus. Additionally, the methanol extracts of the bitter kernels were very potent against the Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli (0.312 mg/mL MIC value). Significant anti-candida activity was also observed with the methanol extract of bitter apricot kernels against Candida albicans, consisting of a 14 mm in diameter of inhibition zone and a 0.625 mg/mL MIC value.

Detection of antimicrobial resistance and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase production in Klebsiella pneumoniae strains from infected neonates.

The present study was designed to determine the antimicrobial resistance and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) activities of Klebsiella pneumoniae strains isolated from the neonatal intensive care unit of Atatürk University Hospital, Erzurum, Turkey. Antibiotic susceptibility of 40 isolates was detected by the standard disk diffusion method according to the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards Guidelines. The double-disk synergy method was used to determine ESBL activity, which is associated with resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics. Twenty-four (60%) of 40 K. pneumoniae strains were found to produce ESBL. Of the antibiotics tested, meropenem was found to be the most effective (100%), and ampicillin the least effective (0%). With the increasing incidence of antimicrobial resistance, which poses a clinically significant risk to vulnerable patients, it is important that clinical microbiology laboratories have accurate and timely information concerning the strains of bacteria present to enable them to predict which antibiotics are likely to be effective in treating the infections they may cause.