Protective effect of eriodictyol against hyperglycemia-induced diabetic nephropathy in rats entails antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects mediated by activating Nrf2.

The pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy (DN) involves cellular activation of oxidative stress and inflammation. Eriodictyol is a citrus-derived flavonoid with multiple pharmacological and protective effects in various conditions. The protective role of Eriodictyol against diabetes and diabetic nephropathy is less investigated. The current research aimed to explore the role of eriodictyol in protecting against DN prompted by streptozotocin in male rats and investigate some possible mechanisms of action. Diabetes was brought about in rats by an i.p injection of a lone dose (65 mg/kg). Five groups of rats were included (n = 8 each) as control (non-diabetic), eriodictyol (20 mg/kg, orally), STZ-diabetic, STZ + eriodictyol (20 mg/kg, orally), and STZ + eriodictyol (20 mg/kg, orally) + ML385 (30 µg/kg, i.p.). Kidney histology and the levels of some markers of kidney function, renal oxidative stress, and renal inflammation were analyzed in all groups of rats. Treatment with eriodictyol prevented the damage in the renal glomeruli and tubules and reduced renal immune cell infiltration in STZ-treated animals. It also spiked urinary creatinine excretion and reduced urine volume and urinary levels of albumin, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1), urinary kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1), and nephrin in these diabetic rats. In addition, eriodictyol stimulated the nuclear protein accumulation of Nrf2 and boosted the expression of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), and catalase (CAT) in the diabetic rat kidneys. In concomitance, it reduced the nuclear levels of NF-κB and levels of interleukine-6 (IL-6), malondialdehyde (MDA), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and attenuated the reduction in renal ATP levels and the increase in the mitochondria transition pore opening (mtTPT). However, the administration of eriodictyol did not affect rats' body weights and fasting glucose and insulin levels but significantly reduced serum levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-c, and oxidized LDL-c (ox-LDL-c). In conclusion, eriodictyol prevents STZ-induced nephropathy by a hypolipidemic effect and concomitant antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects mediated by activating Nrf2/NF-κB/antioxidant axis.

Saudi date cultivars' seed extracts inhibit developing hepatic steatosis in rats fed a high-fat diet.

This research aim was to assess the impact of the seed extracts of the date cultivars (Qatara, Barhi, and Ruthana) on rat's liver steatosis, oxidative stress, and inflammation triggered by feeding a high-fat diet (HFD). The experimental design was based on random partitioning into two groups; one that received the standard diet and another that received the HFD diet. The HFD rats were orally administered Lipitor or date seed extracts at 300 or 600 mg/kg/day for 4 weeks. Accordingly, feeding rats HFD significantly increased body and liver weights, hepatic and serum lipid levels, glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR, liver function enzymes, and inflammation markers, and decreased oxidative stress enzymes. Oral administration of Barhi and Ruthana date seed extracts significantly decreased body and liver weights. Serum and liver total cholesterol TC, Triglycerides TGs, and free fatty acids FFAs were also decreased as were AST, ALT, MAD, leptin, and CRP, with a concomitant increase in SOD, GSH, and CAT. Furthermore, similar to Lipitor, oral administration of the extracts reduced inflammation markers such as TNF-α, serum CRP, IL-6, IL-1ß, and leptin while increasing IL-10 and adiponectin levels. Histological observation revealed that extract administration improved hepatocyte and parenchymal structures and decreased lipid deposition. In conclusion, both Barhi and Ruthana seed extracts showed strong hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects against HFD-induced liver steatosis. And date seeds have other beneficial potential for prevention and treatment of various diseases, which can be studied in the future.

Lepidium sativum alleviates diabetic nephropathy in a rat model by attenuating glucose levels, oxidative stress, and inflammation with concomitant suppression of TGF-ß1.

In this research, the treatment of diabetic nephropathy in rats induced by streptozotocin with L. sativium whole-plant aqueous extract was examined, and the mechanism of action was proposed. Adult male rats were grouped into: control, L. sativum, T1DM, and T1DM + L. sativum-treated groups. For 8 weeks, L. sativum S was given to rats at a final dose of 250 mg/kg. Treatment with L. sativum reduced the amount of fasting glucose, increased the amount of fasting insulin, and diminished the increase in hepatic and serum cholesterol, free fatty acid, and triglyceride levels. The level of serum LDL-c was reduced. At the level of the kidney, L. sativum reduced urine volume and albumin excretion and spiked creatinine excretion. It also attenuated the tubular damage in the rats' kidneys and reduced the amounts of major inflammatory markers, including nuclear factor-kappaα (NF-κB), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-6 (IL-6). Interestingly, L. sativium reduced the amount of mRNA transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1), stimulated mRNA superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), reduced lipid peroxide levels (MDA), and increased the glutathione (GSH), SOD, and CAT in the rat kidneys of the control and T1DM-treated group. In conclusion, L. sativum is a novel therapy against DN owing to its hypoglycemic effect, insulin-releasing, and antioxidant potential.

Fabrication of hierarchical flower-like WO3 nanoparticles for effective metal ions sensing and catalytic degradation of organic dyes.

In this work, we report on the synthesis of flower-like tungsten oxide nanoparticles (WO3 NPs) using a simple precipitation method. This paper reports a simple method for synthesizing flower-like WO3 NPs, which can be used for environmentally treating hazardous organic pollutants. The photocatalytic degradation of model artificial Orange II and Congo red was assessed under natural sunlight irradiation. The surface morphologies, crystallinity, and binding energy of the synthesized WO3 NPs were determined. The synthesized WO3 NPs exhibited good photodegradation percentages of approximately Orange II (97.6%) and Congo red dye (98.2%) after 120 min of irradiation. Furthermore, the WO3 NPs maintained their degradation ability for up to three cycles. In addition, WO3 NPs were examined in different metal ions sensing (Hg2+, Fe2+, Cu2+, Ni2+, and Cd2+) in an aqueous solution. The results showed that the WO3 NPs exhibited excellent Cd2+ ion sensing. Based on the investigations, WO3 NPs proved to be an efficient photocatalyst and hold promise as the best material for future applications in preventing water pollution.

Development of luminescence carbon quantum dots for metal ions detection and photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes from aqueous media.

In the present study, fish scale waste was used for the organic synthesis of luminescence CQDs by the hydrothermal method. The impact of CQDs on improved photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes and metal ions detection is examined in this study. The synthesized CQDs had a variety of characteristics that were detected, such as crystallinity, morphology, functional groups, and binding energies. The luminescence CQDs showed outstanding photocatalytic effectiveness for the destruction of methylene blue (96.5%) and reactive red 120 dye (97.8%), respectively after 120 min exposure to visible light (420 nm). The high electron transport properties of the CQDs edges, which make it possible to efficiently separate electron-hole pairs, are attributed to the enhanced photocatalytic activity of the CQDs. These degradation results prove that the CQDs are the outcome of a synergistic interaction between visible light (adsorption); a potential mechanism is also suggested, and the kinetics is analyzed to use a pseudo-first-order model. Additionally, the metal ions detection of CQDs was studied by various metal ions (Hg2+, Fe2+, Cu2+, Ni2+, and Cd2+) in an aqueous solution and results revealed that the PL intensity of CQDs in presence of cadmium ions decreased. Studies show that the organic fabrication of CQDs are effective photocatalyst and may one day serve as the ideal material to reduce water pollution.

Antioxidant and antimicrobial potential of two extracts from Capparis spinosa L. and Rumex nervosus and molecular docking investigation of selected major compounds.

The present study examined the phytochemical composition, antioxidant, antimicrobial properties, and molecular docking of different solvents extracts (methanol and water) of two medicinal plants, namely, Capparis spinosa L (CS) and Rumex nervosus (RN). Phytochemical analysis showed that total phenol, flavonoids, alkaloids, and vitamin C were significantly (P ≤ 0.05) higher in the methanolic extract of both plants than in other solvents. However, tannin content was significantly (P ≤ 0.05) high in the water extract for both plants. Chloroform and acetone extracts were significantly lower in phytochemicals than other solvents, therefore excluded in this study. GC-MS analysis showed one dominant compound in CS (isopropyl isothiocyanate) and two in RN (pyrogallol and palmitic acid). The antioxidant methods applied (DPPH, ABTS, ß-Carotene/linoleic acid assay, and reducing the power) showed that the methanolic extract of CS exerted higher activity in methanolic extract but lower than that of BHA standard. The methanolic extract of both plants inhibited the bacterial pathogens when a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) method was applied, compared to water extract with RN-methanolic extract had a lower inhibition concentration than CS-methanolic extract. The molecular interactions study revealed that the palmitic acid and pyrogallol interacted with the receptors' active site. This work concluded that CS and RN showed a remarkable antioxidant and antibacterial effect with the high antimicrobial activity of RN extract.