Non-Prescription Antibiotics Use and Associated Factors Among Drug Retail Outlets in Ambo, Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

PURPOSE: To assess the non-prescription use of antibiotics and associated factors in Ambo Town, West Shoa, Oromia, Ethiopia. METHODS: An institutional-based cross-sectional study design supported with the qualitative study was conducted in Ambo Town from February 1 to March 1, 2020. Data were collected using a pretested semi-structured questionnaire and in-depth interview guide questions. Simple random sampling was used to select retail outlets and systematic random sampling to select study participants. The data analysis was done using SPSS and univariate and multivariate binary logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with non-prescription use of antibiotics. Thematic framework analysis was applied for the qualitative data. RESULTS: From the 421 study sample, a total of 399 participants were interviewed with a 94.8% response rate. Among the study participants, 214 (53.6) were males, 228 (57.1%) were married, 191 (47.9%) were orthodox by religion, and 343 (86%) were Oromo by ethnicity. One hundred seventy-two (43.1%; 95% CI: 38.6, 48.1) of the participants had used non-prescribed antibiotics. Being male [AOR=2.21 95% CI: 1.276, 3.835], residing in rural area [AOR=3.659, 95% CI: 1.479, 9.054], holding diploma [AOR=0.120, 95% CI: 0.025, 0.591], and hold BSC degree [AOR=0.050, 95% CI: 0.007, 0.378], and being farmer [AOR=0.034, 95% CI: 0.004, 0.285] showed significant association with the non-prescription use of antibiotics. CONCLUSION: This study concluded that the non-prescription use of antibiotics 172 (43.1%) was relatively high. Being male, residing in a rural area, holding a diploma, BSc degree, and being a farmer were significantly associated with non-prescription use of antibiotics. So, West Shoa Zone regulatory body should actively focus on the prevention of non-prescription use of antibiotics through health communication and public awareness on the demerits of non-prescription use of antibiotics.

Association of Diet Quality and Food Insecurity with Metabolic Syndrome in Obese Adults.

BACKGROUND: The link between diet quality, food insecurity (FI), and metabolic syndrome (MetS) remains unclear in obese adults. The aim of this study was to examine the association of diet quality and FI with MetS in obese Iranian adults. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 300 obese adults. Dietary intake was assessed using a validated 168-item food frequency questionnaire. Diet quality and FI were measured using the Diet Quality Index-International (DQI-I) and an adapted USDA2000 household food security status questionnaire, respectively. MetS was defined according to the International Diabetes Federation diagnostic criteria. Association was determined using logistic regression analysis adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS: MetS subjects had lower DQI-I score than subjects without MetS (67.5 ± 8.7 vs 71.5 ± 7.4, P = 0.05). The prevalence of food insecurity was 48.6% (95% confidence interval (CI): 41.2, 56.1) in MetS subjects and 39.4% (95% CI: 29.4, 49.9) in subjects without MetS. After adjustment, participants in the fourth quartile of DQI-I score had 70% lower odds of MetS (Adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 0.3; 95% CI: 0.1-0.7), 70% lower odds of hypertriglyceridemia (AOR, 0.3; 95% CI: 0.2-0.7) and 60% lower risk of reduced high-density lipoprotein [HDL] (AOR, 0.4; 95% CI: 0.2-0.9) compared with the first quartile. Obese food insecure adults had 60% higher odds of high blood pressure (AOR, 1.6; 95% CI: 1.0-2.6) and 70% higher odds of hypertriglyceridemia (AOR, 1.7; 95% CI: 1.0-2.8) compared with food-secure obese adults. There was no statistically significant interaction observed between DQI-I and food insecurity on MetS. CONCLUSIONS: Lower DQI-I score and food insecurity were associated with an increased risk of MetS and some features such as hypertriglyceridemia, reduced HDL, and high blood pressure in obese Iranian adults.

The rise of deep learning and transformations in bioactivity prediction power of molecular modeling tools.

The search and design for the better use of bioactive compounds are used in many experiments to best mimic compounds' functions in the human body. However, finding a cost-effective and timesaving approach is a top priority in different disciplines. Nowadays, artificial intelligence (AI) and particularly deep learning (DL) methods are widely applied to improve the precision and accuracy of models used in the drug discovery process. DL approaches have been used to provide more opportunities for a faster, efficient, cost-effective, and reliable computer-aided drug discovery. Moreover, the increasing biomedical data volume in areas, like genome sequences, medical images, protein structures, etc., has made data mining algorithms very important in finding novel compounds that could be drugs, uncovering or repurposing drugs and improving the area of genetic markers-based personalized medicine. Furthermore, deep neural networks (DNNs) have been demonstrated to outperform other techniques such as random forests and SVMs for QSAR studies and ligand-based virtual screening. Despite this, in QSAR studies, the quality of different data sources and potential experimental errors has greatly affected the accuracy of QSAR predictions. Therefore, further researches are still needed to improve the accuracy, selectivity, and sensitivity of the DL approach in building the best models of drug discovery.

Diabetic Ketoacidosis Management and Treatment Outcome at Medical Ward of Shashemene Referral Hospital, Ethiopia: A Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND: Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) is the most common and yet potentially life-threatening acute complication of diabetes that progresses rapidly to death and requires immediate medical intervention. OBJECTIVE: To assess the DKA management and treatment outcome/in-hospital mortality and its predictors among hospitalized patients with DKA at the Medical ward of Shashemene Referral Hospital (SRH). METHOD: A retrospective study was conducted at the Medical Ward of SRH from 01 February 2015 to 31 January 2017. A systematic random sampling technique was used to select study subjects based on the inclusion criteria. Thus, of 236 reviewed charts, only 225 patients with DKA fulfilled inclusion criteria. Treatment outcome was considered good for patients who have shown improvement at discharge, while poor for patients who left against medical advice or died in the hospital. Logistic regression analysis was done to determine independent predictors for treatment outcome/in-hospital mortality using SPSS version 20 with statistical significant at P ⩽ .05. RESULTS: Of 225 patients with DKA, 124 (55.1%) were male. Regular insulin was prescribed to all patients and antibiotics were administered to 87 (38.7%). Potassium supplementation was given only for 28 (12.4%). Non-adherence to insulin treatment (n = 91; 40.4%) and infection (n = 66; 29.3%) were the principal DKA precipitating factors. Even though 73.8% of hospitalized patients with DKA have shown good treatment outcomes, DKA contributed 12% in-hospital mortality. The result of multivariate logistic regression analysis shown that hypoglycemia is the only independent predictor for in-hospital mortality[P = .03]. Moreover, the independent predictors for poor DKA treatment outcome were found to be smoker [P = .04], Urinary tract infection (UTI) relative to other co-morbid condition [P < .001], severe hypokalemia which increase risk of poor treatment outcome by around 4 times [P = .02], and use of Metronidazole as a concurrent medication relative to other concurrent medication [P = .03]. CONCLUSION: There was a high in-hospital mortality rate due to correctable causes. This mortality is unacceptable as it was majorly related to the poor practice of potassium supplementation and hypoglycemia due to insulin. Thus, clinicians and stakeholders should have to focus on modifiable factors (hypokalemia, UTI, and hypoglycemia) to reduce poor treatment outcome/in-hospital mortality.

Study on the Interaction of 1,5-diaryl Pyrrole Derivatives with α- glucosidase; Synthesis, Molecular Docking, and Kinetic Study.

BACKGROUND: The delaying of absorption of glucose is one of the principal therapeutic approaches of type 2 diabetes. α-glucosidase inhibitors compete with the α-glucosidase enzyme activity, which helps to reduce the conversion of carbohydrates into glucose and thereby control the postprandial hyperglycemia incidence. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to synthesize a series of novel 1,5-diphenyl pyrrole derivatives and evaluate their in vitro α-glucosidase inhibitory activities. METHODS: Compounds were synthesized through a multistep reaction and were evaluated for α- glucosidase inhibitory activities. Molecular docking and kinetic studies were carried out to predict the mode of binding and mechanism of inhibition for the most active compounds, 5g and 5b, against α-glucosidase. RESULTS: Synthesized compounds showed good in vitro α-glucosidase inhibitory activity with IC50 values in the range of (117.5 ± 3.8 to 426.0 ± 10.2 µM) as compared to acarbose, the standard drug, (750 ± 8.7 µM). Compound 5g (117.5 ± 3.8 µM) ascertained as the most potent inhibitor of α-glucosidase in a competitive mode. The binding energies of compounds 5g and 5b (119.0 ± 7.5 µM), as observed from the best docking conformations, indicate that they have a lower free binding energy (-3.26 kcal/mol and -3.0 kcal/mol, respectively) than acarbose (2.47 kcal/mol). CONCLUSION: The results of our study revealed that the synthesized compounds are a potential candidate for α-glucosidase inhibitors for the management of postprandial hyperglycemia for further investigation.

Developing Novel Anticancer Drugs for Targeted Populations: An Update.

BACKGROUND: Due to higher failure rates, lengthy time and high cost of the traditional de novo drug discovery and development process, the rate of opportunity to get new, safe and efficacious drugs for the targeted population, including pediatric patients with cancer, becomes sluggish. OBJECTIVES: This paper discusses the development of novel anticancer drugs focusing on the identification and selection of targeted anticancer drug development for the targeted population. METHODS: Information presented in this review was obtained from different databases, including PUBMED, SCOPUS, Web of Science, and EMBASE. Various keywords were used as search terms. RESULTS: The pharmaceutical companies currently are executing drug repurposing as an alternative means to accelerate the drug development process that reduces the risk of failure, time and cost, which take 3-12 years with almost 25% overall probability of success as compared to de novo drug discovery and development process (10- 17 years) which has less than 10% probability of success. An alternative strategy to the traditional de novo drug discovery and development process, called drug repurposing, is also presented. CONCLUSION: Therefore, to continue with the progress of developing novel anticancer drugs for the targeted population, identification and selection of target to specific disease type is important. Considering the aspects of the age of the patient and the disease stages such as each cancer types are different when we study the disease at a molecular level. Drug repurposing technique becomes an influential alternative strategy to discover and develop novel anticancer drug candidates.

In vivo Antidiabetic Activity Evaluation of Aqueous and 80% Methanolic Extracts of Leaves of Thymus schimperi (Lamiaceae) in Alloxan-induced Diabetic Mice.

INTRODUCTION: Diabetes mellitus disorder characterized by increase in serum glucose level as a result of change in fat, protein metabolism, and carbohydrate. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of the aqueous and hydroalcoholic leaf extract of Thymus. schimperi on blood glucose levels. METHODS: The aqueous and 80% methanol extracts of T. schimperi leaves were prepared. Swiss albino mice of either sex weighing 20-30 g were selected for the experiments. Mice that were made diabetic were divided into seven groups to study the antihyperglycemic effect of the extracts. Diabetes was induced by single intraperitonial injection of alloxan monohydrate (180 mg/kg body weight). RESULTS: After diabetic mice were treated with an extract of solvent at doses of 250 and 500 mg/kg for 21 days, there were significant decreases in fasting blood glucose when compared to diabetic controls. The observed antidiabetic activity could be associated with the phytochemicals present in this plant extract. The extract of solvent also prevented body weight loss of diabetic when compared to diabetic mice group. It was also observed that the extracts have shown no acute toxicity at a dose of 2 g/kg. CONCLUSION: The aqueous and 80% methanol extracts of T. schimperi leaves have shown blood glucose level lowering effects in diabetic mice. Hence, the present study might support the traditional use of T. schimperi for diabetes mellitus treatment.

Ochratoxin A-induced genotoxic and epigenetic mechanisms lead to Alzheimer disease: its modulation with strategies.

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a naturally occurring mycotoxin mostly found in food items including grains and coffee beans. It induces DNA single-strand breaks and has been considered to be carcinogenic. It is recognized as a serious threat to reproductive health both in males and females. OTA is highly nephrotoxic and carcinogenic, and its potency changes evidently between species and sexes. There is a close association between OTA, mutagenicity, carcinogenicity, and genotoxicity, but the underlying mechanisms are not clear. Reports regarding genotoxic effects in relation to OTA which leads to the induction of DNA adduct formation, protein synthesis inhibition, perturbation of cellular energy production, initiation of oxidative stress, induction of apoptosis, influences on mitosis, induction of cell cycle arrest, and interference with cytokine pathways. All these mechanisms are associated with nephrotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, teratotoxicity, immunological toxicity, and neurotoxicity. OTA administration activates various mechanisms such as p38 MAPK, JNKs, and ERKs dysfunctions, BDNF disruption, TH overexpression, caspase-3 and 9 activation, and ERK-1/2 phosphorylation which ultimately lead to Alzheimer disease (AD) progression. The current review will focus on OTA in terms of recent discoveries in the field of molecular biology. The main aim is to investigate the underlying mechanisms of OTA in regard to genotoxicity and epigenetic modulations that lead to AD. Also, we will highlight the strategies for the purpose of attenuating the hazards posed by OTA exposure.

The antidiabetic and antilipidemic effects of Hibiscus sabdariffa: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.

Hibiscus sabdariffa (HS) is a woody-based subshrub of the Malvaceae family which has various uses in traditional medicine. This review systematically evaluates the evidence from clinical trials on the antidiabetic activity of HS. A random-effects model was used to obtain summary estimates. Five outcome measure, including fasting plasma glucose (FPG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoproteins (LDL), and triglyceride (TG) were assessed in the study. The results of the overall pooled statics for the FPG level showed that there was a significant reduction in FPG (WMD = -3.964 mg/dL; 95% CI: -6.227 to -1.702 and P-value was 0.001) and in the level of LDL (WMD = -7.843 mg/dL; 95% CI: -14.337 to -1.350 and P-value was 0.018). However, the pooled estimate showed that there was no statistically significant change on the TC (WMD = -30.382 mg/dL; 95% CI: -66.752 to 5.989 and P value was 0.102), the HDL (WMD = 0.074 mg/dL; 95% CI: -1.986 to 2.135 and P value was 0.944) and the TG (WMD = -9.050 mg/dL; 95% CI, -30.819 to 12.719 and P value was 0.102) compared to the placebo. Egger's weighted regression P values suggested that there was no potential publication bias in the FPG (P = 0.664), HDL (P = 0.065), LDL (P = 0.677) and TG (P = 0.232) but there was a publication bias in the TC (0.056). Therefore, the result of this meta-analysis clearly shows that HS has antidiabetic activity, whereas its lipid-lowering effect needs further study.

Coumarin-based Scaffold as α-glucosidase Inhibitory Activity: Implication for the Development of Potent Antidiabetic Agents.

BACKGROUND: Delaying the absorption of glucose through α-glucosidase enzyme inhibition is one of the therapeutic approaches in the management of Type 2 diabetes, which can reduce the incidence of postprandial hyperglycemia. The existence of chronic postprandial hyperglycemia impaired the endogenous antioxidant defense by inducing oxidative stress-induced pancreatic ß-cell destruction through uncontrolled generation of free radicals such as ROS, which in turn, leads to various macrovascular and microvascular complications. The currently available α -glucosidase inhibitors, for instance, acarbose, have some side effects such as hypoglycemia at higher doses, liver problems, meteorism, diarrhea, and lactic acidosis. Therefore, there is an urgent need to discover and develop potential α-glucosidase inhibitors. OBJECTIVE: Based on suchmotifs, researchers are intrigued to search for the best scaffold that displays various biological activities. Among them, coumarin scaffold has attracted great attention. The compound and its derivatives can be isolated from various natural products and/or synthesized for the development of novel α-glucosidase inhibitors. RESULTS: This study focused on coumarin and its derivatives as well as on their application as potent antidiabetic agents and has also concentrated on the structure-activity relationship. CONCLUSION: This review describes the applications of coumarin-containing derivatives as α - glucosidase inhibitors based on published reports which will be useful for innovative approaches in the search for novel coumarin-based antidiabetic drugs with less toxicity and more potency.

The association between diet quality and obesity-related metabolic risks.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to examine the association between dietary quality measured by inflammatory potential of a diet and Alternative Healthy Eating Index-2010 (AHEI-2010), and obesity-related metabolic risks in a representative sample of Iranian obese adults. METHOD: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 300 obese adults. Dietary intake was assessed using a validated 168-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Diet quality was measured using AHEI-2010 and Empirical Dietary Inflammatory Pattern (EDIP) scores. RESULTS: Those in the upper quartile of AHEI-2010 were associated with lower serum level of triglycerides (TG), and higher body mass index (BMI), compared to participants in the lower quartile. Those in the higher quartile of EDIP score were associated with higher serum level of TG. Greater adherence to AHEI-2010 had 70% lower odds of high fasting blood glucose (FBG), compared with those in the first quartile [Q4 vs Q1: OR, 0.3 (95% CI: 0.1-0.8), p trend = 0.02] Those in the highest quartile of EDIP score had a 60% higher odds of high diastolic blood pressure, compared with those in the lowest quartile [Q4 vs Q1: OR, 2.4 (95% CI: 1.1-5.5), p trend = 0.05] after controlling for potential covariates. CONCLUSIONS: High diet quality incorporating more anti-inflammatory diet may have a potential benefit in reducing obesity-related metabolic risks.

The antidiabetic effect of thymoquinone: A systematic review and meta-analysis of animal studies.

Thymoquinone (2-isopropyl-5-methylbenzo-1, 4-quinone) (TQ) is a quinone derivative with a yellow crystalline appearance, abundantly found in black cumin, Nigella sativa L. TQ has diverse pharmacological properties. The aim of this systematic review on the antidiabetic effects of TQ is to evaluate the currently available evidence and conduct meta-analysis. A literature search of articles published until 25 January 2019 was done on PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Sciences and Scopus databases, using relevant keywords. The meta-analysis included 18 studies that examined the serum glucose (SG) level or serum insulin level or body weight (BW). In the meta-analysis it was found that with an overall pooled standardized mean difference (SMD) of -9.176 mg/dl (95%CI: -10.759, -7.593; p = 0.000); TQ reduced the SG level (-9.176 mg/dl) significantly in the STZ-induced diabetes model. Moreover, a meta-analysis of the effect of TQ on BW demonstrated that TQ has a statistically significant effect on the BW of diabetic animals with an overall pooled SMD of 4.509 (95%CI: 3.234, 5.784; p = 0.000). In addition, the overall pooled estimate of the level of serum insulin was significant with SMD of 1.681 (95%CI: 0.858, 2.503; p = 0.000). Therefore, the meta-analysis showed that TQ has a significant antidiabetic effect through its action on the SG, serum insulin level, and BW of the animals.

Magnitude and determinants of complementary feeding practices in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND & AIM: Concurrent estimates on the magnitude and evidence on the determinants of complementary feeding (CF) practices in Ethiopia are currently disparate. Hence, this systematic review and meta-analysis assessed the magnitude and determinants of CF among children age 6-23 months in Ethiopia. METHODS: Studies from various databases published until July 2018 were identified, selected, extracted and assessed for risk of bias by two authors independently. A random-effects model was used to pool the prevalence and odds ratios (ORs). RESULTS: 26 studies with 17, 383 children were included. The pooled prevalence estimate of timely initiated CF, minimum dietary diversity (DD), minimum meal frequency and minimum acceptable diet were 61.0%, 18.0%, 56.0%, and 10.0% respectively. The pooled prevalence of timely initiation and minimum DD were higher in Northern Ethiopia. On the other hand, except for the minimum meal frequency, all the three core indicators of CF were better in urban than rural settings. Child age, maternal and/or paternal education, paternal involvement, maternal DD, antenatal and postnatal care, and place of delivery were the main determinants that can increase appropriate CF practices. CONCLUSION: The reported estimates of the prevalence of core CF indicators in Ethiopia remained poor. Therefore, the authors would like to acknowledge the effort that has been done by the minister of health and its partners including Alive & Thrive to improving CF practices in the country, however, these programs should be done more thoroughly, and scaled up by applying and adapting tested, proven approaches and tools in contexts.

The antioxidant components of milk and their role in processing, ripening, and storage: Functional food.

The current rate of population growth is so fast that, to feed this massive population, a 2-fold increase in land is required for the production of quality food. Improved dietary products such as milk and its products with antioxidant properties and functional foods of animal origin have been utilized to prevent chronic diseases. The designer milk contains low fat and less lactose, more protein, modified level of fatty acids, and desired amino acid profiles. The importance of milk and its products is due to the presence of protein, bioactive peptides, conjugated linoleic acid, omega-3 fatty acid, Vitamin D, selenium, and calcium. These constituents are present in milk product, play a key role in the physiological activities in human bodies, and act as anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, antioxidant, hypocholesterolemic, immune boosting, and antimicrobial activities. Consumer awareness regarding benefits of designer foods such as milk and its products is almost non-existent worldwide and needs to be established to reach the benefits of designer food technologies in the near future. The main objective of this review was to collect data on the antioxidant properties of milk and its constituents which keep milk-derived products safe and preserved.

Antidiabetic effect of quercetin: A systematic review and meta-analysis of animal studies.

Quercetin is a plant polyphenol with biological activities such as anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antidiabetic, neuroprotective and anti-allergic. The objective of this review is to provide a systematic evaluation of the evidence and a meta-analysis of data from previously published researches on the antidiabetic action of quercetin. A comprehensive literature search was conducted between July 2018 and August 2018 on PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Sciences and Scopus databases. A random-effects model was used to estimate the pooled effect size and studies were weighted according to an estimate of the mean difference. The heterogeneity between studies was assessed using a Higgins' I2 test with corresponding p values. Overall 13 eligible articles with appropriate data on serum glucose were included in the statistical analysis. The meta-analysis for serum glucose level (mg/dL) showed that at doses of 10, 25 and 50 mg/kg there was a significant difference between the means. Therefore, the results of the meta-analysis support the hypothesis that quercetin lowers serum glucose level, at doses of 10, 25 and 50 mg/kg.

Herbal Immunomodulators - A Remedial Panacea for Designing and Developing Effective Drugs and Medicines: Current Scenario and Future Prospects.

BACKGROUND: Constant exposure to various stressors, such as immune pressure, rapidly increasing population, deleterious changes in the ecosystem, climate change, infection with emerging and re-emerging pathogens, and fast-paced lifestyle, is a critical factor in the globally increasing incidences of immunocompromising health conditions, as well as stress. Synthetic chemotherapeutic agents, which are widely available in the commercial market, may be highly efficacious, but most are immunosuppressive and exert many side effects. METHODS: Herein, we comprehensively reviewed current literature from various scientific databases such as Bentham Science, PubMed, Scopus, Elsevier, Springer, etc. The inclusion/exclusion criteria based on literature with high importance was adopted to analyze and compile salient information from the authentic bibliographic sources. RESULTS: Undoubtedly, the pivotal characteristics of immunostimulants and immunomodulators in the maintenance of the health and productivity of humans, as well as animals, cannot be overlooked. Numerous herbs used in ethnoveterinary medicine can be successfully employed as adjuvant rehabilitators to negate the deleterious effects of chemotherapeutics. The sources of these medicinal remedies are part of long traditions in different regions of the world, such as Indian Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine, which have been developed through empirical experience. Traditional medicine employs a holistic approach to the prevention of disease, and traditional herbal medicines are a source of many components with a high therapeutic value that are used in modern allopathic medicine. Globally, many studies have been conducted on these herbs and have revealed unique active constituents that activate the innate immune system through the stimulation of macrophages and lymphocytes, and modulation of the cytokine profile, which leads to a state of alertness with a subsequent reduction in the incidence of infection. Immunomodulatory constituents with herbal origins are termed as phytochemicals, including flavonoids, glycosides, polysaccharides, terpenoids, essential oils, various bitters, and alkaloids; all these compounds exert vital, multidimensional effects. Efforts have focused on screening plant preparations to identify adjuvant immune properties; furthermore, several potent phytol adjuvants have been experimentally proven to downregulate inflammatory reactions in addition to enhance specific adaptive responses to vaccines. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, this review summarizes the current status and future prospects regarding the immunomodulatory potential of various herbs and plants and their promising utility for designing and developing effective drugs and medicines in safeguarding the health of humans, animals, and poultry.

Microalgae as a source of high-value bioactive compounds.

Microalgae are one of the oldest microorganisms, that grow in various hostile environments, ranging from deserts to Antarctica. The microalgae sustain life in such harsh environments through generation of secondary metabolites. Microalgae biosynthesize a large number of diverse bioactive metabolites with activities on cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and infectious diseases. Here, we highlight the bioactive compounds that are isolated from microalgae for the purpose of using them as food, and as chemicals in pharmaceutical industry as new agents with therapeutic benefits.

If Channel as an Emerging Therapeutic Target for Cardiovascular Diseases: A Review of Current Evidence and Controversies.

In 2015, non-communicable diseases accounted for 39.5 million (70%) of the total 56.4 million deaths that occurred globally, of which 17.7 million (45%) were due to cardiovascular diseases. An elevated heart rate is considered to be one of the independent predictors and markers of future cardiovascular diseases. A variety of experimental and epidemiological studies have found that atherosclerosis, heart failure, coronary artery disease, stroke, and arrhythmia are linked to elevated heart rate. Although there are established drugs to reduce the heart rate, these drugs have undesirable side effects. Hence, the development of new drugs that selectively inhibit the heart rate is considered necessary. In the search for such drugs, almost four decades ago the If channel, also known as the "funny channel," emerged as a novel site for the selective inhibition of heart rate. These If channels, with a mixed sodium and potassium inward current, have been identified in the sinoatrial node of the heart, which mediates the slow diastolic depolarization of the pacemaker of the spontaneous rhythmic cells. The hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) subfamily is primarily articulated in the heart and neurons that are encoded by a family of four genes (HCN1-4) and they identify the funny channel. Of these, HCN-4 is the principal protein in the sinoatrial node. Currently, funny channel inhibition is being targeted for the treatment and prevention of cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis and stroke. A selective If channel inhibitor named ivabradine was discovered for clinical use in treating heart failure and coronary artery disease. However, inconsistencies regarding the clinical effects of ivabradine have been reported in the literature, suggesting the need for a rigorous analysis of the available evidence. The objective of this review is therefore to assess the current advances in targeting the If channel associated with ivabradine and related challenges.

Hypoglycemic Effect of Aqueous and Methanolic Extract of Artemisia afra on Alloxan Induced Diabetic Swiss Albino Mice.

Diabetes mellitus is metabolic syndrome that causes disability, early death, and many other complications. Currently insulin and many synthetic drugs are used in diabetes treatment. However, these pharmaceutical drugs are too expensive particularly for sub-Saharan population in addition to their undesirable side effects. The present study was aimed to evaluate antidiabetic effect and toxicity level of Artemisia afra which was collected from its natural habitat in Bale Zone, around Goba town, 455 km southeast of Addis Ababa. Air dried aerial parts of Artemisia afra were separately extracted with both distilled water and 95% methanol. Oral acute toxicity test was conducted on healthy Swiss albino mice. Antidiabetic effect of the aqueous and methanolic extracts of Artemisia afra was separately evaluated on alloxan induced diabetic mice at doses of 500, 750, and 1000 mg/Kg body weight orally. The results indicate that mean lethal dose (LD50) for aqueous extract of Artemisia afra was 9833.4 mg/Kg. Blood glucose level was significantly decreased by 24% (p < 0.005) and 56.9% (p < 0.0004) in groups that received aqueous extract of Artemisia afra at dose of 500 mg/Kg and 750 mg/Kg, respectively. The methanolic extract of Artemisia afra also significantly lowered blood glucose by 49.8% (p < 0.0001) at doses of 1000 mg/kg on the 5th hr. Aqueous extract of Artemisia afra was regarded as nontoxic and safe since its LD50 was found above 5000 mg/Kg. Aqueous extract showed higher effect at relatively lower dose as compared to methanolic extract. The aqueous extract was screened positive for phytochemicals like flavonoids, polyphenols, and tannins that were reported to have antioxidant activity.