Assessment of commitment to healthy daily habits and diets, preventive measures, and beliefs about natural products utilization during COVID-19 pandemic in certain population in Egypt and Saudi Arabia

Objective: The purpose of this research is to assess the commitment of participants in Saudi Arabia and Egypt towards healthy daily habits, preventive measures, healthy food habits, and beliefs about natural products as an immunostimulants during COVID-19 pandemic. Method: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted in Saudi Arabia (mainly Riyadh and Jeddah) and Egypt (mainly Cairo). The questionnaire instrument was created based on an extensive literature review on the COVID-19 pandemic, including its spreading and transmission methods, preventive measures, healthy lifestyle, and diets that increase human immunity against viral infections and the use of natural products and drinks. The questionnaire was created by Microsoft 365® office forms, participants were invited through emails and other social media. The questionnaire includes a demographic section (gender, nationality, residency country, city, age, marital status, educational level, employment status, chronic disease history, under anxiety or stress, have a temper or irritable person, were infected/currently infected and in contact to COVID-19 patient) and (23) questions arranged under five domains; Domain I daily habits (4), Domain II keeping preventive measures (4), Domain III healthy eating habits (9), Domain IV for participants currently or previously infected, or in contact with a patient (4) Domain V for assessment of participants’ beliefs towards the use of natural products to elevate immunity during COVID-19 pandemic (2), beside 4 choice questions (stimulant drinks, natural drinks, natural products, and zinc-rich food). SPSS® was used to analyze the results using Student’ t-test, ANOVA, and Tukey’s HSD tests. (AU)

Assessment of commitment to healthy daily habits and diets, preventive measures, and beliefs about natural products utilization during COVID-19 pandemic in certain population in Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

Objective: The purpose of this research is to assess the commitment of participants in Saudi Arabia and Egypt towards healthy daily habits, preventive measures, healthy food habits, and beliefs about natural products as an immunostimulants during COVID-19 pandemic. Method: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted in Saudi Arabia (mainly Riyadh and Jeddah) and Egypt (mainly Cairo). The questionnaire instrument was created based on an extensive literature review on the COVID-19 pandemic, including its spreading and transmission methods, preventive measures, healthy lifestyle, and diets that increase human immunity against viral infections and the use of natural products and drinks. The questionnaire was created by Microsoft 365® office forms, participants were invited through emails and other social media. The questionnaire includes a demographic section (gender, nationality, residency country, city, age, marital status, educational level, employment status, chronic disease history, under anxiety or stress, have a temper or irritable person, were infected/currently infected and in contact to COVID-19 patient) and (23) questions arranged under five domains; Domain I daily habits (4), Domain II keeping preventive measures (4), Domain III healthy eating habits (9), Domain IV for participants currently or previously infected, or in contact with a patient (4) Domain V for assessment of participants' beliefs towards the use of natural products to elevate immunity during COVID-19 pandemic (2), beside 4 choice questions (stimulant drinks, natural drinks, natural products, and zinc-rich food). SPSS® was used to analyze the results using Student' t-test, ANOVA, and Tukey's HSD tests. Result: 510 individuals with various demographic characteristics participated in the study. This study revealed that the participants belief in healthy foods, natural drinks (mainly ginger, lemon, and cinnamon), natural products (mainly honey, olive oil, and black seed), healthy habits, and preventive measures as sanitizers, social distance, and exercise. Only 13% of all participants were infected with COVID-19, although 31% of them were in contact with COVID -19 patients, about 93% were under stress, and 22% were with chronic diseases. Participants who are married, not in contact with patients and not previously infected by COVID-19 are more adhered to preventive measures while those previously or currently infected are more committed to healthy lifestyle and diet habits. Qualification level seems to make no significant difference in any domain. 78.6% of the participants beliefs in the benefits of utilizing natural products in preventing infection with corona virus or reducing the period of treatment in case of infection. About 95.7% of the infected persons had no need of hospitalization and about 50% are cured within two weeks of infection. The questionnaire revealed that Nescafe and black tea were the most used stimulant drinks among the participants, particularly the students and who were always under stress. Most of the participants agreed with the utilization of Zn-rich food, particularly Egyptians, which may help in boosting their immunity. Conclusion: Natural products selected in the present study can be used in combination with the existing clinical standards of care that have the potential to serve as prophylactic agents in populations that are at risk to develop COVID-19 infection.

A New Flavonoid C-Glycoside from Celtis australis L. and Celtis occidentalis L. Leaves and Potential Antioxidant and Cytotoxic Activities.

A major development over the past two decades has been the realization that free radical induced lipid peroxidation and DNA damage are associated with major health problems, e.g. cancer and ageing. Plant-derived antioxidants are increasingly found beneficial in protecting against these diseases. Celtis australis L. and Celtis occidentalis L. are two plants that have a variety of uses in folk medicine but have not been evaluated before for their antioxidant and cytotoxic properties. Therefore, the extracts of both plants' leaves were investigated for these activities, as well as isolation of the bioactive compounds responsible for the activities. Molecular structures of the compounds were elucidated by UV, HRESIMS, 1D ((1)H and (13)C) and 2D ((1)H-(13)C HSQC and (1)H-(13)C HMBC) NMR analyses. The ethanolic and aqueous extracts, n-butanol fractions and the isolated major compound were tested for their antioxidant activity using DPPH radical scavenging assay, xanthine oxidase-induced generation of superoxide radical and lipid peroxidation assay by thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) method using rat tissue homogenates. Cytotoxic activities were studied using standard MTT assay. A novel flavonoid C-triglycoside, 4‴-α-rhamnopyranosyl-2″-O-ß-d-galactopyranosylvitexin, was isolated from both plants' leaves, together with seven known flavonoids. The n-butanol fractions and the major compound 2″-O-ß-galactopyranosylvitexin showed significant antioxidant activities, more pronounced than the tested standards BHT and dl-α-tocopherol in most tests. All extracts showed variable cytotoxic activities. This study provides strong evidence for the antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of the extracts of Celtis australis L. and Celtis occidentalis L. leaves, which were attributed to the polar n-butanol fractions and the major isolated flavonoid 2″-galactosylvitexin.

A profile of bioactive compounds of Rumex vesicarius L.

The present study was designed to investigate the bioactive compounds in extracts of Rumex vesicarius L. (Polygonaceae), a wild edible herb growing in Egypt. Ethyl acetate and n-butanol fractions of leaves of R. vesicarius were conducted by HPLC-PDA-MS/MS-ESI in the negative mode to analyze phenolics content. Results revealed the identification of 13 phenolic compounds: 8-C-glucosyl-apigenin, 8-C-glucosyl-luteolin, 6-C-hexosyl-quercetin, 3-O-rutinosyl-quercetin, 7-O-rhamno-hexosyl-diosmetin, 7-O-rhamno-acetylhexosyl-diosmetin, catechin, epicatechin, ferulohexoside, 6-C-glucosyl-naringenin, epicatechin gallate, 6-C-glucosyl-catechin, and epigallocatechin gallate. Quantification of the identified compounds revealed that 6-C-glucosyl-naringenin was the major compound. Also, qualitative and quantitative analysis of the hydro-ethanolic extract of leaves was carried out for ascorbic acid, α-tocopherol, ß-carotene. The essential oil as well as lipids analysis of saponifiable and unsaponifiable matters. The biochemical studies were conducted to evaluate the antioxidant and hepatoprotective potential of roots (REE), leaves (LEE), and fruits (FEE) ethanolic extracts of R. vesicarius (100 mg/kg b.wt., p.o., each) against hepatotoxicity induced by CCl(4) (0.5 mL/kg b.wt., p.o., 3 times a week) compared with silymarin (50 mg/kg b.wt., p.o.) as standard drug. The results confirmed that coadministration of the tested extracts or silymarin with CCl(4) for 4 wk exhibited a marked hepatoprotective activity, attributed to their antioxidant potential, membrane stabilizing effect, and antifibrogenic activities. Practical Application: Investigation of the effect of hommad as a safe hepatoprotective diet that prospectively directs the attention to a valuable therapeutic natural herb rich in bioactive constituents.