Effect-directed analysis for the antioxidant compound in Salvia verticillata

Salvia genus is one of the largest genera of the Lamiaceae family. Its species have been used for a wide variety of disorders in the local traditional medicine systems. Therefore, the genus has been the subject of several phytochemical and biological studies. The aim of the study was to identify the major antioxidant compound(s) from the methanol extract of Salvia verticillata using activity-guided fractionation. The crude extract showed strong antioxidant activities in DPPH and β-carotene/linoleic acid tests. The ethyl acetate fraction also exhibited a potent free radical scavenging activity compared to the other fractions. Further fractionation and purification of the ethyl acetate fraction using chromatography methods yielded a compound with high antioxidant capacity. The isolated active compound was determined as chrysoeriol. It showed a dose-dependent free radical scavenging activity with an IC50 (DPPH scavenging) value of 93.32 (80.23-108.57) mM. © 2016 by School of Pharmacy Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical Sciences and Health Services

Validity of neutrophil gelatinase associated lipocaline as a biomarker for diagnosis of children with acute pyelonephritis

Purpose: Novel biomarkers have been investigated for various renal disorders, including urinary tract infection (UTI). The aim of this study was to assess whether urine neutrophil gelatinase associated lipocaline (NGAL), could represent a reliable biomarker for diagnosis and treatment of children with acute pyelonephritis (APN). Materials and Methods: A total of 37 children (32 females, 5 males) with APN were included in this prospective study. Urine NGAL was measured before and 5-7 days after antibiotic treatment in the UTI group, using ELISA kit and compared with 26 (8 females, 18 males) control group children admitted for other bacterial infections. Results: Mean age of the UTI group was 39 � 28 months, compared to 43.6 � 31.5 months for the control group with no statistically significant difference. Median urine NGAL level was significantly higher in patients with APN than the other subjects 0.48 (interquartile range (IQR): 0.15-0.72) vs. 0.065 (0.01-0.24), P = .001, and decreased significantly after antibiotic treatment (P = .002). Using a cutoff of 0.20 ng/mL, sensitivity and specificity of urine NGAL were 76% and 77% for prediction of APN, respectively. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) for urine NGAL was 0.75 (CI= 0.61-0.88), suggesting urine NGAL as a relatively good predictive biomarker of APN. Conclusion: Urine NGAL is a good biomarker for diagnosis and treatment monitoring of APN in children

Evaluation and comparison of urinary cytokines for the diagnosis of acute pyelonephritis

Background: The accurate diagnosis and management of febrile urinary tract infection (UTI) is a clinical challenge in the absence of specific clinical and laboratory findings in infants and young children. Objectives: The aim of this study was to identify and compare the diagnostic and therapeutic implications of recently introduced cytokines for the diagnosis of acute pyelonephritis (APN). Methods: This multicenter prospective study was performed on 37 (female/male = 6.5:1) children with symptomatic culture-proven APNand 37 (female/male = 1.6/1) age-matched febrile children without UTIs as the control group. Urine samples were obtained before antibiotic treatment in both groups and 3 - 4 days after treatment in the UTI group, and evaluated for interleukin (IL)-1α, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor- α (TNF α), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) using an ELISA immunoassay kit. Results: Mean urinary IL-1 α, IL-4, IL-6, and IL-8 concentrations significantly increased in the acute phase of APN compared to the control group, and decreased following antibiotic treatment. Conclusions: We recommend routine urinalysis and urine culture for the diagnosis of children with APN. Urinary IL-4 was a relatively good cytokine for the prediction and treatment-monitoring of children with acute febrile UTI. © 2016, Pediartric Infections Research Center

Analyses of the essential oil from Bunium persicum fruit and its antioxidant constituents

This study was aimed to analyze and identify the antioxidant constituents of the essential oil of Bunium persicum (Apiaceae) fruit. The essential oil was obtained by hydrodistillation and analyses by GCFID and GC-MS. The essential oil was tested for antioxidant capacity in DPPH radical scavenging and linoleic acid/β-carotene assays. The TLC-bioautography method based on DPPH radical assay and GC analyses were carried out to characterize the major antioxidant compounds in the essential oil. GC analyses showed the presence of sixteen compounds with p-cymene (31.1%), cuminaldehyde (22.2%), and γ-terpinene (11.4%) as the main components in the essential oil. The oil exhibited good radical scavenging [IC50 (DPPH·) = 4.47 (3.96 - 5.05) mg/mL] and antilipid peroxidation [IC50 (β-carotene bleaching) = 0.22 (0.16 - 0.31) mg/mL] activities. The TLC tests resulted in identification of cuminaldehyde, p-cymene-7-ol, and cuminyl acetate as the main constituents of the active oil fraction. © 2014 by Japan Oil Chemists' Society