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El-Seedi HR, Kotb SM, Musharraf SG, Shehata AA, Guo Z, Alsharif SM, Saeed A, Hamdi OAA, Tahir HE, Alnefaie R, Verpoorte R, Khalifa SAM. Saudi Arabian Plants: A Powerful Weapon against a Plethora of Diseases. Plants (Basel) 2022; 11:3436. [PMID: 36559548 PMCID: PMC9783889 DOI: 10.3390/plants11243436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Revised: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The kingdom of Saudi Arabia (SA) ranks fifth in Asia in terms of area. It features broad biodiversity, including interesting flora, and was the historical origin of Islam. It is endowed with a large variety of plants, including many herbs, shrubs, and trees. Many of these plants have a long history of use in traditional medicine. The aim of this review is to evaluate the present knowledge on the plants growing in SA regarding their pharmacological and biological activities and the identification of their bioactive compounds to determine which plants could be of interest for further studies. A systematic summary of the plants' history, distribution, various pharmacological activities, bioactive compounds, and clinical trials are presented in this paper to facilitate future exploration of their therapeutic potential. The literature was obtained from several scientific search engines, including Sci-Finder, PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Scopus, MDPI, Wiley publications, and Springer Link. Plant names and their synonyms were validated by 'The Plant List' on 1 October 2021. SA is home to approximately 2247 plant species, including native and introduced plants that belong to 142 families and 837 genera. It shares the flora of three continents, with many unique features due to its extreme climate and geographical and geological conditions. As plants remain the leading supplier of new therapeutic agents to treat various ailments, Saudi Arabian plants may play a significant role in the fight against cancer, inflammation, and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. To date, 102 active compounds have been identified in plants from different sites in SA. Plants from the western and southwestern regions have been evaluated for various biological activities, including antioxidant, anti-cancer, antimicrobial, antimalarial, anti-inflammatory, anti-glycation, and cytotoxic activities. The aerial parts of the plants, especially the leaves, have yielded most of the bioactive compounds. Most bioactivity tests involve in vitro assessments for the inhibition of the growth of tumour cell lines, and several compounds with in vitro antitumour activity have been reported. More in-depth studies to evaluate the mode of action of the compounds are necessary to pave the way for clinical trials. Ecological and taxonomical studies are needed to evaluate the flora of SA, and a plan for the conservation of wild plants should be implemented, including the management of the protection of endemic plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hesham R. El-Seedi
- Pharmacognosy Group, Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Biomedical Centre, Uppsala University, P.O. Box 591, SE 751 24 Uppsala, Sweden
- International Research Center for Food Nutrition and Safety, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
- International Joint Research Laboratory of Intelligent Agriculture and Agri-Products Processing, Jiangsu Education Department, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Menoufia University, Shebin El-Kom 32512, Egypt
| | - Safaa M. Kotb
- Department of Chemistry & Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Menoufia University, Shebin El-Kom 32512, Egypt
| | - Syed G. Musharraf
- H.E.J. Research Institute of Chemistry, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi 75270, Pakistan
| | - Awad A. Shehata
- Avian and Rabbit Diseases Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sadat City, Sadat City 32897, Egypt
| | - Zhiming Guo
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Sultan M. Alsharif
- Biology Department, Faculty of Science, Taibah University, Al Madinah 887, Saudi Arabia
| | - Aamer Saeed
- Department of Chemistry, Quaid-I-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan
| | - Omer A. A. Hamdi
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Khartoum, Khartoum 11115, Sudan
| | | | - Rasha Alnefaie
- Department of Biology, Faculity of Science, Al-Baha University, Albaha 65779, Saudi Arabia
| | - Rob Verpoorte
- Natural Products Laboratory, Institute of Biology, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9505, 2300RA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Shaden A. M. Khalifa
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, SE 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
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Abou-Taleb WM, Hassan MH, El Mallah EA, Kotb SM. MCNP5 evaluation of photoneutron production from the Alexandria University 15 MV Elekta Precise medical LINAC. Appl Radiat Isot 2018; 135:184-191. [PMID: 29413836 DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2018.01.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2017] [Revised: 01/24/2018] [Accepted: 01/25/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Photoneutron production, and the dose equivalent, in the head assembly of the 15 MV Elekta Precise medical linac; operating in the faculty of Medicine at Alexandria University were estimated with the MCNP5 code. Photoneutron spectra were calculated in air and inside a water phantom to different depths as a function of the radiation field sizes. The maximum neutron fluence is 3.346×10-9 n/cm2-e for a 30×30 cm2 field size to 2-4 cm-depth in the phantom. The dose equivalent due to fast neutron increases as the field size increases, being a maximum of 0.912 ± 0.05 mSv/Gy at depth between 2 and 4 cm in the water phantom for 40×40 cm2 field size. Photoneutron fluence and dose equivalent are larger to 100 cm from the isocenter than to 35 cm from the treatment room wall.
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Affiliation(s)
- W M Abou-Taleb
- Physics and Chemistry Department, Faculty of Education, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
| | - M H Hassan
- Nuclear and Radiation Engineering Department, Alexandria University, Egypt.
| | - E A El Mallah
- Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
| | - S M Kotb
- Physics and Chemistry Department, Faculty of Education, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
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Abstract
The pufferfish Pleuranacanthus sceleratus (El-Karad) represents serious public health problems, because of its responsibility for many incidents in Egypt, especially in the Suez Gulf. In the present study, samples of this fish were collected monthly and the toxins were extracted from gonads, liver, digestive tract, muscles, and skin, then purified and identified using TLC and electrophoresis. The alkaline hydrolyzates of these toxins were also detected using UV absorption and GC-mass spectra of their trimethylsilyl derivatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- M El-Sayed
- Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
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Farag HM, Kotb SM, Sweify GA, Fawzy RK, Ismail SR. A diagnostic clinical genetic study of craniofacial dysmorphism. East Mediterr Health J 1999; 5:470-7. [PMID: 10793826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
A diagnostic evaluation of craniofacial anomalies, either isolated or as part of a genetic syndrome was conducted on 25 patients (8 females, 17 males), age range 2 months to 47 years. Complete genetic examination, pedigree analysis, anthropometric measurements and radiological studies were carried out. Cytogenetic studies included fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) when indicated. In all, 15 patients had chromosomal abnormalities. Five patients had unbalanced chromosome rearrangements and six had chromosome markers. Three patients were FISH-positive for William syndrome and one was positive for Prader-Willi syndrome. Ten patients had monogenic disorders. Five were diagnosed as craniosynostosis syndromes. We conclude that minor features are useful for making a diagnosis of congenital anomalies.
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Affiliation(s)
- H M Farag
- Human Genetics Department, Alexandria University, Egypt
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Nazmy NA, Kotb SM, Mokhtar MM, Ismail SR. Nucleolus organizer region heteromorphism in patients with Down syndrome and their parents. East Mediterr Health J 1999; 5:299-306. [PMID: 10793806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
The study aimed to evaluate the role of nucleolus organizer region (NOR) heteromorphism as an etiological factor for parental nondisjunction in Down syndrome by comparing 25 patients affected by Down syndrome, and their parents with a control group of 80 non-affected Egyptians. All parents had normal karyotypes. The average modal number per parent of Ag-positive NORs was significantly higher in parents than controls. A significant difference in the size of the double-NOR variants (dNORs) was found. The mean maternal and paternal ages were significantly lower, with a significant increase in spontaneous abortions, for dNOR(+) couples compared with dNOR(-) couples.
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Affiliation(s)
- N A Nazmy
- Human Genetics Department, Alexandria University, Egypt
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Hashishe MM, Kotb SM, Kholeif SF. Chromosome anomalies in normal androgenized infertile males. J Egypt Public Health Assoc 1997; 72:591-602. [PMID: 17214154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Chromosome anomalies are known to play a role in human infertility. Chromosome analysis of 103 normal androgenized infertile azoospermic (97.1%) or oligospermic (2.9%) males revealed that the frequency of chromosomal abnormalities was 8.7%. Two patients (1.94%) had a 46,XX chromosome complement, one patient (0.97%) had a 45,X karyotype, two patients (1.94%) had a 45,XY,t(13;14)(p11;q11) karyotype, one patient (0.97%) had a 46,XY,inv(9)(p12;q13) chromosome constitution, two patients (1.94%) had a 46,XY,del(Y)(q12) karyotype, and one patient (0.97%) had a 45X/46,X+marker the nature of which was not clarified.
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Affiliation(s)
- M M Hashishe
- Human Genetics Department, Medical Research Institute, University of Alexandria
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Abstract
We report on a 2.5-month-old boy with hypertelorism, hypertrichosis, anteverted nostrils, malformed ears, thin lips, downturned corners of the mouth, micrognathia, short neck, cryptorchidism, and bilateral simian creases without limb anomalies. Cytogenetic studies showed a duplication 3q----qter 46,XY,der(6),t(3;6)(q21;p25)pat. The absence of limb anomalies is noteworthy; all 12 previously reported patients with the same duplication had limb anomalies. The uniqueness of this report provokes speculations regarding limb morphogenesis in embryos with chromosome anomalies. The concepts of chronogenetics, heterochrony, and developmental field defects appear relevant to yet another set of patients with chromosome anomalies.
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Affiliation(s)
- S R Ismail
- Human Genetics Department, University of Alexandria, Egypt
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