Journal of Coastal Life Medicine

677-681

Authors: Ravi Lokwani, Ramandeep Singh, Gauree Kukreti

Objective: To extract, characterize and quantify glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) from the body of cuttlefish, tennis-ball sea cucumber, shrimp, seabass and fresh water fish Nile tilapia. Methods: The extracted crude powder was evaluated for the content of GAGs. The qualitative analysis of sulfated pattern and other important functional groups related with GAGs were explained in the form of Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy data. Proteins and nucleic acid in the crude extract were determined by the ultraviolet spectrophotometer, while the quantification of total sulfated GAGs and estimation of N-sulfated and O-sulfated GAGs in the crude mixture were performed by using Blyscan kit. Results: The sulfated pattern and other important functional groups related with GAGs were intercepted in Fourier transform infrared analysis. Blyscan quantification method reported that a rare variety of sea cucumber (tennis-ball sea cucumber) emerged as a rich source of GAGs with high values of both N-sulfated and O-sulfated GAGs in comparison to its other counterparts. Conclusions: Findings in this study point out the potential of tennis-ball sea cucumber, a rare variety of sea cucumber to act as an alternative source for GAG extraction for commercial purpose.

686-690

Authors: Mounir Ben Brahim, Morsi Feki, Wafa Feki-Sahnoun, Mabrouka Mahfoudi, Asma Hamza

Objective: To study the seasonal variability of heterotrophic dinoflagellate in the station of Cercina (southern coast of Tunisia). Methods: Sampling was done in 2007 in Cercina station located in the western coast of Kerkennah (34°41'27'' N; 11°07'45'' E) (Southern Tunisia). Three replicates of water samples were taken during 10 days of each month. Environmental variables and nutrients were measured in situ. Results: A significant seasonal difference was observed for temperature and water salinity. The highest values were observed in spring and summer. No significant seasonal difference was, however, detected for nitrite, nitrate, ammonia, silica and phosphate. Sixty-five species of dinoflagellate were identified in the station of Cercina. Abundance of dinoflagellates fluctuated between seasons with values showing a significant seasonal and monthly difference. The highest mean abundance was recorded in spring in April, while the lowest abundance was detected in December in winter. Protoperidinium granii was the main species contributing to the dissimilarity between spring and winter with 13.98% followed by Peridinium sp. with 12.5% of dissimilarity and by Polykrikos sp. with 10.58%. Conclusions: Heterotrophic dinoflagellates proliferate in spring and summer. This increase was justified by the nutrient availability. Protoperidinium granii and Polykrikos kofoidii were the main heterotrophic dinoflagellate making difference between seasons and their densities were positively correlated with both temperature and salinity.

696-700

Authors: Nirmala Bardiya, Jae-Ho Bae

Objective: To enrich a facultative anaerobic bacterial consortium from the Yellow Sea and assess its ability to reduce perchlorate and other co-pollutants. Methods: Bacterial consortium collected from the tidal flats of the Yellow Sea was enriched in an anoxic medium containing perchlorate as the electron (e-) acceptor and acetate as the electron (e-) donor. The enriched consortium was then tested for perchlorate reduction under different perchlorate concentrations and in the presence of nitrate by using standard anaerobic techniques. The complete enzymatic reduction of perchlorate to chloride was confirmed by chlorite dismutation. Ability of the consortium to grow with alternate e- acceptors was also tested with acetate as the e- donor. Results: The enriched consortium could rapidly reduce perchlorate up to the initial concentration of 25.65 mmol/L. In the presence of nitrate, perchlorate reduction did not occur immediately and reduction of nitrate started after a lag phase, with concomitant accumulation of nitrite. The perchlorate-enriched consortium could reduce chlorate, oxygen, Cr (VI), and selenate as the alternate e- acceptors but failed to utilize sulfate, thiosulfate, sulfite, and nitrite. Conclusions: The consortium from the tidal flats of the Yellow Sea could reduce perchlorate and co-contaminants such as chlorate, nitrate, Cr (VI), and selenate under heterotrophic conditions with acetate as the e- donor and carbon source. While perchlorate was completely dismutated into innocuous chloride and oxygen, accumulation of nitrite occurred during the reduction of nitrate.

704-707

Authors: Moulay Abdelmonaim El Hidan, Oulaid Touloun, Ali Boumezzough

Objective: To determine epidemiological features of scorpion stings in the oases of Southern Morocco: Zagora Province. Methods: A three-year prospective descriptive survey was performed to obtain epidemiological data on scorpion stings, including information on epidemiological characteristics of patients stung, and gathered information on scorpion species distribution. The following information was recorded for each scorpion sting: demographics of stung patients (age, gender, geographical location), circumstances of the sting (location, time, date, activity at the time), and many traditional medical attention. A questionnaire was completed for every stung patient. Concomitantly with the epidemiological survey, a systematic sampling of scorpions based on observations and direct captures in situ was applied. Results: There were 50 cases of death among 1 053 cases studied. Most cases of death were recorded among children (under 15 years) (64%). The average age of victims was (23.00 ± 15.36) years. The scorpion sting occurred in 34.37% of cases between 18:00 and 24:00, and it coincided with the warm period and particularly between June and September (70%). The stings were principally in hands and feet (897 cases, 85.71%). The majority of victims had chosen traditional remedies (69.61%), and only 22.79% had received modern treatment while 1.33% of cases did not receive any treatment. The scorpion species involved were yellow in 179 cases and black in 815 cases. In 59 cases the scorpion involved was not identified. Conclusions: Our data constitute a preliminary descriptive study and suggest that scorpion envenomation is an important problem in the studied area.

713-717

Authors: Pooja Moteriya, Ashish Dalsaniya, Sumitra Chanda

Objective: To evaluate the antioxidant and antimicrobial potential of different parts (leaf, stem and pneumatophore) of a mangrove plant Avicennia marina (Forsk.) Vierh (Avicenniaceae). Methods: The extraction was done by cold percolation method using solvents of hexane, ethyl acetate, acetone, methanol and water. Total phenol and flavonoid content were measured by Folin-Ciocalteu’s reagent and aluminium chloride colorimetric method respectively. The antioxidant activity was evaluated using antioxidant assays of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging activity, superoxide radical scavenging assay, 2,2’-azino-bis-(3-ethyl) benzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid, ferric reducing antioxidant power and reducing capacity assessment. The antibacterial activity was done by agar well diffusion method against four Gram-positive, four Gram-negative bacteria and four fungi. Results: Different antioxidant assays showed different levels of activity in different parts and different solvent extracts. Overall, acetone extract of stem showed the best antioxidant activity. The Gram-positive bacteria were more susceptible than Gram-negative bacteria and fungi. Conclusions: The results indicated extract of Avicennia marina can be used as a promising source of natural antioxidant.

724-727

Authors: Mohammad Nazmul Alam, Md. Shahrear Biozid, Md. Rafikul Islam, Md. Jainul Abedin, Sudipta Chowdhury

Objective: To compare cytotoxic and thrombolytic activity of crude methanolic extract of Cissus pentagona (C. pentagona) and Thunbergia grandiflora Roxb. (T. grandiflora) leaves. Methods: The screening of cytotoxic activity was done by using brine shrimp lethality bioassay while the thrombolytic activity was evaluated by using the in vitro clot lysis model. In brief, venous blood from five healthy volunteers was allowed to form clots which were weighed and treated with the tested plant materials to disrupt the clots. Weight of clot before and after treatment provided a percentage of clot lysis and the results with streptokinase as positive control and water as negative control were compared. Results: Moderate cytotoxicity was found for both methanol extracts, and it was compared with the standard drug vincristine sulfate in the brine shrimp bioassay. In the present study, the LC50 values of the methanol crude extract of C. pentagona as well as T. grandiflora and vincristine sulfate were 291.33, 243.37 and 12.59 μg/mL, respectively. In thrombolytic study, it was found that C. pentagona and T. grandiflora showed (24.27 ± 2.61)% and (19.56 ± 2.98)% of clot lysis, respectively. Among the herbs studied, C. pentagona showed very significant (P < 0.001) percentage of clot lysis than T. grandiflora, compared with reference drug streptokinase [(63.54 ± 2.61)%]. Conclusions: The results of the study demonstrated that the leaf of the plants contains preliminary cytotoxic effect on brine shrimp and promising thrombolytic activity in vitro when it is tested on human blood. However, further study is needed to evaluate its potential as a thrombolytic agent.

733-736

Authors: Mehdi Khoobdel, Kamran Akbarzadeh, Javad Rafinejad

Objective: To identify the diversity and relative abundance of medically important species of synanthropic flies and their seasonal activity on Qeshm Island in Persian Gulf, Iran. Methods: Flies collection was performed during March 2011 to February 2012 in all different areas of the island by using the common fly trap and plastic water bottle fly trap, reverse-cone model, containing tainted lamb or beef meat as bait. The captured flies were identified by using valid flies systematic keys, checklists and species description. The relative abundances and seasonal activity of flies were estimated by means of flies captured per trap in every month. Results: In this study a total number of 11 species of medically important flies in three families including Calliphoridae, Sarcophagidae and Muscidae, were collected. The relative mean abundance of flies was estimated to be 6.3 ± 1.1 per trap. The most abundance was seen in rural areas in the south of Qeshm Island with 10.1 ± 1.5 per trap. In this island, medically impotent flies had two peaks of activity in early spring and early autumn, during April and October. Flies activity decreased in July and August due to the high increase of temperature and humidity of the weather. In February, the relative decrease in air temperature reduced the activity of the flies. Conclusions: Diversity and abundance of flies in spring and early autumn were higher than other seasons, especially in rural areas of Southern Qeshm Island. Insect control measures should be conducted during the peak of flies activity.

744-751

Authors: Muhammad Shoaib Amjad, Huma Qureshi, Muhammad Arshad, Sunbal Khalil Chaudhari, Maria Masood

Moringa oleifera, rightly called as the miracle tree, is the extensively grown and highly valuable species of Moringaceae family. The tree has a pantropical distribution with nativity to Indian subcontinent. Nutritionally and therapeutically, it is a highly valued plant. Vitamins, proteins, β-carotene, aminoacids and various phenolics such as β-sitosterol, caffeoylquinic acid, kaempferol, quercetin and zeatin with potential for nutritional and therapeutic applications are enriched in different plant parts. Different plant parts of this plant such as roots, leaves, bark, flowers, fruit of immature pods and seeds possess a number of therapeutic properties such as diuretic, antipyretic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antihypertensive, antitumor, antiulcer, antispasmodic, antidiabetic, cholesterol lowering, hepatoprotective and antimicrobial activities, and are being operational in various traditional medicine system for curing different health problems. Moringa is higly beneficial in depression, malnutrition, general weakness and osteoporosis. The present review is intended to emphasize the phytochemical constitution, traditional medicinal uses along pharmacological properties with the purpose to create public awareness regarding therapeutic and nutritive potential of this multipurpose tree as well as to facilitate the pharmacists and the researchers to fill the gap by exploring novel therapeutic compounds that will, of course, be in favor of humanity.

756

Authors: Sora Yasri, Viroj Wiwanitkit

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