Vol.4 No.1 – 3 : The possible anti-inflammatory role of the blue green algae ,Aphanizomenon flos-aquae on skin of adult male rats

By :Hemmat Mansour Abdelhafez and Rasha Mohammed Ibrahim

Abstract

Aphanizomenon flose-aquae (AFA) is a fresh water unicellular blue green microalgae like Spirulina, but most AFA is harvested from the wild in volcanic regions leading to high levels of trace minerals. It has been traditionally used for over 25 years for its health-enhancing properties.
Aphanizomenon flos-aquae is an important source of the blue photosynthetic pigment phycocyanin (PC), which has been described as a strong antioxidant and antiinflammatory agent. Aim of the study: this study aimed to examine the possible anti-inflammatory effect of AFA against the inflammation induced by carrageenan injection on skin of adult male rats using histpathological and histochemical studies.Matrerial and methods: the current experiment was carried out on 48 adult male albino rats (Rattus rattus). Rats were randomly and equally categorized into four groups: 1) Control group (C): rats
were left without treatment; 2) Carr group: rats were injected with carrageenan and left for 21 days ; 3) AFA group: rats were orally administrated Aphanizomenon flos- aquae (AFA) extract (94.5 mg/kg body weight /day) for 21 days and 4) AFA+ Carr Group: rats were injected with carrageenan and treated with 94.5 mg/kg body weight AFA extract daily after six hours of carrageenan injection for 21 days. The experimental rats were sacrificed after 5 and 21 days post– treatment. Results: Examination of skin tissue of rats five and twenty one day’s post-carrageenan injection revealed many histopathological and
histochemical changes such as marked destructed epidermal and dermal layers. The epidermal layer showed undetectable cellular structure, thickened keratin layer. Signs of fibrosis and absence of hair follicles were detected in some areas, in addition to the presence of debris of degenerated cells in the dermal layer. Hair follicles were distorted with numerous fibroblasts in the dermal layer, some of them were hypertrophied, in addition to the presence of large granulomatous area in the dermal layer, discontinuous and faintly stained skeletal muscle fibres were noticed. Most of them showed decreased staining affinity of nuclei of mycocytes (karyolysis) with signs of fatty degeneration. Highly increased collagen fibres and fibrotic areas were detected in the epidermal and dermal layers.
Skin tissues examined five and twenty one days following AFA administration showed normal appearance of the epidermal and dermal layers, highly increased and well developed hair follicles with their sebaceous glands were detected with normal distribution to some extent, of collagen fibres.
Skin tissues of rats administrated with AFA for twenty one days post-carrageenan injection and examined after five and twenty one days showed striking recovery as compared to the skin of carrageenan group only, but increased collagen fibres in the dermal layer were detected after five days while normal distribution of collagen fibres were demonstrated after twenty one days. The quantitative histochemical measurements recorded a significant increase in PAS+ve materials , total protein and amyloid β -protein in the carrageenan injected group while supplementation with AFA alone or AFA post
carrageenan injection showed a trend toward lowering incidence of skin histochemical changes induced by carrageenan injection. Skin tissues of carrageenan group showed a significant increase in mast cells count in the dermal layer after five and twenty one days post-treatment. AFA treated group exhibited non-significant increase of mast cells in the dermal layer all over the experimental periods, while rats administrated AFA post-carrageenan injection exhibited a significant increase in count of mast
cells after five days and non-significant increase after twenty one days Conclusion: using Aphanizomenon flos- aquae as a natural agent exerted a marked antiinflammatory role against the histopathological and histochemical lesions induced by carrageenan injection.


The possible anti-inflammatory role of the blue green

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Vol.4 No.1 – 2 : Moringa oleifera leaf Extract: A Potent Ameliorator of Cyclophosphamide Induced liver Toxicity in Rat Model

By :  Ahmed Abdulzahra Habeeb

Abstract

Moringa oleifera leaf is a pharmacologically active with documented antioxidant activity. In the current study protective effect of ethanol extract of Moringa oleifera leaf extract (MLE) was investigated in rats against cyclophosphamide (CYP) induced liver injuries. Twenty eight Wistar albino rats were divided into four groups, as follows: 1) control group – received vehicle used for MLE and CYP for 14 days; 2) MLE group – rats were administered orally at a dose 200.0 mg kg -1 b.wt. for 14 consecutive days; 3) CYP group – cyclophosphamide at a dose of 150 mg/kg was given through i.p. to rats as a single dose at day 7; 4) MLE + CYP group – MLE was given for 14 days  plus a single dose of CYP was given on hour after MLE administration. Catalase (CAT), glutathione (GSH), the level of lipid peroxidation thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS), DNA and RNA concentration were analyzed in liver tissue. In addition, serum total protein, albumin, cholesterol and triglycerides, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) values were evaluated. AST, ALT, ALP, LDH, triglycerides and total cholesterol in serum were found to be significantly (P < 0.05) higher in CYP group, compared to control group, while protein and albumin were decreased. Compared with the control group, significantly high levels of liver TBARS and the low antioxidant defenses, like free radical scavenging enzyme viz., catalase activity as well as GSH concentration in CYP-treated group. In rats supplemented with MLE as well as treated with CYP, hepatic specific marker enzymes were restored to normalcy which otherwise was lowered in the CYP-treated rats. In conclusion, MLE exhibited antioxidant activity by the presence of free radical quenching constituents.


vol4 No1-2 Ahmed Habib

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Vol.4 No.1 – 1 : Histological and histochemical changes in liver of gamma-irradiated rats and the possible protective role of Aphanizomenon flos-aquae (AFA)

By : Hemmat Mansour Abdelhafez and Heba Ahmed Mohamed Kandeal

Abstract

Exposure to ionizing radiation represents a genuine increasing threat to mankind and our environment. Aphanizomenon flos-aquae (AFA) is a blue-green microalgal species which has antioxidant properties. The Aim of the work: this study aimed to elucidate the possible radioprotective effect of Aphanizomenon flos-aquae (AFA) on liver of irradiated adult male rats using biochemical parameters, histopathology and quantitative histochemistry. Matrerial and methods: the current experiment was carried out on 48 adult male albino rats (Rattus rattus). Rats were randomly and equally categorized into four groups: 1) Group C: control rats left without treatment; 2) Group R: rats were exposed to 4Gy of gamma-radiation as a single dose; 3) Group AFA: rats were treated orally with 94.5mg/kg body weight/ day AFA for 3 weeks and 4) Group AFA+R: rats were administrated AFA for a period of one week before and three weeks after irradiation. The experimental rats were sacrificed after 5 and 21 days post-irradiation. Results: exposed to gamma radiation showed many biochemical changes which included a significant increase in serum ALAT, ASAT ,ALP activities and MDA in the liver tissues . Many histopathological and histochemical changes were observed in the liver tissue, such as corrugated and ruptured endothelial lining of the central vein which contained hemolysed blood cells, numerous vacuolated hepatocytes with increased signs of karyolysis and pyknosis in nuclei of hepatocytes, highly dilated and congested hepatic portal vein, numerous hemorrhagic areas and distorted bile ducts. Highly increased collagen fibers were also observed after gamma irradiation in the liver tissue. In addition, irradiated group induced a significant increase in amyloid β-protein, while a significant decrease in PAS+ve materials, total protein  and total DNA content was detected. Supplementation with AFA showed a trend toward lowering incidence of hepatic histopathological and histochemical changes induced by γ-radiation.

Conclusion: according to the results obtained in the current study using Aphanizomenon flos- aquae as a natural agent showed a strong radioprotective role.


Microsoft Word - hemmat research+heba - Copy _Repaired جديد_

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