Assessment of Calendula officinal growing in Iraq

Evaluation of Iraqi medicinal plants is very crucial to help people avoid the use of herbs without prior knowledge which results in many side effects and sometimes even leads to death. The plant constituents vary according to season, weather and type of soil, therefore it is necessary to evaluate the chemical constituents and determine the time of collection of medicinal plants. In this research evaluation of the medicinal plant Calendula officinal grown in Iraq was performed by measuring the quantity of hyperoside found in the plant together with macroscopical and microscopical evaluation of the plant.

Assessment of Calendula officinal growing in Iraq

Evaluation of Iraqi medicinal plants is very crucial to help people avoid the use of herbs without prior knowledge which results in many side effects and sometimes even leads to death. The plant constituents vary according to season, weather and type of soil, therefore it is necessary to evaluate the chemical constituents and determine the time of collection of medicinal plants. In this research evaluation of the medicinal plant Calendula officinal grown in Iraq was performed by measuring the quantity of hyperoside found in the plant together with macroscopical and microscopical evaluation of the plant.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF PRE ANALYTICAL ERRORS IN CLINICAL BIOCHEMISTRY LAB OF OSMANIA GENERAL HOSPITAL AND HOW TO MINIMIZE THEM.

OBJECTIVES:To study different types of pre-analytical errors in clinical biochemistry lab and how to minimize them. METHODOLOGY: An observational study was done at Department of Biochemistry , Osmania General Hospital for a period of 2 months from Aug 2020-Sep 2020.During this phase different types of errors were monitored. RESULTS: During a period of 2 months ,10000 samples were analyzed and among them 400 were found to be having an error. i.e. 4%. Among them Hemolyzed samples (37.5%), Lipemic samples(25%), Misidentification of samples(15%), Insufficient volume(12.5%) and Sample mixing (10%). CONCLUSION: Proper training to nursing staff and phlebotomist regarding use of vacutainer needles instead of syringes and time of collection of samples reduces the error of hemolysis and lipemia.Use of Barcode labels reduces the error of misidentification. Proper education regarding volume of blood to be collected and use of correct vacutainers reduces the error of insufficient volume and sample mixing.

Quantitative estimation of Silybin in Iraqi Silybum marianum by HPLC

Milk thistle's extract by an organic solvent is known as silymarin, which is a mixture of about 75% flavolignan and trace content of flavonoid (mainly taxifolin), other ingredients involve fatty acids and polyphenolic compounds. The major flavolignans are silybin, isosilybin, silydianin, and silychristin, quantitatively silybin is considered as the major compound followed by isosilybin, and both are represent approximately 60% of silymarin. This study was designed to determine the concentration of silybin in different parts of the plant and to study the effect of extraction methods, solvents and the time of collection on silybin concentration, which have been done by HPLC instrument. The results show that the higher yield of silybin is obtained from the seed using ethanol in the soxhlet apparatus and that all other parts of the plant which are produced in huge amount by the plant also contain a good concentration of silybin when compared with seeds, So they can be used as an alternative source for silybin production.

Soil macrofauna as a bioindicator of soil quality in successional agroforestry systems

The objective of this study was to evaluate soil macrofauna as a bioindicator of soil quality in successional agroforestry systems and secondary forests. The study was conducted in the southern lower region of Bahia in Brazil, in two areas: a successional agroforestry system (AFS18) and native forest (NF). AFS18 consists of two species: mahogany (Khaya ivorensis and Khaya grandifoliola), açaí (Euterpe oleracea), cacao (Theobroma cacau) and banana (Musa spp.). Sampling was carried out in the dry (June) and rainy (October) seasons of 2019, and eight soil monoliths were collected in both areas. A total of 889 individuals from the soil macrofauna were sampled. The highest frequency (RF) of taxons occurred in NF in the rainy season, and the groups that stood out were: Oligochaeta with 42% FR in ASF18, Formicide with 33.9% in NF and Isoptera with 58% in AFS18. The macrofauna structure of the soil varied according to the time of collection. The density of macrofauna individuals differed between areas only in the dry season. The highest number of ind.m² was observed in the area NF (378) when compared to ASF18 (196). TOC, Mg2+, Al3+ and CTC were related to AF on both occasions of collection and AFS18 in the rainy season, K+, P and pH were associated with AFS18 in the dry season. The diversity, equitability and richness of the soil macrofauna was greater in AF area. HFA18 in the rainy season was similar to NF, favoring colonization of the area by soil macrofauna organisms.

The degree of embryonic development influenced some eggshell characteristics of wild red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis borealis)

The influence of embryonic development on eggshell characteristics of wild birds, particularly raptors, is not well studied. Red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis borealis Gmelin 1788) eggs (n = 66) collected in central New York State during the late 1800s and early 1900s were examined to determine if eggshell mass, eggshell thickness, and a thickness index corrected for egg shape and blowhole size were influenced by the degree of embryonic development at the time of collection. Changes in these characteristics were examined with linear mixed models with year of collection and clutch size specified as random variables. Unexpectedly, length, breadth, and mass of eggshells were greater in eggs with advanced embryonic development than eggs with less developed embryos, perhaps due to sampling error or collector bias. Eggs containing well developed embryos were 13% thinner and had a thickness index 7% smaller than eggs with poorly developed embryos. Eggs with larger embryos had larger blowhole diameters; this relationship may be useful in determining degree of embryonic development in eggs of other species where development information is not explicit. Given the historical and current interest in eggshell thinning due to pollutants, degree of embryonic development should be accounted for in studies of eggshell characteristics.

PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS ON THE SEMINAL CHARACTERISTICS OF RABBITS RAISED IN TWO LOCATIONS IN SOUTHEASTERN NIGERIA.

A total of sixteen rabbits sourced from two locations in Southeastern Nigeria were used for this study. Semen was collected from all the rabbits twice weekly for eight weeks using an artificial vagina while observation on the effect of time of collection on semen quality were also made. The results obtained indicated that time of collection had no significant effect (P > 0.05) on all the seminal characteristics measured. However, source of the animals showed significant effect (P < 0.05) on semen volume, sperm concentration, total sperm per ejaculate and proportion of abnormal sperm. Average semen volume, sperm concentration and total sperm per ejaculate were: 0.69±0.007 ml, 104.0±1.44 x 106/m1 and 71.40±0.90x106 respectively for the rabbits sourced from Port Harcourt. The corresponding values for rabbits sourced from Owerri were: 0.66±0.008m1, 96.02 ±1.63x106iml and 63.49±1.50 x 106 respectively. Abnormal sperm proportions were 11.05±0.22% and 1216 ± 032% for the rabbits sourced from Port Harcourt and Owerri respectively. There were no significant (P> 0.05) differences observed between locations in live sperm concentration and sperm motility. Live sperm concentration and sperm motility were 87.75±1.09% and 71.62±0.74% for the Port Harcourt group, while the values obtained for the Owerri group were 88.06±034% and 71.19±0.89% respectively.

Chemical Composition of Essential Oil of Amomum xanthioides Wall. ex Baker from Northern Vietnam

The essential oil from leaves, roots, stems, and fruits of Amomum xanthioides Wall. ex Baker from Northern Vietnam was obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography techniques. The yield of the essential oil obtained from leaves, roots, stems, and fruits of A. xanthioides was 0.26%, 0.24%, 0.19%, and 1.45% (w/w) by fresh weight, respectively. The composition of the oil samples was compared; 38, 43, 28, and 22 compounds have been identified in the essential oil of leaves, roots, stems, and fruits, accounting for 96.19%, 96.61%, 98.39%, and 98.12% of the total oil content, respectively. A high variation among organs for the majority of compounds was shown. β-elemene (31.71%), δ-cadinene (10.69%), germacrene D (9.55%), bicycloelemene (8.12%), and bicyclogermacrene (7.93%) are the main compounds in leaves, while β-pinene (29.59%), terpinen-4-ol (10.77%), and α-terpinene (6.96%) are identified as the main compounds in roots. Stems are characterized by high levels of β-elemene (29.58%), spathoulenol (26.89%), and bicycloelemene (6.19%). For fruits, bornyl acetate (37.21%), camphor (19.48%), camphene (14.62%), and limonene (9.64%) are the main compounds. Overall, this study confirms that changes in the yield, composition, and concentration of the essential oil may be caused by several factors such as environmental conditions and climate at the collection site, the time of collection, and the age and properties of plants. This study also provides new data on the chemical composition of the essential oil from A. xanthioides collected from Northern Vietnam.

The impact of maturity on the ability of Eimeria acervulina and Eimeria meleagrimitis oocysts to sporulate

The sporulation of oocysts of Eimeria that infect poultry is known to be under the influence of environmental conditions, including temperature, oxygen supply, and moisture. However, even when these conditions are optimal, the level of sporulation can remain low. The effect of oocyst maturity on their ability to sporulate was investigated for two species of Eimeria: E. acervulina of chickens, and E. meleagrimitis of turkeys. After oral infection of birds, oocysts were collected at their production site in the intestine at different times around the prepatent period. The percentage of sporulation was determined by observation of 100 oocysts for each sample. With E. acervulina, it was observed that sporulation depended on the time of collection of the oocysts in the intestine, and that it increased with aging oocysts (from 5% to 40% globally in 8 h). With E. meleagrimitis, sporulation remained low with oocysts collected in the duodenum (below 20%), but oocysts collected in the midgut and in the lower intestine sporulated more efficiently (around 80%) than oocysts collected in the duodenum at the same time. One explanation for these results is the assumption that oocysts may be produced before fertilization, and that microgametes have not yet fertilized the newly produced oocysts. As time goes on, more oocysts would be fertilized, locally in the duodenum for E. acervulina, and descending along the gut for E. meleagrimitis. This hypothesis needs to be investigated further, but it could lead to new approaches to control these parasites by targeting the microgametes.

Restoration of two great auk (Pinguinus impennis) eggs: Bourman Labrey's egg and the Scarborough egg

Most of the approximately 75 known eggs of the extinct great auk ( Pinguinus impennis) are in public museums, with a few in private collections. A small number of these eggs has sustained damage, either at the time of collection or subsequently, and two of these eggs are known to have been repaired. The two eggs suffered rather different types of damage and were subsequently restored using different techniques. The first, known as Bourman Labrey's egg, sustained extensive damage sometime prior to the 1840s, when the shell was broken into numerous pieces. This egg was repaired by William Yarrell in the 1840s, and when it was restored again in 2018, it was discovered that Yarrell's restoration had involved the use of an elaborate cardboard armature. This egg is currently in a private collection. The second egg, known as the Scarborough egg, bequeathed to the Scarborough Museum in 1877, was damaged (by unknown causes) and repaired, probably by the then curator at Scarborough, W. J. Clarke, in 1906. This egg was damaged when one or more pieces were broken adjacent to the blowhole at the narrow end (where there was some pre-existing damage). The media reports at the time exaggerated the extent of the damage, suggesting that the egg was broken almost in two. Possible reasons for this exaggeration are discussed. Recent examination using a black light and ultraviolet (UV) revealed that the eggshell had once borne the words, “a Penguin's Egg”, that were subsequently removed by scraping.