Plant Biochemistry

One of the leading challenges to public health globally is diabetes mellitus. Diabetes mellitus is a chronic condition caused by irregular high level of glucose in the blood. However, therapeutic option mostly adopted is the use of natural plant derivatives. The potential protective effect of Telfairia occidentalis was evaluated in blood serum and kidney following Streptozotocin-induced toxicity in male Wistar rats. Twenty-five male albino rats of Wistar strain were randomly allocated into five groups: Group A: Streptozotocininduced diabetic rats (animals injected with 50mg/kg b. wt. of Streptozotocin intravenously), and treated with low dose of ethanolic leaf extract of Telfairia occidentalis (200mg/kg b. wt.) for eight days, Group B: Streptozotocininduced diabetic rats, and then treated with high dose of ethanolic leaf extract of Telfairia occidentalis (400mg/kg b. wt.) for eight days, Group C: Streptozotocininduced diabetic rats treated with Metformin (1.43mg/kg b. wt.) for eight days, Group D: Untreated Streptozotocininduced diabetic rats, Group E: Control (animals received distilled water only for eight days). Blood glucose concentration was determined at every 48 hours for 8 days. Other biochemical parameters such as sodium and potassium concentration, total protein (TP) concentration, albumin concentration, creatinine and urea concentration were also determined. Streptozotocin induced diabetic rats showed significant (p<0.05) increase in blood glucose level. Treatment with ethanolic leaf extract of Telfairia occidentalis showed a statistically significant (p<0.05) dose dependent reduction in blood glucose levels with a steep descent seen at higher dose. Streptozotocin significantly increased (P<0.05) the serum level of sodium, potassium, creatinine and urea, while it decreased the serum total protein and albumin concentration. Treatment with ethanolic leaf extract of Telfairia occidentalis significantly (p<0.05) decreased serum level of sodium, potassium, creatinine and urea, while it increased the serum total protein and albumin concentration. The results of this study showed that ethanolic leaf extract of Telfairia occidentalis is good antihyperglycaemic agent in lowering the blood glucose level. Hypernatremia and hyperkalaemia (diabetic ketoacidosis) caused by Streptozotocin are also lowered through the use of ethanolic leaf extract of Telfairia occidentalis. This may therefore suggest the effect of ethanolic leaf extract of Telfairia occidentalis in protecting renal damage in streptozotocin induced diabetes. Therefore, the protective mechanism of Telfairia occidentalis might be due to its free radical scavenging potential and antidiabetic property.

Introduction: The essential oils of Xylopia aethiopica fruits have been reported to possess numerous biochemical effects. However, no toxicological data is available regarding the safety evaluation of the essential oils from the plant spice. The present study was performed to evaluate the safety of essential oils from X. aethiopica (XAEO) fruit by acute and sub-acute oral toxicity studies in experimental rodents. Methods: In assessing the safety of XAEO, acute and sub-acute oral toxicity tests were performed following OECD guidelines 425 and 407, respectively, with slight modifications. At the end of each test, hematological and biochemical analysis of the collected blood was performed. Histopathological examination of vital organs of the animals was conducted for gross findings and for comparison to controls. Results: In acute oral toxicity, signs of toxicity were observed in the initial period of the experiment which culminated in the death of the mice before the end of the experi...

This review deals with the adaptive mechanisms that plants can implement to cope with the challenge of salt stress. Plants tolerant to NaCl implement a series of adaptations to acclimate to salinity, including morphological, physiological and biochemical changes. These changes include increases in the root/canopy ratio and in the chlorophyll content in addition to changes in the leaf anatomy that ultimately lead to preventing leaf ion toxicity, thus maintaining the water status in order to limit water loss and protect the photosynthesis process. Furthermore, we deal with the effect of salt stress on photosynthesis and chlorophyll fluorescence and some of the mechanisms thought to protect the photosynthetic machinery, including the xanthophyll cycle, photorespiration pathway, and water-water cycle. Finally, we also provide an updated discussion on salt-induced oxidative stress at the subcellular level and its effect on the antioxidant machinery in both salt-tolerant and salt-sensitive plants. The aim is to extend our understanding of how salinity may affect the physiological characteristics of plants.

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The gaseus molecule ethylene (C2H4), industrially produced worldwide, small in size and simple in structure, is also a plant hormone usually associated to fruit ripening. Its effects are known since the ancient Egypt in agriculture, yet the complexity of its mode of action and the broad spectrum of effects (and potential uses) in plant physiology is still challenging scientists. In the last few decades, the biochemical pathway to ethylene production has been described, and it was discovered how plants produce gas receptors able to perceive it, ethylene-responsive transcription factors were indentified and new molecular mediated effects for ethylene are described, ranging from water stress (regardless is flooding or drought) development and senescence, reproduction and, of course, ripening. Last but not least, plant-pathogen interactions. Thus ethylene is involved in the developmental life of plants, in biotic and abiotic stress, in reproduction. There is no stage in plant life that is not affected by ethylene and modulated by a complex and fascinating molecular machinery.

Certificate for Highly Cited Paper from Elsevier Awarded in December, 2016
Name of the paper:
Protective role of antioxidants on thioacetamide-induced acute hepatic
encephalopathy: Biochemical and Ultrastructural study.

Dear Dr. Mustafa,

The editors of Tissue and Cell are delighted to inform you that your paper, Protective role of antioxidants on thioacetamide-induced acute hepatic encephalopathy: Biochemical and Ultrastructural study, published in 2013 is one of the most highly cited papers during 2014, 2015 and up until June 2016.  We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for publishing with us and to congratulate you.

We have designed a certificate that acknowledges your achievement. <View your certificate here>.  Wherever relevant, we will promote your achievement on our social media pages.  Of course, we would like to encourage you to share your certificate to highlight your own work via your own social media pages, your website or in other appropriate ways. We would like to thank you for submitting your work to the journal, and hope that you will consider Tissue and Cell for the publication of further high quality research.

Objective: To test two water soluble extracts (aqueous and ethanolic) obtained from the leaves of Vitex doniana in normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats for their effects on pancreatic endocrine tissues and serum marker enzymes for a period of 21 d. Methods: A total of 55 rats divided into 11 groups of 5 rats each were assigned into diabetic and non-diabetic groups and followed by a daily administration of ethanolic and aqueous extracts for 21 d. Group 1 was the normal control while group 7 was treated with standard drug. Results: The histopathological studies of the diabetic rats indicated increase in the volume density of islets, percent of β-cells and size of islet in the groups that received the plant extracts, which suggested regeneration of β-cells along with β-cells repairs, as compared with the non-treated diabetic control which showed complete degeneration of the islet cells. There was significant reduction (P<0.05) in the serum activities of marker enzymes, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase in diabetes treated rats, whereas an insignificant increase (P>0.01) in the serum activities of marker enzymes was observed for non-diabetic treated rats. Results of total bilirubin, direct bilirubin and unconjugated bilirubin showed that diabetic control group was significantly higher (P<0.05) in total bilirubin and unconjugated bilirubin compared with treated groups while non-diabetic treated groups showed no significant increase (P>0.01) in total bilirubin and direct bilirubin compared with the normal control. Conclusion: This herbal therapy appears to bring about repair/regeneration of the endocrine pancreas and hepatic cells protection in the diabetic rat.

This study aims to investigate the utilization ability of Phragmites australis (Cav.) and Typha domingensis (Pers.) plants native to Burullus Lake at the Mediterranean coast of Egypt in biofuel mass production. The two plant samples were collected from ten locations at the lake during summer and winter seasons while, their growth criteria and productivity were investigated monthly. Also their energy rich compounds were measured. The results show that the two plants grow excessively in the lake and recorded high growth activity at winter season. Both plants were harvested during summer season. At winter season which has high rain and low temperature, both plants acquired high efficiency for growing new shoots and under water rhizomes. Carbohydrates (cellulose and hemicellulose) metabolism was meanly during spring and early summer. Double dry mass production per meter square was in Phragmites australis whereas only 25% higher in Typha domingensis at winter season. Also, high concentrations of secondary metabolites were produced especially lignin in the two plants during winter season and in Phragmites australis than in Typha domingensis. The high content of bioenergetics compounds especially cellulose and hemicellulose in both plants enables to utilize them in biofuel (Bioethanol) production. Pure ethanol was produced from the two plants with a reasonable quantity evaluating them for production of high quality biofuel.