This study investigated the health-promoting activities of methanolic extracts of Ajwa date seed and fruit pulp extracts through in vitro studies. These studies confirmed potential antioxidant, anti-hemolytic, anti-proteolytic, and anti-bacterial activities associated with Ajwa dates. The EC₅₀ values of fruit pulp and seed extracts in methanol were reported to be 1580.35 ± 0.37 and 1272.68 ± 0.27 µg/mL, respectively, in the DPPH test. The maximum percentage of hydrogen peroxide-reducing activity was 71.3 and 65.38% for both extracts at 600 µg/mL. Fruit pulp and seed extracts inhibited heat-induced BSA denaturation by 68.11 and 60.308%, heat-induced hemolysis by 63.84% and 58.10%, and hypersalinity-induced hemolysis by 61.71% and 57.27%, and showed the maximum anti-proteinase potential of 56.8 and 51.31% at 600 μg/mL, respectively. Seed and fruit pulp inhibited heat-induced egg albumin denaturation at the same concentration by 44.31 and 50.84%, respectively. Ajwa seed showed minimum browning intensity by 63.2%, percent aggregation index by 64.2%, and amyloid structure by 63.8% at 600 μg/mL. At 100 mg/mL, Ajwa seed extract exhibited good antibacterial activity. Molecular docking analysis showed that ten active constituents of Ajwa seeds bind with the critical antioxidant enzymes, catalase (1DGH) and superoxide dismutase (5YTU). The functional residues involved in such interactions include Arg72, Ala357, and Leu144 in 1DGH, and Gly37, Pro13, and Asp11 in 5YTU. Hence, Ajwa dates can be used to develop a suitable alternative therapy in various diseases, including diabetes and possibly COVID-19-associated complications.

Introduction: The understanding of blood group phenotypes in Saudi Arabia is limited to the ABO and Rh blood groups. Data for the other major blood group phenotypes in different populations have been widely studied and used as a reference for identifying antigen-negative blood in hospital blood banks. Such information is crucial for facilitating the challenging task of providing antigen-negative blood for patients with multiple antibodies. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of the major blood group phenotypes in the Eastern region of Saudi Arabia and compare them to phenotypes in other populations. Methods: A total of 100 volunteer Saudi donors were included in this study. Red blood cells from the donors were subjected to antigen typing of the major blood group systems (Rh, Kell, Kidd, Duffy, MNS, Lewis, Lutheran, and P) using the gel microtube technique. Results: From the Rh blood group system, the e antigen was found in 97% of donors, followed by c at 86%. The Cellano (k) antigen of the Kell system was found in all donors, whereas the Kell (K) antigen was only found in 8 % of donors. The K+k- phenotype was not detected in our study. Unexpectedly, for the Duffy blood group system, the null phenotype Fy(a-b-) was found in 61% of donors. In the MNS blood group system, M+N-S+s+ was the most common phenotype at 24%. Conclusion: The frequency of blood group phenotypes in the Eastern region of Saudi Arabia differs from that in other populations because of the diverse ethnic backgrounds of those living in that region. The findings of this study can be used to establish a local donor registry to help provide antigen-negative blood for patients with unexpected antibodies or to create an in-house antibody identification panel to add to the commercial panel that would be useful for confirming antibody identification results.

Alzahrani FM, et al. Ann Lab Med. 2019 Jan;39(1):81-85. https://doi.org/10.3343/alm.2019.39.1.81

Fungal infections have risen exponentially in the last decade. In fact, candidiasis has become the most frequent type of hospital acquired infection especially in patients receiving treatment for chronic and terminal illnesses in a hospital. A retrospective analysis for a period of twenty year was undertaken to analyze the incidence rate of candidiasis, especially of Candida species, patients treated in a tertiary care center. Clinical data was collected from samples of patients who were receiving tertiary care were presenting with clinically suspected fungal infections. Direct microscopy with 10% potassium hydroxide was done to visualize the presence of fungal elements, and Gram staining was done for any suspected yeast infection. The samples were inoculated on Sabouraud's Dextrose Agar and kept at 22 °C. A total of 1256 samples with presumed fungal etiology were included in the study. The maximum number of fungal infections were present in elderly (70-79 years age). Females (53.8%) were more affected (45.5%). 21% isolates were identified as yeast but belonged to non-Candida fungi. Among Candida species, Candida albicans was the most dominant species (58.3%) followed by Candida glabrata (6.4%). The year-round data of fungal cases showed that the highest incident of Candida albicans infection were in January with a mean value of 3.80, while the lowest infections were reported in June, with prevalence of 2.32 of C. albicans. The twenty-year data analysis showed that the years 2001 and 2000 showed the highest incidents of C. albicans, with a mean prevalence of 7.50 and 6.83, respectively. Specimen vs fungal prevalence data showed that 38% of the C. albicans were isolated from body aspirate specimens, followed by 26% from swab specimens. The high prevalence of Candida spp. in the present study suggests increased susceptibility of patients with critical or chronic illnesses to fungal infections.

Oxidative stress is linked with inflammation, diabetic complications, and advanced glycation end products formation. Intake of flavonoid-rich foods has been reported to have a beneficial effect on human health. The aim of this study was to verify the therapeutic potential of Phyllanthusemblica and Azadiractha indica against glycation and other oxidative stress-induced complications such as inflammation using in vitro study. Ethanol extracts of Phyllanthus emblica fruit pulp and dried leaf of Azadiractha indica were prepared to investigate in vitro anti-inflammatory and anti-glycating potentials. In a DPPH assay, the EC₅₀ value of extract of P. emblica and A. indica was found to be 1532.36 ± 0.17 and 1380.61 ± 0.27 µg/mL, respectively. The FRAP value of P. emblica and A. indica extract was 86.6 and 32.12 µg ascorbic acid/100 mg dry weight of the extract. The maximum percentage of H₂O₂ scavenging activity was 71.30% and 67.38%, respectively. Extracts of P. emblica and A. indica showed maximum inhibition of heat-induced BSA denaturation by 62.42% and 53.00%, heat-induced denaturation of egg albumin, by 50.84%% and 44.31%, and heat-induced hemolysis by 54.44% and 50.21%. Both extracts (600 µg/mL) significantly reduced the browning, structural changes, aggregation, and AGEs formation. Our biophysical studies confirmed the AGEs formation was inhibiting the potential of extracts. Thus, our findings confirm that these extracts are a rich source of antioxidants and may be utilized to prevent the oxidative stress-induced destruction of biomolecules, glycation, and in the therapy of a variety of health problems, including inflammation. Further, a combination of extracts of P. emblica and A. indica may be extremely useful in preventing and treating health problems.

Background & Objectives: This study investigates the effectiveness of animation compared to traditional lecture methods on student performance, cognitive outcomes, and knowledge retention among Applied Medical Sciences University students. Methods: In this cross-sectional comparative study, a total of 110 students from the College of Applied Medical Sciences (CAMS), Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University participated in the study conducted between 1st April to 30th June 2024. Participants were divided into two groups: one receiving traditional lecture-based instruction and the other receiving animated instructional content. Quizzes were structured into two components to evaluate knowledge retention and cognitive skills. The study further analyzed performance, gender differences, and academic year to assess the efficacy of animation. Results: The animation group outperformed the traditional group in overall scores of 72.48±10.13 vs. 61.16±12.30, (p=0.001), and the passing rate scaled were 60% and 80%. Largely significant differences were seen in male students (p=0.002) and fourth-year students (p=0.001) in the animation group. Knowledge and cognitive assessments showed statistically significant gains in the animation group compared to traditional methods (p< 0.05). Conclusion: Animation-based learning significantly enhances student performance, particularly in cognitive tasks, and is especially beneficial for fourth-year students. This highlights the effectiveness of animation as a teaching tool. Incorporating it can enhance learning outcomes and academic success in applied medical sciences education. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.41.4.11204 How to cite this: Alzahrani FM. Effectiveness of animation as a learning tool in applied medical sciences education: A comparative cross-sectional study among university students. Pak J Med Sci. 2025;41(4):1116-1120. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.41.4.11204 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.