Background and Objectives: Ochradenus baccatus belongs to the family Resedaceae. It is widely spread in Saudi Arabia and other countries in Southwest Asia. O. baccatus is extensively used in traditional medicine as an anti-inflammatory and antibacterial agent, in addition to being a vital source of food for certain desert animal species. The aim of the present study was to investigate the chemical composition and antibacterial/anticancer activities of O. baccatus methanolic extracts collected from Hail, Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: The O. baccatus extracts were obtained by macerating the crude powder in methanol, followed by filtration and evaporation. Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was used to analyze the methanolic extracts’ chemical constituents. Broth microdilution assay for minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) determination was used to assess antimicrobial activity, while the extracts’ anticancer potential was assessed by sulforhodamine B Assay (SRB) assay. Results: The results of the antibacterial assay showed that the methanolic extracts from the roots and branches possessed varying degrees of activity against particular bacterial strains, with the highest activity being exerted by the branches’ extract against Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium (St), demonstrating MIC values of 15.6 µg/mL and 20 µg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, the SRB cell viability assay revealed that only the branches’ extract inhibited the growth of A549 cancer cells, with an IC₅₀ value of 86.19 µg/mL. The LC-MS analysis of the methanolic extracts from the plant’s roots and branches was then conducted, resulting in the identification of 8 and 13 major chemical constituents, respectively. Azelaic acid, β-amyrin, and phytanic acid are some of the bioactive compounds that were detected in the extracts via LC-MS, and they are thought to be responsible for the observed antibacterial/anticancer activity of O. baccatus methanolic extracts. Conclusions: This study confirmed the antibacterial/anticancer potential of O. baccatus methanolic extracts and analyzed their phytochemical constituents. Further isolation and biological screening are warranted to understand the therapeutic potential of O. baccatus.

The evergreen coniferous tree Thuja occidentalis is a member of the Cupressaceae family. This study included biological, cytotoxic, and in silico docking analyses in addition to a phytochemical composition analysis of the plant leaves and stem ethanolic extracts. The extracts’ in vitro cytotoxicity efficacy against various cancer cell lines was examined. Additionally, certain phytochemical compounds were identified by gas chromatographic analysis and subsequently assessed in silico against anticancer molecular targets. Also, their antiviral effect was assessed. Good cytotoxic activity was demonstrated by plant extracts against the lung and colorectal cancer cell lines. With half-maximal inhibitory concentration values of 18.45 μg/mL for the leaf extract and 33.61 μg/mL for the stem extract, apoptosis and S-phase arrest was observed in the lung cancer cell line. In addition, the leaf extract demonstrated effective antiviral activity, with suppression rates of 17.7 and 16.2% for the herpes simplex and influenza viruses, respectively. Gas chromatographic analysis revealed the presence of relevant bioactive components such as Podocarp-7-en-3β-ol, 13β-methyl-13-vinyl, Megastigmatrienone, and Cedrol, which were tested in silico against anticancer molecular targets. Our findings suggest that plant ethanolic extracts may have potential therapeutic uses as anticancer drugs against lung cancer in addition to their antiviral properties, which opens up further avenues for more investigation and applications.

Background: Metformin is a drug used to treat patients with type 2 diabetes, especially those who suffer from obesity. It is also used in the treatment of women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). This disease is related to insulin resistance and multiplied blood sugar ranges. Furthermore, it has been established that the use of metformin improves the menstrual cycles and ovulation rates of these women. Methods: A structured questionnaire was conducted to determine the prevalence of breast cancer among women using metformin in the Ha’il region. Result: The incidence of breast cancer among women using metformin in the Ha’il region is very low. Thus, it can be said that breast cancer cases declined among diabetics taking metformin. This means that metformin use is associated with a lower risk of breast cancer in women with type 2 diabetes, even in cases where these women have a family history of breast cancer. Conclusions: According to previous findings, metformin has been linked to lower breast cancer risk in women with type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, the findings of this study corroborate the literature on this subject by indicating that there is a substantial connection between metformin use and a lower risk of breast cancer in women with type 2 diabetes. However, further in vitro and in vivo experiments are crucial to investigate the protective effect of metformin against breast cancer and to confirm our findings.

Chronic pain is a physical disorder and a critical factor in determining depression. Their synchronicity tends to worsen the risk of both disorders. The research to date has found little information about the relationship between them. This research aimed to provide new insights into the understanding of the relationship between chronic pain and depression among the residents of Hail city, to free patients from chronic pain-induced depression. Statistical data in this paper confirmed that more than half of patients with pain also suffer from depression or mood swings. Data were collected with an online, semistructured questionnaire; the obtained data were converted into statistical data using Microsoft Excel 2013. It was found that women are more likely than men to develop depression due to chronic pain. The main cause of depression in patients was a chronic headache, colitis, and rheumatoid arthritis respectively, and it was found that the most commonly used pain relief medications were NSAIDs and painkillers & on the other hand, the most frequently used antidepressants were selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. According to our findings, the type of chronic disease and its link to the patient's gender, education level, and the type of pain relief drug taken are the major elements that determined this association. We must also remember the patient's extensive medical history with a chronic pain condition, which played a significant influence among our patients who took part in our survey. Moreover, it was noticed that most patients received adequate information from the pharmacist about their antidepressant medication. Finally, depression still ranks high as a major factor affecting an individual's life in general; therefore, this research could promote the identification of new causes and targets for chronic pain-induced depression.

Oriental Journal of Chemistry is a peer reviewed quarterly research journal of pure and applied chemistry. It publishes standard research papers in almost all thrust areas of current chemistry of academic and commercial importance. It provides a platform for rapid publication of quality research papers, reviews and chemistry letters. Oriental Journal of Chemistry is abstracted and indexed in almost all reputed National and International agencies.