Purpose: Chronic occupational exposure to ionizing radiation (IR) induces a wide spectrum of DNA damages. The aim of this study was to assess the frequencies of micronucleus (MN), sister chromatid exchanges (SCE) and to evaluate their association with XRCC1 399 Arg/Gln and XRCC3 241 Thr/Met polymorphisms in Hospital staff occupationally exposed to IR. Materials and methods: A questionnaire followed by a cytogenetic analysis was concluded for each subject in our study. The exposed subjects were classified into two groups based on duration of employment (Group I < 15 years; Group II ≥15years). The genotypes of all individuals (subjects and controls) were determined by the polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Results: DNA damage frequencies were significantly greater in IR workers compared with controls (p < .05). However, no association arised between XRCC1 399 Arg/Gln and XRCC3 241 Thr/Met polymorphisms, on one hand, and the severity of DNA damages in the studied cohort of Tunisian population, on the other hand. Conclusion: Our data provide evidence for an obvious genotoxic effect associated with IR exposure and reinforce the high sensitivity of cytogenetic assays for biomonitoring of occupationally exposed populations. These results indicate that workers exposed to IR should have periodic monitoring, along their exposure. The variants, rs25487 and rs861539, of XRCC1 and XRCC3 genes have obvious functional effects. Paradoxically, these variants are not associated with the severity of damages, according to used assays, in the studied cohort of Tunisian population, unlike other studies.

Nowadays, nanoparticles (NPs) are used to counteract various medicinal and industrial problems. This study aimed to biosynthesize zinc oxide NPs (ZnONPs) from the plant species Aloe vera L., Peganum harmala L., Retama monosperma L., and Thymelaea hirsuta L. The biosynthesized ZnONPs were referred to as “Thymhirs.bio-ZnONP,” “Aloever.bio-ZnONP,” “Retam.bio-ZnONP,” and “Harm.bio-ZnONP.” A UV-visible spectrophotometer, granulometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and electron paramagnetic resonance were used for physicochemical characterization. Pharmacokinetics and antimicrobial effects were explored using combined in vitro and computational assays. An abundance of phenolic acids and flavonoids was observed, particularly rutin, quinic acid, apigenin-7-O-glucoside, and cirsiliol, which may act as reducing, stabilizing, and capping agents in the biosynthesis. ZnONPs demonstrated strong antimicrobial activity against various bacterial, fungal, and yeast strains, highlighting their potential medicinal applications. This inhibitory activity can be attributed to the effect of the plant-based ZnO nanosized particles more than to the plant extracts or Zn salt. Computational modeling revealed that the identified phytochemicals (phenolic acids and flavonoids) bound Tyrosyl-tRNA Synthetase (TyrRS) from S. aureus (1JIJ), aspartic proteinase from C. albicans (2QZW), and wheat germ agglutinin (2UVO) with considerable affinities, which, together with molecular interactions and pharmacokinetics, satisfactorily support the in vitro antimicrobial findings. This study lays the groundwork for future research and pharmaceutical explorations aimed at harnessing the likely beneficial properties of green-synthesized ZnONPs for medicinal and therapeutic purposes, particularly their antimicrobial effects.

This study reported the fabrication and characterization of gastric dressing, composed of gelatine (GEL), chitosan (CH), and pomegranate peel (PP) extract. The structural changes occurring after γ-irradiation of GEL–CH–PP dressing were reported. The results showed that the electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy of un-irradiated GEL–CH–PP showed two paramagnetic centers, which corresponded to g = 2.19 and g = 2.002. After irradiation, a new active centre appeared at g = 2.0035 at 10 kGy. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses revealed an increase in peak intensity at C–H chains, as well as the C=O carboxyl groups at 10 kGy, due to the cross-linking phenomenon. The X-ray diffraction analysis showed a low change of crystallinity between the range of 2θ (15–30°). Moreover, γ-rays enhanced scavenging DPPH radical activity (51±%) and chelating power activities 79.12%. A significant inhibition of antibacterial and anti-biofilm activities (p < 0.01) was noticed. The hemolysis rates showed 0.42%, suggesting a high hemocompatibility, and exhibited significant anti-inflammatory activity in vitro (48%). In vivo, the healing effects of GEL–CH–PP dressing showed that the incidence and severity of gastric histopathological lesions decreased, compared with the ulcerated group, which could explain the bioavailability and the pharmacokinetic findings. The results highlight the loading of bioactive agents into polymer-based gastric dressings, with promising pharmacokinetics properties and effects on the induced ulcera in rabbits.

Background: Little is known regarding the post-dispensing storage conditions for pharmaceuticals in Saudi Arabia (SA). Most parts of the region are usually hot and humid, which could result in the decline of crucial performance parameters. Objective: To determine the prevalence of household drug storage habits in the population of Qassim, and to investigate their storage behaviors as well as knowledge and awareness of factors that may affect drug stability. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a simple random sampling technique in the Qassim region. Data were collected over a period of 3 months using a well-structured self-administered questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS version 23. Results: More than six hundred households from all regions of Qassim in SA participated in this study. Approximately 95% of the participants stored 1– 5 drugs at home. Analgesics and antipyretics were the highest household reported drugs (71.9%), with tablets and capsules dosage forms (72.3%). More than half of the participants (54.6%) stored drugs in their home refrigerators. Approximately 45% of the participants regularly checked the expiry dates of household drugs and immediately discarded them once their color changed. Only 11% of the participants shared drugs with others. We found that the number of drugs stored at home is heavily influenced by the number of family members in general and the number of members with medical issues in particular. Moreover, Saudi female participants with higher levels of education demonstrated better behaviors in terms of ensuring appropriate conditions for household drug storage. Conclusion: The majority of participants stored drugs in the home refrigerator or other easily accessible places, which may lead to toxicity or health risks, particularly for children. Therefore, population education and awareness programs should be implemented to raise awareness about the consequences of drug storage conditions in terms of the stability, efficacy, and safety of medications.

The most prevalent form of heart disease and the main cause of death in both developed and developing nations is CAD. It happens when "plaque," or cholesterol or other fatty deposits that accumulate on the inner wall of the artery, narrows or blocks the arteries that deliver blood to the heart. Over time, chest pain might develop as a result of the reduction in blood flow to the heart caused by this plaque accumulation. The study was designed to find if Arginase acts as a biomarker for diagnosing Coronary Artery Disease (CAD). A total of 90 individual samples were included in the present study, the control group consist of 40 healthy individual samples, while the CAD patients were 50 individual samples. Some biochemical parameters such as fasting blood glucose (FBG), troponin I(TnI), high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), lipid profile, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and Arginase activity were analyzed. The results of the current study showed no significant differences in the average age of patients (67.00±6.78) when compared with the control group (61.10±6.46), P>0.05. A significant increase Was found in the FBI level, cholesterol, triglycerides, very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), TnI, hs-CRP, LDH, and Arginase activity in the patient's group when compared with the control group. While significant decrease (P<0.05) was revealed in the high-density lipoprotein (HDL) level in CAD patients in comparison to the control group. Also, there was a positive significant correlation between Arginase activity with each age and FBG. As for the ROC operator curve for Arginase, it was found that the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.953 with a sensitivity of 90%, and specificity of 95%. The results in the present study indicate a possible use of Arginase as a diagnostic marker for CAD.