Baghdad Journal of Biochemistry and Applied Biological Sciences

The current outbreak of serious respiratory syndrome (COVID-19) has resulted from a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) infection. This infectious disease was classified as a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) because it threatens public health and life worldwide. Recently, restrictions in many countries are applied to detect the infected individuals, isolate them, and attempt to find appropriate treatments that can help decrease the disease’s severe symptoms. Regardless of the conducted efforts, the number of reported cases of coronavirus infections is still growing up. Yet, no medication or vaccine was approved to prevent and treat people from this coronavirus, though many research and medication companies are still developing medicines. This review aims to summarize the possible herbs and plants as natural herbal medicine along with western medicine, which could assist treat or protect people from COVID-19. Compounds of andrographolide, quercetin, baicalin, curcumin, glycyrrhizic acid, emodin, patchouli alcohol, luteolin, and myricetin are found in different plants and were found to be good health remedies. Understanding the infection rules, clarifying the pathogenic mechanisms, and detecting the appropriate medication treatment could improve the development of the essential treatment and prevention methods. Since the finally-approved drug for this virus is still absent, and a sharp increase in infection numbers is taking place, it becomes urgent to present possible alternatives, such as the Chinese herbal medicines, in an attempt to cure SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Pomegranate belongs to the family of Punicaceae. It has deciduous shrubs. Pomegranate is generally cultivated in Afghanistan, China, Iran, India, Pakistan, USA. This study aimed to review the pomegranate peels for exploring their importance in the field of health. This review showed that Pomegranate is used as food and plays a vital role in the medicinal field. Because pomegranate fruit and its peel extraction contain various compounds like antioxidants, phenolic Acid, flavonoids, tannins etc., that have been found very effective in the health field. Due to the presence of antioxidants and other active compounds, pomegranates\' peel is imperative for the betterment of human health. Besides, various medicines such as antidiarrheal medicine may be prepared from the peel extract of Pomegranate. Peel extract can act against various microbes such as Klebsiella pneumonia and Staphylococcus epidermidis, Bacillus subtilis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Salmonella typhi, E. coli, S. aureus etc. The pomegranate strip and root remove have been accounted for in creatures to diminish blood glucose activity. We concluded that further research is needed to explore the hidden characteristics of pomegranate peel.

Background: Chronic kidney disease is an epidemic global health problem that leads to death. To prevent any disease progression and treatment, the diagnosis must be made in the early stage by studying renal damage. Klotho is a protein found in many organs of the human body, but it is mainly abundant in the kidney.

Objectives: This study is aimed to evaluate klotho’s clinical significance as an additional biomarker for diagnosing chronic kidney disease in its early stages.

Methods: One hundred subjects were included in this study to measure their serum and urinary klotho. Forty patients with chronic kidney disease (pre-dialysis) and sixty normal subjects were enrolled in this study. Serum and urinary klotho were determined using the ELISA technique in addition to other renal function tests.

Results: Serum and urinary alpha klotho were decreased in CKD patients when compared with control subjects. A positive correlation was found between serum creatinine and urinary alpha klotho in the patients’ group.

Conclusion: Serum and urinary alpha klotho levels were decreased significantly in patients with chronic kidney disease compared with healthy controls.

Objectives: The present research aimed to find an association between infection by Helicobacter pylori and vitamin D deficiency in type 2 diabetic Iraqis attending Al-Yarmouk Teaching Hospital.

Methods: According to fasting blood glucose, the samples were divided into a non-diabetic group with ten diabetic individuals and a diabetic group with thirty individuals.

Results: The anti-H. pylori (IgG) levels were 86.77±58.62 NTU/μL in diabetic patients compared with 10.12_7.40 NTU/μL in non-diabetic group. Vitamin D levels were decreased significantly in infected patients compared to non-infected subjects.

Conclusion: The H. pylori-infected patients have recorded the lowest level of vitamin D than non-infected individuals.

Background: The most common glomerular disorder in children is nephrotic syndrome, associated with high morbidity despite notable advances in its treatment. Many of the nephrotic syndrome complications, including the increased risk of atherosclerosis and thromboembolism, can be linked to dysregulated lipid metabolism and dyslipidemia. Paraoxonase enzyme is responsible for the most of the antioxidant properties of HDL, thus preventing the formation of atherogenic ox-LDL molecules, and lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase is intimately involved in HDL maturation and is a key component of the reverse cholesterol transport pathway, which removes excess cholesterol molecules from the peripheral tissues to the liver for excretion.

Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the serum activities of paraoxonase-1 (PON-1) and lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) in children with nephrotic syndrome in an active phase (as newly diagnosed or old cases with acute relapse). Also, to study any correlation exists between paraoxonase-1 activity and lipid profile.

Methods: This study consists of group 1 with 40 cases of nephrotic syndrome in the age group of (2-14 years) and group 2 with 40 age and sex-matched healthy controls. Lipid profile and paraoxonase activity, lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase activities were measured in both groups’ serum samples.

Results: Statistical analysis of student’s t-test showed that the mean levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL were significantly increased in group 1 when compared to Group 2 (p <0.001). PON1 and lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase levels were significantly lower in group 1 compared to group 2, and there is no significant difference among nephrotic groups.

Conclusions: Both paraoxonase-1 enzyme and lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase are considered good promising predictors for nephrotic syndrome and other parameters such as LDL, HDL, and TG. The significantly decreased paraoxonase-1 enzyme and lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase activities result in increased oxidation of LDL, thus accelerating atherosclerosis.