I have Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from the Hohenheim University in Germany in 2012. I received “The Hisham Hijjawi Award for Applied Sciences” in the field of Industry
Plumbago europaea L. is a plant utilized in Palestinian ethnomedicine for the treatment of variou... more Plumbago europaea L. is a plant utilized in Palestinian ethnomedicine for the treatment of various dermatological diseases. The current investigation was designed to isolate plumbagin from P. europaea leaves, roots and for the first time from the stems. Moreover, it aimed to evaluate the antimycotic activity against three human fungal pathogens causing dermatophytosis, also against an animal fungal pathogen. The qualitative analysis of plumbagin from the leaves, stems, and roots was conducted using HPLC and spectrophotometer techniques, while the structure of plumbagin was established utilizing Proton and Carbon-13 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Infrared (IR) techniques. The entire plant constituents were determined by GC-MS. Moreover, the antimycotic activity against Ascosphaera apis, Microsporum canis, Trichophyton rubrum, and Trichophyton mentagrophytes was assessed utilizing the poison food technique method. The percentage of plumbagin recorded in the leaves, stems, and roots was found to be 0.51±0.001%, 0.16±0.001%, and 1.65±0.015%, respectively. The GC-MS examination declared the presence of 59 molecules in the plant extract. The plant extract and pure plumbagin exhibited complete inhibition against all tested dermatophytes at 6.0mg/mL for the extracts and 0.2mg/mL for plumbagin. P. europaea root is the best source of plumbagin and the plant extract could represent a potential drug candidate for the treatment of dermatophytosis infections. Further studies required to design suitable dosage forms from the natural P. europaea root extracts or plumbagin alone, to be utilized for the treatment of dermatological and veterinary ailments.
Soils from 100 irrigated fields (95 under vegetables, 5 under citrus) in different geographical l... more Soils from 100 irrigated fields (95 under vegetables, 5 under citrus) in different geographical locations in the West Bank (Palestinian Autonomous Territory) were surveyed for hymexazol-insensitive (HIS) Pythium species using the surface soil dilution plate (SSDP) method with the VP3 medium amended with 50 mg/L hymexazol (HMI) (VP3H50), over a period of 12 months. HIS Pythium species were isolated from 37 % of the soils surveyed, with mean population levels ranging from 4.3–1422 CFU g−1 dry weight. Eight HIS Pythium taxa were recovered on the VP3H50 medium, the most abundant of which was P. vexans (found in 29 % of field soils surveyed). Seasonal variations in population levels of HIS Pythium species were studied in four fields over a period of 12 months. Significant seasonal variations in HIS population levels were detected in the four fields, with the highest population levels of HIS Pythium spp. encountered in spring and the lowest population levels in winter in three of the fiel...
African Journal of Microbiology Research, May 21, 2013
The antimicrobial activities of 56 Palestinian medicinal plants against etiologic agents of acne ... more The antimicrobial activities of 56 Palestinian medicinal plants against etiologic agents of acne vulgaris, mainly Propionibacterium acnes and Staphylococcus aureus was studied using disc diffusion and broth dilution methods. The results from the disc diffusion method demonstrated that these plants differ significantly in their activity against the studied microorganisms. The most active plants against all bacterial strains were Rhus coriaria, Ricinus communis, and Sarcopoterium spinosum. Test microorganisms differed significantly in relation to their susceptibility to different plant extracts used. Generally, anaerobic bacteria were more susceptible to plant extracts than aerobic bacteria. Those plants which could inhibit the growth of P. acnes, R. coriaria, R. communis, and S. spinosum had strong inhibitory effects. 43 plants could inhibit the growth of all aerobic bacteria. Based on a broth dilution method, the R. coriaria extract had the greatest antimicrobial effect against P. acnes (MIC 6 mg/ml, MBC 6 mg/ml), S. aureus (MIC 4 mg/ml, MBC 6 mg/ml), E. coli (MIC 6 mg/ml, MBC 8 mg/ml) and P. aeruginosa (4 and 6 mg/ml). Taken together, our data indicate that R. coriaria, R. communis had a strong inhibitory effect on P. acnes and most other test bacteria. Therefore, the two plants would be an interesting topic for further study and possibly for an alternative treatment for acne.
Rhus coriaria L. (Sumac) is widely used in the Mediterranean area as well as in other parts of th... more Rhus coriaria L. (Sumac) is widely used in the Mediterranean area as well as in other parts of the world as a food spice for its sour taste, and also in folk medicine due to its health- promoting properties. Phytochemicals, mainly, phenolics present in the plant may be -in part- responsible for these consequent health benefits. Nevertheless, detailed information on these individual bioactive compounds is still scarce. Therefore, the aim of the present work was to extensively investigate the phytochemical components of Rhus coriaria fruit pericarp by using RP-HPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS. In this sense, aqueous-methanol solvent was used to extract about 0.5 gram of the shade dried Sumac fruit pricarp. The supernatant was collected and thoroughly evaporated in vacuo, and finally analyzed by using an RP-HPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS in negative and positive ionization modes using a C18 column, acetonitrile and acidified water and as mobile phases at 0.8 mL/min flow rate for a total time of 60 min. The us...
Arum palaestinum is a wild edible plant used in food and folk medicine within the Mediterranean r... more Arum palaestinum is a wild edible plant used in food and folk medicine within the Mediterranean region including Palestine. The leaves are traditionally consumed as anti-cancerous food. Yet, just few reports are available on its chemical composition. Therefore, in this work, an extensive qualitative identification via liquid chromatographytandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS) of the phytochemical metabolites in A. palaestinum leaves has been established. A total of 180 phytochemicals, mainly 53 flavonoids, 33 phenolic acids, 10 terpinoids, 7 iridoids and 6 amino acids have been characterized. Moreover, 11 unknown compounds were also detected, providing the first comprehensive characterization available on the phytochemical composition of the leaves of A. palaestinum, highlighting it as an abundant source of antioxidant phenolics and phytochemicals. The obtained results may develop the current knowledge on A. palaestinum, boost further research towards bioactive compounds exploring and may encourage more consumption of this important functional food. Further investigations on these characterized bioactive component potential are necessary.
Soils from 100 irrigated fields (95 under vegetables, 5 under citrus) in different geographical l... more Soils from 100 irrigated fields (95 under vegetables, 5 under citrus) in different geographical locations in the West Bank (Palestinian Autonomous Territory) were surveyed for hymexazol-insensitive (HIS) Pythium species using the surface soil dilution plate (SSDP) method with the VP3 medium amended with 50 mg/L hymexazol (HMI) (VP3H50), over a period of 12 months. HIS Pythium species were isolated from 37% of the soils surveyed, with mean population levels ranging from 4.3-1422 CFU g −1 dry weight. Eight HIS Pythium taxa were recovered on the VP3H50 medium, the most abundant of which was P. vexans (found in 29% of field soils surveyed). Seasonal variations in population levels of HIS Pythium species were studied in four fields over a period of 12 months. Significant seasonal variations in HIS population levels were detected in the four fields, with the highest population levels of HIS Pythium spp. encountered in spring and the lowest population levels in winter in three of the fields surveyed. Effects of HMI on linear growth and colony morphology of 149 Pythium ssp. isolates were examined on CMA amended with HMI at five concentrations. Pythium vexans isolates responded differently from those of the other Pythium species. Isolates of this important pathogen were more insensitive to HMI at high concentrations than the other main species tested. A large proportion of the P. ultimum isolates was either insensitive or weakly sensitive to HMI. Furthermore, a few isolates of other Pythium species were insensitive to the fungicide at various concentrations. The colony morphology of P. vexans isolates was not affected by HMI, whereas colonies of the other species showed sparse growth on the HMI amended medium relative to the control. The pathogenicity of P. vexans and P. ultimum isolates to cucumber seedlings was examined in growth chambers. Insensitive isolates of both species were found to be more virulent damping-off pathogens than the sensitive isolates. The present study demonstrates that HMI can not be used effectively in controlling Pythium spp. in soil inhabited with high densities of HIS Pythium spp. pathogens.
Soils from 100 irrigated fields (95 under vegetables, 5 under citrus) in different geographical l... more Soils from 100 irrigated fields (95 under vegetables, 5 under citrus) in different geographical locations in the West Bank (Palestinian Autonomous Territory) were surveyed for hymexazol-insensitive (HIS) Pythium species using the surface soil dilution plate (SSDP) method with the VP3 medium amended with 50 mg/L hymexazol (HMI) (VP3H50), over a period of 12 months. HIS Pythium species were isolated from 37 % of the soils surveyed, with mean population levels ranging from 4.3–1422 CFU g−1 dry weight. Eight HIS Pythium taxa were recovered on the VP3H50 medium, the most abundant of which was P. vexans (found in 29 % of field soils surveyed). Seasonal variations in population levels of HIS Pythium species were studied in four fields over a period of 12 months. Significant seasonal variations in HIS population levels were detected in the four fields, with the highest population levels of HIS Pythium spp. encountered in spring and the lowest population levels in winter in three of the fiel...
The proportion of membership of 88 snake melon accessions in each cluster and sub cluster (Kâ =â ... more The proportion of membership of 88 snake melon accessions in each cluster and sub cluster (Kâ =â 2) as defined with a model-based clustering method from Pritchard et al. (2000) based on 7400 DArT seq markers and 9750 SNP markers. (DOCX 26 kb)
Raw sequence data of the 88 snake melon accessions by using a whole genome profiling service for ... more Raw sequence data of the 88 snake melon accessions by using a whole genome profiling service for DArTseq and SNP markers. Amplicons containing SNP were located on the melon genome. (XLSX 2649 kb)
Collection sites and geographical coordinates of Palestinian snake melon accessions used in this ... more Collection sites and geographical coordinates of Palestinian snake melon accessions used in this study. (DOCX 32 kb)
Background: Cholinesterase inhibitory therapy serves as a strategy for the treatment of Alzheimer... more Background: Cholinesterase inhibitory therapy serves as a strategy for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), several acetylcholineesterase inhibitors are used for the symptomatic treatment of patients with mild to moderate AD. These compounds have been reported to have adverse effects including gastrointestinal disturbances. Numerous medicinal plants have been used in Traditional Arabic Palestinian Herbal Medicine (TAPHM) for the treatment of several diseases, including improvement of memory, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and old age related disease. Ethnopharmacological approach and bioassay guided isolation have provided a lead in identifying potential AChE inhibitors from plant sources. This study was therefore aimed at investigating in vitro possible acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) in herbal medicines traditionally used in Palestine for the treatment of memory loss, and to point out the role of these plants as potential sources for development of newly potent and safe n...
Raw city sewage irrigation seems to affect population densities of keratinophilic fungal communit... more Raw city sewage irrigation seems to affect population densities of keratinophilic fungal communities, with the highest population densities being found in the heavily polluted field soils, while the lowest population densities occur in non-polluted field soils. However, basic similarities in the biodiversity of keratinophilic fungal communities exist in both non-polluted and polluted field soils and raw city sewage. Comparable numbers of fungal species exist in these habitats, and the species most commonly found include Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus candidus, Geotrichum candidum, and Paecilomyces lilacinus. Field soils receiving either raw city sewage or normal irrigation water were shown to be rich in pathogenic and potentially pathogenic keratinophilic fungi, including dermatophytes, with raw city sewage yielding the highest percentage, followed by moderately polluted fields, non-polluted fields, and heavily polluted fields. Dermatophytes and their related fungi recovered from these habitats include Microsporum gypseum, Trichophyton ajelloi, Arthroderma cuniculi, A. curreyi, Chrysosporium keratinophilum, C. tropicum and C. pannorum. The ability of 55 cycloheximide-resistant fungal species (117 isolates) to degrade human hair in vitro was investigated. The species were recovered from polluted (raw city wastewater-irrigation) and non-polluted (normal irrigation) field soils and raw city wastewater. The intensity of keratinolytic activity (IKA) was estimated on a scale of 0-100, based on morphological expression of keratinolysis. A high percentage of the species tested (48/55, 87%) demonstrated a varying degree of keratinolytic activity. Five species (Chrysosporium keratinophilum, Microsporum gypseum, Penicillium frequentans, Rhizopus stolonifer, and Trichophyton ajelloi) showed strong IKA, and were capable of producing invasive structures related to radial penetration and surface erosion contemporaneously. On the other hand, seven of all the tested species, including Acremonium species, Aspergillus carneus, Nectria inventa, Penicillium citrinum, Paecilomyces variotii, Plectosphaerella cucumerina, and Verticillium nubilum, showed no keratinolytic activity. The keratinolytic activity of the following species is recorded in this study for the first time: Acremonium strictum, Chrysosporium pannorum, Cladosporium herbarum, Fusarium tricinctum, Gliocladium viride, Humicola fuscoatra var. fuscoatra, Nectria ventricosa, Penicillium griseofulvum, P. islandicum, Verticillium catenulatum, and V. psalliotae. Isolates of the same species can vary in their IKAs. Thus, such a characteristic does not seem to be constant or speciesspecific.
ABSTRACT Aims: To evaluate eleven medicinal plants as natural sources that possess strong antider... more ABSTRACT Aims: To evaluate eleven medicinal plants as natural sources that possess strong antidermatophytic, antibacterial, anticandidal and antioxidant substances with potential applications in therapeutics and food industry. Place and Duration of Study: Sample: Biodiversity and Environmental Research Center, BERC, between December 2013 and April 2014. Methodology: Twenty methanolic extracts were prepared from different parts of eleven plants used in traditional medicine in Palestine. The plants extracts were screened for total flavonoid and phenolic content using standard procedures. The crude extract was screened against six bacterial strains (Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus vulgaris, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi, Escherichia coli, and Klebsiella pneumoniae), 5 Candida albicans strains, and 2 dermatophytes (Microsporum canis, and Trichophyton rubrum). The antioxidant potential of the crude extract was also determined using the DPPH assay. Results: The best free-radical scavenging was for the leaves of Epilobium hirsutum (IC50=33 µg/ml) and Rhus coriaria (49 µg/ml) compared with BHA standard (9 µg/ml). The highest value of phenolics was in R. coriaria fruits (14.7 mg/g dried plant material) and for flavonoids was for Epi. hirsutum leaves (1.14 mg/g). The most active extracts against bacteria was the R. coriaria leaves (% inhibition, 66.2 %) compared with gentamicin (100%) and against Candida were leaves of R. coriaria (100 %) and Epi. hirsutum (72.4 %) compared with amphotericin B (100 %). On the other hand fruits of R. coriaria showed the best antifungal activity against all the tested dermatophytes, 97% and 86% inhibition were achieved against Microsporum canis and Trichophyton rubrum, respectively. Conclusion: Our results introduce a natural source (R. coriaria and Epi. hirsutum) that possesses strong antidermatophytic, antibacterial, anticandidal and antioxidant substances with potential applications in therapeutics and food industry. Keywords: antioxidant, phenolics, flavonoids, antibacterial, antidermatophyte, anticandida, Rhus coriaria, Epilobium hirsutum
Rhus coriaria L. (Sumac), belonging to the Anacardiaceae family, is an important species and is t... more Rhus coriaria L. (Sumac), belonging to the Anacardiaceae family, is an important species and is the most used species of the genus Rhus in the Mediterranean region since antiquity. Sumac has long been used as a flavoring spice, drink, appetizer, and as acidulant in food recipes, in addition to its use in traditional medicine. The role of the plant in leather and textile industry is also significant. R. coriaria is very rich in phenolics mainly and tannins as well as flavonoids; let alone its abundance with organic acids. The leaves and fruits of R. coriaria are recognized to have defensive and beneficial effects on a wide set of diseases, including, but not limited to, diabetes mellitus, cancer, stroke, oral-diseases, inflammation, diarrhea, and dysentery. On the other hand, Sumac extracts were found to possess a potential antiviral, antimicrobial, antifungal, antioxidant and hypolipidemic activities. This review updates the current phytochemical, biological and therapeutic knowledge that so far exists on R. coriaria. It also aims at highlighting the importance of Sumac extracts as a promising and potential source of functional ingredients and nutraceuticals with desirable bioactivities, prompting the further use of Sumac in food preservation, pharmacology and functional food industries.
The use of CAM including herbal medicine as the most preferred CAM modality, among cancer patient... more The use of CAM including herbal medicine as the most preferred CAM modality, among cancer patients who are taking prescription medications has shown to be highly prevalent worldwide as well as in several Middle Eastern countries, with a high percentage of the patients do not disclose their CAM use to treating physician. The current study aimed to evaluate the patterns of CAM use among two cohorts of cancer patients in Palestine over a three-year period, and to identify socio-demographic factors that are associated with CAM use. Across-sectional survey of patients attending outpatient cancer clinics. The method was based on a semi-structured questionnaire. In order to identify safety-related concerns associated with the products listed, a literature search was conducted using different databases (PubMed, Micromedex, AltMedDex, and the Natural Medicine Comprehensive Database). In 472 cancer patients including 372 of the 2011 cohort; and 100 of the 2014 cohort, the overall prevalence o...
In Palestine, medicinal plants have continued to play a vital role in fulfilling animal healthcar... more In Palestine, medicinal plants have continued to play a vital role in fulfilling animal healthcare needs of rural communities. However, these valuable resources are being depleted mainly due to over-harvesting, inappropriate agricultural practices (e.g., over use of herbicides), agricultural expansion, and over-grazing. Therefore, immediate action is required to conserve these resources and document the associated knowledge. The purpose of this study was, thus, to document and analyze information associated with medicinal plants that are used in managing animal health problems in the West Bank, Palestine. Ethnobotanical data were collected from Apr 2012, to Feb 2014 mainly using semi-structured interviews with informants sampled using purposive sampling technique and through field observations. The study revealed the use of 138 medicinal plant species in the West Bank for the treatment of several livestock diseases, of these 75 species representing 70 genera and 33 families were reported by 3 independent informants or above. Classification of the ethnoveterinary plant species cited by three informants or above used in a rank-order priority (ROP) based on their claimed relative healing potential has demonstrated that the following are the plants with the highest efficacy: Camellia sinenses, Teucrium capitatum, and Salvia fruticosa with ROPs of 97.1, 93.2, and 91.4, respectively, are used primarily to relieve gastric disorders. Gastrointestinal disorders is the disease group in the study area that scored the highest Informant consensus factor (ICF) value (0.90), followed by urinary, and reproductive disorders (0.89). Our study provided evidence that medicinal plants are still playing important role in the management of livestock diseases, and showed that ethnoveterinary plants used in animal health care in Palestine have been also recorded in human Traditional Arabic Palestinian Herbal Medicine (TAPHM), and demonstrated a strong link between human and veterinary medical practices. This survey has identified a number of important medicinal plants used by the Palestinian farmers of the West Bank area for the treatment of various animal ailments. It provides a baseline for future phytochemical and pharmacological investigations into the beneficial medicinal properties of such plants.
Plumbago europaea L. is a plant utilized in Palestinian ethnomedicine for the treatment of variou... more Plumbago europaea L. is a plant utilized in Palestinian ethnomedicine for the treatment of various dermatological diseases. The current investigation was designed to isolate plumbagin from P. europaea leaves, roots and for the first time from the stems. Moreover, it aimed to evaluate the antimycotic activity against three human fungal pathogens causing dermatophytosis, also against an animal fungal pathogen. The qualitative analysis of plumbagin from the leaves, stems, and roots was conducted using HPLC and spectrophotometer techniques, while the structure of plumbagin was established utilizing Proton and Carbon-13 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Infrared (IR) techniques. The entire plant constituents were determined by GC-MS. Moreover, the antimycotic activity against Ascosphaera apis, Microsporum canis, Trichophyton rubrum, and Trichophyton mentagrophytes was assessed utilizing the poison food technique method. The percentage of plumbagin recorded in the leaves, stems, and roots was found to be 0.51±0.001%, 0.16±0.001%, and 1.65±0.015%, respectively. The GC-MS examination declared the presence of 59 molecules in the plant extract. The plant extract and pure plumbagin exhibited complete inhibition against all tested dermatophytes at 6.0mg/mL for the extracts and 0.2mg/mL for plumbagin. P. europaea root is the best source of plumbagin and the plant extract could represent a potential drug candidate for the treatment of dermatophytosis infections. Further studies required to design suitable dosage forms from the natural P. europaea root extracts or plumbagin alone, to be utilized for the treatment of dermatological and veterinary ailments.
Soils from 100 irrigated fields (95 under vegetables, 5 under citrus) in different geographical l... more Soils from 100 irrigated fields (95 under vegetables, 5 under citrus) in different geographical locations in the West Bank (Palestinian Autonomous Territory) were surveyed for hymexazol-insensitive (HIS) Pythium species using the surface soil dilution plate (SSDP) method with the VP3 medium amended with 50 mg/L hymexazol (HMI) (VP3H50), over a period of 12 months. HIS Pythium species were isolated from 37 % of the soils surveyed, with mean population levels ranging from 4.3–1422 CFU g−1 dry weight. Eight HIS Pythium taxa were recovered on the VP3H50 medium, the most abundant of which was P. vexans (found in 29 % of field soils surveyed). Seasonal variations in population levels of HIS Pythium species were studied in four fields over a period of 12 months. Significant seasonal variations in HIS population levels were detected in the four fields, with the highest population levels of HIS Pythium spp. encountered in spring and the lowest population levels in winter in three of the fiel...
African Journal of Microbiology Research, May 21, 2013
The antimicrobial activities of 56 Palestinian medicinal plants against etiologic agents of acne ... more The antimicrobial activities of 56 Palestinian medicinal plants against etiologic agents of acne vulgaris, mainly Propionibacterium acnes and Staphylococcus aureus was studied using disc diffusion and broth dilution methods. The results from the disc diffusion method demonstrated that these plants differ significantly in their activity against the studied microorganisms. The most active plants against all bacterial strains were Rhus coriaria, Ricinus communis, and Sarcopoterium spinosum. Test microorganisms differed significantly in relation to their susceptibility to different plant extracts used. Generally, anaerobic bacteria were more susceptible to plant extracts than aerobic bacteria. Those plants which could inhibit the growth of P. acnes, R. coriaria, R. communis, and S. spinosum had strong inhibitory effects. 43 plants could inhibit the growth of all aerobic bacteria. Based on a broth dilution method, the R. coriaria extract had the greatest antimicrobial effect against P. acnes (MIC 6 mg/ml, MBC 6 mg/ml), S. aureus (MIC 4 mg/ml, MBC 6 mg/ml), E. coli (MIC 6 mg/ml, MBC 8 mg/ml) and P. aeruginosa (4 and 6 mg/ml). Taken together, our data indicate that R. coriaria, R. communis had a strong inhibitory effect on P. acnes and most other test bacteria. Therefore, the two plants would be an interesting topic for further study and possibly for an alternative treatment for acne.
Rhus coriaria L. (Sumac) is widely used in the Mediterranean area as well as in other parts of th... more Rhus coriaria L. (Sumac) is widely used in the Mediterranean area as well as in other parts of the world as a food spice for its sour taste, and also in folk medicine due to its health- promoting properties. Phytochemicals, mainly, phenolics present in the plant may be -in part- responsible for these consequent health benefits. Nevertheless, detailed information on these individual bioactive compounds is still scarce. Therefore, the aim of the present work was to extensively investigate the phytochemical components of Rhus coriaria fruit pericarp by using RP-HPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS. In this sense, aqueous-methanol solvent was used to extract about 0.5 gram of the shade dried Sumac fruit pricarp. The supernatant was collected and thoroughly evaporated in vacuo, and finally analyzed by using an RP-HPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS in negative and positive ionization modes using a C18 column, acetonitrile and acidified water and as mobile phases at 0.8 mL/min flow rate for a total time of 60 min. The us...
Arum palaestinum is a wild edible plant used in food and folk medicine within the Mediterranean r... more Arum palaestinum is a wild edible plant used in food and folk medicine within the Mediterranean region including Palestine. The leaves are traditionally consumed as anti-cancerous food. Yet, just few reports are available on its chemical composition. Therefore, in this work, an extensive qualitative identification via liquid chromatographytandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS) of the phytochemical metabolites in A. palaestinum leaves has been established. A total of 180 phytochemicals, mainly 53 flavonoids, 33 phenolic acids, 10 terpinoids, 7 iridoids and 6 amino acids have been characterized. Moreover, 11 unknown compounds were also detected, providing the first comprehensive characterization available on the phytochemical composition of the leaves of A. palaestinum, highlighting it as an abundant source of antioxidant phenolics and phytochemicals. The obtained results may develop the current knowledge on A. palaestinum, boost further research towards bioactive compounds exploring and may encourage more consumption of this important functional food. Further investigations on these characterized bioactive component potential are necessary.
Soils from 100 irrigated fields (95 under vegetables, 5 under citrus) in different geographical l... more Soils from 100 irrigated fields (95 under vegetables, 5 under citrus) in different geographical locations in the West Bank (Palestinian Autonomous Territory) were surveyed for hymexazol-insensitive (HIS) Pythium species using the surface soil dilution plate (SSDP) method with the VP3 medium amended with 50 mg/L hymexazol (HMI) (VP3H50), over a period of 12 months. HIS Pythium species were isolated from 37% of the soils surveyed, with mean population levels ranging from 4.3-1422 CFU g −1 dry weight. Eight HIS Pythium taxa were recovered on the VP3H50 medium, the most abundant of which was P. vexans (found in 29% of field soils surveyed). Seasonal variations in population levels of HIS Pythium species were studied in four fields over a period of 12 months. Significant seasonal variations in HIS population levels were detected in the four fields, with the highest population levels of HIS Pythium spp. encountered in spring and the lowest population levels in winter in three of the fields surveyed. Effects of HMI on linear growth and colony morphology of 149 Pythium ssp. isolates were examined on CMA amended with HMI at five concentrations. Pythium vexans isolates responded differently from those of the other Pythium species. Isolates of this important pathogen were more insensitive to HMI at high concentrations than the other main species tested. A large proportion of the P. ultimum isolates was either insensitive or weakly sensitive to HMI. Furthermore, a few isolates of other Pythium species were insensitive to the fungicide at various concentrations. The colony morphology of P. vexans isolates was not affected by HMI, whereas colonies of the other species showed sparse growth on the HMI amended medium relative to the control. The pathogenicity of P. vexans and P. ultimum isolates to cucumber seedlings was examined in growth chambers. Insensitive isolates of both species were found to be more virulent damping-off pathogens than the sensitive isolates. The present study demonstrates that HMI can not be used effectively in controlling Pythium spp. in soil inhabited with high densities of HIS Pythium spp. pathogens.
Soils from 100 irrigated fields (95 under vegetables, 5 under citrus) in different geographical l... more Soils from 100 irrigated fields (95 under vegetables, 5 under citrus) in different geographical locations in the West Bank (Palestinian Autonomous Territory) were surveyed for hymexazol-insensitive (HIS) Pythium species using the surface soil dilution plate (SSDP) method with the VP3 medium amended with 50 mg/L hymexazol (HMI) (VP3H50), over a period of 12 months. HIS Pythium species were isolated from 37 % of the soils surveyed, with mean population levels ranging from 4.3–1422 CFU g−1 dry weight. Eight HIS Pythium taxa were recovered on the VP3H50 medium, the most abundant of which was P. vexans (found in 29 % of field soils surveyed). Seasonal variations in population levels of HIS Pythium species were studied in four fields over a period of 12 months. Significant seasonal variations in HIS population levels were detected in the four fields, with the highest population levels of HIS Pythium spp. encountered in spring and the lowest population levels in winter in three of the fiel...
The proportion of membership of 88 snake melon accessions in each cluster and sub cluster (Kâ =â ... more The proportion of membership of 88 snake melon accessions in each cluster and sub cluster (Kâ =â 2) as defined with a model-based clustering method from Pritchard et al. (2000) based on 7400 DArT seq markers and 9750 SNP markers. (DOCX 26 kb)
Raw sequence data of the 88 snake melon accessions by using a whole genome profiling service for ... more Raw sequence data of the 88 snake melon accessions by using a whole genome profiling service for DArTseq and SNP markers. Amplicons containing SNP were located on the melon genome. (XLSX 2649 kb)
Collection sites and geographical coordinates of Palestinian snake melon accessions used in this ... more Collection sites and geographical coordinates of Palestinian snake melon accessions used in this study. (DOCX 32 kb)
Background: Cholinesterase inhibitory therapy serves as a strategy for the treatment of Alzheimer... more Background: Cholinesterase inhibitory therapy serves as a strategy for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), several acetylcholineesterase inhibitors are used for the symptomatic treatment of patients with mild to moderate AD. These compounds have been reported to have adverse effects including gastrointestinal disturbances. Numerous medicinal plants have been used in Traditional Arabic Palestinian Herbal Medicine (TAPHM) for the treatment of several diseases, including improvement of memory, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and old age related disease. Ethnopharmacological approach and bioassay guided isolation have provided a lead in identifying potential AChE inhibitors from plant sources. This study was therefore aimed at investigating in vitro possible acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) in herbal medicines traditionally used in Palestine for the treatment of memory loss, and to point out the role of these plants as potential sources for development of newly potent and safe n...
Raw city sewage irrigation seems to affect population densities of keratinophilic fungal communit... more Raw city sewage irrigation seems to affect population densities of keratinophilic fungal communities, with the highest population densities being found in the heavily polluted field soils, while the lowest population densities occur in non-polluted field soils. However, basic similarities in the biodiversity of keratinophilic fungal communities exist in both non-polluted and polluted field soils and raw city sewage. Comparable numbers of fungal species exist in these habitats, and the species most commonly found include Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus candidus, Geotrichum candidum, and Paecilomyces lilacinus. Field soils receiving either raw city sewage or normal irrigation water were shown to be rich in pathogenic and potentially pathogenic keratinophilic fungi, including dermatophytes, with raw city sewage yielding the highest percentage, followed by moderately polluted fields, non-polluted fields, and heavily polluted fields. Dermatophytes and their related fungi recovered from these habitats include Microsporum gypseum, Trichophyton ajelloi, Arthroderma cuniculi, A. curreyi, Chrysosporium keratinophilum, C. tropicum and C. pannorum. The ability of 55 cycloheximide-resistant fungal species (117 isolates) to degrade human hair in vitro was investigated. The species were recovered from polluted (raw city wastewater-irrigation) and non-polluted (normal irrigation) field soils and raw city wastewater. The intensity of keratinolytic activity (IKA) was estimated on a scale of 0-100, based on morphological expression of keratinolysis. A high percentage of the species tested (48/55, 87%) demonstrated a varying degree of keratinolytic activity. Five species (Chrysosporium keratinophilum, Microsporum gypseum, Penicillium frequentans, Rhizopus stolonifer, and Trichophyton ajelloi) showed strong IKA, and were capable of producing invasive structures related to radial penetration and surface erosion contemporaneously. On the other hand, seven of all the tested species, including Acremonium species, Aspergillus carneus, Nectria inventa, Penicillium citrinum, Paecilomyces variotii, Plectosphaerella cucumerina, and Verticillium nubilum, showed no keratinolytic activity. The keratinolytic activity of the following species is recorded in this study for the first time: Acremonium strictum, Chrysosporium pannorum, Cladosporium herbarum, Fusarium tricinctum, Gliocladium viride, Humicola fuscoatra var. fuscoatra, Nectria ventricosa, Penicillium griseofulvum, P. islandicum, Verticillium catenulatum, and V. psalliotae. Isolates of the same species can vary in their IKAs. Thus, such a characteristic does not seem to be constant or speciesspecific.
ABSTRACT Aims: To evaluate eleven medicinal plants as natural sources that possess strong antider... more ABSTRACT Aims: To evaluate eleven medicinal plants as natural sources that possess strong antidermatophytic, antibacterial, anticandidal and antioxidant substances with potential applications in therapeutics and food industry. Place and Duration of Study: Sample: Biodiversity and Environmental Research Center, BERC, between December 2013 and April 2014. Methodology: Twenty methanolic extracts were prepared from different parts of eleven plants used in traditional medicine in Palestine. The plants extracts were screened for total flavonoid and phenolic content using standard procedures. The crude extract was screened against six bacterial strains (Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus vulgaris, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi, Escherichia coli, and Klebsiella pneumoniae), 5 Candida albicans strains, and 2 dermatophytes (Microsporum canis, and Trichophyton rubrum). The antioxidant potential of the crude extract was also determined using the DPPH assay. Results: The best free-radical scavenging was for the leaves of Epilobium hirsutum (IC50=33 µg/ml) and Rhus coriaria (49 µg/ml) compared with BHA standard (9 µg/ml). The highest value of phenolics was in R. coriaria fruits (14.7 mg/g dried plant material) and for flavonoids was for Epi. hirsutum leaves (1.14 mg/g). The most active extracts against bacteria was the R. coriaria leaves (% inhibition, 66.2 %) compared with gentamicin (100%) and against Candida were leaves of R. coriaria (100 %) and Epi. hirsutum (72.4 %) compared with amphotericin B (100 %). On the other hand fruits of R. coriaria showed the best antifungal activity against all the tested dermatophytes, 97% and 86% inhibition were achieved against Microsporum canis and Trichophyton rubrum, respectively. Conclusion: Our results introduce a natural source (R. coriaria and Epi. hirsutum) that possesses strong antidermatophytic, antibacterial, anticandidal and antioxidant substances with potential applications in therapeutics and food industry. Keywords: antioxidant, phenolics, flavonoids, antibacterial, antidermatophyte, anticandida, Rhus coriaria, Epilobium hirsutum
Rhus coriaria L. (Sumac), belonging to the Anacardiaceae family, is an important species and is t... more Rhus coriaria L. (Sumac), belonging to the Anacardiaceae family, is an important species and is the most used species of the genus Rhus in the Mediterranean region since antiquity. Sumac has long been used as a flavoring spice, drink, appetizer, and as acidulant in food recipes, in addition to its use in traditional medicine. The role of the plant in leather and textile industry is also significant. R. coriaria is very rich in phenolics mainly and tannins as well as flavonoids; let alone its abundance with organic acids. The leaves and fruits of R. coriaria are recognized to have defensive and beneficial effects on a wide set of diseases, including, but not limited to, diabetes mellitus, cancer, stroke, oral-diseases, inflammation, diarrhea, and dysentery. On the other hand, Sumac extracts were found to possess a potential antiviral, antimicrobial, antifungal, antioxidant and hypolipidemic activities. This review updates the current phytochemical, biological and therapeutic knowledge that so far exists on R. coriaria. It also aims at highlighting the importance of Sumac extracts as a promising and potential source of functional ingredients and nutraceuticals with desirable bioactivities, prompting the further use of Sumac in food preservation, pharmacology and functional food industries.
The use of CAM including herbal medicine as the most preferred CAM modality, among cancer patient... more The use of CAM including herbal medicine as the most preferred CAM modality, among cancer patients who are taking prescription medications has shown to be highly prevalent worldwide as well as in several Middle Eastern countries, with a high percentage of the patients do not disclose their CAM use to treating physician. The current study aimed to evaluate the patterns of CAM use among two cohorts of cancer patients in Palestine over a three-year period, and to identify socio-demographic factors that are associated with CAM use. Across-sectional survey of patients attending outpatient cancer clinics. The method was based on a semi-structured questionnaire. In order to identify safety-related concerns associated with the products listed, a literature search was conducted using different databases (PubMed, Micromedex, AltMedDex, and the Natural Medicine Comprehensive Database). In 472 cancer patients including 372 of the 2011 cohort; and 100 of the 2014 cohort, the overall prevalence o...
In Palestine, medicinal plants have continued to play a vital role in fulfilling animal healthcar... more In Palestine, medicinal plants have continued to play a vital role in fulfilling animal healthcare needs of rural communities. However, these valuable resources are being depleted mainly due to over-harvesting, inappropriate agricultural practices (e.g., over use of herbicides), agricultural expansion, and over-grazing. Therefore, immediate action is required to conserve these resources and document the associated knowledge. The purpose of this study was, thus, to document and analyze information associated with medicinal plants that are used in managing animal health problems in the West Bank, Palestine. Ethnobotanical data were collected from Apr 2012, to Feb 2014 mainly using semi-structured interviews with informants sampled using purposive sampling technique and through field observations. The study revealed the use of 138 medicinal plant species in the West Bank for the treatment of several livestock diseases, of these 75 species representing 70 genera and 33 families were reported by 3 independent informants or above. Classification of the ethnoveterinary plant species cited by three informants or above used in a rank-order priority (ROP) based on their claimed relative healing potential has demonstrated that the following are the plants with the highest efficacy: Camellia sinenses, Teucrium capitatum, and Salvia fruticosa with ROPs of 97.1, 93.2, and 91.4, respectively, are used primarily to relieve gastric disorders. Gastrointestinal disorders is the disease group in the study area that scored the highest Informant consensus factor (ICF) value (0.90), followed by urinary, and reproductive disorders (0.89). Our study provided evidence that medicinal plants are still playing important role in the management of livestock diseases, and showed that ethnoveterinary plants used in animal health care in Palestine have been also recorded in human Traditional Arabic Palestinian Herbal Medicine (TAPHM), and demonstrated a strong link between human and veterinary medical practices. This survey has identified a number of important medicinal plants used by the Palestinian farmers of the West Bank area for the treatment of various animal ailments. It provides a baseline for future phytochemical and pharmacological investigations into the beneficial medicinal properties of such plants.
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