Determination of the Cytotoxicity and Antibiofilm Potential Effect of Equisetum arvense Silver Nanoparticles

This study aimed to synthesize and characterize silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) by green synthesis from Equisetum arvense (Ea) extracts and to investigate their cytotoxicity, antibiofilm activity, and α-glucosidase enzyme inhibition. Diverse characterization techniques were applied to verify the production of nanoparticles. SEM examination confirmed that the size of nanoparticles is in the range of 40-60 nm. Also, interactions between silver and natural compounds of plant extract were confirmed through FT-IR and EDX analyses. It was determined that Equisetum arvense silver nanoparticles had antibiofilm activity against three different clinical strains with high biofilm-forming ability. AgNPs reduced the biofilm-forming capacity of clinical A. baumannii isolate with strong biofilm-forming capacity by approximately twofold, while the capacity of clinical K.pneumonaie and E.coli isolates decreased by 1.5 and 1.2 fold, respectively. The α-glucosidase enzyme inhibition potential of the AgNPs, which is determined as 93.50%, was higher than the plant extract with, and the α- 30.37%. MTT was performed to assess whether incubation of nanoparticles with A549 and ARPE-19 cell lines affected their viability, and a dramatic reduction in cell growth inhibition of both A549 and ARPE-19 cells was observed. It has been shown that A549 cells treated with 200 and 150 µg/mL nanoparticles had less cell proliferation compared to control cells at 24-h and 48-h incubation time. According to these results, Ea-derived AgNPs appear to have potential anticancer activity against A549 cancer cells. Investigating the effects of green synthesis nanoparticles on microbial biofilm and various tumors may be important for developing new therapies. The outcomes of this study have showed that Ea-AgNPsmay have a high potential both in the treatment of pathogenic strains that form biofilms, as well as in anticancer therapy use.

Chemical compositions by using LC-MS/MS and GC-MS and antioxidant activities of methanolic extracts from leaf and flower parts of Scabiosa columbaria subsp. columbaria var. columbaria L

The members of the Scabiosa genus are one of the traditional medicinal plants used in the treatment of many diseases, in particular the treatment of scabies. In this study, it was aimed to determine antioxidant activities and chemical composition of methanolic extracts of leaves and flowers of Scabiosa columbaria subsp. columbaria var. columbaria. The phenolic contents of both parts of the plant were analyzed by LC-MS/MS. A total of 6 phenolic compounds were determined and chlorogenic acid was the major compound in both flower and leaf parts of the plants, with 5936.052 µg/g and 8021.666 µg/g, respectively. 6 different methods were used to determine the antioxidant activity of the plant parts. Both leaf and flower parts of the plant showed high antioxidant activity in all tested methods and the antioxidant activity values of the leaf part were measured higher than those of the flower part for four tests. The methanol extracts of the plant parts was analyzed with GC-MS and number of the essential oil compounds in the leaf and flower parts were determined as 17 and 13, respectively. Linalool compound was also found to be common in both parts of the plant. The major compounds of the essential oils were identified as 4-Octadecenal (30.01%) in the flower and carvone (35.44%) in the leaf. In addition, terpene derivatives was determined as 90.32% of the highest essential oil group in the leaf, while this value was determined as 1.42% in the flower. For the flower, aromatics were determined as the main component group with 21.31%.

A new colorimetric DPPH• scavenging activity method with no need for a spectrophotometer applied on synthetic and natural antioxidants and medicinal herbs

2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH^•) radical scavenging, the most commonly used antioxidant method with more than seventeen thousand articles cited, is very practical; however, as with most assays, it has the major disadvantage of dependence on a spectrophotometer. To overcome this drawback, the colorimetric determination of the antioxidant activity using a scanner and freely available Image J software was developed. In this new method, the mixtures of solutions of DPPH^• and standard antioxidants or extracts of common medicinal herbs were dropped onto TLC plates, after an incubation period. The spot images were evaluated with Image J software to determine CSC₅₀ values, the sample concentrations providing 50% colour reduction, which were very similar with the SC₅₀ values obtained with spectrophotometric method. The advantages of the new method are the use of lower amounts of reagents and solvents, no need for costly spectrophotometers, and thus significantly lowered costs, and convenient implementation in any environment and situation.

An on-line HPLC system for detection of antioxidant compounds in some plant extracts by comparing three different methods

Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea), green tea (Camellia sinensis) and yaylacayi (Thymus praecox OPIZ subsp. grossheimii (Ronniger) Jalas) are herbs used in traditional medicine because of their beneficial health effects. A high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) post-column method was developed by coupling HPLC with on-line antioxidant assays using diode array (DAD) and ultraviolet (UV) detectors. Thus antioxidant compounds and fifteen phenolic standards were detected in echinacea, green tea and yaylacayi methanol extracts simultaneously. Later on, the developed on-line HPLC coupled system was used to compare three different antioxidant methods, ABTS [2,2'-Azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)], DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and FRAP (Ferric reducing antioxidant power). Eight compounds with antioxidant activity were identified as gallic acid, protocatechuic aldehyde, p-OH benzoic acid, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, vanillin, ferulic acid, and rosmarinic acid. For validation purposes, LOD (limit of detection) (0.36-14.68μg/mL) and LOQ (limit of quantification) (1.35-48.92μg/mL) values were calculated for six standards. The results showed that while the post-column ABTS and FRAP assays were repeatable, sensitive and supportive of each other, the post-column DPPH assay did not provide reliable results. Also due to the base-line noise and drifts in post-column DPPH assay, identification and quantitation of analytes could not be done accurately.

Extended endoscopic endonasal approach to the pterygopalatine fossa: anatomic study

AIM

Our aim in this study was to recognize the endoscopic anatomy of the pterygopalatine fossa (PPF) and the anatomic variations of the related neurovascular structures, to define the endoscopic endonasal approach to this region.

METHODS

Six fresh adult cadavers were studied (N=6) by endoscopic endonasal approach. To reach the pterygopalatine fossa endonasally, we performed the middle meatus transpalatine approach in 2 cadavers, the middle meatus transnasal approach in 2 cadavers and the inferior turbinatectomy transnasal approach in 2 cadavers. The superior and posterior walls of the maxillary sinus were defined and studied. The sphenopalatine foramen is widened by drilling the orbital process of the foramen and the sphenopalatine artery was exposed. The posterior wall of maxillary sinus was opened to expose the pterygopalatine fossa and its neurovascular contents, which were studied and documented.

RESULTS

The PPF was easily approached by endoscopic transnasal transmaxillary approach. The PPF region was best exposed by the middle meatus tranasal approach. In the PPF; infraorbital nerve, vidian nerve, major palatine nerve, the infraorbital artery, internal maxillary artery, sphenopalatine artery, descending palatine artery, posterior superior alveolar artery and buccal artery were exposed. According Morton and Khan morphologic classification of the third portion of the internal maxillary artery we found intermediate type in 2 cadavers (33.3%), M' type in 2 cadavers (33.3%), T' type in 1 cadaver (16.7%) and Y' type in 1 cadaver (16.7%). Also, according to Chio and Park classification of the branching type of the infraorbital artery, posterior superior alveolar artery and deep palatine artery, we found type I in 4 cadavers (66%) and type II in 2 cadavers (33%).

CONCLUSIONS

During the endoscopic transnasal transmaxillary approach to the PPF, it is possible to face wide range of variations in every phase of the approach. Understanding the anatomy of this region and the neurovascular relations from the endoscopic view by cadaver dissections will help us to performed more controlled and safe surgery.

Idiopathic granulomatous hypophysitis: are there reliable, constant radiological and clinical diagnostic criterias?

Idiopathic granulomatous hypophysitis is a rare inflammatory disease of unknown aetiology; few cases are reported. We review the clinical presentation and radiological characteristics of these cases and our own experience with three new surgical cases, to determine diagnostic criteria. MRI of three cases revealed sellar lesions extending into the chiasmatic cistern. Their shape varied, from dumbbell to spherical and elliptical. All were isointense with the brain on T1-weighted images and gave heterogeneously high signal on T2-weighted images. Contrast enhancement was homogeneous in one case and heterogeneous in another. The pituitary stalk could not be identified. There was no dural enhancement. The sphenoid sinus mucosa was thickened in two cases and normal in one.

Rotational compression of the vertebral artery at the point of dural penetration. Case report

Vertebrobasilar insufficiency (VBI) due to vertebral artery (VA) compression occurs in a significant number of patients. Rotational compression of the VA usually occurs below C-2, where the artery is pinched during head rotation, leading to thrombus formation and subsequent cerebellar infarction. Although this problem has been reported to occur at the atlantooccipital levels, a review of the literature revealed no published cases of VA compression at the point of dural penetration, which is located above the atlantooccipital membrane. The authors report the case of a 30-year-old woman who presented with signs and symptoms of VBI. Dynamic angiography demonstrated left-sided VA compression at the site at which dural penetration had occurred, proximal to the posterior inferior cerebellar artery. Surgical decompression of the left VA at the point of dural penetration relieved the symptoms, and postoperative dynamic angiography demonstrated complete resolution of the positional compression of the left VA. Because of these findings, an additional possible location for rotational compression of the VA is described, namely, the point of dural penetration. The authors suggest a method of surgically treating rotational VA compression at this site.

Chiasmatic low-grade glioma presenting with sacral intradural spinal metastasis

Leptomeningeal metastasis of low-grade gliomas in children has been documented in several series, both at the time of diagnosis and at relapse. The authors report a unique case of chiasmatic low-grade astrocytoma presenting with signs and symptoms related to the metastatic site rather than the primary site. In this respect, the possibility of appearance of symptoms and signs related to leptomeningeal dissemination preceding the signs and symptoms belonging to the primary site should be considered in this type of benign tumours.

Extradural balloon obliteration of the empty sella report of three cases (intrasellar balloon obliteration)

Empty sella syndrome is an anatomical and clinical entity composed of intrasellar reposition of the CSF and compression of the pituitary tissue, resulting in a clinical picture of headache, visual field defect, CSF rhinorrhea and some mild endocrinological disturbances. While some cases are primary with no appreciable aetiology, secondary cases are associated with prior operation or radiotherapy of the region. In our series, 3 patients with primary empty sella syndrome were treated by the current approach of extradural filling of the sellar cavity. This technique was first described by Guiot and widely accepted thereafter. We used a detachable silicon balloon filled with HEMA or liquid silicone for obliteration of the sellar cavity and obtained clinically satisfactory results without complications. Visual symptoms regressed and headache disappeared. But at long term follow-up all the balloons were found to be deflated. Despite the facility and efficacy of the technique we do not recommend it in the treatment of the empty sella because the filling of the sella is only transient and relapses may occur.

A new aneurysm wrapping material: polyglactin 910 + fibrin sealant

Aneurysms experimentally induced by using the silver nitrate coagulation method in 10 Wistar Albino rats are wrapped with Polyglactin 910 and Fibrin Sealant. 6 weeks later the rats are sacrificed and compared with the control group. In the group in which Polyglactin 910 and Fibrin Sealant were used as the wrapping material, non-specific inflammatory granulation tissue development around the aneurysms is observed. We suggest that a Polyglactin 910 and Fibrin Sealant combination can be used as a wrapping material in the treatment of aneurysms where clipping is not possible.

Warburg syndrome

The case of a newborn who had ocular, cerebral and cerebellar dysgenesis with hydrocephalus, which represents very rarely occurring Warburg syndrome, is described. Clinical, radiographic, and histopathological features are detailed.