Mosquitoes can transmit more diseases than any other group of arthropods and affect millions of people throughout the world. They act as a vector for most of the life-threatening diseases like malaria, yellow fever and dengue fever. The major tool in mosquito control operation is the application of synthetic insecticides such as organochlorine and organophosphate compounds. Use of many of the former synthetic insecticides in mosquito control program has been limited due to high cost, environmental sustainability, harmful effect on human health, and other non-target populations, their non-biodegradable nature, higher rate of biological magnification through ecosystem, and increasing insecticide resistance on a global scale. One of the most effective alternative approaches under the biological control program is to explore the floral biodiversity and enter the field of using safer insecticides of botanical origin as a simple and sustainable method of mosquito control. This study aimed to evaluate larvicidal and pupicidal effect of five plant extracts (thyme, peppermint and citronella leaf extracts, clove buds extracts and lemon peels extract). Methanol extracts of thyme, peppermint and citronella leaf, clove buds and lemon peels were tested for their larvicidal and pupicidal activity. The standard WHO guideline for larvicides and pupicides evaluation was used. Three plant extract concentrations were prepared (25, 50 and 100 mg/ml) and tested on 20 larvae and 20 pupas (3rd and 4th instars) for each concentration on white enamel trays. Mortality percentage were calculated after 24 hrs. where larvae who doesn’t show swimming movement considered dead. Adult mosquitoes were identified to genus level. Thyme showed the highest % of yield (56%) followed by clove, peppermint, lemon and citronella with 13, 13, 8 and 5 % of yield respectively. The highest mortality % of larvae were by clove with 100% for the three tested concentrations, followed by thyme, lemon and peppermint. Citronella gave no effect as larvicidal agent. In pupicida activity test, thyme showed the highest activity followed by clove. Lemon didn’t show any pupicidal activity. Mosquito was identified as Culex. This result clearly reveals that buds extract of E. caryophyllus and leaf extracts of T. vulgaris and peels extract of C. limonoids could serve as a potential larvicidal agents against the Culex mosquito. The mode of action and larvicidal efficiency of these plant spp. extract should be scrutinized and determined. Besides, further investigation regarding the effect on non-target organism is extremely important and imperative in the near future. arabic 11 English 79
Sakina Salem Mohammed Saadawi, , , (4-2019)

Because of the evolving resistance of microorganisms against existing antibiotics, there is an increasing need for new ones, not only in human, but also in veterinary medicine. The dichloromethane extract of a fungal strain of the genus Lophiostoma, isolated from driftwood collected from the coast of the Baltic Sea, displayed antibacterial activity against some fish pathogenic bacteria. Ergosterol epoxide (1), cerebroside C (2) and oxasetin (3) were isolated from the extract and structurally elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data and chemical evidence. Compound 3 exhibited in vitro activity against Vibrio anguillarum, Flexibacter maritimus and Pseudomonas anguilliseptica with minimal inhibitory concentrations of 12.5, 12.5 and 6.25 microg/mL, respectively. Molecular docking studies were performed to understand the interaction of compound 3 with different macromolecular targets. Analysis of in silico results, together with experimental findings, validates the antimicrobial activity associated with compound 3. These results may be exploited in lead optimization and development of potent antibacterial agents. arabic 23 English 137
Muftah A Shushni, Faizul Azam, Ulrike Lindequist, (9-2013)

Background: The fat extracted from the nut of the African Shea tree (Vitellaria paradoxa) is called Shea butter. It has multiple uses at the local level as it is used in cosmetic products and as a cocoa butter substitute in chocolate industries. It has a high nutritious value and is also a valuable product on the local, national, and international markets, making it the ideal candidate to research and invest in. Aim: This study is a comparative experimental study of the possible burn healing effects between imported South African raw Shea butter and samples in a Libyan market. Method: The control samples were brought from South Africa (Benin traditional markets). A total of 18 different samples were collected from different sale centers in Tripoli, including pharmacies, beauty shops, and spices shops, in addition to one sample brought from Poland. Animal experiment on burn healing effect was carried out on nine male Sprague Dawley (350–400 g) rats aged 6–8 weeks old. After shaving the animal’s dorsum hair, a metal cube was used to create a deep second degree burn wound, and the cube was heated to 100°C for 20 seconds. Medication with Shea butter (control, T1, and T2) was initiated daily for one for these groups by the application of a thin film of the Shea butter samples on the burned areas. On days 1, 3, and 7, the rats were anesthetised and a sample from the burned scar tissue and skin adjacent were evaluated using pathological parameters. Results: The histological study indicates that the use of Shea butter T1 as topical treatment induces an immune response, which enhances the form of the presence of a large number of inflammatory cells in the epidermis and dermis layers. The treatment of burned skin with T2 lasted for 72 hours and it showed slightly significant healing in the normal structure of proliferative granulation tissue with accumulation of fibroblasts and inflammatory cells surrounding the sebaceous glands and hair follicles. Small areas of the epidermis which formed few layers were observed and some hair roots were grown. This was well seen in cases of T1 and T2. Shea butter bought as raw might have a bad effect on burned skin. Conclusion: Shea butter bought as raw might have bad effect on burned skin. On the other hand, the sample from Poland had a therapeutic effect, which was because of the additives such as avocado oil, grape seed oil, and others. arabic 18 English 101
Sakina Salem Mohammed Saadawi, Soad Ali Abdulsalam Treesh, ٍSuhera Mehemed Abdulsalam Aburawi, , , (11-2020)