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)

The poor rate of drug discovery for the control of Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) including schistosomiasis has necessitated effective management of existing drugs by modulating their delivery. Nanotechnology-based colloidal drug carriers have been explored to improve the activity and safety profile of drugs for NTDs including parasitic diseases. In developing new drug delivery systems for schistosomiasis, research efforts have focused mainly on Praziquantel (PZQ) as the sole antischistosomal agent in current clinical practice. Carrier systems of the polymer, inorganic and lipid-based type have been investigated for the delivery of PZQ. However, promising results were obtained using lipid-based delivery systems including liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, nanostructured lipid carriers and nanoemulsions. Selection of these lipid carrier systems has been based on the lipophilicity of PZQ, controlled drug release, potential increase in its bioavailability by promoting lymphatic absorption to bypass the extensive first pass effect biodistribution to the host liver and enhancement of PZQ interaction with the worm tegument of a similar phospholipid nature.
Sakina Salem Mohammed Saadawi(2-2022)

Grape seeds extract has therapeutic values including antimicrobial activity, antioxidant effect, wound healing and prevention of cardiovascular diseases. This study aimed to evaluate and compare antibacterial activity of different species of grape seed) Vitis labrusca, Vitis vinifera and Vitis vinifera( against some bacterial strains (Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumonia, Acinetobacter Calcoaceticus, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli). Determine antioxidant effect of grape seed extracts (qualitatively). Antibacterial effects was performed using agar cup cut diffusion method for all bacterial species, followed by using minimum inhibitory concentration MIC for the species showed to be inhibited by grape seeds extracts. Antioxidant assay was done using DPPH scavenging test, methanolic solution of each grape seeds was spotted on TLC paper, sprayed with 0.2 % methanolic solution of diphenyl picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) reagent. Vitamin C was used as positive control. From the results, all grape species didn’t have any effect on K. pneumonia and E. coli, red and black grape seeds showed the highest inhibition zone (20 mm) on Staph. Aureus agar plate, green grape had the highest effect on Sterp. Pneumonia agar plate (20 mm). The lowest effect was for the red grape seeds extract (13 mm) on Acinetobacter calciaceticus. In general the three grape seeds extract had effect on Staph. aureus, Sterp. pneumonia and Acinetobacter calciaceticus. The red and black grape seed extract was effective against Sterp. pneumonia strain at MIC values of 7.8 mg/mL and black grape seeds extract had MIC at 7.8 mg/mL on Staph. aureus. However, the test for MIC of seeds extracts for the rest of bacterial species ranged between 15.62 and 87.5 mg/mL. The result showed that black grape seeds extract had the largest spot change in color indicating strong antioxidant effect. The lowest effect was by red grape seeds. From this result black grape showed to be the best grape seeds extract among the three chosen species in its antibacterial and antioxidant efficacy.
Sakina Salem Mohammed Saadawi(4-2021)