Electronic Journal of University of Aden for Basic and Applied Sciences

GENOMIC INSIGHTS INTO SAUDI ARABIAN PLANT BIODIVERSITY: PROGRESS AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS

2025-01-03T17:51:10+00:00

Saudi Arabia, despite its arid environment, harbors a rich plant diversity with approximately 2,253 species. However, the conservation of this biodiversity faces significant challenges due to habitat loss, climate change, and limited genomic data. This study provides a comprehensive survey of the current state of plant genomic research in Saudi Arabia, highlighting progress made and identifying key gaps in the literature. A survey of scientific databases identified 46 relevant studies published between 2010 and 2024, reflecting growing interest in the genomic analysis of Saudi plants. These studies cover nuclear, chloroplast, and/or mitochondrial genomes of 51 plant species from 19 families, with a predominant focus on medicinal plants collected from the western and southwestern regions. Among these, the Apocynaceae family, known for its medicinal species, is the most frequently represented in genomic research. Chloroplast genome data is the most prevalent, accounting for 75.4% of the genomes analyzed, underscoring its utility in taxonomic and phylogenomic analyses. Nuclear genome data, though less frequent (16.3%), has increased, particularly through initiatives like the KSA Native Genome Project. Mitochondrial genome data remains sporadic (8.1%), contributing to the understanding of gene transfers and genetic variation. While genomic research on Saudi plants is still limited, existing data provide essential insights for conservation, understanding plant adaptation, and guiding future research. This review underscores the need for expanded genomic studies, particularly nuclear genome sequencing, and greater focus on rare, endemic, and endangered plants to support biodiversity conservation and agricultural innovation in Saudi Arabia.

BRAIN TUMOR CLASSIFICATION USING A HYBRID DEEP LEARNING MODEL: LEVERAGING DENSENET121 AND INCEPTIONV2 ARCHITECTURES

2025-01-03T18:20:47+00:00

Brain tumors represent one of the most severe forms of cancer, posing significant challenges due to their complex nature and critical location. Accurate and early diagnosis is crucial for effective treatment and improved patient outcomes. In this study, we propose a novel hybrid deep learning model that combines the strengths of DenseNet121 and InceptionV2 architectures to enhance brain tumor classification accuracy. The Figshare Brain Tumor Dataset, comprising 3,064 T1-weighted contrast-enhanced MRI images from 233 patients, is utilized to train and evaluate the proposed model. The dataset includes three primary tumor classes: glioma, meningioma, and pituitary tumors. Preprocessing steps such as normalization, resizing, and data augmentation are applied to ensure data consistency and enhance the model’s robustness. The DenseNet121 component of the hybrid model facilitates efficient feature reuse through densely connected layers, while the InceptionV2 component captures multi-scale contextual information via parallel convolutional layers. This combination allows the model to leverage detailed and high-level features, improving classification performance. The proposed hybrid model is evaluated using standard metrics, demonstrating significant improvements in accuracy, robustness, and generalization compared to single architecture models. This study highlights the potential of hybrid deep learning models in advancing brain tumor classification, offering a promising direction for future research and clinical applications.

ON THE LIE DERIVATIVE OF CURVATURE TENSORS AND THEIR RELATIONS IN \(GBK- 5RF_n\)

2025-01-03T18:28:34+00:00

This paper investigates the behavior of curvature tensors under the Lie derivative. We derive novel relations between various curvature tensors, such as the Riemann curvature tensor, Ricci tensor, and scalar curvature, when subjected to the Lie derivative. Our results provide a deeper understanding of the geometric properties of manifolds and have potential applications in fields such as general relativity and differential geometry. Also, we build upon the definitions for the conformal and conharmonice curvature tensor in generaralized fifth recurrent Finsler space \(GBK-5RF_n\). We study the various relations between above curvature tensors and the Cartan’s third curvature tensor R\(_{jkh}^i\) by Lie-derivative.

PREVALENCE AND CHARACTERISTIC OF PATIENTS WITH FUNCTIONAL DYSPEPSIA IN ADEN, YEMEN 2023-2024

2025-01-03T20:18:43+00:00

Functional dyspepsia (FD) is one of the most common gastrointestinal disorders and imposes social and economic burden worldwide and was defined by the absence of peptic ulcer disease on investigation. The Room criteria have been the most widely used criteria for defining dyspepsia and have divided functional dyspepsia into postprandial distress syndrome (PDS), characterized by postprandial fullness and early satiation, and epigastric pain syndrome (EPS), characterized by epigastric pain or burning. This study is aimed to identify the prevalence and characteristics of patients with functional dyspepsia. This study was considered a descriptive cross-sectional study, was performed in the period between Aug 2023 and Jan2024. A total of 105 patients were conducted at Gastroenterology private clinic diagnosed as functional dyspepsia based on endoscopic findings and questionnaires with Rome III criteria and rapid ureas test for Helicobacter pylori infection. The mean (± SD) age was 38.77(±15.03) years, and 55 patients (52.4%) were female with majority (48.6%) of occupation were house wife. 47 (44.8 %) of resident patients were from Lahj and (30.5%) patients were secondary school educational level. Anxiety, Depression, stress life and emotional events were with 26(24.8 %) patients and 63(60%),37(35.2) were with Kat chewing and NASIDs intake risk factor respectively. The proportion of H. pylori seropositive was 47 patients (44.8 %) and most common upper endoscopic findings 36 (34.3%) were with mild scattered gastritis. Majority of patients 84 (80%) met the criteria of FD subtypes overlapping EPS/PDS. The prevalence was higher in-house wife female sex and overlapping subtype was quite common FD. H. pylori positive infection, Kat chewing, psychological and NASIDs intake presumed risk factors.

SUPPLEMENTED VITAMIN D AND GLYCEMIC PARAMETERS IN DIABETIC PATIENTS

2025-01-03T20:35:02+00:00

There is alarming increase in prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus worldwide. Although lifestyle modifications may delay the development of type 2 diabetes, maintaining long term behavioral changes is difficult. Therefore, new strategies to reduce the incidence of type 2 diabetes are needed for people with impaired glucose tolerance. This research aimed to study the effect of supplemented vitamin D on glycemic control in newly diagnosed patients with T2DM. An open-label, randomized, controlled clinical trial, was carried out in the period from May to November, 2023, on newly diagnosed T2DM patients who met the inclusion criteria treated with metformin and vitamin D (n=30) or metformin only as control group (n=20). attending Aden Diabetic Center at Al-Gamhouria General Modern Hospital, Aden. Data collected by using structured questionnaire including sex, age, family history of diabetes, height, weight, waist circumference, adherence to diet and exercise, smoking and khat chewing. glycemic parameters and serum vitamin D level were also measured. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests were used for data analysis with P ≤ 0.05 considered significant. Vitamin D and control group showed almost the same mean age, 49.7±7.87 years and 49.6±8.94 years, respectively. Paired t-test was applied to compare the baseline mean of vitamin D level with the mean after three months of vitamin D supplementation within vitamin D group, there was a slight increase in vitamin D levels with statistically significance difference (P=0.000), while the control group showed statistically insignificance difference after 3 months from baseline (P= 0.104). After 3 months supplementation with vitamin D, there was statistically significant differences from the baseline for HBAIc , FBG and RBG within vitamin D group with P = 0.001, p=0.000 and p=0.000, respectively, where paired t-test was applied. There was a decrease in the percentage of patient with glycosylated hemoglobin category > 8.5% from (90% to 86%), after 3 months with no change in control group. In conclusion, glycemic parameters of newly diagnosed patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were slightly improved after supplementation with vitamin D compared to the standard treatment. Further studies with larger samples are crucial to address the status of vitamin D among diabetes.

EFFECT OF VITAMIN C AND VITAMIN B12 ON ACETAMINOPHEN INDUCED LIVER INJURY IN ALBINO RATS

2025-01-03T20:44:37+00:00

Several vitamins, including vitamin C, and B12, have been recognized as antioxidants and have shown hepatoprotective effects against the liver injury caused by acetaminophen (APAP) overdose. The current study aimed to investigate the effect of vitamin C, and B12 in protecting the liver from APAP induced hepatotoxicity in rats. An experiment was carried out on female albino rats. There were five groups of animals: a control group that received normal saline (10 ml/kg), acetaminophen treated group (2000 mg/kg), vitamin C treated group (500 mg/kg), vitamin B12 treated group (10mg g/kg), and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) treated group (150mg/kg). All animals were given oral medications for six days. On the seventh day, all the animals except the control group were subjected orally to APAP and then were observed for 24 hours for blood sample collection before they were sacrificed. APAP treatment showed a significant elevation in lipid peroxidation confirmed by the results of liver tissue malondialdehyde (MDA), and elevation in serum liver enzymes levels, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and depletion in albumin levels, p<0.001, which all indicated hepatic injury. Pre-treatment with vitamin C, vitamin B12 and NAC significantly (p<0.01) reduced the elevated MDA, AST, ALT, and ALP, but slightly elevated albumin levels that was insignificant in case of vitamin B12 and NAC, with P=0.09 and P =0.4, respectively. Acetaminophen induced liver hepatocellular impairment through elevation of oxidative stress marker MDA and elevation of the liver function markers in the experimental rats. Vitamin C and vitamin B12 seem to have protective effects in rat hepatic toxicity that was comparable to those of N-acetylcysteine (NAC). Further studies are required to determine the mechanisms stand behind this effectiveness.

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION, EVALUATION OF RADICAL SCAVENGING AND ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITIES OF ESSENTIAL OIL LEAVES OF MENTHA LONGIFOLIA (L.) HUDSON SUBSP. SCHIMPERI (BRIQ.) BRIQ. CULTIVATED IN ADEN GOVERNMENT, YEMEN

2025-01-03T20:54:03+00:00

This is the first report on the chemical composition, radical scavenging and antibacterial activities of essential oil obtained from the leaves of cultivated Mentha longifolia (L.) Hudson, subs. schimperi (Briq.) Briq., in Aden-Yemen. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis of the hydro-distillated essential oil revealed eighteen compounds representing 100 % of total oil. The main components detected were pulegone (46.3624%), eucalyptol (10.5653%), and menthone (9.5726%). Determination of the total content of phenols and flavonoids revealed the presence of 11.653 mg GAE /g and 12.310 mg QE/g, respectively. The antioxidant activity performed using DDPH radical showed that the sample concentration necessary to inhibit 50% of DPPH radicals (IC₅₀) was 28.3837 μg/mL, indicating a strong antioxidant activity. Regarding the antibacterial activity, the essential oil showed moderate-to-strong broad-spectrum antibacterial activity against the four tested bacterial strains (Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213, Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853). S. aureus was the most sensitive strain to the essential oil with the largest inhibition zone (25±1). Cultivated Mentha longifolia (L.) Hudson, subs. schimperi may be a valuable candidate for further studies for the development of antibiotics and food preservatives.

ANATOMICAL, PHYSICOCHEMICAL, PHYTOCHEMICAL, ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTIMICROBIAL INVESTIGATIONS OF TAGETES MINUTA L. AERIAL PARTS

2025-01-03T21:06:13+00:00

Tagetes minuta L., which grows in different regions of Yemen, is used to treat skin diseases and has not been adequately studied, so the aim of the present research is to evaluate its anatomical, physicochemical, phytochemical, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of its aerial parts, using accepted standard methods. The microscopic and physicochemical parameters were determined. Phytochemical analysis was performed on petroleum ether, 80% methanol and water extracts, and carbohydrates, phenols, flavonoids, tannins, terpenes and sterols were identified. The total phenolic content was found to be 205.14 and 91.2 mg/g gallic acid equivalent and the total flavonoid content was found to be 106.46 and 18.15 mg/g quercetin equivalent of the dry extract of 80% methanol and aqueous extracts, respectively. The antioxidant activity was determined by using in vitro DPPH method. The IC50 values of quercetin, petroleum ether, 80% methanolic and water extracts were found to be 13.54, 151.04, 21.36 and 47.31 µg/ml respectively, so the 80% methanolic extract showed very high antioxidant activity compared to quercetin. The antimicrobial activity was tested by using well diffusion method, all concentrations used for the 80% methanolic extract showed very high antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Proteus vulgaris, while they showed significant of inhibition zone against Klebsilla pneumoniae, and Candid albicans. All concentrations used for the aqueous extract showed appearance of inhibition zone against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, while no effect was shown against the Klebsiella pneumoniae, proteus vulgaris and Candid albicans. The above results indicate that the aerial parts of Tagetes minuta could be a useful natural antioxidant and antibacterial agent, and may be used for further study on the plant.

CHARACTERIZATION OF SOME DATE PALM VARIETIES (PHOENIX DACTYLIFERA L.) GROWN IN THE VALLEY OF HADHRAMOUT, YEMEN

2025-01-03T21:38:18+00:00

This study was conducted on three varieties of date palms (Barhi, Jazaz, Magraf, Maktoumi and Soctori) grown in some farms in the valley of Hadhramaut, during the period from October 2020 to December 2023, with the aim of characterizing and finding apparent characteristics of the leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds of five varieties of date palms. A botanical key was created to facilitate the differentiation between the studied varieties. Many of the studied characteristics showed their importance in distinguishing between the studied date palm varieties, the most important of which were the shape and color of the funnel, the length of the fruit, the wide or narrow shaped kernel, and the length of the seed.

MORPHOLOGICAL AND STRUCTURAL CHARACTERIZATION OF NANOCELLULOSE EXTRACTED FROM BANANA PSEUDOSTEM WASTE

2025-01-04T19:39:14+00:00

This research aimed to obtain nanocellulose (NCs) from banana pseudostem (BPs) biomass waste, and studying its morphological and structural surface characteristics. The extraction process involved treatments several physical, chemical, and mechanical, including degumming, delignification, acid hydrolysis, and ultrasonication. The banana pseudostem fiber (BPF), degummed banana fiber (DBF), banana cellulose fiber (BCF), and Nanocellulose (NCs) were analyzed using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectroscopy. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to examine the morphology of BPF, DBF, and BCF, while transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to verify the format and size of NCs. The XRD results showed that the NCs had a crystallization index of 87.6%. TEM analysis revealed that the NCs contained network-connected structures as well as spherical shapes. The mean diameter and length of the NCs were 28.9 ± 16.2 nm and 166.2 ± 104.5 nm, respectively. The results of evaluating the lignocellulose content also showed that BPF consists of 55.4% cellulose, 22.3% hemicellulose, and 12.5% lignin, making it a valuable source of nanocellulose. The extraction of NCs from BPF holds great potential for applications in engineering and environmental science, particularly in the area of water treatment. Additionally, it contributes to sustainable development by managing agricultural waste and combating environmental pollution.

TREATMENT OF KEROSEN FROM YEMENI – (ALIF FIELD) MARIB CRUDE OIL USING ZEOLITE CATALYST

2025-01-04T22:17:17+00:00

Regarding the investigation of Yemen crude Oil, we found that Marib crude oil was the best one. Based on the information we started to treat Kerosene from Marib Crude Oil using zeolite catalyst because this catalyst is the best one referring to the references. Many bifunctional catalysts in recent studies have been prepared using a single method, it is important to note that different preparation methods can have an influence on their behavior during the process and the properties of the fuels they produce. We used several methods of analysis, such as Catalyst Preparation, Method of Impregnation, Sol – gel Method, in addition we studied Catalyst characterization. The results showed that the acidic sites of Y-zeolites would be thus affecting its catalytic efficiency in reforming process. One of the main reasons for production of higher products was the concentration of Bronsted acid targets in the catalyst. In this study, the catalyst is synthesized the SG method had Bronsted acid sites, resulting in effect of this solvent on their acid sites. Although less jet fuel was produced over the catalyst produced by the IM method (75. 81%), the fuel was higher quality is allowed aromatic and high of naphthens, which were associated with less the Bronsted acid sites of this catalyst.

Front Cover

2025-01-03T17:46:29+00:00