Evaluation of the genetic diversity of wild Salvadora persica ‘Arak’ from Saudi Arabia

Molecular Biology Reports - Assessment of genetic diversity is crucial for efficient selection genotypes in plant breeding and improvement programs. Studies of genetic diversity of S....     

Characterization of Hepatitis C Virus Genotypes by Direct Sequencing of HCV 5′UTR Region of Isolates from Saudi Arabia

The current study was designed to determine the Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) genotypes in a representative sample of HCV chronically infected patients in Saudi Arabia. All HCV isolates were genotyped by sequencing of the 5′UTR region and newly identified HCV isolates were identified. Specific universal primers targeting 5′UTR region were used for both amplification and sequencing of all isolates that resulted in 244 bp fragment which represent about 80% of 5′UTR region. Most of HCV isolates in this study were genotype 4 (76.4%) where only few isolates were recognized as genotype 1 (19.6%). All results were compared to HCV reference sequences from LOS ALAMOS HCV database, considering only the complete full genomes for the main phylogenetic analysis. Sequences that showed maximum identity (98% –100%) were selected. Most isolates were identical with HCV genotype 4 references. Some isolates were similar to different subtypes of HCV genotypes 4, 1 and 6. Phylogenetic analysis showed resemblance of most isolates to similar ones from the Far East, North America and Egypt. Using sequence Weblogo, Alignment analysis of isolated HCV genotypes 4 and 1 showed 92% and 95.5% nucleotide conservation, respectively. There was no predominant nucleotide in the varied sites, in both genotypes. All isolated sequences were submitted to GenBank database.     

α-Thalassemia in Saudi Arabia: deletion pattern

Summary -Thalassemia exists at a high prevalence in several regions of Saudi Arabia. The restriction endonucleases Bam HI and BglII were used to investigate the molecular basis of deletion type of -thalassemia in 226 subjects from the eastern and 61 subjects from the northwestern regions of the country. The arrangements-/ and-/- were common. BglII digestion revealed the existence of rightward deletion in a majority of the cases. Leftward deletions, both homozygous and heterozygous, were also identified. Triple -gene arrangements -/ and -/- were observed at a low frequency in both regions.     

Gastric cancer & prospects of cancer in Saudi Arabia peninsula

Gastric cancer is classified to be an aggressive disease with poor treatment outcome, as most cases remain undetected until later stages, wherein surgery and few chemotherapeutics become the only recommended treatment course. The process of cancer development is multistep involving many stages and types of precancerous lesions, and hence, routine monitoring becomes a necessity in those detected with these or exposed to risk factors. Studying the pattern of gastric cancer for any geographical region is also important to control mortality and focus on implementation of efficient management and treatment guidelines. The cause for gastric cancer can be genetic, racial as well as environmental, and hence the pattern of this malignancy differs across geographical regions and between the developing and the developed nations. In case of the Kindgom of Saudi Arabia, very few hospital-based reports have been published highlighting the pattern of gastric cancer, and the associated incidence and mortality rates. However, classified to be one of the most crucial cancer forms in Saudi Arabia, research pertaining to epidemiology, presentation and pathological features are limited. Studying gastric cancer occurrence from public health viewpoint is important also because eradication of causative agents like those that H. pylori has also shown been not reduce the risk of cancer development among individuals with atrophic metaplastic gastritis. In case of Saudi Arabia, many inherent risks for this malignancy exists like waterpipe smoking and shift in diet pattern from the traditional Mediterranean diet. Our review focusses on pattern of gastric cancer on a global scale in comparison to scenario in Saudi Arabia. The aim is to encompass all of the less stressed upon facts about this malignancy in the Kingdom, paving way for future work in this regards.     

A Country on the Verge of Malaria Elimination – The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Significant headway has been made in the global fight against malaria in the past decade and as more countries enter the elimination phase, attention is now focused on identifying effective strategies to shrink the malaria map. Saudi Arabia experienced an outbreak of malaria in 1998, but is now on the brink of malaria elimination, with just 82 autochthonous cases reported in 2012. A review of published and grey literature was performed to identify the control strategies that have contributed to this achievement. The number of autochthonous malaria cases in Saudi Arabia decreased by 99.8% between 1998 and 2012. The initial steep decline in malaria cases coincided with a rapid scaling up of vector control measures. Incidence continued to be reported at low levels (between 0.01 and 0.1 per 1,000 of the population) until the adoption of artesunate plus sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine as first line treatment and the establishment of a regional partnership for a malaria-free Arabian Peninsula, both of which occurred in 2007. Since 2007, incidence has decreased by nearly an order of magnitude. Malaria incidence is now very low, but a high proportion of imported cases, continued potential for autochthonous transmission, and an increased proportion of cases attributable to Plasmodium vivax all present challenges to Saudi Arabia as they work toward elimination by 2015.     

Four-legged friend or foe? Dog walking displaces native birds from natural areas

Dog walking is among the world's most popular recreational activities, attracting millions of people to natural areas each year with diverse benefits to human and canine health. But conservation managers often ban dog walking from natural areas fearing that wildlife will see dogs as potential predators and abandon their natural habitats, resulting in outcry at the restricted access to public land. Arguments are passionate on both sides and debate has remained subjective and unresolved because experimental evidence of the ecological impacts of dog walking has been lacking. Here we show that dog walking in woodland leads to a 35% reduction in bird diversity and 41% reduction in abundance, both in areas where dog walking is common and where dogs are prohibited. These results argue against access by dog walkers to sensitive conservation areas.     

Energy expenditure and water flux of Rüppell's foxes in Saudi Arabia

Scattered populations of Rüppell's foxes (Vulpes rueppelli) occur across the deserts of northern Africa and Arabia. Little is known about the biology of these canids, especially the physiological mechanisms that contribute to their ability to live in such harsh environments. For individuals from Saudi Arabia, we tested the hypotheses that Rüppell's foxes have a reduced basal metabolic rate and total evaporative water loss (TEWL), parameters measured in the laboratory, and a reduced field metabolic rate (FMR) and water flux when free-living. Under basal conditions in the laboratory, males, which averaged 1,858 g in body mass, had an oxygen consumption of 914.9 mL O(2)/h, whereas females, which weighed on average 1,233 g, consumed 682.9 mL O(2)/h; rates of oxygen consumption translated to 441.4 kJ/d and 329.4 kJ/d, respectively. TEWL averaged 52.6 g H(2)O/d for males and 47.5 g H(2)O/d for females. We found no evidence that basal metabolism is reduced in Rüppell's foxes, but their TEWL was remarkably low: 50.9% of allometric prediction for males and 64.5% for females. In the wild during winter, males expended energy at a rate of 1,306.5 kJ/d, whereas females had an expenditure of 722.8 kJ/d. Analysis of covariance with FMR as the dependent variable, sex as a fixed factor, and body mass as a covariate showed no statistical difference in FMR between sexes. Water flux did not differ significantly between sexes and averaged 123 mL H(2)O/d, a value 30% lower than the kit fox from the deserts of southwestern North America. FMR was positively related to nocturnal activity levels as FMR (kJ/d) = -2,900.1+55.5 (% of time moving). The water content of prey items varied between 1.9 and 4.1 g H(2)O/g dry matter consumed. Based on these values and knowledge of their diet, we calculated that foxes captured about one rodent and a variety of anthropods per night of foraging.     

Ectoparasites burden of House mouse (Mus musculus linnaeus, 1758) from Hai’l region,Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The House mice (Mus musculus Linnaeus, 1758), play an important role in the transmission of diseases, both in humans and livestock, through ectoparasite carried on their feces, urine and hair remnants. The purpose of this study was to investigate the ectoparasites infestation, as well as their quantitative and qualitative abundance and, prevalence in the house mice captured from Hai’l region, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Parasitological investigations were performed on 70 house mice trapped during 2012–2013 from two localities (Hai’l City residential area and Al-Khitah agricultural farm habitats in Hai’l region). Captured mice were identified as males (34.3% and 48.6%) and females (65.7% and 51.4%) from the residential and agricultural farm habitats, respectively. The findings of the study showed that the sex ratio of the mice found in different habitats did not influence the level of ectoparasite infestation (P > 0.05). Therefore, we combined only sex-wise samples for each habitat and isolated habitats treated separately for our subsequent analyses. A total of 514 ectoparasites individuals belong to four species were recovered from the mice, which included 339 of flea (Xenopsylla cheopis Rothschild, 1903), 39 of sucking lice (Polyplax spinulosa Burmeister, 1835), 37 of sucking lice Polyplax serrata Burmeister, 1839), and 99 of mite species (Laelaps echidninus Berlese, 1887).The presence of zoonotic parasites indicates that Mus musculus as a reservoir, might represent a danger to the public health particularly in the two sampled areas. Results also suggest an increasingly need for further studies to assess the role of the ectoparasites of house mice and their possible involvment in transmission of diseases among these areas.     

Molecular characterization of the Fe‑hydrogenase gene marker in Trichomonas gallinae isolated from birds in Riyadh,Saudi Arabia

Trichomonas gallinae causes avian oropharyngeal trichomonosis. This pathogen affects a large number of bird species and may cause substantial economic losses to the poultry industry. Al-Azizia poultry market in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia is among the largest poultry markets in the Arabian Gulf. Birds traded in this market may be exposed to a variety of T. gallinae strains. Genetic diversity of T. gallinae among birds in the market was examined using Fe‑hydrogenase gene sequences. These sequences were amplified by PCR for twenty-nine isolates of T. gallinae from four different avian species, including 21 feral pigeons, one common mynah, three chickens, and four turkeys. Sequence analysis showed ten variant gene sequences. Nine sequences comprise a new subtype, including A(KSAF1), C(KSAF1) and C(KSAF3) with 34.48% (n = 10), 6.90% (n = 2), 6.90% (n = 2) of the isolates, respectively. Analyses also showed an additional five new sequences (KSAF1.1., KSAF2, KSAF13, KSAF14, KSAF15), representing 17.24% of the isolates. Subtype II (KSAF) was found in four feral pigeons (13.80%). To our knowledge, this report is the first to describe genotypes of T. gallinae from pigeons in Saudi Arabia using Fe‑hydrogenase gene sequences for subtyping. Subtype analysis infers the presence of multiple genotypes of T. gallinae in Saudi avian populations.     

Dissolved nitrogen in drinking water resources in Al-Mahareth village of Assir – Saudi Arabia

A water quality study was carried out on ground water wells, which serve as drinking water sources in farming communities in Al-Mahareth village of Assir region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The objective of this research was to determine concentrations of different forms of nitrogen in drinking water samples. Water samples were collected from these sources every 3 months (from January to December 2008) and analyzed for ammonia, nitrate and nitrite using the Plaintest Photometer Method. Results indicated that the annual mean concentration of nitrate, nitrite and ammonia varied from 23.09 to 25.06 mg/l, 0.006 to 0.36 mg/l and 0.008 to 0.179 mg/l, respectively. An important observation was that, in general, higher nitrate and nitrite concentrations were found during the rainy season compared to the dry season. Concentrations of these potentially toxic substances were below WHO acceptable limits for surface and ground waters, indicating that these water resources appear safe for drinking from a dissolved nitrogen perspective.     

Biological yields through agricultural extension activities and services: A case study from Al-Baha region – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

PurposeThis research determines the extent to which farmers benefit from agricultural extension activities and services through realizing higher biological crop yields in the Al-Baha region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Additionally, the nature of the relationship between the personal, economic and social characteristics of farmers and the degree to which they benefit from agricultural extension activities and services are studied.MethodologyA simple random sample representing the community of 315 farmers was drawn. Data were collected through a personal interview with a pre-tested questionnaire to satisfy the objectives of the study. Data are subjected to analyses and are interpreted in terms of percentages, arithmetic averages, and standard deviations in addition to the simple Pearson correlation coefficients.ResultsThe results show that most of the respondents depend on personal experience, friends, family and neighbors, merchants and sellers of agricultural production supplies as sources of agricultural information for enhanced crop yields. Multiple regression analysis reveals that both the educational status and the agricultural information sources are important factors that increase farmers benefit from extension activities. Farmers receive most benefits from the extension activities and services from bringing in foreign workers, conducting field trips to farms, and identifying problems faced by farmers.Research limitations/implicationsThe outcome of this questionnaire limits generalization of the findings for other parts of the Kingdom due to geographical and natural resources variations.Practical implicationsThe personal and socio-economic characteristics of the surveyed population provide the extension service with insight into their composition – a basis to formulate workable extension programs. For the extension planners of the area, this effort provides a baseline study and may assist with targeting the appropriate farmers and catering the right solutions to the problems. Such a study will help devise meaningful extension programs and save time and resources.Originality/valueLittle previous research on the usefulness of the Extension Service has been conducted in the region.ConclusionsEffective, well-planned extension programs targeting the educated and mature farmers provided more benefits and helped them obtain higher crop yields.     

Aspects of the breeding ecology and behaviors of the Bar-tailed Lark (Ammomanes cinctura) from Ha’il region in north of Saudi Arabia

The Bar-tailed Lark (Ammomanes cinctura) breeds in desert and semi-desert areas of the Saharo-Sindian region, from north-west Africa through the arid plains of the Arabian Peninsula to the Sind. Despite having a wide distribution, little information is available on the breeding ecology of this species. This study was conducted in a desert in the north of Saudi Arabia, where the daytime ambient temperature may exceed 40 °C. In contrast, the night ambient temperature may reach less than 10 °C in late spring and early summer. The objectives of this study were to collect some baseline data on some aspects of the breeding ecology of this species and to record the nest attendance behavior. The study found that Bar-tailed Larks preferred to nest under shrub trunks, which may camouflage both nests and incubating parents against predators and protect eggs, nestlings and incubating parents from hostile weather conditions. Moreover, nest attendance was high, as Bar-tailed Lark parents incubated their eggs 95.97 ± 2.62% over the entire day, and they seemed to maintain the eggs at temperatures around 23–33 °C. In addition, they incubated more at night than during the daytime. Temperatures under the shrubs at night fell below 21 °C, thus parents increased the nest attendance to warm the eggs and prevent the embryos from exposure to lethal temperatures.     

Socio-economic factors affecting the conservation of natural woodlands in Central Riyadh Area – Saudi Arabia

This study aimed to identify some socioeconomic factors affecting local people in central Riyadh area for the utilization of wood and other energy sources in cooking and heating in order to develop some recommendations for conserving woodlands. The study results revealed that gas is the most common energy source used for cooking with a mean usage level of 2.79 (SD = 0.58). On the other hand, wood ranked first for heating with the highest mean, usage level of 1.90 (SD = 1.06). However, electricity and gas as sources of energy for heating ranked second and third with mean usage level of 1.81 and 0.80 respectively. The study revealed that local people with the university education were significantly making higher use of electricity for both cooking and heating and those with no formal education ranked the highest on wood use for both cooking and heating. In addition, those living in traditional houses significantly used more wood for cooking than those living in villas and apartments. Also, local people with high income levels significantly were using more electricity for heating than others. The study recommended conducting extension and environmental awareness raising programs to enhance local residents’ adoption of wood substitutes, promoting employment opportunities for unemployed locals, and subsidizing prices of alternative energy sources.     

First record of the ant subfamily Aenictinae (Hymenoptera,Formicidae) from Saudi Arabia,with?the description of a new species

The ant subfamily Aenictinae is recorded for the first time from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and for the second time from the Arabian Peninsula. A new species Aenictus arabicus sp. n., is described from the worker caste. Aenictus arabicus belongs to the Aenictus wroughtonii-group and appears to be most closely related to Aenictus rhodiensis Menozzi, but can be easily distinguished from the latter by the following characters: overall smaller size; cephalic index (head width/head length) small; occipital corners in lateral view rounded; antennal scape when laid back surpassing approximately two-thirds of head length; funicular segments 2–8 each at least 2× as long as broad; subpetiolar process well developed; petiole and postpetiole distinctly imbricate; gaster and clypeus entirely yellow, teeth of mandibles reddish- brown. Aenictus arabicus was collected from leaf litter, next to a tree of Psidium guajava L. The new species also is similar to Aenictus sagei and Aenictus wroughtonii. Affinities and a key to related species of the species group are given.     

Saudis’ Attitudes toward Chemical Pollution of the Environment,Al-Baha Region,Saudi Arabia

The results of a public opinion survey were used to assess the variation in attitudes toward the chemical pollution of the environment among Saudi residents of the Al-Baha region, Saudi Arabia. A total of 17 statements were given to respondents, addressing general opinions about health risks from chemical pollution. The main findings of this study are: (1) Most Saudis consider the place where they live unhealthful; (2) there was substantial concern about exposure to chemicals with more than 77% of respondents indicating a conscious effort to avoid chemicals in their daily life; (3) chemicals were seen as predominantly being “dangerous” and leading to more harm than good, and they see that the more a person is exposed to chemicals causing cancer the more likely he/she will get cancer; (4) Respondents see that chemicals in the environment are less harmful than chemicals from lifestyle factors and they disagree with the statement that “use of chemicals has improved their health more than it has harmed them”; (5) Saudis are not prepared to accept some health risks in order to benefit the economy. The study did not find any potential relationship between gender, age range, place of residence, and education level and attitude toward chemical pollution among Saudi residents.     

Antioxidant,cytotoxic and antibacterial potentials of biosynthesized silver nanoparticles using bee’s honey from two different floral sources in Saudi Arabia

Nowadays, the innovative study of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) is excessive since they have incredible biomedical applications. The current study aimed to find out the potential of honey from two different floral sources (Ziziphus spina-christi and Acacia gerrardii) as biogenic mediators to synthesize AgNPs and to evaluate their antioxidant, cytotoxic and antimicrobial abilities. Biogenic AgNPs were studied for particle characterizations and the expected biomolecules helped in the reduction process of silver (Ag) ions to AgNPs. Results demonstrated different sizes (50–98 nm) and potentials −42 and −40 for AgNPs prepared using different biological materials, therefore different 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging free radicals were observed. Cytotoxic effect in a dose-dependent manner was detected against HepG2 ca cells for biogenic AgNPs resulted from cell apoptosis that detected by caspase 3/7 activation and AO/EB staining in the treated cells compared to their corresponding controls. Furthermore, biogenic AgNPs suppressed the growth of Methicillin-resistant bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive) besides Escherichia coli and Peseudomonas aeruginosa (Gram-negative). The IC₅₀ of AgNPs was between 15.8 and 14.1 μg/mL and the antibacterial capability was between 22.8 ± 1.2 and 17.0 ± 0.1 mm. Bacterial membrane disturbance was evident in the current study when treated bacteria were studied by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) in relation to untreated controls. Overall, the present findings indicated the possibility of simple green synthesis of AgNPs using bee’s honey, which are effective agents in some biomedical applications. Detailed future work is needed to further validate the results.     

Is the biomass of water hyacinth lost through herbivory in native areas important?

The lamina area damaged and biomass per leaves removed by invertebrate herbivores were measured across seasons on water hyacinth, Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms (Pontederiaceae). The amount of the leaf biomass per meter square lost through herbivory was also assessed in different sampling dates in the plant population. Ten leaves of water hyacinth were sampled in each of 18 site-habitat-date combinations. Sampling dates were chosen to follow the plant phenology. The lamina area damaged (surface abrasions and holes) was measured with the visual estimation method; biomass removed by herbivores (surface abrasions and holes) was calculated indirectly from the damaged lamina area. Significant differences in total damaged area and removed biomass per lamina were found between sampling dates at each site, with highest values in March (end of growth period). Total damaged area per lamina (surface abrasions + holes) varied between 11% in March and 6% in July (decay period). Total removed biomass (surface abrasions + holes) varied between 27% in March and 13% in July. Significant differences in biomass removed by herbivory were found between sampling dates at each site. Biomass of lamina removed by herbivores per m⁻² varied between 26 and 13% in different seasons. The herbivore damage of discrete samples and the indirect method to calculate the biomass removed is useful in sites with aquatic free floating plants, where experimental exclusion of insects may be difficult to carry out.     

New records of fungal pathogens of euphorbia inarticulata from Aseer region,south-west Saudi Arabia: Neue aufzeichnungen über fungale pathogene von euphorbia inarticulata aus der Aseer-region im südwesten Saudi Arabiens

A 12 month period survey of the fungi associated with Euphorbia inarticulata was evaluated. Sampling was concentrated mainly in Aseer region (South-West Saudi Arabia) and seven fungal species were identified as pathogens of this plant. Melampsora euphorbiae and Alternaria euphorbiicola were the most common species on this plant. Bipolaris euphorbiae, Botrytis ricini, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, Oidium sp., Sphaceloma poinsettiase and Uromyces euphorbiae were less frequent species. These fungal pathogens were recorded for the first time on Euphorbia inarticulata in Saudi Arabia. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy revealed the colonization of M. euphorbiae, as an example, in leaf tissues of E. inarticulata. Remarkable ultrastructural changes in chloroplasts and nuclei of infected cells of E. inarticulata as a result of infection by M. euphorbiae were observed.     

Cytogenetic,cytotoxic and GC–MS studies on concrete and absolute oils from Taif rose,Saudi Arabia

Taif rose (Rosa damascena trigintipetala Dieck) is a sort of damask rose, which is considered as one of the most important economic products of Taif. In this study, the authors investigated the possible cytotoxic, genotoxic, antimutagenic and anticancer effect of concrete and absolute rose oils. The results showed that both concrete and absolute rose oils were cytotoxically and genotoxically safe at a dose of 10 μg/ml when tested on cultures of normal human blood lymphocytes. Also, the results showed significant antimutagenic activity at p < 0.001 for absolute rose oil at the same dose level when tested on cultures of normal human blood lymphocytes supplemented with 300 ng/ml mitomycin C (MMC). On the other hand, concrete and absolute oils exerted a cytotoxic activity against two kinds of human cancer cell lines: HepG2 and MCF7. Concrete oil showed cytotoxic activity against HepG2 and MCF7 with a half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) of 16.28 and 18.09 μg/ml, respectively, whereas absolute rose oil showed its cytotoxic activity against HepG2 and MCF7 with an IC₅₀ of 24.94 and 19.69, respectively. From this study, it is concluded that concrete and absolute rose oils are cytotoxically and genotoxically safe at a dose of 10 μg/ml when tested on cultures of normal human blood lymphocytes. In addition, absolute oil has an antimutagenic activity at the same dose. Further investigations are needed to study the activity of higher doses of both oils in vitro and in vivo in experimental animals in order to evaluate the capability of using these oils as therapeutic for treatment of some kinds of cancers.