Oral Presentations
O1 A stable conformer may lead to the chirality without an apparent chiral center;
a model through a bis-bromoindole derivative as candidate drug against some serotonin
receptors
Kamal Sweidan1, Muhammed Alzweiri2, Firas Awwadi1
1Department of Chemistry, School of Science, The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan;
2Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan
Correspondence: Muhammed Alzweiri (m.alzweiri@ju.edu.johe)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):O1
Background
Biscompounds may give better chance of binding with receptors due to increasing the
probability of attachment from two sides of the structure with the receptor. On the
other hand, the chirality introduces a chance for further adjustment of binding.
Materials and methods
3,3'-(2-nitropropane-1,3-diyl)bis(4-bromo-1H-indole) has been synthesized as a model
compound with intentional modifications via bromine atoms in order to give rise a
possibility of variation in dipole moment around the stable conformer of the structure.
Consequently, this may induce the chirality in the compound even without an apparent
chiral center. NMR and single X-ray crystallography were used to study the chirality
of the compound. Subsequently, the generated isomers were exposed for docking studies
against a group of common serotonin receptors.
Results and conclusions
The chirality of the biscompound was confirmed by the analytical tools. Interestingly,
its optical isomerism was discriminated by some of the receptors including 5HT3A,
5HT2B-bril, 5HT1F and 5HT1A. The docking scores of the biscompound isomers are not
very inferior from those of the positive control; serotonin. Interestingly, some fine
modifications such as the reduction of the nitro group in the biscompound generates
a candidate compound has even more affinity toward the tested receptors than the positive
control, except against 5HT1F.
O2 Teratogenic potential of Solenstemma argel extract in Wistar albino rats
Nazik M.E Muatafa1, Shahenaz Satti2, Nafisa Osman3, Ahmed A Gameel4, Tarig M El-Hadiyah5
1Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al Neelain University, Khartoum,
Sudan; 2Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Al Neelain University, Khartoum,
Sudan; 3Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al Neelain University,
Khartoum, Sudan 4Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University
of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan; 5Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, International
University of Africa, Khartoum, Sudan
Correspondence: Nazik M.E Muatafa (nazik.mohamed@neelain.edu.sd)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):O2
Most people in Africa use herbal remedies for their primary healthcare needs. Herbal
medicine may permanently harm a fetus' development.
The teratogenic potential of Solenstemma argel extract was investigated in this study
in pregnant Wister albino rats. A dose of 250 mg/kg Solenstemma argel extract was
administered to pregnant rats intraperitoneal from the seventh to the sixteenth day
of gestation. The group receiving Solenstemma argel extract displayed 25% of the fetuses
abnormal. Fetal abnormalities including body bleeding, limb deformities, and fetus
resorption. That was significantly different from the control group (P-value = 0.01).
Furthermore, histopathological findings of liver sections from fetuses of Solenstemma
argel - treated mothers showed loose liver texture and hepatocytes hemorrhage.
Based on the findings of this study, we conclude that administration of Solenstemma
argel extract to pregnant rats during the organogenesis phase have teratogenic effects
and alter liver histology of fetuses.
O3 Lipid nanoparticles formulations: from bench scale to industrial scale
Mohammad A Obeid
Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Yarmouk
University, Irbid, Jordan
Correspondence: Mohammad A Obeid (m.obeid@yu.edu.jo)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):O3
Lipid nanoparticles are self-assembling vesicles obtained by hydrating a mixture of
non-lipids and cholesterol and are suitable as carriers of drugs and biopharmaceuticals.
It is desirable to be able to accurately control size and polydispersity of the vesicles
as this can impact on biological outcomes. Moreover, its crucial to formulate these
nanoparticles in a scalable method that can be used in industrial settings. One approach
that has been successful for lipid-based systems is the use of microfluidic mixing
which allows for the precise control of the generated nanoparticles. Microfluidic
mixing has been compared with a traditional method such as thin film hydration method
and heating method using niosomes as a model nanoparticle.
Niosomes are lipid bilayer vesicles that are composed of non-ionic surfactant. These
nanoparticles were successfully prepared by microfluidic mixing which is a recently
developed method used to prepare lipid-based nanoparticles and results in the production
of small vesicles with efficient encapsulation of a therapeutic agent. To prepare
niosomes using microfluidic mixing, specific volumes from each stock solution of the
lipids components will be mixed together to prepare the lipid phase. The lipid phase
will then be injected into the first inlet and the aqueous phase into the second inlet
of the microfluidic microchannel, with the mixing temperature set above the phase
transition of the lipids. The flow rate ratios (FRR) between the aqueous and organic
phase and the total flow rates (TFR) of both phases are among the factors that control
the particles production using this method.
The generated niosomes were compared with the niosomes that have the same components
but prepared with different methods such as the thin film hydration method which usually
will be followed by extrusion step for size reduction.
The size of niosomes produced by microfluidic mixing was controlled by altering the
FRR and TFR in both the lipid and aqueous phases. In contrast, niosomes prepared by
the TFH method and heating method were large, polydisperse, and required a post-manufacturing
extrusion size reduction step (around 4μm ± 0.2 before extrusion). A stability study
for the prepared niosomes at four temperatures (4, 25, 37 and 50°C) for 4 weeks indicates
that the vesicles were shown to be stable in terms of size and polydispersity index
(PDI).
The prepared particles were investigated for their ability to encapsulate and deliver
several therapeutic agents such as doxorubicin, paclitaxel, cisplatin, nucleic acids,
and many other hydrophilic and hydrophobic molecules.
O4 Antioxidant and α-amylase inhibitory activities of different extracts of olive
leaves from Jordan
Maher M Al-Dabbas
College of Pharmacy, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Al Ain University, Abu
Dhabi, UAE
Correspondence: Maher M Al-Dabbas (maher.dabbas@aau.ac.ae)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):O4
The present study was designed to evaluate the antioxidant and α-amylase inhibitory
activities of aqueous, ethanol and ethyl acetate extracts from Nabali and wild olive
leaves grown in Jordan. The extracts were procured through ultrasonic-assisted extraction.
Three experimental models were employed for the antioxidant activity evaluation of
each extract (DPPH radical scavenging activity, chelating power and reducing power
activities). The enzymatic inhibitory activity of α-amylase was evaluated by CNP-G3
assay. Moreover, total phenolics, flavonoids and flavonols contents of the olive leaves
extracts were quantified. The ethanolic wild leaves extract showed the highest total
phenolics content (113.97 mg GAE/g), followed by the ethyl acetate extract of Nabali
leaves (102.2 mg GAE/g). Flavonoid and flavonol contents were significantly (P ≤ 0.05)
the highest in ethyl acetate extract of wild leaves (123.07 mg RE/g and 91.3 mg RE/g,
respectively). The ethanolic wild leaves extract and ethyl acetate extract of Nabali
leaves showed the highest DPPH scavenging activity with IC50 value of 192.1 μg/ml.
The total antioxidant activity was found to be the highest in ethanolic wild leaves
and ethyl acetate of Nabali leaves extracts (202.1 and 202.3 μg ascorbic acid equivalent
for 1mg extract, respectively). The ethanolic, ethyl acetate wild leaves extracts
and ethyl acetate of Nabali extract at concentration of 100 μg/ml showed the highest
chelating activity of ferrous ions (52.4, 50.5 and 47.2 %, respectively). The ethanolic
extracts of wild and Nabali leaves showed the highest inhibitory activity against
α-amylase from the porcine pancreas by 65.1% and 62.3%, respectively at concentrations
of 10 mg/ml. All extracts showed remarkable antioxidant activities determined with
different methods in a dose dependent manner and the effects depend strongly on the
solvent used for the extraction.
O5 A Promising avenue for Raloxifene as an anticancer agent: comparative nanovesicles
formulation, characterization, and in vitro cytotoxicity study
Jana K Al Wattar, Mohammad Assi, Mohammad Rahal
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Lebanese International
University, Beirut, Lebanon
Correspondence: Jana K Al Wattar (Jana.wattar@liu.edu.lb)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):O5
Background
Triple negative breast cancer is an aggressive disease, which accounts for high percentage
of breast cancer morbidity, hence rigorous efforts are focused on the development
of effective therapies to overcome the disorder. Raloxifene hydrochloride (RLX) is
an FDA approved, second generation, selective estrogen receptor modulator, which acts
as an antiresorptive agent in bones which increases bone mineral density thus it is
used in the treatment of osteoporosis. In addition, the antiandrogenic and antiestrogen
activities of RLX allow its application for long term female hormonal replacement
therapy, fibrocystic disease and benign prostate hypertrophy. Furthermore, RLX can
be used in postmenopausal women for treatment of breast cancer. Though, this drug
possesses the desirable therapeutic activity and minimized risk aptitude, yet its
pharmacokinetic characteristics represent a drawback for its use. To overcome these
limitations, a series of nanovesicles as a potential anticancer targeting system were
investigated.
Materials and methods
Raloxifene loaded nanocarriers including hexosomes, nanoliposomes, nanoniosomes and
nanomicelles were formulated and characterized including particle size, zeta potential,
morphology, entrapment efficiency, structural elucidation and cytotoxicity.
Results
Results revealed that each nanocarrier presented a nanometric size with reasonable
encapsulation efficiency yet the RLX loaded hexosomal formulation exhibited the lowest
mean particle size of 96.0 ± 3.1 nm with narrow distribution, highest entrapment efficiency
(92.6±5.3%.) and lowest zeta potential (33.6±2.2 mV) confirming the effectiveness
of this lipidic nanosystem for RLX encapsulation. Cytotoxicity of the different Raloxifene
loaded nanovesicles on MCF-7 breast cancer cell lines and MCF10 non tumorigenic cell
revealed the substantial cytotoxic activity of the hexosomal nanocarrier compared
to the other nanovesicles exhibiting the lowest IC50 = 57.5 μm.
Conclusion
Cell viability in both breast cancer cell lines confirmed the effective cytotoxicity
of loaded hexosomal nanocarrier with a dose-dependent decrease. Thus future subcellular
and molecular studies of this effective nanocarrier system must be performed.
O6 Fortified blended foods from extruded sorghum cowpea and sorghum soybean blends
Sajid Alavi1, Nicole Delimont1, Sirichat Chanadang2, Michael Joseph3, Brian Lindshield1,
Edgar Chambers1, Mahmoud Abu-Ghoush4
1Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA; 2Srinakharinwirot University, Bangkok,
Thailand; 3North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; 4Al Ain
University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
Correspondence: Sajid Alavi (salavi@ksu.edu)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):O6
Background
Fortified blended foods (FBFs) are the primary products used by food aid agencies
in alleviating undernutrition around the world [1].
Materials and Methods
New FBFs based on grain sorghum were developed using extrusion. Binary mixtures of
cowpea flour or soybean flour and sorghum flour were extruded to produce sorghum cowpea
and sorghum soy composites. Extrudates were ground using a hammer mill and fortified
with nutrients to obtain sorghum cowpea and sorghum soy blends. A 20-week long clinical
nutrition trial involving 2,000 children of age 6-60 months was conducted in Tanzania
to study the efficacy of the FBFs.
Results
The products met the new international nutritional guidelines for FBFs including energy
content of 400 kcal/100g, protein content of 18% and an adequate complement of micronutrients
such as iron and vitamin A. Physicochemical properties of the extruded and ground
composites were related to their final quality including flowability and ease of consumption.
Odds for anemia occurrence decreased faster with all tested FBFs as compared to the
control group, with greatest impact observed for sorghum cowpea blend. After 20 weeks,
extruded sorghum based fortified blend had the highest odds against vitamin A deficiency
and this was the only cluster showing a statistically significant (p<0.05) improvement
in comparison to the control cluster. Consumer testing results indicated that all
new FBFs were more preferred by Tanzanian children as compared to traditional non-extruded
FBF (corn soy blend plus).
Conclusions
The newly developed extruded sorghum-cowpea and sorghum-soy FBFs were found to be
suitable alternatives to the traditional corn-soy blend product used in food aid [2].
These products can broaden the basket of commodities in nutritional intervention programs,
have the potential to be GMO-free, can address price volatility and allow easier local
and regional procurement as crops such as sorghum and cowpea are grown indigenously
in Africa.
Trial registration
ClincialTrials.gov Identifier NCT02847962
Acknowledgements
McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program, Micronutrient
Fortified Food Aid Products Pilot (MFFAPP) United States Department of Agriculture
(USDA) Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS).
References
Joseph. Extrusion, Physico-chemical characterization and nutritional evaluation of
sorghum-based high protein, micronutrient fortified blended foods. M.V. 2016; Ph.D.
thesis, Kansas State University.
Delimont, N.M., Vahl, C.I., Kayanda, R., Msuya, W., Mulford, M., Alberghine, P., Praygod,
G., Mngara, J., Alavi, S., and Lindshield,. Complementary feeding of sorghum-based
and corn-based fortified blended foods results in similar iron, vitamin A and anthropometric
outcomes in the MFFAPP Tanzania efficacy study. B.L. 2019; Current Developments in
Nutrition, nzz027.
O7 Effect of magnesium supplementation on diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain: a
randomized, placebo-controlled study of diabetic patients with hypomagnesemia
Nadia Hussain1,2, Amal Hussain Ibrahim AlHaddad3, Semira Beshir4, Zainab Khan5, Amira
S.A Said6,7,
1Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University, UAE;
2AAU Health and Biomedical Research Center, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi, UAE; 3Chief
Operations Office, Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City (SSMC) in partnership with Mayo Clinic,
Abu Dhabi, UAE; 4Clinical Pharmacy & Pharmacotherapeutics Department, Dubai Pharmacy
College, Dubai, UAE; 5Department of Internal Medicine, Punjab Care hospital, Lahore,
Punjab, Pakistan; 6Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University,
Al Ain, UAE; 7Clinical Pharmacy Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Beni Suef University,
Beni Suef, Egypt
Correspondence: Nadia Hussain (nadia.hussain@aau.ac.ae)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):O7
Diabetic peripheral neuropathy that affects approximately 60% of individuals with
diabetes worldwide with significant impact of patient’s quality of life. Hypomagnesemia
is associated with the development of neuropathy. In the present study we investigated
the effect of magnesium supplementation on diabetic neuropathic pain and peripheral
nerve function over 24 weeks in South Asian male diabetic patients with established
peripheral diabetic neuropathy and hypomagnesemia. Analgesic effectiveness was assessed
by observing any change in the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) score, Brief Pain
Inventory (BPI) for painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (BPI-DPN question 4) and
Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC). Demographic, medical and laboratory data
including serum magnesium and HbA1c were collected. Our study screened 212 male patients
with T2DM and 63 had hypomagnesemia. These individuals were then divided into two
groups; those who received magnesium supplementation (Group M) and those who received
placebo (Group PM). Group M experienced a more significant reduction in the average
pain intensity (p < 0.05) during the last 24 hours. Group M showed more significant
reduction of pain compared to the control group (p <0.01), a baseline score of 5.1
± 1.2 dropped to 3.1 ± 1.5 by week 24 of treatment, in comparison to control group.
Change in mean daily pain intensity was – 2.3 ± 1.5 [95% CI: -2.45, -1.5]. Group M
experienced a significant overall improvement in the health status during the study.
After week 2 of treatment, patient satisfaction scores were 2.8 ± 1.1 in Group M which
increased to 3.9 ± 1.2 by week 24 of treatment. Our study showed a sustained response
to magnesium supplementation as evidenced by the maintenance of treatment response
over 24 weeks. Magnesium supplementation was generally well tolerated and an effective
long-term treatment option that may additionally benefit those patients requiring
pain relief from systemic therapies.
O8 Innovative strategy to reveal the unique chemistry of the human microbiome
Walaa Mousa1,2
1College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University, Al Ain, UAE; 2College of Pharmacy, Mansoura
University, Mansoura, Egypt
Correspondence: Walaa Mousa (walaa.mousa@aau.ac.ae)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):O8
Background
The human body hosts trillions of diverse microbes, collectively known as the microbiota.
These microbes secrete molecules with unique chemistry thought to be evolved with
us to specifically recognise human cellular receptors resulting in health or disease.
Discovery of these unique chemistry will revolutionize our understanding of the microbiome-host
interaction and represent an opportunity for translational research and commercialization.
Current discovery approach relies mostly on machine learning tools that predict the
gene cluster encoding specific classes of secondary metabolites. These genome-centered
tools predict molecules based on similarity to known compounds and genes meaning they
can only predict known classes of natural products and fail to reveal the entire landscape
of microbiome-secreted chemistry.
Methods
In this research, we use a mass spectrometry-based protocol to identify novel ions
based on molecular networking strategy.
Results
Using this analysis we report the discovery of two unique microbiome-molecules with
immunomodulatory activity.
Conclusion
This research leverages our understanding of microbiome-chemistry and its impact on
developing microbiome-based therapeutics.
O9 Development and validation of green ATR-FTIR spectroscopic method for quantitative
analysis of ibuprofen tablets
Khairi M. S Fahelelbom, Abdullah Salah, Ramez Mansour, Rami Abujarad
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University, P.O.
Box 64141, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
Correspondence: Khairi M. S Fahelelbom (Khairi.mustafa@aau.ac.ae)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):O9
Background
Attenuated total reflection- Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy has
been successfully employed as a quantitative approach for the determination of Ibuprofen
in some of its commercially available dosage forms. Herein, the technique has been
validated as an alternative green tool that evades necessary sample preparation procedures
required in traditional quantitative methods
Method
The CO of the Ibuprofen stretching band in the range 1620-1750 cm-1 has been selected
for the quantitative determination of Ibuprofen in original samples. The first derivative
measurements have determined the packing area (AUC) from ATR-FTIR spectral scanning
of samples. Spectral data analysis and method validation including linearity, specificity,
the limit of detection, accuracy, and precision were determined. The technique has
been validated through the comparison of statistical results according to the standard
procedures.
Objective
Green and nondestructive method using the ATR-FTIR method was proposed and validated
for the quantitative analysis of Ibuprofen tablet dosage forms
Results
Assay tests have indicated that there are no excipients or additives of the commercial
tablets interferences. The linearity is excellent within the concentration range of
0.2 to 1.5 w/w % (r = 0.9994). Repeated analysis results are associated with comparable
standard and relative standard deviations. Hence, it is concluded that the precision
of the technique is acceptable. A percentage of recoveries of 99.81, 101.54, and 99.41
respectively are in good agreement with pharmacopeia percent recovery standards. The
high degree of sensitivity of the technique was demonstrated by obtaining a 0.028
w/w % detection limit and a 0.1599 w/w % limit of quantification values.
Conclusions
The first derivative ATR-FTIR spectroscopy has been successfully demonstrated as a
greener alternative method in pharmaceutical analysis. The high accuracy and precision
degrees obtained in this method for a number of commercial Ibuprofen tablets can be
generalized for many similar applications.
O10 Urinary tract infection case study
Adel S Sadeq
College of Pharmacy, Al Ain university, Al Ain Campus, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Correspondence: Adel S Sadeq (adel.sadeq@aau.ac.ae)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):O10
Urinary tract infection (UTI) is the most common bacterial infection found in both
males and females after respiratory and gastro-intestinal infections.
Despite the fact, that both the genders are susceptible to the infection, women are
mostly vulnerable due to their anatomy and reproductive physiology.
The infection is usually caused as a consequence of bacterial invasion of the different
parts of the urinary tract including the lower and the upper urinary tract. UTIs is
the most common cause of both community-acquired and nosocomial infections for patients
admitted to hospitals.
The repeated infections by an organism from the same species that caused previous
infections is typically responsible for recurrences. For better management and prognosis,
it is mandatory to know the possible site of infection, whether the infection is uncomplicated
or complicated, re-infection or relapse, or treatment failure and its pathogenesis
and risk factors.
Symptomatic urinary tract infections occur most commonly in women of child-bearing
age. There was an association between ESBL causing UTIs and the BMI, recent hospitalization,
and recent antibiotics usage and diabetes mellitus.
Identifying the risk factors of UTIs caused by ESBL bacteria helps to determine the
high-risk patients and enables the most appropriate antimicrobial treatment. Cystitis
predominates but needs to be distinguished from acute urethral syndrome that affects
both sexes and has a different management plan than UTIs. Complicated urinary tract
infection case study is presented as one example.
O11 A Bibliometric study: Pharmacy practice research in the UAE
Daneh Obaid1, Faris El-Dahiyat1, Zaheer-Ud-Din Babar2
1Clinical Pharmacy Program, College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University, P.O Box 64141,
Al Ain, United Arab Emirates; 2Department of Pharmacy, School of Applied Sciences,
University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield HD1 3DH, West Yorkshire, UK
Correspondence: Daneh Obaid (dana.obaid@aau.ac.ae)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):O11
Introduction
The importance of developing research activity in the pharmacy practice domain was
emphasized by the proactive changes that occur in this field.[1] Evidence from pharmacy
practice research validates the necessity and effectiveness of current and potential
pharmacy services.[2] The UAE is from the high-income countries in the middle east
that provide a pronounced intention for scientific research.[3] This review is designed
to identify the pharmacy practice literature published in the UAE.
Method
A bibliometric analysis was conducted based on previously collected data about Pharmacy
practice and clinical pharmacy research in the Middle East.[4] A thematic synthesis
was used to visualize the themes covered in the UAE publications.
Results
82 publications were identified in the field of pharmacy practice in the UAE during
the period between 2009-2019. Around 70% of these publications were on two themes;
Pharmacy practice and pharmacist services with n=31 (37.8%) articles, and Medication
use and pharmacogenomics with n=26 (31.7%) articles. Less intensity of studies was
about Medication safety and pharmacovigilance n=7 (8.5%), and Pharmacy education and
professional development n=10(12.2%). Furthermore, a lack of studies concerning; Medication
information and public health promotion n=2 (2.4%), Pharmaco-economics and pharmaceutical
policies n=2 (2.4%), and Clinical research n=4 (5%) was noticed.
Conclusion
The predominant theme observed in UAE for pharmacy practice research articles was
Pharmacy practice and pharmacist services, however, a deficiency in pharmaco-economic
and pharmaceutical policies studies was detected. Some repetitive ideas were noticed
in several themes; this can be avoided by setting a research agenda.
References
Hasan SS, Thiruchelvam K, Kairuz T, Abbas N, Babar ZU. Pharmacy practice and its research:
evolution and definitions. Encyclopedia of Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Pharmacy.
Elsevier-Academic Press; 2019 Jan
Luetsch K, Maidment I, Twigg M, Rowett D. Realist research to inform pharmacy practice
and policy. Research in social and administrative pharmacy. 2021 Dec 1;17(12):2075-81.
Meo SA, Usmani AM, Vohra MS, Bukhari IA. Impact of GDP, spending on R&D, number of
universities and scientific journals on research publications in pharmacological sciences
in Middle East. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2013 Oct 1;17(20):2697-705.
Obaid D, El-Dahiyat F, Babar ZU. Pharmacy practice and clinical pharmacy research
in the Middle East: a scoping review of studies from Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait,
Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice. 2022 Dec;15(1):1-5.
O12 Characterization of probiotic lactic acid bacteria form honeybee for potential
use in food applications
Mohamed G Shehata1,2, Nourhan M Abd El-Aziz2, Amira M. G. Darwish2, Sobhy A El-Sohaimy2,3,
Saad H Masry4,5
1Food Research Section, R&D Division, Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority
(ADAFSA), Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 52150, United Arab Emirates; 2Food Technology Department,
Arid Lands Cultivation Research Institute (ALCRI), City of Scientific Research and
Technology Applications (SRTACITY), New Borg El-Arab City, Alexandria, Egypt; 3Department
of Technology and Organization of Public Catering, Institute of Sport Tourism and
Services, South Ural State University, Chelyabinsk 454080, Russia; 4Abu Dhabi Agriculture
and Food Safety Authority, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates; 5Department of Plant Protection
and Molecular Diagnoses, Arid Lands Cultivation Research Institute, City of Scientific
Research and Technological Applications, 21934 Alexandria, Egypt
Correspondence: Saad H Masry (saad.masry@ADAFSA.GOV.AE)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):O12
Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are gram-positive bacterial strain which had an important
role in food applications. They produce a large number of metabolites with beneficial
effects on human health as a fermentation end product. This study aim to determine
the probiotic characteristics and fermentation profile of eight selected LAB isolated
from honeybees’ stomach and mid-gut. Physiological properties, cell surface properties
(hydrophobicity, autoaggregation, co- aggregation, adhesion to Caco-2 cell), acid
and bile tolerance, exopolysaccharide (EPS) production, hemolytic and tolerance to
sodium chloride, resistance toward lysozyme and heat, and fermentation profile (pH
and growth) were examined. The antioxidant effects of intact cells, intracellular
and cell-free supernatant (CFS) of LAB strains were assessed by several antioxidant
DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging assays were also determined. The results showed that
all LAB isolates showed auto-aggregation ability, good hydrophobicity ability against
different organic solvents, high co-aggregation, moderate antimicrobial activity and
EPS production. The survival percentages of simulated gastric and intestinal juice
conditions of LAB varied greatly. Among the isolates, Pediococcus pentosaceus HBMSS2
and Lactobacillus plantarum HBMSS3 exhibited remarkable tolerance to sodium chloride
and good resistance toward lysozyme and heat. Besides, they showed very promising
fermentation profiles. Also, the antioxidant activity of Pediococcus pentosaceus HBMSS2
and Lactobacillus plantarum HBMSS3 bacterial lysate and CFS exhibited an excellent
antioxidant capacity. The current study demonstrated the high antioxidant property
of a two probiotic strains from honeybee. This may be a promising finding for future
applying of these probiotics in food applications.
O13 Detoxification role of Lactobacilli fermented Opuntia ficus indica juice on cadmium
toxicity in male rats
Mohamed G Shehata1,2, Nourhan M Abd El-Aziz1, Ahmed Noah Badr3, Ebtehal A Farrage4,
Amira M G Darwish1,5
1Food Technology Department, Arid Lands Cultivation Research Institute, City of Scientific
Research and Technological Applications (SRTA-City), New Borg El-Arab, Alexandria
21934, Egypt; 2Food Research Section, R&D Division, Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food
Safety Authority (ADAFSA), Abu Dhabi 20602, United Arab Emirates; 3Food Toxicology
and Contaminants Department, National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo 12622, Egypt;
4Pathology Department, Medical Research Institute, Alexandria University, Egypt; 5Food
Industry Technology Program, Faculty of Industrial and Energy Technology, Borg Al
Arab Technological University (BATU), Alexandria 21934, Egypt
Correspondence: Mohamed G Shehata (mohamed.shehata@adafsa.gov.ae)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):O13
Cadmium is well-known toxic metal capable of having adverse effects on the liver and
kidney most especially on prolonged exposure. This study seeks to produce a Lactobacilli
fermented Opuntia ficus indica juice and assess its detox effect on cadmium intoxicated
male rats. Adult male albino rats were exposed to cadmium for 60 days at a concentration
of 10 mg/kg CdCl2. Samples of blood and tissue were assayed for cadmium adverse exposure
effects. Liver and kidney homogenates were used for biochemical analysis and the estimation
of the expression levels of TNF-α, P53, BCL-2 and IL-1 genes. Samples of liver and
kidney were also used for histological analysis. Results show that accumulation of
cadmium in the liver was 4.7 folds greater than kidney. Significant (P < 0.05) alterations
in the levels of TNF-α, P53, BCL-2 and IL-1 genes were observed in treated groups
compared to the control. Treatment with non-fermented (NCJ) and fermented (FCJ) cactus
pear juice, succeeded to exert decrease the toxic effects to the Cd-treated rats.
The FCJ expressed beneficial treatment on reversing the harmful effect of Cd exposure
than NCJ in experimental rats. The present study has shown that the toxicity of Cd
can be ameliorated by using of non-fermented (NCJ) and fermented (FCJ) cactus pear
juice and special attention should be drawn to Lactobacilli fermented products to
face the heavy metals environmental pollution.
O14 Innovative applications of Damas (Conocarpus spp.) extracts as a safe source of
phenolic compounds
Hanan S Afifi1, Mohamed G Shehata1,3, Mahmoud Abdul Aziz2, Ahmed Zaki2, Majduleen
M A Shanik1
1Food Research Section, R&D Division, Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority
(ADAFSA), UAE; Research Station Section, R&D Division, Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food
Safety Authority (ADAFSA), UAE; 3Food Technology Department, Arid Lands Cultivation
Research Institute (ALCRI), City of Scientific Research and Technology Applications
(SRTACITY), New Borg El-Arab City, Alexandria, Egypt
Correspondence: Hanan S Afifi (hanan.afifi@adafsa.gov.ae)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):O14
This study aims to discover innovative applications employing allelopathic potential
of damas (Conocarpus spp.) and neem trees. Extracts were prepared using maceration
method with sequential polarization solvents including water (W), ethanol (E) and
acetone (A) at different temperatures (35, 40 and 45°C) from leaves and fruits of
C. lancifolius (CL), C. erectus (CE) and neem (N).
Aqueous extraction of C. erectus leaf at 40°C had the maximum content of phenolic
components (1128.8±3.75 μg GAE/g). Furthermore, C. lancifolius and C. erectus fruit
extracted with ethanol and acetone at 40° and 45°C, respectively, contained the maximum
content of flavonoids (149.95±1.0 and 149.90±1.10 μg Catechol/g). While C. lancifolius
leaf and fruit extracts, extracted by water and ethanol at 35°C, possessed the highest
antioxidant activity (93.52±0.92% and 93.49±0.39 %, respectively).
In term of antibacterial effects, ethanol extract of CLF at 35°C had the highest effect
on E. coli and P. aeruginosa. While aqueous extracts of CEL and CLL at 40 and 45°C
respectively, and ethanolic extract of CEF at 45°C, had the greatest effects on Salmonella
senftenberg. Furthermore, the highest inhibition zone on Yersinia enterocolitica is
shown by CEL (extracted at 40°C with water) and CLF (extracted at 40°C with ethanol),
while the highest inhibition for Campylobacter jejuni was obtained with ethanolic
CLF at 40°C.
Regarding anti-weeds applications, CLF-45W and CLF-45E extracts had the highest inhibitory
effects on bermudagrass seed germination (32.66% and 29.66%, respectively), which
will help to suppress weed growth. Additionally, Conocarpus spp. was used to extract
high concentration of gallic acid (7480 mg/kg), p-hydroxy benzoic acid (20217.23 mg/kg),
chlorogenic acid (11522 mg/kg) and vanillic acid (14809.23 mg/kg), which can be employed
in the pharmaceutical and food industries. Regarding food application as a fig fruit
preservative, CEF-45E shows the lowest percentage of weight loss, while CLF-35E shows
the best appearance and color.
O15 Assessing the anthropometrics of young athletes in the United Arab Emirates
Seham Al Raish1, Carine Platat2
1Hemaya Institute for Health, Safety, Environment and Food Science, Sharjah Research;
Technology and Innovation Park, Sharjah 66636, United Arab Emirates; 2Department of
Nutrition and Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab; Emirates
University, Al Ain 15551, United Arab Emirates
Correspondence: Seham Al Raish (200440261@uaeu.ac.ae)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):O15
Background
Nutrition is an essential component of human health and development. However, the
prevalence of overweight and obesity is increasing worldwide, as are obesity-related
diseases. The skinfold measurement method is the most widely used body fat composition
testing method for assessing body fat percentage. Body mass index (BMI) is an index
of weight-for-height that is commonly used to classify weight category.
Materials and methods
The goal of this research was to determine the prevalence of body weight, body fat,
and waist circumference. Body Mass Index (BMI) and body fat percentages were calculated
by different skinfold thickness and by body fat analyzer and waist circumference were
calculated for each subject, and WHO classification was used to define the cut points
in a cross-sectional study among 59 male soccer players aged 13-18 years recruited
from Al Jazira Academic sports clubs in the United Arab Emirates.
Results
According to the findings, the prevalence of underweight, overweight, and obesity
was 1.69%, 6.7%, and 0%, respectively, with a healthy weight of 91.50%. The respondents'
average mean body fat percentage as measured by a body fat analyzer was 16.463.28%.
Biceps 4.662.20 mm, Triceps 7.442.58 mm, supra-iliac 7.552.94 mm, and subscapular
8.172.00 mm were the mean body fat percentages calculated by skinfold thickness. The
average skinfold reading for athletes was 55.91% for triceps and 72.85% for sub-scapular.
According to NCHS waist percentiles, 69.60% of athletes fell into the 5th - 25th percentile,
26.80% in the 50th, and the rest were in the 5th.
Conclusions
Our findings could be used in obesity awareness promotion and nutrition education
programs because they show that some athletes have unhealthy weight, skin fold, and
waist circumference when compared to others. However, more research into the determinants
of obesity and body fat, such as age, gender, race, nutrition, and changes over time,
is required.
Acknowledgements
We would to thanks both UAEU and Dr Amjed for their support.
O16 Medicinal plants of United Arab Emirates: their database, traditional uses and
natural source for drug discovery
Mohamed T Mousa
National Herbarium Supervisor, Biology Department, College of Science, UAEU, UAE
Correspondence: Mohamed T Mousa (mohamed.mousa@uaeu.ac.ae)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):O16
This study aims at assimilating and screening the medicinal uses of endemic natural
plants of the United Arab Emirates. More than 20 percent of United Arab Emirates fora
were found to possess medicinal properties in the UAE traditionally, they differ from
herbs, grasses, shrubs and trees. Asteraceae and Fabaceae families have the maximum
number of species. Maximum number of medicinal plant species were recorded from mountains
and wadi habitat.
Medicinal plants database showed that plants have different uses and can be used for
diseases treatment. Acacia tortilis for infections, jaundice stomach acidity, Aerva
javanica is used for stopping bleeding, anthelmintic, antibacterial, Capparis cartilaginea
for childbirth, earache, kidney, Purgative problems, headache, bruises, paralysis,
swellings and snakebite, Citrullus colocynthis used for diabetes and hypoglycemia,
Heliotropium bacciferum for scorpion bites and snake bites, Leptadenia pyrotechnica
as antibacterial diuretic and for Insect biting, Moringa peregrina for constipation,
stomach cramp and for swellings, Nerium oleander coughs and bronchitis, Prosopis cineraria
used as eye drops and bark used for rheumatism and applied to scorpion bites, Rhazya
stricta used to improving bad breath, chest pain, fevers skin rash conjunctivitis,
constipation and for diabetes, Salvadora persica applied for oral disease and for
scorpion sting and skin blisters, Senna italica used to treat stomach cramps and for
constipation and Tribulus terrestris Used for sexual function in humans and improve
athletic performance
Medicinal plants database will be available online under UAEU-National Herbarium (UAEU-NH),
for all informations , plants description and location
O17 Time-dose response modeling of toxicants
Hussam Alrabaiah
College of Engineering, Al Ain University, UAE
Correspondence: Hussam Alrabaiah (hussam.alrabaiah@aau.ac.ae)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):O17
Background
It is important to measure the degree of toxicant effect on biota. Most studies conducted
in this regard assess mostly the concentration (or dose) of toxicants. In this study,
a new factor is incorporated into the assessment procedure. Exposure time is an important
factor in the assessment of their effect predictions.
Materials and methods
A two-dimensional time-concentration-response mathematical model has been developed
with the guide of other modeling attempts on research papers conducted by others.
The model was calibrated and validated from data and observations found in many studies
in the literature. This is done by drawing different scenarios and different values
of the parameters of the mathematical model.
Results and Conclusions
The model has proven its usefulness to predict the responses of organisms exposed
to different levels of toxicants at different exposure durations. The model has been
successfully validated in several sets of data available in the literature. The proposed
model is a useful tool to predict population dynamics or survival analysis in toxicology
experiments, particularly in aquatic environments, pharmacology studies, or Pharmacokinetics
and hence to derive policy decisions concerning risk assessment in ecology or clinical
pharmacy.
O18 Soluble expression of halophilic enzymes: challenges and potential solutions
Nayla Munawar
United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain, UAE
Correspondence: Nayla Munawar (nmunawar@uaeu.ac.ae)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):O18
The use of enzymes in the industrial field has gained enormous attention as an alternative
to classic chemical catalysis after global aspiration for sustainable industrial processes.
Extreme environments offer microorganisms containing novel robust enzymes for biotechnological
applications. Enzymes from halophilic (salt-loving) archaea especially have distinctive
structural adaptations to maintain their integrity and catalytic efficiency in the
high concentration of KCl, which cells accumulate to cope with their external osmotic
pressure. Since salinity increases hydrophobic interactions and decreases the strength
of ionic bonds, enzymes from halophilic archaea are naturally adapted to work under
low water environments, hence are expected to work in non-polar solvents. Moreover,
modern genetic and biochemical analytical tools have provided an opportunity to explore
the structure and function of the cellular machinery of halophiles, revealing the
enormous biotechnological potential of novel biocatalysts from these microbes. Halophilic
enzymes are generally heat-resistant and organic solvent tolerant which makes them
strong candidates for protein engineering to provide unique industrial biocatalysts.
However, the major obstacle to utilizing halophilic enzymes as industrial catalysts
is the insoluble expression of recombinant halophilic enzymes in mesophilic hosts
like E.coli because of low salt concentration in these cells. Two potential strategies,
to get the soluble and active expression of recombinant halophilic enzymes, and the
advantages and disadvantages of these methodologies will be presented using the enzyme
glutamate dehydrogenase from an extremely halophilic microorganism Halobacterium salinarum
and fructosyltransferase enzymes from Halakalicoccus jeotgali B3T and Haloarcula marismortui
as models.
O19 Herbal medicines in the Middle East: A cross-sectional survey of community pharmacist’s
perspective and knowledge
Banaz Jalil1, Abdallah Y Naser2, Fatima B Jeragh-Alhaddad3,, Faris El-Dahiyat4,5,
Abdulrahman E Koshak6, Michael Heinrich1
1Pharmacognosy and Phytotherapy, UCL School of Pharmacy, London, United Kingdom; 2Department
of Applied Pharmaceutical Sciences and Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Isra
University, Amman, Jordan; 3Department of Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmacy,
Kuwait University, Kuwait City, Kuwait; 4Clinical Pharmacy Program, College of Pharmacy,
Al Ain, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates; 5AAU Health and Biomedical Research Center,
Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; 6Department of Natural Products
and Alternative Medicine, Faculty of Pharmacy, King Abdulaziz University 80260, Jeddah,
21589, Saudi Arabia
Correspondence: Banaz Jalil (b.jalil@ucl.ac.uk), Michael Heinrich (m.heinrich@ucl.ac.uk)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):O19
Background
In the Middle East, many herbal medicines (HMs) are available on the markets, both
those prepared locally or imported from other countries [1]. The discrepancies in
regulatory status [1] and less stringent supply chains result in adulterated (herbal
and other medical) products being sold with undeclared synthetic substances. This
poses severe health risks to the public consuming these products. Our study evaluated
the community pharmacist’s perception, recommendation and knowledge of the use and
safety of HMs in three Middle Eastern countries (Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United
Arab Emirates).
Methods
Between November 2021 and June 2022, a cross-sectional online survey was conducted
using social media platforms. The study population included only community pharmacists
working in the countries of research. The survey tool was developed and validated
in previously conducted studies in the Middle East [2, 3].
Results
After ethical approval, a total of 255 responses (UAE n=108; Kuwait n=83; Saudi Arabia
n=64) were obtained. Overall, HMs are sold in nearly all pharmacies (92.2%), with
76.7% reporting that their customers request HMs. 57.4% of respondents were aware
of potential herb-drug interactions, 46.9% did receive complaints from customers about
HMs, and 70.2% would report adverse reactions to the national pharmacovigilance services.
The mean knowledge score was 13.6 [2.2] out of 20, which is equal to 68.0% out of
the maximum attainable score.
Conclusions
This is one of the first studies exploring pharmacists’ perceptions and knowledge
of HMs in the Middle East. Utilising the same validated study tools, comparisons can
be made easily. This builds a foundation for a better understanding of the needs of
community pharmacists in the countries of research. There are some limitations; with
the small sample size, we could not estimate the response rate (non-response bias).
Further studies are needed to enable a more robust assessment and determine whether
these findings are transferable to other (Middle Eastern) countries.
References
World Health Organisation. WHO global report on traditional and complementary medicine
2019. World Health Organization; 2019. Report No.: 9241515430.
Jalil B, Naser AY, Prieto JM, Heinrich M. Herbal supplements in Jordan: a cross-sectional
survey of pharmacists’ perspectives and knowledge. BMJ open. 2022;12(7):e057405.
Jalil BT. Herbal Supplements In The Middle East (Iraq And Jordan): Regulation, Quality
And Safety Of And Development Of A Method To Detect Common Adulterants: UCL (University
College London); 2021.
O20 Higher education institutions’ contribution to SDG 3 achievement through pharmacy
education: current practices and future possibilities in the UAE
Sumaya Daoud
Al Ain University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
Correspondence: Sumaya Daoud (sumaya.daoud@aau.ac.ae)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):O20
Introduction
In September 2015, the UN set 17 Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) to be achieved
by 2030 to achieve a more sustainable future for all. To cope with the global efforts,
the United Arab Emirates is striving through its organizations and institutions to
work towards achieving these goals. Specifically, higher education institutions are
more involved than ever in the national efforts towards SDGs achievement through three
primary missions assigned to them; namely, teaching, research and community engagement.
The present paper gives an account of current practices and strategies that are adopted
by educators and researchers involved in pharmacy education at one of the UAE universities
to achieve SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being. The paper attempts to offer proposals
for future plans to enhance and accelerate the progress of the implementation of the
sustainable development agenda in academia through pharmacy education.
Procedure
The researcher collects data from the college of pharmacy on the current procedures,
practice and policies that are adopted to ensure the that SDG 3 has been addressed.
For example, the courses will be examined in terms of their description and learning
outcomes to find the extent to which SDG 3 is taken in to consideration their content.
In addition, research and scholarly work will be discussed in terms of solutions they
offer to actual health problems that are being faced locally or globally. Community
engagement activities will be discussed as to whether they have an impact on the community
in raising awareness and promoting good health for all. Finally, future directions
will be addressed based on evidence from success stories from other higher education
institutions working towards the same goal.
O21 Phytochemical analysis and in vitro thrombolytic activity of Embelia robusta and
Dracaena reflexa
Saad Touqeer1, Umair Ikram Dar2,3, Salman Hamid2, Farooq Saleem2, Muhammad Asad Saeed2
1Al Ain University AD campus, UAE; 2Department of Pharmacy, The University of Lahore,
Lahore, Pakistan; 3College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Lahore, Lahore,
Pakistan
Correspondence: Saad Touqeer (saad.touqeer@aau.ac.ae)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):O21
Thrombosis is a condition in which the normal haemostatic processes are disturbed
resulting in the formation of clots in the uninjured blood vessels, which may cause
partial or complete occlusion of that vessel. The thrombus formed in any blood vessel
may either propagate and obstruct the vessel completely or it may be dislodged and
move to any secondary site (thromboembolism). Both of the conditions can be fatal
as loss of blood supply may lead to infarction of vital organs of the body. The organs
mostly affected by thrombosis include heart, brain, spleen and kidney [1]. The currently
available thrombolytic therapy has several drawbacks. Serious adverse effects associated
with thrombolytic drugs, together with their high cost make it necessary to search
for new drugs. Natural products may serve as a good source for new drugs due to their
better safety profile [2-4]. In this context, we carried out an in-vitro clot dissolution
assay on the methanolic extracts of the whole plant of Dracaena reflexa and the fruit
of Embelia robusta [5]. The percentage of clot lysis was determined at a dose of 200,
400 and 800 (μg/ml) at intervals of 1.5, 24, 48 and 72 hours. The results showed both
extracts to have significant thrombolytic activity (p < 0.05) at doses of 400 and
800 (μg/ml) in both acute and choric studies and were found to be comparable to the
standard drug streptokinase. Preliminary phytochemical studies also revealed the presence
of major classes of secondary metabolites such as alkaloids, glycosides, flavonoids
and tannins. Saponins were present only in D. reflexa methanolic extract. The study
confirms the potential of the two plants as potent thrombolytic agents.
References
Furie B, Furie B.C. Mechanisms of thrombus formation. New England Journal of Medicine.
2008: 359; 938-949.
Betancourt BY, López G, Silva C, Iglesias E, Bernal F, Saura PA. Pharmacovigilance
program to monitor adverse reactions of recombinant streptokinase in acute myocardial
infarction. BMC Pharmacology and Toxicology. 2005: 5; 5-10.
Malik J A, Khan G Q. Adverse effect profile of streptokinase therapy in patients with
acute myocardial infarction: a prospective study. JK practitioner. 2004: 11; 106-109.
Sherwani S K, Khan M M, Zubair A, Shah M A, Kazmi S U. Evaluation of In Vitro Thrombolytic
Activity of Bougainvillea Spectabilis Leaf Extract. Int. J. Pharm. Sci. Rev. Res.
2013: 21; 6-9.
Mowla TE, Zahan S, Sami SA, Uddin SN, Rahman M. Potential effects and relevant lead
compounds of Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper seeds against bacterial infection, helminthiasis,
thrombosis and neuropharmacological disorders. Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences.
2022: 29;3791-805.
O22 Design and development of phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3Kα) inhibitors
Dima A Sabbah
Al-Zaytoonah University of Jordan, Jordan
Correspondence: (dima.sabbah@zuj.edu.jo)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):O22
Background
The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3Kα) has been recognized as a significant oncogene
and therapeutic target for anticancer drug design.
Objective
Target compounds were designed recruiting ligand- and structure-based drug design
strategies to probe the influence of the compounds’ core structures and binding groups
on the biological activity.
Methods
Synthesis of the targeted compounds, biological examinations against human cancer
cell lines, and molecular docking studies.
Results
Fortunately, 20 novel series of diverse nuclei were synthesized and characterized
using FT-IR, 1H and 13C NMR, HRMS, and elemental analysis. In addition, the identity
of one backbone was successfully characterized by X-ray crystallography. Biological
activity of synthesized compounds was screened in vitro against human cancer cell
lines. Results showed that the analogues exert antiproliferative activity and incite
apoptosis by increasing caspase-3 activity and decreasing DNA cellular composition.
In addition, ligand-based pharmacophore modeling delineated that the recently synthesized
scaffolds approve PI3Kα inhibitors pharmacophore and the molecular docking approaches
against PI3Kα depicted that the analogues accommodate PI3Kα kinase domain and engage
with key binding residues.
Conclusion
The derivatives displayed a possible PI3Kα suppression activity in human cancer cell
lines.
Future Goal: Screening the prospective analogues against a kinase array to retrieve
selective inhibitors.
O23 The impact of augmented reality applications on Emirati grade 12 students' achievement
and attitudes towards health science education
Saif Saeed Salem Al Neyadi
Al Ain University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
Correspondence: Saif Saeed Salem Al Neyadi (saif.alneyadi@aau.ac.ae)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):O23
The study attempted to explore the effectiveness of using augmented reality applications
in deepening Grade 12 students' understanding health science learning. Additionally,
it aimed at investigating the impact of augmented reality applications on grade 12
students’ performance as measured by cognitive outcomes and attitudes. This aim could
be achieved by comparing the results of two groups; the experimental group learnt
a unit of understanding cancer cells shape and growing in the human body by of augmented
reality applications-based instruction while the control group learnt the unit in
the traditional lecturing instruction. Three research questions are used to guide
the study. A mixed-method approach was utilized in conjunction with an exploratory
sequential design to explore the impact of augmented reality applications on learners'
performance and attitudes in the health sciences subject, where students' performance
involves applying the technique. The results showed that the students' performance
in applying ranked the highest (Mean =4.1), followed by knowledge (Mean = 3.9) while
reasoning was the lowest (Mean =3.5). Grade 12 students learning via augmented reality
applications performed higher than their counterpart students learning via traditional
methods in all indicators: knowledge, applying and reasoning. The results of the qualitative
data showed that most students developed positive attitudes towards the factors of
scientific inquiry, enjoyment, and career interest for augmented reality applications
by roughly 30%, 35%, and 35%, respectively. Upon the results, it is recommended to
employ virtual environment in teaching and learning health science in terms of quality
and quantity. Schools also needs to seize the progression of digital technology to
achieve full integration to enhance teaching, learning as well as attitudes.
Keywords
Application subject, augmented reality -based instruction, lecture-based instruction,
unit of cancer cells, science performance. science attitudes.
O24 Exploring pharmacists’ perceptions towards telepharmacy implementation after COVID-19
pandemic
Mohamed Baraka, Asim Alnour, Adel Sadeq
Clinical Pharmacy Department College of Pharmacy Al Ain University Al Ain, Abu Dhabi,
UAE
Correspondence: Mohamed Baraka (mohamed.baraka@aau.ac.ae)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):O24
Background
Telepharmacy is defined as the action of provision of the pharmaceutical care services
using video and audio tools. It provides the same traditional pharmaceutical care
services using telecommunication tools. Patients suffering from chronic or infectious
diseases and elderly are the patients expected to benefit the most from telepharmacy
services. For patients to benefit from these services, they just need a microphone,
camera, and a stable internet connection, and that simple equipment are readily available
in many smart devices these days. Due to the quarantine applied by governments during
the pandemic, patients may have had limited access to pharmacies and hospitals to
obtain the needed pharmaceutical care, so the need for implementing such service in
UAE after the pandemic is currently in high-demand. Objective: This project intended
to explore pharmacists’ perceptions and preparedness towards telepharmacy implementation
after COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, to identify facilitators and challenges towards
implementing such services. Materials & Methods: a survey-based cross sectional was
designed to collect data from UAE registered pharmacists to explore their perceptions
and preparedness towards implementation of telepharmacy after COVID-19 pandemic. As
observational study, it was exempted by the ethics committee from ethical approval.
Result: The study findings revealed that (75%) of pharmacists agreed that telepharmacy
is expected to improve patients’ adherence. Similar percentage (75%) of pharmacists
believe that comprehensive counseling can be done for patients via telepharmacy services.
Around (56%) of pharmacists agreed that implementing telepharmacy will raise the level
of job satisfaction. The vast majority of pharmacists (88%) identified training as
one of the challenges towards implementing telepharmacy. Conclusion: Pharmacists believe
that telepharmacy implementation is important for improving patients’ adherence, can
help in remote patients counseling and enhancing their job satisfaction. However,
they consider training as one of the major challenges towards the implementation of
such services. Key words: Telepharmacy, Pharmacists, COVID-19 pandemic, Telehealth,
Digital health.
O25 The effect of methylation on autophagy in lung cancer cell lines
Rose Ghemrawi1,2, Aya Al Qassem1,2, Raghad Al-Dulaymi1,2, Azza Ramadan1,2
1College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi Campus, United Arab Emirates; 2AAU
Health and Biomedical Research Center, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Correspondence: Rose Ghemrawi (rose.ghemrawi@aau.ac.ae)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):O25
Background
The dualistic role of autophagy, in both the suppression and propagation of carcinogenesis,
makes the link between autophagy and cancer far from being well understood. Moreover,
innovative therapeutic strategies are needed for the treatment of cancer and especially
lung cancer categorized as not curable because of the suboptimal treatment outcomes
despite chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Recently, accumulating evidence has revealed
that autophagy is regulated by proteins that are post-translationally modified, such
as methylation. The goal of this study was to investigate the effects of the pharmacological
inhibition of methylation on autophagy in lung cancer.
Methods
Experiments were performed in vitro on two lung cancer cell lines (H292 and A549)
using the global methyltransferase inhibitor, Adenosine dialdehyde (AdOx). Cellular
proliferation was assessed by MTT test, the migration by wound healing assay and the
autophagy by evaluating the expression of autophagy markers (p62, ATG7, LCIII) through
western blot.
Results
The inhibition of methyltransferase activity reduced lung cancer lines proliferation
and wound closure. This was correlated with a decreased expression of p62 and an increased
expression of ATG7 and LCIII, therefore an activation of autophagy.
Conclusion
We successfully found a relationship between methylation, autophagy and carcinogenesis.
By unraveling the molecular mechanisms linking autophagy to tumorigenesis, our study
opens novel therapeutic perspectives for the treatment of lung cancer.
O26 Investigation of the interactions between probiotics and orally administered xenobiotics
Sara Mousa1, Dana Obaid1, Muhammad Sarfraz1, Walaa Mousa1,2
1College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi, UAE; 2College of Pharmacy, Mansoura
University, Mansoura, Egypt
Correspondence: Sara Mousa (sara.mousa@aau.ac.ae)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):O26
Background The use of probiotics as a beneficial supplement has been a common practice
in the community. Although they are a supplement, the safety of co-administrating
them with other xenobiotics remains undetermined. The gut microbiota has been recently
recognized as a major manipulator of many orally administered xenobiotics. Therefore,
it is very possible for probiotics to have a similar role since they contain bacterial
strains present in the gut. The aim of this study was to investigate the interactions
of probiotics and select orally administered xenobiotics from different drug classes.
Materials and Methods Aerobic bacterial strains, probiotics, and different classes
of xenobiotics were purchased. Aerobic bacterial strains and probiotics were cultured.
Based on the xenobiotic tested, assays were designed to accurately determine the effect
of prepared cultures on the xenobiotics and vice versa. A computational search using
NCBI’s database was performed to determine the spread of certain bacterial enzymes
in the gut.
Results The activity of certain xenobiotics was altered when co-cultured with probiotics.
Similarly, the growth of probiotics and aerobic bacterial strains was affected. It
was either increased, decreased, or remained unchanged. The computational search demonstrated
a widespread of bacterial metabolizing enzymes across gut microbes.
Conclusions These results illustrate the importance of establishing strict control
over probiotics use. Along with additional measures to test the quality of produced
probiotics.
References
Zimmermann M, Zimmermann-Kogadeeva M, Wegmann R, Goodman AL. Mapping human microbiome
drug metabolism by gut bacteria and their genes. Nature. 2019;570(7762):462–7.
Ogbogu U, Necyk C. Community pharmacists’ views and practices regarding natural health
products sold in community pharmacies. PLoS One. 2016;11(9):1–19.
Sanders ME, Akkermans LMA, Haller D, Hammerman C, Heimbach J, Hörmannsperger G, et
al. Safety assessment of probiotics for human use. Gut Microbes. 2010;1(3):164–85.
Maier L, Pruteanu M, Kuhn M, Zeller G, Telzerow A, Anderson EE, et al. Extensive impact
of non-antibiotic drugs on human gut bacteria. Nature [Internet]. 2018;555(7698):623–8.
Available from: 10.1038/nature25979
O27 The impact of a clinical pharmacist-managed anticoagulation clinic on patients’
outcomes and adherence
Meriam Alomari1, Faris El-Dahiyat1,2, Ammar Alhabib3, Ammar Jairouni4
1Clinical Pharmacy Department, Al Ain University, Al Ain, UAE; 2AAU Health and Biomedical
Research Center, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; 3Clinical Pharmacy
Department, Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City, Abu Dhabi, UAE; 4Health and Safety Department,
Dubai Municipality, Dubai, UAE
Correspondence: Meriam Alomari (meriam6m@yahoo.co.uk)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):O27
Background
For years, warfarin therapy has been the only oral anticoagulation drug used for the
prevention of primary and secondary thromboembolic events [1]. With its narrow therapeutic
index and related complications, the anticoagulation clinic (ACC) is one of the most
needed services for warfarin therapy. The aim of the study is to show evidence of
the importance of clinical pharmacist intervention in terms of improving adherence
and managing patients using warfarin therapy in ACC.
Materials and Methods The research design is a pragmatic, prospective, quasi-experimental
study used of patients attending ACC managed by the clinical pharmacist. The baseline
data will be collected retrospectively from patients’ medical records from January
to November 2021 when the patients who are eligible were attending the usual care
(UC) clinics managed by physicians. The same patients followed up between December
2021 to October 2022 in ACC, the collected data prospectively will be compared at
the end of the study to measure time in therapeutic range (TTR) by The Rosendaal method
which is a recognized way to measure the effectiveness of warfarin therapy in a period
of time [2]. In addition, adherence was assessed by using Morisky Medication Adherence
Scale (MMAS-4) questionnaire before and after visiting ACC. The data were analyzed
by using SPSS Software Version 24. using a 95% confidence interval of differences
and a significance level of 0.05 is considered.
Results
There is a statistically significant increase in TTR after implementing ACC (P=0.023)
compared to UC (70.25% VS 61.21%). Moreover, MMAS-4 scores were statistically significantly
improved (P=0.001) compared to UC (0.32 VS 0.61).
Conclusion
In conclusion, providing this model of ACC managed by clinical pharmacists improved
patients’ TTR and adherence to warfarin therapy.
Acknowledgment
A big thanks go to Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City (SSMC) and Al Ain University for
supporting to completion of this research.
References
Ageno W, Gallus AS, Wittkowsky A, Crowther M, Hylek EM, Palareti G. Oral anticoagulant
therapy - Antithrombotic therapy and prevention of thrombosis, 9th ed: American College
of Chest Physicians evidence-based clinical practice guidelines. Chest. 2012;141(2
SUPPL.):e44S-e88S.
Rosendaal FR, Cannegieter SC, Van der Meer FJ, Briet E. A method to determine the
optimal intensity of oral anticoagulant therapy. Thrombosis and haemostasis. 1993;69(03):236-9.
Phillips KW, Ansell J. Outpatient management of oral vitamin K antagonist therapy:
Defining and measuring high-quality management. Vol. 6, Expert Review of Cardiovascular
Therapy. 2008. p. 57–70.
O28 Structure-informed antiviral drug discovery – A tale of two viruses
Mark von Itzstein
Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland 4222, Australia
Correspondence: Mark von Itzstein (m.vonitzstein@griffith.edu.au)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):O28
Respiratory viruses can present the most challenging and life-threatening infections
to humans and the current COVID-19 pandemic is testament to that potential. Influenza
viruses through to coronaviruses continue to provide humanity with great concern due
to the rapid onset of disease, as well as their potential overwhelming direct life-threatening
impact on lung function and other organ systems. Furthermore, the rapid development
of mutants may also lead to further complications in the employment of existing vaccines,
where they exist. Consequently, antiviral drug discovery strategies to tackle respiratory
viruses are of a high priority and in this lecture our engagement of structure-guided
antiviral drug discovery will be presented. Using the structures of identified proteins
that are critical in the virus’ lifecycle and targeting highly-conserved domains within
these proteins, we have been able to develop potent inhibitors of influenza virus
and human parainfluenza virus. Employing an integrated interdisciplinary approach
that combines, structural and computational biology, chemistry and virology we have
explored the active sites of neuraminidase and haemagglutinin- neuraminidase from
influenza virus and human parainfluenza virus, respectively. Some of our unpublished
preliminary data using fragment-based structure-guided drug discovery will also be
presented.
O29 Improving vaccination uptake – Using protection motivation theory to understand
vaccine hesitancy
Jonathan Ling1, Walid Al-Qerem2, Judith Eberhardt3
1Faculty of Health Sciences & Wellbeing, University of Sunderland, UK; 2Faculty of
Pharmacy, Al Zaytoonah University of Jordan, Jordan; 3Department of Psychology, Teesside
University, UK
Correspondence: Jonathan Ling (jonathan.ling@sunderland.ac.uk)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):O29
COVID-19 booster vaccine uptake has been below the uptake of the first and second
dose of the vaccine in many countries. Approaches to COVID-19 vaccination have varied
between countries, with some (e.g., Germany, Austria) considering or temporarily implementing
mandatory vaccination, whilst others (e.g., the United Kingdom, Jordan) have not.
Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) has been applied to COVID-19 vaccination intention,
but little is known about the role of PMT in booster vaccination intention, nor in
relation to any differences between countries using different approaches to vaccination.
Furthermore, whilst social media use and sociodemographic factors such as religiosity
play a role in COVID-19 vaccination intention, their role in booster vaccination intention
is unclear. This study aimed to predict COVID-19 booster vaccination intention using
PMT, coronavirus conspiracy beliefs, social media use, and sociodemographic factors,
and compare these between the United Kingdom, Jordan, Germany, and Austria. We found
that while PMT constructs predict booster vaccination intention, additional factors
such as conspiracy beliefs, social media use, and religiosity need to be taken into
account in public health campaigns to increase COVID-19 booster dose uptake.
O30 The experience of patients diagnosed with COVID-19 infection, and the role of
the pharmacist during their infection: a case study from the United Arab Emirates
Iman A Basheti1,2, Hiba Barqawi3, 4, Razan I Nassar5, Samar Thiab5, Noor Atatreh6,7,
Eman Abu-Gharbieh8,9
1Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Applied Science
Private University, Amman 11931, Jordan; 2Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of
Pharmacy, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia; 3Research Institute
of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab
Emirates; 4Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah,
Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates; 5Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Pharmacognosy,
Faculty of Pharmacy, Applied Science Private University, Amman 11931, Jordan; 6College
of Pharmacy, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi 64141, United Arab Emirates; 7AAU Health
and Biomedical Research Center, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi 64141, United Arab Emirates;
8Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah
27272, United Arab Emirates; 9Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine,
University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
Correspondence: Iman A Basheti (dr_iman@asu.edu.jo)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):O30
Recognizing patients' experiences can produce encouraging results in the treatment
of coronaviruses. Pharmacists play a crucial role in managing patients' experiences
during their COVID-19 infection. The healthcare industry's needs have changed due
to the new experiences that coronavirus patients have. In managing coronaviruses,
acknowledging patients' experiences can show promising results. Pharmacists are key
in managing patients' experiences while they are ill. Assessing the experience of
COVID-19 infected people in the United Arab Emirates and the role of pharmacists during
their infection were the main objectives. A cross-sectional study was carried out
in June and July 2022. After an extensive literature review, the survey's face and
content were validated. The survey was divided into three sections (demographics,
experience of infected individuals, and role of pharmacists). The Statistical Package
for the Social Sciences was used to analyze the data. The study's 509 participants
had an average age of 34.50 (standard deviation: 11.93). About three-quarters of the
participants had already received a vaccination, and more than half had at least one
infection. Among the participants, fatigue (81.5%), fever (76.8%), headache (76.6%),
dry cough (74.1%), muscle or joint pain (70.7%), and sore throat (68.6%) were the
symptoms most frequently reported. The most popular dietary supplement was vitamin
C (88.6%), followed by analgesics (78.2%). The only variable linked to the severity
of symptoms was the female gender. 79.3% of participants exposed to COVID-19 strongly
agreed or agreed that the pharmacist had played a crucial and successful role during
their infection. Females reported more severe symptoms than males, with fatigue, fever,
headaches, dry coughs, and muscle or joint pain the most frequently reported symptoms.
During this pandemic, the pharmacist's role was crucial, particularly when advising
patients on how to manage their viral infection and how to use their medications while
infected.
O31 Assessment of the clinical pharmacist's knowledge, skills, and competencies in
Evidence-Based Medicine: an interrupted time series design
Sahar M Mohamed1, Asim A Elnour2,3, Khalid Ghalib4, Salma M Alhaj5, Fariha Mostafiz6
1College of Pharmacy, University of Khartoum, Khartoum-Sudan; 2Program of Clinical
Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi campus, Abu Dhabi-United
Arab Emirates; 3AAU Health and Biomedical Research Center, Al Ain University, Abu
Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; 4Consultant physician - Ibrahim Malik Hospital, Khartoum-Sudan.
Assistant Professor of Medicine - Nahda College - Khartoum-Sudan; 5Clinical Pharmacist,
College of Pharmacy, University of Khartoum. Khartoum-Sudan. Clinical pharmacist,
Fedail hospital, Khartoum-Sudan; 6College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi
Campus, Abu Dhabi-United Arab Emirates
Correspondence: Asim A Elnour (asim.ahmed@aau.ac.ae)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):O31
Background
Evidence-Based Medicine [EBM] is important area for educational research. The utilization
of EBM by the clinical pharmacist is a growing field; however, very scarce research
conducted in this respect.
Objective
The aim of the current research is to assess the impact of educational (Fresno's test
of competency) and behavioral interventions on improving the skill and competencies
of clinical pharmacist in EBM.
Materials and methods
The study conducted in Khartoum state hospitals, Sudan, where eligible clinical pharmacists’
recruited, joined the delivered training program, and asked to complete a pre and
post-online test. The educational program presented via Google Meet, assessed, and
evaluated online, in addition to and WhatsApp group for follow up and sharing of materials.
We used the validated Frenso’s test, and the GREET checklist to report the educational
process of EBM. The educational program consisted of total 38 hours for one month
and half. 20 hours lectures online via Google Meet, 6 hours of continuous assessments,
and 12 hours self-directed learning by sharing references in WhatsApp group. The ratio
of instructors to clinical pharmacists was 4:77 (1 main instructor, 3 assistants).
Results
The finding showed higher mean scores in posttest, revealing the true impact of educational
intervention. The results confirmed that the clinical pharmacist’s performance (knowledge,
skills, and competences) in EBM improved upon in posttest. The statistical output
indicates that the mean for pretest scores was 20.04, and for posttest scores was
70.95. The average difference between the paired pretest and posttest scores -50.9
in favor of the posttest (CI posttest -50.010 to 43.808, P < 0.001).
Conclusion
Our findings provided evidence for the usefulness of Frenso’s test assessment to improve
the performance of clinical pharmacists’ uptake of EBM principles for future implementation
into their respective practices.
Poster Presentations
P1 The awareness and barriers towered breast cancer screening
Mohammad A Al-Ghazali, Abdulkarim M Alshammakhi, Fatma M Algabri, Sondus S Almamari
Department of Pharmacology and Biology, College of Pharmacy, National University for
Science & Technology, Muscat, Oman
Correspondence: Mohammad A Al-Ghazali (mohammadalghazali@nu.edu.om)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):P1
Background
Breast cancer mostly affects women and represents the most common type of cancer worldwide.
The prevalence has still increased even though the new process for treatment and diagnosis
has developed [1]. The expected increase in cancer in 2040 is fifty percent higher
than 2020 [2]. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in Arab countries
with a young age of around 50 years [3]. In Oman, breast cancer was classified as
the most common cancer type among females [4].
Purpose
This study aimed to evaluate the awareness and barriers of women toward breast cancer
screening.
Methods
This is a pilot study which was conducted among women in Oman and includes females
who didn’t have a history of breast cancer. It was conducted among students and staff
in several hospitals. A total of 207 responses were received from 250 participants.
Results
The response rate in this study is 82.8% and most of the participants were within
the age of 20-40 years (64%). It was noticed that although most women (92%) thought
that breast cancer could be cured if detected early, more than 40% do not know whether
breast cancer screening is effective or not. Moreover, 44 % will get their first screening
mammogram only when they suspect a lump formation and 68% were aware that breast cancer
screening was available in Oman and free of charge. However, the majority agreed that
social barriers and embarrassment (73%) are the major reasons that may lead to delay
in seeking medical help.
Conclusions
Awareness of Brest caner is higher in this study in comparison with previous studies.
Although women showed an interest in breast cancer screening, several cultural, practical,
and personal-related barriers were noted to interfere with breast cancer screening.
Keywords
Breast cancer, Awareness, Barriers, Screening
P2 Monoacylglycerol lipase inhibitors relieve chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain:
Studies in mice models
Willias Masocha, Altaf Al-Romaiyan
Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Kuwait University,
Safat, Kuwait
Correspondence: Willias Masocha (willias.masocha@ku.edu.kw)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):P2
Background
The use of paclitaxel against cancer is limited by development of chemotherapy-induced
neuropathic pain (CINP). The endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoyl glycerol (2-AG) has antinociceptive
activity, however it is rapidly metabolised by the enzyme monoacylglycerol lipase
(MAGL). Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate whether MAGL inhibitors
could prevent development of or treat CINP in an animal model.
Methods
Paclitaxel was intraperitoneally administered to female BALB/c mice to induce mechanical
allodynia. LC-MS/MS was used to measure 2-AG, PCR to measure Mgll gene transcripts,
Wes™ to measure MAGL protein expression and assay kits to measure MAGL activity. The
effects of pristimerin on the activity human recombinant MAGL (hrMAGL) and mouse MAGL
(mMAGL) activity in tissues were evaluated using MAGL assay and inhibitor screening
kits. The effects of treatment of mice with pristimerin intraperitoneally and 2-AG
and JZL184 (MAGL inhibitor) subcutaneously into the right hind paw on paclitaxel-induced
mechanical allodynia was measured using the dynamic plantar aesthesiometer.
Results
Mice treated with paclitaxel developed mechanical allodynia, no change in Mgll transcripts
or mMAGL protein expression but had increased mMAGL activity and had reduced levels
of 2-AG in the paw skin. Pristimerin inhibited hrMAGL activity and mMAGL activity
in the paw skin. Treatment with pristimerin inhibited the paclitaxel-induced increase
in mMAGL activity. Pristimerin prevented development of paclitaxel-induced mechanical
allodynia. 2-AG and JZL-184 produced localised antiallodynic effects in the injected
paw. The antiallodynic effects of 2-AG were blocked by both cannabinoid type 1 (CB1)
and CB2 receptors inhibitors AM251 and AM630, respectively.
Conclusion
During paclitaxel-induced mechanical allodynia there is an increase in mMAGL activity,
and a deficiency of 2-AG. Co-treatment with MAGL inhibitors and paclitaxel could be
useful in the treatment and prevention of CINP.
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by grant PT01/20 and RCF grants SRUL02/13, GM01/13 from Kuwait
University Research Sector.
P3 Impact of processing and preservation methods on total phenolics, flavonoids and
antioxidant activities of Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.)
Maher Al-Dabbas1, Majd Mumneh2, Mahmoud Abu-Ghoush1, Balkees Abuawad1
1College of Pharmacy- Department of Nutrition and Dietetics- Al Ain University- Abu
Dhabi, UAE; 2The University of Jordan, Jordan
Correspondence: Maher Al-Dabbas (maher.dabbas@aau.ac.ae)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):P3
The present study was undertaken to investigate the influence of blanching, freezing,
frying, sun drying and dehydration conditions on okra total phenolic, total flavonoids
and antioxidant activities after processing and during storage. Fresh okra was dried
using sun drying and conventional oven drying at 70 C. Blanching, frying and freezing
were accomplished according to the traditional methods of preservation. Ethanolic
extract of each sample were analyzed before and after preservation every month for
a period of three months. The results showed a significant improvement (p < 0.05)
in the total phenolic (134.1 mg GAE/ 100g) and DPPH (1-1- diphenyl1-2-pricrylhydrazyland)
scavenging activity (IC50 value of 3.0 mg/ml) in the blanched okra compared with fresh
okra (86.35 mg GAE/ 100g and 3.8 mg/ml, respectively). Fresh okra showed the highest
flavonoids contents (105.75 mg QE/100g), whereas sun dried okra and after 3 months
of storage showed to contain the lowest total phenolic (14.450 mg GAE/ 100g), total
flavonoid contents (13.250 mg QE/100g), reducing power activity (23.30%) and the lowest
DPPH scavenging activity (IC50 value of 134.8 mg/ml). The DPPH inhibition activities
of all treatments of okra showed strong correlation with the okra phenolic contents
and flavonoids content (r =0.702 and 0.67, respectively). The reducing power activity
(%) of all okra treatments exhibited strong correlation with phenolic contents (r
= 0.966), while with flavonoid contents the correlation (r) was = 0.459. In general,
different preservation methods of okra resulted in decreasing of the total phenolic
content and freezing shown to be the highest in retention of total phenolic and flavonoids
contents and antioxidant activities, while sun dried okra was the lowest in their
retention.
P4 Methods of assessment of polysialyltransferase inhibitors for treatment of tumour
cell dissemination
Xiaoxiao Guo1, Jodie R Malcolm2, Anjana Patel1, Marrwa M Ali1, Goreti R Morais1, Steven
D Shnyder1, Paul M Loadman1, Laurence H Patterson1, Robert A Falconer1
1Institute of Cancer Therapeutics, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Bradford,
Bradford BD7 1DP, United Kingdom; 2York University, United Kingdom
Correspondence: Robert A Falconer (r.a.falconer1@bradford.ac.uk)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):P4
Polysialic acid decorates the surface of NCAM on neuroendocrine tumours, notably neuroblastoma
and small cell lung carcinoma, and is strongly associated with poor prognosis and
aggressive disease in patients in the clinic. PolySia modulates tumour cell-cell and
cell-matrix adhesion, migration, invasion and metastasis. SiRNA knockdown of polysialyltransferase
(polyST) ST8SiaII, the enzyme primarily responsible for polySia synthesis in tumours,
abrogates tumor cell migration and invasion. PolyST is a selective and largely unexplored
therapeutic target for neuroblastoma dissemination. While assays are available to
assess polyST enzyme activity, there is no methodology available specifically optimized
for identification of novel polyST inhibitors. We describe the development of cell-free
and cell-based assays that enable assessment of polysialyltransferase inhibition.
Development of the HPLC-fluorescence-based enzyme assay includes a comprehensive optimization
of assay conditions, including evaluation of metal ion composition, enzyme concentration,
substrate and acceptor concentration, temperature, pH and tolerance to DMSO, followed
by validation using known polyST inhibitors. Under these optimized conditions, the
experimentally observed Ki value for CMP, a competitive polyST inhibitor, was strongly
correlated with the predicted Ki value, based on the classical Cheng-Prusoff equation
[average fold error (AFE) = 1.043]. These results indicate that this assay can provide
medium-throughput analysis for enzyme inhibitors with high accuracy. We additionally
report optimized HPLC-based and ELISA-based methodologies for assessment of polyST
inhibition in neuroblastoma cells, using endoneuraminidase N as control, and assessment
of ICT3176 (a polysialylation inhibitor) as a test agent.
In conclusion, in vitro cell-free and cell-based assays for accurate measurement of
polysialyltransferase inhibition are described, specifically designed for routine
identification of potential polyST inhibitors, generation of kinetics data and assessment
of mode of inhibition and effects on cellular polysialylation. Given the growing interest
in the polySTs as important anti-metastatic target, these are vital tools to enable
preclinical identification of novel polyST inhibitors for neuroblastoma therapy.
P5 Food safety and quality assessment of the foodstuff served in the fast foods restaurants
and their role on the consumer health and perception during COVID-19
Mahmoud Abughoush1,2, Amin N Olaimat2, Murad A Al-Holy2, Maher Al-Dabbas1,3, Sajid
Alavi4,
Sofyan Maghaydah5,6, Imranul Choudhury7
1Science of Nutrition and Dietetics program, College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University.
P.O. Box 64141, Abu Dhabi, UAE; 2Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty
of Applied Medical Sciences, The Hashemite University, P.O. Box 330127, Zarqa 13133,
Jordan; 3Department of Nutrition and Food Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, University
of Jordan, Jordan; 4Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA; 5Department of
Nutrition and Food Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, Jordan University of Science
and Technology, P.O. Box 3030, Irbid 22110, Jordan; 6Department of Human Nutrition
and Dietetics, College of Health Sciences, Abu Dhabi University, Zayed City, Abu Dhabi,
United Arab Emirates; 7College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University. P.O. Box 64141, Abu
Dhabi, UAE
Correspondence: Mahmoud Abughoush (mahmoud.abughoush@aau.ac.ae)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):P5
The quality and the safety of the foods that are served at fast foods restaurants
and their effect on the consumer health could become a matter of concern during COVID-19.
No study has critically evaluated the quality, safety and the acceptability of the
foods that are served at these fast foods restaurants in the different universities
in Jordan during COVID-19. Therefore, our main goal in this study was to evaluate
the effect of fast foods consumption on the consumer health and food perception during
COVID-19. The study was conducted in 12 fast foods restaurants of 3 different universities
in Jordan which are located in different places in Jordan. A desirable practice was
given a score of one while no score will be allotted for an undesirable practice through
using a standard questionnaire for all the food establishments. This was used to compare
with the maximum score obtainable for that relevant operation and the percentage scores
was calculated for each operation. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) of the data was performed
to study the significant differences at P ≤ 0.05 in all the evaluated properties among
the food establishments in the different universities. The results showed that low
percentage scores were obtained 68%, 75%, 32% and 56% for the production area, waste
management, product evaluation (chemical, microbial) and food safety program application,
respectively. Also, it was found that there were insignificant differences at P ≤
0.05 among different food serving establishments in different universities in all
the safety properties that were mentioned above. This means that all the food establishments
in all the universities suffer from the same problems with the same degree. As a conclusion,
more work should be done to produce safe food in the different food establishments
that were studied in the different universities.
P6 Synthesis of new potential beta adrenergic receptor agonist
Abdullah Saleh1, Zyad Abuelioah2
1Al Ain University, UAE; 2The Hashemite University, Jordan
Correspondence: Abdullah Saleh (abdullah.saleh@aau.ac.ae)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):P6
β-Amino alcohols (aryloxypropanolamine), are common β-Adrenergic blocking agents (β-blockers).
are members of the large family of G-protein coupled receptors. β-Adrenergic blocking
agents (β-blockers) are important in the treatment of many diseases in humans, such
as hypertension, heart failure, cardiac arrhythmias, myocardial oxygen need, and to
control dysrhythmia, thus, preventing long-lasting cardiac depression [1-3].
It is aimed to synthesize a library of β-Amino alcohols starting from epichlorohydrin
and substituted 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds in 3 steps.
References
V. S. Borude, R.V. Shah and S. R. Shukla, Synthesis of β-amino alcohol derivatives
from phenols in presence of phase transfer catalyst and lipase biocatalyst, Curr.
Chem. Lett., 2, 1–12, 2013.
Paul W., Chi M., Richard J., William G., Ultra-Short-Acting fl-Adrenergic Receptor
Blocking Agents. 1- (Ary1oxy) propanolamines Containing Esters in the Nitrogen Substituent,
J. Med. Chem., 25, 1402-1407, 1982.
S. N. Louis , T. L. Nero, D . Iakovidis, F. M. Colagrande, G. P. Jackman,
W. J. Louis , β1- and β2-Adrenoceptor antagonist activity of a series of para-substituted
N-isopropylphenoxypropanolamines, Eur. J. Med. Chem. 34 ,919−937 , 1999.
P7 Application of physiological based pharmacokinetic model to study formulation effects
of pharmacogentic drug
Muhammad Sarfraz, Rami Abu Jarad
Al Ain University, UAE
Correspondence: Muhammad Sarfraz (muhammad.sarfraz@aau.ac.ae)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):P7
Background
The study used Quality by Design (QbD) approach that help to formulate the control
release (CR) dosage form of drug undergoing pharmacogenetic variation inside human
body. Dextromethorphan is used as a model drug that undergo polymorphic metabolism
due to pharmacogentic variation as poor and extensive metabolism.
Methodology
The in silico Physiological based pharmacokinetic model (PBPK) was developed by incorporating
the physiochemical, pharmacokinetic properties of model drug using GastroPlus® software.
The PBPK model was run with standard dose of 30 mg Immediate release tablet and tested
against its drug drug interaction (DDI) with quinidine at different concurrent doses.
There simulated plasma profile results were compared with the existing clinical data
to validate the PBPK model. This validated model was now simulated against different
in vitro dissolution data to simulate its plasma profile in extensive and poor metabolism
population. The formulation tested follow zero order release, Immediate release, sustained
release and its combination designated as (F1 to F4) formulation.
Result
The simulated plasma profile showed the significance difference in extensive and poor
metabolizer population in all the simulation. A gradual increase in the plasma DEM
concentration was observed when quinidine was co-administered. Cmax, tmax and AUC0-24
varied depending on the formulations (F1–F4) within extensive and poor metabolism
population.
Conclusion
The (QbD) approach along with in silico modeling help the formulation scientist to
develop the optimal dosage formulation that can tailor the pharmacokinetic shape towards
a desired drug plasma concentration.
P8 Synthesis of 3’-deoxy-3’-acrylamide and cyanoacrylamide-containing ribonucleotide
analogues as potential antiviral or anticancer agents
Ahmed Ibrahim, Abdullah Saleh, Tareq Abu-Izneid
College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University, Al Ain, UAE
Correspondence: Ahmed Ibrahim (ahmed.ibrahim@aau.ac.ae)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):P8
Background
Nucleoside and nucleotide analogues (NAs) are a group of drugs that are mimics of
the natural nucleosides and nucleotides [1–3]. They were of a remarkable importance
in drug discovery, after zidovudine and abacavir emerged, proving a successful therapy
against HIV in 1980s-1990s. Uses of NAs include antiviral, antiparasitic, and anti-cancer
agents [1,2]. This study aims to synthesize novel adenosine, cytidine, and uridine
analogues containing acrylamide and cyanoacrylamide at the 3’ carbon.
Method
Starting from the natural nucleosides mentioned above, chemical modification will
be applied to modify the 3’-C, resulting in removal of 3’-OH and addition of acrylamide
and cyanoacrylamide at the 3’-C. Once applied, a phosphate group is added to the 5’-OH,
and masked to give prodrugs. The synthesized compounds are then going to be assessed
for safety and biological activity against viruses and cancer.
Conclusion
The research is still in progress with no major results collected yet. However, it
is believed that this study is going to provide new insight on whether or not the
addition of acrylamide and cyanoacrylamide at the 3’-C of nucleotides will have a
certain biological activity against certain diseases, which might be later considered
as potential covalent therapeutic agents. This might help to further conduct other
studies to investigate the addition of such groups for different nucleotides at different
positions.
References
Li G, Yue T, Zhang P, Gu W, Gao LJ, Tan L. Drug Discovery of Nucleos(t)ide Antiviral
Agents: Dedicated to Prof. Dr. Erik De Clercq on Occasion of His 80th Birthday. Molecules
[Internet]. 2021 Feb 2 [cited 2022 Nov 6];26(4). Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33572409/
Meanwell M, Silverman SM, Lehmann J, Adluri B, Wang Y, Cohen R, et al. A short de
novo synthesis of nucleoside analogs. Science (1979) [Internet]. 2020 Aug 7 [cited
2022 Nov 6];369(6504):725–30. Available from: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abb3231
Seley-Radtke KL, Yates MK. The evolution of nucleoside analogue antivirals: A review
for chemists and non-chemists. Part 1: Early structural modifications to the nucleoside
scaffold. Antiviral Res [Internet]. 2018 Jun 1 [cited 2022 Nov 6];154:66. Available
from: /pmc/articles/PMC6396324/
P9 Community pharmacists perception towards an expanded role in practice
Amira SA Said1,2, Soha HS Aboueida1
1Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University, Al Ain,
Abu Dhabi, UAE; 2AAU Health and Biomedical Research Centre, Al Ain University, Abu
Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Correspondence: Amira SA Said (amira.ahmed@aau.ac.ae)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):P9
Background
UAE Medical legislations have been changed to adapt to the modern substantial expansion
of pharmacist role in practice. This worldwide shift in pharmacist's role has restructured
their professional image and exerted more pressure for pharmacist involvement in direct
patient care. This study aimed to address the perceived pharmacist's perception, current
practice limitation and barriers that may affect their advanced services provision
in the UAE.
Materials and Methods
A cross sectional survey using a self-administered 35 item questionnaire was conducted
at Al Ain city, UAE. A convenient sample of 200 community pharmacists had completed
the surveys over a period of 5 months. The objectives of the study were thoroughly
explained to participants by the researchers and verbal consent was obtained. The
data were analysed using SPSS descriptive statistics.
Results and Discussion
A total of 200 pharmacists participated in this study with mean±SD age of 36.5±5.9.
Most participants agreed that the current pharmacists practice in the UAE is still
to a large extent product oriented as pharmacists were mainly medication dispensers.
This study has shown good pharmacists' perception towards expanded pharmacy practice
concept, yet most pharmacists failed to engage properly in expanded practice services.
This may be attributed to various obstacles faced in the community pharmacy settings.
As shown form this study, the lack of self-trust, time, or enough pharmacy staff have
been main limitations facing pharmacist in practice.
Conclusion
This study suggested that community pharmacists had sufficient awareness about the
concept of extended pharmacy practice, yet they needed proper education, training
and emphasis to properly implement better expanded patient care. However apparent
lack of pharmacy facilities, or pharmacists' potential still remain possible obstacles
to be tackled. Further work should focus on ways to overcome these barriers as pharmacists
are particularly well-situated to be a much-expanded effective health contributors
Keywords
Pharmacist role –Chronic disease management - Medication use review – Perception -
public health.
P10 Thiamine, vitamin C and vitamin D mixture ameliorate hepatic injury in rat model
of lipopolysaccharide-induced sepsis via down-regulation of NF-Κb
Yazan Ranneh1, Mahmoud Abu Ghoush1, Abdulmannan Fadel2
1Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University, United
Arab Emirates; 2Sport and Exercises Sciences School, Faculty of Science, Liverpool
John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
Correspondence: Yazan Ranneh (yazan.ranneh@aau.ac.ae)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):P10
Background
Sepsis accompanied with elevated levels of endotoxin causes liver dysfunction with
increased potential of mortality. This study was designed to elucidate the hepatic
protective potential of thiamine (vitamin B1), ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and calciferol
(vitamin D) mixture in Sprague Dawley rats challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS).
Methods
Eighteen Sprague Dawley male rats were randomly divided into three groups (control,
LPS-treated with vitamin mixture, LPS-treated with saline). A mixture of thiamine
(50 mg/Kg), vitamin C (500 mg/Kg) and vitamin D (200 ng/Kg) in 1 mL volume was administrated
by oral gavage for 15 days consecutively. On day 15 and after 6 hours of intraperitoneal
LPS injection (6 mg/Kg), blood and hepatic tissues were collected from all the animal
groups.
Results
Vitamins mixture decreased the mortality rate of septic rats, aspartate aminotransferase,
Alanine transaminase, alkaline phosphatase and total bilirubin levels in hepatic tissues.
Using sandwich ELISA kits, vitamins mixture intake induced a significant reduction
in serum TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β and an increment in serum CAT, SOD and GSH. Western blot
analysis demonstrated that vitamins mixture treatment constringed the expression of
NF-κB p65, p38 MAPK and HMGB-1 in rats challenged with LPS. The histopathological
observations due to LPS injection showed a significant improvement as a result of
vitamins mixture treatment.
Conclusion
Thiamine, ascorbic acid and calciferol mixture ameliorated acute inflammation and
could be potential adjuvant therapy for sepsis-induced hepatic injury.
P11 Identification of potential hENT1 inhibitors using a combined approach of ligand-based
and receptor-based virtual screening
Azza Ramadan1,2, Rose Ghemrawi1,2, Sedra Jamal1, Lama Abuamer1, Yusra Maher1, Mohammad
Ghattas1,2
1Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University, Abu
Dhabi Campus, UAE; 2AAU Health and Biomedical Research Center, Al Ain University,
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Correspondence: Azza Ramadan (azza.ramadan@aau.ac.ae)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):P11
Background
Human equilibrative nucleoside transporters (hENTs) are a family of integral proteins
mostly found on cell plasma membranes. hENTs’ primary function is transporting vital
nucleosides and nucleobases essential for DNA and RNA synthesis. Pharmacologically,
the isoform hENT1 is an important therapeutic target, as inhibitors of hENT1 transport
are cardio- and neuroprotective. However, current inhibitors are not clinically used
due to their poor pharmacological profile. Hence, the overarching aim of this study
is to utilize computer-aided drug discovery techniques to search for novel hENT1 inhibitors.
Specifically, the objectives are a) to employ previously validated pharmacophores
as filters prior to the intended virtual screening to identify potential hENT1 inhibitors,
b) to develop an in vitro-based assay for assessment of hENT1 inhibition, and c) to
evaluate the inhibition activity of the potential hENT1 inhibitors in vitro.
Methods
Pharmacophoric features were created based on standard hENT1 inhibitors. The validated
pharmacophore was then used to screen a commercial drug-like ligand library. The identified
candidate inhibitors were docked into the hENT1 pocket in a multi-step protocol using
GLIDE and then ranked for a precise selection process. For the assessment of hENT1
inhibition, an MTT assay was utilized.
Results
Top-ranked compounds were visually inspected and limited to ten potential inhibitors.
The criteria for selecting the compounds included the quality of interactions, the
fitting into the target pocket, and their belonging to various scaffolds. Cytotoxicity
assay using the H292 cell line was developed to evaluate the ten potential hENT1 inhibitors.
Conclusion
We successfully identified ten potential hENT1 inhibitors. An in vitro-based assay
was established to assess the hENT1 inhibition activity of candidate inhibitors. These
newly identified compounds can serve as novel therapeutic agents for cardiovascular
and neurological disease treatment.
P12 Antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of propolis from different geographic
regions in UAE and its Applications in Food Safety
Hassan M Al Marzooqi1, Mohamed G Shehata1,2, Hanan S Afifi1, Saad H Masry3,4, Shabarinath
Srikumar5
1Food Research Section, R&D Division, Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority
(ADAFSA), Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 52150, United Arab Emirates
Correspondence: Hassan M Al Marzooqi (hassan.marzouqi@adafsa.gov.ae)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):P12
Propolis is a resinous beehive product containing functional compounds and differs
based on geographical region. Physicochemical properties of each propolis effectuate
their uses within modern applications. Therefore, this study was aimed to evaluate
the antioxidant and antimicrobial, of different propolis extracts (PEE) sourced from
four geographical regions in UAE. Antioxidant potency was determined using DPPH. The
phenolic (TPC) and flavonoid content (TFC) was calculated as gallic acid and catechol
equivalents, respectively. We also identified Polyphenol compounds using RP-HPLC.
Antimicrobial properties of propolis against pathogens were determined using agar
well diffusion assay. Results of the antioxidant activity revealed that the highest
activity was observed for wathba and kuwaitat propolis extract using DPPH assays with
IC50 0.28±0.002 and 0.30±0.052 mg/ml, respectively. The antimicrobial activity against
various pathogenic strains revealed that the propolis extracts of both wathba and
kuwaitat exhibited the best antimicrobial activity against Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC12296,
Bacillus cereus ATCC 49064, Salmonella senftenberg ATCC 8400, Escherichia coli BA
12296, Yersinia enterocolitica ATCC 23715, Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 19116 and Campylobacter
jejuni ATCC 700819. RP-HPLC analysis of ethanolic extracts of kuwaitat and wathba
propolis revealed 23 polyphenolic compounds including phenolic acids and flavonoids.
The predominant polyphenols were vanillic acid, caffeic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid,
catechin, chlorogenic, syringic acid, p-coumaric acid, benzoic acid, rutin, o-cumaric
acid, myricetin and kampherol. This study demonstrated the distinguishes between propolis
sourced from different regions regarding their bioactive contents. Overall, kuwaitat
and wathba propolis extract have antioxidant and antimicrobial effect with different
spectrum and therefore, it might consider a potent candidate for treatment of several
diseases. Also, propolis extract can be recommended as a preservative additive that
can be applied to solve numerous food safety issues.
P13 Development and in vitro evaluation of the controlled-release delivery system
of xanthine filled in hard gelatin capsule size 00
Molham Sakkal, Mosab Arafat
College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University, Al Ain P.O. Box 64141, United Arab Emirates
Correspondence: Mosab Arafat (mosab.arafat@aau.ac.ae)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):P13
Controlled drug delivery systems are well known to enhance patient compliance and
reduce the dosing interval frequencies by sustaining the release of the drug molecules
from the medication. The aim of this research work was to evaluate the release of
xanthine derivatives molecules over a long period of time by developing a new matrices
formulation system using different ratios of triblock copolymer materials incorporated
with different percentages of other amphiphilic additives. various controlled release
matrices formulation systems were developed and prepared using a number of series
with different ratios of the copolymer to the mixture. Besides, the fusion method
was used for matrices system preparation. The drug release of xanthine was evaluated
over 12 hrs using a number of incubated media with different pH values. UV spectrophotometer
was used in order to measure the amount of drug release with UV-detecting light adjusted
at 272 nm. Results showed a significant gradual decrease in drug release rate upon
increasing the portion of copolymers mixture in the matrix system, respectively. The
delay in the drug release over a long period of time might be attributed to the amphiphilic
natures of the copolymeric mixture in the matrices system. The hydrophobic part of
copolymeric materials in the matrix system was slowly dissolved whereas the hydrophilic
part was presumed to swell and form a gel layer upon exposure to the dissolution media
which promotes the diffusion of the drug molecule throughout the matrix system. Therefore,
variations of copolymer mixture incorporated in the system can vary the drug release
rate over a controlled period of time. In conclusion, the incorporation of a high
portion of the triblock copolymer in the matrix’s mixture was a successful approach
to control the release of BCS Class I drug. Moreover, this matrix system is easy to
prepare and is considered a promising system for drug delivery.
P14 Evaluating the use of evidence-based medicine in health care in the United Arab
Emirates
Mohammad M Al Ahmad
Al Ain University, UAE
Correspondence: Mohammad M Al Ahmad (mohammad.alahmad@aau.ac.ae)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):P14
Background
Evidence-based medicine (EBM) is an evolving field of medicine and medical diagnostics.
The challenges in this field make it necessary for healthcare providers (HCPs) to
be familiar with the current state of knowledge in the medical literature in order
to make the most appropriate decisions in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases.
The aim of this study is to investigate the attitudes of healthcare providers in medical
institutions in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) towards EBM.
Methods
A structured questionnaire with cross-sectional observation was designed and distributed
to healthcare professionals in the UAE. All participants were volunteers. The questionnaire
included 5 domains and 23 different Likert scale questions to assess the knowledge,
attitude, advantages, disadvantages, and limitations of using EBM in practice. The
reliability and validity of this study were assessed using Cronbach's alpha. The SPSS
system was used for descriptive and statistical analysis.
Results
There were 398 health care providers who participated in this study; 232 (58.3%) were
male and 166 (41.7%) were female. The majority of participants had more than 5 years
of experience. 253 (63.5%) participants were physicians and 145 (36.5%) participants
were pharmacists. More than half of physicians and pharmacists had a positive attitude
toward EBM knowledge and practice. 40% of physicians and pharmacists rated the benefits
of implementing EBM in practice as excellent. Challenges such as lack of time and
cost were also cited by participants.
Conclusion
Health professionals' positive attitudes toward EBM need to be supported to improve
its adoption and dissemination. The challenges and limitations identified in the results
could be used to develop new techniques to resolve them or at least reduce their impact
in practice, thereby promoting acceptance of EBM in practice among health professionals.
P15 In silico evaluation and design of allosteric SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease (Mpro)
inhibitors via structure-based drug design
Lara Alzyoud1,2, Radwa E. Mahgoub1,2, Fedaa Mohamed3,4, Bassam R. Ali3,4, Wael Rabeh5,
Juliana Ferreira5, Noor Atatreh1,2, Mohammad A. Ghattas1,2
1College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi 64141, United Arab Emirates; 2AAU
Health and Biomedical Research Center, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi 64141, United
Arab Emirates 3Department of Genetics and Genomics, College of Medicine and Health
Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain 15551, United Arab Emirates; 4Zayed
Centre for Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain 15551, United
Arab Emirates 5Science Division, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi 129188,
United Arab Emirates
Correspondence: Mohammad A. Ghattas (mohammad.ghattas@aau.ac.ae)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):P15
With more than 635 million confirmed cases and near to 6.6 million deaths (as per
WHO records), the COVID-19 pandemic is far from over and continues to impose challenges
on almost every aspect of our daily lives. The Mpro enzyme is essential for disease
progression and plays an integral role in the SARS-CoV-2 virus's life cycle [1]. So
far, substantial research has been conducted to develop novel Mpro inhibitors, the
majority of which target the enzyme's catalytic pocket. However, only a little research
has been done on the Mpro allosteric site, which we want to target in our work. Allosteric
sites are believed to be less prone to mutations and more conserved among different
coronavirus strains; therefore, they make an attractive target for potential wide-spectrum
anti-corona viral agents. In particular, sites on the dimerization interface appear
to be important, as blocking dimerization is believed to abolish the activity of the
protease. Hence, we evaluated all putative allosteric sites on the Mpro dimer structure
[2]. Two cavities (i.e. sites #2 and #5) turned to possess a druggable character and
were therefore predicted to bind drug-like molecules. These sites, which are located
at and near the dimer interface, were targeted through computer-aided drug design
by structure-based virtual screening of ~5 million ligands. After extensive filtration,
docking, and post-docking analyses, 44 compounds were selected for experimental testing.
CL02, our top hit, is a non-competitive inhibitor of Mpro with a Ki of 115 μM and
to our knowledge, the highest ligand efficiency for an allosteric Mpro inhibitor.
Moreover, CL02 has a small size (~355 Da) and drug-like characteristics making it
a promising lead candidate for future developments. The findings from this work may
aid in the ongoing fight against COVID-19 and, potentially, against future coronaviruses-related
diseases.
References
Jin Z, Du X, Xu Y, Deng Y, Liu M, Zhao Y, et al. Structure of Mpro from SARS-CoV-2
and discovery of its inhibitors. Nature [Internet]. 2020 Apr 9 [cited 2021 Sep 26];582(7811):289–93.
Available from: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2223-y
Alzyoud L, Ghattas MA, Atatreh N. Allosteric Binding Sites of the SARS-CoV-2 Main
Protease: Potential Targets for Broad-Spectrum Anti-Coronavirus Agents. Drug Des Devel
Ther [Internet]. 2022 [cited 2022 Nov 28];16:2463–78. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35941927/
P16 The impact of health belief model on nonadherence with medication therapy in the
treatment of hypertensive and the associated factors in an outpatient clinic.
Faris El-Dahiyat1,2, Ammar Abdulrahman Jairoun3,4, Sabaa Saleh Al-Hemyari4,5, Abdullah
Elrefae6, Mohammed Alsbou7,8
1Clinical Pharmacy Program, College of Pharmacy, Al Ain, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates;
2AAU Health and Biomedical Research Canter, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab
Emirates; 3Health and Safety Department, Dubai Municipality, Dubai, UAE; 4School of
Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Pulau Pinang 11500, Malaysia;
5Pharmacy Department, Emirates Health Services, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; 6Colchester
General Hospital, Essex, Colchester CO4 5JL, UK; 7Department of Pharmacology, Faculty
of Medicine, Mutah University, Jordan; 8Faculty of Medicine, Ajman University, Ajman,
UAE
Correspondence: Faris El-Dahiyat (faris.dahiyat@aau.ac.ae)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):P16
Background
Around the world, hypertension is a major factor in cardiovascular disease and premature
death. Non-adherence to the prescribed antihypertensive medication lead to uncontrolled
high blood pressure which results in serious complications.
Objectives
To determine the nonadherence to antihypertensive treatment and the associated factors
with the aid of the health belief model (HBM) [1-3].
Methods:
A cross-sectional analytical study was carried on at an outpatients’ clinic in Jordan
enrolled 660 patients with hypertensive. The questionnaire included information on
demographics, lifestyle factors and five-point Likert type HBM questionnaire.
Results
The level of nonadherence to antihypertensive treatment in the current study was 60.5%.
The average age (±SD) of the patients was 45.5 (±4.2) years, while the median value
for hypertension duration was two years. Five HBM constructs explained variance for
35.8% in nonadherence to antihypertensive treatment and the prediction accuracy was
79.4%, after adjustment for gender, age and duration of condition. In the current
study, significantly reduced risks of nonadherence were observed in cue to actions
[OR=0.49(0.28-0.70), p=0.005], higher levels of perceived benefits from medicine use
[OR=0.45(0.26-0.62),p=0.001]. In contrast, increased risk of nonadherence were observed
in perceived barrier [OR=3.14(2.26-4.32), p<0.001], perceived severity [OR=6.20(3.91-
7.13),p<0.0001] and perceived susceptibility [OR=5.02(2.60-8.65), p<0.001]. Moreover,
reduced levels of nonadherence were significantly higher among higher education holders
[OR=0.21(0.13-0.13), p<0.001] and among participants who had higher income [OR=0.72(0.48
0.91), p<0.001].
Conclusion: Based on the study, it can be concluded that non-adherence with antihypertensive
therapy is significantly high, while HBM is reliable for assessing non-adherence with
therapy in hypersensitive patients. Higher levels of severity, sensitivity, and perceived
barriers are significant predictors of non-adherence with antihypertensive therapy.
Intervention strategies may be influenced in clinical practice by the correlation
between risk factors, HBM components, and non-adherence to antihypertensive medication.
References
Joho AA. Using the Health Belief Model to Explain the Patient's Compliance to Anti-hypertensive
Treatment in Three District Hospitals - Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania: A Cross Section Study.
East Afr Health Res J. 2021;5(1):50-58. doi: 10.24248/eahrj.v5i1.651. Epub 2021 Jun
11. PMID: 34308245; PMCID: PMC8291213.
Sulat, J. S., et al. "The validity of health belief model variables in predicting
behavioral change: a scoping review." Health Education 118.6 (2018): 499-512.
Al-Noumani H, Wu JR, Barksdale D, Sherwood G, Alkhasawneh E, Knafl G. Health beliefs
and medication adherence in patients with hypertension: a systematic review of quantitative
studies. Patient education and counseling. 2019 Jun 1;102(6):1045-56.
P17 Targeting the post-translational modification “methylation” for treating breast
cancer
Aya Al Qassem1,2, Azza Ramadan1,2, Rose Ghemrawi1,2
1 College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi 64141, United Arab Emirates; 2
AAU Health and Biomedical Research Center, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi 64141, United
Arab Emirates
Correspondence: Rose Ghemrawi (rose.ghemrawi@aau.ac.ae)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):P17
Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers and the leading cause of cancer-related
death among women. Its annual incidence and related death rate are steadily increasing
worldwide. Protein methylation, a post-translational modification, regulates gene
transcription, RNA processing, translation, signal transduction, DNA damage response,
and the cell cycle. It is also known that aberrant methylation contributes to the
malignant transformation of cells by silencing critical tumor suppressor genes. It
was found that methyltransferase inhibitors reactivate silenced tumor suppressor genes
and result in tumor growth arrest. Therefore, clinical studies suggested the inhibition
of methyltransferases as a promising target in cancer therapy. In order to find a
promising candidate methyltransferase inhibitor as an anti-breast cancer therapeutic
agent, our project aims to study first the effect of methylation inhibition on breast
cancer cell lines’ proliferation, viability, apoptosis and migration using the global
methyltransferase inhibitor, Adenosine dialdehyde (AdOx). Therefore, the wound healing
assay, MTT and apoptosis tests were performed in presence and absence of AdOx on MCF-7
and MDA-MB 231 cell lines. Interestingly, breast cancer cells’ viability, proliferation
and migration were dramatically reduced, apoptosis was increased. These results confirm
that inhibiting the methylation is a potential treatment of breast cancer and that
finding new pharmacological methyltransferase inhibitors is crucial.
P18 Synthesis and in-vitro characterization of thiolated ultra-low molecular weight
polymeric conjugates for mucosal drug delivery
Arshad Mahmood
College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi Campus, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Correspondence: Arshad Mahmood (arshad.mahmood@aau.ac.ae)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):P18
Background
The aim of current study was to extend the application of thiolation to the ultra-low
molecular weight polymers. These mucoadhesive conjugates might provide the opportunity
to be used in high concentrations without affecting much to the viscosity when intended
for freely flowing liquid preparation.
Results
A copolymer, poly(acrylic acid-co-maleic acid) [PAAMA], MW~3kDa, was thiolated by
two different thiol bearing moieties, cysteamine and cysteine separately, using well-known
carbodiimide/N-Hydroxysuccinimide based amide formation scheme. The covalent bonding
was qualitatively confirmed by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and quantitatively
via Ellman’s reagent, that revealed PAAMA conjugates exhibited good thiolation, being
3134.30 μmol/g for PAAMA-cysteamine and 1268.37 μmol/g of thiol groups for PAAMA-cysteine.
The synthesized conjugates were found non-toxic (cell viability > 85%) over Caco-2
cells over a period 3 h of exposure. The water carrying capacity was observed in the
presence of carbopol, as diluent to formulate a disc and the outcomes demonstrated
1.48- and 1.35- folds higher swelling for PAAMA-cysteamine and PAAMA-cysteine compared
to PAAMA, respectively. Mucoadhesive potential measured on the freshly excised rabbit
mucosa via rotating cylinder method demonstrated 4.1- and 2.4-folds higher residence
time for PAAMA-cysteamine and PAAMA-cystein compared to PAAMA, respectively. Moreover,
rheological measurements of aqueous polymer solution and as polymer/mucus mixtures
illustrated only mild increase in dynamic viscosity (ƒ*) at a concentration of 5%,
compared to blank aqueous and unmodified polymer solutions.
Conclusion
Based on our results it can be concluded that the low molecular weight thiolated conjugates
appear promising mucoadhesive materials for freely flowing dosage forms and are able
to extend the residence time over the target mucosa with minimum increase in viscosity.
P19 Comparison between branded and generic Glimepiride 1 mg tablets using in vitro
evaluation and thermal analysis assessment methods
Mosab Arafat1, Anna Esmaeil1, Salah AbuRuz2
1College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University, Al Ain P.O. Box 64141, United Arab Emirates;
2Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences,
United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Correspondence: Mosab Arafat (mosab.arafat@aau.ac.ae)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):P19
Generic medications are considered a suitable alternative for brand medications since
they are bioequivalent to each other. Yet, the quality and purity of generic medications
are still debatable. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the quality
and performance of a generic Glimepiride tablet 1 mg and a brand one using chemical
and thermal analytical instruments. Quality control assessments, and in vitro dissolution
tests were carried out to assess the physiochemical properties and the drug release
rate for both products. Additionally, several analytical techniques were used, namely:
Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning
electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-Transform infrared (FT-IR), confocal microscope
with Raman spectroscopies and X-ray Diffraction (X-RD). Results showed that there
were some variations between brand and generic medications. In terms of tablet hardness
and disintegration, generic medications were almost different from the brand one in
mean resistance force, on the contrary, the brand product took almost more time to
disintegrate completely. The release rate of the generic drug was faster compared
to the brand when was incubated in three different pH media. In terms of thermal analysis,
DSC revealed a variation in endothermic peak, whereas a sharp endothermic peak for
generic and brand medications was slightly different, additionally, TGA showed almost
less in weight loss for the generic compared to brand. Other tools and assessments
presented almost identical outcomes. The obtained variations between generic and brand
could be attributed to the existence of different excipients. Another possibility
of variation could be due to the interaction between excipients, which was represented
by the use of a spectroscope. In conclusion, the variations between the generic and
brand was existed and the utilization of chemical and thermal analysis was useful
in determining these variations.
P20 UAE pharmacists’ attitudes toward including diagnosis or clinical indication on
prescription orders
Amar M Hamrouni
Al Ain University
Correspondence: Amar M Hamrouni (amar.hamrouni@aau.ac.ae)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):P20
Background
Currently, pharmaceutical laws in UAE do not require that a diagnosis or drug indication
to be included in prescriptions. Medication safety advocates, regulatory agencies,
and professional pharmacy organizations have advocated for the inclusion of such information
on prescriptions to improve safety and clinical effectiveness.
In the USA as another example currently state and federal laws do not require the
indication for the use of drugs on prescription orders. A prescription in Arizona
for instance should contain the date of issue, name and address of the patient, refills
authorized, if any, name, address and telephone number of the prescribing medical
professional, the name, strength, dosage form and quantity of the drug ordered and
directions for use [1]. Pharmacists by law must prospectively evaluate the prescribed
medication to ensure its appropriateness, and that it is medically necessary, and
not likely to produce in adverse reactions [2]. Without the clinical diagnosis pharmacist
may make an educated guess, or may spend long time calling the prescribers for some
clarifications regarding the medication prescribed [3].
Aim
To gauge the thoughts about requiring either diagnosis or clinical indication on prescription
orders in UAE and to determine whether UAE pharmacists support such practice, which
aims to improve the counselling experience and allow the pharmacists to do successful
counselling.
Methods
This was a mixed-method study with data obtained from questionnaires collected from
community and hospital pharmacies, conducted in Al Ain, UAE. The questionnaire consisted
of 20 questions extracted from the participant's experiences and opinions about the
topic. A total of 150 licensed pharmacists were included in the study.
Main Results
The majority of pharmacists (92; 61.3%) included in the study supported having the
diagnostic and clinical indication to be included in the prescription. Interestingly,
(34, 22.7%) and 24 (22.7%) reported having either the diagnosis or clinical indication
respectively.
Conclusion
Inclusion of diagnostic or clinical indication in a prescription would help to better
educate and empower individuals about their medications, improve communication within
the healthcare team, and increase the speed and efficiency of prescribing by presenting
drug choices for that indication.
Keywords
Medication Errors, Pharmacists, Patient Safety, United Arab Emirates, Diagnosis, Clinical
indication, Community pharmacy, hospital pharmacy.
References
Arizona Revised Statutes 32-1968, subsection C. Accessed November 22, 2022.
Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 (OBRA-90; Pub.L. 101-508, 104 Stat. 1388,
enacted November 5, 1990).
Odukoya OK, Stone JA, Chui, MA. How do community pharmacies recover from e-prescription
errors?. Res Social Adm Pharm. 2014:837-852.
P21 The prevalence of stimulant and nutritional supplement usage among students at
Abu Dhabi Universities in gyms
Majed El-Saleh1, Ziyad Ellala1, Balkees Abuawad2,3, Shaden Al Atassi2
1College of Education, Humanities and Social Sciences, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi,
United Arab Emirates; 2College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab
Emirates; 3AAU, Health and Biomedical Research Center, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi,
United Arab Emirates
Correspondence: Majed El-Saleh (Majed.Elsaleh@aau.ac.ae)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):P21
Background:
Students from universities in Abu Dhabi used stimulants and nutritional supplements
at gyms. The study sought to pinpoint variations in prevalence percentages based on
the variables (number of years of practice, level of education, age and gender) and
other variables.
Materials and methods
512 male and female students from various colleges made up the study's sample, which
was selected at random. The questionnaire served as a data collection tool for the
descriptive survey method, which was utilized to obtain the results.
Results
Findings revealed that (46 %) of students who use nutritional supplements take them
as tablets on a rate of (30.9%), compared to (9.8%) of those who use stimulants and
take them as injections on a rate of (6.3%). According to the statistics, 8.2% of
the study sample's supplement and stimulant users report using them for longer than
a year. The findings also showed that (91.2%) of students can tell the difference
between nutritional supplements and stimulants. The first year category attained the
greatest rate, for the age variable. However, the gender variable was (52.1%) for
males and (9634.7) for females. According to the years of physical activity variable,
the use of nutritional supplements and stimulants was the most.
Conclusions
The recommendations encourage providing supervision for gyms and nutrition centers
and require doctor's approval in prescribing nutritional supplements and stimulants
also conducting educational courses and workshops for trainers and gyms supervisors
to limit the spread of the sale of stimulants and supplements.
Keywords
Nutritional supplements, stimulants, gyms, sports nutrition, health awareness, health
culture.
P22 Phones microbial contamination in UAE during COVID-19 pandemic
Kawthar Kayed1,2, Rose Ghemrawi1,2
1College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi Campus, United Arab Emirates; 2AAU
Health and Biomedical Research Center, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Correspondence: Rose Ghemrawi (rose.ghemrawi@aau.ac.ae)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):P22
Background
91.69% of the population own a phone without considering the fact that on these devices,
microbes can accumulate and transmit microorganisms. Our study investigated the bacterial
contamination of mobile phones in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Methods
This cross-sectional study involved 100 participants. A questionnaire was used to
gather sociodemographic and phone usage data, followed by swabbing mobile phones for
microbiological testing.
Results
Swabbing was taken during the COVID-19 pandemic; therefore, 41% of participants cleaned
their mobile phones daily by using wipes or alcohol. However, 100% of participants
had a mobile phone contaminated by bacteria such as S. aureus, CoNS, micrococcus spp,
E. coli, bacillus spp, streptococcus spp, Citrobacter spp, proteus spp, enterococcus
spp, klebsiella, pseudomonas and Actinobacteria. Most of these potentially pathogenic
bacteria were resistant to ampicillin, Ceftazidime, and cefotaxime.
Conclusion
The frequency of disinfecting and cleaning hands and phones by our participants was
not enough. Individuals need to make sure to have excellent hand hygiene and disinfect
their mobile phones frequently.
P23 Effect of diminazene, an angiotensin converting enzyme 2 activator, on fructose-induced
hypertension in rats
Yousuf M. Al Suleimani, Aly M Abdelrahman, Priyadarsini Manoj, Mohammed Ashique, Badreldin
H Ali
Sutan Qaboos University, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Pharmacological
and Clinical Pharmacy, Oman
Correspondence: Yousuf M. Al Suleimani (yousufm@squ.edu.om)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):P23
The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of diminazene, an angiotensin
converting enzyme 2 (ACE-2) activator on fructose-induced hypertension. Rats were
fed 60% fructose diet for 8 weeks in the absence or presence of diminazene (15 mg/kg/day)
in weeks 6-8. Blood pressure was measured by the tail cuff methods. Blood samples
were collected to measure fasting plasma insulin, triglycerides (TG), cholesterol
(TC), LDL-C, HDL-C, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), malondialdhyde
(MDA) levels, catalase and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities. Fructose increased
blood pressure, fasting plasma insulin, TG, TC, LDL-C, interleukin 6, MDA, and decreased
catalase and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities. Diminazene significantly reduced
fructose-induced hypertension. Diminazene did not significantly affect fructose induced
hyperinsulinemia or hyperlipidemia. Diminazene did not affect inflammatory markers
but attenuated fructose induced oxidative stress. In conclusion, the present study
showed that diminazene was partially successful in reversing fructose-induced hypertension
but not hyperinsulinemia or hyperlipidemia.
P24 Synthesis of highly potent Schiff based derivatives from primary amine drugs and
aldehydes: New vistas in medicinal chemistry
Saad Touqeer1, Umair Ikram Dar2, Kishwar Sultana2
1Al Ain University AD campus, UAE; 2Department of Pharmacy, The University of Lahore,
Lahore, Pakistan
Correspondence: Saad Touqeer (saad.touqeer@aau.ac.ae)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):P24
Schiff bases are generally synthesized by reacting primary amines with various aldehydes.
Such derivatives show more potent activities as compared to the parent drugs [1].
Furthermore, a variety of metal complexes can be conveniently obtained in a single
step. These metal complexes further extend the therapeutic scope of such drugs [2].
Herein, we discuss the one-pot synthesis and biological evaluation of various Schiff
bases obtained from a plethora of aldehydes and amine or amide based drugs. The structures
were confirmed using NMR and IR spectroscopies. The imines were complexed with Cu,
Zn, Fe, Mg and Mn ions using their inorganic salts. Atomic absorption and X-Ray crystallographic
analysis was carried out to confirm the structure of the metal complexes. Docking
studies were carried out using AutoDock 4.2 showing scores significantly higher than
that of standard drug compounds. Biological assays such as antibacterial, antifungal,
antioxidant and anticancer were carried out with most of the derivatives exhibiting
significantly higher activities than those of the original drugs. Results suggest
the synthetic analogues to be of superior therapeutic value and potential for advanced
preclinical studies and optimizations.
P25 Machine learning algorithms and computational validation of CYP2C9 polymorphisms
in predicting therapeutic outcomes of warfarin.
Kannan Sridharan1, Suchetha Manikandan2, George Priya Doss3, Rashed Al Banna4
1Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, CMMS, Arabian Gulf University, Kingdom
of Bahrain; 2Centre for Healthcare Advancement, Innovation and Research, Vellore Institute
of Technology, Chennai, India; 3School of Bio Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute
of Technology, Vellore, India; 4Department of Cardiology, Salmaniya Medical Complex,
Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain
Correspondence: Kannan Sridharan (skannandr@gmail.com)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):P25
Background
Warfarin, a commonly used anti-coagulant drug is influenced by Cytochrome P450 (CYP)
enzymes, particularly CYP2C9. Machine learning algorithms (MLAs) have been identified
to have a great potential in personalized therapy. We carried out the present study
to evaluate MLAs in predicting the key outcomes of warfarin therapy and validated
the key predictor variable using bioinformatics tool.
Methods
A cross-sectional study was carried out in adults of either gender, non-smoking status
receiving warfarin. Allele discrimination method for estimating the single nucleotide
polymorphisms (SNPs) in CYP2C9 (rs1799853 and rs1057910), VKORC1 (rs9923231), and
CYP4F2 (rs2108622). Genetic and clinical variables were used for predicting poor anticoagulation
status (ACS) and warfarin stable dose. Logistic regression, support vector machine
(SVM), random forest (RF), decision tree algorithms (DCA) were used for evaluating
the ACS and linear regression, RF, DCA, SVM, and artificial neural network were evaluated
for warfarin stable dose. Area-under-the-curve (AUC) was used as the measure of predictive
accuracy for ACS and root mean square error (RMSE) for stable dose. We used advanced
computational methods for examining the structural and functional consequences of
SNPs in the CYP2C9 gene.
Results
We included data from 205 participants and observed no significant difference between
the training and testing cohorts. Support vector machine with linear Kernel (AUC =
0.67) and linear regression (RMSE = 14.2 mg/week) was observed with the best predictive
accuracy for poor anticoagulation status and stable warfarin dose, respectively. CYP2C9was
observed to be the most important predictor for both outcomes. Computational validation
methods confirmed the altered structural activity, stability, and impaired functions
of protein products of CYP2C9 SNPs.
Conclusion
We have evaluated various MLAs in predicting the key outcome measures associated with
warfarin and observed CYP2C9 to be the most important predictor variable. Computational
validation model has also corroborated the reduced functional abilities of key SNPs
in CYP2C9. A prospective study validating the MLAs is urgently needed.
P26 Machine learning in predicting the risk factors and mortality in COVID-19 patients
Noor Salmeh1, Sedra Jamal1, Alin Alkawarit1, Asim Elnour1, Taima Alqudah1, Abdullah
Shehab2
1College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi, UAE; 2Emirates Medical Association
(EMA), UAE
Correspondence: Asim Elnour (asim.ahmed@aau.ac.ae)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):P26
Background
The high public health concern for all nations is the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
pandemic brought on by the SARS-Cov2 virus has a high case fatality, and is linked
to several clinical manifestations. For COVID-19 patients who are severely sick, predicting
death and figuring out outcome determinants are vital. To create prediction models
and simplify clinical phenotypes, multivariate and machine learning techniques might
be applied.
Methods
A literature review of studies conducted on machine learning in predicting the risk
factors and mortality in COVID-19 patients.
Results
Between the survivors and non-survivors, there were notable differences in the baseline
characteristics. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC),
that was used to compare the models’ performance, in all the reviewed 8 papers was
> 0.85 suggesting that these models ware accurate enough to discriminate the deceased
outcome of patients.
Conclusion
The studies reviewed showed the use of machine-learning-based approaches to predict
hospital mortality in COVID-19 patients, the identification of the most significant
predictors as well as the distinction between COVID-19 survivors at high- and low-risk.
P27 Zinc attenuates the acute renal damaging effects of Hydroxychloroquine in adult
male Albino rats
Nihal A Ibrahim1, Manal A Buabeid2, Kadreya E Elmorshedy3
1College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Ajman University, UAE; 2Fatema College of
Health Sciences, Abu Dhabi, UAE; 3College of Medicine, Tanta University, Egypt
Correspondence: Nihal A Ibrahim (n.ibrahim@ajman.ac.ae)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):P27
It is reported that long term exposure to Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) might increase
the susceptibility of acute kidney injury by disrupting the autophagy-lysosomal pathway.
The present work was conducted to study the hypothesis of a protective role of Zinc.
A total of 40 normal adult male albino rats were used and divided randomly into 4
groups. Group 1 (Control group), Group II (HCQ treated group), Group III (Zinc treated
group), Group IV (HCQ and Zinc treated group). After completion of the experiment
period, all rats were sacrificed and renal tissue samples were processed twenty-four
hours at the end of the experiment for both histological and immune-histochemical
studies. Renal stained sections revealed that HCQ induced glomerular degeneration
with reduced Bowmen’s capsular space, apoptosis and hydropic degeneration of renal
tubules with excessive fibrosis in the wall of blood vessels and capsules. However,
combination of HCQ with Zinc ameliorated these damaging effects as it displayed normal
glomerular and tubular architecture. Quantitative analysis showed highly significant
increase in the areas of fibrosis in group II compared to other groups (p<0.05.) These
findings represent a valuable tool for Zinc-based therapy in the future after clinical
trials to adjust the dose and ensure patient’s safety.
P28 Evaluation of pasta enriched with Spirulina platensis microalgae: (2) Medicinal
and biological evaluation
Gamali A El-Sharnouby1, Mahmood Abughoush2
1Food Science and Technology Department, Collage of Agriculture, Al-Azhar University,
P.O. Box 11884, Nasr City, Cairo, Egypt; 2Science of Nutrition and Dietetics program,
College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University, P.O. Box 64141, Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Correspondence: Gamali A El-Sharnouby (Gamali59@azhar.edu.eg)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):P28
Spirulina platensis microalgae is considered as a valuable source of antioxidants
and Phyto nutritive compounds. Spirulina platensis is the most commonly available
and widely used genus, which has been widely studied in different areas, including
the food industry and medicine. One of its species, Spirulina platensis or its extract
showed therapeutic properties, such as the ability to prevent cancers, decrease blood
cholesterol level, reduce nephrotoxicity of pharmaceuticals and toxic metals, and
provide protection against the harmful effect of radiation. Therefore, the aim of
the present study is to determine antioxidant activity of Spirulina platensis powder
and its pasta products against Liver disease in experimental Rats. The pasta was supplemented
by adding Spirulina platensis powder at different levels (5, 10, 15 and 20 %). The
results indicated a prospective result on reducing the liver damage which be indicated
through ALT, AST, ALP, Albumin, creatinine, and total bilirubin in CCL4 intoxicated
rats’ blood after the end of experiments. However, liver glutathione (GSH) concentration
was markedly decreased as compared to control group. Additional studies are necessary
to test the application of Spirulina Platensis in other contexts.
Keywords
Spirulina enrichment; green pasta; Liver enzymes; experimental Rats
P29 Pharmaceuticals regulatory and administrative control bodies in UAE legislations
Ahmad A. Al Dalaien1, Mohammad Alkrisheh2, Faris El-Dahiyat3
1College of Law Mutah University, Al Karak, Jordan; 2College of Law, Al Ain University,
Al Ain, UAE; 3College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University, Al Ain P.O. Box 64141, UAE
Correspondence: Mohammad Alkrisheh (mohammad.alkrisheh@aau.ac.ae)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):P29
Background
Regulatory affairs in pharma ensure all regulations and laws are followed. These include
intellectual property rights to protect drug manufacturers' research, safety standards
to protect the public from harmful side effects, restrictions on marketing drugs to
the public, and rules regarding how drugs may be prescribed and distributed. This
study aims to assess the administrative control bodies in preserving pharmaceutical
preparations before they are circulated in UAE law through the legal means these administrative
bodies resort to. The research problem is the multiplicity of bodies that undertake
the control task and the insufficiency of legislation governing pharmaceutical safety
control in the UAE legislation.
Method
This study uses an analytical approach by analyzing the legal texts governing the
preventive measures to maintain the drug's safety, how to implement them, and the
competent authorities to impose them so that we can determine the effectiveness of
the measures taken by examining the approved mechanism for monitoring these authorities.
Results
There is an urgent need to unify the regulatory authorities with one entity entrusted
with controlling the drug before it is put into circulation to ensure its safety.
Its dispersion contributed to encouraging pharmaceutical institutions to practices
that violate the law. Moreover, finding comprehensive legislation for everything related
to pharmaceuticals protection and control. In addition to increasing deterrent penalties
for anyone who violates public health standards in the production of medicine.
Conclusion
The UAE Pharmaceutical regulation needs to be revised to unify the regulatory authorities,
and the legislation needs to be updated to cover all aspects of pharmaceutical products
manufacturing and distribution.
P30 Synthesis of mixed α,α-dihaloketones with potent anticancer activity using magnesium
carbenoids
Vittorio Pace1, Saad Touqeer2
1University of Turin, Italy; 2Al Ain University , Abu Dhabi, UAE
Correspondence: Vittorio Pace (vittorio.pace@unito.it)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):P30
Cancer is a serious health problem worldwide having a high mortality rate. Cancers
such as breast, colorectal, prostate and lung are amongst the most frequently diagnosed
out of which lung cancer still remains the leading cause of cancer related deaths
worldwide. Several challenges exist while developing anticancer drugs such as high
toxicity and carcinogenicity. Also the fact that chemotherapeutic drugs need to be
administered as a combination to target multiple pathways for successful treatment
cannot be ignored [1,2]. Dihaloketones are well known for their potent anticancer
activity. Furthermore, the alkylating activity of these drugs could be precisely tuned
by proper selection of the halogens. The planar nature of the drugs can also make
them effective as intercalating agents. We employed a simple, straightforward and
single step synthetic methodology for the synthesis of highly valuable dihaloketones
using Grignard reagents (XMgCH2XY) [3]. A reactive nucleophilic specie was generated
by the reaction of Grignard reagent with different dihalomethanes. These compounds
were then reacted with a range of Weinreb amides in a highly chemoselective manner.
A variety of compounds were prepared having substitutions such as cynao, nitro, alkyl,
heteroaryl, trifluoromethyl and halogens on the benzene ring. Compounds having different
XCH2Y (X/Y = F, Cl, Br, I) combinations were prepared in high yield for further exploration.
References
Zugazagoitia J, Guedes C, Ponce S, Ferrer I, Molina-Pinelo S, Paz-Ares L. Current
challenges in cancer treatment. Clinical therapeutics. 2016; 7:1551-66.
Ames BN, Gold LS, Willett WC. The causes and prevention of cancer. Proceedings of
the National Academy of Sciences. 1995; 92:5258-65.
Armstrong DR, García-Álvarez P, Kennedy AR, Mulvey RE, Parkinson JA. Diisopropylamide
and TMP Turbo-Grignard Reagents: A Structural Rationale for their Contrasting Reactivities.
Angewandte Chemie. 2010; 1:3253-6.
P31 Evaluation of knowledge, practice, and attitude of safe medication disposal among
students at the universities in the United Arab Emirates: Cross-sectional study
Feras Jirjees1, Zelal Kharaba2, Manal Al-Sha’rawy3, Hala Al-Obaidi4, Kawthar Kayed2,
Yassen Alfoteih5, Karim El-Zu'bi1
1College of Pharmacy, University of Sharjah, UAE; 2College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University,
UAE; 3College of Pharmacy, University of Sharjah, UAE; 4College of Pharmacy and Health
Sciences, Ajman University, UAE; 5Department of Dental Surgery, City University Ajman,
UAE
Correspondence: Feras Jirjees (fjirjees@sharjah.ac.ae)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):P31
Background
Pollution represents is a major problem that face human beings nowadays. Pharmaceutical
products are considered as environmental contaminants because of their widespread
use. Therefore, waste management activities are important, to reduce unsafe disposal
of medications. The knowledge and awareness of proper drug disposal are essential
for safe environment. University students especially medical and pharmacy students
can play a vital role in promoting safe disposal of medication. The study aimed to
assess knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of disposal of expired/unused medication
among medical and non-medical university students in the UAE and to explore the appropriate
safe medicine disposal methods.
Method
A cross sectional questionnaire study conducted over a period of four months from
April to August 2022 among three universities students at the UAE. The survey was
developed and validated, and distributed using google form. The study received Ethical
approval from the Research Ethics Committee at the Sharjah University.
Results
Universities students from various colleges participated in the study (n=1403). Most
of the participants were female (71.63%). Around half of respondents (45.54%) were
from medical and health colleges. Almost two third of participants reported disposing
medications by throwing them in the garbage. Less than 17% of the respondents practiced
returning unused medications to the pharmacy. The level of knowledge and practice
were reported to be higher in medical colleges than non-medical colleges (P value
<0.05). However, the level of knowledge about disposal of pharmaceutical products
was moderate, and the level of practice was poor.
Conclusion
Although there is a variation between levels of knowledge, attitude and practice among
participants in the study, most of participants were ready to contribute and dispose
unused/expired drugs in appropriate way if available. There is a need for appropriate
awareness and guidance of students regarding safe disposal of unused and expired medications.
P32 Evaluation of NSAIDs use and misuse by patients with cardiovascular disease in
the Lebanese community
Mohammad Assi, Maya Ourabi, Soha Hajj Ali, Iqbal Fahes, Fadi Hdeib
Lebanese International University
Correspondence: Mohammad Assi (mohammad.assi01@liu.edu.lb)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):P32
Background
While a notable percentage of patients have inadequate knowledge about appropriate
use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, the aim of this study is to assess the
knowledge of the Lebanese population regarding the appropriateness of NSAID use, whether
they are aware of the risks and adverse events caused by their use. In addition, it
aims to study the effect of demographic differences on attainment of knowledge of
NSAID use, and to identify the influence of pharmacist counselling on the patient's
knowledge and awareness of the risks and adverse events associated with NSAID use.
Methods
A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among the Lebanese population. A
self-administered questionnaire was used and filled by patients. Attitudes were measured
using a 5-point Likert scale. SPSS software version 25 was used to conduct data analysis.
A p-value less than 0.05 was considered significant.
Results
A total of 250 participants responded to the survey. NSAIDs were mostly used for a
duration of less than one month, with 39.2% of the respondents using NSAIDs daily.
In more than 50% of the cases, NSAIDs were prescribed by physicians. Only 80.2% of
participants were aware of NSAIDs-related adverse events, with pharmacists being the
number one source of information. Overall, the majority of participants were aware
of the side effects caused by NSAIDs. Blood pressure elevation was the mostly reported
side effect (82.4%). Only 75.6% of the patients were counseled by their pharmacists
regarding the correct dose and frequency of administration of NSAIDs. However, less
than one-third of respondents stated that the pharmacist role in counseling was inadequate.
Conclusion
Patient counseling has the ability to reduce possibly improper usage and raise risk
awareness. Pharmacists can play a more active role in detecting and advising patients
about NSAIDs. In other words, further changes are required for increased care and
the avoidance of potentially disastrous incidents.
Keywords
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, knowledge, counseling, adverse drug events,
attitude, awareness.
P33 Identification of new potential SHP2 inhibitors by lead optimization
Shaima Hasan1, Mohammad Ghattas1,2, Saad Touqeer1, Rose Ghemrawi1,2, Noor Atatreh1,2
1College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 64141; 2AAU
Health and Biomedical Research Center, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates,
64141
Correspondence: Mohammad Ghattas (mohammad.ghattas@aau.ac.ae)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):P33
Breast cancer is one of the most abundant malignancies and the second cause of death
among women having cancers [1]. Scientists have always aimed to find a new therapeutic
target to enhance breast cancer's clinical outcomes. The Src homology 2-containing
phosphatase 2 (SHP2) was discovered to be over-expressed in breast cancer cells [2]
and developing new SHP2 inhibitors are of interest. In our previous study, validated
ligand-based and structural-based virtual screening protocols were conducted against
the SHP2 active site. Compound NSC57774 has shown good fitting and stability against
the SHP2 active site. In line with the in-silico study, the compound has shown good
activity against SHP2 and a good selectivity over SHP1 with IC50 0f 0.8 μM. In the
current study, this compound with a phenoxazine scaffold was taken as the lead compound.
Lead optimization was initiated to find new derivatives with better in silico activity
and explore new sites in the Shp2 pocket. Phenoxazine derivatives were generated.
Derivatives were redocked in the shp2 pocket, where two of them have showed better
docking score than NSC57774. For a more comprehensive view, a 30 ns molecular dynamic
simulation was performed for these derivatives, followed by MMGBSA scoring. Synthetic
routes have been developed for derivatives that showed the best in silico activity.
Later, the best derivatives will be synthesized and biologically tested against SHP2
enzyme and breast cancer cell lines, which might reveal new potential shp2 inhibitors.
References
Khazaei, Z.; Momenabadi, V.; Ghorat, F. Global Cancer Statistics 2018: GLOBOCAN Estimates
of Incidence and Mortality Worldwide Stomach Cancers and Their Relationship with the
Human Development Index (HDI) Prevalence of Risky Behaviors and Related Factors among
Students of Dezful View Project Meta-Analysis View Project., doi:10.32113/wcrj_20194_1257.
Zhou, X.; Coad, J.; Ducatman, B.; Agazie, Y.M. SHP2 Is Up-Regulated in Breast Cancer
Cells and in Infiltrating Ductal Carcinoma of the Breast, Implying Its Involvement
in Breast Oncogenesis. Histopathology 2008, 53, 389–402, doi:10.1111/J.1365-2559.2008.03103.X.
P34 The eating attitude amongst outstanding and ordinary students in the college of
education at Al Ain University: A cross-sectional study
Balkees Abuawad1,2, Ziyad Ellala1, Majed El-Saleh1, Ahmad Al Maslamani1,2
1Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, UAE; 2AAU Health and Biomedical
Research Center, Al Ain University
Correspondence: Balkees Abuawad (balkees.abuawad@aau.ac.ae)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):P34
Background
Proper nutrient intake and a good nutrition attitude play critical roles in personal
health in terms of improved quality of health and dietary practices.
Therefore, efforts to promote nutrition education to students and create good attitudes
have never been as urgent as it seems today. So it is proper to measure the eating
attitude in education college students and measure the differences between outstanding
and ordinary students, this will help recognize any gaps in the education curriculum.
The objective of this study is to identify and detect the level of eating attitudes
among students in the College of Education at Al Ain University and determine differences
in eating attitudes between outstanding and ordinary students.
Materials and methods
A sample of 83 students was selected from the Education Collage at Al Ain University
in UAE (41 outstanding students, 42 ordinary students). The validated eating attitudes
test-26 was used to determine eating attitudes.
This study obtained the required ethical approval from the Ethics Research Committee
at AAU.
Results
The result showed that the percentage of students in danger of eating attitudes was
41%. However, there were no significant differences across the median between outstanding
and ordinary.
Conclusions
This sample of students is at low risk of adverse eating attitudes. However, there
is a need to conduct the study on a larger sample from different colleges of the university.
P35 Diet quality, and objectively measured physical activity and sleep are intercorrelated
with flash glucose monitoring (FGM)-measured glycemic control among children with
type 1 diabetes: A mixed-methods, cross-sectional study Diet, sleep, exercise, and
type 1 diabetes
Mariam Muayyad1, Salah Abusnana2,3, Bashair M Mussa4, Radwa Helal5, Dana N Abdelrahim6,
Naguib H Abdelreheim3, Elham Al Amiri7, Mays Daboul8, Zainab Al-Abdala9, Nader Lessan5,
MoezAlIslam Ezzat Faris10
1Nutrition department, Al Qassimi Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Sharjah, UAE; 2Clinical
Science Department, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE; 3Diabetes
and Endocrinology Department, University Hospital Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE; 4Basic Medical
Science Department, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, UA; 5Imperial College
London Diabetes Centre, Abu Dhabi, UAE; 6Research institute for medical and health
sciences, University of Sharjah, UAE; 7Diabetes and Endocrinology Department, Al Qassimi
Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Sharjah, UAE; 8Nutrition Department, Novomed Medical
Centre, Dubai, UAE; 9Diabetes and Endocrinology Department, Al Jalila Children’s Speciality
Hospital, Dubai, UAE; 10Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, College of
Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, UAE
Correspondence: MoezAlIslam Ezzat Faris (mfaris@sharjah.ac.ae)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):P35
Abstract
Aims: We examined the intercorrelation between diet quality, objectively measured
physical activity (PA), sleep duration, and subjectively measured sleep quality with
flash glucose monitoring (FGM)-measured glycemic control among young patients with
type 1 diabetes (T1D). Methods: Following cross-sectional design, Fitbit® accelerometers
were used to objectively assess PA, while the validated questionnaires Pittsburgh
sleep quality index and Mediterranean diet (MD) adherence were used to subjectively
assess sleep and diet quality, respectively. Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c%) and FGM-reported
glycemic control components among children with T1D were assessed as well. Results:
Of the 47 participants surveyed (25 boys, 22 girls, 9.31 ± 2.88 years), the majority
reported high HbA1c%, good sleep quality, intermediate daily steps (10426 steps),
spent < 60 minutes/day on PA, and reported high adherence to the MD. However, only
one-third of the participants reported a healthy sleep duration. Only the sleep latency
was associated (P<0.05) with the Time above Range Level 2 and Time below Range Level
2 (P=0.048) components of the FGM. A positive correlation (r=0.309, P=0.035) was reported
between adherence to MD and Time in Range of the FGM. Conclusions: Diet quality, PA,
and sleep quality are variably intercorrelated with FGM-measured glycemic control
among young patients with T1D, and suggest to be considered influential factors in
FGM-monitored diabetes research on this age group.
P36 Click synthesis of nucleoside based analogues as novel sialyltransferase inhibitors
Ranim Al Saoud, Tareq Abu Izneid
Pharmaceutical sciences, Pharmacy College, Al Ain University, Al Ain, Abu-Dhabi, UAE
Correspondence: Ranim Al Saoud (ranim.aa07@gmail.com)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):P36
Sialyltransferases (SA) terminate the cell surface glycoconjugates with sialic acid.
Sialylated glycoconjugates play critical roles in many biological processes, such
as cell-cell recognition and immune responses. However, growing evidence suggests
the involvement of sialyltransferase overexpression in cancer metastasis, chemotherapy,
and radiotherapy resistance which encourages the development of novel inhibitors against
this target [1]. Designing inhibitors based on the transition state of the natural
donor, cytidine 5′-monophosphate N-acetylneuraminic acid (CMP-Neu5Ac) considered the
most successful approach to date, yet poor cell-permeability hindered proceeding into
in-vivo studies [2, 3]. The introduction of a 1,2,3-triazole linker through click
synthesis as an isosteric replacement of the original phosphodiester linkage [4] can
produce potent cell-permeable analogues with synthetic accessibility. This study reports
the successful application of click chemistry in synthesizing new triazole-linked
transition-state analogues using alkyne fragments to provide novel, potent, and cell-permeable
sialyltransferase inhibitors as promising therapeutic agents for cancer and metastasis.
A collection of optimized analogues were synthesized using Copper-catalysed azide
on nucleosides with alkyne cycloaddition, which successfully provided novel analogues
that are readily accessible and ready for further exploration.
References
Dobie C, Skropeta D. Insights into the role of sialylation in cancer progression and
metastasis. Br J Cancer 2020 1241. 2020 Nov 4;124(1):76–90.
Perez SJLP, Fu CW, Li WS. Sialyltransferase Inhibitors for the Treatment of Cancer
Metastasis: Current Challenges and Future Perspectives. Mol 2021, Vol 26, Page 5673.
2021 Sep 18;26(18):5673.
Wang L, Liu Y, Wu L, Sun XL. Sialyltransferase inhibition and recent advances. Biochim
Biophys Acta. 2016 Jan 1;1864(1):143–53.
Montgomery AP, Skropeta D, Yu H. Transition state-based ST6Gal I inhibitors: mimicking
the phosphodiester linkage with a triazole or carbamate through an enthalpy-entropy
compensation. Sci Rep 7. 2017;14428.
P37 Evaluation of knowledge, screening practice, and potential risk prevalence of
breast cancer among women In UAE
Maram Abbas1,2, Mirza Baig1
1Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics, Dubai Pharmacy College for Girls,
Dubai, UAE; 2Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine & Health Sciences, United
Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates
Correspondence: Maram Abbas (dr.maram@dpc.edu)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):P37
Background
Breast cancer is considered the most dangerous cancer for women, driving the highest
number of mortalities in women worldwide. According to the WHO 2020 report, breast
cancer showed the highest five-year prevalence in the UAE, among other cancers. This
research was conducted to assess breast cancer awareness, potential risk factors,
screening approaches, screening practices, barriers that prohibited the participants
from screening, attitudes to seeking medical help, and the importance of early breast
cancer detection among UAE women.
Methods
A cross-sectional community-based study was conducted through a web-based validated
questionnaire about different aspects of breast cancer. The questionnaire was sent
through social media platforms. The eligible completed were 616 responses. Data analysis
was carried out using IBM SPSS version 27.
Results
This study showed a prevalence of breast cancer of 3.1% among the study population.
Most participants were aged between 25 to 45 years. Regarding Breast cancer knowledge,
most of the participants, 65.8%, had moderate knowledge, 19% had poor knowledge,7.8%
had very poor knowledge, and only 7.6% had good knowledge. Breast cancer screening
methods were the most recognized section at a mean of 76.08%, followed by knowledge
of symptoms at 66.05%, and lastly was the risk factors section at 37.3%. The most
recognized risk factor was the family history of breast cancer 81.7%, while sleep
disturbances 13.8% were the least known. Only 14.1% of participants did the BSE regularly,
and 34.9% never did do it. About 37.1% of women aged more than 40 years had never
undergone mammography. The majority of participants, 72.6%, were at moderate risk
of having breast cancer. Approximately 25.32% of respondents had at least one breast
cancer symptom.
Conclusion
In conclusion, most participants had an acceptable level of knowledge about breast
cancer with relatively higher knowledge scores for screening methods and symptoms.
Participants who received information from healthcare providers or attended awareness
events had a higher level of knowledge. This study shed light on the insufficient
practice of BSE among the participants and, to a lower extent, mammography. Potential
risk evaluation revealed a high percentage of participants suffering from many possible
risk factors, in addition to the considerable portion of the population with a likely
symptom of breast cancer.
P38 Computer-aided drug design & molecular docking studies of tranilast analogues
as potential inhibitors of transforming growth factor- β receptor type 1
Nusaiba A Babiker1, Ahmed T Negmeldin1,2,3, Eman M El-Labbad1,4
1Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Gulf Medical University,
Ajman, UAE; 2Thumbay Research Institute for Precision Medicine (TRIPM), Gulf Medical
University, Ajman, UAE; 3Department of Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry, Faculty of
Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt; 4Pharmaceutical Chemistry Department, Faculty
of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Abbassia 11566, Cairo, Egypt
Correspondence: Eman M El-Labbad (dr.eman.m@gmu.ac.ae)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):P38
Transforming Growth Factor- β Receptor type 1 (TGF-βR1) is a bifunctional cytokine
that regulates many biological responses including normal cell development, cell proliferation
and apoptosis [1]. TGF-βRI overexpression is involved in cancer pathogenesis by promoting
cell proliferation, progression and metastasis. Additionally, TGF-βRI induces angiogenesis
and suppresses immunological responses [2]. Generally, Tranilast was approved as an
antiallergic and antiasthmatic drug. Later, Tranilast was revealed to have a TGF-βR1
inhibitory effect [3]. This research describes the design of a novel series of anthranilate
derivatives having various modes of interactions with TGF-βR1 compared with Tranilast.
A database of novel Tranilast analogues was generated using Fragment-Based Drug Design,
Molecular Operating Environment software. Representative compounds were selected from
the database and docked in the identified binding site of TGF-βR1. Several compounds
showed higher binding affinity for TGF-βR1 compared with the lead compound in this
work, Tranilast. Compounds with high docking scores contained a positive amine group
or a negative carboxylate group interacting with Asp290 or Lys 335 respectively, in
the TGF-βR1 ATP binding site, or an aromatic ring interacting with Ser287, Lys337
or Ile211. The results obtained were utilized to rationally design a second generation
that overcomes the synthesis infeasibility of the first generation maintaining the
functional groups essential for interaction. Therefore, three series were designed
via bioisosterism of the 3,4 dimethoxyphenyl moiety, esterification or amidation of
the anthranilate scaffold moiety of Tranilast. Compounds of series 2 and 3 had higher
docking scores than Tranilast. They also showed some interactions with Asp351, Tyr249
and lys232 which are the key amino acids in the kinase binding pocket. Furthermore,
they showed additional interactions with Gly214, Ile211, Ser287, His 283, and Lys337.
Compounds of the three series are under the process of synthesis and biological evaluation.
References
Morikawa M, Derynck R, Miyazono K. TGF- β and the TGF-β family: Context-dependent
roles in cell and tissue physiology. Vol. 8, Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology.
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press; 2016.
Zhao M, Mishra L, Deng C-X. The role of TGF-β/SMAD4 signaling in cancer. Int J Biol
Sci [Internet]. 2018 Jan 12;14(2):111–23. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29483830
Osman S, Raza A, Al-Zaidan L, Inchakalody VP, Merhi M, Prabhu KS, et al. Anti-cancer
effects of Tranilast: An update. Biomed Pharmacother [Internet]. 2021;141:111844.
Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0753332221006260
P39 Accurate aggregates anticipator: Use of machine learning in the development of
drug discovery tool for predicting colloidally-aggregating molecules
Abdallah Abou Hajal1,2, Richard A Bryce3, Mohammad A Ghattas1,2
1College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi, 64141, United Arab Emirates; 2AAU
Health and Biomedical Research Center, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi, 64141, United
Arab Emirates; 3Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, School of Health Sciences, University
of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
Correspondence: Mohammad A Ghattas (mohammad.ghattas@aau.ac.ae)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):P39
Colloidal aggregates are a serious problem in drug discovery and drug development
projects. Aggregators bind to various enzymes non-specifically and produce wrong results
during assay screening, making them a source of false positives. As a result, they
may lead to the loss of years of work, effort, and resources. The goal of this work
is to build a novel software tool, Accurate Aggregates Anticipator, that can distinguish
between colloidal aggregators and non-aggregators in chemical space. To build the
software, initial machine learning algorithms were utilized, namely, k-Nearest Neighbor
(KNN) and Support Vector Machine (SVM). In numerous applications, these algorithms
have demonstrated remarkable performance in terms of response speed and classification
accuracy. The software has been trained on the largest datasets available, specifically
on six large experimental and computational datasets, together consisting of 83,464
aggregators and 480,954 non-aggregators. Additionally, ≥ 200 molecular descriptors
were utilized for the prediction of colloidal aggregators. These resultant data were
used for training and testing several models created by the machine learning KNN and
SVM algorithms. We are currently at phase 1 and the preliminary prototypes of the
models have shown promising results, which will be further enhanced and developed
in the coming stages. The resultant tool will be accessible through an online server
to help other researchers predict aggregators in the early drug discovery process
in order to maximize their actual hit rates and minimize the cost associated with
the testing and validation process.
P40 Development of a novel and validated protocol for covalent docking based virtual
screening against SARS-Cov-2 Mpro
Radwa E Mahgoub1,2, Mohammad A Ghattas1,2, Noor Atatreh1,2, Feda E Mohamed3, Bassam
R Ali3,4, Wael Rabeh5
1College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi, 64141, United Arab Emirates; 2AAU
Health and Biomedical Research Center, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi, 64141, United
Arab Emirates; 3Department of Genetics and Genomics, College of Medicine and Health
Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain 15551, United Arab Emirates; 4Zayed
Centre for Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain 15551, United
Arab Emirates 5Science Division, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi 129188,
United Arab Emirates
Correspondence: Mohammad A Ghattas (mohammad.ghattas@aau.ac.ae)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):P40
COVID-19 has been the third pandemic over the course of the last 20 years, resulting
from the coronavirus family. It has imposed a serious challenge on global public health
due to its rapid worldwide spread. The main protease enzyme (Mpro) has a major role
in the SARS-CoV-2 life cycle, with proteolytic cleavage to generate functional proteins
exclusively occurs after a glutamine residue, which is unlike any human protease.
This makes designing irreversible covalent inhibitors an appealing approach, due to
the presumed specificity of the viral Mpro. Although many irreversible inhibitors
have been reported in literature, most of these belong to peptides or peptidomimetics
groups with non-druglike characters. Accordingly, in this project, we aim to explore
druglike peptidomimetics as potential covalent inhibitors of Mpro, using a combined
approach of structure-based and ligand-based drug design. Initially, a pharmacophore
was constructed using previously discovered irreversible inhibitors. The generated
pharmacophore hypotheses were validated using sensitivity and specificity parameters.
Interesting results were found where the best generated hypothesis showed a four point
pharmacophore query with 89.5% sensitivity and 80.8% specificity. This query has been
employed as a filtration tool alongside Lipinski’s rule of five and it helped us trimming
the ligand library from 40,000 to 12,000. Subsequently, ligands were categorized based
on their warheads and they were covalently docked into the corresponding Mpro structure
(that is co-crystallized with a similar warhead). The resulting top hits were redocked
using a more precise covalent docking mode, and were further evaluated using visual
inspection and comparison with non-covalent XP docking. Shortlisted hits were purchased
and will be experimentally tested using an in-house validated enzyme assay. Discovered
hits by this work can inform us about new Mpro inhibitors with more druglike scaffolds.
P41 Evaluating pharmacists’ practice and ability to recognize medication errors among
self-medicating patients in the UAE – A simulated patient study
Samaa Fadda1,2, Akram Ashames1,2, Abdullah Hassan1,2, Ammar Jairoun3
1College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Ajman University, Ajman, UAE; 2Medical and
Bio-Allied Health Sciences Research Centre, Ajman University, UAE; 3Health and Safety
Department, Dubai Municipality, Dubai, UAE
Correspondence: Samaa Fadda (samaa_fada@yahoo.com), Akram Ashames (a.ashames@ajman.ac.ae)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):P41
Background
Increased public awareness, experience, and access to medical knowledge through various
resources made people more comfortable and confident with self-medication. Consequently,
drug research developed extensively to formulate safer and more tolerable drugs that
could be sold without a prescription. While, adopting the choice of self-medication
does have the advantages of giving people more control over their health and medical
decisions as well as saving them time and money, such a choice also comes with relatively
risky consequences. The fact that drug-drug interactions and contraindications aren’t
very familiar concepts to the public makes drug combinations blindly used by patients
very dangerous. This, in turn, makes things more complicated for the pharmacists who
now have to pay more attention and keep a closer eye on each patient coming into the
pharmacy for something as simple as a painkiller and drastically increases the necessity
of patient-centered care and counselling.
Objectives
This study aims to evaluate community pharmacists’ ability to detect and act upon
drug-drug interactions in various combinations of commonly purchased drugs. Furthermore,
it will also evaluate their ability to determine whether the product asked for by
the patient is actually contraindicated for their specific condition.
Methods
The simulated patient method was used to conduct this study. 5 simulated patients
visited pharmacies in different emirates and followed a pre-planned simulation scenario
in which the patient asked for 5 medications that present 3 different issues in terms
of interactions, side effects, and contraindications. After completing each simulation,
the volunteer filled in a data collection sheet to record all the information required
for evaluating the pharmacists’ responses and practices (dispensing counselling).
The results were then analyzed, and pharmacists’ practice scores were calculated and
compared to determine factors that influence community pharmacists’ practice.
Results
A total of 92 pharmacists where included. The average practice score was 7.1 with
a 95% confidence interval (CI) of [6.2%, 8%]. Univariate analysis showed that the
emirate where the pharmacy is located, pharmacy location, pharmacist’s nationality,
and counselling time were statistically significant factors affecting the practice
score. More specifically, the results of statistical modelling showed that better
practice was observed in medical center pharmacies, counselling time for 1 to 3 minutes,
and counselling time for than 3 minutes.
Conclusion: In conclusion, the results obtained indicate the importance of continuous
medical education and that there is in fact a need for developing effective and clear
guidelines for the management and dispensing of OTC medications in community pharmacies.
P42 Formulation and characterization of metronidazole-loaded nanoparticles from hydrophobically-modified
maltodextrin
Mohammad Magramane, Mohammad F. Bostanudin, Arshad Mahmood
College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi 112612, United Arab Emirates
Correspondence: Mohammad Magramane (202110145@aau.ac.ae)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):P42
Background
Nanotechnology is one of several promising current approaches in developing efficient
systems for intracellular delivery of therapeutic agents that can range from small
molecule drugs to biomacromolecules. One of the critical problems in delivering drug
intracellularly is related to the protective role of cell membranes that allow only
small molecules with high lipid solubility to pass through. Biocompatibility and ease
of chemical modification are attractive properties of polymeric nanoparticles and
make them suitable for this approach. The derivatization of polymers with alkylglycerols
can increase their hydrophobicity, thus improve the particle penetration across the
membrane
Objectives
The aim of this study is to modify biocompatible and biodegradable polysaccharide
named maltodextrin (that also have good drug carrier properties and offer functional
groups for ease of modification) with butylglycidyl ether (BGE) and to use these materials
for the formulation of nanocarriers that will be further tested for their suitability
in drug delivery applications
Methods
To modify the polysaccharide, maltodextrin was treated with BGE to yield butylglyceryl
derivatives. The resulting products are purified by dialysis and characterized by
NMR and FT-IR spectroscopic methods. To formulate the nanoparticles, nanoprecipitation
was performed. The diameter of particles is determined by Dynamic Light Scattering
(DLS) and the zeta potential is determined using a Malvern Zetasizer. The nanoparticles
was loaded with Metronidazole and further evaluated for drug delivery applications.
Results & Conclusion
Maltodextrin has been successfully modified with BGE, recording the degree of substitution
within the 20-30% range. Nanoparticles formulated from BGE-modified maltodextrin were
in the size range of 130-200 nm and exhibited acceptable negative zeta potentials
that indicate good stability of the nanoformulations.
Keywords
Nanoparticles, Biopolymer, Metronidazole, Butylglyceryl maltodextrin, Drug delivery.
P43 The putative role of autophagy in the anti-tumorigenic role of Angiotensin II
Receptor Blocker Losartan in breast and lung cancer
Azizeh Alsayyid1, Rose Ghemrawi1, 2, Aya Al Qassem1, Azza Ramadan1, 2
1Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University, Abu
Dhabi Campus-UAE; 2AAU Health and Biomedical Research Center, Al Ain University, Abu
Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Correspondence: Azza Ramadan (azza.ramadan@aau.ac.ae)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):P43
Background
According to the WHO, Cancer remains the leading cause of mortality worldwide. Incidences
of breast and lung cancer were among the most common in 2020. The link between angiotensin
II type I receptor and both breast and lung cancer are well documented. Given the
involvement of angiotensin II type I receptor signaling in these cancers, its inhibition
is a viable therapeutic option. We propose that the angiotensin receptor blocker Losartan,
utilized for cardiovascular disease treatment, can be repurposed as an anti-tumorigenic
drug for breast cancer and lung cancer treatment. Notably, the antitumor activity
of several other angiotensin receptor blockers was mediated by the pro-death mechanism
autophagy.
Objective
Our primary goals are to evaluate and confirm the potential protective role of Losartan
in breast and lung cancer cell lines, and provide a putative mechanism that facilitates
the protection. We propose that autophagy is the cellular mechanism responsible for
Losartan's anti-tumorigenic effect.
Material and Methods
Breast cancer (MCF7, MDA-MB-231) and lung cancer (H292, A549) cell lines were incubated
with or without Losartan (0-800 uM). MTT assay was utilized to assess survival, while
scratch comb assay was used to assess migration. Autophagy protein expression will
be evaluated via western blotting for the markers LC3A/B, ATG7 and p62.
Results:
Our preliminary findings showed that Losartan decreased viability in H292 and MCF-7
cell lines. Also, Losartan (400 uM) reduced migration in all cell lines except MDA
-MB-231 cells. It is expected that protein expression of ATG7 and LC3 will increase
while p62 will decrease, indicating autophagy activation.
Conclusion
Preliminary data suggest that Losartan is antitumorigenic in breast and lung cancer
cell lines. The findings could provide clinicians with a pre-clinical proof of concept
and scientifically validated research-based evidence which can support Losartan repurposing
as anti-cancer therapeutic.
P44 Investigations of amphiphilically-modified chitosan nanoparticle-based hydrogel
containing naproxen for drug delivery applications
Nour Sammani1,2, Mohammad F. Bostanudin1,2
1College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi 112612, United Arab Emirates; 2Health
and Biomedical Research Center, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Correspondence: Nour Sammani (nour.sammani@aau.ac.ae)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):P44
Background
Rheumatoid arthritis is the most frequent type of chronic inflammatory arthritis,
with a significant economic, disability, and productivity impact on society. Naproxen,
one of NSAIDs, is generally used to treat pain and stiffness in inflammatory diseases.
The drug, however, has been associated with poor skin permeation hence, designing
and investigating a novel naproxen formulation with an enhanced percutaneous permeation
will likely have significant benefits.
Methods
Amphiphilic chitosan was chemically modified with butylglycerol through several steps
starting with protecting chitosan amino group with phthaloyl groups, followed by alkylation
reactions, and lastly the deprotection of chitosan amino group. Characterization of
the modified chitosan included FT-IR, 1H-NMR spectroscopies, thermogravimetric (TGA),
differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) techniques, and gel permeation chromatography.
Modified chitosan was then used to formulate nanoparticles using ionotropic gelation
methods, that were characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS) using zeta-sizer
Nano ZS. Drug loading and release ability of the nanoparticles were tested using naproxen
as the model drug. The naproxen-loaded nanoparticles were incorporated into a hydrogel
and further characterized for their stability, spreadability, and viscosity. The release
and permeation studies of the dosage form were also reported.
Results
The synthesis of butylglyceryl-modified chitosan (GBE-CS) was confirmed, with a degree
of substitution ranging from 30-50 %. The BGE-CS nanoparticles were found to be monodisperse
with a size range from 150 to 200 nm. Naproxen loading degree in nanoparticles reached
around 20%. The hydrogel system incorporating naproxen-containing nanoparticles showed
acceptable attributes suitable for drug delivery applications. GBE-CS with higher
degrees of substitution exhibited better permeation ability than GBE-CS with lower
degrees of substitution.
Conclusion
A novel naproxen-loaded in modified-chitosan-nanoparticle was successfully formulated
and incorporated into a hydrogel system with results showing unique properties of
sustained drug delivery and enhanced permeation. Overall, the nano-colloidal systems
warrant further investigation for use in percutaneous drug delivery.
P45 Development of the asthma knowledge test (AKT) for assessing patient knowledge
of asthma
Sanah Hasan, Shrouq Mahameed, Lamees Alakhras
College of Pharmacy and Health, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
Correspondence: Sanah Hasan (s.hasan@ajman.ac.ae)
BMC Proceedings 2023, 17(16):P45
Objective
To develop and validate a measure of asthma knowledge that would be available for
use in the Arabic language and context.
Methods
The study was conducted in one primary care and two asthma specialty clinics in the
UAE. Individuals 18 years and older, who were medically diagnosed with asthma and
who had good mastery of English or Arabic were included. The NAEPP was used as a framework
to develop the Asthma Knowledge Test (AKT) questions. A measurement scale of “Yes”,
“No” and “I don’t know” was selected. The questionnaire was pilot tested on a group
of 10 patients for content clarity and comprehension. Cronbach alpha ≥ 0.7 was used
to produce an internally consistent measure. Principal component analysis was used
to determine the distinct areas of asthma knowledge covered by the AKT.
Results
The sample comprised 150 participants. Four components related to asthma as a common
disease and its symptoms; triggers and control issues; inhalers; and beliefs and myths.
AKT score average = 13.95 ± 2.77, range = 5.0-18.0. There were no effects of gender,
age, or marital status, but there was a significant effect of participant level of
education on AKT scores.
Conclusion
The AKT is a valid, reliable, and psychometrically tested tool available in Arabic.
It is a valuable addition to the limited available tools for assessing asthma knowledge.
It is simple and short which could be used in the clinic or community pharmacy to
identify specific areas of patient education needing improvements.