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In the current study, the compositions of the essential oil obtained from leaves of Ocimum basilicum 'Cinnamon' grown in Jordan in a greenhouse was analysed. The antitumor activity of the essential oil was examined against three different cancer cell lines including MDA-MB-231, MCF7 and U-87 MG. The hydrodistillation method was used to extract the essential oil from Ocimum basilicum and the chemical components were analyzed and identified using gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy. The dry weight yield of essential oil was 0.50 % (w/w). Thirty-one components representing 97.80 % of the essential oil were identified. The main chemical components revealed the presence of linalool, eugenol, eucalyptol, hinesol, trans-α-bergamotene and γ-cadinene as the major constituents. In conclusion, the essential oil extracted from greenhouse cultivated Ocimum basilicum European chemotype showed potent antitumor activity.

Abstract:Ramadan is the holiest month in the Islamic calendar and Muslims fast during this month. We designed this study to evaluate the effect of Ramadan fasting on plasma lipids profile and serum glucose among healthy Jordanian students. Ramadan fasting entails major changes in sleep pattern, physical activity and eating habits, which may cause changes in metabolism both in health and disease. This cohort study was performed during Ramadan in October 2006 (Islamic year 1427). The subjects were 70 healthy Jordanian students (male and female) from three Jordanian universities who fasted during Ramadan. Their mean age was 21 ±1.6 years. We evaluated some anthropometric parameters as body weight (Kg), pulse rate (per minute) and systolic and diastolic blood pressure (mmHg). All parameters at 4 week of Ramadan were significantly lower than pre-Ramadan values, 2 weeks after Ramadan fasting, body weight and other parameters had a trend to recoup to pre-Ramadan status; however, they were still lower than the pre-Ramadan values. We evaluated blood glucose, triglycerides (TG), cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and Triglycerides at 1 day before, at week 1, 2, 4 of the Ramadan month and after tow weeks after the end of Ramadan. It was found that high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol increased significantly during Ramadan, which indicated positive association with pulse rate and fat intake and negative association with systolic blood pressure and weight. . The LDLc was significantly reduced at the end of fasting. A reduction in the average TC value was observed at the end of fasting but the difference was not statistically and there no significant rise in the TG and blood sugar values at the end of fasting. This study indicated that Ramadan fasting led to a decrease weight, LDLc significantly, and significant not statistically reduction in the average TC value, and significantly increasing in HDLc was noted during Ramadan. There was a non-significant rise in the TG, and blood sugar value at the end of fasting. It seems that the effect of Ramadan fasting on serum lipid levels may be closely related to the nutritional diet or biochemical response to starvation.

This study was designed to evaluate the role of alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone ( -MSH) on heart rate and some hematological values in alloxan induced diabetic rats. 40 male white rats were divided into four experimental groups: control, diabetic, -MSH-treated and -MSH-treated diabetic. At the end of the experimental period (3weeks), animals in all four groups were fasted for 12 hrs and blood samples were taken for the determination of plasma insulin, Glucagon, glucose levels, RBC and WBC (red and white blood cell) counts, packed cell volume (PCV), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and hemoglobin (Hb) concentration. It was found that ( -MSH) increased the lowered RBC and WBC counts, PCV and neutrophil percentage in diabetic rats. However the WBC counts of the ( -MSH) treated diabetic group was still lower than the control and ( -MSH) group. ( -MSH) also decreased the elevated heart rate, ESR and glucose concentration of diabetic rats. The hormone was investigated for hypoglycemic effect in diabetic rats and induced not significant reduction in serum glucose from (19.83±1.25 MmolL) in diabetic group to (15.7±1.10 MmolL) in ( -MSH)-treated diabetic group. However the blood glucose still higher than the control and ( -MSH) group, serum insulin increased from (0.55±0.08 ng mL 1 ) in control group to (0.65±0.06 ng mL 1 ) in -MSH-treated group and still higher than control in -MSH-treated diabetic (0.59±042 ng mL 1 ) and serum Glucagon increased in diabetic, -MSH-treated and -MSH-treated diabetic groups. It is concluded that treatment ( -MSH) might decrease the diabetes-induced disturbances of heart rate and some hematological parameters of alloxan-induced diabetic rats.

Many plants have been used for the treatment of diabetes mellitus in Jordanian system of medicine and in other ancient systems of the world. The present study is aimed to evaluate the potential mechanism of antidiabetic action of aqueous extract of Alkanna strigosa aerial part and its hypolipidemic effects in normal and alloxan-induced diabetic rats. This study was conducted on fifty experimental animals. Adult albino rats (Sprague-Dawely strain) weighing about 220 g each were used throughout the study. Fifty rats were randomly assigned to five experimental groups of 10 rats each: Group 1 -received normal saline (0.5 ml/kg), and serves as control. Group II -gavaged daily for thirty days with 1ml of the extract at doses of 400 mg/kg body wt and served as control. Group III -Untreated diabetic rats that received two doses of alloxan 150 mg/kg. Group IV -Treated diabetic rats for thirty consecutive days with 1 ml of the extract at a dose of 400 mg/kg body wt. Group V: Treated diabetic rats for thirty consecutive days with 14.2 mg/kg of metformin. Several hematological and biochemical parameters were assessed. It was found that the administration of aqueous extract of Alkanna strigosa produced significant reduction in blood glucose level in diabetic rats after thirty days of treatment. However, there was a significant (p < 0.05). Increase of insulin secretion. Also, the RBC and WBC count, PCV and neutrophil percentage decreased significantly (p < 0.05). This study indicated that the aqueous extract of Alkanna strigosa increased the RBC and WBC counts, PCV, ESR, and neutrophil percentage in diabetic rats. However, the WBC count of the extract -treated diabetic group was still lower than those of control values. Administration of the extract resulted in a significant reduction in the mean values of serum cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL-C, ESR, urea, uric acid, creatinine accompanied by an increase in the mean values of total protein, albumin, insulin, HDL-C, neutrophile count and PCV in diabetic rats. No significant changes in these parameters were found in the control group. Effects produced by this extract were closely similar to a standard antidiabetic drug, metformin. (p < 0.05) hypoglycemic effects in alloxan-induced diabetic rats, protection against body weight loss of diabetic animals and might alleviate diabetes-induced disturbances of some biochemical and hematological parameters. These results suggest that the oral administration of aqueous extract of the aerial part of Alkanna strigosa possesses antidiabetic and hypolipidemic effects in alloxan-induced diabetic rats.