Background Nowadays, surgery is considered as one of the most important treatments for hydatidosis. Due to laceration, the cyst and spread of the content within it (protoscoleces) during the surgery that can put the patient at the risk of re-infection, anaphylaxis shock and even death, surgeons use some chemical drugs as protoscolicidal agents. The study is aimed to evaluate the scolicidal effects of olive ( Olea europaea L.) leaf extract on hydatid cyst protoscoleces in vitro and ex vivo . Methods After the collection of protoscoleces from sheep livers infected with fertile hydatid cysts, they were treated with various concentrations of olive leave extract (75–300 mg/mL) for 5–30 min in vitro and ex vivo . Finally, the mortality of protoscoleces was assessed by the eosin exclusion test (0.1% eosin staining). Results The mean of the mortality of protoscoleces was 100% after 10 min of incubation with the concentration of 300 mg/ml of O. europaea leaves extract. On the other hand, the mean of the mortality of protoscoleces after 20 min of incubation with the concentration of 150 mg/ml of O. europaea leaves extract was 100%. After injection of O. europaea leaves extract directly into the hydatid cyst ( ex vivo ), the mean of the mortality of protoscoleces was 100% after 12 and 25 min of incubation with the concentration of 300 and 150 mg/ml of O. europaea leaves extract, respectively; indicating that the extract requiring a further time to display a potent protoscolicidal effects. Conclusion Based on the findings of the study, it can be concluded that the extract of olive leaf had a significant scolicidal activity on hydatid cyst protoscoleces. However, further research, especially in human and animal subjects, are required to reach this conclusion.

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Microbial transformation of 11-ketoprogesterone (1) by the filamentous fungi Fusarium lini was investigated. Biotransformation of 1 with F. lini resulted in the production of ten oxidative metabolites (2-11). Structures of these metabolites were deduced by spectroscopic analysis and seven of them, 5-11, were found to be new metabolites.Keywords: 11-Ketoprogesterone; Steroid; Microbial transformation; Hydroxylation; Filamentous fungi; Fusarium lini.© 2011 JSR Publications. ISSN: 2070-0237 (Print); 2070-0245 (Online). All rights reserved. doi:10.3329/jsr.v2i2.6221                J. Sci. Res. 3 (2), 347-356 (2011)

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Arjun (Terminalia arjuna) is a source of many potent, biologically active compounds, planned all over Bangladesh. The chemical examinations of its fruits were taken up to isolate and identify active principles. For this purpose fresh fruits of Terminalia arjuna were extracted with rectified spirit. The extract was then triturated with petroleum ether (40-60 O C), which was then subjected to column chromatographic separation followed by PTLC. Such separation led to the isolation of some new pure compounds, TA-1 to TA-5. The structures of compounds were characterized through spectroscopic studies (IR, 1 H-NMR and 13 C-NMR).