George Albert Karikas

University of West Attica | TEIATH · Department of Biomedical Sciences

Evidence of medical methods presence in Greece, dates back to the Bronze Age. The healing knowledge from the Homeric epics mainly concerns medicine and pharmacology, with deep knowledge of pain management, wound disinfection, and instrument sterilization. Bold operations are witnessed as early as the 6th century BC. Later, Greek and Roman doctors,...

The aim of the present study was the phytochemical analysis of the aerial parts of Heliotropium procumbens Mill., a herb from Boraginaceae plant family not previously studied. The methanol (ME) and aqueous extracts (WE) of the aerial parts were assayed for their total phenolic and flavonoid content and antioxidant properties, using free radical sca...

One of the most fundamental molecular processes in response to hypoxia is the activation and stabilization of a transcriptional factor called hypoxia induced factor 1a (HIF-1a), which is responsible for the regulation of many downstream effector genes. Multiple key biological pathways such as proliferation , energy metabolism, invasion, and metasta...

The purpose of this study was to identify the chemical components in root extracts of Saponaria cypria, an endemic species of Cyprus. Subsequently, the synergistic bioactivity of its root extracts through different extraction procedures was also investigated for the first time. A total of nine saponins, along with six phenolic compounds, were ident...

Introduction: COVID-19 is an infectious disease of International Concern, due to the widespread geographic impact and high transmissibility, causing severe illnesses. The quick detection of cases and isolating them has become very crucial, therefore many testing facilities were set-up for monitoring the spread of the SARS-COV-2 virus, at the early...

Hypericum genus, considered to comprise over 500 species that exhibit cosmopolitan distribution, has attracted human interest since ancient times. The present review aims to provide and summarize the recent literature (2012–2022) on the essential oils of the title genus. Research articles were collected from various scientific databases such as Pub...

Introduction:, Reforming measures imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic in the Greek educational System, during the academic year 2020-2021 led to the implementation of distance learning in Second Chance Schools, for the first time. Trainers and trainees of Second Chance Schools, faced certain difficulties, with the arrival of the first COVID-19 wave, i...

Total cholesterol (CHOL) levels have been shown in many studies, to be higher in people with several types of cancer. Similar results are observed for both triglycerides (TG) and low-density cholesterol (LDL), as opposed to high-density cholesterol (HDL). Chemotherapy seems to reduce CHOL and LDL, leading to a reduction. Furthermore, the recurrence...

In the search for bioactive compounds from natural sources against cancer and inflammation, Calea jamaicensis (L.) L., a plant endemic to Panama, was investigated. Using multiple chromatographic steps, seventeen sesquiterpene lactones together with nine chromene derivatives were isolated from the non-polar extract of the plant. Among them, fourteen...

Objective: Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) seems to present a powerful trigger of oxidative stress (OS) and acute inflammatory response. This study aimed to estimate the effects of off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) grafting on the OS that is commonly observed in patients undergoing operation under cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Additio...

COVID-19 has nowadays affected almost all our societies and global health systems. The latest deadly pandemic has heavily influenced both life and livelihood worldwide. SARS-CoV-2 is the causative organism of COVID-19, that is spreading and infecting significantly higher compared to other coronavirus, due to its constant mutation characteristics. A...

TET2 protein is encoded by the gene TET2 which specifically catalyses the demethylation of 5-methylcytosine to cy-tosine. Mutations in TET2 have been identified in a number of haematological malignancies, including leukaemias and lymphomas. In acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), loss of TET2 function drives DNA methylation and gene silencing, contributi...

Cannabis due to its worldwide spread in human use is considered one of the most studied issue among other illicit substances. Nevertheless, according and to recent data, cannabis safety still remain unsolved and controversial. The plethora of pharmacological and toxicological effects of the smoking cannabis is due to the multiple and chaotic intera...

TET2 protein is encoded by the gene TET2 which specifically catalyses the demethylation of 5-methylcytosine to cytosine. Mutations in TET2 have been identified in a number of haematological malignancies, including leukaemias and lymphomas. In acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), loss of TET2 function drives DNA methylation and gene silencing, contributin...

Based on NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy) metabolomic strategy for natural product discovery, we report herein our results on the investigation of the chemical profile of Calea jamaicensis.

NMR spectra of the Calea jamaicensis fractions have given evidence of compounds such as sessquiterpene lactones, flavonoids and chromenes, common metabolites of the genus. Prunichromene B, prococene II and jamaicolide D have been so far isolated.

The aim of the present study has been the phytochemical analysis of three tropical species of the genus Cordia (Boraginaceae) Cordia bicolor, C. megalantha, C.dentata and Cordia bicolor afforded 9 compounds, namely allantoin (1) , rosmarinic acid (2), caffeic acid (3), quercetin 3-O- β-D- glucoside (4), quercetin 3-(6’’-O-α-L-rhamnosyl)-β- D- gluco...

This review explores the medicinal and therapeutic applications of Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) in acute as well as chronic health disorders. The plant is being used in different parts of the world for its nutritional and medicinal properties since centuries. Seabuckthorn is a rich source of nutrients and bioactive components beneficial...

Two new natural products, 5-O-[β-D-apiofuranosyl-(1 → 6)-β-D-glucopyranosyl]-1-isoindolinone (1) as well as N-(2E)-3-[(2S,3R)-2-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-3-(hydroxymethyl)-7-methoxy-2,3-dihydro-1-benzofuran-5-yl]acryloylglycine (2), along with four known compounds (3–6), were isolated from the methanolic extract of Cordia alliodora root bark. Fur...

Replacement of natural protein intake, low total antioxidant status (TAS) and DNA oxidation and high phenylalanine (Phe) blood levels are implicated with poorly controlled patients with PKU. In this study we aimed to investigate the effect of diet on the main Protein Energy Wasting (PEW) along with other metabolic parameters in patients with phenyl...

Nutri-epigenetics has lately emerged as a new field in cancer epigenetic research. Cancer represents a multistage and heterogeneous disease that is driven by progressive genetic and epigenetic abnormalities. Epigenetic activity is influenced by several exogenous and endogenous factors including, nutrition, environment, disease, ethnicity, life styl...

Natural origin products, have been always the most significant source of medications. Throughout history, these products have afforded a rich source of compounds that have found many applications in medicine and especially in oncology. Epigenetic therapy by natural products is a new area for drug development in cancer prevention. It has also become...

Personalized medicine uses information about a person's genes, proteins, enzyme activities, and cellular environment to diagnose, and treat disease, and cancer. Pharmacogenomics, pharmacogenetics, proteomics, and metabolomics play an important role in the development of personalized medicines e.g. in defining the dosage setting for subsets of the p...

Natural products have always been the most significant source of drugs in cancer therapy. Furthermore, vegetables and fruit are also excellent sources of cancer preventive compounds. Effectiveness of chemopreventive agents reflects their ability to counteract certain upstream signals that leads to genotoxic damage, redox imbalances and other forms...

The aim of this study is to investigate the presence of potential pharmaceutical traces at the South tetriary wastewater treatment plant in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia using a rapid, accurate and sensitive analytical method (UPLC-MS) for their simultaneous confirmation and quantification. The investigation focuses on common anti-ulcer and anti-platelet dr...

SUMMARY. Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) consists the most frequent malignancy of child-hood, covering a noticeable percentage of all childhood cancer (children not older than 15 years) at 30%. As fas as adults are concerned there is nearly peer distribution of incidents at all ages up to 50 years old, from when on an upward trend is apparent. O...

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are secondary metabolites, mainly found within Boraginaceae, Asteraceae and Fabaceae plant families. Many Boraginaceae species are used in medicine, cosmetology, food and cotton industry. Boraginaceae plants do not contain essential oils, whereas all of its members can produce PAs with toxic effects to human, known as...

Background: Implementation of neonatal screening programs for congenital hypothyroidism (CH) has reduced related nosologies and has eradicated CH-associated mental impairment. With the decrease of the TSH cut-off limits employed to avoid falsenegative results, milder cases of CH are diagnosed. Obviously, in a number of patients, especially among mi...

Natural origin products, have been always the most significant source of medications. Throughout history, these products have afforded a rich source of compounds that have found many applications in medicine and especially in oncology. Epigenetic therapy by natural products is a new area for drug development in cancer prevention. It has also become...

Photocatalytic and photoelectrocatalytic degradation of the antibacterial fluoroquinolone drug, Ciprofloxacin, has been studied in the presence of nanocrystalline titania films supported on glass slides or transparent electrodes. Degradation has been examined either in pure water or in the presence of NaOH or NaCl. Titania films can photocatalytica...

Ultra performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (UPLC–MS) method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of pharmaceuticals in industrial waste water samples. The binary mobile phase was used a mixture of acetonitrile and 0.1% aqueous solution of formic acid at a flow rate of 0.4 ml min−1. Identification and quantitation of...

In this work we present the photocatalytic and photoelectrocatalytic degradation of omeprazole in water using UV light. Pure nanocrystalline TiO2 films were used as photocatalysts. The system was tested in the absence and in the presence of applied forward and reverse bias. The degradation of omeprazole can produce electricity. The resulting IV cur...

In this work we present the photocatalytic and photoelectrocatalytic degradation of omeprazole in water using UV light. Pure nanocrystalline TiO2 films were used as photocatalysts. The system was tested in the absence and in the presence of applied forward and reverse bias. The degradation of omeprazole can produce electricity. The resulting IV cur...

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is a significant component of the membrane contributing to the permeability changes during synaptic transmission and conduction. Phenylketonuria is a group of metabolic disorders in which phenylalanine (Phe) is highly elevated in blood (up to 0.1 M) resulting in mental retardation etc. AChE activity was measured spectrop...

Pharmacokinetic parameters such as absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) along with pharmacogenetics-pharmacogenomics are currently playing an important role in the development of personalized medicines and future pharmacotherapy. Personalized medicine uses information about a person's genes, proteins, enzyme activities, and ce...

Pharmaceuticals coming from a wide spectrum of therapeutic classes are used in human medicine worldwide. After administration of the active pharmaceutical compounds, some drugs are metabolised, while others remain intact before being excreted. Although the pharmaceutical residues in the water cycle are at low concentrations (below therapeutic doses...

Personalized Medicine is more than just a metabolic activity of a person. Pharmacogenomics, pharmacogenetics, pharmacoproteomics, and metabolomics play an important role in the development of personalized medicines. Personalized medicine uses information about a person's genes, proteins, enzyme activities, and cellular environment to diagnose and t...

Hyperphenylalaninemia (HPA) leads to increased oxidative stress in patients with phenylketonuria (PKU) and in animal models of PKU. Early diagnosis and immediate adherence to a phenylalanine-restricted diet prevents HPA and, consequently, severe brain damage. However, treated adolescent and adult PKU patients have difficulties complying with the di...

Background In recent years, the use of biochemical markers has received increasing attention for purposes of risk assessment and clinical management in renal failure patients. Chemometric methods are often used in medical studies and there are already indications for their specific role as a tool of the medical statistics. Methods Three chemometric...

Photocatalytic degradation of water soluble organic pollutants during tertiary water treatment is one of the most popular fields of the research related with environmental issues. Nevertheless there has been rather limited work done on the application of photocatalysis to the removal of hormones and pharmaceuticals both in artificial and real waste...

Replacement of natural protein intake, low total antioxidant status (TAS) and DNA oxidation and high phenylalanine (Phe) blood levels are implicated with poorly controlled patients with PKU. In this study we aimed to investigate the effect of diet on the main Protein Energy Wasting (PEW) along with other metabolic parameters in patients with phenyl...

Throughout history, natural products have been the most significant source of drugs in cancer therapy. Cancer represents a multistage and heterogeneous disease that is driven by progressive genetic and epigenetic abnormalities. The majority of chemotherapeutic drugs affect cell division or DNA synthesis and function, in addition to recent targeted...

This presentation deals with the biochemical pharmacology in the field of natural products oncotherapy, including currently used agents, novel products from microorganisms, marine flora, extracts and promising chemopreventing agents from nature. Cancer is a growing health problem around the world, particularly with the steady rise in life expectanc...

Background: Cancer is a growing health problem around the world. Throughout history, natural products have been the most significant source of anticancer and chemopreventing agents. More than 1,000 different phytochemicals are already proved to possess interesting chemopreventing activities. Aim: To present a number of recent biochemical and molecu...

Background: Cancer is a growing health problem around the world. Throughout history, natural products have been the most significant source of anticancer and chemopreventing agents. More than 1,000 different phytochemicals are already proved to possess interesting chemopreventing activities. Aim: To present a number of recent biochemical and molec...

To investigate the effect of the mode of delivery on maternal-neonatal Mg and Zn levels. Two groups of pregnant women participated in the study: Group A (n = 16) with normal labor and vaginal delivery and group B (n = 14) with scheduled cesarean section (CS). Blood was obtained at the beginning of the labor, immediately after delivery and from the...

Natural products have afforded a rich source of compounds that have found many applications in cancer chemotherapy. Furthermore, the vast structural spectrum of natural compounds can provide "lead compounds" for therapeutic improvement by molecular modification. Over 70% of anticancer compounds are either natural products, or natural product-derive...

An elevated plasma level of total homocysteine (tHcy) has long been known as an independent predictor of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, in the absence of a clear mechanism linking tHcy to CVD, there has been an ongoing debate whether this relationship is one of cause and effect or whether an elevated level of plasma tHcy is an epiphenomenon...

An elevated plasma level of total homocysteine (tHcy) has long been known as an independent predictor of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, in the absence of a clear mechanism linking tHcy to CVD, there has been an ongoing debate whether this relationship is one of cause and effect or whether an elevated level of plasma tHcy is an epiphenomenon...

Objective: To investigate PON 1/Aryl activities in basketball players with or without aT supplementation pre-and post-training. Vitamin E (a-tocopherol, aT) reduces lipid peroxidation. Paraoxonase 1/arylesterase (PON 1/Aryl) activities are closely related to oxidation and atherogenesis. Subject/Methods: Blood was obtained from 10 players pre-(group...

Background: Εrythrocyte glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity (G6PD) is closely related to total antioxidant status (TAS) and forced training to the elevation of catecholamine blood levels. Aim: To investigate the effect of training on G6PD activity in relation to catecholamine levels. Methods: Blood was obtained from 14 soccer players pre-ga...

The aim of this review is to summarize the current data concerning the efficacy and safety of the use of lanthanum (La) in the management of hyperphosphatemia in chronic renal failure (CRF). La is used as a phosphate (P) binder in order to reduce the high levels of the latter that are observed in CRF patients and are associated with secondary hyper...

Background: Erythrocyte glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity (G6PD) is closely related to total antioxidant status (TAS) and forced training to the elevation of catecholamine blood levels. Aim: To investigate the effect of training on G6PD activity in relation to catecholamine levels. Methods: Blood was obtained from 14 soccer players pre-gam...

Carnitine is an important compound of cellular metabolism and it is essential for b-oxidation of lipid acids. In neural system, although b-oxidation is not the main source of energy, carnitine is involved in the regulation of energy production and calorie intake, the latter via the hypothalamus, as well as indirectly in synaptic neurotransmission....

Population ageing and modern lifestyle seem to be two important factors contributing to neurodegenerative diseases, while the underlying cellular pathophysiological mechanisms implicate the phenomenon of oxidative stress in most studies. Antioxidants such as carnitine, which neutralize directly or indirectly the action of free radicals, are suggest...

To investigate the effect of the mode of delivery on maternal-neonatal amino acid levels as high blood levels of some amino acids are implicated with endurance exercise. Comparative study. Thirty women in normal pregnancy divided into two groups: Group A (n=15) with normal labor and vaginal delivery and group B (n=15) with scheduled cesarean sectio...

Valproic acid (VPA) treatment and paraoxonase1/arylesterase (PON1/Aryl) activities are related to the production of free radicals. Our aim was to study the PON1/Aryl activities in children on VPA therapy. Thirty-two children with seizures and 30 healthy child volunteers took part. Ill children underwent the common laboratory tests, as well as total...

Background: L-cysteine (L-cys) is implicated in the reduction of free radicals production. Aim: To investigate the effect of training and L-cys supplementation on the erythrocyte glucose-6-phospate dehydrogenase (G6PD) activity Methods: Blood was obtained from 10 basketball players pre-game (group A), post-game (group B) and after 1 week on L-cys (...

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether influence the activities of the erythrocyte membrane αcetylcholinesterase (AChE), (Na+,K+)-ATPase and Mg2+-ATPase in basketball players with or without L-Carnitine (L-C) supplementation, after the end of a forced basketball training. Blood was obtained from 10 players without L-C before (group...

Background: L-cysteine (L-cys) is implicated with the reduction of free radicals production. Aim: To investigate whether (L-cys) supplementation prevents modulation of the activities of erythrocyte membrane α cetylcholinesterase (AChE), (Na+,K+)-ATPase and Mg2+-ATPase induced by free radicals in basketball players during training. Methods: Blood wa...

Biogenic amine, adrenaline, noradrenaline, dopamine and 5-hydroxy-tryptamine (5-HT) levels are related to interleukin-6 (IL-6) plasma concentrations and endurance exercise. The aim of our study was to investigate the effect of the mode of delivery on maternal-neonatal IL-6, biogenic amine and their precursor amino acid levels. Some women with norma...

Background: Vitamin A is fundamentally required in physiological processes and growth and low folate level is implicated with neural tube defects. Aim: To evaluate retinol and folate serum levels in mothers and their newborns of two ethnic group. Methods: Data concerned 710 Greeks and 686 Albanian mothers along with their newborns. Immediately afte...

Aim: To investigate the effect of α-Tocopherol (α-T) supplementation on S100B elevated serum levels in basketball players' training. Design: Blood was obtained from 10 basketball players pre-game (group A), post-game (group B) and after 30 days on α-T (200 mg/ 24h orally) supplementation pre-(group C) and post-training (group D). Blood samples were...

To investigate the effects of diet on the antiatherogenic enzyme Paraoxonase 1/Arylesterase (PON1/Aryl) activities in patients with disorders of galactose metabolism. Eleven poorly dietary controlled children with classical galactosaemia (GALT deficiency), 7 with epimerase deficiency and 12 with duarte 1 variant 'off diet' underwent clinical and la...

To investigate PON 1/Aryl activities in basketball players with or without alpha-T supplementation pre- and post-training. Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol, alpha-T) reduces lipid peroxidation. Paraoxonase 1/arylesterase (PON 1/Aryl) activities are closely related to oxidation and atherogenesis. Blood was obtained from 10 players pre- (group A), post-ex...

A simple reversed phase HPLC method suitable to study the interactions of alkylating agents with DNA is presented in this paper. DNA interaction is expressed as the % DNA peak size exclusion. The effects caused by the antitumor drugs melphalan, busulphan, and busulpan analogues on DNA were clearly observed through chromatographic data. The syntheti...

Aim: To investigate PON 1/Aryl activities in basketball players with or without alpha-T supplementation pre- and post-training. Vitamin E (alphatocopherol, alpha-T) reduces lipid peroxidation. Paraoxonase 1/arylesterase (PON 1/Aryl) activities are closely related to oxidation and atherogenesis. Subject-Methods: Blood was obtained from 10 players pr...

We evaluated the serum levels of lipids, lipoproteins, apolipoproteins, along with a number of minerals and trace elements such as Ca, Mg, Cu and Zn in a group of children after 6 months of valproic acid monotherapy. Thirty patients with seizures, mean age, 9.8+/-2.6 years and 79 healthy children (controls), mean age, 10.9+/-3.2 years, formed the t...

Over the past decade, it has been well established that elevated total serum homocysteine (tHcy) in adults is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular and thromboembolic diseases. Since risk factors for such diseases are established at a young age, the aim of the present study was to measure serum tHcy levels in 134 (71 boys, 63 girls) rand...

To investigate the effect of nutritional habits on lipid profiles in mothers of three different ethnic groups and in their newborns. Lipids and lipoproteins were determined in 7-day dietetic diaries of 9,134 mothers (Greeks n = 3,118, Albanians n = 3,050, Muslim Asians n = 2,966), in their sera and in the cord blood of their newborns with routine m...

Valproic acid (VPA) and 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) are implicated with the free radicals production. We aimed to evaluate total oxidant status (TOS) and 8-OHdG in children on VPA monotherapy. Fifty patients with seizures, mean age 8.5+/-3.6 years, were divided into group A (N=26) and group B (N=24) with VPA serum levels 81.0+/-8.0 and 114+...

Better dosing is needed for antibiotics, including teicoplanin (TEI), to prevent emergence of resistant bacterial strains. Here, we assess the TEI pharmacokinetics (PK) related to a 10 mg/l minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) target in ICU children (4 to 120 months; n = 20) with gram+ infections. Standard administration of TEI was with three 10...

Low folate and vitamin B(12) concentrations during pregnancy are implicated with neural tube defects (NTD) and neurological manifestations in the neonates. To compare serum concentrations of folate and vitamin B(12) in 1025 Greek mothers, 908 immigrant Albanian mothers at delivery and in the cord blood of their neonates. A 30 days food diary was ke...

Vitamin A and E are required in physiological processes such as pregnancy and growth. To evaluate retinol and alpha-tocopherol serum levels in Greek and Albanian mothers and in their newborns. Data concerned 1125 Greek and 898 Albanian mothers along with their newborns. Immediately after delivery, blood from the umbilical cord and from the mothers...

Patients with phenylketonuria (PKU) have a diet-controlled deficiency in the conversion of phenylalanine (Phe) to tyrosine (Tyr), leading to decreased production of noradrenaline, adrenaline, and dopamine. Poor diet control results in high plasma Phe and low plasma Tyr and catecholamine concentrations. Ghrelin, a recently described gastrointestinal...