
Karim RaafatPharos University in Alexandria | PUA · Department of Pharmacognosy and Medicinal Plants
Karim Raafat
PhD Pharmaceutical Biology
About
90
Publications
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Introduction
Specializing in bio-guided fractionation and chromatographic analysis, natural products chemistry, he completed his PhD at the German University in Cairo, under the channel and postdoctoral system in Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University Frankfurt, Germany. He became an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Pharmacy, Beirut Arab University, Lebanon. Associate Professor at Pharos University, Egypt. Published over eighty articles, books, international-Patent, and won several international awards.
Additional affiliations
September 2011 - present
Education
March 2008 - March 2010
Publications
Publications (90)
Eggs are considered a nutritionally complete food and an excellent source of protein. However, they are prone to bacterial contamination, which can affect their internal quality and safety. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of essential oils (EOs) as natural sanitizers for eggshells to reduce the bacterial load and improve shelf life....
Withania somnifera (W. somnifera) has a long history of safety in the amelioration of neuro-active ailments. The current study aims to explore Withania somnifera phyto-active principle anti-microbial, ant-neuropathic, and anti-inflammatory activities, and to modify these activities utilizing nano-cubosomes exploiting their mechanisms of action. Bio...
Background and Aim
The Eastern-Mediterranean herbal-remedies are utilized for their immunomodulatory-potentials. Achillea species have ethno-pharmacological significance. The current-work aims to perform an in-depth phytochemical-investigation on three Eastern-Mediterranean Achillea species, mainly, Achillea kotschyi Boiss. (AK), Achillea falcata L...
A huge‑amount of citrus by‑products is being wasted every‑year. There is a high‑need to utilize these by‑products with high‑efficiency. This study focuses on the essential oil (EO) isolation from the zest of Citrus sinensis (CS) by‑products, using a novel dual‑function gas‑chromatography massspectrometry optimized ultrasound‑assisted hydrodistillat...
Background and aim
Natural metabolites are rich in neuroactive and anti-inflammatory phytochemicals. Soapwort or Saponaria officinalis (Sap) has been utilized for its immunomodulatory and ant-rheumatic properties. Thus, the aim is to exploit Sap phytochemically and to investigate Sap isolated active phytochemicals effect to modulate diabetic neurop...
Purpose: Diabetic somatic neuropathy is one of the most prevalent complications in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D). Many treatments were investigated to alleviate the pain associated with this condition. Capsaicin is a naturally occurring lipophilic alkaloid that proved to be an effective and safe treatment of chronic painful disorders. Despite the...
Background: A huge amount of citrus by-products are being wasted every year; these by-products can be used in the extraction of essential oils which can be used in different fields. Many methods have been used in the extraction of orange essential oil (E.O). This study focuses on the extraction of essential oil from orange by-product, using a newly...
Objective: This study was undertaken to investigate the antihyperglycemic potential of
miracle fruit (MF) as well as its hepatic safety as compared to aspartame in alloxan-induced diabetic mice.
Methods: MF extracts were prepared and screened for their phytochemical composition using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Total phenolic, fl...
Background
The global social expenses of Alzheimer's disease (AD) have been increased to US$1 trillion due to high cost, side-effects, and low efficiency of the current AD-therapies. Another reason is the lack of preventive drugs and the low-income situation of Asian and African countries. Accordingly, patients rather prefer traditional herbal reme...
Background
A c rylamide (AA) in food is a public health concern that has attracted scientists’ attention worldwide.
Objective
This study was carried out to investigate the efficiency of Moringa oleifera (M. olifera) leaves in the reduction of AA in French fries in vitro and its hepato-protective properties against AA-induced liver toxicity in vivo...
The inhibitory glycine receptor (GlyR) is a key mediator of synaptic signalling in spinal cord, brain stem, and higher centres of the central nervous system. We examined the glycinergic activity of sarcophine (SN), a marine terpenoid known for its various biological activities, and its trans-diol derivative (7S, 8R)-dihydroxydeepoxysarcophine (DSN)...
To cite the article:
Raafat, K.M., El-Zahaby, S.A. Niosomes of active Fumaria officinalis phytochemicals: antidiabetic, antineuropathic, anti-inflammatory, and possible mechanisms of action. Chin Med 15, 40 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13020-020-00321-1
Background: Saussurea lappa is a traditionally well-known plant appreciated for its biological activities and medicinal uses.
Objective: In the present study, the recovery of antioxidants from Saussurea lappa was optimized using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). The efficiency of a newly-patented infrared (IR) technology, Ired-Irrad®, was compar...
Background: Saussurea lappa is a traditionally well-known plant appreciated for its biological activities and medicinal uses.
Objective: In the present study, the recovery of antioxidants from Saussurea lappa was optimized using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). The efficiency of a newly-patented Infrared (IR) technology, Ired-Irrad®, was compar...
Objectives: The aim of this study is to investigate the phytochemical and the long-term anti-neuropathic potentials of Crocus sativus cultivated in the University botanical garden,and exploreits most bioactive compounds and their underlying mechanisms of action.
Methods: Phytochemical analysis and bio-guided isolation-procedures including RP-HPLC...
Introduction: Poor personal hygiene of the nutraceuticals handlers could be a potential source of diseases due to the high occurrence of bacterial contamination. Methods: A cross sectionnal study was conducted among Lebanese nutraceuticals handlers. A pretested structured questionnaire was used for collecting information on age, sex, marital status...
Ferula hermonis (F. hermonis, Fh) is one of the important medicinal-plants cultivated in Lebanon. The aim of this study is to phytochemically-investigate F. hermonis and its most active compound(s) and to explore their neuroprotective potentials utilizing an in vivo model of glycine receptor. HPLC-DAD investigation was done to identify F. hermonis...
Orange and carrot pomace are considered as food wastes, despite their high content in beneficial health compounds. The comparison of phenolic extracts from orange and carrot pomace, showed higher values for Orange pomace, with a polyphenols concentration (130 mg/L), flavonoids (8.67 mg/L) and tannins (2.5 mg/L). A higher antiradical activity was al...
Orange and carrot pomace are considered as food wastes, despite their high content in beneficial health compounds. The comparison of phenolic extracts from orange and carrot pomace, showed higher values for Orange pomace, with a polyphenols concentration (130 mg/L), flavonoids (8.67 mg/L) and tannins (2.5 mg/L). A higher antiradical activity was al...
Prunus cerasus (P. cerasus) is an alternative-medicine used traditionally for amelioration of 2 chronic-ailments marked by elevation in oxidative-stress like neuropathy. The oxidative-stress 3 control was reported to ameliorate the inflammatory-process. This study aimed to 4 phytochemically-investigate P. cerasus most-active phytochemicals utilizin...
Background: Saussurea lappa (S. lappa, Asteraceae) have immunomodulatory-effects, and used in the management of many metabolic-disorders. Gestational-diabetes is one of metabolic-disorders affecting globally one in seven pregnant-women. Objectives - The aim of the current-study is to optimize an infrared-assisted extraction (IR-AE) method for S. la...
Introduction: The current study aims to evaluate the therapeutic effect of Cichorium intybus n-hexane extract on diabetes mellitus and its antioxidant effect in vivo in alloxinated animals.
Diabetic neuropathy improvement was also tested as well as insulin levels and histology of the pancreas were performed. Methods: The chromatographic standardiza...
Objective: Acanthus syriacus (AS) is one of the valuable herbal plants with immunomodulatory potentials. The aim of this study is to assemble a phytochemical investigation of A. syriacus exploring its anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive properties, identification of its most active compound(s) and elucidating their structure and determining their...
Introduction: Natural phytochemicals are considered a primary health care measure for many chronic diseases and for assurance of urban health and wellbeing. Diabetes and its related complications are major chronic diseases increasingly threatening human health and wellbeing. Till date, these diseases are not fully managed by the current therapies....
Introduction: The current study aims to evaluate the therapeutic effect of Cichorium intybus n-hexane extract on diabetes mellitus and its antioxidant effect in vivo in alloxinated animals. Diabetic neuropathy improvement was also tested as well as insulin levels and histology of the pancreas were performed. Methods: The chromatographic standardiza...
Herbal medicine was proven to be very effective in the management of diabetes. This effect was mainly attributed to the polyphenols, a class of secondary-metabolite phytochemical found in the matrix of different fruits and vegetables. This chapter was elaborated to investigate the hypoglycemic effects of red sour cherry extracts (pulps and seeds) i...
Narcotics can cause a wide range of adverse effects. The analysis of the narcotics phytochemical content utilizing rapid and efficient techniques have become of imminent need. The use of illegal drugs has been a long-standing problem in the world, a problem that has taken on a particular urgency in the last 30 years. The aim of the study is to deve...
In this paper, is presented the evaluation of the ultra wideband (UWB)communication system performance analysis in terms of bit error rate (BER) in a time hopping pulse position modulation scheme (TH PPM) in the additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel. Most of the researches topics with UWB concepts are based on Pulse Position Modulation with...
A Location based service (LBS) field is of increasing interest towards healthcare facilities of smart environments and applications such as tracking, positioning, mobile computing, etc., in Information Technology (IT) world. Hospital (track a special patient); Museum (track a tourist); School (track a student); Kindergarten (track a kids), are exam...
This paper presents a reasonable computer application solution of the numerical methods, which have been designed and implemented of a Computerized System for Numerical Methods Simulation (CSNMS) as teaching tool furnishes a background necessary for studying numerical analysis (numerical methods) theory. This program is a simple application tool, w...
A Location based service (LBS) field is of increasing interest towards healthcare facilities of smart environments and applications such as tracking, positioning, mobile computing, etc., in Information Technology (IT) world. Hospital (track a special patient); Museum (track a tourist); School (track a student); Kindergarten (track a kids), are exam...
In this paper, is presented the evaluation of the ultra wideband (UWB)communication system performance analysis in terms of bit error rate (BER) in a time hopping pulse position modulation scheme (TH PPM) in the additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel. Most of the researches topics with UWB concepts are based on Pulse Position Modulation with...
The anticonvulsant potential of Ficus carica methanol-extract (Fc) has been studied. It was found that Fc most active fraction is rich in oligosaccharides (OFG). ¹H, ¹³C NMR and Nano-ESI, MALDI MS, and LC-MS techniques proved that OFG contains alpha-glucopyranoside oligomer in high amounts. Both Fc and OFG reduced strychnine (STR) convulsion-action...
Introduction: Psoralea bituminosa L. (Fabaceae), is a very important medicinal plant, used in traditional medicine in Europe, Asia, and America, and in Africa for, its antiseptic, antihypergly-cemic and anti-oxidative potentials. The objective of this study is to investigate the potential of Psoralea bituminosa (Pbt.) in the management of diabetes...
Salvia sclarea (SS) is characterized by its valuable essential oils (Eos) and potent biological activities. This study aimed at investigating the phytochemical composition of SS Eos collected in within the same week, from two different regions in Lebanon, Beirut (SS-Bt) and Taanayel (SS-Tl), utilizing GC-MS methods, and to explore their acute and s...
Juglans regia L., Juglandaceae, is broadly used due to its immunomodulatory effects, potentials inprotecting against many sever-disorders, and high safety-profile. The aim of this work is to make aphytochemical analysis of J. regia oil and kernel exploring their antinociceptive and anti-inflammatorypotentials utilizing combined bio-guided gas chrom...
Honeysuckle or Lonicera etrusca is one of the important medicinal-plants that is traditionally-used as a potential antioxidant. The aim of this work was to make a phytochemical-evaluation of Lonicera etrusca ultrasound-assisted spray-dried extract versus conventional-method utilizing RP-HPLC aided-method in the potential management of diabetes. Ult...
Phytochemicals might offer economic therapies, which are an alternative especially for low-income developing countries. Anemone coronaria has been used extensively as antineuralgic and antirheumatic in the folk medicine of Lebanon. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the antinociceptive potential of A. coronaria and its active principles...
Objectives
To explore the phytotherapeutic-activities of Moringa oleifera (MO) seeds on painful diabetic neuropathy in alloxan-induced diabetic mice. Methods
The bio-guided fractionation of MO utilizing column chromatography aided with GC-MS was used to detect the most active constituent of MO. Hyperalgesia, using tail-flick and hot-plate latency e...
Introduction: The alarming increase in bacterial strains resistant to existing antimicrobial agents has demanded alternative strategies. Medicinal plants are now considered as an alternative treatment because of their secure choice in several diseases. Among them, Nigella sativa is a promising traditional herb having rich medical background. The ai...
Context:
The prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) is increasing. Because of its progressive nature, therapeutic shifts and combinations are often required to reduce the risk of glucose toxicity and avoid serious side effects. To treat DM and its related complications, a combination therapy may offer a promising remedy to counteract those issues....
Introduction:
Prunus armeniaca L. (P. armeniaca) is one of the medicinal plants with a high safety-profile.
Objectives:
The aim of this work was to make an infrared-assisted extraction (IR-AE) of P. armeniaca fruit (pomace) and kernel, and analyse them using reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) aided method.
Methods:...
Introduction: One of the common syndromes that affect humanity is neuropathic pain (NP), yet poorly understood with no efficient treatment till now. Consequently, it is extremely crucial to seek further evidence for accurate diagnosis and optimum treatment. The aim of this work is to summarize the findings related to neuropathic pain in terms of et...
Introduction: The world health organization recommends validating medicinal plants to ensure safety and efficacy. Lavandula is valued for the production of essential oil used in aromatherapy. Rosmarinus is known for its folk use as anti-oxidant and antidiabetic. This study aims to design monographs for Rosmarinus officinalis (Linn.) and Lavandula a...
Aim of the study:
The study was undertaken to investigate the acute and subchronic hypoglycemic effects of an ethyl acetate (EtAc) extract of red sour cherry (Prunus cerasus) pulps and seeds in alloxan-induced diabetic mice.
Materials and methods:
The Prunus cerasus pulp (PPc) and seed (SPc) EtAc extract s were IP-administered to the mice in dos...
Wild plants are among the important service forests provide to man. In this study, an ethnobotanical survey of
the wild plants of Jabal Moussa Bioreserve of Lebanon has been conducted through personal interviews with key
community members of the bioreserve villages. The economic importance of cited ethnobotanical species was then
assessed based on...
Prunella vulgaris L. (Lamiaceae) (PV) is a herbaceous plant traditionally utilized in management of diabetes and it has immunomodulatory activity. In this study, acute and subchronic antidiabetic, in-vivo antioxidant and antinociceptive effects of PV were evaluated in alloxan-induced type 1 diabetes (T1D) in a mouse model. Bio-guided fractionation,...
Objectives
.
Salvia fruticosa
Mill. (
S. fruticosa
) is widely used in folk medicine. Accordingly, the present study was designed to evaluate the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of
S. fruticosa
, and to determine the phenolic constituents of its extracts.
Methods
. The antioxidant activity was determined using 2,2-diphenylpicrylhydrazy...
Curcumol has recently attracted special attention due to its potential activities in many chronic disorders. Moreover, the traditional role of turmeric [Curcuma longa L. (Zingiberaceae)] in suppression of hyperglycemia is of great interest.
The present work explores the potential acute and subchronic antihyperglycemic, antinociceptive, and in vivo...
The prevalence of Diabetes mellitus (DM) is escalating rapidly worldwide, and associated with micro- and macrovascular complications. Diabetic neuropathy (DN) is a common complication of DM, and has a few approved therapies with limited efficacy and several side-effects. Herbal medicine is used worldwide as an effective alternative-medicine. The pr...
The inhibitory glycine receptor, a cys-loop ion channel receptor, mediates rapid synaptic inhibition in spinal cord, brainstem and higher centres of the mammalian central nervous system. Here, modulation of glycine receptor function by glucose and fructose was examined in recombinant alpha1 and alpha1/beta glycine receptors using patch clamp method...
Inula species grown in Lebanon are known to have beneficial effects in improving human health. Several Inula species are used in traditional medicine as expectorants, antitussives, diaphoretics, antiemetics, and bactericides. In this study, different extracts of two Lebanese Inula species [Asteraceae], Inula viscosa [I. viscosa] and Inula vulgaris...
Aims. To evaluate the effect of Punica granatum (Pg) rind extract and its spray dried biopolymeric dispersions with casein (F1) or chitosan (F2) against Diabetes mellitus (DM) and diabetic neuropathy (DN). Methods. We measured the acute (6 h) and subacute (8 days) effect of various doses of Pg, F1, and F2 and the active compounds on alloxan-induced...
Rheum ribes L., known as Syrian rhubarb, is used in traditional Lebanese folk medicine for the treatment of diabetes. The present study aims to investigate the activities of R. ribes aqueous extract for glucose homeostasis, in vivo antioxidant and diabetic neuropathy protection in mice. The acute and the subacute effects of various doses of R. ribe...
Extracts from Origanum majorana L. are used in Asia and Africa as sedatives and neurotonics. Few studies done to explore the active chemical constituents responsible for this apparent contrast. The inhibitory glycine receptors (GlyRs) are key mediators of synaptic signaling in spinal cord, brain stem, and higher central nervous system regions. Neur...
Diabetes mellitus and its related complications is becoming a serious threat to public health in all parts of the world. The treatment and control of diabetes mainly depend on the synthetic agents, but the fact is that it has never reported total recovery from diabetes. Natural medicines mainly originated in herbs, the traditional Lebanese medicine...
The commencement of the presented project was by screening of natural compounds extracted from neuroactive endogenous medicinal plants. Explicitly, ferutinin (Ferula hermonis L.), thymoquinone (Nigella sativa L.), eugenol (Syzygium aromaticum L.) and 6-gingerol (Zingiber officinale L.) were tested for their protective effect against neurodegenerati...
The inhibitory glycine receptor (GlyR) is a key mediator of synaptic signaling in spinal cord, brain stem, and higher central
nervous system regions. The flavonoids quercetin and genistein have been identified previously as promising GlyR antagonists
in vitro, but their detailed mechanism of action was not known. Here, inhibition of recombinant hum...
This study was undertaken to characterize the insulin resistance and the mechanism thereof caused by chronic hyperinsulinemia produced in dogs by surgically diverting the veins of the pancreas from the portal vein to the vena cava. Pancreatic venous diversion (PVD, n = 8) caused a sustained increase in arterial insulin and decrease in portal insuli...
Appraisal of groundwater used for irrigation in El-Gassim region of Central Saudi Arabia was made by chemically analysing 217 representative water samples. Based on previous water criteria guidelines and a modification by us, the data obtained were intensively processed and transformed. Accordingly, water quality and suitability maps were developed...
The relationship between microbial numbers and rate of application and biodegradation products (mainly CO2 and NH3 evolution) of chicken manure (C.M.) and municipal refuse (M.R) was determined using the data obtained during field incubation studies trader centre-pivot sprinkler irrigation in Central Saudi Arabia. Microbial numbers increased with in...
Some important chemical, physical and biological characteristics of town refuse compost and chicken manures were investigated. The results obtained clearly indicated that both manures contain the principal elements needed for healthy plant growth. However, chicken manure contains more inherent characteristics which render its application to soil ad...
Two field experiments were carried out under centre-pivot irrigation in central Saudi Arabia during the winter seasons of 1990/91 and 1991/92 to examine the yield and quality responses of wheat to biofertilization with chicken manure at rates of 0, 4·1, 8·25, 16·5 and 33·0 t ha−1. The response curves obtained for the test measurements as a function...
Under the environmental conditions of the central sector of Saudi Arabia, El-Gassim region, two field experiments were conducted on a sandy soil in the winter seasons of 1990–1991 and 1991–1992. Town refuse compost, at rates of 0·0, 16·5, 33·0, 49·5 and 66·0 t ha−1, was incorporated into the soil to a depth of 10 cm. The effect of the compost in op...
Incorporation of organic manure in sandy soils is known to improve soil properties related to agricultural production. Therefore, we studied the effect of temperature on the biodegradation of chicken manure and municipal refuse (measured by static alkali absorption of CO2) during a series of successive 7-day laboratory incubations at 0, 10, 20, 30...
A pot experiment was conducted in Central Saudi Arabia during the winter season of 1989 to investigate the effect of three soil conditioners, applied in different combinations with urea as N-fertilizer, on some soil characteristics and productivity of wheat. The conditioners used were: super organic compost (4% w/w.), vermiculite (4% w/w.) and hydr...
Two field experiments were carried out under irrigation in central Saudi Arabia during the winter seasons of 1988/89 and 1989/90 to examine the yield and quality (protein content) responses of alfalfa to N fertilizers at the rates of 0, 56 and 112 kg ha-1 and also at the respective rates complemented by Rhizobium inoculation. The results obtained i...
Field experiments were carried out under irrigation in Central Saudi Arabia during the winters of 1987–88 and 1988–89 to examine the productivity and quality (grain protein content) of wheat intercropped with inoculated and uninoculated alfalfa with or without additional nitrogen. Nitrogen increased wheat grain yield and protein percentage but inoc...