Laila Alharbi

• Doctor of Philosophy
• Professor (Associate) at King Saud University

This study tested the ISL against renal damage induced by a high-fat diet (HFD) and explored its underlying mechanisms. Adult male rats were assigned to four groups: (1) control on a standard diet (STD), (2) ISL on STD (30 mg/kg), (3) HFD, and (4) HFD + ISL (30 mg/kg). After 12 weeks of dietary intervention, ISL treatment led to significant reducti...

This study examined the effect of a low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) and a low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet (LCKD) on diabetic retinopathy in high-fat diet-induced diabetes mellitus in rats and studied the mechanisms of action. Rats were divided into four groups: the Control group, which was fed a normal diet for 16 weeks; the HFD group, which was fed a...

This study aimed to examine the hepatic and anti-steatotic protective effects of methanolic extract from Carthamus tinctorius (safflower) flowers (SFFE), using a rat model of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and to examine the molecular mechanisms underlying these effects. Adult male Wistar rats were used for this study. First, T2DM was induced in...

Background: Obesity has become a widespread issue globally. Morin, a flavonoid with traditional use in managing hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia, has demonstrated antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in experimental studies. This research aims to explore the anti-obesity potential of morin in rats subjected to a high-fat diet (HFD) and inve...

In this study, we present a novel functionalized single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) electrochemical aptasensor designed for the detection of HER2 breast cancer. The well‐organized SWCNTs were attained through a concentration‐based and single‐step ultrasonication‐directed assembly methodology, resulting in a well‐dispersed state and a thin, eve...

Background and Objectives: Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disease associated with several complications, including that of kidney disease. Plant-based dietary products have shown promise in mitigating these effects to improve kidney function and prevent tissue damage. This study assessed the possible favorable effects of beetroot extract...

The primary pathological hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the formation and accumulation of neurofibrillary tangles and plaques, which result from the aggregation of amyloid-β (Aβ) induced by oxidative stress. The effectiveness of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) therapeutics significantly hinges on the drug’s bioavailability and its ability to pene...

Current strategy for colorectal cancer (CRC) therapy like regular intake of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may reduce the risk of developing CRC but they induce the regression of adenomas. Even the CRC management technique include colectomy, have not yet been proven to reduce mortality. The present study aimed to reduce the suscepti...

Despite the increased social and financial burden associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), no particular treatment for this illness has been identified. A detailed examination of prior trials conducted to treat autism revealed that nutrition intervention was commonly utilised as an additional method of therapy. Indeed, the early detection of...

In this work, we report on the synthesis of flower-like tungsten oxide nanoparticles (WO3 NPs) using a simple precipitation method. This paper reports a simple method for synthesizing flower-like WO3 NPs, which can be used for environmentally treating hazardous organic pollutants. The photocatalytic degradation of model artificial Orange II and Con...

Background: Epigenome, genetic variants, and other environmental factors involved in gene regulation are highly inter-dependent in several chronic diseases, including obesity, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. The present study aimed at testing the associations and the mechanism involved in silencing of CYP2R1 gene in normal and obese Saudi wo...

Exposure to allergens could be life-threatening for people with food allergies. Restaurants and cafes are challenging environments for accommodating food allergies. This study aimed to measure King Saud University female students' awareness about food allergens on restaurants' and cafes' menus. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 379 studen...

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a progressively prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder with substantial clinical heterogeneity. Despite the considerable interest in dietary interventions, no consensus has been reached regarding the optimal nutritional therapy. The present study aimed to investigate the possible positive effect of goat’s milk (GM)...

This study examined the mechanism underlying the protective effect of royal jelly (RJ) against high-fat-diet (HFD)-mediated non-alcoholic liver disease (NAFLD) in rats. Adult male rats were divided into five groups (n = 8 each): control fed a standard diet, control + RJ (300 mg/kg), HFD, HFD + RJ (300 mg/kg), and HFD + RJ + CC (0.2 mg/kg). The trea...

This study evaluated the protective effect of different dietary ω-6/ω-3 ratios in oils obtained from various nuts (walnut, peanut, cashew, and hazelnut) against morphological features and markers of inflammation on an adjuvant-induced arthritis rat model. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) was induced via intradermal injection of heat-killed Mycobacterium t...

In the present study, fish scale waste was used for the organic synthesis of luminescence CQDs by the hydrothermal method. The impact of CQDs on improved photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes and metal ions detection is examined in this study. The synthesized CQDs had a variety of characteristics that were detected, such as crystallinity, morp...

This study investigated some possible mechanisms underlying the nephrotoxic effect of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in rats and compared the protective effects of selected known antioxidants—namely, melanin, quercetin (QUR), and α-lipoic acid (α-LA). Rats were divided into five treatment groups (eight rats per group): control, AuNPs (50 nm), AuNPs + m...

The effects of a ketogenic diet (KD) on anthropometric indices, the lipid profile, and the benefits of the ketone body beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) as an inhibitor of the NOD-like receptor pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome in obese women were investigated in this study. From January to March 2021, 23 obese adult women (n = 23) with an av...

This study examined the effect of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) on doxorubicin (DOX)-induced liver damage and steatosis in rats and tested its effect mechanism. Wistar male rats were divided into four groups (each of eight rats) as control, AuNPs (50 µL of 10 nm), DOX (15 mg/kg; 3 mg/kg/week), and DOX + AuNPs-treated rats. DOX is known to induce fasti...

We report on employing in vitro biosynthesized ZnO nanoparticles using L. pubescens shoot methanol extract (50 and 100 mg LP–ZnO NPs) to examine their antimicrobial efficacy against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC27853), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 29213), Aspergillus niger (ATCC 16404 NA), and Aspergillus terreus (TCC 10029). The formation and stabil...

The present study aimed to synthesize iron oxide nanoparticles loaded with quinine and alkaloids-rich Cinchona officinalis (Peruvian bark) stem bark extract, and further evaluate their cytotoxic effect and apoptosis mechanisms in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Nanoparticles were prepared by biological reduction of iron oxide with Cinchona officinalis e...

Objective: This study compared the ability of Liquorice roots aqueous extract (LRE) and its ingredient, isoliquiritigenin (ISL), in alleviating high-fat diet (HFD)-induced hepatic steatosis and examined if this effect involves activation of AMPK. Materials and methods: Control or HFD-fed rats were treated with the vehicle, LRE (200 mg/kg), or ISL (...

Introduction: labels deliver basic product information, health safety and nutritional information. Objectives: this study aims to assess consumers' knowledge, awareness, and practices in relation to food labels and the effect of sociodemographic characteristics on various aspects of food labels in Al-Ahsa. Methods: a random sampling method was...

This study examined if regulating the keap-1? Nrf2 antioxidant pathway mediated gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) induced liver damage, and examined the protective effect of co-supplement of α-lipoic acid (α-LA). Rats were separated into 4 groups (n = 8/each) as control, α-LA (200 mg/kg), AuNPs (5 µg/2.85 × 1011), and AuNPs (5 µg/2.85 × 1011) + α-LA (200...

Context Camel milk is used in traditional medicine to treat diabetes mellitus hypertension and other metabolic disorders. Objective This study evaluated the antisteatotic and antihypertensive effects of camel milk protein hydrolysate (CMH) in high fructose (HF)-fed rats and compared it with the effects afforded by the intact camel milk protein ext...

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has undergone a significant transformation in eating habits and the native diets have been replaced with Western diets. The present study investigated the effect of dietary behavior on nutritional status and associated factors of Yemeni students studying in Saudi Arabia. The socioeconomic characteristics, food habits, da...

This study examined if isoliquiritigenin (ISL) attenuates high-fat diet (HFD)-induced intestinal damage and if this involves modulating Nrf2. Rats included 5 groups (n = 8/group): control (vehicle), ISL, HFD, HFD + ISL, and HFD + ISL + brusatol (an inhibitor of Nrf2). Treatments with the vehicle and ISL (30 mg/kg) were given orally. With no effect...

Excessive storage of lipids in visceral or ectopic sites stimulates adipokine production, which attracts macrophages. This process determines the pro- and anti-inflammatory response regulation in adipose tissue during obesity-associated systemic inflammation. The present study aimed to identify the composition of Ocimum basilicum L. (basil) seed ex...

Pectinase enzymes are important industrial enzymes having considerable applications in several industries, especially in food processing. Pectinases contribute 25% of global food enzyme sales. Therefore, the demand for a commercial enzyme with desirable characteristics and low production costs has become one of the great targets. Hence, this study...

Here we report a facile and eco-friendly hydrothermal method for the fabrication of carbon quantum dots (CQDs) and hydrochar from date palm leaves through integrated process. Functional groups, optical behavior, morphological features, thermal properties, and crystallinity of the synthesized CQDs were investigated using Fourier transform infrared s...

Simple Summary Beetroot is one of the most consumable plants across the world. Previous studies have shown many health benefits of beetroot, with evidence of having potent hypoglycemic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects. The data obtained from this study further confirmed this effect in streptozotocin-diabetic animals. They showed the abil...

This study examined if quercetin (QUR) prevents cadmium chloride (CdCl2)-induced hippocampal neurotoxicity in male rats by activating sirtuin-1 (SIRT1). Rats were divided into control, control + QUR, CdCl2, CdCl2 + QUR, and CdCl2 + QUR + EX-527 (a SIRT1 inhibitor). QUR (25 mg/kg) and CdCl2 (0.5 mg/kg) were administered orally for 30 days. QUR impro...

Colon cancer is the third most devastating cancer type in morbidity and mortality associated with severe comorbidities in developing and developed countries. Dietary supplementation of alpha-linolenic acid has a beneficial effect on intestinal dysfunction. In the present study, we processed Allium porrum (Leek) for extraction and identified the bio...

Background Protein supplements have become a widespread practice amongst athletes and gym users worldwide. However, studies on the use of protein supplements among female gym users in Saudi Arabia are lacking. Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of protein supplement usage among female gym users and their attitudes to...

The present study aimed to synthesize solid lipid nanoparticles to enhance liposome-assisted intracellular uptake of basil seed active components in adipocytes and vascular smooth muscle cells to attain increased bioavailability. To obtain solid lipid nanoparticle (SLNp), the water phase containing basil seed extract (BSE) was encapsulated with lip...

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress plays a key role in cadmium chloride (CdCl2)-induced nephrotoxicity. Sirtuin-1 (SIRT1) is a potent inhibitor of ER stress. In this study, we examined whether the protective effect of quercetin (QUR) against CdCl2-induced nephrotoxicity in rats involved modulation of SIRT1 and/or ER stress. Adult male rats were divi...

The antioxidant capacity of polyphenols and flavonoids present in dietary agents aids in arresting the development of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and protecting endothelial smooth muscle cells from oxidative stress/induced necrosis. Beetroot (Beta vulgaris var. rubra L.; BVr) is a commonly consumed vegetable representing a rich source of antioxid...

This study examined the cardiac anti-cardiomyopathy (DC) protective effect of urolithin A in streptozotocin (STZ)-treated rats and investigated if this protection involves activation of SIRT1 signaling. Diabetes was induced first STZ (65 mg/kg, i.p.) before starting the experiments. Adult male rats (n = 8/group) were treated for 8 weeks as control...

In this study, we fabricated non-toxic, highly stable, eco-friendly carbon nanodots (CD) from laboratory paper waste through a facile synthetic approach. The paper waste was converted to carbon by thermal decomposition. The carbon powder obtained was dispersed in water using a sonication process. Subsequently, the CD was separated by centrifugation...

Since the SARS-CoV-2 virus caused a global pandemic, the amount of misinformation in various media outlets has been on the rise. This has caused confusion among both healthcare workers and the general population about what the proper precautions against COVID-19 are. This study investigated attitudes towards misinformation related to protective mea...

Considering that no food or supplement has been authorised to prevent COVID-19, individuals continue to search for and consume specific herbs, foods and commercial supplements for this purpose. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of using such alternatives, determine their usage reasons and evaluate their potential side effects. An online c...

Beetroot is a widely consumed crop all over the world and contains plenty of bioactive compounds. In this study, we analyzed the bioactive as well as the antimicrobial properties of the oven-dried beetroot (pulp and peel) using different solvents. The 50% methanolic extract yielded the highest content of total polyphenols and total flavonoids as we...

The eggplant is an important vegetable that is used all over the world and it contains valuable bioactive properties. Cooking methods affect the nutritional value as well as the functional characteristics of vegetables. This study investigated the effect of air-frying at different temperatures and the extraction solvents on the bioactive properties...

Controlled production of cyclin dependent kinases (CDK) and stabilization of tumor suppressor genes are the most important factors involved in preventing carcinogenesis. The present study aimed to explore the cyclin dependent apoptotic effect of nymphayol on breast cancer MCF-7 cells. In our previous study, we isolated the crystal from a chloroform...

The present study aimed to determine the role of Salvia hispanica L., (chia seed) fatty acid content in adipocyte lipid accumulation and human macrophage immunoregulatory potential. Chia seed fatty acid was extracted using hexane by the cold percolation method. A gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis showed a 3:1 ratio of omega 3 an...

Hypertension is a key factor in the progression of cardiovascular diseases, and vitamin D is now recognised as a significant factor affecting blood pressure. Low serum concentrations of calcidiol may be related to the pathogenesis and progression of hypertension. The effect of both calcidiol and calcitriol on the proliferation and gene expression o...