This study aimed to evaluate the anticancer activity and cell division arresting by dandelion methanolic extract on breast cancer cell line MCF-7 cancer cell line. For achieving this goal, cytotoxicity assay (MTT assay), multipara system assay: High Content Screening (HCS) which include (viable cell count VCC; membrane permeability MP; cellular mitochondrial permeability CMP; nuclear intensity NI and cytochrome C releasing ), reactive oxygen species detection and cell cycle phases division were tested. The results of this study showed the ability of the plant to reduce cancer cell viability in a dose-dependant manner within IC50 (141.0) in comparison to IC50 of (334.4) on the human normal cell line (WRL-68). Furthermore, the results of HCS demonstrated the ability of plants to enhance apoptosis of cancer cells and increase the production of ROS from cancer cells treated with plant extract and doxorubicin drug in comparison with negative control (50.07±2.2, 53.03±2.6 vs. 44.77±1.4) respectively. Also,  the results of the cell cycle for control, 400 µg\ml of dandelion extract and doxorubicin drug showed the ability to arrest the division of cancer cells at G1 phase by decreasing its transmission to S, G2, and M phases of the cell cycle (62%, 59% and 62.46% at G1) (27.46%,26.50% and 24.66% at S Phase) (16.50%, 20.50% and 18.46% at G2\M) respectively. All these effects are attributed to the active compounds (secondary metabolites) such as terpenes, polyphenols, and different minerals that possess anticancer activity against different cell lines like MCF7.

The human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) gene plays a critical role in breast cancer development and progression. HER2 overexpression characterizes a biologically and clinically aggressive breast cancer subtype. In this study, 60 samples from Iraqi women with breast cancer were collected and investigated for HER2 protein in the tissue by immunohistochemistry. Also, 20 samples from healthy Iraqi women were used as a control. The results showed that 18 (30 %) patients expressed the HER2 protein. A molecular study for single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) was conducted on samples metastasizing to lymph nodes. DNA was extracted and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to amplify exon 17 and intron 17 of HER2 gene. Sequencing of PCR product was achieved and  two SNPs of HER2 gene, one in exon 17 (Ile655Val) and another  close to it in intron 17 (rs903506) were studied.  In exon 17, SNP Ile655Val was found in 41% of patients, while in intron 17, the non-coding SNP rs903506 was found in 27% of patients. However, no polymorphism was found in the control group. The results may suggest that HER2 gene can be used as a molecular marker for breast cancer.

The objective of this study was to considered as an explorer for In vivo studies on the production of some secondary metabolites from local medical plants named Cinnamomum zeylanicum to study their effect on mice organs that treated with Cladosporium sp. extract (In vivo). Preparation of water extract of Cinnamomum zeylanicum. different doses were prepared (20,40,60,80%) of plant which (9) male mice were used and divided into three control group and dosed with distilled water mice were administrated with first dose 1ml/kg of Cladosporium extract for two weeks and mice were administrated Cladosporium with 80% of the aqueous extract of Cinnamomum zeylanicum at a dose of 1 ml / kg daily for two weeks. Mice treated with Cladosporium sp. fungal filtrate caused vascular congestion in the tissues of the liver resulting in cell bleeding, in addition to many changes in chromotin in and nuclei sized increased while the results indicate the ability of the mixture between fungal filtrate and Cinnamomum to counteract these adverse effect in mice and return its appearance looks like normal also the kidney of animals treated with Cladosporium fungal filtrate caused retention of congested glomeruli with a large pool of fluids while the result of interaction caused inhibition in radial growth of the fungus and reduced its effectiveness on kidney function and the synthetic form of the tissue.

The current study is an attempt to assess the cytogenotoxic potential of the ethanolic extract from the leaves of Borago officinalis on Swiss albino male mice. Young Swiss albino mice were orally administered with leaf ethanolic extract of Borago officinalis. Three mice groups were used using different doses of plant extract (T1: 100, T2: 200, and T3:400 mg\kg) in addition to the control negative group (untreated mice) for 7 days to assess mitotic index or 28 days to assess meiotic index.  The results revealed that the extract significantly induced the division of disruptive chromosomal changes in the bone marrow and the mean of abnormality was (3.5±0.47, 4.43±0.83, and 5.83±0.96%) for T1, T2, and T3 respectively,  as well as in primary spermatocytes. It is planned that the extract might have interfered with the spindle protein or protein packing.

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) and pathogenic E. faecium is a crisis in healthcare settings. This survey aimed at antibiotic susceptibility profiling and virulence determinants of E. faecium. This study pooled 100 fecal E. faecium isolates identified by phenotypic and molecular tests. Antibiotic susceptibility and ampicillin MIC were determined according to clinical and laboratory standards institute (CLSI) 2017. Moreover, biofilm formation was assayed by a microtiter tissue plate assay. Virulence genes pattern was performed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. Among 460 fecal samples, 100 isolates of E. faecium were identified, among which the highest resistance was related to penicillin (81%), cephalothin (78%), cefazolin (76%), tetracycline and cefepime (69%). In contrast, 83% of them were susceptible to vancomycin. Moreover, four vancomycin-resistant isolates had vancomycin MIC>32µg/mL, and 11 isolates had MIC>8µg/mL. Of 32 ampicillin-resistant isolates, 18 (56%) produced strong biofilm, and 14 isolates (44%) produced moderate biofilm. Among 17 vancomycin-resistant E. faecium (VREfa), 15 (88.23%) isolates produced strong biofilms, and two of them produced moderate-level biofilms, which was significantly higher than susceptible isolates (p=0.0144). The vanA (vancomycin MIC: 16-64µg/mL) and vanB (vancomycin MIC: 8-64µg/mL) genes were detected in twelve and five isolates, respectively. The rate of adhesin genes ace, esp and ebp included 68%, 97% and 82%, respectively. All the VREfa harbored the ace, esp and ebp genes. The antibiotic resistance rate of E. faecium was low. Biofilm formation was significantly different between VREfa and vancomycin-susceptible isolates but not between k9ampicillin-resistant and ampicillin-susceptible isolates. All the VREfa harbored the ace, esp and ebp genes. The virulence adhesin genes were not significantly associated with biofilm formation. Further studies are essential to appreciate better the relation between biofilm formation, drug non-susceptibility and adhesin genes. Keywords: E. faecium, antibiotic resistance, biofilm formation, virulence genes