Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating disease that leads to permanent disability and causes great suffering. The resulting neurological dysfunction and paralysis is proportional to the severity of the trauma itself. Spirulina is widely used as a nutritional supplement due to its high protein and antioxidant content. In the present study, the protective effect of the Spirulina treatment on locomotor function and morphological damage after SCI was investigated. Seventy Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were divided into three groups: Sham (laminectomy alone), Control (laminectomy with SCI), and Experimental (laminectomy with SCI +180 mg/kg per day Spirulina platensis). A laminectomy was performed at T12 and an Inox No.2 modified forceps was used to perform a partial crush injury on the spinal cord. The rats were then perfused at 3, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days after injury for morphological investigations. The injured rat spinal cord indicated a presence of hemorrhage, cavity, and necrosis. Pretreatment with Spirulina significantly improved the locomotor function and showed a significant reduction on the histological changes. The experimental results observed in this study suggest that treatment with Spirulina platensis possesses potential benefits in improving hind limb locomotor function and reducing morphological damage to the spinal cord.

Cerebrovascular events, notably acute ischemic strokes (AIS), have been reported in the setting of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infection. Commonly regarded as cryptogenic, to date, the etiology is thought to be multifactorial and remains obscure; it is linked either to a direct viral invasion or to an indirect virus-induced prothrombotic state, with or without the presence of conventional cerebrovascular risk factors. In addition, patients are at a greater risk of developing long-term negative sequelae, i.e., long-COVID-related neurological problems, when compared to non-COVID-19 stroke patients. Central to the underlying neurobiology of stroke recovery in the context of COVID-19 infection is reduced angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) expression, which is known to lead to thrombo-inflammation and ACE2/angiotensin-(1–7)/mitochondrial assembly receptor (MasR) (ACE2/Ang-(1-7)/MasR) axis inhibition. Moreover, after AIS, the activated nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptor (NLR) family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome may heighten the production of numerous proinflammatory cytokines, mediating neuro-glial cell dysfunction, ultimately leading to nerve-cell death. Therefore, potential neuroprotective therapies targeting the molecular mechanisms of the aforementioned mediators may help to inform rehabilitation strategies to improve brain reorganization (i.e., neuro-gliogenesis and synaptogenesis) and secondary prevention among AIS patients with or without COVID-19. Therefore, this narrative review aims to evaluate the mediating role of the ACE2/Ang- (1-7)/MasR axis and NLRP3 inflammasome in COVID-19-mediated AIS, as well as the prospects of these neuroinflammation mediators for brain repair and in secondary prevention strategies against AIS in stroke rehabilitation.

Wound healing is a dynamic phenomenon that results in the restoration of anatomic continuity and function on which can be delayed by pathogenic bacteria. This research was designed to explore the antimicrobial efficacy of Tillandsia usneoides against skin infections in wound healing. Physical and chemical evaluations were done through phytochemical screening and thin layer chromatography. The effect of methanolic, ethanolic and aqueous extracts of Tillandsia usneoides against pathogenic bacteria were evaluated on antimicrobial activities using disc diffusion and broth dilution susceptibility assay. The excision bioassay analysis was used in examining the wound healing process in mice. The result of the qualitative phytochemical screening showed the presence of flavonoids and alkaloids. Thin layer chromatography revealed a high Rf value for flavonoids (0.75mm) and alkaloids (0.60mm). The antibacterial assay showed a high zone of inhibition (ZI) for both methanolic extract (>23mm, >22mm and >20mm) and ethanolic extract (>22mm, >22mm and >17mm) for P.aeruginosa, S.aureus and S.epidermis respectively. Resistance against aqueous extract was observed based on the lowest zone of inhibition ( less than 4mm). Gentamicin was used as the positive control (>28mm) and DMSO as the negative control. The minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration results confirmed that methanolic and ethanolic extracts restrained the growth of tested bacteria in the range of 125 to 500mg/mL and showed bactericidal efficacy. Wound healing assay indicated that methanolic extract had a higher potency of wound closure (12 days; less than 1mm) compared to ethanolic and aqueous extracts (13days; >1.5mm and 13days: >1.8mm respectively). Povidone-Iodine was used as the gold standard (15days; less than 2mm) in the study. In conclusion, methanolic extract of T. usneoides has a great potential with regard to its antimicrobial and wound healing activity to be developed as a novel drug in the future.

This research aimed to compare the toxicity effect of non-irradiated and irradiated Labisia pumila at a different dosage of 3, 6, 9 and 12 kilogray (kGy). Different irradiated dosages of L.pumila were prepared using Cobalt-60 gamma irradiation and the acute toxicity were assessed through zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryo. The survival rate, hatching rate, heartbeat rate and scoliosis were observed. Data were analyzed using SPSS 25.0 windows. The lethal dose (LC50) value was calculated. The LC50 value of non-irradiated extract L. pumila is 125 μg/ml compared to irradiated extract is 62.5 μg/ml respectively. Hatchability of zebrafish of L.pumila extract reduce in the higher concentration for non-irradiated sample at 250 μg/ml and for irradiated sample at 125 μg/ml. Presence of scoliosis not observed in all concentration for irradiated and non-irradiated sample. The heartbeat of zebrafish embryo treated with irradiated L. pumila extract (0-62.5 μg/ml) was within the normal range (120-180 bpm for all doses), but at higher concentrations (125 μg/ml) the heartbeat differs from normal ranges for all the doses. From this time forward, irradiated and non-irradiated of this plant was safe to be consumed due to its pharmaceutical effect but it still exhibited mild toxicity effect on zebrafish embryo. The diverse irradiated doses show a change of toxicity level of this plant which higher doses show mild toxicity to the zebrafish embryo compared to low doses exposure.

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