Abstract: Vitamin D deficiency is a public health concern affecting many individuals as it is highly prevalent in

all parts of the world. Recent studies have reported an association of vitamin D deficiency with cardiometabolic

alterations such as dyslipidemia. The study aimed to evaluate vitamin D and lipid profile levels among the Libyan

adult population and investigate the correlation of vitamin D deficiency with the alteration of lipid profile levels.

A cross-sectional study was conducted at Janzour Hospital among 193 subjects (107 males and 86 females) whose

ages ranged between 20 and 50 years over three months from Sept to Dec 2023. Vitamin D, cholesterol,

triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein, and high-density lipoprotein levels were estimated. The total mean vitamin

D levels were 8.31±4.74, 23.83±2.78, and 42.67±7.95 ng/dl for deficiency, insufficiency, and sufficiency,

respectively. The findings revealed significant alterations in cholesterol (increase), triglyceride (increase), LDLcholesterol

(increase), and HDL-cholesterol (decrease) among subjects who had vitamin D deficiency or

insufficiency as compared to subjects having vitamin D sufficiency. Vitamin D levels were negatively correlated

with cholesterol, triglyceride, and LDL cholesterol, and they were positively associated with HDL cholesterol.

The incidence of dyslipidemia is higher in the vitamin D deficiency group than in the insufficiency and sufficiency

groups. It is essential to frequently monitor lipid profiles among vitamin D-deficient individuals to avoid

subsequent disorders or damages associated with the alterations of lipid profile patterns.

Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) is a medical plant known for its antioxidant properties, which are attributed to bioactive compounds such as flavonoids and terpenoids. The study aimed to compare the antioxidant efficacy of natural chamomile with three commercial brands, A (Italian chamomile (Sonny)), B (Italian chamomile (Restora)), and C (German chamomile (UTZ)) available in Libyan markets. Methanol extracts of all samples were prepared by maceration, and antioxidant activity was evaluated using the DPPH radical scavenging assay. All data were expressed as mean ± standard deviation (SD). Statistical analysis was performed using one-way ANOVA, with A p-value < 0.05, which was considered statistically significant. Results revealed significant differences in IC50 values, with natural chamomile exhibiting the highest potency (IC50 = 3.35 mg/ml ± 0.055), followed by Brand A (IC50= 3.56 mg/ml ± 0.04) and Brand C (3.88 mg/ml ± 0.21). Brand B showed the weakest activity (IC50= 5.01 mg/ml ± 0.04). The statistical analysis confirmed the superiority of natural chamomile over commercial variants. Our findings suggest that processing methods, storage conditions, or potential additives in commercial products may degrade bioactive compounds, reducing antioxidant efficacy. This study highlights the advantage of minimally processed natural chamomile for optimal antioxidant benefits, and it underscores the implications for consumer choice and quality control in the manufacturing of herbal products.

Abstract

Makrofol-DE 1-1 CC Polycarbonate is a class of polymeric solid state nuclear track detector which has many applications in various radiation detection fields.

Structural property studies using X-ray diffraction were performed on the non-irradiated and irradiated Makrofol samples. The intensities of the characteristic absorption bands were found to decrease predominantly with increasing the proton fluence in the ranges 0-5x10¹¹ ions/cm² indicating that the degradation is the dominant mechanism.

Non isothermal studies were carried out using thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential thermo-gravimetric (DTG) to obtain information concerning the thermal stability for Makrofol detector. The obtained TGA thermograms indicated that the Makrofol detector decomposes in one main weight loss stage.

Using the TGA curves, both the onset temperature of decomposition and the activation energy of thermal decomposition were calculated. The results indicated that the proton irradiation of Makrofol detector in the fluence range 0-5x10¹¹ ions/cm² causes an initial scission that reduces the thermal stability of the Makrofol samples. The proton irradiation in the fluence range 5x10¹¹-1x10¹⁵ ions/cm² led to a more compact structure of Makrofol polymer, which resulted in an improvement in its thermal stability with an increase in the activation energy of thermal decomposition.

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