Wasfi, I.A., Bashir, A.K., Abdalla, A.A. and Amiri, M.H.
The effect of Teucrium mascatense water extract on glucose homeostasis, at different doses, was studied in normal and streptozotocin diabetic rates. T. mascatense had no effect on fasting glucose levels and on the oral glucose tolerance test on either normal or diabetic rats. Chronic administration of T. mascatense in drinking water at a concentration of 0.25% for 37 days did not have any effect on the parameters of glucose homeostasis studied (plasma glucose and fructosamine, body weight and feed and fluid intake) during the normal and diabetic phase of the experiment. When administered for a similar time at a concentration of 1.0% in drinking water, however, T. mascatense significantly reduced food and fluid intake, body weight and at times plasma glucose concentration. At both concentrations used, T. mascatense appeared to be non-toxic.
The antimicrobial activity of the chloroform and methanol extract of T. mascatense indicated that the later extract showed a wide range of high activity against the microbes tested.
Phytochemical screening showed that T. mascatense contains appreciate amounts of saponins and moderate amounts of terpenes and/or sterols and flavonoids.
M.M. Salem and A.M. Alsuhaibani
A preliminary survey of beetles inhabiting six different kinds of animal dung (cow, horse, sheep, camel, mixed dung, and dry manure) was carried out during 1989-1990. Thirty five species of beetles belonging to the following families were recorded: Anthicidae, Aphodiidae, Carabidae, Cleridae, Dermestidae, Histeridae, Hydrophilidae, Scarabaeidae, Staphylinidae, and Tenebrionidae. Of these, eight species were recorded for the first time in Saudi Arabia