Biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles from Mukia maderaspatana (L) and their biological activities.

Nanotechnology is a field of science that consists of atoms, molecules and supramolecular molecules that create nanoparticles ranging in size from 1-100nm. Silver nanoparticles are widely used that are considered as effective antimicrobial agents. In this paper, the antioxidant activity of biosynthesized SNPs were analyzed by the DPPPH activity, hydrogen peroxide activity, hydroxyl RSA, TAC, TFC; their results confirmed that the phenolic compounds of this plant peels extracts enhanced the antioxidant and antiglycation activity with respect to silver nanoparticles. Biosynthesized nanoparticles of this plant extracts also showed strong zone of inhibition against the different Xanthomas, Pseudomonas and E. coli. This study concluded that biosynthesized nanoparticles of Mukia maderaspatna (M.M) plant peels extracts have the great biological activities i.e. antiglycation, antioxidant and antibacterial. More research is needed to know the exact dose rate and to compare the different dose combination of the plant with the strong antibiotic agents against these bacteria.

Curcumin lessens unpredictable chronic mild stress-induced depression and memory deficits by modulating oxidative stress and cholinergic activity.

Unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) model is the most established method to study neurobiological mechanisms of depression. This work was intended to explore the efficacy of curcumin to revert the UCMS-induced oxidative burden and associated depression as well as potential of curcumin as an acetyl cholinesterase (AchE) inhibitor. Animals were initially grouped into control and curcumin (200mg/kg, p.o) and further subdivided into unstressed and stressed groups. Depression and anxiety were evaluated by forced swim test (FST) and light/dark transition (LDT) while memory function was assessed by passive avoidance test (PAT). Effect of curcumin on oxidative stress following UCMS was determined by measuring peroxidation of lipid (LPO) and antioxidant enzyme activities. AchE activity was also determined. Findings showed that curcumin supplementation significantly attenuated the UCMS-induced depression and anxiety like symptoms, decreased the load of UCMS propagated oxidative stress by improving antioxidant enzymes activities. Curcumin also improved the memory function and exhibited inhibitory effect on AchE activity. In conclusion it can be suggested that supplementation of curcumin in daily life can help in combating the stress-induced depression and ever increasing load of oxidative stress. Study also highlights the anti-acetylcholinesterase potential of curcumin which may be responsible for improved memory function following UCMS.

Serum tumour necrosis factor alpha in osteopenic and osteoporotic postmenopausal females: A cross-sectional study in Pakistan.

OBJECTIVE: To compare biochemical parameters serum tumour necrosis factor alpha, calcium, magnesium, bone-specific alkaline phosphatase and vitamin D in postmenopausal women. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out from June 2015 to July 2016 at Jinnah Medical and Dental College, Karachi, and comprised postmenopausal women. Bone mineral density done by dual energy X-ray absorptiometryscan categorised subjects by World Health Organisation classification into normal (T score > -1) osteopenic (T score between -1 and -2.5) and osteoporotic (T score < -2.5). Biochemical parameters like tumour necrosis alpha, calcium, magnesium, bone-specific alkaline phosphatase and vitamin D were measured by solid phase enzyme amplified sensitivity immunoassay method. SPSS 16 was used to analyse the data. RESULTS: Of the 146 women, 34(23%) were normal, 93(67%) were osteopenic and 19(13%) were osteoporotic. There was significant difference in mean body mass index, serum tumour necrosis factor alpha and calcium in all the three groups (p<0.01). Significant mean difference was observed in serum calcium levels between normal and osteopenic, and between normal and osteoporotic group (p<0.05 each) without any significant mean difference between osteopenic and osteoporotic groups (p>0.05). A significant difference was observed for mean tumour necrosis factor alpha values between normal and osteoporotic groups (p<0.05). Tumour necrosis factor alpha showed negative correlation with bone mineral density in osteopenic and osteoporotic groups (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Increased bone turnover in postmenopausal osteopenic women can be predicted by increased serum cytokine.

Enriched environment palliates nicotine-induced addiction and associated neurobehavioral deficits in rats.

This study was designed to investigate the role of enriched environment in preventing and/or reducing the neurobehavioral deficits produced after nicotine administration in albino Wistar rats. Equal numbers of rat in two groups were either placed in social environment (control group) or social along with physically enriched environment for four weeks before the administration of nicotine. Exposure to different environmental conditions was followed by the intraperitoneal injection of nicotine at the dose of 0.6 mg/kg for seven consecutive days during which addictive behavior was monitored using conditioned placed preference paradigm. Behavioral responses to locomotor activity, anxiety and retention of short term memory were investigated in control and nicotine injected groups exposed to different environments. Results of this study showed that the rats pre-exposed to physical along with social enrichment exhibited a decrease in drug seeking behavior, hyper locomotion, anxiogenic effects along with improvement of working memory as compared to control and nicotine injected groups that were kept in social environment alone. This behavioral study suggests that the exposure to physical enrichment along with socialization in young age can later reduce the chances of compulsive dependence on nicotine and related neurobehavioral deficits.

Streptozotocin-induced insulin deficiency leads to development of behavioral deficits in rats.

Diabetes mellitus is one of the most common serious metabolic disorders in humans that develops due to diminished production of insulin (type I) or resistance to its effect (type II and gestational). The present study was designed to determine the neuropsychological deficits produced following streptozotocin-induced diabetes in rats. Rats were made diabetic by the intra-peritoneal administration of 60 mg/kg streptozotocin (STZ) which induces type-1 diabetes by the destruction "ß-cells" of pancreas. Body weight, food and water intake was monitored daily. Open field test (OFT) model, forced swim test (FST) and Morris water maze (MWM) model were performed for the evaluation of ambulation, depression-like symptoms and memory effects, respectively. After 10 days of diabetes induction the exploratory activity of rats was monitored by OFT while depression-like symptoms and memory effects in rats were analyzed by FST and MWM. Results showed that there was no significant effect of STZ-induced diabetes on body weight but food and water intake of STZ-induced diabetic rats was significantly increased. Exploratory activity was significantly decreased and short-term and long-term memory was significantly impaired while the depression-like symptoms was significantly increased in STZ diabetic rats. Thus, it may be suggested that STZ-induced diabetes alters the brain functions and may play an important role in the pathophysiology of certain behavioral deficits like depression, impaired learning and memory functions related to diabetes. This finding may be of relevance in the pathophysiology and in the clinical picture, which could be related to an altered brain serotonin metabolism and neurotransmission and may possibly be related to neuropsychiatric disorders in diabetic patients.