Therapeutic potential of natural products and antibiotics against bovine mastitis pathogen of cows and buffaloes.

The present study aims to evaluate the prevalence and antimicrobial sensitivity of Staphylococcus aureus associated with bovine mastitis to selected antibiotics and plant extracts. In the current study, 140 milk samples were collected from cows and buffaloes. Among the 140 samples, 93 samples were positive for sub-clinical mastitis based on the California Mastitis Test (CMT). Out of the total positive samples, 45 were confirmed for S. aureus on a Mannitol salt agar media. The antimicrobial susceptibility test revealed that 44.82% of the isolates were resistant to cefoxitin (oxacillin) confirming methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) with a higher percentage (51.61%) in the buffalo than in the cow samples. Furthermore, the PCR assay confirmed the presence of the mecA gene in all the MRSA isolates. Among the seven tested antibiotics, sulfamethoxazole + trimethoprim showed high efficacy (71.1%) against methicillin-susceptible S. aureus isolates (MSSA). Oxytetracycline and sulfamethoxazole + trimethoprim showed 20% efficacy against MRSA followed by enrofloxacin (10%). On the other hand, the tested samples from Pistacia chinensis revealed that the ethyl acetate extract of bark showed a maximum zone of inhibition of 21.3 mm against MSSA and MRSA isolates at 3 000 µg/disc. Moreover, the methanol extract of Cotoneaster microphyllus formed a 12.3 mm and 9.1 mm zone of inhibition against the MSSA and MRSA isolates, respectively.

Effects of body mass index on propofol-induced cardiovascular depression in the Pakistani population.

Objective: To determine the relationship between the patient's Body Mass Index (BMI) and the cardiovascular effects produced by propofol at a dose of 1.5 mg/kg in the Pakistani population. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the Holy Family Hospital Rawalpindi from August 2021 to January 2022. According to their BMI, one hundred twenty Pakistani individuals 18 to 60 years of age were equally divided into three groups. Group N (n = 40) with a BMI of 18 to 24.9, group OW (n=40) with a BMI of 25 to 29.5, and group O (n=40) with a BMI of 30 to 34.9 were randomized to receive propofol injections at a 1.5 mg/kg dose for induction of anesthesia. We measured mean blood pressure before the propofol and then at one, three, and ten minutes after the injection. Data were analyzed by using SPSS 22. Results: Mean blood pressure decreases significantly in all groups, as shown by p-values of <0.001 for the first two readings. In group N, blood pressure returned to near normal within ten minutes (p-value 0.061), but in groups, OW and O, mean blood pressure was significantly lower even after ten minutes (p-values 0.005 and 0.001, respectively). Individual variations in propofol response were also observed. Conclusion: In the Pakistani population, propofol at an induction dose of 1.5 mg/kg to patients with different body weights produces cardiovascular effects with marked standard deviations in each group, which indicate different individual responses. Clinical Trial Number: NCT05383534 https://register.clinicaltrials.gov/.

Prevalence and factors associated with undernutrition among 6-59 months children in Tehsil Battagram, Pakistan.

Objective: To find out the prevalence and associated factors of undernutrition in a semi-rural setting. METHODS: The community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Tehsil Battagram of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan, in January and February 2020 after approval from the ethics review committee of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu, China, and comprised children aged 6-59 months who had no physical or mental disability. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire. Anthropometric data was analysed using the World Health Organisation Anthro software. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to find out the association between dependent variables, like wasting, underweight and stunting, and independent variables, like socioeconomic, child, maternal and environmental characteristics. Data was analysed using SPSS 21. RESULTS: Of the 504 children, 257(51%) were girls and 247(49%) were boys. The largest group was aged 36-47 months 127(25.2%), while the smallest group was aged 6-11 months 56(11.1%). Overall, 94(18.7%) children were wasted, 167(33.1%) were underweight and 248(49.2%) were stunted. Children whose family income was high had low odds for being wasted (odds ratio: 0.59, 95% confidence interval: 0.25-0.71), underweight (odds ratio: 0.30, 95% confidence interval: 0.08-0.72) and stunted (odds ratio: 0.54, 95% confidence interval: 0.30-0.80). Similarly, those children who were exclusively breastfed had low odds of being wasted were (odds ratio: 0.45, 95% confidence interval: 0.32-0.53), underweight (odds ratio: 0.56, 95% confidence interval: 0.42-0.78) and stunted (odds ratio: 0.62, 95% confidence interval: 0.51-0.97). Children who were not immunised had higher odds of wasting (odds ratio: 4.16, 95% confidence interval: 2.18-7.93), underweight (odds ratio: 4.45, 95% confidence interval: 2.77-7.14) and stunted (odds ratio: 4.36, 95% confidence interval: 2.32-8.71). Children of mothers who did not have antenatal care visits had higher odds of being wasted (odds ratio: 1.91, 95% confidence interval: 1.13-3.22), underweight (odds ratio: 1.32, 95% confidence interval: 1.22-2.13) and stunted (odds ratio: 1.48, 95% confidence interval: 1.32-2.62). Children who did not have a latrine facility had higher odds of being wasted (odds ratio: 1.63, 95% confidence interval: 1.29-1.58), underweight (odds ratio: 1.76, 95% confidence interval: 1.36-3.84) and stunted (odds ratio: 1.45, 95% confidence interval: 1.22-2.12). Conclusion: Undernutrition among children aged 6-59 months was widespread. Nutrition awareness, interventions and multi-sectoral approaches were found to be needed to cope with the problem in the study area.

Elicitation of Submerged Adventitious Root Cultures of Stevia rebaudiana with Cuscuta reflexa for Production of Biomass and Secondary Metabolites.

Stevia rebaudiana is an important medicinal plant that belongs to the Asteraceae family. The leaves of Stevia rebaudiana are a rich source of many health-promoting agents such as polyphenols, flavonoids, and steviol glycoside, which play a key role in controlling obesity and diabetes. New strategies such as the elicitation of culture media are needed to enhance the productivity of active components. Herein, the Cuscuta reflexa extracts were exploited as elicitors to enhance the productivity of active components. Cuscuta reflexa is one of the parasitic plants that has the ability to elongate very fast and cover the host plant. Consequently, it may be possible that the addition of Cuscuta reflexa extracts to adventitious root cultures (ADR) of Stevia rebaudiana may elongate the root more than control cultures to produce higher quantities of the desired secondary metabolites. Therefore, the main objective of the current study was to investigate the effect of Cuscuta reflexa extract as a biotic elicitor on the biomass accumulation and production of antioxidant secondary metabolite in submerged adventitious root cultures of Stevia rebaudiana. Ten different concentrations of Cuscuta reflexa were added to liquid media containing 0.5 mg/L naphthalene acetic acid (NAA). The growth kinetics of adventitious roots was investigated for a period of 49 days with an interval of 7 days. The maximum biomass accumulation (7.83 g/3 flasks) was observed on medium containing 10 mg/L extract of Cuscuta reflexa on day 49. As the concentration of extract increases in the culture media, the biomass gradually decreases after 49 days of inoculation. In this study, the higher total phenolics content (0.31 mg GAE/g-DW), total flavonoids content (0.22 mg QE/g-DW), and antioxidant activity (85.54%) were observed in 100 mg/L treated cultures. The higher concentration (100 mg/L) of Cuscuta reflexa extract considerably increased the total phenolics content (TPC), total phenolics production (TPP), total flavonoids content (TFC), total flavonoids production (TFP), total polyphenolics content (TPPC), and total polyphenolics production (TPPP). It was concluded that the extract of Cuscuta reflexa moderately improved biomass accumulation but enhanced the synthesis of phenolics, flavonoids, and antioxidant activities. Here, biomass's independent production of secondary metabolites was observed with the addition of extract. The present study will be helpful to scale up adventitious roots culture into a bioreactor for the production of secondary metabolites rather than biomass accumulation in medicinally important Stevia rebaudiana.

Informed consent practices in oral and maxillofacial surgery setups - an audit report.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the existing practices of obtaining and documenting informed consent in cases of oral and maxillofacial surgery. METHODS: The cross-sectional study was conducted from April to June 2017 at the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery departments of five teaching hospitals of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, Pakistan, and comprised patients who underwent surgery under general anaesthesia. Data was collected using questionnaire-based interviews a day after the surgery in each case regarding multiple aspects of the informed consent practices. Data was analysed using SPSS 21. RESULTS: Of the 100 patients, 58(58%) were males and 42(42%) were females, while 81(81%) were adults aged >18 years. In 42(42%) cases, the consent document was signed by the patient, and by a relative in 38(38%) cases. In the remaining 20(20%) cases, only verbal consent was taken. In 54(54%) cases nursing staff and in 46(46%) cases residents took the consent. Most patients were informed about nature of their disease 87(87%), proposed treatment 86(86%) and type of anaesthesia 100(100%). Fewer patients were informed about any alternative treatments 38(38%), and possible complications of the surgery 51(51%) or anaesthesia 26(26%). Overall, 44(44%) patients did not fully understand the written information, and 23(23%) said they were encouraged to ask questions. CONCLUSIONS: The quality of informed consent practices was found to be sub-optimal in oral and maxillofacial surgery setups.

Assessment of complications of the open treatment of mandibular condylar fractures

The objective of our study was to analyze the complications of open treatment of mandibular condylar fractures operated via various surgical approaches. Thirtyeight patients with 42 fracture sides having moderate to severely displaced condylar fractures were studied. Open treatment was performed, and patients were assessed for complications of open treatment in terms of facial nerve paresis, unaesthetic scar, salivary fistula/sialocele. Facial nerve paresis was noted in 13 (31%) cases, mostly transient in nature (n=9, 69.2%), that recovered within 8 weeks. Furthermore, 5 (11.9%) patients had unaesthetic scar formation, while just 1 (2.4%) case of salivary fistula was observed. Facial nerve paresis was the most common complication of open treatment of mandibular condylar fractures and most of them were observed in cases operated by preauricular approach.

Frequency of need for Mechanical Ventilation and Dialysis in Children with Septic Shock.

To determine the frequency of need for mechanical ventilation and dialysis in children admitted with septic shock to the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), this descriptive case series was conducted from August 2015 to February 2016. A total of 100 children from 1 month to 15 years of age of both sexes having septic shock diagnosed within 24 hours of admission were enrolled from the PICU of Children's Hospital Lahore after informed consent from parents of the patients. The standard guideline for the treatment of septic shock was followed. Patients were followed throughout the stay in the hospital to assess the need for mechanical ventilation or the need for dialysis. Arterial blood gases and urea, creatinine were assessed daily or more frequently (if needed) till discharge or death. Of the 100 patients recruited in the study, with a mean age of 2.16±3.26 years, 63 (63 %) were male while 37 (37%) were females. The frequency of need for mechanical ventilation was recorded in 75 (75%) while 22 (22%) required dialysis. We concluded that the frequency of dialysis in children admitted to PICU with septic shock is significantly lower as compared to frequency of mechanical ventilation.

Extraction and isolation of important bioactive compounds from the fruit of Physalis ixocarpa.

The current study investigates pharmaceutically important bioactive compounds in the fruits of Physalis ixocarpa. Two different extractions methods were used to study its effect on percent extract yield, recovery of bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity of the extracts. The data indicated that Soxhlet extraction had high efficiency of recovery than maceration method for extracting compounds; percent extract yield and antioxidant activity of the extracts. In maceration, the percent extract yield was found to be in order of water >methanol >ethyl acetate whereas in Soxhlet extraction, it was in order of methanol >water >ethyl acetate. Ethyl acetate extract produced by Soxhlet extraction showed strong antioxidant activity of 59.7% (250ppm) as compared to other extracts. Analysis of ethyl acetate extract showed the presence of Triglyceride. GC-MS study of triglyceride revealed the presence of trilinoleinic acid (9,12-Octadecdienoic acid), tripalmitin (hexadecanoic acid) and trioleinic acid (9-Octa decenoic acid). Four impure and three pure compounds were isolated from crude methanol extract of the fruit. The structure of pure compounds were identified by NMR and characterized as sugar, glucose and fructose.

Cholesterol extraction from ghee using glass beads functionalized with beta cyclodextrin.

Beta-cyclodextrin (ß-CD) was covalently immobilized on glass surface. Functionalized glass surface was characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and elemental analysis. Glass surface functionalized with ß-CD was used to remove cholesterol from ghee (clarified butter fat). 78.8 % cholesterol was reduced in 2 h at 25 °C and 170 rpm. Same surface was used repeatedly for 10 cycles and no reduction in cholesterol removal efficiency was observed. Modified glass surface showed almost no degradation in repeated use in cholesterol reduction experiments.

Pentynyl dextran as a support matrix for immobilization of serine protease subtilisin Carlsberg and its use for transesterification of N-acetyl-L-phenylalanine ethyl ester in organic media.

In this study, serine protease (subtilisin Carlsberg) was immobilized on pentynyl dextran (PyD, O-alkynyl ether of dextran, 1) and used for the transesterification of N-acetyl-L-phenylalanine ethyl ester (2) with different aliphatic (1-propanol, 1-butanol, 1-pentanol, 1-hexanol) and aromatic (benzyl alcohol, 2-phenyl ethanol, 4-phenyl-1-butanol) alcohols in tetrahydrofuran (THF). The effect of carbon chain length in aliphatic and aromatic alcohols on initial and average transesterification rate, transesterification activity of immobilized enzyme and yield of the reaction under selected reaction conditions was investigated. The transesterification reactivity of the enzyme and yield of the reaction increased as the chain length of the alcohols decreased. Furthermore, almost no change in yield was observed when the immobilized enzyme was repeatedly used for selected alcohols over six cycles. Intrinsic fluorescence analysis showed that the catalytic activity of the immobilized enzyme in THF was maintained due to retention of the tertiary structure of the enzyme after immobilization on PyD (1).

Correction: Biogenic synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Rubus fruticosus extract and their antibacterial efficacy against Erwinia caratovora and Ralstonia solanacearum phytopathogens.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1039/D3RA06723H.].

Biogenic synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Rubus fruticosus extract and their antibacterial efficacy against Erwinia caratovora and Ralstonia solanacearum phytopathogens.

In the current research, we produced green, cost-effective, eco-friendly silver nanoparticles using a single-step approach. Plants are considered highly desirable systems for nanoparticle synthesis because they possess a variety of secondary metabolites with significant reduction potential. In the current research, the dried leaf extract of Rubus fruticosus was utilized as a capping and reducing agent for the fabrication of silver nanoparticles, to prepare reliable biogenic silver nanoparticles and subsequently to investigate their potential against some common phytopathogens. The prepared silver nanoparticles were exploited to quantify the total flavonoid content (TFC), total phenolic content (TPC) and DPPH-based antioxidant activity. Different concentrations of aqueous extracts of plant leaves and silver nitrate (AgNO3) were reacted, and the color change of the reactant mixture confirmed the formation of Rubus fruticosus leaf-mediated silver nanoparticles (RFL-AgNPs). A series of characterization techniques such as UV-vis spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis and X-ray diffraction revealed the successful synthesis of silver nanoparticles. The surface plasmon resonance peak appeared at 449 nm. XRD analysis demonstrated the crystalline nature, EDX confirmed the purity, and TEM demonstrated that the nanoparticles are mostly spherical in form. Furthermore, the biosynthesized nanoparticles were screened for in vitro antibacterial activity, antioxidant activity, and total phenolic and flavonoid content. The nanoparticles were used in different concentrations alone and in combination with plant extracts to inhibit Erwinia caratovora and Ralstonia solanacearum. In high-throughput assays used to inhibit these plant pathogens, the nanoparticles were highly toxic against bacterial pathogens. This study can be exploited for planta assays against phytopathogens utilizing the same formulations for nanoparticle synthesis and to develop potent antibacterial agents to combat plant diseases.

Ferrous iron chelating property of low-molecular weight succinoglycans isolated from Sinorhizobium meliloti.

Iron is an essential nutrient for nitrogen-fixing legume root nodules, and the chelation of ferrous iron plays an important role in the mobility and availability of iron to the legume. In the present study, we investigated the iron-binding properties of low-molecular weight succinoglycans isolated from the nitrogen-fixing bacterium, Sinorhizobium meliloti. The low-molecular weight succinoglycans comprising three monomers (M1-M3), four dimers (D1-D4), and six trimers (T1-T6) of the succinoglycan repeating unit were purified by various chromatographic techniques. Interestingly, the colorimetric ferrozine method showed that the succinoglycans T6, M3, and D3 demonstrated a ferrous iron chelating ability of 83, 63, and 38 % per mg, respectively. The individual binding constants were determined as 43703, 2313, and 760 M(-1) for succinoglycans T6, M3, and D3 using ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. The complexation of succinoglycan and ferrous iron can cause structural changes, which were analyzed by circular dichroism spectroscopy. Furthermore, the complex could provide antioxidant activity through an anti-Fenton reaction. These results demonstrate that the low-molecular weight succinoglycans can effectively modulate iron biochemistry as a novel ferrous iron-acquisition system of S. meliloti.

Cholesterol reduction from milk using ß-cyclodextrin immobilized on glass.

ß-Cyclodextrin (ß-CD) was converted into ß-CD-undecenyl ether by chemical modification and subsequently covalently attached to a glass surface. The functionalized glass surface was characterized by static water contact angle and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Both techniques confirmed that an excellent monolayer of ß-CD was formed on the glass surface. The ß-CD solid surface was used to reduce cholesterol levels in milk. In 4h, 73.6% of the cholesterol was extracted at 25°C with shaking at 170rpm. This is the highest value ever reported for milk using ß-CD immobilized on a solid surface. The same surface was repeatedly used for 10 cycles and maintained its efficiency with 72±2% cholesterol reduction observed in all the cycles. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis completed after 5 and 10 cycles of cholesterol reduction showed that the ß-CD on the glass surface was not degraded. The high efficiency and long-term stability of the functional monolayer was attributed to the specific structure of ß-CD, which is composed of a relatively low number of functional groups and long spacer chain lengths that provide great flexibility.

A prospective study on linking diarrheagenic E. coli with stunted childhood growth in relation to gut microbiome.

Stunted growth is an emerging global challenge affecting children under the age of 5 years in low- and middle-income countries. Despite such a high global prevalence of stunting, the mechanism of pathogenesis and the role of associated gut microbiota is poorly understood. The present study was designed to investigate the association of pathogenic strains of E. coli with the residential gut microbiota of stunted growth children. A total of 64 stool sample were collected from children aged ≤ 5 years, and were processed for isolation and molecular characterization of diarrheagenic E. coli. Selected stool samples (n = 39 including three normal controls) were then analysed for microbial community profiling using 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequencing. Furthermore, associations between changes in the microbiota in the presence of different E. coli strains was explored. Pathotyping of the isolated E. coli (n = 64) has shown that 39.68% belonged to one of the five pathotypes of E. coli whilst the remaining ones were non-typeable. Amongst the different pathotypes, EPEC was found to be the most prevalent (52%; n = 13), followed by EAEC (20%; n = 5), EIEC (12%; n = 3), EHEC (8%; n = 2) and ETEC 2 (8%; n = 2). Phylogrouping analysis has shown that majority of the strains belonged to B2 (28.12%). Microbial diversity is shown to be significant and varied when the samples are organized under the recovered phylogroups. Moreover, based on predictive metabolism, the colonization of these strains were found to be significantly associated with energy utilization pathways such as Denovoprine-2 and glyoxylate-by. Differential analysis has shown that Escherichia-Shigella and Enterococcus were altered for the children with stunted growth.

Stability of lipase immobilized on O-pentynyl dextran.

O-Pentynyl dextran (PyD), an amphiphilic polysaccharide derivative with a degree of substitution (DS) of 0.43 was compared with ion exchange resins Lewatit VP OC 1600, Amberlite XAD 761 and Duolite A568 for immobilization of Lipase from Rhizopus arrhizus by adsorption method. The immobilized enzymes were employed for esterification of octanoic acid with geraniol in n-hexane as model reaction. PyD showed higher lipase adsorption and with 249 µmol min(-1) g(-1) significant higher esterification activity than the other supports (67-83 µmol min(-1) g(-1)). Biocatalysts from all types of supports except PyD became completely inactive within 8 weeks storing at -10 °C while lipase immobilized on PyD retained its full esterification activity for at least 14 weeks. In repeated use, yield decreased rapidly after two cycles for all supports except for PyD. For this biopolymeric support, constantly 90% yield was achieved even after eight cycles, when the biocatalyst was washed with n-hexane and water and then freeze-dried. To achieve this yield, prolonged reaction times were required, partly on the account of an increasing delay period, probably to adapt active conformation, until the reaction starts.

Parenting practices, stressors and parental concerns during COVID-19 in Pakistan.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 is a global crisis that has added fear, uncertainty, and stress to parents. Parents are going through several challenges related to school closure, financial insecurity and working remotely. These stressors are affecting the mental health of parents. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to observe major stressors along with the impact of COVID-19 on parental concerns and practices during lockdown. PARTICIPANTS: Sample (N = 923) was selected through purposive sampling from parents attending Out Patients Departments of hospitals in three provincial capital cities of Pakistan having a high burden of COVID-19, i.e. Lahore, Karachi and Peshawar. Parents having at least one child younger than 18 years were included in the study. METHODS: A quantitative design was used using a COVID-19 Parenting Response Scale (α = 0.74). It was used as a self-administered tool for parents who knew how to read and write Urdu/English language, however it was conducted as a structured interview for those who could not read/write. Data was analyzed by applying descriptive statistics (frequency, mean, percentage), independent sample t-test and Pearson Product Moment Correlation. RESULTS: Findings of the current study showed several stressful factors for parents during COVID-19 pandemic, mainly financial burden, children's education, uncertainty of the situation, and many others. The study also suggests an association of parental concerns during COVID-19 with parenting practices. CONCLUSION: COVID-19 pandemic presents a global crisis not only of the health of the people but also on family relations and mental well-being. Findings of this research indicate the need for targeted and accessible interventions for mental health of parents especially during these challenging circumstances so that they can cope with the challenges in an effective way and be able to take care of their children better.

In Vivo Analgesic, Anti-Inflammatory, and Anti-Diabetic Screening of Bacopa monnieri-Synthesized Copper Oxide Nanoparticles.

In this work, an ecofriendly approach for biogenic production of copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO-NPs) was proposed by utilizing the Bacopa monnieri leaf extract as a reducing and stabilizing agent. The synthesis of CuO-NPs was instantly confirmed by a shift in the color of the copper solution from blue to dark gray. The use of UV-visible spectroscopy revealed a strong narrow peak at 535 nm, confirming the existence of monoclinic-shaped nanoparticles. The average size of CuO-NPs was 34.4 nm, according to scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy studies. The pristine crystalline nature of CuO-NPs was confirmed by X-ray diffraction. The monoclinic form of CuO-NPs with a crystallite size of 22 nm was determined by the sharp narrow peaks corresponding to 273, 541, 698, 684, and 366 Bragg's planes at different 2θ values. The presence of different reducing metabolites on the surface of CuO was shown by Fourier transform infrared analysis. The biological efficacy of CuO-NPs was tested against Helicobacter felis, Helicobacter suis, Helicobacter salomonis. and Helicobacter bizzozeronii. H. suis was the most susceptible strain with an inhibition zone of 15.84 ± 0.89 mm at 5 mg/mL of NPs, while the most tolerant strain was H. bizzozeronii with a 13.11 ± 0.83 mm of inhibition zone. In in vivo analgesic activity, CuO-NPs showed superior efficiency compared to controls. The maximum latency time observed was 7.14 ± 0.12 s at a dose level of 400 mg/kg after 90 min, followed by 5.21 ± 0.29 s at 400 mg/kg after 60 min, demonstrating 65 and 61% of analgesia, respectively. Diclofenac sodium was used as a standard with a latency time of 8.6 ± 0.23 s. The results observed in the rat paw edema assays showed a significant inhibitory activity of the plant-mediated CuO-NPs. The percentage inhibition of edema was 74% after 48 h for the group treated with CuO-NPs compared to the control group treated with diclofenac (100 mg/kg) with 24% edema inhibition. The solution of CuO-NPs produced 82% inhibition of edema after 21 days when compared with that of the standard drug diclofenac (73%). CuO-NPs vividly lowered glucose levels in STZ-induced diabetic mice, according to our findings. Blood glucose levels were reduced by about 33.66 and 32.19% in CuO-NP and (CuO-NP + insulin) groups of mice, respectively. From the abovementioned calculations, we can easily conclude that B. monnieri-synthesized CuO-NPs will be a potential antibacterial, anti-diabetic, and anti-inflammatory agent on in vivo and in vitro basis.

Silver and gold nanoparticles induced differential antimicrobial potential in calli cultures of Prunella vulgaris.

BACKGROUND: Prunella vulgaris is medicinally important plant containing high-valued chemical metabolites like Prunellin which belong to family Lamiaceae and it is also known as self-heal. In this research, calli culture were exposed to differential ratios of gold (Au) and silver (Ag) nanoparticles (1:1, 1:2, 1:3, 2:1 and 3:1) along with naphthalene acetic acid (2.0 mg NAA) to investigate its antimicrobial potential. A well diffusion method was used for antimicrobial properties. RESULTS: Here, two concentrations (1 and 2 mg/6 µl) of all treated calli cultures and wild plants were used against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi, Bacillus atrophaeus, Bacillus subtilis, Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Erwinia caratovora and Candida albicans. Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and antibiotics were used as negative and positive controls. Here, the calli exposed to gold (Au) nanoparticles (NPs) and 2.0 mg naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) displayed the highest activity (25.7 mm) against Salmonella typhi than other extracts, which was considered the most susceptible species, while Agrobacterium tumefaciens and Candida albicans was the most resistance species. A possible mechanism of calli induced nanoparticles was also investigated for cytoplasmic leakage. CONCLUSION: From the above data it is concluded that Prunella vulgaris is medicinally important plant for the development of anti-microbial drugs using nanotechnology and applicable in various pharmaceutical research.

Registry for Acute Coronary Events in Nigeria (RACE-Nigeria): Clinical Characterization, Management, and Outcome.

Background Coronary artery disease was hitherto a rarity in Africa. Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) accounts for coronary artery disease-related morbidity and mortality. Reports on ACS in Africa are few. Methods and Results We enrolled 1072 indigenous Nigerian people 59.2±12.4 years old (men, 66.8%) with ACS in an observational multicentered national registry (2013-2018). Outcome measures included incidence, intervention times, reperfusion rates, and 1-year mortality. The incidence of ACS was 59.1 people per 100 000 hospitalized adults per year, and comprised ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (48.7%), non-ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (24.5%), and unstable angina (26.8%). ACS frequency peaked 10 years earlier in men than women. Patients were predominantly from urban settings (87.3%). Median time from onset of symptoms to first medical contact (patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction) was 6 hours (interquartile range, 20.1 hours), and only 11.9% presented within a 12-hour time window. Traditional risk factors of coronary artery disease were observed. The coronary angiography rate was 42.4%. Reperfusion therapies included thrombolysis (17.1%), percutaneous coronary intervention (28.6%), and coronary artery bypass graft (11.2%). Guideline-based pharmacotherapy was adequate. Major adverse cardiac events were 30.8%, and in-hospital mortality was 8.1%. Mortality rates at 30 days, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year were 8.7%, 9.9%, 10.9%, and 13.3%, respectively. Predictors of mortality included resuscitated cardiac arrest (odds ratio [OR], 50.0; 95% CI, 0.010-0.081), nonreperfusion (OR, 34.5; 95% CI, 0.004-0.221), pulmonary edema (OR, 11.1; 95% CI, 0.020-0.363), left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (OR, 4.1; 95% CI, 0.091-0.570), and left ventricular systolic dysfunction (OR, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.302-3.367). Conclusions ACS burden is rising in Nigeria, and patients are relatively young and from an urban setting. The system of care is evolving and is characterized by lack of capacity and low patient eligibility for reperfusion. We recommend preventive strategies and health care infrastructure-appropriate management guidelines.