Improved solubility and corneal permeation of PEGylated curcumin complex used for the treatment of ophthalmic bacterial infections.

Naturally occurring curcumin can be used for the treatment of corneal bacterial infections with its limitation of poor solubility. Aim of the present study was to enhance solubility and permeation of curcumin for the treatment of corneal bacterial infections. For increasing solubility, curcumin and polyethylene glycol (PEG 6000) complex (1:3) was prepared by fusion melting method. Phase solubility studies were used for the calculation of Gibbs free energy of curcumin. Central composite rotatable design (CCRD) was applied for optimization of Curcumin (CUR), PEGylated Curcumin (PEG-CUR), penetration enhancer cremophore (CR). Optimized ointments were further evaluated by mucous permeation, membrane permeability and cell toxicity studies by Transwell cell, ussing chamber and Caco-2 cells respectively. Antibacterial test was also performed by agar well diffusion method. Solubility of PEG-CUR was increased up to 93±3.2% as compared to pure curcumin and content uniformity was in the range of 95-110%. Curcumin permeation from PEG-CUR ointment was increased up to 12 folds. No toxicity of Caco-2 cells for PEG-CUR even after 24h was observed. Activity index of pure CUR, PEG-CUR ointment with or without CR against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa was 97±2.3, 96±1.6, 95±2.5% respectively. Ointment with solubility enhanced PEG-CUR and cremophore can be used as a promising tool for the treatment of corneal bacterial infections.

Over view for the truth of COVID -19 pandemic: A guide for the Pathologists, Health care workers and community'.

Pakistan is in the grip of COVID-19, due to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) since 26 February 2020, and the number of infected people and mortality is rising gradually. The health workers, doctors, pathologists and laboratory staff are front line fighters who are facing the risk. Few things are important for public and health workers, human behavior is at the core of preparedness and response i.e, personal protective measures, (handwashing, face masks, respiratory etiquette, surface and objects cleansing), social distancing and travel measures because the virus spreads through the respiratory channels, eyes, nose and mouth. While working in the Pathology labs, use the personal protection equipment (PPE), during the work in the duty. Avoiding the over duties and long shifts. It is good to keep the immune system healthy by taking a healthy balanced diet, vitamin supplements, and a night of proper sleep. It is also important to avoid taking food during duties and avoid making close contact without wearing safety dress.

Combined application of bio-organic phosphate and phosphorus solubilizing bacteria (Bacillus strain MWT 14) improve the performance of bread wheat with low fertilizer input under an arid climate.

This study was aimed to investigate the effect of bio-organic phosphate either alone or in combination with phosphorus solubilizing bacteria strain (Bacillus MWT-14) on the growth and productivity of two wheat cultivars (Galaxy-2013 and Punjab-2011) along with recommended (150-100NPkgha-1) and half dose (75-50NPkgha-1) of fertilizers. The combined application of bio-organic phosphate and the phosphorous solubilizing bacteria strain at either fertilizer level significantly improved the growth, yield parameters and productivity of both wheat cultivars compared to non-inoculated control treatments. The cultivar Punjab-2011 produced the higher chlorophyll contents, crop growth rate, and the straw yield at half dose of NP fertilizer; while Galaxy-2013, with the combined application of bio-organic phosphate and phosphorous solubilizing bacteria under recommended NP fertilizer dose. Combined over both NP fertilizer levels, the combined use of bio-organic phosphate and phosphorous solubilizing bacteria enhanced the grain yield of cultivar Galaxy-2013 by 54.3% and that of cultivar Punjab-2011 by 83.3%. The combined application of bio-organic phosphate and phosphorous solubilizing bacteria also increased the population of phosphorous solubilizing bacteria, the soil organic matter and phosphorous contents in the soil. In conclusion, the combined application of bio-organic phosphate and phosphorous solubilizing bacteria offers an eco-friendly option to harvest the better wheat yield with low fertilizer input under arid climate.

Combined application of bio-organic phosphate and phosphorus solubilizing bacteria (Bacillus strain MWT 14) improve the performance of bread wheat with low fertilizer input under an arid climate

Abstract This study was aimed to investigate the effect of bio-organic phosphate either alone or in combination with phosphorus solubilizing bacteria strain (Bacillus MWT-14) on the growth and productivity of two wheat cultivars (Galaxy-2013 and Punjab-2011) along with recommended (150-100 NP kg ha−1) and half dose (75-50 NP kg ha−1) of fertilizers. The combined application of bio-organic phosphate and the phosphorous solubilizing bacteria strain at either fertilizer level significantly improved the growth, yield parameters and productivity of both wheat cultivars compared to non-inoculated control treatments. The cultivar Punjab-2011 produced the higher chlorophyll contents, crop growth rate, and the straw yield at half dose of NP fertilizer; while Galaxy-2013, with the combined application of bio-organic phosphate and phosphorous solubilizing bacteria under recommended NP fertilizer dose. Combined over both NP fertilizer levels, the combined use of bio-organic phosphate and phosphorous solubilizing bacteria enhanced the grain yield of cultivar Galaxy-2013 by 54.3% and that of cultivar Punjab-2011 by 83.3%. The combined application of bio-organic phosphate and phosphorous solubilizing bacteria also increased the population of phosphorous solubilizing bacteria, the soil organic matter and phosphorous contents in the soil. In conclusion, the combined application of bio-organic phosphate and phosphorous solubilizing bacteria offers an eco-friendly option to harvest the better wheat yield with low fertilizer input under arid climate.

A Review of Modern Control Strategies for Clinical Evaluation of Propofol Anesthesia Administration Employing Hypnosis Level Regulation.

Regulating the depth of hypnosis during surgery is one of the major objectives of an anesthesia infusion system. Continuous administration of Propofol infusion during surgical procedures is essential but it unduly increases the load of an anesthetist working in a multitasking scenario in the operation theatre. Manual and target controlled infusion systems are not appropriate to handle instabilities like blood pressure and heart rate changes arising due to interpatient and intrapatient variability. Patient safety, large interindividual variability, and less postoperative effects are the main factors motivating automation in anesthesia administration. The idea of automated system for Propofol infusion excites control engineers to come up with more sophisticated systems that can handle optimum delivery of anesthetic drugs during surgery and avoid postoperative effects. A linear control technique is applied initially using three compartmental pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic models. Later on, sliding mode control and model predicative control achieve considerable results with nonlinear sigmoid model. Chattering and uncertainties are further improved by employing adaptive fuzzy control and H∞ control. The proposed sliding mode control scheme can easily handle the nonlinearities and achieve an optimum hypnosis level as compared to linear control schemes, hence preventing mishaps such as underdosing and overdosing of anesthesia.

EFFECT OF VISIBLE RANGE ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATIONS ON ESCHERICHIA COLI.

BACKGROUND: Escherichia coli is the agent responsible for a range of clinical diseases. With emerging antimicrobial resistance, other treatment options including solar/photo-therapy are becoming increasingly common. Visible Range Radiation Therapy/Colour Therapy is an emerging technique in the field of energy/vibrational medicine that uses visible spectrum of Electromagnetic Radiations to cure different diseases. In this study, our goal was to understand the effect of Visible Range Electromagnetic Radiations on E. coli (in vitro) and therefore find out the most appropriate visible range radiation for the treatment of diseases caused by E. coli. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 6 non-repetitive E. coli isolates were obtained from urine samples obtained from hospitalized patients with UTI. Single colony of E. coli was inoculated in 3 ml of Lysogeny Broth (LB) and 40 µl of this E. coli suspension was poured into each of the plastic tubes which were then irradiated with six different wavelengths in the visible region (Table. 1) after 18 hours with one acting as a control. The Optical Densities of these irradiated samples were then measured. Furthermore, scanning electron microscopy (TEFCAN ZEGA3) was carried out. RESULTS: The analysis of the microscopic and SEM images of irradiated E. coli samples with six different visible range radiations is representative of The fact that E. coli responded differently to every applied radiation in the visible region and the most profound inhibitory effects were that of 538nm Visible Range Radiation (Green) which proved to be bactericidal and 590nm Visible Range Radiation (yellow) which was bacteriostatic. The enhanced growth of E. coli with varying degrees was clearly observed in 610nm (orange), 644nm (red), 464nm (Purple) and 453nm (blue). CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that 538nm (Green) and 590nm (Yellow) can effectively be used for treating E. coli borne diseases.

Colloidal Oatmeal (Avena Sativa) Improves Skin Barrier Through Multi-Therapy Activity.

Oats (Avena sativa) are a centuries-old topical treatment for a variety of skin barrier conditions, including dry skin, skin rashes, and eczema; however, few studies have investigated the actual mechanism of action for the skin barrier strengthening activity of colloidal oatmeal. Four extracts of colloidal oatmeal were prepared with various solvents and tested in vitro for skin barrier related gene expression and activity. Extracts of colloidal oatmeal were found to induce the expression of genes related to epidermal differentiation, tight junctions and lipid regulation in skin, and provide pH-buffering capacity. Colloidal oatmeal boosted the expression of multiple target genes related to skin barrier, and resulted in recovery of barrier damage in an in vitro model of atopic dermatitis. In addition, an investigator-blinded study was performed with 50 healthy female subjects who exhibited bilateral moderate to severe dry skin on their lower legs. Subjects were treated with a colloidal oatmeal skin protectant lotion. Clinically, the colloidal oatmeal lotion showed significant clinical improvements in skin dryness, moisturization, and barrier. Taken together, these results demonstrate that colloidal oatmeal can provide clinically effective benefits for dry and compromised skin by strengthening skin barrier.

J Drugs Dermatol. 2016;15(6):684-690.

Anti-inflammatory activities of colloidal oatmeal (Avena sativa) contribute to the effectiveness of oats in treatment of itch associated with dry, irritated skin.

BACKGROUND: Oat (Avena sativa) in colloidal form is a centuries-old topical treatment for a variety of skin conditions, including skin rashes, erythema, burns, itch, and eczema; however, few studies have investigated the exact mechanism of action for the anti-inflammatory activity of colloidal oatmeal. METHODS: Four extracts of colloidal oatmeal were made with various solvents and tested in anti-inflammatory and antioxidant assays. In addition, an investigator blind study was performed with twenty-nine healthy female subjects who exhibited bilateral mild to moderate itch with moderate to severe dry skin on their lower legs. Subjects were treated with a colloidal oatmeal skin protectant lotion. RESULTS: Extracts of colloidal oatmeal diminished pro-inflammatory cytokines in vitro and the colloidal oat skin protectant lotion showed significant clinical improvements in skin dryness, scaling, roughness, and itch intensity. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that colloidal oat extracts exhibit direct anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, which may provide the mechanisms for observed dermatological benefits while using the colloidal oatmeal skin protectant lotion.

Response of metallothionein gene-1 to laboratory exposure to heavy metals and thermal stress in the freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii.

Metallothioneins, metal-inducible proteins, are being characterized from different organisms and shown as potential biomarkers of exposure to pollution by certain heavy metals. Here we report the identification of a new metallothionein cDNA (433bp) from the shrimp Macrobrachium rosenbergii, putatively encoding a 61 residue polypeptide. Tissue specific analysis indicated that Mar-MT-I (M. rosenbergii Metallothionein Gene-1) is expressed with the highest levels in the hepatopancreas and lowest in the thoracic ganglia, and none in the gills or muscles. In addition, our data showed that Mar-MT-I is differentially regulated in the hepatopancreas by certain heavy metals and thermal stress: Cd and Cu produce somewhat similar expression profile patterns, Zn has a reductional effect and thermal stress alone entirely stops its expression. These results show that Mar-MT-I mRNA levels can potentially be used as biomarkers for Cd, Cu or Zn pollution individually. However, in the case of combined metal treatment, different combinations of these metals have quite different effect on Mar-MT-I expression. Therefore, factors of such differential behaviors should be kept as a priority for further biomonitoring studies.

Serum retinol binding protein as an indicator of vitamin A status in cirrhotic patients with night blindness.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Vitamin A deficiency is known to be associated with night blindness. Plasma retinol binding protein (RBP) estimation highly correlates with plasma retinol concentration to predict vitamin A status. Serum RBP estimation is reasonably simple, inexpensive, and highly applicable in less technologically developed settings. We studied the correlation of plasma vitamin A levels (by RBP estimation) and ocular manifestation in patients with liver cirrhosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective, cohort study included 137 patients with liver cirrhosis. Ocular manifestations in these patients were recorded along with detailed history and clinical examination. Blood samples after overnight fasting were measured for RBP levels. The characteristics of cirrhotic patients with and without eye findings were compared. RESULTS: Out of 137 patients, 55% were males. The causes of cirrhosis were hepatitis C virus in 61%, hepatitis B virus in 32%, alcoholics in 3%, and primary biliary cirrhosis in 3%. Ocular manifestations were found in 47% patients. RBP levels were found to be low in 44%, normal in 40%, and relatively high in 16% patients. Low levels of RBP compared to normal were associated with opthalmological findings of hypovitaminosis A (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The measurement of plasma RBP as an alternative to serum retinol estimation to detect relative hypovitaminosis A is simple, easy and reliable. Vitamin A level is strongly related to the severity of liver disease. Opthalmological manifestations in patients with liver cirrhosis may be preventable by early detection of hypovitaminosis A with serum RBP level, but larger studies are required before recommendation of vitamin A supplementation.