Functionalization of niobium nitrogen-doped titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles with ethanolic extracts of Mentha arvensis.

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles have gained significant attention due to their wide-ranging applications. This research explores an approach to functionalize Niobium Nitrogen Titanium Dioxide nanoparticles (Nb-N-TiO2 NPs) with Mentha arvensis ethanolic leaf extracts. This functionalization allows doped NPs to interact with the bioactive compounds in extracts, synergizing their antioxidant activity. While previous studies have investigated the antioxidant properties of TiO2 NPs synthesized using ethanolic extracts of Mentha arvensis, limited research has focused on evaluating the antioxidant potential of doped nanoparticles functionalized with plant extracts. The characterization analyses are employed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy to evaluate these functionalized doped nanoparticles thoroughly. Subsequently, the antioxidant capabilities through the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays have been assessed. Within functionalized Nb-N-TiO2, the FTIR has a distinctive peak at 2350, 2010, 1312, 1212, and 1010 cm-1 with decreased transmittance associated with vibrations linked to the Nb-N bond. SEM revealed a triangular aggregation pattern, 500 nm to 2 µm of functionalized Nb-N-TiO2 NPs. Functionalized doped Nb-N-TiO2 NPs at 500 µg mL-1 exhibited particularly robust antioxidant activity, achieving an impressive 79% efficacy at DPPH assessment; meanwhile, ferric reduction efficiency of functionalized doped Nb-N-TiO2 showed maximum 72.16%. In conclusion, doped Nb-N-TiO2 NPs exhibit significantly enhanced antioxidant properties when functionalized with Mentha arvensis ethanolic extract compared to pure Nb-N-TiO2 manifested that doped Nb-N-TiO2 have broad promising endeavors for various biomedicine applications.

Comparative analysis of antigenic strength and in vivo serum antibodies concentration of tetanus toxoid vaccine adsorbed in Pakistan.

Clostridium tetani produce tetanospasmin, a potent exotoxin; that causes tetanus or lockjaw disease. Scientists developed an anti-tetanus toxoid to protect the body from the spasm's neurotoxic effect. In Pakistan recently, 478 cases of neonatal tetanus were reported. The study was carried out at The National Control Laboratory for Biologicals Islamabad, aiming to decipher the effectiveness of the most frequently used tetanus toxoid vaccine adsorbed in Pakistan in comparison to standard reference vaccine having earlier known consistent values. The vaccines included domestic public sector, domestic private sector, imported private sector I, and imported private sector II. The triplicate experiments on purebred Swiss albino mice were performed by immunizing with Tetanus toxoid and then tested parallel with standard reference vaccine. Various analytical tests were performed on the test organism that included flocculation test/identity test, antibody quantification using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), potency test, abnormal toxicity test, osmolality, pH test, liquid sub-visible particle test, and sterility test. Results of all the vaccines were compared in comparison with the standard reference vaccine. Absorbances of test vaccines were recorded at the lowest dilution by ELISA. The domestic private sector, imported private sector I, imported private sector II and standard reference vaccine were flocculated at mean dilution (Mean: 0.24, 95% CI: 0.1903-0.2897), and the domestic public sector was flocculated at mean dilution (Mean: 0.23, 95% CI: 0.2052-0.2548). All the products were found within the normal ranges where it was concluded that the maximum average titer of 2.81 was observed at dilution 10-1.6, indicating that these vaccines were adequate/suitable for the prevention of tetanus.

Study of the Anticancer Potential of Plant Extracts Using Liver Tumor Microphysiological System.

BACKGROUND: Plants have been considered a vital source of modern pharmaceutics since the paleolithic age. Contemporary chemotherapeutic drugs for cancer therapy are chemical entities sourced from plants. However, synthetic drugs or their derivatives come with severe to moderate side effects for human health. Hence, the quest to explore and discover plant-based novel anticancer drugs is ongoing. Anticancer activities are the primary method to estimate the potential and efficacy of an extract or compound for drug discovery. However, traditional in vitro anticancer activity assays often show poor efficacy due to the lack of in-vivo-like cellular environment. In comparison, the animal-based in vivo assays lack human genetic makeup and have ethical concerns. AIM: This study aimed to overcome the limitations of traditional cell-culture-based anticancer assays and find the most suitable assay for anticancer activity of plant extracts. We first reported utilizing a liver tumor microphysiological system in the anticancer effect assessment of plant extracts. METHODOLOGY: Methanolic extracts of Acer cappadocicum Gled were used to assess anticancer activity against liver tumor microphysiological system (MPS), and cell viability, liver function tests, and antioxidant enzyme activities were performed. Additionally, an embedded transepithelial electrical resistance sensor was utilized for the real-time monitoring of the liver tumor MPS. The results were also compared with the traditional cell culture model. RESULTS: The study demonstrated the superiority of the TEER sensor-based liver tumor MPS by its better anticancer activity based on cell viability and biomarker analysis compared to the traditional in vitro cell culture model. The anticancer effects of the plant extracts were successfully observed in real time, and methanolic extracts of Acer cappadocicum Gled increased the alanine transaminase and aspartate aminotransferase secretion, which may reveal the different mechanisms of these extracts and suggest a clue for the future molecular study of the anticancer pathways. CONCLUSION: Our results show that the liver tumor microphysiological system could be a better platform for plant-based anticancer activity assessment than traditional cell culture models.

Frequency and Molecular Characterization of Staphylococcus aureus from Placenta of Mothers with Term and Preterm Deliveries.

Globally, prematurity is the leading cause of neonatal mortality (babies in the first four weeks of life) and now the second leading cause of mortality after pneumonia in children under age five. The neonatal gut microbial colonization is crucial in the human life cycle. Placental microbiota transmits from the gut microbiota plays a significant role in association with kinship. Simultaneously, this transition is being made from mother to infant. This comparative study explored the diversity of microbiota associated with term and preterm neonates by evaluating the placental samples. The study found that 16/68 (23.5%) full-term placental samples were positive for S. aureus; on the other hand, 4/16 (25%) preterm placental samples confirmed culture growth for S. aureus. Antimicrobial susceptibility patterns showed that Staphylococcusaureus (S. aureus) isolates from both types of samples were resistant to Ofloxacin, Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, Oxacillin, and Cefoxitin. However, Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) detection was 43.75% in full-term and 75% in preterm placental samples. Moreover, two isolates were positive for both mecA and PVL virulent genes, and the rest were positive only for the mecA gene. Interestingly few isolates lacked both characteristic MRSA genes, mecA and PVL. Notably, resistances were more inclined towards preterm samples for antimicrobial susceptibility and MRSA screening. It may be concluded that there is a significant presence of S. aureus in the placenta of mothers with term and preterm deliveries which might be responsible for preterm deliveries. Therefore, judicious use of antibiotics during pregnancies may help prevent preterm births.

Study of rare genetic variants in TM4SF20, NFXL1, CNTNAP2, and ATP2C2 in Pakistani probands and families with language impairment.

Language impairment (LI) is highly heritable and aggregates in families. Genetic investigation of LI has revealed many chromosomal regions and genes of interest, though very few studies have focused on rare variant analysis in non-English speaking or non-European samples. We selected four candidate genes (TM4SF20, NFXL1, CNTNAP2 and ATP2C2) strongly suggested for specific language impairment (SLI), a subtype of LI, and investigated rare protein coding variants through Sanger sequencing of probands with LI ascertained from Pakistan. The probands and their family members completed a speech and language family history questionnaire and a vocabulary measure, the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-fourth edition (PPVT-4), translated to Urdu, the national language of Pakistan. Our study aimed to determine the significance of rare variants in these SLI candidate genes through segregation analysis in a novel population with a high rate of consanguinity. In total, we identified 16 rare variants (according to the rare MAF in the global population in gnomAD v2.1.1 database exomes), including eight variants with a MAF <0.5 % in the South Asian population. Most of the identified rare variants aggregated in proband's families, one rare variant (c.*9T>C in CNTNAP2) co-segregated in a small family (PKSLI-64) and another (c.2465C>T in ATP2C2) co-segregated in the proband branch (PKSLI-27). The lack of complete co-segregation of most of the identified rare variants indicates that while these genes could be involved in overall risk for LI, other genes are likely involved in LI in this population. Future investigation of these consanguineous families has the potential to expand our understanding of gene function related to language acquisition and impairment.

Phytochemical Investigation, Antimicrobial, Antioxidant and Anticancer Activities of Acer cappadocicum Gled.

The appearance of novel microbial resistance, diverse cancer ailment and several other morbidities such as appetite loss, hair loss, anemia, cell damage, etc., are among most critical situation that keeps the phytochemical quest on. Thus, this study characterized the antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anticancer potentials of a rarely accessed Acer cappadocicum gled (AC) population thriving in a remote Palas Valley in northern Pakistan. Leaf extracts of the plant were prepared in organic solvents with different polarities through maceration. Extracts were subjected to antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anticancer activities using agar well, DPPH and cell viability assays. A. cappadocicum methanolic extract (ACM) significantly inhibited bacterial growth, followed by n-butanolic extract (ACB) with the second-highest bacterial inhibition. Similar activity was observed against mycelial growth inhibition in plant-fungal pathogen by ACM and ACB. However, human pathogenic fungi did not affect much by extracts. In antioxidant assessment, the chloroform extract (ACC) showed strong scavenging activity and in cytotoxic evaluation, extracts restricted growth proliferation in cancer cells. The inhibitory evidence of extracts, potent scavenging ability, and low cell viability of human-derived cell lines supports the antimicrobial, antioxidant and anticancerous potential of A. cappadocicum. It advances our quest for natural product research.

Evaluation of Antimicrobial and Anticancer Activities of Selected Medicinal Plants of Himalayas, Pakistan.

Medicinal plants are known for their diverse use in the traditional medicine of the Himalayan region of Pakistan. The present study is designed to investigate the anticancer and antimicrobial activities of Prunus cornuta and Quercus semicarpifolia. The anticancer activity was performed using cancerous human cell lines (HepG2, Caco-2, A549, MDA-MB-231, and NCI-H1437 carcinoma cells), while the antimicrobial activity was conducted with the agar-well diffusion method. Furthermore, toxicity studies were performed on alveolar and renal primary epithelial cells. Initially, different extracts were prepared by maceration techniques using n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, butanol, and methanol. The preliminary phytochemical screening showed the presence of secondary metabolites such as alkaloids, tannins, saponins, flavonoids, glycosides, and quinones. The chloroform extract of P. cornuta (PCC) exhibited significant inhibitory activity against Acinetobacter baumannii (16 mm) and Salmonella enterica (14.5 mm). The A. baumannii and S. enterica strains appeared highly susceptible to n-hexane extract of P. cornuta (PCN) with an antibacterial effect of 15 mm and 15.5 mm, respectively. The results also showed that the methanolic extracts of Quercus semecarpifolia (QSM) exhibited considerable antibacterial inhibitory activity in A. baumannii (18 mm), Escherichia coli (15 mm). The QSN and QSE extracts also showed good inhibition in A. baumannii with a 16 mm zone of inhibition. The Rhizopus oryzae strain has shown remarkable mycelial inhibition by PCM and QSN with 16 mm and 21 mm inhibition, respectively. Furthermore, the extracts of P. cornuta and Q. semicarpifolia exhibited prominent growth inhibition of breast (MDA-MB-231) and lung (A549) carcinoma cells with 19-30% and 22-39% cell viabilities, respectively. The gut cell line survival was also significantly inhibited by Q. semicarpifolia (24-34%). The findings of this study provide valuable information for the future development of new antibacterial and anticancer medicinal agents from P. cornuta and Q. semicarpifolia extracts.

Choroidal thickness changes following cataract surgery using swept source optical coherence tomography.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess changes in subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT), measured using swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT), after routine phacoemulsification cataract surgery. DESIGN: This is a prospective, interventional, controlled study that took place at Shahzad Eye Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan, between February 2015 and January 2016. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred and one patients who were undergoing routine cataract surgery were recruited. One eye per patient was included. The unoperated fellow eyes acted as controls. METHODS: Swept-source optical coherence tomography scans were performed preoperatively, 1 week postoperatively, and 1 month postoperatively. Two independent graders evaluated the scans to measure the SFCT. The SFCT was measured and recorded for OCT scans from each visit. The general linear model repeated analysis technique was used to assess data from the 3 different time intervals, and paired t tests were used to assess a statistically significant difference between mean preoperative and postoperative SFCT. Probability values of less than 0.05 were considered to be statistically significant. RESULTS: The mean preoperative SFCT in the study eye was 272.9 ± 96.2; SFCT was 278.9 ± 101.4 (p = 0.051) and 281.5 ± 105.2 (p = 0.01) at week 1 and month 1, respectively. In the control eyes, the mean measurement of preoperative SFCT was 274.2 ± 98.5; measurements were 273.8 ± 100.7 (p = 0.875) and 277.9 ± 103.1 (p = 0.063) at week 1 and month 1, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: There was a gradual increase in SFCT at 1 month after cataract removal in the study eyes. The effect was more pronounced in younger individuals and nondiabetic individuals.

Accelerated decolorization of reactive azo dyes under saline conditions by bacteria isolated from Arabian seawater sediment.

Presence of huge amount of salts in the wastewater of textile dyeing industry is one of the major limiting factors in the development of an effective biotreatment system for the removal of azo dyes from textile effluents. Bacterial spp. capable of thriving under high salt conditions could be employed for the treatment of saline dyecontaminated textile wastewaters. The present study was aimed at isolating the most efficient bacterial strains capable of decolorizing azo dyes under high saline conditions. Fiftyeight bacterial strains were isolated from seawater, seawater sediment, and saline soil, using mineral salt medium enriched with 100 mg l−1 Reactive Black-5 azo dye and 50 g NaCl l−1 salt concentration. Bacterial strains KS23 (Psychrobacter alimentarius) and KS26 (Staphylococcus equorum) isolated from seawater sediment were able to decolorize three reactive dyes including Reactive Black 5, Reactive Golden Ovifix, and Reactive Blue BRS very efficiently in liquid medium over a wide range of salt concentration (0-100 g NaCl l)⁻¹. Time required for complete decolorization of 100 mg dye l ⁻¹ varied with the type of dye and salt concentration. In general, there was an inverse linear relationship between the velocity of the decolorization reaction (V) and salt concentration. This study suggested that bacteria isolated from saline conditions such as seawater sediment could be used in designing a bioreactor for the treatment of textile effluent containing high concentration of salts.

Role of hysterosalpingoscintigraphy in the workup of infertility.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the role of hysterosalpingoscintigraphy (HSSG) in the evaluation of fallopian tube patency and function and compare the results with hysterosalpingography (HSG) and laparoscopy (LS). DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: The study was conducted at Multan Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Radiotherapy (MINAR), Multan from August 2004 to February 2005. PATIENTS AND METHODS: HSSG was performed after instillation of 4mCi (148 MBq) 99mTechnetium-macroaggregated albumin (99mTc-MAA) in posterior vaginal fornix in 65 patients. Serial static images were acquired in supine position at 1 hour, 2 hours, 3 hours and, if needed, at 24 hours. The results were compared to the findings on LS and HSG. RESULTS: Out of 65 patients, 37 (56.9%) patients had bilateral blocked tubes, 17 (26.1%) patients had bilateral patent tubes, 6 (9.2%) patients had blocked left tube and 5 (7.1%) patients had blocked right tube. The calculated sensitivity, specificity, positive predicted value (PPV), negative predicted value (NPV) and accuracy for HSSG were 90%, 83%, 90% and 90% respectively. The agreement between HSSG and LS was found in 32 out of 35 patients and agreement between HSG and HSSG was found in 24 out of 30 patients. CONCLUSION: This simple procedure can delineate tubal physiology; in selected cases it can replace HSG and in others augment the information gathered by HSG. HSSG should be part of the infertility workup algorithm.