Higher cadmium and zinc accumulation in parsley (Petroselinum crispum) roots activates its antioxidants defense system.

Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) is herb with many biological and medicinal benefits for humans. However, growth on zinc (Zn) and cadmium (Cd) contaminated sites might get severely affected due to over accumulation of heavy metals (HM) in different plant tissues. Antioxidants play a crucial role in minimizing the negative effects of HM. The present study investigates the effects of Zn and Cd stress on P. crispum morphological parameters, enzymatic/non-enzymatic antioxidant profiling and metal accumulation in shoot/root. Plants were exposed to different concentrations of Zn (50, 100, 150 and 200 µM) and Cd (10, 20, 40 and 80 µM) along with control (no stress), in soil-less Hoagland's solution. The results showed that Zn and Cd substantially decrease the growth parameters with increased contents of malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and electrolyte leakage (EL). Non-enzymatic antioxidant activities, like total phenolic contents (TPC) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), were induced high in leaves only upon Cd stress and contrarily decreased upon Zn stress. Total flavonoid contents (TFC) were decreased under Zn and Cd stress. Enzymatic antioxidant activities like superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) were also strongly induced upon Cd stress. At the same time, SOD and guaiacol peroxidase (GPX) activity was induced significantly upon Zn stress. Cd uptake and accumulation was notably high in roots as compared to shoots, which suggests P. crispum have a reduced ability to translocate Cd towards aboveground parts (leaves). Additionally, strong induction of antioxidants by P. crispum under Cd stress might indicate the capacity to effectively re-modulate its physiological response. However, further investigations regarding other HMs and experiments at the molecular level are still needed.

Knowledge, attitudes and practices related to neglected tropical diseases (schistosomiasis and fascioliasis) of public health importance: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Snails play an important role as an intermediate host in various parasitic diseases, which are referred to as snail-borne parasitic diseases (SBPDs). The prevalence of the SBPDs, schistosomiasis and fascioliasis is low in Pakistan compared to other countries. The present study investigated knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to these two SPBDs and risk factors associated with them among the humans living in close contact with livestock and pets from three regions of Pakistan: Punjab, Islamabad and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a structured questionnaire to assess participants' knowledge, attitude and practices related to schistosomiasis and fascioliasis during 2021-2022. Results: The majority of the 507 participants who were interviewed had good knowledge of schistosomiasis and fascioliasis: 43% were aware of schistosomiasis and 57% were aware of fascioliasis, but only 25% knew about snails as an intermediate host. Most respondents had a positive attitude toward treatment, prevention and control of the diseases but they did not have any healthcare facilities. Conclusion: This study highlights the importance of the public's awareness for the need to control SBPDs. It also draws attention to the need for health education for risk reduction and the prevention of SBPDs in endemic areas.

Production of Glucoamylase from Novel Strain of Alternaria Alternata under Solid State Fermentation.

Glucoamylase has an essential role as biocatalyst in various important industries of Pakistan. It is synthesized by using various fungal and bacterial strains, and different ecocultural conditions are applied under solid substrate fermentation method (SSF) to get the highest yield of glucoamylase. Alternaria alternata is an important fungus that can grow on industrial raw material like wheat bran, dried potato powder, tea leaves, rice husk, and sugar cane peel which are used as substrate. Among all, dried potato powder (10g) proved the best fermentation media for growth of fungal strain as well as maximum glucoamylase producer. Moreover, several chemical and physical states were also explored through solid substrate fermentation technique on glucoamylase yield. The highest glucoamylase production was recorded after 72 hours incubation in incubation chamber with 10g raw substrate, 1ml inoculum spore solution, 30°C temperature, and 5 pH. Further, phosphate buffer (5 pH) as moistening agent, 5% starch concentration and media additive as nitrogen (yeast extract), and carbon source (maltose) were screened for maximum glucoamylase titer (17.3 ± 0.05a°U/ml/min) and the highest specific activity (39.2U/mg). These cultural conditions were most appropriate for growth of A. alternata on solid media and production of highest glucoamylase under solid state fermentation procedure that could be utilized for commercial synthesis of glucoamylase.

Community-based social and demographic assessment of knowledge, attitudes, practices and medical conditions related to vitamin D deficiency in Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan.

Vitamin D is an important nutrient for bone health, and vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of various diseases. Gilgit Baltistan, the northern-most area of Pakistan, has a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency, despite many nutritional and food safety programmes. The present study aimed to find how knowledge, attitudes and practices associated with vitamin D related to the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among people residing in different areas of Gilgit Baltistan. The cross-sectional study was descriptive and used data from a survey carried out between February 2019 and December 2020 on individuals of both sexes aged 10 years or over in Gilgit Baltistan. Of the 575 survey participants, 306 (53.2%) had experienced signs and symptoms of vitamin D deficiency, i.e. tiredness, fatigue and bone weakness. Approximately 64.8% had some general knowledge of vitamin D and its relation to health. Participants aged 19-25 years had the highest scores on knowledge of vitamin D. Only 22.7% of interviewees had ever taken any supplements and only 25.6% often exposed themselves to sunlight. Females' mean knowledge score (28.7; SD 7.02) was higher than that of males (24; SD 9.01). A lack of consistency was observed between attitude towards daylight exposure and knowledge of vitamin D. There was a large correlation between knowledge and attitude (p = 0.001), while a non-significant association was demonstrated between knowledge and practices (p = 0.1). Better knowledge, attitude and practices by people living in cities or more-developed regions indicates that education can be an effective way to provide awareness regarding micronutrient deficiencies. More emphasis is needed on enhancing knowledge, awareness and practices associated with vitamin D deficiency in rural areas of Pakistan. It is strongly recommended that an awareness campaign on micronutrients is launched in both rural and urban areas of Pakistan, concentrating on poor socioeconomic settings.