Antibacterial Activity of Economically Important Medicinal Plants in Pakistan Against Different Bacterial Strains.

The emergence of medication resistance and unfavorable side effects from existing antibiotics has prompted the quest for novel antimicrobial agents over the last 2 decades. Plant extracts have been shown to have antibacterial effects in numerous studies. The objective of this study was the evaluation of the antibacterial effect of economically important medicinal plants found in Pakistan. Onosma bracteatum (flowers and leaves), Viola odorata (flowers and leaves), Cuscuta reflexa (whole plant), Swertia chirata (whole plant), and Fagonia arabica (whole plant) were used against Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Water and ethanol extracts were obtained from different parts of the plants. To evaluate the antibacterial effect of these plants, qualitative assay agar well diffusion method was performed. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined by the broth micro dilution method. Results revealed that the highest inhibition zone (18 mm) was shown by ethanol extract of V odorata flower against P aeruginosa. Ethanol extract of C reflexa plants is best for all 3 tested microbes (P aeruginosa, B subtilis, and E coli). The results concluded that all these plants have abilities to fight against these tested bacteria. Ethanol extract of V odorata flower has the highest activity against P aeruginosa.

The Hepatoprotective and Anti-Nephrotoxic Potential of Methanolic Extract of a Polyherbal Preparation in CCl4-Induced Liver Injury Model of Wistar Rats.

The liver and kidneys are the vital organs of the body and perform important life-sustaining functions in the body. Synthetic drugs used in the treatment of liver and kidney diseases are sometimes inadequate and can lead to serious side effects. Medicinal herbs and plants were used to combat diseases for a long time and combination therapy is preferred over single plant therapy. In the current study, the Asparagus racemosus, Mucuna pruriens, Anacyclus pyrethrum, and Tribulus terrestris polyherbal preparation (PHP) was selected to evaluate its hepatoprotective, antioxidant, and anti-nephrotoxic potential. The methanolic extract of PHP was prepared following standard protocols. Fifty-six albino rats were divided into 7 groups (n = 8). The negative control (NC) having the healthy rats and the remaining 6 groups were induced liver toxicity by intraperitoneally injecting 0.5 mL/kg of 50% CCl4 in olive oil. Group 2 was positive control and group 3 and 4 received silymarin standard drug at the dose of 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight. Groups 5, 6, and 7 (PHP-1, PHP-2, PHP-3) were the liver-damaged rats receiving the PHP at a dose of 50, 100, and 150 mg/kg body weight. Blood samples were collected at 21 of the trial, to evaluate oxidative stress, hepatoprotective and anti-nephrotoxic potential. Results of liver function tests revealed significant (P < .05) hepatoprotective activities of PHP after intoxication with CCl4 of albino rats as compared to standard groups. Moreover, results of renal functions also showed that PHP has a significant (P < .05) restoring the capacity of blood urea, creatinine, and uric acid in intoxicated rats as compared with the control group. The PHP also reduced the oxidative stress in the treatment groups by increasing the total antioxidant capacity and reducing the total oxidative status. It can be concluded that selected medicinal plants have a potential role in the management of liver and kidney disorders. So, by running the clinical trial on a large scale and by isolating the phytochemical constituents responsible for hepatoprotective and nephroprotective activities, locally prepared drugs could be developed to manage liver and renal disorders.

Antibacterial Activity of Tris NaCl and PBS Buffer Protein Extract of Cassia fistula, Saccharum officinarum, Albizia lebbeck and Cymbopogon citrates Against Bacterial Strains.

Medicinal plants are gaining popularity over synthetic medicines because antibiotic resistance demands the alternative source of medication. In the present research, the crude protein extraction of 4 medicinal plants Cassia fistula, Saccharum officinarum, Albizia lebbeck and Cymbopogon citrates was carried out. Crude protein extraction was done by 2 different buffers i.e. Tris NaCl buffer and PBS buffer. Protein confirmation was done by Bradford assay in the spectrophotometer. Antibacterial potential was checked and compared against Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Neisseria gonorrhoea, Bacillus cereus and Proteus mirabilis. Antibacterial assay was performed by disc diffusion method, agar well method and zones of inhibition were calculated. The study results indicated that Tris NaCl extracts' antimicrobial potential is higher than that of the PBS buffer. On disc diffusion method the Tris NaCl buffer extracts of Cymbopogon citrates showed maximum zone of inhibition 11 mm and 9 mm against Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus cereus respectively and control chloramphenicol showed maximum zone of inhibition 26 mm against Bacillus subtilis. Cassia fistula showed maximum zone of inhibition of 7 mm against Bacillus cereus while Saccharum officinarum and Albizia lebbeck didn't show the any antibacterial activity. On the other hand, Protein extracts from PBS buffer didn't show zone of inhibition against any bacteria. Only Albizia lebbeck showed minute zone of inhibition against Neisseria gonorrhea. On well diffusion method, Cassia fistula Tris NaCl protein extract showed the maximum zone of inhibition 20 mm and 18 mm against Proteus mirabilis and Bacillus subtilis respectively. While Albizia lebbeck PBS protein extract showed the maximum zone of inhibition 19 mm and 17 mm against Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus cereus. The results revealed that the protein extract of Albizia lebbeck, Cymbopogon citrates and Cassia fistula can be used tosynthesize antimicrobial drugs to treat the bacterial infections.

Risk management strategies and therapeutic modalities to tackle COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2.

The recent emergence of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) triggered by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has resulted in substantial mortality worldwide. Presently, there is no approved treatment for COVID-19. Consequently, the clinical, scientific, and regulatory authorities have joint efforts to reduce the severe impact of COVID-19. To date, there is minimal arsenal with no definite curative drugs, licensed-vaccines, or therapeutic conducts to combat the COVID-19 infections. Keeping in view the threats of this pandemic, various global organizations, physicians, researchers, and scientists, are trying to recognize the epidemiological characteristics and pathogenic mechanisms of COVID-19 to discover potential treatment regimens, vaccines, and therapeutic modes for future anticipation. Herein, we summarize a contemporary overview of curative invasions and vaccines for COVID-19 based on the earlier information and considerate of similar earlier RNA coronaviruses. The information reviewed here establishes a paramount intellectual basis to promote ongoing research to develop vaccines and curative agents. Thus, this review suggests the furthermost accessible frontiers in the vaccine development to tackle or combat the COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2.

Obstetric outcomes of Human Immunodeficiency Virus positive mothers in tertiary care hospital.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the pregnancy outcome of human immunodeficiency syndrome-positive mothers. METHODS: The prospective observational study was conducted at the Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Aziz Bhatti Shaheed Teaching Hospital, Gujrat, Pakistan, from June 2011 to March 2018, and comprised pregnant women screened positive for human immunodeficiency syndrome. Risk factors and perinatal outcomes were noted on a predesigned proforma. Data was analysed using SPSS 20. RESULTS: Of the 74 subjects with a mean age of 29±5.27 years, 63(85.1%) were multiparous and 11(14.9%) were nulliparous. Major risk factors included unsterilized nasal or ear piercing in 70(94.6%) subjects, history of blood transfusion 57(77%) and history of dental procedure in unsterilized settings 23(31.1%). Spouses of 43(58.1%) subjects were positive for human immunodeficiency syndrome, 22(29.7%) were negative and 9(12.2%) had unknown status in this regard. In terms of outcome, 12(16.3%) subjects had spontaneous abortion, 11(12.2%) had intrauterine death of foetus, 6(8.1%) had preterm delivery and 45(60.8%) reached full term and were delivered. There were 2(2.6%) patients with stage 4 disease who died during pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: Human immunodeficiency syndrome infection in pregnant women was found to be associated with poor pregnancy outcome.

Selection and validation of optimal endogenous reference genes for analysis of quantitative PCR in four tissues pathologically associated with Kidney-yang deficiency syndrome following influenza A infection.

Kidney-yang deficiency syndrome (KYDS) infected with the influenza virus is a suitable model to imitate a population at high-risk to influenza infection with a high rate of morbidity and mortality. However, the specific molecular mechanisms underlying this disease remain unclear. A stable reference gene is essential as an internal control for molecular biology research of this condition. Reverse-transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) is considered an extremely sensitive technique used for absolute and relative quantification of target genes transcript levels. To accurately estimate the relative expression of genes in cells from mice with KYDS in response to infection with influenza A virus subtype H1N1 (A/H1N1) virus using RT-qPCR, it is necessary to identify suitable reference genes. In the present study, analysis of 10 reference genes (Act-ß, ß2m, GAPDH, Gusß, Tubα, Grcc10, Eif4h, Rnf187, Nedd8 and Ywhae) was performed across a set of 4 tissue types: Lung; heart; liver; and kidney. KYDS mice were inoculated with A/H1N1 virus or a mock control. For analysis, geNorm, BestKeeper, NormFinder, and Bio-Rad Maestro™ statistical programs were used for the estimation of the stability of the reference genes. The results were authenticated through extended experimental settings using a group of 10 samples, parallel to 3 additional innate immune system-associated genes of the host, TLR3, TLR7 and RIG-I, which were also analyzed using the same algorithms. From the 4 algorithms, taking into account the joint analyses of the ranking order outputs, the 2 genes Ywhae and Nedd8 were identified to be the most stable for mice with KYDS following infection with A/H1N1 virus. In contrast, the least stable genes in all 4 tissues were GAPDH and ß2m. These results may affect the choice of reference genes in future studies that use RT-qPCR analysis of target genes in experimental conditions, such as mice with KYDS infected with influenza A virus.

Therapeutic Efficacy of Urinile Against Gouty Arthritis.

Gout is arthritis caused due to Monosodium urate (MSU) crystals deposition occurring particularly in patients with associated comorbidities limiting the use of conventional therapies. This study was planned to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of urinile (a herbal drug) for the treatment of gouty arthritis. Allopurinol was used as standard drug (positive control). The study population of 250 volunteers (gouty arthritis patients) were divided into 2 groups as test and control group (n = 125 each). Gouty arthritis patients in test and control group were treated with 300 mg each of urinile and allopurinol, respectively. Clinical symptoms of all the study volunteers were recorded and serum uric acid was determined. Significant (p < 0.05) reduction in serum uric acid level toward normal was found in test group individuals. Clinical symptoms of gouty arthritis patients were also improved in test group compared to control group. Results showed that urinile has the potential to decrease serum uric acid level in gouty arthritis patients probably because of its antioxidant potential and xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity. It can be concluded that the tested herbal drug urinile is more potent in treating gouty arthritis patients and can be used as an effective alternative to the most commonly used allopathic drugs.

Foliar Applied Acetylsalicylic Acid Induced Growth and Key-Biochemical Changes in Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) Under Drought Stress.

The exogenous application of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) is stated to increase tolerance of plants against different environmental stresses. Therefore, the present study was planned to get insight into ASA-mediated regulation of growth, secondary metabolism, and oxidative defense in 2 chickpea varieties. Ten seeds of 2 chickpea varieties (DG-89 and Bittle-98) were sown in plastic pots containing sandy loam soil with 3 drought stress levels, i.e. wet conditions or flooded water (100% FC) as recommended control, 75% FC, 50% FC and 25% FC for chickpea. The moisture contents were maintained and regularly monitored through the addition of normal irrigation water. The design of experimental was completely randomized with 3 replicates per treatment. Penultimate leaves were harvested with knife after 20 days of foliar spray to observe the effect of exogenously applied ASA (100 mg/L) on growth, and key-biochemical attributes of chickpea plants (DG-89 and Bittle-98) under drought stress regimes. Drought stress regimes caused a substantial decline in shoot (37% and 35%) and root length (67% and 78%), shoot (80% and 76%) and root (62% and 68%) fresh masses, shoot (71% and 63%) and root (77% and 74%) dry masses, leaf area per plant (77% and 80%), chlorophyll a (7% and 45%), chlorophyll b (57% and 42%), total chlorophyll (30% and 39%), total carotenoids (76% and 54%), total anthocyanins (38%), reducing sugar (10% and 57%), total soluble proteins (77% and 44%), total flavonoids (61% and 59%) and total phenolics (58% and 31%) contents in both DG-89 and Bittle-98, respectively. A significant increase in MDA (25%), H2O2 contents (100% and 62%), proline (145% and 131%), and ascorbic acid (133% and 203%) contents was documented in stressed plants of both varieties, respectively. Additionally, drought stress significantly improved the activities of POD (154% and 76%), CAT (87% and 45%) and SOD (248% and 143%) in both varieties. Exogenous application of ASA reduced drought-mediated oxidative stress by reducing MDA (53% and 14%), and H2O2 (84% and 56%) contents, proline contents (50% and 17%) and enhanced the shoot (6% and 25%) and root (43% and 33%) dry masses, leaf area (9% and 10%), chlorophyll a (7% and 32%), b (82% and 81%), and carotenoids (53% and 33%) in both barley cultivars. When plants of chickpea was treated with ASA had greater total anthocyanins (26% and 35%), free amino acids (48% and 28%), ascorbic acid contents (135% and 179%), total soluble proteins (34% and 23%), total flavonoids (58% and 35%) and phenolic (50% and 69%)contents besides the POD (41% and 64%), CAT (23% and 56%) and SOD (73% and 72%) enzymes activities. Plants of DG-89 showed more tolerance to drought stress than that of Bittle-98 as a manifest from higher plant biomasses. Thus, our results showed that foliar-applied ASA is an effective strategy that can be used to improve the tolerance of chickpea plants to drought stress.

Antihypertensive and Antihyperlipidemic Activity of Aqueous Methanolic Extract of Rauwolfia Serpentina in Albino Rats.

Rauwolfia serpentina has a wide range of therapeutic effects so this study was planned to explore the antihypertensive and antihyperlipidemic therapeutic responses of R serpentina doses using albino rats by measuring the blood pressure, biochemical parameters, and histological architecture of liver and kidney tissues. Thirty albino rats were divided into 5 groups (n = 6) as G1 (normal Control) received normal diet, G2 (positive control) received only 8% NaCl added diet (high salt diet); G3 was given atenolol (standard drug control) 50 mg/kg body weight, G4 and G5 groups were given methanolic plant extract as low dose (100 mg/kg body weight) and high dose (200 mg/Kg body weight) daily along with high salt diet for 4 weeks, respectively. Rauwolfia serpentina significantly (P < .05) decreased the blood pressure in G4 and G5 groups as compared to G2 and G3. Significant (P < .05) impact was reported, on serum lipid profile and serum proteins as well as hepatoprotective and renoprotective potential on studying tissues sections under microscope, in animal groups given herbal extract as compared to control groups. It could be concluded that R serpentina has therapeutic effect to manage the hypertension and hypercholesterolemia most probably via protecting the liver and renal architectures.

Dose-Dependent Internalization and Externalization Integrity Study of Newly Synthesized 99mTc-Thymoquinone Radiopharmaceutical as Cancer Theranostic Agent.

Thymoquinone (TQ) is a bioactive phytochemical isolated from Nigella sativa and has been investigated for biochemical and biological activities in both in vitro and in vivo models. It is best known for its anticancer activities. Thymoquinone accomplishes anticancer activities through targeting multiple cancer markers including PPAR-γ, PTEN, P53, P73, STAT3, and generation of reactive oxygen species at the cancer cell surface. The radiolabeling of TQ with γ- and ß-emitter radionuclide could be used as cancer diagnostic or therapeutic radiopharmaceutical, respectively. In this study, we are reporting the radiolabeling of TQ with technetium-99m (99mTc), stability in saline and blood serum, internalization and externalization of 99mTc-TQ using rhabdomyosarcoma cancer cells line. The quality control study revealed more than 95% labeling yield and stable in blood serum up to 4 hours. In vitro internalization rate was recorded 27.08% ± 0.95% at 1 hour post 2 hours internalization period and comparatively slow externalization. The results of this study are quite encourging and could be investigated for further key preclinical parameters to enter phase I clinical trials.

A Novel Strategy Facilitates Reference Gene Selection by RT-qPCR Analysis in Kidney Yang Deficiency Syndrome Mice Infected with the Influenza A (H1N1) Virus.

In reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) studies, endogenous reference genes are routinely used to normalize the expression of target gene studies. In order to precisely evaluate the relative expression of genes in the cells of mice suffering from Kidney Yang Deficiency Syndrome (KYDS) in response to influenza A virus (IAV) H1N1 using RT-qPCR, it is crucial to identify reliable reference genes. In the present study, 15 candidate reference genes (Actb, ß2m, Gapdh, Gusb, Tuba, Grcc10, Eif4h, Rnf187, Nedd8, Ywhae, 18S rRNA, Rpl13, Ubc, Rpl32, and Ppia) were investigated in lung cells from KYDS mice infected with IAV H1N1. NormFinder, BestKeeper, and GeNorm were used to assess the stability of reference genes. The results were authenticated over extended experimental settings by a group of 10 samples. In the present study, we explored a novel method using dual-gene combinations; the difference in gene expression between the model and normal control groups was statistically analyzed by an independent-samples t-test, and the difference in the mean value between the two groups was compared. A P value > 0.05 and the lowest absolute value of the difference indicated the optimal reference two-gene combination. Four additional host innate immune system-related genes (TLR3, TLR4, TLR7, and RIG-I) were analyzed together with the two treatment datasets to confirm the selected reference genes. Our results indicated that none of these 15 candidate reference genes can be used as reference gene individually for relative quantitative fluorescence PCR analysis; however, the combination of Grcc10 and Ppia, based on the process of calculating the higher P value and lower difference values between groups, was the best choice as a reference gene for the lung tissue samples in KYDS mice infected with IAV. This technique may be applied to promote the selection process of the optimal reference gene in other experiments.

Antimicrobial and Antihypercholesterolemic Activities of Pulicaria gnaphalodes.

Multidrug resistance has increased globally in the communities. Bacterial infections associated with health care have weakened the existing antimicrobial therapy and demand the search for alternative therapies. In the present investigation, the medicinal plant Pulicaria gnaphalodes from Quetta, Pakistan, has been screened for antimicrobial potential. In vitro antimicrobial efficacy of P gnaphalodes extracts (methanol and ethanol) was quantitatively evaluated on the basis of zone of inhibition against different bacteria and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). In vivo, antihypercholesterolemic activity is determined in different rat groups. The results of the study indicated that the ethanol extract of P gnaphalodes showed maximum zone of inhibition for Bacillus subtilis of 12.1 ± 1.1 mm from all others. The methanol extract showed maximum zone of inhibition for Staphylococcus aureus of 11.9 ± 1.0 mm and rifampicin showed maximum zone of inhibition of 23.1 ± 0.9 mm. The results of ethanol and methanol extract of P gnaphalodes against different bacteria revealed that this plant has greater antimicrobial activity. However, the plant extract shows nonsignificant antihypercholesterolemic activity. The extract of this plant can be utilized as medicine to inhibit several infections caused by some bacterial pathogens found in human body.

Correlates of diabetic retinopathy: A case study.

Prevalence of diabetes mellitus is increasing worldwide particularly in developing countries as according to International Diabetes Federation, globally a rise from 451 million diabetic people in 2017 to 693 million in 2045 is expected. Diabetic retinopathy is one of the major consequences of diabetes mellitus, so knowing its risk factors can be very helpful. For identifying the risk factors of the Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) in Faisalabad and to determine whether DR is more caused by type 1 or type 2 diabetes, a cross-sectional study was conducted at major hospitals in Faisalabad district during February-July 2016. Descriptive statistics were used for initial screening of the significant variables. Then binary logistic regression was applied to measure the influence of different factors on likelihood of DR. Using Odds Ratio (OR) from logistic regression as measure of influence, the problem of DR was found to be higher among males (OR=1.913; 95% C.I, 1.072~3.413), married patients (OR=5.678; 95% C.I=2.206~14.616), patients with type 1 diabetes (OR=2.195; 95% C.I=1.205~3.997), patients with obesity (OR=25.736; 95% C.I=11.033~60.031), patients using insulin treatment (OR=6.678; 95% C.I=2.330~10.138). The study demonstrated a high prevalence of DR in Faisalabad. Eye examination, social status of patients and duration of diabetes were also found as significant variables affecting DR.

Cardioprotective Potential of Plant-Derived Molecules: A Scientific and Medicinal Approach.

Since the beginning of human civilization, plants have been used in alleviating the human distress and it was recorded for about thousands of years ago that the plants are being used for medicinal purposes. Natural bioactive compounds called phytochemicals are obtained from medicinal plants, vegetables, and fruits, which functions to combat against various ailments. There is dire need to explore the plant biodiversity for its medicinal and pharmacological potentials. Different databases such as Google scholar, Medline, PubMed, and the Directory of Open Access Journals were searched to find the articles describing the cardioprotective function of medicinal plants. Various substances from a variety of plant species are used for the treatment of cardiovascular abnormalities. The cardioprotective plants contain a variety of bioactive compounds, including diosgenin, isoflavones, sulforaphane, carotinized, catechin, and quercetin, have been proved to enhance cardioprotection, hence reducing the risk of cardiac abnormalities. The present review article provides the data on the use of medicinal plants particularly against cardiac diseases and to explore the molecules/phytoconstituents as plant secondary metabolites for their cardioprotective potential.

Daclatasvir plus Sofosbuvir with or without ribavirin in patients with chronic Hepatitis C genotype 3a in Pakistani population - A real world experience.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Pakistan is among leading countries of world in prevalence of chronic hepatitis C Daclatasvir plus sofosbuvir is recommended for treatment of CHC. The purpose of study was to determine the sustained virological response in patients with chronic viral hepatitis C genotype 3a irrespective of previous treatment experience or presence of liver cirrhosis. METHODS: Open label observational study was conducted at ABSTH Gujrat from January 2017 to April 2018 using non-probability purposive sampling. Patients chronically infected with hepatitis C virus having genotype 3a irrespective of presence of cirrhosis or previous treatment experience were included. Treatment naive patients without cirrhosis were given 12 weeks regimen of daily daclatasvir 60mg along with daily sofosbuvir 400mg. Patients with either compensated cirrhosis or treatment experienced were given 24 weeks regimen of daily daclatasvir 60mg along with daily sofosbuvir 400mg with weight based ribavirin. Data analysis was done using SPSS 20.0. RESULTS: Total 125 patients were included in study out of which 42 (33.6%) were male and 83 (66.4%) were female. Early virological response and end treatment response was achieved by 124 (99.2%) patients. Twenty four patients were lost to further follow-up and SVR24 was available for 101(80.8%) patients out of which 48 were having cirrhosis and 53 were without cirrhosis. SVR24 was achieved by 96 patients (95%). Virological response was better in treatment naive patients and without cirrhosis compared to treatment experienced and those with cirrhosis. CONCLUSION: Daclatasvir plus sofosbuvir is an effective combination in patients with chronic hepatitis C genotype 3a infection.

Phytochemical screening and antipyretic effects of hydroalcoholic extracts of selected medicinal plants of Rawalakot, Azad Jammu and Kashmir in albino rats.

Pyrexia occurs due to infection, malignancy and other diseases. Majority of the antipyretic drugs are synthetic in nature which exerts side effects such as gastric ulcer, hepatic necrosis and renal damage. The antipyretic potential of the hydro-alcoholic extracts of Achillea millefolium, Taraxacum officinale, Salix alba and Trigonella foenum were investigated on the yeast-induced pyrexia in albino rats. Paracetamol was used as a positive control. Rectal temperature of albino rats was verified immediately before the administration of the extracts or vehicle or paracetamol and yet again at 1-hour gap for 6 hours using a digital thermometer. The animals having pyrexia were divided into four groups Group1: Paracetamol was given to positive control. Group 2: Distilled water was given to negative control. Group 3: (250mg/kg) extract of the plant was given to rats (treatment group 1). Group 4: (500mg/kg) extracts of the plant was given to albino rats (Treatment group 2). The extracts were also phytochemically screened for alkaloids, tannins, saponins, flavonoids, cardiac glycosides and phenols. The hydro-alcoholic extracts of plants with the dose of 500mg/kg showed significant (p<0.0001) decrease in yeast-induced pyrexia, as compared with that of set drug paracetamol (150mg/kg) where the extract dose 250mg/kg was less effective than that of standard drug (p<0.05). Phytochemical screening showed the presence of alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids, saponins and phenols. This study showed that hydro-alcoholic extracts of all plants under study at a dose of 500mg/kg have significant antipyretic potential in yeast-induced elevated temperature.

Progress and prospects in the management of psoriasis and developments in phyto-therapeutic modalities.

The aim of this study is to review the efficacy of herbal and allopathic drugs used to manage and treat psoriasis. The review has been compiled using reference materials from major databases, Online Journals, Science Direct, Scopus, Open J Gate, Google Scholar and PubMed. Psoriasis is a common skin disease affecting 2-3% of the world's population. It is cosmetically debilitating and chronic disease, which occurs both in developing and developed countries. It can affect any part of the body, but the most common sites are the elbows, knees, and scalp. It is usually treated with synthetic medicine either given systematically or applied locally. The prescribed synthetic medicines used for the treatment of psoriasis are associated with severe side effects and complications, thus researchers around the world are trying to explore new, more effective, and safer drugs from natural resources. Medicinal plants are safe and efficacious, and most of the people all over the world rely on herbal medicine due to their easy availability, low cost, and efficacy for treating psoriasis. A number of medicinal plants having therapeutic potential with high efficacy are used in the treatment of psoriasis have been described. Moreover, studies should be conducted to isolate and investigate the mechanism of actions of phytochemicals responsible for anti-psoriasis potential.

Prevalence and co-infection of Malaria and Typhoid in the local population of Faisalabad, Pakistan.

Malaria and typhoid fever are among the major infectious diseases which impose significant health and socioeconomic burden on affected populations. Further, co-infection and resembling symptomatology in both infections, mostly leads to misdiagnosis and mistreatment. So co-infection of malaria and typhoid fever is becoming a major issue in tropical and subtropical countries. The current study was planned to explore the rate of co-infection of malaria and typhoid fever to show the diagnostic challenges and people health implications in the local population of Faisalabad-Pakistan. For this purpose, 144 samples (n=144) were collected from suspected subjects both male (n=74) and female (n=70) (comprises of three age group ranges viz >01-10, 11-20 and above 20 years old) of typhoid fever and malaria from October to December 2017 at Children Hospital, Faisalabad-Pakistan. Thick smear as a gold standard technique for malaria diagnosis and Widal agglutination technique for typhoid diagnosis were used. Results revealed that the prevalence of co-infection in selected subjects was 6.3% (n=9) with higher prevalence in female subjects (7.1%) as compared to males (5.4%). Further, it was also reported that age groups >01-10 years old, 11-20 years old and 21-above years old have6.6 % (n=75), 5.7 % (n=35) and 5.8% (n=34), coinfection prevalence respectively. In the present study, it could be concluded that although the prevalence of co-infection of malaria and typhoid fever in the studied population was possible but sensitivity of diagnostic tools was limited, so more reliable, specific and sensitive diagnostic tools are required to report confidently more precise correlation of these infectious diseases.

Acute and sub acute toxicity study and randomized clinical trial of polyherbal coded drug candicure in the management of acute vulvo-vaginal candidiasis.

Vulvo-Vaginal Candidiasis is common gynecological disorder. Clinical trials are designed to evaluate the effect of medical intervention with allopathic and herbal medicine to treat vulvo-vaginal candidiasis. The toxicity index and the safety profile of test drug were assessed on animals' model. Toxicity study of polyherbal formulation was done in order to consider it safe before use. In acute toxicity study, a single dose of 2000 mg/kg was given to Swiss Albino mice and in sub-acute toxicity study three different doses were given to Wistar rats. Randomized Controlled Clinical Trials was conducted. Inclusion and exclusion criteria and informed consent from the patients were to be monitored. In acute toxicity study no morbidity and mortality noticed on single administration of dose 2000mg/kg/day. In sub -acute toxicity study no significant changes were observed in consumption of food and water, body weight, hematological parameters, Liver function test, renal function parameters and lipid profile. The statistical analysis showed C. albican was eradicated in 59 participants (78%) out of 75 participants by the use of Candicure (Test drug) and in 56 participants (74%) out of 75 participants by the use of Fluconazole therapy (Control drug). Chi-square test was applied and p-value was calculated 0.3101 which is greater than 0.05 showed that Candicure therapy and Fluconazole therapy is equally significant in eradication of C. albican. The acute and sub-acute toxicity study of polyherbal formulation on experimental animals is safe at a dose of 2000mg/kg/day. The clinical findings of randomized controlled trial revealed that the effect was almost comparable to control drug in eradicating the micro-organism.

Prevalence and current therapy in chronic liver disorders.

BACKGROUND: Herbal medicine plays an important role in health, particularly in remote parts of developing areas with few health facilities. According to WHO estimates, about three-quarters of the world's population currently use herbs or traditional medicines to treat various ailments, including liver diseases. Several studies have found that the use of medicinal plants was effective in the treatment of infectious and non-infectious diseases. Hepatitis and liver cirrhosis associated with many clinical manifestations can be treated with allopathic medicines, but reports of a number of side effects including immunosuppression, bone marrow suppression, and renal complications have motivated researchers to explore more natural herbal medicines with low or no side effects and with high efficacy in treating hepatic diseases. METHODS: Databases including PubMed, Medline, and Google Scholar were searched for findings on the hepatoprotective effects of plants. RESULTS: Various medicinal plants are used for the treatment of liver disorders. The range of alternative therapies is huge, and they are used worldwide, either as part of primary health care or in combination with conventional medicine. Hepatoprotective plants contain a variety of chemical constituents including flavonoids, alkaloids, glycosides, carotenoids, coumarins, phenols, essential oil, organic acids, monoterpenes, xanthenes, lignans, and lipids. CONCLUSION: This review shows that numerous plants are found to contain hepatoprotective compounds. However, further studies are needed to determine their association with existing regimes of antiviral medicines and to develop evidence-based alternative medicine to cure different kinds of liver disease in humans.