Correlation between allergic rhinitis or hay fever and lung cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The association between allergies and cancer is contradictory, whereas some forms of cancer have inverse associations with allergies. Allergic rhinitis (AR) is the most prevalent form of allergy, and lung cancer is one of the most prevalent forms of cancer with the highest mortality rate. Recent studies have reported a positive association between asthma and lung cancer; however, this association is inconclusive. Furthermore, AR is positively associated with asthma; therefore, our research question was to explore whether there is any correlation between AR and lung cancer epidemiologically. METHODS: After a rigorous search of PubMed, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect, 7 eligible articles were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis, including 4724 cases and 9059 controls, 5 from the USA, and one each from Canada and Germany. RESULTS: Pooled analysis (OR, 0.55; 95% CI: 0.45-0.68; P value < .00001) showed a strong inverse relationship between AR and lung cancer. CONCLUSION: The current meta-analysis suggests an inverse relationship between AR and lung cancer; however, new epidemiological studies are required to observe the current scenario more comprehensively.

Biogenic synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Funaria hygrometrica Hedw. and their effects on the growth of Zea mays seedlings.

The biogenic synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) is an important step in developing eco-friendly and environmentally stable tools for ameliorating crop growth. In the current study, AgNPs were synthesized using Funaria hygrometrica and characterized using ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The UV spectrum showed an absorption peak at 450 nm. SEM revealed an irregular and spherical morphology, FTIR spectroscopy indicated the presence of various functional groups, while XRD displayed peaks at 45.24°, 38.17°, 44.34°, 64.54°, and 57.48° 2θ. The effects of the F. hygrometrica-mediated AgNPs on maize growth and germination were assessed at 0, 100, 300, and 500 ppm. The germination percentage and relative germination rate were increased to 95% ± 1.83% and 100% ± 2.48% at 100 ppm of synthesized AgNPs and then declined at 300 and 500 ppm. The length, fresh weight, and dry matter of the root, shoot, and seedlings were highest at 100 ppm NPs. The plant height, root length, and dry matter stress tolerance indices were also the highest (112.3%, 118.7%, and 138.20% compared with the control) at 100 ppm AgNPs. Moreover, the growth of three maize varieties, that is, NR-429, NR-449, and Borlog, were assessed at 0, 20, 40, and 60 ppm F. hygrometrica-AgNPs. The results indicated the highest root and shoot length at 20 ppm AgNPs. In conclusion, seed priming with AgNPs enhances the growth and germination of maize and can ameliorate crop production globally. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Funaria hygrometrica Hedw.-mediated AgNPs were synthesized and characterized. Biogenic AgNPs influenced the growth and germination of maize seedlings. All growth parameters were highest at 100 ppm synthesized NPs.

Ailanthus altissima leaf extract mediated green production of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles for antibacterial and antioxidant activity.

Background: Fabricating zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) from plant extracts is a cost-effective, safe, and environmentally friendly alternative to established chemical procedures. This study was aimed at the environmentally friendly fabrication of ZnO-NPs from plant extract. An additional objective was to investigate the antibacterial and antioxidant activity of these biosynthesized ZnO-NPs. Methods: ZnO-NPs were fabricated using the leaf extract of Ailanthus altissima, as an eco-friendly approach. The physicochemical properties of ZnO-NPs were explored using UV-visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry. The bio-fabricated ZnO-NPs were examined for bactericidal activity against pathogenic bacteria (gram-negative and gram-positive) using the agar well diffusion technique. The antioxidant efficiency of ZnO-NPs was assessed using a DPPH assay. Results: A surface Plasmon peak was recorded at 327 nm, showing the existence of ZnO-NPs in the reaction solution of plant extract and zinc sulfate hexahydrate salt. These nanoparticles were predominantly spherical and capped by different functional groups of biomolecules. Furthermore, ZnO-NPs showed a dose-dependent antibacterial and antioxidant activity. At 20 mg/mL ZnO-NPs, the maximum bactericidal potential of ZnO-NPs was reported against Staphylococcus aureus (201.2 mm). ZnO-NPs have an IC50 value of 78.23 µg/mL, indicating that they are an effective antioxidant. Conclusion: This research presents an environmentally acceptable method for producing spherical ZnO-NPs with high antibacterial and antioxidant activities. These bio-fabricated ZnO-NPs could be a good option for applications in medicine and the healthcare industry.

Interactive Effect of Melatonin and UV-C on Phenylpropanoid Metabolite Production and Antioxidant Potential in Callus Cultures of Purple Basil (Ocimum basilicum L. var.s purpurascens).

The present study evaluated the interactive effect of melatonin and UV-C on phenylpropanoid metabolites profile and antioxidant potential of Ocimum basilicum L. Callus was treated with varying concentrations of melatonin and UV-C radiations for different time durations, either alone and/or in combination. Individual treatments of both UV-C and melatonin proved to be more effective than combine treatments. Results indicated that UV-C (10 min) exposure increased rosmarinic acid (134.5 mg/g dry weight (DW)), which was 2.3-fold greater than control. Chichoric acid (51.52 mg/g DW) and anthocyanin (cyanide 0.50 mg/g DW) were almost 4.1-fold, while peonidin was found 2.7-fold higher in UV-C (50 min) exposure. In the case of melatonin, 1.0 mg/L concentrations showed maximum rosmarinic acid (79.4 mg/g DW) accumulation; i.e., 1.4-fold more, as compared to the control. However, 2 mg/L melatonin accumulate chichoric acid (39.99 mg/g DW) and anthocyanin (cyanide: 0.45 mg/g DW and peonidin: 0.22 mg/g DW); i.e., 3.2, 3.7 and 2.0-fold increase, as compared to the control, respectively. On the other hand, melatonin-combined treatment (melatonin (Mel) (4 mg/L) + UV-C (20 min)) was proved to be effective in caffeic acid elicitation, which was 1.9-fold greater than the control. Furthermore, antioxidant potential was evaluated by both in vitro (DPPH, ABTS and FRAP assays) and in cellulo methods. Maximum in vitro antioxidant activity (DPPH: 90.6% and ABTS: 1909.5 µM) was observed for UV-C (50 min)-treated cultures. The highest in vitro antioxidant activity measured with the ABTS assay as compared to the FRAP assay, suggesting the main contribution of antioxidants from basil callus extracts acting through a hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) over an electron transfer (ET)-based mechanism. Cellular antioxidant assay was evaluated by production of ROS/RNS species using yeast cell cultures and further confirmed the protective action of the corresponding callus extracts against oxidative stress. Overall, both melatonin and UV-C are here proved to be effective elicitors since a positive correlation between the induced production of phenolic compounds, and in cellulo antioxidant action of basil callus extracts were observed.

Green Bio-Assisted Synthesis, Characterization and Biological Evaluation of Biocompatible ZnO NPs Synthesized from Different Tissues of Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum).

The purpose of the current study was green synthesis of ZnO-nanoparticles (NPs) from different tissues of Silybum marianum (L.) Gaernt. (i.e., seeds, wild plant, in vitro derived plantlets and callus cultures) followed by extensive characterization and evaluation of their biological potency. ZnO-NPs thus synthesized were subjected to characterization using standard techniques such as XRD, FTIR and SEM. Thermal stability of synthesized NPs was also evaluated using thermo-gravimetric analysis. Highly stable crystalline NPs with size ranging between 30.8 and 46.0 nm were obtained from different tissues of S. marianum. These NPs have revealed a wide range of biological applications showing antioxidant, moderate α-amylase inhibitor, antibacterial and cytotoxic potencies. The highest antibacterial activity (20 ± 0.98 mm) was shown by seed extract-mediated ZnO NPs against Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC-6538). Seed extract-mediated ZnO NPs also showed the most potent antioxidant activity (27.7 ± 0.9 µgAAE/mg, 23.8 ± 0.7 µgAAE/mg and 12.7 ± 1.9% total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total reducing power (TRP) and DPPH-free radical scavenging assay (FRSA), respectively). All of the synthesized ZnO NPs also showed cytotoxic activity against the hepato-cellular carcinoma (HepG2) human cells. Interestingly, these ZnO NPs were also highly biocompatible, as evidenced by the brine shrimp lethality and human red blood cells hemolytic assays. Among all of the NPs synthesized and used, the effect of seed extract-mediated NPs was found to be most promising for future applications.

A Comparative Evaluation of the Antiproliferative Activity against HepG2 Liver Carcinoma Cells of Plant-Derived Silver Nanoparticles from Basil Extracts with Contrasting Anthocyanin Contents.

Nanotechnology is a well-established and revolutionized field with diverse therapeutic properties. Several methods have been employed using different reducing agents to synthesize silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). Chemical mediated synthetic methods are toxic and resulted in non-desired effects on biological systems. Herein, we, synthesized silver nanoparticles using callus extract of purple basil (BC-AgNPs) and anthocyanin extract deriving from the same plant (i.e. purple basil) (AE-AgNPs), and systematically investigated their antiproliferative potential against HepG2 Liver Carcinoma Cells. The phyto-fabricated AgNPs were characterized by different techniques like UV-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Energy dispersive X-rays (EDX). Morphologically, both types of NPs were found spherical. The average size of BC-AgNPs and AE-AgNPs as revealed through XRD and SEM analyses were calculated as 50.97 ± 0.10 nm and 42.73 ± 1.24 nm, respectively. FT-IR spectral analysis demonstrates the existence of possible phytochemicals required for the capping and reduction of Ag ions. Herein, following solid phase extraction (SPE) coupled to HPLC analysis, we report for the first-time the anthocyanin mediated synthesis of AgNPs and conforming the successful capping of anthocyanin. Small sized AE-AgNPs showed significant cytotoxic effect against human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cell line as compared to BC-AgNPs. Therefore, the results revealed that the prevalent group of flavonoids present in purple basil is the anthocyanins and AE-AgNPs could be employed as potential anticancer agents in future treatments strategies.

Papaver somniferum L. mediated novel bioinspired lead oxide (PbO) and iron oxide (Fe2O3) nanoparticles: In-vitro biological applications, biocompatibility and their potential towards HepG2 cell line.

To overcome the disadvantages of chemical and physical methods, phyto-fabricated nanoparticles attained great attention due to their multifarious applications. Here we successfully demonstrated Papaver somniferum L. mediated green synthesis of lead oxide (PbO) and iron oxide (Fe2O3) nanoparticles. Characterization of nanoparticles involved techniques including X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) associated with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). XRD analysis confirmed the phase identification and crystalline nature. FTIR analysis confirmed the capping of nanoparticles by plants' phytochemicals. SEM revealed morphological features of PbO and Fe2O3 with size of nanoparticles being 23 ±â€¯11 nm and 38 ±â€¯13 nm, respectively. The elemental composition of the nanoparticles was confirmed by EDX. Both bacterial and fungal isolates showed susceptibility towards PbO and Fe2O3 NPs. Both the NPs also showed considerable total antioxidant potential, free radical scavenging potential and reducing power. Insignificant level of α-amylase for both NPs was observed. Fe2O3 NPs showed superior biocompatibility with human RBCs as compared to PbO whereas PbO showed more potent anti-cancer activity as compared to Fe2O3 NPs. Overall our study concluded that both NPs played vital role in multiple biological assays however, extensive research focused on cytotoxic evaluation of NPs in-vivo is required.

Differential Production of Phenylpropanoid Metabolites in Callus Cultures of Ocimum basilicum L. with Distinct In Vitro Antioxidant Activities and In Vivo Protective Effects against UV stress.

Ocimum basilicum L. (Purple basil) is a source of biologically active antioxidant compounds, particularly phenolic acids and anthocyanins. In this study, we have developed a valuable protocol for the establishment of in vitro callus cultures of O. basilicum and culture conditions for the enhanced production of distinct classes of phenylpropanoid metabolites such as hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives (caffeic acid, chicoric acid, rosmarinic acid) and anthocyanins (cyanidin and peonidin). Callus cultures were established by culturing leaf explants on Murashige and Skoog medium augmented with different concentrations of plant growth regulators (PGRs) [thidiazuron (TDZ), α-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA), and 6-benzyl amino purine (BAP)] either alone or in combination with 1.0 mg/L NAA. Among all the above-mentioned PGRs, NAA at 2.5 mg/L led to the highest biomass accumulation (23.2 g/L DW), along with total phenolic (TPP; 210.7 mg/L) and flavonoid (TFP; 196.4 mg/L) production, respectively. HPLC analysis confirmed the differential accumulation of phenolic acid [caffeic acid (44.67 mg/g DW), rosmarinic acid (52.22 mg/g DW), and chicoric acid (43.89 mg/g DW)] and anthocyanins [cyanidin (16.39 mg/g DW) and peonidin (10.77 mg/g DW)] as a function of the PGRs treatment. The highest in vitro antioxidant activity was determined with the ORAC assay as compared to the FRAP assay, suggesting the prominence of the HAT over the ET-based mechanism for the antioxidant action of callus extracts. Furthermore, in vivo results illustrated the protective action of the callus extract to limit the deleterious effects of UV-induced oxidative stress, ROS/RNS production, and membrane integrity in yeast cell culture. Altogether, these results clearly demonstrated the great potential of in vitro callus of O. basilicum as a source of human health-promoting antioxidant phytochemicals.

Risk factors for stroke: a prospective hospital based study.

BACKGROUND: The stroke is third leading cause of death in world and most patients die with an acute event in stroke. Various clinical variables have been investigated as risks factors of stroke. The study was aimed to identify these risks factors for stroke. METHODS: This prospective study included 205 consecutive patients of stroke admitted in Combined Military Hospital/Sheik Khalifa Bin Zyad Hospital Muzaffarabad Azad Kashmir. The risk factors of stroke were investigated. Examination included clinical, neurological evaluation, laboratory tests, and brain CT. The follow-up at 14 days were done for all patients. Patients included were with acute first ever stroke onset of 48 hours of hospital admission. All patients completed a structured questionnaire and a physical examination and most provided blood for relevant investigations. RESULTS: Two hundred and five cases stroke sub-types were (n = 156, 76%, with ischemic stroke (CI); n = 49, 24%, with intra-cerebral hemorrhagic stroke (ICH). The significant risk factors for all stroke were: Hypertension (p = 0.003), diabetes (p = < 0.001), Hypercholesterolemia (p = 0.686); atrial fibrillation (p = 0.445), cardiac diseases (p = 0.938). smoking (p = 0.926) for brain infarction and hypertension (p = 0.002), diabetes (p = < 0.001). Hypercholesterolemia (p = 0.018); atrial fibrillation (p = 0.449), cardiac diseases (p = 0.749), smoking (p = 0.829) for hemorrhagic stroke. Age significance (CI: p = 0.247 vs. ICH: p = 0.013) and age category significance were (CI: p = < 0.001 vs. ICH: p = 0.871) for subtype of stroke. High mRS (p < 0.001) low GCS score (p < 0.001) on admission were associated with worst outcome for both stroke subtype. These risk factors were all significant for CI as well as ICH. CONCLUSIONS: This study signifies the association of risks factors with acute stroke. Targeted interventions that reduce these risk factors could substantially reduce the burden of stroke