Phytochemical characterization and phospholipase A inhibitory effect of Vitex negundo L. root extracts.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Snake bites are a critical health issue in many parts of the world particularly in Asian countries lacking efficient health facilities in rural areas. Cobra is the most common snake type in Asia and is responsible for a large number of mortalities particularly in rural areas. Plants are usually considered the most effective and easy-to-approach treatment for snake bites in rural areas of various countries.

PEGylated Protamine Letrozole Nanoparticles: A Promising Strategy to Combat Human Breast Cancer via MCF-7 Cell Lines.

The objective of the study was to develop PEGylated protamine letrozole nanoparticles to combat human breast cancer by modifying the release pattern of letrozole. Breast cancer is amongst the most prevalent diseases in women due to overactivity of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). PEG-protamine letrozole nanoparticle formulation was designed and optimized to alter the release pattern of the drug.

Molecular Docking, Synthesis, and Tyrosinase Inhibition Activity of Acetophenone Amide: Potential Inhibitor of Melanogenesis.

Tyrosinase and its related proteins are responsible for pigmentation disorders, and inhibiting tyrosinase is an established strategy to treat hyperpigmentation. The carbonyl scaffolds can be effective inhibitors of tyrosinase activity, and the fact that both benzoic and cinnamic acids are safe natural substances with such a scaffolded structure, it was speculated that hydroxyl-substituted benzoic and cinnamic acid derivatives may exhibit potent tyrosinase inhibitory activity. These moieties were incorporated into new chemotypes that displayed in vitro inhibitory effect against mushroom tyrosinase with a view to explore antimelanogenic ingredients.

Formulation, Optimization, and Evaluation of Saxagliptin-Loaded Lipospheres for an Improved Pharmacokinetic Behavior.

The development and optimization of controlled release lipospheres (LS) from safe biocompatible behenic acid (BA) was performed for not only enhancing patient's compliance against highly prevailed chronic diabetes but also to vanquish the insufficiencies of traditional methods of drug delivery. The Box-Bhenken design (BBD) was utilized to statistically investigate the impact of formulation variables on percentage yield ( ), entrapment efficiency ( ), and SG-release ( ) from saxagliptin- (SG-) loaded LS, and the chosen optimized LS were subjected to a comparative pharmacokinetic analysis against commercially available SG brand. The compatibility analysis performed by DSC and FTIR established a complete lack of interaction of formulation components with SG, while p-XRD suggested a mild transformation of crystalline drug to its amorphous form during encapsulation process.

Diagnostic Performance and Appropriate Cut-Offs of Different Anthropometric Indicators for Detecting Children with Overweight and Obesity.

In the clinical settings, different anthropometric indicators like neck circumference (NC), waist circumference (WC), midupper arm circumference (MUAC), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), and arm-to-height ratio (AHtR) have been suggested for evaluating overweight and obesity in children. The comparative ability of these indicators in Pakistan is yet unknown. This study is aimed at examining the validity of different anthropometric indicators of overweight and obesity simultaneously and at determining their superlative cut-off values that would correctly detect overweight and obesity in children.

Investigation of Husk as Pharmaceutical Excipient for Solid Dosage Form (Orodispersible Tablets).

The objective of the study was to investigate the suitability of the (PO) husk as a pharmaceutical excipient. Various phytoconstituents of the husk were determined according to the standard test procedures. The husk was evaluated for various pharmaceutical parameters related to flow, swelling index, and compressibility index.

Fabrication of Carbamazepine Cocrystals: Characterization, and Comparative Evaluation.

Carbamazepine (CBZ) is an antiepileptic drug having low bioavailability due to its hydrophobic nature. In the current study, efforts are made to investigate the effect of dicarboxylic acid coformer spacer groups (aliphatic chain length) on physicochemical properties, relative humidity (RH) stability, and oral bioavailability of CBZ cocrystals. Slurry crystallization technique was employed for the preparation of CBZ cocrystals with the following coformers: adipic (AA), glutaric (GA), succinic (SA), and malonic acid (MA).

Antihyaluronidase and Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) Activities of Medicinal Plants to Combat Venom-Induced Toxicities.

Snakebite is one of the most neglected diseases of developing countries. Deaths due to snakebite envenoming are quite high in Pakistan, and many deaths are caused by envenomation. Traditional use of medicinal plants against snakebites is a common practice in Pakistan due to countless benefits.

Anti-5'-Nucleotidases (5'-ND) and Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) Activities of Medicinal Plants to Combat Venom-Induced Toxicities.

is one of the highly venomous snakes of Pakistan that is responsible for numerous cases of envenomation and deaths. In Pakistan, medicinal plants are commonly used traditionally for snakebite treatment because of their low cost and easy availability in comparison with antivenom. The current research is aimed at evaluating the inhibitory activity of Pakistani medicinal plants against acetylcholinesterase and 5'-nucleotidases present in venom.

Enzyme Inhibitory Kinetics and Molecular Docking Studies of Halo-Substituted Mixed Ester/Amide-Based Derivatives as Jack Bean Urease Inhibitors.

A series of halo-substituted mixed ester/amide-based analogues have been prepared as jack bean urease inhibitor, which showed good to excellent inhibition of enzyme activity. The role of halo-substituted benzoyl moieties and alkyl substituted anilines in urease inhibitory kinetics was also investigated. The alkyl-substituted anilines reacted with chloroacetyl chloride to afford intermediates , which were then reacted with different halo-substituted benzoic acids to prepare the title compounds .

Preparation and Nanoencapsulation of Lectin from on Chitosan-Tripolyphosphate Nanoparticle and Their Cytotoxicity against Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells (HepG2).

Lectins are the oligomeric sugar-specific glycoprotein of nonimmune origin, are involved in the multiple biological recognition process, and have the capacity to perform a wide variety of physiological functions including antifungal, antiviral, antitumor, and cell agglutination. The main objective of the current study was to prepare lectin protein-loaded chitosan-TPP nanoparticles via ionic gelation methods with different CS/TPP ratios and to investigate anticancer potential against HepG2 cells. The best ratio showed the mean particle size (298.

The impact of airborne pollution and exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation on skin: mechanistic and physiological insight.

For several decades air pollution has been recognized to hit drastically the skin of human body. Air pollutants predominantly accountable for aging, oxidative damage, and inflammatory allergic reactions led to psoriasis, dermatitis, acne, and skin cancer owing to the impaired functions of DNA, proteins, and lipid biomolecules. Elevated air pollution and its detrimental effects along with variations in physiological parameters of the skin are verily the scaffold for anti-pollution assertions and could be recognized as markers.

Sulfonamide-Based Azaheterocyclic Schiff Base Derivatives as Potential Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors: Synthesis, Cytotoxicity, and Enzyme Inhibitory Kinetics.

A series of sulfonamide-bearing azaheterocyclic Schiff base derivatives were synthesized as carbonic anhydrase inhibitors. The substituted benzene sulfonyl chlorides were reacted with NH to get aromatic sulfonyl hydrazides . The intermediate hydrazides were treated with substituted aldehydes to afford azaheterocyclic sulfonamide Schiff bases .

Glycemic and Insulinemic Responses of Vegetables and Beans Powders Supplemented Chapattis in Healthy Humans: A Randomized, Crossover Trial.

Vegetables and beans are nutrient-dense foods with innate potential to mediate diabetes in a variety of cultures. The present study aims at evaluating vegetables and beans for assessing their glycemic index and response in raising glucose levels in human model. Powdered formulations of vegetables and beans were designed to modulate glycemic response of carbohydrate-rich staples.

Anti-pollution cosmetic-based one-step formation of w/o/w multiple emulsion containing D-biotin for skin protection: fabrication and in vitro and in vivo evaluation.

Continuous contact of air pollutants on human skin has produced early ageing and led to roughness, dryness, poor elasticity, increased wrinkling and irregular pigmentation of the skin. The present study was carried out to fabricate an anti-pollution cosmetic-based w/o/w multiple emulsion containing D-biotin, prepared by a one-step formation as protection for the skin against the effects of air pollutants and further used for in vitro and in vivo evaluation. A similar multiple emulsion without D-biotin was also prepared in the same way.

Anti-Cancerous Potential of Polyphenol-Loaded Polymeric Nanotherapeutics.

Recent evidence has extensively demonstrated the anticancer potential of nutraceuticals, including plant polyphenols. Polymeric nanocarrier systems have played an important role in improving the physicochemical and pharmacological properties of polyphenols, thus ameliorating their therapeutic effectiveness. This article summarizes the benefits and shortcomings of various polymeric systems developed for the delivery of polyphenols in cancer therapy and reveals some ideas for future work.

Psoralea corylifolia L: Ethnobotanical, biological, and chemical aspects: A review.

Psoralea corylifolia L. (Leguminosae) is a well-known traditional medicinal plant used from ancient times for treatment of various ailments. It is widely distributed and an important part of therapeutics in Ayurveda and in Chinese medicines.

Prevalence of Extended Spectrum β-Lactamase and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Pattern of Clinical Isolates of Pseudomonas from Patients of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.

Majority of gram negative pathogenic bacteria are responsible for extended spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) production, which show resistance to some newer generation of antibiotics. The study was aimed at evaluating the prevalence of ESBL and antibiotic susceptibility pattern of Pseudomonas isolates collected during 2010 to 2014 from tertiary care hospitals of Peshawar, Pakistan. Out of 3450 samples, 334 Pseudomonas spp.

Iron deficiency anaemia in reproductive age women attending obstetrics and gynecology outpatient of university health centre in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia.

Background: Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional disorder in the world. The aim of this questionnaire based survey study was to determine the prevalence of iron deficiency anemia in reproductive age women, and their relation to variables such as age, marital status, education with those attending obstetrics and gynecology outpatient of King Faisal University Health Centre in Al-Ahsa in eastern region of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Materials And Methods: This study was conducted for the period of 6 month staring from September 2012 to February 2013.

Phospholipases A2: enzymatic assay for snake venom (Naja naja karachiensis) with their neutralization by medicinal plants of Pakistan.

Phospholipases A2 (PLA2) are the most lethal and noxious component of Naja naja karachiensis venom. They are engaged to induce severe toxicities after their penetration in victims. Present study was designed to highlight hydrolytic actions of PLA.

Naja naja karachiensis envenomation: biochemical parameters for cardiac, liver, and renal damage along with their neutralization by medicinal plants.

Naja naja karachiensis envenomation was found to hit more drastically heart, liver, and kidneys. 400 μg/kg of venom-raised moderate serum levels of ALT (72 ± 4.70 U/L, 0.

Combating of scorpion bite with Pakistani medicinal plants having ethno-botanical evidences as antidote.

Although the majority of serious cases in the world are concerned with snake bite envenomation, but those which are caused by scorpion stings are also famous for causing extreme pain. The present view is an attempt to enlist scientifically ignored medicinal plants of Pakistan exhibiting anti-scorpion venom activity. In this review data of 35 medicinal plants is collected with their families, parts used, distribution in Pakistan, and major constituents present in plant.