Publications by authors named "Usman Aftab"

This study aimed at the biotransformation of sumatriptan by , , and subsp. and the identification of the drug metabolites by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The drug was incubated with the organisms in tryptic soya broth at 37 °C.

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Objective: To explore the potential apoptotic mechanisms of 3 Morchella extracts (Morchella conica, Morchella esculenta and Morchella delicosa) on breast and colon cancer cell lines using apoptotic biomarkers.

Methods: Human breast cell line (MCF-7) and colon cancer cell line (SW-480) were treated with methanol and ethanol extracts of 3 Morchella species with concentration ranging from 0.0625 to 2 mg/mL.

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Objective: We assessed the effectiveness of oral Hydroxychloroquine (HC), Azithromycin (AZ) and Oseltamivir (OS), alone or combined, among patients hospitalized with mildly symptomatic coronavirus infectious disease (COVID-19).

Methods: Following the approval of the National Bioethics Committee and prospective registration (clinicaltrials.gov NCT04338698), a multicenter randomized clinical trial of adaptive design was conducted at 10 multispecialty hospitals in Pakistan.

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Glabridin, a polyphenolic flavonoid derived from Glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice) roots, has shown anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. The current study sought to investigate glabridin's immunomodulatory effect in ovalbumin induced allergic asthma. Healthy male Wistar rats were divided into five groups.

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The chemotherapeutic agent known as 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) is an artificial fluoropyrimidine antimetabolite that has been widely used for its antineoplastic properties. Cocrystals of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) with five different Schiff bases (benzylidene-urea (), benzylidene-aniline (), salicylidene-aniline (), salicylidene-phenylhydrazine (), and para-hydroxy benzylideneaniline ()) are reported in this study. The newly synthesized cocrystals were analyzed by FTIR and PXRD.

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Chrysin (5,7-dihydroxyflavone) has many pharmacological properties including anti-inflammatory actions. The objective of this study was to evaluate the anti-arthritic activity of chrysin and to compare its effect with the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent, piroxicam, against complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA)-induced arthritis in a pre-clinical model in rats. Rheumatoid arthritis was induced by injecting CFA intra-dermally in the sub-plantar region of the left hind paw of rats.

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Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic systemic inflammatory disease with genetic manifestations. According to recently published case reports, patients taking corticosteroid medication for the management of rheumatoid arthritis develop strongloidiasis and are at high risk of developing associated infections. This study explored the antiarthritic role of ivermectin, a drug used in the treatment of strongyloides and to compare its results with dexamethasone.

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Diabetic nephropathy is the leading cause of end-stage renal failure, but the effectiveness of currently available strategies for preventing diabetic nephropathy remains unsatisfactory. This study was designed to evaluate the changes in adipokines levels caused by dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor sitagliptin therapy as one of the possible mechanisms of sitagliptin's amelioration of diabetic nephropathy. Twenty-four male Wistar rats weighing 180-200 g were taken and divided into three groups, that is, control, diseased, and treatment group.

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Nimbolide is an active constituent of Azadirachta indica and is known for its anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, immune-modulatory, and anti-cancer effects. Few studies suggest that nimbolide treatment influences the responses to rheumatoid arthritis, but the underlying molecular mechanisms involved are not yet well established. Therefore, the present study was designed to determine the effect of nimbolide on expression regulation of toll-like receptors to attenuate rheumatoid arthritis.

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Background And Objective: Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease with 2-4% of prevalence worldwide conferring a major burden on health systems. It is assumed that the prevalence might increase due to climatic change and deterioration of protective ozone barrier. With the chances of increasing prevalence, newer and specific treatment options need to be explored.

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Antimicrobial resistance is an alarming problem, especially due to emergence of methicillin-resistance Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). World Health Organization (WHO) has already listed MRSA as a top priority pathogen for the development of novel antibacterial agents. Presently, different therapeutic approaches against bacterial infections are in practice which includes targeting bacterial virulence factors, bacteriophage therapy, and manipulation of the microbiome.

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Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a novel respiratory disease that has led to a global pandemic and created a havoc. The COVID-19 disease severity varies among individuals, depending on fluctuating symptoms. Many infectious diseases such as hepatitis B and dengue hemorrhagic fever have been associated with ABO blood groups.

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While the world has experience with many different types of infectious diseases, the current crisis related to the spread of COVID-19 has challenged epidemiologists and public health experts alike, leading to a rapid search for, and development of, new and innovative solutions to combat its spread. The transmission of this virus has infected more than 18.92 million people as of August 6, 2020, with over half a million deaths across the globe; the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared this a global pandemic.

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Background: Actinobacteria are famous for the production of unique secondary metabolites that help in controlling the continuously emerging drug resistance all over the globe. This study aimed at the investigation of an extreme environment the Cholistan desert, located in southern Punjab, Pakistan, for actinobacterial diversity and their activity against methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The Cholistan desert is a sub-tropical and arid ecosystem with harsh environment, limited rainfall and low humidity.

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Background: Actinomycetes are gram positive bacteria with high G + C content in their DNA and are capable of producing variety of secondary metabolites. Many of these metabolites possess different biological activities and have the potential to be developed as therapeutic agents. The aim of the present study was to screen actinomycetes inhabiting halophilic environment such as Khewra salt mines present in Pakistan for cytotoxic and antitumor compounds.

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Actinomycetes are well known group of gram positive bacteria for their potential to produce antibiotics. This study sought to assess the ability of the selected actinomycetes to control biofilm forming bacteria isolated from different dental plaque samples. On the basis of morphological differences three out of ten different dental plaque bacterial isolates were selected for further study.

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