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1.
Phys Chem Chem Phys ; 26(29): 20087-20102, 2024 Jul 24.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39007924

ABSTRACT

The original etiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the deposition of amyloid-beta (Aß) proteins, which starts from the aggregation of the Aß oligomers. The optimal therapeutic strategy targeting Aß oligomer aggregation is the development of AD vaccines. Despite the fact that positive progress has been made for experimental attempts at AD vaccines, the physicochemical and even structural properties of these AD vaccines remain unclear. In this study, through immunoinformatic and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we first designed and simulated an alternative of vaccine TAPAS and found that the structure of the alternative can reproduce the 3D conformation of TAPAS determined experimentally. Meanwhile, immunoinformatic methods were used to analyze the physicochemical properties of TAPAS, including immunogenicity, antigenicity, thermal stability, and solubility, which confirm well the efficacy and safety of the vaccine, and validate the scheme reliability of immunoinformatic and MD simulations in designing and simulating the TAPAS vaccine. Using the same scheme, we predicted the 3D conformation of the optimized ACI-24 peptide vaccine, an Aß peptide with the first 15 residues of Aß42 (Aß1-15). The vaccine was verified once to be effective against both full-length Aß1-42 and truncated Aß4-42 aggregates, but an experimental 3D structure was absent. We have also explored the immune mechanism of the vaccine at the molecular level and found that the optimized ACI-24 and its analogues can block the growth of either full-length Aß1-42 or truncated Aß4-42 pentamer by contacting the hydrophobic residues within the N-terminus and ß1 region on the contact surface of either pentamer. Additionally, residues (D1, D7, S8, H13, and Q15) were identified as the key residues of the vaccine to contact either of the two Aß oligomers. This work provides a feasible implementation scheme of immunoinformatic and MD simulations for the development of AD small peptide vaccines, validating the power of the scheme as a parallel tool to the experimental approaches and injecting molecular-level information into the understanding and design of anti-AD vaccines.


Subject(s)
Amyloid beta-Peptides , Molecular Dynamics Simulation , Peptide Fragments , Amyloid beta-Peptides/chemistry , Amyloid beta-Peptides/immunology , Peptide Fragments/chemistry , Peptide Fragments/immunology , Humans , Protein Conformation , Alzheimer Disease/prevention & control , Vaccines, Subunit/chemistry , Vaccines, Subunit/immunology , Alzheimer Vaccines/chemistry , Alzheimer Vaccines/immunology , Protein Subunit Vaccines
2.
Microorganisms ; 12(6)2024 Jun 14.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38930584

ABSTRACT

Enterococcus faecalis is a prevalent opportunistic pathogen associated with chicken embryonic and neonatal chick mortality, posing a significant challenge in poultry farming. In the current study, E. faecalis strain EF6, isolated from a recent hatchery outbreak, served as the host bacterium for the isolation of a novel phage EFP6, capable of lysing E. faecalis. Transmission electron microscopy revealed a hexagonal head and a short tail, classifying EFP6 as a member of the Autographiviridae family. EFP6 showed sensitivity to ultraviolet radiation and resistance to chloroform. The lytic cycle duration of EFP6 was determined to be 50 min, highlighting its efficacy in host eradication. With an optimal multiplicity of infection of 0.001, EFP6 exhibited a narrow lysis spectrum and strong specificity towards host strains. Additionally, EFP6 demonstrated optimal growth conditions at 40 °C and pH 8.0. Whole genome sequencing unveiled a genome length of 18,147 bp, characterized by a GC concentration of 33.21% and comprising 25 open reading frames. Comparative genomic assessment underscored its collinearity with related phages, notably devoid of lysogenic genes, thus ensuring genetic stability. This in-depth characterization forms the basis for understanding the biological attributes of EFP6 and its potential utilization in phage therapy, offering promising prospects for mitigating E. faecalis-associated poultry infections.

3.
J Mol Model ; 30(7): 233, 2024 Jun 28.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38937296

ABSTRACT

CONTEXT: Existing researches confirmed that ß amyloid (Aß) has a high affinity for the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR), associating closely to Alzheimer's disease. The majority of related studies focused on the experimental reports on the neuroprotective role of Aß fragment (Aßx), however, with a lack of investigation into the most suitable binding region and mechanism of action between Aß fragment and α7nAChR. In the study, we employed four Aß1-42 fragments Aßx, Aß1-16, Aß10-16, Aß12-28, and Aß30-42, of which the first three were confirmed to play neuroprotective roles upon directly binding, to interact with α7nAChR. METHODS: The protein-ligand docking server of CABS-DOCK was employed to obtain the α7nAChR-Aßx complexes. Only the top α7nAChR-Aßx complexes were used to perform all-atom GROMACS dynamics simulation in combination with Charmm36 force field, by which α7nAChR-Aßx interactions' dynamic behavior and specific locations of these different Aßx fragments were identified. MM-PBSA calculations were also done to estimate the binding free energies and the different contributions from the residues in the Aßx. Two distinct results for the first three and fourth Aßx fragments in binding site, strength, key residue, and orientation, account for why the fourth fails to play a neuroprotective role at the molecular level.


Subject(s)
Amyloid beta-Peptides , Molecular Docking Simulation , Molecular Dynamics Simulation , Peptide Fragments , Protein Binding , alpha7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor , Amyloid beta-Peptides/chemistry , Amyloid beta-Peptides/metabolism , alpha7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor/chemistry , alpha7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor/metabolism , Peptide Fragments/chemistry , Peptide Fragments/metabolism , Humans , Binding Sites , Ligands
4.
ACS Omega ; 9(19): 20728-20752, 2024 May 14.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38764672

ABSTRACT

Benzofurans have intrigued both pharmaceutical researchers and chemists owing to the medicinal usage of their derivatives against copious disease-causing agents (i.e., bacteria, viruses, and tumors). These heterocyclic scaffolds are pervasively encountered in a number of natural products and drugs. The ever-increasing utilization of benzofuran derivatives as pharmaceutical agents persuaded the chemists to devise novel and facile methodological approaches to assemble the biologically potent benzofuran nucleus. This review summarizes the current developments regarding the innovative synthetic routes and catalytic strategies to procure the synthesis of benzofuran heterocycles with their corresponding mechanistic details, reported by several research groups during 2021-2023.

5.
RSC Adv ; 14(23): 16421-16431, 2024 May 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38769958

ABSTRACT

Polypropylene hybrid polymeric membranes with aramid support have been fabricated using Thermally Induced Phase Separation (TIPS). Different modifying materials, such as metallic nanoparticles and reduced graphene oxide (rGO), improve the properties of these membranes. The nanomaterials and the fabricated membranes have been characterized with FTIR spectrometer, SEM and UV-Vis Spectrophotometer. Following that, the disinfection capabilities of the fabricated hybrid membranes were investigated. The antibacterial capability of the membranes is established through the testing of the membranes against bacterial strains S. aureus and E. coli, whereas the antiviral evaluation of the membranes was made against H9N2 and IBV strains. This research aims to develop advanced hybrid membranes that effectively disinfect water by incorporating novel nanomaterials and optimizing fabrication techniques.

6.
Animals (Basel) ; 14(10)2024 May 10.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38791650

ABSTRACT

Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) is recognized as a zoonotic pathogen with an increasing threat to livestock and poultry. However, research on K. pneumoniae of animal origin remains limited. To address the gap, a comprehensive investigation was carried out by collecting a total of 311 samples from the farms of four animal species (dairy cow, chicken, sheep, and pig) in selected areas of Xinjiang, China. Isolates were identified by khe gene amplification and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Genotyping of K. pneumonia isolates was performed using wzi typing and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). PCR was employed to identify virulence and resistance genes. An antibiotic susceptibility test was conducted using the Kirby-Bauer method. The findings revealed an isolation of 62 K. pneumoniae strains, with an average isolation rate of 19.94%, with the highest proportion originating from cattle sources (33.33%). Over 85.00% of these isolates harbored six virulence genes (wabG, uge, fimH, markD, entB, and ureA); while more than 75.00% of isolates possessed four resistance genes (blaTEM, blaSHV, oqxA, and gyrA). All isolates exhibited complete resistance to ampicillin and demonstrated substantial resistance to sulfisoxazole, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, and enrofloxacin, with an antibiotic resistance rate of more than 50%. Furthermore, 48.39% (30/62) of isolates were classified as multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains, with a significantly higher isolation rate observed in the swine farms (66.67%) compared to other farms. Genetic characterization revealed the classification of the 62 isolates into 30 distinct wzi allele types or 35 different sequence types (STs). Notably, we identified K. pneumoniae strains of dairy and swine origin belonging to the same ST42 and wzi33-KL64 types, as well as strains of dairy and chicken origin belonging to the same wzi31-KL31-K31 type. These findings emphasize the widespread occurrence of drug-resistant K. pneumoniae across diverse animal sources in Xinjiang, underscoring the high prevalence of multidrug resistance. Additionally, our results suggest the potential for animal-to-animal transmission of K. pneumoniae and there was a correlation between virulence genes and antibiotic resistance genes. Moreover, the current study provides valuable data on the prevalence, antibiotic resistance, and genetic diversity of K. pneumoniae originating from diverse animal sources in Xinjiang, China.

7.
Eur J Pharm Sci ; 198: 106797, 2024 Jul 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38735401

ABSTRACT

The multicomponent etiology, complex clinical implications, dose-based side effect and degree of pain mitigation associated with the current pharmacological therapy is incapable in complete resolution of chronic neuropathic pain patients which necessitates the perpetual requirement of novel medication therapy. Therefore, this study explored the ameliorative aptitude of two novel methanimine imitative like (E)-N-(4-nitrobenzylidene)-4­chloro-2-iodobenzamine (KB 09) and (E)-N-(4-methylbenzylidene)-4­chloro-2-iodobenzamine (KB 10) in chronic constriction injury (CCI) of sciatic nerve induced neuropathic pain in rat model. Standard behavioral tests like dynamic and static allodynia, cold, thermal and mechanical hyperalgesia along with rotarod activity were performed at various experimental days like 0, 3, 7, 14 and 21. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) on spinal tissue and antioxidant assays on sciatic nerve were executed accompanied by molecular docking and simulation studies. Prolonged ligation of sciatic nerve expressively induced hyperalgesia as well as allodynia in rats. KB 09 and KB 10 substantially attenuated the CCI elicited hyperalgesia and allodynia. They significantly reduced the biomarkers of pain and inflammation like Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in ELISA and while enhanced the GSH, SOD and CAT and diminished the MDA levels during antioxidant assays. KB 09 displayed -9.62 kcal/mol with TNF-α and -7.68 kcal/mol binding energy with IL-6 whereas KB 10 exhibited binding energy of -8.20 kcal/mol with IL-6 while -11.68 kcal/mol with TNF-α and hence both trial compounds ensured stable interaction with IL-6 and TNF-α during computational analysis. The results advocated that both methanimine derivatives might be novel candidates for attenuation of CCI-induced neuropathic pain prospects via anti-nociceptive, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant mechanisms.


Subject(s)
Hyperalgesia , Molecular Docking Simulation , Neuralgia , Sciatic Nerve , Animals , Neuralgia/drug therapy , Neuralgia/metabolism , Male , Hyperalgesia/drug therapy , Sciatic Nerve/injuries , Sciatic Nerve/drug effects , Rats , Rats, Wistar , Disease Models, Animal , Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism , Interleukin-6/metabolism , Analgesics/pharmacology , Analgesics/therapeutic use , Analgesics/chemistry , Antioxidants/pharmacology , Antioxidants/chemistry , Computer Simulation , Constriction , Imines/chemistry , Imines/pharmacology
9.
Int J Biol Macromol ; 267(Pt 2): 131517, 2024 May.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38621559

ABSTRACT

Infection with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) is one of the causes of liver cancer, which is the world's sixth most prevalent and third most lethal cancer. The current treatments do not prevent reinfection; because they are expensive, their usage is limited to developed nations. Therefore, a prophylactic vaccine is essential to control this virus. Hence, in this study, an immunoinformatics method was applied to design a multi-epitope vaccine against HCV. The best B- and T-cell epitopes from conserved regions of the E2 protein of seven HCV genotypes were joined with the appropriate linkers to design a multi-epitope vaccine. In addition, cholera enterotoxin subunit B (CtxB) was included as an adjuvant in the vaccine construct. This study is the first to present this epitopes-adjuvant combination. The vaccine had acceptable physicochemical characteristics. The vaccine's 3D structure was predicted and validated. The vaccine's binding stability with Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) and TLR4 was confirmed using molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. The immune simulation revealed the vaccine's efficacy by increasing the population of B and T cells in response to vaccination. In silico expression in Escherichia coli (E. coli) was also successful.


Subject(s)
Computational Biology , Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte , Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte , Hepacivirus , Hepatitis C , Molecular Docking Simulation , Molecular Dynamics Simulation , Hepacivirus/immunology , Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte/immunology , Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte/chemistry , Humans , Computational Biology/methods , Hepatitis C/prevention & control , Hepatitis C/immunology , Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte/immunology , Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte/chemistry , Toll-Like Receptor 4/immunology , Toll-Like Receptor 4/metabolism , Toll-Like Receptor 2/immunology , Toll-Like Receptor 2/chemistry , Viral Hepatitis Vaccines/immunology , Viral Hepatitis Vaccines/chemistry , Computer Simulation , Viral Envelope Proteins/immunology , Viral Envelope Proteins/chemistry , Immunoinformatics
10.
Rev Med Virol ; 34(3): e2532, 2024 May.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38549138

ABSTRACT

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) belongs to the Herpesviridae family and is also known as human herpesvirus type 5. It is a common virus that usually doesn't cause any symptoms in healthy individuals. However, once infected, the virus remains in the host's body for life and can reactivate when the host's immune system weakens. This virus has been linked to several neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Autism spectrum disorder, Huntington's disease (HD), ataxia, Bell's palsy (BP), and brain tumours, which can cause a wide range of symptoms and challenges for those affected. CMV may influence inflammation, contribute to brain tissue damage, and elevate the risk of moderate-to-severe dementia. Multiple studies suggest a potential association between CMV and ataxia in various conditions, including Guillain-Barré syndrome, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, acute cerebellitis, etc. On the other hand, the evidence regarding CMV involvement in BP is conflicting, and also early indications of a link between CMV and HD were challenged by subsequent research disproving CMV's presence. This systematic review aims to comprehensively investigate any link between the pathogenesis of CMV and its potential role in neurological disorders and follows the preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis checklist. Despite significant research into the potential links between CMV infection and various neurological disorders, the direct cause-effect relationship is not fully understood and several gaps in knowledge persist. Therefore, continued research is necessary to gain a better understanding of the role of CMV in neurological disorders and potential treatment avenues.

12.
J Biomol Struct Dyn ; : 1-17, 2024 Mar 14.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38486461

ABSTRACT

The presence of conditions like Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, hemochromatosis, non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases and metabolic syndrome can elevate the susceptibility to hepatic cellular carcinoma (HCC). Utilizing network-based gene expression profiling via network analyst tools, presents a novel approach for drug target discovery. The significance level (p-score) obtained through Cytoscape in the intended center gene survival assessment confirms the identification of all target center genes, which play a fundamental role in disease formation and progression in HCC. A total of 1064 deferential expression genes were found. These include MCM2 with the highest degree, followed by 4917 MCM6 and MCM4 with a 3944-degree score. We investigated the regulatory kinases involved in establishing the protein-protein interactions network using X2K web tool. The docking approach yields a favorable binding affinity of -8.7 kcal/mol against the target MCM2 using Auto-Dock Vina. Interestingly after simulating the complex system via AMBER16 package, results showed that the root mean square deviation values remained within 4.74 Å for a protein and remains stable throughout the time intervals. Additionally, the ligand's fit to the protein exhibited fluctuations at some intervals but remains stable. Finally, Gibbs free energy was found to be at its lowest at 1 kcal/mol which presents the real time interactive binding of the atomic residues among inhibitor and protein. The displacement of the ligand was measured showing stable movement and displacement along the active site. These findings increased our understanding for potential biomarkers in hepatocellular carcinoma and an experimental approach will further enhance our outcomes in future.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

13.
Cureus ; 16(2): e53588, 2024 Feb.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38449997

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) has risen steadily, necessitating innovative strategies for diagnosis and treatment. Minimally invasive surgery, exemplified by laparoscopic techniques, has emerged as a transformative approach in colorectal surgical practices. Laparoscopy offers advantages such as improved aesthetic outcomes, reduced post-operative pain, early patient mobilization, and shorter hospital stays. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to present the short-term surgical outcomes of the first 100 elective laparoscopic CRC resections performed at a newly established tertiary care cancer center in Peshawar, Pakistan. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data were prospectively collected for CRC resections performed between April 2021 and February 2022. The study included patients above 18 years of age with biopsy-proven CRC. Surgical procedures were performed by two dedicated colorectal surgeons trained in minimally invasive surgery. Patient demographics, pre-operative factors, intraoperative parameters, and post-operative outcomes were systematically recorded and analyzed. RESULTS: Among the 100 cases included in the study, laparoscopic colorectal surgeries were successfully performed without any conversions to open surgery. The mean age of the study population was 52.5 years, with a male-to-female ratio of 2:1. The majority of cases were colon (48%) and anorectal cancers (52%). The mean lymph node yield was 18.29 (range 6-49). Only one patient required a re-look laparoscopy for a pelvic hematoma, and overall mortality was reported at 1%. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic colorectal surgery is a safe and effective treatment option for elective colorectal operations with minimal post-operative complications and favorable short-term outcomes.

14.
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int ; 31(16): 23591-23609, 2024 Apr.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38418792

ABSTRACT

Arsenic (As)-induced environmental pollution and associated health risks are recognized on a global level. Here the impact of cotton shells derived biochar (BC) and silicon-nanoparticles loaded biochar (nano-Si-BC) was explored on soil As immobilization and its phytotoxicity in barley plants in a greenhouse study. The barley plants were grown in a sandy loam soil with varying concentrations of BC and nano-Si-BC (0, 1, and 2%), along with different levels of As (0, 5, 10, and 20 mg kg-1). The FTIR spectroscopy, SEM-EDX, and XRD were used to characterize BC and nano-Si-BC. Results revealed that As treatment had a negative impact on barley plant development, grain yield, physiology, and anti-oxidative response. However, the addition of nano-Si-BC led to a 71% reduction in shoot As concentration compared to the control with 20 mg kg-1 of As, while BC alone resulted in a 51% decline. Furthermore, the 2% nano-Si-BC increased grain yield by 94% compared to control and 28% compared to BC. The addition of 2% nano-Si-BC to As-contaminated soil reduced oxidative stress (34% H2O2 and 48% MDA content) and enhanced plant As tolerance (92% peroxidase and 46% Ascorbate peroxidase activity). The chlorophyll concentration in barley plants decreased due to oxidative stress. Additionally, the incorporation of 2% nano-Si-BC resulted in a 76% reduction in water soluble and NaHCO3 extractable As. It is concluded that the use of BC or nano-Si-BC in As contaminated soil for barley resulted in a low human health risk (HQ < 1), as it effectively immobilized As and promoted higher activity of antioxidants.


Subject(s)
Arsenic , Hordeum , Nanoparticles , Soil Pollutants , Humans , Silicon/analysis , Arsenic/analysis , Hordeum/metabolism , Soil/chemistry , Hydrogen Peroxide/analysis , Antioxidants/metabolism , Charcoal/chemistry , Edible Grain/chemistry , Soil Pollutants/analysis
16.
J Gene Med ; 26(2): e3674, 2024 Feb.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38404150

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is the most prevalent monogenic renal disease progressing to end-stage renal disease. There is a pressing need for the identification of early ADPKD biomarkers to enable timely intervention and the development of effective therapeutic approaches. Here, we profiled human urinary extracellular vesicles small RNAs by small RNA sequencing in patients with ADPKD and compared their differential expression considering healthy control individuals to identify dysregulated small RNAs and analyze downstream interaction to gain insight about molecular pathophysiology. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study where urine samples were collected from a total of 23 PKD1-ADPKD patients and 28 healthy individuals. Urinary extracellular vesicles were purified, and small RNA was isolated and sequenced. Differentially expressed Small RNA were identified and functional enrichment analysis of the critical miRNAs was performed to identify driver genes and affected pathways. RESULTS: miR-320b, miR-320c, miR-146a-5p, miR-199b-3p, miR-671-5p, miR-1246, miR-8485, miR-3656, has_piR_020497, has_piR_020496 and has_piR_016271 were significantly upregulated in ADPKD patient urine extracellular vesicles and miRNA-29c was significantly downregulated. Five 'driver' target genes (FBRS, EDC3, FMNL3, CTNNBIP1 and KMT2A) were identified. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the present study make significant contributions to the understanding of ADPKD pathogenesis and to the identification of novel biomarkers and potential drug targets aimed at slowing disease progression in ADPKD.


Subject(s)
Extracellular Vesicles , MicroRNAs , Polycystic Kidney, Autosomal Dominant , Humans , Polycystic Kidney, Autosomal Dominant/genetics , Polycystic Kidney, Autosomal Dominant/metabolism , Polycystic Kidney, Autosomal Dominant/pathology , Cross-Sectional Studies , MicroRNAs/genetics , MicroRNAs/metabolism , Biomarkers , Extracellular Vesicles/genetics , Extracellular Vesicles/metabolism , Formins
17.
Heliyon ; 10(1): e23416, 2024 Jan 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38170008

ABSTRACT

The exploitation of natural products and their analogues in the field of pharmacology has been regarded as of great importance. It can be attributed to the fact that these scaffolds exhibit diverse chemical properties, distinct biological activities and zenith specificity in their biochemical processes, enabling them to act as favorable structures for lead compounds. The synthesis of natural products has been a crafty and hard-to-achieve task. Steglich esterification reaction has played a significant role in that area. It is a mild and efficient technique for constructing ester linkages. This technique involves the establishment of ester moiety via a carbodiimide-based condensation of a carboxylic acid with an alcohol, thiol or an amine catalyzed by dimethyl aminopyridine (DMAP). Specifically, labile reagents with multiple reactive sites are esterified efficiently with the classical and modified Steglich esterification conditions, which accounts for their synthetic utility. This review encloses the performance of the Steglich esterification reaction in forging the ester linkage for executing the total synthesis of natural products and their derivatives since 2018.

18.
Sci Rep ; 14(1): 797, 2024 01 08.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38191635

ABSTRACT

Physicochemical and phytochemical assessment of leaf mustard (Brassica juncea L.) grown in different agroclimatic conditions is essential to highlight their compositional variability and evaluate the most suitable bunch of agroclimatic and agronomic practices. B. juncea is one of the important leafy vegetables that serve as source of vitamin A and C and iron, and plenty of antioxidants. This in situ research was executed to assess the quality variability of B. juncea grown in different agroecosystems. Leaves' samples of B. juncea were procured from 15 farmers' fields exhibiting different agroclimatic conditions i.e., elevation, nutrient management, temperature, irrigation, and tillage practices. Leaves' samples were subjected to physicochemical and phytochemical analysis, i.e., moisture, pH, TSS, ascorbic acid, carotenoids, phenolics, flavonoids, and antioxidant potential. In the leaves' samples of B. juncea, the target properties were found to vary significantly (P ≤ 0.05) in different agroclimatic conditions. The moisture content, ascorbic acid, phenolic content, carotenoids, and antioxidants were found in the range of 62.7-79.3%, 74-91 mg/100 g, 49.2-49.2 mg GAE/100 g, 436.3-480 mg ß carotene/100 g, 32.7-46.67%, respectively. This study elaborates the significant variation of physicochemical and phytochemical attributes of B. juncea due to the prevailing agroclimatic conditions. This necessitates the appropriate choice of B. juncea concerning its composition and ecological conditions of its cultivation in the prospective health benefits.


Subject(s)
Antioxidants , Mustard Plant , Ascorbic Acid , Carotenoids , Phenols , Phytochemicals
19.
BMJ Open Ophthalmol ; 9(1)2024 Jan 25.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38272533

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) preparation performance of trainee surgeons in an ex vivo human donor cornea DMEK wet lab simulation setting. METHODS: Human donor corneoscleral rims unsuitable for transplantation were obtained from Moorfields Lions Eye Bank. At the wet lab, graft stripping was performed by scoring the peripheral endothelium. The trypan blue positive cells (TBPC) and cell density (cells/mm2-reticule count) were counted manually before and after stripping. The procedural time, peripheral and central tears and complete peel-off were also recorded and analysed. RESULTS: Eight trainee surgeons attended the wet lab each attempting three DMEKs. Between the first and last attempts a significant decrease was seen in the procedural time (17.6 min vs 10.6 min (p<0.05)) and the TBPC % (12.9% vs 3.8% (p<0.05)). The percentage of tears peripherally and centrally also reduced between the first and the last trials (50% vs 13% (p=0.2226) and 38% vs 0% (p=0.1327)). A significant correlation was found between longer peeling times and higher TBPC % (p<0.001) with a 0.7% endothelial mortality increase for each additional minute required to complete the peel. CONCLUSIONS: DMEK wet labs provide a controlled risk-free learning opportunity for trainee surgeons to improve confidence and competence. Wet labs improve the success rate of DMEK graft preparation as well as flatten the learning curve. This emphasises the importance of continued support for the expansion of this valuable learning resource, promoting wider uptake of DMEK surgery.


Subject(s)
Descemet Stripping Endothelial Keratoplasty , Humans , Cornea/surgery , Eye Banks , Tissue Donors , Learning Curve , Trypan Blue
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