Effect of Berberine Phytosome on reproductive, dermatologic, and metabolic characteristics in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a controlled, randomized, multi-centric, open-label clinical trial.

Background: Berberine is a poorly absorbed natural alkaloid widely used as nutraceutical to counteract diarrhoea and to lower cholesterol and hyperglycaemia. It has also been reported to reduce signs and symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Objective: To explore, through a multi-centric, randomized, controlled and prospective study, the possible role played by a form berberine that is more easily absorbed (Berberine Phytosome®, BP) in 130 Pakistani women with a diagnosis of PCOS and fertility problems due to menstrual and ovary abnormalities. Results: Ninety days of supplementation with BP, administered at 550 mg x2/die, determined (i) resumption of regular menstruation in about 70% of women (versus 16% in the control group; p < 0.0001), (ii) normalization of the ovaries anatomy in more than 60% of women (versus 13% in the control group; p < 0.0001), (iii) acne improvement in 50% of women (versus 16% in the control group; p = 0.0409) and (iv) hirsutism reduction in 14% of women (versus 0% in the control group; p = 0.0152). The metabolic and the hormonal profiles of the women in the two groups did not significantly differentiate at the end of the study. BP was well-tolerated and no specific side-effects were registered. Respectively after one, two and 8 years of trying, three women supplemented with BP became and are currently pregnant. Conclusion: Our study showed the positive effects of BP supplementation in women with PCOS and confirmed the high safety profile of this nutraceutical. Clinical Trial Registration: https://clinicaltrials.gov/, identifier NCT05480670.

Investigation of Morchella esculenta and Morchella conica for their antibacterial potential against methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes.

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. Natural products have been efficiently used for centuries to combat bacterial infections. Morchella is a natural fungal product which has been reported to possess broad-spectrum biological activities against bacterial infections. Hence, this study was aimed to evaluate the antibacterial efficacy of two macro-fungi against S. aureus, MRSA, and Streptococcus pyogenes (S. pyogenes). The antibacterial potential of both fungal extracts (Morchella esculenta and Morchella conica) was evaluated using disk diffusion and standard broth microdilution methods. The chemical compounds of both fungi were investigated using ultra-performance liquid chromatography mass spectroscopy (UPLC-MS) analysis. All fungal extracts inhibited growth of tested bacteria with inhibitory zone ranging from 10.66 ± 0.3 to 21.00 ± 1.5 mm. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of tested bacterial growth ranged from 03.33 to 16.0 mg/ml. It was noteworthy that Morchella extracts prevented S. aureus growth in a bactericidal manner with minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) of 8-16 mg/ml. The extracts were also more effective against MRSA than currently available antibiotics. In conclusion, the growth inhibition of tested bacteria by fungal extracts revealed their potential as antibacterial agents and their compounds may be used as drug candidates.

Four year trend of antimicrobial susceptibility of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a tertiary care hospital, Lahore.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the susceptibility pattern of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus to different antibiotics. METHODS: The descriptive study was conducted at the Microbiology Department of the University of Health Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan, from August 2016 to July 2019, and comprised staphylococcus aureus samples that were processed and identified using colony morphology on blood agar, gram stain, catalase, coagulase and deoxyribonuclease testing. Screening for methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus was done using cefoxitin disc 30µg and oxacillin disc 1mg. Antimicrobial susceptibility was tested using the modified Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method in line with the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines 2019. Data was analysed using SPSS 24. RESULTS: Of the 2704 strains processed, 402(14.86%) were found to be methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus. Of them, 204(50.74%) were recovered from pus, while 10(2.48%) were recovered from urine. All 402(100%) isolates were sensitive to vancomycin and linezolid, and resistant to penicillin, followed by erythromycin 306(76.11%) and sulfamethoxazole/ trimethoprim 295(73.38%). Overall, lower resistance was seen with doxycycline 145(36.06%) and clindamycin 160(39.80%). Inducible clindamycin resistance was seen in 142(35.23%) isolates. CONCLUSIONS: An efficacious susceptibility pattern of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus was seen with vancomycin and linezolid, moderate susceptibility with doxycycline and clindamycin, while high resistance was observed for penicillin, erythromycin and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole.

Modern biotechnology-based therapeutic approaches against HIV infection.

The causative agent of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Since its discovery before 30 years, a number of drugs known as highly active antiretroviral therapy have been developed to suppress the life cycle of the virus at different stages. With the current therapeutic approaches, ending AIDS means providing treatment to 35 million individuals living with HIV for the rest of their lives or until a cure is developed. Additionally, therapy is associated with various other challenges such as potential of drug resistance, toxicity and presence of latent viral reservoir. Therefore, it is imperative to search for treatments and to identify new therapeutic approaches against HIV infection to avoid daily intake of drugs. The aim of the current review was to summarize different therapeutic strategies against HIV infection, including stem cell therapy, RNA interference, CRISPR/Cas9 pathways, antibodies, intrabodies and nanotechnology. Silencing RNA against chemokine receptor 5 and other HIV RNAs have been tested and found to elicit homology-based, post-transcriptional silencing. The CRISPR/Cas9 is a gene editing technology that produces a double-stranded nick in the virus DNA, which is repaired by the host machinery either by non-homology end joining mechanism or via homology recombination leading to insertion, deletion mutation which further leads to frame shift mutation and non-functional products. Intrabodies are intracellular-expressed antibodies that are directed towards the targets inside the cell unlike the naturally expressed antibodies which target outside the cell. Different nanotechnology-based therapeutic approaches are also in progress against HIV. HIV eradication is not feasible without deploying a cure or vaccine alongside the treatment.