Deep Learning Models for the Diagnosis and Screening of COVID-19: A Systematic Review.

COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, has been declared as a global pandemic by WHO. Early diagnosis of COVID-19 patients may reduce the impact of coronavirus using modern computational methods like deep learning. Various deep learning models based on CT and chest X-ray images are studied and compared in this study as an alternative solution to reverse transcription-polymerase chain reactions. This study consists of three stages: planning, conduction, and analysis/reporting. In the conduction stage, inclusion and exclusion criteria are applied to the literature searching and identification. Then, we have implemented quality assessment rules, where over 75 scored articles in the literature were included. Finally, in the analysis/reporting stage, all the papers are reviewed and analysed. After the quality assessment of the individual papers, this study adopted 57 articles for the systematic literature review. From these reviews, the critical analysis of each paper, including the represented matrix for the model evaluation, existing contributions, and motivation, has been tracked with suitable illustrations. We have also interpreted several insights of each paper with appropriate annotation. Further, a set of comparisons has been enumerated with suitable discussion. Convolutional neural networks are the most commonly used deep learning architecture for COVID-19 disease classification and identification from X-ray and CT images. Various prior studies did not include data from a hospital setting nor did they consider data preprocessing before training a deep learning model.

Streblus asper attenuates alloxan-induced diabetes in rats and demonstrates antioxidant and cytotoxic effects.

CONTEXT: Streblus asper Lour. (Moraceae) is used for the treatment of different ailments, including diabetes, and requires scientific validation. OBJECTIVE: The study evaluates antidiabetic effects, antioxidant potential, and cytotoxicity of leaf and bark extracts of S. asper. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Antidiabetic effects were assessed by inducing diabetes in Wistar albino rats (n = 5, six groups included 30 rats) by injecting alloxan [0.25 mg/kg body weight (bw)] intraperitoneally, and efficacy of methanol extracts of leaf and bark, and aqueous extract of leaves were evaluated by oral administration of 300 mg/kg bw of extracts for 3 weeks. Glibenclamide (Dibenol™) was used as a control (10 mg/kg bw). Antioxidant properties were examined by DPPH free radical scavenging activity, and cytotoxicity was investigated using a brine shrimp lethality assay. RESULTS: Methanol extracts of leaves and bark, and the aqueous extract of leaves of S. asper, caused significant reductions in blood glucose levels in diabetic rats of 36.83, 70.33, and 52.71%, respectively, after 21 days of treatment. IC50 values in DPPH radical scavenging assessment for those extracts were 58.92, 88.54, and 111.36 µg/mL, respectively. LC50 values for brine shrimp lethality for the extracts were 173.80, 32.36, and 3235.9 µg/mL, respectively. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: The methanol bark extract of S. asper showed significant antidiabetic activity. This study will significantly contribute to establishing the plant as an alternative medicinal resource for rural populations of Bangladesh and provides an opportunity for further research to identify the primary active compound(s) and establish new drug candidates.

A novel triterpenoid 16-hydroxy betulinic acid isolated from Mikania cordata attributes multi-faced pharmacological activities.

The aerial parts of extensively used ethnomedicinal plant Mikania cordata (Burm. f.) Robinson growing wild in Bangladesh were investigated to isolate and characterize compounds responsible for the bioactivities of the plant. In the present study, a new derivatives of betulinic acid, 16-hydroxy betulinic acid [3ß,16-dihydroxy-lup-20(29)-en-28-oic] was isolated and the structure of the compound was determined by NMR spectroscopic means and comparing with available literature data. The isolated compound was then investigated for different pharmacological activities including antibacterial, antifungal, analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic potential employing different methods. The compound showed potent antibacterial activity with inhibition zone of diameter ranging from 12.0 to 17.5 mm and antifungal activity with mycelial growth inhibition ranging from 37.6 to 54.5%. The MIC values for antibacterial and antifungal activities ranged from 31.5-125 and 250-1000 µg/mL respectively. The compound (50 and 100 mg/kg body weight) showed potent peripheral and central analgesic activity with 55.19% and 41% of writhing inhibition at 90 min after administration of the compound and the highest 55.98%, 79.18% elongation of reaction time, respectively. In anti-inflammatory activity screening, the compound (100 mg/kg b.w.) revealed the highest 77.08% edema inhibition at 4 h after administration of carrageenan. In antipyretic assay, 16-hydroxy betulinic acid displayed a strong antipyretic effect in yeast-induced rats. From the present study it is apparent that 16-hydroxy betulinic acid might play vital role to establish M. cordata as ethnomedicinal plant to treat wound, cuts and fever.

Phenolic Profile, Essential Oil Composition and Bioactivity of Lasia spinosa (L) Thwaites

Abstract Lasia spinosa (L.) Thwaites is a widely used ethnomedicinal plant in Bangladesh. In this study, we investigated phenolic contents, volatile compounds and fatty acids, and essential oil components of extracts prepared from aerial parts of the plant. The main volatile compounds were methyl ester of oleic acid, palmitic acid and stearic acid as determined by GC/MS. Phenolic contents of the extracts were determined qualitatively and quantitatively by HPLC/TOF-MS. Six phenolic compounds (syringic acid, morin, gentistic acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, cinnamic acid, and apigenin) were found in the extracts. GC/MS analysis of steam distilled essential oil showed camphor, α-pinene and δ-3-carene as the main constituents. In DPPH radical scavenging assay, the highest free radical scavenging activity was observed for the methanol extract with an IC50 value of 0.48 ± 0.04 mg/mL, whereas, in metal chelating activity on ferrous ions (Fe2+) assay, the highest chelating activity was observed for hexane extract (IC50 = 0.55 ± 0.08 mg/mL). The extracts and essential oil were tested against five severe human pathogenic bacteria using disc diffusion assay and subsequent MIC values were also determined. All the extracts (except methanol extract) and the essential oil were found to possess potential antimicrobial activity with corresponding inhibition zone and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ranging from 9-23 mm and 62.5-500 µg/mL. This study has been explored the plant Lasia spinosa can be seen as a potential source of biologically active compounds.

Evaluation of anti-nociceptive, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic potential of Mikania cordata (Burm. f.) Robinson in experimental animal model.

Mikania cordata is widely used for the treatment of cuts, wounds, and dengue fever in Bangladesh. In the present study, essential oil (12.5, 25 and 50 mg/kg) and two extracts, viz., chloroform and ethyl acetate extracts (200, 400, 800 mg/kg b.w.) were tested for peripheral and central anti-nociceptive activity by acetic acid-induced writhing and hot plate method, respectively. Carrageenan-induced rat paw edema assay and yeast-induced hyperthermia assay were also carried out to evaluate anti-inflammatory and antipyretic properties of oil and extracts, respectively at aforesaid doses. The essential oil (50 mg/kg), chloroform extract (800 mg/kg) and ethyl acetate extract (800 mg/kg) showed potent peripheral anti-nociceptive activity having 47.33%, 29.33% and 16.65% of writhing inhibition, respectively, comparable with standard diclofenac (52.0%). Essential oil (50 mg/kg), chloroform extract (800 mg/kg) and ethyl acetate extract (800 mg/kg) presented promising central anti-nociceptive activity as well having 95.86%, 79.18% and 42.37% elongation of reaction time, respectively, at 90 min after administration of essential oil, ethyl acetate extract and 60 min after administration of chloroform extract. In anti-inflammatory activity screening, the essential oil (50 mg/kg) produced the highest 72.80% edema inhibition at 4 h after administration of carrageenan which was comparable with that of standard phenylbutazoe (87.87%). On the other hand, chloroform extract (800 mg/kg) and ethyl acetate extract (800 mg/kg) showed up to 34.31% and 15.27% of edema inhibition, respectively, at 4 h after administration of carrageenan. In antipyretic assay, the essential oil and chloroform extract displayed a strong antipyretic effect in yeast-induced rats, whereas the ethyl acetate extract had no antipyretic activity. The present study revealed anti-nociceptive, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic potential of M. cordata which could be the therapeutic option against fever, inflammations as well as painful conditions and confirmed the traditional use of M. cordata.

Growth inhibition of various human cancer cell lines by imperatorin and limonin from poncirus trifoliata rafin. Seeds.

We examined the anticancer effects of limonin and imperatorin on various human cancer cells by MTT assay, and the results showed that imperatorin inhibited the cell growth of SNU 449 (liver cancer) and HCT-15 (colon cancer) cells in a dose-dependent manner, while limonin had less effect. Exposure of different concentrations of limonin and imperatorin caused morphological changes in cancer cells, but not in normal dermal fibroblast cells. Limonin and imperatorin induced apoptotic cell death concurrent to cell cycle arrest in SNU 449 and HCT-15 cells. Limonin and imperatorin up regulated proapoptotic protein Bax expression and down regulated anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 expression in a dose-dependent manner in HCT-15 and SNU 449 cells. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that limonin and imperatorin have anticancer potential which is associated with promoting cell apoptosis through expression of apoptosis-related proteins.

Antifungal potential of essential oil and ethanol extracts of Lonicera japonica Thunb. against dermatophytes.

The antifungal potential of essential oil and ethanolic leaf extracts of Lonicera japonica Thunb. was evaluated for controlling the growth of dermatophytes. The oil (1,000 ppm) and extracts (1,500 ppm) of L. japonica revealed 55.1-70.3 % and 40.1-65.5 % antidermatophytic effect against Microsporum canis KCTC 6348, 6349, 6591, Trichophyton rubrum KCTC 6345, 6352, 6375, Trichophyton mentagrophytes KCTC 6077 and 6085, respectively, along with their respective minimum inhibitory concentrations ranging from 62.5-500 and 125-1,000 µg/ml. Also, the oil had strong detrimental effect on spore germination of all the tested dermatophytes as well as concentration and time-dependent kinetic inhibition of M. canis KCTC 6348. The results demonstrated that L. japonica oil and extracts could be potential sources of natural fungicides to protect human and animals from fungal infections.