Current update on psyllium and alginate incorporate for interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) and their biomedical applications.

Natural polysaccharides and their designed structures are extremely valuable due to their intrinsic pharmacological properties and are also used as pharmaceutical aids. These naturally occurring polysaccharides (e.g., psyllium and alginate) are gaining popularity for their use in the preparation of interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) materials with improved swelling ability, biodegradability, stability, non-cytotoxic, biocompatibility, and cost-effectiveness. IPN is prepared sequentially or simultaneously by microwave irradiation, casting evaporation, emulsification cross-linking, miniemulsion/inverse miniemulsion technique, and radiation polymerization methods. In addition, the prepared IPNs have has been extensively characterized using various analytical and imaging techniques before sustainable deployment for multiple applications. Regardless of these multi-characteristic attributes, the current literature lacks a detailed overview of the biomedical aspects of psyllium, alginate, and their engineered IPN structures. Herein, we highlight the unique synthesis, structural, and biomedical considerations of psyllium, alginate, and engineered IPN structures. In this review, a wide range of biomedical applications, such as role as a drug carrier for sustain delivery, wound dressing, tissue engineering, and related miscellaneous application of psyllium, alginate, and their IPN structures described with appropriate examples. Further research will be carried out for the development of IPN using psyllium and alginate, which will be a smart and active carrier for drugs used in the treatment of life-threatening diseases due to their inherent pharmacological potential such as hypoglycemic, immunomodulatory, antineoplastic, and antimicrobial.

Role of Various Gene Expressions in Etiopathogenesis of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

CONTEXT: Diabetes is a metabolic disease, with high mortality, and is characterized by increased glucose levels in the blood occurring due to poor pancreatic insulin secretion or development of insulin resistance in the body. Type 2 DM (T2DM) represents 90% of diabetic cases, and its pathogenesis involves a genetic correlation with insulin resistance, ß-cell dysfunction, lifestyle, and environmental factors. OBJECTIVE: The current study intended to examine the pathophysiology of T2DM, including factors influencing insulin resistance and beta (ß)-cell dysfunction as well as the genetic factors that indicate susceptibility to T2DM. DESIGN: The research team performed a narrative review by searching the Mendeley, Science Direct, Medline, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Springer databases. The search used the keywords Diabetes, insulin secretion and environmental factor. SETTING: This study was take place in School of Pharmacy, Suresh Gyan Vihar University, Jaipur, India. RESULTS: The paraoxonase-1 gene Q192R and the L55M, INS-VNTR, and IL-38 gene alterations can result in insulin resistance while PAM variants and miR-132 and miR-18 expression can lead to ß-cell dysfunction. Palmitate-like FFA expression of mRNA MafA, and IRS-2 can lead to impairment of insulin secretion. CONCLUSIONS: T2DM is the most common metabolic disorder of the twenty-first century, and its incidence, complications, and morbidity increase every day. The examination of T2DM's pathophysiology and the literature review have revealed that it has a strong correlation with genetic defects.

The Role of Diazepam in Epigenetics: From the Molecular Level to Clinical Implications.

There is growing evidence linking epigenetic mutations to neurologic disorders such as epilepsy. The effect of the medications primarily used to treat neurologic disorders has recently been studied, including research on epilepsy and the epigenetic process. The impact of the widely used medication diazepam on epigenomics, microRNA levels, the ensuing genetic exposure and potential clinical effects was reviewed. The action of diazepam, particularly in altering the synthesis of enzyme 5' adenosine monophosphate activated protein kinase (AMPK) was found to affect many enzymes, which changes or modifies the epigenetics. Epigenetic enzymes such as histone acetyltransferases (HATs), class II histone deacetylases (HDACs) and DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) are mainly activated by AMPKs, including the phosphorylate substrates, which often lead to their inhibition, although HAT1 activity may be improved. It has been reported that diazepam can reduce histone methyltransferase expression exposure, may increase class III histone deacetylases activity and may decrease the effect of DNA methyltransferases inhibitors. Diazepam has been found to contribute to mutations of the epigenome and genetic expression, and may protect against neurologic disorders, aging, dementia and several brain diseases. It has also been found that microRNA expression can be influenced by diazepam treatment and may have neurologic effects. Although the reported effects of diazepam on epigenetic enzymes of are equally effective in both amplifying and reducing acetylation of histone, histone and DNA methylation and gene expression, the effect of diazepam on the epigenome, genetic expression, and subsequent effects in all healthy diazepam users is unclear.

The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic Infection in Patients Admitted to the Hospital for Reasons Other Than COVID-19 Infection.

COVID-19 or SARS CoV-2 is a worldwide public health emergency. The first case of COVID-19 was described in Wuhan, China in December, 2019 and within a short time the infection had spread quickly to the rest of China and then the world. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on patients who do not have COVID-19 but other diseases like cancer, diabetes, and many more non-communicable diseases; their care is compromised because of the pandemic. COVID-19 also poses a work-related health risk for healthcare workers who are treating patients with COVID-19, and many have themselves become infected. Healthcare workers involved in diagnosing and treating patients with COVID-19 should be evaluated for stress, anxiety and depression.

Aqueous Extract of Wood Ear Mushroom, Auricularia polytricha (Agaricomycetes), Demonstrated Antiepileptic Activity against Seizure Induced by Maximal Electroshock and Isoniazid in Experimental Animals.

Auricularia polytricha is a popular mushroom found all over the world. This article describes a study of the antiepileptic effect of A. polytricha, a mushroom that is used traditionally for treating asthma, rheumatism, tumors, cough, fever, and epilepsy, and for its antimicrobial effect. We carried out toxicity studies to identify a standard dose of A. polytricha aqueous extract; maximal electroshock (MES)- and isoniazid (INH)-induced seizures in albino mice were used to screen for the extract's antiepileptic activity. Per Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Guideline 423, up to 2000 mg/kg body weight of extract was toxic. Animals were treated with aqueous extract at doses of 200, 400, and 600 mg/kg body weight. Phenytoin was used as the reference anticonvulsant drug for comparison. The investigation found a significant interruption in INH-induced clonic seizure. During MES, we found a reduction in the period of hind leg extensor phase; mice exhibited a significant decrease in the duration of hind limb extension after being treated with 400 and 600 mg/kg doses of A. polytricha. Comparable results were obtained in the INH group, as the extract seemed to delay the onset of a clonic seizure. The aqueous extract of A. polytricha showed antiepileptic action against MES- and INH-induced epilepsy in the mice. This extract, however, requires additional study in order to completely explain its active ingredients and their mechanisms of action.

Pharmacological evaluation of aqueous extract of syzigium cumini for its antihyperglycemic and antidyslipidemic properties in diabetic rats fed a high cholesterol diet-Role of PPARγ and PPARα.

In India syzygium cumini (Myrtaceae) is commonly used traditional medicine to treat diabetes. The present study was undertaken to assess an investigation of antihyperglycemic and antidyslipidemic properties of aqueous extract of Syzigium Cumini (SC) in diabetic rats fed a high cholesterol diet. The aqueous extract of SC was screened for antihyperglycemic and antidyslipidemic activity by streptozotocin induced diabetes in rats. Animals were treated with 100, 200 and 400mg/kg body weight of aqueous extract of SC. Metformin were used as reference antihyperglycemic drugs for comparison. Administration of aqueous extract of SC or metformin for 21days resulted in a significant (P<0.05) reduction in serum glucose, insulin and Homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) compared with diabetic controls. Treatment with 100mg/kg/day aqueous extract of SC did not result in a significant reduction in serum insulin levels, but 200mg/kg/day and 400mg/kg/day, aqueous extract of SC and metformin showed significant reductions 17.89%, 19.60% and 24.40%, respectively. Furthermore, administration of 100, 200 and 400mg/kg/day, aqueous extract of SC and metformin resulted in significant decrease in insulin resistance of 19.20%, 41.59%, 51.55% and 68.68%, respectively. In high fat diet- streptozotocin (HFD - STZ) treated rats ß-cells function (HOMA-B) were markedly reduced (5.8-fold), however observed a significant (P<0.01) improvement of ß-cell function with aqueous extract of SC (400mg/kg/day) and metformin. The aqueous extract of SC seeds exhibits significant insulin-sensitizing, antidyslipidemic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and ß-cell salvaging activity in HFD-STZ-induced type 2 diabetic rats via overexpression of PPARγ and PPARα activity, affirming its potential to be used in the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Further isolation and characterization of active components in SC seed extract are needed to explore the other possible mechanisms and pathways that are involved in its anti-diabetic effect.