Farman Ullah

Nepetolide: A New Diterpene from Nepeta suavis

A new tricyclic clerodane-type diterpene, nepetolide (1), has been isolated from Nepeta suavis along with three known compounds namely β -sitosterol, stigmasterol, and ursolic acid. The structure elucidation of the isolated compounds was based primarily on two-dimensional (2D)-NMR techniques including correlation spectroscopy (COSY), heteronuclear multiple quantum coherence (HMQC), and heteronuclear multiple bond correlation (HMBC) experiments.

Phenolic Glycosides from Symplocos racemosa

The re-investigation of the chemical constituents of the bark of the stem of Symplocos racemosa Roxb. led to the isolation of two new phenolic glycosides, Symconoside A (1) and Symconoside B (2). The structures of the new compounds were determined by 1D and 2D-homonuclear and heteronuclear NMR spectroscopy, chemical evidences, and by comparison with the published data of the closely related compounds. The phenolic glycosides 1 and 2 displayed in vitro inhibitory activity against phosphodiesterase-I with the IC50 values of 158±0.02 and 900±0.08 μM, respectively.

Modern biotechnology-based therapeutic approaches against HIV infection (Review)

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.

Integration of the outcrop and subsurface geochemical data: implications for the hydrocarbon source rock evaluation in the Lower Indus Basin, Pakistan

The present study details the hydrocarbon source rock geochemistry and organic petrography of the outcrop and subsurface samples of the Middle Jurassic Chiltan Formation and the Lower Cretaceous Sembar Formation from the Sann #1 well Central and Southern Indus Basin, Pakistan. The total organic carbon (TOC), Rock–Eval pyrolysis, vitrinite reflectance (Ro) % and Maceral analysis techniques were used and various geochemical plots were constructed to know the quality of source rock, type of kerogen, level of maturity and migration history of the hydrocarbons. The outcrop and Sann #1 well data on the Sembar Formation reveals poor, fair, good and very good quality of the TOC, type II–III kerogen, immature–mature organic matter and an indigenous hydrocarbon generation potential. The outcrop and Sann #1 well data on the Chiltan Formation show a poor–good quality of TOC, type II–III kerogen, immature–mature source rock quality and having an indigenous hydrocarbon generation potential. The vitrinite reflectance [Ro (%)] values and Maceral types [fluorescent amorphous organic matter, exinite, alginite and inertnite] demonstrate that maturity in both Sembar and the Chiltan formation at surface and subsurface fall in the oil and gas generation zone to cracking of oil to gas condensate zone. Recurrence of organic rich and poor intervals within the Sembar and Chiltan formation are controlled by the Late Jurassic thermal uplift preceding the Indo-Madagascar separation from the Afro-Arabian Plate and Early Cretaceous local transgressive–regressive cycles. From the current study, it is concluded that both Sembar and Chiltan formation can act as a potential hydrocarbon source rock in the study area.

Infection Control in the Use of Urethral Catheter: Knowledge and Practises of Nurses

Objective: To identify knowledge and practises of nurses regarding infection control in the use of urethral catheter and associated urinary tract infection in private tertiary care hospital Peshawar. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the current knowledge of nurses regarding urinary catheter care. The study was also focused on practises and standard guidelines about urinary catheter care of nurses in private tertiary care hospitals. Method: A descriptive cross sectional study was conducted among nurses in private tertiary care hospital Peshawar. Participants were selected through convenient sampling technique. The data was collected through a self-developed structured questionnaire. Results: Out of 70 participants the gender distribution was 11.1% (male) and 86.1% (female). The mean knowledge of participants was 66% with standard deviation 25.3%. The Mean practise was 56.43% with Standard deviation 14.94%. Independent t-test was applied to identify the association between knowledge of participants with year of experience which was not significant. One-way Analysis Of Variance (ANOVA) test was applied to identify association between knowledge with years of practise which was significant p=0.024. Conclusion: The study result was alarming to know that the nurses had low knowledge, and poor practises about infection control in the use of urethral catheter. This indicates that nurses need to be educated and trained more on infection control in the use of urethral catheter.

Isolation and Characterization of Two New Compounds from Genus Sonchus

Two new compounds Erucaoic acid (1) and sonchusnoate (2) were isolated from the whole plant of Sonchus eruca and Sonchus asper respectively. Both species belong from genus Sonchus. The structures of the compounds were elucidated through extensive spectroscopic analysis including EIMS, HREIMS, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR and including advance techniques like NMR 1H-1H COSY, HMBC, and NOESY.