Ghulam Hussain

A comparative study on the status of Zn and Cu in diabetic and non diabetic males in Punjab, Pakistan

Minerals play a considerable role in the prolongation of all biological and psychological processes in the body. The present study was aimed to determine and to compare the concentration of zinc and copper in the serum samples of diabetic and non diabetic males of different age groups, that is, between one to seventy five years. Fasting blood samples of diabetic males as well as of non diabetics of selected age groups were collected for the study. Blood serum was obtained after centrifugation of blood samples. Level of zinc and copper in blood serum samples were determined by using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The data obtained was processed statistically by using student’s t- test. A highly, significant (p<0.01) lower levels of zinc and highly, significant (p<0.01) higher levels of copper were found in blood serum of diabetic males when they were compared with non diabetic ones. The results reflect that the diabetic patients had a higher mean concentration of Zn (0.577 ppm), lower mean concentration of Zn (0.467 ppm), higher mean concentration of Cu (2.713 ppm) and lower mean concentration of Cu (2.207 ppm). It has also been represented by our results that the non diabetic males had higher mean concentration of Zn (1.94 ppm), lower mean concentration of Zn (0.937 ppm), higher mean concentration of Cu (1.31 ppm) and lower mean concentration of Cu (1.077 ppm). It has been concluded that the diabetic males of all age groups are deficient of zinc and they contain a higher level of copper in their blood serum.

Periodic variation in soil, forage and serum minerals of dry cattle in Punjab, Pakistan

An investigation was conducted to evaluate the nutrient level of grazing livestock as influenced by the sampling periods in Punjab state district Sargodha, Pakistan. Twenty composite soil and pasture and twenty five blood samples were collected at two different sampling periods during December 2010 to March, 2011, respectively. Higher soil content of all elements except iron was observed during December than those found in Mach at the 2 harvest during this period but all mean values were above the critical levels investigated for soil for the requirements of forage crops. Forage, potassium, magnesium and copper levels did not differ between samplings. Calcium, sodium, zinc, manganese, cobalt and selenium were higher during December, while reverse was true for forage iron reflecting the soil iron contents. The sodium, manganese, iron and selenium in forage were found to be deficient than the requirements of livestock during both sampling times in this investigation. From the four minerals assessed in the serum calcium, magnesium and zinc levels were high after the December in March. The macro mineral which were found to be moderately deficient at this animal farm are sodium and magnesium. Micro elements most likely to limit livestock production efficiency are copper, zinc, manganese and cobalt. Specific mineral supplementation should be supplied containing copper and zinc, as both pasture and blood plasma samples exhibited their deficiency. The present investigation suggests the requirement and provision of an appropriate specificity tailored mineral mixture to ruminants in this specific studied area. The objective of this study was to determine deficiency or excess of various minerals to have the knowledge of the status of different minerl elements for supplementation if necessary.

Toxic and some essential metals in medicinal plants used in herbal medicines: A case study in Pakistan

The levels of some heavy metals in eight different medicinal plant samples along with soils were collected from two different locations from salt range of Punjab, Pakistan in order to evaluate those vital metals involved in human health implications. These plant species were: Dodonaea viscosa, Withania somnifera, Solanum nigrum, Calotropis gigantea, Mentha spicata, Paganum hermala, Cannabis sativa, Adhatoda vasica, especially those used in the treatment of diseases and their long term usage. The evaluated metals were cadmium (Cd), Nickel (Ni), Chromium (Cr) and lead (Pb). Atomic absorption spectrophotometry (wet digestion) was used for the analyses, and content of metals per sample was expressed as mg/kg. The analysis of variance revealed that there were significant effects of site variation on medicinal species in Ni and Cr contents while the opposite were observed in case of Pb and Cd at location I. The Ni concentrations found in medicinal plants varied significantly while Pb, Cd and Cr were evident as non significant at location II. There was positive non significant correlation of Pb and Cr among soil and plant while negative non significant for Ni and Cd at both locations. The findings suggest that the use of these plant species for the management of diseases will not cause heavy metal toxicity and may be beneficial to the users in cases of micronutrient deficiency, as these metals were found to be present in readily bioavailable form.

Role of Plant Derived Alkaloids and Their Mechanism in Neurodegenerative Disorders

Neurodegenerative diseases are conventionally demarcated as disorders with selective loss of neurons. Conventional as well as newer molecules have been tested but they offer just symptomatic advantages along with abundant side effects. The discovery of more compelling molecules that can halt the pathology of these diseases will be considered as a miracle of present time. Several synthetic compounds are available but they may cause several other health issues. Therefore, natural molecules from the plants and other sources are being discovered to replace available medicines. In conventional medicational therapies, several plants have been reported to bestow remedial effects. Phytochemicals from medicinal plants can provide a better and safer alternative to synthetic molecules. Many phytochemicals have been identified that cure the human body from a number of diseases. The present article reviews the potential efficacy of plant-derived alkaloids, which possess potential therapeutic effects against several NDDs including Alzheimers disease (AD), Huntington disease (HD), Parkinsons disease (PD), Epilepsy, Schizophrenia, and stroke. Alkaloids include isoquinoline, indole, pyrroloindole, oxindole, piperidine, pyridine, aporphine, vinca, β-carboline, methylxanthene, lycopodium, and erythrine byproducts. Alkaloids constitute positive roles in ameliorating pathophysiology of these illnesses by functioning as muscarinic and adenosine receptors agonists, anti-oxidant, anti-amyloid and MAO inhibitors, acetylcholinestrase and butyrylcholinesterase inhibitor, inhibitor of α-synuclein aggregation, dopaminergic and nicotine agonist, and NMDA antagonist.

Molecular analysis of the gut microbiome of diabetic rats supplemented with prebiotic, probiotic, and synbiotic foods

Beneficial symbionts residing in our gut have positive therapeutic effects on several metabolic disorders including diabetes. Oral administration of probiotic and prebiotic foods strengthens the beneficial symbiont populations in the gut and may prevent immune-mediated destruction of pancreatic β-cells. The present study was designed to elucidate the gut microbiome of diabetic rats supplemented with a Lactobacillus probiotic and a Saccharomyces cerevisiae (SC) cell wall prebiotic. Diabetes mellitus was induced in male Wistar rats with allaxon monohydrate (150xa0mg/kg). The rats were fed chow maintenance diet (control and diabetic control groups) or the same diet supplemented with a SC prebiotic (1xa0%), probiotic (multispecies Lactobacillus @108xa0CFU), or synbiotic. On d30, DNA was extracted from colon digesta for 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequencing. Serum was obtained to estimate total oxidant and anti-oxidant concentrations. A distinct clustering pattern (Unifrac distances, analysis of similarities (ANOSIM) Pu2009=u20090.0361) was observed for the different treatment groups, with the main distinction consisting of the separation between the control and the diabetic control groups. Distinct bacterial clades dominated different treatment groups, particularly for the control and the diabetic control groups, though several bacterial groups overlapped, demonstrating a core microbiota dominated mainly by Firmicutes and Bacteroides. A trend of dysbiosis, characterized by low species richness, was observed in the diabetic rats, albeit not statistically significant. Serum oxidant and anti-oxidant concentrations were not different (Pu2009>u20090.05) among different treatment groups. No significant effects of supplementations of prebiotic, probiotic, and synbiotic were observed on species richness or clustering pattern of the microbiome.

Role of Plant-Derived Flavonoids and Their Mechanism in Attenuation of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Diseases: An Update of Recent Data

Neurodegeneration is a progressive loss of neuronal cells in certain regions of the brain. Most of the neurodegenerative disorders (NDDs) share the communal characteristic such as damage or reduction of various cell types typically including astrocytes and microglial activity. Several compounds are being trialed to treat NDDs but they possess solitary symptomatic advantages along with copious side effects. The finding of more enthralling and captivating compounds to suspend and standstill the pathology of NDDs will be considered as a hallmark of present times. Phytochemicals possess the potential to alternate the synthetic line of therapy against NDDs. The present review explores the potential efficacy of plant-derived flavonoids against most common NDDs including Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD). Flavonoids are biologically active phytochemicals which possess potential pharmacological effects, including antiviral, anti-allergic, antiplatelet, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-apoptotic and anti-oxidant effects and are able to attenuate the pathology of various NDDs through down-regulating the nitric oxide (NO) production, by reducing the tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), by reducing the excitotoxicity of superoxide as well as acting as tyrosine kinase (TK) and monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibiting enzyme.

Opposite Roles of Wnt7a and Sfrp1 in Modulating Proper Development of Neural Progenitors in the Mouse Cerebral Cortex

The Wingless (Wnt)-mediated signals are involved in many important aspects of development of the mammalian cerebral cortex. How Wnts interact with their modulators in cortical development is still unclear. Here, we show that Wnt7a and secreted frizzled-related protein 1 (Sfrp1), a soluble modulator of Wnts, are co-expressed in mouse embryonic cortical neural progenitors (NPs). Knockout of Wnt7a in mice causes microcephaly due to reduced NP population and neurogenesis, and Sfrp1 has an opposing effect compared to Wnt7a. Similar to Dkk1, Sfrp1 decreases the Wnt1 and Wnt7a activity in vitro. Our results suggest that Wnt7a and Sfrp1 play opposite roles to ensure proper NP progeny in the developing cortex.

FLAVONOIDS FROM RHYNCHOSIA PSEUDO-CAJAN AS SUITABLE α-GLUCOSIDASE INHIBITORS AND FREE RADICAL SCAVENGERS

A series of nine flavonoids , 1 - 9, isolated from Rhynchosia pseudo - cajan Cambe ss., ha s been investigated in present work for their biological potential against α - glucosidase, lipoxygenase (LOX), acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) enzymes ; and antioxidant activity against diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radica l respectively . The results re vealed that the se flavonoid s are very suitable inhibitor s of α - glucosidase and moderate ones of AChE enzyme . Against BChE enzyme , only myricetin (7) while against LOX , quercetin (6) and myricetin (7) remained active as shown b y their IC 50 values. Moderate to excellent s cavenging activity was also depicted by these molecules against DPPH . The mode s of interaction of some active compounds against α - glucosidase and BChE were computationally observed and correlate d with the experim ental results.