Kafeel Ahmad

Antibacterial activity of honey in north-west Pakistan against select human pathogens

OBJECTIVE To investigate the antimicrobial activity of commercially available honey and raw honey samples in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, against pathogenic bacterial strains. METHODS Well diffusion assays were performed to screen pure and diluted honey samples for antibacterial activity against six Gram-negative and six Gram-positive bacterial strains. Zones of inhibition were measured and compared with 10 mg Gentamycin. RESULTS When honey samples were diluted to 20%-70%, the honey samples showed no activity to mild antibacterial activity. The highest antibacterial activity was recorded when 90% and pure undiluted honey samples were tested and compared with a control Gentamycin disc (10 mg). CONCLUSION Commercially processed honey and raw honey samples from north-west of Pakistan possess good antimicrobial potential.

Synergistic antibacterial effect of honey and Herba Ocimi Basilici against some bacterial pathogens.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the antibacterial activity of the combination of different honey brands and methanolic fraction of Herba Ocimi Basilici using agar well diffusion assay. METHODS The antibacterial activity was determined against thirteen pathogenic bacterial clinical isolates including six gram negative (Klebsiella pneumonia, Pseudomonas aeroginosa, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, Salmonella typhimirium, Xanthomonas campestris) and six gram positive strains (Enterococcus faecalis faecalis, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium perfringens type C, Clostridium perfringens type D, Clostridium chauvoei). Agar well diffusion method was used while zones of inhibition were measured with vernier scale. RESULTS At higher concentration, all the honey brands showed good to significant activity. The highest activity was observed for Hamdard brand honey (27.60 +/- 0.40) against Enterococcus faecalis. CONCLUSION These results revealed that combinations of plant extracts of Herba Ocimi Basilici with honey can be used for the development of potent and novel antibacterial agents.

Evaluation of antileishmanial, antibacterial and brine shrimp cytotoxic potential of crude methanolic extract of Herb Ocimum basilicum (Lamiacea).

OBJECTIVE To collect and screen for ethnopharmacological properties (antileishmanial, antibacterial and brine lethality assays) of medicinal plan Ocimum basilicum from Peshawar region (34.008 latitude and 71.57 altitudes). METHODS In the present study a general antileishmanial activity against Leishmania tropica strair was carried out. The antibacterial potential of the plant was performed against 06 gram positiv and 06 gram negative bacteria. Brine shrimp cyto- toxicity assay at different concentrations were investigated. RESULTS The anti-promastigotes profile of the plant showed good antileishmanial activity exhibited LC50 value 21.67 µg/mL. The result for gram positive antibacterial activity revealed that the O. basilicum leaves extract possesses significant inhibitory activity at highest two concentrations ranging from 20.66 ± 0.31 to 31.86 ± 0.80 for Clostridium perfringens type C and Bacillus subtitilis, respectively, as compared to the gentamycin (27.36 ± 0.55 and 21.80 ± 0.72, respectively). For gram negative bacteria good activity was observed. A highest zone of inhibition was recorded for Pseudomonas aeroginosa (28.83 ± 0.28) at the highest concentration (10 mg/ mL). The LC50 value obtained for brine shrimp lethality assay was 91.56 µg/mL. CONCLUSION The herb basil possesses effective cidal activities which make this plant a good candidate for the isolation of antiprotozoal and antibacterial compounds which may lead to the development of novel drug.

Antifungal, phytotoxic and hemagglutination activity of methanolic extracts of Ocimum basilicum

OBJECTIVE To report some of the pharmacological features of the medicinal plant Ocimum basilicum. METHODS In the current studies, Antifungal activity of crude methanolic fraction of Ocimum basilicum was determined against eight pathogenic fungal strains using tube dilution assay. The methanolic fraction was also investigated for phytotoxic and hemagglutination activity. RESULTS Of the eight strains investigated only Candida albicans and Curvilaria lunata were found to be least affected by plant extract while the rest were significantly inhibited. Moderate phytotoxic activity was observed against lemna minor. Hemagglutination activity showed absence of phytolectins and hence no agglutination of erythrocytes. CONCLUSION The crude extract of Ocimum basilicum has significant properties against fungi and phytotoxic substances.

Insulin sources and types： a review of insulin in terms of its mode on diabetes mellitus

Insulin is involved in regulation of glucose utilization in the body. Inability of the body to synthesize insulin of human cells resistance to insulin leads to a condition called Diabetes mellitus which is characterized by chronic hyperglycaemia. There are two types of diabetes; type 1 and type 2. Exogenous supply of insulin is needed consistently for type 1 diabetes treatment and type 2 diabetes also needs to be cured by the exogenous supply of insulin in advance stages of the disease. These sources have been proved very useful to meet the needs of the patients. However, these insulin types are expensive for the large population of patients in the developing countries. Furthermore, the incidence of diabetes is advancing at an alarming rate. Hence production systems with even higher capabilities of production are desired. Therefore, currently plants are being investigated as alternative production systems. Based on the mode of action of insulin various formulations of insulin have been developed that have different onset of action, peak effect and duration of action according to the needs of the patients.

Efficient In Vitro Regeneration of Sugarcane (Saccharum Officinarum L.) from Bud Explants

ABSTRACT The regeneration potential of the economically important plant Saccharum officinarum (Sugarcane) was investigated. Callus induction and shoot regeneration along with somatic embryogenesis were induced from bud explants incubated on Murashige and Skoog (MS)-medium supplemented with different plant growth regulators (PGRs) and white sugar. The best callus induction (83.33%) was observed on explants incubated on MS-medium plus 1.0 mg·l−1 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and 4.0 mg·l−1 2,4-D (70%) after 6 weeks of culture. Other combinations (BA, IBA, IAA, NAA and GA3) of PGRs were less effective than 2,4-D. It was observed that lower concentrations of 2,4-D induced somatic embryos in bud explants of Saccharum officinarum, whereas higher concentrations induced non-embryogenic calli. Subsequent sub-culturing of calli onto MS-medium supplemented with BA (6-benzyladenine) induced shoot organogenesis. Highest shoot induction (98%) was recorded for 2.0 mg·l−1 after 3 weeks of culture. With this concentration of BA, maximum number of (178) shoots per explant were recorded, and, when the shoots were transferred to elongation medium, the longest shoots (9.4 cm) were recorded. However, 5.6 cm long shoots were also recorded with 3.0 mg·l−1 zeatin. No root induction hormones were used for rooting. The elongated shoots started rooting upon maturation. A maximum rooting (84%), number of roots/shoot (21) and mean root length of 5.0 cm were observed on medium containing 2.0 mg·l−1 BA along with 1.0 mg·l−1 GA3. The regenerated plantlets were successfully acclimated in field conditions.

Daphne mucronata-mediated phytosynthesis of silver nanoparticles and their novel biological applications, compatibility and toxicity studies

ABSTRACT This contribution reports the biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using aqueous leaf extracts of D. mucronata and their diverse applications. Synthesized AgNPs were characterized using diverse techniques, i.e. UV, XRD, EDS, SEM, TEM, FTIR and TGA/DTA. These techniques confirmed the authenticity of the synthesized nanoparticles. The bimodulated AgNPs revealed the highest radical scavenging potential, i.e. 86.4% relative to plant extract at 600 μg/ml. Escherichia coli was found to be the most susceptible strain to AgNPs. Growth of vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was also inhibited. Hemolytic activity revealed negligible hemolysis, indicating the biocompatible nature of biomodulated AgNPs. Furthermore, no mutagenic properties were shown by the biogenic AgNPs. Synthesized nanoparticles possessed promising insecticidal potential and had no phytotoxic activity. No haemagglutination was observed for biogenic AgNPs. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT