Madiha Ahmed

PVP and PEG doped CuO nanoparticles are more biologically active: Antibacterial, antioxidant, antidiabetic and cytotoxic perspective

Search for biologically active nanoparticles is prerequisite for biomedical applications. CuO nanoparticles synthesized by co-precipitation method are capped by polyethylene-glycol (PEG) and polyvinyl-pyrrolidone (PVP) on the surface by simple adsorption. Physical and chemical properties carried out by SEM, XRD and FTIR confirm nanometer in size and efficient capping of PVP and PEG on CuO NPs. Biological assays reveal higher activities of CuO-PEG and CuO-PVP as compared to the uncapped CuO nanoparticles. CuO-PEG shows better antitumor activity against Streptomyces as compared with CuO-PVP and CuO NPs. Both the capped NPs are significantly active for α-amylase inhibition assay. CuO-PVP demonstrates significantly better activity against bacterial strains followed by CuO-PEG and uncapped CuO. PVP coated CuO NPs also shows strong DPPH based free radical scavenging activity, total reducing power potential, total antioxidative potential and also carries flavonoid and phenolics properties determines to querecetin and gallic acid equivalence, respectively. It can be concluded that PVP and PEG capped CuO NPs are more capable to be used in biomedical applications as drug and diagnostic carrier molecules.

Synthesis, characterization, semi-empirical study, and biological activities of organotin(IV) and transition metal complexes with o-methyl carbonodithioate

Three transition metal and six organotin(IV) complexes have been synthesized by treating potassium o-methyl carbonodithioate with ZnCl2/CdCl2/HgCl2 and R2SnCl2/R3SnCl under stirring. The complexes were characterized by IR, 1H, and 13C NMR spectroscopies. IR results show that the ligand is bidentate in 1–3 while monodentate in 4–9, which is also confirmed by semi-empirical study. NMR data reveal four-coordinate geometry in solution. HOMO–LUMO study shows that 7 and 9 are thermodynamically unstable. The enzyme inhibition study shows that 1 is a potent inhibitor of ALP, EC 3.1.3.1, resulting in very slow rate of formation and breakdown of enzyme–substrate complex. UV/visible spectroscopy was used to assess the mode of interaction and binding of the complexes with DNA which shows that 9 exhibits higher binding constant when compared to 6. In protein kinase inhibition assay, 1 was active, while antifungal activity shows that organotin(IV) complexes are more active than transition metal complexes. Graphical Abstract

Quercus dilatata Lindl. ex Royle ameliorates BPA induced hepatotoxicity in Sprague Dawley rats

Quercus dilatata Lindl. ex Royle was evaluated for in vitro polyphenol content and antioxidant potential as well as in vivo protective role against bisphenol A (BPA) induced hepatotoxicity. The distilled water-acetone (QDDAE) and methanol-ethyl acetate (QDMEtE) extracts were standardized and administered in high (300 mg/kg body weight (BW) and low (150 mg/kg BW) doses to Sprague Dawley rats, injected with BPA (25 mg/kg BW). Silymarin (50 mg/kg BW) was used as positive control. Subsequently, blood and liver homogenates were collected after four weeks of treatment, and the defensive effects of both extracts against oxidative damage and genotoxicity were assessed via hematological and biochemical investigations, determination of endogenous expression of enzymes as well as levels of free radicals and comet assay. Between the two extracts, maximum phenolics (213 ± 0.15 μg gallic acid equivalent/mg dry extract (DE) and flavonoids (55.6 ± 0.16 μg quercetin equivalent/mg DE) content, DPPH scavenging activity (IC50: 8.1 ± 0.5 μg/ml), antioxidant capacity (53.7 ± 0.98 μg ascorbic acid equivalent (AAE)/mg DE) and reducing potential (228.4 ± 2.4 μg AAE/mg DE) were observed in QDMEtE. In in vivo analysis, a dose dependent hepatoprotective activity was exhibited by both the extracts. QDDAE demonstrated maximum reduction in levels of alanine transaminase (49.77 ± 3.83 U/l), thiobarbituric acid reactant substances (33.46 ± 0.70 nM/min/mg protein), hydrogen peroxide (18.08 ± 0.01 ng/mg tissue) and nitrite (55.64 ± 1.79 μM/ml), along with decline in erythrocyte sedimentation rate (4.13 ± 0.072 mm/h), histopathological injuries and DNA damage in BPA intoxicated rats as compared with QDMEtE. Likewise, QDDAE also significantly restored activity levels of endogenous antioxidants, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (POD) and GSH with values of 6.46 ± 0.15 U/mg protein, 6.87 ± 0.1 U/min, 11.94 ± 0.17 U/min and 16.86 ± 1.56 nM/min/mg protein, respectively. Comparative results were obtained for QDMEtE. In conclusion, the present study endorses the significant hepatoprotective potential of standardized extracts of Q. dilatata with known polyphenolics content and validates the traditional use of this plant in natural medicine to manage disorders like hepatotoxicity.

Onosma bracteatum Wall and Commiphora stocksiana Engl extracts generate oxidative stress in Brassica napus: An allelopathic perspective

Abstract The use of synthetic chemicals as herbicides for crop protection is a big threat due to toxicity, non-degradability, and negative impact on environment. Onosma bracteatum leaves and flowers, and Commiphora stocksiana Engl bark ethanolic extracts are evaluated for allelopathic potential against Brassica napus, a model plant. Complete allelopathic tendency was depicted by crude extract of O. bracteatum leaves and partial trend by flower and C. stocksiana extracts. B. napus seed germination efficiency and plant architecture is adversely influenced by the presence of plants extracts. The antioxidative analysis of Brassica plants depicts that extracts in the growth environment produces oxidative stress that eventually increased free radical scavenging activity, total antioxidative potential, and reducing power capability. Though Brassica plants produced phenolics and flavonoids to combat the oxidative stress but at insufficient concentration. Based on the findings, it can be concluded that the plants extracts produce oxidative stress to the seedlings and plants that eventually results in toxicity and allelopathic effect. Furthermore O. bracteatum can be a good candidate for natural herbicide either in form of extracts or the allelopathic compounds isolated from this plant species, which can be used as replacement of expensive and harmful synthetic herbicide.

Polyphenolic profiling of Ipomoea carnea Jacq. by HPLC-DAD and its implications in oxidative stress and cancer

Abstract Ipomoea carnea Jacq. is an important folklore medicinal plant, assessed for its underexplored biological potential. Antioxidant, cytotoxic, antiproliferative and polyphenolic profile of whole plant was evaluated using various techniques. Maximum extract recovery (29% w/w), phenolic [13.54 ± 0.27 μg GAE/mg dry weight (DW)] and flavonoid (2.11 ± 0.10 μg QE /mg DW) content were recorded in methanol-distilled water (1:1) flower extract. HPLC-DAD analysis quantified substantial amount of six different polyphenols ranging from 0.081 to 37.95 μg/mg extract. Maximum total antioxidant and reducing potential were documented in methanol-distilled water and acetone-distilled water flower extracts (42.62 ± 0.47 and 24.38 ± 0.39 μg AAE/mg DW) respectively. Ethanol-chloroform root extract manifested highest free radical scavenging (IC50 of 61.22 μg/mL) while 94.64% of the extracts showed cytotoxicity against brine shrimps. Ethanol leaf extract exhibited remarkable activity against THP-1 cell line (IC50 = 8 ± 0.05 μg/mL) and protein kinases (31 mm phenotype bald zone).

Correction to: Implication of OPRM1 A118G Polymorphism in Opioids Addicts in Pakistan: In vitro and In silico Analysis

The original version of this article is missing the Acknowledgments section.