Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 33 in total

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  1. Khan R, Anwar F, Ghazali FM
    Heliyon, 2024 Apr 30;10(8):e28361.
    PMID: 38628751 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e28361
    Mycotoxins, harmful compounds produced by fungal pathogens, pose a severe threat to food safety and consumer health. Some commonly produced mycotoxins such as aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, fumonisins, trichothecenes, zearalenone, and patulin have serious health implications in humans and animals. Mycotoxin contamination is particularly concerning in regions heavily reliant on staple foods like grains, cereals, and nuts. Preventing mycotoxin contamination is crucial for a sustainable food supply. Chromatographic methods like thin layer chromatography (TLC), gas chromatography (GC), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and liquid chromatography coupled with a mass spectrometer (LC/MS), are commonly used to detect mycotoxins; however, there is a need for on-site, rapid, and cost-effective detection methods. Currently, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), lateral flow assays (LFAs), and biosensors are becoming popular analytical tools for rapid detection. Meanwhile, preventing mycotoxin contamination is crucial for food safety and a sustainable food supply. Physical, chemical, and biological approaches have been used to inhibit fungal growth and mycotoxin production. However, new strains resistant to conventional methods have led to the exploration of novel strategies like cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) technology, polyphenols and flavonoids, magnetic materials and nanoparticles, and natural essential oils (NEOs). This paper reviews recent scientific research on mycotoxin toxicity, explores advancements in detecting mycotoxins in various foods, and evaluates the effectiveness of innovative mitigation strategies for controlling and detoxifying mycotoxins.
  2. Anwar F, Saleem U, Rehman AU, Ahmad B, Ismail T, Mirza MU, et al.
    Front Pharmacol, 2021;12:810704.
    PMID: 35126145 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.810704
    The U.S. National Research Council (NRC) introduced new approaches to report toxicity studies. The NRC vision is to explore the toxicity pathways leading to the adverse effects in intact organisms by the exposure of the chemicals. This study examines the toxicity profiling of the naphthalene-2-yl 2-chloro-5-dinitrobenzoate (SF5) by adopting the vision of NRC that moves from traditional animal studies to the cellular pathways. Acute, subacute, and developmental toxicity studies were assayed according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) guidelines. The stress response pathway, toxicity pathway, and adverse effects outcome parameters were analyzed by using their standard protocols. The results showed that the acute toxicity study increases the liver enzyme levels. In a subacute toxicity study, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels were raised in both male and female animals. SF5 significantly increases the normal sperm count in the male animals corresponding to a decrease in the abnormality count. Developmental toxicity showed the normal skeletal and morphological parameters, except little hydrocephalus was observed in developmental toxicity. Doses of 20 mg/kg in males and 4 mg/kg in females showed decreased glutathione (GSH) levels in the kidney and liver. MDA levels were also increased in the kidney and liver. However, histopathological studies did not show any cellular change in these organs. No statistical difference was observed in histamine levels, testosterone, nuclear factor erythroid two-related factor-2 (Nrf2), and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), which showed no initiation of the stress response, toxicity, and adverse effect pathways. Immunomodulation was observed at low doses in subacute toxicity studies. It was concluded that SF5 did not produce abrupt and high-toxicity levels in organs and biochemical parameters. So, it is safe for further studies.
  3. Rasul R, Mahmood T, Ayub K, Joya KS, Anwar F, Saari N, et al.
    Heliyon, 2023 Nov;9(11):e21508.
    PMID: 38027972 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e21508
    In the ongoing pursuit of novel and efficient NLO materials, the potential of alkali metal-doped {6}cycloparaphenylene ({6}CPP) and methylene bridged {6} cycloparaphenylene (MB{6}CPP) nanohoops as excellent NLO candidates has been explored. The geometric, electronic, linear, and nonlinear optical properties of designed systems have been investigated theoretically. All the nanohoops demonstrated thermodynamic stability, with remarkable interaction energies reaching up to -1.39 eV (-0.0511 au). Notably, the introduction of alkali metals led to a significant reduction in the HOMO-LUMO energy gaps, with values as low as 2.92 eV, compared to 6.80 eV and 6.06 eV for undoped {6}CPP and MB{6}CPP, respectively. Moreover, the alkali metal-doped nanohoops exhibited exceptional NLO response, with the K@r6-{6}CPP complex achieving the highest first hyperpolarizability of 56,221.7 × 10-30 esu. Additionally, the frequency-dependent first hyperpolarizability values are also computed at two commonly used wavelengths of 1550 nm and 1907 nm, respectively. These findings highlight the potential of designed nanohoops as promising candidates for advanced NLO materials with high-tech applications.
  4. Ullah S, Khalid R, Rehman MF, Irfan MI, Abbas A, Alhoshani A, et al.
    Front Chem, 2023;11:1202252.
    PMID: 37324561 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2023.1202252
    The green synthesis of nanomaterials is of utmost interest as it offers an eco-friendly approach over chemical synthetic routes. However, the reported biosynthesis methods are often time-consuming and require heating or mechanical stirring. The current study reports a facile one-pot biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) mediated by olive fruit extract (OFE) and sunlight irradiation of only 20 s. OFE acts as both a reducing and a capping agent for the formation of OFE-capped AgNPs (AgNPs@OFE). The as-synthesized NPs were systematically characterized by UV-vis spectrometry, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electrochemical microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and cyclic voltammetry. SEM images confirmed the successful formation of monodispersed spherical AgNPs@OFE of approximately 77 nm. FTIR spectroscopy suggested the involvement of functional groups of phytochemicals from the OFE in the capping and reduction of Ag+ to Ag. The particles revealed excellent colloidal stability as evidenced from the high zeta potential (ZP) value (-40 mV). Interestingly, using the disk diffusion method, AgNPs@OFE revealed higher inhibition efficiency against Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella oxytoca, and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Salmonella typhi) than Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus), with Escherichia coli showing the highest inhibition zone of 27 mm. In addition, AgNPs@OFE exhibited maximum potent antioxidant scavenging potential against H2O2, followed by DPPH, O2 -, and OH- free radicals. Overall, OFE can be considered an effective source for the sustainable production of stable AgNPs with potential antioxidant and antibacterial activities for biomedical applications.
  5. Zubair M, Anwar F, Ashraf M, Uddin MK
    Int J Mol Sci, 2012;13(4):4608-4622.
    PMID: 22605998 DOI: 10.3390/ijms13044608
    The present study reports the composition and variation of fatty acids, sterols, tocopherols and γ-oryzanol among selected varieties namely Basmati Super, Basmati 515, Basmati 198, Basmati 385, Basmati 2000, Basmati 370, Basmati Pak, KSK-139, KS-282 and Irri-6 of Pakistani rice (Oryza sativa L). Oil content extracted with n-hexane from different varieties of brown rice seed (unpolished rice) ranged from 1.92% to 2.72%. Total fatty acid contents among rice varieties tested varied between 18240 and 25840 mg/kg brown rice seed. The rice tested mainly contained oleic (6841-10952 mg/kg) linoleic (5453-7874 mg/kg) and palmitic acid (3613-5489 mg/kg). The amounts of total phytosterols (GC and GC-MS analysis), with main contribution from β-sitosterol (445-656 mg/kg), campesterol (116-242 mg/kg), Δ(5)-avenasterol (89-178 mg/kg) and stigmasterol (75-180 mg/kg) were established to be 739.4 to 1330.4 mg/kg rice seed. The content of α-, γ- and δ-tocopherols as analyzed by HPLC varied from 39.0-76.1, 21.6-28.1 and 6.5-16.5 mg/kg rice seed, respectively. The amounts of different γ-oryzanol components (HPLC data), identified as cycloartenyl ferulate, 24-methylene cycloartanyl ferulate, campesteryl ferulate and β-sitosteryl ferulate, were in the range of 65.5-103.6, 140.2-183.1, 29.8-45.5 and 8.6-10.4 mg/kg rice seed, respectively. Overall, the concentration of these bioactives was higher in the Basmati rice cultivars showing their functional food superiority. In conclusion, the tested varieties of Pakistani rice, especially the Basmati cultivars, can provide best ingredients for functional foods.
  6. Tabassam, Q., Mehmood, T., Anwar, F., Saari, N., Qadir, R.
    MyJurnal
    The present work studies the profiling of phenolic bioactive and in vitro biological (anticancer, antioxidant, and antimicrobial) activities of different solvent extracts from Withania
    somnifera fruit. Anticancer activity was performed using potato-disc assay and Agrobacterium tumefaciens. While antibacterial and antifungal evaluation was done by using disc diffusion method against bacterial (Staphylococcus aureus, S. epidermidis, Escherichia coli, and
    Klebsiella pneumonia) and fungal (Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium oxysporum) strains.
    Among different extraction solvents used, n-hexane extract exhibited the highest inhibition of
    tumour initiation (64%), whereas ethyl acetate (15%) was the lowest by using potato-disc
    assay. Highest total phenolic and total flavonoid contents were noted for methanolic (69.10
    GAE mg/g DW%) and n-hexane (29.45 CE mg/g DW%) extracts, respectively. For antioxidant potential, 2,2,1-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging (IC50) and reducing power EC50 were noted to be superior (0.6 and 2.0 mg/mL, respectively) for n-hexane
    extract. All the tested extracts showed considerable antibacterial and antifungal activity with
    the highest growth inhibition zones for K. pneumoniae (31.70 mm) and A. flavus (27.09 mm)
    were shown by n-hexane extract. High Performance Liquid Chromatographic (HPLC) analysis of individual phenolics (gallic acid, 2,288.48 mg/kg) indicated the highest contents of these
    compounds in n-hexane extract, which might explain the potent biological activities of this
    extract. Our findings revealed that the bioactive present in the tested fruit had significant
    potential as anticancer, antibacterial, and antifungal agents. Further studies are needed to
    elucidate the mechanism of actions of isolated bioactive against specific diseases such as
    cancer, especially in the case of n-hexane fraction.
  7. Sahib NG, Anwar F, Gilani AH, Hamid AA, Saari N, Alkharfy KM
    Phytother Res, 2013 Oct;27(10):1439-56.
    PMID: 23281145 DOI: 10.1002/ptr.4897
    Coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.), a herbal plant, belonging to the family Apiceae, is valued for its culinary and medicinal uses. All parts of this herb are in use as flavoring agent and/or as traditional remedies for the treatment of different disorders in the folk medicine systems of different civilizations. The plant is a potential source of lipids (rich in petroselinic acid) and an essential oil (high in linalool) isolated from the seeds and the aerial parts. Due to the presence of a multitude of bioactives, a wide array of pharmacological activities have been ascribed to different parts of this herb, which include anti-microbial, anti-oxidant, anti-diabetic, anxiolytic, anti-epileptic, anti-depressant, anti-mutagenic, anti-inflammatory, anti-dyslipidemic, anti-hypertensive, neuro-protective and diuretic. Interestingly, coriander also possessed lead-detoxifying potential. This review focuses on the medicinal uses, detailed phytochemistry, and the biological activities of this valuable herb to explore its potential uses as a functional food for the nutraceutical industry.
  8. Shofian NM, Hamid AA, Osman A, Saari N, Anwar F, Dek MS, et al.
    Int J Mol Sci, 2011;12(7):4678-92.
    PMID: 21845104 DOI: 10.3390/ijms12074678
    The effects of freeze-drying on antioxidant compounds and antioxidant activity of five tropical fruits, namely starfruit (Averrhoa carambola L.), mango (Mangifera indica L.), papaya (Carica papaya L.), muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.), and watermelon Citruluss lanatus (Thunb.) were investigated. Significant (p < 0.05) differences, for the amounts of total phenolic compounds (TPC), were found between the fresh and freeze-dried fruit samples, except muskmelon. There was no significant (p > 0.05) change, however, observed in the ascorbic acid content of the fresh and freeze-dried fruits. Similarly, freeze-drying did not exert any considerable effect on β-carotene concentration of fruits, except for mango and watermelon, where significantly (p < 0.05) higher levels were detected in the fresh samples. The results of DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging and reducing power assays revealed that fresh samples of starfruit and mango had relatively higher antioxidant activity. In case of linoleic acid peroxidation inhibition measurement, a significant (p < 0.05) but random variation was recorded between the fresh and freeze-dried fruits. Overall, in comparison to β-carotene and ascorbic acid, a good correlation was established between the result of TPC and antioxidant assays, indicating that phenolics might have been the dominant compounds contributing towards the antioxidant activity of the fruits tested.
  9. Sallehuddin, N. A., Azizah Abdul Hamid, Salleh, S. Z., Nazia Abdul Majid, Hani Hafeeza Halim, Nurul Shazini Ramli, et al.
    MyJurnal
    In the present work, aqueous ethanolic (60% ethanol) extracts from selected Malaysian herbs
    including Murraya koenigii L. Spreng, Lawsonia inermis L., Cosmos caudatus Kunth, Piper
    betle L., and P. sarmentosum Roxb. were evaluated for their ergogenic, anti-diabetic and
    antioxidant potentials. Results showed that the analysed herbs had ergogenic property and
    were able to activate 5'AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in a concentration dependant
    manner. The highest AMPK activation was exhibited by M. koenigii extract which showed no
    significant (p > 0.05) difference with green tea (positive control). For anti-diabetic potential,
    the highest α-glucosidase inhibition was exhibited by M. koenigii extract with IC50 of 43.35
    ± 7.5 µg/mL, which was higher than acarbose (positive control). The determinations of free
    radical scavenging activity and total phenolics content (TPC) indicated that the analysed herbs
    had good antioxidant activity. However, C. caudatus extract showed superior antioxidant
    activity with IC50 against free radical and TPC of 21.12 ± 3.20 µg/mL and 221.61 ± 7.49 mg
    GAE/g, respectively. RP-HPLC analysis established the presence of flavonoids in the herbs
    wherein L. inermis contained the highest flavonoid (catechin, epicatechin, naringin and rutin)
    content (668.87 mg/kg of extract). Correlations between the analyses were conducted, and
    revealed incoherent trends. Overall, M. koenigii was noted to be the most potent herb for
    enhancement of AMPK activity and α-glucosidase inhibition but exhibited moderate antioxidant activity. These results revealed that the selected herbs could be potential sources of
    natural ergogenic and anti-diabetic/antioxidant agents due to their rich profile of phenolics.
    Further analysis in vivo should be carried out to further elucidate the mechanism of actions of
    these herbs as ergogenic aids and anti-diabetic/antioxidant agents.
  10. Younas A, Naqvi SA, Khan MR, Shabbir MA, Jatoi MA, Anwar F, et al.
    J Food Biochem, 2020 09;44(9):e13332.
    PMID: 32588917 DOI: 10.1111/jfbc.13332
    Date palm counts among the oldest fruit crops of the world and is mainly cultivated for its highly nutritious fruits consumed as a staple food in many countries, especially in the Gulf region. Dates are enriched with numerous therapeutic bioactives and functional compounds such as phenolics, flavonols, carotenoids, minerals, and vitamins that not only provide an appreciable amount of energy required for the human body but also act as an effective therapeutic agent against several diseases. This review aimed to provide a deep insight into the nutritional as well as phytochemicals profile of date fruit and its seeds in order to explore their biological (anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, cardio-protective, anti-inflammatory properties), functional food, and nutra-pharmaceutical attributes. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: This review provides updated information regarding the date fruits and seeds phytochemicals composition together with highlighting dates potential as a natural therapeutic agent against several diseases. The study also urges the importance of consuming dates as a great package to live a healthy life due to the functional food and nutraceutical properties of this valuable fruit. The study also provides information first time as recommending dates to cope with the hidden hunger or micronutrient deficiency faced by the third world inhabitants. Hence, the review may further help the industry and researchers to explore the potential of dates for future medicinal and nutra-pharmaceutical applications.
  11. Saadi S, Saari N, Ghazali HM, Abdulkarim SM, Hamid AA, Anwar F
    J Proteomics, 2022 Jan 16;251:104395.
    PMID: 34673267 DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2021.104395
    Glutens are potential proteins with multifunctional therapeutic effects. Their covalence network structures with and without protease inhibitors are expected to enhance or to serve further properties and further technological points such as increased bioactive surfaces, gelatinization, gelation and pasting properties. The depletion of the allergic peptide sequences of gluten proteins comprising sometimes protease inhibitors are valid via the enzymatic ingestion using proteolytic enzymes that might enhance these functional and technological processes by producing active peptides having osmoregulation and regular glass transitions, surface activity for coating and encapsulation properties. In addition to further therapeutic functions such as immunoregulatory, antithrombin and opioidal activities, particularly in eradicating most of the free radicals, suppressing diabetes Mellitus II complications and inhibiting angiotensin converting enzyme cardiovascular growth diseases.
  12. Amin M, Anwar F, Janjua MRSA, Iqbal MA, Rashid U
    Int J Mol Sci, 2012;13(8):9923-9941.
    PMID: 22949839 DOI: 10.3390/ijms13089923
    A green synthesis route for the production of silver nanoparticles using methanol extract from Solanum xanthocarpum berry (SXE) is reported in the present investigation. Silver nanoparticles (AgNps), having a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) band centered at 406 nm, were synthesized by reacting SXE (as capping as well as reducing agent) with AgNO(3) during a 25 min process at 45 °C. The synthesized AgNps were characterized using UV-Visible spectrophotometry, powdered X-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results showed that the time of reaction, temperature and volume ratio of SXE to AgNO(3) could accelerate the reduction rate of Ag(+) and affect the AgNps size and shape. The nanoparticles were found to be about 10 nm in size, mono-dispersed in nature, and spherical in shape. In vitro anti-Helicobacter pylori activity of synthesized AgNps was tested against 34 clinical isolates and two reference strains of Helicobacter pylori by the agar dilution method and compared with AgNO(3) and four standard drugs, namely amoxicillin (AMX), clarithromycin (CLA), metronidazole (MNZ) and tetracycline (TET), being used in anti-H. pylori therapy. Typical AgNps sample (S1) effectively inhibited the growth of H. pylori, indicating a stronger anti-H. pylori activity than that of AgNO(3) or MNZ, being almost equally potent to TET and less potent than AMX and CLA. AgNps under study were found to be equally efficient against the antibiotic-resistant and antibiotic-susceptible strains of H. pylori. Besides, in the H. pylori urease inhibitory assay, S1 also exhibited a significant inhibition. Lineweaver-Burk plots revealed that the mechanism of inhibition was noncompetitive.
  13. Bordbar S, Anwar F, Saari N
    Mar Drugs, 2011;9(10):1761-805.
    PMID: 22072996 DOI: 10.3390/md9101761
    Sea cucumbers, belonging to the class Holothuroidea, are marine invertebrates, habitually found in the benthic areas and deep seas across the world. They have high commercial value coupled with increasing global production and trade. Sea cucumbers, informally named as bêche-de-mer, or gamat, have long been used for food and folk medicine in the communities of Asia and Middle East. Nutritionally, sea cucumbers have an impressive profile of valuable nutrients such as Vitamin A, Vitamin B1 (thiamine), Vitamin B2 (riboflavin), Vitamin B3 (niacin), and minerals, especially calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc. A number of unique biological and pharmacological activities including anti-angiogenic, anticancer, anticoagulant, anti-hypertension, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antithrombotic, antitumor and wound healing have been ascribed to various species of sea cucumbers. Therapeutic properties and medicinal benefits of sea cucumbers can be linked to the presence of a wide array of bioactives especially triterpene glycosides (saponins), chondroitin sulfates, glycosaminoglycan (GAGs), sulfated polysaccharides, sterols (glycosides and sulfates), phenolics, cerberosides, lectins, peptides, glycoprotein, glycosphingolipids and essential fatty acids. This review is mainly designed to cover the high-value components and bioactives as well as the multiple biological and therapeutic properties of sea cucumbers with regard to exploring their potential uses for functional foods and nutraceuticals.
  14. Mumtaz A, Ashfaq UA, Ul Qamar MT, Anwar F, Gulzar F, Ali MA, et al.
    Nat Prod Res, 2017 Jun;31(11):1228-1236.
    PMID: 27681445 DOI: 10.1080/14786419.2016.1233409
    Medicinal plants are the main natural pools for the discovery and development of new drugs. In the modern era of computer-aided drug designing (CADD), there is need of prompt efforts to design and construct useful database management system that allows proper data storage, retrieval and management with user-friendly interface. An inclusive database having information about classification, activity and ready-to-dock library of medicinal plant's phytochemicals is therefore required to assist the researchers in the field of CADD. The present work was designed to merge activities of phytochemicals from medicinal plants, their targets and literature references into a single comprehensive database named as Medicinal Plants Database for Drug Designing (MPD3). The newly designed online and downloadable MPD3 contains information about more than 5000 phytochemicals from around 1000 medicinal plants with 80 different activities, more than 900 literature references and 200 plus targets. The designed database is deemed to be very useful for the researchers who are engaged in medicinal plants research, CADD and drug discovery/development with ease of operation and increased efficiency. The designed MPD3 is a comprehensive database which provides most of the information related to the medicinal plants at a single platform. MPD3 is freely available at: http://bioinform.info .
  15. Tahir Ul Qamar M, Shokat Z, Muneer I, Ashfaq UA, Javed H, Anwar F, et al.
    Vaccines (Basel), 2020 Jun 08;8(2).
    PMID: 32521680 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines8020288
    Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is primarily associated with respiratory disorders globally. Despite the availability of information, there is still no competitive vaccine available for RSV. Therefore, the present study has been designed to develop a multiepitope-based subunit vaccine (MEV) using a reverse vaccinology approach to curb RSV infections. Briefly, two highly antigenic and conserved proteins of RSV (glycoprotein and fusion protein) were selected and potential epitopes of different categories (B-cell and T-cell) were identified from them. Eminently antigenic and overlapping epitopes, which demonstrated strong associations with their respective human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles and depicted collective ~70% coverage of the world's populace, were shortlisted. Finally, 282 amino acids long MEV construct was established by connecting 13 major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class-I with two MHC class-II epitopes with appropriate adjuvant and linkers. Adjuvant and linkers were added to increase the immunogenic stimulation of the MEV. Developed MEV was stable, soluble, non-allergenic, non-toxic, flexible and highly antigenic. Furthermore, molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations analyses were carried out. Results have shown a firm and robust binding affinity of MEV with human pathogenic toll-like receptor three (TLR3). The computationally mediated immune response of MEV demonstrated increased interferon-γ production, a significant abundance of immunoglobulin and activation of macrophages which are essential for immune-response against RSV. Moreover, MEV codons were optimized and in silico cloning was performed, to ensure its increased expression. These outcomes proposed that the MEV developed in this study will be a significant candidate against RSV to control and prevent RSV-related disorders if further investigated experimentally.
  16. Anwar F, Saleem U, Ahmad B, Ashraf M, Rehman AU, Froeyen M, et al.
    Comput Biol Chem, 2020 Dec;89:107378.
    PMID: 33002716 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiolchem.2020.107378
    Neurodegenerative diseases have complex etiology and pose a challenge to scientists to develop simple and cost-effective synthetic compounds as potential drug candidates for such diseases. Here, we report an extension of our previously published in silico screening, where we selected four new compounds as AChE inhibitors. Further, based on favorable binding possess, MD simulation and MMGBSA, two most promising compounds (3a and 3b) were selected, keeping in view the ease of synthesis and cost-effectiveness. Due to the critical role of BChE, LOX and α-glucosidase in neurodegeneration, the selected compounds were also screened against these enzymes. The IC50 values of 3a against AChE and BChE found to be 12.53 and 352.42 μM, respectively. Moderate to slight inhibitions of 45.26 % and 28.68 % were presented by 3a against LOX and α-glucosidase, respectively, at 0.5 mM. Insignificant inhibitions were observed with 3b against the four selected enzymes. Further, in vivo trial demonstrated that 3a could significantly diminish AChE levels in the mice brain as compared to the control. These findings were in agreement with the histopathological analysis of the brain tissues. The results corroborate that selected compounds could serve as a potential lead for further development and optimization as AChE inhibitors to achieve cost-effective anti-Alzheimer's drugs.
  17. Aziz T, Qadir R, Anwar F, Naz S, Nazir N, Nabi G, et al.
    PMID: 38386143 DOI: 10.1007/s12010-024-04875-w
    This research work seeks to evaluate the impact of selected enzyme complexes on the optimised release of phenolics from leaves of Pongamia pinnata. After preliminary solvent extraction, the P. pinnata leaf extract was subjected to enzymatic treatment, using enzyme cocktails such as kemzyme dry-plus, natuzyme, and zympex-014. It was noticed that zympex-014 had a greater extract yield (28.0%) than kemzyme dry-plus (17.0%) and natuzyme (18.0%). Based on the better outcomes, zympex-014-based extract values were subsequently applied to several RSM parameters. The selected model is suggested to be significant by the F value (12.50) and R2 value (0.9669). The applicability of the ANN model was shown by how closely the projected values from the ANN were to the experimental values. In terms of total phenolic contents (18.61 mg GAE/g), total flavonoid contents (12.56 mg CE/g), and DPPH test (IC50) (6.5 g/mL), antioxidant activities also shown significant findings. SEM analysis also revealed that the cell walls were damaged during enzymatic hydrolysis, as opposed to non-hydrolysed material. Using GC-MS, five potent phenolic compounds were identified in P. pinnata extract. According to the findings of this study, the recovery of phenolic bioactives and subsequent increase in the antioxidant capacity of P. pinnata leaf extract were both positively impacted by the optimisation approaches suggested, including the use of zympex-014.
  18. Umar U, Ahmed S, Iftikhar A, Iftikhar M, Majeed W, Liaqat A, et al.
    Molecules, 2023 Jul 17;28(14).
    PMID: 37513325 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28145453
    Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder defined as hyperglycemia and pancreatic β-cell deterioration, leading to other complications such as cardiomyopathy. The current study assessed the therapeutic effects of phenolic acids extracted from Jasminum sambac phenols of leaves (JSP) against diabetes-induced cardiomyopathy in rats. The rats were divided into four groups, with each group consisting of 20 rats. The rats were given intraperitoneal injections of alloxan monohydrate (150 mg/kg) to induce diabetes. The diabetes-induced groups (III and IV) received treatment for six weeks that included 250 and 500 mg/kg of JSP extract, respectively. In the treated rats, the results demonstrated that JSP extract restored fasting glucose, serum glucose, and hyperlipidemia. Alloxan induced cardiomyopathy, promoted oxidative stress, and altered cardiac function biomarkers, including cardiac troponin I, proBNP, CK-MB, LDH, and IMA. The JSP extract-treated rats showed improved cardiac function indicators, apoptosis, and oxidative stress. In diabetic rats, the mRNA expression of caspase-3, BAX, and Bcl-2 was significantly higher, while Bcl-2, Nrf-2, and HO-,1 was significantly lower. In the treated groups, the expression levels of the BAX, Nrf-2, HO-1, Caspase-3, and Bcl-2 genes were dramatically returned to normal level. According to our findings, the JSP extract prevented cardiomyopathy and heart failure in the hyperglycemic rats by improving cardiac biomarkers and lowering the levels of hyperlipidemia, oxidative stress, apoptosis, hyperglycemia, and hyperlipidemia.
  19. Zahoor S, Anwar F, Qadir R, Soufan W, Sakran M
    ACS Omega, 2023 Jun 27;8(25):22613-22622.
    PMID: 37396275 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c01155
    The current study appraises the variations in the yield and physicochemical and antioxidant attributes among kernel oils from the seven most widely consumed varieties of Pakistani mangoes, namely, Anwar Ratul, Dasehri, Fajri, Laal Badshah, Langra, Safed Chaunsa, and Sindhri. The yield of mango kernel oil (MKO) among the tested varieties of mangoes varied significantly (p < 0.05), ranging from 6.33% (Sindhri) to 9.88% (Dasehri). Physicochemical properties, including the saponification value, refractive index, iodine no., P.V, % acid value, free fatty acids, and unsaponifiable matter, for MKOs were noted to be 143.00-207.10 mg KOH/g, 1.443-1.457, 28.00-36.00 g/100 g, 5.5-2.0 meq/kg, 1.00-7.7%, 0.5-3.9 mg/g, and 1.2-3.3%, respectively. The fatty acid composition determined by GC-TIC-MS revealed the presence of 15 different fatty acids with variable contributions of saturated (41.92-52.86%) and unsaturated (47.140-58.08%) fatty acids. Among unsaturated fatty acids, values of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids ranged from 41.92 to 52.85 and 7.72 to 16.47%, respectively. Oleic acid (25.69-48.57%), stearic acid (24.71-38.53%), linoleic acid (7.72-16.47%), and palmitic acid (10.00-13.26%) were the prominent fatty acids. The total phenolic content (TPC) and DPPH radical scavenging (IC50) capacity of MKOs varied from 7.03 to 11.00 mg GAE/g and 4.33 to 8.32 mg/mL, respectively. The results of most of the tested attributes varied significantly (p < 0.05) among the varieties selected. It can be concluded from the findings of this research work that MKOs from the tested varieties are potential sources of valuable ingredients for the development of nutrapharmaceuticals due to their potent antioxidant properties and high oleic fatty acid profile.
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