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Fulltext Cardioprotective effects of arjunolic acid in LPS-stimulated H9C2 and C2C12 myotubes via the My88-dependent TLR4 signaling pathway

Hasan MM, Madhavan P, Ahmad Noruddin NA, Lau WK, Ahmed QU, Arya A, et al.

Pharm Biol, 2023 Dec;61(1):1135-1151.
PMID: 37497554 DOI: 10.1080/13880209.2023.2230251

CONTEXT: Arjunolic acid (AA) is a triterpenoid saponin found in Terminalia arjuna (Roxb.) Wight & Arn. (Combretaceae). It exerts cardiovascular protective effects as a phytomedicine. However, it is unclear how AA exerts the effects at the molecular level.
OBJECTIVE: This study investigates the cardioprotective effects of arjunolic acid (AA) via MyD88-dependant TLR4 downstream signaling marker expression.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: The MTT viability assay was used to assess the cytotoxicity of AA. LPS induced in vitro cardiovascular disease model was developed in H9C2 and C2C12 myotubes. The treatment groups were designed such as control (untreated), LPS control, positive control (LPS + pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC)-25 µM), and treatment groups were co-treated with LPS and three concentrations of AA (50, 75, and 100 µM) for 24 h. The changes in the expression of TLR4 downstream signaling markers were evaluated through High Content Screening (HCS) and Western Blot (WB) analysis.
RESULTS: After 24 h of co-treatment, the expression of TLR4, MyD88, MAPK, JNK, and NF-κB markers were upregulated significantly (2-6 times) in the LPS-treated groups compared to the untreated control in both HCS and WB experiments. Evidently, the HCS analysis revealed that MyD88, NF-κB, p38, and JNK were significantly downregulated in the H9C2 myotube in the AA treated groups. In HCS, the expression of NF-κB was downregulated in C2C12. Additionally, TLR4 expression was downregulated in both H9C2 and C2C12 myotubes in the WB experiment.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: TLR4 marker expression in H9C2 and C2C12 myotubes was subsequently decreased by AA treatment, suggesting possible cardioprotective effects of AA.
Fulltext Flavonoids from Tetracera indica Merr. induce adipogenesis and exert glucose uptake activities in 3T3-L1 adipocyte cells

Hasan MM, Ahmed QU, Soad SZM, Latip J, Taher M, Syafiq TMF, et al.

BMC Complement Altern Med, 2017 Aug 30;17(1):431.
PMID: 28854906 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-017-1929-3

BACKGROUND: Tetracera indica Merr. (Family: Dilleniaceae), known to the Malay as 'Mempelas paya', is one of the medicinal plants used in the treatment of diabetes in Malaysia. However, no proper scientific study has been carried out to verify the traditional claim of T. indica as an antidiabetic agent. Hence, the aims of the present study were to determine the in vitro antidiabetic potential of the T. indica stems ethanol extract, subfractions and isolated compounds.
METHODS: The ethanol extract and its subfractions, and isolated compounds from T. indica stems were subjected to cytotoxicity test using MTT viability assay on 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes. Then, the test groups were subjected to the in vitro antidiabetic investigation using 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes and differentiated adipocytes to determine the insulin-like and insulin sensitizing activities. Rosiglitazone was used as a standard antidiabetic agent. All compounds were also subjected to fluorescence glucose (2-NBDG) uptake test on differentiated adipocytes. Test solutions were introduced to the cells in different safe concentrations as well as in different adipogenic cocktails, which were modified by the addition of compounds to be investigated and in the presence or absence of insulin. Isolation of bioactive compounds from the most effective subfraction (ethyl acetate) was performed through repeated silica gel and sephadex LH-20 column chromatographies and their structures were elucidated through (1)H-and (13)C-NMR spectroscopy.
RESULTS: Four monoflavonoids, namely, wogonin, norwogonin, quercetin and techtochrysin were isolated from the T. indica stems ethanol extract. Wogonin, norwogonin and techtochrysin induced significant (P
Fulltext Global injury morbidity and mortality from 1990 to 2017: results from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017

James SL, Castle CD, Dingels ZV, Fox JT, Hamilton EB, Liu Z, et al.

Inj Prev, 2020 10;26(Supp 1):i96-i114.
PMID: 32332142 DOI: 10.1136/injuryprev-2019-043494

BACKGROUND: Past research in population health trends has shown that injuries form a substantial burden of population health loss. Regular updates to injury burden assessments are critical. We report Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2017 Study estimates on morbidity and mortality for all injuries.
METHODS: We reviewed results for injuries from the GBD 2017 study. GBD 2017 measured injury-specific mortality and years of life lost (YLLs) using the Cause of Death Ensemble model. To measure non-fatal injuries, GBD 2017 modelled injury-specific incidence and converted this to prevalence and years lived with disability (YLDs). YLLs and YLDs were summed to calculate disability-adjusted life years (DALYs).
FINDINGS: In 1990, there were 4 260 493 (4 085 700 to 4 396 138) injury deaths, which increased to 4 484 722 (4 332 010 to 4 585 554) deaths in 2017, while age-standardised mortality decreased from 1079 (1073 to 1086) to 738 (730 to 745) per 100 000. In 1990, there were 354 064 302 (95% uncertainty interval: 338 174 876 to 371 610 802) new cases of injury globally, which increased to 520 710 288 (493 430 247 to 547 988 635) new cases in 2017. During this time, age-standardised incidence decreased non-significantly from 6824 (6534 to 7147) to 6763 (6412 to 7118) per 100 000. Between 1990 and 2017, age-standardised DALYs decreased from 4947 (4655 to 5233) per 100 000 to 3267 (3058 to 3505).
INTERPRETATION: Injuries are an important cause of health loss globally, though mortality has declined between 1990 and 2017. Future research in injury burden should focus on prevention in high-burden populations, improving data collection and ensuring access to medical care.
Fulltext Evaluation of antioxidant compounds, antioxidant activities, and mineral composition of 13 collected purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.) accessions

Alam MA, Juraimi AS, Rafii MY, Abdul Hamid A, Aslani F, Hasan MM, et al.

Biomed Res Int, 2014;2014:296063.
PMID: 24579078 DOI: 10.1155/2014/296063

The methanolic extracts of 13 accessions of purslane were analyzed for their total phenol content (TPC), total flavonoid contents (TFC), and total carotenoid contents (TCC) and antioxidant activity of extracts was screened using FRAP assay and DPPH radical scavenging methods. The TPC, TFC, and TCC ranged from 0.96 ± 0.04 to 9.12 ± 0.29 mg GAE/g DW, 0.13 ± 0.04 to 1.44 ± 0.08 mg RE/g DW, and 0.52 ± 0.06 to 5.64 ± 0.09 mg (β-carotene equivalent) BCE/g DW, respectively. The DPPH scavenging (IC50) activity varied between 2.52 ± 0.03 mg/mL and 3.29 ± 0.01 mg/mL and FRAP ranged from 7.39 ± 0.08 to 104.2 ± 6.34 μmol TE/g DW. Among all the measured micro- and macrominerals K content was the highest followed by N, Na, Ca, Mg, P, Fe, Zn, and Mn. The overall findings proved that ornamental purslane was richer in antioxidant properties, whereas common purslane possesses more mineral contents than ornamental ones.
Fulltext Evaluating the Brexit and COVID-19's influence on the UK economy: A data analysis

Gupta R, Hasan MM, Islam SZ, Yasmin T, Uddin J

PLoS One, 2023;18(6):e0287342.
PMID: 37319267 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0287342

The economic landscape of the United Kingdom has been significantly shaped by the intertwined issues of Brexit, COVID-19, and their interconnected impacts. Despite the country's robust and diverse economy, the disruptions caused by Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic have created uncertainty and upheaval for both businesses and individuals. Recognizing the magnitude of these challenges, academic literature has directed its attention toward conducting immediate research in this crucial area. This study sets out to investigate key economic factors that have influenced various sectors of the UK economy and have broader economic implications within the context of Brexit and COVID-19. The factors under scrutiny include the unemployment rate, GDP index, earnings, and trade. To accomplish this, a range of data analysis tools and techniques were employed, including the Box-Jenkins method, neural network modeling, Google Trend analysis, and Twitter-sentiment analysis. The analysis encompassed different periods: pre-Brexit (2011-2016), Brexit (2016-2020), the COVID-19 period, and post-Brexit (2020-2021). The findings of the analysis offer intriguing insights spanning the past decade. For instance, the unemployment rate displayed a downward trend until 2020 but experienced a spike in 2021, persisting for a six-month period. Meanwhile, total earnings per week exhibited a gradual increase over time, and the GDP index demonstrated an upward trajectory until 2020 but declined during the COVID-19 period. Notably, trade experienced the most significant decline following both Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the impact of these events exhibited variations across the UK's four regions and twelve industries. Wales and Northern Ireland emerged as the regions most affected by Brexit and COVID-19, with industries such as accommodation, construction, and wholesale trade particularly impacted in terms of earnings and employment levels. Conversely, industries such as finance, science, and health demonstrated an increased contribution to the UK's total GDP in the post-Brexit period, indicating some positive outcomes. It is worth highlighting that the impact of these economic factors was more pronounced on men than on women. Among all the variables analyzed, trade suffered the most severe consequences in the UK. By early 2021, the macroeconomic situation in the country was characterized by a simple dynamic: economic demand rebounded at a faster pace than supply, leading to shortages, bottlenecks, and inflation. The findings of this research carry significant value for the UK government and businesses, empowering them to adapt and innovate based on forecasts to navigate the challenges posed by Brexit and COVID-19. By doing so, they can promote long-term economic growth and effectively address the disruptions caused by these interrelated issues.
Animal models and natural products to investigate in vivo and in vitro antidiabetic activity

Hasan MM, Ahmed QU, Mat Soad SZ, Tunna TS

Biomed Pharmacother, 2018 May;101:833-841.
PMID: 29635892 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2018.02.137

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease which has high prevalence. The deficiency in insulin production or impaired insulin function is the underlying cause of this disease. Utilization of plant sources as a cure of diabetes has rich evidence in the history. Recently, the traditional medicinal plants have been investigated scientifically to understand the underlying mechanism behind antidiabetic potential. In this regard, a substantial number of in vivo and in vitro models have been introduced for investigating the bottom-line mechanism of the antidiabetic effect. A good number of methods have been reported to be used successfully to determine antidiabetic effects of plant extracts or isolated compounds. This review encompasses all the possible methods with a list of medicinal plants which may contribute to discovering a novel drug to treat diabetes more efficaciously with the minimum or no side effects.
Baicalein as Promising Anticancer Agent: A Comprehensive Analysis on Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Perspectives

Morshed AKMH, Paul S, Hossain A, Basak T, Hossain MS, Hasan MM, et al.

Cancers (Basel), 2023 Apr 03;15(7).
PMID: 37046789 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15072128

Despite significant therapeutic advancements for cancer, an atrocious global burden (for example, health and economic) and radio- and chemo-resistance limit their effectiveness and result in unfavorable health consequences. Natural compounds are generally considered safer than synthetic drugs, and their use in cancer treatment alone, or in combination with conventional therapies, is increasingly becoming accepted. Interesting outcomes from pre-clinical trials using Baicalein in combination with conventional medicines have been reported, and some of them have also undergone clinical trials in later stages. As a result, we investigated the prospects of Baicalein, a naturally occurring substance extracted from the stems of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi and Oroxylum indicum Kurz, which targets a wide range of molecular changes that are involved in cancer development. In other words, this review is primarily driven by the findings from studies of Baicalein therapy in several cancer cell populations based on promising pre-clinical research. The modifications of numerous signal transduction mechanisms and transcriptional agents have been highlighted as the major players for Baicalein's anti-malignant properties at the micro level. These include AKT serine/threonine protein kinase B (AKT) as well as PI3K/Akt/mTOR, matrix metalloproteinases-2 & 9 (MMP-2 & 9), Wnt/-catenin, Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), NF-κB, Caspase-3/8/9, Smad4, Notch 1/Hes, Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/Kelch-like ECH-associated protein-1 (Keap 1), Adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), Src/Id1, ROS signaling, miR 183/ezrin, and Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling cascades. The promise of Baicalein as an anti-inflammatory to anti-apoptotic/anti-angiogenic/anti-metastatic medicinal element for treating various malignancies and its capability to inhibit malignant stem cells, evidence of synergistic effects, and design of nanomedicine-based drugs are altogether well supported by the data presented in this review study.
Fulltext A Compact Mu-Near-Zero Metamaterial Integrated Wideband High-Gain MIMO Antenna for 5G New Radio Applications

Hasan MM, Islam MT, Rahim SKA, Alam T, Rmili H, Alzamil A, et al.

Materials (Basel), 2023 Feb 20;16(4).
PMID: 36837381 DOI: 10.3390/ma16041751

This article demonstrates a compact wideband four-port multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) antenna system integrated with a wideband metamaterial (MM) to reach high gain for sub-6 GHz new radio (NR) 5G communication. The four antennas of the proposed MIMO system are orthogonally positioned to the adjacent antennas with a short interelement edge-to-edge distance (0.19λmin at 3.25 GHz), confirming compact size and wideband characteristics 55.2% (3.25-5.6 GHz). Each MIMO system component consists of a fractal slotted unique patch with a transmission feed line and a metal post-encased defected ground structure (DGS). The designed MIMO system is realized on a low-cost FR-4 printed material with a miniature size of 0.65λmin × 0.65λmin × 0.02λmin. A 6 × 6 array of double U-shaped resonator-based unique mu-near-zero (MNZ) wideband metamaterial reflector (MMR) is employed below the MIMO antenna with a 0.14λmin air gap, improving the gain by 2.8 dBi and manipulating the MIMO beam direction by 60°. The designed petite MIMO system with a MM reflector proposes a high peak gain of 7.1 dBi in comparison to recent relevant antennas with high isolation of 35 dB in the n77/n78/n79 bands. In addition, the proposed wideband MMR improves the MIMO diversity and radiation characteristics with an average total efficiency of 68% over the desired bands. The stated MIMO antenna system has an outstanding envelope correlation coefficient (ECC) of <0.045, a greater diversity gain (DG) of near 10 dB (>9.96 dB), a low channel capacity loss (CCL) of <0.35 b/s/Hz and excellent multiplexing efficiency (ME) of higher than -1.4 dB. The proposed MIMO concept is confirmed by fabricating and testing the developed MIMO structure. In contrast to the recent relevant works, the proposed antenna is compact in size, while maintaining high gain and wideband characteristics, with strong MIMO performance. Thus, the proposed concept could be a potential approach to the 5G MIMO antenna system.
Fulltext Melatonergic Receptors (Mt1/Mt2) as a Potential Additional Target of Novel Drugs for Depression

Boiko DI, Shkodina AD, Hasan MM, Bardhan M, Kazmi SK, Chopra H, et al.

Neurochem Res, 2022 Oct;47(10):2909-2924.
PMID: 35689787 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-022-03646-5

A complex pathogenesis involving several physiological systems is theorized to underline the development of depressive disorders. Depression is accompanied by circadian regulation disruption and interaction with the functioning of both central and peripheral oscillators. Many aspects of melatonin function unite these systems. The use of drugs for circadian rhythm disorders could inspire a potential treatment strategy for depression. Melatonin plays an essential role in the regulation of circadian rhythms. It exerts effect by activating two types of melatonin receptors, type 1A (MT1) and 1B (MT2). These are G-protein-coupled receptors, predominantly located in the central nervous system. MT1/MT2 agonists could be a useful treatment approach according to all three prevalent theories of the pathogenesis of depression involving either monoamines, synaptic remodeling, or immune/inflammatory events. MT1/MT2 receptors can be a potential target for novel antidepressants with impact on concentrations of neurotrophins or neurotransmitters, and reducing levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. There is an interesting cross-talk mediated via the physical association of melatonin and serotonin receptors into functional heteromers. The antidepressive and neurogenetic effects of MT1/MT2 agonists can also be caused by the inhibition of the acid sphingomyelinase, leading to reduced ceramide, or increasing monoamine oxidase A levels in the hippocampus. Compounds targeting MT1 and MT2 receptors could have potential for new anti-depressants that may improve the quality of therapeutic interventions in treating depression and relieving symptoms. In particular, a combined effect on MT1 and/or MT2 receptors and neurotransmitter systems may be useful, since the normalization of the circadian rhythm through the melatonergic system will probably contribute to improved treatment. In this review, we discuss melatonergic receptors as a potential additional target for novel drugs for depression.
Fulltext Improved prediction and characterization of anticancer activities of peptides using a novel flexible scoring card method

Charoenkwan P, Chiangjong W, Lee VS, Nantasenamat C, Hasan MM, Shoombuatong W

Sci Rep, 2021 Feb 04;11(1):3017.
PMID: 33542286 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-82513-9

As anticancer peptides (ACPs) have attracted great interest for cancer treatment, several approaches based on machine learning have been proposed for ACP identification. Although existing methods have afforded high prediction accuracies, however such models are using a large number of descriptors together with complex ensemble approaches that consequently leads to low interpretability and thus poses a challenge for biologists and biochemists. Therefore, it is desirable to develop a simple, interpretable and efficient predictor for accurate ACP identification as well as providing the means for the rational design of new anticancer peptides with promising potential for clinical application. Herein, we propose a novel flexible scoring card method (FSCM) making use of propensity scores of local and global sequential information for the development of a sequence-based ACP predictor (named iACP-FSCM) for improving the prediction accuracy and model interpretability. To the best of our knowledge, iACP-FSCM represents the first sequence-based ACP predictor for rationalizing an in-depth understanding into the molecular basis for the enhancement of anticancer activities of peptides via the use of FSCM-derived propensity scores. The independent testing results showed that the iACP-FSCM provided accuracies of 0.825 and 0.910 as evaluated on the main and alternative datasets, respectively. Results from comparative benchmarking demonstrated that iACP-FSCM could outperform seven other existing ACP predictors with marked improvements of 7% and 17% for accuracy and MCC, respectively, on the main dataset. Furthermore, the iACP-FSCM (0.910) achieved very comparable results to that of the state-of-the-art ensemble model AntiCP2.0 (0.920) as evaluated on the alternative dataset. Comparative results demonstrated that iACP-FSCM was the most suitable choice for ACP identification and characterization considering its simplicity, interpretability and generalizability. It is highly anticipated that the iACP-FSCM may be a robust tool for the rapid screening and identification of promising ACPs for clinical use.
Fulltext Antiradical and Xanthine Oxidase Inhibitory Activity Evaluations of Averrhoa bilimbi L. Leaves and Tentative Identification of Bioactive Constituents through LC-QTOF-MS/MS and Molecular Docking Approach

Ahmed QU, Alhassan AM, Khatib A, Shah SAA, Hasan MM, Sarian MN

Antioxidants (Basel), 2018 Oct 08;7(10).
PMID: 30297618 DOI: 10.3390/antiox7100137

The objective of the present study was to investigate the antiradical and xanthine oxidase inhibitory effects of Averrhoa bilimbi leaves. Hence, crude methanolic leaves extract and its resultant fractions, namely hexane, chloroform, and n-butanol were evaluated for 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging effect and xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity. The active constituents were tentatively identified through LC-QTOF-MS/MS and molecular docking approaches. The n-butanol fraction of A. bilimbi crude methanolic leaves extract displayed significant DPPH radical scavenging effect with IC50 (4.14 ± 0.21 μg/mL) (p < 0.05), as well as xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity with IC50 (64.84 ± 3.93 μg/mL) (p < 0.05). Afzelechin 3-O-alpha-l-rhamnopyranoside and cucumerin A were tentatively identified as possible metabolites that contribute to the antioxidant activity of the n-butanol fraction.
Bacterial leaf blight resistance in rice: a review of conventional breeding to molecular approach

Chukwu SC, Rafii MY, Ramlee SI, Ismail SI, Hasan MM, Oladosu YA, et al.

Mol Biol Rep, 2019 Feb;46(1):1519-1532.
PMID: 30628024 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-019-04584-2

Breeding for disease resistant varieties remains very effective and economical in controlling the bacterial leaf blight (BLB) of rice. Breeders have played a major role in developing resistant rice varieties against the BLB infection which has been adjudged to be a major disease causing significant yield reduction in rice. It would be difficult to select rice crops with multiple genes of resistance using the conventional approach alone. This is due to masking effect of genes including epistasis. In addition, conventional breeding takes a lot of time before a gene of interest can be introgressed. Linkage drag is also a major challenge in conventional approach. Molecular breeding involving markers has facilitated the characterization and introgression of BLB disease resistance genes. Biotechnology has brought another innovation in form of genetic engineering (transgenesis) of rice. Although, molecular breeding cannot be taken as a substitute for conventional breeding, molecular approach for combating BLB disease in rice is worthwhile given the demand for increased production of rice in a fast growing population of our society. This present article highlights the recent progress from conventional to molecular approach in breeding for BLB disease resistant rice varieties.
Fulltext Global and local mutations in Bangladeshi SARS-CoV-2 genomes

Hasan MM, Das R, Rasheduzzaman M, Hussain MH, Muzahid NH, Salauddin A, et al.

Virus Res, 2021 May;297:198390.
PMID: 33737154 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2021.198390

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) warrants comprehensive investigations of publicly available Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) genomes to gain new insight about their epidemiology, mutations, and pathogenesis. Nearly 0.4 million mutations have been identified so far among the ∼60,000 SARS-CoV-2 genomic sequences. In this study, we compared a total of 371 SARS-CoV-2 published whole genomes reported from different parts of Bangladesh with 467 sequences reported globally to understand the origin of viruses, possible patterns of mutations, and availability of unique mutations. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that SARS-CoV-2 viruses might have transmitted through infected travelers from European countries, and the GR clade was found as predominant in Bangladesh. Our analyses revealed 4604 mutations at the RNA level including 2862 missense mutations, 1192 synonymous mutations, 25 insertions and deletions and 525 other types of mutation. In line with the global trend, D614G mutation in spike glycoprotein was predominantly high (98 %) in Bangladeshi isolates. Interestingly, we found the average number of mutations in ORF1ab, S, ORF3a, M, and N were significantly higher (p < 0.001) for sequences containing the G614 variant compared to those having D614. Previously reported frequent mutations, such as R203K, D614G, G204R, P4715L and I300F at protein levels were also prevalent in Bangladeshi isolates. Additionally, 34 unique amino acid changes were revealed and categorized as originating from different cities. These analyses may increase our understanding of variations in SARS-CoV-2 virus genomes, circulating in Bangladesh and elsewhere.
Fulltext Development of a New Molecular Marker for the Resistance to Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus

Nevame AYM, Xia L, Nchongboh CG, Hasan MM, Alam MA, Yongbo L, et al.

Biomed Res Int, 2018;2018:8120281.
PMID: 30105248 DOI: 10.1155/2018/8120281

Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) responsible for tomato yellow leaf curl disease (TYLCD) causes a substantial decrease in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) yield worldwide. The use of resistant variety as a sustainable management strategy has been advocated. Tremendous progress has been made in genetically characterizing the resistance genes (R gene) in tomato. Breeding tomato for TYLCV resistance has been based mostly on Ty-3 as a race-specific resistance gene by introgression originating from wild tomato species relatives. Improvement or development of a cultivar is achievable through the use of marker-assisted selection (MAS). Therefore, precise and easy use of gene-targeted markers would be of significant importance for selection in breeding programs. The present study was undertaken to develop a new marker based on Ty-3 gene sequence that can be used for MAS in TYLCV resistant tomato breeding program. The new developed marker was named ACY. The reliability and accuracy of ACY were evaluated against those of Ty-3 linked marker P6-25 through screening of commercial resistant and susceptible tomato hybrids, and genetic segregation using F2 population derived from a commercial resistant hybrid AG208. With the use of bioinformatics and DNA sequencing analysis tools, deletion of 10 nucleotides was observed in Ty-3 gene sequence for susceptible tomato variety. ACY is a co-dominant indel-based marker that produced clear and strong polymorphic band patterns for resistant plant distinguishing it from its susceptible counterpart. The obtained result correlates with 3:1 segregation ratio of single resistant dominant gene inheritance, which depicted ACY as gene-tag functional marker. This marker is currently in use for screening 968 hybrids varieties and one thousand breeding lines of tomato varieties stocked in Jiangsu Green Port Modern Agriculture Development Company (Green Port). So far, ACY has been used to identify 56 hybrids and 51 breeding lines. These newly detected breeding lines were regarded as potential source of resistance for tomato breeding. This work exploited the sequence of Ty-3 and subsequently contributed to the development of molecular marker ACY to aid phenotypic selection. We thus recommend this marker to breeders, which is suitable for marker-assisted selection in tomato.
Marker-assisted backcrossing: a useful method for rice improvement

Hasan MM, Rafii MY, Ismail MR, Mahmood M, Rahim HA, Alam MA, et al.

Biotechnology, biotechnological equipment, 2015 Mar 04;29(2):237-254.
PMID: 26019637

The world's population is increasing very rapidly, reducing the cultivable land of rice, decreasing table water, emerging new diseases and pests, and the climate changes are major issues that must be addressed to researchers to develop sustainable crop varieties with resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. However, recent scientific discoveries and advances particularly in genetics, genomics and crop physiology have opened up new opportunities to reduce the impact of these stresses which would have been difficult if not impossible as recently as the turn of the century. Marker assisted backcrossing (MABC) is one of the most promising approaches is the use of molecular markers to identify and select genes controlling resistance to those factors. Regarding this, MABC can contribute to develop resistant or high-yielding or quality rice varieties by incorporating a gene of interest into an elite variety which is already well adapted by the farmers. MABC is newly developed efficient tool by which using large population sizes (400 or more plants) for the backcross F1 generations, it is possible to recover the recurrent parent genotype using only two or three backcrosses. So far, many high yielding, biotic and abiotic stresses tolerance, quality and fragrance rice varieties have been developed in rice growing countries through MABC within the shortest timeframe. Nowadays, MABC is being used widely in plant breeding programmes to develop new variety/lines especially in rice. This paper reviews recent literature on some examples of variety/ line development using MABC strategy.
Introgression of blast resistance genes into the elite rice variety MR263 through marker-assisted backcrossing

Hasan MM, Rafii MY, Ismail MR, Mahmood M, Alam MA, Abdul Rahim H, et al.

J Sci Food Agric, 2016 Mar 15;96(4):1297-305.
PMID: 25892666 DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.7222

Blast caused by the fungus Magnaporthe oryzae is a significant disease threat to rice across the world and is especially prevalent in Malaysia. An elite, early-maturing, high-yielding Malaysian rice variety, MR263, is susceptible to blast and was used as the recurrent parent in this study. To improve MR263 disease resistance, the Pongsu Seribu 1 rice variety was used as donor of the blast resistance Pi-7(t), Pi-d(t)1 and Pir2-3(t) genes and qLN2 quantitative trait locus (QTL). The objective was to introgress these blast resistance genes into the background of MR263 using marker-assisted backcrossing with both foreground and background selection.
Fulltext In-silico approach to designing effective antiviral drugs against SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV-1 from reported phytochemicals: a quality improvement study

Tuz-Zohura F, Shawon ARM, Hasan MM, Aeyas A, Chowdhury FI, Khandaker MU

Ann Med Surg (Lond), 2023 Jul;85(7):3446-3460.
PMID: 37427236 DOI: 10.1097/MS9.0000000000000839

Computer-aided drug design by molecular docking, statistical analysis like multiple linear regression (MLR), principal component analysis (PCA), and molecular dynamics studies can emerge as an efficient approach to designing promising core scaffolds for coronavirus medication. The main protease [3-chymotrypsin-like protease (3CLpro)] of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV)-1 and SARS-CoV-2 is one of the critical targets for designing and developing broad-spectrum antiviral therapeutic drugs. The main objective of this study was to investigate potential phytochemicals against SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 to ensure effective natural product-induced therapy. In this evaluation, we have selected 40 reported phytochemicals to design efficient core scaffolds that can act as potent inhibitors against the main proteases of SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV-1. We categorized the selected phytochemicals into a more bioavailable and less bioavailable set, considering phytochemical drug likeliness properties. All the selected phytochemicals vigorously interacted with the catalytic dyads His41 and Cys145. Statistical analysis by MLR confirmed their contribution to structural features on binding affinities and PCA analysis for structural activity relationships for their structural pattern recognition to determine the core scaffold inhibitors. We confirmed that 4'-Hydroxyisolonchocarpin and BrussochalconeA were safe and exhibited excellent pharmacological properties. Because 4'-Hydroxyisolonchocarpin and BrussochalconeA are flavonoid derivatives, they exhibit the chalcone's ring. The presence of the reactive α,β-unsaturated system in the chalcone's rings showed different potential pharmacokinetics with an insignificant toxicological profile. Our comprehensive computational and statistical analysis reveals that these selected phytochemicals (4'-Hydroxyisolonchocarpin, BrussochalconeA) can be used to design potential broad antiviral inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV-1.
Fulltext Relationship between High Temperature and Formation of Chalkiness and Their Effects on Quality of Rice

Nevame AYM, Emon RM, Malek MA, Hasan MM, Alam MA, Muharam FM, et al.

Biomed Res Int, 2018;2018:1653721.
PMID: 30065932 DOI: 10.1155/2018/1653721

Occurrence of chalkiness in rice is attributed to genetic and environmental factors, especially high temperature (HT). The HT induces heat stress, which in turn compromises many grain qualities, especially transparency. Chalkiness in rice is commonly studied together with other quality traits such as amylose content, gel consistency, and protein storage. In addition to the fundamental QTLs, some other QTLs have been identified which accelerate chalkiness occurrence under HT condition. In this review, some of the relatively stable chalkiness, amylose content, and gel consistency related QTLs have been presented well. Genetically, HT effect on chalkiness is explained by the location of certain chalkiness gene in the vicinity of high-temperature-responsive genes. With regard to stable QTL distribution and availability of potential material resources, there is still feasibility to find out novel stable QTLs related to chalkiness under HT condition. A better understanding of those achievements is essential to develop new rice varieties with a reduced chalky grain percentage. Therefore, we propose the pyramiding of relatively stable and nonallelic QTLs controlling low chalkiness endosperm into adaptable rice varieties as pragmatic approach to mitigate HT effect.
Fulltext Left-handed metamaterial inspired by joint T-D geometry on flexible NiAl2O4 substrate

Ahamed E, Hasan MM, Faruque MRI, Mansor MFB, Abdullah S, Islam MT

PLoS One, 2018;13(6):e0199150.
PMID: 29924859 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0199150

In this paper, we introduce a new compact left-handed tunable metamaterial structure, inspired by a joint T-D shape geometry on a flexible NiAl2O4 substrate. The designed metamaterial exhibits an extra-large negative refractive index bandwidth of 6.34 GHz, with an operating frequency range from 4 to 18 GHz. We demonstrate the effects of substrate material thickness on the effective properties of metamaterial using two substrate materials: 1) flame retardant 4 and 2) flexible nickel aluminate. A finite integration technique based on the Computer Simulation Technology Microwave Studio electromagnetic simulator was used for our design, simulation, and investigation. A finite element method based on an HFSS (High Frequency Structure Simulator) electromagnetic simulator is also used to simulate results, perform verifications, and compare the measured results. The simulated resonance peaks occurred at 6.42 GHz (C-band), 9.32 GHz (X-band), and 16.90 GHz (Ku-band), while the measured resonance peaks occurred at 6.60 GHz (C-band), 9.16 GHz (X-band) and 17.28 GHz (Ku-band). The metamaterial structure exhibited biaxial tunable properties by changing the electromagnetic wave propagation in the y and z directions and the left-handed characteristics at 11.35 GHz and 13.50 GHz.
Fulltext A New Compact Double-Negative Miniaturized Metamaterial for Wideband Operation

Hasan MM, Faruque MRI, Islam SS, Islam MT

Materials (Basel), 2016 Oct 13;9(10).
PMID: 28773951 DOI: 10.3390/ma9100830

The aim of this paper is to introduce a compact double-negative (DNG) metamaterial that exhibits a negative refractive index (NRI) bandwidth of more than 3.6 GHz considering the frequency from 2 to 14 GHz. In this framework, two arms of the designed unit cell are split in a way that forms a Modified-Z-shape structure of the FR-4 substrate material. The finite integration technique (FIT)-based Computer Simulation Technology (CST) Microwave Studio is applied for computation, and the experimental setup for measuring the performance is performed inside two waveguide ports. Therefore, the measured data complies well with the simulated data of the unit cell at 0-degree and 90-degree rotation angles. The designed unit cell shows a negative refractive index from 3.482 to 7.096 GHz (bandwidth of 3.61 GHz), 7.876 to 10.047 GHz (bandwidth of 2.171 GHz), and 11.594 to 14 GHz (bandwidth of 2.406 GHz) in the microwave spectra. The design also exhibits almost the same wide negative refractive index bandwidth in the major region of the C-band and X-band if it is rotated 90 degrees. However, the novelty of the proposed structure lies in its effective medium ratio of more than 4, wide bandwidth, and compact size.

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