Antimicrobial activity of some ethno-medicinal plants used in Pakistan

Medicinal plants have been used for their antimicrobial activity to discover new antimicrobial agents. Antimicrobial activity of aqueous and methanolic extracts of four ethnomedicinal plants such as Acacia modesta, Thymus serphylum, Syzygium cumuni L and Olea ferruginea were evaluated against five bacterial strains such as S. aureus, E. coli, P. aeruginosa, S. epidermidis and B. subtilis by disc diffusion method. The results showed that Acacia modesta showed maximum activity against E. coli with zone of inhibition (16.2 mm). Thymus serphylum showed maximum activity against B. subtilis with zone of inhibition (13.3 mm) but no activity against P. aeruginosa and E. coli. Syzygium cumuni L showed maximum activity against S.epidermidis with zone of inhibition (14.5 mm) but no activity against E. coli, P. aeruginosa and B. subtilis. Similarly Olea ferruginea displayed maximum activity against S. epidermidis with zone of inhibition (16.8 mm). Antimicrobial activity of plants was concentration dependent. Methanolic extracts of plants showed better activity than aqueous extracts

Acute toxicity study of a polysaccharide based hydrogel from linseed for potential use in drug delivery system

Linseed hydrogel (LSH) was evaluated by acute toxicity for its potential application in oral drug delivery design. White albino mice and rabbits were divided in four groups (I–IV) and different doses of LSH (1, 2 and 5 g/kg body weight) were given except to the control group (I) that was left untreated. Rabbits were monitored for eye irritation, acute dermal toxicity and primary dermal irritation, whereas, body weight, food and water consumption, hematology and clinical biochemistry, gross necropsy and histopathology of vital organs were scrutinized in mice. LSH was considered safe after eye irritation test as no adverse signs or symptoms were seen in the eye. In dermal toxicity and irritation study, skin of treated rabbits was found normal in color without any edema or erythema. After oral administration, there was no sign of any abnormalities in treated group animals (II–IV). The hematology and clinical biochemistry of treated group animals was comparable with the control group. Histopathology of vital organs has not shown any lesion or abnormalities. In the light of these outcomes, it can be concluded that LSH is not a hazardous biomaterial and could be incorporated as an excipient in oral and dermal preparations

Consensus guidelines for the management of pediatric medulloblastoma in low and middle-income countries

The management of medulloblastoma, a pediatric brain tumor, has evolved significantly with the advent of genomic subgrouping, yet morbidity and mortality remain high in LMICs like Pakistan due to inadequate multidisciplinary care infrastructure. This paper aims to establish evidence-based guidelines tailored to the constraints of such countries. An expert panel comprising neuro-oncologists, neurosurgeons, radiologists, radiation oncologists, neuropathologists, and pediatricians collaborated to develop these guidelines, considering the specific challenges of pediatric brain tumor care in Pakistan. The recommendations cover various aspects of medulloblastoma treatment, including pre-surgical workup, neurosurgery, neuropathology, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and supportive care. They offer both minimum required and additional optional protocols for more advanced centers, ensuring comprehensive patient management with attention to complications and complexities encountered in Pakistan. The paper's consensus guidelines strive for uniformity in healthcare delivery and address significant gaps in diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of pediatric medulloblastoma patients. Keywords: Medulloblastoma, neuropathology, neurosurgery, radiation oncologists, brain neoplasms, paediatricians, morbidity, genomic

Modified and unmodified arabinoxylans from Plantago ovata husk: Novel excipients with antimicrobial potential

Arabinoxylan is a polysaccharide of Plantago ovata, an indigenous plant of Pakistan and several European countries. In the present investigation arabinoxylan isolated from P. ovata husk was chemically modified i.e., carboxymethylated and was converted into its sodium salt. Physicochemical characterization of modified arabinoxylans was done. The antimicrobial assay of arabinoxylan and modified arabinoxylans was done by Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method against Gram negative and Gram positive bacterial strains. Physicochemical properties of modified arabinoxylans were different from arabinoxylan yet were satisfactory for their use as pharmaceutical excipients.  Arabinoxylan showed strong antimicrobial activity against Gram positive strains.  However, it showed no antimicrobial activity against Gram negative strains. Carboxymethyl arabinoxylan showed maximum activity against S. epidermidis. It also showed activity against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa.  Arabinoxylan-Na showed concentration-dependent antimicrobial activity. This study provides the first report on the antibacterial properties of arabinoxylan and its modified forms

A DFT study of structural, electronic and optical properties of pristine and intrinsic vacancy defects containing barium zarconate (BaZrO₃) using mBJ potential

Abstract First principles calculations, using Full Potential Linearized Augmented Plane Wave (FP-LAPW) method within the framework of density functional theory (DFT), are used to study structural, electronic and optical properties of barium zirconate (BaZrO3) in its pristine and intrinsic vacancy defects using the supercell approach. The calculated structural parameters with four semi-local exchange-correlation functionals Local Density Approximation (LDA), Generalized Gradient Approximation (GGA), Perdew–Burke–Ernzerhof for solids (PBEsol) GGA, Wu and Cohen (WC) GGA includes, lattice parameter ao, ground state volume Vo, bulk modulus Bo, total energies Eo, and bond lengths of Ba, Zr and O atoms. Furthermore, to avoid the underestimation of the band profile by other DFT schemes we highlight the LDA plus modified Becke–Johnson (mBJ) potential in lieu of attaining opto-electronic aspects close to the anticipated experimental findings. The computed electronic band gap shows that band profile remains indirect with small difference in detail. The optical properties of Ba, Zr and O vacancy containing 2 × 2 × 2 supercells of BaZrO3 are calculated using real and imaginary part of dielectric function. The real part of the dielectric function using mBJ_s modification reveals that static dielectric constant of BaZrO3 is 3.8 that is, in excellent agreement with the experimental value of 4.0. The structural, electronic and optical properties of pristine BaZrO3 along with its non-stoichiometric intrinsic vacancy containing forms are studied to provide experimentalist with a better understanding of its physical properties which are vital for its functional utilization.</jats:p

Soil-plant relationship of \u3ci\u3ePteropyrum olivieri\u3c/i\u3e, a serpentine flora of Wadh, Balochistan, Pakistan and its use in mineral prospecting

Biogeochemical investigation of Pteropyrum olivieri, a flora of Wadh area in perspective of plant-soil-rock relationship has been made. It is a native of Irano-Turanian region which extended into Saharo-Sindian region of Pakistan. The distribution of P. olivieri and some other co-ecological flora in relation to lithology was also discussed. Field observations showed its controlled population on the serpentine soil. The average abundance of Mg and Ca in soil was estimated as 2.43% and 5.46 respectively. The Mg/Ca ratio of the soils of the study area was below unity (0.445), indicating pedogenesis from serpentinite. Quantitative estimation of Cr, Ni, Co and Cu in soils and plant ash was made. Distribution of these elements has been discussed in context with soil chemistry, average abundance in plant ash and the exclusion mechanism of the flora. The concentration of Cr, Ni and Co in the twigs of P. olivieri is more than the average abundance in the plant ash, while Cu concentration was less. Relationship among Cr, Ni, Co and Cu has been established using scatter-grams to evaluate biogeochemistry of the P. olivieri. Bio-concentration factor (BCF) of the specie attributed Co\u3eCu\u3eNi\u3eCr trend. Present study signifies a number of anomalous zones which can be utilized for the exploration of new hidden mineral deposits in and around Wadh area. The rocks in the anomalous zone served as good host for podiform chromite and associated mineralization