•Bark of populus ciliata of the salicaceae family is traditionally used for blood purification, treatment of rheumatism, fatigue, and menstrual cramps pain.•HPTLC analysis revealed the higher ...concentrations of gallic acid, salicin, and quercetin in the ethyl acetate fraction of P. ciliata bark.•In-vitro studies revealed the strong antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties of the ethyl acetate fraction of P. ciliata bark.•The findings of the current study validate the ethnomedicinal use of bark of P. ciliata.
Populus ciliata Wall. ex Royle (Salicaceae family) is a fast-growing, multipurpose native tree of the Himalayas. Traditionally, the tree's bark is used for blood purification, treatment of rheumatism, and fatigue, and to relieve the pain of menstrual cramps. The present study deals with screening crude methanolic extracts and fractions (n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol) of P. ciliata bark and leaves for total polyphenolic contents, antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and cytotoxic activities. Results showed that among all tested samples, the bark ethyl acetate fraction had the highest polyphenolic contents and strong antioxidant potential (DPPH 25.75±3.60 µg/mL; ABTS 33.55±2.96 µg/mL; FRAP 70.39±1.75 µM of Fe equivalents). The HPTLC analysis confirmed the presence of gallic acid, salicin, and quercetin molecules in the extracts and different fractions of P. ciliata whereas ethyl acetate fractions showed their maximum quantity. The ethyl acetate fraction of bark also revealed higher antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MIC 0.0156 mg/mL), Klebsiella pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus (MIC 0.0312 mg/mL), Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli (MIC 0.0625 mg/mL), and antifungal activity against Fusarium oxysporum (MIC 0.125 mg/mL) and Rosellinia necatrix (0.250 mg/mL), whereas butanol fraction of bark showed maximum antifungal activity against Candida auris (MIC 1.25 mg/mL). The highest anti-inflammatory activity was observed in bark ethyl acetate fraction (IC50 0.113±0.017 mg/mL for egg albumin and 0.160±0.014 mg/mL for bovine serum albumin assay) in comparison with other extracts and fractions. Additionally, bark crude extract and its ethyl acetate fraction were observed more effective against colon cancer cell lines (IC50 values <0.170 mg/mL for HCT-116 and <0.340 mg/mL for SW-620). The study concludes that the bark ethyl acetate fraction is the most biologically active fraction due to a higher number of polyphenolic contents (salicin, gallic acid, and quercetin) and among both plant parts, bark has a higher medicinal value than leaves. Therefore, this fraction can be further explored to extract biologically active compounds of pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic values.
The present work dwells upon developing and assessing the efficacy of nanoemulsion (NEm) for Methotrexate (MTX) delivery. Herein, MTX-loaded NEm was prepared using the ultrasonic nano emulsification ...method by exploiting biocompatible excipients such as α-Tocopherol, Miglyol 812, Tween 80, and ethanol. Employing ultrasonic nano emulsification processes leads to the preparation of NEm with smaller droplet sizes and uniform distribution. The physicochemical characterization by transmission electron microscopy confirmed that the blank NEm and MTX-loaded NEm possesses spherical-shaped nano range particles and drug might be present within the droplet or on the surface of the nanoemulsion. The encapsulation efficiency of MTX in NEm was estimated as 52 ± 0.6%. The recorded cumulative in-vitro release was 54.74 ± 2.73% in 24 h and using kinetic modeling, its Fickian diffusion release was validated. Higher stability (94.16 ± 1.51%) and bioaccessibility (96.06 ± 1.01%) of MTX-loaded NEm were also confirmed. The hemolysis profile was under the tolerance limit (<8%) for all the concentrations of the formulation. The cell viability assay of NEm loaded with MTX showed significant toxicity against the MCF-7 and HeLa cell lines which validated MTX-loaded NEm as a biosafety vehicle.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an emerging global health problem and a potential risk factor for metabolic diseases. The bidirectional interactions between liver and gut made dysbiotic ...gut microbiome one of the key risk factors for NAFLD. In this study, we reported an increased abundance of Collinsella aerofaciens in the gut of obese and NASH patients living in India. We isolated C. aerofaciens from the fecal samples of biopsy-proven NASH patients and observed that their genome is enriched with carbohydrate metabolism, fatty acid biosynthesis, and pro-inflammatory functions and have the potency to increase ethanol level in blood. An animal study indicated that mice supplemented with C. aerofaciens had increased levels of circulatory ethanol, high levels of hepatic hydroxyproline, triglyceride, and inflammation in the liver. The present findings indicate that perturbation in the gut microbiome composition is a key risk factor for NAFLD.
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•We study the gut microbiome of NAFLD, obese, and healthy subjects•We observed a higher abundance of Collinsella aerofaciens in obese and NASH patients•C. aerofaciens contributes to an increase in the level of systemic ethanol in mice•Increased ethanol, hydroxyproline, and triglycerides induce hepatic inflammation
Human metabolism; Microbiology
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BSTRACT
Background:
Both diabetes mellitus and psychiatric morbidities are widely prevalent diseases which show a discerning upward trend globally. Coexistence of diabetes and psychiatric ...morbidities usually manifests as impaired quality of life and poor treatment adherence.
Objectives:
The study aimed to estimate the prevalence of psychiatric morbidities among rural diabetic patients and to determine their association with different variables.
Methodology:
The present cross-sectional study was conducted in CHC of Rural Health Block attached with PG Department of Community Medicine GMC (Government Medical College) Jammu. The eligible diabetic patients attending medical outpatient department services were enrolled using a consecutive sampling method. DAS scale was used to assess psychiatric morbidity among the study subjects.
Results:
The findings revealed that the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity in the study participants was 38.9%, 68.5% and 25.64% for depression, anxiety and stress, respectively. Psychiatric morbidities were slightly higher in female patients and were significantly associated with age, marital status, sedentary lifestyle, history of substance abuse, duration of diabetes, presence of complications and underlying morbidities (
P
< 0.05).
Conclusions:
The prevalence of anxiety and depression among rural diabetic patients was found to be quite high. Diabetic patients need thorough screening for psychiatric evaluation, and there is an urgent need for psychiatric counselling at regular intervals.
Protein kinase C (PRKC) isozymes activate many signaling pathways and promote tumorigenesis, which can be confirmed by masking the kinase activity. In the present study, the kinase activity of PRKC ε ...and ζ isozymes was masked by siRNA in bladder cancer, and the consequent gene profile was evaluated. Here, we show that the commonly dysregulated genes affected by both the isozymes were the chemokines (CXCL8 & CXCL10), adhesion molecules (ICAM1, SPP1, MMP3, VEGFA) and mutated isoform of TP53. As these same genes were upregulated in bladder cancer patients, the activity of the kinase in downregulating them is confirmed. These genes are associated with regulating the tumor microenvironment, proliferation and differentiation of cancer cells and poor prognosis. The effect of kinase masking in downregulating these genes in bladder cancer indicates the benefits PRKC inhibitors may have in managing these patients.
Background and objective The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected the health, social, and economic sectors all over the world. With a view to assessing the impact of COVID-19 on ...the mental health of healthcare workers (HCWs), we conducted a study to find out the incidence and severity of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among HCWs. Material and methods This was an observational cross-sectional study conducted in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in collaboration with the Department of Psychiatry at AIIMS, New Delhi from March 2021 to June 2021. One hundred HCWs working in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology were surveyed using a set of semi-structured interview schedules and structured questionnaires distributed via email or manually. The structured questionnaire included the demographic profile; other baseline information; the 42-item Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-42); and the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) instrument. Data analysis was carried out using the statistical package STATA version 14.0 (StataCorp LLC, College Station, TX). Results A total of 100 HCWs participated in the study, out of which 39 (39%), 45 (45%), and 16 (16%) were doctors, nursing staff, and supporting staff, respectively. Overall, 92 (92%) of the participants were women, and the mean age of the participants was 29.87 ±4.85 years. Out of the 100 participants, 17 (17%), 25 (25%), 13 (13%), and two (2%) participants had depression, anxiety, stress, and PTSD, respectively. Occupation-wise, among the nursing staff, doctors, and supporting staff, the incidence of depression was 24.4%, 15.4%, 0.0%, respectively; the anxiety rate was 33.3%, 25.6%, and 0.0%, respectively; and the rate of stress was 17.8%, 12.8%, and 0.0%, respectively. The IES-R score was significantly higher among unmarried as compared to married participants (2.70 ±7.935 vs. 1.60 ±3.583, p=0.000). Participants living in joint families had a higher DASS-42 score (DASS-D: 4.00 ±5.299 vs. 3.77 ±7.727, p=0.889; DASS-A: 4.31 ±4.398 vs. 4.12 ±7.496, p=0.905; DASS-S: 4.08 ±4.816 vs. 3.88 ±7.567, p=0.016) and lower IES-R score (1.31 ±4.922 vs. 2.66 ±9.947, p=0.752) as compared to those living in nuclear families. Depression (4.86 ±8.165 vs. 2.00 ±4.388, p=0.054), anxiety (5.31 ±7.538 vs. 2.14 ±4.704, p=0.024), stress (5.20 ±7.651 vs. 1.67 ±4.733, p=0.014) and PTSD (3.61 ±10.900 vs. 1.44 ±2.634, p=0.245) were all higher among HCWs having exposure to COVID-19 more than 10 hours per week compared to participants with an exposure of less than 10 hours per week. The participants having psychiatric illness in the family showed significantly higher mean values for DASS-42 (DASS-D: 20.00 ±26.870 vs. 3.50 ±6.264, p=0.001; DASS-A: 18.50 ±20.506 vs. 3.88 ±6.215, p=0.002; DASS-S: 18.00 ±21.213 vs. 3.64 ±6.346, p=0.003) as compared to those without any psychiatric illness in the family. Conclusion Based on our findings, occupational and environmental factors at the workplace play a key role in mental health outcomes, and COVID-19 has had a significant impact on the mental health of HCWs. Furthermore, we have also observed that effective planning can significantly reduce mental stress.
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