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Ivermectin (D1), an FDA-approved drug, is mainly used as an inhibitor for the treatment of parasitic infections. This drug was drawn attention due to its effectiveness in COVID-19 treatment. In this work, we investigated how ivermectin and its analogues are interacted with Imp��/��1 heterodimer by molecular docking, steered molecular dynamics (SMD), classical molecular dynamics (MD), and MM/PBSA binding free energy analysis. Docking results showed that ivermectin dimer showed the highest binding affinity of ���12.2 kcal/mol compared to its monomer. In SMD, the highest acceleration of 600 pm/ps2 is noticed for D1-Imp��/��1 complex in the distance from 18.27 to 18.36 ��. The pulling force of 1745.86 pN is also detected for D1-Imp��/��1. To validate the docking and SMD results, 100 ns molecular dynamics (MD) simulation is performed on the D1-Imp��/��1 complex. The average RMSD value indicates a good structural stability of the complex despite some significant changes at the beginning. It is noted that most of the residues are stable over the simulation time with an average RMSF value of less than 2.65 ��. The MM/PBSA free energy of ivermectin also shows strong and spontaneous binding with the Imp��/��1.

Antioxidant properties of plants can help thwart a plethora of conditions including cancer, bronchitis, asthma, ulcers, coronary heart diseases, scabies, insomnia, senile debility, diabetes, dysentery, etc. In this study, Andrographis paniculata (Family: Acanthaceae) was investigated for antioxidant activity. 1, 1-Diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH), reducing power assay, total antioxidant capacity, 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), nitric oxide test, total phenolic and flavonoid from methanol, acetone, and water extracts were investigated employing various established in-vitro system. The results divulged that methanol extract had significant activity in quenching of DPPH, reducing power, ABTS, nitric oxide, antioxidant capacity when compared to other extracts. All extracts were correlated with two specific standard antioxidants ascorbic acid and butylated hydroxyanisole. The methanol extract at 500 µg/ml showed the highest scavenging activity of DPPH (91.78 ± 0.02%), ABTS (99.76 ± 0.05%). Total antioxidant capacity was 83.35 ± 0.13 AAE/mg. Reducing the power of methanol extract was significant compared to all other fractions. Nitric oxide scavenging activity was maximum in acetone extract (80.73 ± 0.05%). The quantitative estimation of the extract revealed a considerable amount of flavonoids and conversely, the amount of phenolic compounds was poor. The flavonoid content (592.34 ± 0.13 mg QE/g of dry extract) was maximum in methanol extract but phenolic content of methanol and acetone extract was very similar. This study strongly suggests that methanol extract exhibits more potent antioxidant activity than other extracts of acetone and water. Key words: Andrographis paniculata, antioxidant potential, methanol, acetone, water, DPPH, ABTS

Increasing rate of fast-food consumption has been associated with different health related concerns (e.g., obesity, heart disease). This study aimed to determine the prevalence of fast-food consumption among young adult students in Chittagong, Bangladesh, and to assess the correlation of fast-food consumption with obesity. A total of 440 youth was included using a systemic random sampling from universities and colleges in Chittagong in order to perform a cross-sectional analysis. The students who reported frequent fast-food consumption (1–3 times per week) accounted for 30.5% (n=134) of the sample, while 32.5% (n=143) of participants reported consuming fast-food 8–15 times per month. There was a significant (p=0.030) difference between students who consumed and did not consume fast-food. Youth who reported consuming fast-food and soft drinks more than 4 times per week constituted 35.0% (n=154), followed by approximately 27.7% (n=122) who consumed these items 1–3 times per week. In addition, an obesity epidemic was observed among those who reported low levels of physical exercise or lack of sleep. The study illustrates that Bangladeshi youth face an increasing risk of becoming overweight and obese. Prevention is regarded as the most effective way to reduce the prevalence of obesity.

Objective: This study aims to uncover the anti-diarrheal, antioxidant, thrombolytic, and anthelmintic activities of methanol extract of A. solanacea (ASME) and its soluble n-hexane fraction in methanol (ASNH).Materials and Methods: The phytochemical assessment of this plant was performed by using the standard method. The anti-diarrheal property was screened by castor oil induced diarrhea in Swiss albino mice and plant extract was administered into mice by oral gavage. The antioxidant property was being investigated by two different in vitro methods such as ferric reducing effect assay and superoxide scavenging activity assay. The thrombolytic activity was evaluated by in vitro clot lysis procedure, and the anthelmintic study was carried out on earthworm Pheretima posthuma.Results: In castor-oil induced diarrhea, ASME and ASNH induced a significant decrease (**P

Background Schizophrenia (SCZ) is an incurable neuropsychiatric disorder generally described by impaired social behavior and altered recognition of reality. For the first time, this study explored serum levels of antioxidants (vitamin A, E, and C), malondialdehyde (MDA), macro‐minerals (calcium, potassium, and sodium), and trace elements (zinc, iron, and selenium) in Bangladeshi patients with SCZ and thereby, discovering any pathophysiological correlation. Methods This case‐controlled study evaluated 63 patients with SCZ as cases and 63 healthy individuals as controls. Vitamin A and E levels were defined by RP‐HPLC. MDA and vitamin C levels were measured by using UV spectrophotometry, and macro and trace elements by atomic absorption spectroscopy. Results This study found significantly (P ≤ 0.05) elevated MDA levels and decreased levels of antioxidants—vitamin A, C, and E and significantly (P ≤ 0.05) diminished levels of macro and trace elements in cases in contrast to the controls. Serum levels of zinc (Zn), selenium (Se), iron (Fe), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and sodium (Na) were determined to be 0.33 ± 0.008, 0.0252 ± 0.00060, 0.24 ± 0.01, 64.18 ± 2.72, 36.88 ± 2.56, and 2657.5 ± 53.32 mg/L, respectively, in cases, whereas 0.79 ± 0.03, 0.0650 ± 0.00355,0.78 ± 0.03, 168.01 ± 2.85, 86.43 ± 2.55, and 3200.8 ± 29.96 mg/L, respectively, were determined in controls. Pearson's correlation analysis revealed a negative correlation between Zn and Na, Zn and K, Zn and Ca, Zn and Fe, Zn and Se, Fe and Na, and Fe and Se in patients. Conclusions The findings connect that the pathogenesis of SCZ may have a correlation with altered levels of antioxidants, MDA, macro‐minerals, and trace elements.

Background Dietary supplements (DS) are products that improve the overall health and well-being of individuals and reduce the risk of disease. Evidence indicates a rising prevalence of the use of these products worldwide especially among the age group 18–23 years. Aim The study investigates the tendencies and attitudes of Bangladeshi undergraduate female students towards dietary supplements (DS). Methods A three-month (March 2018-May 2018) cross-sectional face-to-face survey was conducted in undergraduate female students in Chittagong, Bangladesh using a pre-validated dietary supplement questionnaire. The study was carried among the four private and three public university students of different disciplines in Chittagong to record their prevalent opinions and attitudes toward using DS. The results were documented and analyzed by SPSS version 22.0. Results Ninety two percent (N = 925, 92.0%) of the respondents answered the survey questions. The prevalence of DS use was high in undergraduate female students. The respondents cited general health and well-being (n = 102, 11.0%) and physician recommendation (n = 101, 10.9%) as a reason for DS use. Majority of the students (n = 817, 88.3%) used DS cost monthly between USD 0.12 and USD 5.90. Most of the students (n = 749, 81.0%) agreed on the beneficial effect of DS and a significant portion (n = 493, 53.3%) recommended for a regular use of DS. Highly prevalent use of dietary supplements appeared in Chittagonian undergraduate female students. They were tremendously positive in using DS. The results demonstrate an increasing trend of using DS by the undergraduate females for both nutritional improvement and amelioration from diseases. Conclusion Dietary supplements prevalence was so much higher in students of private universities as compared to students of public universities. Likewise, maximal prevalence is indicated in pharmacy department compared to other departments. Students preferred brand products, had positive opinions and attitudes towards dietary supplements.

Purpose DRD2 gene is considered one of the most important candidate genes for the schizophrenia (SCZ) development due to its role in dopamine signaling and no genetic association study has been conducted yet on the Bangladeshi SCZ patients. The objective of the present study was to investigate the association of DRD2 genetic polymorphisms (rs4648317, rs4936270, and rs7131056) with SCZ in the Bangladeshi population. Patients and methods This case-control study consisted of 101 SCZ patients and 101 controls. Genotyping was performed by the polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR–RFLP) method. Results The average ages were 22.15 and 22.09 years in patients and controls, respectively (p > 0.05). CT genotype of rs4936270 showed a significantly higher risk for the development of SCZ compared to CC genotype (OR = 2.0, p = 0.023), whereas no association was found for TT genotype. For the dominant model and T allele, rs4936270 showed a higher risk for the development of SCZ (OR = 2.01, p = 0.020; OR = 1.76, p = 0.021, respectively), while the recessive model had no association with SCZ. A statistically significant (OR = 2.70, p = 0.036) higher risk was found for the AA genotype, but no association was found for GA genotype of rs4648317 SNP compared to GG genotype. In case of dominant and recessive models, rs4648317 showed no association with SCZ. ‘A’ allele of rs4648317 SNP was found to be significantly associated with the elevated risk of SCZ (OR = 1.50, p = 0.044). No association with SCZ of rs7131056 SNP was found for AC, CC genotypes, dominant, recessive, and allele models. Furthermore, from the haplotyping analysis, we found that CAA and TAA haplotypes of rs4936270, rs7131056 and rs4648317 SNPs are associated with SCZ (χ2 = 8.26, p = 0.004; χ2 = 5.31, p = 0.021, respectively). After Bonferroni correction, the association of SCZ did not withstand with any genotype, allele and haplotype (p < 0.017) except CAA haplotype. Conclusion Our results suggest that DRD2 gene polymorphisms may be associated with the susceptibility of SCZ in the young Bangladeshi population., Schizophrenia, Neuropsychiatric disorder, Single nucleotide polymorphism, Haplotypes, Dominant model, Recessive model, Neuroscience, Genetics, Molecular biology, Cancer research, Neurology, Psychiatry, Clinical psychology, Pharmacology, Oncology.

The antidiabetic, hypoglycemic and oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) activities of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) were assessed in mice. ZnONPs were prepared by reacting Zn(NO3)2.6H2O and NaOH solution at 70°C with continuous stirring and then characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques. Diabetes was induced by the intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ) in mice, and then the blood glucose levels were determined by the glucose oxidase method. The experimental results revealed that ZnONPs suggestively (p

Background The present study covered an assessment of methanolic acetate fractions of Pistia stratiotes, commonly known as water lettuce, for analgesic, anti‐inflammatory, and CNS depressant activities. Methods The methanol acetate fractions were extracted from Pistia stratiotes and administered to the experimental animals as 200 and 400 mg/kg doses to determine the effect on acetic acid‐induced writhing and formalin‐induced licking and biting, for the assessment of analgesic activity. The anti‐inflammatory assay was done using the carrageenan‐induced hind paw edema method, while assessment of CNS depressant activity was done using the open field and hole cross tests. The effects were compared to standard reference drugs. Results At both doses (200 and 400 mg/kg body weight), the methanolic acetate extract of P. stratiotes showed significant analgesic action (P

A new sustained release formulation of Atorvastatin Calcium tablet, exhibiting improved swelling property and compatibility to prolong the drug release was prepared. Sustained release tablets were formulated using varying concentration of Carbomer-974 and Hypromellose-15000 cps, by direct compression method. Physical characteristics, compactibility, swelling index and drug content uniformity of the prepared formulations were determined. The drug release studies was carried out in USP dissolution test apparatus II (paddle) using phosphate buffer of pH 6.8 as dissolution medium for 8 hours and documented the effects of polymers on the drug release profile. The release mechanism was explored and explained with Zero order & Higuchi kinetic models. Formulation F1 and F5 were best fitted in the Higuchi model, representing diffusion mechanism of drug release, while Formulations F2, F3 and F4 showed Zero order model of drug release profile. The drug release pattern, compactibility and swelling index property of the formulated preparations were concentration dependent of the polymers used. Further study is necessary to evaluate the in vitro-in vivo relationship, but this study will be helpful for future to exploit the potential of this drug delivery system for the benefit of the mankind.

Generally female individuals are more prone to obesity due to their lifestyle and physiology. However, female individuals have got little attention in this aspect. This pioneering study designed to find the level of serum malondialdehyde (MDA), non-enzymatic antioxidant (vitamin C), other trace elements (zinc and iron), and macro-minerals (sodium, potassium, and calcium) for female obesity determining its role and action in disease diagnosis along with propagation. For this prospective case-control study, 70 female obese and 70 healthy individuals were evaluated. Serum lipid peroxidation product malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration was measured to determine the level of lipid peroxidation. UV spectrophotometric method was implemented for vitamin C concentration to measure serum ascorbic acid. Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) was implemented to determine serum macro-minerals (Na, K, and Ca), and trace elements (Zn and Fe) were estimated. For statistical analysis, student's t-test and Pearson's correlation test were executed. A significantly higher concentration of serum MDA (p 0.001) and low concentration of antioxidants (vitamin C) (p 0.001) are observed in patient than control group. We found a lower concentration of trace elements (zinc, iron) and macro-minerals (sodium, potassium, and calcium) in patients compared to control except sodium. The mean concentrations for serum Zn, Fe, Na, K, and Ca were 0.34 ± 0.01, 0.25 ± 0.01, 3828.91 ± 205.09, 90.42 ± 6.45, and 43.04 ± 2.38 mg/L and 0.78 ± 0.08, 0.84 ± 0.08, 2600.97 ± 99.79, 223.79 ± 14.64, and 86.43 ± 2.78 mg/L, respectively, for female obese patients and control subjects (p 0.001). We can suggest from our study that there is a strong association of female obesity with increased serum concentrations of MDA and reduced non-enzymatic antioxidant vitamin C and different serum trace metals and macro-minerals.

Melatonin (MLT) is a neurohormone that is regulated by the circadian clock and plays multifunctional roles in numerous neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia and is associated with the degradation of axons and synapses resulting in memory loss and cognitive impairment. Despite extensive research, there is still no effective cure or specific treatment to prevent the progression of AD. The pathogenesis of AD involves atrophic alterations in the brain that also result in circadian alterations, sleep disruption, and autophagic dysfunction. In this scenario, MLT and autophagy play a central role in removing the misfolded protein aggregations. Melatonin also promotes autophagy through inhibiting methamphetamine toxicity to protect against neuronal cell death in AD brain. Besides, MLT plays critical roles as either a pro-autophagic indicator or anti-autophagic regulator depending on the phase of autophagy. Melatonin also has antioxidant properties that can counteract mitochondrial damage, oxidative stress, and apoptosis. Aging, a major risk factor for AD, can change sleep patterns and sleep quality, and MLT can improve sleep quality through regulating sleep cycles. The primary purpose of this review is to explore the putative mechanisms of the beneficial effects of MLT in AD patients. Furthermore, we also summarize the findings from preclinical and clinical studies on the multifunctional roles of MLT on autophagic regulation, the control of the circadian clock-associated genes, and sleep regulation.

Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is an intense, highly heritable complex neurodevelopmental disorder in children. Genetic association studies have demonstrated the correlation of different genetic polymorphisms with ASD. We investigated the contribution of genetic variants in ZNF385B (rs11885327 and rs1964081) and COMT (rs165774) genes with Bangladeshi ASD children in this study. Material and methods A total of 216 ASD cases and 216 controls were recruited in this case-control study, and the association of rs11885327, rs1964081, and rs165774 were examined by PCR–RFLP method. Results For rs11885327, CC genotype, dominant model, and ‘C’ allele were significantly associated with ASD (OR = 1.89, 95% CI = 1.11–3.23, p = 0.019; OR = 1.51, 95% CI = 1.01–2.25, p = 0.043; OR = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.07–1.84, p = 0.013, respectively). After Bonferroni correction (p Conclusion The findings of this study indicate that rs11885327 and rs1964081 of ZNF385B and rs165774 of COMT genes contribute to the susceptibility of ASD in the Bangladeshi children.

Background Early diagnosis of breast cancer is essential for mitigating its related morbidity and mortality. Therefore, high awareness is required. Objectives We aimed to evaluate the knowledge, awareness and perceived barriers among females in Bangladesh regarding breast cancer. Methods A hospital-based survey was performed from April 2019 to June 2019. A total of 500 females aged >18 years were recruited to the study. The participants were selected by trained personnel and physicians via simple random sampling. Results The mean participant age was 37.13 ± 12.66 years. Among all the participants, 79% were married, 4% were single, 3% were divorced and 14% were widowed. We observed that 80.6% of respondents were housewives, 5% were students and 14.4% were working women. The participants had a severe lack of knowledge and awareness, and perceived barriers regarding breast cancer screening. Breast cancer was more linked to personal history, occupation and, marital status. Shyness, fear, lack of knowledge and deficient awareness programs were the major perceived barriers. Conclusion Educational interventions and proper, appropriate and socially acceptable awareness programs will help to ameliorate knowledge and awareness by addressing barriers regarding breast cancer among the females in Bangladesh., Cancer Research; Epidemiology; Health Sciences; Public Health; Clinical Research; Education; breast cancer; awareness; Knowledge; barriers; females; Bangladesh.

Background and objective: Obesity is an emerging public health concern in Bangladesh. This study aimed to find the levels of the serum malondialdehyde (MDA), non-enzymatic antioxidants (vitamin A, C and E), trace elements (zinc and iron) and macro-minerals (calcium, potassium and sodium) in obesity and its action in disease advancement. Methods: Level of lipid peroxidation was estimated by measurement of the serum concentrations of malondialdehyde (MDA). Vitamin A and E concentration was found by RP-HPLC method and vitamin C was assessed for serum ascorbic acid by UV spectrophotometric method. Serum trace elements (Zn and Fe) and macro-minerals (Na, K and Ca) were estimated by Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS). Results: Our study observed significantly elevated concentrations of MDA (p < 0.001) and depleted concentrations of antioxidants (vitamin A, E and C) (p < 0.05) in the patient than control group. Analysis of serum trace elements (Zn and Fe) and macro-minerals (Na, K and Ca) and found that the mean values of Zn, Fe, Na, K and Ca were 0.39 ± 0.02 and 0.43 ± 0.03, 3284.81 ± 34.51, 162.18 ± 3.72, 44.62 ± 2.13 mg/L for the patient and 0.91 ± 0.13, 0.88 ± 0.06, 2562.74 ± 95.92, 243.58 ± 8.97, 87.66 ± 2.10 mg/L for the controls, consequently. There was a substantial difference in trace elements and macro-minerals between the patients and controls (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Our study proposes that increased serum concentrations of MDA and decreased non-enzymatic antioxidant and altered trace elements and macro-minerals are powerfully related with obesity usc Refereed/Peer-reviewed

BackgroundThis study was designed to evaluate the anxiolytic and hypoglycemic potential of methanolic extract of Cissus adnata Roxb. is a crucial medicinal plant used in many disorders belongs to Vitaceae family.MethodsElevated plus maze (EPM) test and hole board test was applied for the anxiolytic activity with the Swiss albino mice. The hypoglycemic activity was measured by the glucose tolerance test in mice model. The capacity to produce the desired effect of the plant extract (200 and 400 mg/kg) was compared with the anxiolytic drug of standard diazepam (1 mg/kg i.p.) and anti-diabetic drug glibenclamide (10 mg/kg i.p.), respectively.ResultsThe phytochemical screening of Cissus adnata extract exposed the presence of carbohydrate, phenol, flavonoid, saponins, cardiac glycoside, tannin, and gum. The anxiolytic effect was detected in both experiments which significantly raised the number of head dips and the time spent in the open arm of the EPM (pConclusionsThe better anxiolytic and hypoglycemic activities in the present study are due to the existence of various phytochemical constituents like saponins, flavonoids, terpenoids, phenols, and tannins in this methanolic extract.

Medicinal plants containing potent bioactive compound effective in treating many diseases exert different pharmacological action. This study designed to evaluate the cytotoxic and thrombolytic activity of Acacia rugata of Mimosaceae family. The cytotoxic and thrombolytic activity was evaluated by brine-shrimp lethality bioassay and in-vitro clot lysis method. Methanol, petroleum-ether, n-hexane, chloroform and dichloromethane fraction leaves (MEL, PETFL, n-HxFL, CHFL, DCMFL), methanol and n-hexane fraction of fruits (MEF, n-HxFF) and methanol fraction of bark (MEB) were used to evaluate cytotoxicity of the plant. Each extracts showed significant cytotoxic property. The LC50 values of MEL, PETFL, n-HxFL, CHFL, DCMFL, MEF, n-HxFF, MEB were observed 1.436, 0.039, 0.974, 0.626, 0.121, 0.176, 0.865, 0.081 µg/ml when compared to standard vincristine (positive control) which LC50 value was 0.049 µg/ml. In thrombolytic activity evaluation 20 mg/ml, 10 mg/ml, 5 mg/ml and 2.5 mg/ml dose of MEL showed 40.52 ± 2.91, 35.09 ± 2.71, 31.96 ± 2.02 and 24.91 ± 3.05% clot lysis respectively while 0.9% NaCl solution (negative control) and standard streptokinase (positive control) exhibited 7.41 ± 1.73% and 48.91 ± 3.52% of clot lysis. It can be assumed that different solvent extracts of A. rugata have important cytotoxic and thrombolytic activity as compared to standard compounds.

Chronic liver disease (CLD) is associated with the destruction of liver parenchyma cell. It is the main cause of morbidity and mortality in most of the developed countries. Oxidative stress and altered levels of different trace elements in serum have been documented for different diseases including inflammation and many liver diseases. This study aims to evaluate the serum level of malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO), antioxidant vitamin C, C-reactive protein (CRP), and zinc (Zn) in CLD patients and to establish a correlation among the study parameters with the severity of inflammatory conditions of CLD. In this study, CLD patients and healthy volunteers were recruited. Total cholesterol and triglyceride were determined by colorimeter using enzymatic method. Serum non-enzymatic antioxidant vitamin C, reactive oxygen species nitric oxide (NO), and malondialdehyde (MDA) were determined by UV-spectrophotometric method. Trace element (Zn) levels were determined by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy. Independent sample t test and Pearson’s correlation test were performed for statistical analysis using the statistical software package SPSS, Version 20. Studies showed that the MDA (p