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Abstract The present study evaluated the inhibitory effect of Ethiopian coffee (Coffea arabica) on carbohydrate digestive enzymes and its protective effect against glucose-induced testicular dysfunction using in vitro and in silico study models. Testicular oxidative stress was initiated by co-incubating testocular tissue collected from male Sprague-Dawley rats in glucose solution with different concentrations of Ethiopian coffee aqueous extracts (hot and cold) for 2 h at 37ºC. Glucose-mediated oxidative stress significantly (p

Abstract Background Many kinds of orchids have significant health benefits although adequate research on their biological functions is yet to be carried out. This study investigated the paracetamol‐induced liver damage–protecting effect of epiphytic Aerides odorata methanol extract (AODE). Methods The protective effects of AODE were studied by analyzing its effect on liver function parameters, messenger RNA (mRNA) expression, and tissue histopathological architecture. The results were confirmed by ligand–receptor interaction of molecular docking and multitarget interaction of network pharmacological analyses. Results AODE significantly (p

Abstract Two libraries of quinoline‐based hybrids 1‐(7‐chloroquinolin‐4‐yl)‐1H‐pyrazolo[3,4–d]pyrimidin‐4‐amine and 7‐chloro‐N‐phenylquinolin‐4‐amine were synthesized and evaluated for their α‐glucosidase inhibitory and antioxidant properties. Compounds with 4‐methylpiperidine and para‐trifluoromethoxy groups, respectively, showed the most promising α‐glucosidase inhibition activity with IC50=46.70 and 40.84 μM, compared to the reference inhibitor, acarbose (IC50=51.73 μM). Structure‐activity relationship analysis suggested that the cyclic secondary amine pendants and para‐phenyl substituents account for the variable enzyme inhibition. Antioxidant profiling further revealed that compounds with an N‐methylpiperazine and N‐ethylpiperazine ring, respectively, have good DPPH scavenging abilities with IC50=0.18, 0.58 and 0.93 mM, as compared to ascorbic acid (IC50=0.05 mM), while the best DPPH scavenger is NO2‐substituted compound (IC50=0.08 mM). Also, compound with N‐(2‐hydroxyethyl)piperazine moiety emerged as the best NO radical scavenger with IC50=0.28 mM. Molecular docking studies showed that the present compounds are orthosteric inhibitors with their quinoline, pyrimidine, and 4‐amino units as crucial pharmacophores furnishing α‐glucosidase binding at the catalytic site. Taken together, these compounds exhibit dual potentials; i. e., potent α‐glucosidase inhibitors and excellent free radical scavengers. Hence, they may serve as structural templates in the search for agents to manage Type 2 diabetes mellitus. Finally, in preliminary assays investigating the anti‐tubercular potential of these compounds, two pyrazolopyrimidine series compounds and a 7‐chloro‐N‐phenylquinolin‐4‐amine hybrid showed sub‐10 μM whole‐cell activities against Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

South African marine algae are a prevalent traditional medicine utilized by indigenous populations. There has been recent attention on the health advantages of South African marine algae and its bioactive compounds, which have been associated with favourable health outcomes such as diabetes and obesity. This study investigated the antioxidant, anti-obesogenic and anti-diabetic potentials of three South African marine algal species or seaweeds, namely Codium fragile, Radicilingua thysanorhizans and Mazzaella capensis using a variety of in vitro and in silico experiments. The crude extracts, obtained using different solvents (aqueous and ethanol), were examined to assess their total phenolic and total flavonoid content as well as their antioxidant properties by means of 2,2-diphenyl-β-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), non-site-specific hydroxyl radical (OH•), and nitric oxide (NO) radical scavenging assays. Thereafter, the extracts were subjected to carbohydrate digestive enzyme inhibitory assays, including α-glucosidase and α-amylase, and a lipid digestive enzyme inhibitory assay, such as pancreatic lipase. The glucose uptake by yeast cells was also evaluated in vitro. The subjection of the marine algal extracts to LC-MS analysis revealed several beneficial compounds. These compounds were further docked against α-glucosidase and α-amylase, and a lipid digestive enzyme, pancreatic lipase. The results of this study indicate that the selected South African marine algae possess potent antioxidant capacity while also exhibiting anti-obesogenic and anti-diabetic activities by inhibiting carbohydrate and lipid digesting enzyme activity as well as by increasing glucose uptake in yeast cells. Evaluated ADME profiles revealed that the compounds of these plants have excellent bioavailability and are considered safe for consumption. Overall, the results of this study suggest that all studied seaweeds have potential antioxidant, anti-diabetic, and anti-obesogenic potentials with Codium fragile found to be the most promising among them. The current work serves as a validation of the data currently available regarding the antioxidant, anti-obesogenic and anti-diabetic potential of C. fragile. The study will also serve as a first-report of the aforementioned activities for R. thysanorhizans and M. capensis.

Adhesive bonded joints hold significant importance across various industrial sectors in modern engineering, owing to their lightweight nature and myriad advantages. The rising demand for trimaterial joints underscores their utility and versatility. In these joints, the choice of materials for both adherends greatly influences their strength, structural reliability, and overall characteristics. While numerous researches have extensively analyzed stress distributions, their effects, and behaviors, many have relied on a one-factor-at-a-time approach, focusing solely on individual design variables' effects. However, recognizing the intricate interplay among various material combinations and their collective impact on overall performance, this study employs various types of White-box, Black-box, and Grey-box machine learning algorithms to identify an optimized ML model as well as predict stress distributions for any random combinations of upper and lower adherend materials. Dataset of total 178 random material combinations were utilized for the training phases with 5-fold cross validation and model tuning. However, the decision tree regressor emerged as the optimized model by comparing the quantitative metrics of accuracy benchmark as well as the prediction outcomes obtained through all the machine learning models. The maximum prediction accuracy attained was an impressive 99.97 %, while the minimum recorded was 89.74 %. This research aims to identify tailored machine learning model specifically for trimaterial bonded joints where nano layer of resin is utilized as the adhesive.

The current study assessed the antioxidant and antidiabetic properties of Nauclea latifolia fruit in vitro and in silico. The aqueous infusion of the fruit was analysed for its in vitro antioxidant capacity using ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), nitric oxide (NO), and 2,2'-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals scavenging activities. Its inhibitory effects on carbohydrate digestive enzymes was also determined. The phytoconstituents of the fruit were docked with carbohydrate digestive enzymes (α-amylase and α-glucosidase), and the compounds were further evaluated for ADME parameters. The total phenolic content of N. Latifolia was 44.56 ± 0.78 mg g-1 GAE. N. latifolia aqueous extract exhibited remarkable ferric reducing power (IC50 value of 5.58 µg/mL) when compared to the control Trolox (IC50 value of 6.42 μg/mL). The extract displayed definite capability in inhibiting nitric oxide production than its radical scavenging effect on DPPH with IC50 values of 5.04 and 9.10 μg/mL, respectively. Aqueous extract further exhibited comparable inhibitory activity of the carbohydrate digestive enzymes compared to the standard drug, Acarbose. Moreover, the extract significantly increased glucose uptake in yeast in a dose-dependent manner. N. latifolia fruit aqueous extact's compound profiling with GCMS revealed several phenolic compounds with 2-mercaptophenol, exhibiting the highest in abundance. In silico study revealed that compounds 7,8-dihydroxy-4-methylcoumarin and 4‑methoxy-2‑pent-3-en-2-ylphenol, showed higher binding affinity against α-amylase (-28.8651 kcal/mol), and α-glycosidase (-31.0689 kcal/mol), respectively. Furthermore, the ADME properties of the compounds revealed oral bioavailability, pharmacokinetics, and toxicity properties. These results suggest the possible antioxidant and antidiabetic potential N. Latifolia.

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a prevalent and recurrent bacterial infection affecting millions of people across the world, often necessitating antibiotic treatment. However, the rise of multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains, commonly known as ''superbugs,'' has complicated the treatment process. This perspective review summarized the mechanisms of herbal or natural therapeutics intervention in UTI from the perspective of UTI bacterial pathogenesis. Initially, the review explores the mechanism of UTI development, identifying the types of UTI-causing bacteria, the complexity of UTI infection, and the human host's immune system against UTI. Then, this review synthesizes the active compounds of natural therapeutics for UTI, exploring their active compounds, efficacy, and mechanisms of action. After that, we summarized the emerging research on herbal compound interventions in UTI and analyzed the literature in this regard, including clinical applications, suggestions for potential natural bioactive compound consumption with the aim of UTI complications, as well as the association between novel mechanisms of UTI remission with the potential for active natural compounds intervention. Finally, we noted key future recommendations for using natural therapeutics. In conclusion, this review sheds light on the potential role of herbal or natural compounds in UTI treatment, from proposed mechanisms to prospects, offering a promising alternative or complement to conventional therapies in relieving UTIs.

Over 90 % of all cases of diabetes that have been diagnosed are type 2 diabetes (T2D), a disease exacerbated by an increase in sedentary behaviour, bad eating habits, and obesity. This study investigated the antidiabetic properties of Gracilaria gracilis, using in vitro and ex vivo experimental models. The sulphated polysaccharides (SPs) from crude extracts of the seaweed powder was prepared via hot (100°C) and cold (25°C) aqueous extraction procedures before purification via an anion exchange chromatographic technique. Both the crude and purified extracts were characterised by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), LC-MS analysis, and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The crude cold-aqueous and purified hot-aqueous SPs from G. gracilis had the strongest α-glucosidase inhibitory effect with IC50 value of 0.15 and 0.07 mg/ml, respectively. The purified cold-aqueous SP was the most potent inhibitor of α-glucosidase with an IC50 value of 0.17 mg/ml. The crude and purified SP-rich extracts inhibited pancreatic lipase (hot aqueous SP = 0.03 mg/ml) activity and effectively stimulated glucose uptake in yeast cells. Moreover, they showed significantly (p

BackgroundType 1 (T1D) and type 2 (T2D) diabetes lead to an aberrant metabolism of sialoglycoconjugates and elevated free serum sialic acid (FSSA) level. The present study evaluated sialidase and sialyltranferase activities in serum and some organs relevant to diabetes at early and late stages of T1D and T2D.MethodsSialic acid level with sialidase and sialyltransferase activities were monitored in the serum, liver, pancreas, skeletal muscle and kidney of diabetic animals at early and late stages of the diseases.ResultsThe FSSA and activity of sialidase in the serum were significantly increased at late stage of both T1D and T2D while sialic acid level in the liver was significantly decreased in the early and late stages of T1D and T2D, respectively. Furthermore, the activity of sialidase was significantly elevated in most of the diabetes-relevant organs while the activity of sialyltransferase remained largely unchanged. A multiple regression analysis revealed the contribution of the liver to the FSSA while pancreas and kidney contributed to the activity of sialidase in the serum.ConclusionsWe concluded that the release of hepatic sialic acid in addition to pancreatic and renal sialidase might (in)directly contribute to the increased FSSA during both types of diabetes mellitus.

Objectives: Lead (Pb), a toxic heavy metal, is a serious concern for poultry that negatively affects their productivity and health. To combat those issues efficiently, it is necessary to include feed supplements that have rich antioxidant properties for satisfactory health and productivity. Spirulina platensis (Sp), a microalgae, is a compound that provides several health benefits for humans and animals. This study explores that supplementation of Sp in diet as well as in water reduces the burden of Pb in different tissues, improves hematology, and improves the productive performance of advanced-age laying hens. Materials and methods: Forty birds were separated into four groups: the control (C), Spirulina (Sp), Pb, and (Pb + Sp) groups. The Pb group was given Pb acetate at a dose of 2 gm/l in water ad libitum for 4 weeks. Sp group was fed Sp at a dose of 4 gm/kg feed. The Pb + Sp group was given Pb and Sp as in the previous groups. Results: Productive performance and hematology such as hemoglobin (Hb), packed cell volume, red blood cell, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular Hb (MCH) concentration, and MCH were significantly (p < 0.05) decreased in Pb-treated groups compared to controls. The distribution of Pb concentration was highest in the bones and lowest in the gizzard. However, Sp treatment significantly (p < 0.05) increased the productive performance and the hematological parameters. Moreover, Pb concentration in different organs significantly decreased in the group treated with Sp. Conclusion: This study indicates that Sp can possibly be used as a natural and powerful dietary additive to mitigate heavy metal intoxication in chickens, thereby being efficient and effective for production. [J Adv Vet Anim Res 2023; 10(4.000): 794-800]

Obesity is a major public health problem that is associated with many metabolic disorders including diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases. Anthophycus longifolius is a brown seaweed that have been shown to possess antioxidant, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activities. The present study investigated the anti-diabetic, anti-obesity and oxidative stress ameliorating properties of cold water (CW) and ethanolic (EtOH) extracts of A. longifolius using in vitro and ex vivo experimental models. The extracts significantly inhibited the activities of carbohydrate and lipid digestive enzymes α - glucosidase (IC50 = CW: 176.9±2.1 µg/ml; EtOH: 179.8±1.9 µg/ml); α-amylase (IC50 = CW: 86.1±1.7 µg/ml; EtOH: 77.8±1.9 µg/ml); and pancreatic lipase (IC50 = CW: 184.3±1.7 µg/ml; EtOH: 534.1±2.3 µg/ml), and stimulated adipose glucose uptake (CW: 10- 50.5 mg/g adipose tissue; EtOH: 9 - 79 mg/g adipose tissue). Incubation of adipose tissues with FeSO4 significantly depleted reduced glutathione (GSH) level, super oxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase activities, while concomitantly elevated malondialdehyde (MDA) level. These changes were significantly reversed following the treatment of A. longifolius extracts. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis of the extracts revealed the presence of rhodomycinone, salsolinol, 5-hydroxyconiferyl alcohol, 2-caffeoylisocitrate and demethylalangiside in the cold water extract, while petromyzonol 24-sulfate, atractyloside, abyssinone VI and podecdysone B in the ethanolic extract. Molecular docking analysis revealed potent interactions of the phytochemicals with GLUT4 and leptin. These results indicate the possible antidiabetic, antiobesity and oxidative stress ameliorating potentials of A. longifolius extracts at in vitro and ex vivo experimental models. The identified compounds may be responsible for the observed biological activities.

The present study aims to determine whether girls’ participation in extracurricular activities at schools mediates the relationship between religiosity and their educational aspirations, and if so, how this effect varies depending on parental education. Altogether, 312 Muslim female students in Grades 9 and 10 from eight secondary schools in Bangladesh were interviewed. Ar part of the study, an inferential test of the conditional indirect effect of the independent variable at specified moderator values on the dependent variable was conducted using the Hayes’ percentile approach. Analyses revealed that girls’ religiosity has an indirect and significant adverse effect on their educational aspirations through their participation in extracurricular activities and the relationship, significantly moderated by the level of their parents’ education.

Xylitol and erythritol have been reported in numerous previous and recent studies as potential antidiabetic sweeteners, however, it is not certain which one is most effective in this regard. In the present study, the effects of xylitol and erythritol were comparatively investigated on blood glucose, insulin level, dyslipidemia, pancreatic islet morphology and β-cell function, and redox imbalance in a type 2 diabetes (T2D) model of rats. Seven-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 8 groups: Normal Control (NC), Diabetic Control (DC), Diabetic Xylitol 5 % (DX5), Diabetic Xylitol 10 % (DX10), Diabetic Xylitol 20 % (DX20), Diabetic Erythritol 5 % (DE5), Diabetic Erythritol 10 % (DE10), and Diabetic Erythritol 20 % (DE20). T2D was induced in the diabetic groups initially by feeding 10 % fructose solution to induce insulin resistance followed by an intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (40 mg/kg body weight) dissolved in citrate buffer (pH 4.5) to induce partial pancreatic β-cells dysfunctions. The animals in NC group were fed with normal drinking water and injected with citrate buffer only. After the confirmation of diabetes, the xylitol and erythritol with above-mentioned concentrations were supplied to the respective animal groups when the animals in NC and DC groups were supplied with normal drinking water. After 8 weeks intervention period, the body weight, fluid and water intake, blood glucose, serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, CK-MB and creatinine were significantly decreased, while the serum insulin level, serum lipids, glucose tolerance ability, pancreatic islet morphology and β-cell function, pancreatic and serum redox imbalance were improved in the most xylitol and erythritol fed groups compared to the DC group, when effects were better for xylitol compared to erythritol. The data of this study suggest that xylitol has better antioxidant and antidiabetic effects compared to erythritol. Therefore, xylitol can be used as a preferrable dietary anti-diabetic sweetener or supplement over erythritol for the management of diabetes and its associated complications.

Red honeybush tea (RHT) is a tea product developed from Cyclopia spp. which is endemic to South Africa. Aside refreshment, RHT has over the years been used traditionally in the treatment of various diseases including type 2 diabetes. This study investigated the in vivo antioxidant and anti-diabetic activity of RHT concentrated hot water extract in type 2 diabetes (T2D) model of rats. T2D was induced starting with feeding 10 % fructose solution ad libitum for 2 weeks followed by a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (40 mg/kg body weight (BW)). Five weeks of treatment of RHT led to significant (P < 0.05) elevation in serum insulin, pancreatic β-cell function, HDL-c levels with concomitant decrease in AST, ALT, ALP, urea, CK-MB, fructosamine, total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-c, and insulin resistance in diabetic rats. RHT also significantly (P < 0.05) decreased MDA levels and enhanced level of GSH, activity of SOD, catalase, GR in most of organs (pancreas, liver, kidneys, and heart). Significantly (P < 0.05) improved morphological changes in the islets and β-cells were observed in rats treated with RHT. The data of this study suggest that RHT demonstrates an outstanding antioxidant and anti-diabetic effects in STZ-induced T2D model of rats.

Breast cancer is currently one of the most prevalent cancers affecting women globally. Uncontrolled growth and division of breast cells lead to the formation of tumors, marking the onset of breast cancer. Predicting breast cancer is essential for early detection, making treatment plans, and implementing preventive measures, ultimately improving patient outcomes and reducing mortality rates. In recent years, numerous studies have been published to predict breast cancer where researchers use a variety of methods. Most investigations have been conducted using narrow and specific datasets, often resulting in a lack of accuracy. Such methods may not be suitable for clinical use. The study aims to address the limitations of existing models in terms of robustness and generalization across diverse datasets. In our study, we employed two metaheuristic algorithms, namely, genetic algorithm (GA) and chemical reaction optimization (CRO) with machine learning techniques, including support vector machine (SVM), decision tree, random forest, and XGBoost. GA and CRO are used to optimize the feature selection process. It enables machine learning algorithms to predict more accurately. Experiments were conducted on three datasets, namely, Wisconsin Breast Cancer (WBC), Breast Cancer-the University of California, Irvine (BC-UCI), and Breast Cancer Coimbra (BCC) datasets. The datasets contain 569, 286, and 116 instances, respectively. The classifiers with optimized features consistently outperformed the classifiers without feature optimization in terms of accuracy, precision, recall, specificity, and F1 score. Among the compared methods published recently, our method attained the highest accuracies of 99.64% in the WBC dataset and 98% in the BCC dataset, as well as the second highest accuracy of 99.12% in the BC-UCI dataset. Comparative analysis demonstrated the superiority of our approach over existing methods.

Purpose. This study aimed to provide the central bank of Bangladesh with some empirical data on the impact of bank agricultural credit on agricultural output as a priority sector lending. Methodology / approach. Econometric analysis is applied to discover the nature of the relationship between banks’ agricultural credit and agricultural gross domestic product (GDP) and to find the impact of bank agricultural credit on agricultural output in Bangladesh. Data are extracted from secondary sources, i.e., Bangladesh Bank, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, World Bank, and Ministry of Finance for 1991 to 2018. Time-series data are analyzed using the Augmented Dickey–Fuller (ADF) unit root test and the Johansen cointegration test and later examined with Vector Error Correction Model (VECM). Results. The Augmented Dickey–Fuller unit root test confirmed that the variables were non-stationary at their level data and became stationary after taking their first difference value. Since the variables are integrated at I(1), we performed the Johansen Co-integration test. Subsequently, one co-integration equation was found, and Vector Error Correction Model estimation was done afterwards. According to the results of VECM estimation, bank agricultural credit, pesticide consumption, and use of cropped areas have long-run relation with agricultural output. Originality / scientific novelty. This study reveals the nature of relationship and assessment of the impact of bank credit on agricultural GDP with empirically valid techniques and tools. In this context, the data from Bangladesh remains very rare. Moreover, for those works which have been done in the context of Bangladesh, appropriate methods and techniques are not always inherent. Hence, this significant research gap is addressed in our present study. Thus, we expect that the findings of this study from Bangladesh based on empirically valid standard techniques can incrementally contribute to the existing literature. Practical value / implications. Findings of this research, can be used as an information basis by the central bank of Bangladesh. Based on the findings of this research, Bangladesh Bank should initiate new policies and programs regarding agricultural credit for the projected increase in agricultural GDP in Bangladesh.

This research investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of Purple Devil fruit’s chloroform extract (SAF-CFE) using LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage cells and in-vivo histamine- and carrageenan-induced paw edema models as well as membrane stabilization model. Writhing and licking tests for nociception and delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction (DTHR) for immunomodulation were accomplished. SwissADME, ProTox-II, and PASS tests assessed a ligand-receptor binding affinity, and network-pharmacological tests explored the modulatory linked-genes. The MCF-7 cells were strongly inhibited by SAF-CFE, which reduced LPS-induced PGE2, IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-1β expression. The upregulation of proapoptotic (p53 and Bax) and downregulation of antiapoptotic (Bcl-2) genes were observed by SAF-CFE. It significantly reduced inflammatory indexes in anti-inflammatory models. Tris (2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl) phosphate, a natural biometabolite from SAF-CFE, had the highest target receptor-binding and drug-likeness; while NOS2, PTGER1, TRPV1, HMGCR, and TBXAS1 hub genes were highly modulated by the SAF-CFE. The results demonstrate that SAF-CFE could be a functional food source for anti-inflammatory action.

Population diffusion in river-ocean ecologies and for wild animals, including birds, mainly depends on the availability of resources and habitats. This study explores the dynamics of the resource-based competition model for two interacting species in order to investigate the spatiotemporal effects in a spatially distributed heterogeneous environment with no-flux boundary conditions. The main focus of this study is on the diffusion strategy, under conditions where the carrying capacity for two competing species is considered to be unequal. The same growth function is associated with both species, but they have different migration coefficients. The stability of global coexistence and quasi-trivial equilibria are also studied under different conditions with respect to resource function and carrying capacity. Furthermore, we investigate the case of competitive exclusion for various linear combinations of resource function and carrying capacity. Additionally, we extend the study to the instance where a higher migration rate negatively impacts population growth in competition. The efficacy of the model in the cases of one- and two-dimensional space is also demonstrated through a numerical study.AMS subject classification 201092D25, 35K57, 35K50, 37N25, 53C35.

Abstract Biofilm-producing rhizobacteria (BPR) enhance productivity and mitigate abiotic stresses in plants. This study showed that 21 out of 65 halotolerant rhizobacteria could build biofilms. The components of the biofilm matrices i.e., extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) are proteins, curli, nanocelloluse, nucleic acids, lipids, and peptidoglycans. Various functional groups including carbonyl, carboxyl, amino, hydroxyl, and phosphate were identified. Positions of these groups were shifted by application of 5% NaCl, suggesting Na+ biosorption. By sequencing, Glutamicibacter arilaitensis (ESK1, ESM4 and ESM7), G. nicotianae (ESK19, ESM8 and ESM16), Enterobacter ludwigii (ESK15, ESK17, ESM2 and ESM17), E. cloacae (ESM5 and ESM12), Exiguobacterium acetylicum (ESM24 and ESM25), Staphylococcus saprophyticus ESK6, Leclercia adecarboxylata ESK12, Pseudomonas poae ESK16, Bacillus subtilis ESM14, and P. putida ESM17 were identified. These rhizobacteria exhibited numerous plant growth-promoting (PGP) activities including producing IAA, ACC deaminase, and siderophores, and solubilizing phosphate. Under non-stress, bacterized plants increased biomass accumulation (8–23.2% roots and 23–49.4% shoots), while under seawater-induced salt stress only ESK12, ESM4, ESM12, and ESM14 enhanced biomass production (5.8–52.9% roots and 8.8–33.4% shoots). Bacterized plants induced antioxidant defense system (19.5–142% catalase and 12.3–24.2% DPPH radical scavenging activity), retained a greater relative water content (17–124%), showed lesser membrane injuries (19.9–26.5%), and a reduced Na+ (6–24% in roots) and increased K+/Na+ ratio (78.8 and 103% in roots by ESK12 and ESM24, respectively) than the non-bacterized plants in saline conditions. Thus, native halotolerant BPR can be utilized as ameliorators of salt stress.

RNA structure prediction with pseudoknots is an NP-complete problem, in which an optimal RNA structure with minimum energy is to be computed. In past decades, several methods have been developed to predict RNA structure with pseudoknots. Among them, metaheuristic approaches have proven to be beneficial for predicting long RNA structure in a very short time. In this paper, we have used two metaheuristic algorithms; Genetic Algorithm (GA) and Simulated Annealing (SA) for predicting RNA secondary structure with pseudoknots. We have also applied a combination of these two algorithms as GA-SA where GA is used for a global search and SA is used for a local search, and conversely SA-GA, where SA is used for a global search and GA is used for a local search. Four different energy models have been applied to calculate the energy of RNA structure. Five datasets, constructed from the RNA STRAND and Pseudobase++ database, have been used in the algorithms. The performances of the algorithms have been compared with several existing metaheuristic algorithms. Here we have obtained that the combination of GA and SA (GA-SA) gives better results than GA, SA and SA-GA algorithms and all other four state-of-art algorithms on all datasets.

The study has focused on the condition of children in the community, initiatives of tertiary sociology students for successful engagement, changes of the slum-dwelling children, and attainment of graduate and professional skills. A mixed-method of social survey, FGDs (Focus Group Discussion), and participant observation with close and open-ended questionnaires, face-to-face interviews, checklists, and Likert scale techniques have been used to collect primary data. The findings of the study show that students’ engagement helps to meet children’s educational, socialization, health care, and co-curricular needs and rights and some other needs of community people. It brings benefits for engaged students building stronger relations with graduate institutions, different organizations, and job providers, and attaining several graduate and professional skills, and abilities to become successful in personal and professional life.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of Senna petersiana leaf extracts on key digestive enzymes and FeSO4-induced oxidative injury. Methods: Dried Senna petersiana leaf powder (60 g) was defatted in n-hexane and then extracted sequentially at room temperature with dichloromethane, methanol, and distilled water. The total phytochemical content of the extracts was estimated using established methods. The in vitro antioxidant, anti-lipase, and antidiabetic activities and the effect of the extracts on intestinal glucose absorption and FeSO4-induced pancreatic oxidative injury were determined using different protocols. Moreover, GC-MS analysis was performed to identify the main compounds of the plant extract. Molecular docking analysis was also carried out to evaluate the binding energy of compounds with digestive enzymes. Results: Senna petersiana leaf extracts showed significant antioxidant activities in FRAP, DPPH, and hydroxyl radical scavenging assays. They also inhibited pancreatic lipase and lowered intestinal glucose absorption by suppressing activities of α-amylase and α-glucosidase. Treatment with the extracts also lowered lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde), nitric oxide level, acetylcholinesterase, and ATPase activities with simultaneous improvement of antioxidant (catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione) capacity in the type 2 diabetes model of oxidative pancreatic injury. GC-MS characterization of the extracts revealed the presence of stilbenoids, alkaloids, and other compounds. Molecular docking screening assay indicated the extract phytochemicals showed strong interaction with the active site amino acids of the targeted digestive enzymes. Among the Senna petersiana compounds, veratramine had the highest affinity for α-amylase and lipase, whereas dihydrostilbestrol was most attracted to α-glucosidase. Conclusions: Senna petersiana inhibits carbohydrate digestive enzymes, reduces intestinal glucose absorption, and exerts ameliorative effects on FeSO4-induced oxidative pancreatic injury with significant antioxidant capabilities. Detailed in vivo studies are underway to understand the plant’s therapeutic potential in diabetes management.

Objective: To explore the antioxidant and antidiabetic activities of Rhus longipes (R. longipes) leaf and stem bark aqueous infusions. Methods: R. longipes leaf and stem bark infusions were characterized via gas-chromatography mass-spectroscopy (GC-MS) analysis. In vitro antioxidant and carbohydrate and lipid digestive enzyme inhibitory activities of R. longipes infusions were determined. Additionally, the modulatory effects of R. longipes infusions on intestinal glucose absorption, muscle glucose uptake, and biomarkers of renal oxidative injury were evaluated. Molecular docking was performed to determine the binding affinities of the identified compounds from the leaf and stem bark infusions on carbohydrate and lipid digestive enzymes. Results: GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of several phytocompounds, including palmitoleic acid, octadecanamide, 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D and L-ascorbic acid. The bark infusion had significantly higher total phenolic contents compared with the leaf infusion, with better DPPH scavenging [IC50: (10.50±1.03) ±g/mL] and ferric reducing [IC50: (9.85±0.32) ±g/mL] activities (P

Objective: To investigate the antioxidative and antidiabetic effects of Harpephyllum caffrum bark infusion as well as its effects on glucogenic and nucleotide hydrolyzing enzyme activities in FeSO4- induced oxidative stress in rat hepatic tissue. Methods: Harpephyllum caffrum infusion was prepared from dried plant materials (40 g) infused in boiling water (400 mL) for 20 min at room temperature. The antioxidative and inhibitory activities against carbohydrate digestive enzymes of the infusion were determined using established protocols. The liver tissues of rats were used for glucose uptake assay and to evaluate the infusion’s effect on endogenous antioxidant, glucogenic, and nucleotide hydrolyzing enzyme activities in FeSO4-induced hepatic injury. Results: The Harpephyllum caffrum infusion significantly reduced ferric iron (FRAP) and free radicals (OH• and DPPH) in a dose- dependent manner. It inhibited α-amylase and α-glucosidase activities and increased glucose uptake in hepatic tissues. FeSO4 significantly decreased glutathione concentration, catalase, and superoxide dismutase activities while increasing malondialdehyde level, glycogen phosphorylase, fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase, and adenosine triphosphatase activities. However, treatment with Harpephyllum caffrum infusion reversed FeSO4-induced changes. Characterization of the infusion revealed the presence of catechol, O-pyrocatechuic acid, mequinol, maltol, and glycoside derivatives. Conclusions: The Harpephyllum caffrum infusion demonstrates antidiabetic and antioxidative potentials in in vitro models of type 2 diabetes as depicted by its ability to inhibit carbohydrate digestive enzymes, mitigate oxidative imbalance, and regulate glucogenic and nucleotide hydrolyzing enzyme activities in oxidative hepatic injury.

Background and objective: This research investigated the functional food potential of L. spinosa through nutritional and phytochemical evaluation. Material and methods: Different solvent-extracts of L. spinosa extracts were GC–MS- analyzed, evaluated for antioxidative and nutritional status especially carbohydrates, polysaccharides, fat, protein, beta carotene, and lycopene contents. Minerals (Fe, Cu, Ca, Cr), and heavy metal (As, Cd, Pb, Cr) contents were also measured followed by acute toxicity in animal model. Results: GC–MS characterized compounds greatly differed based on seven different solvent-extracts. Promising antioxidative effects and nutritional values were recorded for at least five solvent-extracts. Worthy contents of carbohydrates, polysaccharides, β-carotene, lycopene, fat, protein and minerals were detected in the L. spinosa. Heavy metals contents (As, Cd, Pb, Cr) in L. spinosa extract was lower than detection limit. Conclusion: Data demonstrate that L. spinosa stem and leaf could be potential source of functional food accredited with well-balanced nutrients and antioxidant properties.

This research investigated the cardioprotective effects of Tamarindus indica extracts (TIEx) in doxorubicin (Dox)-induced cardiotoxicity model. TIEx was tested for phytochemical and antioxidative status followed by a randomized controlled intervention in Swiss albino models. The results were verified by in silico interactions of GC-MS characterized phytocompounds against AT1 (angiotensin II type 1) receptor antagonist complexed with PPARγ agonist. TIEx showed an excellent antioxidative effect and a significant (P

Non-timber forest products (NTFPs) play a significant role in the improvement of the forest-dependent people’s livelihoods around the world, strengthening protection for the sustainable use of forests. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the influence of occupational category-wise (fuelwood collectors, farmers, small-scale businessmen, day labourers, and tea estate labourers) dependency on NTFPs and the role of NTFPs on household income around the Khadimnagar National Park (KNP) in northeastern Bangladesh. In 2014, 178 purposively selected respondents from four villages (out of 22 villages around the KNP) were interviewed face-to-face using a semi-structured questionnaire. The study observed that these forest-dependent communities utilized resources of the KNP mainly for domestic energy supply, household income, and house construction. Results showed that income from NTFPs made a significant contribution to family income. Income data analysis indicated that small-scale businessmen earned relatively more income from NTFPs, followed by tea estate labourers and day labourers. The study revealed significant negative relationships of the distance of households from the forest with the amount of NTFPs collected (P ​

COVID-19 takes a gigantic form worldwide in a short time from December, 2019. For this reason, World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 as a pandemic outbreak. In the early days when this outbreak began, the coronavirus spread rapidly in the community due to a lack of knowledge about the virus and the unavailability of medical facilities. Therefore it becomes a significant challenge to control the influence of the disease outbreak. In this situation, mathematical models are an important tool to employ an effective strategy in order to fight against this pandemic. To study the disease dynamics and their influence among the people, we propose a deterministic mathematical model for the COVID-19 outbreak and validate the model with real data of Italy from 15th Feb 2020 to 14th July 2020. We establish the positivity and boundedness of solutions, local stability of equilibria to examine its epidemiological relevance. Sensitivity analysis has been performed to identify the highly influential parameters which have the most impact on basic reproduction number (R0). We estimate the basic reproduction number (R0) from available data in Italy and also study effective reproduction numbers based on reported data per day from 15th Feb 2020 to 14th July 2020 in Italy. Finally, the disease control policy has been summarized in the conclusion section.

Biodegradable textiles made from cellulose, the most abundant biopolymer, have gained attention from researchers, due to the ease with which cellulose can be chemically modified to introduce multifunctional groups, and because of its renewable and biodegradable nature. One of the most attractive features required for civilian and military applications of textiles is flame-retardancy. This review focuses on various methods employed for the fabrication of cellulose-based flame-retardant cotton textiles along with their developed flame-retardant properties over the last few years. The most common method is to merge N, S, P, and Si-based polymeric, non-polymeric, polymeric/non-polymeric hybrids, inorganic, and organic/inorganic hybrids with cellulose to fabricate flame-retardant cotton textiles. In these studies, cellulose was chemically bonded with the flame-retardants or in some cases, cotton textiles were coated by flame-retardants. The flame-retardant properties of the cotton textiles were investigated and determined by various methods, including the limiting oxygen index (LOI), the vertical flame test, thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), and by cone calorimetry. This review demonstrates the potential of cellulose-based flame-retardant textiles for various applications.

Abstract Background In fungi, like other eukaryotes, protein turnover is an important cellular process for the controlling of various cellular functions. The ubiquitin-proteasome pathway degrades some selected intracellular proteins and F-box proteins are one of the important components controlling protein degradation. F-box proteins are well studied in different model plants however, their functions in the fungi are not clear yet. This study aimed to identify the genes involved in protein degradation for disease development in the Macrophomina phaseolina fungus. Results In this research, in silico studies were done to understand the distribution of F-box proteins in pathogenic fungi including Macrophomina phaseolina fungus. Genome-wide analysis indicates that M. phaseolina fungus contained thirty-one F-box proteins throughout its chromosomes. In addition, there are 17, 37, 16, and 21 F-box proteins have been identified from Puccinia graminis, Colletotrichum graminicola, Ustilago maydis, and Phytophthora infestans, respectively. Analyses revealed that selective fungal genomes contain several additional functional domains along with F-box domain. Sequence alignment showed the substitution of amino acid in several F-box proteins; however, gene duplication was not found among these proteins. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that F-box proteins having similar functional domain was highly diverse form each other showing the possibility of various function. Analysis also found that MPH_00568 and MPH_05531 were closely related to rice blast fungus F-box protein MGG_00768 and MGG_13065, respectively, may play an important role for blast disease development. Conclusion This genome-wide analysis of F-box proteins will be useful for characterization of candidate F-box proteins to understand the molecular mechanisms leading to disease development of M. phaseolina in the host plants.

BACKGROUND: Mango (Mangifera indica) is a very important fruit and it is attractive for its delicious aroma and flavor. Mango is susceptible to various types of pathogens that result in decline of its fruit production. An important pathogen, Agrobacterium tumefaciens attacks on mango plant and it causes crown gall disease. The present study was conducted to isolate and identify Agrobacterium tumefaciens from crown gall samples. METHODOLOGY: These samples were collected from BAU campus, Mymensingh. The bacterium was isolated and characterized by morphological, microscopic, biochemical, and confirmed by molecular test. KEY FINDINGS: The morphological, microscopic and biochemical tests initially revealed that all the bacterial isolates are gram negative. Pathogenicity test: a carrot disc bioassay showed tumors in the plant because T-DNA of the bacteria was transferred and integrated into each of carrot disc. Antibiotic sensitivity tests revealed that the resistance to antibiotic. Moreover, DNA was isolated from infected tissue and after gel electrophoresis of PCR product, DNA band with expected 184bp was found and therefore, it was finally confirmed that the isolates were Agrobacterium tumefaciens. CONCLUSION: This bacterium has ability to alter hosts genome, thus, is considered in plant biotechnology as one of the natures best genetic engineer, antitumor studies and researches other purposes. [Fundam Appl Agric 2021; 6(1.000): 43-49]

Obesity and diabetes are matters of serious concern in the health sector due to their rapid increase in prevalence over the last three decades. Obesity is a severe metabolic problem that results in energy imbalance that is persistent over a long period of time, and it is characterized by insulin resistance, suggesting a strong association with type 2 diabetes (T2D). The available therapies for these diseases have side effects and some still need to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and they are expensive for underdeveloped countries. Hence, the need for natural anti-obesity and anti-diabetic drugs has increased in recent years due to their lower costs and having virtually no or negligible side effects. This review thoroughly examined the anti-obesity and anti-diabetic effects of various marine macroalgae or seaweeds and their bioactive compounds in different experimental settings. According to the findings of this review, seaweeds and their bioactive compounds have been shown to have strong potential to alleviate obesity and diabetes in both in vitro and in vivo or animal-model studies. However, the number of clinical trials in this regard is limited. Hence, further studies investigating the effects of marine algal extracts and their bioactive compounds in clinical settings are required for developing anti-obesity and anti-diabetic medicines with better efficacy but lower or no side effects.

Abstract Background Although it is becoming evident that individual’s immune system has a decisive influence on SARS-CoV-2 disease progression, pathogenesis is largely unknown. In this study, we aimed to profile the host transcriptome of COVID-19 patients from nasopharyngeal samples along with virus genomic features isolated from respective host, and a comparative analyses of differential host responses in various SARS-CoV-2 infection systems. Results Unique and rare missense mutations in 3C-like protease observed in all of our reported isolates. Functional enrichment analyses exhibited that the host induced responses are mediated by innate immunity, interferon, and cytokine stimulation. Surprisingly, induction of apoptosis, phagosome, antigen presentation, hypoxia response was lacking within these patients. Upregulation of immune and cytokine signaling genes such as CCL4, TNFA, IL6, IL1A, CCL2, CXCL2, IFN, and CCR1 were observed in lungs. Lungs lacked the overexpression of ACE2 as suspected, however, high ACE2 but low DPP4 expression was observed in nasopharyngeal cells. Interestingly, directly or indirectly, viral proteins specially non-structural protein mediated overexpression of integrins such as ITGAV, ITGA6, ITGB7, ITGB3, ITGA2B, ITGA5, ITGA6, ITGA9, ITGA4, ITGAE, and ITGA8 in lungs compared to nasopharyngeal samples suggesting the possible way of enhanced invasion. Furthermore, we found comparatively highly expressed transcription factors such as CBP, CEBP, NFAT, ATF3, GATA6, HDAC2, TCF12 which have pivotal roles in lung injury. Conclusions Even though this study incorporates a limited number of cases, our data will provide valuable insights in developing potential studies to elucidate the differential host responses on the viral pathogenesis in COVID-19, and incorporation of further data will enrich the search of an effective therapeutics.

Reduced glucose uptake and utilization, with concomitant lipolysis in adipose tissues has been linked to the pathogenesis of obesity and its complications. The present study investigated the effect of cannabinoid-stimulated glucose uptake on redox imbalance, glucose and lipid metabolisms, as well as cholinergic and purinergic dysfunctions in isolated rats’ adipose tissues. Freshly Isolated rats’ adipose tissues were incubated with glucose and different concentrations of cannabidiol for 2 h at 37 °C. The negative control consisted of incubation without cannabidiol, while normal control consisted of incubations without glucose and/or cannabidiol and Metformin served as the standard drug. Cannabidiol caused an increase in adipose-glucose uptake, with concomitant elevation of glutathione, triglyceride level, superoxide dismutase, catalase and 5′nucleoidase activities. It also caused suppression in malondialdehyde and cholesterol levels, acetylcholinesterase, ENTPDase, fructose-1,6-biphosphatase, glucose 6-phosphatase, glycogen phosphorylase, and lipase activities. In silico studies revealed a strong molecular interaction of cannabidiol with adipose triglyceride lipase, hormone-sensitive lipase, and monoglyceride lipase. These results indicate that cannabidiol-enhanced glucose uptake in adipose tissues is associated with enhanced antioxidative activities, concomitant modulation of cholinergic and purinergic dysfunctions, and improved glucose – lipid homeostasis.

Expression of the transient receptor potential (TRP) channel genes and their isoforms in the alpha-cells and the beta-cells of the human islets of Langerhans has not been studied in detail. In this study, we have analyzed the RNA sequencing data obtained from purified human alpha-cells and beta-cells to identify the genes and their isoforms that are expressed differentially in these two cell types. We found that TRPC1, TRPC4, TRPC7, TRPM3, and TRPML1 were differentially expressed in these two cell types. TRPC1, TRPM3, and TRPML1 were expressed at a higher level in the beta-cells than in the alpha-cells. TRPC4 and TRPC7 were expressed at a higher level in the alpha-cells than in the beta-cells. The TRPC4-206 isoform was expressed at a 45-fold higher level in the alpha-cells compared to the beta-cells. Expression of TRPM3-202 was 200-fold and TRPM3-209 was 25-fold higher in the beta-cells than in the alpha-cells. Our study has demonstrated the relative abundance of expression of the TRP channel genes and their isoforms in the human alpha-cells and the beta-cells.

Due to high computational complexity, the detection of protein complexes in large protein–protein interaction (PPI) networks remains a challenging problem. Finding the actual protein complexes from a large PPI network requires a sophisticated algorithm. The protein complexes exhibit in densely connected sub-graphs in a PPI network. This paper presents a novel algorithm based on a metaheuristic method for protein complex prediction in large PPI networks. The algorithm mimics the density-based graph clustering method with biological heuristics to identify the protein complexes. The algorithm is enhanced by a local search algorithm and three repair operators. A new function has been developed for computing cluster density. The method was applied to the yeast and human protein interaction data and compared with the state-of-the-art algorithms. The comparisons demonstrate the best performance of the proposed algorithm in terms of accuracy and f-measure.

In the published publication [...]

Cannabis sativa L. is a crop utilized globally for recreational, therapeutic, and religious purposes. Although considered as an illicit drug in most countries, C. sativa until recently started gaining attention for its medicinal application. This study sought to investigate the hepatoprotective effect of C. sativa on iron-mediated oxidative hepatic injury. Hepatic injury was induced ex vivo by incubating hepatic tissues with Fe2+, which led to depleted levels of reduced glutathione, superoxide dismutase, catalase and ENTPDase activities, triglyceride, and high-density lipoprotein–cholesterol (HDL-C). Induction of hepatic injury also caused significant elevation of malondialdehyde, nitric oxide, cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein–cholesterol (LDL-C) levels while concomitantly elevating the activities of ATPase, glycogen phosphorylase, glucose-6-phosphatase, fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase, amylase, and lipase. Treatment with the hexane, dichloromethane (DCM), and ethanol extracts of C. sativa leaves significantly (p < 0.05) reversed these levels and activities to almost near normal. However, there was no significant effect on the HDL-C level. The extracts also improved the utilization of glucose in Chang liver cells. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis showed the presence of phenolics in all extracts, with the ethanol extract having the highest constituents. Cannabidiol (CBD) was identified in all the extracts, while Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ-9-THC) was identified in the hexane and DCM extracts only. Molecular docking studies revealed strong interactions between CBD and Δ-9-THC with the β2 adrenergic receptor of the adrenergic system. The results demonstrate the potential of C. sativa to protect against oxidative-mediated hepatic injury by stalling oxidative stress, gluconeogenesis, and hepatic lipid accumulation while modulating cholinergic and purinergic activities. These activities may be associated with the synergistic effect of the compounds identified and possible interactions with the adrenergic system.

Orchids are basically ornamental, and biological functions are seldom evaluated. This research investigated the effects of Acampe ochracea methanol extract (AOME) in ameliorating the paracetamol (PCM) induced liver injury in Wistar albino rats, evaluating its phytochemical status through UPLC-qTOF-MS analysis. With molecular docking and network pharmacology, virtual screening verified the inevitable interactions between the UPLC-qTOF-MS-characterized compounds and hepatoprotective drug receptors. The AOME has explicit a dose-dependent decrease of liver enzymes acid phosphatase (ACP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), total bilirubin, as well as an increase of serum total protein and antioxidant enzymes catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione reductase (GSH) with a virtual normalization (p

Natural biometabolites of plants have been reported to be useful in chronic diseases including diabetes and associated complications. This research is aimed to investigate how the biometabolites of Lasia spinosa methanol stem (MEXLS) extract ameliorative diabetes and diabetes-related complications. MEXLS was examined for in vitro antioxidant and in vivo antidiabetic effects in a streptozotocin-induced diabetes model, and its chemical profiling was done by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. The results were verified by histopathological examination and in silico ligand-receptor interaction of characterized natural biometabolites with antidiabetic receptor proteins AMPK (PDB ID: 4CFH); PPARγ (PDB ID: 3G9E); and mammalian α-amylase center (PDB ID: 1PPI). The MEXLS was found to show a remarkable α-amylase inhibition (47.45%), strong antioxidant action, and significant (p < 0.05) decrease in blood glucose level, serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), urea, uric acid, creatinine, total cholesterol, triglyceride (TG), liver glycogen, creatinine kinase (CK-MB), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and increase in serum insulin, glucose tolerance, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Rat’s pancreas and kidney tissues were found to be partially recovered in histopathological analyses. Methyl α-d-galactopyranoside displayed the highest binding affinity with AMPK (docking score, −5.764), PPARγ (docking score, −5.218), and 1PPI (docking score, −5.615) receptors. Data suggest that the MEXLS may be an exciting source to potentiate antidiabetic activities affirming a cell-line study.

The progression of secondary complications in type 2 diabetes (T2D) has been linked to oxidative stress caused by hyperglycemia. Therefore, the control of hyperglycemia is the main target in the treatment of diabetes. The present study investigated the scavenging and ameliorative potentials of different fractions of Azadirachta indica (A. indica) ethanol stem bark extract in Fe2+-induced oxidative injury in hepatic tissue as well as their ability to inhibit enzymes linked to diabetes and in enhancing muscle glucose uptake via some in vitro and ex vivo experimental models. The results revealed that the butanol fraction of the extract showed a significantly (p

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a multifaceted metabolic disorder that remains a major threat to global health security. Sadly, the clinical relevance of available drugs is burdened with an upsurge in adverse effects; hence, inhibiting the carbohydrate-hydrolyzing enzymes α-glucosidase and α-amylase while preventing oxidative stress is deemed a practicable strategy for regulating postprandial glucose levels in DM patients. We report herein the α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibition and antioxidant profile of quinoline hybrids 4a–t and 12a–t bearing 1,3,4-oxadiazole and 1,2,3-triazole cores, respectively. Overall, compound 4i with a bromopentyl sidechain exhibited the strongest α-glucosidase inhibition (IC50 = 15.85 µM) relative to reference drug acarbose (IC50 = 17.85 µM) and the best antioxidant profile in FRAP, DPPH, and NO scavenging assays. Compounds 4a and 12g also emerged as the most potent NO scavengers (IC50 = 2.67 and 3.01 µM, respectively) compared to gallic acid (IC50 = 728.68 µM), while notable α-glucosidase inhibition was observed for p-fluorobenzyl compound 4k (IC50 = 23.69 µM) and phenyl-1,2,3-triazolyl compound 12k (IC50 = 22.47 µM). Moreover, kinetic studies established the mode of α-glucosidase inhibition as non-competitive, thus classifying the quinoline hybrids as allosteric inhibitors. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations then provided insights into the protein–ligand interaction profile and the stable complexation of promising hybrids at the allosteric site of α-glucosidase. These results showcase these compounds as worthy scaffolds for developing more potent α-glucosidase inhibitors with antioxidant activity for effective DM management.

The present study analyzes the market access of the biggest fish market at Chattogram coastal region of Bangladesh affected by COVID-19. The food chain was reduced locally, regionally, and globally as supply chains were disturbed and international seafood exports were halted for a certain period. For data collection several qualitative data collection tools, such as individual interviews as well as secondary document analysis were employed. To realize the overarching aim of this research the whole market system was analyzed including the supplier, wholesaler, retailer, as well as the consumer of the domestic market in the Chattogram district. The result shows that the pandemic slowed the supply and demand in the domestic fish market, and as a consequence the price of fish was distinctly reduced in the whole market system. The result highlights that the most affected stages of the supply chains are the supply quantity, the interval of the supply, and the quantity of fish sales. Furthermore, the principally affected stages of the demand chains are consumer demand and alternation in the preference of the consumer. To overcome such situation, this study recommends governmental financial support to trades to ensure the smooth flow of the supply and demand and create an alternative market system for the consumer. The pandemic and the measures to address the pandemic have created significant new challenges for market access and controlling pricing in domestic markets. Regularly engage of the policymakers are thus the prerequisite to overcome the compensation of trades and ensure food security in this sector.

Morpho-physiological growth analysis is very important for the study of growth, development and yield of a crop. In order to study the growth indices and yield performance of lentilfield experiments were carried out at two locations (Sub-stations- Magura & Ishurdi) of Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA) with two varieties (Binamasur-3 and Binamasur-4) and two mutants (N4I-404 and E4I-925) of lentil during rabi season (November March) 2014. Experiments were laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. Growth parameters, physiological data and yield components were evaluated following standard formula and software. At both locations, absolute growth rate (AGR) was higher in mutantline E4I-925 at 75 DAS (days after sowing).The relative growth rate (RGR) was also found higher in mutant E4I-925 at 60 DAS followed by mutant line N4I-404. Total dry matter (TDM) was higher in mutants thanvarieties at both the locations at final harvest. For both the locationsthehighestTDM accumulation was also observed in mutantlineE4I-925. Seed size was higher in mutants and the mutantline E4I-925 showed the highest seed weight plant-1at both the locations (2.1 kgha-1 at Magura; 2.3 kgha-1 at Ishurdi).Regression analysis confirmed that all the morphological and physiological parameters were positively correlated with yield. On the basis of morpho-physiological characteristics the mutant line E4I-925 was found superior among four genotypes of lentil. [Fundam Appl Agric 2018; 3(3.000): 609-616]