Condition of Pakistan Wildlife during the COVID-19 Lockdown

Wildlife population helps to maintain the ecological balance of nature. In the past, wildlife population was decline rapidly. During COVID-19 lockdown, human activities are changed on large scale. This lockdown restrict the humans in their houses and these restrictions restored the climate and wildlife to a significant degree. In this situation, we analyzed the conditions of wildlife sector in Pakistan during COVID-19 lockdown. The environmental conditions like quality of air and water are improving and wildlife population also increases in this environment during this lockdown. This study shows some beneficial effects of COVID-19 lockdown on wildlife like enhancement in species diversity in less disrupted areas, reduction of landscape fear, reduction in road killing of wildlife and also reproductive success of raptors birds. Instead of, highlighted few beneficial impacts our study also explain some negative impacts of COVID-19 lockdown on wildlife. From the whole study we conclude that condition of Pakistan Wildlife during the COVID-19 Lockdown was favorable. Reduction in human disruption favorable for exotic species, they can increase their population. However, COVID-19 lockdown also caused interruption in the conservational activities for globally threatened species and also rise in illegal killing wild animals

Postharvest biology and technology of loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.)

Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.) fruit is a rich source of carotenoids, flavonoids, phenolics, sugars, and organic acids. Although it is classified as a non-climacteric fruit, susceptibility to mechanical and physical bruising causes its rapid deterioration by moisture loss and postharvest decay caused by pathogens. Anthracnose, canker, and purple spot are the most prevalent postharvest diseases of loquat fruit. Cold storage has been used for quality management of loquat fruit, but the susceptibility of some cultivars to chilling injury (CI) consequently leads to browning and other disorders. Various techniques, including cold storage, controlled atmosphere storage, hypobaric storage, modified atmosphere packaging, low-temperature conditioning, heat treatment, edible coatings, and postharvest chemical application, have been tested to extend shelf life, mitigate chilling injury, and quality preservation. This review comprehensively focuses on the recent advances in the postharvest physiology and technology of loquat fruit, such as harvest maturity, fruit ripening physiology, postharvest storage techniques, and physiological disorders and diseases

Effects of Dengue Incidence on Socio-Economic Status of Patient’s Family: A Comparative Analysis of Multan and Lahore City (Pakistan).

Pakistan is one of the victimized countries where the eruption of Dengue fever has been brazed out like several other countries around the globe. Dengue belongs to the family Flaviviridae (one of the families of mosquitoes) and it resembles with Yellow Fever virus and Hepatitis C virus (HCV). This research paper illustrates the effects of Dengue incidence on socio-economic status of the Dengue victims family by exploring the assorted effects related to socio-economic conditions and behavioral amendments of the Dengue patients in Punjab province (Pakistan). A sample of 200 Dengue victims was identified by using Multistage sampling technique from the selected regions of Multan and Lahore city. Interview schedule was used as a tool for data collection process for evaluating the responses of the Dengue victims. It was inferred from this research that the socio-economic status of the people of Punjab was disturbed due to Dengue incidence. Afterward the researcher made a comparison between the socio-economic status of the people of Lahore and Multan city. Subsequently the researcher instituted that the socio-economic status of the people of Lahore city was disturbed drastically as compared to the people of Multan city. The researcher put forwarded that government should ensure community involvement and timely management in removing mosquitoes breeding sites. In addition to this elimination of mosquitoes in Dengue outbreak areas by using premium quality insecticides can also eradicate various dilemmas related with eruption of Dengue fever. Keywords: Dengue fever, Socio-economic status, Behavioral changes, Timely management, Dengue victims, Insecticides and Community involvement

Empyema thoracis in children: clinical presentation, management and complications

Objective: To determine the etiology, clinical manifestation, management (medical and surgical) and complications of children with empyema thoracis in a tertiary care hospital from Karachi, Pakistan. Study Design: Descriptive, analytical study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Surgery, The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, from January 1996 to December 2010. Methodology: Medical records of admitted children aged \u3e a month to 15 years with discharge diagnosis of empyema thoracis and data was collected on demographic features, clinical manifestation, management and complications. Children managed medically were compared with those managed surgically by using interquartile range and median comparison. Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare age in months, weight (kg) and length of stay in days and presenting complaint, duration of illness; chi-square test was used to compare thrombocytosis in between groups and p-value was calculated. Results: Among the 112 patients, 59 (53%) were younger than 5 years of age. Males (n=83, 74%) were predominant. Fifty (45%) children were admitted in winter. Thirty (27%) children found unvaccinated and one fourth (n=27; 24%) were severely malnourished. Fever, cough, and dyspnea were the major presenting symptoms. Sixty-six (59%) were on some antibiotics prior to admission. Staphylococcus aureus (n=13) and Streptococcus pneumoniae (n=5) were the commonest organism isolated from blood and pleural fluid cultures. Majority of the children required some surgical intervention (n=86). Surgically managed children were younger (p=0.01); had less weight (p=0.01) and prolonged fever (p=0.02); and stayed longer in hospital (p \u3c 0.001) as compared to medically managed children. Requiring readmission (n=8), subcutaneous emphysema (n=5) and recollection of pus (n=5) were the major complications. Conclusion: Staphylococcus aureus was the major organism associated with paediatric empyema thoracis. Early identification and empiric antibiotic as per local data is essential to prevent short and long-term complications. Younger, lower weight children with prolonged fever required surgical management

Functional quality of optimized peach‐based beverage developed by application of ultrasonic processing

The influence of thermal treatment (at 90°C for 10 min) and sonication (at 20 kHz and 130 W for 30, 60, and 90 min on room temperature) on the physicochemical properties, bioactive compounds, antioxidant activity, and organic acids of fresh formulated functional peach beverage was investigated. The results indicated that conventional pasteurization and sonication treatment did not show any significant changes in pH value and Brix amount of juice, and however, a rise in cloud value was observed under all processing conditions. The thermal treatment caused the decrement in total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), antioxidant activity (assessed by diphenyl dipicryl hydrazyl (DPPH), ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and 2,2'‐azino‐bis(3‐ethylbenzothiazoline‐6‐sulfonic acid) (ABTS)), and organic acids of juice, whereas sonication treatment for 90 min increased maximum the activity of bioactive compounds (TPC: 600.61 µg/100 ml; TFC: 177 µg CE/100 ml), antioxidants (DPPH: 51.87%; FRAP: 506.13 µmol Trolox/L; ABTS: 1,507.375 µmol Trolox/L), and organic acids (malic acid: 998; citric acid: 128; oxalic acid: 145; shikimic acid: 63 µg/100 ml) as compared to other treatment conditions and control. Multivariate data analysis was done by principal component analysis as it identifies patterns in data by comparing data sets which is further expressed based on their similarities and discriminations, respectively

Cystathione gamma lyase/hydrogen sulphide pathway up regulation enhances the responsiveness of ?1A and ?1B-adrenoreceptors in the kidney of rats with left ventricular hypertrophy

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the interaction between H2S and NO (nitric oxide) in the kidney and to evaluate its impact on the functional contribution of ?1A and ?1B-adrenoreceptors subtypes mediating the renal vasoconstriction in the kidney of rats with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). In rats the LVH induction was by isoprenaline administration and caffeine in the drinking water together with intraperitoneal administration of H2S. The responsiveness of ?1A and ?1B to exogenous noradrenaline, phenylephrine and methoxaminein the absence and presence of 5-methylurapidil (5-MeU) and chloroethylclonidine (CEC) was studied. Cystathione gamma lyase (CSE), cystathione ? synthase (CBS), 3-mercaptopyruvate sulphar transferase (3-MST) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) were quantified. There was significant up regulation of CSE and eNOS in the LVH-H2S compared to the LVH group (P<0.05). Baseline renal cortical blood perfusion (RCBP) was increased (P<0.05) in the LVH-H2S compared to the LVH group. The responsiveness of ?1A-adrenergic receptors to adrenergic agonists was increased (P<0.05) after administration of low dose 5-Methylurapidil in the LVH-H2S group while ?1B-adrenergic receptors responsiveness to adrenergic agonists were increased (P<0.05) by both low and high dose chloroethylclonidine in the LVH-H2S group. Treatment of LVH with H2S resulted in up-regulation of CSE/H2S, CBS, and 3-MST and eNOS/NO/cGMP pathways in the kidney. These up regulation of CSE/H2S, CBS, and 3-MST and eNOS/NO/cGMP pathways enhanced the responsiveness of ?1A and ?1B-adrenoreceptors subtypes to adrenergic agonists in LVH-H2S. These findings indicate an important role for H2S in modulating deranged signalling in the renal vasculature resulting from LVH development

Apocynin and catalase prevent hypertension and kidney injury in Cyclosporine A-induced nephrotoxicity in rats.

Oxidative stress is involved in the pathogenesis of a number of diseases including hypertension and renal failure. There is enhanced expression of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADPH oxidase) and therefore production of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) during renal disease progression. This study investigated the effect of apocynin, an NADPH oxidase inhibitor and catalase, an H2O2 scavenger on Cyclosporine A (CsA) nephrotoxicity in Wistar-Kyoto rats. Rats received CsA (25mg/kg/day via gavage) and were assigned to vehicle, apocynin (2.5mmol/L p.o.), catalase (10,000U/kg/day i.p.) or apocynin plus catalase for 14 days. Renal functional and hemodynamic parameters were measured every week, and kidneys were harvested at the end of the study for histological and NADPH oxidase 4 (NOX4) assessment. Oxidative stress markers and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) were measured. CsA rats had higher plasma malondialdehyde (by 340%) and BUN (by 125%), but lower superoxide dismutase and total antioxidant capacity (by 40%, all P<0.05) compared to control. CsA increased blood pressure (by 46mmHg) and decreased creatinine clearance (by 49%, all P<0.05). Treatment of CsA rats with apocynin, catalase, and their combination decreased blood pressure to near control values (all P<0.05). NOX4 mRNA activity was higher in the renal tissue of CsA rats by approximately 63% (P<0.05) compared to controls but was reduced in apocynin (by 64%), catalase (by 33%) and combined treatment with apocynin and catalase (by 84%) compared to untreated CsA rats. Treatment of CsA rats with apocynin, catalase, and their combination prevented hypertension and restored renal functional parameters and tissue Nox4 expression in this model. NADPH inhibition and H2O2 scavenging is an important therapeutic strategy during CsA nephrotoxicity and hypertension

Interaction between nitric oxide and renal α1-adrenoreceptors mediated vasoconstriction in rats with left ventricular hypertrophyin Wistar Kyoto rats

Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is associated with decreased responsiveness of renal alpha(1)-adrenoreceptors subtypes to adrenergic agonists. Nitric oxide donors are known to have antihypertrophic effects however their impact on responsiveness of renal alpha(1)-adrenoreceptors subtypes is unknown. This study investigated the impact of nitric oxide (NO) and its potential interaction with the responsiveness of renal alpha(1)-adrenoreceptors subtypes to adrenergic stimulation in rats with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). This study also explored the impact of NO donor on CSE expression in normal and LVH kidney. LVH was induced using isoprenaline and caffeine in drinking water for 2 weeks while NO donor (L-arginine, 1.25g/Lin drinking water) was given for 5 weeks. Intrarenal noradrenaline, phenylephrine and methoxamine responses were determined in the absence and presence of selective alpha(1)-adrenoceptor antagonists, 5- methylurapidil (5-MeU), chloroethylclonidine (CeC) and BMY 7378. Renal cortical endothelial nitric oxide synthase mRNA was upregulated 7 fold while that of cystathione Upsilon lyase was unaltered in the NO treated LVH rats (LVH-NO) group compared to LVH group. The responsiveness of renal alpha(1A), alpha(1B) and alpha(1D)-adrenoceptors in the low dose and high dose phases of 5-MeU, CEC and BMY7378 to adrenergic agonists was increased along with cGMP in the kidney of LVH-NO group. These findings suggest that exogenous NO precursor up-regulated the renal eNOS/NO/cGMP pathway in LVH rats and resulted in augmented alpha(1A), alpha(1B) and alpha(1D) adrenoreceptors responsiveness to the adrenergic agonists. There is a positive interaction between H2S and NO production in normal animals but this interaction appears absent in LVH animals

EVALUATION OF WOUND HEALING POTENTIAL OF RUMEX VESICARIUS L. LEAF EXTRACT AND FRACTIONS IN RABBIT

Background: Rumex vesicarius Linn leaf extract is extensively used in folk medicine for the wound cure in sub-continent, but there is no pharmacological evidence present in support of this practice. The present study was conducted to validate the folkloric use of Rumex vesicarius on experimentally induced excision wounds in rabbits. Phytochemical constituents were also evaluated. Material and Methods: Aqueous and methanol fractions of R.vesicarius leaf extracts were prepared and analysed for the possible presence of major phytochemical classes. A 20% w/v gel of each extract (Methanol, Aqueous) was made using Cabopol 940 in the concentration of 5%. wounds were produced experimentally in normal rabbit’s dorsal region of back under ketamine anesthesia. The decrease in wound size was judged by using a scale. Povidone- Iodine treated group was taken as standard while untreated group was taken as control. Results: Aqueous fraction (200mg/kg) showed 92.34% maximum percentage of wound healing compared to control, while, 79.71% wound healing with methanol fraction (200mg/kg). Both the extracts were found to be statistical significant and comparable to control. Furthermore, wound healing activity was found to be better than standard (Povidone-iodine) treated group which may be attributed to the faster action of the active Phytochemical constituent and their multiple mechanisms. Conclusion: we concluded that R.vesicarius posses good wound healing activity and can be use as alternative medicine for wound care