Relationship between Financial Leverage and Financial Performance: Evidence from Fuel & Energy Sector of Pakistan

Fuel and energy sector serves as the backbone of the economy. The segment provides support, not only for the economic development of the country by showing positive trends towards the sectoral growth, but also serves as a steering wheel for the growth of manufacturing, trading and service sector. It provides significant inputs for production, trade and service. A general concept prevails that the financial leverage is helpful to enhance the financial performance of the companies. For measuring the impact of financial leverage on the financial health of the companies, it is essential to know whether a positive relationship exists between the financial leverage and financial performance or not? So, this study is intended to test the hypothesis and to measure a relationship between the financial leverage and the financial performance of the fuel and energy sector in Pakistan. The paper also examines the generalization that firms with higher profitability may choose high leverage by using various statistical tools. The findings of the study show a positive relationship between the financial leverage and the financial performance of the companies by accepting the alternate hypothesis H1 and Ho is rejected. The results of the study confirm that the firms having higher profitability may improve their financial performance by having high levels of financial leverage. The study provides evidence by evaluating different facts. It reveals that the players of the fuel and energy in Pakistan can improve at their financial performance by employing the financial leverage and can arrive at a sustainable future growth by making vital decisions about the choice of their optimal capital structure.   Key Words: Financial leverage, Firms’ Performance, Key Indicators- Financial Ratios, Fuel and Energy Sector in Pakistan

Treatment of Molluscum Contagiosum with 10% Potassium Hydroxide Solution

Background: To determine the efficacy and safety of topical 10% potassium hydroxide solution in the treatment of molluscum contagiosum (MC) .Methods: An open, prospective, non-randomized study of one year duration was conducted using 10% KOH solution to treat MC. Twenty eight patients completed the study. A total of seven appointments were planned; one baseline and six follow-up visits. 10% KOH was applied to molluscum lesions daily till the lesions resolved or till 3 months had elapsed.Results: Twenty eight patients, among which 22 were children, completed the study. The mean age of patients was 10.6 years. The total lesion count in the patients varied from 5 – 94, with the mean lesion count of 22.14 SD +_ 18.32. There was complete resolution of lesions in 20 (71.4%) of patients , 4 (14.3) had a near complete, 2 (7.1%) had partial and 2 (7.1%) patients had no improvement. 82% patients tolerated the treatment well with no side effects.Conclusion:10% KOH solution is an effective and well tolerated treatment for MC. It is less painful and cost-effective as compared to many well-established therapeutic modalities. It has the advantage of ease of application at home making it an acceptable and feasible option for the treatment of MC

Medicinal Plants as Therapeutic Alternatives to Combat Mycobacterium tuberculosis : A Comprehensive Review

Tuberculosis (TB) is a serious infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) and a significant health concern worldwide. The main threat to the elimination of TB is the development of resistance by MTB to the currently used antibiotics and more extended treatment methods, which is a massive burden on the health care system. As a result, there is an urgent need to identify new, effective therapeutic strategies with fewer adverse effects. The traditional medicines found in South Asia and Africa have a reservoir of medicinal plants and plant-based compounds that are considered another reliable option for human beings to treat various diseases. Abundant research is available for the biotherapeutic potential of naturally occurring compounds in various diseases but has been lagging in the area of TB. Plant-based compounds, or phytoproducts, are being investigated as potential anti-mycobacterial agents by reducing bacterial burden or modulating the immune system, thereby minimizing adverse effects. The efficacy of these phytochemicals has been evaluated through drug delivery using nanoformulations. This review aims to emphasize the value of anti-TB compounds derived from plants and provide a summary of current research on phytochemicals with potential anti-mycobacterial activity against MTB. This article aims to inform readers about the numerous potential herbal treatment options available for combatting TB.publishedVersionPeer reviewe

Neuroprotective potential of Marsilea quadrifolia Linn against monosodium glutamate-induced excitotoxicity in rats

Background: Excitotoxicity is a condition in which neurons are damaged/injured by the over-activation of glutamate receptors. Excitotoxins play a crucial part in the progression of several neurological diseases. Marsilea quadrifolia Linn (M. quadrifolia) is a very popular aquatic medicinal plant that has been utilised for a variety of therapeutic benefits since ancient times. Its chemical composition is diverse and includes phenolic compounds, tannins, saponins, flavonoids, steroids, terpenoids, alkaloids, carbohydrates and several others that possess antioxidant properties.Objective: The objective of the present study was to investigate the neuroprotective potential of M. quadrifolia against monosodium glutamate (MSG)-induced excitotoxicity in rats.Methods: A high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) analysis of chloroform extract of M. quadrifolia (CEMQ) was conducted to identify the major constituents. Further, the in silico docking analysis was carried out on selected ligands. To confirm CEMQ’s neuroprotective effects, the locomotor activity, non-spatial memory, and learning were assessed.Results and discussion: The present study confirmed that CMEQ contains quercetin and its derivatives in large. The in-silico findings indicated that quercetin has a better binding affinity (−7.9 kcal/mol) towards the protein target 5EWJ. Animals treated with MSG had 1) a greater reduction in the locomotor score and impairment in memory and learning 2) a greater increase in the blood levels of calcium and sodium and 3) neuronal disorganization, along with cerebral edema and neuronal degeneration in the brain tissues as compared to normal control animals. The changes were however, significantly improved in animals which received standard drug memantine (20 mg/kg) and CEMQ (200 and 400 mg/kg) as compared to the negative control. It is plausible that the changes seen with CEMQ may be attributed to the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonistic properties.Conclusion: Overall, this study indicated that M. quadrifolia ameliorated MSG-induced neurotoxicity. Future investigations are required to explore the neuroprotective mechanism of M. quadrifolia and its active constituents, which will provide exciting insights in the therapeutic management of neurological disorders

Optimization of a Cefuroxime Axetil-Loaded Liquid Self-Nanoemulsifying Drug Delivery System: Enhanced Solubility, Dissolution and Caco-2 Cell Uptake

Cefuroxime axetil (CA) is an oral cephalosporin which hydrolyzes rapidly to the active parent compound cefuroxime. CA is known to have incomplete oral bioavailability (30–50%) due to its poor solubility and enzymatic conversion to cefuroxime in the gut lumen. In order to overcome these drawbacks, a lipid-based self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system (SNEDDS) has been developed and optimized. The SNEDDS formulations were prepared using the aqueous phase titration method. The greatest self-emulsifying area was found in the 2:1 Smix ratio. As a result, different SNEDDS formulations were carefully selected from this phase diagram based on their smaller droplet size < 100 nm, polydispersity index ≤ 0.5, dispersibility (Grade A), and transmittance (%) > 85%. Thermodynamic stability tests were carried out in order to rule out any metastable/unstable SNEDDS formulations. The droplet size, polydispersity index, zeta potential, and entrapment efficiency (% EE) of optimized CA-loaded SNEDDS (C-3) were 18.50 ± 1.83 nm, 0.064 ± 0.008, −22.12 ± 1.20 mV, and 97.62 ± 1.06%, respectively. In vitro release studies revealed that the SNEDDS formulation had increased CA solubility. CA-SNEDDS-C3 increased CA cellular uptake, possibly due to increased CA solubility and the inhibition of enzymatic conversion to cefuroxime. Finally, in terms of the improvement of oral bioavailability, CA-loaded-SNEDDS could be a viable alternative to commercially available CA formulations

Optimization of a Cefuroxime Axetil-Loaded Liquid Self-Nanoemulsifying Drug Delivery System: Enhanced Solubility, Dissolution and Caco-2 Cell Uptake

Cefuroxime axetil (CA) is an oral cephalosporin which hydrolyzes rapidly to the active parent compound cefuroxime. CA is known to have incomplete oral bioavailability (30–50%) due to its poor solubility and enzymatic conversion to cefuroxime in the gut lumen. In order to overcome these drawbacks, a lipid-based self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system (SNEDDS) has been developed and optimized. The SNEDDS formulations were prepared using the aqueous phase titration method. The greatest self-emulsifying area was found in the 2:1 Smix ratio. As a result, different SNEDDS formulations were carefully selected from this phase diagram based on their smaller droplet size 85%. Thermodynamic stability tests were carried out in order to rule out any metastable/unstable SNEDDS formulations. The droplet size, polydispersity index, zeta potential, and entrapment efficiency (% EE) of optimized CA-loaded SNEDDS (C-3) were 18.50 ± 1.83 nm, 0.064 ± 0.008, −22.12 ± 1.20 mV, and 97.62 ± 1.06%, respectively. In vitro release studies revealed that the SNEDDS formulation had increased CA solubility. CA-SNEDDS-C3 increased CA cellular uptake, possibly due to increased CA solubility and the inhibition of enzymatic conversion to cefuroxime. Finally, in terms of the improvement of oral bioavailability, CA-loaded-SNEDDS could be a viable alternative to commercially available CA formulations

New chemical constituents from the <i>Piper betle</i> Linn. (Piperaceae)

<p>The phytochemical investigation of chloroform extract from <i>Piper betle</i> var. <i>haldia</i>, Piperaceae, leaves has resulted in the isolation of two new chemical constituents which were identified as 1-<i>n</i>-dodecanyloxy resorcinol (<b>H1</b>) and desmethylenesqualenyl deoxy-cepharadione-A (<b>H4</b>), on the basis of spectroscopic data 1D NMR (¹H and ¹³C) and 2D NMR (¹H-¹H COSY and HMBC) as well as ESI-MS, FT-IR and HR-ESI-MS analyses. Compounds <b>H1</b> and <b>H4</b> showed excellent antioxidant DPPH free radical scavenging activity with IC₅₀ values of 7.14 μg/mL and 8.08 μg/mL compared to ascorbic acid as a standard antioxidant drug with IC₅₀ value of 2.52 μg/mL, respectively. Evaluation of cytotoxic activity against human hepatoma cell line (PLC-PRF-5) showed moderate effect with the GI₅₀ values of 35.12 μg/mL for <b>H1</b>, 31.01 μg/mL for <b>H4</b>, compared to Doxorubicin^® as a standard cytotoxic drug with GI₅₀ value of 18.80 μg/mL.</p

Bioactive phenylpropanoid analogues from <i>Piper betle</i> L. var. <i>birkoli</i> leaves

<p>Phytochemical analyses of the chloroform extract of <i>Piper betle</i> L. var. <i>birkoli</i>, Piperaceae, leaves led to the isolation of two new phenylpropanoid analogues: <i>bis</i>-chavicol dodecanoyl ester (<b>2</b>) and <i>bis</i>-hydroxychavicol dodecanoyl ester (<b>3</b>), along with one known compound: <i>allyl</i>-3-methoxy-4-hydroxybenzene (<b>1</b>) on the basis of spectroscopic data 1D (¹H and ¹³C) and 2D (¹H–¹H COSY and HMBC) NMR, as well as ESI-MS, FT-IR, HR-ESI-MS and LC-ESI-MS. Compound <b>2</b> and <b>3</b> exhibited excellent antioxidant DPPH radical scavenging activity with IC₅₀ values of 12.67 μg/mL and 1.08 μg/mL compared to ascorbic acid as a standard antioxidant drug with IC₅₀ value of 6.60 μg/mL. Evaluation of cytotoxic activity against two human oral cancer cell lines (AW13516 and AW8507) showed significant effect with GI₅₀ values of 19.61 and 23.01 μg/mL for compound <b>2</b> and 10.25 and 13.12 μg/mL for compound <b>3</b>, compared to Doxorubicin^® as a standard cytotoxic drug with GI₅₀ value of < 10 μg/mL.</p

Insight into the Biological Roles and Mechanisms of Phytochemicals in Different Types of Cancer: Targeting Cancer Therapeutics

Cancer is a hard-to-treat disease with a high reoccurrence rate that affects health and lives globally. The condition has a high occurrence rate and is the second leading cause of mortality after cardiovascular disorders. Increased research and more profound knowledge of the mechanisms contributing to the disease’s onset and progression have led to drug discovery and development. Various drugs are on the market against cancer; however, the drugs face challenges of chemoresistance. The other major problem is the side effects of these drugs. Therefore, using complementary and additional medicines from natural sources is the best strategy to overcome these issues. The naturally occurring phytochemicals are a vast source of novel drugs against various ailments. The modes of action by which phytochemicals show their anti-cancer effects can be the induction of apoptosis, the onset of cell cycle arrest, kinase inhibition, and the blocking of carcinogens. This review aims to describe different phytochemicals, their classification, the role of phytochemicals as anti-cancer agents, the mode of action of phytochemicals, and their role in various types of cancer