Phytochemical investigations of Campsis radicans L.

Petroleum ether, dichloromethane and ethyl acetate soluble fractions were obtained through partitioning the crude methanolic extract of the leaves of Campsis radicans L. (Family. Bignoniaceae) followed by the chromatographic separation of secondary metabolites from them. A total of five triterpene compounds i.e., corosolic acid methyl ester (1), β-amyrin (2), arjunolic acid (3), maslinic acid (4) and 28-O-[β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→6)-β-D-glucopyranosyl]-2α,3α,19α-trihydroxy-12-en-28-ursolic acid (5) were isolated from the dichloromethane fractions and their structures were characterized by 1H NMR spectroscopy and compared the NMR data with published values

Comparison of outcome between suture and suture-less surgery following pterygium excision and conjunctival autograft

Background: A pterygium, known as surfer's eye, is a raised, wedge-shaped growth of the conjunctiva that extends onto the cornea, the outer layer of the eye. Aim was to compare the safety, efficacy and outcome of suture less technique with suture of conjunctival autograft in the management of pterygium. Methods: This study was carried out in the department of ophthalmology, Sir Salimullah medical college and Mitford hospital, Dhaka. Study period was July 2019 to June 2020. Subjects for this study were divided into two groups, forty patients were enrolled in each group of the study population. Group I (control) comprised the subjects in whom suture was used following pterygium excision and conjunctival autograft and group II (experimental) comprised the subjects in whom no suture was used following pterygium excision and conjunctival autograft. Results: In group I, 20% were 20-29 years old, 30% were 30-39, 27.5% were 40-49, and 22.5% were over 50, with 77.5% being male and 22.5% female. In group II, 22.5% were 20-29 years old, 27.5% were 30-39, 30% were 40-49, and 20% were over 50, with 72.5% being male and 27.5% female. The most common symptom was "foreign body sensation" in both groups. In group I, 5% experienced partial graft dehiscence, 2.5% a conjunctival cyst, 10% hyperemia, and 17.5% visual improvement. In group II, 2.5% had partial graft dehiscence, 2.5% hyperemia, and 22.5% visual improvement. Neither group had graft retraction or recurrence. Conclusions: Postoperative presentation like hyperemia was significantly less in experimental group. Incidence of post-operative complications like graft dehiscence and conjunctival cyst were comparatively less frequent in suture less technique. Thus, suture less technique following pterygium excision and conjunctival autograft is a safer and less complicated than sutured technique

Ischemic Strokes: Observations from a Hospital Based Stroke Registry in Bangladesh.

Background. Stroke is an important morbidity for low and middle income countries like Bangladesh. We established the first stroke registry in Bangladesh. Methods. Data was collected from stroke patients who were admitted in Department of Neurology of BIRDEM with first ever stroke, aged between 30 and 90 years. Patients with intracerebral hemorrhage, subarachnoid and subdural hemorrhage, and posttrauma features were excluded. Results. Data was gathered from 679 stroke patients. Mean age was 60.6 years. Almost 68% of patients were male. Small vessel strokes were the most common accounting for 45.4% of all the patients followed by large vessel getting affected in 32.5% of the cases. Only 16 (2.4%) died during treatment, and 436 (64.2%) patients had their mRS score of 3 to 5. Age greater than 70 years was associated with poor outcome on discharge [OR 1.79 (95% CI: 1.05 to 3.06)] adjusting for gender, duration of hospital stay, HDL, and pneumonia. Age, mRS, systolic blood pressure, urinary tract infection, pneumonia, and stroke severity explained the Barthel score. Conclusion. Mortality was low but most of patient had moderate to severe disability at discharge. Age, mRS, systolic blood pressure, urinary tract infection, pneumonia, and stroke severity influenced the Barthel score

Novel STAT3 Small-Molecule Inhibitors as Potential Anticancer Agents

The STAT3 transcription factor plays a key role in a wide range of biological responses for cell survival and growth. Furthermore, the STAT3 signalling pathway has been found to be up-regulated in more than 70% of human tumours. To date STAT3 is a particularly promising molecular target for chemotherapeutic intervention, and a number of strategies are under investigation to selectively down-regulate STAT3 signalling in cancer cells to inhibit cell proliferation and promote cell death. In the molecularly-targeted drug discovery era, protein- protein interactions (PPIs) are emerging as an attractive class of novel targets. Proteins are associated with unique recognition patterns, thus targeting PPIs has the potential to develop highly selective drugs. In this context, blockade of STAT3 signalling through the modulation or inhibition of key protein-protein interactions is a valuable approach to inhibit STAT3 transcriptional activity. This research project has focused on the design and synthesis of small-molecule inhibitors of the STAT3:STAT3 protein interaction as a potential means to discover novel therapeutic agents using computational approaches such as virtual screening and structure-based design. In particular, a medicinal chemistry approach has been used to produce a novel library of potential PPI inhibitors based on a "hit" from an in silico screen. This library was screened using a primary PPI binding assay based on fluorescence polarisation (FP). Hits from this assay were screened in a MTS cell viability assay, a Trypan blue exclusion assay and a Luciferase reporter assay in STAT3-dependent (MDA-MB-231) and STAT3-null (A4) cell lines. Compounds with interesting activity in these assays were further studied in cellular assays to assess the extent of activity and specificity towards unphosphorylated STAT3, phosphorylated STAT3, phosphorylated STAT1, unphosphorylated STAT1 and the downstream mediators (i.e., Survivin, Bcl-XL and Cyclin D1) of STAT3 signalling. One compound identified, 60, has the ability to down-regulate IL-6 signalling at EC50 of 15 μM

Chemical Investigation of Mesua nagassarium (Burm. f.) Kosterm

Repeated chromatographic separation and purification of pet-ether and carbon tetrachloride soluble fractions of a methanol extract of stem bark of Mesua nagassarium (Burm. f.) Kosterm yielded five compounds. Extensive spectroscopic studies, including high field NMR analyses was conducted to identify these compounds which resulted to be friedelin (1), 3β-friedelanol (2),lupeol (3), 3-oxo-betulin(4) and spinasterol (5). Although compounds 1–3have been reported from various plant species, but 3-oxo-betulinand spinasterol have been discovered from M. nagassarium (Burm. f.) Kosterm for the first time

Chemical Investigation of Mesua nagassarium (Burm. f.) Kosterm

Repeated chromatographic separation and purification of pet-ether and carbon tetrachloride soluble fractions of a methanol extract of stem bark of Mesua nagassarium (Burm. f.) Kosterm yielded five compounds. Extensive spectroscopic studies, including high field NMR analyses was conducted to identify these compounds which resulted to be friedelin (1), 3β-friedelanol (2),lupeol (3), 3-oxo-betulin(4) and spinasterol (5). Although compounds 1–3have been reported from various plant species, but 3-oxo-betulinand spinasterol have been discovered from M. nagassarium (Burm. f.) Kosterm for the first time

Ischemic Strokes: Observations from a Hospital Based Stroke Registry in Bangladesh

Background. Stroke is an important morbidity for low and middle income countries like Bangladesh. We established the first stroke registry in Bangladesh. Methods. Data was collected from stroke patients who were admitted in Department of Neurology of BIRDEM with first ever stroke, aged between 30 and 90 years. Patients with intracerebral hemorrhage, subarachnoid and subdural hemorrhage, and posttrauma features were excluded. Results. Data was gathered from 679 stroke patients. Mean age was 60.6 years. Almost 68% of patients were male. Small vessel strokes were the most common accounting for 45.4% of all the patients followed by large vessel getting affected in 32.5% of the cases. Only 16 (2.4%) died during treatment, and 436 (64.2%) patients had their mRS score of 3 to 5. Age greater than 70 years was associated with poor outcome on discharge [OR 1.79 (95% CI: 1.05 to 3.06)] adjusting for gender, duration of hospital stay, HDL, and pneumonia. Age, mRS, systolic blood pressure, urinary tract infection, pneumonia, and stroke severity explained the Barthel score. Conclusion. Mortality was low but most of patient had moderate to severe disability at discharge. Age, mRS, systolic blood pressure, urinary tract infection, pneumonia, and stroke severity influenced the Barthel score