Association between Glycemic Control and Serum Lipid Profile in type 2 Diabetic Patients: Experience in a Medical College Hospital

Impaired lipid metabolism in diabetic patients can lead to cardiovascular complications. Poor glycaemic control is associated with a significant increase in the risk of both patient’s morbidity and mortality. An early intervention to regulate circulating lipids has been found to lower the risk of cardiovascular problems and death. Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) is a reliable indicator of rising blood sugar levels. This hospital based observational study was conducted in the Department of Medicine, Sher-E-Bangla Medical College Hospital, Barisal from October 2014 to March 2015 over a period of 6 month to determine the correlation of glycemic control and lipid profile in patients with type 2 diabetes. A total of 110 type 2 diabe- tes mellitus(DM) patients of both sexes admitted to the Deapartment of Medicine of Sher-E- Bangla Medical College Hospital, Barisal, were recruited for this study. Following standard procedures and protocols, fasting blood sugar (FBS), blood sugar two hours after breakfast, Glycosylated Hemoglobin (HbA1c) and fasting lipid profile were measured. The age of respondents ranged from 34 to 70 years with the mean age of 54.35}8.02 years. Among the patients male were 70 (63.6%) and female were 40 (36.4%). Mean age at diagnosis of DM and duration of DM was 47.07}6.03 years and 7.27}3.41 years, respectively. Mean body mass index (BMI), FBS and HbA1c were 25.02}5.22 kg/m2, 8.06}2.01 mmol/L and 8.34}1.9 % respectively. Significant positive correlation of HbA1c and FBS with BMI, total cholester- ol(TC), triglyceride(TG), low density lipoprotein(LDL-C) and negative correlation with high density lipoprotein (HDL-C) was found. Significantly higher TC, TG and LDL-C and lower HDL-C were found in poor glycemic control (HbA1c ≥ 7) group than good glycemic control (HbA1c < 7 ) group. The results of this study showed that , higher levels of glycemic parame- ters are significantly associated with dyslipidemia. These findings also indicate that HbA1c can be utilized for screening of high risk diabetic patients for early diagnosis of dyslipidemia and timely intervention with lipid lowering drugs. BSMMU J 2021; 14(4): 138-14

Formation of carbon quantum dots via hydrothermal carbonization: Investigate the effect of precursors

Carbon quantum dots (CQDs) are nanomaterials with a particle size range of 2 to 10 nm. CQDs have a wide range of applications such as medical diagnostics, bio-imaging, biosensors, coatings, solar cells, and photocatalysis. Although the effect of various experimental parameters, such as the synthesis method, reaction time, etc., have been investigated, the effect of different feedstocks on CQDs has not been studied yet. In this study, CQDs were synthesized from hydrox-ymethylfurfural, furfural, and microcrystalline cellulose via hydrothermal carbonization at 220◦ C for 30 min of residence time. The produced CQDs showed green luminescence behavior under the short-wavelength UV light. Furthermore, the optical properties of CQDs were investigated using ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy and emission spectrophotometer, while the morphology and chemical bonds of CQDs were investigated using transmission electron microscopy and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, respectively. Results showed that all CQDs produced from various precursors have absorption and emission properties but these optical properties are highly dependent on the type of precursor. For instance, the mean particle sizes were 6.36 ± 0.54, 5.35 ± 0.56, and 3.94 ± 0.60 nm for the synthesized CQDs from microcrystalline cellulose, hydroxymethylfurfural, and furfural, respectively, which appeared to have similar trends in emission intensities. In addition, the synthesized CQDs experienced different functionality (e.g., C=O, O-H, C-O) resulting in different absorption behavior

Melatonin Modulates Plant Tolerance to Heavy Metal Stress: Morphological Responses to Molecular Mechanisms

Heavy metal toxicity is one of the most devastating abiotic stresses. Heavy metals cause serious damage to plant growth and productivity, which is a major problem for sustainable agriculture. It adversely affects plant molecular physiology and biochemistry by generating osmotic stress, ionic imbalance, oxidative stress, membrane disorganization, cellular toxicity, and metabolic homeostasis. To improve and stimulate plant tolerance to heavy metal stress, the application of biostimulants can be an effective approach without threatening the ecosystem. Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine), a biostimulator, plant growth regulator, and antioxidant, promotes plant tolerance to heavy metal stress by improving redox and nutrient homeostasis, osmotic balance, and primary and secondary metabolism. It is important to perceive the complete and detailed regulatory mechanisms of exogenous and endogenous melatonin-mediated heavy metal-toxicity mitigation in plants to identify potential research gaps that should be addressed in the future. This review provides a novel insight to understand the multifunctional role of melatonin in reducing heavy metal stress and the underlying molecular mechanisms