Assessment of antimicrobial, antialgal and cytotoxic activities of crude extracts from rhizospheric and freshwater cyanobacterial strains

Background: This study describes the evaluation of antimicrobial, antialgal and cytotoxic activities of crude extracts from cyanobacterial strains isolated from rhizospheric and freshwater environment.Methods: Four cyanobacterial strains were isolated from freshwater and rhizospheric samples collected from various sites of University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan. Selected strains were identified by 16S rDNA ribotyping as species of genera, Cyanothece (CY1), Synechococcus (CY2), Leptolyngbya (CY3) and Synechococcus (CY4). The organic extracts i.e., methanolic, ethanolic and acetonic of selected cyanobacterial strains were checked for antibacterial and cytotoxic activity. Antibacterial and antialgal activities of cyanobacterial extracts were determined against, four Gram positive and three Gram negative bacteria using Muller-Hinton (MH) agar well diffusion assay and two algal species using 96-well microtiter plate respectively. Cytotoxic activity was determined against Vero cells and Huh-7 cells.Results: The results showed that all cyanobacterial extracts showed activities against Gram positive bacteria while some of the extracts showed activity against Gram negative bacteria. Acetonic extract of CY4 and CY2 showed moderate discoloration against Chlamydomonas sp. and Chroococcus sp. respectively. In cytotoxicity bioassay, methanolic extracts of strain CY1 and CY2 were most active with an IC50 of 0.625 mg/ml against Vero cells while acetonic extract of strain CY1 showed highest activity against Huh-7 cells (p<0.05).Conclusion: The data of current study conclusively suggest that selected cyanobacteria may be an excellent source for further fractionation to obtain novel antibacterial, antialgal and anticancer substances.Keywords: Cyanobacteria; MTT bioassay; Microtiter plates; Antimicrobial activity; Cytotoxicity

Gravitactic orientation of Euglena gracilis—a sensitive endpoint for ecotoxicological assessment of water pollutants

Pollution of aquatic environments with natural and anthropogenically produced substances is one of the major environmental problems of the world. In many countries the decreasing quantity of water coupled with its increasing usage in multiple sectors has adversely affected water quality and caused problems of water pollution. Polluted water has been a main cause of adverse effects on plants, animals and humans throughout the world. Physicochemical analysis of water, which is a common method used for quality assessment of water, alone may not be enough as it cannot evaluate the impact on living organisms. Therefore, bioassessment of water and wastewater quality is considered to be essential to reflect the ultimate effects on living organisms. Many organisms like bacteria, algae, fish, invertebrates and protozoan are used as bioassay organisms for assessment of water quality. This review article elucidates the use of Euglena gracilis, a freshwater motile flagellate of the phylum Euglenophyta, as a suitable organism in ecotoxicological studies with special emphasis on its gravitactic orientation as a sensitive end point in ecotoxicological assessment of water pollutants

Ethnomedicine use in the war affected region of northwest Pakistan

BACKGROUND: North-West of Pakistan is bestowed with medicinal plant resources due to diverse geographical and habitat conditions. The traditional use of plants for curing various diseases forms an important part of the region’s cultural heritage. The study was carried out to document medicinal plants used in Frontier Region (FR) Bannu, an area affected by the “War on Terror”. METHODS: Fieldwork was carried out in four different seasons (spring, autumn, summer and winter) from March 2012 to February 2013. Data on medicinal plants was collected using structured and semi-structured questionnaires from 250 respondents. The voucher specimens were collected, processed and identified following standard methods. RESULTS: Of the 107 species of ethnomedicinal plants reported, fifty percent species are herbaceous. The majority of the reported species were wild (55%) but a substantial proportion are cultivated (29%). For most of the plant species (34%), leaves are the most commonly used part in the preparation of ethnomedicines. The most common use of species is for carminative purposes (14 species), with the next most common use being for blood purification (11 species). The main methods used in the preparation of ethnomedicinal recipes involves grinding and boiling, and nearly all the remedies are taken orally along with ingredients such as water, milk or honey for ease of ingestion. Traditional healers prepare plant remedies using one or more plants. There was a significant correlation (r(2) = 0.95) between the age of local people and the number of plants known to them, which indicates that in the coming 20 years, an approximate decrease of 75% in the indigenous knowledge may be expected. CONCLUSION: Traditional medicines are important to the livelihoods of rural communities in the region affected by the Global war on Terrorism. The medicinal recipes are indigenous; however, there is a threat to their future use on account of rapid modernization and terrorist activities. Documentation of medicinal plants and recipes may help in the conservation of the regional indigenous medicinal knowledge for future generations and to provide a baseline for further studies

Effects of Neem (Azadirachta indica) seed and Turmeric (Curcuma longa) rhizome extracts on aphids control, plant growth and yield in okra

The use of synthetic pesticides to control pests and increase crops yield is a common practice, but they cause several environmental and health problems. Therefore, there is a need to explore alternative approaches to reduce the sole dependence on synthetic pesticides. The present study was conducted to screen the extracts of Neem seed and Turmeric rhizome for pesticidal activities against okra pests (aphids). Experiments were conducted in field with four plots. One plot was kept as a control (unsprayed) and one was sprayed with synthetic pesticides, one with Neem seeds extract and one with Turmeric rhizome extract. The effect on number of pests, plant growth and yield was observed at regular intervals. A significant reduction in pests was recorded in all treatments as compared to the control. Neem seed extract was more effective than Turmeric rhizome extract as revealed by a 73% decrease in aphids by Neem extract in comparison to 54% by Turmeric extract after last application. Both the extracts were found to be more effective than the synthetic pesticides in controlling okra pests. Both the extracts had stimulatory effects on okra growth and yield. For example, the total yield of plots sprayed with Neem (53.3 kg plot-1) and Turmeric extract (47.7 kg plot-1) was higher than the yield of control plot (33.8 kg plot-1) and plot sprayed with synthetic pesticides (39 kg plot-1). It is concluded that Neem and Turmeric extracts can be used as alternative of synthetic pesticides for controlling pests attacks in okra

ANTIMICROBIAL POTENTIAL OF ALKALOIDS AND FLAVONOIDS EXTRACTED FROM TAMARIX APHYLLA LEAVES AGAINST COMMON HUMAN PATHOGENIC BACTERIA

Background: Alkaloids and flavonoids are secondary metabolites extracted from different medicinal plants. Tamarix aphylla a traditionally valuable medicinal plant; was used for the extraction of alkaloids and flavonoids in order to evaluate their antibacterial activity. Methodology: The leaves of the plant were collected from district Kohat, Pakistan, and their alkaloids and flavonoids were extracted with ethanol and methanol, respectively. Four bacteria i.e. Gram positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram negative (Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) were selected for the biological screening of these phyto-constituents. Results: The concentration of alkaloids was found to be more in the leaves of Tamarix aphylla than flavonoids. The extracted phytochemicals showed varied inhibition zones against tested bacterial isolates. Alkaloids showed highest inhibitory activity against Staphylococcus aureus (14±0.6 mm) followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (13±0.7 mm). Conversely, flavonoids showed the highest inhibitory affect against Salmonella typhi (17±0.7 mm) followed by Staphylococcus aureus (14±0.7 mm). However, both extracts showed the lowest inhibitory effects against Escherichia coli. Conclusions: It was concluded that the alkaloids and flavonoids from Tamarix aphylla leaves have antimicrobial potential against common human bacterial pathogens. However, flavonoids were found to be more active phytochemical against tested bacterial strains as compared to alkaloids

Global investments in pandemic preparedness and COVID-19: development assistance and domestic spending on health between 1990 and 2026

Background The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted gaps in health surveillance systems, disease prevention, and treatment globally. Among the many factors that might have led to these gaps is the issue of the financing of national health systems, especially in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), as well as a robust global system for pandemic preparedness. We aimed to provide a comparative assessment of global health spending at the onset of the pandemic; characterise the amount of development assistance for pandemic preparedness and response disbursed in the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic; and examine expectations for future health spending and put into context the expected need for investment in pandemic preparedness. Methods In this analysis of global health spending between 1990 and 2021, and prediction from 2021 to 2026, we estimated four sources of health spending: development assistance for health (DAH), government spending, out-of-pocket spending, and prepaid private spending across 204 countries and territories. We used the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)'s Creditor Reporting System (CRS) and the WHO Global Health Expenditure Database (GHED) to estimate spending. We estimated development assistance for general health, COVID-19 response, and pandemic preparedness and response using a keyword search. Health spending estimates were combined with estimates of resources needed for pandemic prevention and preparedness to analyse future health spending patterns, relative to need. Findings In 2019, at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, US$9·2 trillion (95$7·3 trillion (95% UI 7·2–7·4) in 2019; 293·7 times the $24·8 billion (95$43·1 billion in development assistance was provided to maintain or improve health. The pandemic led to an unprecedented increase in development assistance targeted towards health; in 2020 and 2021, $1·8 billion in DAH contributions was provided towards pandemic preparedness in LMICs, and$37·8 billion was provided for the health-related COVID-19 response. Although the support for pandemic preparedness is 12·2% of the recommended target by the High-Level Independent Panel (HLIP), the support provided for the health-related COVID-19 response is 252·2% of the recommended target. Additionally, projected spending estimates suggest that between 2022 and 2026, governments in 17 (95% UI 11–21) of the 137 LMICs will observe an increase in national government health spending equivalent to an addition of 1% of GDP, as recommended by the HLIP. Interpretation There was an unprecedented scale-up in DAH in 2020 and 2021. We have a unique opportunity at this time to sustain funding for crucial global health functions, including pandemic preparedness. However, historical patterns of underfunding of pandemic preparedness suggest that deliberate effort must be made to ensure funding is maintained

Adding 6 months of androgen deprivation therapy to postoperative radiotherapy for prostate cancer: a comparison of short-course versus no androgen deprivation therapy in the RADICALS-HD randomised controlled trial

Background Previous evidence indicates that adjuvant, short-course androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) improves metastasis-free survival when given with primary radiotherapy for intermediate-risk and high-risk localised prostate cancer. However, the value of ADT with postoperative radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy is unclear. Methods RADICALS-HD was an international randomised controlled trial to test the efficacy of ADT used in combination with postoperative radiotherapy for prostate cancer. Key eligibility criteria were indication for radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer, prostate-specific antigen less than 5 ng/mL, absence of metastatic disease, and written consent. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to radiotherapy alone (no ADT) or radiotherapy with 6 months of ADT (short-course ADT), using monthly subcutaneous gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue injections, daily oral bicalutamide monotherapy 150 mg, or monthly subcutaneous degarelix. Randomisation was done centrally through minimisation with a random element, stratified by Gleason score, positive margins, radiotherapy timing, planned radiotherapy schedule, and planned type of ADT, in a computerised system. The allocated treatment was not masked. The primary outcome measure was metastasis-free survival, defined as distant metastasis arising from prostate cancer or death from any cause. Standard survival analysis methods were used, accounting for randomisation stratification factors. The trial had 80% power with two-sided α of 5% to detect an absolute increase in 10-year metastasis-free survival from 80% to 86% (hazard ratio [HR] 0·67). Analyses followed the intention-to-treat principle. The trial is registered with the ISRCTN registry, ISRCTN40814031, and ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00541047. Findings Between Nov 22, 2007, and June 29, 2015, 1480 patients (median age 66 years [IQR 61–69]) were randomly assigned to receive no ADT (n=737) or short-course ADT (n=743) in addition to postoperative radiotherapy at 121 centres in Canada, Denmark, Ireland, and the UK. With a median follow-up of 9·0 years (IQR 7·1–10·1), metastasis-free survival events were reported for 268 participants (142 in the no ADT group and 126 in the short-course ADT group; HR 0·886 [95% CI 0·688–1·140], p=0·35). 10-year metastasis-free survival was 79·2% (95% CI 75·4–82·5) in the no ADT group and 80·4% (76·6–83·6) in the short-course ADT group. Toxicity of grade 3 or higher was reported for 121 (17%) of 737 participants in the no ADT group and 100 (14%) of 743 in the short-course ADT group (p=0·15), with no treatment-related deaths. Interpretation Metastatic disease is uncommon following postoperative bed radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy. Adding 6 months of ADT to this radiotherapy did not improve metastasis-free survival compared with no ADT. These findings do not support the use of short-course ADT with postoperative radiotherapy in this patient population

Duration of androgen deprivation therapy with postoperative radiotherapy for prostate cancer: a comparison of long-course versus short-course androgen deprivation therapy in the RADICALS-HD randomised trial

Background Previous evidence supports androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) with primary radiotherapy as initial treatment for intermediate-risk and high-risk localised prostate cancer. However, the use and optimal duration of ADT with postoperative radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy remains uncertain. Methods RADICALS-HD was a randomised controlled trial of ADT duration within the RADICALS protocol. Here, we report on the comparison of short-course versus long-course ADT. Key eligibility criteria were indication for radiotherapy after previous radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer, prostate-specific antigen less than 5 ng/mL, absence of metastatic disease, and written consent. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to add 6 months of ADT (short-course ADT) or 24 months of ADT (long-course ADT) to radiotherapy, using subcutaneous gonadotrophin-releasing hormone analogue (monthly in the short-course ADT group and 3-monthly in the long-course ADT group), daily oral bicalutamide monotherapy 150 mg, or monthly subcutaneous degarelix. Randomisation was done centrally through minimisation with a random element, stratified by Gleason score, positive margins, radiotherapy timing, planned radiotherapy schedule, and planned type of ADT, in a computerised system. The allocated treatment was not masked. The primary outcome measure was metastasis-free survival, defined as metastasis arising from prostate cancer or death from any cause. The comparison had more than 80% power with two-sided α of 5% to detect an absolute increase in 10-year metastasis-free survival from 75% to 81% (hazard ratio [HR] 0·72). Standard time-to-event analyses were used. Analyses followed intention-to-treat principle. The trial is registered with the ISRCTN registry, ISRCTN40814031, and ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT00541047 . Findings Between Jan 30, 2008, and July 7, 2015, 1523 patients (median age 65 years, IQR 60–69) were randomly assigned to receive short-course ADT (n=761) or long-course ADT (n=762) in addition to postoperative radiotherapy at 138 centres in Canada, Denmark, Ireland, and the UK. With a median follow-up of 8·9 years (7·0–10·0), 313 metastasis-free survival events were reported overall (174 in the short-course ADT group and 139 in the long-course ADT group; HR 0·773 [95% CI 0·612–0·975]; p=0·029). 10-year metastasis-free survival was 71·9% (95% CI 67·6–75·7) in the short-course ADT group and 78·1% (74·2–81·5) in the long-course ADT group. Toxicity of grade 3 or higher was reported for 105 (14%) of 753 participants in the short-course ADT group and 142 (19%) of 757 participants in the long-course ADT group (p=0·025), with no treatment-related deaths. Interpretation Compared with adding 6 months of ADT, adding 24 months of ADT improved metastasis-free survival in people receiving postoperative radiotherapy. For individuals who can accept the additional duration of adverse effects, long-course ADT should be offered with postoperative radiotherapy. Funding Cancer Research UK, UK Research and Innovation (formerly Medical Research Council), and Canadian Cancer Society

Spätquartäre Vegetationsgeschichte und Klimaveränderungen in der Wüste Gobi, südliche Mongolei

Die südliche Mongolei ist ein Teil der ariden bis semiariden Region in Zentralasien und ist eine Übergangszone zwischen den Zirkulationssystemen der Westerlies und der damit verbundenen Nordatlantische Oszillation (NAO) sowie dem Asiatischen Monsun und dem mongolischen High Pressure System (MHPS). Die Sedimentkerne aus dieser geographisch wichtigen Region sind als Klimaarchiv ein zentraler Schlüssel zum Verständnis der vergangenen Vegetations- und Klimaveränderungen, die aufgrund von Variationen in der Intensität der Wechselwirkung der Klima-Systeme entstanden. Es ist wichtig, basierend auf der Vegetationsgeschichte, die paläoklimatische Dynamik und Entwicklung der Landschaft des ariden Zentralasiens zu verstehen, um eine Vorstellung über die zukünftigen Umweltbedingungen, aufgrund des anhaltenden globalen Wandels, zu bekommen. Die bisher zur Verfügung stehenden Paläovegetations- und Paläoklimadaten aus dem ariden Zentralasien stammen vor allem aus der nordwestlichen Mongolei und dem nordwestlichen China. Die vorliegende Forschungsarbeit basiert auf paläoökologischen Analysen von zwei See-Archiven der südlichen Mongolei (Bayan Tohomiin Nuur und Orog Nuur). Die multidisziplinären Analysen dieser beiden Sedimentkerne wurden durchgeführt, um Veränderungen der Seespiegel, der Paläovegetation und der paläoklimatischen Dynamik zu rekonstruieren und den damit verbundenen Einfluss auf biotische oder abiotische Faktoren in den letzten 50.000 Jahren (50 ka cal BP) aufzuklären. Palynologische und geochemische Analysen des Bayan Tohomiin Nuur ergaben eine detaillierte Geschichte der Vegetations- und Landschaftsdynamik im kontinentalen Zentralasien von 15 bis 4 ka cal. BP. Die rekonstruierten ariden Klimaphasen zwischen 12,3 bis 11,1 und 8,6 bis 7,6 ka cal. BP können mit der Jüngeren Dryas und dem 8,2 ka-Ereignis korreliert werden. Stabile und relativ feuchte Bedingungen traten in der Mitte des Holozäns von 6,3 bis 4,9 ka cal. BP auf. Ein Feuchtigkeitsmaximum in der Mitte des Holozäns ist auf die Verstärkung der Westerlies zurückzuführen. Der kombinierte Einfluss der Westerlies und des Sommermonsun führte zu einer feuchten Phase kurz vor dem holozänen Klimaoptimum, während es in den angrenzenden Gebieten im Norden und Süden des Untersuchungsgebietes trocken war. Die Trockenheit im Süden der Mongolei nahm nach 3,8 ka cal. BP zu, wie aus den geochemischen Daten des Sees abgeleitet werden kann. Die palynologische Untersuchungen an den Sedimenten des Orog Nuur zeigen die Vegetations- und Klimageschichte während der letzten 50 kA. Generell herrschten semi humide Bedingungen zwischen 49,5 und 44,7 ka cal. BP, nach Korrelation zur marinen Sauerstoffisotopenkurve Stufe 3 (MIS 3). Es folgte eine Phase von einem trockenen und relativ kühlen Klimas von 44,7 bis 23,2 ka cal. BP entsprechend der marinen Sauerstoffisotopenkurve Stufe 2 (MIS 2). Die Erhöhung der Konzentration der Grünalgen Pediastrum und Botryococcus zeigt einer Erhöhung der semi-ariden Bedingungen zwischen 23,2 und 22,7 ka cal. BP an. Die Trockenheit des Klimas steigt von 18,9 ka cal. BP bis zum Beginn des frühen Holozäns. Unsere Ergebnisse zeigen, kontinuierliche Klimaschwankungen während des dokumentierten Zeitraums von etwa 50 kA. Die generell vorherrschende Vegetation der Wüste oder Wüsten-Steppe wird durch die Werte von Artemisia, Chenopodiaceae und Ephedra angezeigt. Unsere Ergebnisse zeigen eine allgemeine Konsistenz zu den Paläoklimadaten mit den umliegenden Regionen Zentralasiens. Es sind jedoch weitere multidisziplinäre Studien nötig, um ein tieferes Verständnis der vergangenen Veränderungen der Umwelt zu gewinnen und die komplexen räumlichen Muster der Klimageschichte des ariden Zentralasiens während des späten Quartärs zu entschlüsseln. Solche multidisziplinären Ansätze sind eine Basis, um Veränderungen der Umwelt zu verstehen, künftige Veränderungen vorherzusagen und geben damit wichtige Informationen für den Naturschutz