Exploring Health Impacts of Occupational Exposure to Carbon Monoxide in the Labour Community of Hattar Industrial Estate

This study was designed to assess the health impacts related to noninvasive carbon monoxide saturation (SPCO %) in the blood of respondents. For this purpose, 150 respondents from the labour community of Hattar Industrial Estate (testing site) and 100 respondents from Sultan Pur (control site) were selected. To achieve this objective, a Rad-57 Pulse CO-Oximeter was used for noninvasive carboxyhemoglobin measurement. Carbon monoxide saturation (SPCO%) in the blood of respondents from Hattar Industrial Estate, Haripur, Pakistan has been compared with the WHO’s standard concentration of SPCO% (5%). High saturation of carbon monoxide (carboxyhemoglobin SPCO) in the blood of respondents and disease association have been interpreted in graphs formed on the basis of statistical analysis in terms of frequencies, using statistical software (SPSS), based on demographic entries as well as exposure time of the employees in the processing, food and steel industries. The highest SPCO% measured was 17% in the steel industry and the lowest measured level was 4.2%. Frequencies and percentages of respiratory inflammation, dermatosis, asthma, breathing issues and eye inflammation among respondents were 29%, 35%, 16.7%, 23.5% and 9%, respectively. Prevalence of disease in three different groups of respondents (from three testing sites) was also analyzed on the basis of exposure time (hrs.) to carbon monoxide emissions. Prevalence of disease among the exposed and non-exposed groups was analyzed and showed comparatively lower disease prevalence in the group of respondents who were not exposed to high carbon monoxide emissions. The data of the current study was also subjected to statistical modelling to find the health risk of air pollutants (carbon monoxide) on population health by calculating attributable risk (AR) or attributable proportion (AP). Results indicated that attributable risk of carbon monoxide exposure for respiratory diseases, dermatosis and eye inflammation were 61.12%, 65.77% and 24.95% respectively. Findings of statistical modelling indicated that dermatosis and respiratory diseases were more prevalent in laborers of industrial units than those at control site

Phytotherapeutics: The Emerging Role of Intestinal and Hepatocellular Transporters in Drug Interactions with Botanical Supplements

In herbalism, botanical supplements are commonly believed to be safe remedies, however, botanical supplements and dietary ingredients interact with transport and metabolic processes, affecting drug disposition. Although a large number of studies have described that botanical supplements interfere with drug metabolism, the mode of their interaction with drug transport processes is not well described. Such interactions may result in serious undesired effects and changed drug efficacy, therefore, some studies on interaction between botanical supplement ingredients and drug transporters such as P-gp and OATPs are described here, suggesting that the interaction between botanical supplements and the drug transporters is clinically significant

Development and characterisation of MMT-reinforced polyacrylonitrile-pullulan nanofibers for controlled permeation of isotretinoin

AbstractDrug nanofibers play a crucial role in ameliorating therapeutic effects, reducing toxicity, and increasing the bioavailability of drugs. This study was aimed at the fabrication of isotretinoin-loaded MMT-reinforced bi-polymeric (PAN/PU) nanofibers with varying concentrations of isotretinoin. In this study, montmorillonite (MMT)-reinforced cross-linked polyacrylonitrile and pullulan nanofibers combined with varying amounts of isotretinoin were fabricated through an electrospinning approach and investigated for their drug permeation potential. PAN-PU nanofibers were successfully integrated with the isotretinoin. The incorporation of isotretinoin into the nanofibrous structure was confirmed by FTIR and XRD. TGA study indicated the stability of the fabricated nanoparticles. The SEM results showed the beaded and smooth morphology of nanofibers. Formulation with a higher drug concentration had a non-significantly (p > 0.05) higher swelling ratio. Drug-loaded polymeric nanofiber erodes at a slower rate as compared to drug-free nanofibers. The ex-vivo permeation study of nanofibers revealed that the drug was not released all at once, but rather gradually and consistently over the period of 24 h, indicating a controlled release of the drug. In addition, the drug concentration in the nanofibers affected the permeation of the drug. According to the findings, isotretinoin-loaded MMT-reinforced bi-polymeric (PAN/PU) nanofibers with varying concentrations of isotretinoin were successfully fabricated. The fabricated nanofibers (PAN/PU) showed a promising potential for controlled permeation of drugs through rabbit skin

Carrageenan Based Bionanocomposites as Drug Delivery Tool with Special Emphasis on the Influence of Ferromagnetic Nanoparticles

Over the past few years, considerable attention has been focused on carrageenan based bionanocomposites due to their multifaceted properties like biodegradability, biocompatibility, and nontoxicity. Moreover, these composites can be tailored according to the desired purpose by using different nanofillers. The role of ferromagnetic nanoparticles in drug delivery is also discussed here in detail. Moreover, this article also presents a short review of recent research on the different types of the carrageenan based bionanocomposites and applications

In-vitro high-throughput library screening-Kinetics and molecular docking studies of potent inhibitors of α-glucosidase.

High throughput screening of synthetic compounds against vital enzymes is the way forward for the determination of potent enzyme inhibitors. In-vitro high throughput library screening of 258 synthetic compounds (comp. 1-258), was performed against α-glucosidase. The active compounds out of this library were investigated for their mode of inhibition and binding affinities towards α-glucosidase through kinetics as well as molecular docking studies. Out of all the compounds selected for this study, 63 compounds were found active within the IC50 range of 3.2 μM to 50.0 μM. The most potent inhibitor of α-glucosidase out of this library was the derivative of an oxadiazole (comp. 25). It showed the IC50 value of 3.23 ± 0.8 μM. Other highly active compounds were the derivatives of ethyl-thio benzimidazolyl acetohydrazide with IC50 values of 6.1 ± 0.5 μM (comp. 228), 6.84 ± 1.3 μM (comp. 212), 7.34 ± 0.3 μM (comp. 230) and 8.93 ± 1.0 μM (comp. 210). For comparison, the standard (acarbose) showed IC50 = 378.2 ± 0.12 μM. Kinetic studies of oxadiazole (comp. 25) and ethylthio benzimidazolyl acetohydrazide (comp. 228) derivatives indicated that Vmax and Km, both change with changing concentrations of inhibitors which suggests an un-competitive mode of inhibition. Molecular docking studies of these derivatives with the active site of α-glucosidase (PDB ID:1XSK), revealed that these compounds mostly interact with acidic or basic amino acid residues through conventional hydrogen bonds along with other hydrophobic interactions. The binding energy values of compounds 25, 228, and 212 were -5.6, -8.7 and -5.4 kcal.mol-1 whereas RMSD values were 0.6, 2.0, and 1.7 Å, respectively. For comparison, the co-crystallized ligand showed a binding energy value of -6.6 kcal.mol-1 along with an RMSD value of 1.1 Å. Our study predicted several series of compounds as active inhibitors of α-glucosidase including some highly potent inhibitors

Health Impacts of Surface Ozone in Outdoor and Indoor Environments of Hattar Industrial Units, KPK, Pakistan

This research was carried out to analyze variations in indoor and outdoor ozone concentrations and their health impact on local communities of megacities in Pakistan. For indoor ozone measurements, industrial units of an economic zone, Hattar Industrial Estate, Haripur, KPK, Pakistan, were selected. For outdoor ozone measurements, maximum and minimum peaks from different selected stations of three megacities (Islamabad, Abbottabad, and Haripur Hattar) in Pakistan were analyzed for paired comparisons. The tropospheric ozone levels were measured with the help of a portable SKY 2000-WH-O3 meter from December 2018 to November 2019. According to the findings of this investigation, the indoor ozone concentrations at Hattar Industrial Estate exceeded the permissible limit devised by the WHO. The highest concentration (0.37 ppm) was recorded in the month of May in the food industry, while the lowest concentration (0.00 ppm) was recorded in the cooling area of the steel industry in the month of December. For outdoor ozone concentrations, the maximum concentration (0.23 ppm) was detected in Islamabad in the month of March 2019, whereas the rest of year showed comparatively lower concentrations. In Haripur, the maximum concentration (0.22 ppm) was detected in the month of February 2019 and a minimum concentration (0.11 ppm) was found in the month of November 2019. In Abbottabad, the maximum concentration (0.21 ppm) was detected in the month of March 2019 and the minimum concentration was 0.082 ppm. Increasing tropospheric ozone levels might be harmful for local communities and industrial laborers in the winter season because of the foggy weather. In the Abbottabad and Hattar regions, since COVID infection is indirectly related to low temperature and high emission of gases may compromise the respiratory systems of humans. The results of the present study were shared with industrialists to set precautions for ambient air quality and support the adoption of low emission techniques in industries for the safety of labour and nearby residents

Health Impacts of Surface Ozone in Outdoor and Indoor Environments of Hattar Industrial Units, KPK, Pakistan

This research was carried out to analyze variations in indoor and outdoor ozone concentrations and their health impact on local communities of megacities in Pakistan. For indoor ozone measurements, industrial units of an economic zone, Hattar Industrial Estate, Haripur, KPK, Pakistan, were selected. For outdoor ozone measurements, maximum and minimum peaks from different selected stations of three megacities (Islamabad, Abbottabad, and Haripur Hattar) in Pakistan were analyzed for paired comparisons. The tropospheric ozone levels were measured with the help of a portable SKY 2000-WH-O3 meter from December 2018 to November 2019. According to the findings of this investigation, the indoor ozone concentrations at Hattar Industrial Estate exceeded the permissible limit devised by the WHO. The highest concentration (0.37 ppm) was recorded in the month of May in the food industry, while the lowest concentration (0.00 ppm) was recorded in the cooling area of the steel industry in the month of December. For outdoor ozone concentrations, the maximum concentration (0.23 ppm) was detected in Islamabad in the month of March 2019, whereas the rest of year showed comparatively lower concentrations. In Haripur, the maximum concentration (0.22 ppm) was detected in the month of February 2019 and a minimum concentration (0.11 ppm) was found in the month of November 2019. In Abbottabad, the maximum concentration (0.21 ppm) was detected in the month of March 2019 and the minimum concentration was 0.082 ppm. Increasing tropospheric ozone levels might be harmful for local communities and industrial laborers in the winter season because of the foggy weather. In the Abbottabad and Hattar regions, since COVID infection is indirectly related to low temperature and high emission of gases may compromise the respiratory systems of humans. The results of the present study were shared with industrialists to set precautions for ambient air quality and support the adoption of low emission techniques in industries for the safety of labour and nearby residents

Clinical Prevalence, Antibiogram Profiling and Gompertz Growth Kinetics of Resistant <i>Staphylococcus epidermidis</i> Treated with Nanoparticles of Rosin Extracted from <i>Pinus roxburghii</i>

The rise of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis (MRSE) makes it difficult to treat infections that increase morbidity and mortality rates in various parts of the world. The study’s objectives include identifying the clinical prevalence, antibiogram profile, and Gompertz growth kinetics of MRSE treated with synthetically created nanoparticles of rosin obtained from Pinus roxburghii. A total of 64 of 200 clinical isolates of S. epidermidis (32% of the total) displayed sensitivity (40.62%) and resistance (59.37%) to seven different antibiotic classes. The most sensitive patterns of antibiotic resistance were seen in 20 (78.95%) and 24 (94.74%) isolates of MRSE against piperacillin/tazobactam and cephradine, respectively. Fosfomycine was found to be the most effective antibiotic against MRSE in 34 (89.47%) isolates, followed by amoxicillin. Successfully produced, described, and used against MRSE were rosin maleic anhydride nanoparticles with a size range of 250 nm to 350 nm. Five different concentrations of 25, 50, 75, 100, and 150 mg mL−1 rosin maleic anhydride nanoparticles were investigated to treat MRSE resistance. According to Gompertz growth kinetics, the maximal growth response was 32.54% higher and the lag phase was also 10.26% longer compared to the control when the amount of rosin maleic anhydride nanoparticles was increased in the MRSE. Following the application of rosin maleic anhydride nanoparticles, the growth period is extended from 6 to 8 h. A potential mechanism for cell disintegration and distortion is put forth. This investigation came to the conclusion that rosin maleic anhydride nanoparticles better interfere with the surface of MRSE and demonstrated a preferred bacteriostatic action