Phenotypic Diversity among Fennel (Foeniculum Vulgare) Germplasm of Pakistan

Fennel is facing continuous challenge with reference to biotic and abiotic stresses that can be solved with the knowledge of available germplasm of fennel in the country or worldwide. Selection of fennel genotype on the basis of research interest can never been accomplished without gene pool. The aim of the present study was to explore the phenotypic diversity among selective fennel accession and identify lines having high yielding potential. In the present study thirty fennel accessions were sown in PGRI, NARC. Irrigation practice was carried out during the growing period. Data was recorded during different growth stages and after harvesting. Nine morphological parameters under study include plant height, number of umbels/plant, umbel diameter, rays produced/umbel, fruits produced/umble, fruit color and fruit shape. Statistical analysis was performed using ANOVA, Tukey Honest Significance Test and Multivariate cluster Analysis using Minitab Software version 20.0. High diversity was observed among the quantitative traits of thirty accessions. Qualitative traits of accessions from similar region had considerable resemblance. Fennel germplasm collected from Punjab gives outstanding performance with reference to phenotypic traits. Accessions were identified as potential sources including: 21293 (maximum plant height, Punjab, Jhang, Chiniot), 21209 ( great height, Punjab, Faisalabad), 21737 (short height, Punjab, Layyah, Karore Chak-84) 21699 (maximum number of rays/umbel, Punjab, Pakpattan) and 21722 (maximum number of umbels , Punjab, Narowal, Talwandi Bhandran in short 21722 due to high yield was identified as potential sources to be included in future breeding programs for the improvement of fennel varieties

Exploring biodiversity and ethnobotanical significance of Solanum species in Uzbekistan: unveiling the cultural wealth and ethnopharmacological uses

Despite its millennial existence and empirical documentation, the ethnological knowledge of herbs is a more recent phenomenon. The knowledge of their historical uses as food, medicine, source of income and small-scale businesses, and the sociological impacts are threatened due to the slow ethnobotanical research drive. Species of the genus Solanum have long been extensively used in folk medicine to treat various illnesses of humans since the dawn of civilization. All data were systematically obtained from papers, monographs, and books written in Uzbek, Russian, and English through various scientific online databases, including Google, Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, Semantic Scholar, Science Direct, and Web of Science using specific keywords focused on eight Solanum species. Eight native and non-native Solanum species as S. dulcamara L., S. lycopersicum L., S. melongena L., S. nigrum L., S. rostratum Dunal., S. sisymbriifolium Lam., S. tuberosum L., and S. villosum Mill. have been recorded in Uzbekistan of Central Asia. In this article we presented recently obtained data on the diversity, morphological characteristics, global distribution, habitat, population status, phenology, reproduction, pharmacology and phytochemistry of these Solanum species in Uzbekistan. Furthermore, relying on a combination of literature reviews and analyses from various scientific papers, we focus on food consumption coupled with global ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological uses in human diseases of the Solanum species growing in Uzbekistan. Since the dawn of civilization, these eight cultivated and non-cultivated species of Solanum have provided sustainable resources of medicinal plants in Uzbekistan to prevent and treat various human diseases. Based on the collected data, it was shown that Solanum species have not been studied ethnobotanically and ethnomedicinally in Uzbekistan and it is necessary to conduct phytochemical and biotechnological research on them in the future. Traditional uses and scientific evaluation of Solanum indicate that S. nigrum, S. sisymbriifolium and S. tuberosum are one of the most widely used species in some parts of the world. Although considerable progress has been made to comprehend the chemical and biological properties of S. nigrum and S. tuberosum species, more research on the pharmacology and toxicology of these species is needed to ensure the safety, efficacy, and quality of their biologically active extracts and isolated bioactive compounds. Additionally, conducting additional research on the structure-activity relationship of certain isolated phytochemicals has the potential to enhance their biological efficacy and advance the scientific utilization of traditional applications of Solanum taxa

Factors affecting knowledge and attitude of healthcare workers towards basic life support in Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar, Pakistan: a cross-sectional analysis

Objective This study was conducted to assess the knowledge and attitude of healthcare workers towards basic life support (BLS) in Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar, and to investigate the factors affecting them.Design Cross-sectional study.Setting This study was carried out in a tertiary care hospital in Peshawar, Pakistan.Participants 201 healthcare professionals were recruited for this study through simple convenience sampling which included house officers (HOs), trained medical officers, postgraduate residents, professors, specialty registrars and nurses. Healthcare professionals who were reluctant to give consent were excluded from the study.Results Among the chosen participants, only 16.4% had good knowledge whereas 63% had a good attitude towards BLS. Knowledge of participants was found to be positively associated with less time elapsed between the training sessions (p=0.041). On the other hand, factors such as age(p=0.004), designation (p=0.05), number of BLS sessions attended (p=0.012) and the time elapsed since the last BLS session attended (p=0.015), were positively associated with the attitude of healthcare professionals.Conclusion The level of knowledge and attitude towards BLS by healthcare professionals was suboptimal. Those individuals who had attended BLS training sessions frequently had better knowledge and attitude as compared with their counterparts

Phytochemical Profiling, In Vitro Biological Activities, and In-Silico Studies of Ficus vasta Forssk.: An Unexplored Plant

Ficus vasta Forssk. (Moraceae family) is an important medicinal plant that has not been previously investigated for its phytochemical and biological potential. Phytochemical screening, total bioactive content, and GCMS analysis were used to determine its phytoconstituents profile. Antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-viral, cytotoxicity, thrombolytic, and enzyme inhibition activities were examined for biological evaluation. The plant extract exhibited the maximum total phenolic (89.47 ± 3.21 mg GAE/g) and total flavonoid contents (129.2 ± 4.14 mg QE/g), which may be related to the higher antioxidant potential of the extract. The extract showed strong α-amylase (IC50 5 ± 0.21 µg/mL) and α-glucosidase inhibition activity (IC50 5 ± 0.32 µg/mL). Significant results were observed in the case of antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-viral activities. The F. vasta extract inhibited the growth of HepG2 cells in a dose-dependent manner. The GCMS analysis of the extract provided the preliminary identification of 28 phytocompounds. In addition, the compounds identified by GCMS were subjected to in silico molecular docking analysis in order to identify any interactions between the compounds and enzymes (α-amylase and α-glucosidase). After that, the best-docked compounds were subjected to ADMET studies which provide information on pharmacokinetics, drug-likeness, physicochemical properties, and toxicity. The present study highlighted that the ethanol extract of F. vasta has antidiabetic, antimicrobial, anti-viral, and anti-cancer potentials that can be further explored for novel drug development

Phytochemical, Antimicrobial, Antidiabetic, Thrombolytic, anticancer Activities, and in silico studies of Ficus palmata Forssk

Ficus palmata Forssk. (Moraceae family) is medicinally valuable plant that is mostly used as folk medicine for the treatment of different diseases. Phytochemical composition was evaluated by preliminary phytochemical investigation, GCMS analysis, and total bioactive contents (TPC and TFC). The antioxidant, enzyme inhibition, antimicrobial, thrombolytic and anticancer activities were performed for biological evaluation. The extract exhibited the maximum total phenolic (49.24 ± 1.21 mg GAE/g) and total flavonoid contents (29.9 ± 1.13 mg QE/g) which may be correlated to higher antioxidant potential of extract. The GCMS investigation identified the presence of 27 phytocompounds of different classes related to aldehydes, esters of fatty acids, triterpenes, steroids, triterpenoid. The extract possessed the strong α-glucosidase (73.4 ± 4.65 %) and moderate α-amylase inhibition activity (47.1 ± 3.29 %). Significant results were observed in case of antiviral, antifungal, and antibacterial activities. F. palmata extract inhibited the growth of HepG2 cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner. The extract also exhibited moderate in vitro thrombolytic activity. In addition, the phytocompounds identified by GCMS were subjected to in silico molecular docking studies to analyze the binding affinity between phytocompounds and enzymes (α-glucosidase and α-amylase). Moreover, the best docked compounds were selected for ADMET studies which provide information about pharmacokinetics, physicochemical properties, drug-likeness, and toxicity of identified phytocompounds. The outcome of our research revealed that ethanolic extract of F. palmata possessed good antidiabetic, antimicrobial, thrombolytic and anticancer potential. This plant should be further explored to isolate the bioactive compounds for new drug development