Volume 7, issue 1

Methods: A total of 10 participants including both genders were considered to assess blood glycemic response of said four culinary spices. Participants’ ages were 20-25 years. Incremental area under the curve (IAUC) method was employed for glycemic index (GI) determination. In addition to this, antioxidative properties were estimated by 2, 2-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS⁺)) radical, Folin-Cioucalteau reagent and aluminum chloride.

Results: GI values of turmeric, cloves, green cardamom, cinnamon and their combined blend were 83.06, 87.48, 82.27, 73.59 and 69.48, respectively. Antioxidative activity (AA) of spices was 2.63, 1.55, 2.55 2.8 and 3.33, respectively. Regarding antioxidant levels cinnamon contained the highest amount (32.78 mg/g) of total phenolic compounds (TPC) than turmeric (28.7 mg/g), cloves (29.6 mg/g) and green cardamom (15.04 mg/g). Similarly, total flavonoid contents (TFC) were found maximum (6.17 mg/g) in cinnamon relative to the other three spices i.e. 2.66, 4.6 and 1.6 mg/g, respectively. Furthermore, GI was inversely related to antioxidative properties i.e. AA (r=-0.88), TPC (r=-0.5625) TFC (r=-0.7716).

Conclusion: The results obtained from this present study indicate that spices’ antioxidants interfere with gastrointestinal digestion, lowering starch conversion into blood glucose, effectively. An appropriate intake of spices may be wanted to keep blood glucose level within an optimum limit. 

Methods: Genotyping by using tetra arm PCR and Sequence analyses of coding region of ALADIN gene was done in two families having affected children with Allgrove’s syndrome.

Results: Point mutation in exon 1 and alteration in 3D structure of protein was observed by using VMD (Visual molecular dynamics) that shows truncation, absence of few amino acid and structural modification of proteins which alters in transportation ability.

Conclusion: It is concluded from the study that proper structure and function of NPC (nuclear pore complex) binding protein is necessary in normal body function and if any mutation is present in ALADIN gene it can cause symptoms of rare Allgrove’s syndrome. 

Methods: This study is conducted on blunt injuries, particularly lacerated wound (type of wound inflicted by blunt weapon) to analyze the different expression pattern in injury-age up to 72hrs in total 21 individuals randomly grouped in different time intervals. To determine the time of injury, transcript abundance of mRNA of Fibronectin (FBN), IL1β, VEGFA, and GM-CSF was analyzed by real time polymerase chain reaction. 18S-rRNA was used as control marker.

Results: Percent knockdown (%KD) was calculated to determine the expression of mRNA for the determination of injury-age. IL1β and GM-CSF showed the predictive behavior for wound age up to 36hrs, Fibronectin (FBN) showed predictive behavior up to 12hrs while VEGFA showed prediction beyond 72hrs.

Conclusion: The detection of gradual decrease of mRNA of Fibronectin (FBN), IL1β, VEGFA, and GM-CSF may provide an estimation of wound-age. 

Methods: Quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR) and Promoter::GUS plant lines were used for expression analysis. Artificial micro RNAs (amiRNA) mediated gene silencing was used to generate mutant plant lines. Flood inoculation technique was used for infection test essays with Pseudomonas syringae.

Results: Expression analysis of A. thaliana plants harboring promoter AS::GUS construct showed strong promoter activity upon P. syringae infection. Quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis showed that AL and AS expression was strongly induced upon infection with P. syringae. Infection essays for P. syringae showed enhanced susceptibility to virulent (Pto) as well as avirulent (∆avrPto/∆avrPtoB) strains of P. syringae. However, mutant plants infiltered with infiltration medium containing 1 mM L-arginine regain their resistance in comparison with wild type (Col-0) plants.

Conclusion: Our findings suggest that genes related to arginine metabolism play a key role in plant defenses during P. syringae infection on A. thaliana. This study revealed that proper functioning of arginine related genes is required to deploy defense response against P. syringae. Decrease in the expression of these genes improves conditions for the growth of pathogen. 

Methods: Samples of long QT patients were collected and the coding regions of all exons of the SCN5A, voltage- gated Na+ channel gene were screened by sequencing for the potential mutations as the causative agent of long QT syndrome.

Results: After data analysis, 3 genetic variations have been found, amongst them are 2 heterozygous mutations that were reported previously in other ethnicity G87A-A29A found in exon 2, G1673A-H558R in exon 12 and one novel mutation that has not been reported so far, G>A 1238-G412G resulting in a transition mutation and change in amino acid GGG- Glycine to GAG- glutamic acid at position 412 in exon 9. While in other exons, no significant mutation was found.

Conclusion: As some of the exons showed mutation and the sample size was small, however, further functional analysis of the gene is needed with large number of samples for the confirmation of results. 

Methods: A total of thirty-five PCG patients were enrolled in this study. Blood samples were collected from the enrolled patients, and after DNA extraction and amplification, the coding regions of CYP1B1 were sequenced to determine the pathogenic mutations. In-silico analysis of the identified mutation was executed to study the effect of genetic variation on protein structure.

Results: One mutation, c.1169 G>A has been revealed in exon 3 of the CYP1B1 gene leading to p.R390H, present in 20% of the patients enrolled. Besides, two missense sequence variants c.1294G>C (2 patients), c.1358A>G (4 patients) and a synonymous variant c.1347T>C (18 patients) has also been observed.

Conclusion: Our study not only reaffirms the role of CYP1B1 mutations in PCG but also supports the use of genetic screening for molecular diagnosis and carrier identification, which will reduce the burden of disease on society. Furthermore, the in-silico analysis of the identified mutations provided an in-depth understanding of the PCG pathogenesis at the molecular level. 

Methods: Twenty-one families were collected from different rural and urban regions of Pakistan and Azad Kashmir. The contribution of GJB2 gene was initially studied by linkage analysis using short tandem repeats (STR) microsatellite markers. Sanger sequencing was employed to identify the causative variants in coding region of the gene.

Results: Phenotype of four families were found linked with GJB2 gene and all affected individuals of these families segregating same mutation c.231G>A (p.Trp77*) which was confirmed after Sanger sequencing.

Conclusion: The genetic causes of hearing impairment were studied in twenty one families segregating autosomal recessive pattern of inheritance with different ethnicities. We further established the founder effect for the one recurrent mutation in GJB2 gene in Pakistani and Kashmiri hearing impaired families for the very first time. 

Methods: In current experiment in vitro anticoccidial effect of Trachyspermum ammi (seeds) extract was evaluated. For this purpose, an in vitro sporulation inhibition assay was used. Collected oocysts of four Eimeria species were exposed to six different concentrations (w/v) of T. ammi in 10% Dimethyl sulphoxide solution (DMSO), while Dimethyl sulphoxide and Potassium dichromate solution (K₂Cr₂O₇) served as control groups.

Results: Results of study revealed that T. ammi extract showed in vitro anticoccidial effect by affecting on sporulation (%) and damaging (%) Eimeria oocysts in dose dependent manner. T. ammi extract also damaged the morphology of oocysts in terms of shape, size and number of sporocysts.

Conclusion: The results strongly support the botanicals applications of T. ammi extract and also demonstrate its potential for use in Poultry coccidiosis control strategies.