Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences最新文献

Methamphetamine (METH) is a highly addictive and dangerous drug that mainly affects neurotransmitters in the brain and leads to feelings of alertness and euphoria. The METH use can lead to addiction, which has become a worldwide problem, resulting in a slew of public health and safety issues. Recent studies showed that chronic METH use can lead to neurotoxicity, neuro-inflammation and oxidative stress which can lead to neuronal injury. This review discussed the history of METH use, the link between METH use and neurotoxicity, the molecular mechanism and the different treatment strategies. This study attempted to discuss some of the drug's principal impacts and gave proof in favor of a few of the cellular and molecular causes of METH neurotoxicity. In addition, it demonstrates the most recent treatment strategies involving mitigating METH-induced neurotoxicity. However, future studies are needed to better understand the mechanism by which METH use induced neurotoxicity.

<i>Ormocarpum trichocarpum</i> (Taub.) Engl. is a shrub or small tree harvested from the wild as a source of food, traditional medicines and wood. The present review compiles existing information on the medicinal uses and chemical and pharmacological properties of <i>O. trichocarpum</i>. Multiple searches on existing literature on the traditional, medicinal, phytochemistry and pharmacological properties of <i>O. trichocarpum</i> were conducted in online Databases such as Web of Science, Google Scholar, Scopus^®, SpringerLink^®, ScienceDirect^®, SciELO and PubMed^®, as well as using pre-electronic literature sources obtained from the university library. This study showed that the bark, leaves, roots, stem bark, stems and whole plant parts of <i>O. trichocarpum</i> are used against 32 human and animal diseases and ailments.<i> </i>The main ailments and diseases treated by <i>O. trichocarpum</i> crude extracts include its use as an emetic, poisoning antidote, protective charm and traditional medicine for erectile dysfunction, gastrointestinal problems, prolonged labour, sexually transmitted infections and skin infections. The phytochemical evaluation of the plant revealed that it contains alkaloids, alkanes, flavonoids, phenolics, saponins, tannins, diterpenes, sesquiterpenes and bioflavonoids. Pharmacological assessments showed that the crude extracts and phytochemical compounds isolated from the species have antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, antiplasmodial and tyrosinase-inhibiting activities. Detailed studies focusing on toxicological evaluations, <i>in vivo</i> and clinical research aimed at corroborating the traditional medical applications of <i>O. trichocarpum</i> are recommended.

<b>Background and Objective:</b> Prolonged utilization of chemical fertilizers can harm the soil and disturb the equilibrium of nutrients, resulting in a decline in cherry tomato yield. To enhance the growth of cherry tomato plants, it is necessary to add organic chemicals. The research aimed to determine the best elicitor biosaka concentration to apply to evoke the plant growth of cherry tomatoes (<i>Solanum lycopersicum</i> L. var. <i>cerasiforme</i>). <b>Materials and Methods:</b> This study employed a complete random design with four treatments of biosaka formula: B0 (control, water), B1 (1.5 mL/L), B2 (2.5 mL/L), B3 (3.5 mL/L) and B4 (4.5 mL/L). Twenty-day-old tomato seedlings were transplanted into polybags filled with a compost and husk charcoal mixture. Biosaka application was done every four days by spraying at a 0.5 m distance, starting from the first day after transplanting. Lycopene levels were measured using a UV-vis spectrophotometer at 417 nm after a series of solvent extractions. Data were analyzed using ANOVA for significant effects. <b>Results:</b> The biosaka concentration of 4.5 mL/L gives the highest results for the variables of treatments such as the plant height is up to 167.8 cm, the number of petioles is 62.8 petioles, the number of fruit is 19.6 and the age at flowering is 44.4 days. The biosaka concentration of 4.5 mL/L gave the highest yield for the variable plant height of 167.8 cm, the number of petioles 62.8, the number of fruits per plant 19.6, the initial flowering age of 44.4 days, the wet weight of the plant was 740 g and the dry weight of the plant was 125.1 g. <b>Conclusion:</b> The optimal concentration of biosaka (4.5 mL/L) significantly improved cherry tomato growth and yield, resulting in increased plant height, number of petioles and fruit count. It also accelerated the initial flowering age and enhanced both wet and dry plant weights. This indicates that 4.5 mL/L of biosaka effectively promotes the growth and productivity of cherry tomato plants.

<b>Background and Objective:</b> Turmeric, strawberries and broccoli are popular in the community for their beneficial effects in improving lipid profile, but poor bioavailability and absorption of their phytochemical compounds might reduce their effects while given separately. Therefore, their combination might provide a synergistic enhancement of their property as hypolipidemic agents. This study aims to examine the effects of turmeric, strawberry and broccoli in improving lipid profile in adult patients with hypercholesterolemia. <b>Materials and Methods:</b> Twenty hypercholesterolemic adult patients from Unggul Karsa Medika Hospital in Bandung, Indonesia were recruited for the study, they were given 600 mg/day of turmeric/curcuminoid, 100 g of fresh strawberry and 100 g of boiled broccoli for 30 days. The measurement of the patient's characteristics (body weight, height, BMI) and biochemical parameters in the blood (total cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL-C, HDL-C, SGOT, SGPT, urea and creatinine) were conducted before and after the treatment. <b>Results:</b> The mean age of the patients was 49.15±1.9 years old, with mean height 1.56±0.014 m, weight 61.43±1.96 kg and mean body mass index 25.25±0.87 kg/m^{<a href="86677_op">2</a>}. Lipid profile before the treatment: Total cholesterol 239.75±6.56 mg/dL, LDL-C 172.9±6.53 mg/dL, HDL-C 66.55±3.37 mg/dL and triglyceride 193.7±18.45 mg/dL; after the treatment: Total cholesterol 220.7±9.39 mg/dL, LDL-C 153.95±9.98 mg/dL, HDL-C 59.2±2.45 mg/dL and triglyceride 145±16.55 mg/dL. The result showed a significant reduction of total cholesterol (p = 0.014), LDL-C (p = 0.036), HDL-C (p = 0.001) and triglyceride (p = 0.015) after the treatment. Other biochemical parameters (SGOT, SGPT, urea and creatinine) showed normal levels before and after the treatment. <b>Conclusion:</b> In summary, supplementation of turmeric, strawberry and broccoli improves lipid profile in adult patients with hypercholesterolemia.

<b>Background and Objective:</b> Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in Indonesia, where traditional herbal treatments like <i>Zanthoxylum acanthopodium</i> (andaliman) are culturally used. Investigating protein biomarkers such as E7, pRb, EGFR and p16 can help assess the efficacy of these treatments. <b>Materials and Methods:</b> There were 5 groups in this study: 2 control groups (C- and C+) and 3 treatment groups (each receiving one of three doses). Oral administration of andaliman was performed for 30 days in cancer model rats, after which the cervix was dissected, cervical tissue was taken and immunohistochemistry repair was performed. Statistical analysis was performed using the Kruskal-Wallis test with a p<0.05. <b>Results:</b> As <i>Zanthoxylum acanthopodium</i> DC dose rose, cervical tissue E7, EGFR and p16 expression decreased. However, greater doses of this plant increased cervical tissue pRb protein. Cervical cancer histology exhibited increased nuclear size, irregular cellular structure, atypical cell shape, higher nuclear-cytoplasmic ratio and various nuclear shape variants. This herb induced tissue to show well-organized non-hyperchromatic cells that resembled normal clusters. <b>Conclusion:</b> <i>Zanthoxylum acanthopodium</i> DC improved cervical tissue and balanced cervical cancer biomarker proteins such E7, EGFR, pRB and p16.

<b>Background and Objective:</b> Betta fish is one of the most popular ornamental fish because of their attractive body shape, especially for males. The fish development usually results in a similar number of males and females or an even higher number of females. This study aimed to determine the effect of various concentrations of honey and the age of larvae on the sex ratio of Betta fish. <b>Materials and Methods:</b> This study was conducted using a completely randomized design with two variables; the concentrations of honey and the ages of Betta fish larvae in 3 replications. There are 45 groups in total with 20 larvae in each group. The levels of honey concentration were 0 (control), 10, 20, 30 and 40 mL/L and the levels of larval ages were 3, 4 and 5 days old. All groups were immersed for 10 hrs in the honey mix and then maintained for 4 months. Sex ratio calculation was performed after 3 months. <b>Results:</b> The both factors have a significant effect on male sex formation. The highest number of males was produced in the honey concentration of 40 mL/L. A significant difference in the number of males was shown in the larval group of ages 3 and 4 days old but not in the groups of 5 days old. <b>Conclusion:</b> Honey treatment and the larval age affect the formation of male Betta fish.

<b>Background and Objective:</b> Todolo coffee (<i>Coffea arabica</i> L. var. typica) is the oldest commercially grown coffee in the Toraja region of South Sulawesi and is currently at risk of extinction. This study aims to induce callus from leaf explants of Todolo arabica coffee and improve the levels of caffeine compounds in Todolo coffee with the additional precursor L-methionine as elicitor. <b>Materials and Methods:</b> This research was conducted at the Tissue Culture Laboratory, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Hasanuddin University. This experimental study used a Complete Randomized Design (CRD) approach. The five stages involved callus induction, elicitation with L-methionine precursor, caffeine extraction, qualitative testing using the Parry Method and quantitative analysis via UV-Vis spectrophotometry. Tools and materials were sterilized using autoclaving and media preparation followed standard procedures with varying L-methionine concentrations. Callus induction from sterilized leaf explants was done under aseptic conditions, followed by L-methionine treatment and caffeine content extraction. Caffeine was analyzed using UV-Vis spectrophotometry at 272 nm and statistical analysis was conducted using ANOVA and DMRT at a 5% significance level. <b>Results:</b> The friable callus structure has a shiny and wavy appearance and is more easily detached, which is highly correlated with the speed of callus growth. The callus on the treatment medium is slightly yellowish-white to somewhat brownish, indicating the production of secondary metabolites. The best concentration of L-methionine treatment was 25 mg/L with a percentage of caffeine content of 0.0078%. <b>Conclusion:</b> Results concluded that the addition of L-methionine has a significant effect on the percentage of caffeine production.

<b>Background and Objective:</b> Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI) is a mental health threat that is a major concern among adolescents and young adults nowadays. It is assumed that NSSI is involved in the mesocortical dopamine reward system, the endogenous opioid system and the overstimulation of the stress system. This study aims to investigate the correlation between Opioid Receptor Kappa 1 (OPRK1) rs7016778 and rs7824175 gene polymorphisms, Kappa Opioid Receptor (KOR) and Dynorphin level with NSSI. <b>Materials and Methods:</b> This research was a cross-sectional comparative study between 84 subjects diagnosed with NSSI and 76 controls. The method used was purposive sampling. The NSSI was determined by using the NSSID and ISAS questionnaire according to DSM-5. The examination of polymorphism of the OPRK-I gene was examined using a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and the level of KOR and Dynorphin was determined using ELISA. <b>Results:</b> The OPRK1 rs7016778 gene polymorphism was more common in the NSSI group. The OPRK1 rs7824175 gene polymorphism was more common in the control group. The KOR and Dynorphin levels were higher in the NSSI group. There were differences in KOR levels between NSSI and the control group. There is a relationship between KOR levels and Dynorphin levels with NSSI. There were no differences in the OPRK1 gene polymorphisms rs7016778 and rs7824175 between NSSI subjects and controls. There was no difference in Dynorphin levels between NSSI subjects and controls. <b>Conclusion:</b> The role of the Kappa Opioid Receptor (KOR) and Dynorphin in the pathophysiology of NSSI can be considered.

<b>Background and Objective:</b> Nicotine-relevant smoking causes many serious issues of environmental pollution and complicated harm to human health. The present study aimed to evaluate the experimental effects of exposure to nicotine on the gene expression profiles of rat brain tissues with differentially expressed genes (DEGs). <b>Materials and Methods:</b> The rat gene expression profiles of environmental exposure to nicotine were initially screened and retrieved from the microarray dataset GSE59895 in the GEO database. Next, it was analyzed with an integrated bioinformatics pipeline. The DEGs were analyzed in Limma and functional enrichment analyses of GO terms and KEGG pathways were performed with clusterProfiler. The STRING online tools and Cytoscape StringApp were subsequently employed to construct the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, whereas key modules and hub genes were finally explored and visualized. <b>Results:</b> There was total of 382 shared DEGs between different case groups in the experiment, whereas 9 common shared DEGs were found among all three groups. The significant enrichments of 28 GO terms and 3 KEGG pathways were comprehensively analyzed with corresponding functionally enriched genes. Then, 3 key modules and 10 hub genes were further identified and explored in the resulted PPI network. In the disease-related signaling pathways, eleven potential neuropathic disease-related genes may complement the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. <b>Conclusion:</b> The study found that chronic exposure to nicotine would result in the differential expression of the disease-related genes, whereas these DEGs might increase the environmental risks of Huntington's disease, Alzheimer's disease and other multiple neurodegenerative diseases.

<b>Background and Objective:</b> Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal abnormality that influences the age during reproduction. This investigation aimed to identify the impact of insulin receptor-encoding genes (NsiI and PmLI) on the development of PCOS and their effect on insulin and HOMA-IR levels. <b>Materials and Methods:</b> The study included 80 patients and 25 healthy individuals. The concentrations of HOMA-IR, fasting blood sugar and fasting insulin hormone were determined. The PCR-RFLP was applied to identify insulin receptors in the NsiI and PmLI SNPs. Sanger sequencing was used for each of these patients. The study data were analyzed using SPSS version 16.0 and using χ² test p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Also, Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium for genotype frequencies was used. <b>Results:</b> The HOMA-IR and mean insulin levels significantly differed between the control subjects and PCOS females ("p = 0.002 and "p = 0.000, correspondingly). Concerning the odds ratio and their NsiI frequency polymorphisms in the heterozygote genotype A/G and homozygote mutant G/G groups were greater in PCOS than control individual (OR = 1.14, p>0.05) (OR = 5.20, p>0.05). However, for the PmLI polymorphism, CC and TT were linked with pathogenic effects for PCOS susceptibility (OR = 1.83, p>0.05) (OR = 12.07, p>0.05) and CT was a protective factor (OR = 0.22, p<0.05). <b>Conclusion:</b> A strong relationship between high levels of hormone insulin as well as elevated HOMA-IR has been found in women with PCOS. Furthermore, INSR gene polymorphisms may be a molecular marker associated with decreased insulin sensitivity in women with PCOS.