NUST Journal of Natural Sciences最新文献

{"title":"Bacteriophage Therapy in GIT Infections – A Clinical Review","authors":"Fahad Ali, Muhammad Saqlain Noori, Muhammad Saad Mushtaq, Syed Latif, Damin Abbas, Mustafeez Mujtaba Hamdani, Babar","doi":"10.53992/njns.v9i2.163","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.53992/njns.v9i2.163","url":null,"abstract":"Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) has become a significant problem in the world. One alternative strategy to fight against AMR is bacteriophage therapy, which utilizes bacteria-specific viruses to kill them. Gastrointestinal tract (GIT) infections are prevalent worldwide, affecting a significant portion of the population. AMR has developed several antibiotics used against GIT infections.  Hence, bacteriophage therapy is a potential alternative. Phages attack the bacteria stepwise, including adsorption, penetration, genome injection, replication, assembly, and release from the host cell. Numerous studies on phage therapy in animals and humans for GIT infections have been conducted, and its effectiveness has been established. This article will review the use of phages in treating GIT infections and would cover clinical studies, safety and regulatory requirements, and future perspectives of phage therapy.","PeriodicalId":19373,"journal":{"name":"NUST Journal of Natural Sciences","volume":"56 36","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141929203","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparative analysis of antimicrobial potential of selected plant extracts against E. coli, Salmonella, and Malassezia","authors":"Umber Gul, Rabia Shaheen, Z. Nasreen, Aneela Sharif, Amjid Khan, Khurram Shahzad Munawar Shaheen","doi":"10.53992/njns.v9i2.176","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.53992/njns.v9i2.176","url":null,"abstract":"The present study is conducted to analyze the antifungal and antibacterial potential of some plants against three species of human pathogenic microbes i.e. E. coli, Salmonella, and Malassezia. The antimicrobial activity of ethanolic and methanolic extracts of Calotropis procera, Prosopis juliflora, and Ziziphus nummularia was assessed by employing a good diffusion method in agar. Overall results demonstrated the highly significant activity of Ziziphus nummularia against E. coli, Ziziphus nummularia, and Calotropis procera against Salmonella and Calotropis procera against Malassezia. Of three dilutions used, 1.0 ml, 0.8 ml, and 0.6 ml, the 1 ml dilution of methanolic extract of Ziziphus nummularia and Calotropis procera exhibited potential effectiveness against E. coli and Salmonella.  While 1.0 ml dilution of ethanolic extract of Calotropis procera showed the best antibacterial activity. However, Prosopis juliflora leaf extract was found to be less effective against selected pathogens.","PeriodicalId":19373,"journal":{"name":"NUST Journal of Natural Sciences","volume":"23 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141927854","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fish Growth, Diversity, and Water Quality Metrics at Chashma Barrage, Pakistan","authors":"Aziz Fatima, Sehar Khalid, Iqra Jabeen, Zubaida Bibi, Khurram Shahzad, Munawar, Z. Nasreen","doi":"10.53992/njns.v9i2.166","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.53992/njns.v9i2.166","url":null,"abstract":"Freshwater quality is crucial for fish growth and diversity. It is determined through biological, chemical and physical factors. This study investigates the role of freshwater factors in fish growth and diversity at Chashma Barrage. Data is collected weekly from September 2022 to March 2023. Approved Standard Procedures of Analysis of the Association of the Chemists (AOAC) determined different freshwater factors, including temperature, PH, conductivity, salinity, chloride, dissolved oxygen, light penetration, hardness, nitrite, nitrate, TDS, and plankton for 18 fish species. Mean and standard deviation are used to describe the data. Shannon, Simpson, Evenness, and Richness indices are used for fish diversity. Almost all water factors confirm the standard values for fish growth and diversity. It was observed that the cyprinidae family with nine species is dominant. Species from Poeciliidae, Channidae, Siluridae, Mastacembelidae, Schilbeidae, Cichlidae, Bagridae, and Clariidae families were also captured. The Chashma Barrage environment supports aquatic life. Although lake conditions are optimal for fish, fish cannot grow to acceptable levels due to the lack of interest and awareness. The species number in Barrage confirms water quality for fish growth and diversity. By producing fish in large quantities, exports will increase, which will strengthen the economy. Fish quality will improve human health by increasing the per capita consumption rate. Freshwater parameters are adversely affected by anthropogenic activities. The present study suggests that improving fish growth and diversity can attract fish farming and enhance the state of the economy.","PeriodicalId":19373,"journal":{"name":"NUST Journal of Natural Sciences","volume":"115 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141926114","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An ecological study on the isoetes community in Istanbul, Turkiye","authors":"Mustafa Keskin, V. Altay, Ibrahim Ertugrul Yalcin, M. Ozturk","doi":"10.53992/njns.v9i2.177","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.53992/njns.v9i2.177","url":null,"abstract":"This study presents phytosociological and some ecological characteristics of the Isoëtetum durieui association naturally distributed in Istanbul, Turkiye. During the present study a community was characterised and compared with other communities in different regions of the world. The discussion was followed accordingly. The results obtained from the soil samples of the I. durieui association showed that the concentrations of boron, calcium, copper, iron, potassium, magnesium, manganese, lead and zinc were within the limit values, while those of Cd were higher.","PeriodicalId":19373,"journal":{"name":"NUST Journal of Natural Sciences","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141925487","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A study on essential oil of Peganum harmala L.: Antioxidant and antibacterial activities","authors":"Tahreem Saleem, K. Munawar, Zafar Iqbal, Jamila Javid","doi":"10.53992/njns.v9i2.178","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.53992/njns.v9i2.178","url":null,"abstract":"This study investigates the extraction and characterization of the essential oil from Peganum harmala L., focusing on its antioxidant and antibacterial properties. The essential oils were extracted from the plant's seeds and leaves using the hydro-distillation method, and nine major volatile constituents were identified via GC-MS analysis. The antioxidant potential of the sample was evaluated using the DPPH radical scavenging method, achieving a 98.085% scavenging rate at a concentration of 100 μg/mL. The antibacterial effectiveness was assessed through the well diffusion method, demonstrating strong antibacterial efficacy against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. These results highlight the chemical composition and significant antioxidant and antibacterial properties of Peganum harmala L. oil, suggesting its potential use in traditional medicine and recommending further exploration of its therapeutic applications.","PeriodicalId":19373,"journal":{"name":"NUST Journal of Natural Sciences","volume":"31 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141928603","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enzymatic hydrolysis of complex agrowastes by Bacillus cereus ARA-12 A sustainable approach for biofuel production","authors":"Ayesha Siddiqui, R. R. Zohra, Aliya Riaz, Anoosha Fatima, Areeba Imtiaz, Mahnaz Ahmad, Raheela Rahmat Zohra","doi":"10.53992/njns.v9i1.147","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.53992/njns.v9i1.147","url":null,"abstract":"Currently petroleum-based fossil fuels are the main source of the production of energy. The major issue is that all these resources are non-renewable. As the demand of fuel increases day by day, these non-renewable resources may deplete shortly and will not meet the supply criteria according to the requirements. To overcome this problem, the production of bioethanol using wastes biomass such as fruit peels, agricultural waste, municipal and kitchen waste etc. has gained considerable attention. As these agro-wastes mainly contain lignocellulosic biomass, lignocellulolytic bacterial cultures harness the full potential of these substances. In the present study, endoglucanase producing Bacillus cereus ARA-12 was isolated from soil samples. Fermentation parameters to produce endoglucanase were optimized. The optimum production of endoglucanase was achieved in the medium containing carboxymethyl cellulose (15g/L), yeast extract (30g/L), KH2PO4 (1g/L), K2HPO4 (1.45g/L), MgSO4 (0.4g/L), CaCl2 (0.05g/L) and FeSO4 (0.00125g/L). The optimum temperature and pH of the medium were found to be 50°C and 8 respectively. The maximum enzyme production was achieved at agitation speed of 120 rpm after 20 hours of fermentation by using 5% inoculum. Maximum of 35.9 % bioethanol was produced by the action of endoglucanase enzyme on sugarcane bagasse whereas sweet potato, rice bran, banana peel, corn cob, potato peel and corn husk were also found to be potential raw material to produce second-generation biofuel.","PeriodicalId":19373,"journal":{"name":"NUST Journal of Natural Sciences","volume":" 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140691361","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring discarded pea peels as potential source of phytochemicals and evaluation of antifungal potential of pea peel extract","authors":"Maryam Zahra, Aeysha Sultan, Khalid Mahmood, Noreen Sajjad, Farhana Amman","doi":"10.53992/njns.v8i3.145","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.53992/njns.v8i3.145","url":null,"abstract":"The rapid increase in global waste generation necessitates innovative strategies for waste valorization. Inspired by recent reports that indicate the potential of waste as source of fine chemicals, this research paper focused on harnessing phytochemicals and cellulose from pea peels (PPs) and evaluating their antifungal properties. Different protocols were used to quantify 11the amount of carbohydrates, proteins, ascorbic acid, flavonoids, and chlorophyll from the discarded pea peels. Our findings indicated that PPs contain 20% proteins, 24.52% chlorophyll, 70% flavonoids, 12% ascorbic acid and 70% carbohydrates. Our findings were found to be consistent with those reported in literature; however, the quantitative analysis of ascorbic acid for PPs is being reported for the first time by us. This phytochemical profile of PPs indicates that this waste is full of useful phytochemicals and can be explored as source of nutraceutical and fine chemicals. \u0000PPs were also used for cellulose extraction and for this purpose three different strategies that yielded different results.  One strategy that was devised by us yielded superior yield that that reported in literature with added advantage of lesser consumption of chemical reagents and facile protocol involved. \u0000The methanolic and aqueous PPs extract were also screened for its antifungal potential against two fungal strains: Penicillium and Aspergillus niger. Our findings indicate that extracts showed significant antifungal potential at higher concentration. However, aqueous extract showed superior activity. \u0000The findings of this word offer dual solution to pressing issues: waste valorization and natural antimicrobial development. The study's outcomes can revolutionize waste management practices, encouraging the utilization of kitchen waste for valuable compounds. Simultaneously, the development of natural antimicrobial agents contributes to the fight against fungal infections and food spoilage without harming the environment.","PeriodicalId":19373,"journal":{"name":"NUST Journal of Natural Sciences","volume":" 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140690989","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"In silico characterization of nifH gene of Rhizobium sp. TN04 isolated from the rhizosphere of non-leguminous potato plants","authors":"T. Naqqash, Syed Aun Muhammad, Syed Bilal Hussain, Muhammad Kashif Hanif, Muhammad Arshad","doi":"10.53992/njns.v8i2.136","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.53992/njns.v8i2.136","url":null,"abstract":"The reliance on nitrogen (N) fertilizers in global crop production has led to significant environmental concerns and economic burdens due to their excessive usage. In order to effectively address this problem, a comprehensive understanding of biological N-fixation (BNF), governed by the Nif genes is essential. In legumes, the role of Rhizobium in BNF is well-established. However, limited studies are available regarding the function and structure of nif genes in non-leguminous plants using in silico modeling. Therefore, the present study was conducted to predict the structural and functional analysis of nifH gene from a Rhizobium strain isolated from potato plant. Various bioinformatics tools (ExPasy ProtParam, PSIPRED, MEMSAT-SVM, CATH classification, COFACTOR, COACH and STRING) were used to predict the primary, secondary and 3D structure of nifH protein. Results showed that TN04 has stable structure and hydrophobic nature similar to Rhizobium sp. S1SS148 and R. rosettiformans. Amino acid composition showed presence of different resides with glycine being most prevalent. Secondary structure analysis proved its stability due to the presence of coils, helices, and sheets. The nifH protein model derived from TN04 using I-TASSER displayed excellent structural characteristics, as confirmed by ERRAT. Functional annotations highlighted enzyme similarities and specific ligand-binding sites associated with nitrogenase activity. CATH categorization revealed the presence of a P-loop NTPase domain known to bind nucleotides, which can affect the activity of nitrogenase. In addition, the investigation of protein-protein interactions using STRING suggested potential interactions between nifH protein of TN04 and several nif proteins, hinting at its possible involvement in N-fixation. The results of these studies shed light on possible N-fixation mechanisms in Rhizobium sp. TN04 in non-legumes. Based on these predictions, the results suggest the possible pathways for implementation of sustainable agricultural methods. However, further studies are necessary to validate these findings and investigate the role of Rhizobium sp. TN04 in N-fixation in non-leguminous plants, thus, enhancing understanding in this domain.","PeriodicalId":19373,"journal":{"name":"NUST Journal of Natural Sciences","volume":"10 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140488637","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cytotoxic T-Lymphocyte Associated Protein-4 (Ctla-4) as Potential Drug Target for Cancer Therapeutics","authors":"F. Bibi, F. Nouroz, Ashfaq Ahmad, S. Noreen, Sajid Khan","doi":"10.53992/njns.v8i1.107","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.53992/njns.v8i1.107","url":null,"abstract":"Cytotoxic T-Lymphocyte Associated Protein-4 (Ctla-4) as Potential Drug Target for Cancer Therapeutics Abstract Cancer is the second major cause of death after cardiovascular diseases and is the worldwide threat to the human life. Over 60% of anticancer agents are derived from plants and have a diverse history in the treatment of cancer with significant effects. Present study was performed to investigate the biological action of the natural anticancer compounds having immune stimulating activities and to scrutinize the checkpoint inhibitor from natural sources. Initially 20 plants were screened out having anticancer and immune-stimulatory activities. Dataset of over 100 natural anticancer compounds retrieved from 20 potential plants were subjected to number of filters including ADMET properties, Lipinski rule of five and QSAR to pre-filter irrelevant compounds and screen out potential anticancer candidate that satisfy the drug properties. Using molecular docking approach, five (ascorbic acid, β-carotene, β-sitosterol, kaempferol and mivobulin) shortlisted natural anticancer compounds were docked with cytotoxic T-lymphocyte associated protein-4 (CTLA-4). The current analysis revealed good binding affinity of all compounds to the receptor protein CTLA-4 with high binding score. Among all tested compounds, ascorbic acid was completely buried into the active domain of CTLA-4 and showed strong binding interactions with high score function (- 9.09kcal/mol). We concluded that our identified CTLA-4 inhibitor compound might be used as a potential drug candidate against cancer after thorough evaluation in vitro.","PeriodicalId":19373,"journal":{"name":"NUST Journal of Natural Sciences","volume":"27 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-08-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"86915271","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Spatial Distribution of Malaria and its Vectors in Selected Districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan","authors":"S. Noreen, Memoona Gul, Shehla Gul, Sabit Rahim, S. Bibi, Tehmina Bibi, Arshad Ali Shahdayi","doi":"10.53992/njns.v8i1.108","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.53992/njns.v8i1.108","url":null,"abstract":"Pakistan is considered as a moderate malaria-endemic country but still, 177 million individuals are at risk of malaria which make up roughly 60% of Pakistan’s population. The current study has been conducted in the recently merged districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province of Pakistan, including, districts of Khyber, Orakzai, subdivision Peshawar, subdivision Kohat, and subdivision Lakki Marwat. This research work was carried out from October 2017-December 2020 to find out the spatial distribution of malaria, to identify possible hotspots for the disease and its vector mosquitoes in the selected regions based on available data. Spatial distribution was determined using ArcMap 10.8 by making maps. The Malaria prevalence data was analyzed which revealed that Plasmodium vivax cases were more common than Plasmodium falciparum. A total of 5089970 samples were observed during these years, 62148 came out positive, 53930 cases turned out to be P. vivax, 6474 P. falciparum, and 1684 were mixed cases. Although cases of malaria were reported throughout the year, infection rates were found to be highest during the months of July-October. From the data obtained, only the data for selected districts were retrieved. Out of the total, 52% were males and 48% were females. The current study indicates that malaria prevalence is regulated by intricate collaborations among the hosts and vectors and has a direct relationship with the prevailing conditions of the environment and climate. The findings of this study also imply that if Anopheles vector is not controlled it efficiently might result in repeated incidence in areas that are not endemic.","PeriodicalId":19373,"journal":{"name":"NUST Journal of Natural Sciences","volume":"57 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-08-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"73350089","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}