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Vascular endothelial dysfunction is characterized by an imbalance of vasodilation and vasoconstriction, deficiency of nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability and elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS), and proinflammatory factors. This dysfunction is a key to the early pathological development of major cardiovascular diseases including hypertension, atherosclerosis, and diabetes. Therefore, modulation of the vascular endothelium is considered an important therapeutic strategy to maintain the health of the cardiovascular system. Epidemiological studies have shown that regular consumption of medicinal plants, fruits, and vegetables promotes vascular health, lowering the risk of cardiovascular diseases. This is mainly attributed to the phytochemical compounds contained in these resources. Various databases, including Google Scholar, MEDLINE, PubMed, and the Directory of Open Access Journals, were searched to identify studies demonstrating the vascular protective effects of phytochemical compounds. The literature had revealed abundant data on phytochemical compounds protecting and improving the vascular system. Of the numerous compounds reported, curcumin, resveratrol, cyanidin-3-glucoside, berberine, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, and quercetin are discussed in this review to provide recent information on their vascular protective mechanisms in vivo and in vitro. Phytochemical compounds are promising therapeutic agents for vascular dysfunction due to their antioxidative mechanisms. However, future human studies will be necessary to confirm the clinical effects of these vascular protective mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peptic ulcer disease is a multifactorial disorder and is the most significant public health concern nowadays. Previous study showed that essential oil extracted from Momordica charantia's seed exhibited gastroprotective effect. However, the evidence for the gastroprotective effect of its active compound, polypeptide K (PPK), remains unclear. This study aimed to examine the preventive effect of PPK against different experimental gastric lesions models in rats. The possible gastroprotective effect of PPK was assessed in hydrochloride ethanol- and indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer models in Sprague Dawley rats and was further evaluated macroscopically and microscopically. Pyloric ligation experiments were used to investigate gastric secretion. Oral administration of PPK at all concentrations (10, 25, and 50 mg/kg) showed significant p < 0.05 reduction in total area of lesion in both hydrochloride ethanol- and indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer models. The highest inhibition rate was seen in PPK dose of 50 mg/kg with 64.9% and 72.2% on hydrochloride ethanol and indomethacin models, respectively. Microscopically, PPK preserved the normal architectures of the gastric tissues from being damaged by hydrochloride ethanol and indomethacin. Further, in the pyloric ligation studies, PPK significantly p < 0.05 decreased the ulcer area where the highest protection was exhibited by 50 mg/kg with 70% inhibition rate. Moreover, all concentrations of PPK also significantly p < 0.05 enhanced the gastric wall mucus secretion. Collectively, this study demonstrated the gastroprotective effect of PPK on hydrochloride ethanol- and indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer models. The possible mechanism might be associated with enhanced mucus secretion and thus lowering the total acidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A barley variety "Jau‐17" was germinated and its flour was used as a supplement in the whole wheat flour of Anaj‐17 to evaluate its suitability for chapatti. The treatments contained 0%–25% germinated barley flour in whole wheat flour. The analysis of the supplemented flour revealed a significant increase in the nutritional constituents except for gluten content that decreased from 31.0% to 28.0%, carbohydrates from 73.9% to 71.0%, and phytates from 1.91 to 1.04 g/100 g. The results for dough rheology (dough development time and water absorption) of the supplemented flour also exhibited a significant improvement. The supplemented chapatti depicted a momentous increase in protein content (11.34%–15.15%), mineral matter (1.46%–2.30%), fat content (1.03%–1.22%), calorie content (330.66–336.88 KCal), and β‐glucan level (0.95%–2.15%), while a significant reduction in carbohydrates (54.62%–51.53%) was noted at 25% supplementation. Nutritive quality of chapatti enhanced considerably at 25% substitution level but sensory quality indicated good acceptability at 20% supplementation of germinated barley. It may be concluded that germinated barley flour can be supplemented with wheat flour to make nutritionally rich chapatti. Novelty impact statement: Wheat is a staple food consumed mainly as chapatti. Germinated barley flour can be added into the whole wheat flour at a 20% substitution level to improve the rheological properties of supplemented dough and can be used to produce cost‐effective, highly digestible, and good quality dietetic chapatti possessing low phytates and better acceptability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Momordica charantia (MC) is popular for its medicinal uses especially for treating diabetic-related complications. However, the antiulcer activity of essential oil derived from the seeds has not been systematically studied. This study aims to evaluate the gastroprotective activities of essential oil derived from the seed of MC induced by hydrochloride acid/ethanol (HCl/EtOH) and indomethacin and pylorus-ligation model. Gastric ulceration was induced by oral administration of HCl/EtOH solution or indomethacin on day 7 after animals have been pretreated with testing compounds. The first group received just distilled water and the second group received ranitidine (100 mg/kg). Groups 3, 4, and 5 received 10, 50, and 100 mg/kg of essential oil based on their body weight (10 mL/kg), respectively. Macroscopically, pretreatment of essential oil extracted from MC significantly decreased ulceration induced by HCl/EtOH and indomethacin in vivo. Microscopically, essential oil also significantly suppressed the formation of edema, epithelial disruption, and mucosa erosions. Moreover, essential oil significantly elevated the pH without decreasing the total acidity of the gastric juice and was able to increase the amount of adherent mucus compared to control. Current results provide scientific basis to the ethno-pharmacological usage of the MC in preventing ulcer formation induced by HCl/EtOH and indomethacin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxidation of anhydrous milk fat products is a serious problem making them unfit for consumption. Moringa oleifera oil ( MOO) is known to contain substantial amount of natural antioxidants. In this study, the effect of various concentrations of MOO for the stabilization of butter oil ( BO) at ambient temperature was investigated. MOO was incorporated into BO at four different levels i.e., T1 (97.5% BO and 2.5% MOO) T2 (95% BO and 5% MOO) T3 (92.5% BO and 7.5% MOO) and T4 (90% BO and 10% MOO). Control was used for comparison (100% BO). Concentration of oleic acid in T3 was 14.02 ± 0.11% higher than control, total phenolic content of MOO, BO and T3 were 38.75 ± 0.15, 2.84 ± 0.07 and 5.51 ± 0.09 mg/100 g, respectively. Free radical scavenging activity of control, MOO and T3 was 51.11 ± 0.42, 15.74 ± 0.36 and 31.65 ± 0.34%, respectively. Peroxide value of control and T3 at elevated temperature was 16.94 ± 0.56, 8.35 ± 0.29 (meq./kg) and induction period was 5.9 ± 0.06, 8.2. ± 0.14 h, respectively. BO samples added with various concentration of MOO showed less concentration of conjugated dienes, trienes, free fatty acids and anisidine value than control. The overall acceptability score of T3 was 7.6 out of 9; these results give indications for exploiting the antioxidant properties of MOO in different dairy and nondairy fat products. Practical Applications The antioxidant activity of Moringa oleifera oil can be used for the enhancement of keeping quality of butter oil in tropical regions. Moringa oleifera oil is highly resistant to autoxidation and can be used as a replacement of synthetic oxidants due to their perceived carcinogenicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat is admired food crop that plays its role in food security in many mounting countries like Pakistan. Although harvesting time and various storage systems exert a major impact on wheat but high temperature and humidity during storage are detrimental for wheat grain health, quality, and germination knack. High storage temperature shoddily affects wheat quality. During safe wheat storage, moisture content should array from 8% to 14%. Refrigeration circumstances are imperative vehicles for the stored wheat grains to obtain utmost germination, quality, and preclusion from insect infestation. To retain better wheat quality, it should be stored below 25°C at 60% relative humidity. Some insects deteriorate wheat germination, damage the grains and cause substantial weight losses but the underlying problem may be effectively overcome with the natural fumes under hermetic conditions which also stimulates germination. Insect control in stored wheat through chemical method has residual effect and is perilous for human health. Practical applications: Wheat is the only major food crop that is cultivated in more than 60 countries of the world and 10%–20% of human daily calorie intake is fulfilled by this crop. It is very vital crop for the food security of many developing countries including Pakistan. Although wheat is mainly influenced by harvesting time and storage structures yet other factors such as moisture content, storage temperature, storage humidity, and insect infestation at storage are explained in this review which are detrimental for wheat storage stability, grain health, nutritional quality, and germination knack. Besides this, effect of storage period on grain nutritional quality under various storage facilities is described too. Furthermore, optimum keeping conditions and effective solution to minimize insect damage of stored wheat grain are described in order to ensure national food security and to avoid greater losses in gain quantity, quality, and germination ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to identify the travelers' adoption behavior towards electric vehicles (EVs) using the theoretical background of the Norm Activation Model (NAM) theory. A questionnaire was designed and conducted in Lahore, Pakistan. A total of 402 usable samples were obtained. The collected data were analyzed using factor analysis and Structural Equation Modeling methods. The factor analysis confirmed the hypothesis of the statements designed according to the NAM theory, that is, awareness of consequences (AC), ascription of responsibility (AR), and personal norm (PN). Other factor analyses resulted in the following reliable factors: social and economic values (SEV), personal preferences (PP), willingness to buy (Buy), and willingness to use (Use) of an EV. The results of SEM revealed that the AC, AR, and SEV are significant predictors of PN, whereas the PN and PP are also positive predictors of travelers' willingness to buy and use. The young travelers (≤30 years), motorcycle users, employees, and trip distance (>10 km) have significant and positive correlations with the PN. The car ownership status of travelers has a positive correlation with the ownership and usage of EVs. Suitable behavioral intervention techniques were derived to promote the ownership and usage of EVs in the context of developing regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BPA is a known endocrine-disrupting agent that is capable of binding to the estrogen receptor and has exhibited adverse effects in many laboratory animal and in vitro studies. Moreover, it also been shown to have estrogenic, antiandrogenic, inflammatory, and oxidative properties. The widespread presence of BPA in the environment presents a considerable threat to humans. BPA has been shown to be leached into the human ecosystem, where it is commonly found in food products consumed by humans. Although the concentration is relatively low, its prolonged consumption may cause a variety of deleterious health effects. The liver is an important organ for metabolizing and detoxifying toxic metabolites to protect organisms from potentially toxic chemical insults. BPA that is ingested will be eliminated by the liver. However, it has also induced hepatoxicity and injury via various mechanisms. To find research demonstrating the effects of BPA on kidney, a number of databases, including Google Scholar, MEDLINE, PubMed, and the Directory of Open Access Journals, were searched. Thus, this review summarizes the research on the relationship between BPA and its effects on the liver-derived from animals and cellular studies. The underlying mechanism of liver injury caused by BPA is also elucidated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Betamethasone is an important glucocorticoids (GCs), frequently used to cure allergies (such as asthma and angioedema), Crohn's disease, skin diseases (such as dermatitis and psoriasis), systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatic disorders, and leukemia. Present investigation deals to find potential agonist of glucocorticoid receptors after biotransformation of betamethasone dipropionate (1) and to carry out the molecular docking and ADME analyses. Biotransformation of 1 was carried out with Launaea capitata (dandy) roots and Musa acuminate (banana) leaves. M. acuminate furnished low-cost value-added products such as Sananone dipropionate (2) in 5% yields. Further, biocatalysis of Sananone dipropionate (2) with M. acuminate gave Sananone propionate (3) and Sananone (4) in 12% and 7% yields, respectively. However, Sananone (4) was obtained in 37% yields from Launaea capitata. Compound 5 was obtained in 11% yield after β-elimination of propionic acid at C-17 during oxidation of compound 1. The structure elucidation of new compounds 2-5 was accomplished through combined use of X-ray diffraction and NMR (1D and 2D) studies. In addition to this, molecular docking and ADME analyses of all transformed products of 1 were also done. Compounds 1-5 showed -12.53 to -10.11 kcal/mol potential binding affinity with glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and good ADME profile. Moreover, all the compounds showed good oral bioavailability with the octanol/water partition coefficient in the range of 2.23 to 3.65, which indicated that compounds 1-5 were in significant agreement with the given criteria to be considered as drug-like. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Betamethasone is an important glucocorticoids (GCs), frequently used to cure allergies (such as asthma and angioedema), Crohn's disease, skin diseases (such as dermatitis and psoriasis), systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatic disorders, and leukemia. Present investigation deals to find potential agonist of glucocorticoid receptors after biotransformation of betamethasone dipropionate (1) and to carry out the molecular docking and ADME analyses. Biotransformation of 1 was carried out with Launaea capitata (dandy) roots and Musa acuminate (banana) leaves. M. acuminate furnished low-cost value-added products such as Sananone dipropionate (2) in 5% yields. Further, biocatalysis of Sananone dipropionate (2) with M. acuminate gave Sananone propionate (3) and Sananone (4) in 12% and 7% yields, respectively. However, Sananone (4) was obtained in 37% yields from Launaea capitata. Compound 5 was obtained in 11% yield after β-elimination of propionic acid at C-17 during oxidation of compound 1. The structure elucidation of new compounds 2-5 was accomplished through combined use of X-ray diffraction and NMR (1D and 2D) studies. In addition to this, molecular docking and ADME analyses of all transformed products of 1 were also done. Compounds 1-5 showed -12.53 to -10.11 kcal/mol potential binding affinity with glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and good ADME profile. Moreover, all the compounds showed good oral bioavailability with the octanol/water partition coefficient in the range of 2.23 to 3.65, which indicated that compounds 1-5 were in significant agreement with the given criteria to be considered as drug-like. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Betamethasone is an important glucocorticoids (GCs), frequently used to cure allergies (such as asthma and angioedema), Crohn's disease, skin diseases (such as dermatitis and psoriasis), systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatic disorders, and leukemia. Present investigation deals to find potential agonist of glucocorticoid receptors after biotransformation of betamethasone dipropionate (1) and to carry out the molecular docking and ADME analyses. Biotransformation of 1 was carried out with Launaea capitata (dandy) roots and Musa acuminate (banana) leaves. M. acuminate furnished low-cost value-added products such as Sananone dipropionate (2) in 5% yields. Further, biocatalysis of Sananone dipropionate (2) with M. acuminate gave Sananone propionate (3) and Sananone (4) in 12% and 7% yields, respectively. However, Sananone (4) was obtained in 37% yields from Launaea capitata. Compound 5 was obtained in 11% yield after β-elimination of propionic acid at C-17 during oxidation of compound 1. The structure elucidation of new compounds 2-5 was accomplished through combined use of X-ray diffraction and NMR (1D and 2D) studies. In addition to this, molecular docking and ADME analyses of all transformed products of 1 were also done. Compounds 1-5 showed -12.53 to -10.11 kcal/mol potential binding affinity with glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and good ADME profile. Moreover, all the compounds showed good oral bioavailability with the octanol/water partition coefficient in the range of 2.23 to 3.65, which indicated that compounds 1-5 were in significant agreement with the given criteria to be considered as drug-like. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study was aimed to extract and purify the cell walls of cereal industrial by‐products, that is, maize, wheat, and barley bran, followed by their nutritional and biochemical properties. For the purpose, three varieties of wheat and barley were procured from Ayub Agriculture Research Institute, Faisalabad, Pakistan. Cell walls from industrial by‐products were isolated and purified followed by the removal of starch and proteins from contaminating endosperm tissue. Moreover, their sugar and polysaccharide contents wall were determined through gas chromatography and alkaline treatment, respectively. Results revealed that cell wall content is more in barley (43.18 ± 0.58, 42.43 ± 1.07 and 42.08 ± 0.13 g/50 g than in wheat (39.30 ± 1.67, 38.72 ± 0.45, and 37.45 ± 0.23 g/50 g) and maize (34.00 ± 0.08, 34.56 ± 0.39, and 33.76 ± 1.21 g/50 g). Moreover, barley industry by‐product cell wall has higher total sugars and total phenolic acids contents whereas, wheat industry by‐product cell wall showed lower followed by maize cell wall. Conclusively, cell wall of barley industry by‐product is more nutritious than that of wheat and maize industry by‐product cell walls. Practical applications: Cereals are the most abundant commodities widely used in the world as staple foods. Cereal bran cell wall has important bioactive components, which have the ability to combat different life‐threatening diseases. Utilization of cell wall in cereal‐based products can fulfill many objectives including improving product quality, shelf life, value addition, and maintaining good health of the consumers. Novel products with improved rheology can be introduced in market as functional foods against various diseases such as diabetes mellitus, cancer, and bacterial infections. Cereal bran cell wall can be probed in the baking industry to enhance the shelf life and stability of the baked goods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, the use of NoSQL databases has grown to manage unstructured data for applications to ensure performance and scalability. However, many organizations prefer to transfer data from an operational NoSQL database to a SQL-based relational database for using existing tools for business intelligence, analytics, decision making, and reporting. The existing methods of NoSQL to relational database transformation require manual schema mapping, which requires domain expertise and consumes noticeable time. Therefore, an efficient and automatic method is needed to transform an unstructured NoSQL database into a structured database. In this paper, we proposed and evaluated an efficient method to transform a NoSQL database into a relational database automatically. In our experimental evaluation, we used MongoDB as a NoSQL database, and MySQL and PostgreSQL as relational databases to perform transformation tasks for different dataset sizes. We observed excellent performance, compared to the existing state-of-the-art methods, in transforming data from a NoSQL database into a relational database. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, the use of NoSQL databases has grown to manage unstructured data for applications to ensure performance and scalability. However, many organizations prefer to transfer data from an operational NoSQL database to a SQL-based relational database for using existing tools for business intelligence, analytics, decision making, and reporting. The existing methods of NoSQL to relational database transformation require manual schema mapping, which requires domain expertise and consumes noticeable time. Therefore, an efficient and automatic method is needed to transform an unstructured NoSQL database into a structured database. In this paper, we proposed and evaluated an efficient method to transform a NoSQL database into a relational database automatically. In our experimental evaluation, we used MongoDB as a NoSQL database, and MySQL and PostgreSQL as relational databases to perform transformation tasks for different dataset sizes. We observed excellent performance, compared to the existing state-of-the-art methods, in transforming data from a NoSQL database into a relational database. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to investigate the cytotoxicity and apoptosis effect of A. crispa extract and its solvent partition (ethyl acetate and aqueous extract) against Mus musculus mammary carcinoma cell line (4T1). The normal mouse fibroblast cell line (NIH3T3) was used as comparison for selective cytotoxicity properties. The cytotoxicity evaluation was assessed using MTT assay. AO/PI dual fluorescent staining assay and Annexin V-FITC were used for apoptosis analysis. Results showed that 80% methanol extract from leaves showed most promising antimammary cancer agent with IC50 value of 42.26±1.82 μg/mL and selective index (SI) value of 10.22. Ethyl acetate was cytotoxic for both cancer and normal cell while aqueous extract exhibited poor cytotoxic effect. 4T1 cells labelled with AO/PI and Annexin V-FITC and treated with 80% methanol extract demonstrated that the extract induces apoptosis to 4T1 mammary cancer cells. In conclusion, 80% methanol extract of A. crispa was selectively cytotoxic towards 4T1 cells but less cytotoxic towards NIH3T3 cells and induced the cancerous cells into apoptotic stage as early as 6 hours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]