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Akbar NU, Ahmad S, Khan TA, Tayyeb M, Akhter N, Shafiq L, Khan SN, Alam MM, Abdullah AM, Rehman MFU, Bajaber MA, Akram MS. Consanguineous marriages increase the incidence of recurrent tuberculosis: Evidence from whole exome sequencing. Infect Genet Evol 2024; 118:105559. [PMID: 38266757 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2024.105559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2023] [Revised: 01/13/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In this study, we have identified multiple mutations in the IL-12R1 gene among Pakistani patients who have inherited them through consanguineous marriages. These patients have experienced severe Bacille-Calmette-Guérin (BCG) infection as well as recurrent tuberculosis. We will demonstrate the pivotal role of interleukin (IL)-12/interferon (IFN)-γ axis in the regulation of mycobacterial diseases. METHODOLOGY First, we checked the patients' medical records, and then afterward, we assessed interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) production through ELISA. Following that, DNA was extracted to investigate IL-12/IFN- abnormalities. Whole exome sequencing was conducted through Sanger sequencing. Secretory cytokine levels were compared from healthy control of the same age groups and they were found to be considerably less in the disease cohort. To evaluate the probable functional impact of these alterations, an in silico study was performed. RESULTS The study found that the patients' PBMCs produced considerably less IFN-γ than expected. Analysis using flow cytometry showed that activated T cells lacked surface expression of IL-12Rβ1. Exon 7 of the IL-12Rβ1 gene, which encodes a portion of the cytokine binding region (CBR), and exon 10, which encodes the fibronectin-type III (FNIII) domain, were found to have the mutations c.641 A > G; p.Q214R and c.1094 T > C; p.M365T, respectively. In silico analysis showed that these mutations likely to have a deleterious effect on protein function. CONCLUSION Our findings indicate the significant contribution of the IL-12/IFN-γ is in combating infections due to mycobacterium. Among Pakistani patients born to consanguineous marriages, the identified mutations in the IL-12Rβ-1 gene provide insights into the genetic basis of severe BCG infections and recurrent tuberculosis. The study highlights the potential utility of newborn screening in regions with mandatory BCG vaccination, enabling early detection and intervention for primary immunodeficiencies associated with mycobacterial infections. Moreover, the study suggests at the potential role of other related genes such as IL-23Rβ1, TYK2, or JAK2 in IFN-γ production, warranting further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noor Ul Akbar
- Department of Zoology, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Kohat 26000, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Sajjad Ahmad
- Institute of Pathology and Diagnostic Medicine, Khyber Medical University, Peshawar 25160, Pakistan
| | - Taj Ali Khan
- Institute of Pathology and Diagnostic Medicine, Khyber Medical University, Peshawar 25160, Pakistan; Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Muhammad Tayyeb
- Institute of Pathology and Diagnostic Medicine, Khyber Medical University, Peshawar 25160, Pakistan
| | - Naheed Akhter
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of life Sciences, Government College University, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
| | - Laraib Shafiq
- Institute of Pathology and Diagnostic Medicine, Khyber Medical University, Peshawar 25160, Pakistan
| | - Shahid Niaz Khan
- Department of Zoology, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Kohat 26000, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
| | - Mohammad Mahtab Alam
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Applied Medical Science, King Khalid University, Abha 61421, Saudi Arabia
| | - Alduwish Manal Abdullah
- Department of Biology, College of Science and Humanities in Al-Kharj, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Alkharj 11942, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Majed A Bajaber
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, King Khalid University, Abha 61413, Saudi Arabia
| | - Muhammad Safwan Akram
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Teesside University, Middlesbrough TS1 3BX, UK; National Horizons Centre, Teesside University, Darlington DL1 1HG, UK.
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2
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Rubab SL, Raza AR, Nisar B, Ashfaq M, Altaf Y, Hussain R, Sajjad N, Akram MS, Tahir MN, Shaheen MA, Rehman MFU, Ali HM. Synthesis, Crystal Structure, DFT Calculations, Hirshfeld Surface Analysis and In Silico Drug-Target Profiling of ( R)-2-(2-(1,3-Dioxoisoindolin-2-yl)propanamido)benzoic Acid Methyl Ester. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28114375. [PMID: 37298851 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28114375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The work here reflects synthesis, DFT studies, Hirshfeld charge analysis and crystal data exploration of pharmacologically important (R)-2-(2-(1,3-dioxoisoindolin-2-yl)propanamido)benzoic acid methyl ester (5) to understand its properties for further chemical transformations. The methyl anthranilate (2) was produced by the esterification of anthranilic acid in an acidic medium. The phthaloyl-protected alanine (4) was rendered by the fusion of alanine with phthalic anhydride at 150 °C, followed by coupling with (2) furnished isoindole (5). The characterization of products was performed using IR, UV-Vis, NMR and MS. Single-crystal XRD also verified the structure of (5) in which N-H⋯O bonding stabilizes the molecular configuration of (5), resulting in the formation of S(6) hydrogen-bonded loop. The molecules of isoindole (5) are connected in the form of dimers, and the π⋯π stacking interaction between aromatic rings further stabilizes the crystal packing. DFT studies suggest that HOMO is over the substituted aromatic ring, the LUMO is present mainly over the indole side, and nucleophilic and electrophilic corners point out the reactivity of the product (5). In vitro and in silico analysis of (5) shows its potential as an antibacterial agent targeting DNA gyrase and Dihydroorotase from E. coli and tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase and DNA gyrase from Staphylococcus aureus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syeda Laila Rubab
- Department of Chemistry, Division of Science and Technology, University of Education, Lahore 54770, Pakistan
| | - Abdul Rauf Raza
- Institute of Chemistry, Ibn e Sena Block, University of Sargodha, Sargodha 40100, Pakistan
| | - Bushra Nisar
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Lahore, Sargodha Campus, Sargodha 40100, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Ashfaq
- Department of Physics, University of Sargodha, Sargodha 40100, Pakistan
| | - Yasir Altaf
- Department of Chemistry, Division of Science and Technology, University of Education, Lahore 54770, Pakistan
- School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
| | - Riaz Hussain
- Department of Chemistry, Division of Science and Technology, University of Education, Lahore 54770, Pakistan
| | - Noreen Sajjad
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Lahore, Lahore 54770, Pakistan
| | | | | | | | | | - Hayssam M Ali
- Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
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Khalid M, Shafiq I, Umm-e-Hani, Mahmood K, Hussain R, ur Rehman MF, Assiri MA, Imran M, Akram MS. Effect of different end-capped donor moieties on non-fullerenes based non-covalently fused-ring derivatives for achieving high-performance NLO properties. Sci Rep 2023; 13:1395. [PMID: 36697427 PMCID: PMC9876985 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-28118-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
A series of derivatives (DOCD2-DOCD6) with D-π-A configuration was designed by substituting various efficient donor moieties via the structural tailoring of o-DOC6-2F. Quantum-chemical approaches were used to analyze the optoelectronic properties of the designed chromophores. Particularly, M06/6-311G(d,p) functional was employed to investigate the non-linear optical (NLO) response (linear polarizability ⟨α⟩, first (βtot) and second ([Formula: see text]tot) order hyperpolarizabilities) of the designed derivatives. A variety of analyses such as frontier molecular orbital (FMO), absorption spectra, transition density matrix (TDMs), density of states (DOS), natural bond orbital (NBO) and global reactivity parameters (GRPs) were employed to explore the optoelectronic response of aforementioned chromophores. FMO investigation revealed that DOCD2 showed the least energy gap (1.657 eV) among all the compounds with an excellent transference of charge towards the acceptor from the donor. Further, DOS pictographs and TDMs heat maps also supported FMO results, corroborating the presence of charge separation states along with efficient charge transitions. NBO analysis showed that π-linker and donors possessed positive charges while acceptors retained negative charges confirming the D-π-A architecture of the studied compounds. The λmax values of designed chromophores (659.070-717.875 nm) were found to have broader spectra. The GRPs were also examined utilizing energy band gaps of EHOMO and ELUMO for the entitled compounds. Among all the derivatives, DOCD2 showed the highest values of βtot (7.184 × 10-27 esu) and [Formula: see text]tot (1.676 × 10-31 esu), in coherence with the reduced band gap (1.657 eV), indicating future potentiality for NLO materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Khalid
- grid.510450.5Institute of Chemistry, Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering & Information Technology, Rahim Yar Khan, 64200 Pakistan ,grid.510450.5Centre for Theoretical and Computational Research, Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering & Information Technology, Rahim Yar Khan, 64200 Pakistan
| | - Iqra Shafiq
- grid.510450.5Institute of Chemistry, Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering & Information Technology, Rahim Yar Khan, 64200 Pakistan ,grid.510450.5Centre for Theoretical and Computational Research, Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering & Information Technology, Rahim Yar Khan, 64200 Pakistan
| | - Umm-e-Hani
- grid.510450.5Institute of Chemistry, Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering & Information Technology, Rahim Yar Khan, 64200 Pakistan ,grid.510450.5Centre for Theoretical and Computational Research, Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering & Information Technology, Rahim Yar Khan, 64200 Pakistan
| | - Khalid Mahmood
- grid.411501.00000 0001 0228 333XInstitute of Chemical Sciences, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, 60800 Pakistan
| | - Riaz Hussain
- grid.440554.40000 0004 0609 0414Division of Science and Technology, Department of Chemistry, University of Education, Lahore, Pakistan
| | | | - Mohammed A. Assiri
- grid.412144.60000 0004 1790 7100Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, King Khalid University, P.O. Box 9004, Abha, 61413 Saudi Arabia ,grid.412144.60000 0004 1790 7100Research Center for Advanced Materials Science (RCAMS), King Khalid University, P. O. Box 9004, Abha, 61514 Saudi Arabia
| | - Muhammad Imran
- grid.412144.60000 0004 1790 7100Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, King Khalid University, P.O. Box 9004, Abha, 61413 Saudi Arabia ,grid.412144.60000 0004 1790 7100Research Center for Advanced Materials Science (RCAMS), King Khalid University, P. O. Box 9004, Abha, 61514 Saudi Arabia
| | - Muhammad Safwan Akram
- grid.26597.3f0000 0001 2325 1783National Horizons Centre, Teesside University, Darlington, DL11HG UK ,grid.26597.3f0000 0001 2325 1783School of Health and Life Sciences, Teesside University, Middlesbrough, TS1 3BX UK
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4
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Riaz M, Qadir R, Tahir Akhtar M, Misbah Ur Rehman M, Anwar F, Eman R, Fayyaz Ur Rehman M, Safwan Akram M. Chemical Characterization, Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, Cytotoxicity and in Silico Studies of Hexane Extract and Essential Oils from Citrus limon Leaves. Chem Biodivers 2023; 20:e202200537. [PMID: 36378844 DOI: 10.1002/cbdv.202200537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 11/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The present study investigates the chemical composition, antioxidant and antimicrobial bioactivities of essential oil and hexane extract from Citrus limon leaves. The isolation of essential oil was carried out using the Clevenger apparatus. The percentage yield of essential oil and hexane extract from Citrus limon leaves was 0.59 and 0.50 %, respectively. 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging assay highlighted that Citrus limon leaves essential oil (CLEO) and hexane extract exhibited the significant antioxidant potential of 69.64 and 67.55 %, respectively, compared to the BHT standard. Similarly, a significant inhibition in linoleic acid peroxidation was recorded in both CLEO (81.93 %) and hexane extract (50.34 %). Characterization of chemical constituents in CLEO and extract was executed using GC/MS, where Limonene was detected as a major compound in CLEO (60.52 %) and hexane extract (73.62 %). The haemolytic activity ranged from 2.46 to 5.75 % revealing negligible cytotoxicity of CLEO and hexane extract. In silico studies agree with the in vitro antimicrobial studies, where vinimalol, taraxasterol, and moretenol present in CLEO showed strong interactions/inhibition against dihydroorotase and DNA gyrase from E. coli, and the tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase and DNA gyrase from S. aureus. Based on the current data, it may be concluded that both CLEO and hexane extract possessed significant bioactivities, such as antimicrobial and antioxidant activity, with minimal cytotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Riaz
- Department of Basic and Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Central Punjab, Lahore, 54000, Pakistan
| | - Rahman Qadir
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, 40100, Punjab, Pakistan
| | | | | | - Farooq Anwar
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, 40100, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Rida Eman
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, 40100, Punjab, Pakistan
| | | | - Muhammad Safwan Akram
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Teesside University, Middlesbrough, TS1 3BA, UK
- National Horizons Centre, Teesside University, Darlington, DL11HG, United Kingdom
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5
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Akhter S, Concepcion O, Fernández de la Torre A, Ali A, Rauf Raza A, Eman R, Khalid M, Fayyaz ur Rehman M, Safwan Akram M, Ali HM. Synthesis, Spectroscopic Characterization, DFT and Molecular Dynamics of Quinoline-based Peptoids. ARAB J CHEM 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.arabjc.2023.104570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
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6
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Usman Khan M, Hussain R, Yaqoob J, Fayyaz ur Rehman M, Adnan Asghar M, Demir Kanmazalp S, Assiri MA, Imran M, Lu C, Safwan Akram M. Theoretical design and prediction of novel fluorene-based non-fullerene acceptors for environmentally friendly organic solar cell. ARAB J CHEM 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.arabjc.2022.104374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
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7
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Khan MU, Imran. M, Rehman MFU, Assiri MA, Mashhadi SMA, Akram MS, Lu C. Evaluating Zn-Porphyrin-Based Near-IR-Sensitive Non-Fullerene Acceptors for Efficient Panchromatic Organic Solar Cells. ChemistryOpen 2022; 11:e202200047. [PMID: 35997083 PMCID: PMC9396630 DOI: 10.1002/open.202200047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Porphyrin-based non-fullerene acceptors (NFAs) have shown pronounced potential for assembling low-bandgap materials with near-infrared (NIR) characteristics. Herein, panchromatic-type porphyrin-based molecules (POR1-POR5) are proposed by modulating end-capped acceptors of a highly efficient porphyrin-based NFA PORTFIC(POR) for organic solar cells (OSCs). Quantum chemical structure-property relationship has been studied to discover photovoltaic and optoelectronic characteristics of POR1-POR5. Results show that optoelectronic properties of the POR1-POR5 are better in all aspects when compared with the reference POR. All proposed NFAs particularly POR5 proved to be the preferable porphyrin-based NIR sensitive NFA for OSCs applications owing to lower energy gap (1.56 eV), transition energy (1.11 eV), binding energy (Eb =0.986 eV), electron mobility (λe =0.007013Eh ), hole mobility (λh =0.004686 Eh ), high λmax =1116.27 nm and open-circuit voltage (Voc =1.96 V) values in contrast to the reference POR and other proposed NFAs. This quantum chemical insight provides sufficient evidence about excellent potential of the proposed porphyrin-based NIR sensitive NFA derivatives for their use in OSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Usman Khan
- Department of ChemistryChemical Engineering and BiotechnologyDonghua UniversityShanghai201620P.R. China
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of OkaraOkara56300Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Imran.
- Research Center for Advanced MaterialsKing Khalid UniversityP.O. Box 9004Abha61514Saudi Arabia
- Department of ChemistryFaculty of ScienceKing Khalid UniversityP.O. Box 9004Abha61413Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Mohammed A. Assiri
- Research Center for Advanced MaterialsKing Khalid UniversityP.O. Box 9004Abha61514Saudi Arabia
- Department of ChemistryFaculty of ScienceKing Khalid UniversityP.O. Box 9004Abha61413Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Muhammad Safwan Akram
- School of Health and Life SciencesTeesside UniversityMiddlesbroughTS1 3BAUK
- National Horizons CentreTeesside UniversityDarlingtonDL1 1HGUK
| | - Changrui Lu
- Department of ChemistryChemical Engineering and BiotechnologyDonghua UniversityShanghai201620P.R. China
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Iltaf J, Noreen S, Rehman MFU, Ghumman SA, Batool F, Mehdi M, Hasan S, Ijaz B, Akram MS, Butt H. Ficus benghalensis as Potential Inhibitor of 5 α-Reductase for Hair Growth Promotion: In Vitro, In Silico, and In Vivo Evaluation. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:774583. [PMID: 34950034 PMCID: PMC8688993 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.774583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The screening of hair follicles, dermal papilla cells, and keratinocytes through in vitro, in vivo, and histology has previously been reported to combat alopecia. Ficus benghalensis has been used conventionally to cure skin and hair disorders, although its effect on 5α-reductase II is still unknown. Currently, we aim to analyze the phytotherapeutic impact of F. benghalensis leaf extracts (FBLEs) for promoting hair growth in rabbits along with in vitro inhibition of the steroid isozyme 5α-reductase II. The inhibition of 5α-reductase II by FBLEs was assessed by RP-HPLC, using the NADPH cofactor as the reaction initiator and Minoxin (5%) as a positive control. In silico studies were performed using AutoDock Vina to visualize the interaction between 5α-reductase II and the reported phytoconstituents present in FBLEs. Hair growth in female albino rabbits was investigated by applying an oral dose of the FBLE formulation and control drug to the skin once a day. The skin tissues were examined by histology to see hair follicles. Further, FAAS, FTIR, and antioxidants were performed to check the trace elements and secondary metabolites in the FBLEs. The results of RP-HPLC and the binding energies showed that FBLEs reduced the catalytic activity of 5α-reductase II and improved cell proliferation in rabbits. The statistical analysis (p < 0.05 or 0.01) and percentage inhibition (>70%) suggested that hydroalcoholic FBLE has more potential in increasing hair growth by elongating hair follicle's anagen phase. FAAS, FTIR, and antioxidant experiments revealed sufficient concentrations of Zn, Cu, K, and Fe, together with the presence of polyphenols and scavenging activity in FBLE. Overall, we found that FBLEs are potent in stimulating hair follicle maturation by reducing the 5α-reductase II action, so they may serve as a principal choice in de novo drug designing to treat hair loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jawaria Iltaf
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan
| | - Sobia Noreen
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan
| | | | | | - Fozia Batool
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Mehdi
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan
| | - Sara Hasan
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan
| | - Bushra Ijaz
- Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Safwan Akram
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Teesside University, Middlesbrough, United Kingdom
| | - Haider Butt
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
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Lodhi M, Khan MT, Bukhari SMH, Sabir SH, Samra ZQ, Butt H, Akram MS. Probing Transferrin Receptor Overexpression in Gastric Cancer Mice Models. ACS Omega 2021; 6:29893-29904. [PMID: 34778662 PMCID: PMC8587131 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.1c04382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to carcinogenic chemicals, Helicobacter pylori infection, and high dietary salt are the risk factors associated with gastric cancer. Mice models of gastric cancer are key to understanding the cancer mechanism, to discerning the role played by different factors, and to determining therapeutic effects of different treatments. The goal has been to find targets which are only expressed with cancer so that they can be targeted specifically without harming normal cells. One such target could be the transferrin receptor, a glycoprotein receptor that is expressed many-folds on rapidly growing cells due to the greater demand of iron. In this study, gastric cancer was developed in mice (BALB/c) with human cancer-associated risk factors by feeding them with tumor-inducing concentration of methyl nitrosourea, dietary salt, and H. pylori along with normal feed and water. Three strategies were adopted to induce gastric cancer; (1) use of N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU) with high dietary salt (NaCl), (2) infection with H. pylori (isolated from human gastric tissue), and (3) use of MNU along with high concentration of NaCl after H. pylori infection. Mice were dissected after induction, and histological study of gastric tissue was done with Hematoxylin and Eosin staining. A diagnostic probe comprising transferrin conjugated with cadmium sulfide quantum dots was prepared and characterized. It was used to study the transferrin receptor overexpression in gastric tissue of cancer-induced mice relative to the normal mice. Mice of group 3 showed the highest rate of the cancer incidence ratio (96%) along with a high expression of transferrin receptors among the three groups. Histochemical studies showed that different types of gastric cancer depend upon the cancer-induction conditions. The mouse model of group 3 has the potential to be used in the future to study the therapeutic effects of cancer medicines, and overexpression of transferrin receptors could be identified through the designed probe to be used as diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeeha
Shahzad Lodhi
- Institute
of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (IMBB), The University of Lahore, KM Defence Road, Lahore 58810, Pakistan
- Institute
of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University
of the Punjab, Lahore 54590, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Tahir Khan
- Institute
of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (IMBB), The University of Lahore, KM Defence Road, Lahore 58810, Pakistan
| | | | - Sajjad Hussain Sabir
- Department
of Gastroenterology and Hepatology GHAQ Teaching Hospital, Sahiwal 57000, Pakistan
| | - Zahoor Qadir Samra
- Institute
of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University
of the Punjab, Lahore 54590, Pakistan
| | - Haider Butt
- Department
of Mechanical Engineering, Khalifa University, P.O. Box 127788, Abu Dhabi 23667, UAE
| | - Muhammad Safwan Akram
- School of
Science & Health, Teesside University, Middlesbrough TS1 3BA, U.K.
- National
Horizons Centre, Teesside University, 38 John Dixon Ln, Darlington DL1 1HG, U.K.
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10
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Khalid M, Khan MU, Ahmed S, Shafiq Z, Alam MM, Imran M, Braga AAC, Akram MS. Exploration of promising optical and electronic properties of (non-polymer) small donor molecules for organic solar cells. Sci Rep 2021; 11:21540. [PMID: 34728752 PMCID: PMC8564538 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-01070-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-fullerene based organic compounds are considered promising materials for the fabrication of modern photovoltaic materials. Non-fullerene-based organic solar cells comprise of good photochemical and thermal stability along with longer device lifetimes as compared to fullerene-based compounds. Five new non-fullerene donor molecules were designed keeping in view the excellent donor properties of 3-bis(4-(2-ethylhexyl)-thiophen-2-yl)-5,7-bis(2ethylhexyl) benzo[1,2-:4,5-c']-dithiophene-4,8-dione thiophene-alkoxy benzene-thiophene indenedione (BDD-IN) by end-capped modifications. Photovoltaic and electronic characteristics of studied molecules were determined by employing density functional theory (DFT) and time dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT). Subsequently, obtained results were compared with the reference molecule BDD-IN. The designed molecules presented lower energy difference (ΔΕ) in the range of 2.17-2.39 eV in comparison to BDD-IN (= 2.72 eV). Moreover, insight from the frontier molecular orbital (FMO) analysis disclosed that central acceptors are responsible for the charge transformation. The designed molecules were found with higher λmax values and lower transition energies than BDD-IN molecule due to stronger end-capped acceptors. Open circuit voltage (Voc) was observed in the higher range (1.54-1.78 V) in accordance with HOMOdonor-LUMOPC61BM by designed compounds when compared with BDD-IN (1.28 V). Similarly, lower reorganization energy values were exhibited by the designed compounds in the range of λe(0.00285-0.00370 Eh) and λh(0.00847-0.00802 Eh) than BDD-IN [λe(0.00700 Eh) and λh(0.00889 Eh)]. These measurements show that the designed compounds are promising candidates for incorporation into solar cell devices, which would benefit from better hole and electron mobility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Khalid
- Department of Chemistry, Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering & Information Technology, Rahim Yar Khan, 64200, Pakistan
| | | | - Saeed Ahmed
- Department of Chemistry, Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering & Information Technology, Rahim Yar Khan, 64200, Pakistan
| | - Zahid Shafiq
- Institute of Chemical Sciences, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, 60800, Pakistan.
| | - Mohammed Mujahid Alam
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, King Khalid University, P.O. Box 9004, Abha, 61413, Saudi Arabia
| | - Muhammad Imran
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, King Khalid University, P.O. Box 9004, Abha, 61413, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ataualpa Albert Carmo Braga
- Departamento de Química Fundamental, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida Professor LineuPrestes, 748, São Paulo, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Muhammad Safwan Akram
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Teesside University, Middlesbrough, TS1 3BA, UK.
- National Horizons Centre, Teesside University, Darlington, DL1 1HG, UK.
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Khalid M, Momina, Imran M, Rehman MFU, Braga AAC, Akram MS. Molecular engineering of indenoindene-3-ethylrodanine acceptors with A2-A1-D-A1-A2 architecture for promising fullerene-free organic solar cells. Sci Rep 2021; 11:20320. [PMID: 34645887 PMCID: PMC8514561 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-99308-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Considering the increased demand and potential of photovoltaic devices in clean, renewable electrical and hi-tech applications, non-fullerene acceptor (NFA) chromophores have gained significant attention. Herein, six novel NFA molecules IBRD1-IBRD6 have been designed by structural modification of the terminal moieties from experimentally synthesized A2-A1-D-A1-A2 architecture IBR for better integration in organic solar cells (OSCs). To exploit the electronic, photophysical and photovoltaic behavior, density functional theory/time dependent-density functional theory (DFT/TD-DFT) computations were performed at M06/6-311G(d,p) functional. The geometry, electrical and optical properties of the designed acceptor molecules were compared with reported IBR architecture. Interestingly, a reduction in bandgap (2.528-2.126 eV), with a broader absorption spectrum, was studied in IBR derivatives (2.734 eV). Additionally, frontier molecular orbital findings revealed an excellent transfer of charge from donor to terminal acceptors and the central indenoindene-core was considered responsible for the charge transfer. Among all the chromophores, IBRD3 manifested the lowest energy gap (2.126 eV) with higher λmax at 734 and 745 nm in gaseous phase and solvent (chloroform), respectively due to the strong electron-withdrawing effect of five end-capped cyano groups present on the terminal acceptor. The transition density matrix map revealed an excellent charge transfer from donor to terminal acceptors. Further, to investigate the charge transfer and open-circuit voltage (Voc), PBDBT donor polymer was blended with acceptor chromophores, and a significant Voc (0.696-1.854 V) was observed. Intriguingly, all compounds exhibited lower reorganization and binding energy with a higher exciton dissociation in an excited state. This investigation indicates that these designed chromophores can serve as excellent electron acceptor molecules in organic solar cells (OSCs) that make them attractive candidates for the development of scalable and inexpensive optoelectronic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Khalid
- Department of Chemistry, Khawaja Fareed University of Engineering and Information Technology, Rahim Yar Khan, 64200, Pakistan
| | - Momina
- Department of Chemistry, Khawaja Fareed University of Engineering and Information Technology, Rahim Yar Khan, 64200, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Imran
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, King Khalid University, P.O. Box 9004, Abha, 61413, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Ataualpa Albert Carmo Braga
- Departamento de Química Fundamental, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. LineuPrestes 748, São Paulo, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Muhammad Safwan Akram
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Teesside University, Middlesbrough, TS1 3BX, UK.
- National Horizons Centre, Teesside University, Darlington, DL1 1HG, UK.
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12
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Khalid M, Khan MU, -Razia ET, Shafiq Z, Alam MM, Imran M, Akram MS. Exploration of efficient electron acceptors for organic solar cells: rational design of indacenodithiophene based non-fullerene compounds. Sci Rep 2021; 11:19931. [PMID: 34620948 PMCID: PMC8497501 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-99254-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The global need for renewable sources of energy has compelled researchers to explore new sources and improve the efficiency of the existing technologies. Solar energy is considered to be one of the best options to resolve climate and energy crises because of its long-term stability and pollution free energy production. Herein, we have synthesized a small acceptor compound (TPDR) and have utilized for rational designing of non-fullerene chromophores (TPD1-TPD6) using end-capped manipulation in A2-A1-D-A1-A2 configuration. The quantum chemical study (DFT/TD-DFT) was used to characterize the effect of end group redistribution through frontier molecular orbital (FMO), optical absorption, reorganization energy, open circuit voltage (Voc), photovoltaic properties and intermolecular charge transfer for the designed compounds. FMO data exhibited that TPD5 had the least ΔE (1.71 eV) with highest maximum absorption (λmax) among all compounds due to the four cyano groups as the end-capped acceptor moieties. The reorganization energies of TPD1-TPD6 hinted at credible electron transportation due to the lower values of λe than λh. Furthermore, open circuit voltage (Voc) values showed similar amplitude for all compounds including parent chromophore, except TPD4 and TPD5 compounds. These designed compounds with unique end group acceptors have the potential to be used as novel fabrication materials for energy devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Khalid
- Department of Chemistry, Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering and Information Technology, Rahim Yar Khan, 64200, Pakistan
| | | | - Eisha-Tul -Razia
- Department of Chemistry, Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering and Information Technology, Rahim Yar Khan, 64200, Pakistan
| | - Zahid Shafiq
- Institute of Chemical Sciences, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, 60800, Pakistan
| | - Mohammed Mujahid Alam
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, King Khalid University, P.O. Box 9004, Abha, 61413, Saudi Arabia
| | - Muhammad Imran
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, King Khalid University, P.O. Box 9004, Abha, 61413, Saudi Arabia
| | - Muhammad Safwan Akram
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Teesside University, Middlesbrough, TS1 3BX, UK.
- National Horizons Centre, Teesside University, Darlington, DL1 1HG, UK.
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13
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Rehman MFU, Akhter S, Batool AI, Selamoglu Z, Sevindik M, Eman R, Mustaqeem M, Akram MS, Kanwal F, Lu C, Aslam M. Effectiveness of Natural Antioxidants against SARS-CoV-2? Insights from the In-Silico World. Antibiotics (Basel) 2021; 10:1011. [PMID: 34439061 PMCID: PMC8388999 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics10081011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2021] [Revised: 08/14/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The SARS CoV-2 pandemic has affected millions of people around the globe. Despite many efforts to find some effective medicines against SARS CoV-2, no established therapeutics are available yet. The use of phytochemicals as antiviral agents provides hope against the proliferation of SARS-CoV-2. Several natural compounds were analyzed by virtual screening against six SARS CoV-2 protein targets using molecular docking simulations in the present study. More than a hundred plant-derived secondary metabolites have been docked, including alkaloids, flavonoids, coumarins, and steroids. SARS CoV-2 protein targets include Main protease (MPro), Papain-like protease (PLpro), RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), Spike glycoprotein (S), Helicase (Nsp13), and E-Channel protein. Phytochemicals were evaluated by molecular docking, and MD simulations were performed using the YASARA structure using a modified genetic algorithm and AMBER03 force field. Binding energies and dissociation constants allowed the identification of potentially active compounds. Ligand-protein interactions provide an insight into the mechanism and potential of identified compounds. Glycyrrhizin and its metabolite 18-β-glycyrrhetinic acid have shown a strong binding affinity for MPro, helicase, RdRp, spike, and E-channel proteins, while a flavonoid Baicalin also strongly binds against PLpro and RdRp. The use of identified phytochemicals may help to speed up the drug development and provide natural protection against SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Fayyaz ur Rehman
- Department of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Sargodha, Sargodha 41600, Pakistan; (S.A.); (R.E.)
| | - Shahzaib Akhter
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Sargodha, Sargodha 41600, Pakistan; (S.A.); (R.E.)
| | - Aima Iram Batool
- Department of Zoology, University of Sargodha, Sargodha 41600, Pakistan;
| | - Zeliha Selamoglu
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Nigde Omer Halisdemir University, Nigde 51240, Turkey;
| | - Mustafa Sevindik
- Department of Food Processing, Bahçe Vocational School, Osmaniye Korkut Ata University, Osmaniye 80000, Turkey;
| | - Rida Eman
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Sargodha, Sargodha 41600, Pakistan; (S.A.); (R.E.)
| | - Muhammad Mustaqeem
- Department of Chemistry, University of Sargodha, Bhakkar Campus, Bhakkar 30000, Pakistan;
| | - Muhammad Safwan Akram
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Teesside University, Middlesbrough TS1 3BA, UK;
- National Horizons Centre, Teesside University, Darlington DL1 1HG, UK
| | - Fariha Kanwal
- Med-X Research Institute, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 201620, China;
| | - Changrui Lu
- Department of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China
| | - Mehwish Aslam
- School of Biological Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore 54600, Pakistan
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Khalid M, Khan MU, Shafiq I, Hussain R, Ali A, Imran M, Braga AAC, Fayyaz ur Rehman M, Akram MS. Structural modulation of π-conjugated linkers in D-π-A dyes based on triphenylamine dicyanovinylene framework to explore the NLO properties. R Soc Open Sci 2021; 8:210570. [PMID: 34386260 PMCID: PMC8334849 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.210570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
A donor-π-acceptor type series of Triphenylamine-dicyanovinylene-based chromophores (DPMN1-DPMN11) was designed theoretically by the structural tailoring of π-linkers of experimentally synthesized molecules DTTh and DTTz to exploit changes in the optical properties and their nonlinear optical materials (NLO) behaviour. Density functional theory (DFT) computations were employed to understand the electronic structures, absorption spectra, charge transfer phenomena and the influence of these structural modifications on NLO properties. Interestingly, all investigated chromophores exhibited lower band gap (2.22-2.60 eV) with broad absorption spectra in the visible region, reflecting the remarkable NLO response. Furthermore, natural bond orbital (NBO) findings revealed a strong push-pull mechanism in DPMN1-DPMN11 as donor and π-conjugates exhibited positive, while all acceptors showed negative values. Examination of electronic transitions from donor to acceptor moieties via π-conjugated linkers revealed greater linear (〈α〉 = 526.536-641.756 a.u.) and nonlinear (β tot = 51 313.8-314 412.661 a.u.) response. It was noted that the chromophores containing imidazole in the second p-linker expressed greater hyperpolarizability when compared with the ones containing pyrrole. This study reveals that by controlling the type of π-spacers, interesting metal-free NLO materials can be designed, which can be valuable for the hi-tech NLO applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Khalid
- Department of Chemistry, Khawaja Fareed University of Engineering and Information Technology, Rahim Yar Khan 64200, Pakistan
| | | | - Iqra Shafiq
- Department of Chemistry, Khawaja Fareed University of Engineering and Information Technology, Rahim Yar Khan 64200, Pakistan
| | - Riaz Hussain
- Department of Chemistry, University of Okara, Okara 56300, Pakistan
| | - Akbar Ali
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Sargodha, Sargodha 40100, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Imran
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, King Khalid University, PO Box 9004, Abha 61413, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ataualpa A. C. Braga
- Departamento de Química Fundamental, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida Prof. LineuPrestes, 748, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
| | | | - Muhammad Safwan Akram
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Teesside University, Middlesbrough TS1 3BA, UK
- National Horizons Centre, Teesside University, Darlington DL1 1HG, UK
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15
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Zhang W, Li Z, Akram MS, Rehman MFU, Khan NH, Hu D, Mustaqeem M, Zeng Y, Kanwal F. Gastric Cancer Screening Methods: A Comparative Study of Two Scoring Methods. Cancer Manag Res 2021; 13:5785-5791. [PMID: 34321925 PMCID: PMC8312504 DOI: 10.2147/cmar.s308395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective To evaluate the Li’s and Japanese scoring methods scoring for screening early gastric cancer in a healthy population. Methods During January 2016–December 2018, profiles of the healthy people participated in a physical examination in the first people’s Hospital of Shanghai were collected. A total of 342 volunteers, including 137 males and 205 females ageing 40–74, were enrolled. After recording the basic information, all volunteers were scored using the Japan scoring method and the new gastric cancer screening score (ie, Li’s score). The subjects’ work characteristics (ROC curve) were drawn according to the patient’s endoscopic pathological examination to indicate early gastric cancer, to determine the best cut-off point for the diagnosis of early gastric cancer by Japanese scoring and Li’s scoring, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of both scoring methods were calculated as well. Results The area under the ROC curve of Japanese and Li’s score, in the diagnosis of early gastric cancer, was 0.763 and 0.837, respectively. Japanese and Li’s score ≥14 were considered as the best cut-off point. The sensitivity and specificity of Li’s scoring were 63.60% and 91.10%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of the Japanese score were 54.50% and 87.50%, respectively. The area under the ROC curve in Li’s scoring is more significant than that in Japanese scoring, and there was a substantial difference in the two methods (P<0.05). Conclusion Both Li’s scoring and Japanese scoring have shown good screening value for early gastric cancer in a healthy population, but Li’s scoring is more sensitive/specific than Japanese scoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weixing Zhang
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhangzhi Li
- Department of Hematology, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Hubei, 442000, People's Republic of China
| | | | | | - Nazeer Hussain Khan
- Henan International Key Laboratory of Nuclear Protein, School of Life Sciences, Henan University Kaifeng, Henan, 475004, People's Republic of China.,Laboratory of Animal and Human Physiology, Department of Biological Sciences, Quaid I Azam University, Islamabad, 45320, Pakistan
| | - Dan Hu
- Department of Neurology, The Central Hospital of Xiaogan, Hubei, 432100, People's Republic of China
| | - Muhammad Mustaqeem
- Department of Chemistry, University of Sargodha, Sub Campus Bhakkar, Bhakkar, 30000, Pakistan
| | - Yuanyuan Zeng
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Fariha Kanwal
- Med-X Research Institute, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
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16
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Fernandez-Poza S, Padros A, Thompson R, Butler L, Islam M, Mosely JA, Scrivens JH, F Rehman M, Akram MS. Tailor-made recombinant prokaryotic lectins for characterisation of glycoproteins. Anal Chim Acta 2021; 1155:338352. [PMID: 33766322 DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2021.338352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Revised: 02/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Development of biosimilars is costly, where glycan analysis is a significant constraint on time and money. This paper provides an in-depth characterisation of several novel recombinant prokaryotic lectins (RPLs), developed through directed evolution, displaying specific binding activities to α-mannose, β-galactose, fucose and sialic acid residues, tested against major biosimilar targets. The binding characterisation of all lectins was performed employing the principles of bio-layer interferometry (BLI), with help of the streptavidin-coated sensor with the biotinylated lectins. The binding activity of the RPLs and the specificity to a broad range of glycoproteins and glycoconjugates were evaluated and compared to those of equivalent plant-derived lectins. While exhibiting better or similar specificity, RPLs displayed significantly better binding in all cases. The binding mechanisms are explained with particular focus on the role hydrogen bonding plays in the change of specificity for a galactose specific lectin. Furthermore, different sets of RPLs and their plant equivalents were assayed against the different glycoprotein targets to evaluate the analytical parameters of the lectin-glycoprotein interaction. The obtained LoDs reached by the RPLs were lower than those of their plant counterparts apart from one, exhibiting RPL:PL LoD ratios of 0.8, 2.5, 14.2 and 380 for the sets of lectins specific to fucose, α-mannose, β-galactose and sialic acid, respectively. Such enhancement in analytical parameters of RPLs shows their applicability in protein purification and as bioanalytical tools for glycan analysis and biosensor development.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Fernandez-Poza
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Teesside University, Middlesbrough, TS1 3BA, UK; National Horizons Centre, Teesside University, 38 John Dixon Ln, Darlington, DL1 1HG, UK; Glycoselect Ltd., South Tees Institute for Learning, Research and Innovation, the James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough, TS4 3BW, UK
| | - A Padros
- Glycoselect Ltd., South Tees Institute for Learning, Research and Innovation, the James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough, TS4 3BW, UK
| | - R Thompson
- Glycoselect Ltd., South Tees Institute for Learning, Research and Innovation, the James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough, TS4 3BW, UK
| | - Lucy Butler
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Teesside University, Middlesbrough, TS1 3BA, UK; National Horizons Centre, Teesside University, 38 John Dixon Ln, Darlington, DL1 1HG, UK
| | - Meez Islam
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Teesside University, Middlesbrough, TS1 3BA, UK; National Horizons Centre, Teesside University, 38 John Dixon Ln, Darlington, DL1 1HG, UK
| | - J A Mosely
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Teesside University, Middlesbrough, TS1 3BA, UK; National Horizons Centre, Teesside University, 38 John Dixon Ln, Darlington, DL1 1HG, UK
| | - James H Scrivens
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Teesside University, Middlesbrough, TS1 3BA, UK; National Horizons Centre, Teesside University, 38 John Dixon Ln, Darlington, DL1 1HG, UK
| | - Muhammad F Rehman
- Department of Chemistry, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Safwan Akram
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Teesside University, Middlesbrough, TS1 3BA, UK; National Horizons Centre, Teesside University, 38 John Dixon Ln, Darlington, DL1 1HG, UK.
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17
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Akram MS, Pery N, Butler L, Shafiq MI, Batool N, Rehman MFU, Grahame-Dunn LG, Yetisen AK. Challenges for biosimilars: focus on rheumatoid arthritis. Crit Rev Biotechnol 2020; 41:121-153. [PMID: 33040628 DOI: 10.1080/07388551.2020.1830746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Healthcare systems worldwide are struggling to find ways to fund the cost of innovative treatments such as gene therapies, regenerative medicine, and monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). As the world's best known mAbs are close to facing patent expirations, the biosimilars market is poised to grow with the hope of bringing prices down for cancer treatment and autoimmune disorders, however, this has yet to be realized. The development costs of biosimilars are significantly higher than their generic equivalents due to therapeutic equivalence trials and higher manufacturing costs. It is imperative that academics and relevant companies understand the costs and stages associated with biologics processing. This article brings these costs to the forefront with a focus on biosimilars being developed for Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). mAbs have remarkably changed the treatment landscape, establishing their superior efficacy over traditional small chemicals. Five blockbuster TNFα mAbs, considered as first line biologics against RA, are either at the end of their patent life or have already expired and manufacturers are seeking to capture a significant portion of that market. Although in principle, market-share should be available, withstanding that the challenges regarding the compliance and regulations are being resolved, particularly with regards to variation in the glycosylation patterns and challenges associated with manufacturing. Glycan variants can significantly affect the quality attributes requiring characterization throughout production. Successful penetration of biologics can drive down prices and this will be a welcome change for patients and the healthcare providers. Herein we review the biologic TNFα inhibitors, which are on the market, in development, and the challenges being faced by biosimilar manufacturers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Safwan Akram
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Teesside University, Middlesbrough, UK.,National Horizons Centre, Teesside University, Darlington, UK
| | - Neelam Pery
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Lucy Butler
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Teesside University, Middlesbrough, UK.,National Horizons Centre, Teesside University, Darlington, UK
| | | | - Nayab Batool
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | | | | | - Ali K Yetisen
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, UK
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18
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Khalid M, Ali A, Jawaria R, Asghar MA, Asim S, Khan MU, Hussain R, Fayyaz ur Rehman M, Ennis CJ, Akram MS. First principles study of electronic and nonlinear optical properties of A–D–π–A and D–A–D–π–A configured compounds containing novel quinoline–carbazole derivatives. RSC Adv 2020; 10:22273-22283. [PMID: 35516655 PMCID: PMC9054527 DOI: 10.1039/d0ra02857f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Materials with nonlinear optical (NLO) properties have significant applications in different fields, including nuclear science, biophysics, medicine, chemical dynamics, solid physics, materials science and surface interface applications. Quinoline and carbazole, owing to their electron-deficient and electron-rich character respectively, play a role in charge transfer applications in optoelectronics. Therefore, an attempt has been made herein to explore quinoline–carbazole based novel materials with highly nonlinear optical properties. Structural tailoring has been made at the donor and acceptor units of two recently synthesized quinoline–carbazole molecules (Q1, Q2) and acceptor–donor–π–acceptor (A–D–π–A) and donor–acceptor–donor–π–acceptor (D–A–D–π–A) type novel molecules Q1D1–Q1D3 and Q2D2–Q2D3 have been quantum chemically designed, respectively. Density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) computations are performed to process the impact of acceptor and donor units on photophysical, electronic and NLO properties of selected molecules. The λmax values (321 and 319 nm) for Q1 and Q2 in DSMO were in good agreement with the experimental values (326 and 323 nm). The largest shift in absorption maximum is displayed by Q1D2 (436 nm). The designed compounds (Q1D3–Q2D3) express absorption spectra with an increased border and with a reduced band gap compared to the parent compounds (Q1 and Q2). Natural bond orbital (NBO) investigations showed that the extended hyper conjugation and strong intramolecular interaction play significant roles in stabilising these systems. All molecules expressed significant NLO responses. A large value of βtot was elevated in Q1D2 (23 885.90 a.u.). This theoretical framework reveals the NLO response properties of novel quinoline–carbazole derivatives that can be significant for their use in advanced applications. Materials with nonlinear optical properties have significant applications in nuclear science, biophysics, medicine, chemical dynamics, solid physics & materials science. We show how π bridges, donors & acceptors can be reconfigured to improve optical properties.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Khalid
- Department of Chemistry
- Khawaja Fareed University of Engineering & Information Technology
- Rahim Yar Khan
- Pakistan
| | - Akbar Ali
- Department of Chemistry
- University of Sargodha
- Sargodha 40100
- Pakistan
| | - Rifat Jawaria
- Department of Chemistry
- Khawaja Fareed University of Engineering & Information Technology
- Rahim Yar Khan
- Pakistan
| | | | - Sumreen Asim
- Department of Chemistry
- Khawaja Fareed University of Engineering & Information Technology
- Rahim Yar Khan
- Pakistan
| | | | - Riaz Hussain
- Department of Chemistry
- University of Okara
- Okara-56300
- Pakistan
| | | | | | - Muhammad Safwan Akram
- School of Health and Life Sciences
- Teesside University
- Middlesbrough
- UK
- National Horizons Centre
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19
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Shahid M, Akram MS, Khan MA, Zubair M, Shah SM, Ismail M, Shabir G, Basheer S, Aslam K, Tariq M. A phytobeneficial strain Planomicrobium sp. MSSA-10 triggered oxidative stress responsive mechanisms and regulated the growth of pea plants under induced saline environment. J Appl Microbiol 2018; 124:1566-1579. [PMID: 29444380 DOI: 10.1111/jam.13732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2017] [Revised: 01/09/2018] [Accepted: 02/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
AIMS The study was planned to characterize Planomicrobium sp. MSSA-10 for plant-beneficial traits and to evaluate its inoculation impact on physiology of pea plants under different salinity levels. METHODS AND RESULTS Strain MSSA-10 was isolated from pea rhizosphere and identified by the analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequence. The strain demonstrated phosphate solubilization and auxin production up to 2 mol l-1 NaCl and exhibited 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid deaminase activity up to 1·5 mol l-1 salt. In an inoculation experiment under different salinity regimes, a significant increase in growth was observed associated with decreased levels of reactive oxygen species and enhanced antioxidative enzyme activities. The strain also promoted the translocation of nutrients in plants with subsequent increase in chlorophyll and protein contents as compared to noninoculated plants. It has been observed that rifampicin-resistant derivatives of MSSA-10 were able to survive for 30 days at optimum cell density with pea rhizosphere. CONCLUSION Growth-stimulating effect of MSSA-10 on pea plants may be attributed to its rhizosphere competence, nutrient mobilization and modulation of plant oxidative damage repair mechanisms under saline environment. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY Planomicrobium sp. MSSA-10 might be used as potent bioinoculant to relieve pea plants from deleterious effects of salinity.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Shahid
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - M S Akram
- Department of Botany, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - M A Khan
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - M Zubair
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - S M Shah
- Biotechnology Program, Environmental Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Abbottabad, Pakistan
| | - M Ismail
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - G Shabir
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan
| | - S Basheer
- School of Biological Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - K Aslam
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan
| | - M Tariq
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
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20
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Abstract
A novel series of thiophene derived Schiff bases and their transition metal- [Co(II), Cu(II), Zn(II), Ni(II)] based compounds are reported. The Schiff bases act as tridentate ligands toward metal ions via azomethine-N, deprotonated-N of ammine substituents and S-atom of thienyl moiety. The synthesized ligands along with their metal complexes were screened for their in vitro antibacterial activity against six bacterial pathogens (Escherichia coli, Shigella flexneri, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis) and for antifungal activity against six fungal pathogens (Trichophytonlongifusus, Candida albicans, Aspergillus flavus, Microsporum canis, Fusarium solani and Candida glabrata). The results of antimicrobial studies revealed the free ligands to possess potential activity which significantly increased upon chelation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shakeela Yasmeen
- a Institute of Chemical Sciences , Bahauddin Zakariya University , Multan , Pakistan
| | | | | | - Zahid H Chohan
- d Department of Chemistry , University of Sargodha , Bhakkar Campus, Sargodha, Pakistan
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21
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Amjad M, Sumrra SH, Akram MS, Chohan ZH. Metal-based ethanolamine-derived compounds: a note on their synthesis, characterization and bioactivity. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem 2016; 31:88-97. [DOI: 10.1080/14756366.2016.1220375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Amjad
- Institute of Chemical Sciences, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan,
| | - Sajjad H. Sumrra
- Department of Chemistry, Institute of Natural Sciences, University of Gujrat, Gujrat, Pakistan,
| | | | - Zahid H. Chohan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Sargodha, Bhakkar Campus, Pakistan
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22
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Sumrra SH, Hanif M, Chohan ZH, Akram MS, Akhtar J, Al-Shehri SM. Metal based drugs: design, synthesis and in-vitro antimicrobial screening of Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) complexes with some new carboxamide derived compounds: crystal structures of N-[ethyl(propan-2-yl)carbamothioyl]thiophene-2-carboxamide and its copper(II) complex. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem 2015; 31:590-8. [DOI: 10.3109/14756366.2015.1050011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sajjad H. Sumrra
- Department of Chemistry, Institute of Natural Sciences, University of Gujrat, Gujrat, Pakistan,
| | - Muhammad Hanif
- Department of Chemistry, University of Sargodha, Bhakkar, Pakistan,
| | - Zahid H. Chohan
- Institute of Chemical Sciences, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan,
| | - Muhammad Safwan Akram
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan,
| | - Javeed Akhtar
- Department of Physics, COMSATS CIIT, Islamabad, Pakistan, and
| | - Saad M. Al-Shehri
- Chemistry Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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23
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Abstract
It is only in the past two decades that excellent protein engineering tools have begun to meet parallel advances in materials chemistry, nanofabrication, and electronics. This is revealing scenarios from which synthetic enzymes can emerge, which were previously impossible, as well as interfaces with novel electrode materials. That means the control of the protein structure, electron transport pathway, and electrode surface can usher us into a new era of bioelectrochemistry. This article reviews the principle of electron transfer (ET) and considers how its application at the electrode, within the protein, and at a redox group is directing key advances in the understanding of protein structure to create systems that exhibit better efficiency and unique bioelectrochemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Safwan Akram
- Institute of Biotechnology, Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QT United Kingdom;
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24
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Yetisen AK, Martinez-Hurtado JL, da Cruz Vasconcellos F, Simsekler MCE, Akram MS, Lowe CR. The regulation of mobile medical applications. Lab Chip 2014; 14:833-840. [PMID: 24425070 DOI: 10.1039/c3lc51235e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The rapidly expanding number of mobile medical applications have the potential to transform the patient-healthcare provider relationship by improving the turnaround time and reducing costs. In September 2013, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued guidance to regulate these applications and protect consumers by minimising the risks associated with their unintended use. This guidance distinguishes between the subset of mobile medical apps which may be subject to regulation and those that are not. The marketing claims of the application determine the intent. Areas of concern include compliance with regular updates of the operating systems and of the mobile medical apps themselves. In this article, we explain the essence of this FDA guidance by providing examples and evaluating the impact on academia, industry and other key stakeholders, such as patients and clinicians. Our assessment indicates that awareness and incorporation of the guidelines into product development can hasten the commercialisation and market entry process. Furthermore, potential obstacles have been discussed and directions for future development suggested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Kemal Yetisen
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QT, UK.
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25
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Martinez-Hurtado JL, Akram MS, Yetisen AK. Iridescence in Meat Caused by Surface Gratings. Foods 2013; 2:499-506. [PMID: 28239133 PMCID: PMC5302279 DOI: 10.3390/foods2040499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2013] [Revised: 10/28/2013] [Accepted: 11/06/2013] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The photonic structure of cut muscle tissues reveals that the well-ordered gratings diffract light, producing iridescent colours. Cut fibrils protruding from the muscle surface create a two-dimensional periodic array, which diffract light at specific wavelengths upon illumination. However, this photonic effect misleads consumers in a negative way to relate the optical phenomenon with the quality of the product. Here we discuss the fundamentals of this optical phenomenon and demonstrate a methodology for quantitatively measuring iridescence caused by diffraction gratings of muscle tissue surface of pork (Sus scrofa domesticus) using reflection spectrophotometry. Iridescence was discussed theoretically as a light phenomenon and spectral measurements were taken from the gratings and monitored in real time during controlled drying. The findings show that the intensity of diffraction diminishes as the surface grating was dried with an air flow at 50 °C for two minutes while the diffracted light wavelength was at 585 ± 9 nm. Our findings indicate that the diffraction may be caused by a blazed surface grating. The implications of the study include providing guidelines to minimise the iridescence by altering the surface microstructure, and in consequence, removing the optical effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Leonardo Martinez-Hurtado
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QT, UK.
| | - Muhammad Safwan Akram
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QT, UK.
| | - Ali Kemal Yetisen
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QT, UK.
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26
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Abstract
Dipstick and lateral-flow formats have dominated rapid diagnostics over the last three decades. These formats gained popularity in the consumer markets due to their compactness, portability and facile interpretation without external instrumentation. However, lack of quantitation in measurements has challenged the demand of existing assay formats in consumer markets. Recently, paper-based microfluidics has emerged as a multiplexable point-of-care platform which might transcend the capabilities of existing assays in resource-limited settings. However, paper-based microfluidics can enable fluid handling and quantitative analysis for potential applications in healthcare, veterinary medicine, environmental monitoring and food safety. Currently, in its early development stages, paper-based microfluidics is considered a low-cost, lightweight, and disposable technology. The aim of this review is to discuss: (1) fabrication of paper-based microfluidic devices, (2) functionalisation of microfluidic components to increase the capabilities and the performance, (3) introduction of existing detection techniques to the paper platform and (4) exploration of extracting quantitative readouts via handheld devices and camera phones. Additionally, this review includes challenges to scaling up, commercialisation and regulatory issues. The factors which limit paper-based microfluidic devices to become real world products and future directions are also identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Kemal Yetisen
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
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