BGC Trust University Bangladesh (Bengali: বিজিসি ট্রাস্ট বিশ্ববিদ্যালয় বাংলাদেশ) is a private university in Bangladesh, established in 2001. The university is 34 km from the port city Chittagong at a place popularly known as BGC Biddyanagar by the side of the Chittagong Cox's Bazar Highway Road. The main campus in Chandanaish, spread over 100 acres (0.40 km2) of land, consists of a private university, a private medical college, a 1,000-bed hospital, a nurses' institute, a dental college, a college of physiotherapy and an IT institute. The current Vice-Chancellor (VC) of this university is Professor Dr. A.F.M. Aowrangazab.
Syngonium podophyllum has long been used in traditional medicine to treat conditions such as diabetes, gastrointestinal issues, and fever. This study sought to scientifically evaluate the pharmacological effects of its flower-derived methanolic extract (SPF-ME) using a combination of in vivo, in vitro, and in silico methods. The anthelmintic activity of SPF-ME was evaluated using Pheretima posthuma, while antidiabetic potential was assessed via DNS and starch-iodine assays targeting alpha-amylase inhibition. Antipyretic efficacy was tested using a yeast-induced pyrexia model, and antidiarrheal effects were determined through castor oil-induced diarrhea and charcoal meal transit tests in mice. Molecular docking was conducted to analyze the interaction between major phytoconstituents and biological targets such as alpha-amylase, COX-2, the GABA receptor, and the M3 muscarinic receptor. Drug-likeness and ADMET properties were also predicted. SPF-ME demonstrated significant anthelmintic activity, causing dose-dependent paralysis and death of worms, comparable to albendazole. In antidiabetic assays, it showed strong alpha-amylase inhibition with 83.96% +/- 1.56% and 82.12% +/- 1.21% inhibition in DNS and starch-iodine assays, respectively, although less potent than acarbose. The extract significantly reduced fever at 400 mg/kg, similar to paracetamol, and displayed moderate antidiarrheal effects by reducing defecation and diarrhea by 53.57% and 40.63%, respectively. Molecular docking revealed that major constituents such as Obtusifoliol and 9,19-Cyclolanost-25-ene-3,24-diol exhibited high binding affinities to key pharmacological targets. ADMET analysis indicated favorable pharmacokinetic profiles and compliance with Lipinski's rule, suggesting promising drug-like properties. Overall, the findings validate the traditional use of S. podophyllum flower extract and highlight its multifaceted therapeutic potential. Further research should aim to isolate and characterize its bioactive compounds and explore their mechanisms of action for pharmaceutical as well as veterinary medicine development.
Introduction: Social distancing and wearing a face mask are highly recommended to mitigate the transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, the success of these strategies relies on individuals’ adherence and public compliance. This study was conducted to assess the level of belief in social distancing and face mask practices in communities in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and to identify their possible determinants. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in ten LMICs countries in Asia, Africa, and South America from February to May 2021. A questionnaire was used to assess the belief, practice, and their plausible determinants. Identification of the associated determinants was performed using a logistic regression model. Results: Our data revealed that only 62.6% and 66.9% of the participants had good beliefs in social distancing and good face mask practices, respectively. Residing in the Americas, having a healthcare-related job, knowing people in immediate social environment who are or have been infected and exposure to information of COVID-19 cases on social media or TV were factors significantly associated with good belief in social distancing. Residing country, gender, monthly household income, type of job and exposure to information of COVID-19 cases were significantly associated with face mask wearing practice. Conclusion: The proportion of participants having good beliefs in social distancing and good face mask practices is relatively low (<75%). Hence, sustained health campaigns regarding social distancing benefits and face mask-wearing practices during COVID-19 are critical in LMICs.
Mallotus paniculatus (Lam.), a member of the Euphorbiaceae Juss family, is a little tree or shrub that has long been used in folk medicine to cure ailments like fever, wound healing, and postpartum recuperation. In this study, Swiss albino mice were used to evaluate the analgesic, antipyretic, and antidiarrheal properties of the acetone extract of M. paniculatus (AMP). Standard screening techniques were used to identify the phytochemical ingredients. Three models were used to evaluate analgesic activity: the tail immersion test, formalin-induced paw licking, and acetic acid-induced writhing. Antipyretic activity was assessed using a fever model induced by brewer's yeast. At the same time, antidiarrheal effects were evaluated by castor oil-induced diarrhea, and gastrointestinal motility was studied using a charcoal meal marker. Furthermore, in silico analyses-such as molecular docking, ADME profiling, toxicity prediction, and PASS analysis-were conducted using online tools. The results indicated that AMP at a lower dose (200 mg/kg) produced significant analgesic effects across all pain models compared with the control group. In the antipyretic evaluation, AMP administered at 400 mg/kg illustrated the most pronounced reduction in body temperature after 4 h, which was statistically significant (p < 0.01). The same higher dose (400 mg/kg) also significantly reduced diarrheal episodes and slowed gastrointestinal motility in both the castor oil-induced diarrhea and charcoal meal transit tests. Molecular docking analysis further corroborated these pharmacological effects, revealing that AMP compounds exhibited strong binding affinity toward key target receptors associated with pain, inflammation, and gastrointestinal activity. Collectively, these results indicate that AMP has promising potential as a natural multitarget therapeutic agent for the treatment of pain, fever, and diarrhea.
The development of environmentally sustainable catalysts has become the pressing need at present to eliminate the organic contamination produced by antibiotics. Sulfamethoxazole (SMX) antibiotics in aquatic systems cause significant environmental and health hazards owing to their challenging biodegradability and environmental persistence. Henceforth, a highly efficient and versatile Fe2O3-MoS2 nanocomposite catalyst has been developed to facilitate effective PMS activation and SMX degradation. The Fe2O3-MoS2/PMS system degraded the 98.8
