Use of genomic technology for engineering crops to combat various stresses has been witnessed in early 1980s. For example, “Bt”, coined with genes (Cry1Ac, Cry2Ab, etc.)— provide protection to lepidopteron insect pests, excised from a soil bacterium, were introduced in multiple crops including corn, cotton, soybean, rice, potato and canola. In Pakistan, work on introduction of Cry1Ac gene from a source cotton material (containing Cry1Ac gene) to local cotton cultivars through backcrossing breeding scheme has been started at the start of this 21st century, resulted in the development of more than 20 Btcotton varieties. Since the gene was new to our environment, was the compelling factor for studying various aspects including yield performance, expression of Bt gene under various environmental conditions and its impact on NTOs. In the present study, we tested the efficacy and the impact of Bt-cotton in Pakistani environment, which paved the way for approval of Bt-cotton varieties. Performance of 20 Bt-cotton genotypes (called as IR-cotton genotypes in the dissertation) along with 5 non-Bt conventional counterparts were evaluated in 10 different locations all over the Pakistan, of which most commonly, IR-cotton out yielded their non-IR cotton genotypes. On average, IR-cotton genotypes-cultivars produced almost 24.8% more seed cotton yield (SCY) than their non-IR counterparts for four years (2005-08) at all experimental sites and the yield advantage ranged from 21 to 30%. Likewise, mean values for the number of boll plant-1 were also found substantially higher (19-25%) in IR-cotton than that of non-IR conventional cultivars at 10 different locations. Furthermore, average boll weight was also significantly higher in IR-cotton (8.81%) than the conventional cultivars, which is primarily because of the selections made for high boll weight in developing IR-cotton. However, this advantage was not as higher as observed in case of SCY and number of bolls plant-1. IR-NIBGE-3701 was identified as the most adapted genotype, and recommended for cultivation. The present study was also aimed to examine the impact of drought on the expression of Cry1Ac gene in a set of 25 cotton genotypes-cultivars including five conventional counterparts. This study was conducted during the three normal cotton growing seasons (2005-2007). These genotypes-cultivars were grown under well-watered and water-limited conditions in NIBGE cotton field. Seed cotton yield and its components were markedly affected under the water-limited regime. Mean reduction in SCY due to water deficit was 19, 22 and 27% in 2005, 2006 and 2007, respectively. Moreover, genotypes-cultivars were also substantially differed for SCY ranging from 12.65 to 35% during the three consecutive years under stress conditions. Seed cotton yield was sustainability affected under waterlimited regime mainly due to fluctuation in number of bolls plant-1 rather than average boll weight. Similarly, the water stress significantly depressed the expression of Bt gene, i.e. ranging from 19 to 32% as cumulative for three years (2005-2007). Remarkably, no change was observed towards the efficacy of transgene against the Helicoverpa armigera. Another important abiotic factor is the problem of elevated temperature during the cotton growing season in Pakistan, and it significantly depresses the cotton production. Thus we tested the expression of Cry1Ac gene under normal and high temperature regimes for three years. In total 20 IR-cotton genotypes were exposed to high temperature (37±2oC) under glasshouse conditions, and the Bt expression level along with the efficacy was measured at 35, 60, 90 and 120 DAS. Our results revealed that after exposing cotton plants to high temperature, expression of Cry protein was decreased from 3.28-41.65% at different time intervals without effecting the biological activity (efficacy toward controlling the Helicoverpa armigera). However, the response of Cry protein expression under high temperature was significant among the genotypes-cultivars studied at different growth stages. Genotypic variation regarding the expression levels of Cry1Ac in normal as well as CLCuD infected cotton plants were found in the studies conducted for three years (2006-2008). The disease significantly reduced the expression of Cry1Ac, fluctuating between 26% (IRNIBGE- 3701 and IR-NIBGE-2422) to 64% (IR-NIBGE-2457) with a mean reduction of 47% between the IR and non-IR-cotton genotypes-cultivars. Though we have found significant reduction in expression of Cry 1Ac gene between the asymptomatic and symptomatic cotton plants but we could not establish any correlation between the disease incidence percentage and relative reduction in expression of Cry1Ac gene. The potential impact of IR-cotton on non-target organisms (NTOs) have also been studied independently for three and four consecutive years for soil microorganisms and non-target insects (jassids, thrips and whitefly), respectively. Statistically insignificant results were found for soil microorganisms (bacteria including actinomycetes and fungi) collected from IR or non-IR cotton. However, significant variations were observed for plant growth stages (30, 60, 90, 120 and 150 DAS) for microbial population. Similarly potential impact on NTOs (Jassid, whitefly and thrips) was demonstrated significance among the genotypescultivars, but non significant differences were observed for the Bt trait in four years of experimentation. Findings of the present studies paved the way for the approval of Bt-cotton varieties in Pakistan. Cotton cultivars IR-NIBGE-3701, IR-NIBGE-1524 and IR-NIBGE-901 identified from these experiments helped in sustaining cotton production in Pakistan. All these efforts have been admired by the Govt of Pakistan (bestowed Pride of Performance by the President of Pakistan on August 14, 2011) and International Cotton Community. These findings suggest that the introduction of Bt-cotton in the farming system of Pakistan is the best alternative to conventional non-Bt cotton which be useful in increasing the cotton production in Pakistan. The less capital intensive nature of this system may be particularly interesting for resource poor cotton farming communities and also to the ecologists. It is extremely important to enhance protection against the bollworm complex by introducing new genes in cotton as the single gene based protection can be broken down at any time. These efforts together would be another step in the door towards sustaining cotton production in the country till 2020.
مولانا عبدالسمیع گزشتہ ماہ کاالم ناک سانحہ دارالعلوم دیوبند کے قدیم تر استاذ حضرت مولانا عبدالسمیع صاحب ؒ کی وفات ہے۔مولانا مرحوم کئی ماہ سے علالت کے امتداد واشتداد کی تکلیفیں اٹھا رہے تھے، بالآخر ۱۰/صفر المظفرکو ہمیشہ کے لیے اس جہان فانی سے رخصت ہوگئے۔ مرحوم حضرت مولانا میاں سید اصغر حسین صاحبؒ کے مخصوص ہم سبقوں میں تھے اوربزرگوں کی خوبیوں اورخصوصیتوں کے جامع، بڑے با وضع، بڑے سادہ مزاج اوردارالعلوم کے اساتذہ میں بعض اوصاف کے لحاظ سے بے عدیل و بے مثیل۔ پیرانہ سالی اورغیر معمولی نقاہت کے باوجود جب درس دیتے تھے تو معلوم ہوتا تھا کوئی تازہ دم اور بلندآواز مدرس پورے شوق و انہماک کے ساتھ طلبہ سے مصروف تخاطب ہے۔ مولانا کا طرزتعلیم عام فہم بھی تھا اوردل پذیر بھی، پڑھاتے پڑھاتے بہت سی کتابوں کے حافظ ہوگئے تھے۔اُن کے تلامذہ میں آج بڑے بڑے مدرس بھی ہیں اورباکمال مصنف اورانشاء پرداز بھی۔ ندوۃ المصنفین کے تقریباً تمام بڑے بڑے رفقاء کوآپ سے شرف تلمذ حاصل ہے۔اﷲ تعالیٰ مرحوم کے مراتب بلند فرمائے۔ہمیں اس حادثۂ عظیم میں مولانا مرحوم کے اکلوتے صاحبزادے مولوی عبدالاحد صاحب مدرس دارالعلوم دیوبند سے دلی ہمدردری ہے اورہم اُن کے شریک غم ہیں۔ امید ہے مولوی صاحب موصوف اپنے والد کے صحیح قائم مقام ثابت ہوں گے۔ [فروری ۱۹۴۷ء]
The role of youth in development of any society is vital. They are the vanguard of any nation. The youth cannot play their role properly and positively unless they understand their responsibilities fully. Creating sense of responsibility in individual of a society especially in its youth is inevitable for the collective and dynamic development of a society. The life of the holy Prophet (r) is a complete guide for all spheres of our life. It is evident from the teachings of the holy Prophet (r) and the general commandments of Islam that the youth play a very important role in socio economic and politico educational development. The holy Prophet (r) showed complete confidence in youth. He delegated them with different responsibilities, provided complete guidance and encouraged them for discharging their duties properly. The companions of the holy Prophet (r) who embraced Islam as a result of his first invitation were young between the ages of 20 to 30. The worst enemy of Islam- Abu Jahal was got killed by two young brothers. Likewise a young man Muṣ‘ab bin ‘Umayr (Ï) was sent to Madina, and Mu‘āz bin Jabal (Ï) and Abu Mūsá Ash‘arī (Ï) were sent to Yemen. Zayd bin Thābit (Ï) was directed to learn other languages. He also compiled the holy Qur’ān in Caliphate of Abū Bakar (Ï). The holy Prophet appointed Ḥuzayfa (Ï) to take census. For creating leadership characteristics, Usāmah bin Zayd was sent to different war expeditions. These are ample proofs of holy Prophet’s confidence he had in the youth.
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) comprising of Ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD) is a multifactorial disease with major maneuvering targets being immune dysregulation, microbial homeostasis, and barrier dysfunctioning. Natural products which comprise of multiple bioactive constituents could control multiple targets of a disease simultaneously. Flaxseed has traditionally been used in IBD but its effectiveness has not yet been pharmacologically validated. Hence, it was aimed to explore the pharmacological basis for medicinal use of Flaxseed in IBD. For this purpose, methanolic-aqueous (70:30) extract of Flaxseed (Fs.Cr), was used to test the different parameters of IBD. This was followed by screening of Flaxseed oil for its potential in IBD. Fs.Cr was at first assessed for its effect against acetic acid (AA)-induced colitis model of mice. Colitis was induced under anaesthesia by intrarectal administration of 0.1 ml of 6% AA, and the parameters were assessed after 24 hrs of induction. Fs.Cr reduced the disease activity index (DAI) dose-dependently at 150 mg/kg and 300 mg/kg and macroscopic damage with the highest ulcer index (21.88) for untreated groups, whereas, pre-treatment of animals with Fs.Cr, significantly reduced this ulcer index to 11.68, 7.83 and 6.01 at 150, 300 and 500 mg/kg doses respectively, as compared to untreated group. Hemotoxylin and Eosin stained sections of colon in Fs.Cr treated groups, showed reduction in Neurath scores, where untreated mice had a score of 3.48±0.65 (max score = 4) and Fs.Cr pretreated mice showed a reduction in score to 2.33±0.57 and 1.56±0.5 at 150 mg/kg and 300 mg/kg respectively. Vilaseca score parameters (including ulceration, inflammation and depth of lesion) with untreated groups score being 2.08±0.275 reduced significantly to 1.51±0.2 and 1.08±0.14 at 150 mg/kg and 300 mg/kg doses, respectively. Periodic acid Schiff-alcian blue (PAS-Ab) stains showed an increase in mucin levels and restoration of goblet cells in the treated groups with a score of 1.50±0.25, 2.100±0.25 and 2.3±0.5 with increasing doses of 150 mg/kg, 300 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg respectively, as compared to the untreated mice groups who had the lowest scores (1.2±0.37 out of 3). Anti-inflammatory potential of Fs.Cr was evidently supported by the reduced myeloperoxidase activity with untreated animals exhibiting activity at 400±59.5 mU/ml, which reduced to 150.85±65 mU/ml and 107±13.89mU/ml at at 150 mg/kg and 300 mg/kg doses, respectively. Its effect against oxidative stress was evident by reduced malondialdehyde activity, where untreated mice exhibited 77.25±4 nmol/mg activity, whereas this reduced to 49.66±4.88 nmol/mg and 26.36±2.14 nmol/mg at respective doses of 150 mg/kg and 300 mg/kg. Enhanced antioxidant activity (catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and total glutathione) in Fs.Cr groups was significantly higher than both the untreated control as well as sham control, evident at 300 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg doses. Anti-inflammatory effect of Fs.Cr was characterized by its effect on modulation of cytokines. Colons of untreated mice showed elevated levels of IFN-g (a pro-inflammatory marker), as compared to sham controls at all the time points (1238±195.2 pg/ml, 859±100.9 pg/ml and 943.2±177.8 pg/ml). Compared to this, the colons of Fs.Cr pretreated mice showed reduced IFN-g levels to 605±62.17 pg/ml and 492.7±37.96 pg/ml at 6 hrs for 150 and 300 mg/kg doses with similar reducing trend evident at 12 hrs and 24 hrs. TNF-a levels were also elevated in untreated mice colons’ at all time points (194.1±27.36 pg/ml, 110.3±3.39 pg/ml and 142.4±4.93 pg/ml), whereas Fs.Cr pre-treated groups showed a reduction in these levels, with effect evident at 300 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg at all the tested time points. Kinetics of IL-17 levels was studied in AA-induced colitis model for the first time. Untreated groups showed increased IL-17 levels at 6 hrs (233.2±18.41 pg/ml), and sharply decreased levels at 12 hrs (166.1±32.26 pg/ml) and 24 hrs (114.2±16.29 pg/ml). On the contrary, Fs.Cr-treated tissues showed insignificant decline of IL-17 at 6 hrs, but exhibited a dose-dependent increase at 24 hrs with 175.9±31.1 pg/ml at 150 mg/kg dose, 209±29.85 pg/ml for 300 mg/kg dose and 223.8±13.69 pg/ml for 500 mg/kg dose. Hence, it was concluded that Fs.Cr ameliorated the severity of AA-induced colitis model of mice by mucosal protective, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant mechanisms with modulation of multiple cytokines.Diarrhea and spasm are the main manifestation of IBD and hence, Fs.Cr was also assessed for its effectiveness in diarrhoea and spasm along with possible mechanisms. Fs.Cr showed antidiarrheal activity in castor oil-induced diarrhea in mice with mean diarrhoeal score being 35.7±0.81 for untreated mice, whereas, Fs.Cr significantly reduced the diarrhoeal score to 21.6±2.85, 13±2.13 and 11.3±1.35 at 150, 300 and 500 mg/kg doses. Reduced intestinal secretions in mice were evident in Fs.Cr treated groups as compared to untreated groups whose intestinal secretions were increased from 77.35±1.52g (sham control) to 149±5.90 g (untreated), whereas, Fs.Cr pretreated groups showed secretions significantly being reduced to 24.12% (113±5.12 g), 28.09% (107±2.49 g) and 38.8% (91±3.06 g) at respective doses of 150, 300 and 500 mg/kg. Gut motility was increased in untreated controls by administration of castor oil that increased the charcoal meal transit from 45.68±1.96 cm to 68.43±3.95 cm, whereas, Fs.Cr reduced the intestinal motility in mice by 31.66% (46.76±3.46 cm), 46.98% (36.28±3.73 cm; and 56.2% (29.97±4.30 cm); at the respective doses of 150, 300 and 500 mg/kg. The main antispasmodic mechanism of Fs.Cr was mediated by phosphodiesterase enzyme inhibitory activity (PDEI), followed by Ca++ antagonist effect, as Fs.Cr dose-dependently inhibited spontaneous-induced contractions, carbachol (CCh)-induced contractions (at 3 mg/ml) and high K+-induced contractions (at 5 mg/ml), in isolated rabbit jejunum with higher potency against CCh, similar to that of papaverine, while verapamil was more potent against high K+. This was also supported by potentiation of isoprenaline concentration-response curves (CRCs) by pretreatment with low doses of Fs.Cr (0.01 and 0.03 mg/ml). Fs.Cr mediated PDE inhibitory activity via PDE-4 subtype, as pre-treatment of Fs.Cr did not potentiate Rolipram (PDE-4 inhibitor) inhibitory activity against CCh-induced contractions, whereas it potentiated the inhibitory effect of Cilostazol (PDE-3 inhibitor) and zaprinast (PDE-5 inhibitor). Subsequent dose dependent increase in cAMP levels after pre-treatment with 1, 3 and 5 mg/ml of Fs.Cr, similar to papaverine (1 mM and 3 mM doses), further supported its PDEI effect. Possible presence of Ca++ antagonist like activity was studied because of Fs.Cr’s inhibitory effect against high K+-induced contractions at high doses. Fs.Cr at 0.1 mg/ml and 0.3 mg/ml caused a rightward shift in the Ca++ CRCs with suppression of maximal response, indicating its Ca++ antagonist effect. Hence, Fs.Cr possessed antispasmodic effect mediated through a dual inhibition of PDE enzyme and Ca++ influx. Microbes being the persistent source of immune trigger and inflammation, Fs.Cr was therefore, also studied for its antimicrobial potential in the in vitro assay. Fs.Cr at the dose of 50 μg/ml showed cidal effect against enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus cereus, whereas, a static effect was observed against enterotoxigenic E.coli (ETEC) and enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC). The cidal activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was observed at 12.5 mg/ml and at 5 mg/ml against vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis, along with remarkable 100% kill at 12.5 mg/ml indicating presence of some novel compounds. Interestingly, the HPLC peaks of Fs.Cr resembled with retention times of some synthetic antimicrobial compounds Further to this, Flaxseed oil which is an available edible source was studied for its potential in IBD. Flaxseed oil ameliorated the severity of AA-induced colitis as evident by improved DAI, mortality rate and microscopic damage. The comparison of microscopic damage caused by test materials revealed that Flaxseed oil exhibited a stronger effect on neutrophil infiltration as compared to Fs.Cr, whereas, Fs.Cr produced more pronounced increase on mucin levels indicating possibility for employing different mechanisms to mediate the protective effect. When studied for its potential against diarrhoea and spasm, Flaxseed oil showed a combination of laxative effect at low doses and antidiarrheal effect at high doses. The gut stimulant effect was prominently cholinergic and at lesser level histaminergic. The antispasmodic activity of Flaxseed oil was mediated by K+ channel opening (KCO) mechanism, followed by a weak PDEI activity as it inhibited CCh-induced contraction. Flaxseed oil was more potent and efficacious as bactericidal against enteropathogeni Eschericia.coli (EPEC), enterotoxigenic E.coli (ETEC) and enteroaggregative E.coli (EAEC) which are implicated in IBD, as they killed these microbes at 9 μg/ml and 14 μg/ml, whereas, Fs.Cr was only cidal against EPEC at a concentration 10 times higher than that of Flaxseed oil (100 μg/ml), whereas, it had a static mechanism against ETEC and EAEC. A different mechanism is speculated for Flaxseed oil and Fs.Cr; this is further advocated by difference in HPLC fingerprints of Fs.Cr and Flaxseed oil. Based on the above mentioned findings, it is concluded that Flaxseed extract and oil have potential for targeting multiple etiological aspects of IBD through multiple pathways; thus, indicating that Flaxseed as a whole has the potential to be used as alternate remedy with a known safety profile being edible in nature." xml:lang="en_US