The current study is an effort to discover natural compounds against two RNA viruses: Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). HCV is responsible for liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, while HIV causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, which leads to further opportunistic infections. Both HCV and HIV infection are substantially prevalent worldwide, as well as in Pakistan. The current study comprises of three components. In first part we performed an in silico search to identify natural compounds with inhibitory potential against HCV. In case of HCV, NS3 helicase is responsible for RNA unwinding which is required for efficient viral replication and translation. Using a cheminformatics approach, we searched the natural compounds databases to identify compounds sharing structural similarities with anti-helicase drug fluoroquinolones. We were able to shortlist 20 natural analogs out of 10399 compounds. Effectiveness of most of these shortlisted compounds has been previously reported in multiple disorders, diseases and infections. Molecular docking was performed to get a deeper understanding about interactions of both classes of compounds with NS3. We found significant correlation between interactions of both fluoroquinolones and their natural analogs with amino acids of NS3 helicase. The mean and individual binding affinities of most of the natural analogs, reflected by ACE based score, were found better than fluoroquinolones (mean -55 vs mean -88). Hence, we hypothesize natural analogs to be an effective helicase inhibitors and viable conjugant regimen against HCV in future. In the second part, we optimized a SYBR Green based Real-time PCR technique to quantify helicase activity in real time. High throughput screening of putative drugs is a cumbersome task because of hurdles in executing screening protocols. To test the helicase activity, numerous techniques are in place, each of which has its own limitations, such as involvement of radioactivity, expensive consumables, laborious procedure to set up experiment or instrumental limitations, making these techniques less convenient or inaccessible. We have exploited the capability of ABI thermal cycler 7300 to read fluorescence measures in real time. We used this feature to optimize the temporal time frame (30 minutes) for enzyme activity, and subsequently, plot kinetics of NS3 helicase in a single small reaction mixture.Additionally, using the same system, we were able to demonstrate the anti-helicase activity of ciprofloxacin and EDTA, to be in the range of 11-29%, suggesting that our technique can be efficiently use to test the activity of different inhibitors against enzymes serving as drug targets. Third component of our study deals with a combination of in silico and in vitro approaches to discover HIV entry inhibitors of natural origin. We hypothesized that compounds from natural origin or their derivatives would have better inhibitory potential, while retaining reduced toxicity than their synthetic precursors. HIV viral spike gp160 (gp120+gp41) is indispensible for viral entry into host cell. A synthetic compound DMJII-121 has earlier been reported by other groups to have binding affinity with viral gp120, thereby inhibiting viral entry by blocking viral entry cascades. To accomplish the third aim, we opted for similarity based virtual screening coupled with molecular docking. Using DMJ-II-121 as template, we searched multi-conformer libraries of compounds from 5 different natural compound databases. In the similarity search, we found altogether 4613 conformers having desirable similarity according to the given Tanimoto Combo score threshold. In molecular docking, we were able to shortlist 8 compounds, on the basis of effective drug-protein interaction score and reproducibility, for validation in wet lab experiments. The preliminary gp120 mediated cell-cell fusion assay allowed us to further short list 4 compounds, 1227, 1915, 2064, H-506, out of 8,for more precise viral entry assay. Among these 4 compounds, the most potent inhibition was demonstrated by compound H-506 relative to BMS806, a standard compound known to inhibit viral entry inside the cell.The effectiveness of compound H-506, however, needs to be tested in cell cytotoxicity assay to confirm that the inhibition exhibited by this compound is directed against the virus and not against the host cell. We also speculate that the modest activity exhibited by compounds H-506, 2064 and 516 in cell fusion/ viral entry assays can be improved by making analogs or derivatives of these compounds harboring changes in the structural scaffold.
پیوستہ رہ شجر سے امیدِ بہار رکھ نحمدہ ونصلی علی رسولہ الکریم امّا بعد فاعوذ بااللہ من الشیطن الرجیم بسم اللہ الرحمن الرحیم معزز اساتذہ کرام اور میرے ہم مکتب ساتھیو! آج مجھے جس موضوع پر اظہار خیال کرنا ہے وہ ہے:’’پیوستہ رہ شجر سے امید بہار رکھ‘‘ صدرِذی وقار! زندگی تو گزر ہی جاتی ہے، رات کی تاریکی ہو زندگی تب بھی گزر جاتی ہے، دن کی روشنی ہوزندگی پھر بھی گزر جاتی ہے، ریگستان میں تپتی ہوئی ریت ہوزندگی وہاں بھی گزر جاتی ہے، گلستان میں موسم بہار ہوزندگی وہاں بھی گزر جاتی ہے ،سورج کی تپش سر پر سوار ہوزندگی تب بھی گزر جاتی ہے۔ جناب ِصدر! زندگی کانٹوں پر بھی گزری جاتی ہے، زندگی پھولوں کی سیج پربھی گزر جاتی ہے۔ جنابِ صدر! اصل زندگی تو اس کی ہے جو معاشرہ سے وابستہ رہ کر گزارتا ہے، جو قوم سے محبت میں گزارتا ہے، جوملت سے ہم آہنگی میں گزارتا ہے، جو غرباء سے ہمدردی میں گزارتا ہے، جومحبت میں، موانست سے گزارتا ہے، جو کس مپرسی کی پشت پناہی میں گزارتا ہے۔ صد رِذی وقار! جوملت سے مربوط ہوتا ہے، جو اپنے قویٰ اس کے استحکام کے لیے بروئے کار لاتا ہے، جو اس کی ترقی کے لئے شب و روز وقف کر دیتا ہے، جس کی مساعی جمیلہ اپنی قوم کے لئے مختص ہوتی ہیں، جس کوملت سے انس کبھی مضمحل نہیں ہونے دیتا، جس کی تمام کدوکاوش اپنی قوم کے لیے ہوتی ہے۔یہی اصل میںر جل رشید ہے اور زندہ انسان ہے۔ محترم صدر! یہ وہی شخص ہوسکتا ہے جو درددل رکھتا ہو، جوقوم کے لئے مر مٹنے کو تیار ہو ، یہ جذ بہ وہی انسان پیش کرسکتا ہے جس کی نشست و برخاست ، جس کی گفت و شنید ،سب کی سب ملت کے...
Ijtiha'd is to make utmost endeavor in the light of the basic sources of Islam, the Qur'an and Sunnah to develop the most viable rulings on the new challenges of the time. Muslim scholars have always risen to new challenges. In the contemporary period many Muslim scholars attempted to resolve new problems keeping in view the very objectives of Islamic Law (mtufd al-shari’ah) , which is totally different from literal understanding and application of the rulings of the Qur'an and Sunnah. This article seeks to highlight the contribution of some Muslim scholars in the contemporary period to the application of matpsid al-shari'ah as a principle of ijtihud
Fifty nine tomato accessions were characterized for 13 quantitative and 23 qualitative attributes at Agricultural Research Institute, Mingora, Swat, during 2006 under lath-house conditions. Seven selected tomato accessions along with one commercial variety were crossed in half diallel fashion, during 2007 and evaluated for inheritance pattern of important traits during 2008. The germplasm exhibited a wide range for various parameters accompanied with substantial variation for number of NFPC, DFFR, FrW, FL and FW. Based on descriptive statistics, the germplasm was categorized into different groups. Significant correlations of both positive and negative nature were recorded among various attributes both for quantitative and qualitative traits. First four principal components with eigen values >1 contributed 70.0 and 65.3% of the variability for quantitative and qualitative traits, respectively. Quantitative traits viz. DF, DFFR, FrW, pH of juice, LL, LW, FL and FW contributed more positively towards PC1, while DF, PLH, ST, IL and LW contributed toward PC2. Qualitative traits viz. MFIFC, ECMF, MFIFCI and UFS contributed more positively with relatively greater magnitude of variance to PC1, while, FS, FF, and LP contributed towards PC2, ECMF, MFIFC, UFS, FF and SC contributed maximally to PC3, MFIFC, MFIFCI, UFS, SP, and LP contributed positively to PC4, respectively. Tomato accessions were grouped into two main groups comprising two and three clusters for quantitative traits, while, three main groups of five, two and seven sub clusters for qualitative traits, respectively, based on Ward’s method of Euclidean dissimilarity coefficient matrices. Results regarding inheritance of quantitative attributes indicated that parents P28, P30, P45 and P51 performed relatively better per se as well as in hybrid combinations for most of the traits. Hybrids P28×P51, P45×P51 were selected on the basis of early maturity and superiority of yield related fruit attributes. Maximum mid parent heterosis of 53.1 % was observed for NFPC, 20.0% for NFrPC, 32.7% for FL, 10.6% for FW, 48.7 % for FrW, 34.9% for YPP, 59.0% for VL, -53.8% for IL, -2.7% for DFFR, 73.3% for SG, -8.2% for pH of juice, 86.4% for TSS and 34.1% for RS, respectively. Estimates of variances due to GCA and SCA (Griffing’s approach) exhibited preponderance of non-additive gene action for all the traits except for yield plant-1and vine length. All the parents exhibited high GCA effects for multiple traits and hence could be utilized for the development of superior combinations in tomato hybridization programs. The cross combinations with high SCA common for different characters P5(45)×P6(51), P1(E-02)×P7(54) and P2(28)×P3(30)) could be used both for hybrid as well as pure line breeding. Estimates of genetic parameters (Hayman’s approach) revealed preponderance of non-additive gene action for all traits except YPP and DFFR. Unequal positive and negative allelic frequencies among the parents were found for YPP, NFPC, FL, FrW, VL and IL. Directional positive allelic dominance was observed for NFPC, FrW and IL, negative directional dominance was recorded for YPP, NFrPC, DFFR and PLH, while bidirectional dominance of genes was evinced by FL, FW, SG, pH of juice, TSS and RS, respectively. Prevalence of recessive over dominant genes was obvious for YPP, NFrPC, DFFR and PLH, while for all other traits, dominant and recessive genes were exhibiting equal proportion in the parents. Symmetrical gene distribution with positive and negative effects was recorded for NFrPC, DFFR, PLH, SG, TSS and RS, respectively. Heritability estimates in broad sense were high for all traits, whereas, heritability in narrow sense was high for YPP, DFFR and PLH. The graphic analysis revealed over-dominance for all traits except YPP and DFFR, suggesting ineffectiveness of selection in early segregating generations for traits improvement, while the two traits with partial dominance could provide the basis for effective selection in early segregating generations for the improvement of these parameters.