Ocular drug delivery is a significant challenge due to the intricate anatomy of the eye and the various physiological barriers. Conventional therapeutic ap

Xylocarpus mekongensis commonly known as Poshur, is an evergreen mangrove plant originating from Asia, Indonesia, the Southwestern Pacific Islands, and northern Australia. This study was aimed at compiling information on the comparative pharmacological properties of the methanolic bark extract of X. mekongensis and the fungal endophyte based on their antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic activity. The plant extract showed more phenolic (277 mg GAE/g) and flavonoid (140 mg QE/g) content than the fungal extract (45 mg GAE/g and 76 mg QE/g, respectively). The bark extract exhibited better DPPH scavenging capacity (IC50 = 28.27 µg/ml) than endophyte XMSF-I (IC50 = 143.46 µg/ml) extract. Furthermore, we observed that the endophytes associated with this plant showed more significant antimicrobial activity against E. coli, S. aureus, B. subtilis, and A. brasiliensis than its bark extract. In the brine shrimp lethality bioassay, the bark extract and endophyte revealed diminutive lethality (214 and 286 µg/ml, respectively) in comparison with standard vincristine sulfate (0.44 µg/ml). Hence, methanolic bark extract showed more positive reviews than associated fungi.

Endophytic fungi have emerged as promising reservoirs of pharmacologically potent metabolites, garnering increasing scientific interest over the past three decades. Their ability to enhance host resilience against diverse biotic and abiotic stresses further underscores their biotechnological value. This study explores the hypothesis that endophytes from mangrove ecosystems, specifically the bark of Xylocarpus mekongensis , thrive under extreme conditions such as high salinity, humidity, temperature, and variable soil composition and may therefore produce unique bioactive compounds. The endophytic fungi were initially cultured in potato dextrose broth (PDB). The crude fungal extract was then obtained by solvent extraction, where the broth was first extracted with n‐hexane to remove nonpolar compounds, followed by extraction with ethyl acetate, which yielded the crude extract containing secondary metabolites. This procedure led to the successful isolation of three distinct culturable fungal endophytes, designated as X2, X4, and X7, and assessed for antimicrobial, antioxidant, and α ‐glucosidase inhibitory properties through solvent fractionation. Among the isolates, X4 exhibited the most compelling pharmacological profile. Crude extracts of X4 demonstrated notable antioxidant activity in DPPH free radical scavenging activity (IC ₅₀ : 94.179 μ g/mL), supported by high total phenolic content (TPC: 66.542 mg GAE/g), total flavonoid content (TFC: 173.770 mg QE/g), and total tannin content (TTC: 42.717 mg GAE/g), although still less potent than standard ascorbic acid (IC ₅₀ : 15.987 μ g/mL). All crude and fractionated extracts exhibited measurable antibacterial activity, with X4 crude extract showing the strongest inhibition zones against Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis (21 mm). No antifungal effects were observed. Minimum inhibitory concentrations ranged from 31.5 to 250 μ g/mL. Additionally, the X4 isolate and its fractions displayed significant α ‐glucosidase inhibition, with the crude extract showing the lowest IC ₅₀ (0.416 mg/mL), outperforming its ethyl acetate (0.824 mg/mL) and dichloromethane (1.032 mg/mL) fractions. These findings affirm that X. mekongensis bark harbors potent endophytic fungi capable of producing bioactive metabolites with strong therapeutic potential.

The Covishield was the first vaccine introduced in Bangladesh to combat the global COVID-19 pandemic. Gradually, Bangladesh introduced Moderna, Sinopharm, and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines to combat COVID-19. The goal of this study was to assess the short- and long-term adverse effects of these vaccinations on the Bangladeshi people. A cross-sectional study was undertaken on social media and in face-to-face interviews with vaccinees. The collected data were then analyzed to assess the effectiveness and adverse effects of the vaccine after administration. This study garnered a total of 502 responses; the majority of respondents were between 18 and 40 years old, and 74.7% were male. Before vaccination, 13.94% of respondents were infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. From the populations under survey, 210 (after the 1st dose) and 222 (after the 2nd dose) reported various side effects after taking the COVID-19 vaccine. Oxford-AstraZeneca, Sinopharm, and Pfizer-BioNTech showed relatively fewer post-vaccination complications. A total of 34.06% of those who received the COVID-19 vaccine reported experiencing localized symptoms, the most prevalent of which were swelling and pain at the injection site following immunization. To assess the effectiveness of these vaccines, 47 participants were infected with COVID-19 after vaccination, but only four were hospitalized. Within 7 days of treatment, 61.7% of infected patients were recovered. However, to assess the long-term effects of post-vaccination, data on 273 individuals was collected separately after one year following the initial vaccination, and most of the respondent's results were similar to the initial study. Faridpur Med. Coll. J. 2025;20(1): 29-35

Anemia remains one of the most widespread nutritional disorders globally and poses a substantial public health challenge, particularly among pregnant women in low- and middle-income countries. During pregnancy, the body’s demand for iron increases to support fetal growth and maternal blood volume expansion; failure to meet this demand often results in maternal anemia, adversely affecting both maternal and neonatal outcomes. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of anemia among illiterate pregnant women in Bangladesh and examine its association with educational, socioeconomic, and dietary factors. A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Maternal and Child Health Training Institute (MCHTI), where 100 randomly selected pregnant women receiving antenatal care (ANC) participated. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and chi-square tests were applied to identify associations between anemia and socioeconomic variables. The overall prevalence of anemia was 71%, with significantly higher rates among illiterate women (95.84%) compared to literate women (48.1%). Among illiterate pregnant women, mild anemia was found in 60.4%, moderate anemia in 27.1%, and severe anemia in 8.3% of cases. Anemia was more prevalent (65.22%) during the second trimester, and 89.58% of illiterate women came from low-income families. The findings suggest that insufficient education, limited dietary diversity, inadequate medical examinations, and insufficient iron supplementation contribute to the elevated prevalence of anemia. The study concludes that anemia remains a serious public health issue among pregnant women in Bangladesh. The findings imply that improving educational attainment, promoting nutrition awareness, and providing socioeconomic and antenatal support are essential to reducing anemia and improving maternal and fetal health outcomes. Asian J. Med. Biol. Res. 2025, 11(4), 125-134