Muhammad Irfan

University of Sargodha | UOS · Department of Biotechnology

Tannase (Tannin acyl hydrolase) is an intracellular/extracellular enzyme produced by microorganisms. Tannase has high market demand due to its important role in different industries. The optimization of different parameters for each microorganism is necessary for obtaining maximum tannase yield. The aim of present study was to optimize the medium c...

In the present work, a complete study of the production of xylanase by solid-state fermentation (SSF) on a residue mixture by the fungus Aspergillus oryzae ATCC 10124 was conducted, examining the optimization of enzyme production, its physicochemical characterization and saccharification. For optimization of enzyme production, two statistical desig...

Plastic, polypropylene, is the main cause of soil, water, and air pollution as it is non-degradable. Polyhydroxybutyrate, (PHB), serves as an alternative to polypropylene as it has the same physical and chemical properties but is biodegradable. The main hindrance in the production of PHB is the cost of substrate used for biosynthesis. Hence, the cu...

The objective of the present study was to get better production of FPase from Bacillus aerius (MG597041) by optimizing different process parameters under submerged fermentation through the statistical approach. Optimization of physical factors of culturing medium by one factor at a time (OFAT) revealed optimum incubation time of 24 h, inoculum size...

Alfalfa is a forage grass with excellent grass quality and high protein content. It is one of the most important feeds in the world.However, according to the conventional alfalfa planting method,long-term excessive application of chemical fertilizer will seriously affect soil fertility, enzyme activity and Alfalfa protein content. Biofertilizer can...

In the last decade, different multivariate statistical techniques have been applied to assist enzymatic production by microorganisms through solid state fermentation (SSF). The optimization of fermentative parameters such as temperature, time, pH, unit, aeration, spore concentration, and microbial strain significantly interfere in the process of en...

The objective of this work was to investigate the effect of the addition of a nanocellulose gel from cocoa bean husk (NAC) on nanocellulose gels of Eucalyptus sp. and Pinus sp. The nanogels were obtained by mechanical defibrillation and the films by casting with different concentrations of NAC (0%, 20% and 35%). These were evaluated for morphology,...

Extensive targeted metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses were used to determine the types of flavonoids present in the fruit of two varieties of Actinidia arguta Sieb. Zucc. cultivated in Northern China. Fractionation and preparative liquid chromatography were used to isolate and purify the potentially biologically active flavonoids chrysin (flav...

Cancer incidences are growing rapidly and causing millions of deaths globally.

The present study was based on the production of bioethanol from alkali-pretreated seed pods of Bombax ceiba. Pretreatment is necessary to properly utilize seed pods for bioethanol production via fermentation. This process assures the accessibility of cellulase to the cellulose found in seedpods by removing lignin. Untreated, KOH-pretreated, and KO...

Introduction: Tannase (tannin acyl hydrolase EC3.1.1.20) is an industrially important enzyme with extensive applications. The current study aimed to optimize the tannase production employing corn leaves as substrate and characterize tannase activity. Materials and Methods: Tannase producing bacterial strains were isolated from Catla catla fish gut....

Centipeda minima (C. minima), is a medicinally important herb commonly called “Sneeze Weed” and widely distributed in humid areas. In China, Malaysia, and Nepal, it is used in folk medicines for the treatment of rhinitis, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and respiratory disorders, it also exhibits antibacterial, antioxidant and antiprotozoal activity. Rec...

Vanillin is the secondary metabolite in vanilla plants that acts as an aroma and flavoring agent. Natural vanillin, extracted from cured beans of vanilla, contributes only 0.2% to industrial demand. The remaining part is fulfilled by vanillin produced through chemical synthesis and microbial fermentation. The main substrate for vanillin biosynthesi...

Vanillin is a secondary metabolite of plants and the major organoleptic aroma component of natural vanilla. Nowadays, the chemical synthesis method used for vanillin production has been rejected by the United States and European legislation, while plant-derived vanillin is expensive. The current study demonstrates vanillin production via solid-stat...

Cancer incidences are growing rapidly and causing millions of deaths globally. Cancer treatment is one of the most exigent challenges. Drug resistance is a natural phenomenon and is considered as one of the major obstacles in successful treatment of cancer by chemotherapy. Combination therapy by amalgamation of various anticancer drugs has suggeste...

Authors' Contribution FD performed the experiments. HAS and MK worked on arranging, interpreting and organizing the data. MI helped in statistical analysis. JIQ supervised and facilitated the whole project. Chitinase is most promising natural enzyme present in all life forms. It has various environmental, food, medical industrial and biotechnologic...

The objective of the present study was to get better production of FPase from Bacillus aerius (MG597041) by optimizing different process parameters under submerged fermentation through the statistical approach. Optimization of physical factors of culturing medium by one factor at a time (OFAT) revealed optimum incubation time of 24 h, inoculum size...

Cancer is a major health problem and second foremost cause of death globally. Chemotherapy either targeted or non-targeted is pervasive in the treatment of cancer but due to continuous and repeated doses, cancer cells develop resistance against these chemotherapeutic drugs through multiple mechanisms including MDR1 gene expression. EGCG (Epigalloca...

Dehydrins (DHNs) play crucial roles in a broad spectrum of abiotic stresses in model plants. However, the evolutionary role of DHNs has not been explored, and the function of DHN proteins is largely unknown in Ammopiptanthus nanus ( A. nanus ), an ancient and endangered legume species from the deserts of northwestern China. In this study, we isolat...

Flower color is the decisive factor that affects the commercial value of ornamental flowers. Therefore, it is important to study the regulation of flower color formation in lily to discover the positive and negative factors that regulate this important trait. In this study, MYB transcription factors (TFs) were characterized to understand the regula...

The present research work was conducted to improve the phytase production by genetic alteration of Aspergillus niger with induced mutagenesis using solid state fermentation. Strain improvement was carried out in the presence of ultra violet (UV) irradiation and ethylmethane sulphonate (EMS) [0.5% v/v] treatments for various time intervals. We repor...

Background: Thalassemia is an inherited hematological disorder categorized by a decrease or absence of one or more of the globin chains synthesis. Beta-thalassemia is caused by one or more mutations in the beta-globin gene. The absence or reduced amount of beta-globin chains causes ineffective erythropoiesis which leads to anemia. Methods: Beta-...

Cellulases are known to convert cellulose into monomeric or dimeric structures, hence playing an important role in bioethanol production, along with their applications in textile and paper industries. This study was directed towards the isolation and screening of cellulase producing bacteria from different soil samples on CMC (carboxymethyl cellulo...

The increased demand for cheese and the limited availability of calf rennet justifies to the search for milk-clotting enzymes from alternative sources. Trypsin-like protease by Penicillium roqueforti was produced by solid-state fermentation using cocoa shell waste as substrate. The production of a crude enzymatic extract that is rich in this enzyme...

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play vital roles in the growth and development of plants, ecosystem sustainability, and stability in agroecosystem, such as transporting nutrients to host plants, improving soil physical structure, and enhancing the stress resistance of host plants. However, the effects of fertilization on AMF diversity and commun...

Cellulases are known to convert cellulose into monomeric or dimeric structures, hence playing an important role in bioethanol production, along with their applications in textile and paper industries. This study was directed towards the isolation and screening of cellulase producing bacteria from different soil samples on CMC (carboxymethyl cellulo...

Fruits of Actinidia arguta (Sieb. et Zucc.) Planch. ex Miq. are important source of bioactive substances including flavonoids. However, there were few reports on the phytochemical aspects of Actinidia arguta in different tissues. Here, we investigated the flavonoid content in different tissues of A. arguta by LC–MS/MS technology. In our study, ten...

Cadmium is a heavy metal and a non-biodegradable environmental contaminant, and its omnipresence ensures its recurrent exposure to humans and animals. Its intake by chicks leads to fatal implications. Cadmium chloride (CdCl2) because of its bio-accumulative nature is an emerging threat to the poultry industry as well as to the humans which consumes...

Vanillin is used as an aroma and flavoring agent in the food, beverage, and cosmetic industries. Vanilla planifolia is the major source of natural vanillin with a market price of 1,200-4,000$ per kg. To fulfill the market demand, low price vanillin is synthesized chemically i.e., 15 $/kg but European and US legislation considers it unnatural and re...

Actinidia arguta (Sieb. et Zucc.) Planch ex Miq. is fruit plant with high added value, rich in bioactive compounds relevant for human health, like flavonoids and vitamin C, and has high antioxidant activity. These flavonoids also play important roles in plant immune responses and have strong medicinal implications. Moreover, it is very widely distr...

The immense demand and price for different oils is a problem for human life. As the problem of environmental sustainability is more sensitive, it is time to look at alternative sources of energy. Fuel consumption and demand increases day by day that also leads to environmental and health problems. Biofuel is promising alternative, non-toxic, biodeg...

Green synthesis is gaining huge significance because of its environmentally harmonious nature and low cost. This is an important technique to synthesize metal oxide nanoparticles. In the current study, iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe 2 O 3-NPs) were formulated by using Populus ciliata leaf extract and ferrous sulphate (FeSO 4 .7H 2 O). These NPs were...

Celiac disease is a chronic enteropathy and immune-mediated of the small intestine that affects about 1.1% to 1.7% of the world population. Presently the effective medical treatment is the restriction of gluten-containing foods. However, economic cost and nutritional quality have negatively influenced the maintenance of a gluten-free diet in severa...

Due to environmental effects, health concerns, and global warming, utilization of fossil fuels has become unsustainable day by day. Biofuels are promising alternatives to fossil fuels to attain sustainable energy and to resolve the problems caused by fossil fuels. Certain advances are needed for significant production of biofuel to meet its future...

Cellulosic nanofibrils from cocoa shells were used in this study to produce biodegradable films from a residue naturally rich in bioactive compounds, while reserving these compounds. The nanofibrils were obtained by mechanical defibrillation without chemical or enzymatic pre-treatment. The nanofibril gel was evaluated in biodegradable films, for th...

Actinidia arguta (Sieb. et Zucc.) is abundant of vitamin C and bioactive compounds with high antioxidant activities. In this study, eight wild A. arguta accessions from different areas in Northeast China were collected. Some bioactive compounds were extracted from leaves, petioles and fruits of different germplasms for constituent analysis and non-...

Cancer is counted as a second leading cause of death among non‐transmissible diseases. Identification of novel anticancer drugs is therefore necessary for the effective treatment of cancer. Conventional drug discovery is time consuming and expensive process. Unlike conventional drug discovery, drug repositioning offers a novel strategy for urgent d...

Amylase production by Bacillus licheniformis isolated from fish gut was statistically optimized using grape fruit peels in submerged fermentation. Nutritional parameters were optimized through one factor at a time approach. The selected parameters were grape fruit peels as carbon source, ammonium nitrate as nitrogen source, magnesium sulphate as mi...

In today’s world, the need for sustainable fuel production is increased. For the production of cost-effective fuels for many purposes, the concern has shifted toward the use of biomass, including plants. The use of biomass for bioethanol production has proved beneficial in terms of cost, of production, but the main challenges encountered are of the...

Zymomonas mobilis strains are examined as the model organism in the industries because of having many potential advantages. Different research showed that different strains of Z. mobilis produced high amount of ethanol and the sugar because it can easily utilize xylose and arabinose in addition to glucose. We can improve the strains of Z. mobilis s...

Alginic acid, the heteropolysaccharide, obtained from farmed brown seaweeds is an industrially important biopolymer. As Pakistan lacks the required sea weeds, so meets the demand by importing it from technically advanced countries. The recent study was intended to evaluate the capacity of potato peels (Solanum tuberosum) for alginate biosynthesis b...

The objective of this study was to find out changes in ammonia oxidation microorganisms with respect to fertilizer as investigated by real-time polymerase chain reaction and high-throughput sequencing. The treatments included control (CK); chemical fertilizer nitrogen low (N) and high (N 2 ); nitrogen and phosphorus (NP); nitrogen phosphorus and po...

The current study reports the utilization of agricultural residues of corn ( Zea mays ) as lower-cost substrate for the production of tannase under solid state fermentation (SSF). Tannase producing bacterial strains were isolated from gut content of freshwater fish, Ctenopharyngodon idella , and highest tannase producer was identified as Bacillus c...

The interactions of two crucial proteins of COVID-19 have been investigated with potential antiviral compounds from Moringa oliefera using quantum chemical, molecular docking and dynamic methods. The results of the present investigation show that ellagic acid and apigenin possess the highest binding affinities of -7.1 and -6.5 Kcal.mol-1against nsp...

Flower color is one of the most important qualitative characteristics of ornamental horticultural plants, which mainly depends on anthocyanins and carotenoids. Modification of flower color in ornamental plants involves many aspects, including complicated structural gens, transcription factors and metabolic pathways. Anthocyanins are important secon...

Actinidia arguta (Sieb. et Zucc.) Planch. ex Miq. is abundant of vitamin C and bioactive compounds with high antioxidant activities. In this study, eight wild A. arguta accessions from different areas in Northeast China were collected. Some bioactive compounds were examined on the different tissues of different germplasms including four kinds of le...

The industrially significant biopolymer, alginic acid, is mainly obtained from farmed brown seaweeds. Owing to differences in structural composition of alginate isolated from various species, the bacterial alginate has gained significant importance. Pakistan meets the industrial demand of alginate by importing it from developed countries. The curre...

The requirement and demand of incessant supply of energy is inexorable and it is increasing globally every day. Traditional organic energy reservoirs, fossil fuels, are depleting while increasing environmental pollution. Considering the substantial necessity and risks, scientists are probing for substitute of renewable energy resources with lower e...

Fossil fuel is demanding but there are several concerns with its utilization. Besides its restricted availability it is also the reason for global warming and emission of greenhouse gases. Among most of the developed countries, the government is trying to encourage renewable energy resources in order to control CO2 emission and to secure domestic r...

Background: Petals are the colorful region of many ornamental plants. Quality traits of petal color directly affect the value of ornamental plants. Although the regulatory mechanism of flower color has been widely studied in many plants, that of lily flower color is still worth further exploration. Results: In this study, the pigmentation regula...

Cancer is one of the most devastating disease and leading cause of death worldwide. The conventional anticancer drugs are monotarget, toxic, expensive and suffer from drug resistance. Development of multi-targeted drugs from natural products has emerged as a new paradigm to overcome aforementioned conventionally encountered obstacles. Hispidulin (H...

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Despite improvement in existing treatment modalities and addition of new anticancer drugs in the cancer clinic, cancer associated mortalities are continuously increasing. It is therefore, necessary to explore alternative treatment options to reduce the burden of cancer. In recent years, there...

Mercury and cadmium are highly dangerous metals that can lead to disastrous effects in animals and humans. The aim of the current research was to elucidate the poisonous effects of mercuric chloride and cadmium chloride individually and in combination on biochemical profiles of plasma and their accumulation in heart. The therapeutic effect of vitam...

Five previously isolated bacterial strains were cultured on xylan agar medium (XAM) to screen their xylanase production potential. Two best strains were obtained on the basis of clear zones on XAM. The strain, Bacillus licheniformis, produced higher xylanase (3.24 U/ml) was selected for further studies based on quantitative xylanase assay. Both cul...