Diabetes mellitus remains a global public health problem associated with many complications. Acacia nilotica has been used in local management of diabetes and demonstrated anti-diabetic activities in animal model. Drosophila melanogaster (fruit-fly) has been used as a model for investigating pharmacological activities of natural products because of its genetic resemblance to human genes. This study aims at evaluating the anti-diabetic activities of aqueous leaves extract of Acacia nilotica in HSD-induced diabetic Drosophila melanogaster model. The results showed that flies treated with 0.250 g/mL and 0.500 g/mL of the extract demostrated significant (p < 0.05) increase in locomotor performance compared with diabetic control. The aqueous leaves extract of Acacia nilotica demonstrated significant (p < 0.05) decrease in glucose, glycogen, trehalose and triglycerides levels in the treated flies compared with diabetic control. In comparison with diabetic control, the extract exhibited significant (p < 0.05) decrease in MDA level and increase in SOD, CAT and GSH levels in treated flies. The aqueous leaves extract of Acacia nilotica demonstrates significant anti-diabetic activity in Drosophila melanogaster model validating its anti-diabetic effect in animal model and its use in the local management of diabetes.

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a major global health concern causing multi-organ complications, with postmenopausal women being particularly vulnerable due to hormonal and metabolic changes. This study aimed to evaluate the association between microalbuminuria and renal function markers in postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Aim of the study: The aim of the study was to evaluate the association between microalbuminuria and renal function markers in postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods: This cross-sectional study at the Department of Biochemistry, Dhaka Medical College, Dhaka, Bangladesh (July 2014–June 2015) included 100 postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes to assess the association of microalbuminuria with renal function markers. After ethical approval and consent, fasting blood and morning urine samples were collected to measure glucose, HbA1c, serum albumin, serum creatinine, urinary creatinine, microalbuminuria, and ACR. Data were analyzed using SPSS 21 with t-tests and Pearson’s correlation; p < 0.05 was significant. Results: In 100 postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes, 78% were microalbuminuria positive. Prevalence was 94.4% with abnormal serum albumin, 100% with raised ACR, and 91.7% with raised serum creatinine. Microalbuminuria correlated strongly with serum albumin (r = –0.750), urinary creatinine (r = –0.762), ACR (r = +0.997), and serum creatinine (r = +0.694), all p = 0.001. Conclusion: Microalbuminuria is strongly associated with renal function markers, highlighting the need for early detection of kidney dysfunction in postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes in Bangladesh.

Background: The rising global prevalence of both metabolic syndrome (MetS) and thyroid nodules (TN) suggests a potential pathophysiological link. This study aimed to investigate the association between MetS and its individual components with the presence of thyroid nodules. Methods: A cross-sectional analytical pilot study was conducted over six months. A total of 70 participants (35 with benign TN and 35 without benign TN), aged 18-75 years, were enrolled via purposive sampling. MetS was diagnosed according to standard criteria requiring ≥3 of the following: elevated waist circumference, high blood pressure, impaired fasting glucose (IFG), high triglycerides, or low HDL-cholesterol. Anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, thyroid ultrasonography, and fasting blood samples for glucose, lipids, and thyroid function tests (TSH, FT3, FT4) were obtained. According to the exclusion criteria, cases with malignant thyroid nodules were resected. In this study, as thyroid nodules, only benign thyroid nodules were considered. Data were analyzed using unpaired t-tests, chi-square tests, and multiple logistic regression. Results: The prevalence of MetS was significantly higher in the nodule group compared to the control group (68.57% vs. 40.00%, p=0.001). Participants with nodules had significantly higher mean values for waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and fasting plasma glucose (all p<0.05). Low HDL-cholesterol (82.9% vs. 37.1%, p=0.046), high blood pressure (51.4% vs. 17.1%, p=0.005), and IFG (48.6% vs. 25.7%, p=0.004) were significantly more prevalent in the nodule group. Multiple logistic regression confirmed MetS (OR=5.00, 95% CI: 2.48-8.60, p=0.001), along with age, SBP, FT3, and FT4, as independent risk factors for TN. Conclusion: Metabolic syndrome and several of its components are significantly associated with an increased risk of thyroid nodules, suggesting that metabolic health may play a crucial role in thyroid nodule pathogenesis. The sample size was very small due to the COVID-19 situation.

The phytochemicals, minerals and vitamins compositions of Baphia nitida leaves were determined using standard methods of chemical analysis. The results of the determination revealed that B. nitida leaves contain high amount of phytochemicals which suggest that the plant leaves can be explored in drug discoveries and treatment of diseases in pharmaceutical industries. The results of the mineral compositions of the plant part showed that the plant is rich in minerals which helps in cellular metabolism. On the other hand, the plant part was found to contain high amount of Ascorbic acid and β-Carotene which as antioxidants, can help in the balancing of oxidative stress in the body.