Hamdard Medicus

Recent trends in process capability in the pharmaceutical industry

2026-10-01T12:37:42+05:00

Pharmaceutical industries are among of the largest companies. The aim of manufacturers is to produce free of defects products and make them available for consumers. A number of process monitoring and control strategies have been developed to produce quality products. Process capability indices have increased in use and variety. It is a statistical approach to inherent process variability. For this purpose, a systematic review was performed and findings were summarized. Studies have demonstrated that process capability study has improved the manufacturing process in the pharmaceutical industry. Various methods such as computing Cp and Cpk values, and applying DMAIC approach are being widely used by manufacturers to produce quality products. Process capability as a tool has been powerful enough to affirm the quality of the produced dosage form. Findings revealed that by minimizing variations, manufacturers can make processes fit for the industry and produce quality products. Literature has suggestes that the industry should conduct capability studies prior to commercializing the manufactured batch.

Nutritional Status and Dietary Patterns of School-Aged Children and Adolescents in Urban Pakistan: Addressing Overweight, Obesity and Micronutrient Deficiencies — A Narrative Review

2026-10-01T10:58:56+05:00

Pakistan is facing a double burden of mal
nutrition, the coexistence of undernutrition, micro
nutrient deficiencies, overweight and obesity in
children and adolescents.The nutritional status
of school-aged children in urban areas has been
greatly affected by rapid urbanization, altering
dietary patterns, food insecurity, socioeconomic
disparities, and the shift to a sedentary lifestyle.
This is a narrative review to assess the nutrition
al status, dietary pattern, prevalence of over
weight and obesity, and micronutrient deficiency
in school-aged children and adolescents of urban
Pakistan.PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus,
EMBASE, the Cochrane Library and national
nutrition reports were used to search the
literature from 2016 to 2026.All national surveys,
cross sectional studies, systematic reviews and
meta-analyses relating to nutritional status,
dietary patterns, obesity, anemia and micro
nutrient deficiencies were included.The evidence
reviewed indicated that Pakistani children are
significantly affected by stunting, wasting, under
weight status, iron deficiency anemia, vitamin
D deficiency, as well as other micronutrient
deficiencies.At the same time, there was a rise
in overweight and obesity, especially in urban
areas.High intakes of processed foods and
sugar-sweetened beverages, and low intakes of
fruits and vegetables and nutrient-rich foods
were significant drivers of nutritional imbalance.
The results reveal that the problem of mal
nutrition is an important public health issue in
school-going children and adolescents in
Pakistan.Interventions that address nutrition
more comprehensively, such as school-based
nutrition programs, food fortification, nutrition
education, routine nutrition screening, and
promotion of healthy dietary behaviors and
physical activity are critical to improving nutrition
outcomes and reducing the long-term health
burden of malnutrition.

Utilization of a Bioinformatics approach in the classification of transcription-associated protein repertoires showcasing genome-wide transcriptional & functional diversity in three economically important oil crops (sesame, sunflower & olive)

2026-10-01T09:56:25+05:00

The systematic identification and classification of complete sets of transcription-associated proteins (TAPs), which include transcription factors (TFs) and transcription regulators (TRs) have immense significance in plants. TAPs are valuable biomolecules for carrying out interesting comparative studies based on evolution and functional analysis in plants. A Multitude of TFs and TRs are known to play key roles in various environmental stress responses and oil biosynthesis. It is essential to identify and classify TAPs found in economically important oil-crops. In this study, putatively complete sets of TFs and TRs in three economically important oil crops i.e., sesame, sunflower and olive were identified and classified based on homology searching and domain architecture prediction. TF/TR repertoires comprising 1,586 TFs (39 TF families), 117 TRs (8 TR families) in sesame, 1,479 TFs (38 TF families), 83 TRs (8 TR families) in sunflower and 2,830 TFs (38 TF families), 133 TRs (8 TR families) in olive were identified. The results of this study demonstrate that olive is more transcriptionally diverse in terms of numbers and types of TF/TR families than sesame and sunflower, suggesting more evolutionary, transcriptional and functional diversity in olive. Thus, this study provides useful information to the research community to decipher evolution, function, phylogenetic comparison studies and complex regulator networks involving growth, development or stress responses in plants, particularly oil-crops.

Assessment of Helicobacter pylori Serology in Relation to Hepatitis C Virus Infection

2026-10-01T12:18:05+05:00

Helicobacter pylori infection is highly prevalent worldwide and has been implicated in extragastric manifestations, including chronic liver disease. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) remains a major cause of chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Emerging evidence suggests a potential association between H. pylori infection and the progression of HCV-related liver pathology. This study aimed to assess the seroprevalence of H. pylori in patients infected with HCV compared to non-HCV controls in selected tertiary care hospitals of the capital territories of Pakistan. A total of 80 serum samples were collected, comprising 40 HCV-positive and 40 HCV-negative individuals, from four major hospitals in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Serological analysis was performed to detect H. pylori infection. Genderbased distribution and prevalence rates were calculated and compared between groups. Among HCV-positive individuals, 50% (20/ 40) were seropositive for H. pylori. Of these, 43.33% (13/30) were males and 70% (7/10) were females. In contrast, among HCV-negative individuals, 25% (10/40) were positive for H. pylori, with a prevalence of 15% (3/20) in males and 35% (7/20) in females. The overall prevalence of H. pylori infection was significantly higher in HCV-infected patients compared to controls. The findings also suggest gender-related differences in coinfection patterns. The increased prevalence of H. pylori among HCV-infected patients supports previous reports indicating a possible role of Helicobacter species in hepatic inflammation and disease progression. Chronic HCV infection is characterized by persistent inflammatory responses mediated by cytokines such as IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-alpha, while H. pylori is a potent inducer of inflammatory cascades and may exacerbate hepatic injury. Socioeconomic and environmental factors, including overcrowding and poor sanitation, may contribute to higher coinfection rates in the studied population. The study demonstrates a higher seropreprevalence of H. pylori infection among HCVpositive individuals compared to non-infected controls, suggesting a potential association between H. pylori and progression of HCVrelated liver disease. These findings highlight the need for further prospective studies to evaluate the impact of H. pylori eradication on clinical outcomes in patients with chronic HCV infection.

AI-Driven Material Optimization for Sustainable and Smart Food Packaging: A Review of Quality Preservation, Safety, and Shelf-Life Enhancement

2026-10-01T10:29:50+05:00

AI’s fast development is dramatically changing the field of food packaging since it offers innovative methods for developing high-quality packaging products that can be considered environmentally friendly and sustainable at the same time. Alternative protein products made of yeast require efficient and reliable food packaging solutions since the mentioned type of proteins is quite unstable when it comes to interaction with oxygen, water vapor, temperature, and sunlight. Material optimization in the case of alternative protein products is critically important for ensuring their nutritional and sensory stability, and this paper discusses how AI can contribute to this process. To start with, the application of advanced predictive algorithms and modeling techniques allows for evaluating the effects of different environmental factors on the packaging material and its ability to interact with the food matrix. Predictive analysis of the permeability of various packaging materials, their interaction with external factors, and degradation processes can help to select the most appropriate and efficient types of materials, that can minimize environmental impact while providing optimal protection for the product. This strategy ultimately sees AI as a game-changing tool for the next generation of food packaging, pushing innovation toward protein-based foods that are safer, smarter, and more environmentally friendly.

Impact of Drug-Resistant Foodborne Bacteria on Nutrition and Gut Immunity: Immune Evasion Mechanisms and Bacteriophage-Based Strategies

2026-10-01T09:09:53+05:00

The emergence of antibiotic-resistant food-borne bacteria is a pressing global health concern, which has a significant impact on human nutrition, gut barrier and immune function. Multidrugresistant bacteria, including Salmonella enterica, Campylobacter jejuni, pathogenic Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus, are increasingly found in the food chain, including in ready-to-eat foods and at the point of sale, enabling exposure to humans. These bacteria have sophisticated mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance that are often co-expressed with virulence factors, facilitating evasion of immune clearance, intracellular survival, biofilm formation and chronic infection. Resistant foodborne pathogens cause gut epithelial cell dysfunction, macronutrient malabsorption, micronutrient dyshomeostasis, and short-chain fatty acid-mediated microbiota suppression, ultimately leading to malnutrition and immune suppression. The Recent research underscores the potential of bacteriophage therapy as an alternative to antibiotics, with targeted killing, biofilm disruption and microbiota preservation. Similarly, nutritional strategies such as fermentable fibres, polyphenols, probiotics and specific nutrients play a role in repairing intestinal barrier integrity and boosting immunity. This review consolidates recent epidemioogical, resistance, immune evasion and bacteriophage therapies, and highlights the importance of nutritional regulation in contributing to the health challenges of drug-resistant food-borne pathogens. The integration of antimicrobial stewardship, targeted phage therapy and nutrition-based strategies offers a viable pathway to overcoming antimicrobial resistance in the post-antibiotic world.