• Showkat Ahmad Ganie
  • Assistant Professor
  • Clinical Biochemistry
  • School of Biological Science,
  • University of Kashmir
  • Email: showkatganie@kashmiruniversity.ac.in Cell: +91-9419972678
  • PhD and M.phil: Department of Biochemistry, Kashmir University

               

         

       

       

      

Research Interest

Medicinal herbs serve as crucial source of therapeutic agents since ancient times and they act as a treasure house of medicinally important molecules/drugs with potential to cure diseases ranging from communicable to non-communicable diseases. My area of research is focused on various horizons of plant biochemistry and its application in human health. I have a keen interest in free radical biology, oxidative stress, inflammation, diabetes, cancer biology, therapeutic targets, and medicinal plant based research. My research team work hard for elucidating/verifying various pharmacological properties of traditionally claimed medicinal herbs notably their antioxidant, antiinflammatory, antidiabetic, anti-hyperlipdemic, anti-microbial and anti-cancer potential under well designed experimental set-ups. We employ various in-vitro experiments, in-vivo/animal models and cell lines. Current research highlights the role of enzyme like protein kinases in regulating hyperlipidemia. We try to explore plant compounds that could modulate such kinases and ameliorate diseases associated with hyperlipidemia. We also evaluate the role of various inflammatory markers in the pathology of inflammation and related disorders. My research group also explores various epigenetic mechanisms involved in chromatin dynamics and remodeling, implicated in various human pathologies. In near future our focus will be to validate the effect of various medicinally active herbal compounds on diseased animal models of diabetes, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, atherosclerosis, inflammation, cancer and various other human ailments so as to find novel therapeutics against them.

 

Publications

  1. Ahmed I, Roy BC, Subramaniam D, Ganie SA, Kwatra D, Dixon D, Anant S, Zargar MA, Umar S. An ornamental plant targets epigenetic signaling to block cancer stem cell-driven colon carcinogenesis. Carcinogenesis.  2016 Jan 19. pii: bgw009. (Impact factor 5.232).

  2. Khalid Bashir Dar, Aashiq Hussain Bhat,  Shajrul Amin, Syed Anjum, Bilal Ahmad Reshi, Mohammad Afzal Zargar, Akbar Masood and Showkat Ahmad Ganie. Proteomics and Neurodegeneration: Mechanistic Insight on Drug Targets. Current neuropharmacology. (impact factor 5.086).

  3. Showkat Ahmad Ganie, Tanveer Ali Dar, Rabia Hamid, Ovais Zargar, Shayaq Ul Abeer, Akbar Masood, Shajrul Amin, and Mohammad Afzal Zargar. In Vitro Antioxidant and Cytotoxic Activities of Arnebia benthamii (Wall ex. G. Don): A Critically Endangered Medicinal Plant of Kashmir Valley. Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity.  2014,8. (Impact factor 4.936).

  4. Khalid Bashir Dar, Aashiq Hussain Bhat, Shajrul Amin, Rabia Hamid, Suhail Anees, Syed Anjum, Bilal Ahmad Reshi, Mohammad Afzal Zargar, Akbar Masood and Showkat Ahmad Ganie. Modern Computational Strategies for Designing Drugs to Curb Human Diseases: A Prospect. Current topics in medical chemistry. (impact factor 3.374).

  5. Bilal A. Zargar, Mubashir H. Masoodi, Bahar Ahmed, Showkat A. Ganie. Phytoconstituents and therapeutic uses of Rheum emodi wall.ex Meissn. Food Chemistry. 2011; 128: 585–589. (Impact factor 4.964).       

  6. Aashiq Hussain Bhat, Khalid Bashir Dar, Mohammad Afzal Zargar, Akbar Masood, Showkat Ahmad Ganie. Modulation of Oxidative Stress and Hyperglycemia by Rheum spiciformis in Alloxan Induced Diabetic Rats and Characterization of Isolated Compound. Drug Research (Impact factor 0.701).

  7. Aashiq Hussain Bhat, Khalid Bashir Dar, Manzoor Ahmad Sofi, Showkat Ahmad Dar,  Mohammad Afzal Zargar, Akbar Masood and Showkat Ahmad Ganie. Rheum- spiciforme Royle- the medicinal herb with positive modulatory effect on controlled in vitro oxidative stress. Indian journal of experimental biology. 2018, 56: 556-564. (Impact factor 1.475).

  8. Khalid B Dar, Aashiq H Bhat, Shajrul Amin, Rabia Hamid, Bilal A Reshi, Mohammad A Zargar, Akbar Masood, Showkat A Ganie. Cancer: Proteomic Drug Targets and Therapeutics. Current cancer drug targets. (impact factor 3.186).

  9. Khalid Bashir Dar, Aashiq Hussain Bhat, Shajrul Amin, Akbar Masood, Mohammad Afzal Zargar and Showkat Ahmad Ganie. Inflammation: A Multidimensional Insight on Natural Anti-Inflammatory Therapeutic Compounds. Current Medicinal Chemistry, 23(33): 3775 – 3800. (impact factor 3.469).

  10. Shagoon Tabin, Azra Nahaid Kamili, Showkat Ahmad Ganie, Ovais Zargar, Vikas Sharma, Raghbir Chand Gupta. Genetic diversity and population structure of Rheum species in Kashmir Himalaya based on ISSR markers. Flora. 2016, 223, 121–128. (impact factor 1.365)

  11. Aashiq Hussain Bhat, Khalid Bashir Dar, Mohammad Afzal Zargar, Akbar Masood, Showkat Ahmad Ganie. Modulation of Oxidative Stress and Hyperglycemia by Rheum spiciformis in Alloxan Induced Diabetic Rats and Characterization of Isolated Compound. Drug Research (Impact factor 0.701).

  12. Waqas N. Babaa, Qazi Tabasuma, Sabeera Muzzaffara, Farooq A. Masoodi, Idrees Wani, Showkat A. Ganie, Mohd Munaff Bhat. Some nutraceutical properties of fenugreek seeds and shoots (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) from the high Himalayan region. Food Bioscience, 2018, 23: 31-37. (Impact factor 2.371).

  13. Ovais Ahmad Zargar, Rohina Bashir, Showkat Ahmad Ganie, Akbar Masood, Mohammad Afzal Zargar, Rabia Hamid. Hepatoprotective Potential of Elsholtzia densa Against Acute and Chronic Models of Liver Damage in Wistar Rats Drug Research. 2018, 1-9. (Impact factor 0.701).

  14. Gulzar Bhat, Akbar Masood, Bashir A. Ganai, Baseerat Hamza, Showkat Ganie, Tasfi Shafi, Ahmed Idris, Abdul S. Shawl & Mudasir A. Tantry. Gracilone, a new sesquiterpene lactone from Tanacetum gracile (Tansies). Natural Product Research. 2016, 02-49. (Impact factor 1.928).

  15. Aashiq Hussain Bhat, Khalid Bashir Dar, Suhail Anees, Mohammad Afzal Zargar, Akbar Masood, Manzoor Ahmad Sofi, Showkat Ahmad Ganie. Oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction and neurodegenerative diseases; a mechanistic insight. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy. 74 (2015) 101–110. (Impact factor 3.457)

  16. Showkat Ahmad Ganie, Tanveer Ali Dar, Aashiq Hussain Bhat, Khalid B Dar, Suhail Anees, Mohammad Afzal Zargar, Akbar Masood. Melatonin:- A potential antioxidant therapeutic agent for mitochondrial dysfunctions and related disorders. Rejuvenation Research. (doi: 10.1089/rej.2015.1704). (Impact factor 3.220).

  17. Showkat Ahmad Ganie, Tanveer Ali Dar, Sabuhi Zargar, Aashiq Hussain Bhat, Khalid Bashir Dar, Akbar Masood, Mohammad Afzal Zargar. Crataegus songarica methanolic extract accelerates enzymatic status in kidney and heart tissue damage in albino rats and its in vitro cytotoxic activity. Pharmaceutical Biology (DOI: 10.3109/13880209.2015.1066398) (2015) 1-9. (Impact factor 1.918).

  18. Showkat Ahmad Ganie, Tanveer Dar, Rabia Hamid, Akbar Masood, Mohammad Afzal Zargar, Shajrul Amin, Ovais Zargar, Parvaiz Dar, Shayaq Abeer, Bilal Zargar Antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects of Cratagus songerica methanol extract . Journal of environmental pathology taxocology and oncology. DOI: 10.1615/JEnvironPatholToxicolOncol.2014010606. (Impact factor 1.15).

  19. Showkat Ahmad Ganie, Akbar Masood and Mohammad Afzal Zargar. Hepatoprotective and Antioxidant activity of Rhizome of Podophyllum hexandrum against Carbon Tetra Chloride induced Hepatotoxicity in Rats. Biomedical and Environmental science. 2013; 26(3):209-221. (Impact factor 2.518).

  20. Bilal A. Wania, D. Ramamoorthy, Showkat A. Ganie, Bashir A. Ganaie, Rajneesh Anand, Ajai P. Gupta. Induction of apoptosis in human pancreatic MiaPaCa-2 cells through the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential by Gentiana kurroo root extract. Phytomedicine. 2013: (13): 0944-7113. (Impact factor 3.610).

  21. Showkat Ahmad Ganie, Rabia Hamid, Abid Hamid, Rabiya Majeed, Yasrib Qurishi, Akbar Masood, M. Afzal Zargar. Podophyllum hexandrum aqueous extract as a potential free radical scavenger. Redox Report. 2012; 17: 55-62. (Impact factor 2.167).

  22. Showkat Ahmad Ganie, Ehtishamul Haq, Abid Hamid, Yasrib Qurishi, Zahid Mahmood, Bilal Ahmad Zargar, Akbar Masood, Mohammad Afzal Zargar. Carbon tetrachloride induced kidney and lung tissue damages and antioxidant activities of the aqueous rhizome extract of Podophyllum hexandrum. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2011; doi: 10.1186/1472-6882-11-17. (Impact factor 2.732).

  23. Showkat Ahmad Ganie, EhtishamUl Haq, Abid Hamid, Akbar Masood, Mohammad Afzal Zargar. Long dose exposure of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in albino rats and effect of Podophyllum hexandrum on oxidative stress. European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences. 2011; 15: 906-915. (Impact factor 2.387).

  24. Showkat Ahmad Ganie, Ehtishamul Haq, Akbar Masood, Abid Hamid and Mohammad Afzal Zargar. Antioxidant and Protective Effect of Ethyl Acetate Extract of Podophyllum hexandrum Rhizome on Carbon Tetrachloride Induced Rat Liver Injury. Evidence Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2010 November; doi:10.1155/2011/238020. ( Impact factor 2.064).

  25. Showkat A. Ganie, Asima Jan, Sabeera Muzaffar, Bilal A. Zargar, Rabia Hamid and M. Afzal Zargar. Free radical scavenging and antibacterial activity of Arnebia benthamii methanol extract.  Asian pacific journal of tropical medicine. 2012; 5(10): 766-72.

  26. Parvaiz A. Dar, Fasil Ali, Ishfaq A. Sheikh, Showkat A. Ganie & Tanveer A. Dar. Amelioration of hyperglycaemia and modulation of antioxidant status by Alcea rosea seeds in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. Pharmaceutical Biology. 2017, 22:51. (Impact factor 1.918).

  27. Rouf Hamza Boda, Abdul Hamid Wani, Mohammad  Afzal Zargar, Bashir Ahmad Ganie, Bilal Ahmad Wani, Showkat Ahmad Ganie. Nutritional values and antioxidant potential of some edible mushrooms of Kashmir valley. Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical Sciences. 2012; 25: 441-445. (Impact factor 0.804).

  28. Khalid Bashir Dar, Aashiq Hussain Bhat, Shajrul Amin, Suhail Anees, AkbarMasood, Mohammed Iqbal Zargar, Showkat Ahmad Ganie. Efficacy of Aqueous and Methanolic Extracts of Rheum Spiciformis against Pathogenic Bacterial and Fungal Strains. Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research. 2016 Sep, Vol-10(9): BC18-BC22. (Impact factor 0.35).

  29. Nayeema Akthera, Khursheed Andrabi, Albeena Nissar, Showkat Ganaie, B.K. Chandan, A.P. Gupta, Manoj Khuswant, Sarwat Sultana, Abdul S. Shawl. Hepatoprotective activity of LC–ESI-MS standardized Iris spuriarhizome extract on its main bioactive constituents. Phytomedicine. 2014; 21: 1202-1207. (Impact factor 3.610).

  30. Rohaya Ali, Nasreena Sajjad, Qureshi, Sumaya Hassan, Muzaffar Ahmad, Showkat Ahmad Ganie, Rabia Hamid. Evaluation of Antioxidant and Immunomodulatory Potential of Methanolic Extract of Juniperus squamata Buch.-Ham. ex D. Don. Free Radicals and Antioxidants. 2018, 8(2):111-119.

  31. O. Zargar · R. Hamid · K. Bashir Dar · A. H. Bhat · M. Afzal Zargar · A. Masood · A.G. Showkat. Free Radical Scavenging and Cytotoxic Activity of Seed Extracts of Podophyllum hexandrum. Phytothérapie. 2016, 1-9.

  32. Shazia Tantary, Akbar Masood, Aashiq Hussain Bhat, Khalid Bashir Dar, Mohammad Afzal Zargar, Showkat Ahmad Ganie. In vitro Antioxidant and RBC membrane Stabilization Activity of Euphorbia wallichii. Free Radicals and Antioxidants. 2017; 7(1): 13-22.

Research Grants:

Ongoing Projects: 02

  1. Protein and gene expressions of IL1β, NFkB1, NFkB2, PPARγ, NOS2, COX2,TNFα in LPS induced inflammatory response in rats and effect of Cousinia thomsonii (DST SERB New Delhi).
  2. In vivo study of antioxidant and anticancer activities of Elsholizia densa (DBT India)

 

Research Output (Manpower):

 

 

Degrees

Awarded

Enrolled

PhDs

02

05

M.phils

06

01

 

 

Present Lab Members:

  • Khalid Bashir Dar
  • Suhail Anees
  • Saima Nazir
  • Ambreen Farooq
  • Gh Jeelani Mir
  • Shafaquat Nabi
  • Anjum

 

Past Lab Members:

 

  • Dr Aashiq Hussain Bhat
  • Dr Showkat Ahmad Dar
  • Syed Anjum