ABSTRACT
Background: Acacia catechu has been widely used in Ayurveda for treating many diseases. Its heartwoodextract is used in asthma, cough, bronchitis, colic, diarrhea, dysentery, boils, skin afflictions, sores and forstomatitis. The decoction of heartwood is used for drinking purpose in southern part of India especiallyin Kerala.Objective: The current study was carried out to evaluate immunomodulatory effects of heartwood extracts of A. catechu in Swiss albino mice.Material and methods: In vivo immunomodulatory activity was analyzed by hemagglutinating antibody(HA) titer, plaque forming cell assay and delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH). In vitro immunomodulatory potential of the extracts was studied using peritoneal macrophages and splenocytes from mice.Effect of extracts on phagocytic activity of macrophages was analyzed by nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT)reduction assay and cellular lysosomal enzyme assay. Anti-inflammatory activity was studied by nitricoxide (NO) assay and production of TNF-a and IL-10.Results: A dose dependent increase in antibody titer was observed with extracts treatment. Treatmentwith extracts produced an enhancement in the number of antibody producing cells in the spleen. DTHreaction was significantly decreased with extracts treatment. An increased phagocytic response wasshown by peritoneal macrophages on treatment with the extracts as evidenced by its effect on NBTreduction and cellular lysosomal enzyme activity. The extracts inhibited the release of pro-inflammatorycytokine TNF-a and the production of NO. IL-10 production was significantly increased after extracttreatment.Conclusion: The results of the present study indicate the immunomodulatory effects of A. catechu extracts on humoral, cell mediated and non-specific immune functions.© 2017 Transdisciplinary University, Bangalore and World Ayurveda Foundation. Publishing Services byElsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
ABSTRACT
Background: natural background radiation of a particular region is one of the distinctive factors defining the status of environment. Eloor Island is an industrial area in Ernakulum District of the state of Kerala, India. The indoor and outdoor gamma level measurements have been carried out for the region for evaluating the annual effective dose to the population residing in this area
Materials and Methods: measurements of indoor gamma dose were done for a whole year using Thermo Luminescent Dosimeters [TLDs] and GM tube based survey meters in forty five selected locations. The activity concentration of [232]Th, [238]U and [40]K in the samples were analyzed using gamma spectrometry. The outdoor external gamma ray dose rates were evaluated from the activity concentration of [40]K, [238]U and [232]Th in the soil samples collected from the study area
Results: the average indoor gamma dose measured using TLDs were found to be 1219 microGy y[-1]. The measured activity in the soil samples had range from 92.5 Bq kg[-1] to 792.8 Bq kg[-1] for [232]Th, 9.2 Bq kg[-1] to 114.6 Bq kg[-1] for [238]U and 265.9 Bq kg[-1] to 851.9 Bq kg[-1] for [40]K. From the observed mean dose levels, the annual effective dose equivalent to population residing in the island has been estimated and is found to be 0.68 mSv y[-1] for indoors and 0.32 mSv y[-1] for outdoors
Conclusion: the annual effective dose equivalent to population estimated for indoor is found to be higher as compared to the global average the same for outdoor was found to be less when compared with the natural background gamma level reported by UNSCEAR for normal background areas
ABSTRACT
The South-west coast of India is known to have very high levels of natural background radiation due to the monazite beach sand. Uranium is the heaviest trace element found in all terrestrial substances at varying levels with chemical and radio toxicities. It supports several short-lived radioisotopes in its decay series including radium. Uranium in drinking water is important in terms of the ingestion dose. The present study reports the results of uranium analysis of 346 drinking water samples from the three costal districts of Kerala using fission track registration technique. Results obtained show that uranium concentrations vary from 0.31 micro g/l to 4.92 micro g/l equivalent to the specific activity of 3.9 Bq/m3 and 62 Bq/m3, respectively. The estimated daily intake of uranium through drinking water is lower than the recommended limits. The distribution of uranium in water bodies shows a heterogeneous nature of distribution