Stroke Characteristics as Predictors of New-onset Seizure in Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke

Introduction: The current guidelines on diagnosis and management of new-onset seizures in stroke are not well defined, especially in the Indian setting. Our study aims at providing insight into the hospital prevalence risk of new-onset seizures following ischemic stroke and to correlate seizure risk with the characteristics of stroke and other clinical parameters. Methods: A total of 127 patients were analyzed for the study where we assessed the clinical severity and the imaging severity of stroke using the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score and Alberta Stroke Program Early CT (ASPECT) score, respectively. Seizure-related variables including semiology, timing, and details of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) were assessed under the domain of early and late poststroke seizures (PSSs). All patients were followed for 6 months for the seizure recurrence and change in Barthel index. In statistical analysis, quantitative variables were compared using the independent t-test/Mann–Whitney U test, and qualitative variables were correlated using Chi-square test/Fisher’s exact test. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression was used to find out the significant risk factors of acute symptomatic seizure. Results: The mean age of the study population was 59.72 years (±14.77), with a male predominance (60.63%). About 78.74% of the cases had an NIHSS score more than or equal to 6.24% had posterior circulation strokes and the rest had anterior circulation strokes. A cortical location of infarct was observed in 62.2% of cases and a subcortical location in 61.4% of cases. The prevalence of early PSSs observed in our study was 10.6%. Of those, 80% had generalized seizures, 13.3% had focal seizures, and 6.67% had focal seizures with secondary generalizations. No patient in the study group had late-onset seizures. Total leukocyte count, serum protein levels, serum uric acid levels, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) values were associated with early seizures (p<0.05). Patients with early seizures were found to have a longer hospital stay (8 vs 6 days with p<0.05). In the Trial of Org 10,172 in Acute Stroke Treatment (TOAST) etiological classification, an acute stroke of undetermined etiology was found to have a significant association with the occurrence of early seizure in both univariate and multivariate analysis [p = 0.030; odds ratio (OR) 4.735 (1.160–22.576)]. There was no difference in change in the Barthel index among the two groups. Conclusion: There was no recurrence of seizures in those who defaulted for AED and one patient had a seizure even on AED. Prophylactic AEDs in stroke patients based on stroke characteristics could not be ascertained, but the sample size was small. Knowing the fact that antiepileptics cause sedation and increase the chance of aspiration, continuing AEDs in patients who develop acute symptomatic seizures should be judged judiciously.

Septicemia: As a result of erroneous parenteral administration of probiotic

Probiotics are formulations of live microbial cells that are administered orally to contribute to intestinal microbial balance. Bacillus clausiiis one such aerobic, spore-forming bacterium that is able to survive in the acidic environment of the stomach and is used as a probiotic. In the past few years, probiotic use has increased to a greater extent. However, there is growing global evidence that the use of probiotics in patients with organ failure, the immunocompromised state can cause infections, but it is extremely rare in immunocompetent persons when given through peroral route. However, it can cause severe sepsis in even immunocompetent individuals when given intravenously inadvertently. This case report shows the importance of establishing safety guidelines for probiotic use and particularly for dispensing probiotics in liquid formulations

Lapatinib-loaded nanocolloidal polymeric micelles for the efficient treatment of breast cancer

This study aims at preparing and evaluating lapatinib-loaded polymeric micelles for the better treatment of breastcancer (BC). LP-loaded polymeric micelles (LP-PMs) were prepared as per our previous studies by using Soluplus®as the polymer. Therefore, we employed the lyophilization technique using mannitol as a cryoprotectant and furtherconducted in vitro and in vivo anticancer efficacy studies, in addition to our previously reported works. We found thatthe lyophilized LP-PMs were sufficiently stable and retained encapsulated drugs. Furthermore, their smooth surfacewas visualized on the atomic force microscopy. The X-ray powder diffractogram of LP-PMs showed successfulencapsulation of Lapatinib; however, the presence of few drug molecules on the surface was evidenced by energydispersive X-ray analysis. Furthermore, LP-PMs showed sustained release of drugs, with selective drug release in anacidic environment, resembling that of a tumor. The LP-PMs exhibited higher cytotoxicity against SKBr3 BC cellsand also induced effective inhibition of the growth of the tumor in vivo when compared to that of lapatinib solutionand marketed formulation. The results of this study indicate the greater potential of LP-PMs for the efficient treatmentfor BC

Comparison of protective effects of carvedilol and ?-tocopherol on doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxocity

Background: Doxorubicin, an effective anticancer drug used to treat multiple solid tumours and childhood malignancies since many decades but its cardiac adverse effects limits its use in full therapeutic dose. The mechanism involved in cardiotoxicity is apoptosis of cardiomyocytes due to reactive oxidative stress. The study was conducted to compare the cardioprotective effects of carvedilol and ?-Tocopherol and to detect myocardial injury at early stage.Methods: Cardiotoxicity was produced in a group of rabbits by single intravenous injection of doxorubicin; control group was treated with normal saline only. Third and fourth groups were pretreated with carvedilol 30 mg/kg bodyweight and ?-Tocopherol 200 mg/kg bodyweight respectively for ten days before injection of doxorubicin.Results: Doxorubicin produced marked cardiotoxicity represented by raised levels of serum biomarkers (cTnI, LDH and CK-MB) and severe necrosis of cardiomyocytes on microscopic examination. Carvedilol and ?-tocopherol pretreatment resulted in decreased serum levels of biomarkers and improved the histological picture of heart tissue.Conclusions: The outcome of doxorubicin chemotherapy can be made successful with the concurrent use of carvedilol or ?-tocopherol. Although carvedilol has more pronounced cardioprotective effects perhaps due to its antioxidant activity in addition to antiapoptotic, antiproliferative and anti-inflammatory effects. Furthermore the quantitative cTnI estimation for detection of cardiotoxicity at early stage can lead to significant economic impact in management of cancer.

A Prospective Analysis of Epidemiology and Outcome in Major Burns Patients at a Tertiary Burn Care Center in North India

The incidence of burn injuries varies from country to country. Burn trauma has been one of the most devastating health problems for all the times. It requires a treatment process including a multidisciplinary approach by experienced burn surgeons and health care professionals in a well-equipped burn unit or center. The aim of this study was to ascertain and analyze the epidemiology and outcome in major burns patients at our center. Methods: This prospective study was conducted at Department of Surgery, Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi India from April 2017 to july 2019. A total of 627 patients were enrolled in study. The principal investigator obtained the variables of clinical histories from the admission records, case notes, operation details, anesthesia charts, and nursing monitoring charts. Help of a biostatistician was taken for data collection and analysis. The data collected were thoroughly cleaned and entered into MS-Excel spread sheets and analysis was carried out. Results: Patient in age group less than 15 yrs were 76 (12%), majority of the patients i.e. 514 (82%) were in age group between 15 and 45 years and only 37 patients(6%) were of age more than 45 years. Most common area of burn was the upper limb in our patients (39.78%), followed by head and neck (24.21%), lower limbs (26.49%) and anterior trunk (9.52%).Of the 627 patients, 167 patients (26.6%) had ARDS (Acute respiratory distress syndrome), 232 patients (37.0%) had septicemia, 465 patients (74.16%) had wound infection (as diagnosed by wound cultures), 123 patients (19.6%) had urinary tract infection, and 12 patients (1.9%) had clostridium difficile colitis. Total of 232(37%) patients died during their hospital stay. Discussion: Age and sex are essential elements of any epidemiological study.The age distribution seen in our study is in concordance with that seen in other studies . In our study 370/627 (59%) patients were males with a male to female ratio of about 1.5:1. Comparing data regarding the gender preponderance, our observations are in agreement with other authors. In our study most common area of burn was the upper limb in our patients (39.78%), followed by head and neck (24.21%), lower limbs (26.49%) and anterior trunk (9.52%). This finding of our study is similar to that of Sadeghi Bazargani et al. Conclusion: It is a well known fact that burns are serious but preventable accidents and without recognition of affecting factors we cannot plan any preventive program. Most victims of major burns come from poor, underdeveloped areas. These people have little formal education about burns and are either low skilled temporary workers or unemployed. So the knowledge of affecting factors in relation to demography and epidemiology of patients is a must for proper management of burn victims

Comparison between Diagnostic Yield of Pleural Fluid ELISPOT and Thoracoscopic Guided Pleural Biopsy in Undiagnosed Pleural Effusion

Context: Despite recent advances in the available diagnostic modalities, diagnosis of pleural tuberculosis remains a challenge because of the low yield of conventional methods. Pleural biopsy is the gold standard for confirmation of diagnosis, which is invasive and cumbersome. The concentration of mycobacterial peptide-specific activated lymphocytes at the site of infection can be utilized as the basis for using IGRA (interferon-gamma release assays) based evaluation of undiagnosed exudative pleural effusions.  Aim: To evaluate the performance of IGRA (Enzyme-linked Immunospot (ELISPOT) in pleural fluid for the diagnosis of pleural tuberculosis in histopathologically confirmed cases. Settings and Design: A prospective observational study compared the utility of ELISPOT with thoracoscopy guided pleural biopsies for the diagnosis of tubercular pleural effusions. Methods and Material: Forty-two consecutive cases of undiagnosed pleural effusions were enrolled and subjected to thoracoscopy guided pleural biopsy. Thirteen patients were confirmed to have tuberculosis, 27 had malignancy, and 2 had normal pleura. A total of 1x103 pleural fluid mononuclear cells (PFMCs) were cultured in the presence of early secretory antigenic target-6 (ESAT-6) and culture filtrate protein-10 (CFP-10) for 24 hours. The individual spots were then counted using an automated analyzer ELISPOT reader system.  Results: The number of spots developed in the pleural fluid was significantly higher in tubercular pleural effusions as compared to non-tubercular effusions (CFP-10:154.76±14.61 vs 49.24±8.9; ESAT-6: 150.3±17.27 v/s 45.34±8.23, p<0.001). At a cut-off value of more than 67 spots taken as positive for tuberculosis, the sensitivity of the test was 100% (95% CI 75.29% to 100.00%), specificity was 96.5% (95 % CI 82.24% to 99.91%), positive predictive value was 92.86% (95 % CI 65.45% to 98.89%) and negative predictive value was 100%.  Conclusions: ELISPOT can be a useful non-invasive test for the evaluation of undiagnosed pleural effusions and making a diagnosis of pleural tuberculosis with confidence.

Premenstrual syndrome and its association with emotional dysregulation: a comparison between medical and non medical students

Background: Premenstrual syndrome is a disorder of menstrual cycle that encompasses varied symptoms ranging from physical, emotional to psychological. Depression and anxiety were considered to be two of the most severely disabling, amongst the varied emotional symptoms, as found by Gotts et al. This study was to find if the stressful life of medicos further dampened their ability to regulate their emotions during PMS.Methods: This was a comparative cross sectional study was carried out between July and October 2018. Female students of first three years studying on Govt. Kilpauk Medical College and JBAS College, Teynamet, were recruited for the study after obtaining written informed consent.Results: The mean PMS score among medicos is 93.791 and the mean PMS score among non-medicos is 88.473. Since the mean score of both the groups is higher than the cut off for PMS as per the PMS Scale, there is occurrence of PMS in both the groups. Further comparing the PMS scores of case and control, the case group consisting of medicos had a higher prevalence compared to the non-medicos.Conclusions: Since there is significant prevalence of PMS among medicos, early diagnosis is crucial. The people with PMS can be given cognitive behavioural therapy. Advising women with PMS to take vitamin B6 can also help in managing this abnormal mood regulatory menstrual disease. Pyridoxine is known to provide great results in the treatment of PMS.

A Comparison of Fear Levels of Endodontic Treatment in Kashmiri Population

Dental fear is defined as the patient’s specific reaction towards stress related to dental treatment in which the stimulus is unknown. Aim of the study: To analyze the causative factor of fear during endodontic treatment. Methods: A simple random sampling technique was used for the study and a sample size of 141 patients with an age group of 12-65 years, attending outpatient the Department of Operative Dentistry. The survey done was based on 5 questionnaires before and during endodontic treatment. Results: The percentage of the females was 55% while the males were 45% of the patients attending dental office, 57% of the patients were found not afraid of attending dental office, 62% of the patients were found afraid of seeing the anesthetic needle, 59% of the patients were feeling pain during removal of pulp, 55% of the patients were found not afraid of sensation of file introduced in the canal, and 57% of the patients experienced unpleasant taste of endodontic materials. Conclusion: The present study concluded that seeing the anesthetic needle, feeling pain during removing the pulp and experiencing the unpleasant taste of endodontic materials were the most causative factors respectively for the fear of endodontic treatment.

A Survey of Endodontic Practice among the Dental Practitioners in Kashmir

To investigate and access the pattern of routine endodontic practice among the Dental practitioners in the Kashmir province. Methods: A survey was conducted in the form of a questionnaire and circulated among 334 dental practitioners through email. The response was collected, accumulated and analysed statistically. Results: A total of 178 (53%) dentists responded to the questionnaire that was emailed to them. 63% practitioners were males and only 37% were females. Only 10% of dental practitioners used isolation method as rubber dam. 56% of the dental practitioners were skilled in rotary endodontics. 70% of the practitioners used conventional ZOE sealer for obturation. Conclusion: Current qualitative endodontic guidelines in the established countries differ a lot as compared to the dental practise in this region. There is a shortage of endodontic equipments and materials in Government hospitals or public dental offices. Private dental offices are at much better positions. More of the innovations, latest concepts and techniques need to be incorporated into the dental practice of the dentists in Kashmir.

Color Stability of Composite Resin after Immersion in Local Kashmiri Staining Solutions and Beverages

Introduction: Long term success of any composite resinrestorative materials mainly depends on their color stability.The aim of the investigation was to examine the color stabilityof three resin-based composite materials with a high contentof inorganic filling material (Spectrum, Filtrex Z350 andTetric N Ceram).Material and Methods: Changes in color of test sampleswere determined after complete immersion in test solutionsused primarily in Kashmiri population viz. Kashmiri tea,Saffron Kehwa and a turmeric solution. Color differenceswere measured by using a spectrophotometer and CIE L*a*b*color scale and the total amount of color difference wasrepresented as ∆E.Results: For all composite resins, Turmeric solution causedthe most severe cases of discoloration (∆E > 8.25). Kashmiritea and Saffron Kehwa caused invisible (∆E <1) or visible (∆E>1) discoloration. In some samples clinically unacceptable(∆E > 3.3) discoloration was noted.Conclusion: No significant difference was found amongthe composite resins or between color values of specimensimmersed in Kashmiri tea or Saffron kehwa. Immersingspecimens in turmeric solution caused greater color changein all types of composite resins tested. It is apparent from theresults that it is essential to improve the color stability of thecomposite resin materials used in esthetic zone

Effect of exogenous application of micronutrients on growth and productivity of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L. ) crop / Efeito da aplicação exógena de micronutrientes no crescimento e produtividade da cultura de algodão (Gossypium hirsutum L. )

Micronutrients play a vital role in the growth and productivity of cotton crop. A study was carried out to access the exogenous application of micronutrients on growth and yield of cotton crop. The experiment was comprised of nine treatments as T0 (control), T1 (Fe chelated), T2 (B), T3 (Mo), T4 (CuSo4 + ZnSo4 + MnSo4), T5 (CuSo4 + ZnSo4 + MnSo4 + Fe chelated), T6 (CuSo4 + ZnSo4 + MnSo4 + B), T7 (CuSo4 + ZnSo4 + MnSo4 + Mo) and T8 (CuSo4 + ZnSo4 + MnSo4 + Fe chelated + B). Data on different growth attributes showed that there was significant positive increase with the application of micronutrients. Leaf area was increased after applying micronutrients at 99 days after sowing (DAS) and then a decreasing trend was observed. Chlorophyll contents were increased at 81 DAS and then decreased towards the final harvest. Similarly, different yield components showed that seed cotton yield were significantly increased with the application of Fe, B, Mo, Zn, Cu and Mn compared to control treatment. Earliness index, mean maturity date and production rate index were increased significantly after combined use of foliar spray of Zn, Cu, Mn and Mo.

Os micronutrientes desempenham um papel vital no crescimento e produtividade da cultura do algodão. Um estudo foi realizado para acessar a aplicação exógena de micronutrientes no crescimento e produção de cultura de algodão. O experimento foi composto de nove tratamentos como T0 (controle), T1 (Fe quelatado), T2 (B), T3 (Mo), T4 (CuSo4 + ZnSo4 + MnSo4), T5 (CuSo4 + ZnSo4 + MnSo4 + Fe quelatado) T6 (CuSo4 + ZnSo4 + MnSo4 + B), T7 (CuSo4 + ZnSo4 + MnSo4 + Mo) e T8 (CuSo4 + ZnSo4 + MnSo4 + Fe quelados + B). Dados sobre diferentes atributos de crescimento mostraram aumento significativo positivo com a aplicação de micronutrientes. A área foliar foi aumentada após aplicação de micronutrientes aos 99 dias após a semeadura (DAS), observando - se, então, uma tendência decrescente. Os teores de clorofila foram aumentados em 81 DAS e depois diminuíram para a colheita final. De forma semelhante, diferentes componentes de rendimento mostraram que o rendimento de algodão de sementes aumentou significativamente com a aplicação de Fe, B, Mo, Zn, Cu e Mn em comparação com o tratamento de controlo. O índice de precocidade, a data média de maturidade eo índice de taxa de produção aumentaram significativamente após o uso combinado de pulverização foliar de Zn, Cu, Mn e Mo.

Sedative and antinociceptive activities of two new sesquiterpenes isolated from Ricinus communis / 中国天然药物

Two new sesquiterpenes, trivially named ricinusoids A (1) and ricinusoids B (2), were isolated from ethyl acetate fraction of Ricinus communis. The structures of new compounds were elucidated by detailed spectroscopic techniques, including 1D- and 2D-NMR, UV, IR spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry. The compounds (1-2) were also assessed for in-vivo sedative and analgesic like effects in open field and acetic acid induced writhing tests respectively at 5, 10, and 20 mg·kg i.p. Pretreatment of both test compounds caused significant (P ≤ 0.05) reduction in locomotive activity like sedative agents and abdominal constrictions like analgesics. Both compounds (1-2) possessed marked sedative and antinociceptive effects in animal models.

Prosthesis dislocation following total hip arthroplasty; a comparison of posterior and lateral surgical approach

Introduction: Joint function and integrity can be restored by various techniques and the surgical approach which is used for this restoration is called as arthroplasty. Principal methods for Total Hip Arthroplasty are Direct and Posterior lateral approaches. The most convenient to perform is posterior approach however, dislocation have been reported in most of cases. The rates of hip dislocation may be decreased by direct lateral approach as it provides cup positioning in better way. Direct lateral approach may be considered widely in future if the results of this study show relative benefits

Objectives: To compare posterior surgical approach with direct lateral approach in patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty in terms of prosthesis dislocation

Subjects and Methods: This prospective study was performed at [Punjab Medical College] PMC and various hospitals for 3 years from 1-07-2014 to 30-06-2017.A total of 46 patients with Hip Osteoarthritis were included in the study. All patients were diagnosed clinically and confirmed with radiographic findings. 23 patients underwent Hip Arthroplasty with posterior approach and lateral approach was used in 23 patients. Outcome in terms of prosthesis dislocation was compared in both the groups

Results: In group A, mean age was 55.19 [years] with a standard deviation [Std dev] of 6.705. In group B it was 53.72 +/- 8.541 in terms of age. Prosthesis dislocation in group A was 34.7% and 13.4% in group B. P value was 0.001

Conclusion: Outcome of Direct lateral surgical approach is better than Posterior surgical approach in terms of prosthesis dislocation in patients undergoing Total Hip Arthroplasty

Multi-functional pharmacological credence of triterpenoid 16-hydroxy betulinicacid isolated from Mikania cordata / 中国药理学与毒理学杂志

OBJECTIVE To isolate and characterize bioactive compound from traditionally impor-tant medicinal plant Mikania cordata,and to investigate muti-faced pharmacological activities of the isolated compound.METHODS A triterpeenoid, 16-hydroxy betulinic acid(16 HBA)was isolated from Mikania cordata leaf and the structure of the compound was determined by NMR spectroscopic means.Antimi-crobial activity of 16 HBA was tested by disc diffusion method and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against the tested microorganisms was determined. The analgesic property of 16 HBA was tested using acetic acid-induced writhes in mice and hot plate thermal stimulation in rats. The anti-inflammatory activity was studied using carrageenin-induced paw edema method. The antipyretic potential of 16 HBA was evaluated by using yeast-induced hyperthermia in rats. RESULTS The triterpenoid 16 HBA showed potent antibacterial activity with inhibition zone of diameter ranging from 12.0~17.5 mm and antifungal activity with mycelial growth inhibition ranges from 37.6%~54.5%.The MIC values for antibacterial and antifungal activities ranged from 31.5~125 and 250~1000 μg·mL-1respectively.The compound(50 and 100 mg·kg-1body weight)showed potent peripheral and central analgesic activity having 55.19% and 41% of writhing inhibition at 90 min after administration of the compound and the highest 55.98%, 79.18% elongation of reaction time,respectively.In anti-inflammatory activity screening,the compound (100 mg·kg-1)revealed the highest 77.08% edema inhibition at 4 h after administration of carrageenan. In antipyretic assay, 16 HBA exhibited a strong antipyretic effect in yeast-induced rats.CONCLUSION The present study confirmed that 16-hydroxy betulinic acid isolated from Mikania cordata has potent anti-microbial,analgesic,anti-inflammatory and antipyretic properties.Our results can be seen as scientific support for the traditional and folklore usage of Mikania cordata in Bangladesh for the treatment of different ailments and provide opportunities to explore this plant as a source bioactive compounds for biochemical and pharmaceutical industries.

Sedative and antinociceptive activities of two new sesquiterpenes isolated from Ricinus communis / 中国天然药物

Two new sesquiterpenes, trivially named ricinusoids A (1) and ricinusoids B (2), were isolated from ethyl acetate fraction of Ricinus communis. The structures of new compounds were elucidated by detailed spectroscopic techniques, including 1D- and 2D-NMR, UV, IR spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry. The compounds (1-2) were also assessed for in-vivo sedative and analgesic like effects in open field and acetic acid induced writhing tests respectively at 5, 10, and 20 mg·kg i.p. Pretreatment of both test compounds caused significant (P ≤ 0.05) reduction in locomotive activity like sedative agents and abdominal constrictions like analgesics. Both compounds (1-2) possessed marked sedative and antinociceptive effects in animal models.

Sedative and muscle relaxant activities of diterpenoids from Phlomidoschema parviflorum

Abstract Phlomidoschema parviflorum (Benth.) Vved. (Basionym: Stachys parviflora Benth.) Lamiaceae, have significance medicinal importance as it is used in number of health disorders including diarrhea, fever, sore mouth and throat, internal bleeding, weaknesses of the liver and heart genital tumors, sclerosis of the spleen, inflammatory tumors and cancerous ulcers. The present contribution deals with the sedative and muscle relaxant like effects of diterpenoids trivially named stachysrosane and stachysrosane, isolated from the ethyl acetate soluble fraction of P. parviflorum. Both compounds (at 5, 10 and 15 mg/kg, i.p) were assessed for their in vivo sedative and muscle relaxant activity in open field and inclined plane test, respectively. The geometries of both compounds were optimized with density functional theory. The molecular docking of both compounds were performed with receptor gamma aminobutyric acid. Both compounds showed marked activity in a dose dependent manner. The docking studies showed that both compounds interact strongly with important residues in receptor gamma aminobutyric acid. The reported data demonstrate that both compounds exhibited significant sedative and muscle relaxant-like effects in animal models, which opens a door for novel therapeutic applications.

Bioassay-guided isolation of novel and selective urease inhibitors from Diospyros lotus / 中国天然药物

Two new dimeric naphthoquinones, 5',8'-dihydroxy-6,6'-dimethyl-7,3'-binaphthyl-1,4,1',4'-tetraone (1; Di-naphthodiospyrol D) and 5',8'-dihydroxy-5,8-dimethoxy-6,6'-dimethyl-7,3'-binaphthyl-1,4,1',4'-tetraone (2; Di-naphthodiospyrol E), along with known naphthoquinones diospyrin (3) and 8-hydroxy diospyrin (4) were isolated from the chloroform fraction of extract of Diospyros lotus roots. Their structures were elucidated by advanced spectroscopic analyses, including HSQC, HMBC, NOESY, and J-resolved NMR experiments. The fractions and compounds 1-4 were evaluated for urease activity and phosphodiesterase-I, carbonic anhydrase-II and α-chymotrypsin enzyme inhibitory activities. Compounds 1 and 2 and their corresponding fractions showed significant and selective inhibitory effects on urease activities. The IC values of 1 and 2 were 260.4 ± 6.37 and 381.4 ± 4.80 µmol·L, respectively, using thiourea (IC = 21 ± 0.11 µmol·L) as the standard inhibitor. This was the first report demonstrating that the naphthoquinones class showed urease inhibition.

Three new anthraquinone derivatives isolated from Symplocos racemosa and their antibiofilm activity / 中国天然药物

Three new alkyl substituted anthraquinone derivatives, trivially named as symploquinones A-C (Compounds 1-3) were isolated from Symplocos racemosa. The structures of these compounds were determined on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analyses (UV, IR, Mass, H- and C-NMR, and two-dimensional (2D) NMR techniques). The resulting data were also compared with the reported literature. These compounds were then subjected to antibacterial or antibiofilm testing. Compounds 1 and 3 exhibited good antibacterial activity in the concentration range of 160-83 μg·mL against Streptococcus mutans, methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Proteus mirabilis. Both compounds were further screened for anti-biofilm activity, which revealed promising activities at sub-MIC concentrations. None of the compounds were found to be active against Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Pharmacognostic and phytochemical studies of Zanthoxylum armatum DC

The pharmacognostic and phytochemical investigations on the leaf, stem bark, and fruit of Zanthoxylum armatum were carried out. Macroscopic study of leaf, stem bark, and fruit of Z. armatum revealed some of the characteristic features like size, shape, color, odor and taste of the crude drug. Distinguishing fragments were identified from the powder drug. Leaf, bark, and fruit powder of this plant have higher values of total, acid insoluble, and water soluble ash as compared to the powder of this plant exhausted with ethanol and n- hexane. Extraction values in methanol were highest for leaves [20.10%] and fruit [11%], while bark showed highest value in chloroform [8.5%]. The extractive values varied among other parts with different solvents. Fluorescence analysis of the Z. Armatum leaf, stem bark, and fruit powder with various reagents showed characteristic coloration at day and under UV light. Quantitative phytochemical screening revealed the presence of many bioactive constituents in leaves, such as alkaloids [15.60+/-0.10 mg/g], sterols [71.60+/-0.10mg/g], saponins [21.57+/-0.12mg/g], tannins [34.43+/-0.21mg/g], phenols [11.66+/-0.33mg/g] and flavonoids [13.68+/-0.66mg/g]. Alkaloids [19.60+/-0.10mg/g], sterols [33.83+/-0.29mg/g], saponins [14.78+/-0.10mg/g], tannins [28.62+/-0.13mg/g], phenols [16.48+/-1.33mg/g] and flavonoids [18.33+/-1.22mg/g] were reported form the bark, while fruits were reported to have alkaloids [25.07+/-0.21mg/g], sterols [164.92+/-0.14mg/g], saponins [28.60+/-0.10mg/g], tannins [35.5+/-0.5mg/g], phenols [21.68+/-0.44mg/g] and flavonoids [22.8+/-1.33mg/g]. Z. armatum is an important medicinal plant, traditionally used for various ailments. This study will be helpful in the future pharmacognostic standardization of this important plant

Hyperuricemia in female and male patients of chronic plaque psoriasis

Objective: To determine hyperuricemia in patients with chronic plaque psoriasis

Methods: Out of 194, 97 biopsy proven patients of psoriasis were taken as cases and 97 participants coming to OPD with any other skin disease like acne, alopecia, dermatomycosis etc. as controls. 5ml of venous blood was drawn in sterile syringe and using gel sample tube was sent to the laboratory for serum uric acid level

Results: There were 54.6% [106/194] male and 45.4% [88/194] female. Patients of psoriasis had hyperuricemia more frequently than controls [25.8% vs. 7.2%]. Although male patients and similar frequency of hyperuricemia as in controls [15.2% vs. 6.7%], female patients had significantly more frequent than controls [35.3% vs. 8.1%]

Conclusion: Hyperuricemia is a common finding in psoriatic patients. Its treatment might be clinically useful for the global treatment of patients. We found a female preponderance which could also be due to the overall more proportion of female patients visiting the clinic