Comparative anthelmintic efficacy of Arundo donax, Areca catechu, and Ferula assa-foetida against Haemonchus contortus / Eficácia anthelmíntica comparativa de Arundo donax, Areca catechu e Ferula assa-foetida contra Haemonchus contortus

Abstract In the present study, anthelmintic activities of Arundo (A.) donax L., Areca (Ar.) catechu L., and Ferula (F.) assa-foetida L. were determined. Leaves of A. donax L., latex of F. assa-foetida L. and seeds of Ar. catechu L. in different solvent fractions were subjected to in vitro (egg hatch assay; EHA, and adult motility assay; AMA) and in vivo (faecal egg count reduction test; FECRT) tests of anthelmintic activity using Haemonchus contortus model. In the AMA, crude aqueous methanol extracts (CAME) and ethyl acetate fractions of F. assa-foetida at 10 hr post-treatment showed maximum mortality of H. contortus at 12.5-50 mg mL-1. In the EHA, CAME of F. assa-foetida was identified as a potent ovicide based on its low LC50 (16.9 µg mL-1), followed in order by Ar. catechu and A. donax. Results from the FECRT also showed the extract of F. assa-foetida L. to be more effective than those of Ar. catechu L. and A. donax L., against the gastrointestinal parasitic nematodes. Chloroform and ethyl acetate fractions showed better anthelmintic activities against the adult worms in vitro, while CAME of these plants were better than their crude powders in vivo. It is recommended to document and investigate indigenous knowledge of possible medicinal plants to plan scientific trials that may justify their endorsement.

Resumo No presente estudo, as atividades anti-helmínticas de Arundo (A.) donax L., Areca (Ar.) Catechu L. e Ferula (F.) assa-foetida L. foram determinadas. Folhas de A. donax L., látex de F. assa-foetida L. e sementes de Ar. catechu L. em diferentes frações de solvente foram submetidos a testes in vitro (teste de eclosão de ovos, EHA e ensaio de motilidade em adultos, AMA); e in vivo (teste de redução da contagem de ovos fecais, FECRT) de atividade anti-helmíntica, usando-se Haemonchus contortus. Na AMA, extratos aquosos brutos de metanol (CAME) e frações de acetato de etila de F. assa-foetida. Dez horas pós-tratamento, apresentaram mortalidade máxima de H. contortus em 12,5-50 mg mL-1. No EHA, CAME de F. assa-foetida foi identificado como um ovicida potente baseado em seu baixo LC50 (16,9 µg mL-1), seguido em ordem por Ar. catechu e A. donax. Os resultados do FECRT também mostraram que o extrato de F. assa-foetida L. é mais eficaz do que o de Ar. catechu L. e A. donax L., contra nematoides parasitas gastrointestinais. As frações clorofórmio e acetato de etila mostraram melhores atividades anti-helmínticas contra vermes adultos in vitro, enquanto o CAME dessas plantas foi melhor do que o pó bruto in vivo. Recomenda-se documentar e investigar o conhecimento indígena de possíveis plantas medicinais para planejar ensaios científicos que possam justificar seu endosso.

Effectiveness of thrombolytic therapy in patients with acute myocardial infarction within 12 hours of symptoms

Background: Atherosclerotic coronary artery disease particularly myocardial infarction is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality all over the world and its incidence is also on the rise in Pakistan. This study was done to assess the effectiveness of thrombolytic therapy in patients with acute myocardial infarction and comparison between diabetics and non- diabetics.Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted at Department of Cardiology, Bahawal Victoria Hospital, Bahawalpur from January to June 2019. Total 380 patients of aged 30-70 years either male or female with diagnosis of acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction presenting within 12 hours of the onset of chest pain were selected. Patients were given thrombolytic therapy with Streptokinase 1.5 MIU over 1 hour and post therapy, efficacy was assessed.Results: Mean age of the patients was 51.37±10.08 years. Mean duration of diabetes mellitus was 5.99±3.47 years. Duration of chest pain ranged from 1 hour to 12 hours with mean duration of 4.66±2.98 hours. Out of 380 patients of MI, treatment was found effective in 202 (53.2%) patients. Female gender, type of MI, and duration of chest pain were significantly associated with reduced efficacy (p value < 0.05). Presence of hypertension, smoking, dyslipidemia or family history of MI did not alter the efficacy significantly (p>0.05) while patients having diabetes had significantly reduced efficacy (p value < 0.001).Conclusions: There is reduced effectiveness of thrombolytic therapy in diabetic patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction.

Acaricidal and insecticidal effects of essential oils against ectoparasites of veterinary importance / Efectos acaricidas e insecticidas de los aceites esenciales contra los ectoparásitos de importancia veterinaria

Ectoparasitism in animals has become an issue of great concern that needs to be resolved to prevent huge economic losses occurring to livestock industry all over the world. Synthetic adrugs have been playing a major role in controlling ectoparasites, but their frequent and irrational use has resulted in drug resistance to routinely used chemicals and their residual effects on food and environment. Therefore, this approach of using chemical acaricides and insecticides is losing its popularity and effectiveness in controlling ectoparasites. So, the development of alternative approaches in ectoparasite management is currently required. Among alternative protocols, plants and their essential oils have played remarkable role in controlling different ectoparasites (ticks, flies, mites, lice) of veterinary importance. Essential oils have been proved to be cheaper, more effective and safer therapeautic agents against different ectoparasites of livestock importance.

En los animales el ectoparasitismo se ha convertido en un tema de gran preocupación que debe resolverse para evitar que se produzcan grandes pérdidas económicas para la industria ganadera en todo el mundo. Los aditivos sintéticos han desempeñado un papel importante en el control de los ectoparásitos, pero su uso frecuente e irracional ha dado como resultado la resistencia a los fármacos utilizados habitualmente y efectos residuales sobre los alimentos y el medio ambiente. Por lo tanto, el enfoque basado en el uso de acaricidas e insecticidas químicos está perdiendo popularidad y efectividad en el control de los ectoparásitos. Por lo tanto, actualmente se requiere el desarrollo de enfoques alternativos en el manejo de ectoparásitos. Entre los protocolos alternativos, las plantas y sus aceites esenciales han jugado un papel notable en el control de diferentes ectoparásitos (garrapatas, moscas, ácaros, piojos) de importancia veterinaria. Se ha demostrado que los aceites esenciales son agentes terapéuticos más baratos, más efectivos y más seguros contra diferentes ectoparásitos de importancia ganadera.

Profiling of Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines in Radiation Induced Oral Mucositis (RIOM) among Indian patients

Radiation-induced oral mucositis (RIOM) is aimed at evaluating the expression of NF-κß, IL-1α, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α in patients with RIOM so as to validate their role in the pathobiology of the disease. Blood samples were collected and serum of 45 patients isolated with clinical signs and symptoms of mucositis and 10 healthy controls were also included in the study. The expression level of NF-κß, IL-1α, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α was investigated using ELISA. Mann Whitney U test was applied to find the significance of the expression of these markers in RIOM patients as compared to normal healthy controls and significant expression (P< 0.05) for NF-κß, IL-6, TNF-α and non-significant expression (P > 0.05) IL-1α and IL-8 was found. No significant change in the expression level of the cytokines was observed for patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiation therapy as well as those receiving only the radiation therapy as a part of their treatment. We have also found less expression in grade 1 of mucositis as compared to grade 4. Pro- inflammatory cytokines indeed play a vital role in the pathogenesis as well as progression of RIOM (AU)

In-vitro anticoccidial potential of Saccharum officinarum extract against Eimeria oocysts / Potencial in vitro anti coccidial de un extracto de Saccharum officinarum contra oocistos de Eimeria

Present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of aqueous methanolic extract from Saccharum officinarum on the sporulation and morphology of oocysts of four Eimeria species (Eimeria tenella, E. necatrix, E. mitis, E. brunetti) of poultry. Sporulation inhibition bioassay was used to evaluate the activity of Saccharum officinarum extract (SOE) on the sporulation of coccidian oocysts. In this assay, unsporulated oocysts were exposed to six concentrations of S. officinarum in 10 percent dimethyl sulfoxide solution (w/v; 10, 5, 2.5, 1.25, 0.625 and 0.31 percent) while DMSO and potassium dichromate solution (K2Cr2O7) served as control groups. The Petri dishes were partially covered to allow the passage of oxygen and incubated at 25-29° C for 48 h, providing 60-80 percent humidity. The sporulation of the oocyst was confirmed by examining sporocysts under inverted microscope at 40x. Results showed anticoccidial activity of SOE against all Eimeria species as proved by its ability to inhibit the sporulation of the oocysts under laboratory conditions. Inhibition of sporulation was observed in dose dependent manner. S. officinarum extract at higher dose also damaged the normal morphology and shape of oocysts of Eimeria species.

El presente estudio se llevó a cabo para evaluar el efecto del extracto metanólico acuoso a partir de Saccharum officinarum en la esporulación de los ooquistes y la morfología de cuatro especies de Eimeria tenella (Eimeria, E. necatrix, E. mitis, E. brunetti) de aves de corral. Bioensayos de la inhibición de la esporulación se utilizaron para evaluar la actividad de extracto de Saccharum officinarum (SOE) en la esporulación de ooquistes de coccidios. En este ensayo, los ooquistes no esporulados se expusieron a seis concentraciones de S. officinarum en solución de dimetil sulfóxido 10 por ciento (w / v; 10, 5, 2,5, 1,25, 0,625 y 0,31 por ciento), mientras DMSO y una solución de dicromato de potasio (K2Cr2O7) sirvió como grupos de control. Las placas de Petri se cubren parcialmente para permitir el paso de oxígeno y se incubaron a 25-29° C durante 48 h, proporcionando el 60-80 por ciento de humedad. La esporulación de los ooquistes fue confirmado mediante el examen de esporoquistes bajo microscopio invertido a 40x. Los resultados mostraron actividad anticoccidial de SOE contra todas las especies de Eimeria como se ha demostrado por su capacidad para inhibir la esporulación de los ooquistes en condiciones de laboratorio. Se observó una inhibición de la esporulación de manera dependiente de la dosis. Extracto de S. officinarum en dosis más alta también dañó la morfología normal y la forma de ooquistes de las especies de Eimeria.

Reproductive health; perceptions, attitudes and practices among young females in Faisalabad district, Pakistan

Reproductive health is concerned with the people's ability to have a satisfying and safe sex life ensuring their capability to reproduce with a liberty of making a decision that if, when and how often they have to do so. [1] To examine the females perceptions, attitude and practices about reproductive health services. [2] To determine the level of their empowerment to take decisions and make choices regarding their own reproductive health. [3] To determine the level of the quality, availability and accessibility of reproductive health services and to suggest some measures for policy makers to improve the reproductive health state of young mothers in district Faisalabad. A sample of 600 young married females of age 15-32 years were selected through multistage sampling technique. 2009. Rural and urban area of District Faisalabad. Uni-variate [frequency distribution and percentage] and Bi-variate analysis [Chi square and Gamma Statistics] was carried out. Most [44.0%] of the respondents belonged to age category of 26-30 years; 35.5% were married up to 18 years; 39.3% had passed up to 5 years marriage duration; 71.8% had primary and above level of education. Majority [65.9%] had up to Rs.10,000 per month income, 49.2% possessed 6-10 family members, 73.5% beard at least 2 and above live children, 74.0% perceived family planning good,79.7% had knowledge of FP and 26.0% practiced FPM [Family Planning Method]. The most common FPMs were condom [33.3%] and tubectomy [21.8%] while 41.0% faced side effect because of FPM during their reproductive life. A huge majority [79.8%] of the respondents received ANC, 87.8% made regular visits for medical checkup and 48.8% got ANC from Pvt. Hospital during last pregnancy. Bi-variate analysis showed highly significant relation among age at marriage, awareness level, monthly income, education, number of pregnancies, number of children, number of visits to medical centre, availability of RH services, cultural hindrance and age of respondents vs. their reproductive health. Although most of the females were young and educated mothers with good reproductive health experience and perceived FM good but still lacking in practicing FMPs which indicates that we need to pay more attention towards female empowerment and decision making authority status at domestic level

Health issues and wellbeing; working children in carpet industry in Punjab, Pakistan

Children are perceived as the future of any country. With this in mind, child labor does nothing but destroy the future of the children. Carpet weaving is destructive for children because children often sit in odd positions for extensive hours, inhaling dust and working in inadequate lighting situations, all these aspects are hazardous to the wellbeing of children. Child carpet weavers have to face occupational damages and diseases. To identify the factors contributing to child labor and effects of work-related health issues on the wellbeing of carpet weavers. Cross sectional survey. Punjab province. A sample of 320 carpet child workers of age group 8-17 years was interviewed. A well-structured questionnaire was constructed to collect the data. The SPSS/PC + 20.0 Statistical Package for Social Sciences were used for analyzing the data. The study found that majority of the respondents was facing the problem of body aches, backbone problem, eye strain and general exhaustion and cuts and wounds. The significant relationship was observed between work-related illness [type of illness] and the personal wellbeing of carpet working children. It was strongly suggested that comprehensive strategy consisting of macro as well as micro policies is to be commenced to control, reduce and eradicate. The ill effects related to carpet weaving. The participation of children in carpet weaving industry should be stopped or at least immunizad present. The carpet workers immediately need concentrated efforts not only to solve their work-related issues, but also to make them productive adult in their own wellbeing as well as in the welfares of society

Knowledge and attitude; STIs, HIV, Aids, RTIS, breast cancer and reproductive health among young females in Faisalabad district, Pakistan

Reproductive health is concerned with the people's ability to have a satisfying and safe sex life ensuring their capability to reproduce with a liberty of making a decision that if, when and how often they have to do so. In Pakistan, culturally females are married at a young age; become mothers and are at risk of health complications i.e. HIV/ STD and STI. There is less utilization of reproductive health services throughout Pakistan that ultimately affects health status of people at very young age. Most of the communities are not aware of reproductive health services, thus not availing these facilities. So the present study was designed to examine the females perceptions, attitude and practices about reproductive health services as well as to determine the level of their empowerment to take decisions and make choices regarding their own reproductive health besides determining the level of the quality, availability and accessibility of reproductive health services and to suggest some measures for policy makers to improve the reproductive health state of young mothers in district Faisalabad. A sample of 600 young married females of age 15-32 years was selected through multistage sampling technique. 2009. Rural and urban area of District Faisalabad. Uni-variate [frequency distribution and percentage] and Bi-variate analysis [Chi square and Gamma Statistics] was carried out. Most [44.0%] of the respondents belonged to age category of 26-30 years; 35.5% were married for 18 years; 39.3% had been married for 5 years; 71.8% had primary and above level of education. Majority [65.9%] had up to Rs.10,000 per month income, 49.2% possessed 6-10 family members, 73.5% had at least 2 and above live children. Majority had the knowledge of reproductive health [67.7%] and HIV/AIDs [54.7%] whereas most of females had no knowledge of STIs [69.8%], RTIs [52.3%] and its development [51.8%]. Most of the females experienced headache [62.8%], swelling of different body parts [61%] and back pain [62.7%] during their reproductive life. Bi-variate analysis showed highly significant relation among age at marriage, number of children, cultural hindrance and age of respondents vs. their reproductive health. Although most of the females were young and educated mothers with good reproductive health experience but still lacking in knowledge about STIs, HIV/AIDS, RTIs and breast cancer that is because of cultural hindrance, early age marriage pattern and male dominancy which indicates that we need to pay more attention towards female education and empowerment and decision making authority status at domestic level through community mobilization with the help of NGOs, Religious scholars and existing health system/ Health personnel's .i.e. doctors/ nurses /LHV/FHW

A comprehensive analysis of breakpoint cluster region-abelson fusion oncogene splice variants in chronic myeloid leukemia and their correlation with disease biology.

BACKGROUND: BCR-ABL fusion oncogene is a hallmark of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML). It results due to translocation between chromosome 22 and chromosome 9 [t (9; 22)(q34; q11)]. It gives rise to translation of a 210 KDa chimeric protein (p210), leading to enhanced tyrosine kinase activity and activation of leukemogenic pathways, ultimately causing onset of CML. In case of CML, the classic fusions are b2a2 or b3a2, fusing exon 13 (b2) or exon 14 (b3) of BCR, respectively, to exon 2 (a2) of ABL. The type of BCR-ABL transcripts are thought to be have different prognosis and hence useful in clinical decision-making. The frequencies of different fusion oncogenes associated with leukemia can vary in different ethnic groups and geographical regions due to interplay of genetic variation in different ethnic populations, diverse environmental factors and living style. Moreover, earlier relevant studies from our region were carried out in small subset of patients. Therefore, objective of this study was to find out frequencies of different BCR-ABL splice variants in larger subset of CML patients. METHODS: A nested reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was established to detect BCRABL splice variants in 130 CML patients. Sensitivity of RT-PCR and ability to detect BCR-ABL fusion gene in least possible time was studied. RESULTS: BCR-ABL detection using our optimized RTPCR protocol could be completed in 8 hours, starting from RNA extraction to Gel electrophoresis. Sensitivity of RTPCR assay was of the order of 10−6. Out of 130 Pakistani patients, 83 (63.84%) expressed b3a2 while 47 (36.15%) expressed b2a2 transcript. CONCLUSION: Our RT-PCR was proved to be very quick to detect BCR-ABL fusion oncogene in CML patients within one working day. Because of its sensitivity, it can be used to monitor complete molecular response in CML. BCR-ABL RT-PCR and BCR-ABL splice variants frequency in our study differs from other ethnic groups. It shows that ethnic and geographical differences exist in BCR-ABL splice variant frequency, which may have a profound effect on disease biology as well as implications in prognosis and clinical management of BCR-ABL positive leukemias.

Anticoccidial activity of hydrochloric acid (HCl) against Eimeria tenella in broiler chickens

The present study was planned to evaluate the anticoccidial activity of the different concentrations of the HCl against Eimeria tenella infection in broiler chickens in comparison with the amprolium anticoccidial. For this purpose, a total of 198 chicks were placed 11 per pen with three pens per treatment. The different concentrations of HCl (1000ppm, 2000ppm and 3000ppm) and amproilum (at the dose rate of 125ppm) were given to the experimental groups in drinking water from 10 to 19th days of age. One group was kept as infected non medicated control and one as non infected non medicated control. At the 12th day of age, all the groups were inoculated orally with 75,000 sporulated oocysts except non infected non medicated control. Anticoccidial activity was evaluated on the basis of performance (weight gain, feed conversion ratio) and pathogenic (oocyst score, lesion score and mortality percentage) parameters. Among HCl medicated groups, the maximum anticoccidial effect was seen in the group medicated with 1000ppm HCl followed by 2000ppm and 3000ppm HCl medicated groups. Amprolium and 1000ppm HCl were almost equivalent in suppressing the negative performance and pathogenic effects associated with coccidiosis (Eimeria tenella) challenge. In summary, the lower doses of HCl have the potential to be used as alternative to chemotherapeutic drugs for Eimeria tenella control. It is therefore suggested that further studies should be carried out to determine the possible minimum safe levels of HCl with least toxic effects to be used as anticoccidial.

Anticoccidial effects of acetic acid on performance and pathogenic parameters in broiler chickens challenged with Eimeria tenella

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the anticoccidial effect of the different concentrations of the acetic acid in the broiler chickens in comparison with the amprolium anticoccidial. A total of 198 chicks were placed 11 per pen with three pens per treatment. The different concentrations (1 percent, 2 percent and 3 percent) of acetic acid and amproilum (at the dose rate of 125ppm) were given to the experimental groups in drinking water from 10-19th days of age. One group was kept as infected non medicated control and one as non infected non medicated control. All the groups were inoculated orally with 75,000 sporulated oocysts at the 12th day of age except non infected non medicated control. Anticoccidial effect was evaluated on the basis of performance (weight gain, feed conversion ratio) and pathogenic (oocyst score, lesion score and mortality percentage) parameters. Among acetic acid medicated groups, the maximum anticoccidial effect was seen in the group medicated with 3 percent acetic acid followed by 2 percent and 1 percent acetic acid medicated groups. Amprolium and 3 percent acetic acid were almost equivalent in suppressing the negative performance and pathogenic effects associated with coccidiosis (Eimeria tenella) challenge. In summary, acetic acid has the potential to be used as alternative to chemotherapeutic drugs for Eimeria tenella control. Concentration-dependent anticoccidial effect of acetic acid suggests that further studies should be carried out to determine the possible maximum safe levels of acetic acid with least toxic effects to be used as anticoccidial.

Anticoccidial activity of Curcuma longa L. in broilers

Comparative efficacy of turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) crude powder and salinomycin sodium on the occurrence of coccidiosis and growth performance of broiler was evaluated. A total of 90, day-old chicks were randomly divided into six groups. From first day onward, ration was supplemented with 1, 2 and 3 percent turmeric powder in groups 2, 3 and 4, respectively, group 1 received salinomycin sodium @ 12 g 50 kg-1 feed while groups 5 and 6 were kept as infected un-medicated and uninfected un-medicated controls. First five groups were infected with Eimeria tenella sporulated oocysts @ 1,00,000/chick at the age of 20 days. Body weight gain, feed consumption, feed conversion ratio were investigated throughout the experimental period, and bloody diarrhea and oocysts excretions were investigated at the first and the second week after infection. Maximum coccidiostatic effect was observed with turmeric (3 percent) showing mild bloody diarrhea as compared to other infected groups receiving turmeric containing rations. This effect was comparable with a standard coccidiostat i.e., salinomycin sodium. Similarly, the weight gain in the groups treated with salinomycin sodium (2280g) and 3 percent turmeric (2293g) were also significantly higher (p < 0.05) than that of infected control group (1955g). In the groups treated with ration supplemented with 3 percent turmeric powder and salinomycin sodium, the peak excretion of oocysts was delayed about 1 or 2 days relative to the control infected group. Concentration-dependent coccidiostatic effect of turmeric suggested that further studies should be carried out to determine the possible maximum safe levels of turmeric with least toxic effects to be used as coccidiostat.

Effect of aluminum and chromium on the germination and growth of two Vigna species

The study deals with the effect of metal toxicity [aluminum, chromium and combination of both the metals] on seed germination, root length, shoot length, seedling length and dry biomass of Vigna radiata and V. sinensis. Chromium adversely affected the seedling by significantly reducing the growth whereas aluminum did not show such effect in both the species. Percentage of germination was good in both the species at different concentration of treatment [aluminum, chromium and combined treatment]. Shoot length was also not much affected in V. sinensis as it was greatly inhibited in V. radiata. Both the species showed the purpling of stem. Dry biomass of V. radiata showed positive effect than V. sinensis. However, dry biomass decreased to a lesser extent when treated with aluminum, chromium and combined treatment as compared to control

Tolerance and safety of superficial chemical peeling with salicylic acid in various facial dermatoses.

BACKGROUND: Chemical peeling is a skin-wounding procedure that may have some potentially undesirable side-effects. AIMS: The present study is directed towards safety concerns associated with superficial chemical peeling with salicylic acid in various facial dermatoses. METHODS: The study was a non-comparative and a prospective one. Two hundred and sixty-eight patients of either sex, aged between 10 to 60 years, undergoing superficial chemical peeling for various facial dermatoses (melasma, acne vulgaris, freckles, post-inflammatory scars/pigmentation, actinic keratoses, plane facial warts, etc.) were included in the study. Eight weekly peeling sessions were carried out in each patient. Tolerance to the procedure and any undesirable effects noted during these sessions were recorded. RESULTS: Almost all the patients tolerated the procedure well. Mild discomfort, burning, irritation and erythema were quite common but the incidence of major side-effects was very low and these too, were easily manageable. There was no significant difference in the incidence of side-effects between facial dermatoses (melasma, acne and other pigmentary disorders). CONCLUSION: Chemical peeling with salicylic acid is a well tolerated and safe treatment modality in many superficial facial dermatoses.