ABSTRACT
Aim: Citrus fruits are well known for its medicinal and food value. Aim of this study is to investigate acetylcholinesterase ((AChE)) inhibitory activity, butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) inhibitory activity, total phenolics, flavonoids, flavonols content and thrombolytic activities of crude methanol extracts of 6 citrus fruits (Citrus limon, Citrus aurantifollia, Citrus bergamia, Citrus maxima, Citrus sinensis and Citrus macroptera). Methods: The fruits were extracted by using methanol as solvent. Ellman’s colourimetric method was applied to determine both cholinesterase inhibitory activities, while folin-ciocalteau reagent (FCR) and aluminium chloride were used to quantify total phenolics, flavonoids, flavonol content of those fruits. Blood clot lysis method was applied for determining the thrombolytic activity of those fruits. Results: All citrus fruits contain a good amount of phenolics, flavonoids and flavonols. C. maxima found more prominent in containing phenolics and flavonols compare to other citrus fruits, with 414.06 ± 2.87 mg Gallic Acid Equivalent/gm and 12.94 ± 1.31 mg Catechin Equivalent/gm dried extract respectively. Citrus sinensis showed the highest content in flavonoids with 21.16± 1.37 mg Catechin 20 Equivalent /gm dried extract. Citrus fruits are also a quality source of cholinesterase inhibitors. All the examined citrus fruits were found capable of inhibiting both acetylcholinesterases (AChE) as well as butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE). C. bergamia was most effective in inhibiting AChE with IC50 of 27.18 µg/ml where C. macroptera was best in inhibiting BuChE (IC50 32.5 µg/ml). But none of the citrus fruits was found fit for thrombolytic activity. Conclusion: Citrus fruits are found the sound in inhibiting AChE and BuChE as well as containing Phenolics, flavonoids and flavonols. But they lack in their thrombolytic activity.
ABSTRACT
Background: Smoking is one of the leading preventable causes of premature death, disease, and disability. Adolescence is the period of physical, psychological and social maturation from childhood to adulthood and adolescent smoking is a continuous process which is related to many disease factors. Objective: To find out the factors related to smoking among rural adolescents. Materials and method: One hundred and fifty one male adolescent aged 13 to 19 years from rural areas were interviewed with a semi-structured questionnaire during January to June 2013, at Dhamrai Upazilla Health Complex, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh. The socio demographic details, smoking and depression history were recorded. The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) Scale was used to measure the presence of depression. Smoking behavior was measured by a number of questions. Results: Mean(±SD) age of the study subjects was 16.8(±1.9) years. Most of the respondents started smoking around the average age of 14.3 years. The study shows that 64% respondents were smokers. Among smokers 80% were influenced by their friends about smoking. Seventy eight percent of the smokers were suffering from depression while 22% of nonsmokers were depressed (p<0.001). Majority (72%) of the issues of the smoker parents were smoker (p<0.5). Domestic violence (p<0.001) and stressful events in life (p<0.05) also played significant roles for smoking. Conclusion: Depression, parent smoking and peer smoking, domestic violence, and stressful life events are important factors to start smoking in rural adolescents.