Effect of hexane extract of spirulina in the removal of arsenic from isolated liver tissues of rat.

The present study was conducted to investigate whether the active compound(s) of spirulina is present in its -- alcohol extract, hexane extract, DCM extract or in their residues. In phase I the accumulation of arsenic in isolated liver tissues of rat at different incubation period (15, 30, 45 minutes) was seen. In phase II arsenic-loaded liver tissues were incubated in presence and absence of alcohol extract, alcohol extraction residues, hexane extract, hexane extraction residues, DCM extract and DCM extraction residues of spirulina respectively. The percentage removal of arsenic from liver tissues by different extracts and residues of spirulina was estimated by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. In phase III arsenic-loaded liver tissues were incubated in presence and absence of different concentration of hexane extract of spirulina and the percentage removal of arsenic from liver tissues was estimated. This study showed that the accumulation of arsenic in isolated liver tissue was time dependent and highest accumulation found was 0.69 microg/g tissues after 45 minutes incubation, which was highly significant. The percentage removal of arsenic from arsenic loaded liver tissues by alcohol extract, alcohol extraction residues, hexane extract, hexane extraction residues, DCM extract, DCM extraction residues were 33.8%,4.4%,83.0%,10.2%,7.3% and 2.9%, respectively. The percentage removal of arsenic by hexane extract at the concentration of 1, 10, 100 microg were 13.2%, 29.4% and 89.7%, respectively. Among the different extracts and residues of spirulina the hexane extract causes highly significant (p<0.001) removal. In conclusion the present study suggests that the active compound(s) of spirulina is present mostly in its hexane extract.

Serological response to immunization with tetanus toxoid.

A total of two hundred women were immunized with tetanus toxoid vaccine. Two batches of toxoid prepared at the Institute of Public Health (IPH), Dhaka and one batch of imported vaccines, were being used by the EPI in Bangladesh for immunization. Each hundred women were immunized by IPH and imported vaccine. Two human doses were given in one month interval. Blood samples from all the study subjects were collected on the day of 1st dose and one month after second dose. Both the preimmunized sera and the sera after vaccination were tested to determine the antibody titre against tetanus toxoid by the haemagglutination method. The preimmunized sera showed the presence of protective antibody in 50(25%) subjects who had the history of previous immunization. Including these initial antitoxin positive cases the seroconversions found among 95% and 96% of the study population respectively after immunization with IPH and imported toxoids, which were 93.05% and 94.87% when these 50 subjects were excluded. No significant difference (p = 1.0) was observed between the immunity of the subjects after receiving IPH and imported vaccine. Antibody titre of initial tetanus-antitoxin positive cases raised eight folds after getting more doses. The result gave fair indication of the antigenicity of all the toxoids used in the study.