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Abstract: Tissue culture technique is one of the best methods to reproduce salvia plant Therefore, the aim of this research was to enhance the in-vitro callus proliferation and production of secondary metabolites of S. moorcroftiana using different combinations of auxin, cytokinin and melatonin. Initially, callus induction was optimized using indole acetic acid (IAA), 2, 4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2,4-D), and naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) applied at different concentrations in combination with 1 mg L-1 of 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP). The results indicates that earliest days to callus induction (14.67 days) was occurred in the media fortified with 2, 4-D+BAP (2.0+1.0 mgL-1). Whereas the highest callus initiation (100%) was induced on MS medium incorporated with 2,4-D+BAP (1+1mgL-1). Furthermore, maximum fresh weight was obtained when 2,4- D + BAP at the rate of (1+ 1mg L-1) was incorporated and dry weight was attained when 2,4- D + BAP at the rate of (2+1 mg L-1) was added to MS media. The maximum fresh and dry weight was obtained when melatonin at rate of 1.5 mg L-1 was supplemented with MS media including 2,4-D + BAP (1+1mg L-1), moreover the maximum DPPH scavenging activity, total phenolic and flavonoid content was noted when supplemented with melatonin at rate of 1.5 mg L-1. In conclusion, among various concentrations of plant growth regulators, 2,4- D + BAP at the rate of (1+ 1mg L-1) along with 1.5 g L-1 melatonin was the best for callus growth and production of secondary metabolites of S. moorcroftiana.
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Aims: To compare the level of awareness and willingness of eye donation between first and last year medical students of Karachi, Pakistan. Methodology: A total of 1010 medical students were selected from 4 different medical universities of Karachi through random sampling of which 524 (52%) were first year students and 486 (48%) were final year students. Cross sectional study design was conducted to access their perception towards eye donation. For this a self-administered semi structured questionnaire was used which covered individual’s awareness, willingness, source of information and compelling factors for eye donation. Results: 522 out of 524 first year (99.6 %) and 486 out of 486 final year (100%) medical students were well aware of eye donation. Willingness to donate eyes after death was seen in only 151/524 (28.8 %) first year students and 217/486 (44.6%) last year students. Most common source of information for first year students regarding eye donation was through mass media, TV and radio 320/524 (61%) however for the last year students it was through exposure in hospitals and information by medical specialist 311/486 (64%). Lastly humanitarian grounds was considered most common promoting factor for eye donation by both first (368/524 (70.2%)) and last (359/486 (73.8%)) year students. Conclusion: Awareness of eye donation was found high among both year of students despite this fact very less number of students were willing to donate eyes. This reflects that having awareness of eye donation isn’t enough thus measures should be taken to promote students to donate eyes by encouraging them to help the needy, inciting them with religious benefits and clearing any misconceptions about religion and ethical issues in this regard.
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Aquilaria agallocha, an important medicinal plant is one of the most widely growing species of the family Thymelaeaceae. It is a precious plant on the earth because of its spacious medicinal properties. The present review provides significant information regarding its phytochemical investigations, pharmacological activities and medicinal properties as a folk medicine to treat several diseases like inflammation, arthritis, vomiting, cardiac disorders, cough, asthma, leprosy, anorexia, headache and gout. The plant has been reported to possess several pharmacological activities such as antinociceptive, antimicrobial, laxative, anti-oxidant, sedative, antihyperglycaemic, thrombolytic, antidiabetic, ulcer protective, anticancerous, antidiarrhoeal, hepatoprotective and CNS activities. Every portion of the plant has beneficial properties that can serve the mankind. The entire plant can be extensively studied for further future prospectives.
ABSTRACT
To investigate the effect of earthworm inoculation on N mineralization rates of different quality organic matters from sugar agro-industry waste, we conducted a green house incubation experiment for 14 weeks in pots containing 7 kg dry soil. There are 12 treatment combinations.Factor I waswith (P) and without inoculation of P.corethrurus (N). Factor II was the type of OM which consisted of six levels: (1) without application of OM (control), (2) cow manure (CM), (3) filter cake (FC), (4) sugarcane trash (ST), (5) a mixture of CM + FC and (6) a mixture of CM + ST. The treatments were arranged in a factorial randomized block design with three replications. The amount of released N-NH4 +and N-NO3 - or mineral N was measured during incubation time from 1, 2, 4, 8, and 14 weeks after inoculation of earthworms. There was a significant effect of earthworm inoculation on N mineralization rate of different quality organic matters. Overall, rate of net N mineralization were higher in treatments with earthworm inoculation than without earthworm inoculation and the magnitude of the increase appears to dependent on the quality of organic matters. The largest difference were seen on ST and CM+ST treatments with the increase by 90 % and 157 % and the constant of N mineralization rate by 0.0147 and 0.0180 week-1 for the treatment with earthwormsinoculation.These results suggested that application of sugar agro-industry waste although having low quality can improve soil N availability in sugarcane land when aided by P.corethrurus activity.
ABSTRACT
A biodisponibilidade oral de muitos fármacos é limitada pelo tempo de residência das formas farmacêuticas ao longo do trato gastrointestinal. A mucoadesão tem sido proposta como forma de prolongar o tempo de residência em determinada zona, contribuindo para o aumento do efeito terapêutico dos fármacos. O estômago e o intestino delgado têm sido preferencialmente os alvos de estudo da mucoadesão, tendo sido observados resultados promissores em ensaios in vitro. Contudo, alguns ensaios em humanos, usando a técnica de γ-cintigrafia, têm revelado o insucesso da mucoadesão como forma de aumentar o tempo de contacto de formulações no trato gastrointestinal superior. A falta de correlação in vitro/in vivo pode ser atribuída à complexidade do trato gastrointestinal humano. Muitos dos modelos in vitro reproduzem apenas em parte as condições observadas in vivo. Outros fatores, tais como a motilidade, o pH, a espessura e a taxa de renovação de muco, presença de enzimas e alimentos, não têm sido simulados em ensaios in vitro. A taxa de renovação do muco, a sensibilidade aos estímulos secretores e a motilidade são mais baixas no cólon que no estômago e intestino delgado. Portanto, a mucoadesão no cólon poderá constituir um conceito mais bem sucedido. Contudo, são necessários mais estudos quer em modelos animais quer em humanos para avaliar o seu verdadeiro potencial. Além disso, são necessários estudos de farmacocinética para determinar a libertação e posterior absorção do fármaco a partir do sistema mucoadesivo.
The oral bioavailability of many drugs can be limited by the residence time of pharmaceutical dosage forms in the gastrointestinal tract. Mucoadhesion has been proposed as a method to increase residence time at a specific area, hence increasing the therapeutic effect of drugs. Most research efforts on mucoadhesion have focused on the stomach and small intestine, with promising results observed from in in vitro studies. However, γ-scintigraphy data obtained in human studies have revealed the lack of success of mucoadhesion approaches in order to increase the contact time of formulations in the upper gut. The lack of in vitro/in vivo correlation can be attributed to the complex nature of the human gastrointestinal tract, with most in vitro models providing little resemblance to the in vivo situation, such as motility, pH, mucus thickness and mucus turnover, presence of enzymes and food. In the colon, the mucus turnover, the sensibility to mucus secretory stimulus and motility are lower than in the stomach and small intestine. Therefore, colonic mucoadhesion may be a more successful approach. Nevertheless, more studies in animals and humans are needed to evaluate its potential, as well as, pharmacokinetic studies to investigate drug release and absorption from mucoadhesive systems.
Subject(s)
Gastrointestinal Tract , Mucous Membrane , Pharmacology , Absorption , Biological AvailabilityABSTRACT
Although a majority of Muslim patients with type 2 diabetes fast during the month of Ramadan, there are no accepted guidelines for its management during this period. The few studies on this subject suggest that there are important alterations in energy intake and physical activity, and that most patients change their pattern of drug intake. This is associated with a greater risk of hypoglycaemia and ketoacidosis. The usual pattern of eating during Ramadan, and its influence on the normal diurnal variation of blood sugar with a regular non-fasting diabetic diet, suggests that anti-diabetic agents for use during this period need to be selected according to their pharmacokinetic and tablet formulation characteristics. The sulphonylureas are first line drugs in type 2 diabetes and used by a majority of patients. A comparison of the pharmacokinetics, efficacy, and safety characteristics of these agents suggests that a long-acting once daily formulation of gliclazide such as gliclazide modified release, taken in the evening, may be the sulphonylurea of choice during Ramadan.
Subject(s)
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/drug therapy , Diabetic Ketoacidosis/prevention & control , Fasting/physiology , Holidays , Humans , Hypoglycemia/prevention & control , Hypoglycemic Agents/therapeutic use , Islam , Sulfonylurea Compounds/therapeutic useABSTRACT
Observations on associations between fatness and metabolic risks among South-East Asian adults have resulted in devising lower thresholds of body mass index (BMI) for them. Metabolic abnormalities, including type 2 diabetes, are now also appearing in children and are associated with obesity. There has not been much work done to identify indicators of metabolic risks among South Asian children. This study was undertaken to observe the relationship among fatness, blood lipids, and insulin resistance in Pakistani children. Fatness, lipids, and insulin resistance were assessed in 92 middle-class Pakistani school children aged 8-10 years. Height, weight, waist, hips, mid-arm circumference, and triceps skin-fold, measured in school, were used for calculating various indicators of fatness, i.e. BMI, waist hip ratio (WHR), and arm-fat percentage. Fasting blood samples were analyzed for total lipids, triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein (HDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL), glucose and insulin levels. Homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) index was calculated to assess insulin resistance. Two separate multiple regression models of various risk indicators (family history, sex, BMI, WHR, arm-fat percentage) showed that only arm-fat percentage had a significant positive association both with insulin levels (b = 2.04, p = 0.044) and LDL (b = 2.11, p = 0.037). Only five children were overweight (BMI-for-age > 85th percentile according to National Center for Health Statistics 2000 reference). Neither overweight children nor those who were in the uppermost tercile of BMI-for-age differed significantly from other children in terms of presence of higher-than-desirable values of lipids or insulin. However, compared to those in the lowest tercile, children who were in the uppermost tercile of armfat percentage had a significantly higher frequency of high blood cholesterol (40% vs 67%, p = 0.027), high LDL (33.3% vs 61.3%, p = 0.026), and markedly higher proportion above average insulin levels (16.7% vs 35.5%, p = 0.083). Arm-fat percentage could be developed as a practical tool for determining the risk status of children. However, further cross-sectional assessments are needed to ascertain accurate relationships among arm-fat percentage, lipid profiles, and insulin resistance in larger and varied groups of children.
Subject(s)
Adipose Tissue/metabolism , Anthropometry/methods , Body Mass Index , Child , Fasting , Female , Humans , Insulin/blood , Insulin Resistance , Lipids/blood , Male , Obesity/blood , Pakistan , Regression Analysis , Risk Assessment/methods , Risk FactorsABSTRACT
Repair of incisional hernia, using standard techniques such as 'Keel' or mass closure is followed by a recurrence rate as high as 46%. The Jenkins' method of incisional hernia repair was employed in this prospective study of 78 consecutive patients who presented over a period of 8 years. Using monofilament nylon, the muscular and aponeurotic layers were further reinforced by a 'tailor-made' darn having many points of attachment. In a follow-up period of 2 to 4 years the recurrence rate was 5.1%. This method gives results comparable to other methods of repair with the added advantage of easy availability and flexibility to adapt to individual patients' needs