ABSTRACT
Diabetes mellitus is a multifactorial metabolic disorder associated with the diabetes related vascular diseases. Oxidative stress along with inflammation is the Key factor leading to diabetic complications. Present study was designed to investigate the protective role of diosgenin, a steroidal saponin, in diabetes induced early kidney injury and oxidative stress markers and histopathological changes in kidney of diabetic rats, induced by single intra-peritoneal injection of streptozotocin (55 mg/kg weight (b.w.). After 72 hrs, experimental rats received diosgenin at different doses (10, 20 and 40 mg/kg b.w.) once daily for four weeks. At the end of the experiment, diabetic rats showed a significant increase in the levels of plasma glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin with a significant decrease in insulin and total hemoglobin. The activities of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, reduced glutathione, and the levels of reduced glutathione were decreased while increases in the levels of lipid peroxidation markers were observed in kidney tissues of diabetic rats. Oral administration of diosgenin to diabetic rats considerably shrivelled the plasma glucose and exaggerated the endocrine level supported a dose dependent manner. Diosgenin at a dose of 40 mg/kg b.w. was more pronounced effect than the other two doses and used for further studies. All the manifestations observed in diabetic rats were significantly reversed to near normal at a dose of 40 mg/kg b.w. of diosgenin. These findings recommend that diosgenin may have a helpful role against excretory organ harm evoked by aerobic stress within the diabetic state.
ABSTRACT
Carbon isotope fractionation associated with the aerobic consumption of propane (C3) were determined using Rhodococcus rhodochrous MTCC 291 bacterial strain to estimate the amount of hydrocarbon oxidized using GC, fractionation of δ13C carbon isotopes of propane and CO2 using GC-C-IRMS and growth of bacteria by UV-Visible Spectrophotometer. The initial δ13C isotopic value of propane was -34 ‰ and after incubation the changes of the isotopic values have been determined on 6th, 10th, 14th, and 17th days. The propane isotopic fractionation value was found to be maximum of -38.0 ‰ with an average value of -36.5 ‰ and a standard deviation of -1.22 ‰. The initial δ13C isotopic value of CO2 was -19.601 ‰. The CO2 isotopic fractionation value was found to be maximum of -29.153 ‰ with an average value of -26.859 ‰ and a standard deviation of -28.338 ‰. The consumption of propane gas was estimated using Gas Chromatograph. The initial concentration of propane in control was found to be 53 ppm. On incubation, the consumption of the propane gas was observed to be of 26 ppm. The carbon isotope fractionation presented here may be applied to estimate the extent of C1-C4 oxidation in natural gas samples, and should prove useful in further studying the microbial oxidation of these compounds in the natural environment.
ABSTRACT
Several techniques are used for the exploration of hydrocarbons, of which; the geochemical techniques involving the microbiological technique use the principle of detecting the light hydrocarbon seepage activities for indication of sub-surface petroleum accumulations. A survey was carried out to characterize the light gaseous hydrocarbons seeping in oil and gas fields of Krishna-Godavari basin of Andhra Pradesh. A set of 50 sub-soil samples were collected at depths of about 3 m for geochemical analyses and 1m for microbiological analysis. The microbial prospecting studies showed the presence of high bacterial population for methane 2.5 x 102 to 6.0 x 106 cfu g-1, propane 1x102 to 8.0 x 106 cfu g-1 in soil samples. The adsorbed soil gas analysis showed the presence of moderate to low concentrations of methane (26 to 139 ppb), ethane (0 to 17 ppb), propane (0 to 8 ppb), butane (0 to 5 ppb) and pentane (0 to 2 ppb) in the soil samples of the study area. Carbon isotope analysis for methane (´13C1) ranging from -36.6 to -22.7‰ Pee Dee Belemnite (PDB) suggests these gases are of thermogenic origin. Geo-microbial prospecting method coupled with adsorbed soil gas and carbon isotope ratio analysis have thus shown good correlation with existing oil/ gas fields of Krishna-Godavari basin.
ABSTRACT
This study was designed to compare the efficacy and safety of sisomicin cream (0.1%) or mupirocin ointment (2%) in the treatment of primary or secondary pyodermas requiring topical antibiotic therapy alone. In the evaluable patients (n=290), impetigo was the commonest clinical condition reported. Staphylococcus aureus was the commonest pathogen isolated from the lesions. Both sisomicin and mupirocin treatments produced a steady improvement in the scores of erythema, oedema, vesiculation, pustulation, crusting and scaling but the improvement produced by sisomicin was quicker and more pronounced. The percentage of patients with complete clearing of all lesions was also higher with sisomicin than with mupirocin on days 4, 8 and 14. Patients subjectively rated the sisomicin formulation as excellent in 75% of cases as against 59% with mupirocin. Sisomicin and mupirocin are effective and safe in the management of pyodermas; however sisomicin therapy resulted in faster and greater relief of signs and symptoms.