ABSTRACT
Background and Objectives: In endodontics, various intracanal medications have been advocated to eliminate bacteria after root canal instrumentation. A recent study has revealed that addition of powdered dentin to bioactive glass (BAG) led to increased glass dissolution, and an increased antibacterial efficacy. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to compare the effect of enamel and dentin powder on the antibacterial efficacy of a commercially available BAG. Materials and Methods: Dentin blocks (dbs) were prepared from single rooted human teeth. These dbs were infected with Enterococcus faecalis for two weeks in Tryptic Soy Broth (TSB), while negative controls were kept in sterile TSB. In group I, the infected dbs were filled with BAG, in group II with BAG + Enamel powder and group III with BAG + Dentin powder. Dentin samples were harvested from the dbs and cultured. Statistical Analysis: Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA was used for multiple group comparison followed by Scheffe's post hoc test for pair-wise comparisons. Results: All the combinations of BAG evaluated significantly reduced the bacterial counts compared to the control group. However, at the end of 24 hours, three days, and five days BAG + Dentin powder showed significant reduction ( P < 0.01) in bacterial counts compared to the other experimental groups. Conclusion: Among the various materials evaluated, it appeared that though BAG exhibits antimicrobial efficacy, the addition of powdered enamel and dentin in aqueous suspension definitely enhanced this property. However, the addition of enamel powder BAG did not significantly alter its antimicrobial efficacy compared to BAG + dentin powder.
Subject(s)
Analysis of Variance , Anti-Infective Agents, Local/pharmacology , Biocompatible Materials/pharmacology , Ceramics/pharmacology , Dental Enamel , Dentin/microbiology , Enterococcus faecalis/drug effects , Humans , Hydrogen-Ion Concentration , Powders/pharmacology , Root Canal Irrigants/pharmacology , Statistics, NonparametricABSTRACT
Alcoholic extract of whole fruit of Momordica charantia was prepared. Adult healthy albino rats were divided into four groups and received a dose of 6 mg/l00 gm. body weight of alloxan monohydrate. Animals of group I served as diabetic control group. The animals of II, III, and IV groups received 25 mg, 50 mg and 75 mg doses of the extract respectively for different durations. 75 mg dose showed increase in body weight. All doses of alcoholic extract of M. charantia were able to decrease the blood sugar level significantly. Extract feeding showed definite improvement in the islets of Langerhans. No toxic effect was observed in the liver The significant features of the study have been blood glucose once lowered by the treatment with M. charantia fruit extract remained static even after discontinuation of drug for 15 days. Blood sugar never fell below normal values even with a high dose, in pancreatic islets, beta cells showed definite improvement.
Subject(s)
Alcohols/chemistry , Alloxan/pharmacology , Animals , Blood Glucose/metabolism , Body Weight , Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental/drug therapy , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Fruit/chemistry , Hypoglycemic Agents/pharmacology , Islets of Langerhans/drug effects , Momordica charantia/chemistry , Phytotherapy , Plant Extracts/chemistry , Powders/pharmacology , Rats , Rats, Wistar , Reference Values , Time FactorsABSTRACT
Oral administration of 20, 40, 60, mg of dry Azadirachta indica leaf powder for 24 days resulted in decrease in the weights of seminal vesicles and ventral prostate, reduction in epithelial height, nuclear diameter and the secretory material in the lumen. Biochemically, there was a decrease in total protein, acid phosphatase activities. Seminal vesicles and ventral prostate being androgen dependent, the regressive changes histologically as well as biochemically, suggests the antiandrogenic property of the neem leaves.