Hypoglycaemic effects of alcoholic root extract of borassus flabellifer [Linn.] in normal and diabetic rats

The objective of the study was to investigate the alcoholic [ALEBF] extract of B. flabellifer for their hypoglycaemic effects in normal and diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced in rats by single dose administration of alloxan [120 mg/kg, i.p.] or by injecting dexamethasone [10 mg/kg, i.p.] for 10 days. In normal rats, ALEBF [100, 200 and 400 mg/kg] had significantly decreased the blood glucose level in a dose dependent manner after repeated administration for 7 days. In alloxan induced diabetic rats, extract [ALEBF] had decreased blood sugar level and improved glucose tolerance in alloxan induced diabetic rats at the end of 1[st], 2[nd], 3[rd] and 4[th] week after test extract treatment. However, the insulin levels of extract treated group did not significantly change after 28 days treatment with the extract. It did not alter the insulin levels. In alloxan model, repeated dose administration of ALEBF had showed significant increase in body weight, prevention of elimination of sugar in urine and reduced the mortality rate induced by alloxan. In dexamethasone induced insulin resistance diabetic rats, repeated administration of ALEBF inhibited the increase in blood glucose level, improved glucose tolerance and reduced the insulin levels as compared dexamethasone induced diabetic rats

Hypoglycaemic and anti-diabetic activity of stem bark extracts Erythrina indica in normal and alloxan-induced diabetic rats

The objective of the study is to investigate the alcoholic [AlcE] and aqueous [AqsE] extracts of stem bark of Erythrina indica [Papilionaceae] for hypoglycaemic effects in normal and diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced in rats by a single dose administration of alloxan [120 mg/kg, i.p.] or by injecting dexamethasone [10 mg/kg, i.p.] for 10 days. In normal rats, AlcE and AqsE had significantly decreased the blood glucose level [BGL] in a dose dependent manner after repeated administration for 7 days. In alloxan-induced diabetic rats, both the extracts decreased blood sugar levels with significant improvement in glucose tolerance and body weight at the end of 1st, 2nd and 3rd week after test extract treatment. In case of dexamethasone induced insulin resistant diabetic rats, repeated administration of AlcE and AqsE inhibited the increase in blood glucose level and improved glucose tolerance induced by dexamethasone as compared to dexamethasone induced diabetic rats. These results suggest that both extracts possess hypoglycaemic activity in normal as well as in diabetic rats. Among AlcE and AqsE, AqsE possesses better hypoglycaemic activity than AlcE in all the models. Preliminary phytochemical investigations revealed that alcoholic extracts contain carbohydrates, alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, phytosterols, phenolics and tannins. Aqueous extract contains carbohydrates, alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, phytosterols and triterpenoids. These phytoconstituents may be responsible for the hypoglycaemic activity of the plant

Preliminary studies on phytochemical, pharmacognostical and antimicrobial assay on Drosera burmanni Vahl.

The Medicinal plant Drosera burmanni Vahl. was screened for the preliminary phytochemical test which indicates the presence of secondary metabolites playing essential role in health and medicine. Pharmacognostical florescence analysis, physicochemical standards and antimicrobial activity against microbial strains of human pathogenic bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi, Staphylococcus aureus and fungi such as Aspergillus niger and Candida albicans have been used for this study. For the antimicrobial studies Hexane, Chloroform and Ethanol extracts of D. burmanni were used. In the study for antimicrobial activity, Hexane extract showed the maximum zone of inhibition against tested organisms. On the basis of results, it is concluded that all the three extracts possess potentiality to develop new drugs for the treatment of various human ailments

Factors determining choice of health care provider in Jordan

This paper examines factors influencing a patient's choice of provider for outpatient health care services in Jordan. Factors including demographic, socioeconomic, insurance status, quality of care, household size and cost of health care were studied using a multinomial logit model applied to a sample of 1031 outpatients from the Jordan healthcare utilization and expenditure survey, 2000. The patient's socioeconomic and demographic characteristics affected provider choice. Insurance was not statistically significant in choosing Ministry of Health facilities over other providers. Patients utilizing the public sector were price sensitive, and therefore any attempt to improve accessibility to health care services in Jordan should take this into consideration