Alkaloids from erythrina corallodendron linn and their pharmacological activities

During a careful search for bioactive alkaloidal constituents from the alcoholic extract of Erythrina corallodendron Linn leaves, three alkaloids namely, erysodine [1], erythirinine [2] and 8-oxoerythrinine [3] were isolated. These compounds are reported here for the first time from such species. Structures of the isolated compounds [1-3] were assigned by intensive studies of their NMR and MS spectral data and comparison with related structures. The pharmacological activities of the isolated alkaloids are presented

Vaginal misoprostol in the management of first trimester non-viable pregnancy

To study the effectiveness of a regimen of repeated doses of vaginal misoprostol in the management of first trimester missed abortion, one hundred and four pregnant women with first trimester non-viable pregnancies were treated with an initial dose of 800 ! g of vaginal misoprostol followed after four hours by further doses of 400 ! g four-hourly for a maximum of three doses. The complete expulsion rate was 85.6%. Fifty of the 104 [48.1%] women underwent surgical evacuation. In 14 [13.5%] women, gestational products were obtained and confirmed by histopathological examination. In 36 [34.6%] there were minimal or no products obtained and these were considered to be complete miscarriages. The cervical os was found open in all [13.5%] the incomplete miscarriages. Severe abdominal pain was experienced by 10.6% of the patients and excessive vaginal bleeding occurred in 13.5% of them. A fall in hemoglobin of more than one gram/dl occurred in 5.8% of the women and another 5.8% of them had fever >38°C. The stay in hospital was two days for 87 [83.7%] women and three days for 15 [14.4%] women. One [1%] woman stayed four days and another stayed less than one day. None of the women had any complications. This study demonstrated the efficacy and safety of vaginal misoprostol as a medical treatment for first trimester non-viable pregnancies using an initial dose of 800 ! g, followed after four hours by further doses of 400 ! g four-hourly for a maximum of three doses. This management also provided adequate cervical dilatation for surgical evacuation when complete expulsion did not occur

Quick methods for the estimation of carbon monoxide in blood

The rapid semiquantitative estimation of carboxyhaemoglobin is performed in micro diffusion units through the extent of separation of metallic palladium from palladium salts, in solution, on indicating paper and indicating gel. In all these methods it is possible to distinguish 5,10,20,30 land 40 per cent carboxyhaemoglobin in 1 ml blood sample