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Aims: To establish and optimize the in vitro antioxidant activity of methanolic extract of flower of C. guianensis at different developmental stages. Place and Duration of Study: Plant Physiology and Pharmacognosy Research Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of North Bengal, Siliguri, between December 2010 and November 2011. Methodology: The antioxidant activities of methanolic extracts of C. guianensis flower of different developmental stages were investigated spectrophotometrically against DPPH, ABTS, H2O2, NO, superoxide, hydroxyl radical and lipid peroxidation, along with ferric reducing power, metal chelating and β-carotene bleaching assay were performed. Total phenols, flavonoids and ortho-dihydric phenols were also determined by folin-ciocalteu, aluminium chloride and Arnow's reagent based standard methods respectively. Results: The methanolic extract of floral stage-I was found to possess higher level of phenolic content, flavonoids as well as ortho-dihydric phenol content. The younger floral stages, stage-I and stage-II were observed with highly potential free radical scavenging activity, while stage-III showed highest degradation rate for β-carotene bleaching assay and stage-IV showed highest anti-lipid per oxidation activity against thiobarbituric acid. Conclusion: The results demonstrated that the early floral stage showed the highest polyphenolic content and best antioxidant activity, therefore the early stages of this flower is suggested as the best harvest stage for medicinal purposes. Further studies are required for the isolation of active principles responsible for its antioxidant activity.
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Introduction: Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a common myeloproliferative disorder. Based on clinical and hematological parameters, two prognostic scoring systems, i.e., Hasford and Sokal index scoring systems are available to predict survival duration of CML patients on imatinib therapy. Aims and Objectives: Our study’s objective is to compare Hasford score with Sokal index for the prognostication of de novo CML patients on therapy and fi nd out new prognostic markers. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective study. The study population comprised 66 patients who were followed up for 60 months. For each patient, at presentation, scoring was performed as per Hasford and Sokal index and Philadelphia chromosome analysis was carried out by conventional cytogenetics. Thereafter, hematological parameters were assessed 3 monthly and conventional cytogenetics was done yearly. Results: Out of these 66 patients, the number of patients belonging to low, intermediate and high risk categories are 21, 33 and 12 respectively by Hasford score and 12, 32 and 22 respectively by Sokal index. Eight patients, who had been categorized into high risk group by Sokal index but intermediate risk group by Hasford score, have shown better survival possibility as monitored by hematological and cytogenetic parameters. Ten cases, categorized into intermediate risk group by Sokal index but low risk group by Hasford score, is doing well till date. Conclusions: This study shows that Hasford score predicts survival of the patients better than Sokal index. However, multicentric study over a large population is needed to give the fi nal verdict.
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Wheat peptides (0.5 to 3 KDa Mr) mimick hormonal activity like that of gibberellins and forced open dark closed stomata. The deionized amphoteric peptides solution after passing through cation and anion exchanger resins was run through Amicon’s ultrafilters, 10, 3 and 0.5 kDa (Mr) cut off system. The 3 to 0.5 kDa fraction passed through sephadex LH-20 column and collected in 140 tubes (5 ml in each tube). The two fractions F 9 (91-100 tubes) and F 12 (121-130) were found much active on stomatal opening and -amylase activity, respectively and were ninhydrin positive. Capillary electrophoresis of F 9 fraction yielded several peptides ranging 1600 to 2200 (Mr) and F 12 fraction showed 1800 – 2800(Mr). Both the fractions were totally hydrolysed for amino acid analysis by HPLC. Most of the amino acids were present except cystein in both the fractions. The F 9 fraction, (peptide present in 10 μg fresh wt tissue per ml) induced the dark grown closed stomata to open upto 70%. In F 12 fraction, (peptide present in 10 μg fresh wt equivalent tissue per ml) showed -amylase induction which was much higher than GA3 (10-9 M). The peptide might be present in membrane and bound with GA that activated -amylase m-RNA synthesis. The peptide might act directly on -amylase gene.