Evaluation of Antioxidant and Antimicrobial potential of Leucas urticaefolia (Lamiaceae).

The present study was designed to screen phytochemical constituents with antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of 50% EtOH extract of Leucas urticaefolia. Antimicrobial activity was tested against Staphylococcus epidermidis, Salmonella typhi, Salmonella typhimurium, Candida krusei and Aspergillus fumigatus by disc diffusion method. DPPH free radical scavenging assay and ferric reducing assay were used for the determination of antioxidant activity. Qualitative and quantitave analysis of polyphenoles was performed by HPLC-UV. Remarkable antimicrobial potential was exhibited in concentration dependent mode against S. epidermidis, S. typhi and C. krusei. However, S. typhimurium and A. fumigatus showed resistance at lowest concentrations but higher concentrations were effective in inhibiting both microorganisms. Total phelnolic and flavonoid content were found to be 0.71335±0.025% and 0.2594±0.028% respectively. Different concentrations of extract showed dose dependent reducing power and scavenging of DPPH radicals with IC50 149.59±0.24 μg/mL. A marked correlation was observed between antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of 50% EtOH extract of L. urticaefolia. HPLC analysis showed the presence of important polyphenoles and may be attributed to antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of the extract. The observations provided sufficient evidences that L. urticaefolia might indeed be potential sources of natural bioactive agent, if further investigated.

Effect of centchroman and tamoxifen on protein patterns of fallopian tubes of rhesus monkeys, Macaca mulatta.

To study the effect of centchroman and tamoxifen on estrogen-dependent proteins of fallopian tubes of rhesus monkey, these antiestrogens were given with and without estradiol to ovariectomized monkeys. In absence of estradiol, both the compounds induced the synthesis of 130 and 95 K proteins. Concentration of 85 K protein was also increased markedly. These compounds, however, suppressed the estrogen stimulated synthesis of 130 K protein when administered with estradiol. The results show that both centchroman and tamoxifen possess estrogen agonistic as well as antagonistic properties and 130 K protein can be used as a marker protein to study estrogen action and for screening of antiestrogenic compounds in a primate model.

A clinico-bacteriological profile of leprosy in children.

Clinico-bacteriological profile of 106 leprosy patients below 15 years of age was studied. Majority of the patients were males and fell in the 10-15 years age group (p less than 0.01). Nearly 89% had not received any prior treatment because of financial constraints. Seventy per cent gave a positive history of contact with adult patients who were mainly of the lepromatous variety (p less than 0.01). Skin lesions were present in 103 cases, mainly on the exposed areas and their number was found to increase significantly with advancing age (p less than 0.01). These lesions were hypopigmented patches in 71% of the children and erythematous in the rest. Cutaneous sensations were affected in most of the patients while nerve thickening was observed in 45. Positivity of the skin smears increased significantly as the number of skin lesions per patient increased (p less than 0.05). With advancing age, the disease moved from the tuberculoid end of the spectrum towards the lepromatous end (p less than 0.01).