Review of taste masking techniques in Chinese patent medicine / 中国中药杂志

Single herbs and Chinese patent medicine preparations often have bad taste, such as bitterness and astringency, which is one of the key factors affecting patients' medication compliance, and would affect the therapeutic effect and restrict the extensive application in clinical practice. Therefore, how to make use of taste masking techniques to improve the bad taste of traditional Chinese medicines has become an important project. Through the collection and summarization of Chinese and foreign journals and papers in recent years, this paper discussed the generation mechanism of bitter taste, the new methods of masking bitter taste and the evaluation me-thods of bitter taste, in order to provide references for the taste masking of Chinese patent medicines preparations.

TeleCondutas: hemorroidas / TeleGuides: hemorrhoids

Hemorroidas são coxins vasculares normais do canal anal. São formados por espaços vasculares (sinusoides), tecido elástico e conjuntivo, e músculo liso. Sua função é proteger os esfíncteres anais subjacentes e contribuir para a continência fecal. Reservamos o termo "doença hemorroidária" para quando existem sintomas relacionados à sua presença. É mais prevalente em pessoas com idade entre 45 e 65 anos, tendo como principal causa o esforço evacuatório repetitivo, que determina o estiramento do tecido de sustentação dos plexos. Constipação, esforço evacuatório prolongado e gestação são seus principais fatores de risco. Esta guia apresenta informação que orienta a conduta para casos de hemorroidas no contexto da Atenção Primária à Saúde, incluindo: classificação das hemorroidas, sinais e sintomas, diagnóstico, tratamento da doença hemorroidária na APS, tratamento no serviço especializado, indicação de colonoscopia e encaminhamento para serviço especializado.

Zinc sulphate administered by transdermal iontophoresis improves breaking strength of surgical wounds in skin of alloxan-induced diabetic rats

PURPOSE:To investigate the effect of zinc sulphate administered by transdermal iontophoresis (TDI) on mechanical resistance of surgical wounds performed in the skin of diabetic rats. METHODS:One hundred and sixty male Wistar rats weighing approximately 250g were submitted to an incision surgery at the anterior region of abdomen and randomly distributed into four experimental groups with 40 non-diabetic control animals (G1) and 40 untreated diabetic animals (G2), both without any treatment of incisions; 40 non-diabetic animals (G3) and 40 untreated diabetic animals (G4), both with incisions treated with zinc sulphate, administered for a period of four consecutive days after surgery, in sessions of ten minutes duration, using a continuous-current electrostimulator (Zn + TDI). Each experimental group was further divided into four subgroups with ten rats each to be evaluated on the 4th, 7th, 14th, and 21st day after surgery. In each period were analyzed clinical and laboratory from the animals, and measured the breaking strength and hydroxyproline content (OH-P) of the skin scars. RESULTS: Breaking strength (BS) was significantly reduced (p<0.05) in skin scars of untreated diabetic rats (G2) on the 7th, 14th, and 21st postoperative days when compared to non-diabetic control rats (G1). In contrast, BS in skin scars of non-diabetic and untreated diabetic rats (G3, G4) treated with Zn + TDI showed significant increase (p<0.05) in those periods when compared with their respective controls with untreated incisions. The OH-P content of the scars did not show statistically significant variation in all studied groups at four different times evaluated after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Zinc sulphate administered by transdermal iontophoresis had beneficial effect on the mechanical resistance of scars produced in the skin of diabetic rats. This therapeutic may have potential to reduce the complications observed in surgical wounds of the skin in diabetic subjects, mainly in most vulnerable stages of incisions to dehiscences, leakages and infections.

The effects of ingested aluminium on brain cytochrome oxidase activity / Efectos de la ingestión de aluminio sobre la actividad de la oxidasa citocrómica del cerebro

Aluminium has a unique combination of physical and chemical properties which has enabled man to put this metal to very wide and varied use. However, prolonged exposure to aluminium ions may lead to adverse health effects. In this study, we evaluated the effects of dietary aluminium on the protein composition and the intrinsic activity of cytochrome oxidase (COX) for brain mitochondria. New Zealand white rabbits were maintained on a diet of commercial rabbit pellets and distilled water for a period of 12 weeks. For the experimental group, AlCl3, 330mg/kg/L was added to the drinking water. When compared to the control, mitochondria isolated from the brains of the AlCl3 fed rabbits showed no change in Km but an approximate 35% decrease in both the low and high affinity Vmax values. Also, whereas the protein composition of the mitochondria from both sources appeared to be normal, isolation of highly purified COX proved to be difficult and for the AICI3 fed rabbits, a number of the enzyme's low molecular weight subunits were absent. These results appear to confirm a relationship between long term aluminium consumption and low brain COX activity; they further suggest that an altered COX structure may be the cause of the low enzymic activity.

El aluminio posee una combinación única de las propiedades físicas y químicas que ha permitido al ser humano hacer un uso amplio y variado de este metal. Sin embargo, un número de estudios recientes, sugiere que la exposición prolongada a los iones de aluminio puede tener efectos nocivos sobre la salud. En el presente estudio, evaluamos los efectos del aluminio dietético sobre la composición proteínica y la actividad intrínseca de la oxidasa citocrómica (COX) para la mitocondria cerebral. Conejos blancos de Nueva Zelanda, fueron mantenidos con una dieta de alimento para conejos y agua destilada por un período de 12 semanas. Para el grupo experimental AlCl3, 330mg/kg/L fueron añadidos al agua potable. En comparación con el grupo de control, las mitocondrias aisladas de los cerebros de los conejos alimentados con AlCl3 no mostraron cambios en Km pero hubo una disminución de aproximadamente 35% tanto en los valores Vmax de baja y alta afinidad. Por otro lado, mientras que la composición proteica de las mitocondrias de ambas fuentes parecía ser normal, resultó difícil aislar el COX altamente purificado y un número de enzimas de subunidades de bajo peso molecular MMMM estuvieron ausentes. Estos resultados parecen confirmar una relación entre el consumo de aluminio a largo plazo y la baja actividad del COX del cerebro. Asimismo, sugieren que una alteración de la estructura del COX puede ser la causa de una baja actividad enzimática.

Initiation of zinc treatment for acute childhood diarrhoea and risk for vomiting or regurgitation: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

The childhood diarrhoea-management guidelines of the World Health Organization/United Nations Children's Fund (WHO/UNICEF) now include zinc treatment, 20 mg per day for 10 days. To determine if a dispersible zinc sulphate tablet formulation is associated with increased risk of vomiting or regurgitation following the initial, first treatment dose, a double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial was carried out in the Dhaka hospital of ICDDR,B: Centre for Health and Population Research (n=800) and in an adjacent NGO outpatient clinic (n=800). Children were randomized to one of three groups: no treatment, placebo, or zinc sulphate tablet (20 mg). They were then observed for 60 minutes, and all vomiting or regurgitation episodes were recorded. When compared with placebo, zinc treatment resulted in an attributable risk increase of 14% for vomiting and 5.2% for regurgitation. The median time to vomiting among those receiving zinc was 9.6 minutes and was limited to one episode in 91.2% of the cases. Overall, the proportion of 60-minute post-treatment vomiting attributable to zinc, placebo, and the illness episode was estimated to be 40%, 26%, and 34% respectively. The dispersible zinc sulphate tablet formulation at a dose of 20 mg is associated with increased risks of vomiting and regurgitation. Both are transient side-effects.

Diabetic neuropathy and zinc therapy.

This was a double blind study conducted on 60 subjects; 20 age and sex matched healthy controls (Group-I), 20 patients of diabetes mellitus with neuropathy who received placebo for 6 weeks (Group-IIA); and 20 patients of diabetes mellitus with neuropathy who were given oral 660 mg zinc sulphate for 6 weeks (Group-IIB). Serum zinc level, fasting blood sugar (FBS), blood sugar 2 hour after breakfast (2HABF) and motor nerve conduction velocity (MNCV) were estimated on day 0 and after 6 weeks in all subjects. Serum zinc levels were significantly low (p<0.001) in group II-A and II-B as compared to healthy controls (group-I) at base line. After 6 weeks the changes in pre and post therapy values of FBS, 2HABF and MNCV (median and common peroneal nerve) were highly significant (p<0.001) for group II-B alone with insignificant change (p>0.05) in group II-A. Therefore, zinc therapy helps in achieving better glycemic control and improvement in peripheral neuropathy as assessed by MNCV.

Aplicaçäo do Subgalato de Bismuto como Hemostático em Cirurgia Periodontal / Use of Bismuth Subgallate as a hemostatic agent in Periodontal Surgery

A necessidade de um método ou substância eficaz para homostasia e a observaçäo do uso de hemostáticos compatíveis na Medicina, levou ao conhecimento de um produto conhecido como Subgalato de Bismuto. O uso específico deste material como adstringente na hemostasia foi descrito na Otorrinolaringologia na década de 60 e atualmente tem sido utilizado também em Odontologia, especificamente em cirurgias periodontais que resultem em exposiçäo do tecido conjuntivo, com resultados clínicos favoráveis

Medicinal utilization of naturally occurring rocks and minerals

The importance of pharmaceutical minerals and rocks have been highlighted. The use of rocks and minerals to produce finished pharmaceutical products find their way for curative and promotive health. A detailed listing of the compounds, naturally occurring minerals as well as rocks and their application if delineated herewith

Saccharomyces cerevisiae Hansen CBS 5926 en pacientes pediatricos multitratados con diarrea aguda / Saccharomyces cerevisiae Hansen CBS 5926 in pediatric multitreated patients with acute diarrhea

Cuarenta y cuatro niños con diarrea aguda fueron tratados con Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Hansen CBS 5926. Según la evolución de cuadro diarreico se juzgó la puntuación previamente establecida en el protocolo y en relación con los síntomas o signos (fiebre, náuseas, vómitos y cólico abdominal); el número de evacuaciones, su consistencia, color de las heces y efectos colaterales. la dosis dependió de la edad y peso, sin riesgos por ser atóxica. Todos los pacientes correspondieron a un nivel socio económico bajo en donde el índice de deserción fue de 33% y existió duda sobre la continuidad del tratamiento. Los resultados fueron en 50% muy eficaz, poco eficaz en 15% e ineficaz en 25%. Es necesario señalar que 30% de los niños tratados habian recibido previamente tratamiento con anticolinérgicos, astringentes y antibióticos