Chemical analyses and wound healing activity of stem juice of musa paradisiaca linn.

Plants are the source of many biologically active products and nowadays they are of great interest to the pharmaceutical industry. The plant kingdom still holds many species of plants containing substances of medicinal value which have yet to be discovered. Another important aspect of interest in plant drug research is the new concept of "No Specifically Increased Resistance" [NSIR] of an animal to diseases attributes to other substances, besides the active principles responsible for specific biological activity. In this work, we studied different ash values of dried stem powders and wound healing activity [excision wound model] of stem juice of Musa paradisiaca Linn. [Musaceae]. Our study revealed that the stem juice of Musa paradisiaca Linn. has considerable wound healing activity when compared with the standard drug Nitrofurazone

Gene therapy, promises, problems and current status

Gene therapy can be broadly defined as the transfer of genetic material to cure a disease or at least to improve the clinical status of a patient. One of the basic concepts of gene therapy is to transform viruses into genetic shuttles, which will deliver the gene of interest into the target cells. Gene therapy has progressed from a dream to a bedside reality in quite a few human diseases. From its first application in adenosine deaminase deficiency, through the years, its application has evolved to wide variety of diseases. Based on the nature of the viral genome, these gene therapy vectors can be divided into RNA and DNA viral vectors. The majority of RNA virus-based vectors have been derived from simple retroviruses. A major shortcoming of these vectors is that they are not able to transducer nondividing cells. This problem may be overcome by the use of novel retroviral vectors, such as human immunodeficiency virus [HIV]. The most commonly used DNA virus vectors are based on adenoviruses and adeno-associated viruses. Although the available vector systems are able to deliver genes in vivo into cells, the ideal delivery vehicle has not been found. Thus, the present viral vectors should be used only with great caution in human beings and further progress in vector development is necessary. The Food and Drug Administration [FDA] has not yet approved any human gene therapy product for sale. Current gene therapy is still in experimental stage and has not proven very successful in clinical trials

Pharmacological evaluation of smaller chain di- and tri-peptides in alloxan-induced rabbits

Amino acids and smaller chain peptides form an integral part of body's inventory of drugs which maintain the various functions, vital to human life and health. Test drugs such as Ile-Val, Ile-Val-Glu and Gly-Phe showed significant anti-diabetic activity, with Ile-Val being most effective amongst all using insulin as a standard drug. Statistical analysis showed that test drug possessed significant antidiabetic activity [t-value at P<0.01=4.02]. The smaller chain peptide combinations are showing significant anti-diabetic activity due to better physical and chemical stability in comparison with the long chain peptide combinations of the standard insulin

Antimitotic effect of colchicine from six different species of gloriosa in onion roots [allium cepa]

Colchicine, a chief alkaloid was determined in six different species of Gloriosa. Solvent extraction of colchicine with petroleum ether and dichlomethane and quantification through High Performance Liquid Chromatography showed high level of colchicine [0.342 mg g -1] in Gloriosa planti amongst the species selected for the study. The mitotic inhibition of colchicine in onion root was standardized using standard colchicine. The effect of colchicine extracted from Gloriosa species was studied in onion root tips treated with 30 mg L -1 colchicine for 2 h. Mitotic abnormalities have been observed and reported for the extracts from different species of Gloriosa under study