Evaluation of the teratogenic potentials of neem seed oil in albino rat

The safe use of medicines, both modern as well as traditional, during gestation is becoming an increasingly contentious issue because many therapeutic agents have proved to be menace as they produce congenital malformations in offspring when used during pregnancy. The present study was undertaken to investigate the effects of Neem Seed Oil administration during gestation on young ones of albino rat. 300 off springs of albino rat were used in this study. They were obtained from 60 pregnant rats at term or at 20[th] day of gestation. The pregnant rats were divided in four groups. Group A received freshly extracted Neem Seed Oil 0.5 ml orally from 6[th] to 12[th] days of gestation. Groups B and C received 1.0 and 2.0 ml of oil orally for same period. Group D behaved as control and received 0.5 ml of distilled water orally for same period. The pregnant rats were observed for duration of pregnancy, weight gain, abortions and number of pups given birth. The obtained pups were examined for any structural malformations. There was no incidence of abortion in treated animals like controls. There were no resorptions in control group. Treated group A, B and C had incidence of 2.3, 5.7 and 15.3% respectively. no gross structural malformation was found in control or any of the treated groups. Neem Seed Oil was not found to be embryo/feto toxic in terms of causing abortions, reduced number of litter, retarded growth of young ones, fetal death, fetal resorptions and gross structural malformations in all doses tested

Effects of acute exetcise on serum vitamin E levels in physically trained and untrained healthy adults

This study was carried out to evaluate changes in serum vitamin E levels in physically trained and untrained adults after an acute bout of physical exercise. Results indicate a significant rise in 1-hour post exercise serum vitamin E levels in trained group in comparsion to their immediate post exercise levels. No such increase was found in untrained group individuals, whose 1-hour post exercise serum vitamin E levels remained almost same as immediate post exercise levels. It can be concluded therefore that exercise training results in increased mobilization of vitamin E from it depots after exercise

Effect of acute exercise on serum malondialdehyde levels in physically trained and untrained apparently healthy people

1. To study and compare the changes in serum malondialehyde levels after an acute about of exercise between physically trained and untrained healthy people. Department of Physiology, Basic Medical Sciences Institute [BMSI], Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center [LPMC], Karachi from June 1999 to May 2000. A total of 60 apparently healthy [30 males and 30 females] randomly selected subjects with a known history of regular physical exercise [i.e. trained control groups A and B respectively] and other total of 60 apparently healthy [30 males and 30 females] randomly selected subjects without history of any regular physical exercise [i.e. untrained Test groups C and D respectively] with age ranging between 18 to 40 years, underwent an acute bout of similar moderate intensity exercise of 30 minutes duration on a bicycle ergometer [after their age and body mass index matching]. Their pre and post exercise malondialdehyde levels were estimated and compared for statistical analysis. Serum malondialdehyde levels were significantly [P< 0.05] increased in both control and test subjects at the of an acute of physical exercise as compared to their basal levels. There was a significant [P< 0.05] decrease in 1-hour post exercise serum malondialdehyde levels in control group [A and B] subjects as compared to their immediate post exercise levels. However, no such decrease was found in test group [C and D] subjects whose 1-hour post exercise serum malondialdehyde levels remained almost the same as compared with their immediate pot exercise levels. Exercise-training results in decreased 1-hour post-exercise serum malondialdehyde levels as compared to their immediate post exercise levels in physically trained healthy people in comparison to untrained apparently healthy people