The cholesterol lowering property of coriander seeds (Coriandrum sativum): mechanism of action.

Coriandrum sativum (Coriander) has been documented as a traditional treatment for cholesterol and diabetes patients. In the present study, coriander seeds incorporated into diet and the effect of the administration of coriander seeds on the metabolism of lipids was studied in rats, fed with high fat diet and added cholesterol. The seeds had a significant hypolipidemic action. In the experimental group of rats (tissue) the level of total cholesterol and triglycerides increased significantly There was significant increase in beta-hydroxy, beta-methyl glutaryl CoA reductase and plasma lecithin cholesterol acyl transferase activity were noted in the experimental group. The level of low density lipoprotein (LDL) + very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) cholesterol decreased while that of high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol increased in the experimental group compared to the control group. The increased activity of plasma LCAT enhanced degradation of cholesterol to fecal bile acids and neutral sterols appeared to account for its hypocholesterolemic effect.

Rapid serodiagnosis of leptospirosis by latex agglutination test and flow-through assay.

PURPOSE: Diagnosis of leptospirosis facilitates patient management and initiation of therapy. The microscopic agglutination test (MAT) is the serological test used in reference laboratories because of its high degree of sensitivity and specificity. But the results are not available quickly for patient management. In the present study, in order to develop a simple, rapid immunodiagnostic assay, one of the outer membrane proteins (OMPs), recombinant LipL41 (rLipL41) has been utilised in latex agglutination test (LAT) and flow-through assay. METHODS: Part of LipL41 gene was expressed in Escherichia coli system and purified. The rLipL41 antigen of pathogenic Leptospira interrogans serovar Icterohaemorrhagiae, which is conserved in all pathogenic Leptospira spp. was used as capture antigen in the LAT and flow-through test. Both tests are very rapid and could be completed within 5 minutes. The sensitivity and specificity of rLipL41 was assessed and evaluated in LAT and flow-through assay in comparison with standard MAT. RESULTS: The sensitivity and specificity of the LAT were 89.70 and 90.45% and flow-through assay were 89.09 and 77.70%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The developed LAT and flow-through assays were simple, rapid and economical for the detection of leptospira infection and suitable for large-scale screening of samples in endemic areas without any sophisticated equipment.