Antimicrobial Activity of Aloevera barbedensis, Daucus carota, Emblica officinalis, Honey and Punica granatum and Formulation of a Health Drink and Salad

Aims: Indian folk medicine has been in practice from time immemorial. Traditional medicine interconnects our body with nature for a healthy living. The naturally occurring antimicrobials in food vary in their efficacy and function, toxicology, safety and mechanism of action against microorganisms. Methodology and Results: The study revitalizes the traditional system of medicine in order to achieve self reliance in health care and health for all by analyzing the antimicrobial property of aqueous extracts of aloevera (Aloevera barbedensis), carrot (Daucus carota), Indian gooseberry (Emblica officinalis), honey and pomegranate (Punica granatum), and to assess the reason for inhibition of growth of pathogenic organisms by DNA and protein analysis. Various aqueous extracts showed inhibition to microrganisms like Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi, Shigella flexineri and Staphylococcus aureus. Conclusion significance and impact of study: The study also formulated and standardized a nourishing health drink and salad using the tested foods and estimated their shelf life and nutritive value. The health drink and salad had a low protein, low fat and moderate carbohydrate content. Therapeutically this drink and salad can be used to treat obesity.

Urinalysis - is it the golden age of dipsticks?

Five groups of patients were studied. A total of 444 urine specimens were cultured and examined both microscopically [before and after centrifugation] and by employing Multistix 8 SG [Ames or A] and Combur-9 [Boehringer or B] dipsticks. 24% of specimens had significant bacteriuria. The percentage was higher in groups expected to have UTI. Unspun urine proved to be the least sensitive method. A and B dipsticks had a sensitivity range of 80-89% and a specificity range of 68-93% for pus cells and RBC's, with B being more sensitive but less specific than A. Dipsticks were found to be both sensitive [84.6%] and specific [87 - 90%] in detecting proteinuria. Both specificity and sensitivity increased if a trace of protein was ignored. This was specially true of dipstick A. The reverse was true for dipstick B. Significant relations were recorded between pus and bacteria and between RBCs and proteins. The indications for microscopy are discussed