Estudios de Seguridad Preclínica del extracto hidroalcohólico de semillas de Opuntia soehrensii, una especie alto-andina con actividad anti-Herpes Virus, en ratas Sprague Dawley / Preclinical safety of the hydroalcoholic extract of Opuntia soehrensii seeds with anti-herpes virus activity, in SD rats

Introducción. Alrededor de 3700 millones menores de 50 años con infección por VHS-1 y 491 millones de personas de 15 a 49 años cursan con infección por VHS-2 en el mundo; sus síntomas, vesículas o ulceras dolorosas reaparecen periódicamente. El tratamiento convencional disminuyó su efectividad en cepas resistentes e inmunodeprimidos. Alternativas terapéuticas con extractos de plantas medicinales y potencial antiviral, como Opuntia soehrensii Brito conocida como "ayrampù" en Bolivia, utiliza infusión de sus semillas como analgésico, antidiabético, hipotensor y febrífugo. En vapores por inhalación para afecciones respiratorias; como tintura tópica en lesiones dérmicas de viruela, sarampión y herpes labial. Objetivo. Evaluar la seguridad preclínica de un gel que contiene el extracto hidro-alcohólico de semillas de Opuntia soehrensii en diferentes dosis, aplicado en la mucosa vaginal de ratas Sprague Dawley. Material y métodos. Se ejecutaron protocolos de toxicidad aguda y subaguda para evaluar la respuesta sistémica, a través de marcadores bioquímicos y de comportamiento, y la respuesta local en mucosa vaginal, mediante estudios histopatológicos, en grupos de animales a los que se aplicó el gel con diferentes concentraciones del extracto de Opuntia soehrensii, comparados con un grupo control y otro que recibió solo el vehículo. Resultados. Se encontró que los indicadores sistémicos de comportamiento y ganancia de peso no mostraron diferencias entre grupos. Los indicadores hematológicos y bioquímicos mostraron resultados fisiológicamente esperados y sin cambios en los grupos de estudio. La citología expuso conservación del fenotipo celular para las fases del ciclo estral en todos los grupos. Los indicadores histológicos de reacción local e integridad celular se distribuyeron de igual manera en los todos los grupos. Conclusión. La aplicación de un gel de Opuntia soehrensii no muestra niveles apreciables de toxicidad local y sistémica, lo que permite recomendar la iniciación de estudios de aplicación clínica.

Introduction. Around 3.7 billion people under 50 years of age are infected with HSV-1 and 491 million people between the ages of 15 and 49 are infected with HSV-2 in the world; his symptoms, vesicles or painful ulcers recur periodically. Conventional treatment decreased its effectiveness in resistant and immunosuppressed strains. Therapeutic alternatives with extracts of medicinal plants and antiviral potential, such as Opuntia soehrensii Brito known as "ayrampù" in Bolivia, uses infusion of its seeds as an analgesic, antidiabetic, hypotensive and febrifuge. In vapors by inhalation for respiratory conditions; as a topical tincture in skin lesions of smallpox, measles and cold sores. Objectives . To evaluate the preclinical safety of a gel containing the hydroalcoholic extract of Opuntia soehrensii seeds in different doses, applied to the vaginal mucosa of Sprague Dawley rats. Material and Methods. Acute and sub-acute toxicity protocols were carried out to evaluate local response in the vaginal mucosa, through histo pathological studies, and systemic responses, through biochemical and behavioral markers, in groups of animals to which the gel with different concentrations of the extract of Opuntia soehrensii was applied, compared with a control group and another that received only the vehicle. Results. It was found that the histological indicators of local reaction and cell integrity were equally distributed in all groups. Cytology showed conservation of the cell phenotype for the phases of the estrous cycle in all groups. The systemic indicators of behavior and weight gain did not show differences between groups. Hematological and biochemical indicators showed results ranged in physiologic parameters, without changes in the study groups. Conclusion. The application of a gel from Opuntia soehrensii does not show appreciable levels of local and systemic toxicity, which makes it possible to recommend the initiation of clinical application studies.

Antioxidant And Cardiac Enzyme Marker Studies Of Thevetia Peruviana Seed Hydro-Methanol Extract In Wistar Male Albino Rats

Thevetia peruviana seed kernels are used for suicide attempts in many countries centuries back. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the level of toxicity exposure of seed kernels by acute and subacute studies on male wistar rats taking antioxidant enzyme levels in the vital organs like liver, kidney, heart and brain tissues myocardial marker enzyme levels in serum. Results revealed that antioxidant enzyme (SOD, GPX, GSH) levels was normal in the lower groups (25, 50 mg/kg), but drastic hike was observed in CKMB and LDH cardiac biomarker enzyme levels in 100 mg/ kg groups. In the liver tissues of group IV animals a significant dose dependent increase was observed in the activities of SOD (3.15 ± 0.58), GPx (46.55 ± 4.79) and GSH activity (18.20 ± 0.56). In kidney homogenates SOD and GSH level showed a statistically insignificant (p > 0.05) elevation, but the increase in GPx level shown by group IV animals (41.50 ± 7.04) was significant (p < 0.05) The activities of SOD in brain homogenates were increased significantly in group III (2.17 ± 0.24) and group IV (2.51 ± 0.27) animals. The GPx enzyme level also increased dose dependently (p < 0.01), but the level of GSH was found an insignificant hike. The heart, supposed to be the most adversely affected organ on cardiac glycoside administration, showed undisturbed values of enzyme levels. A noticeable elevation was observed in the serum CKMB and LDH enzyme levels in a dose dependent manner, but the extract did affect only the higher dosed animals (100 mg/kg) significantly (p < 0.05), In contrary to that, tissue homogenates of subacute animals under study showed a markedly significant hike in both CKMB and LDH levels. In conclusion, the level of toxicity and safety margin is very narrow, and the seeds really take lives of organisms, whose intake is accidentally or deliberately.

Does Motor Control Exercise Decreases Lumbar Pain, Improves Muscle Activity And Regional Function In Individuals With Acute And Sub Acute Non-Specific Low Back Pain

Background: Non-specific low back pain (LBP) is defined as LBP that poses signs and symptoms which cannot be related to a recognizable cause, and Motor Control Exercise (MCE) usually is the choice of treatment for conditioning lumbar muscles for chronic LBP group. Limited information is available regarding their clinical application for participants with acute and sub-acute LBP. Hence, the main aim of this study is to find out this clinical utility. Methods: A quasi-experimental study with 30 participants of less than six weeks and twelve weeks duration of LBP were included in the study and are divided into an experimental and control group. Pain intensity using numeric pain rating scale (NPRS), lumbar range using modified Schober’s test, muscle function using surface electromyography (EMG) and functional disability using Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ) were recorded pre and post-treatment. The experimental group received lumbar MCE with general exercises and the control group received only general low back exercises aiming to improve lumbar range and muscle efficiency for six-session spread over three weeks duration along with therapy for pain reduction. Results: Subjects in both experimental & control groups had significant improvement in pain (p<.001) and RMD Questionnaire (P<.001), Lumbar range of motion had improved significantly only in the experimental group (Flexion p<.001, Extension p<.001) compared to control group. Though lumbar muscle activation had improved in both the groups, subjects in the experimental group showed significant and uniform improvement in lumbar muscle activation following MCE than the control group. Conclusion: Motor Control Exercise provides better clinical improvement in pain, lumbar muscle activation and regional functional ability without exacerbating symptoms in subjects with LBP during the acute and sub-acute phase.

In Vivo Acute And Sub-Acute Toxicity Study Of Root Extract Of Carissa Spinarum Linn. In Swiss Albino Mice

Objective: The objective of the present research work had been done to evaluate the toxicity of crude extract of Carissa spinarum in Swiss albino mice. Methods: In studying the toxicity, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) guidelines were used. Experimental animals (mice), five mice in each, were grouped into four groups; three experimental groups and one negative control. In studying the acute toxicity, 2000, 3000 up to 5000 mg/kg crude plant extract was given orally using standard intragastric oral gavages. For acute toxicity, a single dose was given and gross behavioral changes were recorded. In sub-acute oral toxicity test, Carissa spinarum crude extract was given to the mice by standard intragastric oral gavages at doses of 500, 750 and 1000 mg/kg body weight of hydro-methanolic extract and 200, 600 and 1000 mg/kg of body weight of chloroform extract in every single to 28 d and various hematological and physical parameters were recorded. Results: In acute toxicity, the given dose of the plant extract did not produce significant physical and behavior changes up to the dose of 5000 mg/kg extracts. In addition, no death was occurred in the given doses. In sub-acute toxicity studies of the hydro-methanolic and chloroform extracts, there was no recorded significant change (p>0.05) of hematological and physical parameters in the treated groups when compared to the control groups. Conclusion: from the present study it was revealed that the crude extract of the plant did not produce any significant toxicological effect in the experimental animals and this supports the use of the plant in folk medicines.

Evaluation of Acute and Sub-acute Oral Toxicity Effect of Aquilaria malaccensis Leaves Aqueous Extract in Male ICR Mice

The study was conducted to investigate the acute and sub-acute toxicity effect of Aquilaria malaccensis leaves aqueous extract (AEAM) towards male ICR mice in terms of body weight, relative organ weight, mortality rate and sperm parameters. In acute toxicity study, a single dose at of 2000 mg/kg was performed. In sub-acute toxicity study, the mice were received normal saline (control group), 50, 100, 150, 200, 500, or 1000 mg/kg of AEAM orally for 21 days of treatment. In sub-acute toxicity study, the number of abnormal sperm were significantly decreased in AEAM 100, 150, 200, 500, and 1000 when compared to the control group. While, the motility of sperm were found to be significantly increased in AEAM 100, 150, 200, and 1000 as compared to the control group. No mortality was recorded in the control group and treated groups in both toxicity studies except for one mouse from AEAM 1000 group. However, the mild sedative effect in terms of the tendency to sleep was clearly noticeable in both toxicity studies. Results indicated that the AEAM can be one of the useful alternative medicine to enhance fertility rate by increasing healthy sperm production.

Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis: Hyper acute variant

@#Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) usually presents insidiously. Acute presentations with a fulminant course can occur. However hyper acute presentations with a non-progressive course have not been reported. Here we describe two cases that had hyper acute presentation with occipital involvement misdiagnosed initially as ischemic infarct. One case remained stable for 4 years and then had a fulminant course and patient succumbed; the other patient continued to remain stable at 2 year follow up. In countries where SSPE is prevalent, it is important to be aware of such a variant of SSPE.

Safety and Toxicological Assessment of Allantoin Extract from Cistanches Herba / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective: To evaluate the safety of allantoin extract from Cistanches Herba,so as to provide scientific support for subsequent utilization and development of allantoin extract from Cistanches Herba.Method: According to the national standard procedures and methods in food safety and toxicological evaluation,a series of toxicological studies on allantoin extract from Cistanches Herba were conducted,including genetic toxicity and subacute toxicity tests.Result: In the Ames test,with or without mammalina liver microsomal enzymes (S9),allantoin extract from Cistanches Herba in 40,200,1 000,5 000 μg·dish-1 dose range for four bacteria showed no dose-dependent increase.In the micronucleus test,there was no statistically significant difference among each dose group and the negative control group.In the test of mouse sperm aberration,there was no significant difference in the sperm aberration rate among the allantoin extract group and the negative control group.The results of three genotoxicity tests were all negative,indicating no genotoxicity in allantoin extract.The results of 30 days test showed no death and abnormal clinical sign in rats of control group and each dose group (1.100,0.550,0.275 g·kg-1).The body weight,food intake,weekly and total food utilization,weight increment,organ/body ratios,blood biochemical indexes and blood routine indexes had no significant difference among the control group and dose groups.There was no abnormal pathological change in heart,liver,spleen,lung,kidney and testicle of rats in treatment group.Conclusion: Allantoin extract from Cistanches Herba is a non-toxic substance without any genetic toxicity but with a high edible safety.This study provides scientific experimental basis for its safety.

Toxicity Study of Aqueous Leaves Extract of Jatropha gossypiifolia from Nigerian in Albino Rats: Serum Biochemistry and Histopathological Evaluation

Confounding factors such as plant species, its location and other environmental associated chemistry were reported to influence the dynamics of phytochemicals from being beneficial health-wise to metabolites that facilitate toxic induced effects. This study investigated the oral sub-acute toxicity profile of the aqueous leaf extracts (ALE) of Jatropha gossypiifolia collected from Mubi, Adamawa State, Nigeria. Generalized loss of body weight, weaknesses, dizziness, loss of appetite and restlessness were observed in the acute toxicity study with more severe effects and mortality recorded in the groups exposed to higher doses of 1000 and 2000 mg/kg body weight. In the sub-acute toxicity study, the ALE following the oral administration of 240 mg/kg, 450 mg/kg and 583 mg/kg for 28 days was observed to profoundly alter the normal architecture of the liver and the kidney. The pathological lesions were observed to have disrupted the normal concentration of the serum biomarkers. The ALT concentrations were found to increases to 10.28±1.26 U/L at 250 mg/kg, 9.38±0.57 U/L at 450 mg/kg and 9.31±0.77 U/L at 583 mg/kg respectively when compared to the control (5.86±0.34 U/L). The concentrations of AST were observed to increase to 49.07±16.2 U/L at 250 mg/kg, 47.10±15.42 U/L at 450 mg/kg and 53.07±10.32 U/L at 583 mg/kg respectively when compared to the control (46.11±9.21 U/L). The activity levels of ALP further shows an increase of 379.50±11.31 U/L at 250 mg/kg, 624.90±22.46 U/L at 450 mg/kg and 662.73±28.62 U/L at 583 mg/kg respectively when compared to the control (349.97±71.70 U/L). It is evident from this study that the ALE of the J. gossypiifolia species in addition to its health benefits also contains a cocktail of toxic phytochemicals. Thereby redefined the previous conclusions that the aqueous leaf extract of J. gossypiifolia plant is entirely safe. Thus, reinforcing the importance of the uses of indigenous/site-specific experiment, having in mind that some phytochemicals are sensitive to numbers of confounding factors.

Understanding causes of Sub-acute cough in community - A clinico-pathological research

Cough is one of the most common complaints of patients seeking medical attention. A number of patients attend our OPD for complaint of Sub acute cough lasting 3-8 weeks. Majority of such cough are due to Ear, Nose and Throat pathologies. This study aims to evaluate the Otorhinolaryngology causes of Cough in these patients. Inflammation of Sinuses (Acute/Sub-acute) and Gastro-oesophageal reflux disorder (Reflux) form a bulk of cases presenting with Sub-acute cough in community. Clinicians need to maintain a high degree of suspicion for these two most common entities in cough patients not responding to conventional line of management.

The effect of mental imagining training for improving upper extremity function in subacute stroke patient.

Background: Over 50% of patients with upper limb paresis resulting from stroke face long term impaired arm function and ensuing disability in daily life. The incidence of stroke increases dogmatically with age, doubling in the decade after 65 years of age. Early rehabilitation treatment in the first phase of stroke is currently advice in clinical guidelines and little evidence is available on such treatment for improving arm/hand function in the same period. Unfortunately, the number of effective treatments aimed at improving arm function due to stroke is still low. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate a new therapy for improving upper extremity function in sub-acute stroke patients based on mental practice theories and funtional task-oriented training, and to study the predictors for a positive treatment result. Material and methods: 30 sub-acute stroke patients with upper limb paresis were selected by simple random sampling in this study. The experimental group undertook 12 week, individually tailored therapy regime focused on improving upper extremity function using mental practice . primary outcome measures assessed upper extremity functioning with Action Research Arm Test, Fugl Meyer Test, and Modified Asworth Scale. ANOVA was used in this study. Null hypothesis with alpha level was set at 0.05. Conclusion: Mental imagining training resulted in significant improvement in upper extremity function in sub acute stroke patient. However the improvement obtained in upper extremity function found no significant difference after mental imagining training between the groups.

Acute and Sub-acute Toxicity Studies of Ethanol Seed Extract of Raphia hookeri on Swiss Albino Rats.

Aim: To evaluate the acute and sub-acute toxicities of Raphia hookeri (Rh) seed hydroethanolic extract on experimental animals. Materials and Methods: Acute toxicity study was evaluated on Swiss albino mice of both sexes. Administration of a single dose of 4000mg/kg of Rh seed extract by gavages to five mice showed no mortality, hence, its 1/20th dose was used as the highest therapeutic dose. The intra-peritoneal administration produced dose dependent mortality with median lethal dose (LD50) of approximately 323.6mg/kg body weight (bwt). In subacute toxicity study, Wistar rats received daily administration of the extract in the dose range of 50 to 200mg/kgbwt for 30 days. The effects on biochemical, histological and haematological parameters were evaluated. Results: The animals exhibited dose dependent body weight changes. There were some organs weight gains with the exception of the liver and testes which showed comparably lower weight compared to the control. There was a significant (p<0.05) increase in total protein, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and albumin levels compared to the control while bilirubin and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels decreased appreciably at the highest extract dose. The urea level decreased while the creatinine level increased in dose dependent manner. In lipid profile study, total cholesterol, triglycerides and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-cholesterol) levels showed significant (p<0.05) decrease in value. There was significant (p<0.05) increase in high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-cholesterol). Marked decrease in red blood cells, haemoglobin and haematocrit occurred. The white blood cells also decreased while neutrophil and lymphocytes increased appreciably. The extract caused marked deleterious effect on the testes leading to drastic reduction in sperm cells. Conclusion: The extract caused undesirable effect on the male reproductive organ of the animals making it unsafe for consumption by males of reproductive age.

Effect of Constraint-induced Language Therapy on Aphasia in Patients with Sub-acute Stroke / 中国康复理论与实践

@#Objective To observe the effect of constraint-induced language therapy (CILT) on speech and communicative activities in sub-acute stroke patients with aphasia. Methods 59 sub-acute stroke patients with aphasia were divided into control group (n=29) and observation group (n=30), who accepted routine speech therapy and CILT respectively. They were assessed with China Rehabilitation Research Center Aphasia Examination (CRRCAE) and Communicative Activities In Daily Living (CADL) before, and 10 days and 3 months after intervention. Results The scores of comprehension, repetition, naming, reading aloud, reading comprehension, and CADL improved more in the observation group than in the control group 10 days and 3 months after intervention (P<0.05). Conclusion CILT may facilitate the recovery of speech and communicative activities in daily living in sub-acute stroke patients with aphasia.

Evaluation of Microbial Purity and Acute and Sub-acute Toxicities of a Nigerian Commercial Polyherbal Formulation Used in the Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus.

Objective: This study evaluated acute and sub-acute toxicities in rodents and microbial purity of a polyherbal formulation, Bobwell® popular among the natives for the management of diabetes mellitus (DM). It was prepared with unspecified quantities of the following plant materials viz. Gongronema latifolium. Garcinia kola, Vernonia amgydalina, Sphenocentrum jollyanum and Kigelia africana leaves. Materials and Methods: Microbial purity was evaluated on some bacterial and fungal organisms using appropriate diagnostic media. Toxicity of the polyherbal preparation was evaluated in Swiss albino mice by administering to the animals graded oral doses of the lyophilized preparation in the ranges of 1.0 to 20.0 g/kg body weight (bwt) and observed for changes. Wistar rats were also fed with different doses of the lyophilized formulation for 30 days and the effects on the biochemical profiles and haematological parameters were evaluated. Results: The purity evaluation test revealed presence of some bacterial organisms with the load within officially acceptable limits except Escherichia coli having a load of 1.50x102 cfu/ml while no fungal organisms were observed. The median acute toxicity value (LD50) of the polyherbal medicine was determined to be 15.2 g/kg bwt. There was significant increase (P ≤0.05) in the body weight of the animals treated with the highest dose of the formulation compared to the control. The biochemical parameters showed marked decrease in the plasma glucose level compared to the control. Increase in creatinine level was observed only in the animals that received the highest dose of the formulation while aspartate aminotransferase (AST) decreased significantly. On the other hand, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) exhibited significant increased (P ≤0.05) at the highest dose. The photomicrograph of hepatic tissue showed focal necro-inflammation around the portal hepatics. There was marked increase in the haemoglobin level and in the red blood cell (RBC) count at the highest doses. There was also significant increase in white blood cells (WBC). Conclusion: The high LD50 value indicated that the polyherbal preparations could be safe for use but its safety was negated by high presence of E coli load. Although the formulation showed good hypoglycaemic activity and beneficial effects on cardiovascular risk factors, at the highest dose, the formulation exhibited deleterious effect on the hepatic tissue.

Anti-Inflammatory Potential of Ethanolic Extracts from Aerial Parts of Ipomoea Pes-Caprae (L.) R.Br Using Cotton Pellet Induced Granuloma Model.

Ipomoea Pes-caprae (L.) R.Br (IP) is a valuable medicinal plant, distributed in the tropics and subtropics regions and used in folk and tribal medicines. Traditionally IP is used in inflammatory conditions such as arthritis and also used to treat pain, ulcer, cancer and wounds. The acute anti-inflammatory activity of IP has been previously reported. The present study aims to discover the anti-inflammatory effect of ethanolic extracts from aerials parts of IP by sub-acute anti-inflammatory model. Completely dried leaves and stems of I.pes-caprae were extracted using ethanol by hot percolation method. The EELIP & EESIP (Ethanolic extract of Leaves & Stems of IP) thus obtained were subjected to preliminary phytochemical analysis and revealed the presence of alkaloids, carbohydrates, glycosides, flavonoids, tannins, sterols and terpenoids both in leaf and stem extracts. The LD50 of both EELIP & EESIP were found to be >2000 mg/kg by acute oral toxicity study. Both EELIP & EESIP exhibited significant anti-inflammatory activities in dose dependent manner.

Sub-acute toxicity of cultured mycelia of Himalayan entomogenous fungus Cordyceps sinensis (Berk.) Sacc. in rats.

Oral administration of laboratory cultured mycelia powder of C. sinensis did not show any sign of toxicity as no significant change was observed in organ weight and serological parameters in rats. However, there was a significant increase in food intake, body weight gain and hematological parameters like WBC, RBC, Hb and lymphocytes in treated groups. Histopathology of vital organs also supported the non toxic effect of C. sinensis. The results conclude that laboratory cultured mycelia powder of C. sinensis is safe and non toxic up to 2g/ kg body weight dose.

Tiroiditis granulomatosa de De Quervain: diagnóstico por citología con aspiración por aguja fina / De Quervain's granulomatous thyroiditis: diagnosis by cytology with thin needle

La tiroiditis de De Quervain, también nombrada como tiroiditis subaguda o tiroiditis de células gigantes, frecuentemente es precedida por un cuadro infeccioso del tracto respiratorio superior. Su diagnóstico es eminentemente clínico; pero el uso de la citología por aspiración con aguja fina de tiroides, confirma o niega el planteamiento clínico según las características citológicas. Fue empleada esta técnica en 6 pacientes con clínica y ultrasonido diferentes y por la necesidad de realizar un correcto diagnóstico diferencial con otras formas de hipertiroidismo con peor pronóstico evolutivo. La citología por aspiración con aguja fina mostró en estos casos ser un arma eficaz para ello, por lo que se decidió realizar esta presentación.

De Quervain's thyroiditis, also called sub-acute thyroiditis or thyroiditis of giant cells, is frequently preceded by an infectious picture of the high respiratory tract. Its diagnosis is eminently clinical; but the usage of the cytology by aspiration of the thyroid with thin needle, confirm or denied the clinical conclusions according to the cytological characteristics. This technique was used in six patients with different clinical and ultrasound results, because of the necessity of arriving to a correct differential diagnosis with other forms of hyperthyroidism with worse evolvable diagnosis. The cytology by aspiration with thin needle in these cases showed to be an efficacious weapon for that, so we decided to prepare this presentation.

Acute and subacute oral toxicity evaluation of benincasa hispida extract in rodents.

The toxicity studies were carried out a 50% aqueous ethanolic extract of Benincasa hispida ( B. hispida )in rodents.The acute toxicity study, B. hispida was found to be well tolerated upto 2000mg/kg, produced neither mortality nor in behavior in mice. In subacute toxicity study, B. hispida at dose level of 200 and 400 mg/kg did not produce any significant difference in their body weight, food and water intake when compared to vehicle treated rats. It also showed no significant alteration in hematological and biochemical parameters in experimental groups of rats apart from a decrease in aspatate transaminase, alanine transaminase and alkaline phosphate content at the dose of 400 mg/kg. Histopathological study revealed normal architecture of kidney and liver of B. hispida treated rats. These results demonstrated that there is a wide margin of safety for the therapeutic use of B. hispida and further corroborated the traditional use of this extract as an anti hepatocarcinogenic agent.

Infectious diseases in the aftermath of monsoon flooding in Pakistan

Pakistan is ranked 9th in terms of flood-affected countries worldwide. In the summer of 2010, the northern province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa received more than 312 mm of rain in a 56 hour period. This resulted in over 1 600 deaths across the region. In addition, over 14 million people were directly affected by this record-breaking deluge. Flood affected regions serve as ideal breeding grounds for pathogens, leading to the spread of diseases. The poor standards of hygiene in camps set up for individuals displaced by the floods also contribute to this. It is essential that those involved in relief efforts are aware of the epidemiology of diseases that have historically seen a sudden upsurge after natural disasters. Keeping this in mind, we conducted a simple review of literature. An extensive literature search was conducted using the PubMed data base and online search engines. Articles published in the last 20 years were considered along with some historical articles where a background was required. Seven major diseases were identified to increase substantially in the aftermath of natural disasters. They were then classified into acute and sub-acute settings. Diarrhea, skin & eye infections and leptospirosis were identified in the acute setting while malaria, leishmaniasis, respiratory infections and hepatitis were identified in the sub-acute setting.

Acute and sub-acute oral toxicity profile of Acorus calamus (Sweet flag) in rodents

Objective: To determine the acute and sub-acute oral toxicity profile of the hydroalcoholic extract of Acorus calamus (HAE-AC) in mice and rats respectively. Methods: In acute toxicity study, mice were assessed to any alteration of general behavior and mortality rate within 24 h. Further, in sub-acute toxicity study, rats were used for assessment of mortality, body weight, hematological, biochemical and histopathological changes. Results: Single oral administrations of the HAE-AC 2500-10000 mg/kg induced increase in general behavioral abnormalities in mice. The mortality rate also increased with increasing dosage (median lethal dose; LD50 = 5 070.59 mg/kg). Daily single oral doses of HAE-AC 200, 500 and 1 000 mg/kg were observed to be well tolerated behaviorally after 28 days of dosing and induced no significant changes in body and organs weights of rats. Further, a mild rise in the levels of alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST) and histopatholological changes in liver tissue was noted at 1000 mg/kg dose of HAE-AC. Conclusions: Overall, the findings of this study indicate that, HAE-AC is non-toxic and has at high dose, a mild but acceptable toxicity potential.

Acute and sub-acute toxicity studies of Passiflora nepalensis in rats

This study was designed to elucidate the toxicity of widely used plant Passiflora nepalensis Walp. (Passifloraceae) in rats. We have taken methanolic extract isolated from whole plant of Passiflora nepalensis and studied their toxic effects. Acute, sub-acute toxicities and LD50 values were determined in experimental rats. The external appearance of the dead animals, the appearance of the viscera, heart, lungs, stomach, intestine, liver, kidney, spleen and brain were carefully noted and any apparent and significant features or differences from the normal were recorded after acute treatment with methanolic extract of whole plant of Passiflora nepalensis (MPN). Following the sub-acute administration of MPN for fourteen days, the vital organ such as liver, kidney and heart were carefully evaluated by histopathological and biochemical studies and any apparent and significant changes or differences from the normal were recorded. Pathologically, neither gross abnormalities nor histopathological changes were observed. Oral administration of MPN at the doses of 40, 80, 160 and 320 mg/kg body wt for fourteen consecutive days to male and female rats did not induce any short term toxicity. Collectively, these data demonstrate that the methanolic extract of Passiflora nepalensis have a high margin of safety.