Anticandidal effect of extract of Bridelia stipularis.

Medicinal and aromatic plants are gift of nature and are being used against various infections and diseases in the world since ages. Species of the genus Bridelia stipularis var scandens is reported to be used traditionally for treating various oral diseases. However, the antimicrobial effect of these plant materials against oral pathogens is not proved. Therefore, we have done the present study. Aim is to find out the anticandidal effect of water extract of Bridelia stipularis against four common oral candidal pathogens. The leaves after identification and authentication by a botanist were collected, air dried, pulverized to fine powder using household blender. The water extract was prepared using cold percolation method. The standard Candida species, Candida albicans, Candida parapsilosis, Candida glabrata and Candida tropicalis obtained from Post Graduate Institute (PGI), Chandigarh was procured. Antifungal activity was determined by Kirby Bauer well diffusion method and Time kill assay. All four species of Candida showed variable results with diameter of zone of inhibition ranging from 12mm to 21mm on Sabouraud’s dextrose agar with both 6 hour and 24 hour peptone water subculture. Time kill assay showed inconsistent results even after 24 hours of exposure with the crude extract of Bridelia stipularis. All four species of Candida causing oral infections are moderately sensitive to crude water extract of dried leaves of Bridelia stipularis.

A trial of Phyllanthus amarus in acute viral hepatitis.

The study was done to know whether the powders of Phyllanthus amarus plants favourably influence the duration of disease in patients with acute viraus B hepatitis when compared to placebo. The powders of the plant were given in capsule form (300 mg capsules--3 capsules--3 capsules thrice daily) and an antacid powder in similar capsule was used as placebo. Persons with encephalopathy, preexisting medical conditions or serum bilirubin above 350 iu/l were excluded from the study. Fifty seven patients were randomized to receive either the placebo (28 cases) or the drug (28 cases). The two groups were comparable at the time of entry. Two cases from the placebo and one from the placebo and one from the drug group dropped out of the study. The duration of disease (time taken for bilirubin to come to below 2 mg%) was taken as the outcome measure. The duration of disease in the two groups was compared by Cox's proportional hazards analysis after adusting for the variables that influence the duration of jaundice. Only initial serum bilirubin was an independent predictor of duration of jaundice. The an analysis showed that Phyllanthus amarus powders did not significantly reduce the duration of jaundice in persons with virus B hepatitis.

Uso da poliuretana derivada do óleo de mamona para preencher defeitos ósseos diafisários segmentares do rádio: estudo experimental em coelhos / Use of polyurethane derived from castor oil to fill segmental diaphyseal bone defects in radii: an experimental study on rabbits

A biocompatibilidade e outras propriedades, como osteoinduçäo e osteoconduçäo, da poliuretana derivada da combinaçäo do óleo de mamona purificado com o pré-polímero difenilmetandiisocianato foram testadas num modelo de defeito diafisário em rádios de coelhos. Um segmento de 2cm de comprimento da diáfise radial era ressecado de ambos os rádios de cada animal e substituído por um cilindro confeccionado com a poliuretana adicionada de carbonato de cálcio para aquisiçäo de porosidade e radiodensidade. Foram utilizados 34 animais, distribuídos em grupos de acordo com o período de observaçäo pós-operatória (2, 4, 8 e 16 semanas) e submetidos a avaliaçöes radiológicas, macroscópica e histológica. Os resultados mostraram que a poliuretana era primeiro envolvida por espessa camada de tecido fibroso e, depois, por lâmina de osso de organizaçäo e maturaçäo progressivas. Näo foram observadas reaçöes de corpo estranho, nem reabsorçäo e crescimento de tecido ósseo dentro da poliuretana. Os resultados indicaram que a poliuretana derivada do óleo de mamona é material biocompatível e apresenta propriedades de osteoconduçäo e, possivelmente, de osteoinduçÒo, de grande interesse para aplicaçäo em cirurgia ortopédica.