Polyphenolic characteristics, antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of Zingiber neesanum (Graham) Ramamoorthy rhizomes and identification of volatile metabolites by GC-MS analysis.

Rhizomes of Zingiber neesanum (Graham) Ramamoorthy, endemic to Western Ghats and subject to few studies, were analysed for bioactivity and phytochemical composition. High total tannin (TT) content in isopropanol extract [55.261 ± 6.623 mg TAE.100 g-1 DW] contributed to antimicrobial activity against gram negative Enterococcus fecalis (21.7 ± 0.6 cm) while high total flavonoid (TF) content in ethyl acetate extract [681.94 ± 33.87 mg CE.100 g-1 DW] accounted for the antifungal activity against Mucor rouxii (9.7 ± 0.6). Isopropanol extracts also showed high anti-oxidant activity as determined by DPPH and FRAP assays. Major bioactive phytochemical constituents in Z. neesanum rhizome identified by GC-MS analysis included 2-Methyl-7-nonadecene (13.99%; antimicrobial), Actinomycin C2 (8.57%; antineoplastic) and Deoxyspergualin (12.55%; immunosuppressive).

Diarylheptanoids as nutraceutical: A review.

Phenolic compounds are naturally occurring compounds present ubiquitously in plants. They have potential health benefits and substantiate evidence for their nutraceutical applications. Diarylheptanoids are part of the broad class of plant phenolics with structurally divergent compounds. They have been used in traditional medicines and homemade remedies to treat various ailments, as organoleptic additives in foods, and also for aesthetic purposes. With their potential therapeutic and organoleptic characteristics, diarylhepatanoids can be rightly termed as nutraceuticals. This review summarizes the wide range of pharmacological activities of diarylhepatanoids and nutraceutical formulations, with relevance to human health.

Educational attainment and socioeconomic status of patients with autopsy-confirmed Alzheimer disease.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether patients with autopsy-confirmed Alzheimer disease (AD) have different educational attainment and socioeconomic status than subjects without neurodegenerative disease. DESIGN: Comparison of 2 groups of autopsied patients. Information on education and occupation was obtained by telephone interview of relatives conducted post mortem. PATIENTS: One hundred fifteen patients enrolled in the University of Western Ontario Dementia Study with dementia and fulfilling diagnostic criteria of AD at autopsy were compared with 142 patients 65 years or older without dementia who died in the hospital and in whom autopsy did not show neurodegenerative disease. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Highest education level attained, years of education, occupation, and socioeconomic and income levels. All results were adjusted for sex, age at time of death, and year of birth. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in education, occupation, or socioeconomic and income levels between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: There is no evidence that educational attainment is different in patients with AD than in subjects who die in the hospital from other diseases. These results indicate that education does not protect against advanced AD.

Phrenic nerve conduction time in Guillain-Barré syndrome.

Phrenic nerve conduction was studied in 28 patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome. Conduction time was prolonged in 18 (64.3%) patients and serial studies showed progressive improvement with restoration of normal values in the majority by 12 weeks. The conduction abnormalities had a positive correlation with the extent of the disease, morbidity and mortality. Phrenic nerve conduction time was found to be a more sensitive parameter than vital capacity or median nerve motor conduction velocity in assessing the severity of the disease and predicting impending ventilatory failure.