Medicinal plant sources and traditional healthcare practices of forest-dependent communities in and around Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary in southeastern Bangladesh.

Bangladesh's forest-dependent people rely on medicinal plants for traditional healthcare practices, as plant-based medicines are easily available and cost-effective. This study evaluated and documented ethnomedicinal practices for, and traditional knowledge of, utilising plants to cure ailments. Ethnobotanical indices quantified the use value (UV), frequency of citation, relative frequency of citation (RFC) and the informant consensus factor. Using a semi-structured questionnaire, the study interviewed 231 respondents from 18 villages in and around Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS). The study documented 134 medicinal plant species from 60 families; tree species were dominant (37.31%). Malvaceae (seven species), Rutaceae and Lamiaceae (six species each) families covered more species. Nearly half of the species (46.02%) were collected from CWS. Both above-ground and below-ground plant parts treated 71 types of ailments under 21 categories, with leaves (66 species) being the most widely used plant part. In total 33 species were used to treat dysentery, 25 species each for fever and jaundice, and 24 species for cuts and wounds. The average UV value was 0.24 and RFC value was 0.47%. Communities were found to utilise medicinal plants more at home than to sell at markets, substantially relying on medicinal plants to meet their domestic needs. Plants used for healthcare and cultural and religious beliefs have a strong connection that plays a vital role in plant conservation. This study identified 42 medicinal plant species that could be considered to treat COVID-19 patients in Bangladesh. The findings suggest that community awareness of sustainable harvesting and commercial cultivation could lead to conservation and use of these invaluable plant species for healthcare, new drugs discovery and sustainable forest management. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42398-022-00230-z.

Altered monoaminergic levels, spasticity, and balance disability following repetitive blast-induced traumatic brain injury in rats.

Spasticity and balance disability are major complications following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Although monoaminergic inputs provide critical adaptive neuromodulations to the motor system, data are not available regarding the levels of monoamines in the brain regions related to motor functions following repetitive blast TBI (bTBI). The objective of this study was to determine if mild, repetitive bTBI results in spasticity/balance deficits and if these are correlated with altered levels of norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin in the brain regions related to the motor system. Repetitive bTBI was induced by a blast overpressure wave in male rats on days 1, 4, and 7. Following bTBI, physiological/behavioral tests were conducted and tissues in the central motor system (i.e., motor cortex, locus coeruleus, vestibular nuclei, and lumbar spinal cord) were collected for electrochemical detection of norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin by high-performance liquid chromatography. The results showed that norepinephrine was significantly increased in the locus coeruleus and decreased in the vestibular nuclei, while dopamine was significantly decreased in the vestibular nuclei. On the other hand, serotonin was significantly increased in the motor cortex and the lumbar spinal cord. Because these monoamines play important roles in regulating the excitability of neurons, these results suggest that mild, repetitive bTBI-induced dysregulation of monoaminergic inputs in the central motor system could contribute to spasticity and balance disability. This is the first study to report altered levels of multiple monoamines in the central motor system following acute mild, repetitive bTBI.

Bioaccumulation of heavy metals in different tissues of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in Bangladesh

@# Introduction: The culture of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) has become wide spread because of its high productivity over a short period of time. Its production partially fulfills the demand for food in rural people in Bangladesh. However, the accumulation of toxic heavy metals in the human body through consumption of fish contaminated by it causes various diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the bioaccumulation of five heavy metals, namely, cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni) and copper (Cu) in cultured Nile tilapia in the Noakhali region of Bangladesh. Methods: Fish were collected from three different fish farms in the Noakhali region and samples of gill, muscles and liver of tilapia were assayed for Cd, Cr, Pb, Ni and Cu using atomic absorption spectroscopy. Proximate composition of the tilapia was also determined. Results: Metal accumulation in different tissues was as follows: liver > gill > muscle. The accumulation of metals in the muscle, gill and liver was Ni > Pb > Cr > Cu > Cd, Pb > Ni > Cu > Cr > Cd and Pb > Cu > Ni > Cr > Cd, respectively. The bioaccumulation of lead was significantly increased in liver and gill while muscle showed the lowest value. Conclusion: It can be concluded that bioaccumulation of Pb, Cr and Ni in Nile tilapia in this study exceeds the permissible limits set for heavy metals by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)-407. This is potentially risky for consumers.

Association of arsenic exposure during pregnancy with fetal loss and infant death: a cohort study in Bangladesh.

The authors evaluated the effect of arsenic exposure on fetal and infant survival in a cohort of 29,134 pregnancies identified by the health and demographic surveillance system in Matlab, Bangladesh, in 1991-2000. Arsenic exposure, reflected by drinking water history and analysis of arsenic concentrations in tube-well water used by women during pregnancy, was assessed in a separate survey conducted in 2002-2003. Data on vital events, including pregnancy outcome and infant mortality, were collected by monthly surveillance at the household level. The risk of fetal loss and infant death in relation to arsenic exposure was estimated by a Cox proportional hazards model. Drinking tube-well water with more than 50 microg of arsenic per liter during pregnancy significantly increased the risks of fetal loss (relative risk = 1.14, 95% confidence interval: 1.04, 1.25) and infant death (relative risk = 1.17, 95% confidence interval: 1.03, 1.32). There was a significant dose response of arsenic exposure to risk of infant death (p = 0.02). Women of reproductive age should urgently be prioritized for mitigation activities where drinking water is contaminated by arsenic.