Herbal Interactions with Cardiac Medications: A Comprehensive Review of Potential Interactions between Herbal Drugs and Commonly Prescribed Cardiac Medications.

BACKGROUND: The concomitant use of herbal remedies in conjunction with conventional cardiac medications has increased significantly in recent years, primarily due to improvements in the quality standards of herbal medicines and the pervasive belief that natural products pose no harm to the human body. Contrary to this belief, multiple phytoconstituents found in herbal products have the potential to interact with conventional cardiac drugs, potentially resulting in severe adverse effects.

Objective: This review aimed to elucidate the intricacies of these interactions highlighting herbal medications that interact with established pharmaceuticals used for the treatment of cardiovascular disorders. Moreover, the review draws attention to safety concerns and preventative steps that should be taken by patients and medical professionals.. This endeavor is vital to avert adverse events stemming from such interactions.

Methods: Our approach entailed a comprehensive literature review employing keywords such as "mechanisms of herb-drug interactions," "herbal medications," and "cardiovascular disorders." The drugs presented in this review were selected based on their popularity among the general population, frequency of their employability, and potential to manifest drug interactions. We sourced pertinent information from reputable databases, including PubMed, Scopus, and Elsevier.

Results: Heart or blood vessel disorders are referred to as cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), which include conditions such as heart failure, stroke, hypertensive heart disease, and peripheral arterial disease. The primary underlying factor for the development of CVDs is dyslipidemia, which can be treated with classical antihyperlipidemic drugs such as statins, ezetimibe, and PCSK9-inhibitors. The use of herbal remedies is often unregulated, and there is a lack of scientific evidence supporting their use, particularly in the management of heart failure. Patients may not disclose their use of herbal remedies to health care practitioners, which can result in potential harm.

Conclusion: Uncontrolled dyslipidemia leads to hypercholesterolemia, which can result in atherosclerotic plaques and blocked arteries and veins. Herbal remedies and botanical products are also used to prevent or treat illnesses, and many prescription pharmaceuticals are made from plant compounds. Herbal remedies are often preferred because of the belief that they are safe and have no potential to cause harm. However, there is insufficient scientific data to support the use of herbal remedies, especially when treating heart disease. Using herbal remedies in conjunction with medicinal pharmaceuticals may result in unfavorable effects.

Wound healing efficacy of curcumin-loaded sandalwood bark-derived carbon nanosphere/PVA nanofiber matrix.

The present investigation deals with the evaluation of the wound healing efficacy of sandalwood bark-derived carbon nanospheres loaded with curcumin-embedded polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanofiber membranes (NF). Carbon nanospheres (CNS) were prepared by pyrolyzing sandal wood bark powder at 750 °C. The morphology was confirmed by field emission scanning electron micrographs and a rich amount of carbon was confirmed by the energy dispersive X-ray technique. Curcumin, an active wound healing drug was loaded onto synthesized CNS and confirmed by ATR-IR studies. Drug-loaded CNS were anchored in a PVA matrix via electrospun nanofiber fabrication. The fabricated nanofiber membranes were characterized and evaluated for wound healing efficiency. The cytotoxicity assay proved the non-toxic nature of the prepared PVA/CNS-curcumin-loaded NF. Membranes with active CNS/drug showed better antimicrobial activity against S. aureus and E. coli, which was estimated using the zone of inhibition (ZOI) test. The in vitro scratch wound healing assay of prepared PVA/CNS-curcumin nanofibers was efficient enough and showed 92 to 98% wound closure, which was greater than the control (without drug) nanofiber membranes. The PVA nanofiber matrix with interconnected structure and carbon nanostructures together enhanced the wound healing efficacy of the considered wound healing membrane, which is a promising novel approach for future wound healing patches.

Effectiveness of three mouth rinsing agents against mutans Streptococcus and Lactobacillus species - A comparative study.

Background: Dental caries is one of the most common chronic childhood diseases and is a cause of continuous discomfort through impaired function and esthetics. To control dental caries, the removal of plaque is of utmost importance, and that further necessitates the use of chemotherapeutic agents. Several side effects associated with chlorhexidine have stimulated the search for an alternative chemotherapeutic agent. Aims: This study aims to compare the effectiveness of probiotic mouth rinse with kidodent mouth rinse, and placebo against mutans Streptococcus and Lactobacillus acidophilus (LA). Materials and Methods: The present study was a randomized parallel double-blinded clinical study which included 90 children of ages 6-15 years who were randomly allocated into three groups: Group 1 - placebo (n = 30), Group 2 - kidodent (n = 30), and Group 3 - probiotic (n = 30). Stimulated salivary samples were collected from all the children after rinsing with distilled water (first reading), and after rinsing with respective mouthwash (placebo/kidodent/probiotic mouth rinse) of their groups during the first visit (second readings). Samples were collected again after using mouth rinse for 14 days (third readings) and used for detection of pH, and levels of Streptococcus mutans (SM) and LA counts. Data were subjected to statistical analysis. Results: Statistically significant difference was seen between placebo versus kidodent, placebo versus probiotic but there was no statistically significant difference between kidodent versus probiotic after the immediate rinse and post 15 days of rinse. Conclusion: Kidodent and probiotic mouth rinse are more efficacious and have equivalent efficacy in reducing SM and LA.

Résumé Contexte: Les caries dentaires sont l'une des maladies infantiles chroniques les plus courantes et sont la cause d'une gêne permanente due à une altération de la fonction et de l'esthétique. fonction et de l'esthétique. Pour lutter contre les caries dentaires, l'élimination de la plaque dentaire est de la plus haute importance, ce qui nécessite l'utilisation d'agents chimiothérapeutiques. agents chimiothérapeutiques. Plusieurs effets secondaires associés à la chlorhexidine ont stimulé la recherche d'un agent chimiothérapeutique alternatif. alternative. Objectifs: cette étude vise à comparer l'efficacité d'un bain de bouche probiotique à celle d'un bain de bouche kidodent, et d'un placebo contre les mutans Streptococcus et Lactobacillus acidophilus (LA). Matériaux et méthodes: La présente étude était une étude clinique randomisée en parallèle et en double aveugle. 90 enfants âgés de 6 à 15 ans ont été répartis au hasard en trois groupes : Groupe 1 - placebo (n = 30), Groupe 2 - kidodent (n = 30), et Groupe 3 - probiotique (n = 30). Des échantillons salivaires stimulés ont été prélevés chez tous les enfants après avoir été rincés à l'eau distillée (première lecture). après s'être rincés à l'eau distillée (première lecture), et après s'être rincés avec les bains de bouche respectifs (placebo/kidodent/rince-bouche probiotique) de leurs groupes lors de la première visite (deuxième lecture). la première visite (deuxième lecture). Les échantillons ont été collectés à nouveau après avoir utilisé le bain de bouche pendant 14 jours (troisième lecture) et ont été utilisés pour la détection du pH, et les niveaux de numération des Streptococcus mutans (SM) et des LA. Les données ont été soumises à une analyse statistique. Résultats: Une différence statistiquement significative statistiquement significative entre le placebo et le kidodent, le placebo et le probiotique, mais il n'y a pas de différence statistiquement significative entre le kidodent et le probiotique après le traitement. kidodent versus probiotique après le rinçage immédiat et après 15 jours de rinçage. Conclusion: Les bains de bouche kidodent et probiotiques sont plus efficaces et ont une efficacité équivalente dans la réduction de la SM et de la LA. Mots-clés: Bacillus clausii UBBC-07 bain de bouche, kidodent bain de bouche, lactobacilles, bain de bouche probiotique, Streptococcus mutans.

Sleep disordered breathing improvement prevents worsening of autonomic dysfunction in children with Down syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Resolution of sleep disordered breathing (SDB) in typically developing children normalises heart rate variability (HRV), a measure of autonomic control, to that of non-snoring controls. Children with Down Syndrome (DS) have dampened heart rate variability (HRV) but the effect of treatment is not known. To assess the effect of improvement of SDB on autonomic control we compared HRV in children with DS whose SDB improved over 2 y, to those whose SDB did not improve. METHODS: 24 children (3-19 y) had a baseline and follow-up polysomnographic study 2 y later. Improved SDB was defined as a reduction in obstructive apnea hypopnea index (OAHI) to ≤ 50% of baseline. Children were grouped into Improved (n = 12) and Unimproved (n = 12). Power spectral analysis of the ECG determined low frequency (LF), high frequency (HF) power and the LF/HF ratio. Seven children in the Improved and 2 in the Unimproved group were treated following the baseline study. RESULTS: In the Unimproved group at follow-up, LF power was lower compared to baseline during N3 and Total Sleep (p < 0.05 for both). HF power was lower during REM (p < 0.05). HRV remained unchanged between studies in the Improved group. CONCLUSION: Autonomic control worsened as indicated by lower LF and HF power in children whose SDB was not improved. In contrast, in those children with improved SDB, autonomic control remained the same, suggesting improvement in SDB severity prevents further worsening of autonomic control in children with DS.

Correlation of Serum and Gingival Crevicular Fluid Levels of Caspase-3 and Milk Fat Globule-Epidermal Growth Factor 8 on Gingival Health.

AIM: This study aimed to estimate and correlate the serum and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) levels of caspase-3 and milk fat globule-epidermal growth factor 8 (MFG-E8) in healthy, gingivitis and generalised chronic periodontitis subjects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 24 subjects were selected and divided into three groups. After recording the periodontal parameters (plaque index (PI), modified gingival index (MGI), probing depth (PD) and clinical attachment level (CAL)), the serum and GCF samples were collected and the levels of caspase-3 and MFG-E8 were estimated using enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA). RESULTS: The mean values of PI, MGI, PD and CALs were significantly higher in group III when compared to group II and group I. The mean value of serum and GCF caspase-3 increased with increasing disease severity, whereas the mean serum and GCF values of MFG-E8 decreased with increasing severity of disease. Spearman's correlation showed a strong positive correlation between the serum and GCF levels of caspase-3 and periodontal parameters, whereas serum and GCF levels of MFG-E8 showed a strong negative correlation with the periodontal parameters. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study are suggestive that the serum and GCF levels of caspase-3 and MFG-E8 could serve as a potential biomarker for the role of apoptosis in periodontal disease. However, further studies are required to explore the mechanism and understand the relationship between these apoptotic markers and periodontitis.

Biowaste-Derived, Highly Efficient, Reusable Carbon Nanospheres for Speedy Removal of Organic Dyes from Aqueous Solutions.

The current work explores the adsorptive efficiency of carbon nanospheres (CNSs) derived from oil palm leaves (OPL) that are a source of biowaste. CNSs were synthesized at 400, 600, 800 and 1000 °C, and those obtained at 1000 °C demonstrated maximum removal efficiency of ~91% for malachite green (MG). Physicochemical and microscopic characteristics were analysed by FESEM, TEM, FTIR, Raman, TGA and XPS studies. The presence of surface oxygen sites and the porosity of CNSs synergistically influenced the speed of removal of MG, brilliant green (BG) and Congo red (CR) dyes. With a minimal adsorbent dosage (1 mg) and minimum contact time (10 min), and under different pH conditions, adsorption was efficient and cost-effective (nearly 99, 91 and 88% for BG, MG and CR, respectively). The maximum adsorption capacities of OPL-based CNSs for BG were 500 and 104.16 mg/g for MG and 25.77 mg/g for CR. Adsorption isotherms (Freundlich, Langmuir and Temkin) and kinetics models (pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order and Elovich) for the adsorption processes of all three dyes on the CNSs were explored in detail. BG and CR adsorption the Freundlich isotherm best, while MG showed a best fit to the Temkin model. Adsorption kinetics of all three dyes followed a pseudo-second-order model. A reusability study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of CNSs in removing the MG dye and showed ~92% efficiency even after several cycles. Highly efficient CNSs with surface oxygen groups and speedy removal of organic dyes within 10 min by CNSs are highlighted in this paper.

Physisorption of trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene on novel zeta arsenene nanotubes - A first-principles study.

The structural stability of novel ζ-arsenene nanotubes (ζ-AsNT) is studied based on the density functional theory framework and is used as a base material for the detection of trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene vapours. The formation energy of ζ-AsNT is found to be -4.321 eV/atom and the energy band gap is 0.304 eV. Besides, the changes in the electronic properties of ζ-AsNT are explored with regard to the projected density of states, charge transfer, and electron density difference. The bandgap energy decreases for hollow site orientation to 0.205 and 0.204 eV for trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene vapours and increases for the valley and top site orientations. The adsorption energies were maximum for the valley site orientation of target molecules onto ζ-AsNT (01.165 and -1.513 eV for trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene, respectively). Moreover, the target vapours trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene are physisorbed on ζ-AsNT enabling the recycling of base substrate for continuous operation. The average energy gap changes vary from 18 to 32.9% depending on adsorption sites. The variation in the average energy gap owing to adsorption of trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene indicates the chemo-sensing nature of ζ-AsNT. The current report lays the inroads in the development of a new sensing element for the detection of chloroethylene molecules.

Relation of Serum and Salivary Total Sialic Acid and Total Sialic Acid/Total Protein Ratio with Clinical Parameters of Disease Progression in Preeclampsia.

Sialic acid is a terminal component of carbohydrate chains of glycoproteins and glycolipids. The present study estimated total sialic acid (TSA) and its ratio with total proteins (TP), in serum and saliva of preeclampsia. The study further investigated the association of these parameters with clinical variables of disease progression. 50 preeclampsia patients (32 mild preclampsia and 18 severe preeclampsia cases) and 50 pregnant controls were included in the study. Serum and salivary free sialic acid, protein bound sialic acid and TP were measured spectrophotometrically. Serum and salivary TSA and its ratio with TP were calculated. There was a significant increase in serum TSA and its ratio with TP in preeclampsia compared to the controls. The increase reflected with the severity of the disease. Serum TSA and TSA/TP showed a significant positive correlation with blood pressure, proteinuria and a significant negative correlation with infant birth weight. In saliva, there was no statistical difference between TSA in preeclampsia and controls. Salivary TSA/TP increased significantly in preeclampsia. However the increase was not in accordance to the disease severity. Salivary TSA and TSA/TP were not significantly associated with any of the clinical parameters of disease progression. Significant increase in seum TSA reflects the disturbance in sialyation of serum proteins in preeclampsia, that could not be depicted in the saliva of these patients. Disturbance in serum protein sialyation is further exaggerated with the severity of the disease. Serum TSA and TSA/TP and not the respective salivary parameters, could serve as useful indicators in assessment of clinical progression of the disease.

Fixed-Dose Recombinant Urate Oxidase in the Treatment of Paediatric Tumour Lysis Syndrome: A Regional Cancer Centre Experience.

BACKGROUND: Tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) is an oncologic emergency commonly seen in children with hemato-lymphoid malignancies. Recombinant urate oxidase (RUO) is used in both the prophylaxis and treatment of TLS. However, in resource-constrained countries, its role is mostly limited to the treatment of established TLS and data regarding the use of RUO and its outcome is sparse. OBJECTIVE: To describe the outcome of Pediatric TLS following the use of a fixed - dose of RUO. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of all children <15 years of age admitted in the Department of Paediatric Oncology, Kidwai Cancer Institute from April 2017 to July 2018 with TLS and treated with a single, fixed - dose (1.5 mg) RUO was undertaken. RESULTS: During the study period, 255 children with hemato-lymphoid malignancies were diagnosed to be at risk of developing TLS. Of these, only 22 (8.6%) children developed TLS and received RUO. Among those with TLS, 15 (68.2%) had Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) while 7 (31.8%) had Non - Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). 91% (20/22) children had spontaneous TLS and the remainder developed therapy-related TLS. Median age at presentation was 8 years (IQR 5.25,1.75) with 4.5:1 male: female ratio. The mean urate level at admission was 19.12 mg/dl (+/- 8mg/dl) (Range: 10.7-34.5). 91% (20/22) children received RUO at less than 0.15 mg/kg and the median dose of RUO was 0.05 mg/kg (IQR 0.038-0.08). Of the 22 children with TLS, 2 children failed to achieve normal serum urate levels at 24 hours in response to a single fixed-dose of RUO and hence received an extra dose of RUO. Serum urate levels remarkably declined following RUO administration from 19.12 mg/dl (+/-8) to 8.2 mg/dl (+/-3.9), 3.99 mg/dl (+/-1.6) and 2.84 mg/dl (+/-1.3) at 12h, 24h and 48h respectively. AKI was present in 15 (68.2%) children. The median eGFR of the group at diagnosis was 49 ml/min/1.73m2 (IQR 26.3, 70). None of the children required hemodialysis. No significant adverse events occurred. CONCLUSION: Fixed-dose RUO can achieve rapid, adequate and sustained drop in serum urate levels in Paediatric TLS. It is a useful strategy for managing TLS in resource-constrained settings.

Multidentate ligand approach for conjugation of perovskite quantum dots to biomolecules.

Building compatible surface on perovskite quantum dots (PQDs) for applications like sensing analytes in aqueous medium is highly challenging and if achieved by simple means can revolutionize disease diagnostics. The present work reports the surface engineering of CsPbBr3 QDs via "simple ligand exchange process" to achieve water-compatible QDs towards detection of biomolecules. The monodentate oleic acid ligand in CsPbBr3 QDs is exchanged with dicarboxylic acid containing (bidentate) ligands such as folic acid (FA), ethylenediamine tetra-acetic acid (EDTA), succinic acid (SA) and glutamic acid (GA) to develop an efficient water-compatible PQD-ligand system. optical and theoretical studies showed the existence of a stronger binding between the perovskite and succinic acid ligand as compared to oleic acid (OA) and all other ligands. Replacement of OA with SA and retention of crystal structure is validated using spectroscopic and microscopic tools. It is observed that SA ligands facilitate better electronic coupling with PQDs and show significant improvement in fluorescence and stability. Further N-Hydroxy succinimide (NHS), which is a well-known compound to activate carboxyl groups, is used to bind onto SA PQDs as multidentate ligand, to form water stable PQDs. SA PQDs react with NHS (in water) to form multidentate ligand passivated PQDs that show very high photoluminescence (PL) as compared to OA PQDs in toluene. This also results in the formation of an NHS ester that allows bioconjugation with PQDs. This simple probe in water is further utilized for sensing a highly hydrophilic bovine serum albumin (BSA) protein as a model target to demonstrate the potential and effectiveness of this process to create compatible QDs for the successful conjugation of biomolecules. Although the focus of this work is to demonstrate bioconjugation and not achieving higher sensitivity levels, the intrinsic sensing level of these compatible QDs towards BSA shows a detection limit of 51.47 nM, which is above par with other reports in literature.

Fasting and postprandial lipid parameters: A comparative evaluation of cardiovascular risk assessment in prediabetes and diabetes.

CONTEXT: Dyslipidemia plays a crucial role in atherogenesis, in both prediabetes and diabetes. There persists a lacuna in the evaluation of postprandial lipid parameters in prediabetes. AIMS: To comparatively evaluate fasting and postprandial blood lipid parameters and atherogenic lipid ratios for cardiovascular risk assessment, in prediabetes and diabetes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-one patients diagnosed with diabetes mellitus and thirty-two with prediabetes were selected for the study. Lipid profile and blood glucose were analyzed in fasting and postprandial blood samples. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, Shapiro-Wilk test, one-way ANOVA, and Pearson's regression analysis were applied. RESULTS: Postprandially, triglycerides (TG) was increased significantly in diabetes compared to controls (P < 0.01) and prediabetics (P < 0.05). Among the lipid ratios, triglyceride/high density lipoprotein (TG/HDLc) was significantly increased postprandially in diabetes compared to controls (P < 0.05). A comparative analysis of fasting and postprandial parameters within each group showed a significant increase in postprandial TG/HDLc compared to the fasting state in prediabetes (P < 0.001) and diabetes (P < 0.001). Postprandial TG (P < 0.01) and TG/HDLc (P < 0.01) showed a stronger correlation with HbA1c compared to fasting TG (P < 0.05) and TG/HDLc (P > 0.05). The prevalence of dyslipidemia and insulin resistance was higher in postprandial state than the fasting state in prediabetes and diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: Postprandial TG and the TG/HDLc reflect lipid abnormalities than the corresponding fasting variables in diabetes and prediabetes. Postprandial TG and TG/HDLc are better reflectors of cardiovascular status in prediabetes and diabetes.

Nonwoven fabric supported, chitosan membrane anchored with curcumin/TiO2 complex: Scaffolds for MRSA infected wound skin reconstruction.

Use of biomaterial scaffolds as drug carriers for infected wounds treatment is of wide scope. A series of curcumin/TiO2 complex loaded chitosan scaffolds are fabricated for the same. Synthesized wound dressing material is screened for their morphology, water absorption capacity; in vitro drug release patterns, in vitro antibacterial studies against gram +ve and a gram -ve bacteria, cell viability for 3T3-L1 cell lines as well as in vivo MRSA infected wound healing capability. Formation of curcumin/TiO2 complex was confirmed by X-ray diffraction studies, the anchoring pattern of them on the chitosan scaffold was analyzed by FESEM and EDS mapping. All membranes showed a better performance towards in vitro antibacterial and in vivo wound healing properties than the control ones in 14 days. The bacterial count on wound for a regular time period was measured and the scaffold with higher amount of curcumin in its complex is found to give the better performance, along with skin regeneration due to synergistic effect of curcumin and TiO2.

Membranes for dehydration of alcohols via pervaporation.

Alcohols are the essential chemicals used in a variety of pharmaceutical and chemical industries. The extreme purity of alcohols in many of such industrial applications is essential. Though distillation is one of the methods used conventionally to purify alcohols, the method consumes more energy and requires carcinogenic entertainers, making the process environmentally toxic. Alternatively, efforts have been made to focus research efforts on alcohol dehydration by the pervaporation (PV) separation technique using polymeric membranes. The present review is focused on alcohol dehydration using PV separation technique, which is the most efficient and benign method of purifying alcohols that are required in fine chemicals synthesis and developing pharmaceutical formulations. This review will discuss about the latest developments in the area of PV technique used in alcohol dehydration using a variety of novel membranes.

Thyroid dysfunction in patients on antiretroviral therapy: A perspective from southern India.

Background: Thyroid dysfunction in patients with human retroviral infection has been reported but the prevalence of thyroid function abnormalities in patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has not been studied. We aimed to assess the prevalence of thyroid dysfunction and autoimmunity (antithyroid peroxidase auto-antibodies [TPO-Ab]) in patients on first-line HAART, identify risk factors for thyroid dysfunction and determine any association of thyroid dysfunction with HAART. Methods: We screened and enrolled consecutive patients from the outpatient department if they were (i) diagnosed with HIV infection (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay); (ii) aged more than 18 years; (iii) on HAART for 1 year or more; and (iv) clinically stable with no evidence of any acute illness in the past 2 months. We excluded patients who were on drugs that affect thyroid function. Thyroid function tests and CD4 counts were done. Results: A total of 159 patients on firstline HAART were included in the study. Their mean (SD) age was 43.3 (10) years and duration of HAART was 44.4 (33.54) months. The mean CD4 count was 502.8 (274.45). Forty-seven patients (29.6%) had thyroid dysfunction. TPO-Ab positivity was noted in 6 patients. No association was seen between thyroid dysfunction and any type of regimen or drug. There was a significant negative correlation between CD4 counts and thyroid-stimulating harmone (TSH) suggesting that thyroid dysfunction may be more prevalent when immunity is low. Conclusions: There is a high prevalence of thyroid dysfunction, predominantly subclinical hypothyroidism, in patients on HAART. Thyroid autoimmunity is low in this subset of patients. Lower immunity is associated with higher TSH levels. Larger longitudinal studies are required to determine the course of hypothyroidism in patients on HAART.

Increased Oxidatively Modified Forms of Albumin in Association with Decreased Total Antioxidant Activity in Different Types of Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy.

Protein oxidation has been demonstrated in preeclampsia, but this finding has not been established in other hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (HDP). The present study comparatively evaluated ischemia modified albumin (IMA) and advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP) in different HDP and investigated their association with total antioxidant activity (AOA) and total thiols. There was a significant increase in AOPP and IMA, a significant decrease in AOA, total thiols and albumin in every HDP compared to controls. Among HDP groups, eclampsia patients showed more significant change in each of the parameter. IMA and AOPP were negatively associated with AOA in every HDP and with total thiols only in eclampsia. The present study supports the hypothesis of oxidative stress, as evidenced by increased protein oxidation, decreased antioxidant status and significant negative association between protein oxidation and AOA in every HDP. The imbalance of prooxidants and antioxidants was further augmented in eclampsia.

Novel modified poly vinyl chloride blend membranes for removal of heavy metals from mixed ion feed sample.

Herein, an attempt has been made to prepare a novel membrane with good efficiency for removal of heavy metal ions namely lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd) and chromium (Cr). 4-amino benzoic acid (ABA) was covalently grafted onto the poly vinyl chloride (PVC) backbone by CN bond to enhance the hydrophilicity. 1H NMR and ATR-IR spectroscopy analysis confirmed the chemical modification of PVC. Further the modified polymer was blended in different compositions with polysulfone (PSf) for optimization. Morphological changes that occurred in blend membranes, due to the incorporation of modified PVC was studied by AFM and SEM techniques. The effect on hydrophilicity and performance of blends owing to incorporation of modified PVC was evaluated by water uptake, contact angle and flux studies. The density of functional groups in blends was analyzed by its ion-exchange capacity. Batch wise filtration of metal ions was carried out and the effect of pressure, feed pH and interference of ions was thoroughly investigated. Essentially, 100% rejection was obtained for all the metal ions in acidic pH with a productivity of 2.56l/m2h. The results were correlated with the results of commercially available NF 270 membrane under the same operating conditions.

Computational Identification of MicroRNAs and Their Targets from Finger Millet (Eleusine coracana).

MicroRNAs are endogenous small RNAs regulating intrinsic normal growth and development of plant. Discovering miRNAs, their targets and further inferring their functions had become routine process to comprehend the normal biological processes of miRNAs and their roles in plant development. In this study, we used homology-based analysis with available expressed sequence tag of finger millet (Eleusine coracana) to predict conserved miRNAs. Three potent miRNAs targeting 88 genes were identified. The newly identified miRNAs were found to be homologous with miR166 and miR1310. The targets recognized were transcription factors and enzymes, and GO analysis showed these miRNAs played varied roles in gene regulation. The identification of miRNAs and their targets is anticipated to hasten the pace of key epigenetic regulators in plant development.

High predictive ability of glycated hemoglobin on comparison with oxidative stress markers in assessment of chronic vascular complications in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVE: To validate the diagnostic utility of oxidative stress markers along with glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c ) in the assessment of chronic vascular complications in type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). METHODS: Ischemia modified albumin (IMA), advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured in 100 type 2 DM (without complications n = 50, with complications n = 50) and healthy controls (n = 50). Diagnostic potential was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic analysis and their relationships to risk variables were analyzed. RESULTS: MDA, IMA and AOPP were significantly increased in diabetics, both with and without complications. Oxidative stress parameters correlated with fasting blood glucose and HbA1c (independent predictors). Duration of diabetes was an independent predictor for AOPP and MDA. The association of IMA with diabetes duration was lost on multiple regression analysis. Area under the curve, sensitivity and specificity for MDA were 0.795, 84%, 66%; for AOPP, they were 0.762, 82%, 56%; for IMA, they were 0.611, 60%, 52%; and for HbA1c, they were 0.848, 90%, 70%, respectively. CONCLUSION: MDA and AOPP could be considered better than IMA in the evaluation of diabetes progression, but MDA is more useful as a diagnostic indicator to detect vascular complications. HbA1c measurement is of greater value than the oxidative stress markers in the prediction of vascular complications.

Identification of microRNAs and their targets in Finger millet by high throughput sequencing.

MicroRNAs are short non-coding RNAs which play an important role in regulating gene expression by mRNA cleavage or by translational repression. The majority of identified miRNAs were evolutionarily conserved; however, others expressed in a species-specific manner. Finger millet is an important cereal crop; nonetheless, no practical information is available on microRNAs to date. In this study, we have identified 95 conserved microRNAs belonging to 39 families and 3 novel microRNAs by high throughput sequencing. For the identified conserved and novel miRNAs a total of 507 targets were predicted. 11 miRNAs were validated and tissue specificity was determined by stem loop RT-qPCR, Northern blot. GO analyses revealed targets of miRNA were involved in wide range of regulatory functions. This study implies large number of known and novel miRNAs found in Finger millet which may play important role in growth and development.

Identification and Characterization of High Temperature Stress Responsive Novel miRNAs in French Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris).

MicroRNAs are important gene regulators controlling almost all biological and metabolic functions. They elicit their regulatory response through modulation of their target gene expression. In this study, we identified eight novel microRNAs (miRNAs) belonging to four miRNA families and one miR* sequence from the French bean genome which responded to high temperature. The precursor miRNAs varied in length and showed conserved signatures of RNA polymerase II transcripts in their upstream regions. Promoter region analysis indicated the prevalence of MYB and WRKY binding sites emphasizing auto-inhibition of miRNA biogenesis. The genomic organization study revealed the presence of 150 putative regulatory motifs of which 41 are unique. Common motifs shared by miRNAs involved in more than one abiotic stresses were also identified. Further, the miRNA validation was carried out by stem-loop real-time PCR, and the results emphasize that the differential expression of miRNAs confers stress tolerance. Functional analysis revealed that most of the targets represent transcription factors. The results obtained would provide new insights to the complex regulatory mechanism employing small non-coding regulatory RNAs toward stress adaptation.