Pharmacognostical Standardization of Upodika- Basella alba L.: An Important Ayurvedic Antidiabetic Plant.

OBJECTIVE: To establish the pharmacognostic standards for the correct identification and standardization of an important Antidiabetic plant described in Ayurveda. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Standardization was carried out on the leaf and stem of Basella alba L. with the help of the macro-morphological, microscopic, physicochemical and qualitative phytochemical studies. RESULTS: Several specific characters were identified viz. clustered calcium oxalate crystals in the cortex region, absence of trichomes, succulent, thick, mucilaginous, fibrous stem. Rubiaceous type of stomata on both sides of the leaf. Quantitative microscopy along with physicochemical and qualitative phytochemical analysis were also established. CONCLUSION: The pharmacognostic standards could serve as the reference for the proper identification of the Basella alba L. which is an important anti-diabetic plant described in Ayurveda.

Utilization of Food Processing By-products as Dietary, Functional, and Novel Fiber: A Review.

Fast growing food processing industry in most countries across the world, generates huge quantity of by-products, including pomace, hull, husk, pods, peel, shells, seeds, stems, stalks, bran, washings, pulp refuse, press cakes, etc., which have less use and create considerable environmental pollution. With growing interest in health promoting functional foods, the demand of natural bioactives has increased and exploration for new sources is on the way. Many of the food processing industrial by-products are rich sources of dietary, functional, and novel fibers. These by-products can be directly (or after certain modifications for isolation or purification of fiber) used for the manufacture of various foods, i.e. bread, buns, cake, pasta, noodles, biscuit, ice creams, yogurts, cheese, beverages, milk shakes, instant breakfasts, ice tea, juices, sports drinks, wine, powdered drink, fermented milk products, meat products and meat analogues, synthetic meat, etc. A comprehensive literature survey has been carried on this topic to give an overview in the field dietary fiber from food by-products. In this article, the developments in the definition of fiber, fiber classification, potential sources of dietary fibers in food processing by-products, their uses, functional properties, caloric content, energy values and the labelling regulations have been discussed.

Evaluation of antioxidant potential of Rasayana drugs in healthy human volunteers.

BACKGROUND: It is increasingly being realized that many of today's diseases are due to "oxidative stress" that results from an imbalance between formation and neutralization of free radicals. Rasayana Chikitsa is a unique branch of Ayurveda. The word Rasayana means the way for attaining excellent Rasadi Dhatus. Several medicinal plants have been described as Rasayanas in Ayurveda. Ashwagandha and Guduchi are the best among the Rasayanas described by Charaka. AIM: To study the efficacy of Ashwagandha and Guduchi in oxidative stress in healthy volunteers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was carried out on 30 healthy volunteers after obtaining written informed consent. They were randomly distributed in three groups. Each group was treated with three different colored capsules containing Ashwagandha, Guduchi and placebo in the dose of 1 capsule (500 mg) twice a day for 6 months. The parameters such as hemoglobin%, Erythorcyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR), Malondialdehyde (MDA), Super-Oxide Dismutase (SOD) level, etc., were assessed before and after treatment. The Student's t-test was applied to assess significant variations in all of the studied parameters. RESULTS: In this study, there was a significant increase in SOD level and decrease in MDA level in Ashwagandha and Guduchi groups. CONCLUSION: Ashwagandha and Guduchi may be helpful in preventing the oxidative stress and premature aging.

Imaging and morphology of the paracondylar process in a dry adult human skull: a case report.

An unusually long paracondylar process (PCP) was found articulating with the transverse atlantal process in a dry adult male skull. It was 13 mm long and 19 mm in circumference at its middle and projected to a lower plane than the styloid process of the same side. A radiograph revealed the structure of spongiosa of the PCP to be like mastoid cells. PCP can lead to clinical symptoms due to alterations in posture and functional limitations in neck movements. Thus awareness of this process, its topographical relations and its attendant problems is of importance to clinicians, radiologists, surgeons and chiropractors. In symptomatic cases surgical resection of this process can be attempted to relieve the symptoms. The craniovertebral junction constitutes a unique part of the somite-derived axial skeleton; the lowest part of the basioccipital component including this process develops from occipital sclerotomes. Developmental variations in this region can resemble deformities.

Incidence and morphological study of zygomaticofacial and zygomatico-orbital foramina in dry adult human skulls: the non-metrical variants.

Morphological diversity in the form of multiple zygomaticofacial (ZF) foramina was studied in 165 dry, unsexed adult human skulls. Zygomatic bones revealed variation in the number of foramina on their orbital and facial aspects. These were absent in 72 (21.8%) sides. A single ZF foramen was seen in 148 (44.9%) sides. Two ZF foramina were found in 92 (27.9%) sides, out of which 29 (8.8%) sides had one zygomatico-orbital (ZO) foramen, while 63 (19.1%) sides had two ZO foramina. Three ZF foramina, a relatively uncommon occurrence, were found in 17 (5.1%) sides, which included eight (2.4%) sides with one less and nine (2.7%) sides with the same number of ZO foramina. Four ZF foramina were seen in one (0.3%) side with three on the orbital aspect, a feature not reported before. The zygomatic nerve may be disrupted on elevating periorbita from the lateral wall during orbital surgery, and care should be taken to prevent injury to the nerve during the lateral orbitotomy approach to access intraorbital soft tissue tumors.

Facial vein draining into external jugular vein in humans: its variations, phylogenetic retention and clinical relevance.

The superficial veins, especially the external jugular vein (EJV), are increasingly being utilized for cannulation to conduct diagnostic procedures or intravenous therapies. Ultrasound-guided venipuncture is a viable possibility in cases of variations in the patterns of superficial veins, and their knowledge is also important for surgeons doing reconstructive surgery. This study was done on 89 dissected adult cadavers (178 sides) and variations in patterns of termination of the facial vein (FV) into the EJV were studied. The FV in 16 sides (9%) was found to drain into the EJV, in two main patterns: type I and type II. Type I had the FV draining into the EJV with varying degrees of obliquity in a Y-shaped (6 cases, 37.5%), U-shaped (3 cases, 18.7%), tuning-fork-shaped (2 cases, 12.5%) or N-shaped (1 case, 6.2%) pattern. Type II showed an inverted A-shaped pattern (2 cases, 12.5%) or a stepladder-shaped pattern (2 cases, 12.5%) depending on the presence of one or more connecting conduits between the FV and EJV respectively. In Macaca mulatta(rhesus monkey) a pair of vertically disposed, subcutaneous veins placed nearly side by side and of equal caliber were seen on each side of the neck. The lateral vein was the EJV while the medial one took the course of the FV in the upper oblique segment and ran parallel to the EJV in the lower segment over the sternocleidomastoid, with one or two transverse communications. The anomalous patterns found in our study could be explained in terms of the regression and retention of various parts of the veins found in the rhesus monkey, or the drainage pattern found in horse, ox and dog, where the vein from the face drain into the external jugular vein, the internal jugular vein being either absent or a small vessel accompanying the carotid artery.

Use of meristem tip culture to eliminate carnation latent virus from carnation plants.

A successful protocol for meristem tip culture to eliminate carnation latent virus from carnation cv. scania has been described . The virus was found to be mechanically transmissible to Chenopodium quinoa, C. amaranticolor, Dianthus barbatus and Saponaria vaccaria. Murashige and Skoog'smedium (MS) supplemented with NAA (1.0 microM) and Kn (20.0 microM) proved best for meristem establishment and microshoots were rooted in MS medium supplemented with IBA (5.0 microM). Meristems measuring 0.1 and-0.2 mm yielded virus free plants and larger meristems were not effective.

Asymptomatic osteomas of the middle ear.

Osteomas of the middle ear are extremely rare lesions. Of the nine cases reported, eight presented with conductive hearing loss. We recently treated two patients whose osteomas, of the promontory and of the posteroinferior tympanic wall, were asymptomatic. We suggest that middle ear osteomas need not be removed when they do not impinge on the sound conduction system.

Protection against hemolysis in ABO mismatched renal transplantation.

The kidneys from a blood group O cadaver donor were transplanted into two patients whose blood groups were B and A2B. The former developed a positive direct antiglobulin test (DAT) and hemolysis due to anti-B; the latter also developed a positive DAT, but due to anti-A. However, this second patient, unlike the first, did not have any hemolysis. Both patients were on the same immunosuppression regimen with cyclosporine. The possible protective roles of patients' ABO subgroup and blood group substances in plasma are discussed.

Acquired hemolytic anemia due to "auto"-anti-A or "auto"-anti-B induced by group O homograft in renal transplant recipients.

Three patients developed severe but self-limited hemolytic anemia within 2 weeks of renal transplantation. All three had received kidneys from cadaver donors who were blood group O. Two of the recipients were blood group B while the third was blood group A. There was no pretransplant preparation of the donors or the recipients. Preoperative crossmatch and antibody screen were negative; however, subsequent to the hemolytic episodes, group-specific blood was incompatible and the patients were transfused with group O crossmatch-compatible blood. Blood bank serological tests showed a positive direct antiglobulin test (DAT), and anti-A and anti-B were eluted from group A and B patients, respectively. There was no evidence of hemolysis despite the positive DAT at 37 days following transplantation in two of the three patients who were maintained on cyclosporine immunosuppression. Retrospective analysis of renal transplant records showed that these "autoantibodies" appeared in three of the four renal transplant recipients who were on an immunosuppressive regimen of cyclosporine , with or without prednisone, but not in the 21 recipients who received radiotherapy to the donor kidney in addition to cyclosporine or azathioprine (p = less than 0.001). The possible pathogenetic mechanism for "autoantibody" formation by donor kidney and the role of immunosuppressive agents are discussed.

Disseminated intravascular coagulation in acute monoblastic leukemia: response to heparin therapy.

A 27-year-old man with acute monoblastic leukemia had clinical and laboratory evidence of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), which was exacerbated by induction chemotherapy. Heparin therapy, adjusted according to the patient's clinical status and the results of coagulation studies, rapidly controlled the manifestations of DIC.

Hageman factor deficiency and oral contraceptives.

PIP: Hageman factor, a coagulation factor (Factor 12) is reported to be deficient in users of OCs (oral contraceptives) in this letter to the editor. A 21-year-old female on OCs for 4 months was admitted with sudden onset of chest pain and shortness of breath; a lung scan confirmed bilateral pulmonary embolism. She underwent a coagulation screen, prior to heparin therapy, which revealed a partial thromboplastin time of 120 seconds. A 15% Hageman factor deficiency was found. It is suggested that before prescribing OCs, physicians should screen patients by partial thromboplastin time, at the least, to determine if Hageman factor is deficient.^ieng