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.

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.

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