Antibacterial and In Vitro Growth Inhibition Study of Struvite Urinary Stones Using Oxalis corniculata Linn. Leaf Extract and its Biofabricated Silver Nanoparticles.

BACKGROUND: Herbal drugs are gaining exponential scientific recognition due to their distinct advantages. In the last 2-3 decades, a gradual increase in worldwide patents on herbal nanoformulations has been noted to address the solubility and bioavailability issues of phytoceuticals. Struvite or ammonium magnesium phosphate hexahydrate (NH4MgPO4.6H2O) is among the important urinary infection stones causing painful urological ailment. These smaller stones may bind together to form bigger staghorn calculus. Urinary tract infections caused by some gram positive and gram negative bacteria further enhance the chance of formation of such stones. Oxalis corniculata Linn. is an edible plant, traditionally used in the treatment of bacterial infections and kidney stones. However, there is no scientific evidence to relate the use of O. corniculata against struvite kidney stones. Hence, the antibacterial and struvite stones inhibition activity of the aqueous extract of Oxalis corniculata Linn. leaves and its biofabricated silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was studied. METHODS: The aqueous extract of O. corniculata was prepared by Soxhlet extraction. AgNPs were synthesized using green technique and were characterized using UV and IR spectroscopy, XRD, TEM, DLS and zeta potential studies. Antibacterial activity of the aqueous extract and the silver nanoparticles was tested against E. coli (gram negative) and S. aureus (gram positive) species. Struvite stones were grown in a gel medium by in vitro single diffusion gel growth technique and its inhibition study was carried out using the extract and its biofabricated nanoparticles. RESULTS: The aqueous extract and its biofabricated AgNPs exhibited potent antibacterial activity against both gram positive and gram negative strains of bacteria. The aqueous extract also effectively repressed the growth of struvite stones and led to the dissolution of stones, but the inhibitory effect was further enhanced by its biofabricated AgNPs. CONCLUSION: The present work confirms the inhibitory activity of the aqueous extract of edible O. corniculata and its biofabricated silver nanoparticles against urinary tract infection (UTI) causing bacteria and urolithiasis. Therefore, the consumption of O. corniculata in our daily diet may reduce the risk of UTI and urolithiasis.

Comparison of surface dose delivered by 7 MV-unflattened and 6 MV-flattened photon beams.

AIM: The purpose of this study is to determine the central-axis dose in the buildup region and the surface dose delivered by a 6 MV flattened photon beam (6 MV-FB) and a higher energy unflattened (7 MV-FFF) therapeutic photon beam for different-sized square fields with open fields and modifying filters. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The beams are produced by a Siemens Artiste linear accelerator with a NACP-02 ionization chamber and the dose is measured by using GafChromic film and two different, commonly used, dosimeters: a p-type photon semiconductor dosimeter (PFD) and a cylindrical ionization chamber (CC13). RESULTS: The results indicate that the surface dose increases linearly with FS for both open and wedged fields for the 6 MV-FB and 7 MV-FFF beams. The surface dose delivered by the 7 MV-UFB beam is consistent with that delivered by the 6 MV-FB beam for field sizes up to 10 cm × 10 cm, after which the surface dose decreases. The buildup dose for the 7 MV-UFB beam is slightly less than that for the 6 MV-FB beam for field sizes ranging from 5 cm × 5 cm to 15 cm × 15 cm. For both the 6 MV-FB and 7 MV-FFF beams, the measured surface dose clearly increases with increasing field size, regardless of the detector used in the measurement. The surface dose measured with the PFD dosimeter and the NACP-02 and CC13 chambers differ significantly from the results obtained when using GafChromic film. The 7 MV-FFF beam results in a slightly smaller surface dose in the buildup region compared with the 6 MV-FB beam. CONCLUSIONS: The surface dose delivered by the higher energy 7 MV-FFF beam is less than that delivered by the energy-unmatched FFF beam in previously published works.

Potential therapeutic activity of Phlogacanthus thyrsiformis Hardow (Mabb) flower extract and its biofabricated silver nanoparticles against chemically induced urolithiasis in male Wistar rats.

Urolithiasis is a painful disorder in which stones are formed in the kidney, bladder or urethra. There are no proper therapeutic treatments available for kidney stones and people suffering from larger stones have to undergo surgery which has many side effects. A natural remedy with therapeutic effects that can dissipate and remove even the larger stones would eliminate the need of a surgery and the risks associated with it. The flowers of Phlogacanthus thyrsiformis used in culinary recipes in the north eastern India are also widely used as a folklore medicine for the treatment of kidney stones and liver disorders. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prophylactic and therapeutic activity of the aqueous extract of P. thyrsiformis flowers and its biofabricated silver nanoparticles against struvite urinary stones and calcium oxalate kidney stones. A kidney stone inhibition study was carried out on struvite stones grown in gel medium and calcium oxalate stones in rat models using an aqueous extract of P. thyrsiformis flowers and its biofabricated silver nanoparticles. The aqueous extract of P. thyrsiformis flowers and their biofabricated silver nanoparticles, obtained by a green synthetic method, were used to treat struvite urinary stones in vitro and calcium oxalate kidney stones in vivo. Struvite stones were grown in tubes by gel diffusion technique and were treated with varying concentrations of the extract and its nanoparticles. The size of the struvite stones was monitored for 96h using a travelling microscope. Calcium oxalate stones were induced in male Wistar rats by feeding ethylene glycol-ammonium chloride mixture for 14days. Both, prophylactic and therapeutic activities were evaluated by analyzing the urine, serum and histopathological parameters of the rats. The qualitative screening of water extract unveiled the presence of flavonoids as a major constituent. Both, the extract and the nanoparticles effectively reduced the size of struvite stones in vitro and eliminated calcium oxalate stones in Wistar rats in vivo. The potent therapeutic activity of both extract and silver nanoparticles was observed as compared to preventive activity. Anti-urolithiatic potency can be attributed to the presence of flavonoids.

Surface dose measurements and comparison of unflattened and flattened photon beams.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the central axis dose in the build-up region and the surface dose of a 6 MV and 10 MV flattened photon beam (FB) and flattening filter free (FFF) therapeutic photon beam for different square field sizes (FSs) for a Varian Truebeam linear accelerator using parallel-plate ionization chamber and Gafchromic film. Knowledge of dosimetric characteristics in the build-up region and surface dose of the FFF is essential for clinical care. The dose measurements were also obtained empirically using two different commonly used dosimeters: a p-type photon semiconductor dosimeter and a cylindrical ionization chamber. Surface dose increased linearly with FS for both FB and FFF photon beams. The surface dose values of FFF were higher than the FB FSs. The measured surface dose clearly increases with increasing FS. The FFF beams have a modestly higher surface dose in the build-up region than the FB. The dependence of source to skin distance (SSD) is less significant in FFF beams when compared to the flattened beams at extended SSDs.

Analyzing the performance of ArcCHECK diode array detector for VMAT plan.

AIM: The aim of this study is to evaluate performance of ArcCHECK diode array detector for the volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) patient specific quality assurance (QA). VMAT patient specific QA results were correlated with ion chamber measurement. Dose response of the ArcCHECK detector was studied. BACKGROUND: VMAT delivery technique improves the dose distribution. It is complex in nature and requires proper QA before its clinical implementation. ArcCHECK is a novel three dimensional dosimetry system. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twelve retrospective VMAT plans were calculated on ArcCHECK phantom. Point dose and dose map were measured simultaneously with ion chamber (IC-15) and ArcCHECK diode array detector, respectively. These measurements were compared with their respective TPS calculated values. RESULTS: The ion chamber measurements are in good agreement with TPS calculated doses. Mean difference between them is 0.50% with standard deviation of 0.51%. Concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) obtained for ion chamber measurements is 0.9996. These results demonstrate a strong correlation between the absolute dose predicted by our TPS and the measured dose. The CCC between ArcCHECK doses and TPS predictions on the CAX was found to be 0.9978. In gamma analysis of dose map, the mean passing rate was 98.53% for 3% dose difference and 3 mm distance to agreement. CONCLUSIONS: The VMAT patient specific QA with an ion chamber and ArcCHECK phantom are consistent with the TPS calculated dose. Statistically good agreement was observed between ArcCHECK measured and TPS calculated. Hence, it can be used for routine VMAT QA.

Measurement and comparison of head scatter factor for 7 MV unflattened (FFF) and 6 MV flattened photon beam using indigenously designed columnar mini phantom.

AIM: To measure and compare the head scatter factor for 7 MV unflattened and 6 MV flattened photon beam using a home-made designed mini phantom. BACKGROUND: The head scatter factor (Sc) is one of the important parameters for MU calculation. There are multiple factors that influence the Sc values, like accelerator head, flattening filter, primary and secondary collimators. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A columnar mini phantom was designed as recommended by AAPM Task Group 74 with high and low atomic number material for measurement of head scatter factors at 10 cm and d max dose water equivalent thickness. RESULTS: The Sc values measured with high-Z are higher than the low-Z mini phantoms observed for both 6MV-FB and 7MV-UFB photon energies. Sc values of 7MV-UFB photon beams were smaller than those of the 6MV-FB photon beams (0.6-2.2% (Primus), 0.2-1.4% (Artiste) and 0.6-3.7% (Clinac iX (2300CD))) for field sizes ranging from 10 cm × 10 cm to 40 cm × 40 cm. The SSD had no influence on head scatter for both flattened and unflattened beams. The presence of wedge filters influences the Sc values. The collimator exchange effects showed that the opening of the upper jaw increases Sc irrespective of FF and FFF. CONCLUSIONS: There were significant differences in Sc values measured for 6MV-FB and unflattened 7MV-UFB photon beams over the range of field sizes from 10 cm × 10 cm to 40 cm × 04 cm. Different results were obtained for measurements performed with low-Z and high-Z mini phantoms.