Peri-hilar branching pattern and variations of the renal artery among Indian kidney donors using pre-operative computed tomography angiography: an anatomical study and review.

BACKGROUND: The peri-hilar branching pattern of renal arteries and variations such as accessory renal artery and early branching of the renal artery are important factors to be evaluated preoperatively to minimise potential complications during renal transplantation and renal surgeries. The present study was done to assess the peri hilar branching pattern of the renal artery and its variation among the renal donors in India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred ninety eight kidneys from 99 donors were analysed using pre-operative computed tomography renal angiograms prospectively, over 1 year 2 months. RESULTS: Based on the branching pattern of primary and secondary branches of renal arteries, we identified 8 cardinal and 10 minor peri-hilar branching patterns. Type I (duplicated fork) peri-hilar branching pattern was the most frequently found (70.2%) among 198 kidneys, followed by type II (triplicated fork) (19.2%) and type III (ladder) (10.6%). Duplicated fork pattern was common in both the right renal artery (75.7%) and left renal artery (64.6%), respectively. The prevalence of accessory renal artery was 39.4% with hilar artery at 21.2% and polar artery at 18.2%, and the prevalence of early division of renal artery was 20.2%. No significant association was found between gender and laterality in the prevalence of both early division and accessory renal artery (p > 0.05). Early division of renal artery was more frequent in females (28%) whilst accessory renal arteries were more common in males (40.7%). CONCLUSIONS: The present study showed a consistent peri-hilar branching pattern with high individual variability among Indian renal donors. The knowledge about the peri-hilar branching pattern as well as renal artery variations conferred by this study would greatly compliment urological surgeons during renal transplant surgeries.

Postharvest Processing and Benefits of Black Pepper, Coriander, Cinnamon, Fenugreek, and Turmeric Spices.

Spices are prime source for flavor, aroma, and taste in cuisines and play an active role as medicines due to their high antioxidant properties. As medicine or food, the importance of spices cannot be overemphasized. The medicinal values of spices are very well established in treating various ailments like cancer, fever, malaria, stomach offset, nausea, and many more. A spice may be available in several forms: fresh, whole dried, or pre-ground dried which requires further processing to be utilized in the form of value-added product. This review paper deals with the cultivation, postharvesting, chemical composition, uses, health, and medicinal benefits of the selected spice viz., black pepper, coriander, cinnamon, fenugreek, turmeric, and technological advances in processing of spices viz., super critical fluid extraction, cryogenic grinding, and microencapsulation etc. This paper also focuses on issues related to utilization of spices toward its high end-product development and characterization in pharmaceuticals and other medicinal purposes. The availability of different spices and their varietal differences and location have their pertinent characters, which are much demanding to refine postharvest and processing to assure its quality in the international market.