Cholesterol-Lowering Effects of Lactobacillus Species.

Probiotics are the living and non-pathogenic microbial supplements which, upon administration in adequate quantities, influence the host organism positively by improving gut health and enhancing intestinal mucosal integrity. They suppress potentially pathogenic microorganisms by competing with them for nutrients as well as space for gut adherence. Lactobacillus species are the most commonly used bacteria in the probiotic preparations and studies show that they have cholesterol-lowering effects on the hosts. Lipids are biological molecules that are insoluble in water and bile salts play a major role in their digestion as they are synthesized and conjugated to taurine or glycine in the liver. Bile salt hydrolase deconjugates taurine or glycine from bile salts. Cholesterol metabolism is influenced by the effect of Lactobacillus species on microbial populations as well as overall metabolic activity of human intestinal microflora. Deconjugation of bile salt, concentration of short-chain fatty acids and molar proportion of propionate constitute the major processes by which cholesterol lowering is brought about by Lactobacillus species. This review summarizes the cholesterol-lowering properties of this species. A significant number of Lactobacillus strains have been known to display substantial bile salt hydrolase activities and identifying those strains for use in therapeutic purposes can be a great advancement. Here, this identification is done using phylogenetic relationship for different identified potential probiotic Lactobacillus strains.

Postoperative analgesic efficacy of fluoroscopy-guided erector spinae plane block after percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL): A randomized controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) a minimally invasive method for the removal of renal calculi and is associated with significant pain in postoperative period. Conventionally, intravenous opioids, local anesthetic infiltration, and regional blocks (intercostal/paravertebral blocks) have been tried with less efficacy to control postoperative pain. The present study is conducted to assess the effectiveness of erector spinae plane block (ESPB) performed under fluoroscopy guidance for postoperative analgesia during PCNL. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: After obtaining ethical clearance, the study was conducted on 61 American Society of Anaesthesiologists (ASA) I and II patients aged between 18-65 years admitted for PCNL. Group I (n = 30) did not receive ESPB while Group II (n = 31) received ESPB under fluoroscopy guidance and 20 ml of 0.375% ropivacaine was administered after PCNL. Patient-reported pain intensity using visual analogue scale (VAS) was considered as a primary outcome. The hemodynamic variables (heart rate, systolic, diastolic, and mean blood pressure) was considered as a secondary outcome. Statistical analysis was performed using Student's t-test and Mann-Whitney U test. Data analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 23.0. RESULTS: Postoperatively VAS score was significantly lower in Group II at 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 12, 18, and 24 hours after PCNL (P < 0.001). Dose of rescue analgesia significantly decreased in Group II compared to Group I. CONCLUSION: ESPB performed under fluoroscopic guidance is a simple and effective technique and it provides significantly better postoperative pain relief.

Long- and short-term protective responses of rice seedling to combat Cr(VI) toxicity.

In India, rice is the principal crop and is the staple diet of majority of the population. Widespread use of hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] in leather processing, wood preservatives, stainless-steel manufacture, and electroplating industries has resulted in contamination of paddy fields and poses a great challenge to the society be it crops, animals, or human beings. Cr(VI) toxicity results in growth inhibition and leading to changes in components of antioxidant systems as well as secondary metabolites. We evaluated the comparative short and long term effects of Cr(VI) stress on rice plants to explore the plant defense responses against Cr stress. Different assays including the phenolic and flavonoid content evaluation, malondialdehyde (MDA), proline, antioxidant enzyme analysis, and DPPH assay were performed to understand the plant response against the Cr(VI) stress. Total phenols and flavonoids were significantly higher in Cr stressed plants as compared to control groups. Under Cr(VI) exposure, significant higher accumulation of proline was observed. Similarly, high levels of MDA content were also observed after 7 days of Cr stress. In addition, the antioxidant activities such as GST, APX, and SOD including DPPH radical scavenging were also markedly increased during Cr(VI) stress. Further identification and quantification of phenols were done spectrophotometrically to view the whole spectrum of phenolics. HPLC analysis showed gallic acid as the main contributor to abiotic defense response. Our study showed that Cr stress imposes serious toxic effects and plant phenolics have a protective role against metal stress.