Chronicles of Young Scientists最新文献

{"title":"An ethnomedicinal survey of cucurbitaceae family plants used in the folk medicinal practices of Bangladesh 1","authors":"M. Rahmatullah, Anup Biswas, W. M. Haq, S. Seraj, R. Jahan","doi":"10.4103/2229-5186.99583","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4103/2229-5186.99583","url":null,"abstract":"Background: The Cucurbitaceae family comprising about 125 genera and 960 species is a family that is further characterized by commonly having five-angled stems and coiled tendrils and is also known as gourd family of flowering plants. Plant species belonging to this family have a worldwide distribution, but most species can be found in tropical and subtropical countries. A number of the plants belonging to this family have reported important pharmacological activities. Cucurbitaceae family plants are also in use in the folk medicinal system of Bangladesh-a traditional medicinal system, which mainly relies on medicinal plants for treatment of diverse ailments. Aims: Since folk medicinal practitioners form the first tier of primary health care in Bangladesh, the objective of this study was to conduct ethnomedicinal surveys among 75 folk medicinal practitioners (Kavirajes) practicing among the mainstream Bengali-speaking population of randomly selected 75 villages in 64 districts of Bangladesh and 8 tribal practitioners (1 each from 8 major indigenous communities or tribes, namely, Bede, Chakma, Garo, Khasia, Marma, Murong, Santal, and Tripura) of the country. Materials and Methods: Surveys were carried out with the help of a semi-structured questionnaire and the guided field-walk method. Results: It was observed that the folk and tribal medicinal practitioners use a total of 19 Cucurbitaceae family species for treatment of ailments such as dysentery, diabetes, edema, skin disorders, leukoderma, hypertension, jaundice, typhoid, spleen disorders, respiratory problems, leprosy, rheumatoid arthritis, chicken pox, and cancer. The 19 species of Cucurbitaceae family plants in use were Benincasa hispida, Bryonopsis laciniosa, Citrullus colocynthis, Citrullus lanatu, Coccinia grandis, Cucumis melo, Cucumis sativus, Cucurbita maxima, Cucurbita pepo, Hodgsonia macrocarpa, Lagenaria vulgaris, Luffa acutangula, Luffa cylindrica, Momordica charantia, Momordica cochinchinensis, Trichosanthes anguina, Trichosanthes cordata, Trichosanthes dioica, and Trichosanthes kirilowii. The review of the available scientific literature showed that the use of a number of the above-mentioned plants in folk medicine can be validated based on their reported pharmacological activity studies. Conclusion: Taken together, the plants present excellent potential for further scientific studies, which may result in discovery of novel compounds of therapeutic interest.","PeriodicalId":10187,"journal":{"name":"Chronicles of Young Scientists","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"79185256","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Chemical constituents from Cornus officinalis and their biological activity 1","authors":"Zhan-ying Ma, B. Yao, Liansheng Wang, Yang-qing He","doi":"10.4103/2229-5186.99579","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4103/2229-5186.99579","url":null,"abstract":"Objective: To study the chemical constituents from Cornus officinalis Sieb., Et Zucc, and their peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) agonist activity. Materials and Methods: The leaves of C. officinalis were extracted three times with 90% EtOH at room temperature. The ethanol extracts were combined and concentrated under reduced pressure to yield residue, which was isolated and purified by silica gel and reverse-phase C 18 column chromatography. The structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic evidence and their physiochemical characteristics. Cell-based luciferase reporter gene assays were used to evaluate PPARα/γ agonistic activities. Results: Five compounds were isolated and elucidated as 10-hydroxyhastatoside (1), β-dihydrocornin (2), isoquercitrin (3), loganin (4) and oleanolic acid (5). Conclusion: Compounds 1 and 2 were obtained from C. officinalis for the first time. Compound 3 exhibited moderate agonistic activities for PPARα, with EC 50 values of 29.5 μM.","PeriodicalId":10187,"journal":{"name":"Chronicles of Young Scientists","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"77588543","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The bountiful biological activities of cyclotides","authors":"S. Gerlach, D. Mondal","doi":"10.4103/2229-5186.99559","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4103/2229-5186.99559","url":null,"abstract":"Cyclotides are exceptionally stable circular peptides (28-37 amino acid residues) with a unique cyclic cystine knot (CCK) motif that were originally discovered through ethnobotanical investigations and bioassay-directed natural products screenings. They have been isolated from four angiosperm families (Violaceae, Rubiaceae, Curcurbitaceae, and Fabaceae), and they exhibit a wide range of bioactivities including antibacterial/antimicrobial, nematocidal, molluscicidal, antifouling, insecticidal, antineurotensin, trypsin inhibiting, hemolytic, cytotoxic, antitumor, and anti-HIV properties. Reports indicate that the mechanism of cyclotide bioactivity is the ability to target and interact with lipid membranes via the development of pores. Additionally, the nature of their surface-exposed hydrophobic patch and CCK play integral roles in the potency of cyclotides. Their extraordinary stability and flexibility have recently allowed for the successful grafting of analogs with therapeutic properties onto their CCK framework. This achievement, coupled with the myriad of useful naturally occurring bioactivities displayed by cyclotides, makes them appealing candidates in drug design and crop management.","PeriodicalId":10187,"journal":{"name":"Chronicles of Young Scientists","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"89130437","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mucoadhesive microspheres: A novel approach to increase gastroretention","authors":"Alka Lohani, G. P. Chaudhary","doi":"10.4103/2229-5186.98684","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4103/2229-5186.98684","url":null,"abstract":"The aim of this study is to review the advantages of mucoadhesive microspheres, mechanisms, and theories involved in mucoadhesion, factors that affect the mucoadhesion and polymers in mucoadhesive drug delivery systems. Gastroretentive drug delivery systems are those which are retained in the stomach for a longer period of time and thereby improve the bioavailability of drugs. Mucoadhesion is a topic of current interest in the design of drug delivery systems. Mucoadhesion is currently explained by six theories: electronic, adsorption, wetting, mechanical, diffusion, and fracture. Microspheres constitute an important part of these particulate drug delivery systems by virtue of their small size and efficient carrier capacity, but coupling of bioadhesive properties to these microspheres has additional advantages such as prolong residence time of the dosage form at the site of absorption and intimate contact of the dosage form with the underline absorption surface contributed to improved therapeutic performance of the drug or improved bioavailability of drug, reduced dosing frequency, and improved patience compliance.","PeriodicalId":10187,"journal":{"name":"Chronicles of Young Scientists","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"80359094","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Important advances in malaria vaccine research","authors":"P. Jadhav, R. Shah, M. Jadhav","doi":"10.4103/2229-5186.98676","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4103/2229-5186.98676","url":null,"abstract":"Malaria is one of the most widespread parasitic infection in Asian countries affecting the poor of the poor. In an effort to develop an effective vaccine for the treatment of malaria, various attempts are being made worldwide. If successful, such a vaccine can be effective for treatment of both Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum. This would also be able to avoid complications such as drug resistance, resistance to insecticides, nonadherence to the treatment schedule, and eventually high cost of treatment in the resource-limited settings. In the current compilation, the details from the literature were collected by using PubMed and Medline as search engines and searched for terms such as malaria, vaccine, and malaria treatment. This review collates and provides glimpses of the information on the recent malaria vaccine development. The reader will be taken through the historical perspective followed by the approaches to the malaria vaccine development from pre-erythrocytic stage vaccines, asexual stage vaccines, transmission blocking vaccines, etc. Looking at the current scenario of the malaria and treatment strategies, it is an absolute need of an hour that an effective malaria vaccine should be developed. This would bring a revolutionary breakthrough in the treatment modalities especially when there is increasing emergence of resistance to existing drug therapy. It would be of great purpose to serve those living in malaria endemic region and also for travelers which are nonimmune and coming to malaria endemic region. As infection by P. vivax is more prevalent in India and other Asian subcontinent and is often prominent in areas where elimination is being attempted, special consideration is required of the role of vaccines in blocking transmission, regardless of the stages being targeted. Development of vaccines is feasible but with the support of private sector and government organization in terms of regulatory and most importantly financially, being an expensive venture.","PeriodicalId":10187,"journal":{"name":"Chronicles of Young Scientists","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"88325359","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An assessment of groundwater quality using water quality index in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India","authors":"I. Balan, M. Shivakumar, P. Kumar","doi":"10.4103/2229-5186.98688","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4103/2229-5186.98688","url":null,"abstract":"Context : Water, the elixir of life, is a prime natural resource. Due to rapid urbanization in India, the availability and quality of groundwater have been affected. According to the Central Groundwater Board, 80% of Chennai's groundwater has been depleted and any further exploration could lead to salt water ingression. Hence, this study was done to assess the groundwater quality in Chennai city. Aim : To assess the groundwater quality using water quality index in Chennai city. Materials and Methods: Chennai city was divided into three zones based on the legislative constituency and from these three zones three locations were randomly selected and nine groundwater samples were collected and analyzed for physiochemical properties. Results: With the exception of few parameters, most of the water quality assessment parameters showed parameters within the accepted standard values of Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). Except for pH in a single location of zone 1, none of the parameters exceeded the permissible values for water quality assessment as prescribed by the BIS. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that in general the groundwater quality status of Chennai city ranged from excellent to good and the groundwater is fit for human consumption based on all the nine parameters of water quality index and fluoride content.","PeriodicalId":10187,"journal":{"name":"Chronicles of Young Scientists","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"86809358","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A basic insight into the stability and manufacturing aspects of solid dispersions","authors":"J. Vijay, Jyothi T Sahadevan, R. Gilhotra","doi":"10.4103/2229-5186.98668","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4103/2229-5186.98668","url":null,"abstract":"The development of a bioavailable dosage form is the most challenging task for the researchers. In the arena of advanced drug delivery systems, the solid dispersion techniques seem to be a promising system for the development of an optimized, bioavailable formulation of Class 2 drugs. The methods of formulation of solid dispersion have been summarized. This article is an effort to define a solid dispersion and its classification. The prospective of the stability of solid dispersion has also been discussed. Moreover, the major techniques that have been used so far such as the fusion/melting method, solvent evaporation method, hot melt extrusion method, supercritical fluid methods, have also been detailed.","PeriodicalId":10187,"journal":{"name":"Chronicles of Young Scientists","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"78226213","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of pH on the viscosity of grewia mucilage","authors":"I. Ogaji, Xiujuan Peng, I. Okafor, S. Hoag","doi":"10.4103/2229-5186.98687","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4103/2229-5186.98687","url":null,"abstract":"Background: The stability and efficacy of liquid pharmaceutical preparations depend on the pH of the medium. Such liquid preparations may contain varied additives performing different functions. One of the qualities of oral liquid pharmaceutical preparations is appropriate viscosity for pumping and transfer during manufacture and dispensing to patients. Gums find use in such liquid preparations as thickening or suspending agents together with different additives that may influence the pH of the environment and hence the stability and quality of the preparation. Aim of the study: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of pH on the viscosity of grewia gum obtained from Grewia mollis that is potential pharmaceutical excipient. Setting and Design: The study was based on experiments carried out in the laboratory setting and the conclusions were based on the observations made. Materials and Methods: Aqueous mucilage of grewia (2% w/v) was prepared and the pH was determined at different shear rates on Brookfield cone and plate rheometer at 25°C. Adjustment of pH was facilitated by the addition of 0.25 N solution of either hydrochloric acid or sodium hydroxide before the readings were taken. Results: The viscosity of the mucilage was characteristically pseudoplastic and it depended on pH of the medium and storage time. The viscosity ratio generally decreased from 2.046 to 1.470 as the pH of the medium increased from acidic to basic (2.18 to 13.10). The dynamic yield value of the dispersion at pH 2.55 and 5.08 were, respectively, 10.5 and 45. The viscosity of grewia gum dispersion changed with change in pH of the medium anomalously. Conclusion: Changes in the viscosity of grewia gum dispersion were observed with change in the pH in an unrelated fashion. This suggests that the use of grewia gum together with other additives in oral liquid preparations should be done with discretion.","PeriodicalId":10187,"journal":{"name":"Chronicles of Young Scientists","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"76690051","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A pilot study exploring awareness among general public toward issues related to medication safety in the state of Penang, Malaysia","authors":"M. Hassali, A. Shafie, F. Saleem, H. Al-Qazaz, I. Masood, M. Atif, H. Aljadhey","doi":"10.4103/2229-5186.98690","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4103/2229-5186.98690","url":null,"abstract":"Context: A better understanding of medication safety ensures better health state among healthcare consumers. Aim: The study aims to assess general public awareness toward issues related to medication safety. Settings and Design: A cross-sectional study was conducted among general public selected conveniently in the state of Penang, Malaysia. Materials and methods: A total of 500 respondents were approached and 476 consumers participated in the survey giving a response rate of 95.2%. Statistical analysis: Data were analyzed by using SPSS version 12.0 and descriptive statistics were reported where appropriate. Results: Majority of the respondents (n=292, 61.3%) stated that they were well aware of the possible side effects of their current medications. A total of 196 respondents (41.17%) believed that all medicines registered in Malaysia are safe to use as these medicines have no side effects. About 40.33% (n=192) of the respondents claimed that they share their unused medicines with family and friends who are having similar illness. Majority of respondents 57.7% (n=275) were satisfied with the drug information provided by the healthcare professionals. This study also found that more than 80% of the respondents (n=409) did report that they read the labels of their medication before using. Conclusions: In this study, it was revealed that there is a moderate level of public knowledge regarding medication safety. It is evident that public underestimates the risk of their medications. There is a general lack of awareness and understanding among the public especially toward side effects.","PeriodicalId":10187,"journal":{"name":"Chronicles of Young Scientists","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"90921086","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Determination of efficacy of root planing in removal of nicotine from periodontally involved teeth of smokers","authors":"Neelima Katti, D. Mohanty, K. Asif, Niranjan Shatapathy","doi":"10.4103/2229-5186.98691","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4103/2229-5186.98691","url":null,"abstract":"Background and Aims: Tobacco smoking is now recognized to be an important risk factor for the development and progression of periodontal disease. Nicotine, the major constituent of particulate phase of tobacco smoke, in addition to having its toxic systemic effects, is capable of causing local cytotoxicity. The typical characteristic of smoking-associated periodontal disease is the destruction of the supporting tissues of the teeth, with the ensuing clinical symptoms of bone loss, attachment loss, pocket formation, and eventually tooth loss. The mechanisms behind the destructive effects of smoking on the periodontal tissues, however, are not well understood. This study aimed to detect nicotine from the root surfaces of periodontally involved root surfaces and to compare the quantity of nicotine present on root-planed and non-root-planed surfaces of teeth from smokers. Materials and Methods: 25 periodontally involved extracted teeth were taken from 18 smoker patients. The roots were sectioned longitudinally and each root half was either root planed (group B) or left untreated (group A). Each root half was extracted for nicotine using methylene chloride technique, and quantified using high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). Statistical analysis: Nicotine concentrations were compared between the root planed ans the non root planed groups using paired t-test. Results: The results showed that nicotine could be detected from the root surface of periodontally involved teeth. The amount of nicotine present on non-root planed sections was statistically significantly higher than on treated sections. Conclusion: Nicotine is present on the periodonatally involved root surfaces of smoker patients and also its concentration can be significantly reduced by thorough root planning.","PeriodicalId":10187,"journal":{"name":"Chronicles of Young Scientists","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"77352177","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}