Posted by admin on Aug 1, 2012 in |
Ceiba pentandra (C. pentandra) has been traditionally used in the ayurveda system of medicine for the treatment of obesity and atherosclerosis. The present study was undertaken to evaluate anti-obesity and hypolipidaemic activity of the ethanolic leaf extract of C. pentandra in Cafeteria diet (CD) treatedWistar albino rats. Obesity was induced in Wistar albino rats by feeding CD daily for twelve weeks. Body weight was measured initially and then every week thereafter. Food and water intake was measured daily. On day 85th, the serum biochemical parameters were estimated and the animals were sacrificed with over dose of anesthetic ether. The liver and fat pads (perirenal, mesenteric and epididymis) were removed and weighed immediately. The intestinal activity of enzyme alkaline phosphatase (ALP) was determined. Administration of C. pentandra (125 mg/kg) prevented the increase in body weight in cafeteria diet treated animals. Administration of C. pentandra showed significant decrease in body weight gain in CD treated obese rats. The significant decrease in ALP level was observed in C. pentandra treated rats. Administration...
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Posted by admin on Aug 1, 2012 in |
Herbal drugs play an important role in health care dynamics especially in developing countries. The key step in isolation of biologically active compounds is extraction, which is expressed as total extractive yield, yields of metabolites of interest or intensity of biological activity. Extraction of phytoconstituents from plant materials has been of tremendous interest and potential. Extractive value of the crude drug also indicates the quality as well as purity of the drug. For most extractions, relatively simple techniques, such as percolation and maceration are effective and economical. Some specific applications however, require more sophisticated and costly extraction techniques using specialized equipments. It is often possible to select the specific solvent to maximize the yields on the basis of different techniques, varying in cost and level of complexity. Therefore the objective of the present study was to compare different extraction techniques with various solvents for determination of extractive values. The plants selected for the present research work were Averrrhoa carambola L. fruits (Oxalidaceae), Lagenaria vulgaris Ser. fruits (Cucurbitaceae) and Curculigo...
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Posted by admin on Aug 1, 2012 in |
Asthma is a major public health burden that affects a large number of individuals. The prevalence of this chronic disease is very high in Bangladesh. This study is intended to understand the causes of disease and factors that contribute to its progression and to develop improved treatment strategies. The study population included severe acute attack of asthma patients admitted to National Institute of Diseases of the Chest and Hospital, Mohakhali, Dhaka, Bangladesh during October-December 2010. A questionnaire was prepared containing information of age, sex, family history, socio-economic status, food habits, allergic disorders, previous illness, smoking habit, diagnosed asthma, treatments and asthma medications used. Data were collected from a total of 100 patients of three wards in the hospital by face to face interview of patients, physicians and hospital recorded sheet over a period of three months. Out of 100 patients, 85% were male and 15% were female. The study showed 6% were below 30 years of age, 69% were ageing 30-60 years and 25% were above 60 years of...
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Posted by admin on Aug 1, 2012 in |
World Health Organization (WHO, Geneva) has appreciated the importance of medicinal plants for public health care for use in developing nations. Putranjiva roxburghii Wall. is having important role in the traditional Ayurvedic and Unani systems of holistic health and herbal medicine of the East. The leaves of Putranjiva roxburghii Wall. are reported to have good medicinal values in traditional system of medicine. The present study highlights the pharmacognostical studies including parameters such as powder analysis by microscopical evaluation, color reaction, and study of physicochemical parametersof the Putranjiva roxburghii Wall. leaves. These observations will help in the pharmacognostical identification and standardization of the drug in the crude form and can be used to distinguish the drug from its...
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Posted by admin on Jul 1, 2012 in |
Background: Prescription of drugs, which needs to be continuously assessed and refined according to disease progression. It not only reflects the physician’s knowledge about drugs but also his/her skill in diagnose and attitude towards selecting the most appropriate cost-effective treatment. Antimicrobials are among the most commonly prescribed drugs in hospital. As per literature, they account for over 50% of total value of drugs sold in our country. Such studies have been sparse from Gujarat and hence, this study was undertaken. Methods: Retrospective study was carried out by collecting 350 prescriptions containing antimicrobial agents in paediatric department at Sir Sayajirao General (SSG) Hospital, Vadodara to assess the prescribing patterns of antimicrobial agents. All information about the drugs details recorded in pre-tested Proforma that was finalized by our Pharmacology department. Results: Total 350 prescriptions containing 690 antimicrobial drugs were prescribed in patients during study. Of them aminoglycosides (233; 33.77%) was frequently prescribed followed by β-lactam group (191; 27.68) and cephalosporins (176; 25.5%). Average numbers of antimicrobials per prescription was 1.97.Out of...
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