Posted by admin on Nov 30, 2016 in |
Medicinal plants are sources of different chemical substances with different biological activities in living organism. Some of the chemical compounds so-called “heavy metals”, can be dangerous because they tend to bioaccumulate and transported in all biota via the food chain. The aim of our study was to investigate the concentration of heavy metals in commercially available tea samples purchased in markets in Podgorica, Montenegro state. The samples preparation has been performed using microwave digestion. The content of metals concentrations was determined by ICP-OES, while the mercury content is determined by DMA 80 and Perkin-Elmer Analyst 300. Results obtained in the present study showed that analysed samples of the investigated medicinal plants contain heavy metals namely copper, cobalt, chromium, iron, manganese, nickel, and zinc that are considered essential elements; and arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury which are classified as highly toxic metals. The concentration (mg kg-1) of heavy metals in all the tea samples was found to be as follows: arsenic (0.0107 to 0.2495), cadmium (0.001 to 0.01), copper (9.18...
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Posted by admin on Nov 30, 2016 in |
The study was undertaken to investigate the in vivo activity of aqueous and ethanol extracts of Violet plant, Securideca longepedunculata leaves and root bark against snake venom of Naja nigricollis and blood glucose level along with pulse rate in experimental albino rats. Healthy adult albino rats weighing 250-300g were used and randomly divided into five groups for in vivo anti-snake venom activity. Extracts were prepared using two hundred grams (200g) from the dried plant material in 1000 ml of ethanol and water (solvent). The pulse rate was determined using Blood Pressure (B.P.) machine before and after administering the glucose. Statistical significance was determined by one-way analysis of variance ANOVA with SPSS 16.0 Version, followed by Duncan’s Multiple Range. The results indicated that organic extract has the highest percentage (20.20%) yield for the leaves and 11.86% for the root bark extract. The percentage yield of ethanol extract is significantly higher (M+SD 2.5+1.48) than the aqueous extraction. Potentials activity of the plant extract revealed that combined root bark with leaf extracts...
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Posted by admin on Nov 30, 2016 in |
The increasing prevalence of diabetes mellitus worldwide is an issue of major socio-economic concern especially in Sub – Saharan Africa. Indigenous medicinal plants are used for the treatment of diabetes mellitus in most developing countries, like Ghana, but remain to be validated. In the present study, the effect of Myrianthus arboreus ethanol stem bark extract (MAB) (100 – 400 mg/kg) on glucose levels in streptozotocin (STZ) (45 mg/kg) induced diabetic rats was investigated using glibenclamide 5 mg/kg/day as the positive control. The effects of the extract on body weight, total protein, serum urea, serum creatinine, bilirubin, lipid profile, haematological indices and serum markers for liver function in normal, treated and untreated diabetic rats were also investigated. Induction of the diabetes in Sprague Dawley rats (150-200 g) resulted in increased levels of serum glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL-cholesterol but decreased body weight, serum HDL-cholesterol and haemoglobin levels. Administration of the extract at the three dose levels resulted in significant (P<0.001) reduction in the levels of plasma glucose, cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol,...
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Posted by admin on Nov 30, 2016 in |
The present study highlights the occurrence of β-lactamase (bla) genes belonging to different classes: extended spectrum β-lactamase genes (blaTEM, blaSHV, blaCTX-M and blaPER), metallo β-lactamase genes (blaNDM and blaGIM and Ampicillin class C genes (blaPDC and blaCMY) in P. aeruginosa isolates by PCR amplification. The isolates were recovered from human patients of Indira Gandhi Medical College & Hospital at Shimla in the state of Himachal Pradesh (India). We have previously detected different β-lactamases in 180 confirmed isolates of P. aeruginosa by phenotypic methods in our laboratory. Such isolates have been characterized in the present study for their genotypes in respect of the specified genes. Of the 56 phenotypically ESBL positive isolates, the ESBL genes (blaTEM, blaSHV and blaCTX-M) could be amplified in 14 (25%), 1 (1.78%) and 6 (10.71%) isolates respectively. Of these, three isolates had both blaTEM & blaCTX-M genes. Of the 29 phenotypically MBL positive isolates, the blaNDM could be amplified in 11 (37.93%) isolates only. However, no amplification was achieved in case of blaGIM gene. AmpC-type...
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Posted by admin on Nov 30, 2016 in |
The methanolic extract (ME) of leaves of Ficus religiosa (Family: Moraceae) was evaluated for their wound healing activity in rats. It was carried out in rats by employing excision wound models following topical application. The qualitative preliminary phytochemical analysis of ME indicated the presence of tannins, triterpenoids, alkaloids and steroids. All healthy animals of either sex were grouped into four groups and each group contains six rats. The rats of ointment (5 and 10 %w/w) of ME treated were compared to povidone-iodine ointment treated as a standard. The results of present work revealed that the 10%w/w ointment of ME of Ficus religiosa treated wounds showed significant reduction of wound contraction area as compared to control and indicated rapid...
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