Posted by admin on Nov 30, 2016 in |
Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of non-polio enteroviral infections by quantitative and qualitative PCR assays in neonates 3-30 days old with clinical diagnosis of sepsis. Methods: The patients included all the neonates aged 3-30 days admitted with diagnosis of neonatal sepsis. Blood specimens, throat swabs, and in 60 cases CSF specimens were tested for Enteroviruses (EVs), using a quantitative RT-PCR assay. Alternate RT-PCR assays separated polio and non-polio enteroviruses. Demographic data including age, sex, type of feeding and gestational age were obtained. Results: As PCR results revealed, of the 177 neonates with clinical diagnosis of sepsis, one patient (0.55%) was positive for non-polio EVs in all of throat, serum and CSF samples. In 3 patients (1.7%), the results were positive for non-polio EVs in both throat and serum, while in15 (8.45%) others only throat samples were positive. Sex, age and gestational age had no significant relationship with the prevalence of the infections statistically (P>0.05). The prevalence of non-polio EV infections ranged from 6.1%...
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Posted by admin on Oct 31, 2016 in |
The antidyslipidemic and antioxidant activities of Allium sativum (Garlic) and Aloe vera (Ghee- kuwar) extracts have been studied in two models of hyperlipidemia, triton and cholesterol rich high fat diet induced hyperlipidemia. A. sativum, A. vera and Gemfibrogil were macerated with 0.2% aqueous gum acacia and the suspension was fed orally to rats of group III, IV and V at a dose of 400mg, 1g/Kg, and 50 mg/Kg (b.w.p.o.) respectively with triton. Serum lipids were found to be lowered by Allium sativum and Aloe-vera in triton induced hyperlipidemia. On the other hand chronic feeding of these extracts to animals in cholesterol rich high fat diet induced hyperlipidemia for 30 days caused lowering in lipid and protein levels of β lipoproteins followed by an increase in α lipoproteins. The results of present study demonstrate that hypolipidemic activity of these extracts mediate through inhibition of hepatic lipid synthesis, increased faecal bile acid excretion and induced plasma LCAT activity in rats. Furthermore these extracts (100 and 200 µg/ml) inhibited the in vitro...
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Posted by admin on Sep 30, 2016 in |
The natural acid like lemon juice provides mild acidic state which used to catalyzed reaction of primary amine and aldehyde in green solvent like ethanol at room temperature reflux for 1.5 hour gives Schiff bases in good yield. Schiff bases have attracted considerable attention of us due to their significant biological activities 1 like anticancer, antitumor, anti inflammatory agents 4, insecticidal, antibacterial 5, antituberculosis, antimicrobial 2-3, antifungal 5, anti-HIV and metal corrosion inhibition activities of Schiff bases, besides wide range of pharmacological activities. Natural acid is non-polluting and does not employ any lethal materials, quantifying if as a green approach for the synthesis of Schiff bases. Schiff bases also have several types of biological actions such as analgesic and antimalerial 6. They are working as Ligands for complexes of metal ions. Organosilicon complexes with Schiff bases are found to be beneficial in various agricultural applications like fungicides, bactericides, herbicides, acaricides and antifeedants 7. The metal complex of Schiff bases are also of principal significance in analytical chemistry and chemotherapy...
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Posted by admin on Sep 30, 2016 in |
Asteracantha longifolia, Asparagus falcatus, Vetiveria zizanioides, Coriandrum sativum and Epaltes divaricate have proven hepatoprotective and antioxidative effects against carbon tetrachloride and paracetamol induced hepatotoxicity in mice and are widely used in Sri Lanka for the treatment of liver disorders. However, toxicological information regarding their safety after exposure to experimental animals or humans is not available. The present study was designed to evaluate repeated dose toxicity of the five aqueous extracts mentioned above. Healthy, ICR mice were treated with 0.9g/kg (orally) of aqueous extracts daily, for a period of 30 days. Animals were observed for effects on body weight, food consumption, external appearance and mortality. Biochemical, haematological and histopathological parameters were estimated in all groups at the end of 30 days. Aqueous extracts tested didn’t produce mortality, changes in behaviour, difference in body weight, feeding habits or any other physiological activities in mice, at the dose administered. Biochemical or haematological analysis showed no marked differences in any of the parameters examined in either the control group or in the plant...
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Posted by admin on Aug 31, 2016 in |
Enhanced production of anthraquinones from cell suspension cultures of Oldenlandia umbellata were established through elicitor or precursor treatment. Stock cell suspension cultures were developed in liquid MS medium supplemented with 2.5 µM NAA using friable calli. Standardization experiments of suspension cultures revealed that 10 µM NAA added liquid MS medium was optimum for the growth and AQ accumulation from O. umbellata suspension cultures. 10 µM NAA produced 9.96 mg g -1dw AQ on 30th day of incubation. Later enhanced AQ production was achieved by the addition of elicitors or precursors into the standardized media on 25th day of incubation and AQ quantification was done after 5 days of incubation. Addition of elicitors or precursors resulted in a sudden increase in AQ content. 25 mg L-1 pectinadded suspension cultures produced 35.67 mg g-1dw AQ and precursor feeding with 50 mg L-1α-keto glutaric acid resulted in the accumulation of 42.63 mg g-1dw AQ. HPLC analysis of elicitor or precursor mediated suspension cultures revealed the presence of alizarin and purpurin in samples....
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