Management of diabetes mellitus using medicinal plants: A review.

Diabetes mellitus has a global impact affecting 422 million individuals and leading to significant health complications. This makes it a pressing global health concern. Present treatments prioritize alleviating symptoms; however, it is imperative to adopt a multitarget strategy. Herbal medicines, which have been historically employed in traditional medicine, have undergone animal experiments to assess their efficacy in reducing or preventing the disease. Known data shows that the phytochemicals found in medicinal plants have anti-hypoglycemic properties. Hence, we review the therapeutic properties of Withania somnifera, Trigonella foenum-graecum, Moringa oliefera, Memmordica charantia and Allium sativa.

Assessing NESTROFT as a preliminary screening tool for thalassemia in the Malayali tribes of Dharmapuri district, Tamil Nadu, India.

Background: Mutations affecting transcription, translation, or beta-globin stability, among other stages of beta-globin production, cause beta-thalassemia. Methods: Beta-thalassemia results in a high red blood cell count with a low mean corpuscular volume (60-70fl) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (19-23pg), and Naked Eye Single Tube Red Cell Osmotic Fragility Test (NESTROFT) is recommended for mass screening of populations. Among tribals in Dharmapuri district, this cross-sectional analysis evaluated the efficacy of RBC and NESTROFT against HPLC, regarded as the gold standard, in a study involving 484 subjects. Results: Findings indicated that out of the 484 samples, 73 tested positive for the beta-thalassemia trait through HPLC. The NESTROFT test demonstrated 87% sensitivity, 98.5% specificity, a positive predictive value of 99.3%, and a negative predictive value of 73.3%. In the multivariate analysis, NESTROFT and hemoglobin showed high significance with P values of 0.003 and 0.000, respectively. Conclusion: NESTROFT's high sensitivity is particularly noteworthy due to the absence of research among the Malayali tribes in the Dharmapuri district. Adoption of this preliminary test shows promise in detecting the disease at the local level, providing important information for early detection, especially considering the sizeable tribal population.

Ultrastructural Changes of Synapses in the Hippocampus of Sprague Dawley Rat Brain following Exposure to Naphthalene Balls.

Introduction: The synaptic contacts play an important role in central nervous system (CNS) functioning. Ultrastructural features of synapses in CNS are not studied in naphthalene neurotoxicity model. Materials and Methodology: In the present work, transmission electron microscopy was used for studying the ultrastructural features of synapses in the hippocampus of Sprague Dawley rat brain, on subsequent exposure to naphthalene balls. The ultrastructural changes were observed for naphthalene low dose (200 mg), high dose (400 mg) after the treatment for 28 days, and post-delayed toxicity phase after 14 days in Sprague Dawley rats. Results: In comparison with different groups of naphthalene exposure including control and satellite, axon degeneration, axonal demyelination and abnormal synapses was observed in high dose naphthalene administration group. In the post-delayed naphthalene toxicity group, degeneration of synaptic contacts was observed. Conclusions: This exploration of ultrastructural variations in the synapses of Hippocampus gives information that will be valued in naphthalene neurotoxicological research.

Linking bone marrow fat with decreased bone mineral density among Indian patients with osteoporotic fracture.

Osteoporosis is a systemic skeletal disorder with low-bone mass causing micro-architectural deterioration and an increase in bone fragility and susceptibility to fractures. According to a worldwide report by IOF, 1 in 3 females and 1 in 5 males will experience fractures due to the osteoporotic changes in their bones. Fractures may be the first clinical manifestation of the disease. They have been causes for morbidity and mortality imposing economic burden to osteoporosis. Bone marrow fat is a negative regulator of bone-turnover and a key integrator of bone and energy metabolism. Hence we assess the bone marrow fat and BMD in patients with osteoporotic bone fractures. This cross-sectional study was conducted in 30 patients from the department of orthopaedic surgery. Biopsy samples were received from excised bone during surgery. Biochemical parameters and bone marrow fat were quantified by established methods. A negative correlation between BMD versus serum adiponectin, FGF21 and similar observation with BMD versus bone marrow fat is seen. Therefore, increased bone-marrow fat and adiponectin, FGF21 levels and decreased BMD in osteoporosis. This observation might be useful for prevention, management and therapeutic potential of osteoporosis. Based on our study findings, understand the bone-fat relationship to implications with low BMD in patients with osteoporosis.

A short review on behavioural assessment methods in rodents.

The rodent behavioural examination techniques are used to assess various psychological, neurological models and neurotoxicity studies. Therefore, it is of interest to document the various behavioural assessment methods used in rodent model to study the motor, sensory, cognitive functions and emotional behaviour.

Circulatory hepcidin levels association with gestational diabetes mellitus: a meta-analysis of observational studies.

OBJECTIVES: Hepcidin is linked to glucose metabolism in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to determine the association between hepcidin levels and GDM. A literature search was performed using different databases to identify potential studies investigating hepcidin association in GDM patients. The effect sizes were calculated based on the standardized mean difference (SMD) and Fisher's Z value with a 95% confidence interval (CI). KEY FINDINGS: Out of 827 articles, only 7 case-control studies satisfied the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The pooled SMD of circulatory hepcidin levels in GDM patients was considerably higher than normal pregnant women (SMD = 1.69; 95% CI, 0.86 to 2.53; P < 0.0001). This study also observed that hepcidin levels were positively correlated with ferritin levels (r = 0.264; Z = 0.27; P < 0.0001). Furthermore, a subgroup analysis of serum and plasma groups revealed significantly higher hepcidin levels in serum (SMD = 2.12; 95% CI, 0.44 to3.79; P = 0.001) than in the plasma group (SMD = 1.28; 95% CI, 0.32 to 2.2; I2 = 96%). SUMMARY: Our findings suggest that hepcidin levels may be elevated in GDM patients, making it a viable marker for GDM diagnosis, and regular monitoring of its levels could be helpful in aiding clinical decisions.

A High-Throughput Metabolic Microarray Assay Reveals Antibacterial Effects of Black and Red Raspberries and Blackberries against Helicobacter pylori Infection.

Helicobacter pylori infection is commonly treated with a combination of antibiotics and proton pump inhibitors. However, since H. pylori is becoming increasingly resistant to standard antibiotic regimens, novel treatment strategies are needed. Previous studies have demonstrated that black and red berries may have antibacterial properties. Therefore, we analyzed the antibacterial effects of black and red raspberries and blackberries on H. pylori. Freeze-dried powders and organic extracts from black and red raspberries and blackberries were prepared, and high-performance liquid chromatography was used to measure the concentrations of anthocyanins, which are considered the major active ingredients. To monitor antibiotic effects of the berry preparations on H. pylori, a high-throughput metabolic growth assay based on the Biolog system was developed and validated with the antibiotic metronidazole. Biocompatibility was analyzed using human gastric organoids. All berry preparations tested had significant bactericidal effects in vitro, with MIC90 values ranging from 0.49 to 4.17%. Antimicrobial activity was higher for extracts than powders and appeared to be independent of the anthocyanin concentration. Importantly, human gastric epithelial cell viability was not negatively impacted by black raspberry extract applied at the concentration required for complete bacterial growth inhibition. Our data suggest that black and red raspberry and blackberry extracts may have potential applications in the treatment and prevention of H. pylori infection but differ widely in their MICs. Moreover, we demonstrate that the Biolog metabolic assay is suitable for high-throughput antimicrobial susceptibility screening of H. pylori.