ToxDP2 Database: Toxicity prediction of dietary polyphenols.

Polyphenols are bioactive substances that minimize the risk of a variety of chronic diseases. Exposure to polyphenol bioactive compounds in our diet has increased across the globe, with amplified expectations from consumers, industry, and regulators centered on the potential benefits and essential safety of these compounds. Several data resources for beneficial properties of dietary polyphenols are present; however, toxicological information remains partial. We present a dynamic web-based database to assess dietary polyphenols' safety and fulfill the toxicity data gaps in the domain of food safety. The database (ToxDP2) comprises 415 dietary polyphenolic compounds, distributed into 15 subclasses with 25,792 collected and predicted data points. This web server facilitates the exploration of polyphenols for divergent applications. The data-driven approach on the ToxDP2 provides researchers with an understanding of polyphenols structure-function-toxicity relationships beneficial for developing nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, herbal supplements, and formulations.

FOCUS-DB: An Online Comprehensive Database on Food Additive Safety.

Processing and packaging food has greatly exaggerated the use of food additives in different types of food products. Safety assessment to determine the pharmacokinetic and toxicological properties of food additives is imperative and experimentally challenging. Several resources of food additives properties have been collated; however, information remains partial, scattered, and not readily accessible, particularly for food safety. To address the concern related to the potential health hazard of food additives, we have developed the Food-Additive-Consumption-Safety Database (FOCUS-DB). Presently, the database comprises 2885 food additives, distributed into 18 categories with 40,800 collected data points, 89,435 predicted data points, and 14,425 external links. The dynamic web interface of the FOCUS-DB resource enables a risk assessment of additives, their approval status in various regulatory authorities, physicochemical properties, acceptable daily intake, GHS signals, biological pathways, predicted pharmacokinetic parameters, and various toxicity endpoint values. FOCUS-DB supports the exploration of food additives; it is beneficial for both the regulatory authorities and industries to optimize the usage limits of the additives and formulations. This database is a promising tool that helps understand the relationship between food additives and toxicity, which could be used to develop a future food safety framework.

Association of Hypocapnia in Children with Febrile Seizures.

INTRODUCTION: Febrile seizure is a benign condition in children. Susceptibility genes associated with febrile convulsions have been identified, but the precise pathophysiologic mechanism that triggers febrile seizure is unclear. Using animal models, it has been demonstrated that hyperthermia causes respiratory alkalosis with consequent brain alkalosis and seizures. This study was conducted to find out any association of febrile seizures with fever induced hypocapnia. METHODS: We conducted a cross sectional observational study and enrolled 45 children presenting with febrile seizures. Axillary temperature was measured and venous blood gas analysis was done soon after admission and within 24 hour of seizure onset. Mean pH and pCO2 from venous blood gas analysis was measured and compared with standard normal values. Data was analyzed using SPSS software version 17.0 software. RESULTS: The mean pCO2 (27.95 ± 5.31mmHg) was much below normal range, and 91% of children had hypocapnia (pCO2 <35) after the febrile seizures. However alkalosis (pH > 7.45) was demonstrated in only 20% of children. Also pCO2 levels in samples drawn before 2 hours were significantly less than those taken after 2 hours (23.24 ± 3.44 vs 29.29 ± 4.99 respectively; p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Our data indicates that febrile seizures may be associated with fever induced hyperventilation and ensuing hypocapnia may be one of the precipitating factor in inducing seizures. However, well-structured human trials are needed to demonstrate the same.

Serum Insulin and Leptin Levels in Children with Epilepsy on Valproate-associated Obesity.

BACKGROUND: Weight gain is a common adverse effect of sodium valproic acid (VPA) in children with epilepsy. Several mechanisms of VPA-induced obesity have been suggested such as increased appetite, facultative thermogenesis, and elevated insulin and leptin levels. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role of Insulin and Leptin in the pathogenesis of weight gain caused by VPA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Body mass index (BMI) was calculated, and serum insulin and leptin levels were measured in 45 consecutive patients and 45 controls. RESULTS: The mean BMI of the cases and control group was 22.97 kg/m2 and 19.4 kg/m2, respectively, and it was significantly higher in cases (P < 0.001). Fasting serum insulin levels were higher in VPA group (26.3 µU/ml) than in controls (15.83 µU/ml), which was statistically significant (P < 0.001). Serum leptin levels were also found to be elevated significantly in VPA group (7.9 ng/ml) than in controls (1.6 ng/ml). CONCLUSION: Sodium VPA is associated with significant rise of BMI, hyperinsulinemia, raised insulin resistance, and increased leptin levels in children with epilepsy.

Seizure and radiological outcomes in children with solitary cysticercous granulomas with and without albendazole therapy: a retrospective case record analysis.

Neurocysticercosis, parasitic infestation of the central nervous system by the Taenia solium larvae, is a major public health problem, primarily in the developing countries. Seizures are the primary clinical manifestation which could be acute (secondary to active lesions) or remote symptomatic (due to calcified lesions). Cysticidal therapy is the standard of care for solitary parenchymal active neurocysticerci. However treatment related side effects and tendency to spontaneous resolution raises concern from time to time whether cysticidal therapy is actually required. This is a retrospective case record analysis of two groups of patients with solitary parenchymal neurocysticerci (group A; 171 patients between 2000 and 2004 who did not receive cysticidal therapy, group B; 512 patients between 2008 and 2013 who received cysticidal therapy). Group B had significantly more radiological resolution of lesions whereas group A reported significantly more seizure recurrences on antiepileptics. There was no significant difference in occurrence of calcification in the two groups. Overall patients with calcified lesions had significantly more breakthrough seizures. Well designed prospective studies should be planned in future to understand the mechanism underlying the epileptogenicity of calcified lesions and how they are linked to host and environment factors.

Infantile Sandhoff's disease with peripheral neuropathy.

Sandhoff's disease is a rare autosomal-recessive disorder of sphingolipid metabolism that results from a deficiency of lysosomal enzyme beta-hexosaminidase A and B. The resultant accumulation of GM2 gangliosides within both grey matter and the myelin sheath of white matter results in essential, severe neurodegeneration. We describe a 14-month-old boy with seizures and severe neurodegeneration. His diagnosis was confirmed by neuroimaging and enzyme assay. In addition to the classic features of Sandhoff's disease, the child's clinical features were suggestive of neuropathy as supported by nerve conduction studies indicating that the bilateral median, ulnar, and common peroneal nerves were affected. Peripheral nervous system involvement is not consistently observed in infantile Sandhoff's disease, prompting us to report this case.