Effects of Roasting Conditions on Antibacterial Properties of Vietnamese Turmeric (Curcuma longa) Rhizomes.

Processing with heat treatment has been reported to alter several therapeutic effects of turmeric. In Vietnamese traditional medicine, turmeric has been long used for bacterial infections, and roasting techniques are sometimes applied with this material. However, there have been no studies investigating the effects of these thermal processes on the plant's antibacterial properties. Our study was therefore performed to examine the changes that roasting produced on this material. Slices of dried turmeric were further subjected to light-roasting (80 °C in 20 min) or dark-roasting (160 °C in 20 min) processes. Broth dilution and agar-well diffusion methods were applied to examine and compare the effects of ethanol extracts obtained from non-roasted, light-roasted and dark-roasted samples, on a set of 6 gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. In both investigations, dark-roasted turmeric was significantly less antibacterial than non-roasted and light-roasted materials, as evident by the higher values of minimum inhibitory concentrations and the smaller diameters of induced inhibitory zones. In addition, dark-roasting was also found to clearly reduce curcumin contents, total polyphenol values and antioxidant activities of the extracts. These results suggest that non-roasting or light-roasting might be more suitable for the processing of turmeric materials that are aimed to be applied for bacterial infections.

Neuroprotective effects of total alkaloids fraction of Huperzia serrata on scopolamine-induced neurodegenerative animals.

Huperzia serrata contains Huperzine A (HupA)-an alkaloid used to treat cognitive dysfunction. In this study, we used the total alkaloids (HsAE) to investigate their potential in managing cognitive impairment in comparison with HupA. The antioxidant activity was measured by DPPH assay. In the cellular study, the cell viability and level of ACh of SH-SY5Y cells were evaluated after pretreated with HsAE and scopolamine. For in vivo assay, mice were pre-treated with HsAE, and HupA and undergone scopolamine injection for cognitive impairment. The behavioral tests including the Y-maze and Morris water maze test and the AChE activity, the SOD, CAT, MDA level in the hippocampus and cortex were evaluated. HsAE showed significant scavenging properties on DPPH radicals. HsAE was not toxic to SH-SY5Y cells, and can rescue these cells upon scopolamine treatment. Intriguingly, HsAE showed the neuroprotection against scopolamine-induced amnesia in mice. Moreover, HsAE decreased AChE activity, MDA level, increased antioxidative enzyme activity in the hippocampus as well as cortex of mice, which was relatively better than that of HupA. These findings suggested that HsAE may significantly protect the neurons of mice with scopolamine-induced memory impairment connected to AChE depletion and oxidative stress.

Stiff Person Syndrome: A Case Report with Sudden Onset and Coexistence of Sero-Positive Antibodies to Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase and Anti-SOX1 Antibodies.

Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS) is an extremely rare neurological condition characterized by muscle stiffness and painful muscle spasms. The symptoms often progress slowly and can cause disability. Antibodies to glutamic acid decarboxylase (anti-GAD) have been reported in up to 80% of the classic type of SPS. Paraneoplastic syndrome comprises 5% of SPS cases. These patients present with different malignancies including lung, thymus, breast, colon, and lymph nodes. In this paper, we report a case of a 25-year-old Vietnamese female patient with SPS presenting with unusual clinical manifestations of sudden onset, rapidly progressive spinal, abdominal, and lower limb rigidity accompanied by painful spasms, autonomic disorders, and severe, multiple bone fractures. Serologic tests detected high-titer anti-GAD, combined with anti-SOX1 antibodies, suggesting paraneoplastic SPS. Intravenous immunoglobulin has been employed as the main treatment therapy, and the patient has had a complete remission.

Trans-superior meatal surgery: A targeted approach for isolated posterior ethmoid diseases.

BACKGROUND: Surgical treatment for posterior ethmoid diseases has historically been performed through a trans-ethmoid approach which usually required medialization of the middle turbinate, a middle meatal antrostomy and total ethmoidectomy. This can destabilize the basal lamella of the middle turbinate and also sacrifices the integrity of ostiomeatal complex and the healthy bulla if the patient has the disease only in the posterior ethmoid sinus. The aim of this study is to present of a novel minimally disruptive approach for the management of isolated posterior ethmoid diseases. METHODS: Retrospective case series analysis. RESULTS: 19 patients with isolated posterior ethmoid fungal balls were operated on via a trans-superior meatal approach. The most common signs and symptoms were headache (78.9%), and purulent/mucoid discharge from the superior meatus (89.5%). The technique is described in detail with the preservation of the ostiomeatal complex and bulla ethmoidalis. Complete removal of the disease was achieved in all cases through this access, with no intra-operative complications. The posterior ethmoid cavity remained patent postoperatively in all patients. No recurrence was noted during the follow-up period which ranged from 6 to 12 months. CONCLUSION: This is a minimally invasive approach, which is safe and effective for the surgical management of isolated posterior ethmoid diseases.

Impact of antimicrobial stewardship intervention in clean and clean-contaminated surgical procedures at a Vietnamese national hospital.

OBJECTIVES: We investigated the characteristics of prophylactic antimicrobial use in clean and clean-contaminated surgical procedures and assessed the efficacy of a prophylactic antimicrobial stewardship intervention at Thong Nhat Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 354 patients who underwent either clean or clean-contaminated surgical procedures at Thong Nhat Hospital. Eligible patients were classified with respect to three periods of intervention from 2017 to 2020. Data collection included surgical procedures, patient characteristics, and prophylactic antimicrobial usage. We determined the efficacy of antimicrobial stewardship intervention based on comparisons among the primary outcome (the appropriateness of prophylactic antimicrobials) and secondary outcomes (postoperative antimicrobial prophylaxis (AP) prolongation, length of postoperative hospital stay, and cost of antimicrobials). RESULTS: The mean age of patients in periods 1, 2, and 3 was 54.5 ± 16.6, 50.2 ± 16.5, and 52.8 ± 17.3 years, respectively, with an overall male/female ratio of 1.1/1. No significant differences were detected in basic patient characteristics during the three periods. Majority of the surgical procedures were clean (56%-59%) and scheduled (85%-86%). Prophylactic antimicrobial stewardship intervention enhanced AP appropriateness (by 12.7%, 12.7%, and 39.0% in periods 1, 2, and 3, respectively, p < 0.001), decreased postoperative prophylactic antimicrobial duration [3.0 (0-6), 1.5 (0-5), and 0.0 (0-1) days, respectively, p < 0.001], and reduced average antimicrobial expenses (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The prophylactic antimicrobial stewardship interventions introduced at Thong Nhat Hospital had several positive impacts on the appropriateness of prophylactic antimicrobial use and treatment costs.