Evaluation of Natural Antimicrobial Substances Blend as a Replacement for Antibiotic Growth Promoters in Broiler Chickens: Enhancing Growth and Managing Intestinal Bacterial Diseases.

In recent years, commercial use of antibiotic growth promoter (AGP) has restrictions due to drug resistance against intestinal pathogenic bacteria: Escherichia coli, Salmonella, and Clostridium perfringens. Currently there is no single non-antibiotic treatment approach that is effective against intestinal illnesses in broiler chicken. Hence, present study aimed to analyze efficacy of blend of natural antimicrobial substances (probiotics, prebiotics, organic acids, and essential oils blend named as AGPR) as replacers of AGPs (BMD and CTC) for promoting growth and controlling bacterial diseases in aforementioned three microbes challenged broiler chickens. Effects of treatments (5) and microbes (3) on growth and health performances in experimental birds were analyzed using two factorial ANOVA. Health performance like pathogen loads, morbidity and mortality was considerably reduced by AGPR. Similarly small intestine villi morphometry, nutrition utilization, serum immune response, and carcass yield, was improved significantly by AGPR equivalent to AGPs. Further, growth performance like body weight gain, feed efficiency was also improved by AGPR compared to control but, non-significantly. Among three microbes, E. coli infections had higher morbidity and mortality rates. It was concluded that AGPR blend could be used to improve growth and control the intestinal bacterial infections in broiler chickens as an alternative for AGPs.

Author Response.

How to cite this article: Vijayakumar M, Selvam V, Renuka MK, Rajagopalan RE. Author Response. Indian J Crit Care Med 2024;28(5):515.

Author Response.

How to cite this article: Vijayakumar M, Selvam V, Renuka MK, Rajagopalan RE. Author Response. Indian J Crit Care Med 2024;28(5):512.

A National Cancer Grid pooled procurement initiative, India.

In health systems with little public funding and decentralized procurement processes, the pricing and quality of anti-cancer medicines directly affects access to effective anti-cancer therapy. Factors such as differential pricing, volume-dependent negotiation and reliance on low-priced generics without any evaluation of their quality can lead to supply and demand lags, high out-of-pocket expenditures for patients and poor treatment outcomes. While pooled procurement of medicines can help address some of these challenges, monitoring of the procurement process requires considerable administrative investment. Group negotiation to fix prices, issuing of uniform contracts with standardized terms and conditions, and procurement by individual hospitals also reduce costs and improve quality without significant investment. The National Cancer Grid, a network of more than 250 cancer centres in India, piloted pooled procurement to improve negotiability of high-value oncology and supportive care medicines. A total of 40 drugs were included in this pilot. The pooled demand for the drugs from 23 centres was equivalent to 15.6 billion Indian rupees (197 million United States dollars (US$)) based on maximum retail prices. The process included technical and financial evaluation followed by contracts between individual centres and the selected vendors. Savings of 13.2 billion Indian Rupees (US$ 166.7million) were made compared to the maximum retail prices. The savings ranged from 23% to 99% (median: 82%) and were more with generics than innovator and newly patented medicines. This study reveals the advantages of group negotiation in pooled procurement for high-value medicines, an approach that can be applied to other health systems.

Lorsque les systèmes de santé reçoivent peu de fonds publics et que leurs processus d'achat sont décentralisés, le prix et la qualité des médicaments contre le cancer ont un impact direct sur l'accès aux traitements efficaces contre la maladie. Des facteurs tels que l'application de prix différenciés, les négociations en fonction des volumes ainsi que la confiance placée dans des génériques bon marché dont la qualité n'a pas été évaluée peuvent entraîner des décalages entre l'offre et la demande, d'énormes dépenses non remboursables pour les patients et de piètres résultats thérapeutiques. Bien que les acquisitions groupées de médicaments puissent contribuer à résoudre certains de ces problèmes, le suivi du processus d'achat requiert un engagement considérable au niveau administratif. Les négociations collectives en vue de fixer les tarifs, l'établissement de contrats types assortis de conditions générales standardisées, mais aussi les achats effectués par des hôpitaux en particulier peuvent également faire baisser les coûts et améliorer la qualité sans nécessiter d'importants investissements. Le National Cancer Grid, un réseau réunissant plus de 250 centres d'oncologie en Inde, a testé un dispositif d'achat groupé visant à assurer une meilleure négociabilité pour des médicaments et soins de soutien essentiels contre le cancer. Au total, 40 substances ont été prises en compte dans ce projet pilote. La demande groupée en médicaments émise par 23 centres équivalait à 15,6 milliards de roupies indiennes (197 millions de dollars américains) d'après le prix maximal de vente au détail. Ce processus prévoyait une évaluation technique et financière, puis des contrats entre chaque centre et les distributeurs sélectionnés. Des économies de 13,2 milliards de roupies indiennes (166,7 millions de dollars américains) ont pu être réalisées par rapport au prix maximal de vente au détail. Ces économies étaient comprises entre 23 et 99% (médiane: 82%) et concernaient davantage les médicaments génériques que les marques et les médicaments récemment brevetés. La présente étude révèle les avantages que représentent les négociations collectives lors des achats groupés de médicaments essentiels, une approche applicable à d'autres systèmes de santé.

En los sistemas sanitarios con escasa financiación pública y procesos de adquisición descentralizados, el sistema de fijación de precios y la calidad de los medicamentos contra el cáncer afectan directamente al acceso a una terapia eficaz contra dicha enfermedad. Factores como los diferentes sistemas de determinación de precios, la negociación en función del volumen y la dependencia de genéricos de bajo precio sin evaluación de su calidad pueden generar retrasos en la oferta y la demanda, elevados gastos para los pacientes y malos resultados en el tratamiento. Aunque la adquisición conjunta de medicamentos puede ayudar a abordar algunos de estos retos, el seguimiento del proceso de adquisición requiere una inversión administrativa considerable. La negociación colectiva a la hora de determinar los precios, la emisión de contratos unificados con términos y condiciones estandarizados y la adquisición por parte de algunos hospitales también reducen los costes y mejoran la calidad sin necesidad de realizar una gran inversión. La Red Nacional de Cáncer, una red que cuenta con más de 250 centros oncológicos en la India, puso a prueba la adquisición conjunta con el fin de mejorar la negociabilidad de medicamentos oncológicos y de tratamiento complementario que resultaban costosos. En esta prueba piloto se incluyó un total de 40 medicamentos. La demanda conjunta de medicamentos por parte de 23 centros fue equivalente a 15 600 millones de rupias indias (197 millones USD) según los precios minoristas máximos. El proceso incluyó una evaluación técnica y financiera, así como contratos entre centros independientes y proveedores seleccionados. Se logró un ahorro de 13 200 millones de rupias indias (166,7 millones USD) en comparación con los precios minoristas máximos. El ahorro osciló entre el 23 y el 99% (media: 82%) y fue más alto con los medicamentos genéricos que con los de marca y los recién patentados. Este estudio pone de manifiesto las ventajas de la negociación colectiva en lo que respecta a la adquisición conjunta de medicamentos costosos, un enfoque que se puede aplicar a otros sistemas sanitarios.

The Comparative Efficacy of Ceftazidime-Avibactam with or without Aztreonam vs Polymyxins for Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae Infections: A Prospective Observational Cohort Study.

Background: Carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae (CRE) is associated with high mortality in critically ill patients, with limited treatment options. This study aims to compare clinical response, microbiological response, and mortality in patients treated with ceftazidime-avibactam with or without aztreonam (CAZ-AVI + AZT) and colistin or polymyxin B (polymyxins) in CRE infections. Materials and methods: This single-center prospective observational study included adult patients with CRE infections treated with CAZ-AVI+AZT or polymyxins between January 2022 and December 2022 at a Tertiary Care Medical Center in India. The clinical response, microbiological response, and mortality were compared between the two groups using a Cox multivariate regression model adjusted for the baseline SOFA score and comorbidities. Results: A total of 89 patients were enrolled, with 59 (66%) patients receiving CAZ-AVI + AZT and 30 receiving polymyxins. Baseline demographics and clinical characteristics were similar between the two groups. The Cox multivariate regression analysis showed a statistically significant difference in clinical failure on day 14 with the CAZ-AVI + AZT group vs polymyxins (HR = 0.78, 95% CI 0.63-0.95, p = 0.018). There was no difference in microbiological failure (HR = 1.08, 95% CI 0.66-1.77, p = 0.76), microbiological relapse (HR = 0.75, 95% CI 0.36-3.02, p = 0.62), and hospital mortality (HR = 1.04, 95% CI 0.75-1.43, p = 0.796) between the two groups. Conclusion: Treatment with ceftazidime-avibactam with or without aztreonam for CRE infections associated with a better clinical response compared with polymyxins monotherapy but without any difference in microbiological response or mortality. How to cite this article: Vijayakumar M, Selvam V, Renuka MK, Rajagopalan RE. The Comparative Efficacy of Ceftazidime-Avibactam with or without Aztreonam vs Polymyxins for Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae Infections: A Prospective Observational Cohort Study. Indian J Crit Care Med 2023;27(12):923-929.

An Effective Detection Mechanism for Localizing Macular Region and Grading Maculopathy.

The eye disease is prominent in many nations including India and is said to affect up to 80% patients having diabetes. Diabetic Retinopathy is the medical term for denoting the damages to retina caused due to diabetes mellitus. Implying K means Clustering algorithm for coarse segmentation, hard distils are identified with better accuracy than the classical approaches. The variance based methods for segmenting hard distils are reviewed in the surveys and had to be improved. To remove the background features from the picture and conserve computational costs, a mathematical morphological method is used to reconstruct the image features for better segmentation. The results obtained for 96.4% sensitivity and 97.2% specificity. Along with this advantage, a graphical user interface is developed which will simplify the usage of this system. This model will divide the fragments into regions of interests having lesions and normal regions carrying normal features. After this segmentation, ophthalmologists will utilize the results to grade diabetic retinopathy and devise a treatment plan.

Expression of tripartite motif-containing protein 28 in primary breast carcinoma predicts metastasis and is involved in the stemness, chemoresistance, and tumor growth.

The prediction of who develops metastasis has been the most difficult aspect in the management of breast cancer patients. The lymph node metastasis has been the most useful predictor of prognosis and patient management. However, a good proportion of patients with lymph node positivity remain disease free for 5 years or more, while about a third of those who were lymph node negative develop distant metastasis within the same period. This warrants a robust biomarker(s), preferably gene expression based. In order to elucidate gene-based biomarkers for prognosis of breast cancers, gene expression profiling of primary tumors and follow-up for over 5 years has been performed. The analysis revealed a network of genes centered around the tripartite motif-containing protein 28 as an important indicator of disease progression. Short hairpin RNA-mediated knockdown of tripartite motif-containing protein 28 in breast cancer cells revealed a decreased expression of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition markers and increased expression of epithelial markers, decreased migration and invasion, and increased chemosensitivity to doxorubicin, 5-fluorouracil, and methotrexate. Furthermore, knockdown of tripartite motif-containing protein 28 resulted in the decrease of stemness as revealed by sphere formation assay as well as decreased expression of CD44 and Bmi1. Moreover, tripartite motif-containing protein 28 knockdown significantly reduced the tumor size and lung metastasis in orthotopic tumor xenograft assay in immunocompromised mice. The tumor size was further reduced when these mice were treated with doxorubicin. These data provide evidence for tripartite motif-containing protein 28 as a biomarker and a potential therapeutic target for breast cancer.

Global trends in esophageal cancer.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Esophageal Cancer (EC) is a lethal malignancy with poor prognosis and significant variations in the incidence, mortality, and histopathology based on geographic regions. The aim of this study was to quantitatively analyze these variations to identify patterns and areas for further research. METHODS: We utilized the GLOBOCAN 2012, and Cancer Incidence in five Continents, Volume X (CI5X) database to analyze variations in EC incidence and mortality. RESULTS: We found the EC incidence and mortality is geographically varied with a particularly high burden in East Asia and Eastern/Southern Africa where esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) predominates over adenocarcinoma (AC). Interestingly, there is a dichotomy between the high incidence of esophageal SCC in East Africa and low incidence in West Africa. The global incidence and mortality from EC is expected to rise in the coming decades. Asia, and China in particular, will continue to be the areas most burdened by EC, while Africa is expected to surpass the incidence and mortality rates of Europe. CONCLUSIONS: The global burden of EC is expected to rise in the coming years. Understanding the geographic, environmental, and genetic contributors to the development of EC will be essential in combating its prevalence.

Prolonged exposure to insulin with insufficient glucose leads to impaired Glut4 translocation.

Insulin maintains glucose homeostasis by stimulating glucose uptake from extracellular environment to adipose and muscle tissue through glucose transporter (GLUT4). Insulin resistance plays a significant role in pathologies associated with type2 diabetes. It has been previously shown that hyperinsulinemia can lead to insulin resistance. In these studies very high levels of insulin was used to achieve insulin resistance. We hypothesized that one of the causes of type 2 diabetes could be insulin synthesis in the absence of glucose stimulation. We used CHO cell line, stably expressing Myc-GLUT4-GFP along with human insulin receptor to study the effect of hyperinsulinemia in the presence of low glucose (6.5 mM) or high glucose (20 mM). The insulin responsiveness of these cells was assessed by FRAP, FACS and subcellular fractionation. The results suggest that exposure of cells to insulin in low glucose conditions made these cells insulin resistant within 10 passages, while the same level of insulin in the presence of high glucose did not result in insulin resistance. These results clearly suggest that hyperinsulinemia combined with hypoglycaemia may lead to insulin resistance and may be one of the causes for the typ2 diabetes.

Following the transient reactions in lithium-sulfur batteries using an in situ nuclear magnetic resonance technique.

A fundamental understanding of electrochemical reaction pathways is critical to improving the performance of Li-S batteries, but few techniques can be used to directly identify and quantify the reaction species during disharge/charge cycling processes in real time. Here, an in situ (7)Li NMR technique employing a specially designed cylindrical microbattery was used to probe the transient electrochemical and chemical reactions occurring during the cycling of a Li-S system. In situ NMR provides real time, semiquantitative information related to the temporal evolution of lithium polysulfide allotropes during both discharge/charge processes. This technique uniquely reveals that the polysulfide redox reactions involve charged free radicals as intermediate species that are difficult to detect in ex situ NMR studies. Additionally, it also uncovers vital information about the (7)Li chemical environments during the electrochemical and parasitic reactions on the Li metal anode. These new molecular-level insights about transient species and the associated anode failure mechanism are crucial to delineating effective strategies to accelerate the development of Li-S battery technologies.

Prevalence and correlates of malnutrition among elderly in an urban area in Coimbatore.

BACKGROUND: Different studies in India have shown that more than 50% of elderly population of India are suffering from malnutrition and more than 90% have less than recommended intake. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to estimate the prevalence and correlates of malnutrition among elderly aged 60 years and above in an urban area in Coimbatore using Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA). METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 154 households and 190 elderly were interviewed. Nutritional status was assessed using the MNA questionnaire. RESULTS: Mean (standard deviation) age of the total population (n = 190) was 71.09 (7.93) years and 30% was male. In this population, 37 (19.47%) was malnourished (MNA <17.0) and 47 (24.73%) were at risk for malnutrition (MNA 17.0-23.5). No significant association was observed between smoking, current alcohol consumption, higher medication use, higher comorbidity, and use of walk aid with malnutrition. Among the social factors studied, lower socioeconomic status compared to higher socioeconomic status (adjusted odds ratio [OR] =5.031, P < 0.001), single/widowed/divorced compared to married (adjusted OR = 3.323, P < 0.05), and no pension compared to those having pension (adjusted OR = 3.239, P < 0.05) were significantly associated with malnutrition. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of malnutrition observed in the aged people is unacceptably high. The increasing total number of lifestyle, somatic, functional, and social factors was associated with lower MNA scores. The findings of the present study clearly indicate that malnutrition is a multifactorial condition associated with sociodemographic, somatic, and functional status. Hence, we recommend that the treatment of malnutrition should be multifactorial, and the treatment team should be multidisciplinary. Further research is needed to develop appropriate guidelines for nutritional screening and interventional programs among geriatric population.

Report from a symposium on catalyzing primary and secondary prevention of cancer in India.

PURPOSE: Oral, breast, and cervical cancers are amenable to early detection and account for a third of India's cancer burden. We convened a symposium of diverse stakeholders to identify gaps in evidence, policy, and advocacy for the primary and secondary prevention of these cancers and recommendations to accelerate these efforts. METHODS: Indian and global experts from government, academia, private sector (health care, media), donor organizations, and civil society (including cancer survivors and patient advocates) presented and discussed challenges and solutions related to strategic communication and implementation of prevention, early detection, and treatment linkages. RESULTS: Innovative approaches to implementing and scaling up primary and secondary prevention were discussed using examples from India and elsewhere in the world. Participants also reflected on existing global guidelines and national cancer prevention policies and experiences. CONCLUSIONS: Symposium participants proposed implementation-focused research, advocacy, and policy/program priorities to strengthen primary and secondary prevention efforts in India to address the burden of oral, breast, and cervical cancers and improve survival.

Solvation structure and transport properties of alkali cations in dimethyl sulfoxide under exogenous static electric fields.

A combination of molecular dynamics simulations and pulsed field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy is used to investigate the role of exogenous electric fields on the solvation structure and dynamics of alkali ions in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and as a function of temperature. Good agreement was obtained, for select alkali ions in the absence of an electric field, between calculated and experimentally determined diffusion coefficients normalized to that of pure DMSO. Our results indicate that temperatures of up to 400 K and external electric fields of up to 1 V nm(-1) have minimal effects on the solvation structure of the smaller alkali cations (Li(+) and Na(+)) due to their relatively strong ion-solvent interactions, whereas the solvation structures of the larger alkali cations (K(+), Rb(+), and Cs(+)) are significantly affected. In addition, although the DMSO exchange dynamics in the first solvation shell differ markedly for the two groups, the drift velocities and mobilities are not significantly affected by the nature of the alkali ion. Overall, although exogenous electric fields induce a drift displacement, their presence does not significantly affect the random diffusive displacement of the alkali ions in DMSO. System temperature is found to have generally a stronger influence on dynamical properties, such as the DMSO exchange dynamics and the ion mobilities, than the presence of electric fields.

Downregulation of S100 Calcium Binding Protein A9 in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

The development of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is poorly understood and the major regulatory molecules involved in the process of tumorigenesis have not yet been identified. We had previously employed a quantitative proteomic approach to identify differentially expressed proteins in ESCC tumors. A total of 238 differentially expressed proteins were identified in that study including S100 calcium binding protein A9 (S100A9) as one of the major downregulated proteins. In the present study, we carried out immunohistochemical validation of S100A9 in a large cohort of ESCC patients to determine the expression and subcellular localization of S100A9 in tumors and adjacent normal esophageal epithelia. Downregulation of S100A9 was observed in 67% (n = 192) of 288 different ESCC tumors, with the most dramatic downregulation observed in the poorly differentiated tumors (99/111). Expression of S100A9 was restricted to the prickle and functional layers of normal esophageal mucosa and localized predominantly in the cytoplasm and nucleus whereas virtually no expression was observed in the tumor and stromal cells. This suggests the important role that S100A9 plays in maintaining the differentiated state of epithelium and suggests that its downregulation may be associated with increased susceptibility to tumor formation.

Radical Compatibility with Nonaqueous Electrolytes and Its Impact on an All-Organic Redox Flow Battery.

Nonaqueous redox flow batteries hold the promise of achieving higher energy density because of the broader voltage window than aqueous systems, but their current performance is limited by low redox material concentration, cell efficiency, cycling stability, and current density. We report a new nonaqueous all-organic flow battery based on high concentrations of redox materials, which shows significant, comprehensive improvement in flow battery performance. A mechanistic electron spin resonance study reveals that the choice of supporting electrolytes greatly affects the chemical stability of the charged radical species especially the negative side radical anion, which dominates the cycling stability of these flow cells. This finding not only increases our fundamental understanding of performance degradation in flow batteries using radical-based redox species, but also offers insights toward rational electrolyte optimization for improving the cycling stability of these flow batteries.

Prompt plasma exchanges and immunosuppressive treatment improves the outcomes of anti-factor H autoantibody-associated hemolytic uremic syndrome in children.

Antibodies to complement factor H are an uncommon cause of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Information on clinical features and outcomes in children is limited. In order to explore this we studied a multicenter cohort of 138 Indian children with anti-complement factor H antibody associated HUS, constituting 56% of patients with HUS. Antibody titers were high (mean 7054 AU/ml) and correlated inversely with levels of complement C3, but not complement factor H. Homozygous deletion of the CFHR1 gene was found in 60 of 68 patients. Therapies included dialysis in 119 children, 105 receiving plasma exchanges and 26 intravenous immunoglobulin. Induction immunosuppression consisted of 87 children receiving prednisolone with or without intravenous cyclophosphamide or rituximab. Antibody titers fell significantly following plasma exchanges and increased during relapses. Adverse outcome (stage 4-5 CKD or death) was seen in 36 at 3 months and 41 by last follow up, with relapse in 14 of 122 available children. Significant independent risk factors for adverse outcome were an antibody titer over 8000 AU/ml, low C3 and delay in plasma exchange. Combined plasma exchanges and induction immunosuppression resulted in significantly improved renal survival: one adverse outcome prevented for every 2.6 patients treated. Maintenance immunosuppressive therapy, of prednisolone with either mycophenolate mofetil or azathioprine, significantly reduced the risk of relapses. Thus, prompt use of immunosuppressive agents and plasma exchanges are useful for improving outcomes in pediatric patients with anti-complement factor H-associated HUS.

Molecular structure and stability of dissolved lithium polysulfide species.

The ability to predict the solubility and stability of lithium polysulfide is vital in realizing longer lasting lithium-sulfur batteries. Herein we report combined experimental and computational analyses to understand the dissolution mechanism of lithium polysulfide species in an aprotic solvent medium. Multinuclear NMR, variable temperature ESR and sulfur K-edge XAS analyses reveal that the lithium exchange between polysulfide species and solvent molecules constitutes the first step in the dissolution process. Lithium exchange leads to de-lithiated polysulfide ions (Sn(2-)) which subsequently form highly reactive free radicals through dissociation reaction (Sn(2-) → 2Sn/2˙(-)). The energy required for the dissociation and possible dimer formation reactions of the polysulfide species is analyzed using density functional theory (DFT) based calculations. Based on these findings, we discuss approaches to optimize the electrolyte in order to control the polysulfide solubility.

Estimating the Reliability and Validity of the Quadrant Hop Test in the Assessment of the Functional Stability of the Knee.

Background Many sporting activities demand multidirectional skills and movements, emphasizing the importance of various fitness components such as functional stability, strength, power, endurance, and range of motion. These aspects must be thoroughly assessed before athletes can return to sports safely following an injury. Although the single-leg hop test (SHT) is widely used as the gold standard for evaluating joint stability, it has limitations in assessing multidirectional movements. Therefore, further research is necessary to explore whether increasing the dynamicity of the hop test in different directions enhances its sensitivity in assessing knee joint stability across all four directions. The objective of this study was to investigate the applicability of a new functional assessment tool, the quadrant hop test (QHT), for evaluating lower limb functional stability. Methodology One hundred nineteen amateur sportsmen who are in the age group of 18-25 years with a limb symmetry index of the lower limb calculated through SHT of >80% were included. All the participants performed the SHT, a triple hop test (THT), a crossover hop test (CHT), and the QHT on two different days, with two investigators assessing the QHT on different days and then recording the measurements of Hop distance. Results The mean difference between SHT, THT, and CHT with QHT was 4.59%, with a moderate correlation between all the hop tests. The Cronbach's alpha revealed good intra-rater (0.917) and inter-rater reliability (0.912) of the QHT. Conclusion The QHT proves to be a reliable and valid measure for assessing the functional stability of the lower limb and is 4.59% more sensitive than SHT, THT, and CHT in assessing knee stability and in return to sports criteria.

Structure and stability of hexa-aqua V(III) cations in vanadium redox flow battery electrolytes.

The vanadium(III) cation structure in mixed acid based electrolyte solution from vanadium redox flow batteries is studied by (17)O and (35/37)Cl nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, electronic spectroscopy and density functional theory (DFT) based computational modelling. Both computational and experimental results reveal that the V(III) species can complex with counter anions (sulfate/chlorine) depending on the composition of its solvation sphere. By analyzing the powder precipitate it was found that the formation of sulfate complexed V(III) species is the crucial process in the precipitation reaction. The precipitation occurs through nucleation of neutral species formed through deprotonation and ion-pair formation process. However, the powder precipitate shows a multiphase nature which warrants multiple reaction pathways for precipitation reaction.

Modulatory effect of polyphenolic extracts of Ichnocarpus frutescens on oxidative stress in rats with experimentally induced diabetes.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: The role of oxidative stress in the development of diabetes mellitus and its vascular complications are extensively studied. Hyperglycaemia causes oxidative damage by generation of reactive oxygen species and results in the development of complications. The present study was undertaken with the objective of exploring the anti-hyperglycaemic potential of polyphenolic enriched extract of Ichnocarpus frutescens in streptozotocin induced (n-STZ) neonatal diabetic rats (pups) for six weeks and to study oxidative stress and antioxidant status. METHODS: Two days old pups were rendered diabetic by single injection of streptozotocin (90 mg/kg body wt, ip). At the end of the treatment period, the level of blood glucose, serum biochemical markers, serum lipid levels and liver malondialdehyde, tissue antioxidant levels were measured. RESULTS: A marked rise was observed in the levels of fasting blood glucose (230.33 mg/dl), lipid profiles, lipid peroxidative products and a significant decrease in tissue antioxidants (superoxide dismuatase, catalase and reduced glutathione) and serum high density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in STZ treated rats. Oral administration of polyphenolic extract (150 and 300 mg/kg body wt, po) decreased fasting blood glucose levels (187.66 and 170.50 mg/dl, respectively) of STZ-treated diabetic rats significantly (P<0.01), when compared with control rats. In addition, the polyphenolic extract showed favourable effect (P<0.01) on the reduced tissues antioxidants level, liver glycogen level, high density lipoprotein level, with significant (P<0.01) reduction of elevated lipid peroxidation products. Histopathological study of the pancreas showed the protective role of polyphenolic extract. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed the antioxidant of effect polyphenolic extract of I. frutescens in STZ induced experimental diabetes. The results also suggested that this polyphenolic rich extract could be potentially useful for hyperglycaemia treatment to correct the diabetic state.