New ethnomedicinal claims from Gujjar and Bakerwals tribes of Rajouri and Poonch districts of Jammu and Kashmir, India.

BACKGROUND: Medicinal plants are frequently employed by Gujjar and Bakerwal tribes in Rajouri and Poonch districts of Jammu and Kashmir, India for treatment of various ailments in humans and livestock. Hence, extensive field work was conducted to document the ethnomedicinal plants used by these tribes. METHODOLOGY: Ninety one key informants were interviewed using both in situ and ex situ type of survey methods. The data were analyzed using user value (UV), informant consensus factor (Fic), fidelity level (FL) and relative frequency of citation (Rfc). RESULTS: A total of 104 species of medicinal plants used in the treatment of 40 different non-communicable ailments with 138 remedies are reported. Cephalanthera longifolia (L.) Fritsch was recorded for the first time with ethnomedicinal uses and the rest of the species were previously reported with different medicinal uses by other tribal people. Out of 138 remedies, 129 were employed for human ailments and the remaining seven were used to treat livestock. Most of the species were harvested for leaves (24 species). Herbs (66 species) were the major life form used for medicinal purpose and the most common method of remedy preparation was decoction/tea (27.8%). The highest use value plant was Verbascum thapsus L. for the treatment of stomachache and snake bite. CONCLUSIONS: Plants such as Allium humile Kunth, Angelica glauca Edgew, Arnebia benthamii (Wall. ex G. Don) I.M.Johnst, Asparagus racemosus Willd., Balanophora involucrata Hook. f. & Thomson, C. longifolia (L.) Fritsch, Cuscuta epithymum (L.) L., Geranium wallichianum D. Don ex Sweet, Gloriosa superb L., Habenaria intermedia D. Don, Phyllanthus emblica L., Ramaria Formosa (Pers.) Quel. and V. thapsus L. showing high Rfc and FL values may be studied for associated pharmacological activities.

Kinetics of acid base catalyzed transesterification of Jatropha curcas oil.

Out of various non-edible oil resources, Jatropha curcas oil (JCO) is considered as future feedstock for biodiesel production in India. Limited work is reported on the kinetics of transesterification of high free fatty acids containing oil. The present study reports the results of kinetic study of two-step acid base catalyzed transesterification process carried out at an optimum temperature of 65 °C and 50 °C for esterification and transesterification respectively under the optimum methanol to oil ratio of 3:7 (v/v), catalyst concentration 1% (w/w) for H2SO4 and NaOH. The yield of methyl ester (ME) has been used to study the effect of different parameters. The results indicate that both esterification and transesterification reaction are of first order with reaction rate constant of 0.0031 min⁻¹ and 0.008 min⁻¹ respectively. The maximum yield of 21.2% of ME during esterification and 90.1% from transesterification of pretreated JCO has been obtained.

Abdominal tuberculosis.

Tuberculosis can involve any part of the gastrointestinal tract and is the sixth most frequent site of extrapulmonary involvement. Both the incidence and severity of abdominal tuberculosis are expected to increase with increasing incidence of HIV infection. Tuberculosis bacteria reach the gastrointestinal tract via haematogenous spread, ingestion of infected sputum, or direct spread from infected contiguous lymph nodes and fallopian tubes. The gross pathology is characterized by transverse ulcers, fibrosis, thickening and stricturing of the bowel wall, enlarged and matted mesenteric lymph nodes, omental thickening, and peritoneal tubercles. Peritoneal tuberculosis occurs in three forms : wet type with ascitis, dry type with adhesions, and fibrotic type with omental thickening and loculated ascites. The most common site of involvement of the gastrointestinal tuberculosis is the ileocaecal region. Ileocaecal and small bowel tuberculosis presents with a palpable mass in the right lower quadrant and/or complications of obstruction, perforation or malabsorption especially in the presence of stricture. Rare clinical presentations include dysphagia, odynophagia and a mid oesophageal ulcer due to oesophageal tuberculosis, dyspepsia and gastric outlet obstruction due to gastroduodenal tuberculosis, lower abdominal pain and haematochezia due to colonic tuberculosis, and annular rectal stricture and multiple perianal fistulae due to rectal and anal involvement. Chest X-rays show evidence of concomitant pulmonary lesions in less than 25 per cent of cases. Useful modalities for investigating a suspected case include small bowel barium meal, barium enema, ultrasonography, computed tomographic scan and colonoscopy. Ascitic fluid examination reveals straw coloured fluid with high protein, serum ascitis albumin gradient less than 1.1 g/dl, predominantly lymphocytic cells, and adenosine deaminase levels above 36 U/l. Laparoscopy is a very useful investigation in doubtful cases. Management is with conventional antitubercular therapy for at least 6 months. The recommended surgical procedures today are conservative and a period of preoperative drug therapy is controversial.

Yogic versus conventional treatment in diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome: a randomized control study.

This study was conducted to evaluate the comparative effect of yogic and conventional treatment in diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in a randomized control design. The patients were 22 males, aged 20-50 years, with confirmed diagnosis of diarrhea-predominant IBS. The conventional group (n = 12, 1 dropout) was given symptomatic treatment with loperamide 2-6 mg/day for 2 months, and the yogic intervention group (n = 9) consisted of a set of 12 asanas (yogic poses, i.e., Vajrasana, Shashankasana, Ushtrasana, Marjariasana, Padhastasana, Dhanurasana, Trikonasana in two variations, Pawanmuktasana, and Paschimottanasana) along with Surya Nadi pranayama (right-nostril breathing) two times a day for 2 months. All participants were tested at three regular intervals, at the start of study--0 month, 1 month, and 2 months of receiving the intervention--and were investigated for bowel symptoms, autonomic symptoms, autonomic reactivity (battery of five standard tests), surface electrogastrography, anxiety profile by Spielberger's Self Evaluation Questionnaire, which evaluated trait and state anxiety. Two months of both conventional and yogic intervention showed a significant decrease of bowel symptoms and state anxiety. This was accompanied by an increase in electrophysiologically recorded gastric activity in the conventional intervention group and enhanced parasympathetic reactivity, as measured by heart rate parameters, in yogic intervention group. The study indicates a beneficial effect of yogic intervention over conventional treatment in diarrhea-predominant IBS.

New pentacyclic triterpenes from the roots of Hemidesmus indicus.

Phytochemical studies on the roots of Hemidesmus indicus resulted in the isolation of six new pentacyclic triterpenes including two oleanenes identified as olean-12-en-21 beta-yl acetate, and olean-12-en-3 alpha-yl acetate, three ursenes characterized as 16(17)-seco-urs-12,20(30)-dien-18 alpha H-3 beta-yl actetate, urs-20(30)-en-18 beta H-3 beta-yl acetate and 16(17)-seco-urs-12,20(30) dien-18-alpha H-3 beta-ol and a lupene formulated us lup-1,12-dien-3-on-21-ol including a known compound, beta-amyrin acetate, on the basis of spectroscopic techniques and chemical means.

Response of Eucalyptus tereticornis to inoculation with indigenous AM fungi in a semiarid alfisol achieved with different concentrations of available soil P.

Eucalyptus tereticornis was grown in a green house in a low phosphorus (0.67 ppm Olsen's P) soil (Typic Haplustalf) inoculated with mixed indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. Soil was amended to achieve P levels of 10, 20, 25, 30 and 40 ppm to evaluate the growth response and dependence of E. tereticornis to inoculation with AM fungi. A positive response to mycorrhizal inoculation was evident at the first two levels of soil P, i.e., at 0.67 and 10 ppm but not at the higher levels of soil P. Dry matter yield of inoculated plants beyond 20 ppm soil P was similar or even less compared to their uninoculated counterparts. Inoculated plants produced maximum dry matter (root and shoot) at 10 ppm soil P, whereas uninoculated plants did not produce until the level reached 20 ppm. The percentage root length colonized by AM fungi decreased from 31% to 3% as the concentration of P increased beyond 10 ppm soil P. Higher levels of soil P depressed the AM colonization significantly. Inoculated plants had higher shoot P and N contents compared to their uninoculated counterparts at all levels of soil P. However, at the first two lower levels of soil P, inoculated plants showed significantly higher shoot P and N contents over their respective uninoculated counterparts. The increasing shoot P accumulation beyond 10 ppm did not enhance dry matter yields. Inoculated plants had lower values of phosphorus utilization efficiency (PUE) and nitrogen utilization efficiency (NUE) at all levels of soil P except at the unamended level (0.67 ppm) where the inoculated plants showed higher values of NUE compared to uninoculated control plants. Taking dry matter yield into consideration, Eucalyptus plants were found to be highly dependent on 10 ppm of soil P for maximum dry matter production. Any further amendment of P to soil was not beneficial neither for AM symbiosis nor plant growth.

Herbal ethnomedicine of the gwalior forest division in madhya pradesh, India.

Ethnomedicinal studies carried out in the Gwalior Forest Division, Madhya Pradesh, India, led to interesting therapeutic applications of 102 plant species. Information on medicinal claims was collected from the tribal people called 'Sahariya' and the traditional healers who had knowledge of the traditional uses of medicinal plants. This study describes details of botanical identity, local name, parts of the plants used, mode of preparation, administration of the drug, and diseases for which the given plants are used.

Selenium--its biological perspectives.

Selenium is an essential trace element at lower concentrations and toxic at higher concentration. Animals can metabolize both inorganic and organic forms and convert non methylated Se to mono--or di--or tri--methylated forms, of which, mono-methylated forms are most toxic. Glutathione reductase converts selenoglutathione to H2S in liver and erythrocytes and is ultimately excreted. Se effects the toxicities of xenobiotic agents, provides antagonistic effect to Sulphur and co-administration with Zn increase Se retention in certain organs. At its toxic level (4-8 ppm) it increases Cu contents of heart, liver and kidney and has detoxifying or protecting effect against Cd and Hg. It is a prosthetic group of several seleno metalloenzymes. The concentration of the element is decreased in serum/plasma or erythrocytes of patients of AIDS, trisomy-21, Crohn's and Down's syndrome, phenylketonurea, Keshan's disease and cancer. Rather, the element has antiproliferative and cancer protecting effect. Se content of testes increases considerably during pubertal maturation and, during Se deficiency, the supply to the testes has priority over the other tissues. The element is localized in the mitochondrial capsule protein (MCP) and is involved in biosynthesis of testosterone. Neither the age of mother nor the concentration of Se during pregnancy has any effect on weight of baby or the length of pregnancy. Se levels in human milk is affected by maternal intake and its requirements by infants and young children are higher for their rapid growth. Clinical symptoms of its toxicity include severe irritations of respiratory system, metallic taste in mouth, formication of nose, signs of rhinitis, lung edema and brancho-pneumonia. The typical garlic odour of breath and sweat is due to dimethyl-selenide.

A prospective randomized double blind trial comparing prednisolone and 4-aminosalicylic acid enemas in acute distal ulcerative colitis.

A prospective double blind and randomized study was conducted to compare 4-aminosalicylic acid (4-ASA) and prednisolone-21-phosphate enemas in inducing remission in patients with acute distal ulcerative colitis. Patients with ulcerative colitis distal to the splenic flexure as assessed by flexible colonoscopy, barium enema and histology were included in the study. Of 40 consecutive patients, 20 were randomized to each of the two treatment groups. Clinical evaluation was done weekly; sigmoidoscopy and histology were performed at entry and at the end of 4 weeks. Therapy was discontinued in four patients treated with prednisolone enemas due to worsening of symptoms. The clinical improvement was significant in the remaining patients (P less than 0.001) and was similar in the two groups (P greater than 0.1). Sigmoidoscopic and histological improvement were better with 4-ASA than with prednisolone enemas. No adverse effects were observed in any of the patients treated. The present study suggests that 4-ASA is a safe and effective treatment for inducing remission in acute distal ulcerative colitis.