Effects of Saccharomyces cerevisiae live cells and culture on growth and productive performance in lactating Nili-Ravi buffaloes.

An experimental work was conducted to evaluate the effects of Saccharomyces cerevisiae live cells and its culture on dry matter intake (DMI), milk yield, milk composition, body condition score, selected blood metabolites, feed conversion efficiency (FCE), nutrient digestibility, body weight gain, and economics of milk production in lactating multiparous Nili-Ravi buffaloes. In total, 20 buffaloes of age 5 years ± 6 months and weighing 550 ± 20 kg were selected and assigned to four dietary treatments (n=5 buffalo/treatment) under completely randomized design. The dietary treatments include treatment 1 (T1) control, treatment 2 (T2) 5g/head live yeast, treatment 3 (T3) 5g/head yeast culture, and treatment 4 (T4) 10 g/head yeast culture per day for 60 days excluding 14 days as an adjustment period. The results indicated that T4 showed significant (p<0.05) improvement in DMI, milk yield and components, blood glucose level, digestibility of nutrients, and body weight gain while significant decrease in blood urea nitrogen as compared to other treatment groups. Body condition score was not affected among treatments. In conclusion, yeast culture supplementation significantly improved (p <0.05) milk yield, milk composition, DMI, body weight gain, blood glucose level, and digestibility while significantly decreased blood urea level as compare to control. Economic return was also improved. BCS was not improved. Comparatively, yeast culture showed significant improvement in growth and productive performance as compare to live yeast. Meanwhile, 10-g yeast culture showed better results as compare to 5-g yeast culture.

Effect of vitamin D on bioavailability and lipid lowering efficacy of simvastatin.

The 3-hydroxy 3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMG-CoA reductase) inhibitors known as "statins" are widely prescribed for the management of dyslipidemia. In spite of their muscle toxicity, use of statins has alarmingly increased worldwide. A recent report suggests that vitamin D (VD) levels are closely associated with lipid lowering activity and muscular toxicity of statins. However, data are limited and inconclusive. The present study was undertaken to investigate the effect of VD supplementation on the bioavailability and lipid lowering effect of simvastatin (ST). Adult Sprague-Dawley male rats (250 ± 10 g) were divided into four groups including control, ST (100 mg/kg/day), VD (100 µg/kg/day) and ST + VD group, respectively. After the dosing period of 8 days the animals were sacrificed and the blood was collected for the analysis of ST, its active metabolite simvastatin acid (STA), total cholesterol, triglyceride and liver enzymes including aspartate transaminase and alanine transaminase. The result of this study showed a significant decrease in the level of cholesterol and triglyceride in ST alone treated group, whereas VD alone failed to alter the blood lipid levels. Concomitant treatment with VD produced significant decrease in the bioavailability of ST and STA. However, there was no significant difference in the level of cholesterol in ST alone and in ST + VD treated group. Our results on the liver enzyme suggest that ST alone or in combination with VD does not produce any hepatotoxicity. Further studies using VD along with various statins for a longer duration are suggested.

A review of hepatoprotective plants used in saudi traditional medicine.

Liver disease is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality across the world. According to WHO estimates, about 500 million people are living with chronic hepatitis infections resulting in the death of over one million people annually. Medicinal plants serve as a vital source of potentially useful new compounds for the development of effective therapy to combat liver problems. Moreover herbal products have the advantage of better affordability and acceptability, better compatibility with the human body, and minimal side effects and is easier to store. In this review attempt has been made to summarize the scientific data published on hepatoprotective plants used in Saudi Arabian traditional medicine. The information includes medicinal uses of the plants, distribution in Saudi Arabia, ethnopharmacological profile, possible mechanism of action, chemical constituents, and toxicity data. Comprehensive scientific studies on safety and efficacy of these plants can revitalise the treatment of liver diseases.

Microemulsion as a tool for the transdermal delivery of ondansetron for the treatment of chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting.

The main objective of this study was to develop a microemulsion (ME) formulation for transdermal delivery of ondansetron for chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting (CINV). For the formulation development oil was selected on the basis of drug solubility in it while the surfactants and co-surfactants (S(mix)) were screened on the basis of their capacity to solubilize the oil as well as their efficiency to provide the microemulsion area. The microemulsion existence ranges were defined through the construction of the pseudo-ternary phase diagram and various formulations were developed. Effect of surfactant and cosurfactant mass ratio (S(mix)) on the microemulsion formation and its permeation through excised rat skin was studied. A significant increase in permeability parameters such as steady-state flux (J(ss)), permeability coefficient (K(p)), and enhancement ratio (ER) was observed in ME. Formulation B4 which consisted of 0.5% (w/w) of ondansetron, 5% (w/w) of oleic acid, 30% (w/w) S(mix) (2:1, Tween 20 and PEG 400) and 64.5% (w/w) of distilled water showed the best permeability profile. The formulation B4 was subjected to various in vitro attributes and converted to microemulsion gel (OMG). In order to predict the efficacy, pharmacokinetic studies were performed and pharmacokinetic profile was compared with ondansetron conventional gel (OCG) and oral marketed syrup (ONDANZ). The absorption of ondansetron from OMG resulted in 6.03 fold increase in bioavailability as compared to oral conventional syrup and 9.66 times with reference to the OCG gel. The future perspective includes preclinical, toxicological and clinical studies for developing clinically viable formulation.

Pentoxifylline attenuates iminodipropionitrile-induced behavioral abnormalities in rats.

This investigation was undertaken to study the effect of pentoxifylline (PTX) on iminodipropionitrile (IDPN)-induced behavioral abnormalities [excitation with choreiform and circling movements (ECC) syndrome] in rats. The animals were intraperitoneally injected with IDPN (100 mg/kg) daily for 7 days. PTX was administered daily 30 min before IDPN in the doses of 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg for 9 days. The animals were observed for neurobehavioral abnormalities including dyskinetic head movements, circling, tail hanging, air righting reflex, and contact inhibition of the righting reflex. The onset of ECC syndrome was observed on day 8 in the group treated with IDPN alone; all animals in this group became dyskinetic on day 10. Co-treatment with PTX dose dependently delayed the onset time and significantly reduced the incidence and severity of IDPN-induced ECC syndrome; high dose of PTX completely inhibited the abnormal behavioral signs in IDPN-treated rats. Administration of IDPN caused significant depletions in cerebral glutathione and vitamin E levels. Treatment with PTX dose dependently attenuated IDPN-induced oxidative stress in rats. The beneficial effects of PTX against IDPN toxicity may be attributed to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Protective effects of nedocromil sodium and sodium cromoglycate on gastroduodenal ulcers: a comparative study in rats.

Stabilization of mast cells plays a key mechanism to protect gastrointestinal tract from injury. This study presents a comparative evaluation of mast cell stabilizers nedocromil sodium (NDS) and sodium cromoglycate (SCG) in experimental gastric and duodenal ulcers in rats. Wistar rats of either sex were used in this study. Both NDS and SCG, in the doses of 10, 30 and 100 mg/kg were given intraperitoneally for gastric secretion studies and by gavage for antiulcer studies. Acid secretion studies were undertaken in pylorus-ligated rats. Gastric lesions were induced by water immersion restraint stress (WIRS), indomethacin and ethanol whereas duodenal ulcers were produced by cysteamine. The level of glutathione (GSH) and gastric wall mucus were measured in glandular stomach of rats following ethanol-induced gastric lesions. SCG was more effective than NDS in preventing WIRS- and indomethacin-induced gastric lesions whereas reverse was true in ethanol- and cysteamine-induced ulcers. All the 3 doses of SCG offered almost equal protection against WIRS-induced gastric lesions whereas only medium and high dose of NDS provided significant protection in this model of ulcer. NDS significantly inhibited cysteamine-induced duodenal ulcers whereas SCG failed to do so. Pretreatment with NDS or SCG significantly and dose-dependently protected gastric mucosa against ethanol-induced injury, while the former drug appeared to be more effective. The cytoprotective effects of these two drugs were accompanied by the attenuation of ethanol-induced depletion of gastric wall mucus and GSH. The differential effects of NDS and SCG against various gastric lesions rationalize the possible benefits of a combined therapy (NDS+SCG) for the treatment of complex gastroduodenal ulcers.

Fluconazole attenuates lung injury and mortality in a rat peritonitis model.

OBJECTIVE: Acute lung injury following peritonitis constitutes an enigmatic clinical problem with no specific therapy. Recently, immunomodulators such as azole compounds have been shown to attenuate shock-related tissue injury. The present investigation was undertaken to study the effect of fluconazole on acute lung injury and survival following faecal peritonitis in rats. SUBJECTS: Male Wistar rats weighing 225-235 g. DESIGN AND SETTING: Faecal peritonitis (Fp) was produced in four groups of adult male Wistar rats by intraperitoneal administration of non-sterile faecal suspension (1:1 w/v saline). A fifth group of rats was given sterile faecal material (SFM), which served as control. INTERVENTIONS: Rats in Fp groups were given fluconazole in doses of 0 mg/kg, 3 mg/kg, 10 mg/kg, and 30 mg/kg by gavage 30 min before induction of peritonitis. The control animals received an equal volume of distilled water. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Survival over a period of 72 h, oxidative stress, neutrophil activity, and lung injury were measured. This study showed a 90% survival in the fluconazole-treated group compared to only 20% survival in untreated rats (P<0.008 log-rank test). The lungs of animals with Fp showed massive pathological changes including intraalveolar oedema, fibrosis, and mixed inflammatory cell infiltrate. These changes were dose-dependently attenuated by fluconazole. Enhanced oxidative stress (P<0.001) and neutrophil activity in the peritoneal fluid and lung (P<0.001) in Fp animals was dose-dependently reduced by fluconazole. CONCLUSION: This study clearly suggests the role of neutrophils in Fp-induced tissue injury/mortality, which may be dose-dependently, attenuated by fluconazole.