Mapping of traditional healthcare providers and their healing approaches in a tribal community of district Sirohi, Rajasthan.

Introduction: Traditional applications of medicinal plants in healthcare practices provide indication to new therapeutic concepts; hence, their relevance is highly recognized. The objective of the study was to map the traditional healers from the aspirational district and scientific documentation of their healing practices to treat various diseases. Method: This was community-based study in tribal subpopulation zone of district Sirohi. The data was collected through field survey and interviews of tribal healers by using semi-structured questionnaire. Result: We identified 1015 tribal healers (68% male and 32% female), and all belong to Bhil, Meena, and Garasia communities of district Sirohi. The mean age was 60.45 ± 16.56 years, 82.6% healers were uneducated, and 12.6% had primary education, while 1.2% were graduates. Tribal healers act as primary point of care for tribal community and practiced various treatment modalities including herbal healing (32.7%), diviners (28.9%), child birth attendant (24.7%), and bone setters (13.7%). We recorded 88 herbal healing practices from tribal communities of district Sirohi and scientifically documented. The common diseases treated by tribal healers included wound healing, skin infection, fever, arthritis, pain, diarrhea, cough, and cold. The Fabaceae family was credited with highest number (17%) of plants used by herbal healers. It was also noted that some of the plants used for medicinal purpose are endangered and overexhausted. Conclusion: Ethnopharmacological data is the foundation for further validation and value addition of herbal healthcare practices. The mapping of indigenous knowledge holders and scientific documentation of their knowledge might be a crucial step for providing clue regarding new therapeutic molecules.

Therapeutic spectrum of piperine for clinical practice: a scoping review.

Translation of traditional knowledge of herbs into a viable product for clinical use is still an uphill task. Piperine, a pungent alkaloid molecule derived from Piper nigrum and Piper longum possesses diverse pharmacological effects. Traditionally, pepper is used for arthritis, bronchitis, gastritis, diarrhea, snake bite, menstrual pain, fever, and bacterial infections, etc. The anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and immunomodulatory actions of piperine are the possible mechanisms behind its therapeutic potential. Various in-silico and experimental studies have shown piperine as a possible promising molecule in coronavirus disease (COVID-19), ebola, and dengue due to its immunomodulatory and antiviral activities. The other important clinical applications of piperine are due to its bio enhancing effect on drugs, by modulating, absorption in the gastrointestinal tract, altering activities of transporters like p-glycoprotein substrates, and modulating drug metabolism by altering the expression of cytochrome P450 or UDP-glucuronosyltransferase enzymes. Piperine attracted clinicians in treating patients with arthritis, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, skin infections, gastric and liver disorders. This review focused on systematic, evidence-based insight into the use of piperine in clinical settings and mechanistic details behind its therapeutic actions. Also, highlights a number of clinical trials of piperine at various stages exploring its clinical application in cancer, neurological, respiratory, and viral disease, etc.

Gap identification for improvement in maternal and early infant health care practices among tribal pregnant women in an aspirational tribal district Sirohi, Rajasthan.

Background: Sirohi is one of the aspirational districts of Rajasthan which is also tribal-dominated. The maternal and early infant health indicators are worrisome compared to regional or national statistics. First-trimester registration of pregnant women is 54% in district Sirohi, which is much less as compared to registration in the state of Rajasthan (63%) and India (59%). Four antenatal care (ANC) visits of pregnant women are 32% in district Sirohi, which is also much less as compared to ANC visits in the state of Rajasthan (39%) and India (51%). However, there was no tribal-specific data regarding maternal and early infant health. Objective: The study aims to identify gaps for improvement in maternal and early infant health care practices among tribal pregnant women in an aspirational tribal district of Sirohi, Rajasthan. Materials and Methods: It was a cross-sectional study conducted among 560 tribal pregnant women to assess the existing maternal, and early infant health care knowledge and practices through a pre-validated questionnaire in the tribal population of district Sirohi Rajasthan. Result: Nineteen per cent (19.5%, n = 109) of tribal pregnant women got married between the age of 10 and 17 (less than the legal age of marriage of 18 years). There is a significant relationship between early age at marriage and low educational status P < 0.001, r = 0.241 among participants. Measurement of weight, blood pressure and urine examination was done in 32.5% (n = 181), 19.5% (n = 109) and 7.1% (n = 39), respectively, among tribal pregnant women. The majority (94.6%) of the pregnant tribal women (385/407) were anaemic. Approximately 60% (n = 337) of mothers were unaware of thermal protection (skin-to-skin care). Sixty per cent (n = 334) of tribal pregnant women preferred to seek consultation regarding antenatal and infant health care from doctors, while 40.1% (n = 224) were more comfortable seeking advice from traditional birth attendants (TBAs). Conclusion: The study finds inadequate knowledge and practice towards maternal and early infant care among tribal pregnant women. As TBAs influence tribal pregnant women, systematic training and involvement of TBAs in maternal and child health are indispensable.

Immunomodulatory role of Emblica officinalis in arsenic induced oxidative damage and apoptosis in thymocytes of mice.

BACKGROUND: Arsenic is widely distributed in the environment and has been found to be associated with the various health related problems including skin lesions, cancer, cardiovascular and immunological disorders. The fruit extract of Emblica officinalis (amla) has been shown to have anti-oxidative and immunomodulatory properties. In view of increasing health risk of arsenic, the present study has been carried out to investigate the protective effect of amla against arsenic induced oxidative stress and apoptosis in thymocytes of mice. METHODS: Mice were exposed to arsenic (sodium arsenite 3 mg/kg body weight p.o.) or amla (500 mg/kg body weight p.o.) or simultaneously with arsenic and amla for 28 days. The antioxidant enzyme assays were carried out using spectrophotometer and generation of ROS, apoptotic parameters, change in cell cycle were carried out using flow cytometer following the standard protocols. RESULTS: Arsenic exposure to mice caused a significant increase in the lipid peroxidation, ROS production and decreased cell viability, levels of reduced glutathione, the activity of superoxide dismutase, catalase, cytochrome c oxidase and mitochondrial membrane potential in the thymus as compared to controls. Increased activity of caspase-3 linked with apoptosis assessed by the cell cycle analysis and annexin V/PI binding was also observed in mice exposed to arsenic as compared to controls. Co-treatment with arsenic and amla decreased the levels of lipid peroxidation, ROS production, activity of caspase-3, apoptosis and increased cell viability, levels of antioxidant enzymes, cytochrome c oxidase and mitochondrial membrane potential as compared to mice treated with arsenic alone. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the present study exhibits that arsenic induced oxidative stress and apoptosis significantly protected by co-treatment with amla that could be due to its strong antioxidant potential.