Intriguing role of novel ionic liquids in stochastic degradation of chitosan.

Green technique for hydrolysis of chitosan was developed using novel Brønsted Acidic Ionic Liquids (BAILs) as homogenous reusable catalysts. Efficiency of BAILs in controlling stochastic and irregular breakdown of chitosan was compared with that of mineral acids. Structural elucidation of the novel BAILs was performed using H1-NMR evaluation and supplemented using mass spectroscopy. Additionally, thermal characterization was conducted using TGA-DTA analysis, while acidity was estimated by deriving the Hammet acidity function. BAILs investigated in this work enabled consistent production of LMWCS variants, with minimum formation of residual impurities. Around 80 % reduction in molecular weight was noted as compared to original under extreme conditions employed. Further, Box-Behnken Design (BBD) was implemented to optimize effect of processing parameters for conversion of chitosan to low molecular weight congeners.

Probing synergistic interplay between bio-inspired peptidomimetic chitosan-copper complexes and doxorubicin.

The current investigation reports a novel and facile method for modification of low molecular weight chitosan (Cs) with guanidine moieties, aimed at enhancing its cellular interaction and thus augmenting its cellular internalization. Guadinylated chitosan-copper (Cs-Gn-Cu) chelates, based on copper-nitrogen co-ordination, were established. Characterization of chelates was conducted using 1H NMR, 13C NMR, XPS, XRD, TGA-DTA, and GPC techniques. Anticancer activity of formed chelates was confirmed against A549 cells using MTT assay. Experimental outcomes, for the first time, have provided an empirical evidence for synergistic interaction between the chelated polymer (Cs-Gn-Cu) and the established anti-cancer agent, Doxorubicin (Dox), based on analysis by the Chou Talalay method and estimation of their combination indices. ROS induction was demonstrated as the mechanism of action of the chelated polymer, which supplemented rapid destruction of cancerous cells by Dox. These findings strongly advocate the need for harnessing unexplored potential of these innovative metal polymer chelates in cases of Dox resistant lung cancer, wherein the polymeric system itself would serve as an anti-cancer agent.

Is a 'healthy diet' and a 'calcium-rich diet' the same thing? Qualitative study examining perceptions of a calcium-rich diet in individuals who have received bone health education.

BACKGROUND: In the present study, we aimed to (i) examine perceptions of achieving calcium and vitamin D recommended dietary allowance (RDA) and (ii) determine how participants talked about food in relation to RDA recommendations. METHODS: Participants aged ≥50 years who were prescribed osteoporosis medication and received two modes of bone health education were eligible. Relying on a qualitative description design, we interviewed participants 1 month after they had attended an education session and received a self-management booklet. Calcium and vitamin D intakes were estimated by in-depth questions about diet and supplements and compared with perceptions of achieved RDA levels. Interview transcripts were analysed based on an analytic hierarchical process. RESULTS: Forty-five participants (29 reporting previous fragility fractures) were included. Calcium and vitamin D RDA appeared to be potentially achieved by 64% and 93% of participants, respectively, primarily because of reliance on supplements. Few participants talked about vitamin D in relation to food intake and 49% of participants were unclear about the calcium content of food. Most considered that a healthy diet was equivalent to a calcium-rich diet. We noted no differences in our findings in the subset of individuals with fragility fractures. CONCLUSIONS: Despite reporting a prescription for osteoporosis medication and receiving bone health education, a substantial number of individuals appeared to have sub-optimal calcium levels. This may be attributed to the challenge of achieving RDA with diet alone and the misconception of a healthy diet as a calcium-rich diet.

Emergence of dalbavancin non-susceptible, vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (VISA) after treatment of MRSA central line-associated bloodstream infection with a dalbavancin- and vancomycin-containing regimen.

OBJECTIVES: Dalbavancin is a long-acting lipoglycopeptide with activity against gram-positives, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The potential for lipoglycopeptides, with half-lives greater than 1 week, to select for resistance is unknown. Here we explore a case of MRSA central line-associated bloodstream infection in which dalbavancin and vancomycin non-susceptibility emerged in a urine isolate collected after the patient was treated with vancomycin and dalbavancin sequentially. METHODS: Isolates from blood and urine underwent susceptibility testing, and whole genome sequencing (WGS). The blood isolate was subjected to successive passage in vitro in the presence of escalating dalbavancin concentrations and the emergent isolate was subjected to repeat susceptibility testing and WGS. RESULTS: The blood isolate was fully susceptible to vancomycin; however, MICs of the urine isolate to dalbavancin, vancomycin, telavancin, and daptomycin were at least fourfold higher than the blood-derived strain. Both strains were indistinguishable by spa and variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) typing, and WGS revealed only seven variants, indicating clonality. Four variants affected genes, including a 3bp in-frame deletion in yvqF, a gene which has been implicated in glycopeptide resistance. Vancomycin and dalbavancin non-susceptibility emerged in the blood isolate after successive passage in vitro in the presence of dalbavancin, and WGS identified a single non-synonymous variant in yvqF. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first case in which VISA has emerged in the context of a dalbavancin-containing regimen. The selection for cross-resistance to vancomycin in vitro by dalbavancin exposure alone is troubling. Clinicians should be aware of the possibility for emergence of dalbavancin non-susceptibility and glycopeptide cross-resistance arising following therapy.

Equal treatment: no evidence of gender inequity in osteoporosis management in a coordinator-based fragility fracture screening program.

We evaluated gender imbalance in osteoporosis management in a provincial coordinator-based fracture prevention program and found no difference by gender in treatment of high-risk fragility fracture patients. This establishes that a systemic approach with interventions for all fragility fracture patients can eliminate the gender inequity that is often observed. INRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to evaluate an Ontario-based fracture prevention program for its ability to address the well-documented gender imbalance in osteoporosis (OP) management, by incorporating its integrated fracture risk assessments within a needs-based evaluation of equity. METHODS: Fragility fracture patients (≥ 50 years) who were treatment naïve at screening and completed follow-up within 6 months of screening were studied. Patients who underwent bone mineral density (BMD) testing done in the year prior to their current fracture were excluded. All participants had BMD testing conducted through the Ontario OP Strategy Fracture Screening and Prevention program, thus providing us with fracture risk assessment data. Our primary study outcome was treatment initiation at follow-up within 6 months of screening. Gender differences were compared using Fisher's exact test, at p < 0.05. RESULTS: After adjusting for subsequent fracture risk, study participants did not show a statistically significant gender difference in pharmacotherapy initiation at follow-up (p > 0.05). 68.4% of women and 66.2% of men at high risk were treated within 6 months of screening. CONCLUSION: Needs-based analyses show no difference by gender in treatment of high-risk fragility fracture patients. An intensive coordinator-based fracture prevention model adopted in Ontario, Canada was not associated with gender inequity in OP treatment of fragility fracture patients after fracture risk adjustment.

Recent advances in role of chromium and its antioxidant combinations in poultry nutrition: A review.

Poultry is reared in open side houses in most of the tropical countries, which results in huge temperature variation in shed causing stress resulting in increased demand of antioxidant supplementation. Since cooling of poultry houses or environment control is very expensive, thus methods focused on nutritional modifications appears to be the much logical approach. Stress increases mineral and vitamin mobilization from tissues and their excretion. Effect of some minerals and vitamin supplements such as chromium (Cr) and ascorbic acid to elevate the negative effects of environmental stress is well documented. Cr functions as an antioxidant and its deficiency are said to disrupt carbohydrate and protein metabolism. Cr has been utilized for weight gain, to improve feed conversion ratio, increase relative organ weight, muscle development, decrease cholesterol, increase high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and improve nutrient digestion. Therefore, the present review discusses the beneficial aspects of Cr with its effect in different doses and antioxidant combinations to explore and promote its optimum utilization in poultry nutrition and production.

Pharmacognostic standardization, physico- and phytochemical evaluation of amaranthus spinosus linn. Root.

Amaranthus spinosus Linn. (Amaranthaceae) is found throughout India. This tree species has been of interest to researchers because it is a medicinal plant employed in the Indian traditional system of medicine. Pharmacognostic standardization; physico-and phytochemical evaluation of the roots of Amaranthus spinosus was carried out, to determine its macro-and microscopical characters, and also some of its quantitative standards. Microscopical studies were done by using the trinocular microscope. Total ash, water-soluble ash, acid-insoluble ash, sulfated ash values, and alcohol-and water-soluble extractive values were determined for physico-chemical evaluations. A preliminary phytochemical screening was also done to detect different phytoconstituents. Microscopically, the root showed cork, cortex, stellar region, and calcium oxalate crystals. Powder microscopy showed anamalous secondary growth in between the xylem vessels and Calcium Oxalate crystals in the cortex region. Total ash was approximately three times more than acid insoluble and water soluble ash. The ethanol soluble extractive was approximately the same as the water soluble extractive. Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) of the Petroleum-ether extract using Benzene : Ethyl acetate (6 : 1), showed six spots. In the chloroform extract, using Benzene : Ethyl acetate (4 : 1) nine spots were seen, and in the ethanol extract, using Chloroform: Methanol (93 : 7), only four spots were observed, using Iodine vapor as a viewing medium. Phytochemically, the root exhibited terpenes, alkaloids, glycosides, and sugars. These findings might be useful to supplement information with regard to its identification parameters, which are assumed significant in the way of acceptability of herbal drugs, in the present scenario, which lacks regulatory laws to control the quality of herbal drugs.

An update on natural occurrence and biological activity of chromones.

The chemistry of chromones is very well known. This system is widely used in organic chemistry as an intermediate compound for the synthesis of numerous hetrocycles. On the other hand, chromones were extensively studied as bioactive compounds. They possess remarkable biological activities, such as antimicrobial, antiviral, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, etc. This comprehensive review describes the current status and knowledge of natural occurrence, and biological activities of chromones. Recent advances made over the last decade i.e. January 1999 to December 2009 are critically discussed and we have covered about 176 references and more than 350 compounds reported during this period.

Chemical constituents of the genus Prunus and their medicinal properties.

Prunus is a genus of trees and shrubs, including the plums, cherries, peaches, apricots and almonds. Nearly five hundred seventy chemical compounds have so far been isolated from several Prunus species. This comprehensive review summarizes the isolation of chemical compounds reported during the period 1908 to June 2010. As per scrutiny of literature, we did not find any review on the chemistry or biology of genus Prunus or on the biological activities of its constituents. Extensive work has been done at the Department of Chemistry, University of Delhi by several groups on the isolation, identification, biological activity evaluation and synthesis of a large number of novel compounds from different Prunus species during the the last six decades (1940-2000), primarly by Seshadri, Nagarajan and Parmar et al. on P. domestica, P. cerasus, P. cerasoides, P. puddum and P. communis. This comprehensive review will benefit a large number of researchers in the fields of chemistry, botany, drug industries and pharmacology.

Pharmacognostical studies of important arid zone plants / Estudos farmacognósticos de plantas importantes de zonas áridas

Arid zone of Rajasthan, India, has its own importance, great diversity and specific characteristic with respect to endemic and large number of plants of economic importance and medicinal use. Out of these, three arid zone plants Gisekia pharnaceoides L., Gisekiaceae, Sericostoma pauciflorum Stocks ex Wight, Boraginaceae, and Trianthema decandra L., Aizoaceae, which are traditionally used for different ailments (hepatitis, asthma, jaundice, skin-infections etc.) have been selected for the study. In the present paper, detailed pharmacognostical evaluation of these plant species using microscopy, standard physicochemical determinations and authentic phytochemical parameters has been carried out. Later, these morphological characteristics could be used for rapid identification of the drugs, particularly in case of powdered materials, and may possibly help to differentiate the drug from its other species.

A zona árida de Rajasthan, Índia, é importante pela grande diversidade e especificidade de plantas endêmicas de importância econômica e medicinal. Destas, três plantas de zonas áridas, Gisekia pharnaceoides L., Gisekiaceae, Sericostoma pauciflorum Stocks ex Wight, Boraginaceae, e Trianthema decandra L., Aizoaceae, que são tradicionalmente utilizados para diversas doenças (hepatite, asma, icterícia, infecções da pele etc.), foram selecionados para o estudo. Neste trabalho trabalho, a avaliação farmacognóstica detalhada destas espécies, através de estudo morfoanatômico, determinações físico-químicas e parâmetros fitoquímicos, foram realizados. As características morfológicas podem ser utilizados para rápida identificação das drogas, particularmente no caso de materiais em pó, e possivelmente ajudar a diferenciar a droga de outras espécies.

Blood salvage in total hip and knee arthroplasty in a community hospital: a retrospective study.

PURPOSES: To assess the results of postoperative and intra-operative blood salvage in patients undergoing total knee and hip arthroplasty, respectively, and to determine if both methods of blood salvage reduce allogeneic transfusion. METHODS: Of 229 patients who attempted blood salvage, 114 of 152 patients who underwent total knee arthroplasty received the salvaged blood postoperatively, 35 of 77 patients who underwent total hip arthroplasty received the salvaged blood intra-operatively. Various data were collected to assess whether certain factors resulted in autologous and/or allogeneic blood transfusions. RESULTS: Patients that received postoperative salvaged blood after total knee arthroplasty generally had higher postoperative levels of haemoglobin and haematocrit compared to those who did not. Patients with autologous blood transfusion following cemented knee surgery were less likely to require allogeneic blood transfusion. For hip arthroplasty patients, postoperative levels of haemoglobin and haematocrit were similar in both groups who received and did not receive salvaged blood. Lower preoperative haemoglobin and haematocrit levels correlated with a greater likelihood of autologous and/or allogeneic blood transfusion for both knee and hip arthroplasty patients. CONCLUSIONS: Although total knee arthroplasty patients who received salvaged blood had higher haemoglobin levels on the first postoperative day, the receipt of salvaged blood did not significantly reduce the incidence of allogeneic blood transfusion, because salvaged blood was a kind of blood loss. However, reinfusion of salvaged blood may reduce the number of units of allogeneic blood used. Given the short supply of allogeneic blood and its risks of transmitting disease, intra-operative and postoperative blood salvage carries clear advantages.

Multicenter clinical trials on a novel polyherbal formulation in allergic rhinitis.

Allergic rhinitis is the most frequently occurring immunological disorder. It affects men, women and children and represents significant cost in terms of suffering and loss of productivity. Allergy is termed as an excessive reaction to an environmental allergen. Pollen, mold, dust, mite and animal allergens that contact the nasal or eye lining cause sneezing, nasal congestion and itchy, watery, swollen, red eyes. Although a broad spectrum of therapeutic options is available, the treatment of allergic rhinitis appears to be far from satisfactory. A novel polyherbal formulation (PF; Aller-7/NR-A2) comprising seven medicinal herbal extracts was assessed in a multicenter clinical trial involving 545 patients (321 males and 224 females) aged 18-59 years for 12 weeks to evaluate its clinical efficacy in patients suffering from allergic rhinitis. A total of 171 patients participated in double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled studies in three centers, while 374 patients were included in the open-label studies in 11 centers. The three major symptoms (sneezing, rhinorrhea and nasal congestion) of allergic rhinitis were significantly reduced. Significant improvement was also observed in absolute eosinophil count, mucociliary clearance time, peak expiratory flow rate and peak nasal flow rate. No serious adverse events that warranted cessation of treatment were observed. Minor adverse effects were noted in both the treatment and placebo groups. Thus, this study demonstrates that Aller-7/NR-A2 is well tolerated and efficacious in patients with allergic rhinitis.

Antimicrobial activity of triterpenoids from Heliotropium ellipticum.

Seven sterols and triterpenoids have been isolated from H. ellipticum and tested for their antimicrobial activity.

Isolation of an Isometric Virus Causing Sunflower Necrosis Disease in India.

Sunflower necrosis disease (SND) is becoming a potential threat to sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) cultivation in the Indian subcontinent. The disease was first recorded in parts of Karnataka state in 1997. Since then the disease has become increasingly important in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu, the four major sunflower-growing states of India, and is a limiting factor in sunflower production; up to 80% of the plants of some open pollinated and hybrids were affected during the 1999 survey in sunflower growing areas. Field symptoms of the disease include extensive necrosis of leaf lamina, petiole, stem and floral calyx and severe stunting with malformation of flowering head when plants are infected early. The association of a tospovirus, antigenically related to groundnut bud necrosis (GBNV) and watermelon silver mottle (WSMV) viruses, with the disease has been reported (1). However, the etiology of the disease remains unaddressed. In this study a sap-transmissible isometric virus was transferred to cowpea (cvs. Pusa Komal and C152) inciting localized chlorotic and necrotic lesions and systemic veinal necrosis. Electron-microscopic studies of leaf-dip preparations from field samples revealed two types of particles (isometric measuring 25 to 28 nm in diameter and flexuous rods with a length of about 600 nm). The sap-inoculated cowpea and sunflower contained only the isometric particles. Some preparations also showed the presence of tubules containing virus particles. The presence of flexuous particles in field samples could be due to mixed infection as the mosaic disease, known to be caused by a flexuous virus, was common in the sunflower fields surveyed in the present investigations. Extracts from the field collected samples or sap-inoculated plants did not react with antisera to cucumber mosaic (CMV) or potato Y (PVY) viruses in direct antigen-coated (DAC)-ELISA and immunosorbent electron microscopy tests. The isometric virus isolated from sunflower was purified from sap-inoculated cowpea plants by differential and sucrose density-gradient centrifugations. The virus was sap transmitted back to sunflower (cv. Morden), which developed symptoms identical to those observed under field conditions. Disease symptoms were also reproduced on sunflower upon mechanical inoculation with the purified virus. Polyclonal antiserum raised in rabbits using purified virus preparations, detected the virus from field and glasshouse collected sunflower plants in DAC-ELISA tests. This will help in epidemiological studies and breeding for disease resistance. The particle size and structure and the presence of tubule containing virus particles in plant extracts suggest that the virus belongs to ILAR group. An ILAR virus is reported to infect sunflower (2), but details of its natural occurrence are not known. This is the first report on the etiology of the sunflower necrosis disease in India. Further studies are in progress. References: (1) Anon. 2000. Annual Report (1999-2000), Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India. (2) A. A. Brunt et al. CAB International, Wallingford, UK, 1210, 1996.

Arnebins and antimicrobial activities of Arnebia hispidissima DC. cell cultures.

The whole plant of Arnebia hispidissima DC. (Boraginaceae) is used for the treatment of tongue and throat ailments in Indian traditional medicine. The present paper deals with the plants phytochemical constituents, the arnebins, and antimicrobial activities of its root extract. The antimicrobial activities were tested against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and fungi. The crude hexane extract demonstrated a potent antimicrobial effect against bacteria and a mild effect against fungi. Likewise, the hexane extract of cell cultures of A. hispidissima also showed mild bioefficacy against the select microorganisms.

Enhancement of seed oil content by expression of glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase genes.

Arabidopsis thaliana was transformed with a plastidial safflower glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase (GPAT) and an Escherichia coli GPAT. The genes were used directly and in modified forms with, as applicable, the plastidial targeting sequence removed, and with an endoplasmic reticulum targeting sequence added. Seeds of plants transformed using only the vector were indistinguishable in oil content from wild-type control plants. All other gene constructs increased seed oil content. The unmodified safflower gene (spgpat) produced oil increases ranging from 10 to 21%. On average, the greatest increase (+22%) was observed in seeds of transformants carrying the spgpat with the targeting peptide removed. The E. coli plsB gene increased seed oil content by an average of 15%.

Constituents of the yew trees.

Yew trees, taxonomically classified under the genus Taxus, are sources of a number of physiologically active compounds of different classes. Taxane derivatives with various carbon skeletons, lignans, flavonoids, steroids and sugar derivatives have been isolated from different Taxus species. Compounds isolated from the genus Taxus between 1908 and December 1997 have been comprehensively reviewed.

Creatine and cyclocreatine treatment of human colon adenocarcinoma xenografts: 31P and 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopic studies.

Creatine (Cr) and cyclocreatine (cyCr) have been shown to inhibit the growth of a variety of human and murine tumours. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the anti-tumour effect of these molecules in relation to drug accumulation, energy metabolism, tumour water accumulation and toxicity. Nude mice carrying a human colon adenocarcinoma (LS174T) with a creatine kinase (CK) activity of 2.12 units mg(-1) protein were fed Cr (2.5% or 5%) or cyCr (0.025%, 0.1% or 0.5%) for 2 weeks and compared with controls fed standard diet. Cr concentrations of 2.5% and 5% significantly inhibited tumour growth, as did 0.1% and 0.5% cyCr. In vivo 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) after 2 weeks of treatment showed an increase in [phosphocreatine (PCr)+phosphocyclocreatine (PcyCr)]/nucleoside triphosphate (NTP) with increasing concentrations of dietary Cr and cyCr, without changes in absolute NTP contents. The antiproliferative effect of the substrates of CK was not related to energy deficiency but was associated with acidosis. Intratumoral substrate concentrations (measured by 1H-MRS) of 4.8 micromol g(-1) wet weight Cr (mice fed 2.5% Cr) and 6.2 micromol g(-1) cyCr (mice fed 0.1% cyCr) induced a similar decrease in growth rate, indicating that both substrates were equally potent in tumour growth inhibition. The best correlant of growth inhibition was the total Cr or (cyCr+Cr) concentrations in the tissue. In vivo, these agents did not induce excessive water accumulation and had no systemic effects on the mice (weight loss, hypoglycaemia) that may have caused growth inhibition.

Lipid peroxide levels in chronic renal failure.

To determine presence of oxidant stress in chronic renal failure and to evaluate the efficacy of vitamin E in its amelioration, we studied 34 patients (Group I, age 32.4 +/- 11 years, M:F 3:1) and 10 healthy controls (Group II, age 27.4 +/- 5 years, M:F 4:1). The difference in baseline values of lipid peroxide (nmol/ml) was statistically significant (Group I 4.19 +/- 1.69, Group II 1.87 +/- 1.39, p = 0.004). Values of vitamin E (mg/l) were also significantly lower in Group I as compared to Group II (12.18 +/- 4.27 vs. 19.32 +/- 2.03, p = 0.003). Serum lipid peroxide values decreased significantly after supplementation with 400 mg/day of vitamin E for six weeks in Group I (4.19 +/- 1.69 to 3.21 +/- 1.13, p = 0.053) but not in Group II (1.87 +/- 1.39 to 1.03 +/- 0.87). Levels of vitamin E increased in both the groups (Group I: 12.18 +/- 4.27 to 16.01 +/- 5.13, Group II: 19.32 +/- 2.03 to 23.21 +/- 1.94, p < 0.005). No significant difference was observed in values of serum creatinine and urea before and after intervention.