A Compiled Update on Nutrition, Phytochemicals, Processing Effects, Analytical Testing and Health Effects of Chenopodium album: A Non-Conventional Edible Plant (NCEP).

Bathua (Chenopodium album) is a rich source of extensive-ranging nutrients, including bio-active carbohydrates, flavonoids and phenolics, minerals, and vitamins that translate to countless health benefits such as anticancer, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant activity. Ascaridole, an important phytoconstituent present in aerial parts of the plant, contributes to its anthelmintic property. Even with vast historical use and significant health benefits, its renown has not spread, and utilization has significantly decreased in recent decades. Gradually, the plant has become known under the name of Non-conventional edible plant (NCEP). This compilation is prepared to bring out the plant under the spotlight for further research by foregrounding previous studies on the plant. Scientific research databases, including PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, SpringerLink, ScienceDirect, and Wiley Online, were used to fetch data on C. album. This review offers over up-to-date knowledge on nutritious values, phytochemical composition, volatile compounds, as well as health benefits of C. album. The ethnobotanical and ethnomedicinal uses of the plant in India and other parts of the world are deliberately discussed. Scrutinizing the reported literature on C. album reveals its powerful nutrient composition advantageous in the development of food products. The impact of various cooking and processing methods on the nutritional profile and bioavailability are discussed. The future perspectives with regards to the potential for food and nutraceutical products are critically addressed. This review proves the necessity of breakthrough research to investigate the pharmacology and safety of phytochemicals and nutraceutical development studies on the C. album.

Impact of selenium nanoparticles in the regulation of inflammation.

The ability to develop novel medications based on nanoscale complexes has greatly enhanced the capabilities of current pharmaceuticals and has made multidimensional research of these complexes extremely relevant in recent years. Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) constitute one such example which in general, could be created by biological, chemical, and physical techniques. Biogenic SeNPs show improved compatibility with human organs and tissues. While sufficient levels of selenium (Se) are crucial for triggering immunity, they also play a role in controlling exaggerated immunological responses and persistent inflammation. More significantly, SeNPs can activate the immune systems, both innate and adaptive, in the tumor microenvironment, which results in an immunological response that fights various diseases caused by chronic inflammation. In this article, we discuss the functions of Se and SeNPs in controlling inflammation with particular emphasis given to their role in combating inflammation in different diseases. Finally, even though Se status exhibits considerable promise as a reliable indicator of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, novel functionalized SeNPs may likely offer a more effective and reliable tool in both disease prevention and treatment.

Music as an aid to Allay Anxiety in Patients Undergoing Orthopedic Surgeries under Spinal Anesthesia.

Introduction: Patients undergoing surgery are anxious owing to the surgery, anesthesia, and unfamiliar environment of the operation theater. This anxiety can hamper the health and recovery of the patients. Among various nonpharmacologic modalities available, music can be used as a coping strategy to change uncomfortable conditions to the pleasant ones. Aims: To evaluate the role of music on perioperative anxiety, hemodynamic parameters, and patient satisfaction in patients undergoing orthopedic surgeries under spinal anesthesia. Settings and design: Tertiary care hospital, randomized control trial. Materials and methods: : The study was conducted after approval by Hospital Ethical Committee on 70 adult patients of either gender scheduled to undergo lower limb surgeries under spinal anesthesia. In group M (n = 35), patients listened to standard relaxation music, and in group C (n = 35), patients listened to standard operation theater noise tape through noise canceling headphones. The intraoperative hemodynamic parameters were recorded. Perioperative anxiety was assessed using visual analog scale for anxiety. Sedation score was observed using observer's assessment of alertness/sedation scale. Patient's satisfaction was also assessed in both the groups. Statistical analysis: Student t test, Chi-squared test, and paired sample t test. Results: : In group M, heart rate was lower when compared with group C. The difference was statistically significant at 10 minutes of assessment (P = 0.003) and statistically highly significant (P < 0.001) for rest of the time period. Statistically significant lower respiratory rate was there in group M when compared with group C (P = 0.05). Patients were more satisfied in the music group when compared with control group. Conclusion: The potential of music therapy can be used to allay patient anxiety, stabilize hemodynamics, and improve patient satisfaction.

Development and In Vivo Evaluation of Pectin Based Enteric Coated Microparticles Loaded with Mesalamine and Saccharomyces boulardii for Management of Ulcerative Colitis.

Mesalamine is the first-line choice of drug for ulcerative colitis management. However, due to the nontargeted delivery of mesalamine, it shows side effects. The possible impact of mesalamine can be improved by coated microparticles in combination with S. boulardii for targeted delivery to the colon with the prevention of unwanted side effects. In this work, pectin-based mesalamine and S. boulardii loaded microparticles were prepared by dehydration technique and coated by an oil-in-oil solvent evaporation method and characterized by Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction, and zeta analysis. 2, 4, 6-Trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid was used for the induction of colitis. The anti-inflammatory effects of coated microparticles on Caco-2 cells were assessed by the determination of interleukin (IL)-8 concentration. In addition, the impact of coated microparticles on the concentration of colonic enzymes, including myeloperoxidase (MPO), lipid peroxides, and glutathione (GSH), were also evaluated. Moreover, hematological parameters, including white blood cell (WBC), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and C-reactive protein (CRP), were assessed. SEM data revealed that all the prepared coated microparticles had an almost spherical shape. The X-ray powder diffraction analysis of uncoated and coated microparticles showed maximum stability without any interaction. The particle size of uncoated and coated microparticles was 9.14 and 15.61 µm, respectively. The zeta potential of uncoated and coated microparticles was observed to be -26.78 and -29.36 mV, respectively. The prepared coated microparticles decreased the levels of lipid peroxides, MPO, and GSH significantly in colitis. In the Caco-2 cell culture model, the concentration of IL-8 is decreased significantly. The hematological observations confirmed that the prepared formulation showed a promising decrease in the levels of WBC, CRP, and ESR in diseased animals. Animal experiments revealed that cellulose acetate phthalate coated microparticles of mesalamine and S. boulardii significantly improved the colitis disease conditions of Wistar rats. Hence, cellulose acetate phthalate-coated microparticles of mesalamine and S. boulardii could be recommended as adjuvant therapy to achieve a synergistic effect in the management of UC. Lay summary Mesalamine is the drug of choice for the management of ulcerative colitis (UC), which inhibits mediators responsible for inflammation. We investigated the in vivo effects of cellulose acetate phthalate-coated microparticles of mesalamine with Saccharomyces boulardii (probiotic) for their efficacy against UC. Our findings evidenced that the combination of mesalamine with S. boulardii showed a synergistic effect in the 2,4,6- trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid-induced colitis model by reducing the inflammation and maintains the macroscopic features. From the observed results, it can be concluded that S. boulardii can be used to enhance the individual drug's effect in the therapeutic management of UC.

Transcriptome characterization and generation of marker resource for Himalayan vulnerable species, Ulmus wallichiana.

Ulmus wallichiana is a traditional medicinal plant listed as a vulnerable in the IUCN red list data. Genomic and transcriptomic resources for this species are lacking, hindering its genetic exploration. Further, no polymorphic marker resource is available for this species, thus limiting the elucidation of its underlying genetic diversity, which is a pre-requisite for its conservation. This study was therefore aimed to generate a functionally annotated transcriptomic resource and screen it for SSR regions. We used paired-end Illumina based RNAseq technology and trinity based de novo assembly approach to generate full length transcripts, which were screened for SSR regions and functionally annotated. Around 6.6 million raw reads were de novo assembled transcripts, which were clustered into 146,083 unigenes. 19,909 transcripts were provided with 3986 unique KEGG ids, 70,519 transcripts with 6621 unique Pfam domains, and 45,125 transcripts with 7302 unique INTERPRO domains. 1456 transcripts were identified as transcriptions factors (TFs). Further, 8868 unique GO terms were obtained for the unigenes. The transcripts mapped to 23,056 known pre-determined orthology clusters in the eggNOG database. A total of 16,570 SSRs were identified from the unigenes. Out of the 90 SSRs selected for characterization on 20 genotypes, 28 were polymorphic. Mean effective alleles (Ne) of 2.53, mean observed heterozygosity (Ho) of 0.77, and average polymorphic information content (PIC) of 0.57 were found. This study may facilitate the genetic exploration of this species. The polymorphic SSRs would prove useful to explore its genetic diversity patterns, required for its conservation.

Effect of degree of milling and defatting on proximate composition, functional and texture characteristics of gluten-free muffin of bran of long-grain indica rice cultivars.

Effect of different degrees of milling (DoM: 2%, 4%, 6% and 8%) and defatting on the proximate composition, protein characteristics, functional properties of bran of long grain rice cultivars and texture characteristics of bran (RB) supplemented muffins were evaluated. Protein, ash content, redness and yellowness increased while fat content decreased for RB by extended DoM and defatting. A higher proportion of ß sheets, random coils, α-helix and ß-turns for all fractions of RB of both cultivars after defatting were also observed. Defatting and extended DoM both improved the essential amino acid content in RB. A higher level of prolamines (15-18 kDa) in RB and DF-RB of PUSA1121 than PR111 was observed. Muffins made from 2% DoM bran from PUSA1121 showed improved texture characteristics and achieved the highest score for sensory attributes. Therefore, DoM and defatting improved the proximate, protein profiling, and functionality of the different fraction of RB.

Investigation of antiplasmodial efficacy of lupeol and ursolic acid isolated from Ficus benjamina leaves extract.

This study emphasizes on the investigation of antiplasmodial activity of triterpenoids isolated from Ficus benjamina leaves. An unsaponified fraction of petroleum ether extract of plant leaves was subjected to silica gel column chromatography which led to the isolation of two known triterpenoids; namely ursolic acid and lupeol. These compounds were evaluated for antiplasmodial activity by schizont maturation inhibition assay using 3D7 Plasmodium strains. Both, ursolic acid and lupeol were found to exhibit significant antiplasmodial effect with an IC50 value of 18 µg/ml and 3.8 µg/ml, respectively. This study further confirms the traditional role of Ficus benjamina plant in the treatment of malaria which may be attributed to ursolic acid and lupeol.

Development and validation of RP-HPLC method for the determination of stigmasterol in the botanical extract of Ficus deltoidea.

A simple, rapid, accurate and precise RP-HPLC method was developed for the determination of stigmasterol in botanical extract of Ficus deltoidea. Separation was achieved with acetonitrile and acetic acid in water (75:25% v/v) in isocratic mode at 210 nm. Single sharp peak of standard stigmasterol was detected at retention time 3.17 min which overlay with the peak of plant extract at 3.14 min. The calibration curve was found to be linear in a concentration range of 2-10 µg/ml with correlation coefficient of 0.998. The LOD and LOQ were found to be 1.50 µg/ml and 4.55 µg/ml respectively. Accuracy and precision was determined with overall recovery of 99.6-100.1% for stigmasterol and RSD values in both intra-day and inter-day repeatability assay lesser than 0.340%, respectively. The robustness study also indicated that there is no influence of minor changes in detecting wavelength and flow rate of mobile phase on the response.

Transcriptome characterization and screening of molecular markers in ecologically important Himalayan species (Rhododendron arboreum).

Rhododendron arboreum is an ecologically prominent species, which also lends commercial and medicinal benefits in the form of palatable juices and useful herbal drugs. Local abundance and survival of the species under a highly fluctuating climate make it an ideal model for genetic structure and functional analysis. However, a lack of genomic data has hampered additional research. In the present study, cDNA libraries from floral and foliar tissues of the species were sequenced to provide a foundation for understanding the functional aspects of the genome and to construct an enriched repository that will promote genomics studies in the genera. Illumina's platform facilitated the generation of ∼100 million high-quality paired-end reads. De novo assembly, clustering, and filtering out of shorter transcripts predicted 113 167 non-redundant transcripts with an average length of 1164.6 bases. Of these, 71 961 transcripts were categorized based on functional annotations in the Gene Ontology database, whereby 5710 were grouped into 141 pathways and 23 746 encoded for different transcription factors. Transcriptome screening further identified 35 419 microsatellite regions, of which, 43 polymorphic loci were characterized on 30 genotypes. Seven hundred and nineteen transcripts had 811 high-quality single-nucleotide polymorphic variants with a minimum coverage of 10, a total score of 20, and SNP% of 50.

Treatments and Services Provided to Children Diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder.

To better understand the types and quantity of mental health services and medication usage for youth diagnosed with bipolar disorder (BD) within an integrated healthcare system, medical records were reviewed from 2000 to 2011. Eighty-five youth diagnosed with BD were identified and healthcare services (medication and psychotherapy follow-up appointments, emergency room (ER) visits, admissions, phone contacts) and visit-related details (medication usage) were abstracted for 2 years after initial BD diagnosis. Despite complex medication regimens (91.7 and 81.2 % received mood stabilizers and antipsychotic agents, respectively), medication appointments were infrequent, averaging 1 visit every 2 months. Only 36 (42 %) of 85 youth were noted to receive psychotherapy services following BD diagnosis, also averaging 1 visit every 2 months. Most (58.8 %) patients needed one or more hospitalizations during the follow-up period; nearly half (48.2 %) had psychiatric ER visits. The relative lack of psychotherapy and infrequent follow-up visits suggests need for improvement to optimize healthcare delivery.

The bioefficacy of crude extracts of Azadirachta indica (Meliaceae) on the survival and development of myiasis-causing larvae of Chrysomya bezziana (Diptera: Calliphoridae).

Myiasis is a type of parasitosis originating from the invasion of tissues of live humans and other vertebrates by dipteran larvae. The Old World screwworm fly­Chrysomya bezziana­is known worldwide in the tropical regions for causing myiasis among man and domestic animals, thereby leading to health hazards and severe economic losses to the dairy farmers. Management techniques for controlling populations of the fly are needed to minimize these losses. Plant-derived materials have been increasingly evaluated these days in controlling the insects of medical and veterinary importance. This study evaluated the efficacy of crude extracts of the plant neem, Azadirachta indica, against C. bezziana. The dried leaves of the plant were extracted successively with four different solvents viz. petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanol and were evaluated against the third instar larvae of C. bezziana using dipping method and thin film application technique. In the dipping method, larvae were dipped in four different concentrations of plant extracts for 30 s, whereas in the thin film application, they were exposed to a thin film of plant extracts. The results showed that all the extracts had toxic effect on the larvae in both the techniques. In the dipping method, the highest mortalities were recorded in methanol extract followed by chloroform, petroleum ether and ethyl acetate extracts with LC50 values 1.07 g/100 ml, 1.7 g/100 ml, 3.39 g/100 ml and 4.9 g/100 ml, respectively. In the thin film application method, methanol extract showed the highest mortalities followed by chloroform, ethyl acetate and petroleum ether with LC50 values 0.4 mg/cm2, 0.6 mg/cm2, 2.1 mg/cm2 and 2.5 mg/cm2. It is concluded that the crude extracts of A. indica can be used in controlling the larvae of C. bezziana by using the dipping as well as thin film application technique.

Chemotherapeutic efficacy of thioridazine as an adjunct drug in a murine model of latent tuberculosis.

Thioridazine, a potent phenothiazine compound was evaluated for its chemotherapeutic efficacy against experiment model of tuberculosis. Thioridazine potentiated the activities of both isoniazid and rifampicin (>1 log CFU reduction) against the in vitro latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacilli. Further, a murine model of latent tuberculosis was used and the standard 9-month isoniazid and 4-month rifampicin regimen along with thioridazine as an adjunct drug were evaluated. Thioridazine led to an accelerated clearance of bacilli with both the regimen, thereby leading to completion of therapy much earlier than the standard end-point. In the case of 9-month isoniazid regimen, when thioridazine was used along with isoniazid as an adjunct drug, complete clearance was observed as early as 24 weeks as compared to the 36 week standard isoniazid monotherapy regimen. Also, in the 4-month rifampicin regimen, it was observed that the bacillary clearance was more robust when rifampicin was used along with thioridazine (>3 log CFU reduction) than rifampicin alone (>2 log CFU reduction). Our findings implicate that thioridazine, when used as an adjunct drug along with isoniazid or rifampicin has the potential to augment their chemotherapeutic efficacy against experimental latency.

Curcumin nanoparticles attenuate neurochemical and neurobehavioral deficits in experimental model of Huntington's disease.

Till date, an exact causative pathway responsible for neurodegeneration in Huntington's disease (HD) remains elusive; however, mitochondrial dysfunction appears to play an important role in HD pathogenesis. Therefore, strategies to attenuate mitochondrial impairments could provide a potential therapeutic intervention. In the present study, we used curcumin encapsulated solid lipid nanoparticles (C-SLNs) to ameliorate 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NP)-induced HD in rats. Results of MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazolyl-2)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay and succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) staining of striatum revealed a marked decrease in Complex II activity. However, C-SLN-treated animals showed significant increase in the activity of mitochondrial complexes and cytochrome levels. C-SLNs also restored the glutathione levels and superoxide dismutase activity. Moreover, significant reduction in mitochondrial swelling, lipid peroxidation, protein carbonyls and reactive oxygen species was observed in rats treated with C-SLNs. Quantitative PCR and Western blot results revealed the activation of nuclear factor-erythroid 2 antioxidant pathway after C-SLNs administration in 3-NP-treated animals. In addition, C-SLN-treated rats showed significant improvement in neuromotor coordination when compared with 3-NP-treated rats. Thus, the results of this study suggest that C-SLNs administration might be a promising therapeutic intervention to ameliorate mitochondrial dysfunctions in HD.