Role of yoga in stress management and implications in major depression disorder.

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is one of the leading causes of disability affecting more than 340 million people and second largest contributor to global burden of disease. Chronic stress is a common risk factor and important contributor for MDD. Stress could be defined as the "perceived inability to cope". Stressful life events are shown to provoke a sequence of psychological and physiological adjustments including nervous, endocrine and immune mechanisms. Stress can lead to elevation of a variety of inflammatory cytokines and stress hormones, can cause autonomic dysfunction and imbalance in neurotransmitters. Yoga can reduce depressive symptoms by alleviating stress. Studies have shown that yoga can reduce inflammation, maintain autonomic balance and also has a role in maintaining the neurotransmitters. It has role on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the peripheral nervous system including GABA, limbic system activity, inflammatory and endocrine responses. Yoga along with antidepressants can help in reducing the depressive symptoms in patient with MDD. Yoga is an ideal complementary and alternative therapy for mental health disorders.

Foot reflexology for reduction of blood pressure in hypertensive individual: A systematic review.

IMPORTANCE: Hypertension is the modifiable risk factor associated with cardiovascular diseases and all-cause mortality. Foot reflexology has been proposed to reduce the blood pressure for the patients with hypertension but the available evidences are uncertain. OBJECTIVE: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis, know the efficacy of foot reflexology on blood pressure reduction in patients with hypertension. DATA SOURCES AND SELECTION: A systematic search of electronic databases such as PubMed, Scopus, ClinicalTrials.gov, Embase, and Cochrane library since inception till January 2022. Randomized controlled trial with foot reflexology as an intervention for lowering blood pressure (BP) in hypertensive patients was included in the study. DATA EXTRACTION AND OUTCOME MEASURES: Data was independently extracted by four authors. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure was the primary outcome measure. Standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95 % confidence interval (CI) were calculated to determine the effect size. RESULTS: The pooled effect of SBP (SMD: -2.70, 95 % of CI: -6.79, 1.39, I2 - 97 %, P < 0.001) and DBP (SMD: -2.12, 95 % of CI: -5.95, 1.71, I2 - 97 %, P < 0.001) changes are not favorable for foot reflexology in terms of reducing blood pressure. CONCLUSION: Findings from the studies showed that foot reflexology interventions were not much effective in the reduction of blood pressure among patients with hypertension.

Effects of 12 sessions of steam bath intervention on spirometry parameters among healthy adult volunteers.

OBJECTIVES: Steam bath is extensively used around the world. However, its physiological influence is not understood in detail. Objective of the current study is to examine the effects of 12 sessions of steam bath on spirometric parameters among healthy participants. METHODS: Forty healthy adult volunteers of both sex (14 male and 26 female) aged 26.38 ± 8 years participated in the study. A steam bath session (10-15 min) was given once a week for 12 weeks. The spirometric parameters [forced expiratory volume in the 1st second (FEV1, L), forced vital capacity (FVC, L), FEV1/FVC ratio (absolute value), maximal mid-expiratory flow (MMEF, L/s) and peak expiratory flow (PEF, L/s)] were measured by Helios 401 spirometer. RESULTS: Compared to baseline, post-intervention spirometric parameters showed significant (p<0.05) improvement in the FVC (82.40 ± 11.24 to 96.91 ± 18.76), FEV1 (86.13 ± 14.39 to 91.17 ± 12.48), FEV1/FVC ratio (86.96 ± 3.64 to 93.75 ± 4.80), MMEF 25-75% (86.96 ± 3.64 to 94.16 ± 11.57), peak expiratory flow rate (79.82 ± 14.90 to 92.18 ± 18.96). CONCLUSIONS: Taking steam bath improves the spirometric parameters of healthy adult participants. However, future randomized controlled trials with on a large scale have to done to validate our findings.

Effect of Yoga on Oxidative Stress in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus has a significant impact on public health. Oxidative stress plays a major role in the pathophysiology of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), leading to various complications of T2DM. Yoga is being widely used in the management of T2DM. The primary objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to understand the effects of yoga on oxidative stress parameters among adult patients diagnosed with T2DM. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Electronic databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library and Science Direct from start of the study till March 2020 were searched to obtain eligible studies. Study designs of all nature were included (except case studies and reviews). The primary outcome was Malondialdehyde (MDA) and secondary outcomes included fasting plasma glucose, HbA1C and Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) levels. RESULTS: A total of four trials with a total of 440 patients met the inclusion criteria. The results of meta-analysis indicated that yoga significantly reduced MDA (SMD: -1.4; 95% CI -2.66 to -0.13; P = 0.03; I2 = 97%), fasting plasma glucose levels (SMD: -1.87: 95% CI -3.83 to -0.09; P = 0.06; I2= 99%), and HbA1c (SMD: -1.92; 95% CI - 3.03 to -0.81; P = 0.0007; I2 = 92%) in patients with T2DM. No such effect was found for SOD (SMD: -1.01; 95% CI -4.41 to 2.38; P = 0.56; I2= 99%). CONCLUSION: The available evidence suggests that yoga reduces MDA, fasting plasma glucose and HbA1C, and thus would be beneficial in the management of T2DM as a complementary therapy. However, considering the limited number of studies and its heterogeneity, further robust studies are necessary to strengthen our findings and investigate the long-term benefits of yoga.

Effect of six months pranayama training on stress-induced salivary cortisol response among adolescents-Randomized controlled study.

BACKGROUND: A combination of yoga practices has been documented to reduce stress and stress-induced cortisol levels. The objective of the current study is to examine the effects of six months of a single pranayama practice (Bhramari [Bhr. P]) on reducing salivary cortisol response to the cold pressor test (CPT) among adolescents. METHODS: Twenty-six healthy adolescents between the ages of 11 and 19 were randomly assigned to either yoga group (n-13) or control group (n-13). Yoga group participants were trained to do Bhr. P for 45 min, thrice a week for six months. All participants underwent CPT at baseline and at end of six months. Saliva samples were collected at baseline (t0), at 20 min (t1), 40 min (t2), and 60 min after the CPT (t3). RESULTS: Contradictory to our hypothesis, participants in the yoga group exhibited a higher salivary cortisol response to the CPT at t1 (p = 0.04) when compared to the control group. However, the t3 salivary cortisol levels showed a statistically significant reduction (p = 0.03) in yoga group when compared to the control group. A significant interaction with time (F (1, 88) = 316.5, p = .001, ηp2:0.91) and between the group × time (F (3, 88) = 2.83, p = 0.04, ηp2:0.8) was found after the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: An increase in the cortisol responsiveness observed in the study is an indication of the adaptive capability achieved through regular yoga training, evidenced by an initial rise in cortisol followed by a rapid fall below baseline after 60 min. Further research is required to conclusively determine the changes in cortisol levels over time in response to stress in long-term yoga practitioners.

Effect of Sheetali pranayama on cardiac autonomic function among patients with primary hypertension - A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Sheetali pranayama is a cooling pranayama practiced for hypertension (HTN). The effects of Sheetali pranayama, as a solitary intervention on cardiovascular and autonomic changes in hypertension is unknown. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The current study was conducted on 100 patients with HTN, randomly allocated to HTN with pranayama (Intervention group,n = 50) and HTN without pranayama (control group,n = 50) group. The intervention group practiced Sheetali pranayama for a period of 3 months. Blood pressure and HRV was assessed before and after the intervention. RESULTS: Intervention group showed a significant (P < 0.05) reduction in blood pressure variables when compared to the control group. In short term HRV, time and frequency domain parameters showed parasympathetic dominance (P < 0.05) in the intervention group. CONCLUSION: Sheetali pranayama significantly reduces blood pressure in patients with HTN and improved heart rate variability. Sheetali pranayama could thus be practiced in addition to regular medications for the efficacious management of HTN.

Effects of hot foot and arm bath in bronchial asthma: A single case report.

BACKGROUND: Managing the condition of corticosteroid resistant asthmatic patients is quite difficult and challenging despite the plethora of new and modern medications. Hot Foot and Arm Bath (HFAB) is a widely used treatment modality for the management of bronchial asthma in Naturopathy. However, no scientific documentation or study is available so far assessing its effectiveness. CASE SUMMARY: A 33-year-old male was admitted to our hospital, with major complaints of wheezing and dyspnea for two weeks before admission, with a known case of asthma and occasional use of inhalers. Spirometry tests showed a reversible obstructive pattern (pre-bronchodilator FEV1, 1.64L; post-bronchodilator FEV1, 2.02L; reversibility, 16%). The patient underwent HFAB application for 3 days in the morning, and the pulmonary function test was recorded before and immediately after HFAB. The pulmonary function's parameters such as FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC ratio, PEF 25-75 %, and PEFR showed significant improvement immediately after the HFAB on day 2 and day 3 when compared to day 1. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that HFAB application has an immediate action on improving lung function in patients with bronchial asthma and could be used as effective adjuvant therapy for the management of bronchial asthma. This is the first case report on HFAB application for bronchial asthma and future extensive studies with a large population would validate our findings.

Nutraceutical properties of cumin residue generated from Ayurvedic industries using cell line models.

Spent cumin (SC), generated from Ayurvedic industry, was evaluated for its nutraceutical potential in terms of antioxidant, antidiabetic and anticancer properties, and compared with that of the raw cumin (RC). SC and RC seeds were extracted with ethyl acetate (E) and methanol (M). SCM (methanol extract) were rich in p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, ellagic acid and cinnamic acid (6.4445, 5.8286, 2.1519, 4.3085 mg/g dry extract). SCM reduced Fe2+ ion (89.68 µM AA/g dry weight), scavenged DPPH radical (IC50-238.6 µg/mL), better α-amylase inhibition (IC50-337.22 µg/mL) and glucose uptake activity in 30.7% of L6 cells. SCM inhibited viability, retarded migration area up to 41.02%, arrested cell cycle at S phase and induced apoptosis in 2.45% of HT29 colon cancer cells. The results indicated that dietary interventions using nutraceutical food formulation made out of SC can play a significant role in the prevention and management of degenerative diseases.

Gas chromatographic separation of hydrogen isotopes on columns packed with alumina, modified alumina and sol-gel alumina.

The stationary phase of alumina adsorbents, prepared by different chemical processes, was used to study the separation behaviour of hydrogen isotopes. Three types of alumina, obtained by conventional hydroxide route alumina coated with silicon oxide and alumina prepared by internal gelation process (IGP), were used as packing material to study the separation of HT and T(2) in a mixture at various temperatures. The conventional alumina and silicon oxide coated alumina resolved HT and T(2) at 77K temperature with different retention times. The retention times on SiO(2) coated columns were found to be higher than those of other adsorbents. However, the column filled with IGP alumina was found to be ideal for the separation of HT and T(2) at 240 K. The peaks were well resolved in less than 5 min on this column.

Stimulation of pigment accumulation in Anabaena azollae strains: effect of light intensity and sugars.

The influence of high light intensity on the growth and pigment accumulating ability of Anabaena azollae was investigated. A. azollae responded positively to high light intensity (6 klx) and was further evaluated at higher intensities (10 and 15 klx), in the presence of glucose, sucrose and jaggery +/- DCMU. Significant enhancement in phycobiliproteins and carotenoids was observed in the sugar supplemented cultures at high light intensities. SDS-PAGE profiles of whole cell proteins revealed the presence of unique bands in such treatments. Sucrose supplementation induced a 30-90 % increase in carotenoids, phycocyanin and phycoerythrin content at 10 klx. Molecular analysis of the stimulatory and interactive role of sugars on pigment enhancement at high light intensity may aid in better exploitation of cyanobacteria as a source of pigments.

Value-added products from underutilized fish species.

Fish is a rich source of easily digestible protein that also provides polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals for human nutrition. Nonetheless, a large proportion of total landed fish remains unused due to inherent problems related to unattractive color, flavor, texture, small size, and high fat content. Most of these underutilized fish belong to the abundantly available pelagic species, which are landed as bycatch, and some are unconventional species such as krill. Although some species are used industrially for fish meal manufacture, a need for their conservation and utilization for human consumption has been recognized in order to prevent post-harvest fishery losses. Recovery of flesh by mechanical deboning and development of value-added products are probably the most promising approaches. This article discusses various possibilities for product development using mince from low-cost fishery resources. These include surimi and surimi-based products, sausages, fermented products, protein concentrates and hydrolysates, extruded products, and biotechnological possibilities. The dual advantages of this approach, namely, finding ways for better utilization of low-value fish species and providing protein- rich convenience foods, have been pointed out. However, the key to the success of this approach depends largely on the market strategies utilized.