Assessment of the Phytochemical Profile, Antioxidant Capacity, and Hepatoprotective Effect of Andrographis paniculata against CCl4-Induced Liver Dysfunction in Wistar Albino Rats.

Recent studies have highlighted the necessity to thoroughly evaluate medicinal plants due to their therapeutic potential. The current study delves into the phytochemical profile, antioxidant capacity, and hepatoprotective effect of Andrographis paniculata. The investigation specifically targets its effectiveness in mitigating liver dysfunction induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) in Wistar albino rats, aiming to uncover its promising role as a natural remedy for liver-related ailments. A. paniculata leaf extract was screened for phytoconstituents and antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects in Wistar albino rats against CCl4-induced liver dysfunction. Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of flavonoids, alkaloids, and phenolic compounds in all extracts. The phenolic concentration ranged from 10.23 to 19.52 mg gallic acid per gram of the sample, while the highest flavonoid concentration was found in the ethanol fraction (8.27 mg rutin equivalents per gram). The antioxidant activity varied from 10.23 to 62.23. GC-MS analysis identified several phytochemicals including octadecanoic acid, stigmasterol, phenanthrenecarboxylic acid, and others. Effects of the ethanol extract of A. paniculata were evaluated in four groups of animals. Biochemical estimations of serum glutamine oxaloacetate transaminase, serum glutamine pyruvate transaminase, and serum bilirubin were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the CCl4-treated group. Treatment with 300 mg/kg b.w. of the ethanol extract of A. paniculata significantly (p < 0.05) decreased these serum enzymes. Lipid peroxidation levels in carbon tetrachloride-treated animals showed a substantial (p < 0.05) rise when compared to untreated animals, while the lipid peroxidation levels were considerably (p < 0.05) reduced after treatment with ethanol extract at 300 mg/kg b.w. Liver biochemical catalase activities were significantly reduced in the carbon tetrachloride-treated animals. The results of this study conclusively demonstrate that A. paniculata extracts are a rich source of phytochemicals and possess significant antioxidant, free radical scavenging, and hepatoprotective properties.

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Hand Hygiene among Medical and Nursing Students at a Tertiary Health Care Centre in Raichur, India.

Background. Hand hygiene is recognized as the leading measure to prevent cross-transmission of microorganisms. Regarding hospital acquired infections, the compliance of nurses with hand washing guidelines seems to be vital in preventing the disease transmission among patients. There is a paucity of studies exploring this subject in Asia. Especially medical and nursing student's knowledge of standard hand hygiene precautions is rarely compared. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 98 medical and 46 nursing students in a tertiary medical college in India. Knowledge was assessed using WHO hand hygiene questionnaire. Attitude and practices were evaluated by using another self-structured questionnaire. Z test was used to compare the percentage of correct responses between medical and nursing students. A P value less than 0.05 was considered significant. Results. Only 9% of participants (13 out of 144) had good knowledge regarding hand hygiene. Nursing students knowledge (P = 0.023) , attitude (P = 0.023), and practices (P < 0.05) were significantly better than medical students.