Potential of Bacillus cereus strain RS87 for partial replacement of chemical fertilisers in the production of Thai rice cultivars.

BACKGROUND: There is increasing interest in the development of technologies which can reduce the requirement for chemical fertilisers in rice production. The objective of this study was to investigate the efficacy of Bacillus cereus strain RS87 for the partial replacement of chemical fertiliser in rice production. A greenhouse experiment was designed using different fertiliser regimes, with and without strain RS87. Six Thai rice cultivars were tested separately. RESULTS: Maximum rice growth and yield were obtained in rice receiving the full recommended fertiliser rate in combination with the strain RS87. Interestingly, all rice cultivars which were treated with strain RS87 and 50% recommended fertiliser rate provided equivalent plant growth and yield to that receiving the full recommended fertiliser rate only. A paired comparison between rice treated with 50% of the recommended fertiliser rate with the bacterial inoculant and the full fertiliser rate alone was further examined in small experimental rice paddy fields. Growth and yield of all rice cultivars which received the 50% fertiliser rate supplemented with strain RS87 gave a similar yield to that receiving the full fertiliser rate alone. CONCLUSION: Bacterial strain RS87 showed the potential to replace 50% of the recommended fertiliser rate for yield production. Integration of plant growth-promoting rhizobacterial inoculants with reduced application rates of chemical fertiliser appears promising for future agriculture.

Hypoglycemic effect of bitter melon compared with metformin in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes patients.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Bitter melon (Momordica charantia L.) has been widely used as an traditional medicine treatment for diabetic patients in Asia. In vitro and animal studies suggested its hypoglycemic activity, but limited human studies are available to support its use. AIM OF STUDY: This study was conducted to assess the efficacy and safety of three doses of bitter melon compared with metformin. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a 4-week, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, active-control trial. Patients were randomized into 4 groups to receive bitter melon 500 mg/day, 1,000 mg/day, and 2,000 mg/day or metformin 1,000 mg/day. All patients were followed for 4 weeks. RESULTS: There was a significant decline in fructosamine at week 4 of the metformin group (-16.8; 95% CI, -31.2, -2.4 µmol/L) and the bitter melon 2,000 mg/day group (-10.2; 95% CI, -19.1, -1.3 µmol/L). Bitter melon 500 and 1,000 mg/day did not significantly decrease fructosamine levels (-3.5; 95% CI -11.7, 4.6 and -10.3; 95% CI -22.7, 2.2 µmol/L, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Bitter melon had a modest hypoglycemic effect and significantly reduced fructosamine levels from baseline among patients with type 2 diabetes who received 2,000 mg/day. However, the hypoglycemic effect of bitter melon was less than metformin 1,000 mg/day.

Dose-responses of Bacillus cereus RS87 for growth enhancement in various Thai rice cultivars.

To achieve the goal of reducing the levels of chemical fertilizers applied in rice production, there is a need to develop microorganisms with the capacity to enhance plant growth. Previous studies have demonstrated that Bacillus cereus RS87 promotes growth of various plants in greenhouse and field trials. The objectives of this study were to (i) evaluate the efficacy and determine the optimum concentration of B. cereus RS87 to enhance growth of various Thai rice cultivars, (ii) measure the chlorophyll content in leaves affected by strain RS87, and (iii) investigate the capacity of strain RS87 to solubilize phosphate and produce siderophores. Three concentrations of strain RS87 (log 6.0, log 7.0, and log 8.0 CFU/mL) were applied to each rice cultivar. Superior responses (i.e., enhanced development of roots and shoots of all rice cultivars) were observed using RS87 at log 8.0 CFU/mL compared with lower bacterial concentrations and the water-treated control treatment. In addition, log 8.0 CFU/mL of RS87 provided the greatest root length and plant height of all rice cultivars 45 days after planting in the greenhouse. Rice leaves treated with log 8.0 CFU/mL of RS87 yielded the highest total chlorophyll, specifically chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b, compared with the control. Strain RS87 also solubilized phosphate and produced siderophores. The results of these studies demonstrate that log 8.0 CFU/mL is the optimum concentration of strain RS87 for growth promotion of various Thai rice cultivars.

Physicians’ generic drug prescribing behavior in district hospitals: a case of Phitsanulok, Thailand / Comportamiento de los médicos en prescripción de genéricos en hospitales distritales: el caso de Phitsanulok, Tailandia

Generic prescribing is a sound approach to contain health care costs. However, little is known about physicians' prescribing patterns in the Thai context. Objective: To explore physicians' generic prescription patterns in district hospitals. Methods: Data was collected from three of the eight district hospitals between January and December 2008 (final response rate 37.5%). All participating hospitals were between 30 and 60-bed capacity. The researchers reviewed 10% of total outpatient prescriptions in each hospital. Results: A total of 14,500 prescriptions were evaluated. The majority of patients were under universal health coverage (4,367; 30.1%), followed by senior citizens' health insurance (2,734; 18.9%), and civil servant medical benefit schemes (2,419; 16.7%). Ten thousand six hundred and seventy-one prescriptions (73.6% of total prescriptions) had at least one medication. Among these, each prescription contained 2.85 (SD=1.69) items. The majority of prescriptions (7,886; 73.9%) were prescribed by generic name only. Drugs prescribed by brand names varied in their pharmacological actions. They represented both innovator and branded-generic items. Interestingly, a large number of them were fixed-dose combination drugs. All brand name prescriptions were off patented. In addition, none of the brand-name drugs prescribed were categorized as narrow therapeutic range or any other drug that had been reported to have had problems with generic substitution. Conclusion: The majority of prescriptions in this sample were written by generic names. There is room for improvement in brand name prescribing patterns (AU)

La prescripción genérica es algo que podría contener los costes sanitarios. Sin embargo, se sabe poco de los hábitos de prescripción genérica de los médicos tailandeses. Objetivo. Explorar los hábitos de prescripción genérica de los médicos en hospitales distritales. Métodos. Se recogieron datos de tres de los ocho hospitales de distrito entre enero y diciembre de 2008 (tasa final de respuesta 37,5%). Todos los hospitales participantes estaban entre 30 y 60 camas de capacidad. Los investigadores revisaron el 10% del total de las prescripciones ambulatorias de cada hospital. Resultados. Se evaluó un total de 14500 prescripciones. La mayoría de los pacientes estaban bajo la cobertura sanitaria universal (4367; 30,1%) seguidos del seguro de ciudadanos mayores (2734; 18,9%) y de los sistemas de funcionarios civiles (2419; 16,7%). 10671 prescripciones (73,6% del total de prescripciones) tenían al menos un medicamento. Entre estas, cada prescripción contenía 2,85 (DE=1,69) ítems. La mayoría de las prescripciones (7886; 73,9%) estaban escritas en nombre genérico solamente. Los medicamentos prescritos por marca comercial variaban en sus acciones farmacológicas. Estos representaban tanto ítems innovadores como genéricos con marca. Curiosamente, un gran número de ellos eran combinaciones a dosis fijas. Todas las prescripciones por marca eran medicamentos con patente caducada. Además, ninguna de las marcas prescritas estaba calificada de estrecho margen terapéutico u otros medicamentos que hayan comunicado problemas con la sustitución genérica. Conclusión. La mayoría de las prescripciones en esta muestra estaban escritas en nombres genéricos. Existe espacio para mejorar los patrones de prescripción por marcas (AU)

Physicians' generic drug prescribing behavior in district hospitals: a case of Phitsanulok, Thailand.

UNLABELLED: Generic prescribing is a sound approach to contain health care costs. However, little is known about physicians' prescribing patterns in the Thai context. OBJECTIVE: To explore physicians' generic prescription patterns in district hospitals. METHODS: Data was collected from three of the eight district hospitals between January and December 2008 (final response rate 37.5%). All participating hospitals were between 30 and 60-bed capacity. The researchers reviewed 10% of total outpatient prescriptions in each hospital. RESULTS: A total of 14,500 prescriptions were evaluated. The majority of patients were under universal health coverage (4,367; 30.1%), followed by senior citizens' health insurance (2,734; 18.9%), and civil servant medical benefit schemes (2,419; 16.7%). Ten thousand six hundred and seventy-one prescriptions (73.6% of total prescriptions) had at least one medication. Among these, each prescription contained 2.85 (SD=1.69) items. The majority of prescriptions (7,886; 73.9%) were prescribed by generic name only. Drugs prescribed by brand names varied in their pharmacological actions. They represented both innovator and branded-generic items. Interestingly, a large number of them were fixed-dose combination drugs. All brand name prescriptions were off patented. In addition, none of the brand-name drugs prescribed were categorized as narrow therapeutic range or any other drug that had been reported to have had problems with generic substitution. CONCLUSION: The majority of prescriptions in this sample were written by generic names. There is room for improvement in brand name prescribing patterns.

Pesticide use patterns among small-scale farmers: a case study from Phitsanulok, Thailand.

In this study, 130 small-scale farmers were surveyed regarding pesticide use patterns in rural Phitsanulok, northern Thailand using a structured questionnaire administered via personal interviews and an observational checklist of farmer pesticide storage practices. The survey was conducted during December 2007-January 2008. The results indicate pesticides are readily available and widely used in crop production. This includes the use of endosulfan which has been banned by the Thai government since 2004. Overall, pesticide use was inappropriate. Farmers did not wear suitable personal protection, apply pesticides in an appropriate fashion, or discard the waste safely. They frequently relied on commercial advertisements for the best pesticide to use. Pesticide use patterns among small-scale farmers in Thailand need improvement. Educational interventions are essential for promoting safety during all phases of pesticide handling. Public policies should be developed to encourage farmers to change their pest management methods from chemical based to methods that are healthier and more environmentally friendly.

Film coating of seeds with Bacillus cereus RS87 spores for early plant growth enhancement.

The plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium Bacillus cereus RS87 was previously reported to promote plant growth in various crops in both greenhouse and field trials. To apply as a plant growth promoting agent with practical use, it is essential to ease the burden of routine preparation of a fresh suspension of strain RS87 in laboratory. The objectives of this study were to investigate the feasibility of film-coating seeds with B. cereus RS87 spores for early plant growth enhancement and to reveal the indoleacetic acid (IAA) production released from strain RS87. The experiment consisted of the following 5 treatments: nontreated seeds, water-soaked seeds, film-coated seeds, seeds soaked with vegetative cells of strain RS87, and film-coated seeds with strain RS87 spores. Three experiments were conducted separately to assess seed emergence, root length, and plant height. Results showed that both vegetative cells and spores of strain RS87 significantly promoted (P < or = 0.05) seed emergence, root length and plant height over the control treatments. The strain RS87 also produced IAA. In conclusion, the film coating of seeds with spores of B. cereus RS87 demonstrated early plant growth enhancement as well as seeds using their vegetative cells. IAA released from strain RS87 would be one of the mechanisms for plant growth enhancement.

Formulation and characterization of curcuminoids loaded solid lipid nanoparticles.

Curcuminoids loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) have been successfully developed using a microemulsion technique at approximately 75 degrees C. It was found that variation in the amount of ingredients had profound effects on the curcuminoid loading capacity, the mean particle size, and size distribution. At optimized process conditions, lyophilized curcuminoids loaded SLNs showed spherical particles with a mean particle size of approximately 450nm and a polydispersity index of 0.4. Up to 70% (w/w) curcuminoids incorporation efficacy was achieved. In vitro release studies showed a prolonged release of the curcuminoids from the solid lipid nanoparticles up to 12h following the Higuchi's square root model. After 6-month storage at room temperature in the absence of sunlight, the physical and chemical stabilities of the lyophilized curcuminoids loaded SLNs could be maintained, i.e. the mean particle size and the amount of curcuminoids showed no significant changes (P>0.05) compared to the freshly prepared SLNs. In addition, the chemical stability of curcuminoids incorporated into SLNs was further investigated by dispersing them into a model cream base. The results revealed that after storage in the absence of sunlight for 6 months, the percentages of the remaining curcumin, bisdemethoxycurcumin and demethoxycurcumin were 91, 96 and 88, respectively.

Quality of pharmaceutical items available from drugstores in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Drugstores and drug outlets are the main sources of care for the majority of Cambodian citizens because of the availability of drugs, short waiting time, and ability to control the cost of treatment. Unfortunately, no enforcement of pharmacy regulations and little consumer and drugstore personnel education contribute to a potential harmful unregulated drug market resulting in high costs and prolonged illness. No study has looked at the quality of over-the-counter drugs, which would have the highest impact on the people. In this study, we were interested in exploring the quality of commonly used pharmaceutical items available from drugstores in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, using uncoated aspirin tablets as a case study. Factors relating to quality of the drug were also examined. This study was conducted by means of drug fishing method to obtain uncoated aspirin tablet samples from 96 drugstores in Phnom Penh. The quality of the samples was examined in six aspects: percent label amount, weight variation, hardness, percent friability, disintegration time, and dissolution rate. We found that only seven (7.3%) of the total 96 samples passed all six quality criteria. Dissolution test appeared to be the most critical step in determining aspirin quality. Factors that were statistically related to the quality of the sample were type of packaging. All the drugs that passed the six criteria were in bottles. Source of the medications was also significantly related to their quality. Among seven samples that passed the test, six were from Vietnam. Our study revealed that the quality of uncoated aspirin tablets was a serious problem. The vast majority of the samples did not meet the standard requirements. Type of packaging and source of medications were related to the quality of samples. This study has important implications for the Cambodian government regarding the control of the quality of pharmaceutical items available in drugstores.