Hypoglycemic potential of some seaweeds from Karachi coast of Pakistan.

Hypoglycemic activity of ethanol extracts and polysaccharides of seaweeds were studied in Sprague Dawley rats. Based on primary screening of ethanol extracts of 10 seaweeds, three Spatoglossum variabile, Stokeyia indica and Sargassum swartzii were selected for further study and polysaccharides were also extracted from them. Ethanol extracts and polysaccharides were administered to alloxan-induced diabetic rats and glucose level, liver and cardiac enzymes were determined. Antidiabetic activity of ethanol extract of three seaweeds S. swartzii, S. indica and S. variabile caused more than 30% reduction in blood glucose after 6 hours atleast on one dose level (2 mg/200 g and/or 10 mg/200 g body weight) in normal and alloxan diabetic rats. Polysaccharides of these three seaweeds also showed anti-diabetic activity after 6 hours atleast on one dose level (1mg/200 g and/ or 2mg/200g body weight) in normal and alloxan diabetic rats. Seaweed extracts and their polysaccharides caused slight alteration in liver and cardiac enzymes like Serum Glutamate Oxaloacetate Transaminase (SGOT), Serum Glutamate Pyruvate Transaminase (SGPT) and Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP).

Effects of Ramadan fasting on serum lipid profile.

INTRODUCTION: Ramadan is the ninth month in the lunar Islamic calendar and lasts for about 29-30 days. It is mandatory for all adult individuals of the Islamic faith to fast during the holy month of Ramadan. During this period, healthy Muslims do not eat or drink (i.e., total abstinence from food and fluids) and refrain from tobacco, daily from pre-dawn until dusk (21). Very few studies in the recent years have been conducted on this subject and for primary care physicians, it is of great help in understanding the physiological changes that occur in various populations with different rituals in Muslims. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study included healthy adult male Muslim volunteers from different mosques in and around Jammu city. The number of subjects in the study was 100. Blood samples from all 100 subjects were collected twice during the study-once in the week prior to the beginning of Ramadan and then again in the last week of Ramadan (from 98 subjects as 2 subjects opted out). Following biochemical parameters were taken into consideration: (a) Serum total cholesterol (b) Serum triglycerides (c) Serum HDL cholesterol. RESULTS: It was observed that compared to pre-fasting levels, total cholesterol (TC) and triglycerides (TG) were significantly decreased (P = 0.000) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level had significantly increased (P = 0.000). CONCLUSION: This study showed a reduction in total cholesterol and triglycerides along with a rise in levels of HDL-C, which had beneficial effects on lipid profile post Ramadan fasting period.

Fallopian tube prolapse after abdominal hysterectomy.

A 38 year old lady who had total abdominal hysterectomy, for chronic pelvic pain, presented with profuse vaginal discharge per vaginum along with a cystic pelvic mass of 10 week size. There was a polypoidal fleshy growth present in the vault. It was diagnosed to be a fallopian tube on histopathology. Patient was treated with bilateral salpingo-ophorectomy through an open laparotomy.