A review on hypo-cholesterolemic activity of Nigella sativa seeds and its extracts.

Nigella sativa (N. sativa) (Family Ranunculaceae) is a popular therapeutic herb in many parts of the world. It is widely used in traditional medical systems such as Unani, Ayurveda and Siddha. Seeds and oil have a long history of folkloric use in many medicinal and culinary systems. The seeds of N. sativa have long been used to treat a variety of illnesses and disorders. Studies on N. sativa and its therapeutic potential have been investigated. This includes anti-diabetic, anticancer, immune-modulatory, analgesic, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, spasmolytic, bronchodilator, hepato-protective, renal protective, gastro-protective, antioxidant properties, and several others. Nigella sativa contains thymoquinone. This is a bioactive component of the essential oil with medicinal benefits. Therefore, it is of interest to report a comprehensive data on the therapeutic usefulness of N. sativa in hypo-cholesterolemic activity.

Efficient Cr(vi) photoreduction under natural solar irradiation using a novel step-scheme ZnS/SnIn4S8 nanoheterostructured photocatalysts.

Removal of heavy metal pollutants from water is a challenge to water security and the environment. Therefore, in this work, multinary chalcogenide based nanoheterostructures such as ZnS/SnIn4S8 nanoheterostructure with different loading amounts were prepared. The prepared nanoheterostructures were utilized as photocatalysts for chromium (Cr(vi)) photoreduction. The prepared nanoheterostructures were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-Vis spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and BET measurements. The absorption spectra of the prepared nanoheterostructures revealed that they are widely absorbed in the visible range with bandgap values 2.4-3.5 eV. The photocatalytic activities of prepared nanoheterostructures were studied toward the photoreduction of heavy metal, chromium (Cr(vi)), under irradiation of natural solar light. The ZnS/SnIn4S8 (with ZnS molar ratio 20%) nanoheterostructures results showed a high photocatalytic activity (92.3%) after 120 min which could be attributed to its enhanced charge carrier separation with respect to the bare ZnS and SnIn4S8 NPs. Also, the optoelectronic, valence-band XPS and electrochemical properties of the investigated photocatalysts were studied and the results revealed that the photocatalysts behave the step-scheme mechanism. The recyclability tests revealed a beneficial role of the surface charge in efficient regeneration of the photocatalysts for repeated use.

CuO-ZnO-PANI a lethal p-n-p combination in degradation of 4-chlorophenol under visible light.

Recent interest and responsibility to retain the water resources rose among people. Scientists have been engaged to develop the mechanism that involves the freely available sunlight - a sustainable resource - to remove the pollutants from water to make it again suitable for life. Ample research was reported in the removal of dye pollutants present in water. For this they have utilized p type and n type semiconductors or combination of both (p-n type) under the excitation of a wide range of electromagnetic band energy. Most of the interest lies in emerging out of the mechanism with hybrid semiconductors to remove the previously reported flaws. Toward this regard, this manuscript aims to develop unique material using the underlying p-n-p model for harnessing visible light in catalysis. Initially, p-n structure was developed with copper oxide (p-type) and zinc oxide (n-type), then polyaniline (p-type) conjugated at different concentrations (0.5 M, 0.7 M & 1.0 M), to yield p-n-p models, using precipitation followed by sonication techniques. Detailed physicochemical investigations were conducted on the resultant p-n-p material to elucidate its characteristics. Furthermore, the mechanism was advocated for the best photocatalytic activity under visible light excitation for the degradation of 4-chlorophenol and compared with the performance of a standard p-n (CuO/ZnO) combination.

Fine cutting edge shaped Bi2O3rods/reduced graphene oxide (RGO) composite for supercapacitor and visible-light photocatalytic applications.

Bi2O3 rods/RGO composite has been synthesized by a simple precipitation and calcination method. The crystallnity, structural, and morphological features were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) techniques. The supercapacitor behavior was studied using cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge discharge and impedance analysis, respectively. The Bi2O3 rods/RGO nanocomposite exhibits a maximum specific capacitance of 1041Fg-1 at a current density of 2Ag-1. The photocatalytic activity of Bi2O3 rods/RGO composite was evaluated by photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye under visible-light irradiation. The enhancement of photocatalytic properties of Bi2O3 rods/RGO composite attributed to the synergistic effect between Bi2O3 rods and graphene sheets which effectively prevents recombination of the photogenerated electron-hole pairs in Bi2O3 rods. The present study provides a new approach in improving the performance of Bi2O3 rods/RGO composite in energy and environmental applications.

Facile synthesis of novel CaFe2O4/g-C3N4 nanocomposites for degradation of methylene blue under visible-light irradiation.

Hybrid organic/inorganic nanocomposites comprised of calcium ferrite (CaFe2O4) and graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) were prepared via a simple two-step process. The hybridized CaFe2O4/g-C3N4 heterostructure was characterized by a variety of techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-vis DRS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive analysis of X-rays (EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), photoluminescence spectroscopy, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and photoelectrochemical studies. Photocatalytic activity of the prepared samples was evaluated against degradation of methylene blue (MB) under visible-light irradiation. The photocatalytic activity of CaFe2O4 30%/g-C3N4 nanocomposite, as optimum photocatalyst, for degradation of MB was superior to the pure CaFe2O4 and g-C3N4 samples. It was demonstrated that the photogenerated holes and superoxide ion radicals were the two main reactive species towards the photocatalytic degradation of MB over the nanocomposite. Based on the experimental results, a possible photocatalytic mechanism for the MB degradation over the nanocomposite was proposed. This work may provide some inspiration for the fabrication of spinel ferrites with efficient photocatalytic performance.

The effect of yoga therapy on selected psychological variables among male patients with insomnia.

BACKGROUND: An estimated 30-50% of the general population is affected by insomnia and 10% have chronic insomnia. Yoga therapy is beneficial in such disorders and it has fewer side effects. AIM: The aim of this study was to find out the effect of yoga therapy on selected psychological variables among men with insomnia. METHODS: Forty males with insomnia were divided randomly into 2 groups (the experimental and the control groups). The experimental group received eight weeks of yoga therapy, while the control group did not receive any therapy. The pre and post treatment stress and the self confidence scores were taken. RESULTS: There was a significant improvement in the stress scores and the self confidence scores in the experimental group. There were neither any side effects nor any drop outs. CONCLUSION: We conclude that yoga is an effective treatment option for the patients with insomnia. There are no major side effects.

Inhibition of fatty acid amide hydrolase activates Nrf2 signalling and induces heme oxygenase 1 transcription in breast cancer cells.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Endocannabinoids such as anandamide (AEA) are important lipid ligands regulating cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. Their levels are regulated by hydrolase enzymes, the fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) and monoacylglycerol lipase (MGL). Here, we investigated whether FAAH or AEA are involved in NF (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2)/antioxidant responsive element (ARE) pathway. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: The aim of this study was to analyse the effects of AEA or FAAH inhibition by the URB597 inhibitor or FAAH/siRNA on the activation of Nrf2-ARE signalling pathway and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) induction and transcription. KEY RESULTS: Endogenous AEA was detected in the immortalized human mammary epithelial MCF-10A cells (0.034 ng per 10(6) cells) but not in MCF-7 or MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. Because breast tumour cells express FAAH abundantly, we examined the effects of FAAH on Nrf2/antioxidant pathway. We found that inhibition of FAAH by the URB597 inhibitor induced antioxidant HO-1 in breast cancer cells and MCF-10A cells. RNAi-mediated knockdown of FAAH or treatment with AEA-activated ARE-containing reporter induced HO-1 mRNA and protein expression, independent of the cannabinoid receptors, CB1, CB2 or TRPV1. Furthermore, URB597, AEA and siRNA-FAAH treatments induced the nuclear translocation of Nrf2, while siRNA-Nrf2 treatment and Keap1 expression blocked AEA, URB597 and si-FAAH from activation of ARE reporter and HO-1 induction. siRNA-HO-1 treatment decreased the viability of breast cancer cells and MCF-10A cells. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: These data uncovered a novel mechanism by which inhibition of FAAH or exposure to AEA induced HO-1 transcripts and implicating AEA and FAAH as direct modifiers in signalling mediated activation of Nrf2-HO-1 pathway, independent of cannabinoid receptors.

Juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma.

Seven cases of juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma were seen in the Division of Radiation Oncology of the Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin Hospitals from 1961 to 1977. The method of treatments and the end results are discussed. The clinical manifestations and the biological nature of this tumor are analyzed in detail, along with treatment recommendations.