Physicochemical composition of hydro-distilled essential oil from coriander ( Coriandrum sativum L.) seeds cultivated in Pakistan.

This experiment describes the physiochemical composition of the essential oil derived from the seeds of coriander (Coriandrum sativum) cultivated in Pakistan. Hydrodistilled essential oil content from coriander seeds was found to be 0.15%. The physicochemical properties namely density (25°C), refractive index (25°C), acid value, ester value, and optical rotation (25°C) determined for the essential oil were found to be 0.8310, 1.4592, 4.0, 23.7, and +11.5 g/cm3, respectively. A total of 48 chemical constituents representing 90% of the essential oil tested were identified using Gas chromatographyflame ionization detector (GC-FID) and Gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). Linalool with contribution of 69.60% was found to be the principal constituent. Other important components identified were: geranyl acetate (4.99%), γ-terpinene (4.17%), α-pinene (1.63%), anethol (1.15%) and pcymene (1.12%). The analyzed essential oil mainly comprised of oxygenated monoterpene hydrocarbons (80.83%), followed by monoterpene hydrocarbons (8.00%), sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (0.47%) and oxygenated sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (0.35%). Overall, the physicochemical attributes and chemical profile of the tested essential oil from Pakistan were reasonably comparable with those investigated for coriander seed essential oils from other regions of the world suggesting its potential for functional foods and cosmetics applications

Actividad antioxidante de extractos de metanol al 80% y al 100% de semillas de cebada (Hordeum vulgare L.): estabilización del aceite de girasol.

The antioxidant potential of 100% and 80% methanol extracts from the seeds of three barley varieties (Jou 83, Jou 87 and Haider 93) was assessed. The extract yields from barley seeds ranged from 3.23% (Haider 93,100% methanol) to 5.31% (Jou 83, 80% methanol). The total phenolic contents, DPPH radical scavenging activity (IC50 values) and inhibition of linoleic acid oxidation of barley seed extracts (BSE) were determined to be 88.1-145.7 mg/100g, 90.8-168.6 μg/mL and 62.6-74.6%, respectively. The antioxidant effectiveness of BSE was also assessed by stabilizing sunflower oil (SFO) with BSE at a concentration of 600 ppm (oil weight basis). The stabilized (treated with extract) and the control (without extract addition) SFO samples were subjected to accelerated (oven heating at 60ºC for 30 days, 8 h heating cycle/day) storage. These were analyzed at regular intervals for the extent of oxidative changes according to the measurements of their contents of peroxide value, para-anisidine value, conjugated dienes and conjugated trienes. Generally, the 80% methanol extract of barely seeds demonstrated better antioxidant action than the 100% methanol extract. The antioxidant activity of BSE was also found to be considerably varied among the varieties tested. The present results suggest that antioxidant extracts from barely seeds might be used to protect vegetable oils from oxidation.El potencial antioxidante de extractos de metanol al 100% y el 80% de semillas de tres variedades de cebada (Jou 83, Jou 87 y Haider 93) fue evaluada. El rendimiento de los extractos de las semillas de cebada vario desde un 3.23% (Haider, 100% methanol) a un 5.31% (Jou 83, 80% metanol). El contenido total de fenoles, la actividad atrapadora del radical DPPH (valores IC50) y la inhibición de la oxidación del ácido linoleico de los extractos de semilla de cebada (BSE) fueron 88.1-145.7 mg/100g, 90.8-168.6 μg/mL y 62.6- 74.6%, respectivamente. La efectividad antioxidante de BSE fue también evaluada mediante su capacidad para estabilizar aceite de girasol con concentraciones de BSE de 600 ppm (respecto al peso del aceite). La muestras estabilizadas (tratadas con extractos) y el control (sin adición de extractos) SFO fueron tratadas bajo condiciones de almacenamiento acelerado (calentamiento en un horno a 60ºC durante 30 días y ciclos de calentamiento de 8 h/día). Estas fueron analizadas a intervalos regulares para evaluar la extensión de los cambios oxidativos mediante la medida del valor de peróxidos, valor de para-anisidina y los contenidos de dienos conjugados y trienos congujados. Generalmente, los extractos de semilla de cebada al 80% demostraron una mejor acción antioxidante que los extracto al 100% de metanol. La actividad antioxidante de BSE varió también considerablemente entre las distintas variedades ensayadas. Los presentes resultados sugieren que los extractos antioxidantes de semillas de cebada podrían ser usadas para proteger aceites vegetales de la oxidación

Efecto de la salinidad en la producción y calidad del aceite de semilla de Moringa oleifera

Variation in the yield and composition of Moringa oleifera (M. oleifera) seed oil from two differently adopted (non-saline and saline) provinces of Pakistan was examined. Hexaneextracted M. oleifera seeds from saline and non-saline areas contained 33.50% and 32.79% oil yield, respectively. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed no significant differences in the physical (refractive index (40 oC), color and specific gravity (24 °C) or chemical (iodine value, free fatty acid value, peroxide value, unsaponifiable matter, saponification value, conjugated diene and triene values and  p-anisidine value) characteristics of the oils obtained from both areas. The concentration of C18:1 and C16:0 was significantly (P < 0.001) higher whereas, that of C14:0 was lower in M. oleifera seed oils from the saline area. A tocopherol analysis demonstrated the concentration of α- and δ-tocopherol of Moringa seed oils to be significantly (P < 0.001) higher from the saline area. Whereas, the contents of γ-tocopherol was found to be significantly (P < 0.001) higher in the Moringa seed oils native to the non-saline area. Results from the present study revealed that salinity did not affect the oil content of M. oleifera seeds. Nevertheless, it might affect the tocopherol and fatty acid profiles of M. oleifera seed oil.Ha sido examinada la variación en la producción y composición del aceite de semilla de Moringa oleifera extraído a partir de semillas cultivadas en Pakistan con diferente concentración salina en el cultivo. La producción obtenida por extracción con hexano fue de 33.50% y 32.79% respectivamente para las semillas cultivadas en áreas con alto y bajo contenido salino. El análisis de la varianza (ANOVA) reveló la inexistencia de diferencias significativas entre las características físicas (índice de refracción a 40 °C, color y gravedad específica) y las químicas (índice de yodo, acidez libre, índice de peróxidos, materia insaponificable, índice de saponificación, valores de dienos y trienos conjugados e índice de p-anisidina) de los aceites procedentes de ambas áreas. En el área de mayor salinidad las concentraciones de C18:1 y C16:0 de los aceites de semilla de Moringa oleifera fueron significativamente mayores (P< 0.001), mientras que el de C14:0 fue significativamente menor. El análisis de tocoferoles demostró que las concentraciones de α- y δ-tocoferol eran superiores significativamente (P< 0.001) en los aceites procedentes de las áreas con alta salinidad, mientras que el contenido en γ-tocoferol fue superior significativamente (P< 0.001) en los procedentes del área de baja salinidad. Los resultados de este estudio muestran que la salinidad no afecta sobre el contenido en aceite de estas semillas. Sin embargo, puede afectar al contenido en tocoferoles y el perfil de ácidos grasos

Effects of antiplatelet therapy on stroke risk by brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases: subgroup analyses of the RESTART randomised, open-label trial

Background Findings from the RESTART trial suggest that starting antiplatelet therapy might reduce the risk of recurrent symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage compared with avoiding antiplatelet therapy. Brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases (such as cerebral microbleeds) are associated with greater risks of recurrent intracerebral haemorrhage. We did subgroup analyses of the RESTART trial to explore whether these brain imaging features modify the effects of antiplatelet therapy

Patterns Of HRCT In Patients with Pulmonary Tuberculosis At A Tertiary Care Hospital

Abstract: Background: With the advancement in biomedical engineering and imaging technology, HRCT scan has emerged as more effective tool than standard1computed tomography scan &amp; traditional chest radiography in detecting pulmonary pathologies including pulmonary tuberculosis. Objective: To determine different patterns of HRCT in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis. Study Design: Retrospective observational study. Setting: Department of Pulmonology &amp; Internal Medicine, University of Lahore Teaching Hospital, Lahore. Methodology:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Total of 76 patients were included in the study based on inclusion &amp; exclusion criteria, selected by non-probability consecutive sampling. Demographic information, signs &amp; symptoms and results from high-resolution tomography scans were noted. Data analysis was performed on SPSS 23 &amp; reported by descriptive statistics. Results: Total 76 patients were included. The mean age was 46.18+20.27 years ranging from 8 to 86 years. There were 43(56.6%) males and 33(43.4%) females. 36 (47.37%) patients were up to 45 years of age and 40 (52.63%) patients were above 45 years. Signs and symptoms of pulmonary TB were cough 60 (78.9%), sputum 21(27.6%), fever 43(55.3%), night sweats 23(30.3%) &amp; weight loss 36(47.4%). Most common HRCT pattern observed was ill defined nodules (77.6% cases) while atelactasis was the least common HRCT pattern observed (22.4% cases). There was no statistically significant difference (P &lt;0.05) observed between different patterns of HRCT and positive sputum smear. Conclusion: Our study concluded that a HRCT scan is helpful in the identification of the disease and its accompanying spectrum in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis with nodules being the most prevalent HRCT pattern. Key Words: Tuberculosis (TB), High resolution computerized tomography (HRCT

Evaluación de la degradación oxidativa del aceite de soja almacenado a temperatura ambiente y a la luz solar

This study was carried out in order to probe the extent of oxidative alterations in soybean oil (SBO), subjected to ambient and sunlight storage, over a period of 180 days. The magnitude of oxidative changes was monitored by the periodical measurement of peroxide value (PV), color, free fatty acid (FFA) contents, refractive index (RI), p-anisidine-, conjugated dienes-, conjugated trienes-, and iodine- values. At the end of storage period (180 days), the initial contents of FFA (0.02 % as oleic acid) and PV (0.02 meq/kg of oil) of the SBO samples subjected to ambient and sunlight storage reached the level of 1.77, 2.90 % and 20.52, 41.89 meq/kg of oil, respectively. The initial values of RI (40°C) (1.4630), panisidine (1.10), conjugated dienes (0.08) and conjugated trienes (0.04) rose to the point of 1.4647, 1.4659; 36.13, 50.40; 23.97, 41.49 and 13.81, 19.35, respectively. Whereas, the iodine value (g of I /100 g of oil) decreased from 138.00 to 126.18 and 118.04, respectively. At the end of storage period, the overall order, indicative of the oxidative changes in RI, FFA, IV, color (red + yellow), PV, P-anisidine, conjugated dienes and conjugated trienes of the SBO subjected to ambient and sunlight storage was as follows: 1.001:1.002, 1.00:1.65, 0.91:0.86, 0.80:0.60 + 0.75:0.50, 1.00:2.04, 1.00:1.39, 1.00:1.73 and 1.00:1.40, respectively. The results of various parameters investigated in the present study demonstrated the magnitude of oxidative deterioration of the SBO samples exposed to sunlight to be significantly (P < 0.05) pronounced as compared with that of ambient.Se lleva a cabo un estudio para conocer las diferencias en la oxidación del aceite de soja conservado a temperatura ambiente y a la luz solar durante un periodo de 180 días. Los cambios en la oxidación fueron evaluados mediante medidas periódicas del índice de peroxidos, color, acidez libre, índice de refracción (RI), índice de p-anisidina, dienos conjugados e índice de yodo. Al final del periodo de almacenamiento, los niveles de acidez e índice de peroxidos fueron 1,77 y 2,90% y 20.52, 41.89 meq/kg de aceite, respectivamente para los aceites a temperatura ambiente y a la luz solar. Los valores iniciales de RI (40°C), p-anisidina, dienos conjugados y trienos conjugados a los 180 días fueron 1.4647 y 1.4659; 36.13 y 50.40; 23.97 y 41.49; y 13.81 y19.35, respectivamente. Por el contrario, el índice de iodo (g I2 /100 g aceite) disminuyó desde 138.0 to 126.18 y 118.04, respectivamente. Los resultados de los distintos parámetros analizados demostraron que la magnitud de la degradación oxidativa de las muestras de aceite de soja expuestas a la luz solar fue en todos los casos, significativamente superior (P < 0.05) a la que ocurre a temperatura ambiente

Surgical Outcome of Cerebellopontine Angle Tumours by Retrosigmoid Approach

Objective: To determine the microsurgical outcome of cerebellopontine angle tumours by the retrosigmoid approach. Study Design: Quasi experimental study. Place and Duration of Study: Departments of Neurosurgery Lahore General Hospital and mayo hospital, Lahore from January 1998 to June 2015. Materials and Methods: Four hundred and fifty six patients of cerebellopontine angle tumours of various histologies were operated at the Departments of Neurosurgery, Lahore General Hospital and mayo hospital, Lahore, from Jan 1998 to June 2015. All patients with unilateral or bilateral lesions from 15 to 65 yrs of age and with all different pathologies in cerebellopontine angle were included in the study. Complete blood count, X-Ray Chest and MRI Brain plain and with I.V contrast were done. Patients with pre-operative radiosurgery, multiple surgeries and those unfit for surgery were excluded from the study. All patients were operated under general anaesthesia by retrosigmoid approach in park bench position. Preservation of the facial nerve was attempted in all cases. Post op facial nerve status was compared with pre-op grade by House – Brackman grading. Post op development of hydrocephalus and other cranial nerve complications were also noted and overall morbidity and mortality was studied.Results: Four hundred and fifty six patients, 274 men (60.1%) and 182 women (39.9%), underwent micro-surgical excision of cerebellopontine angle tumours. 410 (89.9%) patients were vestibular schwannomas,22 (4.8%) were meningioma, 9 (1.9%) were epidermoid and 13 (2.8%) were all other pathologies in cerebello-pontine angle tumours. Patient ages ranged from 15 to 65 years (mean 44.11±8.41 years). All patients were operated by the Retrosigmoid approach. Complete resection was achieved in 237 patients (51.9%), subtotal resection (STR) in 209 patients (45.8%), and near-total resection (NTR) in 10 patients (2.1%). Good facial nerve outcomes (House-Brackmann [HB] Grades I-III) were achieved in 82% of the patients who had undergone either NTR or STR, as compared with 73% of patients who had undergone gross-total resection (GTR). Complications included wound infection (2 patients), delayed CSF leakage 10 (2.1% of patients), hydrocephalus requiring VP shunt in 15 (3.2%), basal cranial nerve palsy in 45 patients (9.8%) and mortality in 10 (2.1%). Conclusion: Retrosigmoid approach is relatively easy and safe approach for cerebellopontine angle tumour. Tumours of all sizes can be operated completely and facial nerve can be identified and saved with this approach with less operative time and less chances of CSF leak

A Novel Approach to Automate Complex Software Modularization Using a Fact Extraction System

Complex software systems that support organizations are updated regularly, which can erode system architectures. Moreover, documentation is rarely synchronized with the changes to the software system. This creates a slew of issues for future software maintenance. To this goal, information extraction tools use exact approaches to extract entities and their corresponding relationships from source code. Such exact approaches extract all features, including those that are less prominent and may not be significant for modularization. In order to resolve the issue, this work proposes an enhanced approximate information extraction approach, namely, fact extractor system for Java applications (FESJA) that aims to automate software modularization using a fact extraction system. The proposed FESJA technique extracts all the entities along with their corresponding more dominant formal and informal relationships from a Java source code. Results demonstrate the improved performance of FESJA, by extracting 74 (classes), 43 (interfaces), and 31 (enumeration), in comparison with eminent information extraction techniques

Hepatoprotective effect of desi and kabuli cultivars of Cicer arietinum L (chick peas) against carbon tetrachloride-induced toxicity in rats

Purpose: To determine the hepatoprotective potential of ethanol extracts of desi and kabuli cultivars of Cicer arietinum L. (chick peas). Methods: Hepatotoxicity was induced in rats using oral administration of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). The rats were then orally administered different doses of the ethanol extracts of desi and kabuli cultivars of Cicer arietinum L. for 21 days. Oxidative stress parameters and hepatoprotective profiles were determined in serum samples using standard procedures. The effect of the treatments on liver histology was also determined. Results: Administration of extracts of desi and kabuli cultivars of Cicer arietinum L. to CCl4 treated rats at a dose of 300 mg/kg resulted in a significant (p ≤ 0.05) decrease in oxidative stress parameters, whereas catalase activity significantly increased (p ≤ 0.05); on the other hand, ALT and AST levels were decreased significantly (p ≤ 0.05), when compared to the control group. Conclusion: High doses of Cicer arietinum L (desi and kabuli cultivars) seem to have hepatoprotective and antioxidant effects on CCl4-induced toxicity in rats. This finding underscores the therapeutic importance of Cicer arietinum L. as a plant with hepatoprotective properties. Keywords: Cicer arietinum, Phenolics, Hepatotoxicity, Chick peas, Catalas