Osteochondral grafting of knee joint using mosaicplasty

Focal cartilage defects of articular surface-traumatic and degenerative are difficult to treat, thus a variety of surgical techniques have been developed and reported for treatment of such defects. Procedures such as Priddies perforations, microfracture, abrasion chondroplasty have shown long-term results which are often less than adequate. One of the reasons is that all these techniques lead to the formation of fibrocartilage which has inferior mechanical properties as compared to the native hyaline cartilage. Mosaicplasty is a procedure which aims at replacing the lost articular cartilage with hyaline cartilage including underlying bone support, thus providing adequate stability to the cartilage and better cartilage/bone integration. A young man underwent this procedure for recalcitrant knee pain at our institution. At 2 years follow-up, his knee pain has significantly improved. We hereby present medium term results (2 years) of this first case report in local literature

Preliminary analysis of the anti-inflammatory activity of essential oils of Zingiber zerumbet

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have been widely used for the treatment of inflammation. However, despite their effectiveness, most NSAIDs cause various side effects that negatively affect the management of inflammation and, in part, pain. Thus, there is a need to search for new anti-inflammatory agents with few, or no, side effects. Natural products of plant, animal, or microorganism origin have been good sources of new bioactive compounds. The present study was carried out to evaluate the acute and chronic anti-inflammatory activities of the essential oil of the rhizomes of Zingiber zerumbet (Zingiberaceae) using the carrageenan-induced paw edema and cotton pellet-induced granuloma tests, respectively. The effect of the essential oil on inflammatory- and noninflammatory-mediated pain was also assessed using the formalin test. Essential oil of Z. zerumbet, at doses of 30, 100, and 300 mg/kg, was administered intraperitoneally to rats. The substance exhibited significant anti-inflammatory activity both in acute and chronic animal models. The essential oil also inhibited inflammatory- and noninflammatory-mediated pain when assessed using the formalin test. In conclusion, the essential oil of Z. zerumbet possessed anti-inflammatory activity, in addition to its antinociceptive activity, which may explain its traditional uses to treat inflammatory-related ailments

Effects of Melicope ptelifolia aqueous extract on sperm parameters and testosterone level in Sprague-Dawley rats

The increasing number of prevalence infertility cases is becoming a major public health problem in developing countries due to changes in diet and lifestyle. Melicope ptelefolia is known for its health benefit as a sex enhancing effect among the Malays folk however there is no clinical data to prove it until these days. The main aim of the present study is to identify the effects of Melicope ptelifolia Aqueous extract (MPAE) on Sperm Parameters and Testosterone Level . A total of 30 male Sprague Dawley rats were divided equally into five different groups. MPAE was given by orally gavage for 28 days at a dose of 100mg/kg, 200 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg body weight to the animals of group II (n=6), III (n=6) and IV (n=6), respectively. The animals of group I (control, n=6) had distilled water and group V had sildenafil citrate. Results were analyzed using one way ANOVA test and the data were significant at p<0.05. Oral administration of MPAE extract showed an increased sperm count and sperm viability. Oral administration of the MPAE resulted a significant increased (p<0.05) for Group II, III and IV in sperm count and sperm morphology. A significant increased increased was recorded for Group I, II, III and IV in sperm viability. However, sperm vitality remained normal in all the groups. From our present experimental findings we are tempted to suggest that the MPAE could be a potential male fertility agent

Production of bioethanol through enzymatic hydrolysis of potato

Due to gradual decrease in petroleum resources and impacts of these wastes on the environment, there is a need to utilize the wastes of potatoes to get wealth out of wastes and clean the environment. In this study, potato wastes were investigated as source of bioethanol. 100 g potato powder was mixed with 1 L distilled water in two separate beakers to form potato slurry. Bioethanol production was investigated using effect of pH, temperature and mixture of digesting enzymes after scarification and fermentation. The results show that significant (p&lt;0.05) bioethanol was produced at 35°C and at pH 5.5. This investigation also reveals that mixture of enzymes significantly enhanced (p&lt;0.05) bioethanol production compared to non treated mixture. Maximum bioethanol productions were due to the presence of sugar in potatoes.Key words: Bioethanol, potato, ph, temperature, liquefaction

Antinociceptive effect of the essential oil of Zingiber zerumbet in mice : possible mechanisms

Abstract Ethnopharmacological relevance Zingiber zerumbet (L.) Smith, a wild edible ginger species or locally known as “lempoyang”, commonly used in the Malays traditional medicine as an appetizer or to treat stomachache, toothache, muscle sprain and as a cure for swelling sores and cuts. Aim The present study was conducted to investigate the possible mechanism of actions underlying the systemic antinociception activity of the essential oil of Zingiber zerumbet (EOZZ) in chemical-induced nociception tests in mice. Materials and methods Acetic acid-induced abdominal constriction, capsaicin-, glutamate- and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate-induced paw licking tests in mice were employed in the study. In all experiments, EOZZ was administered systemically at the doses of 50, 100, 200 and 300 mg/kg. Results It was shown that EOZZ given to mice via intraperitoneal and oral routes at 50, 100, 200 and 300 mg/kg produced significant dose dependent antinociception when assessed using acetic acid-induced abdominal writing test with calculated mean ID50 values of 88.84 mg/kg (80.88–97.57 mg/kg) and 118.8 mg/kg (102.5–137.8 mg/kg), respectively. Likewise, intraperitoneal administration of EOZZ at similar doses produced significant dose dependent inhibition of neurogenic pain induced by intraplantar injection of capsaicin (1.6 μg/paw), glutamate (10 μmol/paw) and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (1.6 μg/paw) with calculated mean ID50 of 128.8 mg/kg (118.6–139.9 mg/kg), 124.8 mg/kg (111.4–139.7 mg/kg) and 40.29 (35.39–45.86) mg/kg, respectively. It was also demonstrated that pretreatment with l-arginine (100 mg/kg, i.p.), a nitric oxide precursor significantly reversed antinociception produced by EOZZ suggesting the involvement of l-arginine/nitric oxide pathway. In addition, methylene blue (20 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly enhanced antinociception produced by EOZZ. Administration of glibenclamide (10 mg/kg, i.p.), an ATP-sensitive K+ channel antagonist significantly reversed antinociceptive activity induced by EOZZ. Conclusion Together, the present results suggested that EOZZ-induced antinociceptive activity was possibly related to its ability to inhibit glutamatergic system, TRPV1 receptors as well as through activation of l-arginine/nitric oxide/cGMP/protein kinase C/ATP-sensitive K+ channel pathway

In vivo analgesic effect of aqueous extract of Tamarindus indica L. fruits.

To study the effects of Tamarindus indica L. aqueous fruit extract on the antinociceptive activities in rodent models. Methods: The analgesic effect was evaluated using acetic acid-induced writhing, hot plate and formalin tests. Results: The extract (60–600 mg/kg) significantly (p < 0.05) inhibited the writhing test in a dose-dependent manner with the percentage of analgesia recorded between 51.8 and 74.1%. In addition, the extract also significantly (p < 0.05) increased the latency time in the hot plate test in a dose-dependent manner. Further study showed that the extract elicited inhibitory activity in both the early and late phases of the formalin test. Moreover, pretreatment with 5 mg/kg naloxone, a nonselective opioid receptor antagonist, significantly (p < 0.05) modified the antinociceptive effect of the extract in all tests. Conclusion: The aqueous extract of T. indica possesses potential antinociceptive activity at both the peripheral and central levels, which are mediated via activation of the opioidergic mechanism

Morphological Identification and Resistance Profile of Antibiotic and Heavy Metals-Resistant Bacteria in Hospital Sewage of Peshawar

Background: Increased resistance of microorganisms to commonly prescribed antibiotics has emerged as a significant hurdle in contemporary medical practice. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared antibiotic resistance as a " major threat to public health.". In the present study, bacterial isolates were selected based on high antibiotic and heavy metal tolerance from a water sample taken from hospital sewage.Methods: Antibiotic-resistant bacteria were isolated through the disk diffusion method. Gram staining was done for morphological identification. For molecular identification, the 16s rDNA PCR amplification was done with universal primers. Results: The strain BC1 was found resistant to ampicillin (10μg/ml), and cefixime (5μg/ml). While, susceptible to kanamycin (30μg/ml), azithromycin (15μg/ml) and intermediate in response to amoxicillin (30μg/ml). The strain BC2 was resistant to ampicillin (10μg/ml), cefixime (5μg/ml) and kanamycin (30μg/ml). While, Susceptible to amoxicillin (30μg/ml), and intermediate in response to azithromycin (15μg/ml). The strains were also found resistant to heavy metals.Conclusion: The recent investigation on bacterial strains from hospital effluent found interesting candidates for understanding the AMR bacteria and developing novel active biomolecules to combat the antibiotics problem. The isolated strains could be a source of novel resistant genes however; a comprehensive molecular analysis is needed for advanced studies

Antinociceptive activity of a synthetic curcuminoid analogue, 2,6-bis-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzylidene)cyclohexanone, on nociception-induced models in mice.

This study investigated the potential antinociceptive efficacy of a novel synthetic curcuminoid analogue, 2,6-bis-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzylidene)cyclohexanone (BHMC), using chemical- and thermal-induced nociception test models in mice. BHMC (0.03, 0.1, 0.3 and 1.0 mg/kg) administered via intraperitoneal route (i.p.) produced significant dose-related inhibition in the acetic acid-induced abdominal constriction test in mice with an ID50 of 0.15 (0.13–0.18) mg/kg. It was also demonstrated that BHMC produced significant inhibition in both neurogenic (first phase) and inflammatory phases (second phase) of the formalin-induced paw licking test with an ID50 of 0.35 (0.27–0.46) mg/kg and 0.07 (0.06–0.08) mg/kg, respectively. Similarly, BHMC also exerted significant increase in the response latency period in the hot-plate test. Moreover, the antinociceptive effect of the BHMC in the formalin-induced paw licking test and the hot-plate test was antagonized by pre-treatment with the non-selective opioid receptor antagonist, naloxone. Together, these results indicate that the compound acts both centrally and peripherally. In addition, administration of BHMC exhibited significant inhibition of the neurogenic nociception induced by intraplantar injections of glutamate and capsaicin with ID50 of 0.66 (0.41–1.07) mg/kg and 0.42 (0.38–0.51) mg/kg, respectively. Finally, it was also shown that BHMC-induced antinociception was devoid of toxic effects and its antinociceptive effect was associated with neither muscle relaxant nor sedative action. In conclusion, BHMC at all doses investigated did not cause any toxic and sedative effects and produced pronounced central and peripheral antinociceptive activities. The central antinociceptive activity of BHMC was possibly mediated through activation of the opioid system as well as inhibition of the glutamatergic system and TRPV1 receptors, while the peripheral antinociceptive activity was perhaps mediated through inhibition of various inflammatory mediators