Syzygium Cumini Leaf Extract Showed Vibriocidal Activity on Selected Diarrhea Causing Bacteria

The objective of the study was to investigate the effect of ethanolic leaf extract (ELE) of Syzygium cumini against Vibrio cholerae particularly two serogroups Ogawa and Inaba. The phenolic content of the ELE was found high which is comparable to ascorbic acid. Brine shrimp lethality bioassay was then performed to check the cytotoxic effects of ELE. The lower LC50 value of ELE obtained indicated its less cytotoxic properties. The antimicrobial activity of the extract was then evaluated by the disc diffusion method against multi-drug resistant Vibrio serogroups Ogawa and Inaba. The extract effectively inhibited the growth of both serogroups. Altogether, the results demonstrated that the ELE of S. cumini has a significant vibriocidal activity that might be useful as a drug for the treatment of cholera

Syzygium cumini Leaf Extract Showed Vibriocidal Activity on Selected Diarrhea Causing Bacteria

The objective of the study was to investigate the effect of ethanolic leaf extract (ELE) of Syzygium cumini against Vibrio cholerae particularly two serogroups Ogawa and Inaba. The phenolic content of the ELE was found high which is comparable to ascorbic acid. Brine shrimp lethality bioassay was then performed to check the cytotoxic effects of ELE. The lower LC50 value of ELE obtained indicated its less cytotoxic properties. The antimicrobial activity of the extract was then evaluated by the disc diffusion method against multi-drug resistant Vibrio serogroups Ogawa and Inaba. The extract effectively inhibited the growth of both serogroups. Altogether, the results demonstrated that the ELE of S. cumini has a significant vibriocidal activity that might be useful as a drug for the treatment of cholera

Dose-response relationship between arsenic exposure and the serum enzymes for liver function tests in the individuals exposed to arsenic: a cross sectional study in Bangladesh

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Chronic arsenic exposure has been shown to cause liver damage. However, serum hepatic enzyme activity as recognized on liver function tests (LFTs) showing a dose-response relationship with arsenic exposure has not yet been clearly documented. The aim of our study was to investigate the dose-response relationship between arsenic exposure and major serum enzyme marker activity associated with LFTs in the population living in arsenic-endemic areas in Bangladesh.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A total of 200 residents living in arsenic-endemic areas in Bangladesh were selected as study subjects. Arsenic concentrations in the drinking water, hair and nails were measured by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectroscopy (ICP-MS). The study subjects were stratified into quartile groups as follows, based on concentrations of arsenic in the drinking water, as well as in subjects' hair and nails: lowest, low, medium and high. The serum hepatic enzyme activities of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) were then assayed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Arsenic concentrations in the subjects' hair and nails were positively correlated with arsenic levels in the drinking water. As regards the exposure-response relationship with arsenic in the drinking water, the respective activities of ALP, AST and ALT were found to be significantly increased in the high-exposure groups compared to the lowest-exposure groups before and after adjustments were made for different covariates. With internal exposure markers (arsenic in hair and nails), the ALP, AST and ALT activity profiles assumed a similar shape of dose-response relationship, with very few differences seen in the higher groups compared to the lowest group, most likely due to the temporalities of exposure metrics.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The present study demonstrated that arsenic concentrations in the drinking water were strongly correlated with arsenic concentrations in the subjects' hair and nails. Further, this study revealed a novel exposure- and dose- response relationship between arsenic exposure metrics and serum hepatic enzyme activity. Elevated serum hepatic enzyme activities in the higher exposure gradients provided new insights into arsenic-induced liver toxicity that might be helpful for the early prognosis of arsenic-induced liver diseases.</p

Impairment of extra-high frequency auditory thresholds in subjects with elevated levels of fasting blood glucose

This study was performed to assess whether there is an association between elevated Fasting Blood Glucose (FBG) and hearing impairment in Bangladeshi population. A total of 142 subjects (72 with elevated FBG; 70 control) were included in the study. The mean auditory thresholds of the control subjects at 1, 4, 8 and 12 kHz frequencies were 6.35 ± 0.35, 10.07 ± 0.91, 27.57 ± 1.82, 51.28 ± 3.01 dB SPL (decibel sound pressure level), respectively and that of the subjects with elevated FBG were 8.33 ± 0.66, 14.37 ± 1.14, 38.96 ± 2.23, and 71.11 ± 2.96 dB, respectively. The auditory thresholds of the subjects with elevated FBG were significantly (p 10 years) showed significantly (p 40 years) and younger (≤40 years) age groups compared to the respective controls. The binary logistic regression analysis showed a 5.79-fold increase in the odds of extra-high frequency hearing impairment in diabetic subjects after adjustment for age, gender and BMI. This study provides conclusive evidence that auditory threshold at an extra-high frequency could be a sensitive marker for hearing impairment in diabetic subjects

Comparative assessment of total polyphenols, antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of different tea varieties of Bangladesh

Objective: To determine the total polyphenol content, antioxidant activity and antibacterial properties of the extracts of different Bangladeshi tea varieties such as flowery broken orange pekoe, broken orange pekoe, red dust and green tea. Methods: Total phenolic and flavonoid contents were determined by Folin–Ciocalteu and aluminum chloride colorimetric assay, respectively. The antioxidant capacity was determined by ferric ion reducing antioxidant power and phosphomolybdenum method. Antibacterial activity was evaluated by disc diffusion method in agar plate and subsequently, the minimum inhibitory concentration was determined by broth dilution method. Results: Total phenolic and flavonoid contents were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in green tea compared to other three black tea varieties. The green tea also showed a higher free radical scavenging and antioxidant activities than all the other tea varieties tested (P < 0.05). In addition, the extracts of all four tea varieties showed inhibitory activity against several pathogenic bacteria and also the same trend of higher antimicrobial activity of green tea than other tea varieties was observed. Conclusions: Taken together, the results of this study demonstrated that Bangladeshi tea, especially the green tea, may act as a substitute for natural antioxidants and as a promising antibacterial agent for beneficial influence in human health

Protective Effects of Phyllanthus Emblica Leaf Extract on Sodium Arsenite-mediated Adverse Effects in Mice

Groundwater contamination of arsenic is the major cause of a serious health hazard in Bangladesh. No specific treatment is yet available to manage the large number of individuals exposed to arsenic. In this study, we evaluated the protective effects of Phyllanthus emblica (Indian gooseberry or Amla) leaf extract (PLE) on arsenic-mediated toxicity in experimental mice. Male Swiss albino mice were divided into three different groups (n=6/group). ‘Control’ mice received arsenic free water together with normal feed. Mice in the remaining two groups designated ‘SA’ and ‘SA+PLE’ were exposed to sodium arsenite (SA, 10 μg/g body weight/day) through drinking water in addition to receiving normal feed and PLE-supplemented feed, respectively. The weight gain of SA-exposed mice was decreased compared with the controls; however, this decrease in body weight gain was prevented when the feed was supplemented with PLE. A secondary effect of arsenic was enlargement of the liver, kidney and spleen of SA-group mice. Deposition of arsenic in those organs was demonstrated by ICP-MS. When PLE was supplemented in the feed the enlargement of the organs was minimized; however, the deposition of arsenic was not significantly reduced. These results indicated that PLE may not block arsenic deposition in tissue directly but rather may play a protective role to reduce arsenic-induced toxicity. Therefore, co-administration of PLE in arsenic-exposed animals might have a future therapeutic application for protecting against arsenic-mediated toxicity