Open Access Extracts from Acacia catechu suppress HIV-1 replication by inhibiting the activities of the viral

Background: Acacia catechu (Mimosa family) stem bark extracts have been used traditionally as a dietary supplement as well as a folk medicine given its reported anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, hepatoprotective, antioxidant, anti-microbial and anti-tumor activities. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the anti-HIV-1 activity of the extracts from stem bark of A. catechu. Methods: The aqueous and 50 % ethanolic extracts of A. catechu stem bark were prepared and 50 % ethanolic extract was further fractioned by successively partitioning with petroleum ether, chloroform and n-butanol. All the extracts and fractions were evaluated for cytotoxicity and anti-HIV-1 activity using different in vitro assays. The active n-butanol fraction was evaluated for its inhibition against HIV-1 reverse transcriptase, integrase, protease, pro-viral genome integration and viral Tat protein mediated transactivation. The effect of n-butanol fraction on the induction of pro-inflammatory cytokines secretion in Vk2/E6E7 cells and transepithelial resistance in Caco-2 and HEC-1A cells was investigated. Results: The aqueous and 50 % ethanolic extracts of A. catechu showed IC50 values of 1.8 ± 0.18 μg/ml and 3.6 ± 0.31 μg/ml, respectively in cell-free virus based assay using TZM-bl cells and HIV-1NL4.3 (X-4 tropic). In the above assay, n-butanol fraction exhibited anti-HIV-1 activity with an IC50 of 1.7 ± 0.12 μg/ml. The n-butanol fractio

Urban Dengue Surveillance over Sixteen Years: Integration, Trend Analysis and Participation of Private Medical Sector

Purpose: The increasing urbanisation and evolution of dengue vector offers favorable grounds for dengue. In absence of effective vaccine and therapeutic interventions, surveillance and reporting becomes mainstay for dengue management.Methods: Extensive efforts integrated various components (vector, human case, laboratory, environment and virus) of dengue surveillance with existing vector-borne disease surveillance in a large municipal corporation of western India. Approximately 80% private sector was involved to enhance and expand epidemiological picture of dengue transmission. Weekly entomological surveillance for immature and mature forms of Aedes mosquito was performed by trained team. Standardised sentinel hospital laboratories confirmed serological diagnosis. Virus serotype surveys and environmental indices were integrated later.Results: Between years 2000- 2016, total 24,506 clinically suspected and 3,515 confirmed cases were tested and reported respectively. After 2006, private sector contributed 10970 (40%) suspected and 971 (30%) confirmed cases. The adult vector density emerged as significantly correlated (r=0.67) to dengue cases. Low (<1) level of larval indices; House index (HI), Container’s index (CI) and Breteau index (BI) supported dengue transmission. The virus serotype survey shows predominant DEN-2 strain. The quality controlled and detailed case information guided implementation of prevention and control measure.Conclusions: Integration of dengue surveillance components with special emphasis on private sector leads to better informed program managers and healthcare providers

Lymphatic filariasis elimination endgame in an urban Indian setting: the roles of surveillance and residual microfilaremia after mass drug administration.

BACKGROUND: To secure the gains of lymphatic filariasis (LF) elimination programs, attention is needed to the 'residual microfilaremia phase', in which high-risk populations may be crucial. The present study documents the impact of mass drug administration (MDA) in the urban Indian setting of Surat City, with high rates of in-migration. METHODS: Epidemiological assessment included National Filaria Control Program (NFCP) and World Health Organization recommended routine and pre-MDA microfilaremia surveys respectively. Routine filaria surveys were conducted around the year in approximately 2000-4000 people per month, while pre-MDA surveys were carried out annually among approximately 4000 people from four fixed and four random sites. In 2016, Transmission Assessment Survey (TAS) was done in primary school children. The outcomes were microfilaremia (Mf) and antigen prevalence; more specifically, microfilaremia according to place of birth, in pre-MDA and routine night blood smears (NBS) collected from 2008 to 2015. Prevalence ratios and confidence intervals were calculated. RESULTS: A total of 25 480 pre-MDA and 306 198 routine NBS were examined during the study. In 2008, the Mf prevalence in the routine survey was 63/18 814 (0.33%), declining to 23/39 717 (0.06%) in 2016. Pre-MDA surveys showed a similar decrease from 47/4184 (1.1%) in 2008 to 12/4042 (0.3%) in 2015. In those born outside Surat, microfilaremia decreased below transmission thresholds, but remained more than treble that of the remainder of the population, in both the pre-MDA surveys [prevalence ratio: 3.17, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.15-8.72], and the routine surveys (3.31, 95% CI: 1.47-7.48). Though the TAS results indicated that MDA endpoints had been reached, sub-group analysis identified that 90% of antigenemic children were from families of high-risk groups. CONCLUSIONS: Extensive long-term epidemiological monitoring suggests that all the urban population, including high-risk groups, have benefitted from the ELF program. To prevent re-establishment of infection in large urban areas with unsanitary conditions conducive to filarial vector breeding, there is need to identify residual microfilaremia by customized surveys in addition to pre-MDA monitoring and TAS. The present findings can be used to develop strategies to prioritize screening, surveillance and plan treatment of high-risk groups after achieving MDA endpoints

A sequential study of Chikungunya fever cases notified in the urban setup of India

Context: Chikungunya’s resurgence highlights reporting and awareness challenges. Aims: To analyze trends in 170 laboratory-confirmed Chikungunya cases in Urban Surat’s Central Sentinel Surveillance (2016-2020), supplemented by a subset (n = 30) examining perceptions, attitudes, and risk reduction practices based on notification level. Results: Notification rates peaked in 2017 (1.14 cases/100,000). A high House Index (>1) was observed in 59% (2018) and 58% (2019) of cases. Seasonal peaks occurred in November (31%) and December (24.7%), with no private sector notifications. Highest case rates were in South (9.2) and Southeast (8.1) zones. Over half of the cases in Central (69.2%), Southeast (67.2%), and South (52.8%) zones had a House Index >1 (P = 0.001), indicating significant indoor mosquito breeding. Median age was 37 years (30-43), with females comprising 65.3% of cases. Awareness of mosquitoes as vectors (40%) and their day-biting behavior (26.7%) was low, despite familiarity with Abate larvicide (60%). Prevention methods included mosquito coils (76%) and fumigation (73%), with less emphasis on water change (40%) and container maintenance (23%). Only 13% perceived Chikungunya as preventable, with low readiness for community engagement (13%). Misconceptions included considering chemical fogging sufficient (63%) and neglecting water-logging as a health concern (40%). Few implemented risk reduction measures (23% removing stagnant water, 20% weekly water change). Conclusion: Fluctuating notifications and unnoticed surges in 2019-2020 underscore the need for continuous, standardized surveillance. Higher case rates in southern and central regions were linked to high indoor breeding. The lack of private sector reporting and underreporting indicate a need for integrated surveillance. Awareness and adoption of Aedes-specific risk reduction practices remain low, with persistent misconceptions and poor attitudes

Effect of Supervised Moderate Intensity Exercise Program in Phase one Cardiac Rehabilitation of Post Operative Cabg Patients - A Randomized Controlled Trail

Background: With the increasing number of cases for CABG, the cardiac rehabilitation has gained importance. The trends in rehabilitation of a coronary artery disease patient are changing by incorporating a variety of aerobic exercises and resisted training in to their rehabilitation program. The outcome of any exercise chiefly depends on the training parameters like intensity, frequency and duration. Hence the present study focused to know the effects of supervised moderate intensity exercises on patients during hospital discharge following CABG. The objective of is to study the effectiveness of supervised moderate intensity exercise on distance walked and Quality of Life at hospital discharge following CABG. Methods: Study recruited randomly 46 patients between age group 40-65 years who were posted for non-emergency CABG for the first time. Pre-operative assessment was done thoroughly and was divided in to two groups, Group A conventional treatment and Group B Moderate intensity exercise group. The patients were treated using different protocols in terms of intensity for 8-10 days immediate post CABG. Then the outcome parameters of 6MWT and sf-36 were compared for analysis. Results: Both groups individually showed extremely significant results for two outcome measures. 6 MWD difference between two treatment groups showed significant results with unpaired t test (t = 8.5720,p<0.001). Quality of life score difference within group showed very significant results but there is no difference found between both groups. Conclusion: Moderate intensity exercises can also be included in the immediate post-operative phase of CABG, as they reduce the length of hospital stay and quicken the cardiac rehabilitation process. But there need to be a lot of randomized control trails to confirm the benefits of moderate intensity exercises in phase one rehabilitation program after CABG

In vitro antioxidant and antimicrobial potential of Sterculia urens Roxb. root extract and its bioactive phytoconstituents evaluation

AbstractBackgroundThe plantSterculia urensRoxb. of Malvaceae family is comparatively understudied. GenusSterculiais widely recognized by its phytomedicinal and ethnomedicinal attributes. The study is aimed to evaluate the qualitative analysis, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), thin layer chromatography (TLC), total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the crude hydro-methanolic extract ofS. urensroot.ResultsThe antioxidant activity, antimicrobial assay for clinical isolates, and TPC were measured by DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) free radical scavenging activity, agar well diffusion method, and Folin–Ciocalteu assay respectively. Hydro-methanolic extract confirmed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, phenols, saponins, steroids, and glycosides as primary and secondary metabolites, which was later confirmed by TLC. FT-IR spectroscopy revealed the presence of alkanes, alkenes, alkyl halides, halogen compounds, primary alcohol, tertiary alcohol, aldehyde, aromatic amine, secondary amines, amide group, and carboxylic acid. The crude extract was composed of a significant quantity of total phenolic content with 705 ± 0.40 mg GAE/g. Synergistically, the IC50value of the crude extract and ascorbic acid was found to be 27.055 μg/ml and 37.244 μg/ml, respectively, which suggests that root extract possesses strong antioxidant properties. The majority of the microbial strains exhibited varying degrees of sensitivity to the root extract with a notable inhibitory effect againstEscherichia coli,Klebsiella pneumoniae, andPenicillium glaucum.ConclusionThe findings of this analysis suggest that the hydro-methanolic extract fromS. urensroot exhibit antioxidant activity quantified by its ability to scavenge DPPH; antimicrobial activity displayed appreciable microbial sensitivity. These properties are associated with the presence of high phenolic content, different secondary metabolites, and their functional groups. The results are suggestive thatS. urensroot is rich in bioactive compounds, which serve as a novel natural source for potential therapeutic applications.Graphical abstract</jats:sec

EFFECT OF SUPERVISED MODERATE INTENSITY EXERCISE PROGRAM IN PHASE ONE CARDIAC REHABILITATION OF POST OPERATIVE CABG PATIENTS - A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRAIL

Background: With the increasing number of cases for CABG, the cardiac rehabilitation has gained importance. The trends in rehabilitation of a coronary artery disease patient are changing by incorporating a variety of aerobic exercises and resisted training in to their rehabilitation program. The outcome of any exercise chiefly depends on the training parameters like intensity, frequency and duration. Hence the present study focused to know the effects of supervised moderate intensity exercises on patients during hospital discharge following CABG. The objective of is to study the effectiveness of supervised moderate intensity exercise on distance walked and Quality of Life at hospital discharge following CABG. Methods: Study recruited randomly 46 patients between age group 40-65 years who were posted for non-emergency CABG for the first time. Pre-operative assessment was done thoroughly and was divided in to two groups, Group A conventional treatment and Group B Moderate intensity exercise group. The patients were treated using different protocols in terms of intensity for 8-10 days immediate post CABG. Then the outcome parameters of 6MWT and sf-36 were compared for analysis. Results: Both groups individually showed extremely significant results for two outcome measures. 6 MWD difference between two treatment groups showed significant results with unpaired t test (t = 8.5720,p<0.001). Quality of life score difference within group showed very significant results but there is no difference found between both groups. Conclusion: Moderate intensity exercises can also be included in the immediate post-operative phase of CABG, as they reduce the length of hospital stay and quicken the cardiac rehabilitation process. But there need to be a lot of randomized control trails to confirm the benefits of moderate intensity exercises in phase one rehabilitation program after CABG.