THE STUDY OF FREE RADICALS TO EVALUATE THE HEALING EFFECTS OF PUNICA GRANATUM PEEL ON ACETIC ACID-INDUCED COLITIS IN RATS

Objective: The objective of the study was to analyze the effect of 50% ethanolic extract of the dried Punica granatum peel (PGE) on the healing of acetic acid-induced colitis in rats. Methods: Colitis was induced in rats using 50% acetic acid and then PGE extract was administered by oral route daily for 14 days to those rats. Optimal healing was observed by the administration of a 100 mg/kg dose of PGE extract. Effectiveness of the above-mentioned dosage of PGE on biochemical parameters, basically free radicals – nitric oxide and lipid peroxidation was studied on 18 hours fasting rats on the 15th day of the experiment. Results: The results were suggestive of the healing properties of PGE extract by reduction of the inflammation and mucosal damage in the colon of those rats. The healing effects were established by the estimation and study of free radicals taken from the mucosal samples of the rat’s colon. The safety of extract was established by the effective administration of 10 times the therapeutic dose, that is, 1000 mg/kg dosage of the PGE extract with no noticeable adverse effects or side effects related to ANS or central nervous system. Conclusion: PGE extract was found to be effective in healing mucosal damage due to colitis by controlling the infection and reducing the inflammation

Trend of risk factors for cardiovascular diseases among young and middle-aged indians: Insights from a nationally representative survey

Background: India, as a nation is witnessing epidemiological transition, which is taking place across all the states at different level, over past couple of decades. Owing to the long natural history of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), early identification of these risk factors can aid in understanding the distribution and future development of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Also, studying the trend of these risk factors over time can help in prediction of burden of various CVDs in future. Thus, the present study aims at understanding the trend of various risk factors for CVDs across rural and urban India, and states.Methods: The present study was conducted using secondary data from the third, fourth and fifth round of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) conducted in India. The surveys collected data for estimation of burden of the common modifiable risk factors of CVDs including tobacco and alcohol consumption overweight/obesity, raised blood pressure, and raised blood sugar. The analysis for the present study was done among interviewed males and females between 15 and 49 years. The weighted prevalence of these risk factors was computed and binary logistic regression was done to study the predictors for the same.Results: A declining trend of tobacco (29.2% in NFHS 3; 8.1%in NFHS 5) and alcohol consumption (14.2% in NFHS 3; 3.2%in NFHS 5) was observed from 2005 -06 to 2019–21. A rising trend of overall raised blood pressure (11.4% in NFHS 4; 12.2%in NFHS 5), raised blood sugar (6.2% in NFHS 4; 8.5%in NFHS 5), and overweight and obesity (11.4% in NFHS 3; 23.6%in NFHS 5) was observed from the three rounds of the survey. The odds of all the studied risk factors were significantly higher among older age across all the rounds of the survey. Except overweight/obesity, the odds of rest all studied risk factors was found to be higher among males compared to females. Also, higher odds of alcohol consumption, overweight/obesity, raised blood pressure, and raised blood sugar were found among the participants living in urban areas compared to rural areas, across all the rounds of the survey.Conclusion: The present highlights the rising burden of CVD risk factors, including overweight and obesity, raised blood pressure and raised blood sugar, and a declining trend of tobacco and alcohol consumption across the country. The study also highlights the need for in-depth assessment of predictors of these risk factors using longitudinal study designs.</p