Biochemical attributes of Indian mustard (Brassica juncea) and rapeseed (B. napus) as influenced by salicylic acid and benzothiadiazole

A field experiment was conducted during 2011-12 at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, India to assess the effect of foliar application of elicitors viz., salicylic acid (SA) and benzothiadiazole (BTH) on biochemical constituents of Brassica seeds. Seeds of Brassica juncea and B. napus were sown in the field during rabi season. Four different treatments of elicitors along with a fungicide and control were given to 10 week old plants up to four consecutive weeks. After harvesting, the seeds were analyzed for oil, total soluble protein and glucosinolate content. Results indicated that the elicitor treatments increased the oil, total soluble protein and glucosinolate content in seeds of both the Brassica species. In B. juncea, BTH (7 ppm) + SA (17 ppm) showed 12.5% higher oil content than control. In B. napus, the combinations of elicitors viz., BTH (3 ppm) + SA (33 ppm) and BTH (7 ppm) + SA (17 ppm) exhibited 15% increase in oil content compared to control. Treatment containing BTH (3 ppm) + SA (33 ppm) showed 18.72 and 15.86% higher total soluble protein content in B. juncea and B. napus seeds, respectively compared to control. In B. juncea, BTH (3 ppm) + SA (33 ppm) exhibited 7.13% higher glucosinolate content compared to control. In B. napus, BTH (7 ppm) + SA (17 ppm) showed 11.23% higher glucosinolate content than control. In conclusion, the application of elicitors, i.e., SA and BTH could be a useful tool for improving the nutritive value of B. juncea and B. napus seeds

Dvopulsni sustav za isporuku amoksicilina: Pokušaj sprečavanja bakterijske rezistencije na antibiotike

Bearing in mind the present scenario of the increasing biological tolerance of bacteria against antibiotics, a time controlled two pulse dosage form of amoxicillin was developed. The compression coating inlay tablet approach was used to deliver the drug in two pulses to different parts of the GIT after a well defined lag time between the two releases. This was made possible by formulating a core containing one of the two drug fractions (intended to be delivered as the second pulse), which was spray coated with a suspension of ethyl cellulose and a hydrophilic but water insoluble agent as a pore former (microcrystalline cellulose). Coating of 1 up to 5 % (m/m) was applied over the core tablet, giving a corresponding lag of 3, 5, 7 and 12 h. Increasing the level of coating led to retardation of the water uptake capacity of the core, leading to prolongation of the lag time. Microcrystalline cellulose was used as a hydrophilic but water insoluble porosity modifier in the barrier layer, varying the concentration of which had a significant effect on shortening or prolongation of the lag time. This coated system was further partially compression coated with the remaining drug fraction (to be released as the first immediate release pulse) with a disintegrant, giving a final tablet. The core tablet and the final two pulse inlay tablet were further investigated for the in vitro performance.Zbog sve učestalije pojave rezistencije bakterija na antibiotike, razvijen je dvopulsni sustav s vremenskom kontrolom za isporuku amoksicilina. Sustav čine slojevite tablete s obloženim slojem dobivenim metodom kompresije, koji omogućavaju isporuku lijeka u dva pulsa u različite dijelove gastrointestinalnog trakta, s utvrđenom odgodom između dva oslobađanja. Ovakav način oslobađanja postignut je s pripravkom koji u jezgri tablete sadrži jednu frakciju lijeka (koja se oslobađa kao drugi puls), a u oblozi drugu. Obloženi dio dobiven je sprejanjem sa suspenzijom etilceluloze i hidrofilnog, ali vodonetopljivog sredstva koji tvori pore (mikrokristalinična celuloza). Oblaganje sa slojem koji čini 1 do 5 % (m/m) mase jezgre postignut je vremenski odmak drugog pulsa od 3, 5, 7 i 12 h. Povećanjem mase obložnog sloja smanjuje se kapacitet prodiranja vode u jezgru tablete, što produljuje vrijeme drugog pulsa. Mikrokristalinična celuloza uporijebljena je kao hidrofilno, vodonetopljivo sredstvo za kotrolu poroznosti u barijernom sloju. Promjena koncentracije celuloze značajno je utjecala na skraćenje ili produljenje vremenskog odmaka. Obloženi sustav je potom djelomično obložen s preostalom frakcijom lijeka (koja se oslobađa odmah u prvom pulsu) pomiješanom s dezintegratorom. Tableta s jezgrom i dvopulsna slojevita tableta ispitivane su in vitro

Effect of preoperative ivabradine on hemodynamics during elective off-pump CABG

Background: Ivabradine is a specific heart rate (HR)-lowering agent which blocks the cardiac pacemaker If channels. It reduces the HR without causing a negative inotropic or lusitropic effect, thus preserving ventricular contractility. The authors hypothesized that its usefulness in lowering HR can be utilized in patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) surgery. Objective: To study the effects of preoperative ivabradine on hemodynamics (during surgery) in patients undergoing elective OPCAB surgery. Methods: Fifty patients, New York Heart Association (NYHA) class I and II, were randomized into group I (control, n = 25) and group II (ivabradine group, n = 25). In group I, patients received the usual anti-anginal medications in the preoperative period, as per the institutional protocol. In group II, patients received ivabradine 5 mg twice daily for 3 days before surgery, in addition to the usual anti-anginal medications. Anesthesia was induced with fentanyl, thiopentone sodium, and pancuronium bromide as a muscle relaxant and maintained with fentanyl, midazolam, pancuronium bromide, and isoflurane. The hemodynamic parameters [HR and mean arterial pressure (MAP)] and pulmonary artery (PA) catheter-derived data were recorded at the baseline (before induction), 3 min after the induction of anesthesia at 1 min and 3 min after intubation and at 5 min and 30 min after protamine administration. Intraoperatively, hemodynamic data (HR and MAP) were recorded every 10 min, except during distal anastomosis of the coronary arteries when it was recorded every 5 min. Post-operatively, at 24 hours, the levels of troponin T and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) were measured. This trial's CTRI registration number is CTRI/005858. Results: The HR in group II was lower when compared to group I (range 59.6–72.4 beats/min and 65.8–80.2 beats/min, respectively) throughout the study period. MAP was comparable [range (78.5–87.8 mm Hg) vs. (78.9-88.5 mm Hg) in group II vs. group I, respectively] throughout the study period. Intraoperatively, 5 patients received metoprolol in group I to control the HR, whereas none of the patients in group II required metoprolol. The incidence of preoperative bradycardia (HR <60 beats/min) was higher in group II (20%) vs. group I (8%). There was no difference in both the groups in terms of troponin T and BNP level after 24 hours, time to extubation, requirement of inotropes, incidence of arrhythmias, in-hospital morbidity, and 30-day mortality. Conclusion: Ivabradine can be safely used along with other anti-anginal agents during the preoperative period in patients undergoing OPCAB surgery. It helps to maintain a lower HR during surgery and reduces the need for beta-blockers in the intraoperative period, a desirable and beneficial effect in situations where the use of beta-blockers may be potentially harmful. Further studies are needed to evaluate the beneficial effects of perioperative Ivabradine in patients with moderate-to-severe left ventricular dysfunction