SPECTROPHOTOMETRIC EVALUATION OF NIMESULIDE IMPURITY D: 4-NITRO-2- PHENOXYANILINE USING 8-HYDROXYQUINOLINE AS OXIDATIVE COUPLING REAGENT

Objective: Spectrophotometric investigation of 4-nitro-2-phenoxyaniline (4N2PA), a probable intermediate during the synthesis of anti-inflammatory drug nimesulide, both in pure form and in the presence of nimesulide has been attempted. Methods: 4N2PA on diazotization followed by coupling with 8-hydroxyquinoline produces a crimson-colored complex which changes to deep violet on diluting with ethanol. Results: The complex showed maximum absorbance at 560 nm when evaluated spectrophotometrically with a detection limit of 0.005 μg/ml and quantification range of 0.05-3.0 μg/ml. The method has been statistically evaluated with respect to the International Council for Harmonisation guidelines and found to be accurate and precise. Conclusion: Pure tablet formulations of nimesulide do not respond to the method; however, the presence of minute amounts of 4N2PA in the drug as added impurity could be spectrophotometrically analyzed. Hence, the authors suggest that the reported technique could be a marker test for detecting the presence of 4N2PA in nimesulide formulations

The Reliability of Histamine Pharmacodynamic Response Phenotype Classification in Children With Allergic Disease.

We have identified distinct histamine pharmacodynamic response phenotypes in children with allergic disease utilizing histamine iontophoresis with laser Doppler (HILD). These response phenotypes may be relevant in guiding therapeutic decision making for agents targeting the allergic response pathways. However, the reliability of these response phenotypes has not been assessed. Therefore, we performed HILD in children with allergic rhinitis and/or asthma on two to three separate occasions. HILD response-time data were analyzed in NONMEM using a linked effect PKPD model. Examination of observed vs. classified response phenotypes predicted response plots and the sum of residuals. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to determine the reliability of phenotype classification. Eighty-two percent of children exhibited a reliable histamine response phenotype [intraclass correlation coefficient 0.77 (95% CI 0.44–0.93]. These preliminary results suggest moderate reliability of HILD response phenotype in children. Further exploration is needed to determine contributions to phenotype variability

TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF MORUS ALBA LEAVES EXTRACT ON SLEEP AND ANXIETY IN RAT MODELS

Objectives: The objectives of the study were to study the effect of Morus alba leaves extract (MAE) on sleep by phenobarbitone-induced sleeping time and the antianxiety effect by elevated plus maze apparatus model in rats. Methods: In this study, the effect of MAE on sleep was evaluated by the phenobarbitone-induced sleeping time of rats. The onset and the duration of sleep were recorded in minutes. The antianxiety effect was evaluated by the elevated plus maze apparatus model in rats. During 5 min test period, the number of entries into the open arm and closed arm and time spent in the open arm and closed arm were recorded in seconds. Results: MAE at the dose 200 and 400 mg/kg, highly significantly (p<0.001) decreased the onset of phenobarbitone-induced sleeping time. The duration of sleeping time was increased significantly (p<0.01) for 200 mg/kg and highly significantly (p<0.001) for 400 mg/kg as compared to the control group. M. alba has significant antianxiety activity in comparison with control in a dose-dependent manner. M. alba in a dose of 200 mg showed significant (p<0.01) and 400 mg/kg treated groups showed highly significant (p<0.001) anxiolytic activity by increasing the mean time spent in open arms as compared to control but less significant with standard (diazepam). Conclusion: Results indicate that the MAE has a significant dose-dependent effect on phenobarbitone- induced sleeping time and antianxiety effect in the elevated plus maze test

Evaluation of nested Polymerase Chain Reaction targeting hup B gene in the diagnosis of tubercular ascites

Abdominal tuberculosis usually has nonspecific presentation, frequently mimicking other diseases. Because of the limitations of the conventional methods of diagnosis of extra pulmonary tuberculosis, focus is shifted to molecular methods. The objectives of this study are to evaluate the role of nested Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) targeting hup B gene as a rapid diagnostic modality of tubercular ascites and also to detect the infecting species (Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium bovis). 100 suspected tubercular ascites patients were enrolled in the study. Ascitic fluid was processed by Universal Sample Processing (USP) method and two steps nested PCR was performed targeting hup B gene. Patients were put on Anti Tubercular Therapy [Category I, (2 HRZE + 4 HR) 3, RNTCP, India]. A positive response to therapy was considered as gold standard and PCR assay was compared to determine sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value in diagnosis of tubercular ascites. 79 patients could be followed up to see the response to therapy. Of these, 39 were PCR positive and 35 responded to Anti Tubercular therapy. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value were found to be 97.1%, 88.6%, 87.2% and 97.5% respectively. The good sensitivity and specificity obtained in the study suggests the use of PCR targeting hup B gene as a routine diagnostic tool for tubercular ascites. Another added advantage is the ability to identify between M. tuberculosis and M. bovis which otherwise have similar clinical presentation.Keywords: Hup B gene; M. tuberculosis; M. bovis; Nested Polymerase Chain ReactionInternet Journal of Medical Update 2012 July;7(2):9-1

Minimizing the Cost of Team Exploration

A group of mobile agents is given a task to explore an edge-weighted graph $G$, i.e., every vertex of $G$ has to be visited by at least one agent. There is no centralized unit to coordinate their actions, but they can freely communicate with each other. The goal is to construct a deterministic strategy which allows agents to complete their task optimally. In this paper we are interested in a cost-optimal strategy, where the cost is understood as the total distance traversed by agents coupled with the cost of invoking them. Two graph classes are analyzed, rings and trees, in the off-line and on-line setting, i.e., when a structure of a graph is known and not known to agents in advance. We present algorithms that compute the optimal solutions for a given ring and tree of order $n$, in $O(n)$ time units. For rings in the on-line setting, we give the $2$-competitive algorithm and prove the lower bound of $3/2$ for the competitive ratio for any on-line strategy. For every strategy for trees in the on-line setting, we prove the competitive ratio to be no less than $2$, which can be achieved by the $DFS$ algorithm.Comment: 25 pages, 4 figures, 5 pseudo-code

Punica Granatum L - A Nutraceutical functional food

Pomegranate is a widely used plant having medicinal properties. Pomegranates and their extracts may serve as natural alternatives due to their potency against a wide range of bacterial and viral pathogens. The synergistic action of the pomegranate constituents appears to be superior to that of single constituents.Pomegranate provides health benefits, that is, a nutraceutical food. It is used in dentistry as an active ingredient such as mouth rinse for plaque control, treatment of various oral lesions, storage media for avulsed teeth, wound healing. This paper describes the uses of pomegranate, its mechanism and various therapeutic and dental applications

IN-VITRO CYTOTOXIC EFFECT OF CANTHIUM DICOCCUM ON DIFFERENT CANCER CELL LINES

Objective: Cancer remains one of the most dreaded diseases causing an astonishingly high death rate. Despite the use of surgical resection and aggressive chemotherapy, nearly 50% of patients with carcinoma develop recurrent disease, highlighting the need for improved therapies. Henceforth, complementary and alternative medicine is slowly emerging as an option. A variety of ingredients of traditional medicines and herbs are being widely investigated in several parts of the world to analyze their potential as therapeutic agents against cancer. In the present study we investigated the efficacy of methanol extracts of Canthium dicoccum, for its clonogenic inhibition on Human Breast cancer (MD-MB-231), Prostate cancer (PC-3) and Lung cancer (Calu-6) cell lines.Methods: The cytotoxic effect of methanolic extract of Canthium dicoccum was evaluated by MTT assay on MD-MB-231, Calu-6, and PC-3 cells.Results: The methanol extract of C. dicoccum showed significant cytotoxicity against MD-MB-231and Calu-6, when compared to PC-3 cells.Conclusion: The methanol extracts of C. dicoccum showed effective cytotoxic activities in a dose and time dependent manner. Future work will be interesting to know the chemical composition and also better understanding the mechanism of action will help in developing it as drug for therapeutic application.Â

CARMA1 is a novel regulator of T-ALL disease and leukemic cell migration to the CNS

No abstract available