Revival, modernization and integration of Indian traditional herbal medicine in clinical practice: Importance, challenges and future

AbstractIn spite of incredible advances in modern science, technology and allopathic medicine a large we are unable to provide quality healthcare to all. Traditional medicine particularly herbal medicine considered as a major healthcare provider around the globe particularly in rural and remote areas. A large section of people depends on such medicine for their primary healthcare mainly in underdeveloped or developing countries. Indian traditional medicinal system like Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani has a very rich history of their effectiveness; modern research also acknowledged the importance of such medicine. Indian traditional medicine or medicinal plants are also considered as a vital source of new drug. Mainstreaming of such medicine is important for the people. Several steps have been taken in India to promote such medicine and to integrate them into clinical practice. Evidence based incorporation of Indian traditional medicine in clinical practice will help to provide quality healthcare to all

Is sports choice and participation related to 2D:4D? A study among adult male students in Wrocław, Poland

Psychology and personality of individuals may have implications for choice of, and performance in sports disciplines. Individual- and group sports differ in psychological requirements, such as, competitiveness, sensation seeking and risk taking attitude, often required in sports. There is sex difference in human in these qualities, which also show association with prenatal testosterone exposures. Second-to-fourth digit lengths ratio (2D:4D) is an indicator of prenatal testosterone exposure. Lower 2D:4D indicates higher prenatal testosteron exposure and vice versa. Males generally have lower 2D:4D than females. This study cross-sectional study investigated the relationship of 2D:4D with team based- or individual sports. The participants were 421 Polish male students with a mean (+SD) age of 19.78 (+0.79) years. Among them, 139 were engaged in sports and 282 were not. Mean 2D:4D in each hand of individual sporting group was significantly lower than the team sports- and no sports groups. Participants not involved in any sports had the highest mean 2D:4D value. However, the team sportsmen’s 2D:4D did not differ from the non sporting group. Prenatal testosterone exposure might have implication in sports choice and participation

Extracts of Neptunia prostrata Linn. ameliorates progression of diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidemia in animal models

Background: The herb Neptunia prostrata Linn. belonging to the family Mimosaceae has been used in folkloric medicine in the North-eastern states of India of Assam, Tripura and Meghalaya by indigenous herbal healers since time immemorial but there is a scarcity of any background study documenting its use as an antimicrobial herb. For the same, plants were collected and authenticated. Methods: Following identification of these herbs methanolic, ethanolic, pet ether and chloroform extracts were prepared using soxhlation. Acute toxicity study as per OECD guidelines 420 was assessed in wistar albino rats and in swiss albino mice (n=5) of both sexes at doses of 2000 mg/kg body weight and did not reveal any morbidity or mortality in the animals within the stipulated period. Phytochemical screening was performed on all four extracts of Neptunia prostrata. Results: Phytochemical constituents depicted presence of glycoside, flavonoids in only ethanolic, methanolic and chloroform extracts. Alkaloids were present in the chloroform extract. The antidiabetic and antihyperlipidemic activity was performed by HFD-STZ models in rats. The herbs showed antioxidant activity comparable to standard antioxidants in-vitro such as Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) with comparable IC50 values. Conclusions: Results of the antidiabetic shows immense potential in animal models and therapeutics and the antibacterial screening suggests conspicuous and potent putative role in the therapeutics of a vast plethora bacterial infections that need to be corroborated for the expansion of future prospective in vivo studies with larger sample size

Half Metallicity in Pr0.75_{0.75}Sr0.25_{0.25}MnO3_3: A first Principle study

In this communication we present a first principle study of Pr$_{1-x}$Sr$_{x}$MnO$_3$ with $x = 0.25$. While the parent compounds of this system are antiferromagnetic insulators with different structural and magnetic ground states, the $x = 0.25$ is in the colossal magnetoresistance regime of the Pr$_{1-x}$Sr$_{x}$MnO$_3$ phase diagram [C. Martin, A. Maignan, M. Hervieu, B. Raveau, Phys. Rev. B 60 (1999) 12191]. Our band structure calculations for the end-point compounds matches well with the existing theoretical and experimental results [C. Martin, A. Maignan, M. Hervieu, B. Raveau, Phys. Rev. B 60 (1999) 12191; Rune Sondena, P. Ravindran, Svein Stolen, Tor Grande, Michael Hanfland, Phys. Rev. B 74 (2006) 144102]. Interestingly, our calculations show that the Pr$_{0.75}$Sr$_{0.25}$MnO$_3$ has a half-metallic character with a huge band gap of 2.8 eV in the minority band. We believe this result would fuel further interest in some of these special compositions of colossal magnetoresistive manganites as they could be potential candidates for spintronic devices. We discuss the half-metallicity of the Pr$_{0.75}$Sr$_{0.25}$MnO$_3$ in the light of changes in the orbital hybridization as a result of Sr doping in PrMnO$_3$. Further, we highlight the importance of half-metallicity for a consolidated understanding of colossal magnetoresistance effect.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figure

Nephroprotective activity of Pisonia aculeata L. leaf extract against cisplatin induced nephrotoxicity and renal dysfunction in experimental rodents

770-776Pisonia aculeata L. (Nyctaginaceae), commonly called Devil's Claws or Pullback, is a folk medicinal plant of India. Herbal medicines due to lesser/no side effect, are being accepted by the society increasingly. Here, we investigated the protective effects of ethanol extract of P. aculeata leaves on cisplatin induced nephrotoxicity. Cisplatin (3 mg/kg, i.p.) co-administered to vehicle and extract (200, 400, 600 mg/kg)-fed rats every 5th day for 25 days. Serum level of urea, uric acid, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, phospholipid and cholesterol increased, whereas urine urea, uric acid, creatinine, creatinine clearance rate was reduced in cisplatin control group. Cisplatin also negatively alters electrolyte balance, Na+/K+-ATPase activity and redox balance significantly. Treatment with extract for 21 days exerted beneficial effect and ameliorated urine and serum biochemical parameter to normal. Extracts induced a rise in Na+/K+-ATPase activity, and ameliorated level of different enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants positively, whereas lipid peroxidation decreased significantly. Ethanol extract (400 and 600 mg/kg) ameliorated cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity and other damaging effects caused by cisplatin evidenced by the change in its intrinsic biochemical/antioxidant properties. Taking into account these results, it can be assumed that P. aculeata leaves could be a future key candidate which may maximize the clinical use of cisplatin in the treatment of different cancer without nephrotoxicity

Nephroprotective activity of Pisonia aculeata L. leaf extract against cisplatin induced nephrotoxicity and renal dysfunction in experimental rodents

Pisonia aculeata L. (Nyctaginaceae), commonly called Devil's Claws or Pullback, is a folk medicinal plant of India. Herbal medicines due to lesser/no side effect, are being accepted by the society increasingly. Here, we investigated the protective effects of ethanol extract of P. aculeata leaves on cisplatin induced nephrotoxicity. Cisplatin (3 mg/kg, i.p.) co-administered to vehicle and extract (200, 400, 600 mg/kg)-fed rats every 5th day for 25 days. Serum level of urea, uric acid, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, phospholipid and cholesterol increased, whereas urine urea, uric acid, creatinine, creatinine clearance rate was reduced in cisplatin control group. Cisplatin also negatively alters electrolyte balance, Na+/K+-ATPase activity and redox balance significantly. Treatment with extract for 21 days exerted beneficial effect and ameliorated urine and serum biochemical parameter to normal. Extracts induced a rise in Na+/K+-ATPase activity, and ameliorated level of different enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants positively, whereas lipid peroxidation decreased significantly. Ethanol extract (400 and 600 mg/kg) ameliorated cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity and other damaging effects caused by cisplatin evidenced by the change in its intrinsic biochemical/antioxidant properties. Taking into account these results, it can be assumed that P. aculeata leaves could be a future key candidate which may maximize the clinical use of cisplatin in the treatment of different cancer without nephrotoxicity

Prostaglandin E<SUB>2</SUB> regulates tumor angiogenesis in prostate cancer

In cancer management, the cyclooxygenase (COX)-targeted approach has shown great promise in anticancer therapeutics. However, the use of COX-2 inhibitors has side effects and health hazards; thus, targeting its major metabolite prostaglandin E2 (PGE2)-mediated signaling pathway might be a rational approach for the next generation of cancer management. Recent studies on several in vitro and in vivo models have revealed that elevated expression of COX-2 correlates with prostate tumor growth and angiogenesis. In this study, we have shown the in-depth molecular mechanism and the PGE2 activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor and &#946;3 integrin through E prostanoid 2 (EP2)-mediated and EP4-mediated pathways, which lead to activator protein-1 (AP-1) activation. Moreover, PGE2 also induces activating transcription factor-4 (ATF-4) activation and stimulates cross-talk between ATF-4 and AP-1, which is unidirectional toward AP-1, which leads to the increased expressions of urokinase-type plasminogen activator and vascular endothelial growth factor and, eventually, regulates prostate tumor cell motility. In vivo Matrigel angiogenesis assay data revealed that PGE2 induces angiogenesis through EP2 and EP4. Human prostate cancer specimen analysis also supported our in vitro and in vivo studies. Our data suggest that targeting PGE2 signaling pathway (i.e., blocking EP2 and EP4 receptors) might be a rational therapeutic approach for overcoming the side effects of COX-2 inhibitors and that this might be a novel strategy for the next generation of prostate cancer management

Lean and its impact on sustainability performance in service companies: results from a pilot study

Purpose: The purpose of this empirical research is to understand the application of Lean practices (technical and social) and tools in the service sector, whose implementation is less studied, despite its economic relevance. The study aims to extend previous studies that focused on the relationship between Lean and operational and financial performance, and analyzing the impact on sustainability, encompassing economic, social and environmental perspectives. Design/methodology/approach: A pilot survey was conducted with Lean experts in European service companies. The authors have utilized various professional contacts on LinkedIn and a satisfactory response rate was obtained for analysis. Findings: The results of the study showed that there are several motivating factors for the implementation of Lean, the highlights being improving customer satisfaction, efficiency, delivery and cost reduction. The most frequently used Lean tools are related to the identification of improvement opportunities and causes of problems. The pilot survey also made it possible to identify the greater use of technical practices than social practices. The sustainability performance analysis showed that the better performance of service companies is in the economic dimension. Originality/value: The authors have identified no empirical studies linking Lean and sustainable performance in the service sector. This study bridges this cognitive gap through a pilot study and therefore makes an original contribution to the current literature. © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited

Factors affecting stunting among 3–12 years old girls of Purba Medinipur, West Bengal, India

Stunting is the impaired growth and development in children caused due to poor nutrition, recurrent infections and lack of psychosocial stimulus. Because stunting affects physical development and inhibits the child from attaining his full cognitive development as an adult, children may never regain the height lost due to stunting. Stunting (Low height-for-age) in infants and young children is a simple, wellknown indicator of undernutrition. The current study sought to determine the effects of socio-economic and demographic factors on the frequency of stunting among Bengalee girls. The study was carried out in the Deshopran block and Haldia municipality area (West Bengal, India). The total number of participants included in the study was 530 Bengalee girls. 53.39% (283) of study participants were urban residents while 46.61% (247) were rural residents. Stunted growth in children was defined as the height for a given age in children less than two standard deviations of the WHO Child Growth Standards. The prevalence of stunting among girls in our study was 11.13%. The predictor variables with substantial associations with stunting in the binary logistic regression (BLR) analyses were further used in the multiple binary logistic regression (MBLR) analyses. Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were used to calculate the stunting risk. Results showed that the risk of stunting was significantly associated with low birth weight, presence of younger brothers, a large number of family members and place of delivery. Improving maternal and child access to nutrient-rich food, decreasing infectious disease, and promoting women empowerment initiatives are the main recommendations for resolving the issue

Scalar field evolution at background and perturbation levels for a broad class of potentials

In this paper, we investigate a non-interacting scalar field cosmology with an arbitrary potential using the $f$-deviser method that relies on the differentiability properties of the potential. Using this alternative mathematical approach, we present a unified dynamical system analysis at a scalar field's background and perturbation levels with arbitrary potentials. For illustration, we consider a monomial and double exponential potentials. These two classes of potentials comprise the asymptotic behaviour of several classes of scalar field potentials, and, therefore, they provide the skeleton for the typical behaviour of arbitrary potentials. Moreover, we analyse the linear cosmological perturbations in the matterless case by considering three scalar perturbations: the evolution of the Bardeen potentials, the comoving curvature perturbation, the so-called Sasaki-Mukhanov variable, or the scalar field perturbation in uniform curvature gauge. Finally, an exhaustive dynamical system analysis for each scalar perturbation is presented.Comment: 65 pages, 8 compound figures. Major revision. References adde