Documentation and ethnobotanical survey of wild edible plants from Kolhapur district

The present study deals with the identification, documentation and ethno-botanical exploration with respect to food value of wild edible plants from Kolhapur district. Total 50 wild edible plants were surveyed. Edible parts of wild plants (fruit, flower, leaves, tubers and inflorescences) are the nature’s gift to mankind; these are not only delicious and refreshing but also the chief source of vitamin, minerals and protein. The wild edible plants are the normal food of cattle grazers and the forest tribes. Although the popularity of these wild forms of fruits, flowers and tubers has declined, it is considered that special attention should be paid to them in order to maintain and improve this important source of food supply

Performance of Bajra Napier Hybrid Varieties in North Konkan Zone of Maharashtra

Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum) commonly referred to as elephant grass, is popular fodder crop for small scale dairy farmers in the high and medium potential dairy production areas of north konkan zone of Maharashtra under the cut & carry system of production. It is a fast growing, deeply rooted, perennial grass growing up to 4 m tall that can spread by underground stems to form thick ground cover. Napier is easy to establish and persistent, drought tolerant, suitable for cutting and very good for silage making. It is also used as a soil stabilizer in soil conservation methods and can be intercropped with various forage legumes. It is vulnerable to disease and pest attacks. It can be grown at an altitude of 2000 m above mean sea level. When grown at altitudes above 2000 m, growth and regeneration after cutting is slow and it may die due to frost. It does best in high rainfall areas, over 1500 mm per year. Napier grass can grow in almost any soils; but does best in deep, fertile, well drained soils. Keeping the above things in view, the present investigation was carried out to find out the suitable Bajra Napier Hybrid varieties for north konkan zone of Maharashtra

Performance of Guinea Grass Varieties in North Konkan Zone of Maharashtra

Guinea grass (Panicum maximum) is native to Africa but this grass was introduced to almost all tropical countries as a source of animal forage. It grows well on a wide variety of well drained soils of good fertility and it is suitable to stop soil erosion. It can survive quick moving fires which does not harm the underground roots and drought because of the deep, dense and fibrous root system. Guinea grass is a colonizer of disturbed sites, including roadsides, and particularly untended areas. This robust grass forms clumps and may foster soil erosion in invaded areas. Guinea grass is a perennial crop and may form quite large clumps. Commonly found at around 1.5 m tall, some individuals have recorded at 3 m tall. The leaf blades are long, narrow and finely tipped. They have a prominent mid-rib and are approximately 1 cm wide. Seed heads are large (up to 40 cm long) and are well-spread, with a large number of fine branches. Seeds are oblong in shape and are often purple in colour. Keeping the above context in view, the present investigation was carried out for studying the performance of Guinea grass varieties in north konkan zone of Maharashtra

Comparative Efficacy of Super Bioavailable Itraconazole Capsules 50 mg vs 65 mg Twice Daily in the Management of Glabrous Tinea

Bela Shah,1 Deval Mistry,2 Dharmender Jairam,1 Kajal Kansara,1 Rutvi Pandya,1 Presha Vasani,1 Dhiraj Dhoot,3 Namrata Mahadkar,3 Sumit Bhushan,3 Hanmant Barkate3 1Department of Dermatology, B J Medical College, Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India; 2Mistry Skin Clinic, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India; 3Department of Global Medical Affairs, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Mumbai, Maharashtra, IndiaCorrespondence: Dhiraj Dhoot, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd., B D Sawant Marg, Near Bisleri Plant, Chakala, Andheri (E), Mumbai, 400099, India, Tel +919619811219, Email [email protected]: Owing to pharmacokinetic challenges of itraconazole, super-bioavailable itraconazole (SB) was developed and recently approved in strengths of 50mg and 65mg. But comparative study was lacking between these two strengths in glabrous tinea (dermatophytosis) management. Hence, this study was planned to compare the efficacy of both these strengths in dermatophytosis.Methods: One hundred eligible patients were enrolled in this prospective, randomized, clinical study during May-2022 to September-2022 at tertiary hospital in Ahmedabad in adults. Efficacy and safety assessments were done at week-3 and 6 with follow up at week-10 for relapse. Primary objective was to assess the proportion of patients achieving complete cure at week-6 following treatment in both the groups. Secondary outcomes compared safety, clinical and mycological cure rates.Results: Of the 100 patients enrolled, 98 patients (50 in SB-50mg and 48 in SB-65mg group) included in the final analysis. At week 6, 20 patients (40%) and 30 patients (62.5%) achieved complete cure (p < 0.05) in SB-50mg and SB-65mg groups, respectively. In completely cured patients, relapse was reported in 3 (15%) and 5 (17%) patients of SB-50mg and SB-65mg groups, respectively (p = 1). A significant difference was noted in clearance of symptoms and lesions in SB-65mg group (p < 0.05). Moreover, similar results were also obtained in sub-group analysis of recalcitrant dermatophytosis. Both the treatments were found to be safe and well tolerated with no discontinuation.Conclusion: Study result concluded the superiority of SB-65mg over SB-50mg in terms of cure rate and resolution of symptoms in dermatophytosis management.Keywords: comparison, dermatophytosis, efficacy, super-bioavailable itraconazole, 50mg, 65m