A study to assess the effectiveness of curry leaves in reducing blood sugar among type II diabetes clients in selected rural areas at Medavakkam, Chennai

TITLE:A study to assess the effectiveness of curry leaves in reducing blood sugar among type II diabetes clients in selected rural areas at Medavakkam, Chennai India leads the world with largest number of diabetic subjects earning the dubious distinction of being termed the "diabetes capital of the world". Need for the study India is currently experiencing an epidemic of diabetes mellitus. From the available region wise population based studies it is clear that in the last two decades, there has been a marked increase in the prevalence of diabetes among both urban as well as the rural Indians, with southern India having the sharpest increase. With these projected increase in the diabetic population in future, South-East Asian countries will become the most challenged region in the World and will bear the maximum global burden of the diseases in the initial decades of the 21st century. Looking in to the severity of the disease and beneficial effects of the herbal plant in managing diabetes, present study is planned. Objectives: The main aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Curry leaves powder in reducing the blood sugar level among the Type II Diabetic patients residing at rural areas ofMedavakkam. Methodology: Research approach: quantitative research approach Study Setting: The study was conducted in rural area of Medavakkam, Chennai. Research design: experimental study, pre testpost test only design Sampling technique: simple random sampling technique Sample size : In this study the sample comprises of 60 Type-II Diabetic adults in which 30 clients were in experimental and 30 were selected in the control group. Data collection procedure: The investigator selected 60 samples (30 participants in experimental and 30 in control group)by simple random sampling technique using lottery method.. Pre testof post-prandial blood glucose level was assessed by glucometer for both experimental and control group, same instrument was used for both the group and then for the experimental group 10gm of curry leaves powder was given with food , morning/ daily in person for 14 days post assessment was conducted on the 15th day for both experimental and control group. Data analysis The data were analyzed with descriptive statistics like mean, and standard deviation. Inferential statistics like chi-square test, independent t-test were used to analyze the clinical variables. p value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Discussion: On comparing the pre and post blood glucose level among Type II Diabetic patients in experimental group and control group, the obtained mean difference were 10.44% and 0.76% respectively.The finding implies that there is a significant difference between the pre and post- prandial blood sugar level in experimental group. Thus the hypothesis was proved. Conclusion: The study was concluded with the findings that there is a significant reduction in blood sugar level of clients in experimental group who were given 10gms of curry leaves powder for 14 days along with their food

Note on the unusual landings of Amblygaster sirm off Vizhinjam coast

Unusual landings of the clupeid Amblygaster sirm(spotted sardinella), was noticed during the October– December 2016 along the Vizhinjam coast. Locallyknown as Keerichala, regular landings of A. sirmwas observed in all the major landing centres alongthe Thiruvananthapuram coast like Mampally,Anjengo, Perumathura, Thazhampally, Marianad,Valiyathura, Poonthura etc

Report on occurrence of Purple back flying squid in hook and line fishery off Vizhinjam, Kerala

Three specimens of Purple back flying squid, Sthenoteuthis oualaniensis (Lesson, 1830) were landed on 23.3.18.They were caught by hook and line operated at a distance of 25-30 km from the shore with the aid of LED lights from multiday gill netter unit based at Vizhinjam Fisheries Harbour

First Report of Marble shrimp Saron marmoratus (Olivier, 1811) (Crustacea: Decapoda: Hippolytidae) from the South West Coast of India

One live specimen of marble shrimp, Saron marmoratus (Olivier, 1811) is obtained from the Vizhinjam coast during sampling near Rocky areas of vizhinjam coast, Kerala on 14 June 2016. These shrimp are greenish to light brown in body colour with whitish and yellowish speckled spots and having a typical tuft of cirri on the back. Marbled shrimps are highly demanded and good priced in the marine aquarium trade. The present Report is the first record of Marbled Shrimp, Saron marmoratus from the Kerala coast, south west coast of Indi

Sorption studies of divalent ions onto ternary beads of alginate, chitosan and carboxymethyl cellulose

The potential of sodium alginate (AL)/ chitosan (CS)/ carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) beads as an adsorbent for removing the divalent metal ions such as Cu (II) and Ni (II) ions from aqueous solution was assessed in the current work using a batch adsorption technique. FT-IR and XRD measurements were used to investigate the formation of the ternary beads. The percentage removal of metal ions was investigated in batch mode as a function of metal ion solution pH, initial metal ion concentration, adsorbent dosage, and contact time. The observed outcome shows that the best pH for removing both metal ions was reported to be 5.0. The incorporation of experimental data in theoretical modelling exhibits that the adsorption would be multilayer through pseudo-second order (R2 &gt; 0.9) kinetics. The removal efficiency of ternary beads reveals that copper ions (Cmax = 203.69 mg/g) were removed better than nickel ions (Cmax = 194.05 mg/g)

Sorption studies of divalent ions onto ternary beads of alginate, chitosan and carboxymethyl cellulose

The potential of sodium alginate (AL)/ chitosan (CS)/ carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) beads as an adsorbent for removing the divalent metal ions such as Cu (II) and Ni (II) ions from aqueous solution was assessed in the current work using a batch adsorption technique. FT-IR and XRD measurements were used to investigate the formation of the ternary beads. The percentage removal of metal ions was investigated in batch mode as a function of metal ion solution pH, initial metal ion concentration, adsorbent dosage, and contact time. The observed outcome shows that the best pH for removing both metal ions was reported to be 5.0. The incorporation of experimental data in theoretical modelling exhibits that the adsorption would be multilayer through pseudo-second order (R2 &gt; 0.9) kinetics. The removal efficiency of ternary beads reveals that copper ions (Cmax = 203.69 mg/g) were removed better than nickel ions (Cmax = 194.05 mg/g)

First Record of Red Frog Crab Ranina ranina (Linnaeus, 1758) (Brachyura: Raninidae) from South West Coast of India

The present report is the first record of the Ranina ranina (Linnaeus, 1758) from vizhinjam, Thiruvanathapuram, Kerala located along the south-west coast of India. A specimen of Ranina ranina measuring 108 mm in carapace width were caught by a bottom set gill net operated along the Vizhinjam coastal waters in February 2018. Identification and description of the recorded crab, photographs and measurments of the single specimen. This is the first record of the Red frog crab Ranina ranina from the south west coast of India. Earlier it is reported from the South East coast, Gulf of Mannar, India

Recent trends in nano-based drug delivery systems for efficient delivery of phytochemicals in chemotherapy

The advent of nanotechnology has revolutionized various scientific inventions, out of which the debut of nanomedicine is outstanding. Especially, research has embarked on nano-drug delivery for treating cancer. Natural compounds present in plants, namely phytochemicals, have been extensively exploited for their anticancer properties. Despite their excellent anticancer abilities, phytochemicals are limited by their low water solubility and poor bioavailability. However, the field of nanotechnology has overcome these limitations. This review focusses on various methods of nano-drug delivery of phytochemicals against the killer disease, cancer. Common carriers that were employed ranged from micelles, with a polymeric base, to dendrimers, liposomes and nanoparticles. The phytochemicals were found to become more soluble when delivered by the nanocarriers and exhibited a remarkable effect on the cancer cells, compared to their free form. More interestingly, the half-maximal dose of the phytochemical was reduced significantly when it was delivered by the nanocarrier. On the whole, this review encourages the idea of "cancer-nanotechnology" after in-depth clinical studies on these phytochemical-loaded nanocarriers. Moreover, it will epitomize the nanocarriers as a crusader in improving cancer chemotherapy by reducing undesired effects and will invigorate site-specific drug deliver

Quality indicators in a mycobacteriology laboratory supporting clinical trials for pulmonary tuberculosis

AbstractBackgroundDocumentation of structured quality indicators for mycobacteriology laboratories supporting exclusively controlled clinical trials in pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) is lacking.ObjectiveTo document laboratory indicators for a solid (Lowenstein–Jensen medium) culture system in a mycobacteriology laboratory for a period of 4years (2007–2010).MethodsThe sputum samples, collected from PTB suspects/patients enrolled in clinical trials, were subjected to fluorescence microscopy, culture and drug sensitivity testing (DST). Data was retrospectively collected from TB laboratory registers and computed using pre-formulated Microsoft Office Excel. Laboratory indicators were calculated and analyzed.ResultsThe number of samples processed in a calendar year varied from 6261 to 10,710. Of the samples processed in a calendar year, specimen contamination (4.8–6.9%), culture positives (78.4–85.1%) among smear positives, smear positives (71.8–79.0%) among culture positive samples, smear negatives among culture negative samples (95.2–96.7%), and average time to report DST results (76–97days) varied as shown in parentheses.ConclusionValues of quality indicators in mycobacteriology laboratories supporting exclusively clinical trials of PTB have to be defined and used for meaningful monitoring of laboratories