AYURVEDIC RASAUSADHIES USED IN THE MANAGEMENT OF PRAMEHA W.S.R. TO DIABETES MELLITUS

Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a group of metabolic disorders characterised by hyperglycaemia due to absolute or relative deficiency of insulin. It is characterised by polyuria, polydipsia, polyphagia, rapid weight loss, fatigue etc. Based on similarities in signs and symptoms DM can be correlated with Prameha/Madhumeha in Ayurveda. Rasausadhies (metallic formulations) have been used in the treatment of Diabetes mellitus with its excellence for centuries but their scientific evaluation has not systematically established with modern tools. Rasausadhies have been popularly used since the period of great alchemist Nagarjuna, i.e. 8th century AD. In this time, invention of special processing techniques as Sodhana (purification), Marana (incineration), Sanskara (which increases the potency), Murchhana (triturating up to fine disintrigation) etc, have been established which are being used to convert the minerals and metals into easily consumable form and immediate showing the desirable effect. The present study deals with review of Rasausadhies from all the classics of Ayurveda which are mentioned in the treatment of Prameha

Safe practices for legitimate medical use of opioids: a study of trends in opioids prescription over a decade

Background: An unwavering availability of opioids is crucial for effective pain and palliative care and for managing opioid dependence. This study aims to study the pattern of morphine consumption and the use of safety protocols for prescribing opioids in a tertiary cancer hospital in India. Patients and methods: We studied the medical and pharmacy records retrospectively, to investigate the pattern of oral Morphine consumption and distribution from 2008 to 2020. Results: The number of new cancer patients visiting the hospital, the number of re-visits of these patients, and inpatient admissions to palliative care service increased unswervingly from 2008 to 2019 with a sharp fall in 2020 owing to the COVID pandemic. Annual oral morphine consumption showed a steady increase from 4.89 kgs in 2008 to 11.53 kgs in 2019 with a fall to 5.68 kgs in 2020. However, the trend for oral morphine dispensed per patient per visit showed a mild increase from 1.1 gram in 2008 to 2.06 grams in 2012, followed by a gradual decline to 0.89 grams in 2020. Opioid diversion incidence was found to be zero. Conclusions: Comprehensive interventions alongside safety protocols for prescriptions of opioids and effective integration of palliative care can help prevent opioid use disorders

Micronutrients: soil to seed

Plants are the main dietary resource of micronutrients essential for humans. But staple food crops on which people of poor and developing countries feed, do not contain sufficient micronutrient metals and thus results in poor growth, mental disorders and increased mortality of human consumers. Knowledge on mechanism of micronutrient uptake by plant roots, their accumulation in subcellular compartments, long-distance transport in vascular tissues, allocation to economic sinks of crop plant, etc. is, thus, of utmost importance in the biofortification programmes, implemented for nutrient enrichment of plant foods. The present chapter gives an insight on various physiological aspects regulating micronutrient absorption in crop plants. Despite the role of edaphic factors controlling micronutrient availability in soil solution, biological activity of root organs is also determinant of micronutrient metal uptake from rhizosphere. The charged nature of essential micronutrients, which are mostly divalent cations, needs sophisticated transporters for their delivery to respective sinks. Further to achieve metal homeostasis and to reduce their toxicity, root to shoot and shoot to root signalling is in concordance with metal chelators and transporters, which have been discussed in detail in present chapter. Finally, future research avenues have been discussed which can be targeted to enhance the efficacy of crop biofortification

Aggressive rhabdomyosarcoma of palate: A case report and literature review

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most common soft tissue sarcoma encountered in childhood and adolescence. The common sites of occurrence are the head and neck region, genitourinary tract, retroperitonium and the extremities. Orbit, paranasal sinuses, cheek, and the neck are the common affected site in head and neck region. RMS is relatively uncommon in the oral cavity, and the involvement of the jaws is extremely rare. Multidisciplinary approaches surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, are use for treatment. Here, we report an aggressive form of RMS at palate of a 9 months old female child which did not respond to chemotherapy

Morphological characterization of local landraces of rapeseed (Brassica campestris L. var toria) of Nepal

Rapeseed (Brassica campestris L. var toria) is the main source of edible oil for Nepalese people. 54 rapeseed lines were collected from different hilly district of Nepal ranging from 987 m to 2550 m altitude. These lines were planted in augmented design for its traits characterization in Khumaltar 2013. Different traits of local rapeseed were characterized, and evaluated. NGRC 02778 performed better followed by SR-02 than local checks Morang-2, Chitwan Local and Unnati in terms of yield, days to maturity and pest infestation. Similarly, genotype SR-18 was late and SR-16 was earlier in terms of days to maturity. In conclusion, SR-02 was found better genotype based on different characteristics measured among all local rapeseeds planted in Khumaltar 2013. Thus SR-2 can be used as parents in crossing material for further breeding purposes and it can also be tested in further trial