Concept of Mahagad in Ayurveda w.s.r. to Bhagandara (Fistula-In-Ano)

In Samhitas many concepts are explained as Leshokta (incompletely explained) or they have Linartha i.e. concept is not elaborated or proper meaning is difficult to understand. So there is a need to explore such concept to understand the vision of Ayurveda. The term ‘Mahagada’ is used as ‘Visheshana (attribute)’ for few diseases in various Ayurvedic Samhitas. Original Samhitas shows very little information regarding the term ‘Mahagada’. The concept of ‘Mahagada’ is useful to decide prognosis of diseases. Mahagada is a group of diseases having incurability, primarily due to development of complications. The conceptual study shows belief of ancient Ayurvedic Acharyas regarding concept of Mahagada and clinical survey was done to support the concept. On the basis of collected data, efforts were made to throw light on the concept of Mahagada

Risk factors influencing the bone health in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women

Background: Bone loss is being increasingly identified in premenopausal and early postmenopausal women. The significance of low bone mineral density (BMD) in females needs to be addressed. Female reproductive system plays a major role in regulating the bone loss from menarche to senescence. The purpose of our study is to identify the menstrual and reproductive factors that may lead to decreased bone mass during the premenopausal period so that early intervention could lead to improved bone health.Methods: The study was conducted on 100 women aged 40 - 60 years attending the outpatient department in Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma PGIMS, Rohtak, Haryana, India. Their age, parity, body mass index, age at menarche, age at first pregnancy, duration of breast feeding, use of combined oral contraceptive, interpregnancy interval and BMD values were recorded. BMD was measured by dual- energy x-ray absorptiometry. Pearson test was used for correlation analysis. Comparison between the groups was conducted using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey’s test.Results: A significant negative correlation was established between parity, age at menarche, duration of breast feeding and BMD values. On the other hand, BMI and duration of oral contraceptive use showed a significant positive correlation with BMD values.Conclusions: Identification of risk factors for low BMD will provide the opportunity for early intervention to preventosteoporosis and will reduce the burden of unnecessary BMD testing in elderly age group for screening of osteoporosis

Evaluation of antianxiety effect of cinnamaldehyde in swiss albino mice

Background: Cinnamon is one of the best known spices used as an herbal medicine. Cinnamaldehyde (CNM) the volatile oil, which was present in the essential oil of the bark, is the important constituents of cinnamon. Cinnamon has been investigated for its various effects like peptic ulcer protection, antioxidant property, inhibition of tau aggregation, anti-inflammatory activity, effect on cardiovascular system, anti-nociceptive activity, hepato-protective effects, hypolipidemic and antidiabetic activites. The present study was aimed to evaluate the anxiolytic effect of CNM per se and its interaction with diazepam in swiss albino mice.Methods: Anxiolytic activity was evaluated by elevated plus maze method. A group of 36 healthy mice of either sex weighing 20-30 grams were divided at random into six groups (n=6). CNM and diazepam were dissolved in tween twenty 20% to maintain uniformity of the solvent and given orally. Group I was given twenty 20% (10 ml/kg, p.o.), group II diazepam (0.5 mg/kg, p.o.), group III diazepam (1 mg/kg, p.o.), group IV cinnamaldehyde (100 mg/kg, p.o.), group V cinnamaldehyde (200 mg/kg, p.o.), group VI cinnamaldehyde and diazepam (100 mg/kg and 0.5 mg/kg, p.o.).Results: Cinnamaldehyde per se showed no anxiolytic effect at any dose (p<0.05). The standard drug diazepam has shown significant anxiolytic activity on elevated plus maze. Whereas combination of diazepam 0.5 mg/kg and cinnamaldehyde 100 mg/kg showed significant increase in the time spent in open arms as compared to all groups (p<0.05).Conclusions: CNM per se did not show any effect on anxiety but enhanced the action of diazepam when co-administered

Treatment of benign bone tumors: judicious use of adjuvants result in better functional outcomes

Background: While curettage has been a common treatment option for low grade benign lytic bone lesions, a careful extension of curettage enhances it’s efficacy without compromising the integrity of surrounding normal bone. Many adjuvants are used for extension of curettage, but all are not universally available, and each has it’s own drawbacks. We report outcome of extended curettage of benign lytic bone lesions using high-speed burr, electrocautery, hydrogen-peroxide, and pulsatile lavage. Methods: The study was conducted on 25 patients,10 to 40 years in age, with lytic bone lesions proven benign. Tumors belonged to Campanacci Grade 1 and 2 of varying histological types. High-speed burr, electrocautery, hydrogen-peroxide, and pulsatile lavgage were extensively used after curetting the lesions with sharp curettes. Defects were filled with bone graft or substitute where needed, if the cavity size was more than 1/3rd of the width of the bone on radiographic assessment. Patients were reviewed for minimum 18months. Results: All defects reverted to near-normal radiological appearance with excellent functional outcome recorded in most cases. Eighty percent patients recovered uneventfully. Mild limited complications were noted as prolonged period of pain in 12% and superficial infection in 8%. No local recurrence was observed. Conclusions: This study demonstrates the efficacy of extended curettage in treatment of benign tumors and tumor like lesions of bone using simple cheap modalities which are &nbsp;universally available. In properly selected cases of benign bone tumors, a meticulously performed extended curettage provides an effective treatment option that safeguards functionality without compromising on safety

A Prospective Study of Profile of Agricultural Orthopaedic Injuries in North India in a Tertiary Care Centre

Background: Over time agriculture has transformed into an industry, both in scale and mechanization. Growing demand for agricultural yield and increasing mechanization has led to growth in the numbers of agricultural accidents and injuries causing significant morbidity and economical loss. Aim: To study the causes, patterns, outcomes of injuries due to agricultural accidents, their effect on the productivity of the victims, and to suggest possible remedial measures, a prospective study was undertaken. Methods: A total of 106 patients reporting agricultural injuries (AI) over 14 months in 2019-20 were enrolled and data was recorded on a pre-structured proforma. Results: With the preponderance of male victims, educational status, skill levels, lighting &amp; climatic conditions, intoxication and fatigue were found to be major determinants in the causation of injuries with upper limbs being the predominantly involved part (75.47%) and most of the cases ended up requiring some form of surgery (88.68%). Agricultural machinery (56.60%) was the main cause of AI and Chaff Cutter Machine caused the maximum AI (37.73%). Amputations were the most common injuries sustained (47.16%). Agricultural injuries affected the range of motion of body parts (32.07%) and work (58.49%) &amp; household activities (49.05%); thus impairing work efficiency and economy. Conclusion: The present study highlights the need for a robust surveillance and data analysis leading to better design of farming machinery and equipment, more relevant education and training systems, stronger legislations as well as a comprehensive rehabilitative program aimed at reducing the socio-economic burden caused by agricultural injuries

Synthesis and biological activity of 7-(2-(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)ethoxy)-4-(styryl/4-substituted styryl)-2H-chromen-2-one

1197-1102Incorporation of other hetero-compounds to parent coumarin increases its effectiveness towards its bioactivity. In view of this finding we have synthesized coumarin triazole derivatives. The key synthon used for this reaction pathway are 7-hydroxy-4-methyl-2H-chromen-2-one. This substituted coumarin has been refluxed with 1-bromo-2-chloroethane in presence ofanhydrous K2CO3 to afford 7-(2-chloroethoxy)-4-methyl-2H-chromen-2-one, which has been condensed with triazole to yield4-methyl coumarin triazole derivative by optimising solvent/base pair. 4-Methyl group of coumarin triazole derivative has beencondensed with aromatic aldehydes to afford 7-(2-(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl) ethoxy)-4-(styryl/4-substituted styryl)-2H-chromen-2-one 7a-e. All the synthesized products are characterized using IR and, 1H, 13C NMR, mass spectroscopy and elemental analysis.Final synthesized compounds 7a-e have been evaluated for their anti-bacterial and anti-fungal activity

Synthesis and biological activity of 7-(2-(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)ethoxy)-4-(styryl/4-substituted styryl)-2H-chromen-2-one

Incorporation of other hetero-compounds to parent coumarin increases its effectiveness towards its bioactivity. In view of this finding we have synthesized coumarin triazole derivatives. The key synthon used for this reaction pathway are 7-hydroxy-4-methyl-2H-chromen-2-one. This substituted coumarin has been refluxed with 1-bromo-2-chloroethane in presence of anhydrous K2CO3 to afford 7-(2-chloroethoxy)-4-methyl-2H-chromen-2-one, which has been condensed with triazole to yield 4-methyl coumarin triazole derivative by optimising solvent/base pair. 4-Methyl group of coumarin triazole derivative has been condensed with aromatic aldehydes to afford 7-(2-(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl) ethoxy)-4-(styryl/4-substituted styryl)-2H-chromen-2-one 7a-e. All the synthesized products are characterized using IR and, 1H, 13C NMR, mass spectroscopy and elemental analysis. Final synthesized compounds 7a-e have been evaluated for their anti-bacterial and anti-fungal activity.

Cellular and Molecular Mediators of Neuroinflammation in the Pathogenesis of Parkinson’s Disease

Neuroinflammation is a host-defense mechanism associated with restoration of normal structure and function of the brain and neutralization of an insult. Increasing neuropathological and biochemical evidence from the brains of individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) provides strong evidence for activation of neuroinflammatory pathways. Microglia, the resident innate immune cells, may play a major role in the inflammatory process of the diseased brain of patients with PD. Although microglia forms the first line of defense for the neural parenchyma, uncontrolled activation of microglia may directly affect neurons by releasing various molecular mediators such as inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin [IL]-6, and IL-1β), nitric oxide, prostaglandin E2, and reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. Moreover, recent studies have reported that activated microglia phagocytose not only damaged cell debris but also intact neighboring cells. This phenomenon further supports their active participation in self-enduring neuronal damage cycles. As the relationship between PD and neuroinflammation is being studied, there is a realization that both cellular and molecular mediators are most likely assisting pathological processes leading to disease progression. Here, we discuss mediators of neuroinflammation, which are known activators released from damaged parenchyma of the brain and result in neuronal degeneration in patients with PD

Advances in Neuroprotective Ingredients of Medicinal Herbs by Using Cellular and Animal Models of Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a multifactorial disorder, which is neuropathologically identified by age-dependent neurodegeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. Development of symptomatic treatments has been partly successful for PD research, but there remain a number of inadequacies in therapeutic strategies for the disease. The pathogenesis of PD remains intricate, and the present anti-PD treatments appears to be clinically insufficient. Comprehensive research on discovery of novel drug candidates has demonstrated that natural products, such as medicinal herbs, plant extracts, and their secondary metabolites, have great potential as therapeutics with neuroprotective activity in PD. Recent preclinical studies suggest that a number of herbal medicines and their bioactive ingredients can be developed into optimum pharmaceuticals for treating PD. In many countries, traditional herbal medicines are used to prevent or treat neurodegenerative disorders, and some have been developed as nutraceuticals or functional foods. Here we focus on recent advances of the evidence-linked neuroprotective activity of bioactive ingredients of herbal origin in cellular and animal models of PD research

A New Approach for One-step Synthesis of Perovskite:fullerene Bulk Heterojunction Using Surfactant Free Microemulsion in Slot Die Method

Organometallic halide perovskite based solar cells are considered as the foundation of future photovoltaic technology. In these types of solar cells, it has been emphasized that the bulk heterojunction active layer architecture may show superior performance than the bilayer active layer architecture due to the increase in the interfacial area by intermixing both donor and acceptor phases in the bulk heterojunction. Organometallic halide perovskite with suitable acceptor in bulk heterojunction architecture can be a promising active layer in perovskite solar cells. Conventionally, the perovskite and acceptor are mixed together in a single solvent before thin film formation. Though this offers a one-step synthesis way, limited solubility of perovskite and acceptor in single solvent puts major constraint on the formation of bulk heterojunction through one-step solution processable method. This paper describes a new way of one-step synthesis of bulk heterojunction using surfactant free microemulsion in slot die method, which removes the constraint of limited solubility of the two phases in a single solvent. Emulsion of DMSO (solvent for CH3NH3PbI3) and cyclohexane (solvent for PCBM) stabilized with acetone was used for making perovskite:fullerene bulk heterojunction. Solvent evaporation dynamics has been simulated to get deeper understanding of emulsion solidification leading to bulk heterojunction formation. Structural and optical studies support the formation of bulk heterojunction for efficient charge separation at donor:acceptor interfaces. A perovskite solar cell employing this bulk heterojunction has also been reported