Bioactive Metabolite Produced by Phomopsis sp., an Endophytic Fungus in Allamanda cathartica Linn.

Endophytes are microbial entities that live within living tissues of plants. In most cases their relationship with the host plant is symbiotic and probably mutualistic. Many are capable of synthesizing bio-active compounds that can be used by the plant for defense against fungi and bacteria. Some of these compounds have been proven useful for novel drug discovery. By encouraging the endophytes to grow outside the plant in nutrient rich media, it is possible to harvest the bio-active compounds that they produce. In the present investigation we are trying to isolate endophytic fungi from Allamanda cathartica (Apocynaceae). The secondary metabolite obtained from the endophytic fungi was found to inhibit the growth of human pathogenic bacteria. The compound was extracted with organic solvents and bioautogram was done to check compound’s antibacterial activity.  Thin layer chromatogram and various other spectroscopic analyses were done to identify the compound as terpene

Comparison of oral and vaginal misoprostol after oral mifepristone in early medical abortion

Background: Abortions are still a major problem in developing countries contributing to significant maternal morbidity and mortality. WHO has reported that 53 million unplanned pregnancies result in termination each year. One third of these are performed under unsafe conditions. Deaths related to these accounts for up to about 20% of the maternal deaths that occur each year throughout the world. the main objective of the present study is to compare the efficacy, side effects and acceptability of oral and vaginal misoprostol after single oral dose of mifepristone in induction of abortion in pregnancy up to 63 days.Methods: It was a prospective randomized trial of 100 healthy women opting for termination of pregnancy with ultrasound confirmed intrauterine gestation of less than or equal to 9 weeks who were randomized in to two groups. Mifepristone 200mg was administered on day one followed by 800µg of misoprostol orally or vaginally 48 hours later. They were reviewed on day 7 and day 14 by ultrasound for completeness of abortion. If abortion was incomplete or bleeding was excessive, surgical evacuation was performed.Results: The two groups were comparable with respect to age, parity and gestational age. The mean induction abortion interval was 51.2 hours.98% of the women in both the groups had complete abortion.  Nausea (68%) and vomiting (58%) were more common in oral group. Diarrhoea (60%) was common in vaginal group. None of them had fever. Mean duration of bleeding was 9 days. 92% of the women found the procedure to be highly acceptable and would recommend it to others.Conclusions: Medical abortion with 200mg mifepristone in combination with 800µg of misoprostol either orally or vaginally 48 hours later was found to be safe, simple, effective, inexpensive, noninvasive and acceptable method

Secondary Metabolite from Phomopsis sp. Isolated from Plumeria acutifolia Poiret

AbstractPlumeria acutifolia Poiret (Apocynaceae) contains eight species of mainly deciduous shrubs and tree, originated from Central America. Some species of this plant are used for the cure of rheumatism, diarrhoea, blennorhea, venereal disease and leprosy. Endophytes are the chemical synthesizers inside plants (Owen et al., 2004). Leaves of Plumeria acutifolia were submitted to isolation of endophytic fungi. The strain Phomopsis sp was selected for chemical and biological investigation because of the strong antibacterial activity and also rich source of secondary metabolites. Ethylacetate fraction of the fungus found to have terpenoid compound, which was further subjected to Thin layer chromatography (TLC), UV, FT-IR spectroscopic analysis. The terpenoid compound was found to have antibacterial activity whereas the same compound does not show any positive results towards human pathogenic Candida albicans. This is the first report of the isolation, cultivation of fungus Phomopsis sp and evaluation of antibacterial activity. Keywords: Apocynaceae, Antibacterial activity, Terpenoids, Endophytes, Phomopsis, Coelomycete

Puerperal Group A Streptococcal sepsis: a case report

Group A Streptococcal (GAS) sepsis in puerperium is one of the recognised causes of maternal mortality. Though the onset is often insidious, it can progress rapidly to a life-threatening invasive infection, toxin-mediated shock, and end-organ failure, even before clinical signs become apparent. We report a case of puerperal GAS sepsis that was successfully managed. 24-years-old para 1 was readmitted to the intensive care unit requiring non-invasive ventilation on postnatal day 6 with clinical and biochemical features of sepsis. Blood culture, episiotomy wound swab, and high vaginal swab grew GAS. Broad-spectrum antibiotics initiated. She developed ascites that progressively increased and needed therapeutic paracentesis. She was discharged after four weeks of hospitalization. Early identification and prompt treatment are the keys to prevent severe morbidity and maternal mortality

ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY,TOTAL PHENOL,FLAVONOID,ALKALOID,TANNIN AND SAPONIN CONTENTS OF LEAF EXTRACTS OF SALVINIA MOLESTA D.S.MITCHELL

AbstractObjective:The main aim of the study was to screen leaf extracts of  Salvinia molesta ,a fresh water weed to evaluate the antioxidant activity and also  to quantify total phenol,flavonoid,alkaloid.tannin and saponin contents in order to find possible sources for future novel antioxidants in food and pharmaceutical formulations.Methods:Qualitative and quantitative analyses of  significant phytochemicals were performed by standard methods.The antioxidant activity was evaluated using extracts of aqueous, ethanol, methanol, chloroform and petroleum ether by DPPH assay.Butylated Hydroxy Toluene (BHT), Gallic acid (GA) and Quercetin (Q) were taken as standard.Results:Among the five different solvents, maximum antioxidant activity of salvinia molesta was found in ethanolic extract (90.3%) followed by other solvents.Total phenolic content measured by Folin-Ciocalteau method was 9.84 mg Gallic Acid Equivalents (GAE)/g and the total flavonoid contents as measured by aluminium chloride method was 10.89 mg Quercetin Equivalents (QE)/g.Alkaloids,tannins and saponins were measured by standard methods and found in significantly high ranges exhibiting a rich source of phytochemical constituents ensuring the plant as a useful therapeutic agent.Conclusion:Salvinia molesta a fast growing fresh water weed,also abundantly available in nature possess significant antioxidant activity and hence can be used as an potent therapeutic agent. Key words : Salvinia molesta, antioxidant activity, Total phenol ,Flavonoid,Alkaloid,Tannin and Saponin.Â

Retroperitoneal pelvic schwannoma in pregnancy: a case report

Solitary nerve sheath tumor such as Benign schwannomas arising in the pelvic retro peritoneum is infrequently reported. Retroperitoneal location accounts for 0.3-3.2% of primary schwannomas. We report a case of benign retroperitoneal pelvic schwannoma in pregnancy that was incidentally diagnosed when it presented with Preterm premature rupture of membranes and mechanical obstruction for labour. She underwent caesarean section and delivered a healthy baby. She was evaluated in the postoperative period by computerized tomography (CT) imaging studies and CT guided fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) was not diagnostic. Complete surgical excision of the tumor was achieved in the postpartum period. The adjacent vascular and urinary channels sustained no injuries and she had no neurologic deficit. Histology revealed spindle cell neoplasm composed of interlacing fascicles and sheets of spindle cell with focal areas of nuclear palisading and thick walled blood vessels. Immunohistochemistry was positive for S 100 suggesting schwannoma. Retroperitoneal location of schwannomas is rare and surgery is curative. Prognosis is good, since recurrence is rare.

Screening of a novel-substituted furan compound for analgesic activity in mice

Background: Pain is an unpleasant sensation and is the most primitive of all senses. It is a major symptom in many medical conditions and can significantly interfere with a person's quality of life and general functioning. Analgesics like opioids and NSAIDS are used to treat pain but due to their side effects on long term use it is necessary to develop a compound with reduced side effects. Hence the present study was focused on screening of novel compound of novel compound 2-(4-nitrophenylimino)-N-cyclohexyl-4,5 diphenylfuran-3- carboxamide (AMSM-2(a-k) for analgesic activity in mice.Methods: The analgesic activity of test compound AMSM-2(a-k) at different doses (5 mg/kg, 10 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg) was evaluated by using Eddy’s hot plate for determining central analgesic activity using morphine (5 mg/kg) as standard drug, acetic acid induced writhing test for peripheral analgesic activity and formalin induced writhing test to evaluate both central and peripheral analgesic activity using aspirin as standard drug (300 mg/kg). The percentages of inhibition of writhing’s were calculated for acetic acid and formalin induced pain model. The statistical analysis was done using one way ANOVA followed by Dunnett’s test. All values with P <0.05 were considered statistically significant.Results: In hot plate method, the percentage increase in the latency of licking for test compound AMSM-2(a-k) at 20 mg/kg was significantly comparable to standard drug. Morphine (10 mg/kg) and AMSM-2(a-k) (20 mg/kg) gave the peak effect at 90 minutes. In acetic acid induced writhing method the percentage inhibition for AMSM-2(a-k) (20 mg/kg) was 73.93% for up to 20 min and for aspirin was 57.12%. In formalin induced paw licking method, the percentage inhibition in licking response in the early phase for AMSM-2(a-k) with 20 mg/kg was 63.23% which was more significant than the standard drug aspirin (100 mg/kg) which gave a percentage inhibition of 42.17%. In the late phase the percentage inhibition in licking response for AMSM-2(a-k) (20 mg/kg) was 74.33% and aspirin (100 mg/kg) gave a percentage inhibition of 60.82%.Conclusions: The test drug AMSM-2(a-k) at a dose of 20 mg/kg showed promising results in hot plate method, equally comparable to the standard drug morphine and in acetic acid induced writhing test and formalin induced paw licking (early and late phase) methods they are more significant than the standard drug aspirin. This suggests AMSM-2(a-k) had potential central and peripheral analgesic activity

Prospective study of incidence of acute renal failure in preterm babies in a tertiary center in South India.

Acute kidney injury (formerly known as acute renal failure) is a condition where there is loss of excretory function of the kidney. This leads to various complications due to accumulation of nitrogenous wastes. This in turn may lead to multi-organ dysfunction. Various studies have been done in different populations showing the incidence of acute kidney injury in various conditions and age groups. Incidence of acute renal failure has been reported in different studies in various countries. The incidence varies from 3.4 to 24% across various countries. Of these, pre-renal type was found to be most common. There is no definite data available on incidence of renal failure in Preterm babies in India. Being a Tertiary care center in South India, our Neonatal intensive care unit is also a referral center and has a high turnover of preterm babies. Preterm babies were chosen for this study as they are a vulnerable population and are exposed to various risk factors; predisposing them to multi-organ injury. Due to the myriad of complications preterms are exposed to in the early weeks and multiple interventions with prolonged hospitalization, these babies are predisposed to acute kidney injury and its long term consequences. Factors predisposing to acute kidney injury are usually multifactorial. The most common among these being perinatal asphyxia and sepsis. Both these factors are common in preterm babies. In addition to these, incomplete nephrogenesis also increases the risk of renal failure in preterm babies compared to term babies. Diagnosis of acute kidney injury in this population is difficult as non- 11 oliguric renal failure is more common and by the time oliguria sets in, significant renal injury has already taken place. This brings the role novel biomarkers like urine NGAL which has been proved to be useful in diagnosing acute kidney injury in other situations and age groups. This study was conducted to look at the prevalence of acute kidney injury in preterm babies and also the various risk factors which may pre-dispose to renal injury. Serial monitoring of creatinine and urine output was done weekly. The usefulness of urinary NGAL as an early marker of renal injury was assessed. Follow up of the same population to look at residual impaired renal function was planned

Digital support interventions for the self-management of low back pain: a systematic review

Background: Low back pain (LBP) is a common cause of disability and is ranked as the most burdensome health condition globally. Self-management, including components on increased knowledge, monitoring of symptoms, and physical activity, are consistently recommended in clinical guidelines as cost-effective strategies for LBP management and there is increasing interest in the potential role of digital health. Objective: The study aimed to synthesize and critically appraise published evidence concerning the use of interactive digital interventions to support self-management of LBP. The following specific questions were examined: (1) What are the key components of digital self-management interventions for LBP, including theoretical underpinnings? (2) What outcome measures have been used in randomized trials of digital self-management interventions in LBP and what effect, if any, did the intervention have on these? and (3) What specific characteristics or components, if any, of interventions appear to be associated with beneficial outcomes? Methods: Bibliographic databases searched from 2000 to March 2016 included Medline, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, DoPHER and TRoPHI, Social Science Citation Index, and Science Citation Index. Reference and citation searching was also undertaken. Search strategy combined the following concepts: (1) back pain, (2) digital intervention, and (3) self-management. Only randomized controlled trial (RCT) protocols or completed RCTs involving adults with LBP published in peer-reviewed journals were included. Two reviewers independently screened titles and abstracts, full-text articles, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias using Cochrane risk of bias tool. An independent third reviewer adjudicated on disagreements. Data were synthesized narratively. Results: Of the total 7014 references identified, 11 were included, describing 9 studies: 6 completed RCTs and 3 protocols for future RCTs. The completed RCTs included a total of 2706 participants (range of 114-1343 participants per study) and varied considerably in the nature and delivery of the interventions, the duration/definition of LBP, the outcomes measured, and the effectiveness of the interventions. Participants were generally white, middle aged, and in 5 of 6 RCT reports, the majority were female and most reported educational level as time at college or higher. Only one study reported between-group differences in favor of the digital intervention. There was considerable variation in the extent of reporting the characteristics, components, and theories underpinning each intervention. None of the studies showed evidence of harm. Conclusions: The literature is extremely heterogeneous, making it difficult to understand what might work best, for whom, and in what circumstances. Participants were predominantly female, white, well educated, and middle aged, and thus the wider applicability of digital self-management interventions remains uncertain. No information on cost-effectiveness was reported. The evidence base for interactive digital interventions to support patient self-management of LBP remains weak