6 research outputs found
New natural products from Clinopodium thymifolium (Scop.) Kuntze (Lamiaceae)
Clinopodium thymifolium (Scop.) Kuntze (syn. Micromeria thymifolia (Scop.) Fritsch) is an aromatic plant species widespread in the Mediterranean region, from north-eastern Italy across the Western Balkans to Hungary and Albania [1,2]. C. thymifolium has been used in folk medicine of the Mediterranean area for a long time [3]. Also, due to a high content of the essential oil in its leaves, it is used as a condiment and sometimes used in cooking [4,5]. For this reason, and the marked tendency to broaden the use of condiments and spices, some efforts are being made to introduce this plant as a new crop species (currently successfully cultivated in northern Italy) [4]. The beneficial effects of Lamiaceae species on human health have been frequently ascribed to essential-oil ingredients. Volatiles of C. thymifolium have been well studied ā previous studies showed that the qualitative compositions of the investigated C. thymifolium oils were very mutually similar and dominated by oxygenated p-menthane monoterpenoids [6,7]. However, in this work, a comprehensive chemical analysis, in combination with detailed spectral analyses and chemical synthesis of selected compounds, has led to the identification of a series of esters of menthol stereoisomers in C. thymifolium essential oil, including some new natural products
Phytomedical investigation of Najas minor All. in the view of the chemical constituents
Plants are an abundant natural source of effective antibiotic compounds. Phytomedical investigations of certain plants havenāt still been conducted. One of them is Najas minor (N. minor), an aquatic plant with confirmed allelopathy. Research conducted in this study showed the influence of water and ethyl acetate extracts of N. minor on microorganisms, in the view of chemical profiling of volatile constituents and the concentrations of total phenols, flavonoids and tannins. Antimicrobial activity was defined by determining minimum inhibitory and minimum microbicidal concentrations using microdilution method. Influence on bacterial biofilm formation was performed by tissue culture plate method. The total phenolics, flavonoids and condensed tannins were determined by Folin-Ciocalteu, aluminum chloride and butanol-HCl colorimetric methods. Chemical profiling of volatile constituents was investigated by GC and GC-MS. Water extract didn't have antimicrobial activity below 5000 Āµg/mL. Ethyl acetate extract has shown strong antimicrobial activity on G+ bacteria - Staphylococcus aureus PMFKGB12 and Bacillus subtilis (MIC < 78.13 Āµg/mL). The best antibiofilm activity was obtained on Escherichia coli ATCC25922 (BIC50 at 719 Āµg/mL). Water extract had higher yield. Ethyl acetate extract had a significantly greater amount of total phenolics, flavonoids and tannins. As major constituent hexahydrofarnesyl acetone was identified. The ethyl acetate extract effected only G+ bacteria, but the biofilm formation of G-bacteria was suppressed. There was a connection between those in vivo and in vitro effects against pathogenic bacterial biofilm formation. All of this points to a so far unexplored potential of N. minor
Endoscopic diagnostic and therapeutical methods in oncology patients
VeÄ dulji niz godina endoskopija je nezaobilazna u dijagnostici gastrointestinalnih, uroloÅ”kih i pluÄnih malignih oboljenja. Novije endoskopske metode, zahvaljujuÄi tehnikama poboljÅ”anja slike, pružaju sve viÅ”e moguÄnosti za toÄnu dijagnozu veÄ tijekom endoskopskog pregleda. U posljednje vrijeme unaprjeÄenjem endoskopskih tehnika moguÄe je odstraniti sve veÄi broj veÄ razvijenih malignih lezija ili uÄiniti neki od palijativnih zahvata u svrhu održanja prohodnosti probavne cijevi.Endoscopy is corner stone in diagnostics of gastrointestinal, urological and pumological malignancies. Some newer imaging enhancement techniques improve diagnostics accuracy during endoscopy. Endoscopy now offers a greater possibility of removing malignant lesions or performing palliative procedure sin order to maintain patency of gastrointestinal tract
The estimation of anemia degree in patients after heart valve replacement and coronary artery bypass surgery
Cilj: Utvrditi prisutnost, vrstu i stupanj anemije u bolesnika nakon operacije zamjene
srÄanih zalistaka i aortokoronarnog premoÅ”tenja tijekom prva tri tjedna rane stacionarne medicinske
rehabilitacije. Ispitanici i postupci: Podaci su dobiveni analizom medicinske dokumentacije
na temelju odobrenja EtiÄkog povjerenstva Specijalne bolnice za medicinsku rehabilitaciju
bolesti srca, pluÄa i reumatizma āThalassotherapia ā Opatijaā iz Opatije u skladu sa
svim primjenjivim smjernicama Osnova dobre kliniÄke prakse i HelsinÅ”ke deklaracije. Istraživanje
je obuhvatilo 145 bolesnika s aortokoronarnim premoŔtenjem i 67 bolesnika sa zamijenjenim
srÄanim zaliskom. Obje skupine podijeljene su na skupinu muÅ”karaca i žena, a rezultati usporeÄivani
sa zdravim ispitanicima koriŔtenjem neparametrijskih testova Kruskal-Wallis i
Mann-Whitneyjeva U-testa. Rezultati: U skupini žena i muÅ”karaca nakon operacije zamjene srÄanih
zalistaka i nakon uÄinjenog aortokoronarnog premoÅ”tenja broj eritrocita, koncentracija
hemoglobina i hematokrit statistiÄki su znaÄajno sniženi (sva tri P < 0,001) u odnosu na skupinu
zdravih ispitanika, no nismo utvrdili znaÄajnu razliku u hematoloÅ”kim indeksima izmeÄu navedenih
skupina. Rasprava: U ispitivanih bolesnika postoje promjene u eritrogramu u smislu
smanjenja broja normokromnih i normocitnih eritrocita, iako promjene nisu dostatne za proglaŔenje
anemije. Zbog poznate poveÄane stope smrtnosti od anemije u srÄanih bolesnika potrebno
je tragati za razvojem anemije, procjenjivati stupanj i odrediti njezin uzrok, s ciljem pravovremenog
i odgovarajuÄeg lijeÄenja. ZakljuÄak: Radi se o stanju koje se relativno
jednostavno može lijeÄiti preparatima željeza i vrlo oprezno lijekovima koji potiÄu eritrocitopoezu
u bolesnika sa zatajivanjem bubrežne funkcije, Å”to može sprijeÄiti ili smanjiti potrebu za
transfuzijama deplazmatiziranih eritrocita, koje u srÄanih bolesnika nose viÅ”e neželjenih reakcija.Aim: To determine the presence, type and degree of anemia in patients after heart
valve replacement and coronary artery bypass grafting during the first three weeks of early
stationary medical rehabilitation. Patients and methods: Data were obtained by analyzing
medical records of the subjects following the approval of the Ethics Committee of Special hospital
for medical rehabilitation of heart, lungs and rheumatism āThalassotherapy ā Opatijaā
from Opatija in accordance with all applicable guidelines in basics of good clinical practice and
the Declaration of Helsinki. Research included 145 patients with coronary artery bypass and
67 patients with heart valve replacement. Both groups were divided into a group of men and
women, and the results were compared with healthy subjects using nonparametric Kruskal-
Wallis and Mann-Whitney U test. Results: In the group of women and men after heart valve
replacement surgery and coronary artery bypass grafting the number of erythrocytes, hemoglobin
concentration and hematocrit were significantly decreased compared to the control
group (all P < 0,001), but no significant difference in hematological indexes were found. Discussion: In patients under observation there are changes
in erythrogram in reducing the number of normochrome and
normocyte erythrocytes, although the changes are not profound
to declare the anemia. Because of the known increased
mortality rates of anemia in cardiac patients, we should look
for anemia, evaluate and determine its cause, in order to provide
appropriate treatment in time. Conclusions: It is a condition
that can be treated relatively easily with iron and very
cautiously with drugs stimulating erythropoesis, particularly
in patients with kidney insufficiency. It can prevent or decrease
need for blood transfusions, which carry more side effects
in cardiac patients
Recent Trends in Endoscopic Management of Obesity
Obesity remains a tremendous public health, clinical, and scientific challenge globally. Conventional approaches in the management of obesity offer limited potential for sustained weight loss. Bariatric surgery, although it represents the most effective weight loss treatment, has its own risks and is associated with substantial costs and limited patient applicability. Endoscopic weight loss procedures are considered as the major breakthrough in the management of obesity. Endoluminal interventions performed entirely through the gastrointestinal tract have evolved as a result of an attempt to replicate some of the anatomical features and the physiological effects of the traditional weight loss surgery while being reversible, less invasive, and more cost-effective. Restrictive procedures act to decrease gastric volume by space-occupying devices and/or by suturing or stapling techniques that alter gastric anatomy, whereas malabsorptive procedures tend to create malabsorption by preventing food contact with the duodenum and proximal jejunum. Other procedures act by influencing gastric function (gastric botulinum injections, gastric pacing, and vagal nerve blocking) or by gastric aspiration. It is important to underline that the majority of endoscopic weight loss procedures are still being evaluated and are not yet available routinely. Even though some of the techniques and devices that have recently emerged have demonstrated promising short-term results, evidence on their safety and long-term efficacy from well-designed and well-conducted research should be given before they can become an inherent part of everyday clinical practice. Given the rapid development of endoscopic weight loss procedures, this review considers the current state and recent trends in endoscopic management of obesity