Aqueous extract of Terminalia arjuna prevents carbon tetrachloride induced hepatic and renal disorders

BACKGROUND: Carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4)) is a well-known hepatotoxin and exposure to this chemical is known to induce oxidative stress and causes liver injury by the formation of free radicals. Acute and chronic renal damage are also very common pathophysiologic disturbances caused by CCl(4). The present study has been conducted to evaluate the protective role of the aqueous extract of the bark of Termnalia arjuna (TA), an important Indian medicinal plant widely used in the preparation of ayurvedic formulations, on CCl(4 )induced oxidative stress and resultant dysfunction in the livers and kidneys of mice. METHODS: Animals were pretreated with the aqueous extract of TA (50 mg/kg body weight) for one week and then challenged with CCl(4 )(1 ml/kg body weight) in liquid paraffin (1:1, v/v) for 2 days. Serum marker enzymes, namely, glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were estimated in the sera of all study groups. Antioxidant status in both the liver and kidney tissues were estimated by determining the activities of the antioxidative enzymes, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST); as well as by determining the levels of thiobarbutaric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and reduced glutathione (GSH). In addition, free radical scavenging activity of the extract was determined from its DPPH radical quenching ability. RESULTS: Results showed that CCl(4 )caused a marked rise in serum levels of GPT and ALP. TBARS level was also increased significantly whereas GSH, SOD, CAT and GST levels were decreased in the liver and kidney tissue homogenates of CCl(4 )treated mice. Aqueous extract of TA successfully prevented the alterations of these effects in the experimental animals. Data also showed that the extract possessed strong free radical scavenging activity comparable to that of vitamin C. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated that the aqueous extract of the bark of TA could protect the liver and kidney tissues against CCl(4)-induced oxidative stress probably by increasing antioxidative defense activities

Connecting Space to Village: Servir Himalaya at Work for Bringing Earth Observation to Societal Benefits

Earth observation plays an important role in understanding earth as a system by providing repetitive and consistent view throughout the globe for regular assessment and monitoring. There are a number of initiatives working globally to facilitate and promote the earth observation applications. SERVIR is one such global initiative evolved through partnership between USAID and NASA with an overarching goal to improve environmental management and resilience to climate change. SERVIR-Himalaya is being implemented by ICIMOD to provide integrated and innovative geospatial solutions for generation and dissemination of information and knowledge resources on mountain environments in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region. The SERVIR applications are focused on the broad thematic areas which are also subset of the societal benefit areas of Global Earth Observation (GEO), namely - agriculture and food security, ecosystems and sustainable landscapes, and disaster risk management. Some of its applications in Nepal include agriculture drought monitoring; land cover dynamics; biomass estimation at local and national scales; climate change vulnerability to forest ecosystems; multi-scale disaster risk assessment; and forest fire detection and monitoring. Access to these applications and data are facilitated through ICIMOD’s Mountain Geoportal and Regional Database System. Regional and national training and workshops, on-the-job training, internships and exchange programs and technical backstopping are key capacity building components to enhance the capacity of national institutions in the regional member countries. These efforts are also seen as receiving feedback on the science applications, identify additional needs, and increase synergy by exploring opportunities for collaboration.Nepalese Journal on Geoinformatics, Vol. 14, 2015, Page: 8-12</jats:p

An assessment of productivity patterns of grass-dominated rangelands in the Hindu Kush Karakoram Region, Pakistan

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Mapping deforestation and forest degradation patterns in Western Himalaya, Pakistan

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