Dilemma of seizure prophylaxis in sub-arachnoid haemorrhage

There is around 10% risk of developing seizures in post subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) period. This is considered to be linked to decreased oxygenation of brain due to increase in intra-cranial pressure obviating use of anti-epileptic drugs (AED) as a prophylactic measure. This review was done to study the effect and changes of blood brain barrier permeability in subarachnoid hemorrhage with regard to the present knowledge available and how it could be utilized to open arenas for future research for the rationalization of therapy for such patients. There is no consensus till date on the etiopathogenesis due to which no established guidelines are present for the management of such patients. It is safer to approach the patient on a case by case basis and assess whether to give prophylaxis or not based on the risk of development of seizures and adverse event profile of drugs. Also, there is a need to conduct prospective studies in this arena so as to get some meaningful interpretations which could be of some use to the future therapeutic guidelines.

Marine natural products: the new generation of pharmacotherapeutics

The biomedical potential of the sea has gone largely unexplored so far, despite the fact that it covers three quarters of the planet surface and the fact that life on Earth originated from the sea. However, with the arrival of the professional deep sea divers, the marine researchers have gained access to all sorts of marine creatures like sponges, corals, sea urchins, sea squirts, hydroids, sea anemones, fishes and mollusks as well as to varied types of sea plants including algae and the other micro-organisms embedded in the sea bed. The biomedical scientists are exploiting these all to extract marine natural products (MNPs) having pharmacological properties that may one day cure long list of illnesses varying from bacterial infections to cancer, Alzheimer's and AIDS and is the focus of this review article

Therapeutic potential of seaweeds

Seaweeds in general are known to contribute to the maintenance of health through their nutritional and medicinal properties and are served in soups and salads, cooked with grains, legumes or miso-soup broth, vegetable pies, stews and even consumed dried. The medicinal properties of seaweeds or vegetables have long been known in many cultures of people particularly those living in the coastal regions who are consuming these from centuries. Traditional Chinese dietotherapy (TCD) makes good use of natural marine nutrients and food to preserve health. Koreans wrap their bodies in seaweeds to get rid of deadly body toxins and Japanese who eat large quantities of seaweeds have very low incidence of cancers. The compounds with diverse biological activities such as antioxidant, antiviral, antifungal, antineoplastic, antimicrobial etc. have been isolated from the flora in the sea. A score of these bio-medicinal compounds are in different stages of clinical trials & analysis and are the focus of this article.

Comparison of the safety and efficacy of caroverine and betahistine in patients of subjective tinnitus

Background: Owing to lack of any established treatment and handicap assessment methods, subjective tinnitus can be a debilitating disorder. This study was carried out to compare the safety and efficacy of caroverine and betahistine in patients of subjective tinnitus.Methods: A total of 60 patients of subjective tinnitus were randomized into two groups and followed-up for 12 weeks using tinnitus handicap inventory (THI) questionnaire. One group received 8 mg betahistine tablet TDS for a month whereas the other group was given supervised intravenous (IV) infusion of 160 mg of caroverine dihydrochloride. Data for the safety were also recorded.Results: Both the drugs showed significant improvement in severity of symptoms at 1 week, 4 weeks and 12 weeks individually as assessed by the THI scores. The response to caroverine was significant up to 4 weeks, but it was not significant at 12 weeks; whereas the response to betahistine was significant up to 12 weeks. A total of 28 adverse drug reactions (ADRs) were reported (53.6% with caroverine, 46.4% with betahistine). 24 ADRs were mild and 4 were moderate in intensity. There was no serious adverse event.Conclusions: Both the drugs are safe and efficacious in reducing the handicap of subjective tinnitus. A single IV infusion of caroverine may suffice for 4-6 weeks, so it may be repeated after 6 weeks to maintain the relief