Ethnobotanical, Phytochemical and invitro antioxidant activity of medicinal plant Pimenta dioica (l.) Merr. (Myrtaceae) from Attappadi, Palakkad district, Kerala

An ethnobotanical study was undertaken to collect information about the use of medicinal plants in Attappadi hills, Palakkad district, Kerala during December 2012 to February 2013. A total of 51 species of ethanomedicinal plants belonging to 30 families were reported with the help of standardized questionnaires. This survey is mostly useful for rural area of local people. Total phenol and DPPH activity was carried out for Pimenta dioica. The aqueous stem extract of P.dioica showed higher total phenolic content and acetone extract exhibited the more free radical scavenging activity. These findings show that the plant provide substantial antioxidant activity

Synaptic Transmission and Amino Acid Neurotransmitters

Amino acids are the most abundant neurotransmitters in the brain. Neurotransmitters are synthesized and stored in presynaptic terminals, released from terminals upon stimulation with specific receptors on the postsynaptic cells. Chemical and electrical synapses are specialized biological structures found in the nervous system; they connect neurons together and transmit signals across the neurons. The process of synaptic transmission generates or inhibits electrical impulses in a network of neurons for the processing of information. Glutamate is the primary excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain, while GABA is the principal inhibitory neurotransmitter. The balance of glutamatergic and GABAergic tone is crucial to normal neurologic function. Through synaptic transmission, this information is communicated from the presynaptic cell to the postsynaptic cell. Amino acid neurotransmitters primarily glutamic acid, GABA, aspartic acid, and glycine are single amino acid residues released from presynaptic nerve terminals in response to an action potential and cross the synaptic cleft to bind with specific receptor on the postsynaptic membrane. The integral role of amino acid neurotransmitters is important on the normal functioning of the brain. The presynaptic and postsynaptic events in chemical synapses are subject to use dependent and highly regulated as per the changes in synaptic neurotransmitter release and function

IMPACT OF MEAL REPLACEMENT ON THE HEALTH STATUS OF TYPE II DIABETES

Diabetes mellitus is one of the pandemic disorder affecting approximately 347 million people in world. The WHO identified and announced India as the capital of Diabetes. Food products that can induce a slow release of glucose are the demand for managing diabetes. Hence researchers are accelerated to bring into focus the same; so we planned to prepare a low glycemic roti for the management of diabetes which is low cost, high in fiber, low glycemic index and glycemic load value. The glycemic index and glycemic load of the product was assessed by monitoring the rises in blood glucose after a 50g of portion was fed to 15 healthy subjects. The glycemic index of hypoglycemic roti is 53%. The impact of formulated roti was assessed at 1% significance among all diabetic individuals

Stemming misconduct in higher education and research

The paper dwells upon different forms of misconduct which prevail in higher education and research. It throws light on the draft policy of UGC, India, which aims to ensure integrity and honesty in education and research. It advocates that all the stakeholders like authors, researchers, administrators, funding bodies and editorial boards need to shoulder the responsibility of promoting and maintaining conformity to the norms of scholarly communication

Performance Appraisal is the Key to High Performance

People perform their best when they are given specific goals which are attainable. Performance of employees and to understand the abilities of a person for further growth and development. It will be better to give employees the map, the destination and sometimes general direction in which to start. Performance appraisal is an unavoidable element of organizationl life. Performance appraisal is an influential tool that organizations have to organize and coordinate the power of every employee of the organization towards the achievement of its strategic goals. It can focus each employee’s mind on the organization’s mission, vision and core values. Organizations have come to realize that a primary part of their business is to help employees achieve high performance by providing them timely support for completing their tasks. Performance Appraisal helps the supervisors to chalk out the promotion programmes for efficient employees. In this regards, inefficient workers can be dismissed or demoted in case. Performance appraisal serves as a motivation tool. Through evaluating performance of employees, a person’s efficiency can be determined if the targets are achieved. This very well motivates a person for better job and helps him to improve his performance in the future. Key Words: Performance appraisal, leadership, Supervisors, higher education, motivation

Exploration of Antioxidant Properties in Various Extracts of Bryophyllum pinnatum (Lank.)

A lot of medicinal plants, traditionally used for thousands of years, are present in a group of herbal preparations of the Indian traditional health care system (Ayurveda) named Rasayana proposed for their interesting antioxidant activities. The purpose of this study was to evaluate antioxidant activities of various solvent extract of Bryophyllum pinnatum (Lank.). Total phenols and flavonoids were analyzed according to the Folin–Ciocalteu method and total antioxidant activity of various solvent extracts of Bryophyllum pinnatum (Lank.) leaves was assessed by metal chelating assay, 2,2’-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) as well as 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. Ethanol extract exhibited excellent antioxidant activity, as measured using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryhydrazyl (DPPH) and total antioxidant assays

WHO 75 gram OGTT-A single step procedure for screening and diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus

Background: Indian women have an eleven fold increased risk of developing glucose intolerance during pregnancy compared to Caucasian women .Universal screening for GDM is essential in India. This study was undertaken to find out a single step procedure which serves both as a screening and a diagnostic tool. Methods: This study was carried out in a tertiary care teaching institute in Karnataka. 839 pregnant women with gestational age between 24-28 weeks were subjected to 50 gram OGCT and venous blood was drawn after 1 hour. These patients were requested to come after 72 hours on empty stomach for WHO-75 gram OGTT. Fasting and 2 hour blood samples after 75 gram of glucose were drawn.Results: Amongst the 839 pregnant women who underwent 50 gram OGCT, 136 (16.2%) women had one hour plasma glucose >140 mg/dl. Subsequent 75 gram OGTT revealed that only 43 (31.62%) of screen positive patients were diabetic.93 women who tested positive by 50 gram OGCT were false positive cases (10.58%). Prevalence of GDM in study population was 6.3 % (53/839). Screening OGCT missed 10 (15.87%) of gestational diabetes mellitus cases which were picked up by 75 gram WHO OGTT only.Conclusions: The diagnosis of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus by OGTT based on initial OGCT screening leaves 15.87% undiagnosed. The two step method of screening OGCT and diagnosing GDM with subsequent OGTT is tedious and not economical. Instead a single step WHO 75 gram fasting OGTT with 2 hour PPG ≥ 140 mg/dl is simple and precise