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 haven’t 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 µg/mL. Ethyl acetate extract has shown strong antimicrobial activity on G+ bacteria - Staphylococcus aureus PMFKGB12 and Bacillus subtilis (MIC < 78.13 µg/mL). The best antibiofilm activity was obtained on Escherichia coli ATCC25922 (BIC50 at 719 µg/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

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 – 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

Endoscopic diagnostic and therapeutical methods in oncology patients

Već dulji niz godina endoskopija je nezaobilazna u dijagnostici gastrointestinalnih, uroloških i plućnih malignih oboljenja. Novije endoskopske metode, zahvaljujući tehnikama poboljšanja slike, pružaju sve više mogućnosti za točnu dijagnozu već tijekom endoskopskog pregleda. U posljednje vrijeme unaprjeđenjem endoskopskih tehnika moguće je odstraniti sve veći broj već razvijenih malignih lezija ili učiniti 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 srčanih zalistaka i aortokoronarnog premoštenja tijekom prva tri tjedna rane stacionarne medicinske rehabilitacije. Ispitanici i postupci: Podaci su dobiveni analizom medicinske dokumentacije na temelju odobrenja Etičkog povjerenstva Specijalne bolnice za medicinsku rehabilitaciju bolesti srca, pluća i reumatizma „Thalassotherapia – Opatija” iz Opatije u skladu sa svim primjenjivim smjernicama Osnova dobre kliničke prakse i Helsinške deklaracije. Istraživanje je obuhvatilo 145 bolesnika s aortokoronarnim premoštenjem i 67 bolesnika sa zamijenjenim srčanim zaliskom. Obje skupine podijeljene su na skupinu muškaraca i žena, a rezultati uspoređivani sa zdravim ispitanicima korištenjem neparametrijskih testova Kruskal-Wallis i Mann-Whitneyjeva U-testa. Rezultati: U skupini žena i muškaraca nakon operacije zamjene srčanih zalistaka i nakon učinjenog aortokoronarnog premoštenja broj eritrocita, koncentracija hemoglobina i hematokrit statistički su značajno sniženi (sva tri P < 0,001) u odnosu na skupinu zdravih ispitanika, no nismo utvrdili značajnu razliku u hematološkim indeksima između navedenih skupina. Rasprava: U ispitivanih bolesnika postoje promjene u eritrogramu u smislu smanjenja broja normokromnih i normocitnih eritrocita, iako promjene nisu dostatne za proglašenje anemije. Zbog poznate povećane stope smrtnosti od anemije u srčanih bolesnika potrebno je tragati za razvojem anemije, procjenjivati stupanj i odrediti njezin uzrok, s ciljem pravovremenog i odgovarajućeg liječenja. Zaključak: Radi se o stanju koje se relativno jednostavno može liječiti preparatima željeza i vrlo oprezno lijekovima koji potiču eritrocitopoezu u bolesnika sa zatajivanjem bubrežne funkcije, što može spriječiti ili smanjiti potrebu za transfuzijama deplazmatiziranih eritrocita, koje u srčanih bolesnika nose više 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 „Thalassotherapy – Opatija” 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