A CONCEPTUAL STUDY REGARDING IMMUNITY IN AYURVEDA

It has been estimated that about 6 lacks infant and young children die from RSV annually, and if bacterial co infections are included this number may approach 10 lacks deaths annually. More than 2 million deaths are estimated to result each year the world over as a consequence of diarrheal disease in children of under five years. This statistic shows that children are more vulnerable to infection because their immune system is less or under developed. Ayurveda is a vast storehouse of knowledge relevant to human health, disease, medicines and general health-care. However mutual incomprehensibility of the terms and concepts has been a major impediment in meaningful dialogue between modern scientific medicine and Ayurveda. Some recent concepts of molecular medicine, immunology etc. have been found to have striking similarities with certain concepts of Ayurveda. Therefore, it is being realized that it might be possible to develop a relationship between modern medicine and Ayurveda. Here a comprehensive review of the Ayurvedic classical texts is presented to understand the concept of the Vyadhikshamatva w.s.r. to immunity.

EFFECTS OF MATERNAL LEAD ACETATE EXPOSURE DURING LACTATION ON POSTNATAL DEVELOPMENT OF OVARIES IN OFFSPRING OF SWISS ALBINO MICE

ABSTRACT: The course of human development from conception to adulthood is extremely complex. The developing organism is particularly vulnerable to toxic insult because of rapid cell division and differentiation and severely affected during gestation and lactation. The aim of the present study was to evaluate lead toxicity on the female reproductive system during neonatal period. A total of 30 female mice randomly divided into two equal groups; control and treatment group. During experimental period, lactating female mice was given lead acetate (0.5ml/Day) from day 1 to day 21 of lactation. At 7, 14 and 21 days after birth, the ovaries weights and diameters of different developing follicles were measured. Following tissue processing, 5 µm sections were stained with haematoxylin eosin and evaluated with quantitative techniques. Ovarian parameters in different groups were compared by one-way ANOVA. The results indicated that exposure of lead caused histological alteration in developing ovaries of mice and significantly (P< 0.05) decreased Ovaries weights and diameters of different developing ovarian follicles. Studies conducted on females revealed that lead suppresses the development of various follicles during fetal and neonatal life. It appears that lead interferes during specific events of ovarian developmental stages, which may create higher sensitivity for dysfunction in reproductive system during adulthood. The present investigation evaluates the relative influences of prenatal and postnatal exposure of lead acetate on growth and ovarian histology in female offspring during postnatal development

Nutrient-Mediated Perception and Signalling in Human Metabolism: A Perspective of Nutrigenomics

The interaction between selective nutrients and linked genes involving a specific organ reveals the genetic make-up of an individual in response to a particular nutrient. The interaction of genes with food opens opportunities for the addition of bioactive compounds for specific populations comprising identical genotypes. The slight difference in the genetic blueprints of humans is advantageous in determining the effect of nutrients and their metabolism in the body. The basic knowledge of emerging nutrigenomics and nutrigenetics can be applied to optimize health, prevention, and treatment of diseases. In addition, nutrient-mediated pathways detecting the cellular concentration of nutrients such as sugars, amino acids, lipids, and metabolites are integrated and coordinated at the organismal level via hormone signals. This review deals with the interaction of nutrients with various aspects of nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics along with pathways involved in nutrient sensing and regulation, which can provide a detailed understanding of this new leading edge in nutrition research and its potential application to dietetic practice