Organochlorine pesticide residues in poultry meats of Bangladesh

Forty poultry meat samples from four large companies were analyzed for the presence of organochlorine pesticides. Homogenized samples were mixed with silica sand and anhydrous sodium sulfate, and extracted with ethyl acetate followed by n-hexane: MTBE. Clean up of samples were done by silica sulphuric acid and analyzed by GC-ECD, and confirmed by GC-MS. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were 0.5, 0.5 and 0.7, and 2.5, 2.5 and 3.5 ng/g, respectively. The calibration curves were linear and the correlation coefficients (r2) were 0.991, 0.992 and 0.997 for DDE, DDD and DDT, respectively and the recoveries for them were 76%, 78% and 80%. DDT and its metabolites, DDE and DDD were detected in 28 (70%), out of 40 samples and ranged 0.039-0.769 mg/kg

Effect of n-hexane extract of Nigella sativa on gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats

The present study investigated whether the administration of the n-hexane extract of the Nigella sativa Linn. (kalajira) ameliorates gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats. Gentamicin (100 mg/kg/day for 7 days) was administered and nephrotoxicity was evaluated biochemically (significantly decreased reduced glutathione in renal cortex and significantly increased serum creatinine and serum urea) and histologically (moderate degree of proximal tubular damage). The n-hexane extract of N. sativa (5 mL/kg/day) was administered as pre-, post- and concomitant treatment for 7 days in the nephrotoxic rats. Statistically significant amelioration in all the biochemical parameters supported by significantly improved renal cortical histology was observed in the n-hexane extract of N. sativa treated nephrotoxic rats, which was more evident in the post-treatment group than the pre-treatment and the concomitantly-treated group. It is suggested that some ingredients contained in the n-hexane extract of N. sativa effected in ameliorating the signs of nephrotoxicity and that the specific active principle of the n-hexane extract of N. sativa responsible for this amelioration if obtained, would be more useful

Studies on locally available three anti-diabetic herbal medicines

Herbal medicines are being used for the treatment of different diseases for centuries. Sustainable development of herbal medicines need the study of their safety, efficacy and standardization are essential. Two commercially available herbal medicines i.e., Ziabetes (dolabi) and Jambadayrist, and a folkloric medicine prepared from four plant materials by a local practitioners were investigated for their chemical compositions.  Four compounds were isolated from the extracts of these medicines by silica gel column chromatography. Oleic acid and p-hydroxycinnamic acid were isolated from the aqueous 80%ethanol extract of the folkloric medicine whereas benzoic acid was found to be present in Ziabetes and Jambadayrist. The present investigation revealed that excessive amount of benzoic acid (or sodium benzoate) is being added as preservative in commercial herbal medicines

Risk Factors and Short-Term Outcome of Birth Asphyxiated Babies in Dhaka Medical College Hospital

Background: Perinatal asphyxia is the most important preventable cause of cerebral injury in the neonatal period leading to very high neonatal mortality and morbidity in developing countries. Little can be done for a baby affected by severe perinatal asphyxia. So, prevention is unquestionably desired. Objective: To identify the maternal and fetal risk factors for the development of birth asphyxiated babies and to see the short term outcome of the affected babies. Methods: An analytical type of or observational study was done in the Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) of Dhaka Medical College Hospital from October 2003 to March 2004. Identification of the risk factors was done by retrospective comparison of the cases and controls. Outcome was analyzed by cross sectional comparative study. One hundred consecutive cases of birth asphyxia, admitted in SCBU, were enrolled in the study. Another 30 neonates admitted during this period for other reasons (i.e., jaundice, septicemia, low birth weight) were taken as control. Necessary information were collected by detailed history taking, clinical examination and close follow up o

Physico-Chemical Analysis and Composition of Camel Milk of Bangladesh

Camel farming is increasing in Bangladesh but the nutritious value of the produced milk has not been studied in this geological location. The milk was coagulated by citric acid and the coagulated solid i.e. the casein (7%) and pure serum (14%) were obtained. Fat content was determined by extracting casein and the aqueous serum, separately with n-hexane and found 2.59% and 5.79%, respectively. The fatty acids in the fat from casein and serum were made into their methyl ester by saponification followed by esterification and analyzed by GC-FID. Palmitoleic, oleic and linoleic acids were predominant fatty acids found in the analyzed samples while stearic, arachidic, behenic and myristic acids were present as minor acids. Water, ash, nitrogen and lactose contents in the milk were 84%, 0.88%, 1.62% and 9.32%, respectively. The presence of vitamin B1, B2 and B6 were estimated by UV-VIS spectrophotometer and found 388, 64 and 116 ppm, respectively

Physico-Chemical Analysis and Composition of Camel Milk of Bangladesh

Camel farming is increasing in Bangladesh but the nutritious value of the produced milk has not been studied in this geological location. The milk was coagulated by citric acid and the coagulated solid i.e. the casein (7%) and pure serum (14%) were obtained. Fat content was determined by extracting casein and the aqueous serum, separately with n-hexane and found 2.59% and 5.79%, respectively. The fatty acids in the fat from casein and serum were made into their methyl ester by saponification followed by esterification and analyzed by GC-FID. Palmitoleic, oleic and linoleic acids were predominant fatty acids found in the analyzed samples while stearic, arachidic, behenic and myristic acids were present as minor acids. Water, ash, nitrogen and lactose contents in the milk were 84%, 0.88%, 1.62% and 9.32%, respectively. The presence of vitamin B1, B2 and B6 were estimated by UV-VIS spectrophotometer and found 388, 64 and 116 ppm, respectively

Oxygenated Secondary Metabolites from Endophytic Fungi Isolated From Ocimum sanctum

Ocimum sanctum Linn (Tulsi), an important medicinal plant of Bangladesh is used for antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and antiulcer activities. Eleven endophytic fungi were isolated from O. sanctum. The fungal strain, labeled as OS-005, was cultivated at large scale on the potato dextrose agar semi solid medium and was extracted with ethyl acetate. Repeated column chromatography of the parent extract by normal phase silica gel and one of its fraction by Sephadex LH-20 afforded linoleic acid, R (-)-glycerol monolinoleate, 9,10,11-trihydroxy-(12Z)-12-octadecenoic acid, ergosterol, ergosterol peroxide, 1,8-O-dimethylaverantin, coriloxin, and a new natural product named sanctumol. The structures of these compounds were elucidated unequivocally by UV, IR, MS and a series of 1D & 2D NMR analyses

Anti-colon cancer activity of endophytic fungal strains from Terminalia chebula Rezt

Endophytic microorganisms are fungi or bacteria that live inside the healthy tissues of the host plants causing no apparent symptoms of diseases. Five endophytic fungal strains labeled as IR-1, IR-2, IR-4, IR-6 and IR-7 (identified as Penicillium thiomii) were isolated from the medicinal plant of Terminalia chebula Retz by culture and sub-culture. The ethyl acetate extract of fungal strains, IR-4, IR-6 and IR-7 inhibited the growth of CaCo-2 colon cancer cell lines in MTT assay with IC50 values of 55, 44 and 67 µg/mL, respectively