IN VITRO ANTIOXIDANT PROPERTY OF FRACTIONS OF ANNONA RETICULATA (L) LEAVE

Objective: The present study has been carried out to evaluate the antioxidant property of different fractions prepared from hydro-alcoholic extract of Annona reticulata L. leave. Effort also has been made to estimate the flavonoid and phenolics content of the fractions.Method: The antioxidant activity has been studied in vitro by using Nitric oxide-scavenging assay, Free radical scavenging activity in DPPH assay and Iron chelating activity assay.Results: In Nitric oxide-scavenging assay the IC50 values for Ethylacetate fraction, methanol fraction and residue/aqueous fraction are 476.43 µg/mL, 328.09 µg/mL and 329.61 µg/mL respectively. In DPPH assay the IC50 values for Ethylacetate fraction, methanol fraction and residue/aqueous fraction are 87.50 µg/mL, 161.06 µg/mL and 90.36 µg/mLrespectively. The IC50 values of the Ethylacetate fraction, methanol fraction and residue/aqueous fraction in Iron chelating assay are 210.86 µg/mL, 462.38 µg/mL and 586.14 µg/mL respectively. The flavonoid content of Ethylacetate fraction, methanol fraction and residue/aqueous fraction are 8.73, 7.45 and 8.62 respectively expressed as mg/g of Catechol. Similarly the phenol content of Ethylacetate fraction, methanol fraction and residue/aqueous fraction are 8.43, 7.25 and 6.23 respectively expressed as mg/g of Catechol.Conclusion: The results suggest that all the tested fractions are having antioxidant property, but the ethhylacetate fraction is having significantly higher flavonoid and phenol content. Due to presence of higher flavonoid and phenol content in ethylacetate fraction, it may be considered as the fraction with better pharmacological property in comparison to other tested fractions.Â

Accidental electrocution fatalities in Puducherry: A 3-year retrospective study

Background: Electrocutions are unusual and almost accidental in nature. They have not been sufficiently studied earlier in the Union Territory. Objectives: This study was focused on the magnitude, manner of death, profile, and pattern of injuries among electrocutions. Materials & Methods: We considered 3-year data of all electrocution-related deaths for which autopsies were carried out at the Indira Gandhi Government General Hospital and Postgraduate Institute, Puducherry, from January 2011 to December 2013. We retrospectively reviewed all the medicolegal records and gathered demographic, traumatic and investigative information, and finally analyzed the data. Results: Electrocutions were accounted for 1.18% (52) of all medicolegal autopsies (n = 4403) conducted at our study center during those 3 years. The age of the victims were from 18 months to 68 years, but young adults aged between 21 and 30 years (33%) and males (81%) were more in numbers. The majority of the victims were Hindus (83%) and from rural backdrop (56%). Domestic accidents are clearly prevailed over industrial accidents. Occupants electrocuted most often are agricultural workers (27%), housewives (19%), laborers (17%), and students (12%). Hands and fingers are the most common sites for entry marks (65%), whereas soles and toes (17%) are frequent sites for exit marks in fatal cases. Only entry marks were reported in 58% cases, but both entry and exit marks were noticed in 23% cases. All deaths were accidental, no suicidal and homicide cases were reported. Chemical analysis and histological investigations helped in determining the cause of death in unclear and suspected cases. Conclusions: Electrocutions represent only a small segment of unnatural deaths; they often occur accidentally in domestic and occupational places. Thus, it is necessary to reduce fatalities related with electrocution among the general public and risk groups by promoting health education on how to prevent electrocution and flawless use of simple safety precautions

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Corrosion behavior of ZrC particles reinforcement with Al-12Si composites by weight loss method using acidic media

This paper aims to investigate the corrosion behavior of zirconium carbide (ZrC) reinforced Al – Si metal matrix composites (MMCs) in a mixture of acidic solution using weight loss method. The composites are prepared by powder metallurgy method. Al-12Si-xZrC composites containing 0, 5, and 10 weight percentage of ZrC particles are compacted in a die set assembly and sintered in an inert gas muffle furnace. The acidic solutions used for corrosion are 1 N HCl, 1 N H2SO4 and 1 N HNO3. The corrosion characteristics of Al-12Si-xZrC composites and the pure Al were experimentally evaluated. The corrosion test was carried out at different weight proportions of the samples in various concentrations of the acid such as 1 N HCl, 1 N H2SO4 and 1 N HNO3 for different exposure time (i.e., 24 h, 72 h, 144 h and 216 h), respectively. The results specified that corrosion rate of composites was lower than that of base metal Al under the corrosive atmosphere, regardless of exposure time and acidic solutions used as corrodents. Al-12Si-xZrC composites become more corrosion resistant as the ZrC content is increased. This is because of the development of stable oxide layer above the specimens. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirms the degree of attack of acidic solution on the surface of the examined material