A PROSPECTIVE OBSERVATIONAL STUDY ON ADVERSE DRUG REACTIONS OF ANTIBIOTICS IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL

The aim of the present study was to detect and analyze adverse drug reactions of antibiotics in a tertiary care hospital. This was a prospective observational study carried out in the Department of General Medicine (Osmania General Hospital) over a period of six months. The present study was conducted to assess the prescription pattern of antibiotic usage. Standard pro-forma was used to collect the information regarding antibiotics, its dose, duration, first line of antibiotics and second line of antibiotics and adverse drug reactions. A Total of 100 ADRs was reported from 100 patients during the study period with female predominance (72%) over males. The average age of the patients in the study was found to be 55-70 years. The majority of the ADRs occurred in the age group of 40-80 years. More number of ADRs was from General Medicine Departments in which the most affected organ systems were the GIT (22%) and the skin (19%). The antibiotic classes mostly accounted were cephalosporin (16%) followed by other. The severity assessment revealed that most of them were moderate followed by mild and severe reactions. Of the reported reactions, 30 % were definitely preventable and causality assessment was done which showed that the reactions were probable, possible. Results show that cephalosporin was extensively used in the department of General medicine. The system should promote the spontaneous reporting of Adverse drug reactions to antibiotics. Proper documentation and periodic reporting to regional Pharmacovigilance centre’s to ensure drug

Potential use of saline resources for biofuel production using halophytes and marine algae: prospects and pitfalls

There exists a global challenge of feeding the growing human population of the world and supplying its energy needs without exhausting global resources. This challenge includes the competition for biomass between food and fuel production. The aim of this paper is to review to what extent the biomass of plants growing under hostile conditions and on marginal lands could ease that competition. Biomass from salt-tolerant algae and halophytes has shown potential for bioenergy production on salt-affected soils. Halophytes and algae could provide a bio-based source for lignoceelusic biomass and fatty acids or an alternative for edible biomass currently produced using fresh water and agricultural lands. The present paper provides an overview of the opportunities and challenges in the development of alternative fuels from halophytes and algae. Halophytes grown on marginal and degraded lands using saline water offer an additional material for commercial-scale biofuel production, especially bioethanol. At the same time, suitable strains of microalgae cultured under saline conditions can be a particularly good source of biodiesel, although the efficiency of their mass-scale biomass production is still a concern in relation to environmental protection. This review summaries the pitfalls and precautions for producing biomass in a way that limits environmental hazards and harms for coastal ecosystems. Some new algal and halophytic species with great potential as sources of bioenergy are highlighted

Germination strategies of halophyte seeds under salinity

Halophytes are plants of saline habitats that grow under conditions that may vary in extremes of temperatures (freezing to very hot), water availability (drought to water logging) and salinity (mild to almost saturation). Halophytes may also face sudden micro-environmental variations within their habitats. In this review we examine some of the factors that determine the ability of seeds of halophytes to germinate when conditions are optimal for seedling growth and survival. Seed dormancy (innate, induced or acquired) is an important means of initiating growth under appropriate conditions. Saline environments are often wet and so the seeds of halophytes may remain un-germinated over extended periods even after imbibition if the external environment does not favour germination and seedling survival. Many perennial halophytes, however, do not possess elaborate dormancy systems because they propagate largely through ramets and have no ecological compulsions for seed germination. The seeds of halophytes also have the capacity to recover from a salinity shock and start germination once salinity is reduced, which may happen following rain. In some cases, imbibition in a low-salt solution may help in osmo-priming and improve germination. Seed heteromorphism is yet another strategy adopted by some halophytes, whereby seeds of different size and colour are produced that germinate consecutively at suitable intervals. Light-dependent germination may also help if the seed is under a dense canopy or buried in debris; germination only occurs once these restraints are removed thus increasing the chances of seedling survival. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Germination strategies of halophyte seeds under salinity

Halophytes are plants of saline habitats that grow under conditions that may vary in extremes of temperatures (freezing to very hot), water availability (drought to water logging) and salinity (mild to almost saturation). Halophytes may also face sudden micro-environmental variations within their habitats. In this review we examine some of the factors that determine the ability of seeds of halophytes to germinate when conditions are optimal for seedling growth and survival. Seed dormancy (innate, induced or acquired) is an important means of initiating growth under appropriate conditions. Saline environments are often wet and so the seeds of halophytes may remain un-germinated over extended periods even after imbibition if the external environment does not favour germination and seedling survival. Many perennial halophytes, however, do not possess elaborate dormancy systems because they propagate largely through ramets and have no ecological compulsions for seed germination. The seeds of halophytes also have the capacity to recover from a salinity shock and start germination once salinity is reduced, which may happen following rain. In some cases, imbibition in a low-salt solution may help in osmo-priming and improve germination. Seed heteromorphism is yet another strategy adopted by some halophytes, whereby seeds of different size and colour are produced that germinate consecutively at suitable intervals. Light-dependent germination may also help if the seed is under a dense canopy or buried in debris; germination only occurs once these restraints are removed thus increasing the chances of seedling survival. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Potential of halophytes as cattle fodder : A case-study in Pakistan

Good quality water and arable land are needed to grow conventional crops to provide food for human and animal population. However, burgeoning world population leading to wide spread urbanization and industrialization is aggressively sharing these resources. A solution may be found in using saline water and salinized lands to produce quality animal feed from salt tolerant plants. In this study, two halophytic grasses (Panicum antid tale and Desmostachya bipinnata) were tested for their potential to replace conventional cattle fodder in the diet of cattle. Four trials were conducted in which cow calves were fed diets containing above mentioned halophytes alone or in combination with conventional fodders (wheat and maize). Weight gain in animals fed diets supplemented with halophytes were generally at par with or in few cases marginally better than those on conventional fodder. For instance, P. antid tale increased the calf weight around 15% when used as green and 8% in case of hay. Feeding Berseem (Trifolium alexandrinum, 15% crude protein) as the only source of concentrate in a diet containing D. bipinnata sustained weight only for about 6-7 weeks after which it started to decrease. Supplementing the diet with a regular concentrate was subsequently needed to restore weight gain. Halophytes as green/hay/concentrate were as good as conventional fodder regarding dressed meat. The protein content of meat was showing increasing trend when replacing conventional fodders with halophytes, particularly 20% protein was higher in meat when Prosopis juliflora pods and Manilkara zapota were used as concentrate and P. antidotale as hay in diet.Scopu