Phytotherapy for the treatment of Glioblastoma: a review

Background: Phytotherapy; the study of extracts of natural origin in the treatment of disease, has scarcely been applied in the management of GBM. A body of literature exists studying in-vitro, the use of natural extracts against GBM cells. Given persisting poor prognoses, we evaluated, through systematic literature-review the therapeutic potential of naturally sourced extracts in-vivo. Methods: Using OVID, MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were searched with compound search term. Abstracts and full-texts were double-screened by independent reviewers. Results: Nine hundred and eighty-seven articles, excluding duplicated were screened, leading to the inclusion of 14. Amongst murine studies, Ashwagandha, Coptis Chinensis and Fructus Ligustri Lucidi in unprocessed forms, produced significant reductions in tumour volume. Amongst human studies, Perrilyl alcohol, derived from Lavender, reduced angiogenic cytokines in 31% of subjects, halted 6 month disease progression in 48.2% of subjects, and improved mean survival by 4.9 months in separate studies, respectively. Conclusion: Although cursory, current trends in literature demonstrate the value of inhaled Lavender extract in the treatment of GBM, offering tangible clinical benefit to patients receiving conventional treatments. Furthermore, the administration of 8, discrete extracts in mice to produce significant responses in survival and tumour volume, suggest there is further scope for study. Although additional safety tests are required, currently, phytotherapeutics are the crossover to clinical translation, and additional trials are warranted to expound upon thus far promising results

Downs syndrome and its screening: how aware are we?

Background: Down syndrome (DS) is the most common chromosomal abnormality found in live-born babies. The objectives of this study were to assess the knowledge, attitude and practices of pregnant women regarding Down syndrome and its screening.Methods: This was a prospective study done in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, in a tertiary care hospital. All pregnant ladies who attended the antenatal clinic and consented for the study were included. A prevalidated questionnaire was given to these women and data was collected. Responses to pregnant women’s knowledge, attitudes and practices were evaluated in a three-point scale of yes/no/ don’t know. All correct answers or all but one correct answer was scored good and the percentage was calculated.Results: A total of 267 pregnant women were included in the study. Of the 267 women only 156 (58.4%) had heard about Down syndrome. Eighty five percent of the women unanimously agreed that Down syndrome babies had mental impairment. But only 21.1% patients had good knowledge score on Down syndrome. Eleven percent had good knowledge regarding Down syndrome screening tests. Almost sixty five percent of the women had the right attitude towards screening tests and 46.1% patients had followed good practice.Conclusions: Informed decision making rather than imposed decision making must be practiced. Compulsory and effective education regarding Down syndrome and its screening must be provided to all patients at the earliest antenatal visit. The gap between women’s knowledge, theirs attitudes and practice has to be addressed to. Non-invasive prenatal testing might be the future and is quickly bring about a shift in the paradigm in prenatal screening

Detection and assay of siderophores in cowpea rhizobia (Bradyrhizobium) using radioactive Fe (59Fe)

In this paper we describe a method for the detection and assay of siderophore (catechol type) using radioactive 59Fe. Using this method we have found that cowpea rhizobia (Bradyrhizobium) differ in their ability to produce this type of siderophore

Effect of Sowing Depth on Nodulation, Nitrogen Fixation, Root and Hypocotyl Growth, and Yield in Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea)

Hypocotyl length in groundnut is a function of sowing depth. In field experiments deep sowing increased the mass of hypocotyl but decreased that of roots, pods and haulm. Few nodules were formed on the hypocotyls of plants from shallow sown seeds (4–5 cm deep). More hypocotyl nodules occurred on Virginia types when deep sown but the number and activity of nodules on the roots decreased. Nodules on the hypocotyl appeared later and fixed less nitrogen than root nodules. Although hypocotyl nodules fixed nitrogen during the later stages of plant growth, this activity could not compensate for the loss in nitrogenase activity due to deeper sowing. Deeper sowing also resulted in decreased pod yields

Reaction of ferric iron by siderophore produced by a bradyrhizobium strain

Ferric iron (Fe+3) chelating compounds, including siderophores produced by microorganisms, help in the Fe nutrition of plants. Dicotyledonous plants absorb Fe in the ferrous (Fe+2) form. The ability of siderophores produced by a Brady ‐rhizobium strain, a rhizosphere bacterium of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea), to reduce Fe+3 was tested. Two Fe+3 (58Fe) binding fractions were separated from the culture supernatant of a Bradyrhizobium strain grown in an iron deficient medium. One of the fractions isolated reduced Fe+3 to Fe+2, unlike the synthetic chelator ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). It has been proposed that Fe‐chelators supply Fe+3 to groundnut roots, and Fe+3 reduction to Fe+2 and its uptake occurs at the plasmalemma. Since siderophores can reduce Fe+++, they may help in Fe nutrition of groundnut plants better than chelators like EDTA. There is no evidence to indicated siderophore uptake by groundnut plants, but we have detected ethyl acetate insoluble Fe+3 reducing activity in the xylem sap of the plant

Allergic and immunologic response of the oral mucosa: An overview

Allergic and immunologic diseases very often manifest oral lesions in their earliest stages, an early diagnosis, which may be spurred by a dental examination, is a key for improved outcomes. After systemic diagnosis, oral lesions benefi t from special care by dentists in alliance with the medical team. This review aims to highlight the most relevant allergic and immunologic conditions of the oral cavity, their pathogenesis, and their pathognomonic diagnostic features, which will navigate the clinicians to arrive at a prompt diagnosis and subsequent management

Factors affecting competition of three strains of rhizobia nodulating groundnut, Arachis hypogaea

The nitrogen (N2) fixing ability of three strains of rhizobia (NC 92, NC 43.3, and TAL 176) was compared in groundnut cv. Robut 33–1. The competitiveness of these strains in pot culture in a sand-vermiculite medium and with native rhizobia in the field was also investigated. In pot culture, NC 43.3 formed more nodules than TAL 176 and NC 92. Nodules formed by NC 43.3 and NC 92 fixed more N2 (as measured by total N content in the plants at 42 days after sowing) than nodules formed by TAL 176. TAL 176 was a poor competitor compared with NC 92, NC 43.3, or with native rhizobia in the field. NC 92 when mixed with NC 43.3 (106 cells seed-1 of each strain) formed only 21% of the nodules, but when independently inoculated in the soil containing native rhizobia, the two-strains formed similar percentages of nodules. Thirty percent of the nodules in two strain combinations of NC 43.3 and NC 92 showed double occupancy. Strain NC 43.3 formed nodules earlier than NC 92 and TAL 176 and this may be one of the factors responsible for its better N2-fixation and competitiveness. Nodules formed earlier by one strain (NC 92 or TAL 176) were found to have no effect on the subsequent nodulation by the other (TAL 176 or NC 92) strain. Although NC 92 and NC 43.3 were equally competitive with native rhizobia in the field and NC 43.3 fixed more N2 than NC 92 in pot culture, earlier experiments indicated that only inoculation with NC 92 increased pod yield in field trials

Studies on competition, persistence, and methods of application of a peanut rhizobium strain NC 92

In field trials at Patancheru, Andhra Pradesh in 1981-3, the competitive ability of native soil Rhizobium (10²-104 cells/g dry soil) with the inoculant strain NC 92 for groundnut nodulation was studied. Strain NC 92 was detected in 25-40% of the nodules formed although this was reduced when NC 92 was mixed with other strains. When seeds were treated with fungicides, soil application of Rhizobium in a peat carrier was more effective than seed inoculation. An inoculation rate >104 cells/seed was required for successful nodulation by NC 92. The inoculated strain survived in the soil for the following seaso

Comparison of the requirements and utilization of nitrogen by genotypes of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench), and nodulating and non-nodulating groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.)

Nitrogen requirements and utilization of mineral nitrogen (N) by sorghum and groundnut were compared. At the maximum N use level, sorghum genotypes showed greater N use efficiency (120 kg biomass/kg N harvested) than groundnut genotypes (36 kg biomass/kg N harvested). Using a non-nodulating groundnut genotype (Non-nod) or sorghum as controls for soil N uptake, the amounts of N2 fixed by the nodulated groundnut genotypes were estimated to be 183–190 kg N/ha. Nitrogen fertilization increased harvest index and percentage N translocated to seeds in sorghum genotypes, but decreased harvest index and had variable effects on percentage N translocated to seed in groundnut genotypes. Leaf nitrate reductase activity (NRA) and nitrate content in the leaves of two sorghum genotypes, one nodulating, and ‘Non-nod’ groundnut genotypes were also compared. The concentration of nitrate was lower in sorghum than in groundnut leaves, but NRA was higher in sorghum. It is suggested that either NRA in the groundnut leaves has relatively lower affinity for the substrate (higher Km, the Michaelis-Menton constant) or higher nitrate is required for the induction of nitrate reductase in groundnut than in sorghum. This implies that groundnut is a poor utilizer of fertilizer nitrogen

Macro- and micronutrient uptake by nodulating and non-nodulating peanut lines

Amounts of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Zn, Fe, and Mn absorbed by a nodulating and a non-nodulating (Non-nod) peanut genotype at two nitrogen fertilizer levels (nil and 200 kg N ha–1) were determined in a field experiment. The amounts of nutrient elements in the plant parts were greatest for N, followed by K, Ca, Mg, P, Fe, Mn, and Zn in descending order. Although there were differences in the uptake of other nutrients, the major difference between Non-nod and nodulating genotypes was in nitrogen indicating the poor yield of the Non-nod line due to its inability to acquire N