ANTIMICROBIAL, WOUND HEALING AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITIES OF ANTHOCEPHALUS CADAMBA

Anthocephalus cadamba (Roxb.) Miq. Syn A. chinensis (Lamk) A. Rich (Rubiaceae) is ethnomedicinally widely used in the form of paste by tribe in western Ghats for treating skin diseases. In this context, antimicrobial potential of A. cadamba against a wide range of microorganisms was studied. To validate the ethnotherapeutic claims of the plant in skin diseases, wound healing activity was studied, besides antioxidant activity to understand the mechanism of wound healing. The alchoholic and aqueous extract of this plant showed significant antibacterial and antifungal activity against almost all the organisms: Micrococcus luteus, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and four fungi Candida albicans, Trichophyton rubrum—dermatophyte fungi, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus nidulans—systemic fungi, with especially good activity against the dermatophyte (Trichophyton rubrum) and some infectious bacteria (Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis and Staphylococcus aureus) with an MIC of 2.5 µg/disc. The results show that A. cadamba extract has potent wound healing capacity as shown from the wound contraction and increased tensile strength. The results also indicated that A. cadamba extract possesses potent antioxidant activity by inhibiting lipid peroxidation and increase in the superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase activity

Antimicrobial, Wound Healing And Antioxidant Activities Of Anthocephalus Cadamba

Anthocephalus cadamba (Roxb.) Miq. Syn A. chinensis (Lamk) A. Rich (Rubiaceae) is ethnomedicinally widely used in the form of paste by tribe in western Ghats for treating skin diseases. In this context, antimicrobial potential of A. cadamba against a wide range of microorganisms was studied. To validate the ethnotherapeutic claims of the plant in skin diseases, wound healing activity was studied, besides antioxidant activity to understand the mechanism of wound healing. The alchoholic and aqueous extract of this plant showed significant antibacterial and antifungal activity against almost all the organisms: Micrococcus luteus , Bacillus subtilis , Staphylococcus aureus , Escherichia coli , Klebsiella pneumoniae , Proteus mirabilis , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , and four fungi Candida albicans , Trichophyton rubrum - dermatophyte fungi, Aspergillus niger , Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus nidulans - systemic fungi, with especially good activity against the dermatophyte (Trichophyton rubrum) and some infectious bacteria (Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis and Staphylococcus aureus) with an MIC of 2.5 μg/disc. The results show that A. cadamba extract has potent wound healing capacity as shown from the wound contraction and increased tensile strength. The results also indicated that A. cadamba extract possesses potent antioxidant activity by inhibiting lipid peroxidation and increase in the superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase activity

Not Available

Not AvailableThe host immune system plays a vital role in protection from various harmful stimuli. Cytokines play a very important role in infammation and immune response even at minimal concentrations. In this study, basal mRNA expression of various cytokines in porcine pulmonary alveolar macrophages (PAM) and peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL) of healthy piglets was assessed. Basal expression of all cytokines was higher in PAM as compared to PBL and the differences in normalized threshold cycle values ranged between 13.6% (IFN-α) and 53% (IFN-β). There was a positive correlation between the expression patterns in PAM and PBL, with a correlation coeffcient of 0.76. Relative quantifcation of cytokine mRNA in PAM showed that there was wide variation in the degree of expression in terms of fold changes, which ranged from 3.5 (IFN-α) to 1130.6 (IFN-β). The results showed that exposure levels to pathogens can infuence the basal cytokine expression, which depends on the microenvironment even in healthy piglets.Not Availabl

Quantity of Vaccine Poliovirus Shed Determines the Titer of the Serum Neutralizing Antibody Response in Indian Children Who Received Oral Vaccine

Replication of oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) in the intestine (ie, vaccine take) is associated with seroconversion and protection against poliomyelitis. We used quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis to measure vaccine shedding in 300 seronegative infants aged 6–11 months and in 218 children aged 1–4 years 7 days after administration of monovalent or bivalent OPV. We found that the quantity of shedding correlated with the magnitude of the serum neutralizing antibody response measured 21 or 28 days after vaccination. This suggests that the immune response to OPV is on a continuum, rather than an all-or-nothing phenomenon, that depends on efficient vaccine virus replication

Trends in weather and yield changes in past in coconut growing areas in India

Analysis of past weather data indicated increase in maximum temperature at varied magnitudes over various  coconut growing areas across the country except in southern Kerala. In case of minimum temperature, sixty percent of the locations studied showed a declining trend, widening the difference between maximum and minimum temperatures. The days above 33 oC, optimal for coconut growth and development, were in increasing trend in most of the coconut growing area while days below 15 oC are increasing in northern Kerala, plains of Karnataka and western Tamil Nadu. Annual Rainfall showed declining trend in most of the coconut growing areas with change in amount. Dry spells are in increasing trend in parts of Karnataka and Kerala. Change in coconut productivity during past three decades across the country ranged from -114 to 270 nuts/ha/year. The productivity of coconut during the study period was in increasing trend except for parts of Maharastra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, where consecutive droughts affected the yields

The duration of intestinal immunity after an inactivated poliovirus vaccine booster dose in children immunized with oral vaccine: a randomized controlled trial

Background. In 2014, 2 studies showed that inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) boosts intestinal immunity in children previously immunized with oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV). As a result, IPV was introduced in mass campaigns to help achieve polio eradication. Methods. We conducted an open-label, randomized, controlled trial to assess the duration of the boost in intestinal immunity following a dose of IPV given to OPV-immunized children. Nine hundred healthy children in Vellore, India, aged 1–4 years were randomized (1:1:1) to receive IPV at 5 months (arm A), at enrollment (arm B), or no vaccine (arm C). The primary outcome was poliovirus shedding in stool 7 days after bivalent OPV challenge at 11 months. Results. For children in arms A, B, and C, 284 (94.7%), 297 (99.0%), and 296 (98.7%), respectively, were eligible for primary per-protocol analysis. Poliovirus shedding 7 days after challenge was less prevalent in arms A and B compared with C (24.6%, 25.6%, and 36.4%, respectively; risk ratio 0.68 [95% confidence interval: 0.53–0.87] for A versus C, and 0.70 [0.55–0.90] for B versus C). Conclusions. Protection against poliovirus remained elevated 6 and 11 months after an IPV boost, although at a lower level than reported at 1 month