Nanotechnology - Revolutionary phase in prospective of Ayurvedic medicine

Nanotechnology based on Nanoscience is the technology of 21st century; the terms Nanotechnology and Nanoscience are often used synonymously. The literal meaningof ‘nano’ is ‘dwarf’ or an abnormally short person. However, in scientific language it is a billionth (10-9) part of some unit scale, example nano meter or nano second means 10-9 meters or 10-9 seconds respectively. The Nano is the newly used word but in Ayurveda in the form of Bhasma, the Nano particle of metals & minerals are being used as an effective medicine. It is the need of the moment for Ayurveda to conduct the researches to extend the use of our Nano medicines (Bhasma) in various aspects like detection & diagnosis of the diseases to make them more effective in serving the society. The evaluation of engineered nanoparticles in terms of Ayurvedic Rasa Shastra norms for Bhasma in terms of various physico-chemical attributes can be useful

Effect of Cationic Surfactant Head Groups on Synthesis, Growth and Agglomeration Behavior of ZnS Nanoparticles

Colloidal nanodispersions of ZnS have been prepared using aqueous micellar solution of two cationic surfactants of trimethylammonium/pyridinium series with different head groups i.e., cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC) and cetyltrimethylpyridinium chloride (CPyC). The role of these surfactants in controlling size, agglomeration behavior and photophysical properties of ZnS nanoparticles has been discussed. UV–visible spectroscopy has been carried out for determination of optical band gap and size of ZnS nanoparticles. Transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering were used to measure sizes and size distribution of ZnS nanoparticles. Powder X-ray analysis (Powder XRD) reveals the cubic structure of nanocrystallite in powdered sample. The photoluminescence emission band exhibits red shift for ZnS nanoparticles in CTAC compared to those in CPyC. The aggregation behavior in two surfactants has been compared using turbidity measurements after redispersing the nanoparticles in water. In situ evolution and growth of ZnS nanoparticles in two different surfactants have been compared through time-dependent absorption behavior and UV irradiation studies. Electrical conductivity measurements reveal that CPyC micelles better stabilize the nanoparticles than that of CTAC

Perspectives in consumer-oriented breeding for potatoes in India

Potato has become an integral part of human diets world over and is consumed alone or with wide variety of other vegetables. Consumer preference of the regions varies and is dependent upon market specifications, variety; tuber appearance, size, shape, colour; absence of disease or tubers defects; texture and flavour of cooked potatoes. Breeding for consumer preference related traits is integral part of the varietal development efforts world over and thus helps to write the success story of a variety evolved.In recent years there has been a surge in the consumer awareness in India, with consumers becoming more conscious about the food, its nutritional valueand its use. The desired products fetch higher premium prices in the market. A potato is not merely a potato anymore in recent times, but a commodity having varied uses, with each user having a specific requirement. In view of the above, it becomes pertinent to delineate the various consumer-oriented breeding objectives for potato, based on its use. Indian consumer-based profiles of potato have been proposed, based on recent overview and prevailing Indian scenario for orientingspecific breeding programmes, guiding consumers and seed producers to breed, consume and multiply the variety of their choice and formulation of selection indices for genotype screening

Circulating extracellular vesicles induce monocyte dysfunction and are associated with sepsis and high mortality in cirrhosis

BACKGROUND: Sepsis is common in cirrhosis and is often a result of immune dysregulation. Specific stimuli and pathways of inter-cellular communications between immune cells in cirrhosis and sepsis are incompletely understood. Immune cell-derived Extracellular Vesicles (EV) were studied to understand mechanisms of sepsis in cirrhosis. METHODS: Immune-cell derived EV were measured in cirrhosis patients [Child-Turcotte-Pugh (Child) score A, n=15; B n=16; C n=43 and Child-C with sepsis (n=38)], and healthy controls (HC, n=11). In-vitro and in-vivo functional relevance of EV in cirrhosis and associated sepsis was investigated. RESULTS: Monocyte, neutrophil and hematopoietic stem cells associated EV progressively increased with higher Child score (p0.3, p<0.001), which further increased in Child C sepsis than without sepsis(p<0.001); monocyte EV showing the highest association with disease stage [p=0.013; Odds ratio-4.14(1.34-12.42)]. A threshold level of monocyte EV of 53/µl predicted mortality in patients of Child C with sepsis [Odds ratio-6.2 (2.4-15.9), AUROC=0.76, p<0.01]. In vitro EV from cirrhotic with sepsis compared without sepsis, induced mobilization arrest in healthy monocytes within 4 hours (p=0.004), reduced basal oxygen consumption rate (p<0.001) and induced pro-inflammatory genes (p<0.05). The septic-EV on adoptive transfer to C57/BL6J mice, induced sepsis like condition within 24h with leukocytopenia (p=0.005), intrahepatic inflammation with increased CD11b+ cells (p=0.03) and bone marrow hyperplasia (p<0.01). CONCLUSION: Extracellular vesicles induce functional impairment in circulating monocytes and contribute to the development and perpetuation of sepsis. High levels of monocyte EV correlate with mortality and can help early stratification of sicker patients

Therapeutic Potential of Phytoconstituents in Management of Alzheimer’s Disease

Since primitive times, herbs have been extensively used in conventional remedies for boosting cognitive impairment and age-associated memory loss. It is mentioned that medicinal plants have a variety of dynamic components, and they have become a prominent choice for synthetic medications for the care of cognitive and associated disorders. Herbal remedies have played a major role in the progression of medicine, and many advanced drugs have already been developed. Many studies have endorsed practicing herbal remedies with phytoconstituents, for healing Alzheimer’s disease (AD). All the information in this article was collated from selected research papers from online scientific databases, such as PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus. The aim of this article is to convey the potential of herbal remedies for the prospect management of Alzheimer’s and related diseases. Herbal remedies may be useful in the discovery and advancement of drugs, thus extending new leads for neurodegenerative diseases such as AD. Nanocarriers play a significant role in delivering herbal medicaments to a specific target. Therefore, many drugs have been described for the management of age-linked complaints such as dementia, AD, and the like. Several phytochemicals are capable of managing AD, but their therapeutic claims are restricted due to their lower solubility and metabolism. These limitations of natural therapeutics can be overcome by using a targeted nanocarrier system. This article will provide the primitive remedies as well as the development of herbal remedies for AD management.</jats:p

Effects of Four Host Plants on Biology and Food Utilization of the Cutworm, Spodoptera litura

Effects of four host plants, tobacco, Chinese cabbage, cowpea and sweet potato, on larval and pupal development and survival, and longevity and fecundity of adults of Spodoptera litura (F) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), were studied under laboratory conditions (26° C, 60–80% RH), as was the utilization of the four host plants and adaptation on tobacco. All of the biological parameters included in the study were affected by the host plants. In a choice test, S. litura females oviposited most on Chinese cabbage, least on tobacco, and intermediate on cowpea and sweet potato. S. litura larvae developed differently on the four host plants, from shortest to longest in the following order: Chinese cabbage, cowpea, sweet potato, and tobacco. Pupal development was shorter on cowpea than on the other three host plants, and males generally developed longer than females. More females than males were found among emerged adults, and male adults lived 1–2 d longer than females. Larvae survived best on cowpea (81.6%), followed by Chinese cabbage (75.5%), then sweet potato (66.1%), and worst on tobacco (49.2%). Pupal survival rates were relatively high (91.4 – 95.9%) in all four host plant treatments, although that on sweet potato was lower than those on the other three host plants. Pupal weights on tobacco and sweet potato were similar, but both were lower than those on Chinese cabbage and cowpea. Generally, male pupae weighed less than female pupae. Numbers of eggs oviposited by female S. litura were highest on sweet potato, followed by those on cowpea, Chinese cabbage, and lowest on tobacco. Relative food consumption rate was highest on sweet potato, followed by that on cowpea, Chinese cabbage, and lowest on tobacco. In contrast, S. litura larvae that fed on tobacco had higher efficiency of conversion of digested food, highest efficiency of conversion of ingested food, and lowest approximate digestibility as compared with larvae that fed on other host plants. The potential causes for S. litura outbreaks on tobacco are discussed

Ethnobotany in the Nepal Himalaya

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Indigenous knowledge has become recognized worldwide not only because of its intrinsic value but also because it has a potential instrumental value to science and conservation. In Nepal, the indigenous knowledge of useful and medicinal plants has roots in the remote past.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The present study reviews the indigenous knowledge and use of plant resources of the Nepal Himalayas along the altitudinal and longitudinal gradient. A total of 264 studies focusing on ethnobotany, ethnomedicine and diversity of medicinal and aromatic plants, carried out between 1979 and 2006 were consulted for the present analysis. In order to cross check and verify the data, seven districts of west Nepal were visited in four field campaigns.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In contrast to an average of 21–28% ethnobotanically/ethnomedicinally important plants reported for Nepal, the present study found that up to about 55% of the flora of the study region had medicinal value. This indicates a vast amount of undocumented knowledge about important plant species that needs to be explored and documented. The richness of medicinal plants decreased with increasing altitude but the percentage of plants used as medicine steadily increased with increasing altitude. This was due to preferences given to herbal remedies in high altitude areas and a combination of having no alternative choices, poverty and trust in the effectiveness of folklore herbal remedies.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Indigenous knowledge systems are culturally valued and scientifically important. Strengthening the wise use and conservation of indigenous knowledge of useful plants may benefit and improve the living standard of poor people.</p