The use of plants in the traditional management of diabetes in Nigeria: Pharmacological and toxicological considerations

Ethnopharmacological relevance: The prevalence of diabetes is on a steady increase worldwide and it is now identified as one of the main threats to human health in the 21st century. In Nigeria, the use of herbal medicine alone or alongside prescription drugs for its management is quite common. We hereby carry out a review of medicinal plants traditionally used for diabetes management in Nigeria. Based on the available evidence on the species׳ pharmacology and safety, we highlight ways in which their therapeutic potential can be properly harnessed for possible integration into the country׳s healthcare system. Materials and methods: Ethnobotanical information was obtained from a literature search of electronic databases such as Google Scholar, Pubmed and Scopus up to 2013 for publications on medicinal plants used in diabetes management, in which the place of use and/or sample collection was identified as Nigeria. ‘Diabetes’ and ‘Nigeria’ were used as keywords for the primary searches; and then ‘Plant name – accepted or synonyms’, ‘Constituents’, ‘Drug interaction’ and/or ‘Toxicity’ for the secondary searches. Results: The hypoglycemic effect of over a hundred out of the 115 plants reviewed in this paper is backed by preclinical experimental evidence, either in vivo or in vitro. One-third of the plants have been studied for their mechanism of action, while isolation of the bioactive constituent(s) has been accomplished for twenty three plants. Some plants showed specific organ toxicity, mostly nephrotoxic or hepatotoxic, with direct effects on the levels of some liver function enzymes. Twenty eight plants have been identified as in vitro modulators of P-glycoprotein and/or one or more of the cytochrome P450 enzymes, while eleven plants altered the levels of phase 2 metabolic enzymes, chiefly glutathione, with the potential to alter the pharmacokinetics of co-administered drugs. Conclusion: This review, therefore, provides a useful resource to enable a thorough assessment of the profile of plants used in diabetes management so as to ensure a more rational use. By anticipating potential toxicities or possible herb–drug interactions, significant risks which would otherwise represent a burden on the country׳s healthcare system can be avoided

Performance of solar photovoltaic installations: Effect of seasonal variations

A 20 kW(p) Solar Photovoltaic (SPV) system was set up on the library roof-top in Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India. This roof-top photovoltaic (RTPV) system partly powers the Central Office of IISc. The main objective of setting up this SPV system was to study the performance of solar plants under different seasons and climatic conditions of Bangalore. The system has been producing an average daily yield of approximately 80 kWh for the past two years which translates to an annual yield of 28.9 MWh. The overall yield of the system up to 14th September 2015 is 70 MWh. This work focuses on the evaluation of the performance of SPV systems using the popular grading systems, namely Capacity Utilization Factor (CUF) and Performance Ratio (PR). The CUF of the SPV system is 16.5%, which lies within the range of CUF of well-performing solar plants located in India. Average Performance Ratio (PR) of the SPV system is around 85%, which indicates that the performance of the SPV system is satisfactory. PR of the SPV system is correlated with the behaviour of SPV modules in different seasons, with module temperature (T-mod) as the key factor of comparison. In summer, the SPV modules attain maximum efficiency (eta(max)) at T-mod of 45 degrees C, but in winter, it is at 55 degrees C. In summer, for T-mod > 45 degrees C, module efficiency (eta) reduces by 0.08% per degree rise in temperature. In monsoon, for T-mod >35 degrees C, eta reduces by 0.04% per degree rise in temperature. In post-monsoon period, for T-mod > 38 degrees C, eta reduces by 0.06% per degree rise temperature. However, in winters, the modules attain eta(max) at T-mod of 55 degrees C, without much drop in efficiency. This is mainly because of intermittent natural cooling that takes places at the surface of the modules, due to cool breeze and lower ambient temperatures. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Comparison of performance of solar photovoltaics on dual axis tracker with fixed axis at 13 degrees N latitude

Tracking systems, that continually orient photovoltaic (PV) panels towards the Sun, are expected to increase the power output from the PV panels. Tremendous amount of research is being done and funds are being spent in order to increase the efficiency of PV cells to generate more power. We report the performance of two almost identical PV systems; one at a fixed latitude tilt and the other on a two-axis tracker. We observed that the fixed axis PV panels generated 336.3 kWh, and the dual-axis Sun-tracked PV panels generated 407.2 kWh during August 2012 March 2013. The tracked panels generated 21.2% more electricity than the optimum tilt angle fixed-axis panels. The cost payback calculations indicate that the additional cost of the tracker can be recovered in 450 days

Case Report - A rare case of diphyllobothriasis from pondicherry, South India

Diphyllobothriasis is an intestinal parasitic infection caused by the ingestion of raw fresh-water fish containing the infectious larvae of Diphyllobothrium spp . This infection is uncommon in India. We report a case of diphyllobothriasis that occurred in Pondicherry, India, in a 5-year-old boy hailing from a fishing community. He attended the Pediatric OPD with spontaneous discharge of segments of the adult parasite. The segments (macroscopically and microscopically) were identified as those of Diphyllobothrium latum . The stool examination also revealed characteristic oval eggs

Comparative evaluation of a bioabsorbable collagen membrane and connective tissue graft in the treatment of localized gingival recession: A clinical study

Background: Gingival recession (GR) can result in root sensitivity, esthetic concern to the patient, and predilection to root caries. The purpose of this randomized clinical study was to evaluate (1) the effect of guided tissue regeneration (GTR) procedure using a bioabsorbable collagen membrane, in comparison to autogenous subepithelial connective tissue graft (SCTG) for root coverage in localized gingival recession defects; and (2) the change in width of keratinized gingiva following these two procedures. Materials and Methods: A total of 10 cases, showing at least two localized Miller′s Class I or Class II gingival recession, participated in this study. In a split mouth design, the pairs of defects were randomly assigned for treatment with either SCTG (SCTG Group) or GTR-based collagen membrane (GTRC Group). Both the grafts were covered with coronally advanced flap. Recession depth (RD), recession width (RW), width of keratinized gingiva (KG), probing depth (PD), relative attachment level (RAL), plaque index (PI), and gingival index (GI) were recorded at baseline, 3 and 6 months postoperatively. Results: Six months following root coverage procedures, the mean root coverage was found to be 84.84% ± 16.81% and 84.0% ± 15.19% in SCTG Group and GTRC Group, respectively. The mean keratinized gingival width increase was 1.50 ± 0.70 mm and 2.30 ± 0.67 mm in the SCTG and GTRC group, respectively, which was not statistically significant. Conclusion: It may be concluded that resorbable collagen membrane can be a reliable alternative to autogenous connective tissue graft in the treatment of gingival recession