PHYTOCHEMICALS AND PHARMACEUTICAL POTENTIAL OF DELONIX REGIA (BOJER EX HOOK) RAF A REVIEW

Traditionally Delonix regia (Boj.) Raf. has been used in various ailments such as chronic fever, antimicrobial, constipation, inflammation, arthritis, hemoplagia, piles, boils, pyorrhea, scorpion bite, bronchitis, asthma and dysmenorrhoea. However, there is little experimental evidence for its traditional use. In this review an attempt has been made to gather and compile the scattered traditional information along with the experimental evidence on the beneficial properties of Delonix regia (Boj.) Raf. The plant shows diverse therapeutic prospective such as antifungal, antibacterial, antioxidant, antiemetic, larvicidal, hepatoprotective, anti-diarrhoeal, anti-inflammatory, antimalarial, anthelmintic, antiarthritic, wound healing and anticarcinogenic potential. It possess copious phytochemicals, viz. saponins, alkaloids, carotene, hydrocarbons, phytotoxins, flavonoids, tannins, steroids, carotenoids, galactomannon, lupeol, β-sitosterol, terpenoids, glycosides and carbohydrates, in leaves, flowers, bark and roots. Though Delonix regia (Boj.) Raf. has been widely used in traditional medicines in various ailments, yet studies need to be conducted to explore the potential phyto-constituents of this plant for the prevention of various other diseases and to further unravel, characterize, patent and commercialize the protective components from different parts of this plant for the benefit of humans.Â

Thermosyphon Heat Sink Integrated Framework for CPU Cooling

A warm model has been created to concentrate on the warm conduct of Thermosyphon incorporated Heat Sink amid CPU cooling. An Indirect cooling module has been tentatively considered and examined under relentless state condition for both regular and constrained convection. The warm model is utilized to decide the genuine heat exchange and the viability of the present model and contrasted it and the customary cooling technique and found that there is an apparent change in the present model

Effect of alkalinity on growth performance of Jatropha curcas inoculated with PGPR and AM fungi

A pot experiment was conducted to assess the effect of soil alkalinity on emergence, growth, leaf relative water content, total soluble sugar and soluble protein of seedlings of Jatropha curcas L. Na2CO3 was added to the soil and alkalinity was maintained at 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.3%, 0.4%, and 0.5%. In general increased alkalinity caused reduction in growth.   Hence we designed the experiment to test the efficacy of beneficial microbes (Azotobacter, Microfoss and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi) individually and in combinations to alleviate the stressful effect of alkaline soil. The data pertaining to the effect of bioinoculants on different parameters of Jatropha curcas under alkaline stress were collected and statistically analyzed. The effect of bioinoculants on percentage seed germination and survival at 0.4% of Na2CO3 was found to be in order of; Azotobacter+AMF> AMF>Azotobacter+ Microfoss>Microfoss > Azotobacter >control (no germination) while at 0.5 % Na2CO3 germination was almost nil with all treatments. The survival percentages with respect to all treatments were found to be significant at 0.4%, Na2CO3 level over control. The combination of AM fungi and Azotobacter increased plant height, shoot diameter, shoot dry weight, leaf relative water content and soluble sugar content and decreased level of soluble protein at 0.4 % of Na2CO3 over other treatments. We conclude that the combinations of Azotobacter and AMF performed well up to 0.4 % of Na2CO3 in soil

Application of farmyard manure and vermi-compost on vegetative and generative characteristics of Jatropha curcas

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of FYM and Vermi-compost on: i) biomass yield of vegetatively propagated Jatropha curcas and ii) physical characteristics of Jatropha seeds. Various vegetative and generative characteristics of Jatropha (survival %, shoot length, shoot diameter, number of branches, seed yield and oil content) in response to the treatments were evaluated under field conditions. The results showed that addition of vermicompost significantly increased plant survival, plant height, stem diameter, number of branches/plant, number of seeds/plant and oil content (6.76% & 19.21%) over FYM and control. Vermicompost also played an important role in increasing oil content by improving physical characteristics of Jatropha seeds. We conclude Jatropha raised through cuttings on vermicompost performed better with respect to biomass yield over FYM and untreated soil

Bank filtration: a sustainable water treatment technology for developing countries

As good quality water sources become more scare, water quality standards become more stringent and the cost of water treatment is increasing, there is need for a sustainable and robust water treatment technology. Bank filtration has been used for surface water treatment in Europe and USA for many years. However, this technology has not been utilised fully in developing countries. Bank filtration is a natural process of water treatment which is simple, avoids the use of chemicals and when properly designed and operated produces water of acceptable quality and reduces the cost of water treatment. It utilises the physical, chemical and biological removal processes in the soil and aquifer for purification of surface water during its passage to production wells. Based on the results of two feasibility studies conducted in Malawi and Kenya, this paper elaborates on the potentials and constraints of promoting bank filtration technology for water treatment in developing countries

Fasciolopsis buski Vomited Out by a Child; The First Case Reported from Nepal

Live adult worms of Fasciolopsis buski are rarely seen in humans except in autopsy. Only a few such cases have been reported in the world literature. We reported a case of fasciolopsiasis in a child of age 14 months who coughed out the live adult Fasciolopsis buski after administration of antihelminthic drug. The patient was a resident of Terai (Far Western) region of Nepal and had history of travelling to India. This is the first case of fasciolopsis reported from Nepal.Nepal Journal of Biotechnology. Dec. 2015 Vol. 3, No. 1: 66-6

Predictive significance of C reactive protein in spontaneous preterm delivery: a prospective cohort study

Background: To evaluate the predictive significance of C- reactive protein in spontaneous preterm delivery.Methods: A group of 280 pregnant women between 12-22 weeks of gestational age attending antenatal clinic were included in a prospective cohort and followed through the pregnancy, delivery and early puerperium till discharge. Finally details of 250 women were available for analysis. CRP estimation in early pregnancy is done. Patients followed up to delivery. Gestational age determined by LMP or ultrasound estimation. Status of the newborn at birth, and at discharge, and its gestational age is noted. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics like chi-square test, p-value and odds ratio. Main outcome measures gestational age at delivery and neonatal condition at discharge.Results: Out of 250 patients, 78 (31.2%) were CRP positive and 172 (68.8%) were CRP negative. CRP positivity showed positive association with preterm labour with odds ratio 2.384 (95% CI: 1.153-4.928 & p value 0.01). Neonatal morbidity & mortality was also higher in newborns of CRP positive mothers.Conclusions: CRP positivity in early pregnancy is associated with nearly a two fold increased risk of preterm delivery. Neonatal complications like preterm, low birth weight, septicaemia, birth asphyxia and others are more common in CRP positive mothers

Water supply systems in selected urban poor areas of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Water supply systems in three urban poor areas of Addis Ababa namely Teklehaimanot, Merkato and Biheretsige were evaluated based on a field survey of 105 randomly selected households and interviews with other major stakeholders. Private taps, yard taps, public taps, water kiosks and water vendors are the primary sources of water in these areas. The average water consumption of more than 75% of the sampled households was less than 20 litres per person per day. Most of the households pay a relatively high price for drinking water with the average cost of ETB 6.2/m3 (US$ 0.74/m3). Although many households are willing to have private or yard taps, they can not afford the one time connection fee payment of about ETB 412. An innovative financing and cost recovery mechanism is required, specifically for the initial connection fees, in order to increase the coverage of safe water supply at an affordable price in these areas to meet the Millennium Development Goals