EVALUATION OF MUCUNA PRURIENS SEED EXTRACT FOR ITS ACUTE ORAL TOXICITY IN ALBINO RATS

Objectives: The present study was carried out to evaluate the hydroalcoholic extract of Mucuna pruriens (HAMP) seeds for its acute oral toxicity in albino rats. Methods: Acute oral toxicity of MP seed extract was assessed in albino rats with three different doses of the extract with 175, 550, and 2000 mg/ kg body weight. Body weight, mortality, and clinical signs were recorded on 0 (before administration), 7th, and 14th days. Rats were sacrificed after day 14 and observed for any histological changes in the brain, heart, liver, and kidney tissues. Rats were normal up to 1 h and exhibited dullness and piloerection after 1 h which continued up to 2–4 h of observation period on day 0 of administration. All animals appeared normal from day 1 to throughout the experimental procedure. Results: No significant changes in the histological structure of the liver, kidney, and heart were noticed except mild congestion and hydropic changes only in liver tissue seen for 2000 mg/kg body weight of HAMP seeds. The seed extract of MP is non-toxic to rats and did not show any mortality nor the behavioral changes. In addition, it showed an increase in the body weight with the administration up to 2000 mg/kg body weight. Conclusion: MP seed extract signified as neurosuppressant, and the drug can be used in the treatment of neurological disorders characterized by hyperactivity of the neurons. The present data could provide adequate confirmation of the safety of MP for further experimental studies on a standardized formulation of the seeds extract

ANTIUROLITHIC ACTIVITY OF AQUEOUS EXTRACT OF ROOTS OF CISSAMPELOS PAREIRA IN ALBINO RATS

                                                        ABSTRACT Objective:      To evaluate the antiurolithic activity of aqueous extract of roots of Cissampelos pareira (AQERCP) in 2% Ammonium chloride (AC) and 0.75% Ethylene glycol (EG) induced urolithiasis in albino rats. Methods :  Urolithiasis was induced in rats by supplying drinking water mixed with 2 % (AC) and 0.75 % (EG) for 10 days. Calculi were confirmed by the high urinary levels of calcium, uric acid and low levels of magnesium and high levels of serum creatinine and calcium. The animals were treated with 03 doses of AQERCP i.e., 100 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg, 400 mg/kg respectively orally in different groups of rats once daily for 10 days along with 2 % (AC) and 0.75% (EG) mixed drinking water. On 11th day 3 rats from each group were kept in one metabolic cage and urine (pooled) collected for 24 h was subjected for estimation of various biochemical parameters. Blood was collected on the same day and analysed for various parameters. Kidneys were observed for the histopathological changes.Results: Rats treated with 03 doses of AQERCP significantly (P≤ 0.05) reduced urinary calcium, uric acid and increased urinary magnesium levels, reduced serum calcium, creatinine and increased serum magnesium. Histopathology of kidneys in groups treated with AQERCP at 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg doses revealed less tissue damage and the cytology of nephrotic tissue was almost similar to the control Group I rats.Conclusion :              Results showed AQERCP has shown significant antiurolithic effect against chemical induced urolithiasis in rats.Keywords :  C.pareira,  Roots extracts, Antiurolithic activity, Ammonium chloride, Ethylene glycol .                                                     Â

Integration of iron ore deposit evaluation and mine plan for selecting cost effective beneficiation operations towards improved resource utilisation: Experience at Tata Steel

In the recent past a paradigm shift in terms of resource utilization and beneficiation practices is experienced by the Indian mining and mineral sector. Depleting iron ore reserves coupled with increasing demand for low-alumina iron ore fines to improve blast furnace performance in terms of productivity and reduced slag rate necessitate intensive beneficiation of iron ore. The task is even difficult for Indian iron ores which are generally high in iron content and at the same time characterized by aluminous gangue and thereby calls for capital investment of higher order for beneficiation. In another direction, any beneficiation means rejecting some mined ore as waste for obtaining the desired product grade and involves costs. Hence, beneficiation option has to be used judiciously. Towards this, the enabler available is characterization and assessment of geological resource to explore the options of segregation, scheduling, sequencing and blending. Joda East Iron Mines (JEIM), which caters to approximately 45% of iron ore requirement of Tata Steel plant in Jamshedpur, and has its ambitious plan for upgrading existing beneficiation facilities in the form of ‘Total Beneficiation’. The paper describes the judicious beneficiation and effective utilization efforts made, in the light of characterization and assessment of deposit, mine planning over last 10 years as experienced by JEIM plant and also discuss the importance of blending of processed ores in achieving despatchable product grades to meet customer requirement while optimizing overall ore resource utilization. JEIM has modified to earlier only washing plant to present two beneficiation circuits, namely Wet and Dry Processing plants, to take care of off - and high grade ores, respectively. The Dry processing plant is quite simple, comprising crushing and dry screening with no tailings/wastes. Off grade material is concentrated through primary and secondary crushing followed by screening and oversize crushing and re-screening, washing and sizing, scrubbing, classification in classifier and hydrocyclone, with a overall weight recovery of ~87%. The journey in improving product quality while optimizing plant production in JEIM relates to changes in operational philosophy which basically could be related as “identifying correct methods of ore dressing for correct ore” in line with deposit ratio

Diuretic activity of aqueous extract of roots of Cissampelos pareira in albino rats

Background: Diuretic compounds that stimulate the excretion of water with small traceable ions are potentially useful in most of disorders including those exhibiting edema such as congestive heart failure, nephritis, toxemia of pregnancy, premenstrual tension, and hypertension. The aim was to evaluate the diuretic activity of aqueous extract of roots of Cissampelos pareira (AQERCP) by Lipschitz method in albino rats.Methods: Five groups of Albino rats were used to evaluate the diuretic activity of AQERCP by using metabolic cages. The Group I serves as normal control received vehicle (carboxymethyl cellulose 2% in normal saline), the Group II furosemide (10 mg/Kg, p.o) in vehicle; other Groups III, IV, and V were treated with low (100 mg/kg), medium (200 mg/kg), and high (400 mg/kg) doses of AQERCP in vehicle. Immediately, after the extract treatment all the rats were hydrated with saline (15 ml/kg, p.o) and placed in the metabolic cages (3/cage), specially designed to separate urine and faeces, kept at 21°C±0.5°C.The total volume of urine collected was measured at the end of 5th hr. During this period, no food and water was made available to animals. Various parameters such as total urine volume and concentration of sodium, potassium, chloride ions in the urine were measured and estimated respectively.Results: In this model, when compared to vehicle treated control group the AQERCP at different dose levels (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg) has significantly increased the urine volume and also enhanced the elimination of sodium, potassium and chloride ions in urine.Conclusion: The results showed that single dose administration of AQERCP as 100, 200 and 400 mg/Kg and standard frusemide (10 mg/kg b.wt) has significantly (p<0.05*, p<0.01**, p<0.001***) increased the urine output along with an increase in concentration of sodium, potassium, and chloride. AQERCP 400 mg/Kg produced a greater diuretic activity, which is comparable to the effect of standard furosemide (10 mg/kg).The present study has supported and justified the basis for folklore use of roots of C. pareira as a diuretic agent

Specimen Level and Component Level Simulations of Fatigue Crack Growth Behavior under Cyclic Bending

Power plant piping system subjected to many cyclic loading conditions leads to fatigue loading and thereby crack initiation in the piping system. Demonstrating Leak-Before-Break (LBB) in the design stage itself plays an important role in ensuring the safety of the Sodium-cooled Fast Reactors (SFR) system. The design code guidelines as per RCC MRx A16 in LBB demonstration is conservative in nature. Conducting experiments for each size of the piping systems are expensive and time-consuming. In this paper present, the efforts taken to develop reliable numerical methods to demonstrate Fatigue Crack Growth (FCG). The geometries selected for the FCG analysis include both specimen level as well as full-scale component. The results show that KI estimate for the plate specimen increased with the increase of ‘a/t’ ratio up to 0.6 and then decreases, whereas, in case of the pipe bend, it reduced beyond the ‘a/t’ ratio of 0.4. This early reduction is due to the influence of global compressive stress present ahead of the crack growth. Thus, component level FCG simulation is essential for the accurate demonstration of LBB. FCG simulation has numerically demonstrated with better engineering accuracy for both specimen level as well as component level geometrie

Capture based aquaculture of spiny lobster in sea cages: A new livelihood opportunity for the 'sidi' adivasi tribal people in Gujarat, India

Gujarat is one of the most important maritime states of the country having the longest coast line of about 1,640 km and a very broad continental shelf. The state has been bestowed with highly productive and diversifi ed ecosystems and considered as one of the leading marine fi sh producing states of India, with fi sheries providing livelihoods for more than 400,000 people directly and indirectly. However, over the last few years the marine fi sh production of the state has been relatively static at around half a million tonnes and has been showing signs of being fully exploited. However, as the state has a wide continental self it also has significant potential for mariculture. Owing to the economic importance and availability of seeds of spiny lobster, an open sea cage culture demonstration of Panulirus polyphagus was carried out involving Sidi tribes as a major stakeholder

Successful sex reversal of Greasy Grouper, Epinephelus tauvina (Forsskal, 1775)

Large scale development of the grouper culture industry has been hindered by the lack of seed for stocking, which is due to the lack of a standardised method for controlled sex change and also due to the unavailability of mature male broodstock