Review on natural gums and mucilage and their application as excipient

Natural mucilage’s are included in novel drug delivered (NDDS) to multitask functions and in any cases directly or indirectly control the increase and rate of drug release. Substantial research efforts have been directed towards develop safe and efficient natural based mucilage particulate drug delivery systems., natural gums and mucilages and their isolation, purification, standardization and characterization characteristics along with their applications are covered. Recent trend towards the use of plant based and natural products demands the replacement of synthetic additives with natural ones. Today, the whole world is increasingly interested in natural drugs and excipients. These natural mucilages have advantages over synthetic ones since they are chemically inert, nontoxic, less expensive, and widely available

Global burden and strength of evidence for 88 risk factors in 204 countries and 811 subnational locations, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

Background: Understanding the health consequences associated with exposure to risk factors is necessary to inform public health policy and practice. To systematically quantify the contributions of risk factor exposures to specific health outcomes, the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 aims to provide comprehensive estimates of exposure levels, relative health risks, and attributable burden of disease for 88 risk factors in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, from 1990 to 2021. Methods: The GBD 2021 risk factor analysis used data from 54 561 total distinct sources to produce epidemiological estimates for 88 risk factors and their associated health outcomes for a total of 631 risk–outcome pairs. Pairs were included on the basis of data-driven determination of a risk–outcome association. Age-sex-location-year-specific estimates were generated at global, regional, and national levels. Our approach followed the comparative risk assessment framework predicated on a causal web of hierarchically organised, potentially combinative, modifiable risks. Relative risks (RRs) of a given outcome occurring as a function of risk factor exposure were estimated separately for each risk–outcome pair, and summary exposure values (SEVs), representing risk-weighted exposure prevalence, and theoretical minimum risk exposure levels (TMRELs) were estimated for each risk factor. These estimates were used to calculate the population attributable fraction (PAF; ie, the proportional change in health risk that would occur if exposure to a risk factor were reduced to the TMREL). The product of PAFs and disease burden associated with a given outcome, measured in disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), yielded measures of attributable burden (ie, the proportion of total disease burden attributable to a particular risk factor or combination of risk factors). Adjustments for mediation were applied to account for relationships involving risk factors that act indirectly on outcomes via intermediate risks. Attributable burden estimates were stratified by Socio-demographic Index (SDI) quintile and presented as counts, age-standardised rates, and rankings. To complement estimates of RR and attributable burden, newly developed burden of proof risk function (BPRF) methods were applied to yield supplementary, conservative interpretations of risk–outcome associations based on the consistency of underlying evidence, accounting for unexplained heterogeneity between input data from different studies. Estimates reported represent the mean value across 500 draws from the estimate's distribution, with 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs) calculated as the 2·5th and 97·5th percentile values across the draws. Findings: Among the specific risk factors analysed for this study, particulate matter air pollution was the leading contributor to the global disease burden in 2021, contributing 8·0% (95% UI 6·7–9·4) of total DALYs, followed by high systolic blood pressure (SBP; 7·8% [6·4–9·2]), smoking (5·7% [4·7–6·8]), low birthweight and short gestation (5·6% [4·8–6·3]), and high fasting plasma glucose (FPG; 5·4% [4·8–6·0]). For younger demographics (ie, those aged 0–4 years and 5–14 years), risks such as low birthweight and short gestation and unsafe water, sanitation, and handwashing (WaSH) were among the leading risk factors, while for older age groups, metabolic risks such as high SBP, high body-mass index (BMI), high FPG, and high LDL cholesterol had a greater impact. From 2000 to 2021, there was an observable shift in global health challenges, marked by a decline in the number of all-age DALYs broadly attributable to behavioural risks (decrease of 20·7% [13·9–27·7]) and environmental and occupational risks (decrease of 22·0% [15·5–28·8]), coupled with a 49·4% (42·3–56·9) increase in DALYs attributable to metabolic risks, all reflecting ageing populations and changing lifestyles on a global scale. Age-standardised global DALY rates attributable to high BMI and high FPG rose considerably (15·7% [9·9–21·7] for high BMI and 7·9% [3·3–12·9] for high FPG) over this period, with exposure to these risks increasing annually at rates of 1·8% (1·6–1·9) for high BMI and 1·3% (1·1–1·5) for high FPG. By contrast, the global risk-attributable burden and exposure to many other risk factors declined, notably for risks such as child growth failure and unsafe water source, with age-standardised attributable DALYs decreasing by 71·5% (64·4–78·8) for child growth failure and 66·3% (60·2–72·0) for unsafe water source. We separated risk factors into three groups according to trajectory over time: those with a decreasing attributable burden, due largely to declining risk exposure (eg, diet high in trans-fat and household air pollution) but also to proportionally smaller child and youth populations (eg, child and maternal malnutrition); those for which the burden increased moderately in spite of declining risk exposure, due largely to population ageing (eg, smoking); and those for which the burden increased considerably due to both increasing risk exposure and population ageing (eg, ambient particulate matter air pollution, high BMI, high FPG, and high SBP). Interpretation: Substantial progress has been made in reducing the global disease burden attributable to a range of risk factors, particularly those related to maternal and child health, WaSH, and household air pollution. Maintaining efforts to minimise the impact of these risk factors, especially in low SDI locations, is necessary to sustain progress. Successes in moderating the smoking-related burden by reducing risk exposure highlight the need to advance policies that reduce exposure to other leading risk factors such as ambient particulate matter air pollution and high SBP. Troubling increases in high FPG, high BMI, and other risk factors related to obesity and metabolic syndrome indicate an urgent need to identify and implement interventions

Global investments in pandemic preparedness and COVID-19: development assistance and domestic spending on health between 1990 and 2026

Background The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted gaps in health surveillance systems, disease prevention, and treatment globally. Among the many factors that might have led to these gaps is the issue of the financing of national health systems, especially in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), as well as a robust global system for pandemic preparedness. We aimed to provide a comparative assessment of global health spending at the onset of the pandemic; characterise the amount of development assistance for pandemic preparedness and response disbursed in the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic; and examine expectations for future health spending and put into context the expected need for investment in pandemic preparedness. Methods In this analysis of global health spending between 1990 and 2021, and prediction from 2021 to 2026, we estimated four sources of health spending: development assistance for health (DAH), government spending, out-of-pocket spending, and prepaid private spending across 204 countries and territories. We used the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)'s Creditor Reporting System (CRS) and the WHO Global Health Expenditure Database (GHED) to estimate spending. We estimated development assistance for general health, COVID-19 response, and pandemic preparedness and response using a keyword search. Health spending estimates were combined with estimates of resources needed for pandemic prevention and preparedness to analyse future health spending patterns, relative to need. Findings In 2019, at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, US$9·2 trillion (95$7·3 trillion (95% UI 7·2–7·4) in 2019; 293·7 times the $24·8 billion (95$43·1 billion in development assistance was provided to maintain or improve health. The pandemic led to an unprecedented increase in development assistance targeted towards health; in 2020 and 2021, $1·8 billion in DAH contributions was provided towards pandemic preparedness in LMICs, and$37·8 billion was provided for the health-related COVID-19 response. Although the support for pandemic preparedness is 12·2% of the recommended target by the High-Level Independent Panel (HLIP), the support provided for the health-related COVID-19 response is 252·2% of the recommended target. Additionally, projected spending estimates suggest that between 2022 and 2026, governments in 17 (95% UI 11–21) of the 137 LMICs will observe an increase in national government health spending equivalent to an addition of 1% of GDP, as recommended by the HLIP. Interpretation There was an unprecedented scale-up in DAH in 2020 and 2021. We have a unique opportunity at this time to sustain funding for crucial global health functions, including pandemic preparedness. However, historical patterns of underfunding of pandemic preparedness suggest that deliberate effort must be made to ensure funding is maintained

Global burden of 288 causes of death and life expectancy decomposition in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

BACKGROUND Regular, detailed reporting on population health by underlying cause of death is fundamental for public health decision making. Cause-specific estimates of mortality and the subsequent effects on life expectancy worldwide are valuable metrics to gauge progress in reducing mortality rates. These estimates are particularly important following large-scale mortality spikes, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. When systematically analysed, mortality rates and life expectancy allow comparisons of the consequences of causes of death globally and over time, providing a nuanced understanding of the effect of these causes on global populations. METHODS The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 cause-of-death analysis estimated mortality and years of life lost (YLLs) from 288 causes of death by age-sex-location-year in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations for each year from 1990 until 2021. The analysis used 56 604 data sources, including data from vital registration and verbal autopsy as well as surveys, censuses, surveillance systems, and cancer registries, among others. As with previous GBD rounds, cause-specific death rates for most causes were estimated using the Cause of Death Ensemble model-a modelling tool developed for GBD to assess the out-of-sample predictive validity of different statistical models and covariate permutations and combine those results to produce cause-specific mortality estimates-with alternative strategies adapted to model causes with insufficient data, substantial changes in reporting over the study period, or unusual epidemiology. YLLs were computed as the product of the number of deaths for each cause-age-sex-location-year and the standard life expectancy at each age. As part of the modelling process, uncertainty intervals (UIs) were generated using the 2·5th and 97·5th percentiles from a 1000-draw distribution for each metric. We decomposed life expectancy by cause of death, location, and year to show cause-specific effects on life expectancy from 1990 to 2021. We also used the coefficient of variation and the fraction of population affected by 90% of deaths to highlight concentrations of mortality. Findings are reported in counts and age-standardised rates. Methodological improvements for cause-of-death estimates in GBD 2021 include the expansion of under-5-years age group to include four new age groups, enhanced methods to account for stochastic variation of sparse data, and the inclusion of COVID-19 and other pandemic-related mortality-which includes excess mortality associated with the pandemic, excluding COVID-19, lower respiratory infections, measles, malaria, and pertussis. For this analysis, 199 new country-years of vital registration cause-of-death data, 5 country-years of surveillance data, 21 country-years of verbal autopsy data, and 94 country-years of other data types were added to those used in previous GBD rounds. FINDINGS The leading causes of age-standardised deaths globally were the same in 2019 as they were in 1990; in descending order, these were, ischaemic heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lower respiratory infections. In 2021, however, COVID-19 replaced stroke as the second-leading age-standardised cause of death, with 94·0 deaths (95% UI 89·2-100·0) per 100 000 population. The COVID-19 pandemic shifted the rankings of the leading five causes, lowering stroke to the third-leading and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to the fourth-leading position. In 2021, the highest age-standardised death rates from COVID-19 occurred in sub-Saharan Africa (271·0 deaths [250·1-290·7] per 100 000 population) and Latin America and the Caribbean (195·4 deaths [182·1-211·4] per 100 000 population). The lowest age-standardised death rates from COVID-19 were in the high-income super-region (48·1 deaths [47·4-48·8] per 100 000 population) and southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania (23·2 deaths [16·3-37·2] per 100 000 population). Globally, life expectancy steadily improved between 1990 and 2019 for 18 of the 22 investigated causes. Decomposition of global and regional life expectancy showed the positive effect that reductions in deaths from enteric infections, lower respiratory infections, stroke, and neonatal deaths, among others have contributed to improved survival over the study period. However, a net reduction of 1·6 years occurred in global life expectancy between 2019 and 2021, primarily due to increased death rates from COVID-19 and other pandemic-related mortality. Life expectancy was highly variable between super-regions over the study period, with southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania gaining 8·3 years (6·7-9·9) overall, while having the smallest reduction in life expectancy due to COVID-19 (0·4 years). The largest reduction in life expectancy due to COVID-19 occurred in Latin America and the Caribbean (3·6 years). Additionally, 53 of the 288 causes of death were highly concentrated in locations with less than 50% of the global population as of 2021, and these causes of death became progressively more concentrated since 1990, when only 44 causes showed this pattern. The concentration phenomenon is discussed heuristically with respect to enteric and lower respiratory infections, malaria, HIV/AIDS, neonatal disorders, tuberculosis, and measles. INTERPRETATION Long-standing gains in life expectancy and reductions in many of the leading causes of death have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the adverse effects of which were spread unevenly among populations. Despite the pandemic, there has been continued progress in combatting several notable causes of death, leading to improved global life expectancy over the study period. Each of the seven GBD super-regions showed an overall improvement from 1990 and 2021, obscuring the negative effect in the years of the pandemic. Additionally, our findings regarding regional variation in causes of death driving increases in life expectancy hold clear policy utility. Analyses of shifting mortality trends reveal that several causes, once widespread globally, are now increasingly concentrated geographically. These changes in mortality concentration, alongside further investigation of changing risks, interventions, and relevant policy, present an important opportunity to deepen our understanding of mortality-reduction strategies. Examining patterns in mortality concentration might reveal areas where successful public health interventions have been implemented. Translating these successes to locations where certain causes of death remain entrenched can inform policies that work to improve life expectancy for people everywhere. FUNDING Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Environmental friendly iron oxide based magnetic nanomaterials : Synthesis, characterization and application for arsenic removal

The present study focuses on the application of iron oxide nanomaterial for the abetment of arsenic from contaminated water with a view to provide clean drinking water to the society. The current research signifies the use of iron oxide nanoparticles and composite of iron oxide nanoparticles with some supporting biomaterials are used as adsorbent for the removal of arsenic from water. Attempts have been made to synthesize Fe3O4 nanoparticles, JF@Fe2O3 nanocomposite (Jute Fiber), AMP@Fe2O3 nanocomposite (Aegle Marmelos powder) and Fe3O4/CSAC nanocomposite (cigarette soot activated carbon) by microemulsion, hydrothermal and thermal pyrolysis process. For confirmation of materials formation, these are characterized by instrumental techniques like XRD, SEM, FESEM, TEM, EDX, FTIR, BET, VSM, and Zeta potential study. The concentration of arsenic is determined by AAS analytical technique following the standard procedure after magnetic separation of adsorbent from solution. All the synthesized adsorbents are used for the removal of arsenic in both the oxidation states of As(III) and As(V) from synthetic aqueous solution through batch adsorption process. The effect of common coexisting ions Cl- NO3-, SO42, SiO32−,CO32-, and PO43- are examined on the removal of arsenic by all these materials. These materials are regenerated with NaOH solutions after that they are exhausted and used up to four consecutive cycles. Fe3O4 nanoparticle is synthesized by water-in-oil microemulsion process by using a novel bio-degradable anionic, non-ionic phosphate free surfactants called Extran and used for As(III) removal. The Box-Behnken Design (BBD) of response surface methodology (RSM) technique is applied to different variables parameters such as adsorbent dose, initial As(III) concentration and solution pH to know the optimum condition for better removal of As(III). From the study of the model, the optimum conditions are found to be: initial As(III) concentration 33.32 mg/L, adsorbent dose 0.70 g/L, and solution pH 7.7. In this optimum condition, about 90.5% of As(III) is removed from the aqueous solution. The maximum adsorption capacity is found to be 7.18 mg/g at room temperature as calculated from the Langmuir isotherm model. An environmental friendly material of JF@Fe2O3 nanocomposite (Jute Fiber) is synthesized and used for As(V) removal. In this material, the cellulose matrix of JF is covered with Fe2O3 nanoparticles and form an efficient hybrid adsorbent. This composite possesses a very small particle of Fe2O3 with an average size of 11 nm and having a surface area (BET) of 95.43 m2/g. The removal rate of As(V) is maximum by JF@Fe2O3 nanocomposite at a solution pH 3 with maximum adsorption capacity of 48.06 mg/g as calculated from the Langmuir isotherm plot. The R2 value (0.995) of adsorption process confirms the pseudo-second-order kinetics model. The driving force for the adsorption involves two types of interaction: (I) electrostatic attraction and (II) ligand exchange process. A novel magnetic bio-adsorbent is derived from the leaves of Aegle Marmelos tree. Here, AMP@Fe2O3 nanocomposite (Aegle Marmelos powder) is synthesized and applied for As(V) removal from aqueous solution in batch mode. The rate of removal of As(V) by the material is maximum at a solution pH 3 with an equilibrium time of 250 min. The experimental data are best fitted to the pseudo-second-order kinetic based on the R2 value of 0.992. The composite has a good uptake capacity of 69.65 mg/g as found from Langmuir isotherm model. The zeta potential and FTIR analysis before and after adsorption demonstrates that two types of mechanism are occurred. First one is an electrostatic attraction between negatively charged As(V) ions (H2AsO4-) and protonated −OH present on the Fe2O3 surface and second is due to exchange of hydroxyl groups by As(V) ions. A novel Fe3O4/CSAC nanocomposite (cigarette soot activated carbon) adsorbent is synthesized from the waste of burned cigarette. On analysis, it is found that the material possess a surface area of 575.604 m2/g, lower pore size of 6.8 nm, smaller particle size of less than 10 nm and good magnetic properties (10.77 emu/g) for the removal of arsenic. The arsenic removal by this material is controlled by solution pH with a removal percentage of 91% and 93% for As(III) and As(V) at pH 7 and 3, respectively. The Langmuir isotherm model is best fitted model based on the R2 value with the uptake capacities of 80.99 and 107.96 mg/g for As(III) and As(V), respectively. The kinetic study of the adsorption process confirms the pseudo-second-order kinetics with an equilibrium contact time of 90 min. The results of this study indicate that the Fe3O4/CSAC material is a better adsorbent for arsenic removal from the water system

Development and Performance Evaluation of a Manually Operated Paddy Transplanter for Root-washed Seedlings

A manually operated 2-row paddy transplanter was developed to transplant root-washed seedlings using the analysed and modified four-bar linkage mechanism.The paddy transplanter consisted of a seedling picking mechanism, transplanting mechanism, power transmission system, seedling tray, handle, and float. The developed transplanter was evaluated under laboratory and field conditions. The effective field capacity of the transplanter was 0.026 ha.h-1 at forward speeds of 0.82 km.h-1. The average height of the seedlings was 197.82 mm, 235.78 mm, 280.50 mm, and 340.60 mm for 20, 25, 30 and 35-day old seedlings, respectively. Average hill-to-hill spacing, average number of seedlings per hill, and average depth of planting were 195.09 mm, 4.12, and 56.88 mm, respectively. Average missing hills, floating hills, and visible damage of the transplanter were 9%, 6%, and 2.5%, respectively, for 25-day old seedlings. Cost of transplanting by the transplanter was ₹ 4,007 per ha, whereas by traditional method (manual transplanting) it was ₹ 12,540 per ha, indicating a saving of ₹ 8,533 per ha

Retracted: A Review on Hidden Subterranean (Hypogean) Ichthyofaunal Resources of India along with IUCN Status, Threats and Its Conservation Strategies

Subterranean habitats are one of the most peculiar and mysterious ecosystems on earth, yet we still have very less information about their biodiversity. These animals often live in extremely nutrient-limited environments. Consequently, most of the subterranean fish species are relatively small in size to survive on limited food resources. We present here a systematic checklist along with IUCN conservation status and a comprehensive account of the diversity, distribution, threats and suggest conservation measures for the Indian subterranean fishes. A total of 18 species under 5 orders, 8 families and 7 genera are listed from the secondary data. According to the IUCN Red List status, nine subterranean fish fauna are listed under the Not Evaluated (50%) category, five Data Deficient (27.78%), two endangered (11.11%), and only one species come under the Critically Endangered (5.56%) and Least Concern category (5.56%). Several anthropogenic stressors including agriculture, overexploitation, deforestation, habitat disturbance, hydroelectrically plans, invasive species, human-fish conflicts, climate change, sand mining and un-ecofriendly tourism are threatening these underground fishes. Nevertheless, there have been only a few studies on subterranean fish fauna, partly because many subterranean occur in tropical regions, sometimes in caves of difficult access, where there are few local researchers. It is necessary to promote throughout society the importance and urgency of studying and conserving subterranean resources to preserve their ecosystem services.   Retraction Notice: This paper has been retracted from the journal after receipt of written complains. This journal is determined to promote integrity in research publication. This retraction is in spirit of the same. After formal procedures editor(s) and publisher have retracted this paper on 21th January-2023. Related policy is available here: https://bit.ly/ajfar-retractio

FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF ORAL HYPOGLYCEMIC TABLETS UTILIZING MUCILAGE EXTRACTED FROM PLANTS REPORTEDLY HAVING ANTI DIABETIC ACTIVITY

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder that characterized by hyperglycemia, glycomeia and hyperlipidemia. The aim of this study was to investigate the oral hypoglycemic tablets using natural mucilage extracted from okra pod. Natural polymers are economic, easily available and found useful as tablet binder. They also contain anti-nutrient content which help in controlling blood sugar level. The aqueous extract of okra pod was precipitated using ethanol. The precipitate was dried and stored in desiccators for further phytochemicals screening. Glipizide is a first third generation sulphonylurea agent for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. The binder concentrations used in the formulation were 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2 & 2.5 % w/w. The granules were evaluated for bulk density, tapped density, angle of repose. The tablets were subjected to physicochemical studies thickness, friability, weight variation, hardness, in vitro dissolution study. Diabetes was induced by single intra peritoneal injection of freshly prepared solution of streptozotocin (45 mg/kg) and blood glucose level was monitored for 28 days. The optimized formulation reduces blood sugar significantly in STZ induced diabetic rats in comparison to standard drug (Glipizide).This study has demonstrated that mucilage of okra pod can be used for formulation of glipizide tablets. Keywords: Okra pod, mucilage, Glipizide, tablets, antidiabetic activit

Preparation and characterization of mesoporous cerium oxide for toxic As(V) removal: performance and mechanistic studies

In the present work, the adsorption of carcinogenic pentavalent arsenic (As(V)) from an aqueous solution was studied using mesoporous cerium oxide (MCO). The MCO was synthesized in the precipitation process and confirmed by FT-IR, SEM-EDX, XRD, and BET instrumental techniques. Batch adsorption showed that 95% of As(V) was removed in the optimum conditions of 0.60 g/L adsorbent dose, 10 mg/L initial concentration, time 30 min, and pH 3. Pseudo-secondorder kinetics and the Langmuir isotherm model were fitted to the experimental data. The MCO had a high surface area of 191.97 m2/g and a maximum adsorption capacity of 58.25 mg/g at pH 3. MCO could be able to remove 88% and 82% in the first and second cycles after being desorbed with 0.1 M NaOH solution. The Zeta potential and FTIR studies suggested that electrostatic attraction and ligand exchange mechanisms were responsible for As(V) adsorption