Development of Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA Based SCAR Marker for Identification of Ipomoea mauritiana Jacq (Convolvulaceae)

Vidari is an Ayurvedic herbal drug used as aphrodisiac, galactagogue and is also used in the preparation of Chyavanaprash. Tubers of Ipomoea mauritiana Jacq. (Convolvulaceae), Pueraria tuberosa (Roxb. ex Willd.) DC (Fabaceae), Adenia hondala (Gaertn.) de Wilde (Passifloraceae) and pith of Cycas circinalis L. (Cycadaceae) are all traded in the name of Vidari, creating issues of botanical authenticity of the Ayurvedic raw drug. DNA-based markers have been developed to distinguish I. mauritiana from the other Vidari candidates. A putative 600-bp polymorphic sequence, specific to I. mauritiana was identified using randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technique. Furthermore, sequence characterized amplified region (SCAR) primers (IM1F and IM1R) were designed from the unique RAPD amplicon. The SCAR primers produced a specific 323-bp amplicon in authentic I. mauritiana and not in the allied species

Development of ITS sequence-based markers to distinguish Berberis aristata DC. from B. lycium Royle and B. asiatica Roxb.

The stems of Berberis aristata DC. (Berberidaceae) are used in the South Asian traditional medicine as a key ingredient in formulations for eye care, skin diseases, jaundice, rheumatism and also in diabetes. B. lycium Royle and B. asiatica Roxb. are traded as equivalents of B. aristata. Conventional macro-morphology and microscopic examination does not aid in critically distinguishing the three species. DNA markers were developed by amplifying and sequencing the complete internal transcribed spacer region (ITS1, 5.8S rRNA and ITS2) from the genomic DNA, using universal primers. The markers developed are efficient and reliable in authenticating B. aristata, B. asiatica and B. lycium. These are useful as molecular pharmacognostic tool in quality control of raw drugs

Storing Drinking-water in Copper pots Kills Contaminating Diarrhoeagenic Bacteria

Microbially-unsafe water is still a major concern in most developing countries. Although many water-purification methods exist, these are expensive and beyond the reach of many people, especially in rural areas. Ayurveda recommends the use of copper for storing drinking-water. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of copper pot on microbially-contaminated drinking-water. The antibacterial effect of copper pot against important diarrhoeagenic bacteria, including Vibrio cholerae O1, Shigella flexneri 2a, enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, enteropathogenic E. coli, Salmonella enterica Typhi, and Salmonella Paratyphi is reported. When drinking-water (pH 7.83±0.4; source: ground) was contaminated with 500 CFU/mL of the above bacteria and stored in copper pots for 16 hours at room temperature, no bacteria could be recovered on the culture medium. Recovery failed even after resuscitation in enrichment broth, followed by plating on selective media, indicating loss of culturability. This is the first report on the effect of copper on S. flexneri 2a, enteropathogenic E. coli, and Salmonella Paratyphi. After 16 hours, there was a slight increase in the pH of water from 7.83 to 7.93 in the copper pots while the other physicochemical parameters remained unchanged. Copper content (177±16 ppb) in water stored in copper pots was well within the permissible limits of the World Health Organization. Copper holds promise as a point-of-use solution for microbial purification of drinking-water, especially in developing countries

Storing Drinking-water in Copper pots Kills Contaminating Diarrhoeagenic Bacteria

Microbially-unsafe water is still a major concern in most developing countries. Although many water-purification methods exist, these are expensive and beyond the reach of many people, especially in rural areas. Ayurveda recommends the use of copper for storing drinking-water. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of copper pot on microbially-contaminated drinking-water. The antibacterial effect of copper pot against important diarrhoeagenic bacteria, including Vibrio cholerae O1, Shigella flexneri 2a, enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli , enteropathogenic E. coli , Salmonella enterica Typhi, and Salmonella Paratyphi is reported. When drinking-water (pH 7.83\ub10.4; source: ground) was contaminated with 500 CFU/mL of the above bacteria and stored in copper pots for 16 hours at room temperature, no bacteria could be recovered on the culture medium. Recovery failed even after resuscitation in enrichment broth, followed by plating on selective media, indicating loss of culturability. This is the first report on the effect of copper on S. flexneri 2a, enteropathogenic E. coli, and Salmonella Paratyphi. After 16 hours, there was a slight increase in the pH of water from 7.83 to 7.93 in the copper pots while the other physicochemical parameters remained unchanged. Copper content (177\ub116 ppb) in water stored in copper pots was well within the permissible limits of the World Health Organization. Copper holds promise as a point-of-use solution for microbial purification of drinking-water, especially in developing countries

Proposed correlation of modern processing principles for Ayurvedic herbal drug manufacturing: A systematic review

Quality Ayurvedic herbal medicines are potential, low-cost solutions for addressing contemporary healthcare needs of both Indian and global community. Correlating Ayurvedic herbal preparations with modern processing principles (MPPs) can help develop new and use appropriate technology for scaling up production of the medicines, which is necessary to meet the growing demand. Understanding the fundamental Ayurvedic principles behind formulation and processing is also important for improving the dosage forms. Even though Ayurvedic industry has adopted technologies from food, chemical and pharmaceutical industries, there is no systematic study to correlate the traditional and modern processing methods. This study is an attempt to provide a possible correlation between the Ayurvedic processing methods and MPPs. A systematic literature review was performed to identify the Ayurvedic processing methods by collecting information from English editions of classical Ayurveda texts on medicine preparation methods. Correlation between traditional and MPPs was done based on the techniques used in Ayurvedic drug processing. It was observed that in Ayurvedic medicine preparations there were two major types of processes, namely extraction, and separation. Extraction uses membrane rupturing and solute diffusion principles, while separation uses volatility, adsorption, and size-exclusion principles. The study provides systematic documentation of methods used in Ayurveda for herbal drug preparation along with its interpretation in terms of MPPs. This is the first step which can enable improving or replacing traditional techniques. New technologies or use of existing technologies can be used to improve the dosage forms and scaling up while maintaining the Ayurvedic principles similar to traditional techniques

Safety evaluation of a traditional knowledge based copper device for microbial purification of drinking water at home

519-523Copper as a trace element plays an important role in several physiological functions. Earlier studies have reported an affordable copper based device causing microbial decontamination of drinking water by leaching of ~120 ppb of copper, when left in contact with water for 16 hrs. This study tested the oral toxicity of copper device treated water over a period of 90 days in Sprague Dawley rats following the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) test guideline 408. Two groups of animals were used (12 rats in each test and control group) wherein the control group animals were fed with rodent diet with normal drinking water and test group animals fed with the same diet but supplemented with water containing 100-120 ppb of copper. After 90 days of exposure, clinical chemistry, histopathology, tissue enzymes of liver and kidney and serum copper levels were studied. There was no significant difference observed in the clinical chemistry of serum samples (p > 0.05) and histopathology of various organs examined. A gender-related difference in the serum copper levels in female rats was found to be statistically significant, p < 0.05. Overall, copper in drinking water at levels of 100-120 ppb was found to be non toxic in SD rats in this study

Nutritional values of ready-to-eat snacks available in the Indian E-market—a comparative study based on the health star rating system

Abstract Background The popularity of ready-to-eat (RTE) foods has increased globally, especially among children, because they are readily available, convenient, tasty, and have attractive packaging designs. The number of packaged foods, drinks, and snacks has risen in the Indian market, and the presence of less-healthy packaged products is a significant cause of overweight and diseases related to diet. The Health Star Rating (HSR) System, initiated by the Australian and New Zealand governments, was designed to rank these packaged products based on fat, sugar, energy, salt, and other nutritional compositions. The study assessed the nutritional value of RTE snacks currently available in the Indian e-market using the HSR system. Methods This comparative study analyzed the nutritional values of RTE snacks from November 2022 to February 2023. The data  were extracted from the Indian e-market, namely Amazon Fresh, Flipkart Grocery, and Big Basket, using specific keywords. The HSR system has been used to evaluate and compare the healthiness of RTE snacks, using a star rating scale of 0.5 stars = bad to 5 stars = excellent. The study assessed 294 RTE products, including chips, cocoa-based snacks, and baked snacks, with a price range of INR 50 and below. Results The findings revealed that the mean HSR was low (1.46) stars [SD 0.63] out of (5) stars for the studied products, with significant concerns about high levels of energy, sugar, sodium, and saturated fat. Additionally, the study observed a limited utilization of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes (FVNL) in the market products. Conclusion The study highlights the unhealthiness of snack products available in the Indian e-market due to high levels of sugar, salt, and fat. These snacks also lack FVNL as nutritious ingredients. The data extracted can underscore public health concerns, highlight the importance of consumer awareness, and help snack manufacturers develop healthier snacks for society

Use of <i><img src='/image/spc_char/kshirvidari.gif' border=0></i> as a substitute for <i><img src='/image/spc_char/vidari.gif' border=0></i> as per <i style="">Ayurvedic</i> descriptions

310-318 The classical texts of Ayurveda incorporate multiple names for most of the plant drugs described for their medicinal use. As a result, the correct identification of related botanical source, many a times, becomes ambiguous. Extensive background work on nomenclature correlation can be assumed in the scholarly works of several authors of twentieth century including those of the official formularies and pharmacopoeias of Ayurveda of India. However, the works do not describe the research methodology and findings that led to the correlations. There is an urgent need to revisit this issue systematically and to publish the same through books and articles in peer-reviewed journals. Owing to several reasons, including availability of the required plant raw drugs, there are controversies relating to use of more than one botanical entity by the Ayurvedic manufacturing units. () is one such example where at least four different botanical entities have been recorded in use by the industry. Pueraria tuberosa (Roxb. ex Willd.) DC. is the only accepted candidate for as per official pharmacopoeias. (), a well documented type of as per the classical Ayurveda texts, finds no mention as in these pharmacopoeias. The study, through etymological analysis of Sanskrit synonyms, formulations and verses, indicates that two distinct botanical entities were used as , even during the period of Caraka. Both these entities have been described as having similar properties and actions, thus making them eligible to be used as substitutes of one another. The two botanical entities that merit acceptance as sources of the classical Ayurvedic plant drug are Pueraria tuberosa (Roxb. ex Willd.) DC. and Ipomoea mauritiana Jacq., though the later is better known as . </smarttagtype