SENSORY EVALUATION OF CAROTENOID AND PALM JAGGERY INCORPORATED FUNCTIONAL DRINK JIGARTHANDA

Functional foods are any fresh or processed food claimed to have a health-promoting or disease-preventing property beyond the basic function of the supply of nutrients. Functional foods like beverages offer potential health benefits that could enhance the well-being of consumers and reduce the economic and social costs of treating non-communicable diseases. Jigarthanda is one of the best tasting summer drink which has its origins in Madurai. The present study was carried out on the development of the functional drink Jigarthanda incorporated with carrot and palm jaggery using basic ingredients such as milk, Kova, and almond gum. The functional drink was prepared with three variations viz., VI, VII, and VIII in two proportions i.e. A and B. In proportion A, all the three variations were incorporated with 100 ml of carrot juice, and also VI, VII, and VIII contain 100 g, 150g, and 200g of palm jaggery respectively. In proportion B all the three variations were incorporated with 200 ml of carrot juice and also VI, VII and VIII contain 100 g, 150g, and 200g of palm jaggery respectively. Among the three variations, in Variation I, all the sensory factors were marked high with the mean value of 7 in both Proportion A and B. In Variation II and Variation III, all the factors in both proportions, A and B were marked high with the mean score of more than seven, and particularly in variation III, the taste factor got a high mean score of more than 8, and the overall acceptability was very high in Proportion B and the mean score was 7.3, which was more than the proportion A (7.27). Hence the functional drink Jigardhanda in VIII of Proportion B, which was made with 250gram palm jaggery, incorporated with 200 ml of carotenoid-rich carrot juice obtained the highest overall acceptability score and was regarded as the best sensory evaluated variation of Jigarthanda. The popular traditional beverage Jigarthanda has been value-added by incorporating carotenoid-rich functional food to the consumers.&nbsp

Survival of tuberculosis patients treated under DOTS in a rural tuberculosis unit (TU), south India.

Objective: To estimate survival probabilities and identify risk factors for death of tuberculosis (TB) patients during treatment period. Methods: TB patients registered during May 1999 to December 2004 from a rural TB unit (TU) with a population of 580 000 in Tiruvallur district, South India, formed study population. Life table and Cox’s regression methods were used. Results: Of the 3818 TB patients who were initiated on treatment, 96, 94 and 97% of category – I, II and III respectively, were surviving after completion of treatment. Higher death rates were independently associated with patient’s age (45 years), previous history of treatment, alcoholism and initial body weight (<35 kgs). Conclusion: The survival probability was found to be similar in all patients irrespective of categorization. Necessary actions need to be initiated in the programme to improve body weight and abstain from alcoholism

An open label, single arm prospective clinical study on the effectiveness of Pugaarimeda Kashaya in Madhumeha (Diabetes Mellitus Type 2)

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the most common non-communicable diseases globally. It is characterized by multiple metabolic disorders that results in hyperglycemia. Diabetes mellitus type-2 (DM2) is the most common type accounting almost 90% of cases of DM. Madhumeha on the basis of similar etiology, signs and symptoms can be co-related with Diabetes mellitus type-2. It is also described by the term Kshoudrameha or Ojomeha. Pugaarimeda Kashaya with Madhu as Anupana is mentioned in Brihat Nighantu Ratnakara in the management of Madhumeha. Objective: To clinically evaluate the effectiveness of Pugaarimeda Kashaya in Madhumeha (Diabetes mellitus type-2). Materials and Methods: Among 31 registered subjects, 28 of them completed the course of treatment. They were administered with Pugaarimeda Kashaya orally 100ml per day (50ml twice daily before food) with Anupana of Madhu 5ml for a period of 30 days. Blood and urine glucose test was done on 1st, 31st day of study initiation. For Statistical analysis subjective parameters were assessed by Cochran’s Q test followed by McNemar test and objective parameters were assessed by Paired sample T Test. Results: There was statistically significant improvement observed in the signs and symptoms of Madhumeha with blood and urine glucose levels. (p&lt;0.05) Conclusion: Pugaarimeda Kashaya was found effective in the management of Madhumeha

Weight gain in patients with tuberculosis treated under directly observed treatment short-course (DOTS)

Set up: One Tuberculosis Unit (TU) in Tiruvallur district, Tamil Nadu, India where Tuberculosis (TB) patients treated under Directly Observed Treatment Short Course (DOTS) programme. Objective: To identify the effects of weight gain among TB patients at the end of treatment on different factors such as socio-economic and demographic characteristics, smoking and drinking habits, treatment under supervision, the type of DOTS centres and problems in taking drugs. Methods: TB patients registered between May 1999 and December 2004 formed the study population. Multiple regression method was used for the analysis. Results: Among 1557 smear-positive TB patients registered under DOTS programme, the changes in weight ranged from a loss of 4 kgs to a gain of 20 kgs at the end of TB treatment; the average change in weight was 3.22 kgs. The gain in weight at the end of treatment was associated with age (<45 years), DOT at government centres, no problems in taking drugs as reported by patients and cure rate. Conclusion: The findings showed that there is an association between gain in weight with DOT at government centres and cure of patients

Synthesis of N-Fmoc-ProtectedAmino Alkyl Thiocyanates/Selenocyanates and their Applicationin the Preparation of 5-Substituted S/Se-Linked Tetrazoles

A novel class of N-Fmoc-protected amino alkyl thiocy- anates/selenocyanates has been prepared by thiocyanation/seleno-cyanation of the corresponding alkyl iodides. These thiocyanates/selenocyanates undergo a facile [2+3]-cycloaddition reaction with sodium azide to afford novel N-Fmoc amino alkylS/Se-linked tetra-zoles

Variations in radiographic appearance of articular cartilage of knee joints in persons of 35 to 65 years of age

Background:Osteoarthritis is a slowly progressive degenerative disease characterized by gradual loss of articular cartilage. Osteoarthritis is not a normal process of ageing processes. Age related changes are distinct from osteoarthritic changes but when coupled with certain precipitating factors like obesity, muscle weakness and neurological dysfunction may play an important role in the causation of osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis occurrence appears to increase with patient’s age in a non-linear fashion. The prevalence of disease increases dramatically after the age of 50 years, likely because of age related alterations in collagen and proteoglycan synthesis coupled with diminished nutrient supply to the cartilage.Methods:In this paper presenting the naked eye assessment of radiographic appearance of articular cartilage of knee joints of 100 persons (both men and women) of 35 to 65 years of age with symptoms like pain and stiffness of the joint.Results:Parameters like changes in the joint space width, the presence or absence of osteophytes and subchondral sclerosis and cysts were noted.  The correlation between the patient’s age, sex, symptoms and radiological appearance were observed.Conclusion:Osteoarthritis has a higher prevalence and more often generalized in women than in men. Before the age of 50 years, the incidence of osteoarthritis is low and men have a slightly higher prevalence than women, but after the age of 50 years, the disease becomes more frequent and women have a much higher prevalence with a female to male ration of about 12:1. The reason for this is sex difference in cartilage volume.

Apple Flavonoids Suppress Carcinogen-Induced DNA Damage in Normal Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells

Scope. Human neoplastic transformation due to DNA damage poses an increasing global healthcare concern. Maintaining genomic integrity is crucial for avoiding tumor initiation and progression. The present study aimed to investigate the efficacy of an apple flavonoid fraction (AF4) against various carcinogen-induced toxicity in normal human bronchial epithelial cells and its mechanism of DNA damage response and repair processes. Methods and Results. AF4-pretreated cells were exposed to nicotine-derived nitrosamine ketones (NNK), NNK acetate (NNK-Ae), methotrexate (MTX), and cisplatin to validate cytotoxicity, total reactive oxygen species, intracellular antioxidants, DNA fragmentation, and DNA tail damage. Furthermore, phosphorylated histone (γ-H2AX) and proteins involved in DNA damage (ATM/ATR, Chk1, Chk2, and p53) and repair (DNA-PKcs and Ku80) mechanisms were evaluated by immunofluorescence and western blotting, respectively. The results revealed that AF4-pretreated cells showed lower cytotoxicity, total ROS generation, and DNA fragmentation along with consequent inhibition of DNA tail moment. An increased level of γ-H2AX and DNA damage proteins was observed in carcinogen-treated cells and that was significantly (p≤0.05) inhibited in AF4-pretreated cells, in an ATR-dependent manner. AF4 pretreatment also facilitated the phosphorylation of DNA-PKcs and thus initiation of repair mechanisms. Conclusion. Apple flavonoids can protect in vitro oxidative DNA damage and facilitate repair mechanisms