Effect of different processing methods on functional and physiochemical properties of turmeric (Curcuma longa Linn.) rhizome Var. Kapurkot Haledo-1

This study was conducted to evaluate the impact of different processing methods on the functional and phytochemical properties of turmeric rhizomes. The experiment consisted of four treatments: Treatment 1 involved oven-drying the turmeric powder, Treatment 2 involved blanching followed by oven-drying, Treatment 3 involved cooking followed by oven-drying, and Treatment 4 involved sun-drying. Each treatment was replicated four times. The major findings of the study revealed that sun-drying (68.50%) and blanching/oven-drying (66.50%) positively influenced the dispersibility of turmeric powder. Blanching/oven-drying (0.32 g/ml) and cooking/oven-drying (0.30 g/ml) significantly improved the bulk density of turmeric powder (p<0.001), with no significant difference observed between these two treatments. The water absorption capacity of the turmeric powders ranged from 3.35 to 5.35 g/ml, with the sun-dried sample displaying the lowest capacity and the cooked/oven-dried sample demonstrating the highest capacity. Similarly, sun-dried powder exhibited the lowest swelling power and solubility, while heat treatment resulted in a substantial increase in both of these parameters. Additionally, the curcumin content was found to be highest in the cooked/oven-dried (3.11%) and sun-dried (2.99%) turmeric powder. In conclusion, this study suggests that blanching and cooking methods have wide applicability in the food industry to enhance the bulkiness of turmeric powder for appropriate packaging and handling. Moreover, these methods contribute to the characteristic flavor and aroma of turmeric. The findings emphasize the importance of considering different processing techniques for optimizing the functional and phytochemical properties of turmeric, thus enabling its effective utilization in various food applications

Screening of Potential Plant Growth Promoting Properties of Bacillus Species Isolated from Different Regions of Nepal

The deleterious effects of intensive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture has led to the substantial research efforts on finding the alternatives to these agrochemicals. This study was aimed to isolate Bacillus species from soil of different regions of Nepal and screen for their ability to promote plant growth directly or indirectly by testing their ability to produce plant growth hormone indole acetic acid, hydrogen cyanide, ammonia and protease as well as phosphate solubilization. Thirty nine Bacillus strains were isolated from 25 soil samples of different regions of Kathmandu and Chitwan districts of Nepal. These isolates were tested for plant growth promoting traits in vitro. Among the total isolates, about 48.7% were indole acetic acid producers, 38.4% of the isolates showed the ability to solubilize the phosphate, 71.8% were able to produce ammonia and all the isolates had the ability to produce hydrogen cyanide and protease. The isolated strains showed positive results to maximum PGPR traits and exhibited a potential to be used as alternatives to chemical fertilizers and pesticides and could be used as low-cost bio-based technology to promote plant growth in the agricultural sector

A NOVEL APPROACH TO INCREASE THE BIOAVAILABILITY OF CANDESARTAN CILEXETIL BY PRONIOSOMAL GEL FORMULATION: IN-VITRO AND IN-VIVO EVALUATION

Objective: The oral bioavailability of Candesartan cilexetil is less (<15%), so in this study an approach has been made to increase its bioavailability by proniosomal gel formulation.Methods: The proniosomal formulation of Candesartan cilexetil was prepared by slurry method, using span 60 and Tween 60 as non-ionic surfactants, maltodextrin as carrier and cholesterol and soya lecithin as stabilizers. Prepared gel formulations were evaluated for compatibility study, entrapment efficiency, vesicle size, surface morphology, in-vitro diffusion studies, in-vitro skin permeation studies, in-vivo pharmacokinetics studies, various release kinetic studies and stability studies.Results: FT-IR study showed no interaction between drugs and other excipients, drugs and excipients are compatible. Mean vesicles size of proniosome derived niosome was found in the range of 16.34 µm-32.48 µm and 7.25-16.45 µm before and after shaking. An optimized formulation A3 containing a 2:1 ratio of span 60 and cholesterol showed maximum entrapment (86.17%) and in-vitro drug release (93.8%) compared to other formulations. In-vitro skin permeation studies were carried out using Albino rat skin and results showed that formulation A3 exhibited 88.65% drug permeation in a steady-state manner over a period of 24 h with a flux value of 1.94 µg/cm2/h and enhancement ratio of 3.73. In-vivo pharmacokinetics studies of proniosomal gel formulation A3 showed a significant increase in bioavailability (1.425 folds) compared with an oral formulation of Candesartan cilexetil. Stability studies showed that proniosomal gel formulation was stable throughout its study period.Conclusion: Physiochemically stable Candesartan cilexetil proniosomal gel was formulated, which could deliver significant amount of the drug across the skin in a steady-state manner for the prolong period of time in the treatment of hypertension.Â

Seroprevalence and Risk Factors of Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis in Dairy Cattle of Chitwan, Nawalpur and Rupandehi Districts of Nepal

The cross-sectional study from July 2018 to September 2018 was conducted to determine the seroprevalence and risk factors of Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR) in cattle of the Chitwan, Nawalpur, and Rupandehi districts of Nepal. The existence of antibodies against IBR was investigated in 92 serum samples obtained systematically from 55 cattle herds using Indirect-ELISA. A questionnaire interview was done to collect individual and herd-level data. The association between categorical variables and the outcome variable (seropositive) was assessed by bivariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis in SPSS version 19.0. The seroprevalence of IBR was 18.48% (95% CI: 11.1-27.9), and district, breed, and herd size were identified as potential risk factors for IBR seropositivity. Significantly higher risk for IBR was found in Chitwan (Percentage-Positive “PP” = 36.37%; Odd ratio “OR” = 5.211; p = 0.008) than in Nawalpur (PP = 9.38%; OR = 0.931) and Rupandehi (PP = 10.00%). PP of IBR was significantly higher in Jersey crosses (PP = 30.00%; OR = 2.893; p = 0.048) than Holstein Friesian crosses (PP = 12.90%). Similarly, herds with more than 10 cattle (PP = 33.33%; OR = 4.167; p = 0.042) were found significantly at higher odds for seropositivity than herds having less than 10 cattle (PP = 10.71%). Due to the moderate prevalence of IBR among cattle in Nepal, this study recommends conducting additional planned research on IBR at the national level to safeguard the country's dairy businesses from potential financial losses

A Review on Ayurvedic Medicinal Herbs as Remedial Perspective for COVID-19

Introduction: Recent outbreaks in a new type of coronavirus, novel coronavirus (COVID-19) disease causing respiratory infection have significantly hampered the public health. Medicinal plants used in traditional practices provide enormous scope to bring out viable alternatives against viral diseases, considering non-availability of suitable drug and increasing resistance to existing drug as well as re-emerging viral diseases. The present review on use of plants and related phytochemicals for the treatment of viral diseases particularly COVID-19, preclinical and clinical information is increased concern Methods: The methodological activities involved during a literature review were; (1) designing the review concept, (2) conducting the review on review papers, research papers, bulletins, official websites, (3) analysis of previous publications and (4) writing up the review paper. The integrative literature review and paper preparation process was done from our own practical experience and influenced by various standards and guidelines suggested in the publications. Results: Herbal medicines and their active phytochemicals against some viral pathogens including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) the virus that causes COVID-19 pandemic, middle east respiratory syndrome (MERS-COV), rhinovirus, human herpes virus (HSV-I & II), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), coxsackievirus (CV), enterovirus 71 (EV71), hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), herpes simplex virus, influenza A/H1N1 virus, coronavirus (CoV) etc were extensively reviewed. Ayurvedic herbal products could be useful to select as an alternative and integrated approach to decrease the morbidity and mortality associated with coronavirus infection and enhance host immunity against viral attack in the context of treatment vaccine of COVID-19 could be years away. Conclusion: The traditional practices and scientific evidence of several medicinal herbs and their phytochemicals against lethal viral infections in-vivo and in-vitro studies could be useful for the future as a novel source of natural products in particular focus on COVID-19

Acid Peptic Disease among Patients with Acute Abdomen Visiting the Department of Emergency Medicine in a Tertiary Care Centre

Introduction: Acid peptic disease is caused by excessive acid secretion or weakened mucosal defense. Symptoms include epigastric pain, bloating, and nausea. Factors like gastric acid, Helicobacter pylori infection, alcohol consumption, smoking, and stress contribute to peptic ulcers. Imbalances between offensive and defensive factors can lead to ulcers. Acid-related disorders impact the quality of life and mortality. Accurate diagnosis and prompt treatment are vital. This study aimed to find out the prevalence of acid peptic disease among patients with acute abdomen in the Department of Emergency Medicine in a tertiary care centre. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from 2 April 2022 and 2 April 2023 among the patients presented in the Department of Emergency Medicine in a tertiary care centre. Ethical approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Committee. All patients presenting with acute abdominal pain in the Emergency Department were included in the study. Patients not giving consent were excluded from the study. Convenience sampling method was used. The point estimate was calculated at a 95% Confidence Interval. Results: Out of the 400 patients with acute abdomen, the prevalence of acid peptic disease was found to be 87 (21.75%) (17.71-25.79, 95% Confidence Interval). Conclusions: The prevalence of acid peptic disease among patients with acute abdomen was found to be lower than in other studies performed in similar settings

Outcome of gastrointestinal surgery during COVID-19 lockdown in a tertiary care hospital, Nepal

Introduction: Perioperative strategies have been changing due to the COVID-19 pandemic to prevent the risk of postoperative complications and transmission of infection. This study was aimed to assess the outcome of gastrointestinal surgery and the risk of transmission by implementing COVID-19 testing criteria and surgical strategy. Method: This was a retrospective descriptive study conducted at the department of surgery at Patan Hospital, Nepal, during COVID-19 lock-down from 24 march to 15 June 2020. All patients who underwent gastrointestinal (GI) surgery were included. High-risk patients (as defined by the Hospital Incident Command System, HICS) were tested for COVID-19 preoperatively. Surgery was performed in COVID operating room with full protective gear. Low-risk patients were not tested for COVID-19 preoperatively and performed surgery in non-COVID OR. Data from patient’s case-sheets were analyzed descriptively for age, gender, comorbidities, hospital stay, RT-PCR results, surgeries, and postoperative complications. Result: There were total 44 GI surgeries performed; 31(70.5%) were emergency, 5(11.3%) semi-emergency and 8(18.2%) oncology. There were 11(25%) patients tested for COVID-19 preoperatively and were negative. Nine HCWs tested for COVID-19 randomly were negative. Severe postoperative complications developed in 3 patients, with one mortality. Conclusion: Among GI surgeries, there was no increase in postoperative complications and transmission of COVID-19 to the patients or HCWs following the implementation of standard testing criteria and surgical strategy

Sequence Analysis of Novel Staphylococcus aureus Lineages from Wild and Captive Macaques

Staphylococcus aureus is a widespread and common opportunistic bacterium that can colonise or infect humans as well as a wide range of animals. There are a few studies of both methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) isolated from monkeys, apes, and lemurs, indicating a presence of a number of poorly or unknown lineages of the pathogen. In order to obtain insight into staphylococcal diversity, we sequenced strains from wild and captive individuals of three macaque species (Macaca mulatta, M. assamensis, and M. sylvanus) using Nanopore and Illumina technologies. These strains were previously identified by microarray as poorly or unknown strains. Isolates of novel lineages ST4168, ST7687, ST7688, ST7689, ST7690, ST7691, ST7692, ST7693, ST7694, ST7695, ST7745, ST7746, ST7747, ST7748, ST7749, ST7750, ST7751, ST7752, ST7753, and ST7754 were sequenced and characterised for the first time. In addition, isolates belonging to ST2990, a lineage also observed in humans, and ST3268, a MRSA strain already known from macaques, were also included into the study. Mobile genetic elements, genomic islands, and carriage of prophages were analysed. There was no evidence for novel host-specific virulence factors. However, a conspicuously high rate of carriage of a pathogenicity island harbouring edinB and etD2/etE as well as a higher number of repeat units within the gene sasG (encoding an adhesion factor) than in human isolates were observed. None of the strains harboured the genes encoding Panton–Valentine leukocidin. In conclusion, wildlife including macaques may harbour an unappreciated diversity of S. aureus lineages that may be of clinical relevance for humans, livestock, or for wildlife conservation, given the declining state of many wildlife populations

Sequence Analysis of Novel Staphylococcus aureus Lineages from Wild and Captive Macaques

Staphylococcus aureus is a widespread and common opportunistic bacterium that can colonise or infect humans as well as a wide range of animals. There are a few studies of both methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) isolated from monkeys, apes, and lemurs, indicating a presence of a number of poorly or unknown lineages of the pathogen. In order to obtain insight into staphylococcal diversity, we sequenced strains from wild and captive individuals of three macaque species (Macaca mulatta, M. assamensis, and M. sylvanus) using Nanopore and Illumina technologies. These strains were previously identified by microarray as poorly or unknown strains. Isolates of novel lineages ST4168, ST7687, ST7688, ST7689, ST7690, ST7691, ST7692, ST7693, ST7694, ST7695, ST7745, ST7746, ST7747, ST7748, ST7749, ST7750, ST7751, ST7752, ST7753, and ST7754 were sequenced and characterised for the first time. In addition, isolates belonging to ST2990, a lineage also observed in humans, and ST3268, a MRSA strain already known from macaques, were also included into the study. Mobile genetic elements, genomic islands, and carriage of prophages were analysed. There was no evidence for novel host-specific virulence factors. However, a conspicuously high rate of carriage of a pathogenicity island harbouring edinB and etD2/etE as well as a higher number of repeat units within the gene sasG (encoding an adhesion factor) than in human isolates were observed. None of the strains harboured the genes encoding Panton–Valentine leukocidin. In conclusion, wildlife including macaques may harbour an unappreciated diversity of S. aureus lineages that may be of clinical relevance for humans, livestock, or for wildlife conservation, given the declining state of many wildlife populations

A rare case of recurrent urinary tract infection due to Trichosporon species in an immune-competent diabetic female patient

Trichosporonosis is a disease caused by Trichosporon spp. which are ubiquitous anamorphic yeast that commonly inhabit the soil. In human they are found in the skin, gastrointestinal tract and respiratory tract. Globally, Trichosporon spp. infection is rare and remains scantily reported in urinary tract infections and disseminated invasive infection amongst immunocompromised and cancer patients with neutropenia. Trichosporon asahii is the most commonly reported species. Virulence factors like proteinases, lipases, and phospholipases may be responsible for disease manifestation. We report a case of recurrent urinary tract infection due to Trichosporon spp. in a 62-year-old immunocompetent diabetic female which remained misdiagnosed for a long period of time. The patient was subsequently treated successfully by oral fluconazole drug