Objective To isolate and purify a lectin from the roots of Astragalus membranaceus.Methods The protein was purified using a combination of 20%—60% ammonium sulfate fraction and ConA-Sepharose 4B affinity chromatography.Results The purified protein appeared as a single band with molecular mass of 3.15?104 on SDS-PAGE and the relative molecular mass was estimated by gel filtration on a calibrated Superdex 75 column with apparent molecular weight of 3.35?104.This lectin was a glycoprotein with a neutral carbohydrate content of 10.7%.Conclusion A lectin is isolated and purified from the roots of A.membranaceus for the first time.It is a monomer glycoprotein and its specific activity is 391.9 U/mg.

Alimentary tract duplication cysts are rare congenital anomalies, most commonly located in the ileum, but may present anywhere from mouth to anus.Clinically, they may be asymptomatic, incidentally diagnosed or may present with obstruction, volvulus, intussusception or gastrointestinal bleed. Here we report a case of a one year old male child presenting in gasping state and shock. Despite the initial strong suspicion of Meckel's diverticulum and tubercular abdomen, the final diagnosis remained elusive till exploratory laparotomy was performed which revealed a duplication cyst of ileum with perforation into the umbilicus. Duplication cyst should always be kept as a differential diagnosis so that early intervention can help in better management.
Abdomen ; Ascites ; Child ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Early Intervention (Education) ; Humans ; Ileum ; Intestinal Volvulus ; Intussusception ; Laparotomy ; Male ; Meckel Diverticulum ; Mouth ; Shock ; Umbilicus*

Docosanol is the only US Food and Drug Administration(FDA)approved over-the-counter topical product for treating recurrent oral-facial herpes simplex labialis.Validated analytical methods for docosanol are required to demonstrate the bioequivalence of docosanol topical products.A gas chromatography/selected ion monitoring mode mass spectrometry(GC/SIM-MS)method was developed and validated for docosanol determination in biological samples.Docosanol and isopropyl palmitate(internal standard)were separated on a high-polarity GC capillary column with(88％cyanopropy)aryl-polysiloxane employed as the stationary phase.The ions of m/z 83 and 256 were selected to monitor docosanol and isopropyl palmitate,respectively;the total run time was 20 min.The GC/SIM-MS method was validated in accordance with US FDA guidelines,and the results met the US FDA acceptance criteria.The docosanol calibration standards were linear in the 100-10000 ng/mL concentration range(R2＞0.994).The recoveries for docosanol from the receptor fluid and skin homogenates were＞93.2％and＞95.8％,respectively.The validated method was successfully applied to analyze ex vivo human cadaver skin permeation samples.On applying Abreva?cream tube and Abreva?cream pump,the amount of doco-sanol that penetrated human cadaver skin at 48 h was 21.5±7.01 and 24.0±6.95 ng/mg,respectively.Accordingly,we concluded that the validated GC/SIM-MS was sensitive,specific,and suitable for quantifying docosanol as a quality control tool.This method can be used for routine analysis as a cost-effective alternative to other techniques.