This paper presents the study on Japanese mint SK-33 (M.arvensis L.) and its essential oil. After 3 years cultivated and observed this mint at CoNhue - TuLiem-Hanoi, we have some following notes: its essential oil content at full flowering stage is about 0.64-0.71% in fresh aerial part of plants, 1.38-1.55% in fresh leaves and flowers, 5.13-5.29% in absolute dry leaves and flowers. The chemical composition of this oil was analyzed by GC/MS, 32 constituents were identified. The main constituents are menthol (81.79%), menthone (7.86%), isomenthone (4.95%). Japanese mint SK-33 has rather high content of essential oil, good quality and can create a large quantity of underground stems. It is prospective new mint form for cultivation at large area in our country.
Plants, Medicinal ; Oils, Volatile

Berberine and Palmatine were extracted from the powdered Huong Lien pills with a mixture of methanol and hydrochloric acid (100:1) and subjected to HPLC to simultaneously determine the alkaloids. The HPLC technique was carried out on a Lichrosorb RP-8 (10 m, 250x4 mm) column using a UV detector at =345 nm and a mixture of 3,4g potassium dihydrogen phosphate and 1,7g sodium lauryl sulfate dissolved in 1000 ml of water-acetonitrile (1:1) as a mobile phase. The experimental results proved that the proposed HPLC method was rapid, specific, accurate and precise.
Berberine ; Medicine, Traditional ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Biochemistry ; Berberine Alkaloids

French spearmint was imported into Vietnam in 1996 and cultivated in Ha Noi. In the first year, it was cultivated by seeds and since the second year it has been planted by stolons. Every year, planting is done in February – March and the crop reaches full blooming in June. The Russian cultivar is also cultivated in Sa Pa (Lao Cai province). Both samples of Mentha spicata essential oil were analyzed by GC/RI, GC/MS and 13C-NMR. In total, 39 compounds have been identified, 28 in the first sample, 31 in the second.
Plants ; Mentha spicata ; chemistry ; oils

Mentha piperita L.Mentha piperita L. was collected from Sapa, Lao Cai province and cultivated at Co Nhue – Tu Liem – Ha Noi. The content of the essential oil in fresh branches of this peppermint was about 0.16%. Its green yield is 1.85-2.10 Kg/m2. First time in Vietnam, the chemical composition of peppermint oil was analyzed by GC/MS and 43 constituents were identified. The main constituents were L-menthol (47.60%), menthol (24.10%), menthofuran (6.07%) and 1.8 cineol (5.55%), pulegone (4.22%). Base on these data. The quality of Sa Pa peppermint oil is good as one from native origin. Peppermint collected from Sa Pa enrich the gene source of medicinal plant in general and particularly the gene source of essential oil plant group of Vietnam
Oils, Volatile ; Chemistry ; Plants

This paper presented a study on the dynamic of essential oil accumulation in Japanese mint SK33 (M. arrvensis L.) and the influence of storage time on its quantity and quality. This mint was cultivated at Co Nhue experimental station, Tu Liem district, Ha Noi City between 2000 and 2002. The results showed that during the vegetation and development process, the essential oil content in the plant gradually increased and achieved maximum at first branch flowering stage and reduced to minimum at the end of flowering stage. The menthol content in essential oil of Japanese mint SK33 reached the highest value at full flowering stage (81.79%). The best harvest time for this mint is from the beginning flowering stage to full flowering period. After harvesting the whole plants can be stored during 20 days without the change in content and quality of essential oil
oils ; Conservation of Natural Resources ; Oils, Volatile

Introduction: Successful cryopreservation of spermatozoa must ensure normal newborns after the preservation time. This method frequently can potentially contain cross-infected risks during the cryopreservation process in the liquid nitrogen environment (such as HCV, HIV). A number of researchers reveal that these risks can be eliminated by washing spermatozoa before cryopreservation. However, the problem is whether cryopreservation of washed spermatozoa still retains its morphology and function or not? \r\n', u'Objectives: To evaluate the change of sperm morphology characteristics after which washed sperm cryopreserved from normozoospermia. \r\n', u'Subjects and method: 30 normal semen samples; each sample was divided into two aliquots of washed and unwashed spermatozoa. All samples were cryopreserved in stages of 1, 2 and 30 days. We compared the percentage of spermatozoa with normal morphology before and after which was washed, pre - cryopreservation and post - cryopreservation between the groups. \r\n', u'Results: The percentage 0 spermatozoon with normal morphology after washing was more significantly increased than prior to washing. Post - cryopreservation, this percentage was reduced time by time but acceptable. There is no significant difference between the two ways of preparation before cryopreservation. The percentage of spermatozoa with abnormal head and neck increased significantly after cryopreservation. \r\n', u'Conclusion: The percentage of spermatozoa with normal morphology post - cryopreservation was reduced in both washed sperm and unwashed sperm samples. This percentage was reduced time by time, but there is no difference between the two groups studied. \r\n', u'\r\n', u'
Sperm washing ; Sperm cryopreservation ; Sperm morphology

Background: Sperm cryopreservation becomes a relatively routine process in assisted reproductive centers. However, there must be ensured quality of washed human normal sperm and cryopreservation to successful fertilization. Objective: To evaluate the quality of washed human normal sperm after cryopreservation. Subjects and method: 30 normal semen samples, each sample was divided into two parts for washed and unwashed spermatozoa. All samples were cryopreserved in 1, 2 and 30 days. Evaluating and comparing the quality of sperm before and after which washed, pre-cryopreservation and post-cryopreservation between the groups were performed. Results: The quality of sperm after washing was more significantly improved than before washing. Post-cryopreservation, the quality of sperm was reduced time by time but within an accepted limitation. There was not a significant difference between the two ways of preparation before cryopreservation. Conclusions: The quality of sperm at post-cryopreservation was reduced (both washed sperm and unwashed sperm). The quality of washed sperm is reduced continuously with time, but there was no difference between the two studied groups.
Washed sperm ; sperm cryopreservation

Background: Gestational diabetes is a special form of diabetes mellitus, which is initially diagnosed during gestation. In Vietnam, routine screens for gestational diabetes are not performed. The risk factors of the disease are not taken into account during early screening. Many pregnancies are later diagnosed when complications present themselves. Objective: To determine the prevalence and discover the risk factors for Gestational Diabetes (GD) among pregnant women, who followed up at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Bach Mai Hospital. Subject and methods: A cross-sectional, prospective study was conducted on 415 pregnant women, who had 24-28 weeks of gestation, followed up at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Bach Mai Hospital from December, 2006 to April, 2007. All were asked about the risk factors and given an oral glucose tolerance test with 75g of glucose. Results: The prevalence of GD in general population accounted for 7.9%. The prevalence of GD, who had BMI \u226523, family history with 1st degree relative of diabetes and positive glycosuria at gestational age under 24 weeks in subgroups were 25.8%, 37.8% and 55.6%, respectively. None of the pregnant women who had a child weighed \u22654.000g at the previous delivery was diagnosed as GD. However, all thepregnant women, who had history of abnormal glucose tolerance, were GD. Conclusion: Prevalence of GD is increasing. BMI\u226523, family history with 1st degree relative of diabetes and positive glycosuria at age of gestation <24 weeks are considered as high risk factors of GD.
gestational diabetes

In this report, we investigated the antioxidant (peroxyl radical-scavenging and reducing capacities) and anti-osteoporotic activities of extracts and isolated constituents (1 - 16) from the rhizomes of Kaempferia parviflora Wall. ex Baker on pre-osteoclastic RAW 264.7 cells. Compound 5 exhibited significant peroxyl radical-scavenging capacity, with TE value of 8.47 ± 0.52 µM, while compound 13 showed significant reducing capacity, with CUPRAC value of 5.66 ± 0.26 µM, at 10.0 µM. In addition, flavonoid compounds 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and terpene compound 15 showed significant inhibition of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) in NF-κB ligand-induced osteoclastic RAW 264.7 cells, with values ranging from 16.97 ± 1.02 to 64.67 ± 2.76%. These results indicated that K. parviflora could be excellent sources for the antioxidant and anti-osteoporotic traditional medicinal plants.
Acid Phosphatase ; Osteoclasts ; Plants, Medicinal ; Rhizome* ; Zingiberaceae*

The substantia gelatinosa (SG) within the trigeminal subnucleus caudalis (Vc) is recognized as a pivotal site of integrating and modulating afferent fibers carrying orofacial nociceptive information. Although naringenin (4',5,7-thrihydroxyflavanone), a natural bioflavonoid, has been proven to possess various biological effects in the central nervous system (CNS), the activity of naringenin at the orofacial nociceptive site has not been reported yet. In this study, we explored the influence of naringenin on GABA response in SG neurons of Vc using whole-cell patch-clamp technique. The application of GABA in a bath induced two forms of GABA responses:slow and fast. Naringenin enhanced both amplitude and area under curve (AUC) of GABA-mediated responses in 57% (12/21) of tested neurons while decreasing both parameters in 33% (7/21) of neurons. The enhancing or suppressing effect of naringenin on GABA response have been observed, with enhancement occurring when the GABA response was slow, and suppression when it was fast. Furthermore, both the enhancement of slower GABA responses and the suppression of faster GABA responses by naringenin were concentration dependent. Interestingly, the nature of GABA response was also found to be sex-dependent. A majority of SG neurons from juvenile female mice exhibited slower GABA responses, whereas those from juvenile males predominantly displayed faster GABA responses. Taken together, this study indicates that naringenin plays a partial role in modulating orofacial nociception and may hold promise as a therapeutic target for treating orofacial pain, with effects that vary according to sex.