Objective: To investigate phytochemical screening, antimicrobial activity and qualitative thin layer chromatographic separation of flavonoid components, antioxidant activity and total flavonoid compound of Terminalia arjuna.
Methods:For phytochemical screening, some common and available standard tests were done. Antimicrobial bioassay was done through agar well diffusion method. Detection of antioxidant activity and flavonoid compounds were done through thin layer chromatography. Total antioxidant activity was measured by 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) in colorimetric method. Aluminum chloride colorimetric method was used for total flavonoid determination.
Results:Phytochemical screening showed the active compounds presence in high concentration, such as phytosterol, lactones, flavonoids, phenolic compounds and tannins and glycosides. The antimicrobial activity of extract showed that greater inhibition zone against Gram negative bacteria than Gram positive bacteria. This methanolic extract showed a promising antioxidant activity, as absorption of DPPH redicles decreased in DPPH free radical scavenging assay. Flavonoids components having antioxidant property present in the methanol extract at a level of 199.00 mg quercetin equivalent/g of dried methanol extract in colorimetric method.
Conclusions: The Terminalia arjuna bark extract revealed the presence of bio-active constituents which are known to exhibit medicinal as well as physiological activities.

OBJECTIVETo observe the biochemical characters and antibiotic susceptibility of isolated Staphylococcus aureus (S. auerus) strains against some conventional and traditional antibiotics.

METHODSThirty post operative pathogenic isolated S. aureus strains were used in this study. Bacterial culture was done in Mueller-Hinton broth at 37 °C. Characters of these strains were determined by traditional biochemical tests such as hydrolysis test of gelatin, urea, galactose, starch and protein, and fermentation of lactose and sucrose. Antibiotic susceptibility were carried out by minimum inhibitory concentration test, minium bactericidal concentration test, disc agar diffusion test and brain heart infusion oxacillin screening agar.

RESULTSFrom this study, it was observed that 100% S. aureus isolates showed positive results in gelatin, urea and galactose hydrolysis test, 50% isolates were positive in starch hydrolysis test, 35% in protein hydrolysis test, 100% isolates in lactose fermenting test, but no isolate was positive in sucrose fermenting test. Antibiotic susceptibility testing suggested that 20% of isolates were resistant to kanamycin and 46.67% were resistant to oxacillin.

CONCLUSIONSThese findings show that all these isolates have gelatin, urea, galactose hydrolysis and lactose fermenting activity. 20% of these isolates were resistant to kanamycin and 46.67% were resistant to oxacillin.

Anti-Bacterial Agents ; pharmacology ; Disk Diffusion Antimicrobial Tests ; Galactose ; metabolism ; Gelatin ; metabolism ; Hydrolysis ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Staphylococcus aureus ; drug effects ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; Starch ; metabolism ; Urea ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the potency of carboxymethyl chitosan-2, 2' ethylenedioxy bis-ethylamine-folate (CMC-EDBE-FA) on tissue injury, antioxidant status and glutathione system in tissue mitochondria and serum against nicotine-induced oxidative stress in mice.

METHODSCMC-EDBE-FA was prepared on basis of carboxymethyl chitosan tagged with folic acid by covalently linkage through 2, 2' ethylenedioxy bis-ethylamine. Animals were divided into four groups, i.e., control, nicotine (1 mg/kg bw/day), CMC-EDBE-FA (1 mg/kg bw/day) and nicotine (1 mg/kg bw/day) and CMC-EDBE-FA (1 mg/kg bw/day) for 7 days. Levels of lipid peroxidation, oxidized glutathione level, antioxidant enzyme status and DNA damage were observed and compared.

RESULTSThe significantly increase of lipid peroxidation, oxidized glutathione levels and DNA damage was observed in nicotine treated group as compared with control group; those were significantly reduced in CMC-EDBE-FA supplemented group. Moreover, significantly reduced antioxidant status in nicotine treated group was effectively ameliorated by the supplementation of CMC-EDBE-FA. Only CMC-EDBE-FA treated groups showed no significant change as compared with control group; rather than it repairs the tissue damage of nicotine treated group.

CONCLUSIONSThese findings suggest that CMC-EDBE-FA is non-toxic and ameliorates nicotine-induced toxicity.

Animals ; Antioxidants ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Chitosan ; analogs & derivatives ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; DNA Fragmentation ; drug effects ; Folic Acid ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Glutathione ; analysis ; metabolism ; Glutathione Transferase ; metabolism ; Male ; Mice ; Nanoparticles ; chemistry ; Nicotine ; toxicity ; Organ Specificity ; Oxidoreductases ; metabolism

Objective: To evaluate phytopharmacologically eugenol and two extract products of Ocimum gratissimum Linn. (O. gratissimum) (Labiaceae) on free radical scavenging and antioxidant activity. Methods: Aqueous and methanol extract of fresh aerial part of O. gratissimum were prepared and eugenol (1-allyl-4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzene) was isolated from fresh leaves and characterized by high performance liquid chromatography, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, 1 h nuclear magnetic resonance. To establish the antioxidant potentiality of aqueous extract, methanol extract and eugenol, 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical, hydroxyl radical, nitric oxide scavenging activity, antioxidant activity by ferric thiocyanate and reducing power were measured in chemical system in vitro. Results: Significant (P<0.05) concentration-dependent free radical scavenging activity, antioxidant activity, and reducing power was observed by O. gratissimum products. Moreover, eugenol is more potent than the two extract products of O. gratissimum, but lower than potent antioxidant ascorbic acid. Conclusions: Hence, O. gratissimum presents a potentially valuable source of natural antioxidant and bioactive material.

Mesenteric paragangliomas are a rare entity; consequently, only 12 cases have been reported to date. Although considered benign and often found incidentally, they have the potential to metastasize and are an important diagnosis to consider for patients with a mesenteric tumor. We report the case of a 71-year-old woman who was found on magnetic resonance imaging to have an incidental, large, complex, intra-abdominal mass that had initially been misdiagnosed as ovarian in origin. She underwent an open resection of the tumor and adjacent small bowel with no perioperative complications; histology confirmed the mass to be a mesenteric paraganglioma. This case report highlights several important key issues regarding paraganglioma, including diagnosis, imaging, genetic testing, and surgical resection. The results of a literature review are also discussed.
Aged ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Genetic Testing ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Paraganglioma*

OBJECTIVETo test the survival of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) inside lymphocyte that contributes to the pathogenesis of infection and possible anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effect of nanoconjugated vancomycin against in vivo S. aureus infection in a dose and duration dependent manner.

METHODS5×10(6) CFU/mL vancomycin-sensitive S. aureus (VSSA) and vancomycin-resistive S. aureus (VRSA) were challenged in Swiss male mice for 3 days, 5 days, 10 days and 15 days, respectively. Bacteremia and inflammatory parameters were observed to evaluate the duration for development of VSSA and VRSA infection. 100 mg/kg bw/day and 500 mg/kg bw/day nanoconjugated vancomycin were administrated to VSSA and VRSA infected group for 5 days. Bacteremia, inflammatory parameters and oxidative stress related parameters were tested to observe the effective dose of nanoconjugated vancomycin against VSSA and VRSA infection. Nanoconjugated vancomycin was treated at a dose of 100 mg/kg bw/day and 500 mg/kg bw/day, respectively, to VSSA and VRSA infected group for successive 5 days, 10 days and 15 days. Bacteremia, inflammatory parameters and oxidative stress related parameters were observed to assess the effective duration of nanoconjugated vancomycin against VSSA and VRSA infection.

RESULTSThe result revealed that in vivo VSSA and VRSA infection developed after 5 days of challenge by elevating the NO generation in lymphocyte and serum inflammatory markers. Administration with nanoconjugated vancomycin to VSSA and VRSA infected group at a dose of 100 mg/kg bw/day and 500 mg/kg bw/day, respectively, for successive 10 days eliminated bacterimia, decreased NO generation in lymphocyte, serum inflammatory markers and increased antioxidant enzyme status.

CONCLUSIONSThese findings suggest, in vivo challenge of VSSA and VRSA for 5 days can produce the highest degree of damage in lymphocyte which can be ameliorated by treatment with nanoconjugated vancomycin for 10 successive days.

Animals ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Bacteremia ; drug therapy ; immunology ; microbiology ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Humans ; Male ; Mice ; Nanoparticles ; chemistry ; Nitric Oxide ; immunology ; Staphylococcal Infections ; drug therapy ; immunology ; microbiology ; Staphylococcus aureus ; drug effects ; pathogenicity ; physiology ; Vancomycin ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Vancomycin Resistance