Artichoke (Cynara scolymus L.) is a perennial plant belonging to the Asteraceae family originating from the Mediterranean region. In Vietnam, there are some varieties of artichoke which are extensively cultivated and propagated in highland areas, however, there have been limited detailed scientific publications on the chemical composition and biological activity of artichoke grown in Vietnam. Therefore, this study provides a detailed description of the extraction, isolation, and structural determination of 20 natural secondary metabolites present in harvested artichoke. The antioxidant activity of the extract and the 9 isolated compounds are tested in 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging and ex vivo malondialdehyde model. Among the selected compounds, 1-caffeoylquinic acid, 3-caffeoylquinic acid, chlorogenic acid, 4-caffeoylquinic acid, cynarin, 1,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid, 4,5-di-caffeoylquinic acid, cynaroside, and scolymoside exhibited strong radical scavenging activity with IC50 values ranging from 5.7 to 61.6 µM. In the malondialdehyde assay, 1,3-dicaffeoylquinic acid (or cynarin) showed the strongest activity with an IC50 value of 24.7 µM, followed by 1,5-di-caffeoylquinic acid (66.8 µM), and 4,5-di-caffeoylquinic acid (127.3 µM). This outcome contributes to establishing a database on the phytochemical and antioxidant activity of the Vietnamese artichoke.

In the present study, bioactivity-guided extraction and isolation of the n-hexane fraction of the fruits of Vietnamese Schisandra sphenanthera led to the isolation of five dibenzocyclooctadiene lignans as gomisin N (1), schisandrin C (2), gomisin H (3), gomisin D (4), and gomisin C (5). All the isolates were tested for their inhibition of NO production in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells. Among them, compounds 4 and 5 showed weak inhibition of NO production with IC 50 values of 25.0 ± 1.6 and 24.8 ± 2.0 µM, respectively. Compound 1 exhibited NO production inhibition with an IC 50 value of 15.8 ± 2.1 µM, meanwhile, schisandrin C (2) showed the most potent inhibition with an IC 50 value of 8.5 ± 0.5 µM. In addition, compound 2 had a concentrationdependent inhibitory effect on the protein expression of the inflammatory enzymes iNOS and COX-2. Their physicochemical properties and ADMET data were predicted by in silico, indicating favorable drug-like properties as well as low acute oral toxicity. The results suggest that the fruit of S. sphenanthera and its phytochemical constituents might be used as anti-inflammatory agents.

Soluble epoxide hydrolases (sEH) are enzymes present in all living organisms, metabolize epoxy fatty acids to 1,2-diols. sEH in the metabolism of polyunsaturated fatty acids plays a key role in inflammation. In addition, the endogenous lipid mediators in cardiovascular disease are also broken down to diols by the action of sEH that enhanced cardiovascular protection. In this study, sEH inhibitory guided fractionation led to the isolation of five phenolic compounds trans-resveratrol (1), trans-piceatannol (2), sulfuretin (3), (+)-balanophonin (4), and cassigarol E (5) from the ethanol extract of the seeds of Passiflora edulis Sims cultivated in Vietnam. The chemical structures of isolated compounds were determined by the interpretation of NMR spectral data, mass spectra, and comparison with data from the literature. The soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) inhibitory activity of isolated compounds was evaluated. Among them, trans-piceatannol (2) showed the most potent inhibitory activity on sEH with an IC₅₀ value of 3.4 µM. This study marks the first time that sulfuretin (3) was isolated from Passiflora edulis as well as (+)-balanophonin (4), and cassigarol E (5) were isolated from Passiflora genus.
Cardiovascular Diseases ; Epoxide Hydrolases ; Ethanol ; Fatty Acids ; Fatty Acids, Unsaturated ; Inflammation ; Metabolism ; Passiflora ; Passifloraceae ; Phenol ; Vietnam

The conception of health care or health services socialization was the first mentioned in the resolution of the fourth conference held by the seventh Party Central Committee. In the last twelve years, we reached many achievements in order to translate the policy of health services socialization into reality: People have many improvements in terms of self-defense consciousness and health care. There are many new organizational forms: health insurance, charity fund, health care fund for the poor. Besides public health establishments, there are many private health establishments with various economic forms. However, the socialization of health services has many limits: the contrary of market mechanism put new pressures on health sector. On the other hand, health establishments lack of budget to pay essential health services
Health Services ; Socialization

When coming a innovative period, we mentioned directly the issues of health economics and health care finance, but this approach just only generalized that not enough thoroughness to overcome many challenges from dark side of market economy. If these issues weren’t paid attention, Vietnamese public health could be inconsiderable, arbitrary, and lack of method and thriftiness
Delivery of Health Care ; Vietnam ; Professional Practice ; Politics

When confronted with situation of rapid development of HIV/AIDS pandemic, there was a solution called 'harm reduction' for decrease the transmission of HIV. This article explained why we have to do this solution, and introduce the contents of solution: to educate and exchange experiences through peer education; provide HIV voluntary counseling and test, help HIV/AIDS infected people being aware of their situation and received useful advice; guide them using safe syringe; prevent STDs by using condom; introduce and use heroine-replacement drugs. Finally, authors also mentioned advantages of using 'harm reduction' solution
HIV ; Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ; Disease Outbreaks

After 10 years of implementation the 4th resolution of the Party Centre Committee, session VII, the Health sector had received many significant results. The health care system had established throughout the country, especially the grass roat health care level from stood at "the abyss of collapsing" to little by little recoverd and gradually developed. Otherwise, the Health sector remained some issues, such as the price of medical services was not calculated; The financial resources of the hospitals was not substainable and always in deficiciency in this conditions, it was said that it should changed from the form that the State had supplied the finances for the health care units to the forms of subsidy to the users by buying health insurance or health services
Delivery of Health Care ; Hospitals, Public ; Materials Management, Hospital

All human activity, including health care activity are strictly corelated with the relation between individual and social community. This relation must be harmonised in resfect of the equality. It is the criterion to appreciate the superiosity of any healthcare service. In our system health education and the organization must be paralelly conducted
Delivery of Health Care ; Health ; Health Systems Plans

The health service system planning and implementing is as important as working out the plan of campaign. It's necessary to appreciate and improve this work if we really want to develop Vietnam health service system in the right and methodical direction, and in global integration. In the short term, we should learn about and have a firm grasp on health indices and targets of UN Millennium Development Goals, their roles in sustainable development. On this foundation, it's necessary to consider adding or cutting some indices in order to reflect comprehensively and completely the truth face of healthcare system in Vietnam
Delivery of Health Care ; Health Services ; Indicators and Reagents

To evaluate user fee the situation of, in 2001, at the Khammouane provincial hospital Lao PDR by a cross study. 109 in-patients and 204 out- patients were interviewed and, 20 groups of health staffs were discussed and the information (2001) on statistic, finances and exemptions in the hospital office were analyzed. The results showed that: With the minus government budget, the very low fees and many free services, the quality of the health service is not progressive and it is very difficult to apply the exemptions. The rate of using the patients' bed is very low because both the rich and poor patients don't like to take health care in this hospital. When the patients come to hospital, all of them prepare enough money to pay because they don't know who will be exemption. If they can't get enough money, they don't come yet. Both the patients and health staffs accepted the low user fees but the providers need to raise the quality of health services and apply better the exemptions. The very low fees and many free services in the hospital aren't the suitable solution to help the poor patients can take health care when the another sources can't supply sufficiently for these services.
Hospitals ; Health Services