Plant profile, phytochemistry and pharmacology of Asparagus racemosus (Shatavari): A review

The production and the supply of high quality laboratory animals have fundamental importance for the accomplishment of vanguard scientific research, with reproducibility and universality. The quality of those animals depends, largely, of the available facilities for their production and lodging, to assure the demanded sanitary control and animals’ welfare, in agreement with the ethical principles that control the activity. The facilities also have to fill out other requirements, such as: the functionality of the environments to make possible the suitable and efficient handling of the animals, facilitating the execution of the routine activities; the respect to ergonomic principles to provide a safe environment and the operators’ well being. The facilities design is of vital importance so that the mentioned requirements can be reached. The project of the Nuclear and Energy Research Institute (IPEN) Animal House Facilities was accomplished in the year of 1964. However, by that time there were not the current recommendations with respect to the sanitary, genetic and environmental controls. The facility was planned with the objective of being a production unit and a local for keeping of defined animals from sanitary, genetic and environmental point of view. Nevertheless, the original unit drawing presents an unsuitable distribution of the area where animals are stocked and also different activities are performed. The Animal House Facilities occupy an area of 840 m, with one pavement, where the production areas and the stock of original animal models of the own Institution are distributed, as well as the maintenance of animals from other national or foreigner institutions. It supplies rats and mice for biological tests of radiopharmaceutical lots, produced in IPEN, before they be sent to hospitals and clinics spread out in Brazil, for use in Nuclear Medicine. It also supplies rats and mice for tests of odontological materials, for tests with growth hormones and for researches of new pharmaceuticals and radiopharmaceuticals, among others applications. Many of the animals models produced in IPEN are unique in Brazil and they constitute, therefore, an important patrimony that should be preserved. This paper describes the activities that have been executed in Animal House Facilities of IPEN, including the refurbishment project and the adaptation of the facilities.

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Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares

Estimation of trace elements in some anti-diabetic medicinal plants using PIXE technique.

Proton induced X-ray emission (PIXE) and proton induced γ-ray emission (PIGE) techniques are employed for the determination of essential and trace elements in some commonly used medicinal plants of north east India. Light elements such as Na, Mg, Al and P are determined by PIGE while medium Z elements such as K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Rb and Sr are determined by PIXE. Analysis is performed on pellets (thick targets) prepared using powders of the specimens which, in turn, are obtained following a series of processing steps. Plant based biological certified reference materials (CRMs) served as standards for quantification. These elements are found to be present in varying concentrations in the studied plants, with the contents of Mn and Zn being notably large in certain specimens. Medicinal properties possessed by these plants have been correlated with their elemental distribution.

Estimation of essential and trace elements in some medicinal plants by PIXE and PIGE techniques

Heavy metal distribution in medicinal plants is gaining importance not only as an alternative medicine, but also for possible concern due to effects of metal toxicity. The present study has been focused on emphasizing the heavy metal status and bioaccumulation factors of V, Mn, Fe, Co, Cu, Zn, Se (essential metals) and Cr, Ni, Cd, As and Pb (potentially toxic metals) in medicinal plants grown under two different environmental conditions e.g., near to Khetri copper mine and those in fertile soils of Haridwar, both in India, using Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (relative method) and Atomic Absorption Spectrometry. The copper levels in the medicinal plants from Khetri were found to be 3-4 folds higher (31.6-76.5 mg kg(-1)) than those from Haridwar samples (7.40-15.3 mg kg(-1)), which is correlated with very high copper levels (763 mg kg(-1)) in Khetri soil. Among various heavy metals, Cr (2.60-5.92 mg kg(-1)), Cd (1.47-2.97 mg kg(-1)) and Pb (3.97-6.63 mg kg(-1)) are also higher in concentration in the medicinal plants from Khetri. The essential metals like Mn (36.4-69.3 mg kg(-1)), Fe (192-601 mg kg(-1)), Zn (24.9-49.9 mg kg(-1)) and Se (0.13-0.91 mg kg(-1)) and potentially toxic metals like Ni (3.09-9.01 mg kg(-1)) and As (0.41-2.09 mg kg(-1)) did not show much variations in concentration in the medicinal plants from both Khetri and Haridwar. The medicinal plants from Khetri, e.g., Ocimum sanctum, Cassia fistula, Withania somnifera and Azadirachta Indica were found rich in Ca and Mg contents while Aloe barbadensis showed moderately high Ca and Mg. Higher levels of Ca-Mg were found to correlate with Zn (except Azadirachta Indica). The bioaccumulation factors (BAFS) of the heavy metals were estimated to understand the soil-to-plant transfer pattern of the heavy metals. Significantly lower BAF values of Cu and Cr were found in the medicinal plants from Khetri, indicating majority fraction of these metals are precipitated and were immobilized species unsuitable for plant uptake. Overall, Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) showed very high metal bioaccumulation.

Heavy metal bioaccumulation in selected medicinal plants collected from Khetri copper mines and comparison with those collected from fertile soil in Haridwar, India

Several parts of plants are used in herbal and Ayurvedic medicines of India. The different elemental constituents at trace levels of these plant parts play an effective role in the medicines prepared. Elemental composition of different parts (root, bark, leaf, seed) of some medicinal plants of North Eastern India has been determined by using proton induced X-ray emission (PIXE). A total of 14 elements, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, As, Br, Rb, Sr, Y, Zr and Pb have been measured. Their concentrations were found to vary in different samples. Medicinal properties of these plant samples and their elemental distribution have been correlated.

Elemental profile in some common medicinal plants of India. Its correlation with traditional therapeutic usage

Industrial wastes are considered as critical factors for disturbing natural ecosystems. The East Calcutta Wetlands, a Ramsar site in West Bengal, India, receives composite industrial effluents, subsequently bringing various kinds of heavy metals throughout the year. This wastewater is being utilized by the local people for pisciculture. The present investigation was carried out to study 1) elemental distribution various components of the wetland and 2) potentiality of water hyacinth in metal amelioration. Water and sediments were collected from four different spots along a wastewater-carrying canal having a stretch of 40km from the source point to the final confluence with river and from the wastewater fed fishpond. Fish (three common carps viz. Labeo rohita, Cirrhinus mrigala and Oreochromis niloticus) and water hyacinth were collected from fishpond mentioned above. Samples were analyzed by PIXE with 3MeV tandem Pelletron. Cr, which is a known metal contaminant of tannery effluent, was detected along with S, K, Ca, Ti, V, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Br, Rb, Sr, Zr. Variable concentrations of some elements like Ca, Fe, Zn in different fish organs was noted in the experiment. Accumulation of Cr, Cu from the water bodies by water hyacinth suggesting their crucial role in heavy metal amelioration.

B. Mohanta

Papers

Elemental profile in some common medicinal plants of India. Its correlation with traditional therapeutic usage

East calcutta wetlands as a sink of industrial heavy metals: a pixe study