There is, I think, something ethereal about i —the square root of minus one. I remember first hearing about it at school. It seemed an odd beast at that time—an intruder hovering on the edge of reality.

Usually familiarity dulls this sense of the bizarre, but in the case of i it was the reverse: over the years the sense of its surreal nature intensified. It seemed that it was impossible to write mathematics that described the real world in …

I and i

Assay for lipid peroxides in animal tissues by thiobarbituric acid reaction

There has been increasing interest in the research on flavonoids from plant sources because of their versatile health benefits reported in various epidemiological studies. Since flavonoids are directly associated with human dietary ingredients and health, there is need to evaluate structure and function relationship. The bioavailability, metabolism, and biological activity of flavonoids depend upon the configuration, total number of hydroxyl groups, and substitution of functional groups about their nuclear structure. Fruits and vegetables are the main dietary sources of flavonoids for humans, along with tea and wine. Most recent researches have focused on the health aspects of flavonoids for humans. Many flavonoids are shown to have antioxidative activity, free radical scavenging capacity, coronary heart disease prevention, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities, while some flavonoids exhibit potential antiviral activities. In plant systems, flavonoids help in combating oxidative stress and act as growth regulators. For pharmaceutical purposes cost-effective bulk production of different types of flavonoids has been made possible with the help of microbial biotechnology. This review highlights the structural features of flavonoids, their beneficial roles in human health, and significance in plants as well as their microbial production.

/pdf/chemistry-and-biological-activities-of-flavonoids-an-483pb5vgo0.pdf

Chemistry and Biological Activities of Flavonoids: An Overview

The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics A Textbook of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutics for Physicians and Medical Students. By Prof. Louis Goodman and Prof. Alfred Gilman. Pp. xiii + 1383. (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1941.) 50s. net.

The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics

http://academic.oup.com/milmed/article-pdf/146/7/506/24126715/milmed-146-7-506.pdf

Goodman and Gilman's The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics

Oxidative stress, defined as the imbalance between the oxidant and antioxidant systems, is thought to be associated with the progression of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. It has been observed that perturbations in antioxidant defense systems, and consequently redox imbalance, are present in many tissues of HIV-infected patients. Existing evidences suggest that oxidative stress may contribute to different stages of viral life cycle including viral replication and its consequences such as inflammatory response and decreased immune cell proliferation. The level of production of free radical species in HIV-1 infected individuals receiving antiretrovirals (ART) including highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) was reported to be higher than those who harbor HIV-1 infection without receiving any treatment or normal and healthy subjects. These observations suggest that the HIV-1 infection alone or in combination with introduction of ARV/HAART may induce oxidative stress and further augment HIV-1 pathogenesis. HIV-1 infection and the treatment with antiretrovirals have been found to cause antioxidant enzyme dysfunction in monocytes and central spinal fluid (CSF) leading to cognitive impairment in women. However, the exogenous application of some natural plant products or recent synthetic antioxidants might be useful in scavenging the free radicals. It is expected that their application as an additional strategy may facilitate ARV therapy or HAART for the effective treatment of HIV-1 infected persons or AIDS patients. This review offers a perspective on the current account of oxidative stress in HIV-1 infected individuals and its possible amelioration using suitable antioxidants, plant products and herbal preparations.

Oxidative stress in HIV patients receiving antiretroviral therapy.

Carbofuran-induced toxicity in rats: Protective role of vitamin C

The effects of lead exposure on mammals are reported to be devastating Lead is present in all the abiotic environmental components such as brass, dust, plumbing fixtures, soil, water, and lead mixed imported products Its continuous use for several industrial and domestic purposes has caused a rise in its levels, thereby posing serious threats to human health The mechanisms involved in lead-induced toxicity primarily include free-radical-mediated generation of oxidative stress which directly imbalances the prooxidants and the antioxidants in body The toxicity of lead involves damage primarily to major biomolecules (lipid, protein, and nucleic acids) and liver (hepatotoxicity), nervous system (neurotoxicity), kidney (nephrotoxicity) and DNA (genotoxicity), present in animals and humans The activation of c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase, phosphoinositide 3-kinase, or Akt and p38 mitogen activated protein kinase signaling pathways are important for lead cytotoxicity Lead increased apoptosis through signaling cascade and associated factors and significantly impairs cell differentiation and maturation In addition, lead has great impact on metabolic pathways such as heme synthesis, thereby leading to the onset of anemia in lead exposed people This review encompasses an updated account of varied aspects of lead-induced oxidative stress and the biomolecular consequences such as perturbations in physiological processes, apoptosis, carcinogenesis, hormonal imbalance, loss of vision, and reduced fertility and their possible remediation through synthetic (chelators) and natural compounds (plant-based principles) This paper is primarily concerned with the biomedical implications of lead-induced generation of free radical and the toxicity management in the mammalian system

Biochemical and Molecular Bases of Lead-Induced Toxicity in Mammalian Systems and Possible Mitigations

Outbreaks of acute hepatitis E, associated with consumption of contaminated drinking water, are frequent in India. Sewage is a major source for contamination of surface water. Data on the presence of hepatitis E virus (HEV) in sewage in India are limited. The aim of this study was to look for the presence of HEV RNA in concentrates of sewage specimens collected from a major open sewage drain in Lucknow, India during August 2004 to July 2006, by the polymerase chain reaction, using primers specific for human HEV (genotype 1) or Indian swine HEV (genotype 4). Of the 192 sewage specimens tested, 79 (41%) showed presence of human HEV RNA. The positivity rate was higher during the second year (52/103 [51%]) than during the first year (27/89 [30%]; P = 0.005). The seasonal pattern of HEV RNA positivity was as follows: winter months (November to February): 28 of 61 (46%); summer months (March to June): 36 of 66 (55%); and, monsoon months (July to October) 15 of 65 (23%). There was no reported outbreak of hepatitis E in the city during the study period. Swine HEV RNA was not detected in any of the 69 specimens tested. Repeat testing confirmed the reproducibility of the results. In addition, nucleic acid sequencing of six sewage isolates showed that these belonged to HEV genotype 1. The study suggests that HEV infection and fecal viral excretion may be common in HEV-endemic regions throughout the year even during non-epidemic periods.

Presence of hepatitis E virus in sewage in Northern India: frequency and seasonal pattern.

In the present study, the crude ethanol extracts of Calotropis procera and Annona squamosa leaves have been screened for their larvicidal activities against Musca domestica. The third instar larvae of housefly were treated with the different concentrations of both the extracts by dipping method for 48 h. The LC50 values of the extracts of C. procera and A. squamosa leaves were found to be 282.5 and 550 mgl-1, respectively. The phytochemical analysis of these extracts suggested presence of alkaloids as the major component. The larvae were exposed to 5 and 10% concentrations of the LC50 value of each extract along with their control sets to evaluate their effect on metamorphosis, nucleic acid and protein content in different developmental stages. The leaf extract of C. procera was found to be more active in terms of insecticidal potential. The data indicate that the leaf extracts of these plants may be utilized as the probable candidates for the development of bioinsecticides to control the population of Musca domestica as safer and economic alternatives to the synthetic insecticides.

https://www.longdom.org/open-access/evaluation-of-insecticidal-efficacy-of-calotropis-procera-and-annona-squamosa-ethanol-extracts-against-musca-domestica-2155-6202.1000101.pdf

Bechan Sharma

Papers

Oxidative stress in HIV patients receiving antiretroviral therapy.

Carbofuran-induced toxicity in rats: Protective role of vitamin C

Biochemical and Molecular Bases of Lead-Induced Toxicity in Mammalian Systems and Possible Mitigations

Presence of hepatitis E virus in sewage in Northern India: frequency and seasonal pattern.

Evaluation of Insecticidal Efficacy of Calotropis Procera and Annona Squamosa Ethanol Extracts Against Musca Domestica