The herb Artemisia annua has been used for many centuries in Chinese traditional medicine as a treatment for fever and malaria. In 1971, Chinese chemists isolated from the leafy portions of the plant the substance responsible for its reputed medicinal action. This compound, called qinghaosu (QHS, artemisinin), is a sesquiterpene lactone that bears a peroxide grouping and, unlike most other antimalarials, lacks a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic ring system. The compound has been used successfully in several thousand malaria patients in China, including those with both chloroquine-sensitive and chloroquine-resistant strains of Plasmodium falciparum. Derivatives of QHS, such as dihydroqinghaosu, artemether, and the water-soluble sodium artesunate, appear to be more potent than QHS itself. Sodium artesunate acts rapidly in restoring to consciousness comatose patients with cerebral malaria. Thus QHS and its derivatives offer promise as a totally new class of antimalarials.

Quinghaosu (artemisin): an antimalarial drug from china

Sustaining intensification of smallholder livestock systems in the tropics

Livestock play a significant role in rural livelihoods and the economies of developing countries. They are providers of income and employment for producers and others working in, sometimes complex, value chains. They are a crucial asset and safety net for the poor, especially for women and pastoralist groups, and they provide an important source of nourishment for billions of rural and urban households. These socio-economic roles and others are increasing in importance as the sector grows because of increasing human populations, incomes and urbanisation rates. To provide these benefits, the sector uses a significant amount of land, water, biomass and other resources and emits a considerable quantity of greenhouse gases. There is concern on how to manage the sector's growth, so that these benefits can be attained at a lower environmental cost. Livestock and environment interactions in developing countries can be both positive and negative. On the one hand, manures from ruminant systems can be a valuable source of nutrients for smallholder crops, whereas in more industrial systems, or where there are large concentrations of animals, they can pollute water sources. On the other hand, ruminant systems in developing countries can be considered relatively resource-use inefficient. Because of the high yield gaps in most of these production systems, increasing the efficiency of the livestock sector through sustainable intensification practices presents a real opportunity where research and development can contribute to provide more sustainable solutions. In order to achieve this, it is necessary that production systems become market-orientated, better regulated in cases, and socially acceptable so that the right mix of incentives exists for the systems to intensify. Managing the required intensification and the shifts to new value chains is also essential to avoid a potential increase in zoonotic, food-borne and other diseases. New diversification options and improved safety nets will also be essential when intensification is not the primary avenue for developing the livestock sector. These processes will need to be supported by agile and effective public and private institutions.

The roles of livestock in developing countries

Thin films as an emerging platform for drug delivery

Hydrogels are promising biomaterials because of their important qualities such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, hydrophilicity and non-toxicity. These qualities make hydrogels suitable for application in medical and pharmaceutical field. Recently, a tremendous growth of hydrogel application is seen, especially as gel and patch form, in transdermal drug delivery. This review mainly focuses on the types of hydrogels based on cross-linking and; secondly to describe the possible synthesis methods to design hydrogels for different pharmaceutical applications. The synthesis and chemistry of these hydrogels are discussed using specific pharmaceutical examples. The structure and water content in a typical hydrogel have also been discussed.

https://apb.tbzmed.ac.ir/PDF/apb-7-515.pdf

Cross-Linked Hydrogel for Pharmaceutical Applications: A Review

Resurveys in six villages in Madhya Pradesh show that contrary to mainstream perceptions, seasonal/circular migration has become more accumulative for the poor over the last five years as new opportunities in urban areas have reduced the uncertainty of finding work, wages have increased and the dependence on contractors has declined. Furthermore, migration is attracting more women and upper castes as traditional restrictions related to manual work break down. Migration has brought greater returns to those with skills or strong social networks. Others, relying on contractors or facing discrimination, have not benefited as much. Nevertheless, migration is viewed by the poor as a strategy for improving household well-being. Migration has reduced borrowing for consumption, improved debt repayment capacity and given migrants greater confidence and bargaining power. The paper concludes that policy should shift towards migrant support away from migration prevention. NGO initiatives that offer lessons for migrant support are reviewed.

https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1080%2F09578810802464920.pdf

Circular migration in Madhya Pradesh: changing patterns and social protection needs

Livestock and poverty reduction in India: findings from the ODI Livelihood Options Project

Interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) has been regarded as one of the novel technology in recent years show- ing the superior performances over the conventional techniques. This system is designed for the delivery of drugs at a predetermined rate and thus helps in controlled drug delivery. Due to its enhanced biological and physical characteristics like biodegradability, biocompatibility, solubility, specificity and stability, IPN has emerged out to be one of the excellent technologies in pharmaceutical industries. This article focuses mainly on the biomedical applications of IPN along with its future applicability in pharmaceutical research. It summarizes various aspects of IPN, biomedical applications and also in- cludes the different dosage forms based on IPN.

/pdf/biomedical-applications-of-interpenetrating-polymer-network-b4bziqv7f4.pdf

Biomedical Applications of Interpenetrating Polymer Network System

3 Abstract: Bauhinia variegata Linn is a widely used medicinal plant distributed in the tropical regions throughout the world. Its various part i.e. flowers, flower buds, stem, roots, stem bark, seeds, leaves have been used since ancient times for the treatment of a large range of diseases such as dysentery, diarrhoea, haemorrhoids, piles, oedema, laxative, anthelmintic, astringent, antileprotic, wound healing, antigoitrogenic, antitumor, antidote for snake poisoning, dyspepsia, carminative etc. The plant contains several flavonoids, steroids, glycosides, reducing sugars as active constituents that bring about its biological effects. Preclinical (invivo and invitro) investigations have demonstrated pharmacological activities such as antioxidant, hypolipidemic, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, insecticidal, antibacterial, antidiabetic, antiulcer, hepatoprotective, anti-arthritic, anti-mutagenic, cytotoxic, trypsin inhibitor, anti-goitrogenic. The present review is an attempt to compile information on various ethnomedical aspects, morphology, microscopy, phytochemical studies, pharmacological studies and its ayurvedic preparation, to explain the multifaceted role of this medicinal plant.

/pdf/phytochemical-pharmacological-profile-and-commercial-utility-gwcww9zbdr.pdf

Phytochemical, Pharmacological Profile and Commercial Utility of Tropically Distributed Plant Bauhinia variegata

This study involved extraction and characterization of almond (Prunus dulcis) gum as pharmaceutical excipient. The gum obtained from almond (Prunus dulcis) was extracted by using distilled water and precipitated with ethyl alcohol. Yield was calculated to evaluate the efficacy of process. The product was screened for presence of carbohydrate, protein, fat, starch, reducing and non-reducing sugars, alkaloids, glycosides (Cardiac glycosides, anthraquinone, saponins), steroids, tannins, phenolic compounds micromeritic properties, swelling index, flow behaviour, surface tension and viscosity were also studied.Result revealed that using water based extraction method, the percentage yield was found to be 8.89%. The result showed that extracted almond gum exhibited excellent flow properties. It had good swelling index (87.44 ± 0.310%). The pH was found to be 5.25 ± 0.813 and surface tension of the 0.01% gum solution was found to be 73.50 ± 0.078 dynes/cm. The ash values such as total ash, acid insoluble ash, water soluble ash was found to be 15.9%, 0.57% and 3% respectively, loss on drying was 4.85%. Extracted gum was soluble in warm water and insoluble in organic solvents. The scanning electron micrograph (SEM) revealed rough and irregular particles of isolated polymer. In conclusion, results of evaluated properties showed that almond derived gum can be used as pharmaceutical excipient to formulate solid oral dosage form. It has acceptable pH and organoleptic properties, so can be easily used to formulate various dosage form.

/pdf/extraction-and-characterization-of-almond-prunus-sulcis-gum-2sucnlcwg7.pdf

Pramod Kumar Sharma

Papers

Circular migration in Madhya Pradesh: changing patterns and social protection needs

Livestock and poverty reduction in India: findings from the ODI Livelihood Options Project

Biomedical Applications of Interpenetrating Polymer Network System

Phytochemical, Pharmacological Profile and Commercial Utility of Tropically Distributed Plant Bauhinia variegata

Extraction and Characterization of Almond (Prunus sulcis) Gum as Pharmaceutical Excipient