THIS text-book of pharmacognosy has already found wide recognition among teachers and students of pharmacy. Its subject matter has grown from a laboratory manual intended for use in practical classes, and now comprises the requirements for the Chemist and Druggist Qualifying Examination of the Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain. A Textbook of Pharmacognosy By T. C. Denston. Fourth edition. Pp. xviii + 594. (London: Sir Isaac Pitman and Sons, Ltd., 1945.) 27s. 6d. net.

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A Textbook of Pharmacognosy

Trease and Evans' pharmacognosy

How to investigate drug use in health facilities : selected drug use indicators

The book “ Teaching and Learning” is a valuable resource for distance educators and trainers who want to create relevant and intellectually challenging online courses. Nichols aims to share the best educational practices from traditional or face-to-face teaching and from the field of distance education. It is an ambitious goal that gives the book a distinctive purpose and helps the author strive for a comprehensive view of the educational process. The book provides practical guidelines for distance educators that are based solid research and classroom experiences. The book is divided into three major sections: the teaching and learning process, universal principles of teaching and learning and the final section describes how educational principles can impact vital instructional issues.

Teaching for Learning.

On the treatment of psoriasis

Background: Irrational prescription being a global problem leading to ineffective, unsafe treatment. Aiming to measure the performance of a health-care provider in key dimension related to appropriate use of drugs, the World Health Organization (WHO) has developed set of core prescribing indicators. 

Aims and Objectives: The aim of this study is to assess the drug use pattern using WHO core prescribing indicators. 

Materials and Methods: This was a prospective, cross-sectional study conducted at K.S. Hegde Charitable Hospital. Around 900 prescriptions from the outpatients attending the Department of Medicine from January to March 2016 were analyzed for WHO core prescribing indicators and was compared with the standard WHO values.

Results: Polypharmacy being the common finding, the concept of generic prescribing was negligible. There was reduced prescription of drugs from the National List of Essential Medicines, but the prescription of antibiotics and injections was within normal limits. 

Conclusions: There was moderate compliance with WHO prescribing indicators.

Assessment of drug use pattern using World Health Organization prescribing indicators in a tertiary care hospital in Mangalore: A cross-sectional study

Background: Arthritis is the diseases affecting all age groups with the worldwide prevalence of 3% and 20% in India. Drugs used for the management of arthritis have various adverse effects. Due to their low side effects, low costing, and ready availability the interest in producing herbal formulations for medicinal purposes is developed. Coriandrum sativum is a medicinal herb possessing many activities with anti-inflammatory action being one among them. 
Objectives: To evaluate antiarthritic effect of coriander seed essential oil (CSEO) using Complete Freunds adjuvant(CFA) induced arthritic model in wistar albino rats.
Methods: 24 rats were divided into 4 groups and the Experimental arthritis was induced by injecting 0.1 ml of CFA into the subplantar area of the left hind paw. Vehicle and drugs (Indomethacin & CSEO) were given for 20 days to animals of all the group, the Joint diameter was measured at day 0, 3, 7, 14 & 21 days and IL 6, TNF a levels were measured baseline & day21 by ELISA kit.
Results: Significant decrease in joint diameter and paw volume was seen within both the groups, but there was no statistical significance in joint diameter reduction among the groups. The TNF a levels were statistically reduced by CSEO group compared to Indomethacin group.
Conclusion: CSEO has antiarthritic effect due to its anti-inflammatory property which needs to be evaluated further with different doses and histopathological correlation.

Evaluation of antiarthritic activity of Coriander seed essential oil in Wistar albino rats

Background: Diseases of the ear, nose, and throat (ENT) constitute among the most common causes of hospital visits worldwide and account for most of the antibiotics prescribed and used. They are responsible for significant school and work absenteeism and have generated 94.6 disability-adjusted life years lost worldwide. Due to the high incidence of these diseases and the different varieties of drugs in use, it becomes imperative for us to know the present prescribing patterns, so that appropriate adjustments can be made for the benefit of patients. Methods: Over a period of 1-year, the outpatient department (OPD) records of 608 patients with ENT infections, reporting to the ENT OPD of Justice K S Hegde Charitable Hospital, Deralakatte, Mangalore, were scrutinized and the data collected in a specially designed proforma. Descriptive analysis of the data was done. Results: Of the total 608 prescriptions analyzed, 309 (50.8%) belonged to male patients and 299 (49.2%) belonged to female patients. Highest numbers of patients were in the age group of 16-25 years (29.44%). The most common diseases reported were chronic suppurative otitis media (19.24%), followed by otitis externa (13.49%) and furunculosis (9.87%). Average number of drugs per prescription was found to be 3.0. Oral antibiotics were prescribed to 540 patients (88.81%). Most common antibiotics prescribed were amoxicillin-clavulanate (53%), levofloxacin (17%), and cefixime (14%). Antihistamines were prescribed in 52.47% prescriptions, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were prescribed to 298 patients (49.01%). Conclusion: This study shows that the diseases were treated rationally in accordance with the standard guidelines of therapy.

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A study of prescription pattern in the drug therapy of ear, nose, and throat infections at a tertiary care hospital in Mangalore

Microscopical Evaluation, Phytochemical Analysis and HPTLC Fingerprinting of Tuber of Actinoscirpus grossus (L.f.) Goetgh. & D.A.Simpson


 Objective The present study was performed to evaluate the ethanolic extract of leaves of Acacia catechu (A. catechu) for its effect on streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes mellitus (DM) and its renal complications in male Wistar albino rats.
 Materials and Methods Male Wistar albino rats were grouped into control (A), STZ-induced DM (B), STZ-induced DM rats with A. catechu orally of 75 mg/kg body weight (kbw) for 35 days (C), with each group having six rats (n = 6) weighing between 200 to 250 g each. Group A receives only water, orally; group B receives a single dose of STZ at 45 mg/kbw intraperitoneal administration (IP); group C receives STZ IP and oral A. catechu for 35 days. On the 36th day, animals were euthanized, the kidney tissues were analyzed for biochemical parameters, such as GOT (glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase), GPT (glutamic pyruvic transaminase), oxidative stress assessment parameters, and histopathological studies.
 Results In group C rats, activities of the enzymes were nearer to group A when compared with group B. Histopathological findings were also suggesting that renal toxicity were observed at a lesser extent in group C.
 Conclusion The ethanolic extract of A. catechu signified as nephroprotective effect. The present data could provide adequate confirmation of the efficacy of ethanolic extract of leaves of A. catechu for further experimental studies on a standardized formulation.

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Rajendra Holla

Papers

Assessment of drug use pattern using World Health Organization prescribing indicators in a tertiary care hospital in Mangalore: A cross-sectional study

Evaluation of antiarthritic activity of Coriander seed essential oil in Wistar albino rats

A study of prescription pattern in the drug therapy of ear, nose, and throat infections at a tertiary care hospital in Mangalore

Microscopical Evaluation, Phytochemical Analysis and HPTLC Fingerprinting of Tuber of Actinoscirpus grossus (L.f.) Goetgh. & D.A.Simpson

Amelioration of Diabetic Nephropathy in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats by Acacia catechu Leaves Extract