Ayurveda represents the traditional medicine system of India. Since mechanistic details of therapy in terms of current biology are not available in Ayurvedic literature, modern scientific studies are ...necessary to understand its major concepts and procedures. It is necessary to examine effects of the whole Ayurvedic formulations rather than their "active" components as is done in most current studies.
We tested two different categories of formulations, a Rasayana (Amalaki Rasayana or AR, an herbal derivative) and a Bhasma (Rasa-Sindoor or RS, an organo-metallic derivative of mercury), for effects on longevity, development, fecundity, stress-tolerance, and heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) levels of Drosophila melanogaster using at least 200 larvae or flies for each assay.
A 0.5% (weight/volume) supplement of AR or RS affected life-history and other physiological traits in distinct ways. While the size of salivary glands, hnRNP levels in larval tissues, and thermotolerance of larvae/adult flies improved significantly following feeding either of the two formulations, the median life span and starvation resistance improved only with AR. Feeding on AR or RS supplemented food improved fecundity differently. Feeding of larvae and adults with AR increased the fecundity while the same with RS had opposite effect. On the contrary, feeding larvae on normal food and adults on AR supplement had no effect on fecundity but a comparable regime of feeding on RS-supplemented food improved fecundity. RS feeding did not cause heavy metal toxicity.
The present study with two Ayurvedic formulations reveals formulation-specific effects on several parameters of the fly's life, which seem to generally agree with their recommended human usages in Ayurvedic practices. Thus, Drosophila, with its very rich genetic tools and well-worked-out developmental pathways promises to be a very good model for examining the cellular and molecular bases of the effects of different Ayurvedic formulations.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The effects of blend ratio, crosslinking systems, and fillers on the viscoelastic response of ethylene-propylene-diene monomer (EPDM)/styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) blends were studied as functions ...of frequency, temperature, and cure systems. The storage modulus decreased with increasing SBR content. The loss modulus and loss tangent results showed that the EPDM/SBR blend vulcanizate containing 80 wt % EPDM had the highest compatibility. Among the different cure systems studied, the dicumyl peroxide cured blends exhibited the highest storage modulus. The reinforcing fillers were found to reduce the loss tangent peak height. The blend containing 40 wt % EPDM showed partial miscibility. The dispersed EPDM phase suppressed the glass-transition temperature of the matrix phase. The dynamic mechanical response of rubbery region was dominated by SBR in the EPDM-SBR blend. The morphology of the blend was studied by means of scanning electron microscopy. The blend containing 80 wt % EPDM had small domains of SBR particles dispersed uniformly throughout the EPDM matrix, which helped to toughen the matrix and prevent crack propagation; this led to enhanced blend compatibility.
We evaluated the cardioprotective effect of Amalaki Rasayana (AR), a rejuvenating Ayurvedic drug prepared from Phyllanthus emblica fruits in the reversal of remodeling changes in pressure overload ...left ventricular cardiac hypertrophy (LVH) and age-associated cardiac dysfunction in male Wistar rats. Six groups (aging groups) of 3 months old animals were given either AR or ghee and honey (GH) orally; seventh group was untreated. Ascending aorta was constricted using titanium clips in 3 months old rats (N = 24; AC groups) and after 6 months, AR or GH was given for further 12 months to two groups; one group was untreated. Histology, gene and protein expression analysis were done in heart tissues. Chemical composition of AR was analyzed by HPLC, HPTLC and LC-MS. AR intake improved (P < 0.05) cardiac function in aging rats and decreased LVH (P < 0.05) in AC rats as well as increased (P < 0.05) fatigue time in treadmill exercise in both groups. In heart tissues of AR administered rats of both the groups, SERCA2, CaM, Myh11, antioxidant, autophagy, oxidative phosphorylation and TCA cycle proteins were up regulated. ADRB1/2 and pCREB expression were increased; pAMPK, NF-kB were decreased. AR has thus a beneficial effect on myocardial energetics, muscle contractile function and exercise tolerance capacity.
XANES‐ and EXAFS‐based analysis of the Ayurvedic Hg‐based nano‐drug Rasasindura has been performed to seek evidence of its non‐toxicity. Rasasindura is determined to be composed of single‐phase α‐HgS ...nanoparticles (size ∼24 nm), free of Hg0 or organic molecules; its structure is determined to be robust (<3% defects). The non‐existence of Hg0 implies the absence of Hg‐based toxicity and establishes that chemical form, rather than content of heavy metals, is the correct parameter for evaluating the toxicity in these drugs. The stable α‐HgS form (strong Hg—S covalent bond and robust particle character) ensures the integrity of the drug during delivery and prevention of its reduction to Hg0 within the human body. Further, these comparative studies establish that structural parameters (size dispersion, coordination configuration) are better controlled in Rasasindura. This places the Ayurvedic synthesis method on par with contemporary techniques of nanoparticle synthesis.
Indian traditional medicine practices use defined rasayana preparations to improve the quality of life in aged individuals. Amalaki Rasayana is one such rasayana prepared from the fruits of ...Phyllanthus emblica and is popularly used to prevent or treat various age related health conditions. Telomerase activity in the cells maintains telomere length and is implicated in ageing and various diseases wherein the shortening of telomere during ageing is controlled chiefly by the telomerase activity.
In the present study, we investigated telomerase activity and telomere length in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of aged individuals administered with Amalaki Rasayana.
Amalaki Rasayana was administered to healthy, aged (45–60 years) volunteers for 45 days after koshta shuddhi procedure. The telomerase activity and telomere length were analyzed on 0, 45th and 90th days of Amalaki Rasayana administration in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from these individuals and compared with age-matched placebo group and young volunteers (22–30 years). The data were compared between the groups.
The results indicated an increase in telomerase activity with no discernible change in telomere length in the Amalaki administered participants. The comparison between young and aged participants revealed higher telomerase activity in young participants with no significant differences in telomere length.
The data indicate that the maintenance of telomere length is facilitated by an increase in telomerase activity upon rasayana administration in aged individuals and Amalaki Rasayana may prevent the erosion of telomeres over a period of time in aged individuals to promote healthy ageing.
Mercury is one of the elements which had attracted the attention of the chemists and physicians of ancient India and China. Among the various metal based drugs which utilize mercury, we became ...interested in the red sulfide of mercury which is known in ancient Indian literature as rasasindur (alias rasasindura, rasasindoor, rasasinduram, sindur, or sindoor) and is used extensively in various ailments and diseases. Following various physico-chemical characterizations it is concluded that rasasindur is chemically pure α-HgS with Hg:S ratio as 1:1. Analysis of rasasindur vide Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) showed that the particles are in nanoscale. Bio-chemical studies of rasasindur were also demonstrated. It interacts with Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) with an association constant of (9.76 ± 0.56) × 103 M−1 and behaves as a protease inhibitor by inhibiting the proteolysis of BSA by trypsin. It also showed mild antioxidant properties.
Mercury is one of the elements which had attracted the attention of the chemists and physicians of ancient India and China. Among the various metal based drugs which utilize mercury, we became interested in the red sulfide of mercury which is known in ancient Indian literature as rasasindur (alias rasasindura, rasasindoor, rasasinduram, sindur, or sindoor) and is used extensively in various ailments and diseases. Following various physico-chemical characterizations it is concluded that rasasindur is chemically pure α-HgS with Hg:S ratio as 1:1. Analysis of rasasindur vide Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) showed that the particles are in nanoscale. Bio-chemical studies of rasasindur were also demonstrated. It interacts with Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) with an association constant of (9.76 ± 0.56) × 103 M−1 and behaves as a protease inhibitor by inhibiting the proteolysis of BSA by trypsin. It also showed mild antioxidant properties. Display omitted
A study was conducted to survey the residents of Bombay and elicit their willingness to pay for the maintainance and preservation of Borivli National Park (BNP) using the Contingent Valuation (CV) ...method. The CV method has come under considerable criticism on account of biases that are either inherent to, or generated by the survey process. The present study acknowledges those, and adopts techniques to either circumvent or then minimise them.
The authors pay special attention to
hypothetical bias,
starting point bias,
embedding effects and
part-whole biases. The authors argue that indeed it is possible to improve the quality of a CV by using special survey as well as statistical techniques so that CV results can be used for the purposes of realistic decision making. This validation of the CV becomes an important objective of the study.
Despite India being a developing country with medium to low income levels, the evidence suggested that people are willing to pay for preserving environmental amenities. Having statistically adjusted for
embedding and
anchoring effects, households are willing to pay exclusively for BNP, on average, Rs 7.5, per month, for the next five years. Extrapolating to the city of Bombay, this amounts to a substantial Rs 20 million each month for the next five years, or a present discounted value of in excess of Rs 1 billion, suggesting a strong interest in environmental conservation.
Coinciding with the El-Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) of 1997–1998, SE Asia experienced a severe air pollution episode locally referred to as haze. The monitoring and response efforts in the region ...mainly centred around criteria pollutants, though it was obvious that the pollution episode is fundamentally different from classical urban air pollution. This paper reports the results of the first-ever study of the detailed chemical composition of the haze in SE Asia. Although numerous studies of forest fire plumes have been conducted in other parts of the world, ours is the first study to be carried out with the specific aim of identifying and quantifying chemical components which are likely to have long-term human health implications. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene), aldehydes, cresol, phenol, acetic acid, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), suspended particles <10
μm in diameter (PM
10), alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, heavy metals, S, Cl, C, H, N, NO
2 and O
3 were determined in Brunei Darussalam in April 1998 during a particularly severe haze episode caused mainly by local fires. Some of the substances identified in the haze are known or suspected carcinogens, mutagens, and teratogens (e.g. benzene, toluene, xylene, PAHs), and they have the potential to cause serious long-term effects.
The first-ever experimental study of gaseous emissions from tropical biomass in southeast Asia is reported. Forest fires have been responsible for regional haze episodes in recent years, and most of ...the fires were in areas where peat is the dominant biomass fuel. Samples of peat were combusted at temperatures typical of smouldering combustion (500–600°C) and the combustion products were analysed for CO, CO
2, CH
4, C
2H
6, C
3H
8, C
4H
10, C
2H
4, HCHO, CH
2CHCHO, and PAHs. The most abundant carbon-containing species was CO
2, followed by CO, and CH
4. Emission factors were quantified for the gases that were detected. No aldehydes nor PAHs were detected in the combustion products, however, these may have been present at levels below the method detection limits. Aldehydes and PAHs identified in field studies during biomass fires and haze episodes may also result from atmospheric reactions of primary emissions.
Personal monitoring of airborne particulate matter using a portable nephelometer during the 1998 haze episode in Brunei Darussalam revealed significant differences in exposure patterns between ...different individuals depending on their activities, time, and location. Concentrations of airborne particles were monitored inside offices, homes, classrooms, motor vehicles, helicopters, and outdoors. Outdoor concentrations were considerably higher than those indoors mainly due to the widespread use of air-conditioning in Brunei. Most people in Brunei spend very little time outdoors, especially during severe haze episodes. There were considerable differences between measurements obtained with the
personalDataRAM
® and fixed site monitoring using a tapered element oscillating microbalance (TEOM
®) due to differences in the measurement principles of the two instruments.
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