Antidiabetic and antioxidant potentials of spent turmeric oleoresin,a by-product from curcumin production industry

ObjectiveTo investigate the antidiabetic and antioxidant activity of spent turmeric oleoresin (STO).MethodsAntidiabetic activity of STO evaluated by α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzyme inhibition assays. The antioxidant capacity studied by DPPH., ABTS., superoxide radical scavenging and metal chelating activity methods.ResultsThe STO showed good antidiabetic activity by inhibiting key enzymes linked to type 2 diabetes, viz α-glucosidase and α-amylase with an IC50values of 0.71 and 0.16μg/mL respectively. The IC₅₀values for DPPH. and ABTS. assay were 58.1 and 33 μg/mL respectively. STO effectively scavenged the superoxide free radical with an IC50 value of 61.5μg/mL and showed a moderate iron chelation property.ConclusionsThe above study reveals that the spent turmeric oleoresin being wasted at present can be used as antioxidant and antidiabetic agent in food and neutraceutical products.     

Sudden late onset of clozapine-induced agranulocytosis

OBJECTIVE: To report a patient who suddenly developed agranulocytosis after long-term clozapine therapy. CASE SUMMARY: A 41-year-old white man suddenly developed agranulocytosis after 89 months of nearly continuous clozapine therapy. During this time, which included the addition of risperidone to the treatment regimen, his white blood cell (WBC) and granulocyte counts remained stable. One week after having stable hematologic counts, the patient suddenly developed agranulocytosis. WBC and granulocyte counts returned to baseline shortly after discontinuation of all medications and administration of sargramostim. DISCUSSION: The main factor limiting the use of clozapine as a first-line agent in mentally ill patients is the risk of agranulocytosis. Although the greatest risk of developing this adverse reaction is during the initial 6-month exposure, clozapine-induced agranulocytosis continues to pose a risk after years of exposure. Current product labeling requires weekly WBC and granulocyte monitoring for the first 6 months of treatment with clozapine, which may be decreased to biweekly monitoring after 6 months. Based on the sudden and late onset of agranulocytosis in our patient, clinicians may consider opting for weekly monitoring of hematologic function for patients on long-term clozapine therapy. The likelihood that clozapine was the cause of the agranulocytosis was rated possible according to the Naranjo probability scale. CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians must remain vigilant to trends in WBC and granulocyte counts and may wish to consider weekly hematologic monitoring regardless of duration of clozapine therapy. Patient and treatment system compliance with the registries' protocol regarding WBC monitoring is instrumental in reducing morbidity and mortality rates associated with clozapine use.     

Influence of polymer adjuvants on the ultrasound-mediated transfection of cells in culture

The purpose of this study was to further understand the mechanisms involved in ultrasound-mediated delivery of DNA (sonoporation); in particular, to understand how a plasmid should be formulated with an ultrasound contrast agent (UCA). Different polymer adjuvant-UCA combinations were formulated, and their impact on in vitro DNA transfection, was determined, under various experimental conditions. When present in the medium surrounding a cell suspension, and in the presence of a plasmid encoding for the green fluorescent protein (GFP), expression following sonoporation was increased by more than 1.5-fold compared to that achieved in control experiments (without the adjuvants). The effects of the adjuvants were not influenced by the nature of the UCA, nor by that of the transfected cells; in contrast, the adjuvant concentrations, their physico-chemical properties, and the manner in which they were used, did have an impact on transfection. Close association of the adjuvants to the UCA inhibited their action, suggesting that these substances must have access to the cell membrane to be effective. Indeed, Pluronic^® F127 appeared to improve the efficacy of transfection (percentage of GFP-positive cells and cell viability), via fluidization of the cell membrane, perhaps facilitating thereby the formation of transient pores and their re-sealing. The mechanism of action of polyethylene glycols, on the other hand, remains unclear.