Congenital miliaria crystallina in a term neonate born to a mother with chorioamnionitis

Miliaria crystallina (MC) is a self-limiting, superficial obstruction of the eccrine sweat ducts with subsequent extravasation of sweat, resulting in rapidly surfacing, tiny, clear, noninflammatory vesicles. The disease is seen frequently in hot, humid, tropical climates and in the neonatal period, but congenital occurrence is rare. We report a case of congenital MC in a baby born to a mother with chorioamnionitis.     

Pharmacognosy of Enicostemma littorale: A review

Traditional medicine system of India comprised varieties of plants which are playing a significant role in curing diseases from ancient times. Among them, Enicostemma littorale blume (E. littorale) a perennial herb of the family Gentianaceae is cosmopolitan in occurrence in India. The bittery natured plant acts as a laxative, helps in curing fever, rheumatism, skin diseases, abdominal disorders, snake bite, obesity and helps to regulate blood sugar levels. The plant constituents have been reported for possessing antimicrobial, antioxidant, antiulcer, antiinflammatory, hypolipidaemic, hepatoprotective and hypoglycemic properties. This review provides a bird''s eye view about geographical distribution, physicochemical parameters, phytoconstituents and pharmacological properties of E. littorale.     

Persistent earache due to tonsillolith

Tonsilloliths are rare dystrophic calcification formed as a result of chronic inflammation of the tonsils. Tonsilloliths tend to occur more commonly with increasing age and are relatively rare in children. We report a case of unilateral tonsilloliths in an eight-year-old boy, who presented with earaches and history of regurgitating tiny yellowish-white foul smelling pellets. The tonsilloliths were successfully removed under local anaesthesia following which the symptoms subsided.     

Hypoglycemic effect of Brassica juncea (seeds) on streptozotocin induced diabetic male albino rat

Objective

To evaluate the hypoglycemic effect of Brassica juncea (seeds) on streptozotocin induced diabetic male albino rats.

Methods

Hypoglycemic activity of Brassica juncea (seeds) aqueous extract at a dose of 250, 350 and 450 mg/kg body weight was evaluated. Adult male Swiss albino rats of six numbers in each group was undertaken for study and evaluated.

Results

The serum insulin levels were recorded a significant depletion in all groups, short term as well as long term diabetic animals, when compared to that of normal animals. A significant dosage dependent augmenting effect of the seed extract on the serum insulin was recorded in both short term as well as long term groups.

Conclusions

The aqueous seed extract of Brassica juncea has potent hypoglycemic activity in male albino rat.     

Evaluation of repellent properties of botanical extracts against Culex tritaeniorhynchus Giles (Diptera: Culicidae)

In recent times, there were considerable efforts made to promote the use of environmentally friendly and biodegradable natural insecticides and repellents, particularly from botanical sources. The present study explored the effects of crude leaf ethyl acetate, acetone, and methanol extracts of Aegle marmelos (L.) Correa ex Roxb, Andrographis lineata Wallich ex Nees., Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) Wallich ex Nees., Cocculus hirsutus (L.) Diels, Eclipta prostrata L., and Tagetes erecta L. on repellent activity against Culex tritaeniorhynchus Giles. The maximum repellent activity was observed at 500 ppm in methanol extracts of A. marmelos, ethyl acetate extracts of A. lineata, C. hirsutus, and E. prostrata and the mean complete protection time ranged from 120 to 150 min with the different extracts tested. The ethyl acetate extract of A. lineata showed 100% repellency in 120 min; acetone extracts of A. marmelos and C. hirsutus and methanol extract of T. erecta showed complete protection in 90 min at 250 ppm, respectively. These results suggest that the leaf extracts of A. marmelos, A. lineata, and C. hirsutus have the potential to be used as an ideal eco-friendly approach for the control of the C. tritaeniorhynchus. Therefore, this study provides first report on the repellent activity against Japanese encephalitis, C. tritaeniorhynchus of plant extracts from Southern India.     

Evaluation of botanical extracts against Haemaphysalis bispinosa Neumann and Hippobosca maculata Leach

In the current study, in vitro evaluation of crude hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, acetone, and methanol extracts of Anisomeles malabarica (L.) R. Br., Gloriosa superba L., Psidium guajava L., Ricinus communis L., and Solanum trilobatum L. exhibited acaricidal and insecticidal activities against the adult of Haemaphysalis bispinosa Neumann (Acarina: Ixodidae) and hematophagous fly Hippobosca maculata Leach (Diptera: Hippoboscidae). All plant extracts showed moderate toxic effect on parasites after 24 h of exposure; the complete inhibition (100%) at the maximum concentration tested (3,000 ppm) was obtained in acetone, methanol, hexane, and chloroform extracts of A. malabarica; methanol, chloroform, and ethyl acetate extracts of G. superba; acetone extract of P. guajava; methanol extract of R. communis; and leaf hexane extract of S. trilobatum; and the lowest inhibition (38%) was recorded for the seed hexane extract of S. trilobatum. The highest parasite dead was found in leaf acetone and methanol extracts of A. malabarica, seed methanol of G. superba, leaf methanol of R. communis against H. bispinosa (LC₅₀ = 466.15, 719.78, 476.06, and 243.87 ppm; LC₉₀ = 1,837.96, 2,014.47, 1,904.36, and 2,692.15 ppm), leaf hexane and chloroform extracts of A. malabarica, seed chloroform and ethyl acetate of G. superba, leaf acetone of P. guajava, leaf methanol of R. communis, and leaf hexane extract of S. trilobatum against H. maculata (LC₅₀ = 495.61, 414.81, 360.02, 479.37, 646.30, 506.13, and 432.77 ppm; LC₉₀ = 1,914.84, 1,956.59, 1,598.54, 1,636.41, 2,192.73, 1,982.66, and 1,872.33 ppm), respectively. These results suggest that the leaf methanol of R. communis, chloroform extracts of A. malabarica, and chloroform extract of G. superba have the potential to be used as an ideal eco-friendly approach for the control of the H. bispinosa and H. maculata. Therefore, this study provides first report on the parasitic activities of plant extracts from Southern India.     

Red pigment concentrating hormone strongly enhances the strength of the feedback to the pyloric rhythm oscillator but has little effect on pyloric rhythm period

The neuropeptide, red pigment concentrating hormone (RPCH), strengthened the inhibitory synapse from the lateral pyloric (LP) neuron to the pyloric dilator (PD) neurons in the pyloric network of the stomatogastric ganglion (STG) of the lobster, Homarus americanus. RPCH produced several-fold increases in the amplitude of both action potential-mediated and non-impulse-mediated transmission that persisted for as long as the peptide remained present. Because the LP to PD synapse is the only feedback to the pacemaker kernel of the pyloric network, which consists of the electrically coupled two PD neurons and the anterior burster (AB) neuron, it might have been expected that strengthening the LP to PD synapse would increase the period of the pyloric rhythm. However, the period of the pyloric rhythm increased only transiently in RPCH, and a transient increase in cycle period was observed even when the LP neuron was hyperpolarized. Phase response curves were measured using the dynamic clamp to create artificial inhibitory inputs of variable strength and duration to the PD neurons. Synaptic conductance values seen in normal saline were ineffective at changing the pyloric period throughout the pyloric cycle. Conductances similar to those seen in 10(-6) M RPCH also did not evoke phase resets at phases when the LP neuron is typically active. Thus the dramatic effects of RPCH on synaptic strength have little role in modulation of the period of the pyloric rhythm under normal operating conditions but may help to stabilize the rhythm when the cycle period is too slow or too fast.