Clinical Biochemistry and Analytical Chemistry

A stability indicating high performance liquid chromatographic method has been developed for the determination of norfloxacin. Optimum separation was achieved in less than 10 minutes using Phenomenex ODS C 18 (250x 4.6mm packed with 5µ) column. The analyte was resolved by using a mobile phase 20 mmol L -1 ammonium formate and acetonitrile (70:30) pH adjusted to 4.0 with formic acid at flow rate 1 ml/min on a isocratic high performance liquid chromatographic system at a wavelength of 280 nm. The method was validated according to the ICH guidelines with respect to specificity, linearity, accuracy, precision, ruggedness and robustness and can be successfully applied for determination of this drug in commercial tablets. For stress studies the drug was subjected to acid, alkali and neutral hydrolysis, oxidation, dry heat and photolytic degradation. The degradation studies indicated the drug to be susceptible to acid, alkali hydrolysis and oxidative degradation. The analytical conditions and solvent developed provided good resolution within a short analysis time and economic advantages. The proposed method not required highly sophisticated and expensive instrumentation.

Water quality is a significant criterion in matching water demand and supply. Ample degree of freshwater
is eminent for biological needs are a vital side of integrated environmental management and sustainable
development. The quality of water indices estimation endeavour single value which decrease the big
quantity of parameters and represent data in a simple way. This review includes various water quality
indices (WQI) used in the surface water quality assessment. There are numerous WQI specific for any
region because many National and International agencies define water quality criteria for various uses
considering various parameters in water quality assessment and pollution control. Different WQI
developed; their background and application area has been mentioned here.

Water quality is a significant criterion in matching water demand and supply. Ample degree of freshwater is eminent for biological needs are a vital side of integrated environmental management and sustainable development. The quality of water indices estimation endeavour single value which decrease the big quantity of parameters and represent data in a simple way. This review includes various water quality indices (WQI) used in the surface water quality assessment. There are numerous WQI specific for any region because many National and International agencies define water quality criteria for various uses considering various parameters in water quality assessment and pollution control. Different WQI developed; their background and application area has been mentioned here.

A diverse set of 320 compounds from the Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals organic compound repository was prepared as 20-mM DMSO solutions and stored at 4°C under argon in pressurized canisters to simulate a low-humidity environment. The plates were subjected to 25 freeze/thaw cycles while being exposed to ambient atmospheric conditions after each thaw to simulate the time and manner by which compound plates are exposed to the atmosphere during typical liquid-handling and highthroughput screening processes. High-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry with evaporative lightscattering detection was used to quantitate the amount of compound remaining after every 5th freeze/thaw cycle. Control plates were stored either at room temperature under argon or at 4°C under argon without freeze/thaw cycling and were evaluated at the midpoint and the endpoint of the study. The study was conducted over a short time period (i.e., 7 weeks) to minimize the effect of compound degradation over time due to the exposure of the compounds to DMSO. The results from this study will be used to determine the maximum number of freeze/thaw cycles that can be achieved while maintaining acceptable compound integrity. (Journal of Biomolecular Screening 2003:210-215) Percentage of compound remaining = 104.1% -1.67 • (Number of thaws).

Solanum nigrum leaf is one of the most important greens in throughout the world. Plants are playing a vital role in hepatoprotective activity. In this present investigation we used Solanum nigrum for the antimicrobial activity and  hepatoprotective  activity  against  acetaminophen  induced  liver  toxicity  in  male  albino  rats.  The  important chemical groups present in the aqueous extract canbe determined using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Zone of inhibition in bacterial  spread plate showing a antimicrobial property of the plant extract. The aqueous extract of Solanum nigrum significantly decreases the serum enzyme alanine amino transferase (ALT), asparate amino transferase (AST), triglycerides (TGL), total cholesterol (TC) and significantly increased the total protein level. Silymarin (100 mg/kg), a known  hepatoprotective drug  used for comparison exhibited significant activity.  The  morphology  of  liver  cells  clearly  indicating  the  treatment  of  Solanum  nigrum  against acetaminophen induced liver damage near to normal cells.

Background: Sickle cell anaemia (SCA) patients are prone to require long-term frequent blood transfusion because of chronic haemolysis and overlapping hyper-haemolysis. Hence, they become vulnerable to iron overload and its complications. On the other hand, iron deficiency has been documented among un-transfused SCA cases. Thus, there is a need to effectively and efficiently determine iron status of SCA patients. Objective: We investigated whether adult SCA patients in steady state (SSt) or those with vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC) have significantly different iron status viz-a-viz Serum Iron (SI), Serum Ferritin (SF), Total Iron Binding Capacity (TIBC), Transferrin (TRF), percentage TFS and haematological parameters when compared with age and sexmatched controls. Materials and Methods: Ninety subjects, comprising 30 SCA patients in SSt, 30 SCA patients with VOC and 30 HbAA, ethnicity, age and sex-matched controls (NC), were consecutively recruited. Serum samples were analysed for SF, TRF and TIBC using 918 'WATER' HPLC 616 and 626; SI was determined using the Atomic Absorption Spectroscopic (AAS) method. Haematological parameters were determined using a Sysmex Kx21 auto-analyser. Results: The SCA groups (VOC and SSt) had significantly lower SI, SF, TRF and TIBC compared to the control group. The VOC group had a significantly lower mean ferritin level but higher SI, TRF and percentage TFS levels compared to SSt group. The MCV, MCH (in SSt group) were significantly lower while MCHC was significantly higher in the SCA groups compared to the NC group. Using the normal ranges for all parameters, all parameters were within normal for the controls while TIBC was below normal and percentage TFS was higher in SCA groups. Percentage TFS was significantly higher in VOC compared to SSt group. Conclusions: The study reported lower SI and TRF, lower MCV and MCH, below normal TIBC, within normal Ferritin but elevated WBC and platelet counts, elevated percentage TFS (more elevated in VOC than SSt) and higher MCHC in SCA patients. The use of percentage TFS as a marker of VOC is suggested.

Biochemistry ABSTRACT Nature created plant in the world of every cilment and there is cure every disease and man has to find it .The bioactive compound of Argemone mexicane seeds has been evaluated using GC-MS. The chemical composition of the extract of Argemone mexicane seed were investigated using Gas Chromatography –Mass spec-trometry .The analysis was carried out with the methanol extracted of the dried plant seeds. This study result concluded that the A. Mexicana have a more phytoconstituents.

The present study aimed at evaluating the antimicrobial potential of aqueous and methanolic extracts of Solanum nigrum, a traditionally used medicinal plant with multiple therapeutic properties. The susceptibility of microbial strains to the two extracts was determined using agar well diffusion method. The bacterial strains employed were Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus vulgaris and Escherichia coli. The fungal strains used were Penicillium Chrysogenum, Aspergillus fumigatus, Candida albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Phytochemical screening was performed using standard methods. A dose dependent increase in the antibacterial activity was observed with both the methanol and aqueous extracts. Highest antibacterial activity was exhibited by aqueous extract with Escherichia coli (16 ± 0.23 mm) followed by Staphylococcus aureus (15 ± 0.15 mm) at the concentration of 100 mg/ml plant extract. Methanolic extract showed highest antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa with zone of inhibition (14 ± 0.11 mm) and (14 ± 0.26 mm) at the same concentration (100 mg/ml) respectively. The highest antifungal potential was exhibited by the methanolic extract against Saccharomyces cerevisiae (26 ± 0.27 mm) and Candida albicans (22 ± 0.13 mm), while the aqueous extract exhibits the highest antifungal potential against Saccharomyces cerevisiae (23 ± 0.14 mm) followed by Candida albicans (21 ± 0.10 mm) and Aspergillus fumigatus (16 ± 0.11 mm) at the concentration of 100 mg/ml. Phytochemical analysis revealed the plant is rich in various secondary metabolites like alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids, phenols and volatile oils. Cardenolides and phlobtannins were found absent. The study concludes that the plant possess novel compounds with significant antibacterial and antifungal properties. Isolation and characterization of these novel compounds could provide potent antimicrobial agents to combat pathogenic infections.

Erlotinib hydrochloride is an Anti neoplastic agent, which is used for lung and various other types of cancer. Erlotinib hydrochloride targets the epidermal growth factor receptors. Chemically Erlotinib Hydrochloride is N-(3ethynylphenyl)-6,7-bis(2-methoxyethoxy)quinazolin-4 amine 1. Erlotinib Hydrochloride acts by inhibiting the intracellular phosphorylation of tyrokinase associated with the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). EGFR is expressed on the cell surface of normal cells and cancer cells. Erlotinib Hydrochloride is available as an oral agent that blocks transduction of propagation signals mediated by the EGRF. It also has the potential to cause drug-drug interaction when given in conjugation with agents that are classified as CYPA4 inducers. Preparation of Standard stock solution: An accurately weighed quantity of 100 mg of Erlotinib hydrochloride into 100mL volumetric flask.

The stability of approximately 7200 compounds stored as 20-mM DMSO solutions under ambient conditions was monitored for 1 year. Compound integrity was measured by flow injection analysis using positive and negative electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Each sample was assessed at the beginning of the study, after 12 months of storage, and at a randomized time point between the initial and final time points of the study. The relationship between length of storage and the probability of observing the compound was described by a repeated-measures logistic regression model. The probability of observing the compound was 92% after 3 months of storage at room temperature, 83% after 6 months, and 52% after 1 year in DMSO. An acceptable limit for compound loss and corresponding maximum storage time for samples in DMSO can be determined based on these results.( Journal of Biomolecular Screening 2003:205-209)

The aim of this study was to evaluate the concentration of heavy metals namely (Lead (Pb), Nickel (Ni), Cadmium (Cd) and Chromium (Cr)) via consumption of vegetables from selected markets in Bayelsa State, Nigeria. Sixteen different vegetable samples comprising of Bitter leaves (Vernonia amygdalina), Curry leaves (Ocimum basilicum), Scent leaves (Ocimum gratissmum), Water Leaves (Talinum triangulare), Uziza (Piper guineese), Fluted pumpkin (Telferia occidetalis), Okazi (Gnetum africanum), and Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) were digested and analyzed for heavy metals using Solar Thermo Elemental Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (STEF-AAS). Results obtained were used to estimate the health risk of these heavy metals via consumption of the vegetable samples. The results from the study showed that the heavy metal concentration ranged between 0.016 to 1.387 mg/kg, 0.028 to 1.487 mg/ kg, 0.093 to 3.625 mg/kg and 0.893 to 2.478 mg/kg for Pb, Cd, Ni and Cr respectively. The concentr...

The medicinal plants have been used for treatment of illnesses and diseases. Plants that possess therapeutic properties or exert beneficial pharmacological effects on the human body are designated as medicinal plants. Medicinal plants naturally synthesized and accumulate some secondary metabolites like alkaloids,

The efficacy of synthetic inorganic insecticides to control malaria vector mosquitoes is compromised by increased mosquito resistance to insecticides. Furthermore, use of inorganic insecticides raises serious environmental toxicity concerns. The test plants, Oreosyce africana and Piper capense were identified in Ethiopia through ethnobotanical leads obtained on the basis formal and informal field interviews and discussions coupled with literature search for sister species tested elsewhere. The plant powder from these species was extracted using 80% methanol and the methanol crude extracts of Oreosyce africana and Piper capense were sequentially fractionated with solvents (dichloromethane, ethyl acetate and deionized water). Each fraction was dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide and deionized water; test concentration prepared and tested for their bioactivity against Anopheles arabiensis adults. The dichloromethane fraction of Oreosyce africana and ethyl acetate fraction of Piper capense had higher adulticidal activities with LC 50 and LC 90 values of 4.27 and 14.12 ppm and 10.72 and 30.59 ppm, respectively. Comparison of dichloromethane fraction of Oreosyce africana with ethyl acetate and water fractions showed significant differences at p<0.05. And comparison of ethyl acetate fraction of Piper capense with dichloromethane and water fractions showed significant differences at p<0.05. Thus, the bioassays with dichloromethane fraction of Oreosyce africana and ethyl acetate fraction of Piper capense exhibited higher adulticidal effect against Anopheles arabiensis than other solvent fractions. Dichloromethane fraction of Oreosyce africana and ethyl acetate fraction of Piper capense were examined under HPLC and UV-Vis for the proximate analysis. These plant products would be ideal alternatives for the control of malaria vector mosquitoes upon fractionation and preparation of suitable delivery packages.

Coconut leaf vermiwash (CLV) was produced from actively vermicomposting coconut leaf litter + cow dung substrate (5:1 W/W) basis by Eudrilus fetida. It significantly increased the growth of Vigna mungo at 1:5, 1:10, and 1:20 dilution in trails. Increases the growth was recorded at 1:5 dilution of coconut leaf vermiwash. Increasing the population of the soil microorganisms, particularly plant beneficial ones, and their activities which would have facilitated increased uptake of the nutrients by the plants resulting in higher growth and yield.

The stability of approximately 7200 compounds stored as 20-mM DMSO solutions under ambient conditions was monitored for 1 year. Compound integrity was measured by flow injection analysis using positive and negative electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Each sample was assessed at the beginning of the study, after 12 months of storage, and at a randomized time point between the initial and final time points of the study. The relationship between length of storage and the probability of observing the compound was described by a repeated-measures logistic regression model. The probability of observing the compound was 92% after 3 months of storage at room temperature, 83% after 6 months, and 52% after 1 year in DMSO. An acceptable limit for compound loss and corresponding maximum storage time for samples in DMSO can be determined based on these results. (Journal of Biomolecular

Diabetes mellitus is a common disease of the world. Diabetes is a metabolic disorder where insulin is not produced or used in the human body. Insulin hormone is required to convert sugar, starches, and other food into energy. Diabetes mellitus is a disorder which is characterized by high levels of blood glucose (sugar). In human system, the blood glucose levels are regulated in a very narrow range, which is done with insulin and glucagon. The function of glucagon regulates the release of glucose in liver from its cells into the blood, for the production of energy. Biochemical markers are important in determining the disease status. However the data related to the correlation between different markers like fasting and post prandial glucose levels, HbA1c level and Vitamin D3 level with different age group is inadequate. In our study about 10 patients of different age groups were selected as experimental materials. The study was intended to mainly study the blood markers which can help in detecting the diabetic status of the people with informed consent. The markers of interest were Glucose levels both in fasting and post prandial, HbA1c levels in blood samples, and Vitamin D3 levels. All these are found to be positively correlated with different age groups. The levels of Glucose both in Fasting and post prandial state are estimated by spectrophotometry. The levels of vitamin D3 and their correlation among different age groups in serum samples were also studied. The HbA1C values in the serum were quantitatively estimated by Turbidimetric Inhibition Immunoassay (TINA, Tina-quant HbA1c II). The results obtained were found to be significant especially in the age group 56-60 and 61-65 age groups. All the results were confirmed and significance was given by the student's t test. (p<0.05). The vitamin D3 levels are inversely correlated to the age groups. This may be a finding that, the Vitamin D3 deficiency may be one of the causes of diabetes.

Hepatic fibrosis detection is considered as a major independent predictor of treatment response in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV). Liver biopsy was represented as the gold standard method for evaluating liver fibrosis and has prone sampling errors and completions. Right now, usages of non-invasive predictors of fibrosis are considered less accurate than liver biopsy. We are aiming to reduce the use of the liver biopsy and instead evaluate the performance value of serum hyaluronic acid (HA), Collagen type IV (Coll-IV), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) to platelet ratio index (APRI) as non-invasive diagnostic and stratification markers for hepatic fibrosis. In this study, we have recruited 104 subjects from Saudi population effected with chronic hepatitis C genotype 4. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method was implemented for Liver histopathological staging (F), serum hyaluronic acid and Collagen-IV. APRI was calculated from serum AST activity and platelet count. The results of our current study indicated both Collagen-IV and APRI significantly distinguished fibrotic patients from non-fibrotic group. The HA, APRI, and Coll-IV results discriminate early F0/F1 from F2/ F3 (p<0.001). A combination of direct and indirect tests (Coll-IV and APRI) improved the performance with sensitivity and specificity. The combination of APRI and Collagen-IV has a high diagnostic value in predicting moderate and severe fibrotic stages and could be clinically used as a diagnostic test especially for those HCV patients who could not be submitted for liver biopsy.

A new, simple, accurate, precise and reproducible UV spectrophotometric method is being developed for the simultaneous estimation of amlodipine besylate, olmesartan medoxomil and hydrochlorthiazide in tablet dosage form. The stock solutions were prepared in methanol. The λ max for amlodipine besylate, olmesartan medoxomil and hydrochlorthiazide were 238.5nm, 256.5nm and 271.5nm respectively. The amlodipine besylate, olmesartan medoxomil and hydrochlorthiazide obeyed Beer's law in concentration range of 5-25µg/ml, 6-30µg/ml and 5-25µg/ ml respectively. Results of analysis of simultaneous equation method were analyzed and validated for various parameters according to ICH guidelines.

In children with Cow Milk Protein Allergy (CMPA), when it is not possible to breast feed or to use cow milk, the clinical use of donkey milk is considered since several studies have demonstrated the high similarity of donkey milk compared to human milk. An analysis was performed on donkey milk protein profile by two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) followed by N-terminal sequencing in order to give a panoramic view of the proteins that are present in donkey milk. Furthermore, the interest was focused on the casein fractions and on their phosphorylation degree that may influence the calcium binding ability of caseins. At this purpose experiments on donkey milk casein dephosphorylation have been performed and the dephosphorylated casein fractions have been identified after 2-DE analysis followed by N-terminal sequencing. Among caseins were found mainly αs1-and β-caseins that showed a considerable heterogeneity due to variable degree of phosphorylation and to the presence of genetic variants. Finally, a quantitative determination of some antimicrobial proteins, such as lactoferrin and lactoperoxidase, that could be able to stimulate the development of the neonatal intestine, was performed in donkey milk, with the results being 0.080±0.0035 g/L and 0.11±0.027 mg/L, respectively. From the obtained data is evinced that human and donkey milk contain considerable amounts of lysozyme and lactoferrin but lactoperoxidase is present only in small amounts, confirming the high similarity between donkey and human milk. The present study on donkey milk proteins may be useful to assess the nutritional characteristics of this milk that is used to feed children affected by CMPA, but also may open the possibility of utilizing donkey milk in the general population to benefit subjects with CMPA, such as adults and the elderly.

Because of minimal data available on folate analysis in dried matrix spots (DMSs), we combined the advantages of stable isotope dilution assays followed by LC-MS/MS analysis with DMS sampling to develop a reliable method for the quantitation of plasma 5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid in dried blood spots (DBSs) and dried plasma spots (DPSs) as well as for the quantitation of whole blood 5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid in DBSs. We focused on two diagnostically conclusive parameters exhibited by the plasma and whole blood 5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid levels that reflect both temporary and long-term folate status. The method is performed using the [ 2 H 4 ]-labeled isotopologue of the vitamin as the internal standard, and three steps are required for the extraction procedure. Elution of the punched out matrix spots was performed using stabilization buffer including Triton X-100 in a standardized ultrasonication treatment followed by enzymatic digestion (whole blood only) and solidphase extraction with SAX cartridges. This method is sensitive enough to quantify 27 nmol/ L whole blood 5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid in DBSs and 6.3 and 4.4 nmol/L plasma 5methyltetrahydrofolic acid in DBSs and DPSs, respectively. The unprecedented accurate quantification of plasma 5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid in DBSs was achieved by thermal treatment prior to ultrasonication, inhibiting plasma conjugase activity. Mass screenings are more feasible and easier to facilitate for this method in terms of sample collection and storage compared with conventional clinical sampling for the assessment of folate status.

A diverse set of 320 compounds from the Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals organic compound repository was prepared as 20-mM DMSO solutions and stored at 4°C under argon in pressurized canisters to simulate a low-humidity environment. The plates were subjected to 25 freeze/thaw cycles while being exposed to ambient atmospheric conditions after each thaw to simulate the time and manner by which compound plates are exposed to the atmosphere during typical liquid-handling and high-throughput screening processes. High-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry with evaporative light-scattering detection was used to quantitate the amount of compound remaining after every 5th freeze/thaw cycle. Control plates were stored either at room temperature under argon or at 4°C under argon without freeze/thaw cycling and were evaluated at the midpoint and the endpoint of the study. The study was conducted over a short time period (i.e., 7 weeks) to minimize the effect of compound degradatio...

The stability of approximately 7200 compounds stored as 20-mM DMSO solutions under ambient conditions was monitored for 1 year. Compound integrity was measured by flow injection analysis using positive and negative electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Each sample was assessed at the beginning of the study, after 12 months of storage, and at a randomized time point between the initial and final time points of the study. The relationship between length of storage and the probability of observing the compound was described by a repeated-measures logistic regression model. The probability of observing the compound was 92% after 3 months of storage at room temperature, 83% after 6 months, and 52% after 1 year in DMSO. An acceptable limit for compound loss and corresponding maximum storage time for samples in DMSO can be determined based on these results.

Aflatoxins (AFs) in cat food are a serious threat to cat health. The exposure of cats to AFs can cause damage depending on the exposure time and dosage, as well as the diet, nutritional state, age and sex of the cat. The first acute effect of AFs is liver damage, including cellular necrosis, hemorrhage, fibrosis, cirrhosis, immunosuppression, respiratory infection, anorexia, and fever. Chronic exposure to AFs can lead to hepatitis, cirrhosis and cancer in the liver, kidneys, lungs, colon and nervous system. Domestic cats can tolerate up to 0.55 mg of AFB1 per kg of body weight, which is the Lethal Dose 50% (LD50) that causes acute toxicity. Subacute aflatoxicosis (0.5-1 mg of AF/kg of food for cats) produces anorexia, drowsiness, jaundice, intravascular coagulation, hematomas, hemorrhagic gut and death in 2 to 3 weeks. For cats, hepatotoxic effects occur with chronic exposure to AFs at 0.05-0.3 mg of AF/kg of food over 6 to 8 weeks. Cat food samples, including 21 croquette samples and 32 semi-liquid food samples in envelopes and cans, were purchased from Mexico City markets from October 22, 2014 to January 10, 2015. A method for the analysis of AFs that included immunoaffinity columns, derivatization and quantification by HPLC was validated and used. For the croquettes, the best sample brands had no basic AFs; however, when hydroxylated AF metabolites were considered, the average AF contamination increased from 4.98 to 20.87 µg kg-1 , values that are still within the AF tolerance level of 20 µg kg-1. For the semi-liquid cat food samples in cans and envelopes, 23 of the 53 samples, or 43%, had no basic AFs; however, they were all contaminated when AF hydroxylates were assessed, with concentrations ranging from 2.76 to 15,974 µg kg-1. The protective ingredients used in cat food differ from those used in dog food, as no hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicates, glucomannans, are used, and only one sample had flaxseed omega-3 and-6 fatty acids.

This study evaluated the effect of ethanol stem bark extract of Treculia africana (African bread fruit) on haematological status in wistar rats. Twenty four wistar rats were divided into four (4) groups. Group I received daily oral dose of 5 mg/kg of the extract, Group II received daily oral dose of 15 mg/kg of the extract, Group Ill received daily oral dose of 25 mg/kg of the extract while Group IV received normal saline and served as the control. After 21 days of treatment, the rats were sacrificed and plasma obtained for haematological assay. Result showed that there was a significant (P<0.05) increase in packed cell volume (%) in test groups (39.66 ± 0.57; 37.65 ± 0.47; 38.74 ± 0.38) and Hemoglobin level (g/dl) (17.86 ± 0.23; 17.1 ± 0.15; 17.43 ± 0.28) compared to the control (34.33 ± 0.57) and (14.70 ± 0.15) respectively. Red blood cell count (cell/litre) revealed an insignificant (P>0.05) increase in test groups compared to control. There were significant (P<0.05) increases in mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) in group Ill (110.53 ± 0.15 and 50.83 ± 0.80) compared to control (100.76 ± 1.67 and 45.76 ± 0.82) respectively. Furthermore, the white blood cells (WBC) showed significant (P<0.05) increase in test groups (6.93 ± 0.50, 9.50 ± 0.57, 9.13 ± 0.42) compared to the control (5.23 ± 0.52). Lymphocytes (%) revealed a significant (P<0.05) decrease in group 1(36.56 ± 3.60) compared to control (4.66 ± 0.57) while neutrophils (%) showed a significant (P<0.05) increase in test groups (62.23 ± 2.51, 64.36 ± 3.78, 59.66 ± 4.50) compared to the control (50.20 ± 6.08). The results of this study revealed that the extract is capable of stimulating red blood cell formation (erythropoiesis) and an active phagocytic agent against foreign compounds and may be useful for haemopoietic conditions.

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory artery disease, responsible for both cardiovascular (heart) and cerebrovascular (brain) stroke with high morbidity and mortality worldwide. Infectious pathogens such as Chlamydophila pneumoniae, Porphyromonas gingivalis and Helicobacter pylori are shown to be associated with the disease in recent epidemiological studies. Therefore, identification of common drug targets and vaccine candidates against these three pathogens would be vital towards therapy and management of atherosclerosis. Chlamydophila pneumonia was selected as a reference organism due to its predominant role in atherosclerosis. Implementing comparative genomic approach, subtractive genomic approach, metabolic pathway analysis, non-homologous gut flora analysis and domain search analysis, 35 common putative drug targets were identified against pathogens of atherosclerosis. Subcellular localization studies were performed and identified UvrABC protein as vaccine candidate. Metabo...

In this paper graphene over SiO 2 /Si substrate was used as a substrate to fabricate SERS device. A thin film was deposited over graphene and annealed at 250°C. The substrate was examined after chemisorption of two molecules; rhodamine 6G which is a fluorescent dye, and 3-mercaptobenzoic acid, a thiol molecule. SERS enhancement factor for the proposed device is estimated to be 2.1 × 10 6 with respect to the flat silver substrate deposited over Si. The experimental results were compared in two ways; a) by using electromagnetic field calculation and b) quantum mechanical calculation derived from density function theory. The experimental findings were consistent with the theoretical observations.

Because of minimal data available on folate analysis in dried matrix spots (DMSs), we combined the advantages of stable isotope dilution assays followed by LC-MS/MS analysis with DMS sampling to develop a reliable method for the quantitation of plasma 5-methyltetrahy-drofolic acid in dried blood spots (DBSs) and dried plasma spots (DPSs) as well as for the quantitation of whole blood 5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid in DBSs. We focused on two diagnostically conclusive parameters exhibited by the plasma and whole blood 5-methyltetrahy-drofolic acid levels that reflect both temporary and long-term folate status. The method is performed using the [ 2 H 4 ]-labeled isotopologue of the vitamin as the internal standard, and three steps are required for the extraction procedure. Elution of the punched out matrix spots was performed using stabilization buffer including Triton X-100 in a standardized ultrasonication treatment followed by enzymatic digestion (whole blood only) and solid-phase extraction with SAX cartridges. This method is sensitive enough to quantify 27 nmol/ L whole blood 5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid in DBSs and 6.3 and 4.4 nmol/L plasma 5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid in DBSs and DPSs, respectively. The unprecedented accurate quantification of plasma 5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid in DBSs was achieved by thermal treatment prior to ultrasonication, inhibiting plasma conjugase activity. Mass screenings are more feasible and easier to facilitate for this method in terms of sample collection and storage compared with conventional clinical sampling for the assessment of folate status.

Many recent studies have shown a relationship between plasma C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations and risk of cardiovascular disease. However, the intraindividual variation in plasma CRP concentrations is large. Use of plasma CRP measurement in individual patients is likely to result in many being misclassi ed in their risk status. Use of repeated measurements is not a practical solution to this problem.