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Objectives: The prevalence of atherosclerosis and acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is increasing in young Indians (18-50 years of age). However, the characteristics of atherosclerotic plaques in such individuals are poorly understood, presenting distinct challenges for the management of ACS. This study aims to analyze plaque characteristics in young Indian patients with ACS who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) using optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging., Methods: This was a prospective, multicentric, non-interventional study on patients aged 18-50 years presenting with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), non-ST elevation myocardial infarction, or unstable angina, and were scheduled to undergo OCT-guided PCI. Major adverse cardiac events (MACE) were assessed post-procedure and at the 6-month and 12-month follow-ups., Results: The study included 100 ACS patients (mean age = 43.6 ± 5.2 years), with 51% presenting with STEMI. Pre-PCI OCT assessment showed that fibrous plaques (75%) were most common followed by plaques containing macrophages (27%), microchannels (20%), and calcified nodules (14%). In addition, plaque rupture, plaque erosion, and lipid-rich plaques, along with red, white, and mixed thrombi, were observed in 31%, 25%, 24%, 21%, 14%, and 17% (total thrombus occurrence = 52%) of the patients, respectively. At 12 months, the MACE (coronary artery bypass graft) rate was 1%., Conclusions: Young Indian patients with ACS displayed a range of plaque morphologies identified through pre-PCI OCT. Among these, fibrous plaques were the most prominent type, followed by plaques containing macrophages. Additionally, plaque rupture, plaque erosion, and lipid-rich plaques were also observed in this population., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest All authors declare that they do not have any conflict of interest. MN is an employee of Abbott Healthcare Pvt Ltd., (Copyright © 2024 Cardiological Society of India. Published by Elsevier, a division of RELX India, Pvt. Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The prevalence of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia is increasing worldwide, and finding effective treatments for these conditions is a major public health challenge. Natural bioactive drugs have been identified as a promising source of potential treatments, due to their ability to target multiple pathways and their low toxicity. This paper reviews the current state of research on natural bioactive drugs used in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. The paper summarizes the findings of studies on various natural compounds, including curcumin, resveratrol, caffeine, genistein, quercetin, GinkoBiloba, Withaniasomnifera, Ginseng Brahmi, Giloy, and huperzine, and their effects on cognitive function, neuroinflammation, and amyloid-beta accumulation. In this review, we discuss the mechanism of action involved in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. The paper also discusses the challenges associated with developing natural bioactive drugs for dementia treatment, including issues related to bioavailability and standardization. Finally, the paper suggests directions for future research in this area, including the need for more rigorous clinical trials and the development of novel delivery systems to improve the efficacy of natural bioactive drugs. Overall, this review highlights the potential of natural bioactive drugs as a promising avenue for the development of safe and effective treatments for Alzheimer's disease and other dementias., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Ayurveda emphasizes the propagation of nature in maintaining health. In the present scenario, we have seen the faith of people in herbal drugs during the Covid 19 outbreak. The raises in the number of peoples have been using herbal drugs to boost immunity against infectious diseases shows the popularity of this ancient system of medicine. The standardization of Ayush Kvatha Churna (AKC), work set out to establish a straightforward, accurate and sensitive HPTLC method for the identification and quantification of marker compounds. The Rosmarinic acid, trans-Cinnamaldehyde and Piperine were used for the estimation of markers in Ayush Kvatha Churna by using HPTLC with a solvent system, consisting of Toluene: Ethyl acetate: Ethyl alcohol: Formic acid (5.6:2.4:2: 0.3 v/v/v/v). The Rf value 0.33 for Rosmarinic Acid, 0.69 for Piperine and 0.77 for trans-Cinnamaldehyde was observed and it is exactly complying with the corresponding bands in Ayush Kvatha Churna. The technique has been effectively verified and validated, enabling it to be used for the standardization or quantitative analysis of Rosmarinic acid, trans-Cinnamaldehyde and piperine in Ayush Kvatha Churna., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

The Phyllanthus genus is very important plant traded as a raw herbal medicine in India. Commonly known as 'Bhumyamalaki' (Phyllanthus species) has been used for the prevention and treatment of jaundice. Phyllanthus is rich in diversity of bioactive compounds such as lignans, alkaloids, terpenoids, flavonoids, and tannins. Among some metabolites such as phyllanthin, hypophyllanthin, 8, 9-epoxy brevifolin, brevifolin, quercetin, gallic acid, elagic acid, and brevifolin carboxylate have been shown to have hepatoprotective and antioxidant activity found in this genus. The basic objective of this review was to overview the hepatoprotective activity based on the other available data from various plants of the Phyllanthus species including Phyllanthus amarus, Phyllanhtus urinaria, Phyllanthus fraternus, Phyllanthus maderaspatenis, Phyllanthus simplex, Phyllanthus emblica, Phyllanthus debillis, Phyllanthus tenellus, Phyllanthus polyphyllus, Phyllanthus reticulates, Phyllanthus indofischerii, Phyllanthus acidus, Phyllanthus niruri, Phyllanthus rheedii, Phyllanthus kozhikodianus, and Phyllanthus longiflorus. These species studied had considerable hepatoprotective potential. The secondary data, each in vitro and in vivo studies confirm the capacity of Phyllanthus species used as a remedy for jaundice or liver disease in addition to having antioxidants. Furthermore, it could be concluded that herbal drugs have the least side effects and are taken into considered safe for human health, they are able to substantially alternative synthetic drugs in the future., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Biosimilars are biological drugs created from living organisms or that contain living components. They share an identical amino-acid sequence and immunogenicity. These drugs are considered to be cost-effective and are utilized in the treatment of cancer and other endocrine disorders. The primary aim of biosimilars is to predict biosimilarity, efficacy, and treatment costs; they are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and have no clinical implications. They involve analytical studies to understand the similarities and dissimilarities. A biosimilar manufacturer sets up FDA-approved reference products to evaluate biosimilarity. The contribution of next-generation sequencing is evolving to study the organ tumor and its progression with its impactful therapeutic approach on cancer patients to showcase and target rare mutations. The study shall help to understand the future perspectives of biosimilars for use in gastro-entero-logic diseases, colorectal cancer, and thyroid cancer. They also help target specific organs with essential mutational categories and drug prototypes in clinical practices with blood and liquid biopsy, cell treatment, gene therapy, recombinant therapeutic proteins, and personalized medications. Biosimilar derivatives such as monoclonal antibodies like trastuzumab and rituximab are common drugs used in cancer therapy. Escherichia coli produces more than six antibodies or antibody-derived proteins to treat cancer such as filgrastim, epoetin alfa, and so on., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2024 The Authors. Cancer Innovation published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Tsinghua University Press.)

Key Message: Nanoparticle pretreatment improved the health of aged Cajanus cajan seeds viz., regulation of redox status, gene expression, and restoration of hormonal homeostasis. Ageing deteriorates the quality of seeds by lowering their vigor and viability, and terminating with loss of germination. These days, nanotechnology has been seen to revolutionize the agricultural sectors, and particularly nano zinc oxide (nZnO) has gained considerable interests due to its distinctive properties. The aim of the present work was to decipher the possibilities of using nZnO to rejuvenate accelerated aged (AA) seeds of Cajanus cajan. Both chemically (CnZnO) and green (GnZnO; synthesized using Moringa oleifera) fabricated nZnOs were characterized via standard techniques to interpret their purity, size, and shape. Experimental results revealed erratic germination with a decline in viability and membrane stability as outcomes of reactive oxygen intermediate (ROI) buildup in AA seeds. Application of nZnO substantially rebated the accrual of ROI, along with enhanced production of antioxidants, α-amylase activity, total sugar, protein and DNA content. Higher level of zinc was assessed qualitatively/ histologically and quantitatively in nZnO pulsed AA seeds, supporting germination without inducing toxicity. Meantime, augmentation in the gibberellic acid with a simultaneous reduction in the abscisic acid level were noted in nZnO invigorated seeds than that determined in the AA seeds, suggesting possible involvement of ROI in hormonal signalling. Furthermore, nZnO-subjected AA seeds unveiled differential expression of aquaporins and cell cycle regulatory genes. Summarizing, among CnZnO and GnZnO, later one holds better potential for a revival of AA seeds of Cajanus cajan by providing considerable tolerance against ageing-associated deterioration via recouping the cellular redox homeostasis, hormonal signaling, and alteration in expression patterns of aquaporin and cell cycle regulatory genes., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Human beings possess trillions of microbial cells in a symbiotic relationship. This relationship benefits both partners for a long time. The gut microbiota helps in many bodily functions from harvesting energy from digested food to strengthening biochemical barriers of the gut and intestine. But the changes in microbiota composition and bacteria that can enter the gastrointestinal tract can cause infection. Several approaches like culture-independent techniques such as high-throughput and meta-omics projects targeting 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequencing are popular methods to investigate the composition of the human gastrointestinal tract microbiota and taxonomically characterizing microbial communities. The microbiota conformation and diversity should be provided by whole-genome shotgun metagenomic sequencing of site-specific community DNA associating genome mapping, gene inventory, and metabolic remodelling and reformation, to ease the functional study of human microbiota. Preliminary examination of the therapeutic potency for dysbiosis-associated diseases permits investigation of pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic changes in microbial communities for escalation of treatment and dosage plan. Gut microbiome study is an integration of metagenomics which has influenced the field in the last two decades. And the incorporation of artificial intelligence and deep learning through "omics-based" methods and microfluidic evaluation enhanced the capability of identification of thousands of microbes., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

One of the most often utilized methods for drug discovery is molecular docking. With docking, one may discover new therapeutically relevant molecules by targeting the molecule and predicting the target-ligand interactions as well as different conformation of ligand at various positions. The prediction signifies the effectiveness of the molecule or the developed molecule having different affinity with target. Drug discovery plays an important role in the development of a new drug molecule of different moiety attached to it, which leads us in the management of several diseases. In silico approach led us to identification of numerous diseases caused by virus, fungi, bacteria, protozoa, and other microorganisms that affect human health. By means of computational approach, we can categorize disease symptoms and use the drugs available for such types of warning signs. After the docking process, molecular dynamics computational technique helps in the simulation of the physical movement of atoms and molecules for a fixed period of time, giving a view of the dynamic evaluation of the system. This review is an attempt to illustrate the role of molecular docking in drug development.

Colorectal cancer is among the well-known forms of cancer and a prominent cause of cancer demises worldwide. In vitro experiments reinforced by animal studies, as well as epidemiological studies of human colorectal cancer propose that the growth of this disease can be moderated by eating aspects. Dietary intake including green vegetables and fruits may result in the reduction of colon cancer chances. The finding suggests that the combinations of dietary nutrients may deliver additive or synergistic effects and might be a powerful method to avoid or eradicate colon cancer beginning and/or development. Flavonols are one of the most widespread dietary nutrients of the polyphenols-flavonoids and major constituent of Allium and Brassicaceae vegetables. Flavonols present in vegetables of Allium and Brassicaceae family are kaempferol, myricetin, quercetin, and isorhamnetin. These flavonols are claimed to have antiproliferative activity in vivo and in vitro against colorectal cancer. The objective of this review is to summarize the role of flavonols obtained from dietary sources in the prevention and treatment of colorectal cancer., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2023 The Authors. Cancer Innovation published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. on behalf of Tsinghua University Press.)

Neurological ailments, including stroke, Alzheimer's disease (AD), epilepsy, Parkinson's disease (PD), and other related diseases, have affected around 1 billion people globally to date. PD stands second among the common neurodegenerative diseases caused as a result of dopaminergic neuron loss in the midbrain's substantia nigra regions. It affects cognitive and motor activities, resulting in tremors during rest, slow movement, and muscle stiffness. There are various traditional approaches for the management of PD, but they provide only symptomatic relief. Thus, a survey for finding new biomolecules or substances exhibiting the therapeutic potential to patients with PD is the main focus of present-day research. Medicinal plants, herbal formulations, and natural bioactive molecules have been gaining much more attention in recent years as synthetic molecules orchestrate a number of undesired effects. Several in vitro, in vivo, and in silico studies in the recent past have demonstrated the therapeutic potential of medicinal plants, herbal formulations, and plant-based bioactives. Among the plant-based bioactives, polyphenols, terpenes, and alkaloids are of particular interest due to their potent anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and brain-health-promoting properties. Further, there are no concise, elaborated articles comprising updated mechanism-of-action-based reviews of the published literature on potent, recently investigated (2019-2023) medicinal plants, herbal formulations, and plant based-bioactive molecules, including polyphenols, terpenes, and alkaloids, as a method for the management of PD. Therefore, we designed the current review to provide an illustration of the efficacious role of various medicinal plants, herbal formulations, and bioactives (polyphenols, terpenes, and alkaloids) that can become potential therapeutics against PD with greater specificity, target approachability, bioavailability, and safety to the host. This information can be further utilized in the future to develop several value-added formulations and nutraceutical products to achieve the desired safety and efficacy for the management of PD.

Background: The use of optical coherence tomography (OCT) with angiographic coregistration (ACR) during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for procedural decision-making is evolving; however, large-scale data in real-world practice are lacking., Aims: Our study aims to evaluate the real-time impact of OCT-ACR on clinician decision-making during PCI., Methods: Patients with angiographic diameter stenosis >70% in at least one native coronary artery were enrolled in the study. The pre- and post-PCI procedural strategies were prospectively assessed after angiography, OCT, and ACR., Results: A total of 500 patients were enrolled in the study between November 2018 and March 2020. Among these, data related to 472 patients with 483 lesions were considered for analysis. Preprocedural OCT resulted in a change in PCI strategy in 80% of lesions: lesion preparation (25%), stent length (53%), stent diameter (36%), and device landing zone (61%). ACR additionally impacted the treatment strategy in 34% of lesions. Postprocedural OCT demonstrated underexpansion (15%), malapposition (14%), and tissue/thrombus prolapse (7%), thereby requiring further interventions in 30% of lesions. No further change in strategy was observed with subsequent postprocedural ACR. Angiographic and procedural success was achieved in 100% of patients, and the overall incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events at 1 year was 0.85%., Conclusions: The outcomes reflect the real-time impact of OCT-ACR on the overall procedural strategy in patients undergoing PCI. ACR had a significant impact on the treatment strategy and was associated with better clinical outcomes at 1 year after index PCI. OCT-ACR has become a practical tool for improving outcomes in patients with complex lesions., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Wound healing responses play a major role in chronic inflammation, which affects millions of people around the world. One of the daunting tasks of creating a wound-healing drug is finding equilibrium in the inflammatory cascade. In this study, the molecular and cellular mechanisms to regulate wound healing are explained, and recent research is addressed that demonstrates the molecular and cellular events during diabetic wound healing. Moreover, a range of factors or agents that facilitate wound healing have also been investigated as possible targets for successful treatment. It also summarises the various advances in research findings that have revealed promising molecular targets in the fields of therapy and diagnosis of cellular physiology and pathology of wound healing, such as neuropeptides, substance P, T cell immune response cDNA 7, miRNA, and treprostinil growth factors such as fibroblast growth factor, including thymosin beta 4, and immunomodulators as major therapeutic targets.

Currently, there is a great demand for the development of nanomedicine aided wound tissue regeneration via silver doped nanoceuticals. Unfortunately, very little research is being carried out on antioxidants-doped silver nanometals and their interaction on the signaling axis during the bio-interface mechanism. In this study, c-phycocyanin primed silver nano hybrids (AgcPCNP) were prepared and analyzed for properties such as cytotoxicity, metal decay, nanoconjugate stability, size expansion, and antioxidant features. Fluctuations in the expression of marker genes during cell migration phenomena in in vitro wound healing scenarios were also validated. Studies revealed that physiologically relevant ionic solutions did not exhibit any adverse effects on the nanoconjugate stability. However, acidic, alkali, and ethanol solutions completely denatured the AgcPCNP conjugates. Signal transduction RT 2 PCR array demonstrated that genes associated with NFĸB- and PI3K-pathways were significantly ( p < 0.5%) altered between AgcPCNP and AgNP groups. Specific inhibitors of NFĸB (Nfi) and PI3K (LY294002) pathways confirmed the involvement of NFĸB signaling axes. In vitro wound healing assay demonstrated that NFĸB pathway plays a prime role in the fibroblast cell migration. In conclusion, the present investigation revealed that surface functionalized AgcPCNP accelerated the fibroblast cell migration and can be further explored for wound healing biomedical applications.

In the year 2020, the word "pandemic" has become quite popular. A pandemic is a disease that spreads over a wide geographical region. The massive outbreak of coronavirus popularly known as COVID-19 has halted normal life worldwide. On 11th March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) quoted the COVID-19 outbreak as a "Pandemic". The outbreak pattern differs widely across the globe based on the findings discovered so far; however, fever is a common and easily detectable symptom of COVID-19 and the new COVID strain. After the virus outbreak, thermal scanning is done using infrared thermometers in most public places to detect infected persons. It is time-consuming to track the body temperature of each person. Besides, close contact with infected persons can spread the virus from the infected persons to the individual performing the screening or vice-versa. In this research, we propose a device architecture capable of automatically detecting the coronavirus or new COVID strain from thermal images; the proposed architecture comprises a smart mask equipped with a thermal imaging system, which reduces human interactions. The thermal camera technology is integrated with the smart mask powered by the Internet of Things (IoT) to proactively monitor the screening procedure and obtain data based on real-time findings. Besides, the proposed system is fitted with facial recognition technology; therefore, it can also display personal information. It will automatically measure the temperature of each person who came into close contact with the infected humans or humans in public spaces, such as markets or offices. The new design is very useful in healthcare and could offer a solution to preventing the growth of the coronavirus. The presented work hasa key focus on the integration of advanced algorithms for the predictive analytics of parameters required for in-depth evaluations. The proposed work and the results are pretty effectual and performance cognizant for predictive analytics. The manuscript and associated research work integrate the IoT and Internet of Everything (IoE) based analytics with sensor technologies with real-time data so that the overall predictions will be more accurate and integrated with the health sector., Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12652-022-04395-7., (© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2022, Springer Nature or its licensor holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.)

The unending outburst of COVID-19 has reinforced the necessity of SARS-CoV-2 identification approaches for the prevention of infection transmission and the proper care of severe and critical patients. As there is no cure, a prompt and reliable diagnosis of SARS-CoV2 is vital to counter the spread and to provide adequate care and treatment for the infection. Currently, RT-PCR is a gold standard detection method for the qualitative and quantitative detection of viral nucleic acids. Besides, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay is also a primarily used method for qualitative estimation of viral load. However, almost all the detection methods have their pros and cons in terms of specificity, accuracy, sensitivity, cost, time consumption, the need for sophisticated laboratories, and the requirement of skilled technical experts to carry out the detection tests. Thus, it is suggested to integrate different techniques to enhance the detection efficiency and accurateness for SARS-CoV2. This review focuses on preliminary, pre-confirmatory, and confirmatory methods of detection such as imaging techniques (chest-X-ray and chest- computed tomography), nucleic acid detection methods, serological assay methods, and viral culture and identification methods that are currently being employed to detect the presence of SARS-CoV-2 infection along with recent detection method and applicability for COVID-19.

Hypertension is a critical health problem and worse other cardiovascular diseases. It is mainly of two types: Primary or essential hypertension and Secondary hypertension. Hypertension is the primary possibility feature for coronary heart disease, stroke and renal vascular disease. Herbal medicines have been used for millions of years for the management and treatment of hypertension with minimum side effects. Over aim to write this review is to collect information on the anti-hypertensive effects of natural herbs in animal studies and human involvement as well as to recapitulate the underlying mechanisms, from the bottom of cell culture and ex-vivo tissue data. According to WHO, natural herbs/shrubs are widely used in increasing order to treat almost all the ailments of the human body. Plants are the regular industrial units for the invention of chemical constituents, they used as immunity booster to enhance the natural capacity of the body to fight against different health problems as well as herbal medicines and food products also. Eighty percent population of the world (around 5.6 billion people) consume medicines from natural plants for major health concerns. This review provides a bird's eye analysis primarily on the traditional utilization, phytochemical constituents and pharmacological values of medicinal herbs used to normalize hypertension i.e. Hibiscus sabdariffa, Allium sativum, Andrographis paniculata, Apium graveolens, Bidenspilosa, Camellia sinensis, Coptis chinensis, Coriandrum sativum, Crataegus spp., Crocus sativus, Cymbopogon citrates, Nigella sativa, Panax ginseng,Salviaemiltiorrhizae, Zingiber officinale, Tribulus terrestris, Rauwolfiaserpentina, Terminalia arjuna etc.

Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest.

Cardiac tamponade is a condition produced by the rapid accumulation of pericardial fluid, which restricts the filling of the heart. Often the forensic pathologist comes across different naturally occurring sudden deaths. Cardiovascular causes are the most common. Death due to cardiac tamponade can cause sudden cardiac death. Acute cardiac tamponade is almost invariably fatal, unless the pressure is relieved by removing the pericardial fluid, either by needle pericardiocentesis or surgical procedures. Cardiac tamponade is more commonly associated with cases of trauma, operative procedures, secondary to myocardial infarction or intra pericardial rupture of great vessels. Previous literature showed an association of cardiac tamponade with many other pathological conditions such as malignancy, central venous catheterisation, open heart surgery, dissecting aneurysm of the aorta, myocardial abscess, infective endocarditis, etc. We report a series of three cases where cardiac tamponade was given as the cause of death on autopsy secondary to post-myocardial infarction wall rupture.

Micron long carbon nanofibers (CNFs) were grown on porous carbon beads to give an active surface for rapid immobilization of guest molecules. The fabrication of nanostructures using a catalytic route involving chemical vapour deposition on a porous substrate was accomplished by the controlled synthesis of iron nanoclusters on the surface of porous carbon beads. The challenge of catalyst nanoparticle diffusion into the porous substrate was addressed by using iron coordinated ligand complexes and optimizing the loading percentage of metal salts onto beads. The effect of using tethered bottom up surface processed CNFs on the porous beads' morphologies was established using structural characterization. The protruding architecture of CNFs on the porous carbon surface was subjected to bacterial colonisation in order to determine the efficiency of cell conjugation onto hairy structures, particularly at a low concentration. The interfaces of immobilized bacteria on the textured surface were studied by varying the pH and external physical stimuli to check the biofilm formation. The strategy of fabricating all carbon porous beads, which had topologically controlled 'nano on micro' geometries, to give fast immobilization of guest molecules could be useful in the future for developing an active disinfectant surface.

The use of plant or plant-based products to stimulate sexual desire and to enhance performance and enjoyment is almost as old as the human race itself. The present paper reviews the active, natural principles, and crude extracts of plants, which have been useful in sexual disorders, have potential for improving sexual behaviour and performance, and are helpful in spermatogenesis and reproduction. Review of refereed journals and scientific literature available in electronic databases and traditional literature available in India was extensively performed. The work reviews correlation of the evidence with traditional claims, elucidation, and evaluation of a plausible concept governing the usage of plants as aphrodisiac in total. Phytoconstituents with known structures have been classified in appropriate chemical groups and the active crude extracts have been tabulated. Data on their pharmacological activity, mechanism of action, and toxicity are reported. The present review provides an overview of the herbs and their active molecule with claims for improvement of sexual behaviour. A number of herbal drugs have been validated for their effect on sexual behavior and fertility and can therefore serve as basis for the identification of new chemical leads useful in sexual and erectile dysfunction.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of ethanolic extract of Pueraria tuberosa (PT) on sexual behaviour and androgenic activity. Male albino rats were divided into four groups of six animals each: control group 1 (2% acacia solution), PT-treated group 2 (50 mg/Kg), PT-treated group 3 (100 mg/Kg), and PT-treated group 4 (150 mg/Kg). Sexual behavior of male rats in the presence of a female rat was recorded. The treated groups were evaluated for sexual parameters. The extract was characterized using LC-MS. The effect of treatment on anabolic and weight of secondary sexual organs was determined. The histological changes in section of testis and epididymis after treatment were observed. Sperm count in epididymis and fructose content in seminal vesicles were also measured. Levels of hormones like FSH, LH, and T were determined. A dose-dependent increase in sexual behaviors was evidenced in the animals of extract treated groups. Increase in testis weight was recorded in PT. At the highest dose PT also affects the hormones level. The four compounds namely puerarin, daidzein, biochanin-A and formononetin were identified in ethanolic extract using LC-MS. It concluded that PT extract possesses androgenic effect and it significantly increased the sexual behaviour and hormones level.

Objective: To study the influence of methanolic and aqueous extract of Withania somnifera (W. somnifera) root on the marble-burying behavior of mice a well-accepted model of obsessive compulsive behavior., Methods: Mice were divided in different groups (n = 6). Fluoxetine (5, 10, 15 mg/kg), (10, 25, 50, 100 mg/kg) and methanolic extract W. somnifera (MEWS) (10, 25, 50, 100 mg/kg) were administered i.p. 30 min. prior to the assessment of marble burying behavior and locomotor activity. The control group received vehicle of the extract., Results: Administration of aqueous extracts W. somnifera (AEWS) and MEWS (50 mg/kg) successively decreased the marble burying behavior activity without affecting motor activity. This effect of AEWS and MEWS was comparable to standard fluoxetine, ritanserin and parachlorophenylalanine., Conclusions: W. somnifera extract is effective in treating obsessive compulsive disorder., (Copyright © 2012 Hainan Medical College. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Phyllanthus amarus Schum. & Thonn. belongs to the family Euphorbiaceae is a small herb well known for its medicinal properties and widely used worldwide. P. amarus is an important plant of Indian Ayurvedic system of medicine which is used in the problems of stomach, genitourinary system, liver, kidney and spleen. It is bitter, astringent, stomachic, diuretic, febrifuge and antiseptic. The whole plant is used in gonorrhea, menorrhagia and other genital affections. It is useful in gastropathy, diarrhoea, dysentery, intermittent fevers, ophthalmopathy, scabies, ulcers and wounds., Materials and Methods: The present review covers a literature across from 1980 to 2011. Some information collected from traditional Ayurvedic texts and published literature on ethanomedicinal uses of Phyllanthus amarus in different countries worldwide., Results: Phytochemical studies have shown the presence of many valuable compounds such as lignans, flavonoids, hydrolysable tannins (ellagitannins), polyphenols, triterpenes, sterols and alkaloids. The extracts and the compounds isolated from P. amarus show a wide spectrum of pharmacological activities including antiviral, antibacterial, antiplasmodial, anti-inflammatory, antimalarial, antimicrobial, anticancer, antidiabetic, hypolipidemic, antioxidant, hepatoprotective nephroprotective and diurectic properties., Conclusion: The present review summarizes information concerning the morphology, ecology, ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, biological activities, clinical applications and toxicological reports of P. amarus. This review aims at gathering the research work undertaken till date on this plant in order to provide sufficient baseline information for future works and commercial exploitation., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Alopecia is a psychologically distressing phenomenon. Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is the most common form of alopecia, which affects millions of men and women worldwide, and is an androgen driven disorder. Here, the Citrullus colocynthis Schrad fruit is evaluated for hair growth activity in androgen-induced alopecia. Petroleum ether extract of C. colocynthis was applied topically for its hair growth-promoting activity. Alopecia was induced in albino mice by testosterone administration intramuscularly for 21 days. Its inhibition by simultaneous administration of extract was evaluated using follicular density, anagen/telogen (A/T) ratio and microscopic observation of skin sections. Finasteride (5α-reductase inhibitor) solution was applied topically and served as positive control. Petroleum ether extract of C. colocynthis exhibited promising hair growth-promoting activity, as reflected from follicular density, A/T ratio and skin sections. The treatment was also successful in bringing a greater number of hair follicles in anagenic phase than the standard finasteride. The result of treatment with 2 and 5% petroleum ether extracts were comparable to the positive control finasteride. The petroleum ether extract of C. colocynthis and its isolate is useful in the treatment of androgen-induced alopecia.

Context: Anacyclus pyrethrum DC (Compositae) roots, commonly known as Pellitory root and locally as akarkara, are widely recognized in the Indian traditional systems of medicine, Ayurveda, as a 'rasayana', i.e. a plant with immunomodulatory properties., Objective: Evaluation of A. pyrethrum extract for its effect on normal and chemically suppressed immune systems in vivo., Materials: Petroleum ether extract (PEE) of roots was tested at 50 and 100 mg/kg dose. The effect of both doses on total and differential leukocyte count, cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppression, survival rate against Candida albicans infection, delayed type hypersensitivity reaction, percentage neutrophil adhesion, and phagocytic activity were tested., Results: The PEE-treated rats were able to overcome cyclophosphamide-induced myelo-suppression as evidenced by the normalization of blood parameters. Survival rate of albino rats was improved in Candida albicans-infected animals by treatment with the extract (p <0.05). An increase in delayed type hypersensitivity response (DTH), percentage neutrophil adhesion, and in vivo phagocytosis by carbon clearance method was observed after treatment. Extract administration also increased the HA titer value and IgG antibodies., Discussion: Immunostimulant activity increased two-fold upon doubling the dosage of extract administered. While a significant (p <0.05) improvement was observed in the humoral component, a highly significant (p <0.01) effect was observed in the cellular components of the immunity evaluated. The results thus provide a basis for the use of A. pyrethrum as an adaptogen and immunomodulator in the Ayurvedic system of medicine.

Curculigo orchioides Gaertn. (family Amaryllidaceae) is an endangered rasayana herb which is popularly known as "Kali Musli". The plant is native to India, and holds a special position as a potent adaptogen and aphrodisiac in Ayurvedic system of medicine. It is an important ingredient of many Ayurvedic preparations and is considered to have aphrodisiac, immunostimulant, hepatoprotective, antioxidant, anticancer and antidiabetic activities. Various chemical constituents like mucilage, phenolic glycosides, saponins and aliphatic compounds from the plant have been reported. The plant is also considered as an important component of various herbal preparations of the Chinese and Kampo medicine. The present review is an attempt to enumerate various biologically tested activities and evaluation of different phytochemicals present in this important medicinal plant.

Background: Abnormal collagen metabolism is thought to play an important role in the development of primary inguinal and ventral hernia. The detection of an impaired collagen balance both in the tissue as well as in cultured fibroblasts underlines the suspicion that the development of hernia is likely to be implemented primarily by a disturbance of the fibroblast function and their collagen genes. Based on these results we assume that the altered collagen synthesis in hernia patients can be regarded as a genetically linked deregulation serving as a basic initiating or promoting factor for the development of primary inguinal hernias. With the hypothesis that hernia is a local manifestation of a systemic disease manifested by increased expression of matrix metallo-proteinase-2 (MMP-2), a study was planned with following aims: 1) to establish a causal association between inguinal hernia and MMP-2; 2) to test the hypothesis that hernia is a local manifestation of a systemic disorder rather than a mere local mechanical defect., Methods: A case control study was conducted on 30 subjects of each direct and indirect inguinal hernia and 30 controls. DAC-ELISA test was used for analysis of serum (preoperative) and tissue samples (fascia transversalis) in patients as well as controls., Results: Statistically, serum levels of MMP-2 were significantly increased in all the hernia patients as compared to controls. This increment was maximum in patients of direct hernia. MMP-2 was not detectable in tissue samples., Conclusions: Hernia is a local manifestation of a systemic disease rather than a mere local mechanical defect., Keywords: MMP-2; Matrix Metalloproteinase-2; Inguinal hernia; DAC-ELISA; Collagen metabolism; PBST-Phosphate Buffer Saline Tween-20.

Background: Alopecia is a psychologically distressing condition. Androgenetic alopecia, which affects millions of men and women, is an androgen-driven disorder. Here, Cuscuta reflexa Roxb is evaluated for hair growth activity in androgen-induced alopecia., Methods: Petroleum ether extract of C. reflexa was studied for its hair growth-promoting activity. Alopecia was induced in albino mice by testosterone administration for 20 days. Its inhibition by simultaneous administration of extract was evaluated using follicular density, anagen/telogen ratio, and microscopic observation of skin sections. To investigate the mechanism of observed activity, in vitro experiments were performed to study the effect of extract and its major component on activity of 5alpha-reductase enzyme., Results: Petroleum ether extract of C. reflexa exhibited promising hair growth-promoting activity as reflected from follicular density, anagen/telogen ratio, and skin sections. Inhibition of 5alpha-reductase activity by extract and isolate suggest that the extract reversed androgen-induced alopecia by inhibiting conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone., Conclusions: The petroleum ether extract of C. reflexa and its isolate is useful in treatment of androgen-induced alopecia by inhibiting the enzyme 5alpha-reductase.