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Objectives In this study, the efficacy of a miswak extract-containing toothpaste ( Salvadora persica) on gingival inflammation was compared with that of a herbal and a conventional toothpaste. Methods Non-smoking outpatients with sulcus bleeding index ( SBI) ≥25% and with periodontal pocket depths ≤3 mm were randomly selected and divided into three groups: M-group, miswak extract-containing toothpaste; P-group, herbal toothpaste; and C-group, conventional toothpaste. After instructing the patients to brush their teeth twice a day for 3 weeks with the assigned toothpaste using a flat-trimmed manual toothbrush, a thorough oral examination was performed by a calibrated examiner ( EH). The primary outcome was the SBI after 21 days. Furthermore, the amount of plaque was measured by approximal plaque index ( API). Results Sixty-six patients with a mean age of 57.8 ± 10.2 years were recruited and enrolled. After 3 weeks of brushing, all three patient groups showed a significant reduction in SBI. The P-group ( SBI reduction: 17.1% ± 9.1) and the M-group (14.5% ± 8.1) showed the strongest effect followed by the C-group (9.4% ± 7.8). All three groups showed a significant reduction in API without significant differences between the groups. Conclusions The use of each of the three tested toothpastes caused a significant reduction in gingival inflammation and amount of plaque. The miswak extract-containing toothpaste showed a similar effect as the herbal toothpaste and can be safely used for domestic oral hygiene in patients with gingivitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blood and seminal plasma ionic parameters are essential for monitoring health status, detecting illnesses, fish stock conservation and development of artificial propagation methods via extender improvement. In this study, comparison of blood and seminal plasma ionic parameters in beluga, Huso huso (30-45 kg, 1-2 m, n = 10), was made. The results obtained show that Na+ (82.54 ± 5.46), Cl- (15.95 ± 0.72) and K+ (3.57 ± 0.15) were predominant ions in the seminal plasma (as m m). Blood ionic values (as m m) were determined for Na+ (110.2 ± 1.26), K+ (3.77 ± 0.081), Cl− (60.12 ± 1.5), Ca2+ (2.05 ± 0.35) and Mg2+ (1.9 ± 0.16). Results of the comparison between ionic parameters of seminal and blood plasma indicated that the concentrations of all parameters of blood plasma with the exception of K+ were significantly (p < 0.05) higher than those of seminal plasma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]