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Background: The primary goal of COPD management is to optimize a patient's functional status and quality of life. By encouraging effective patient self-management within primary health care, unplanned and potentially avoidable COPD admissions to the emergency department can be avoided. Aim: The aim of this study is to examine whether distance to hospital influences the rate of ED presentation, hospital admission and hospital length of stay for COPD patients. Methods: The 2016 to 2018 resulted in a total of 5253 patient presentations with a primary medical diagnosis code of J44 (COPD). These were at the main hospitals of three Queensland Hospital and Health Services: Toowoomba, Ipswich and Gold Coast. To examine the variations in patient characteristics based on distance a one-way ANOVA (Analysis of Variance) test was conducted. The Kruskal-Wallis (KW) test indicated that there were group differences. Results: This study identified significant variation in COPD-related hospital length of stay and distance to hospital among COPD patients within three hospitals in South East Queensland, Australia. These results confirm that distance plays an important role in determining duration of hospital stay (in number of days) among COPD patients, with clear evidence of the distance 'decay phenomenon'. It appears from the findings of the current study that distance to the hospital is not associated with the greater likelihood of ED presentation but may influence length of stay. Conclusions: Several distance-specific studies have concluded that lower utilisation of hospital care is associated with distance to hospital. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

This study aims to investigate the prevalence of weight control attempts along with their strategies and motivations. This study used a retrospective observational qualitative method, and adults who had body mass index (BMI) of at least 25 kg/m2 were included. The qualitative data were analyzed using a descriptive phenomenological approach. The summaries and emergence of major concepts identified by the participants were analyzed in-depth using a systematized retrieval and review of the data. NVivo was used to establish interrater reliability and percent agreement and analyze and manage the data. 91.7% of participants had tried to lose weight, and 72% were successful at least in one of their attempts. Health, appearance, and sports training were salient motivating factors. Their attempts to lose weight ranged from 2 to 30 times (median 4 times). Different dietary strategies and physical exercises were often tried. Among the most notable strategies were diet methods, following weight management programs, and consulting with dietitians. A number of barriers were reported, including ineffective weight loss, non-sustainability, demotivation, and unaffordability. For advancing evidence-based long-term weight control, it is vital to evaluate the quality and nature of weight management strategies and services from the perspective of users.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected millions of people worldwide both physically and mentally. In resource-strapped countries, high levels of psychological distress caused by fear of getting infecte...

Background Better understanding of the determinants of national life expectancy is crucial for economic development, as a healthy nation is a prerequisite for a wealthy nation. Many socioeconomic, nutritional, lifestyle, genetic and environmental factors can influence a nation’s health and longevity. Environmental degradation is one of the critical determinants of life expectancy, which is still under-researched, as the literature suggests. Objectives This study aims to investigate the determinants of life expectancy in 31 world’s most polluted countries with particular attention on environmental degradation using the World Bank annual data and British Petroleum data over the period of 18 years (2000–2017). Methods The empirical investigation is based on the model of Preston Curve, where panel corrected standard errors (PCSE) and feasible general least square (FGLS) estimates are employed to explore the long-run effects. Pairwise Granger causality test is also used to have short-run causality among the variables of interest, taking into account the cross-sectional dependence test and other essential diagnostic tests. Results The results confirm the existence of the Preston Curve, implying the positive effect of economic growth on life expectancy. Environmental degradation is found as a threat while health expenditure, clean water and improved sanitation affect the life expectancy positively in the sample countries. The causality test results reveal one-way causality from carbon emissions to life expectancy and bidirectional causalities between drinking water and life expectancy and sanitation and life expectancy. Conclusion Our results reveal that environmental degradation is a threat to having improved life expectancy in our sample countries. Based on the results of this study, we recommend that: (1) policy marker of these countries should adopt policies that will reduce carbon emissions and thus will improve public health and productivity; (2) environment-friendly technologies and resources, such as renewable energy, should be used in the production process; (3) healthcare expenditure on a national budget should be increased; and (4) clean drinking water and basic sanitation facilities must be ensured for all people.

Empirical studies have established that financial development is an essential element of economic growth. It has also been established that rising national income has a positive impact on healthcare expenditure. Therefore, an empirical question is whether financial development increases healthcare expenditure for countries at all income levels. This paper examines the relationship between the level of financial development and healthcare expenditure from a global perspective for countries at different income levels for the period of 1995–2014. Common correlated effects mean group approach was employed to account for unobserved heterogeneity and cross-section dependence in the large panel dataset of 159 countries. Additionally, mean group and fixed-effects estimation approaches were used to measure the robustness of the relationship. The association was tested at different levels by sub-grouping countries based on their income. The results indicate that the relationship between financial development and health expenditure is positive and significant. However, the results fluctuate considerably across income levels. The association becomes trivial when income levels rise, with low-income countries showing stronger correlations. Rising incomes and public health expenditure, foster increasing expenditure on health more in countries with a lower level of corruption. Lastly, the statistical outcomes observed are subject to the choice of estimation techniques. Development in the financial sector influences per capita health expenditure positively, however, the association is more prominent for lower-income countries. Policies are proposed to direct the gains from financial development towards healthcare to maximize society's welfare.

In the literature, men are often described as unwilling to use healthcare services, whereas women as frequent users. We conducted a systematic literature review to examine the gender differences in healthcare utilisation of lung cancer patients. Our aim was to synthesise evidence to assess whether men and women utilise cancer diagnosis and treatments differently. The databases of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, EBSCO Host, Ovid nursing, and Cochrane was systematically searched. We used pre-defined eligibility criteria to identify peer-reviewed published literature that reported healthcare use of lung cancer patients. Two reviewers independently screened the title, abstract, full texts and retrieved relevant data. A total of 42 studies met the eligibility criteria from 1356 potential studies. In these studies, the most commonly measured healthcare utilisation is surgery (n = 19), followed by chemotherapy (n = 13). All the studies were from developed countries and had a higher percentage of male participants. Substantial evidence of heterogeneity in the use of treatments by gender were found. In relation to diagnosis interval and stage of cancer diagnosis, it was found that women had longer diagnostic intervals. Nonetheless, women tend to get diagnosed at an earlier stage. Furthermore, women had a higher probability of using inpatient cancer-care services and surgical treatments. Conversely, men had greater risks of readmission after surgery and longer length of stay. Lastly, there were no significant gender differences in the likelihood of receiving chemotherapy and radiation therapy. This study synthesised evidence of disparities in the use of lung cancer treatments based on gender in developed countries, with no evidence available from least-developed and developing countries. Further studies are required to understand this gender-specific inequality and to design interventions to improve the survival rate of lung cancer patients.

Background Health status is a crucial determinant of an individuals’ labour market outcomes. The present study investigates the association between obesity and disability with perceived employment discrimination within Australia. Methods A total of 17,174 person-year observations from the 11,079 respondents were analysed using four waves of data from the Household, Income, and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey. The primary outcome examined was employment discrimination, using obesity and disability as the main exposure variables. The longitudinal random-effects regression technique was applied to investigate the between-person differences in employment discrimination associated with obesity and disability. Results The findings suggest that more than one in ten (12.68 %) Australians experienced employment discrimination. The odds of being discriminated against while applying for a job were 1.56 times (aOR: 1.56, 95 % CI: 1.15–2.11) higher for obese than their healthy weight counterparts in youngest women. Adults with a disability had 1.89 times (aOR: 1.89, 95 % CI: 1.65–2.17) higher odds of being discriminated against than peers without disability. Conclusion The results provide evidence that obesity and disability contribute to employment discrimination in Australia. The findings can assist government and related agencies to consider the adequacy of existing discrimination legislation and help organisations to develop appropriate policies to address discrimination against obese and disabled people in their workplaces., Highlights • More than one in ten (12.68 %) Australians perceive being discriminated against while applying for jobs. • Obese adults had higher chances of being discriminated against than healthy weight peers in youngest women. • The possibility of being discriminated against while applying for a job was higher for people with disability compared with their non-disabled counterparts.

The empirical findings on the relationship between gross domestic product (GDP) and health expenditure are diverse. The influence of income levels on this causal relationship is unclear. This study examines if the direction of causality and income elasticity of health expenditure varies with income level. It uses the 1995-2014 panel data of 161 countries divided into four income groups. Unit root, cointegration and causality tests were employed to examine the relationship between GDP and health expenditure. Impulse-response functions and forecast-error variance decomposition tests were conducted to measure the responsiveness of health expenditure to changes in GDP. Finally, the common correlated effects mean group method was used to examine the income elasticity of health expenditure. Findings show that no long-term cointegration exists, and the growth in health expenditure and GDP across income levels has a different causal relationship when cross-sectional dependence in the panel is accounted for. About 43% of the variation in global health expenditure growth can be explained by economic growth. Income shocks affect health expenditure of high-income countries more than lower-income countries. Lastly, the income elasticity of health expenditure is less than one for all income levels. Therefore, healthcare is a necessity. In comparison with markets, governments have greater obligation to provide essential health care services. Such results have noticeable policy implications, especially for low-income countries where GDP growth does not cause increased health expenditure.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to measure health care utilization in Australian cancer patients based on their demographic, geographic and socioeconomic backgrounds. Method: A total of 13,609 participants (aged 15 and over) from 7,230 households were interviewed as part of Wave 13 of the national Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey. Five hundred and seventeen participants indicated a current cancer diagnosis with 90% of those receiving active treatment at the time of interview. Independent sample t-tests, Pearson Chi-sq tests, Kruskal‒Wallis H test, binary logistic regression and a zero-inflated Poisson regression were used to examine inequality in health care use. Results: Demographic and sociocultural factors such as advancing age, gender, low income, low education status, rurality, no private health insurance, increased psychological distress and less access to specialist care are associated with lower health care utilization among cancer patients. However, models of care such as general practitioner-led cancer care is preferable in younger individuals with cancer, while accessing specialist care is associated with lower rates of hospitalization and higher levels of psychological distress increases hospital length of stay. Conclusions: The findings of lower health care utilization by those cancer patients with characteristics of disadvantage have implications for policy development and intervention design. Broadly, policies targeting structural social inequities are likely to increase health care utilization among the most affected/disadvantaged populations. Further investigation is needed to identify potential links between health care utilization and cancer outcomes as a step toward targeted interventions for improving outcomes in the adversely affected groups.

This paper examined the impact of the inflow of new immigrants on public and out-of-pocket health expenditure in 33 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Developments (OECD) countries over the period of 2000–2015. Dynamic panel data analysis is carried out using the one-step system ‘Generalised Method of Moments’ and the instrumental variable (IV) estimation approach whilst controlling for potential endogeneity. The inflow of new immigrants is modelled as a determinant of health expenditure. The results are robust to both static and dynamic models. The results show that an increasing inflow of immigrants is significantly related to out-of-pocket, but, surprisingly, not with public health expenditure. Moreover, the findings are similar for countries that primarily have publicly funded healthcare systems or those more dominated by private financing of healthcare. It can be concluded that new immigrants do not seek publicly funded healthcare at least at the initial years of their relocation and that their arrival does not trigger a significant rise in public healthcare expenditure in the OECD countries.

Aims and objectives To report patient and family intensive care experiences using the Measuring the Intensive Care Experience (MICE) tool across two intensive care units (ICU). Background The patient and family experience of care is an important indicator for quality improvement of ICUs, yet few studies evaluate both patient and family experiences in relation to overall care quality as well as specifically measuring quality of medical care, nursing care and organisational care as well as overall experience of the quality of intensive care. Design A cross-sectional survey. Methods A 23 item survey was administered to ICU patients and their family members across two ICUs, a regional 189-bed hospital and a metropolitan 227-bed hospital in Queensland, Australia. The response rate was 272 of 394 ICU patients (36.4%). STROBE guidelines were used in reporting this study. Results Findings indicate a highly positive overall experience of ICU care among patients and families. However, patients reported areas of unmet needs following their stay in ICU broadly related to (1) symptom management, education and information support, and (2) improving the incorporation of patient and family care ICU-related shared decision-making. Conclusions Supportive interventions are needed that target improve symptom management and inform and education ICU patients. Relevance to clinical practice The MICE survey facilitated the identification of a range of areas requiring quality improvement. Improving the integration of patients and families into shared decision-making and support is a key aspect for quality improvement.

Objective: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients commonly have frequent visits to the ED. Consequently, COPD has a significant effect on total healthcare expenditure. The objective was to measure the frequency of ED presentation and hospitalisation among COPD patients and to estimate the costs resulting from such care utilisation. Methods: This was a causal-comparative non-experimental research design conducted in three regional hospitals between 2016 and 2018. Two different original data sets were used: an automated hospital data set and an audit of patient charts. Secondary cost data were also used. Data were analysed using Pearson's χ test to estimate the relationship between several patient and treatment-related characteristics. Results: There were 5253 patient presentations at ED and hospital length of stay data were available for 5079 COPD patients. The total cost of hospital stays was $42.14 million for the time period and the mean average cost was $8297 for ED patients who were admitted to hospital. Factors significantly associated with hospital length of stay were age and time spent in the ED. Noticeably, one (51.7%) in two COPD patients were discharged from ED (all destinations) within 4 h irrespective of their triage category. Conclusions: COPD patient presentation to ED and admission to hospital is an expensive method of providing healthcare to manage this chronic condition. Clinical practitioners and policy makers need to develop and implement optimal integrated care management systems to reduce this hospitalisation rate and reduce the societal costs associated with COPD patient management.

Background This paper provides empirical evidence on how the relationship between health expenditure and health outcomes varies across countries at different income levels. Method Heterogeneity and cross-section dependence were controlled for in the panel data which consist of 161 countries over the period 1995–2014. Infant, under-five and maternal mortality along with life expectancy at birth were selected as health outcome measures. Cross-sectional augmented IPS unit root, panel autoregressive distributed lag, Dumitrescu-Hurlin and Toda-Yamamoto approach to Granger causality tests were used to investigate the relationship across four income groups. An impulse response function modelled the impact on health outcomes of negative shocks to health expenditure. Results The results indicate that the health expenditure and health outcome link is stronger for low-income compared to high-income countries. Moreover, rising health expenditure can reduce child mortality but has an insignificant relationship with maternal mortality at all income levels. Lower-income countries are more at risk of adverse impact on health because of negative shocks to health expenditure. Variations in child mortality are better explained by rising health expenditure than maternal mortality. However, the estimated results showed dissimilarity when different assumptions and methods were used. Conclusion The influence of health expenditure on health outcome varies significantly across different income levels except for maternal health. Policymakers should recognize that increasing spending has a minute potential to improve maternal health. Lastly, the results vary significantly due to income level, choice of assumptions (homogeneity, cross-section independence) and estimation techniques used. Therefore, findings of the cross-country panel studies should be interpreted with cautions.

Background Overweight and obesity impose a significant health burden in Australia, predominantly the middle-aged and older adults. Studies of the association between obesity and chronic diseases are primarily based on cross-sectional data, which is insufficient to deduce a temporal relationship. Using nationally representative panel data, this study aims to investigate whether obesity is a significant risk factor for type 2 diabetes, heart diseases, asthma, arthritis, and depression in Australian middle-aged and older adults. Methods Longitudinal data comprising three waves (waves 9, 13 and 17) of the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey were used in this study. This study fitted longitudinal random-effect logistic regression models to estimate the between-person differences in the association between obesity and chronic diseases. Results The findings indicated that obesity was associated with a higher prevalence of chronic diseases among Australian middle-aged and older adults. Obese adults (Body Mass Index [BMI] ≥ 30) were at 12.76, 2.05, 1.97, 2.25, and 1.96, times of higher risks of having type 2 diabetes (OR: 12.76, CI 95%: 8.88–18.36), heart disease (OR: 2.05, CI 95%: 1.54–2.74), asthma (OR: 1.97, CI 95%: 1.49–2.62), arthritis (OR: 2.25, 95% CI: 1.90–2.68) and depression (OR: 1.96, CI 95%: 1.56–2.48), respectively, compared with healthy weight counterparts. However, the study did not find any evidence of a statistically significant association between obesity and cancer. Besides, gender stratified regression results showed that obesity is associated with a higher likelihood of asthma (OR: 2.64, 95% CI: 1.84–3.80) among female adults, but not in the case of male adults. Conclusion Excessive weight is strongly associated with a higher incidence of chronic disease in Australian middle-aged and older adults. This finding has clear public health implications. Health promotion programs and strategies would be helpful to meet the challenge of excessive weight gain and thus contribute to the prevention of chronic diseases.

Wild plants are considered the richest source of essential nutrients and other beneficial phytochemicals. Hence, the objective of this study was to evaluate the nutritional composition, antioxidant- and &alpha, amylase inhibition activities of leaves and roots of selected Bangladeshi wild plants. These wild plants were found to have high fiber (13.78&ndash, 22.26 g/100 g), protein (7.08&ndash, 21.56 g/100 g) and ash (8.21&ndash, 21.43 g/100 g) contents. The total phenolic and total flavonoid contents were significantly higher in the leaves than the roots. Additionally, antioxidant activity was evaluated using ferric-reducing antioxidant power, 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) and trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity assays and was strongly correlated with phenolic compounds. The leaf extracts of the selected plants also exhibited potent &alpha, amylase inhibition (~71%) and were significantly higher than their root counterparts. Thus, the study findings concluded that the investigated plants were good sources of fiber, protein, mineral, natural antioxidant compounds and &alpha, amylase inhibitors, and their increased intake could provide health benefits. The principal component analysis (PCA) of analyzed variables divided the samples into three clear groups, and the first two principal components accounted for 86.05% of the total data set variance.

Background This study aimed to examine the healthcare-seeking (hospital, primary and preventive care) and healthcare utilisation behaviour of patients with private health insurance (PHI) in Australia. It also aimed to examine the socioeconomic, demographic and lifestyle factors that influence the choice of hospital care in Australia. Method A logistic regression model with repeated measure t-test and Pearson’s Chi-square test were used to identify the factors that affect the choice of care. Data from waves 9 (2009) and 13 (2013) of the nationally-representative Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey were used in the analysis. Results Patients with PHI had a higher number of hospital nights’ stay despite having a lower number of hospital admissions than those without private cover. Significant disparities were identified in preventive and specialist care use between patients with cover and without cover. No significant variations were observed in healthcare utilisation for PHI patients before and after dropping PHI. One in four patients chose to use public hospitals despite holding PHI cover. Moreover, those insured and from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and those who were younger and without long-term health conditions showed a higher probability of selecting public rather than private care. Conclusions It is evident that PHI cover encourages people to use private care. However, a considerable number of PHI patients are using public care, even though eligible for private care may indicate consumer information asymmetry.

Nowadays, more attention has been paid on wild plants as new source of natural antioxidants. Therefore, methanolic extracts of 10 traditionally consumed wild leafy vegetables of Bangladesh were analyzed for their total phenolic content (TPC) and free radical scavenging activity. Folin-Ciocalteu method followed by spectrophotometric measurement was used to quantify the TPC of the selected wild leafy vegetables. Free radical scavenging activity was examined utilizing 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) assay. Different concentrations of the plant extract were applied to ascertain the dose response relationship in inhibiting DPPH free radical. The results revealed that the TPC ranged from 102.20 to 710.42 mg GAE/100g dry weight (DW). The highest TPC was observed in Bauhinia acuminata (Shetokanchan) while Leucas aspera (Shetodhron) exhibited the lowest TPC among the undertaken vegetables. The studied samples proportionately inhibited DPPH with increasing concentrations. At high concentration (500 µg.mL-1), the percentage inhibition of DPPH radical by plant extract ranged from 68.1 ±2.65 % to 93.1 ±1.23 %. The highest DPPH radical inhibition was observed in Bauhinia acuminata (Shetokanchan) (93.10 ±1.23 %), followed by Commelina benghalensis (Bat baittashak) (91.97 ±1.31 %), Hydrocotyle sibthorpiodes L. (Sakumubakla) (91.83 ±2.13 %). The lowest DPPH radical inhibition among the studied samples was observed in Leucas aspera (Shetodhron) (68.1 ±2.65 %). IC50 values measured by DPPH assay in this study ranged from 11.64 to 313.79 µg.mL-1. The study findings indicated that the samples under study possesses strong activity against DPPH, and thus could be used as natural antioxidants in the food and/or pharmaceutical industry.

This literature review systematically examines the effect of COVID-19 lockdowns on pollutant concentrations in China by synthesising the reported evidence. Following PRISMA guidelines, we used predefined eligibility criteria to search the databases of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and EBSCO Host for peer-reviewed published literature that investigated the nexus between COVID-19 and air quality in China. After screening the titles, abstracts and full texts of the retrieved results, two reviewers independently evaluated the relevant data. 35 of 508 studies met our criteria. The majority of the eligible studies reported data from central China (e.g., Wuhan and Hubei Province), and the most frequently measured air pollutant was nitrogen dioxide (NO2; 51 values in 28 studies), followed by fine particulate matter (PM2.5; 49 values in 26 studies). We found evidence of a substantial reduction in air pollution immediately after lockdown measures were implemented, with traffic-related NO2 exhibiting the largest decrease. The reported reductions in air pollution varied by region and period. Specifically, urban, industrial and highly populated areas of China experienced greater improvements in air quality than rural, residential and less populated areas. Additionally, owing to meteorological factors, the effects differed between inland and coastal regions. However, despite the changes, the pollutant concentrations in many regions (e.g., Beijing, where PM2.5 and PM10 levels remained above 100 μg m−3) still exceeded the World Health Organization (WHO)’s 24-hour mean guidelines (e.g., 25 μg m−3 and 50 μg m−3 for PM2.5 and PM10, respectively). Without the support of adaptive environmental strategies, the recent gains in air quality will be unsustainable.

Wild edible plants are recently recognized as an important source of acquiring macro and micro nutrients beneficial for human health. Hence, the present study was undertaken to assess the antidiabetic and antioxidant potentials, polyphenolic profile, - as well as the ascorbic acid, proximate and mineral compositions of five selected Bangladeshi wild plants. The studied samples were rich in ash, fiber, protein, vitamin C and low in fat. The undertaken plant samples were found to have good amounts of total phenolic, total flavonoid, and antioxidant capacities, documented by DPPH, FRAP, and TEAC assays. They also exhibited varying spectrum of polyphenols estimated by HPLC. Significant inhibition of α-amylase activity by plant extracts was also observed. Evaluation by principal component analysis revealed clear separation among the wild plant varieties. The study findings would enrich the food composition table of Bangladesh and allow the population to consume more wild plants and increase their production.

Background In the literature, measuring health outcomes usually entails examining one dependent variable using cross-sectional data. Using a combination of mortality and morbidity variables, this study developed a new, richer measure of health outcome. Using the health outcome index, this study investigated the impacts of income inequality, levels of ethnic diversity and information and communication technology (ICT) development on health using panel data. Methods Partial least squares regression based on a structural equation model is used to construct a health outcome index for 30 OECD countries over the period of 2004 to 2015 using SmartPLS software. Then, panel corrected standard errors estimation and pooled ordinary least square regression with Driscoll and Kraay standard errors approaches were used to investigate the key determinants of health outcomes. Both methods are efficient when the panel data is heteroscedastic and the errors are cross-sectional dependent. Results Income inequality, level of ethnic diversity and development in ICT access and use have an adverse effect on health outcomes, however, development in ICT skills has a significant positive impact. Moreover, OECD countries with a higher percentage of publicly funded healthcare showed better public health compared to countries where the percentage is smaller. Finally, rising incomes, development of technologies and tertiary education are key determinants for improving health outcomes. Conclusions The results indicate that countries with higher levels of income inequality and more ethnically diverse populations have lower levels of health outcomes. Policymakers also need to recognise the adverse effect of ICT use on public health and the benefits of public healthcare expenditure. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12992-018-0385-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Herbal drugs are widely used in the primary health care system now-a-days and the use is increasing day by day. Thus extensive research to confirm the bioactivity of plant extract is very essential. The aim of this research was to determine the antitumor and cytotoxic actions of solvent-solvent partitioned fraction (n-hexane, ethyl acetate and hydro-methanol) of the methanol extract of root of Tremaorientalis. The antitumor activity of different fractions of plant extract was evaluated by potatodisc bioassay method where Agrobacterium tumefaciens was used to induce tumor on potato disc. On the other hand, the cytotoxic effect was determined by brine shrimp lethality bioassay technique. The ethyl acetate fraction of the plant extract showed 35.51% and 62.89% inhibition of tumor formation in potato disc bioassay method at 50 µg/disc and 100 µg/disc respectively. The hydro-methanol extract showed 37.51% inhibition of tumor formation at 100 µg/disc while at 50 µg/disc no significant inhibition was observed. In contrast, n-hexane fraction did not show any antitumor activity. In cytotoxic study by brine shrimp lethality bioassay, the lethal concentration-50 (LC50) value of the n-hexane, ethyl acetate and hydro-methanol fraction was 1377.03 µg/ml, 11.67 µg/ml and 48.62 µg/ml respectively. Ethyl acetate and hydro-methanol fractions of the solvent-solvent partitioned methanol extract of T. orientalis showed high antitumor and cytotoxic effect. These fractions are highly promising for further exploration to identify the bioactive compounds.

The objective of this study was to characterize and compare the tissue-associated differences in the fatty acid profiles of intramuscular and subcutaneous fat from pasture fed nondescript deshi breed bulls of Bangladesh. The average chemical composition of thelongissimusmuscle was as follows: moisture74.65±0.48%, protein21.55±0.83%, intramuscular fat2.78±0.28%, and ash1.02±0.03%. There was significant evidence that the lipids oflongissimusmuscle from the nondescript deshi bulls had a lower content of saturated fatty acids (SFA), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and a higher content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) compared to subcutaneous fat. Intramuscular fat also showed the highest PUFA/SFA and∑n-6/∑n-3fatty acids ratios and total n-3 and n-6 PUFAs compared to subcutaneous tissue depots. Overall findings suggest that the meat from pasture fed nondescript deshi breed can be considered as lean meat and healthy for human consumption.