Search

Background: Propofol, the most frequently used intravenous anaesthetic, is used for induction, maintenance of anaesthesia and for sedation in patients scheduled for routine elective surgical procedure. Pain on propofol injection still remains a considerable concern for the anaesthesiologist. Objective: Aim of this study was to observe the efficacy of metoclopramide as pretreatment for the prevention of pain caused by the propofol injection in patients undergoing elective surgery under general anaesthesia. Materials and method: A total of 80 patients were taken up in the study in the age group of 20 to 50 years of either sex, ASA grade I/II, scheduled for routine elective surgical procedure under general anesthesia with endotracheal intubation and using propofol as induction agent. The patients enrolled were divided randomly into two groups of 40 patients each. Group A received 10 mg metoclopramide IV diluted in 5 ml saline. Group B received 5 ml of normal saline as placebo before propofol injection. The patients were asked to report their pain according to the scale provided to them in the form of none, mild, moderate and severe after injection of propofol. Results: The overall incidence and severity of pain were significantly less in Group A (metoclopramide group) than in group B (placebo group) (p< 0.05). The incidence of mild and moderate pain in Group A versus group B was 15% vs 45% and 5% vs 25% respectively (p

Background: Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is a common complication of anesthesia and surgery. Numerous anti-emetics have been studied to prevent and treat PONV. Methods: This study evaluated the antiemetic efficacy, cost-effectiveness and clinical utility of prophylactic dexamethasone and ondansetron compared with placebo in prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting after ENT surgery in 90 patients. Results: The incidence of PONV was significantly greater in placebo group than dexamethasone group and ondansetron group (p0.05. The incidence of early (0-6 h) PONV was significantly lower in dexamethasone group and ondansetron group than the placebo group (p 0.05). The incidence of PONV in the late postoperative period (6-24 h) was significantly lower in the dexamethasone group (3.33%) than the ondansetron group (23.33%) P

Drought is considered to be one of the most devastating natural hazards, causing widespread environmental and social damage in many parts of the world. Using standardized precipitation index, this work has assessed changes in the severity–area–frequency (SAF) relationship curve of seasonal droughts in Bangladesh. Changes were estimated for mild, moderate, severe and extreme droughts for the four climatic seasons; winter, pre-monsoon, monsoon, post-monsoon, and for the two major growing seasons; rabi (November to April) and kharif (May to October). Nineteen general circulation models (GCMs) of Couple Model Intercomparison Project 5 were used. The model output statistics approach was used to downscale GCM simulated rainfall for eighteen climate stations in Bangladesh. Changes in the SAF curve were computed for three periods (2010–2039, 2040–2069 and 2070–2099). The uncertainty band of the SAF relationship curve was then computed using the Bayesian bootstrap method at the 95% confidence level. The results reveal that moderate and severe drought categories have the highest return period and are likely to affect the region more than other types of droughts. The kharif season drought was found to be most pronounced and affected significant portions of the country during all return periods and severity categories. Projections also show that monsoon and kharif droughts would increase across Bangladesh in regards of severity and return period. Higher return period droughts were also projected to increase in aerial extent in the middle of this century (2040–2069).

Groundwater resource plays a crucial role for agricultural crop production and socio-economic development in some parts of the world including Bangladesh. Joypurhat district, the northwest part of Bangladesh, a crop production hub, is entirely dependent on groundwater irrigation. A precise assessment and prediction of groundwater level (GWL) can assist long-term GWR management, especially in drought-prone agricultural regions. Therefore, this study was carried out to identify trends and magnitude of GWL fluctuation (1980-2019) using the Modified Mann- Kendall test, Pettitt’s Test, and Sen Slope estimators in the drought-prone Joypurhat district, northwest Bangladesh. Time-series data analysis was performed to forecast GWL from 2020 to 2050 using the Auto-Regressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) model. The findings of the MMK test revealed a significant declining trend of GWL, and the trend turning points were identified in the years 1991, 1993, 1997, and 2004, respectively. Results also indicate that the declining rate of GWL varied from 0.104 m/yr to 0.159 m/yr and the average rate of GWL declination was 0.136 m/yr during 1980-2019. The outcomes of wavelet spectrum analysis depicted two significant periods of the declining trend in Khetlal and Akkelpur Upazilas. The results obtained from the optimal identified model ARIMA (2,1,0), indicating that GWL will decline at a depth of 13.76 m in 2050, and the average declination rate of GWL will be 0.143 m/yr in the study area. The predicted results showed a similar declining tendency of GWL from 2020 to 2050, suggesting a disquieting condition, particularly for Khetlal Upazila. This research would provide a practical approach for GWL assessment and prediction that could help decision-makers implement long-term GWR management in the study area.

Background and aim of study: Propofol is a commonly used drug for general anesthesia. It can irritate the skin, mucous membrane and venous intima. The main drawback is the pain during intravenous injection. Aim of this prospective randomized study is to observe the efficacy of intravenous dexmedetomidine as pretreatment for the prevention of pain caused by the propofol injection. Methods: A total of 80 adult patients were selected in this study with either sex, ASA (American Society of Anesthesiologists) grade I and II, scheduled for routine elective surgical procedure under general anesthesia. The patients enrolled were divided randomly into two groups of 40 patients each. Group received 0.25 mcg of intravenous dexmedetomidine in 5 ml. Group II (placebo group) received 5 ml of 0.9% intravenous normal saline one minute before injection of propofol. The patients were asked to report their pain during injection of propofol according to the McCririck and Hunter scale. Results: The incidence of pain experienced in dexmedetomidine group was 35% patients and in saline group was 70% patients (p

Post-operative airway symptoms specially postoperative sore throat (POST) can be troublesome to patients following an uneventful general anesthesia with endotracheal intubation. Ninety ASA I and II informed consenting patients aged 20-50 years were recruited and randomly allocated into three groups of 30 each. The outer surface of the tracheal tubes used in intubating patients were lubricated with 0.05% betamethasone gel for group B, 2% lignocaine jelly for group L from the distal tip of the tube to the 15 cm mark and group C without lubrication. The incidence and severity of sore throat was then assessed at 1 hour, 6 hours and 24 hours during postoperative period. At 24 hours following extubation, there was a statistically significant lower incidence of POST in group B compared to other two groups. (group B= 6.66% vs group L= 33.33% vs group C= 40%, p0.05. It could be concluded that 0.05% betamethasone gel applied widely over endotracheal tube effectively reduces postoperative sore throat in comparison with 2% lignocaine jelly application. Faridpur Med. Coll. J. Jul 2018;13(2): 58-61

The objectives of this study were to: (1) evaluate possible deviations in annual and seasonal maximum (Tmx) and minimum (Tmn) temperatures, and, (2) determine the spatial pattern of these temperature changes. The study used statistical downscaling of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) global climate models (GCMs) under four representative concentration pathway (RCP) scenarios. Perfect prognosis statistical downscaling models, based on support vector machine (SVM), were developed for this purpose. Biases in the GCM simulations were corrected using quantile mapping (QM) and the data were then used to determine future temperature scenarios at different locations within Bangladesh. For most of the GCMs, the mean bias was close to zero and the Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency was above 0.58 for the downscaled temperature. Non-parametric hypothesis tests showed equality in median, distribution and variance values of the observed and downscaled temperature for all GCMs. Temperature projections from the models revealed an increase in Tmx by 1.3–2.3 °C, 1.3–2.9 °C, 1.5–3.1 °C, and 2.2–4.3 °C, and Tmn by 1.8–3.0 °C, 2.1–4.2 °C, 2.4–4.5 °C, and 3.2–5.1 °C under the four RCPs during the 2070–2099 period when compared with the 1971–2000 period. The greatest increase in Tmx and Tmn was found in the more northern regions and the lowest increase was found in the southeast coastal region. Tmn tended to increase in winter, while Tmx increased predominantly during summer. Uncertainty in the temperature projections was found to be greater during the latter part of the century. The rapid rise in temperature predicted for the northern part of Bangladesh (which is historically prone to temperature extremes) may cause an increase in the frequency of temperature-related extremes in this region.

a

Main text The CCQM-K148.a comparison was coordinated by the BIPM on behalf of the CCQM Organic Analysis Working Group for NMIs and DIs which provide measurement services in organic analysis under the CIPM MRA. It was undertaken as a "Track A" comparison within the OAWG strategic plan. CCQM-K148.a demonstrates capabilities for assigning the mass fraction content of a solid organic compound having moderate molecular complexity, where the compound has a molar mass in the range (75 - 500) g/mol and is non-polar (pKow < −2), when present as the primary organic component in a neat organic solid and where the mass fraction content of the primary component in the material is in excess of 950 mg/g. Participants were required to report the mass fraction of Bisphenol A present in one supplied unit of the comparison material. Participants using a mass balance method for the assignment were also required to report their assignments of the impurity components present in the material. Methods used by the seventeen participating NMIs or DIs were predominantly based on either stand-alone mass balance (summation of impurities) or qNMR approaches, or the combination of data obtained using both methods. The results obtained using thermal methods based on freezing-point depression methods were also reported by a limited number of participants. There was excellent agreement between assignments obtained using all three approaches to assign the BPA content. The assignment of the values for the mass fraction content of BPA consistent with the KCRV was achieved by most of the comparison participants with an associated relative standard uncertainty in the assigned value in the range (0.1 - 0.5)%. To reach the main text of this paper, click on Final Report. Note that this text is that which appears in Appendix B of the BIPM key comparison database https://www.bipm.org/kcdb/. The final report has been peer-reviewed and approved for publication by the CCQM, according to the provisions of the CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement (CIPM MRA).

4,6-Dimethoxy-2-substituted-benzimidazoles undergo formylation, acylation, nitration and bromination at C7. The 7-carbaldehydes can be reduced to the corresponding hydroxymethyl compounds. Benzimidazole-2-carbaldehydes can be prepared by oxidation of 2-methyl- and 2-styryl-benzimidazoles. N-Methylation and N-allylation have also been investigated and lead to isomeric mixtures of 4,6- and 5,7-dimethoxybenzimidazoles. In general the nucleophilic capacity of the activated benzimidazoles is weaker than that of the related activated indoles, but still provides synthetic routes to a range of new heterocyclic structures.

A copula-based methodology is presented in this study for bivariate flood frequency analysis of Kelantan river basin located in Northeast Malaysia. The joint dependence structures of three flood characteristics, namely, peak flow (Q), flood volume (V) and flood duration (D) were modelled using t-Copula. Various univariate distribution functions of flood variables were fitted with observed flood variables to find the best distributions. Cumulative joint distribution functions (CDF) of peak flow and volume (Q-F), peak flow and duration (Q-D) and volume and duration (V-D) revealed that return period of joint return periods are much higher compared to univariate return period. The joint probabilities of occurrence of 0.8, 0.6, 0.4, 0.2 and 0 can be expected when flood duration greater than 65 h, 54 h, 46 h, and 32 h, and the flood volume higher than 0.62 km3, 0.33 km3, 0.25 km3, and 0.22 km3 respectively.

A copula based methodology is presented in this study for bivariate flood frequency analysis over a station over a Kelantan river basin located in Northeast Malaysia. The joint dependence structures of three flood characteristics, namely, peak flow, flood volume and flood duration were modelled using Gumble Copula. Various univariate distribution functions of flood variables were fitted with observed flood variables to find the best distributions (eg. generalized pareto, log-normal, exponential, gamma distribution, weibull, gumbel, cauchy). The results of study revealed that different variable fits with different distributions and the correlation analysis among variables showed a strong association. Cumulative joint distribution functions (CDF) of peakflow and volume, peakflow and duration and volume and duration revealed that return period of joint return periods are much higher.

The Objective of the Present Study is to Characterize Extreme Droughts during Monsoon (June to September) when Rain-Fed Crops are Grown in Bangladesh. Fifty Years (1963-2012) Rainfall Data Recorded at Twenty-Nine Stations in Bangladesh is Analysed Using Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) to Reconstruct the Historical Droughts during Monsoon with Various Severities. the Extreme Droughts Events are Identified from the Reconstructed SPI Time Series and their Distribution in Time is Recognized by Fitting Various Frequency Distribution Curves. Finally, the Best Fitted Distribution is Used to Calculate the Return Periods of Extreme Droughts. the Results Show that Extreme Droughts during Monsoon Occur once in Every 18 Years in Northwest Bangladesh. it is Expected that the Study will Help in Planning Adaptation Strategies to Mitigate the Impacts of the Droughts.

Drought is one of the most frequent natural disasters in Bangladesh which severely affect agro-based economy and people's livelihood in almost every year. Characterization of droughts in a systematic way is therefore critical in order to take necessary actions toward drought mitigation and sustainable development. In this study, standardized precipitation index is used to understand the spatial distribution of meteorological droughts during various climatic seasons such as premonsoon, monsoon, and winter seasons as well as cropping seasons such as Pre-Kharif (March-May), Kharif (May-October), and Rabi (December-February). Rainfall data collected from 29 rainfall gauge stations located in different parts of the country were used for a period of 50 years (1961-2010). The study reveals that the spatial characteristics of droughts vary widely according to season. Premonsoon droughts are more frequent in the northwest, monsoon droughts mainly occur in the west and northwest, winter droughts in the west, and the Rabi and Kharif droughts are more frequent in the north andnorthwest of Bangladesh. It is expected that the findings of the study will support drought monitoring and mitigation activities in Bangladesh.

An interlaboratory comparison (ILC) was conducted to evaluate the proficiency of multiple laboratories to quantify dimethylsulfide (DMS) in aqueous solution. Ten participating laboratories were each supplied with blind duplicate test solutions containing dimethylsulfoniopropionate hydrochloride (DMSP HCl) dissolved in acidified artificial seawater. The test solutions were prepared by the coordinating laboratory from a DMSP HCl reference material that was synthesized and purity certified for this purpose. A concentration range was specified for the test solutions and the participating laboratories were requested to dilute them as required for their analytical procedure, together with the addition of excess alkali under gas-tight conditions to convert the DMSP to DMS. Twenty-two DMS concentrations and their estimated expanded measurement uncertainties (95% confidence level) were received from the laboratories. With two exceptions, the within-laboratory variability was 5% or less and the between-laboratory variability was ~ 25%. The magnitude of expanded measurement uncertainties reported from all participants ranged from 1% to 33% relative to the result. The information gained from this pilot ILC indicated the need for further test sample distribution studies of this type so that participating laboratories can identify systematic errors in their analysis procedures and realistically evaluate their measurement uncertainty. The outcome of ILC studies provides insights into the comparability of data in the global surface seawater DMS database.

Quantitative NMR spectroscopy (qNMR) has been examined for purity assessment using a range of organic calibration standards of varying structural complexities, certified using the traditional mass balance approach. Demonstrated equivalence between the two independent purity values confirmed the accuracy of qNMR and highlighted the benefit of using both methods in tandem to minimise the potential for hidden bias, thereby conferring greater confidence in the overall purity assessment. A comprehensive approach to purity assessment is detailed, utilising, where appropriate, multiple peaks in the qNMR spectrum, chosen on the basis of scientific reason and statistical analysis. Two examples are presented in which differences between the purity assignment by qNMR and mass balance are addressed in different ways depending on the requirement of the end user, affording fit-for-purpose calibration standards in a cost-effective manner.

Significant manifestations of adverse effects of climate change exist for crop agriculture throughout the developing world including Bangladesh. Despite wheat being the second most important staple food, any rigorous analysis of its sensitivity to climate change remains an unexplored area of research. This paper fills this gap by investigating wheat yield sensitivity to climate change over time and across climatic zones using 45-year district level panel data. Results revealed rising trends in average seasonal temperature and number of seasonal dry days and downward trends in planting and flowering stage rainfall. The rise in average temperature and number of dry days adversely affected wheat yield while greater planting and flowering stage rainfall has improved yield. Significant variations across regions and a positive trend over time were evident. The study’s policy implications are explored in terms of the potential to expand wheat cultivation and its role in achieving SDG 2 regarding food security and SDG 6 concerning sustainable water management. Strengthening institutional support systems, market accessibility, science-driven climate change adaptations - including generation and dissemination of drought tolerant wheat varieties and enhancing farmers’ capacity to switch from rice to wheat, constitute key areas of policy intervention critically important for achieving SDG 2 and SDG 6.

Droughts are more damaging when they occur during crop growing season. This research assessed the spatial distribution of drought risks to crops in Bangladesh. Catastrophe theory-based weighting method was used to estimate drought hazard, exposure, and risk by avoiding potential human bias. Ten major crops, including eight different types of rice, wheat, and potato, were selected for evaluation of drought risk. Results showed that 32.4%, 27.2%, and 16.2% of land in Bangladesh is prone to extreme Kharif (May-October), Rabi (November-April), and pre-Kharif (March-May) droughts, respectively. Among the major crops, Hybrid Boro rice cultivated in 18.2% of the area is found to be highly vulnerable to droughts, which is followed by High Yield Varity (HYV) Boro (16.9%), Transplant Aman (16.4%), HYV Aman (14.1%), and Basic Aman (12.4%) rice. Hybrid Boro rice in 12 districts, different varieties of Aman rice in 10 districts, and HYV Boro rice in 9 districts, mostly located in the north and northwest of Bangladesh, are exposed to high risk of droughts. High frequency of droughts and use of more land for agriculture have made the region highly prone to droughts. The methodology adopted in this study can be utilized for unbiased estimation of drought risk in agriculture in order to adopt necessary risk reduction measures.

Three transfer function based statistical downscaling namely, linear regression model (LM), generalized linear model (GLM), generalized additive model (GAM) have been developed to assess their performance in downscaling monthly rainfall. Previous studies reported that performance of downscaling model depends on climate region and characteristics of climatic variable being downscaled. This has motivated to assess the performance of these three statistical downscaling models to identify most suitable model for downscaling monthly rainfall in the East coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Assessment of model performance using standard statistical measures revealed that LM model performs best in downscaling monthly precipitation in the study area. The Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) for LM was found always greater than 0.9 and 0.7 with predictor set selected using stepwise multiple regression method during model calibration and validation, respectively. The finding opposes the general conception of better performance of non-linear models compared to linear models in downscaling rainfall. The near normal distribution of monthly rainfall in the tropical region has made the LM model much stronger compared to other models which assume that distribution of dependent variable is not normal.

Reliable projection of future rainfall in Bangladesh is very important for the assessment of possible impacts of climate change and implementation of necessary adaptation and mitigation measures. Statistical downscaling methods are widely used for downscaling coarse resolution general circulation model (GCM) output at local scale. Selection of predictors and their spatial domain is very important to facilitate downscaling future climate projected by GCMs. The present paper reports the finding of the study conducted to identify the GCM predictors and demarcate their climatic domain for statistical downscaling in Bangladesh at local or regional scale. Twenty-six large scale atmospheric variables which are widely simulated GCM predictors from 45 grid points around the country were analysed using various statistical methods for this purpose. The study reveals that large-scale atmospheric variables at the grid points located in the central-west part of Bangladesh have the highest influence on rainfall. It is expected that the finding of the study will help different meteorological and agricultural organizations of Bangladesh to project rainfall and temperature at local scale in order to provide various agricultural or hydrological services.

Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh is considered as one of the most vulnerable cities of the world to climate change. A study has been carried out to assess the historical changes as well as future changes in the climate of Dhaka city in order to propose necessary mitigation and adaptation measures. Statistical downscaling model (SDSM) was used for the projection of future changes in daily rainfall and temperature and non-parametric trend analysis was used to assess the changes in rainfall, temperature and related extremes. The impacts of projected changes in climate on urban infrastructure and livelihood in Dhaka city was finally assessed to propose necessary adaptation measures. The study revealed that night time temperature in Dhaka city has increased significantly at a rate of 0.22ºC/decade in last fifty year, which is support to increase continually in the future. Different temperature related extreme events are also found to increase significantly in Dhaka. On the other hand, no significant change in rainfall or rainfall related extremes are observed. Therefore, it can be remarked that imminent impacts of climate change will be due to the increase in temperature and temperature related extremes. The public health and the water and energy supply are likely to be imminent affected sector in the city due to climate change.

The east coast of Peninsular Malaysia is one of the most vulnerable regions of Malaysia to hydrological disasters, which is believed to become more vulnerable due to climate change. Studies to have better understandings of the hydrological processes in the region are therefore, of paramount importance for disaster risk mitigation. However, unavailability of long-term river discharge data is one of the major constraints of hydrologic studies in the area. The major objective of this study is to predict river discharge in ungauged river basins in the study area. For this purpose, a set of multiple linear regression equations and exponential functions have been developed, which are expressed in the forms of multivariate equations. Available streamflow data along with other catchment characteristics from gauged catchments were used to develop the equations and were subsequently applied to the poorly gauged or ungauged catchments within the study area for prediction of streamflow. In this present study, 4 to 7 explanatory variables were selected as the input variables, which comprise of climatic, geomorphologic, geographic characteristics, soil properties, land use pattern and land cover of the area. Ten flow metrics as maximum, 0.05, 0.10, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 0.90, and 0.95, mean and minimum were therefore predicted. Thus, the results of the developed multivariate equations revealed the model to be capable of predicting the desired flow metrics at ungauged catchments in the area under consideration with reasonable accuracy.

Picrorhiza kurrooa Royle. is a well known medicinal plant among the indigenous medical practitioners of India. Present study is the first time to report the activity on the central nervous system. Preliminary study of the hot water extract showed significant depressant activity on the hole board test as evidenced from the ambulation and head dipping scores. The extract showed better activity compared to diazepam on the duration of pentobarbital induced sleeping time.

SUMMARY In this present study Indian traditional Ayurvedic herbal formulation Amritaristo has been studiedto assess the general pharmacological effect on mice. The drug showed no significant activity on theneuropharmacological test models experimented. The increased pentobarbital sleeping time wasconsidered related with hepatic metabolism of pentobarbital. The formulation exhibited a non-significant reduction of gastrointestinal motility, and devoid of any acute diuretic activity. Thetested drug revealed antidiarrhoeal activity on castor oil-induced model, whereas on magnesiumsulphate-induced model no effect was observed. Key words: Amritaristo; Ayurveda; CNS; Diarrhoea; Gastrointestinal motility INTRODUCTION The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates,however, that one third of the world’s populationstill lacks regular access to essential drugs withfigure rising to over 50% in the poorest parts ofAfrica and Asia. Fortunately, in many developingcountries, traditional medicines offer a major andaccessible source of health care. WHO has thusfocused its attention in the traditional medicine orcomplementary and alternative medicine into thenational health care systems. WHO suggests researchon the traditional medicine or complementaryand alternative medicine to ensure the safety,efficacy and quality of them. The national healthpolicy of Bangladesh also has the objectives toencourage systematic improvement in thepractice of the indigenous system of medicine andfor utilizing the additional manpower available inthis sector. Particular attention should be given toscientific evaluation of indigenous and herbaldrugs (Chakraborty et al., 2006).Ayurvedic herbal medicines are the mostpopular form of alternative medicine beingpracticed in Bangladesh. Although tremendousprogress has taken place in the field of modernmedicine, but the practice and use of Ayurvedicmedicine is being continued throughout thecountry even today. Amritaristo is widely usedfor the treatment of fever and malaria (Anonymous,1991). The research work was performed toassess the general pharmacological effect ofAmritaristo in experimental mice.

SUMMARY Diarrhoea is a major health care problem in developing countries. Elettaria cardamomum Matonfruits, commonly known as cardamom are widely used for flavoring purposes in food. In thisstudy we evaluated the antidiarrhoeal activity of hot water extract of cardamom againstexperimental diarrhoeal models on mice. Cardamom extract showed significant antidiarrhoealactivity against castor oil and magnesium sulphate induced models. Whereas, the gastrointestinalmotility was slightly increased. Key words: Antidiarrhoeal; Cardamom; Elettaria cardamomu; Gastrointestinal INTRODUCTION In developing countries diarrhoea is a major publichealth problem and therefore it is important anduseful to identify plants with antidiarrhoealactivity. Diarrhoea ranks second to respiratorydiseases as the cause of non-surgical paediatricadmission and causes one fourth of the avoidabledeaths in hospitalized children. It is one of theleading causes of morbidity and mortality in allage groups, particularly in infants and childrenunder the age of three. The incidence of diarrhoealdiseases still remains high despite the efforts of anygovernments and international organizations (e.g.WHO) to curb it (Agbor et al., 2004).Cardamom, the fruits of Elettaria cardamomumMaton. (Zingiberaceae), are widely used forflavoring purposes in food and as carminative. InUnani system of medicine it is used to treatgastrointestinal disorders (Jamal et al., 2006).Despite its wide uses little information has beenreported on their pharmacological properties,which showed antioxidant (Hinneburg et al., 2006;Vasavada et al.., 2006) and anti-inflammatoryactivity (Al-Zuhair et al.., 1996). Antimicrobialactivity of cardamom was attributed to its essentialoil (Ramadan et al.., 1994; Garg and Jain, 2001).Recently, cardamom showed gastroprotective effectsagainst aspirin and ethanol induced lesions in rats(Jamal et al., 2006). The seeds also showed activityagainst Helicobacter pylori (Nostro et al.., 2005).Cardamom is usually added to the food preparations

SUMMARY A well known Ayurvedic formulation Ashokarista, used for menstrual disorders has beenstudied in a single blind randomised placebo controlled clinical trial for the treatment ofmenorrhagia and dysmenorrhoea. Dysmenorrhoea and menorrhagia patients who were takingAshokarista (20 ml twice daily) for 10 menstrual cycles had an increase in haemoglobin level.Menorrhagia treated group has shown to reduce the erythrocyte sedimentation rate level that hasbeen increased in the menorrhagia control group. The platelet count, total count and differentialcount were observed unchanged in the study. The Ashokarista did not affect the SGPT and SGOTlevel, which signify its lack of toxicity in hepatic function. The treated menorrhagic patientsshowed an increase in serum albumin content and decrease in blood clotting time, whereas theserum protein content was observed unchanged. There was a significant increase in both serumcholesterol and triglyceride level, which usually associated with the use of oral contraceptives. Nomajor side effects were observed by the clinicians during the study.Key words: Ashokarista; Menorrhagia; Dysmenorrhoea; Saraca asoca; Clinical trial; Ayurvedic

The methanol extract of Xylocarpus granatum bark was studied for its antidiarrhoeal properties in experimental diarrhoea, induced by castor oil and magnesium sulphate in mice. At the doses of 250 and 500 mg/kg per oral, the methanol extract showed significant and dose-dependent antidiarrhoeal activity in both models. The extracts also significantly reduced the intestinal transit in charcoal meal test when compared to atropine sulphate (5 mg/kg; i.m.). The results showed that the extracts of Xylocarpus granatum bark have a significant antidiarrhoeal activity and supports its traditional uses in herbal medicine.

The purity determination of organic calibration standards using the traditional mass balance approach is described. Demonstrated examples highlight the potential for bias in each measurement and the need to implement an approach that provides a cross-check for each result, affording fit for purpose purity values in a timely and cost-effective manner. Chromatographic techniques such as gas chromatography with flame ionisation detection (GC-FID) and high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection (HPLC-UV), combined with mass and NMR spectroscopy, provide a detailed impurity profile allowing an efficient conversion of chromatographic peak areas into relative mass fractions, generally avoiding the need to calibrate each impurity present. For samples analysed by GC-FID, a conservative measurement uncertainty budget is described, including a component to cover potential variations in the response of each unidentified impurity. An alternative approach is also detailed in which extensive purification eliminates the detector response factor issue, facilitating the certification of a super-pure calibration standard which can be used to quantify the main component in less-pure candidate materials. This latter approach is particularly useful when applying HPLC analysis with UV detection. Key to the success of this approach is the application of both qualitative and quantitative (1)H NMR spectroscopy.

The methanol extract and residual methanol fraction of Excoecaria agallocha L. (Euphorbiaceae) stem bark was investigated in this study by wheat rootlet and shoot growth inhibition, and antimicrobial bioassay. The methanol extract and residual methanol fraction showed high inhibitory effect on both the wheat rootlet (82-89%) and shoot growth (85-90%) compared to control. The methanol extract showed a better and dose related inhibition on both the rootlet and shoot growth compared to residual methanol fraction. The value of methanol extract for rootlet and shoot were and , and of residual methanol fraction for rootlet and shoot were and . The methanol extract and residual methanol fraction did not show any antibacterial activity against the tested microorganisms of clinical isolates Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureous, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus vulgaris and Bacillus subtilis. The plant has the potential to be a source of novel cytotoxic compound(s).

From Sarcolobus globosus , two rotenoids (villosinol and 6-oxo-6 a ,12 a -dehydrodeguelin), one isoflavone (genistin) and four phenolic glycosides (vanillic acid 4- O -β- d -glucoside, glucosyringic acid, tachioside and isotachioside) were identified for the first time from this species. Extracts and compounds from S. globosus were evaluated for their DPPH radical scavenging and 15-lipoxygenase (15-LO) inhibitory activities. All tested rotenoids were found to inhibit 15-LO, while they lacked DPPH radical scavenging effect.

Two triglycerides, both bearing polyunsaturated fatty acid residues, were isolated from the hexane extract of Urena lobata. One of them is characterized by the presence of three different polyunsaturated fatty acids. Their structures were studied with spectral methods.

The hot water extract of the seeds of Vernonia anthelmintica Kuntze (Compositae) in a dose of 10 ml/kg body weight of mice, showed significant analgesic activity on the hot plate analgesic method throughout the 4 h experimental period. The hole cross scores and the climbing out scores are of lower than the control animals. The hot water extract reduced the defecation in hole board study and significantly reduces the exploratory ambulation and head dipping behaviour. The seed also showed significant depressant activity on the exploratory ambulation of the open field scores. The drug decreased the spontaneous locomotion activity on brick-chip displacement method up to 45 min and also showed the ability to lessen the amphetamine induced hyperactivity up to 20 min. But it didn't show any effect on pentobarbital induced sleeping time test. The extract reduced gastrointestinal motility.

A battery of neuropharmacological experiments showed the hot water extract of Ocimum sanctum Linn. (Labiateae) had a depressant effect on the central nervous system (CNS), but the aqueous extract showed no effect on it. The hot water extract reduced the spontaneous locomotor activity, exploratory head dipping, propulsive locomotion and exploratory ambulation as well as prolonged the pentobarbital induced sleeping time. The depressant effect starts from 60 minutes after the drug administration and continued to 180 minutes. The drug may exert central depressant effect by interfering with the function of the cortex.

A wide variety of indoloisoquinoline derivatives are prepared from the acid-catalyzed cyclization of 3-amido-2-phenylindoles, which in turn were obtained from the Beckmann rearrangement of 2-phenylindole-3-oximes.

A versatile method for the synthesis of novel brominated 4-alkyl-2(5H)-furanones under mild reaction conditions is described. This synthetic strategy requires only one chromatographic separation over six steps and employs the cyclodehydration of brominated levulinic acid as the key transformation.

Diarrhoea is a common disease which causes pain and may be deadly, especially in developing countries. In Bangladesh, diarrhoeal diseases affect thousands of people every year, and children are especially vulnerable. Bacterial toxins or viral infections are the most common cause of the disease. The diarrhoea outbreaks are often associated with flood affected areas with contaminated drinking water and an increased risk of spreading the water-borne disease. Not surprisingly, plants found in the near surroundings have been taken into use by the local community as medicine to treat diarrhoeal symptoms. These plants are cheaper and more easily available than conventional medicine. Our question is: What is the level of documentation supporting the use of these plants against diarrhoea and is their consumption safe? Do any of these plants have potential for further exploration? In this review, we have choosen seven plant species that are used in the treatment of diarrhoea; Diospyros peregrina, Heritiera littoralis, Ixora coccinea, Pongamia pinnata, Rhizophora mucronata, Xylocarpus granatum, and Xylocarpus moluccensis. Appearance and geographical distribution, traditional uses, chemical composition, and biological studies related to antidiarrhoeal activity will be presented. This review reveals that there is limited scientific evidence supporting the traditional use of these plants. Most promising are the barks from D. peregrina, X. granatum and X. moluccensis which contain tannins and have shown promising results in antidiarrhoeal mice models. The leaves of P. pinnata also show potential. We suggest these plants should be exploited further as possible traditional herbal remedies against diarrhoea including studies on efficacy, optimal dosage and safety.

A wide variety of indoloisoquinoline derivatives are prepared from the acid-catalyzed cyclization of 3-amido-2-phenylindoles, which in turn were obtained from the Beckmann rearrangement of 2-phenylindole-3-oximes.

A versatile method for the synthesis of novel brominated 4-alkyl-2(5H)-furanones under mild reaction conditions is described. This synthetic strategy requires only one chromatographic separation over six steps and employs the cyclodehydration of brominated levulinic acid as the key transformation.

Dakin oxidation of 4,6-dimethoxyindole-7-carbaldehydes, using hydrogen peroxide and hydrochloric acid, results in the synthesis of 6-methoxy-4,7-indoloquinones. The starting materials are readily available through the activation of the indole C7 position by the presence of the methoxy groups. Structural variation is possible through functionalities at C2 and C3. A 2,2′-di-indolylmethane-7,7′-dicarbaldehyde can also be oxidized to a bisindoloquinone under these conditions. The related oxidation of indole-7-carbaldehydes with m -chloroperbenzoic acid or preferably magnesium monoperphthalate instead leads to oxidation at C2 to give indol-2-ones.