Quantification of ethnodietetic knowledge among noninstitutionally trained Siddha practitioners of Virudhunagar District, Tamil Nadu, India

Savarimuthu Ignacimuthu 한국식품연구원 2016 Journal of Ethnic Foods Vol.3 No.4

Background It is well known that diet plays a vital role in the pathogenesis, prevention, and management of diseases. In indigenous medical systems of India, diet is an integral component of treatment, and such knowledge is poorly documented. This study quantified the consensus about the dietary recommendations prescribed by the noninstitutionally trained Siddha practitioners of Virudhunagar District of Tamil Nadu, India. Methods After obtaining prior informed consent, 87 noninstitutionally trained Siddha practitioners were interviewed using the free-list method. The data were segregated into different groups and the consensus was analyzed using informant consensus factor (Fic). In the case of recommended diets, blood ailments, fever, hemorrhoids, male infertility, kapha, and dermatological ailments had high Fic values. In this group, 500 use-reports were recorded for the treatment of 27 illness categories. The fruits of Vitis vinifera (blood ailments), Panicum sumatrense (fever), and Amorphophallus paeoniifolius (hemorrhoids) were the highly recommended foods. In the case of restricted diets, dermatological ailments, jaundice, gastrointestinal, vadha, and blood ailments had high Fic values and 26 illness categories were reported with 368 citations. In this category, Solanum melongena (dermatological ailments), Tamarindus indica (jaundice and anemia), and Gallus gallus domesticus (gastrointestinal ailments) were the important restricted foods. Conclusion The results of this study indicated that a major portion of local knowledge, other than that of local uses of medicinal species, is still undocumented and underutilized. If the recommendations of dietary changes take the claims from local knowledge beyond scientific evidence, the rate of adherence may increase, since these recommendations have a traditional-brand identity. This study also warrants the need of scientific analyses in some cases.

RNA Interference as a Plausible Anticancer Therapeutic Tool

Ramachandran, Puthucode Venkatakrishnan,Ignacimuthu, Savarimuthu Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.6

RNA interference has created a breakthrough in gene silencing technology and there is now much debate on the successful usage of RNAi based methods in treating a number of debilitating diseases. Cancer is often regarded as a result of mutations in genomic DNA resulting in faulty gene expression. The occurrence of cancer can also be influenced by epigenetic irregularities in the chromatin structure which leads to alterations and mutations in DNA resulting in cancer cell formation. A number of therapeutic approaches have been put forth to treat cancer. Anti cancer therapy often involves chemotherapy targeting all the cells in common, whereby both cancer cells as well as normal cells get affected. Hence RNAi technology has potential to be a better therapeutic agent as it is possible to deactivate molecular targets like specific mutant genes. This review highlights the successful use of RNAi inducers against different types of cancer, thereby paving the way for specific therapeutic medicines.

Antinociceptive, Immunomodulatory and Antipyretic Activity of Nymphayol Isolated from Nymphaea stellata (Willd.) Flowers

( Subash Babu Pandurangan ),( Antony Samy Paul ),( Ignacimuthu Savarimuthu ),( Alshatwi A Ali ) 한국응용약물학회 2013 Biomolecules & Therapeutics(구 응용약물학회지) Vol.21 No.5

In the present study, we aimed to analyze the antinociceptive, immunomodulatory and antipyretic activities of nymphayol were investigated in wistar rats and mice. Antinociceptive effect was evaluated by acetic acid induced writhing, formalin induced paw licking and hot-plate tests. Immunomodulatory activity was assessed by neutrophil adhesion test, humoral response to sheep red blood cells, delayed-type hypersensitivity, phagocytic activity and cyclophosphamide induced myelosuppression. Antipyretic activity was evaluated by yeast induced hyperthermia in rats. Nymphayol produced signifi cant (p<0.05) antinociceptive activity in acetic acid induced writhing response and late phase of the formalin induced paw licking response. Pre-treatment with nymphayol (50 mg/kg, oral) evoked a signifi cant increase in neutrophil adhesion to nylon fi bres. The augmentation of humoral immune response to sheep red blood cells by nymphayol (50 mg/kg) was evidenced by increase in antibody titres in rats. Oral administration of nymphayol (50 mg/kg) to rats potentiated the delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction induced by sheep red blood cells. Treatment with nymphayol showed a signifi cant (p<0.05) reduction in pyrexia in rats. The results suggest that nymphayol possesses potent anti-nociceptive, immunomodulatory and antipyretic activities.

Ovicidal and Oviposition Deterrent Activities of Medicinal Plant Extracts Against Aedes aegypti L. and Culex quinquefasciatus Say Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae)

Appadurai Daniel Reegan,Munusamy Rajiv Gandhi,Micheal Gabriel Paulraj,Savarimuthu Ignacimuthu 질병관리본부 2015 Osong Public Health and Research Persptectives Vol.6 No.1

Objectives: To evaluate the ovicidal and oviposition deterrent activities of five medicinal plant extracts namely Aegle marmelos (Linn.), Limonia acidissima (Linn.), Sphaeranthus indicus (Linn.), Sphaeranthus amaranthoides (burm.f), and Chromolaena odorata (Linn.) against Culex quinquefasciatus and Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Three solvents, namely hexane, ethyl acetate, and methanol, were used for the preparation of extracts from each plant. Methods: Four different concentrations-62.5 parts per million (ppm), 125 ppm, 250 ppm, and 500 ppm-were prepared using acetone and tested for ovicidal and oviposition deterrent activities. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine the significance of the treatments and means were separated by Tukey’s test of comparison. Results: Among the different extracts of the five plants screened, the hexane extract of L. acidissima recorded the highest ovicidal activity of 79.2% and 60% at 500 ppm concentration against the eggs of Cx. quinquefasciatus and Ae. aegypti, respectively. Similarly, the same hexane extract of L. acidissima showed 100% oviposition deterrent activity at all the tested concentrations against Cx. quinquefasciatus and Ae. aegypti adult females. Conclusion: It is concluded that the hexane extract of L. acidissima could be used in an integrated mosquito management program.

Gastroprotective Activity of Violacein Isolated from <i>Chromobacterium violaceum</i> on Indomethacin-Induced Gastric Lesions in Rats: Investigation of Potential Mechanisms of Action

Antonisamy, Paulrayer,Kannan, Ponnusamy,Aravinthan, Adithan,Duraipandiyan, Veeramuthu,Valan Arasu, Mariadhas,Ignacimuthu, Savarimuthu,Abdullah Al-Dhabi, Naif,Kim, Jong-Hoon Hindawi Publishing Corporation 2014 The Scientific World Journal Vol.2014 No.-

<P><I>Chromobacterium violaceum</I>, Gram-negative bacteria species found in tropical regions of the world, produces a distinct deep violet-colored pigment called violacein. In the present study, we investigated whether violacein can promote a gastroprotective effect and verified the possible mechanisms involved in this action. For this study, an indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer rat model was used. The roles of biomolecules such as MPO, PGE<SUB>2</SUB>, pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, growth factors, caspase-3, NO, K<SUP>+</SUP>ATP channels, and <I>α</I><SUB>2</SUB>-receptors were investigated. Violacein exhibited significant gastroprotective effect against indomethacin-induced lesions, while pretreatment with L-NAME and glibenclamide (but not with NEM or yohimbine) was able to reverse this action. Pretreatment with violacein also restored cNOS level to normal and led to attenuation of enhanced apoptosis and gastric microvascular permeability. Our results suggest that violacein provides a significant gastroprotective effect in an indomethacin-induced ulcer model through the maintenance of some vital protein molecules, and this effect appears to be mediated, at least in part, by endogenous prostaglandins, NOS, K<SUP>+</SUP>ATP channel opening, and inhibition of apoptosis and gastric microvascular permeability.</P>

Synergistic effects of essential oil-based creamformulations against Culex quinquefasciatus Say and Aedes aegypti L. (Diptera: Culicidae)

Appadurai Daniel Reegan,Raghunathan Vinoth Kannan,Michael Gabriel Paulraj,Savarimuthu Ignacimuthu 한국응용곤충학회 2014 Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology Vol.17 No.3

Mosquitoes are major arthropod vectors responsible for several pathogenic diseases. In recent years, repellents ofbotanical origin, particularly essential oils, have been used against mosquitoes and have been found effective andsafe. In this study, five different repellent cream formulations (CF1–5) were prepared using combinations ofessential oils, including camphor, cinnamon, citronella, lemongrass, lime, orange, neem, basil, Vitex, Lantana,eucalyptus, and clove, and their repellency was tested using Culex quinquefasciatus Say and Aedes aegypti L. under laboratory conditions and compared to the standard synthetic repellent N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide(DEET-12%, w/w). Among the five creamformulations, CF2 at a dose of 5 mg/cm2 showed the longest protectiontime of 4.18 h and 3.31 h against C. quinquefasciatus and A. aegypti, respectively, under laboratory conditions. CF3 at a dose of 5 mg/cm2 was moderately effective, with protection times of 3.42 h and 2.58 h againstC. quinquefasciatus and A. aegypti, respectively, under laboratory conditions. CF2 at a dose of 5 mg/cm2 wasalso tested in the field against wild mosquitoes for 3 h, and 100% protection was observed for the entire studyperiod. Thus, CF2 could be used in developing an effective natural repellent as an alternative to the existingsynthetic repellents to C. quinquefasciatus and A. aegypti.

Analysis of Molecular Variance and Population Structure in Southern Indian Finger Millet Genotypes Using Three Different Molecular Markers

Host Antony David Rajendran,Ramakrishnan Muthusamy,Antony Caesar Stanislaus,Thirugnanasambantham Krishnaraj,Sivasankaran Kuppusamy,Savarimuthu Ignacimuthu,Naif Abdullah Al-Dhabi 한국작물학회 2016 Journal of crop science and biotechnology Vol.19 No.4

The genetic relationship among 42 genotypes of finger millet collected from different geographical regions of southern India was investigated using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), inter simple sequence repeats (ISSR), and simple sequence repeats (SSR) markers. Ten RAPD primers produced 111 polymorphic bands. Five ISSR primers produced a total of 61 bands. Of these, 23 bands were polymorphic. The RAPD and ISSR fingerprints revealed 71.3 and 37.4% polymorphic banding patterns, respectively. Thirty-six SSR primers yielded 83 scorable alleles in which 62 were found to be polymorphic. Out of 36 SSR primers used, 14 primers (46.6%) produced polymorphic bands. The SSR primer UGEP7 produced a maximum number of six alleles. Mean polymorphic information content (PIC) of RAPD, ISSR and SSR were 0.44, 0.28, and 0.14, respectively. Molecular variances among the population were 2, 11, and 1% for RAPD, ISSR, and SSR markers, respectively. SSR produced 99% molecular variance within individuals. RAPD and ISSR markers produced a low level of molecular variance within individuals. The STRUCTURE (model-based program) analysis revealed that the 42 finger millet genotypes could be divided into a maximum of four subpopulations. Based on the Bayesian statistics, each RAPD and SSR marker produced three subpopulations (K=3), while ISSR marker showed four subpopulations (K=4). This study revealed that RAPD and SSR markers could narrow down the analysis of population structure and it may form the basis for finger millet breeding and improvement programs in the future.

b-Sitosterol Prevents Lipid Peroxidation and Improves Antioxidant Status and Histoarchitecture in Rats with 1,2-Dimethylhydrazine-Induced Colon Cancer

Arul Albert Baskar,Khalid S. Al Numair,Micheal Gabriel Paulraj,Mohammed A. Alsaif,May Al Muamar,Savarimuthu Ignacimuthu 한국식품영양과학회 2012 Journal of medicinal food Vol.15 No.4

Oxidative stress has become widely viewed as an underlying condition in diseases such as ischemia/reperfusion disorders, central nervous system disorders, cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, etc. The role that antioxidants play in the process of carcinogenesis has recently gained considerable attention. b-Sitosterol, a naturally occurring sterol molecule, is a relatively mild to moderate antioxidant and exerts beneficial effects in vitro by decreasing the level of reactive oxygen species. The present study evaluated the antioxidant potential of b-sitosterol in 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH)-induced colon carcinogenesis. The enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidants and lipid peroxides in colonic and hepatic tissues were evaluated. Generation of reactive oxygen species, beyond the body’s endogenous antioxidant capacity, causes a severe imbalance of cellular antioxidant defense mechanisms. Elevated levels of liver lipid peroxides by DMH induction were effectively decreased by b-sitosterol supplementation. b-Sitosterol also exhibited a protective action against DMH-induced depletion of antioxidants such as catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, glutathione Stransferase,and reduced glutathione in colonic and hepatic tissues of experimental animals. Supplementation with b-sitosterol restored the levels of nonenzymatic antioxidants (vitamin C, vitamin E, and glutathione). Histopathological alterations in DMH-induced animals were restored to near normal in rats treated with b-sitosterol. Thus, b-sitosterol by virtue of its antioxidant potential may be used as an effective agent to reduce DMH-induced oxidative stress in Wistar rats and may be an effective chemopreventive drug for colon carcinogenesis.

Quantitative ethnobotany of Paliyar tribe in Sathuragiri hills, Virudhunagar district, Tamil Nadu, India

Subramanian Mutheeswaran,Antony Mariappan,Kamaraj Ragavendran,Vedapuri Porchezhiyan,Poovan Elankani,Naif Abdullah Al-Dhabi,Mariadhas Valan Arasu,Savarimuthu Ignacimuthu 경희대학교 융합한의과학연구소 2023 Oriental Pharmacy and Experimental Medicine Vol.23 No.2

An ethnobotanical survey was conducted in Sathuragiri hills in the Virudhunagar district of the state of Tamil Nadu, India. A total of 139 species belonging to 124 genera under 52 families was recorded as medicinally useful; they were mainly used by the local people to treat various diseases. The families like Fabaceae (18 species), Euphorbiaceae (9 Species) and Apocynaceae (7 Species) contained many important medicinal plants. Some of the important illnesses treated by these species were dermatological ailments, gastrointestinal problems, joint pain, fever and poisonous bites. The data are quantified and important species are highlighted. Conservation of these medicinal plants and local knowledge is the need of the hour.