Antifungal Activity of Securinine against Some Plant Pathogenic Fungi

Ashok K. Singh,M. B. Pandey,Sarita Singh,Anil K. Singh,U. P. Singh The Korean Society of Mycology 2008 Mycobiology Vol.36 No.2

A Numerical Study on the Effect of Aggregate Gradation on Mechanical Response of Asphalt Mix

Ashok Singh,Animesh Das,Sumit Basu 대한토목학회 2012 KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering Vol.16 No.4

Various aggregate gradations are recommended in various guidelines/specifications for different types of asphalt mixes. These aggregate gradations have primarily evolved through experimental studies and experience on their field performances. Given a size range of aggregates, numerous aggregate gradations (and thereby numerous asphalt mixes) are possible. It is essentially a cumbersome and time consuming task to study the laboratory or field performances for all such possible asphalt mixes. The objective of the present work is to perform a micromechanical analyses on various asphalt mixes generated from computer simulated aggregate gradations. A hierarchical modeling scheme is used in the present work, where the asphalt mix is modeled as elastic-visco-plastic matrix with aggregates as rigid particulate intrusions with large volume fraction. In this process, a large number mixes can be simulated for their mechanical responses and some of them can be chosen for further laboratory verification. It is expected that such a process would save a considerable time and effort while finalizing a suitable gradation for the mix design.

Kudzu Root Extract Suppresses Voluntary Alcohol Intake and Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms in P Rats Receiving Free Access to Water and Alcohol

Ashok K. Singh,John I. Baker,Daniel E. Keyler,Elhabib Benlhabib 한국식품영양과학회 2004 Journal of medicinal food Vol.7 No.2

Effect of Egg Albumen, Vegetable Oil, Corn Bran, and Cooking Methods on Quality Characteristics of Chicken Nuggets Using Response Surface Methodology

Ashok Kumar Pathera,Charanjit Singh Riar,Sanjay Yadav,Pradeep Kumar Singh 한국축산식품학회 2018 한국축산식품학회지 Vol.38 No.5

Response surface methodology was used to study the effect of egg albumen (5–15 g), vegetable oil (5–15 g), and corn bran (5–15 g) on sensory and textural (firmness and toughness) quality of chicken nuggets cooked by the oven, steam, and microwave methods. The egg albumen and vegetable oil had a positive linear effect but corn bran had a negative linear effect at p<0.01 on sensory overall acceptability scores of nuggets. Firmness and toughness scores were increased significantly (p<0.01) with the increase in corn bran level in the formulation. The optimum level of egg albumen, vegetable oil, and corn bran were obtained and validated. Cooking methods also affected the sensory and textural quality of nuggets. Steam cooked nuggets had higher values of sensory scores than oven and microwave cooked nuggets. Oven cooked nuggets showed higher values of firmness and toughness than steam and microwave cooked nuggets. Results of this study suggest that emulsion based meat products can be enriched with dietary fiber source like corn bran without compromising the sensory and textural quality of the products.

Effects of Purified Puerarin on Voluntary Alcohol Intake and Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms in P Rats Receiving Free Access to Water and Alcohol

Ashok K. Singh,John I. Baker,Daniel E. Keyler,Elhabib Benlhabib 한국식품영양과학회 2004 Journal of medicinal food Vol.7 No.2

Alcohol preferring (P) rats, given “free choice” of water, exhibited daily intake of 60–75 g of water/kg of body weight. When given “free choice” of water and 15% ethanol, P rats consumed 7–13 g of alcohol/kg. Their water intake decreased proportionally to the alcohol intake, but total fluid intake did not differ significantly. Alcohol withdrawal after 50 days of alcohol drinking caused withdrawal symptoms such as hypersensitivity, poor coordination, and tremors. A daily 50 mg/kg dose of puerarin (PU) caused approximately 50% suppression in alcohol intake, but did not affect body weight and food and total fluid intake in P rats receiving “free choice” of water and 15% ethanol. Alcohol ingestion gradually returned to the control level despite consistent PU intake. However, alcohol intake following alcohol withdrawal was suppressed in PU-fed P rats. PU suppressed the severity of alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Thus, withdrawal symptoms do not occur in PUfed rats even though their alcohol ingestion is comparable to that in control P rats. Brain, plasma, and liver samples were analyzed for the presence of kudzu root isoflavones, which are mostly PU (90% of total isoflavones) and a trace amount of daidzin. Liver samples obtained from PU-fed P rats contained 20–30 g/g of PU. An important observation was that plasma or brain samples obtained from PU-fed or alcohol PU-fed rats did not contain PU. This study indicated that PU feeding transiently suppressed alcohol intake and abolished withdrawal symptoms at a time when alcohol intake had returned to the control level. The absence of PU in plasma and brain indicates the possibility that some nonspecific mechanism may be involved in the anti-alcoholism effects of PU in P rats.

Composition, Red Blood Cell Uptake, and Serum Protein Binding of Phytoestrogens Extracted from Commercial Kudzu-Root and Soy Preparations

Ashok K. Singh,Elhabib Benlhabib,John I. Baker,Daniel E. Keyler 한국식품영양과학회 2002 Journal of medicinal food Vol.5 No.3

Herbal Mixtures Consisting of Puerarin and Either Polyenylphosphatidylcholine or Curcumin Provide Comprehensive Protection

Ashok K. Singh,Elhabib Benlhabib,Shveta Gupta,Yin Jiang 한국식품영양과학회 2007 Journal of medicinal food Vol.10 No.3

Anti-Inflammatory Potency of Nano-Formulated Puerarin and Curcumin in Rats Subjected to the Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammation

Ashok K. Singh,Yin Jiang,Shveta Gupta,Mohamod Younus,Mohamod Ramzan 한국식품영양과학회 2013 Journal of medicinal food Vol.16 No.10

Puerarin (PU) and curcumin (CU), used commonly in traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda, have been shown to possess potent anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidation, and neuro-protective properties. Despite the experimental success of CU and PU in in vitro and animal models, their effectiveness has not yet been demonstrated in clinical trials, possibly because of their poor bioavailability. We hypothesized that gold nanoparticle (AuNP)-formulated PU (PU-AuNP), CU (CUAuNP), or a combination of PU and CU (PU-CU-AuNP) were a more effective and nontoxic alternative to their bulk (nonformulated) counterparts. To test the hypothesis, bioavailability, therapeutic potency, and toxicity of bulk CU and/or PU were compared with those of their nanotized counterparts in rats subjected to the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation. This study showed that a 20-mg/kg dose of bulk PU or a mixture of PU and CU did not, while their nanotized counterparts, PU-AuNP, CU-AuNP, or PU-CU-AuNP, effectively suppressed the LPS-induced inflammation and cytotoxicity in rats. In addition, PU-CU-AuNP was more potent than PU-AuNP or CU-AuNP alone. The blank AuNP (bAuNP) at £ 40 mg/kg dose did not cause any adverse effects (blood and brain lactic acid concentrations, kidney function, and neuronal apoptosis were measured) in animals. Therefore, the present observations suggest that a bi-functional AuNP loaded with CU and PU may effectively suppress the LPS-induced inflammation and cytotoxicity provided the following conditions are met: (1) The AuNP dose is at or below the no-effect dose; (2) the nanoparticles release a therapeutic dose of CU and PU in vivo; and (3) the active ingredients are released into the intracellular component of the brain.

Management of residual gall bladder

Ashish Singh,Abhimanyu Kapoor,Rajneesh Kumar Singh,Anand Prakash,Anu Behari,Ashok Kumar,Vinay Kumar Kapoor,Rajan Saxena 한국간담췌외과학회 2018 Annals of hepato-biliary-pancreatic surgery Vol.22 No.1

Backgrounds/Aims: A residual gallbladder (RGB) following a partial/subtotal cholecystectomy may cause symptoms that require its removal. We present our large study regarding the problem of a RGB over a 15 year period. Methods: This study involved a retrospective analysis of patients managed for symptomatic RGB from January 2000 to December 2015. Results: A RGB was observed in 93 patients, who had a median age of 45 (25-70) years, and were comprised of 69 (74.2%) females. The most common presentation was recurrence pain (n=64, 68.8%). Associated choledocholithiasis was present in 23 patients (24.7%). An ultrasonography (USG) failed to diagnose RGB calculi in 10 (11%) patients; whereas, magnetic resonance cholangio-pancreatography (MRCP) accurately diagnosed RGB calculi in all the cases except for 2 (4%) and, additionally, detected common bile duct (CBD) stones in 12 patients. Completion cholecystectomy was performed in all patients (open 45 [48.4%]; laparoscopic 48 [51.6%] and 19 [20.4%] patients required a conversion to open). The RGB pathology included stones in 90 (96.8%), Mirizzi’s syndrome in 10 (10.8%) and an internal fistula in 9 (9.7%) patients. Additional procedures included CBD exploration (n=6); Choledocho-duodenostomy (n=4) and Roux-en-Y hepatico-jejunostomy (n=3). The mortality and morbidity were nil and 11% (all wound infection), respectively. Two patients developed incisional hernia during follow up. The mean follow up duration was 23.1 months (3-108) in 65 patients and the outcome was excellent and good in 97% of the patients. Conclusions: Post-cholecystectomy recurrent biliary colic should raise suspicion of RGB. MRCP is a useful investigation for the diagnosis and assessment of any associated problems and provides a roadmap for surgery. Laparoscopic completion cholecystectomy is feasible, but is technically difficult and has a high conversion rate.

Comparative Evaluation of Periprostatic Nerve Block with and without Intraprostatic Nerve Block in Transrectal Ultrasound-Guided Prostatic Needle Biopsy

Santosh Kumar Singh,Ashok Kumar,Mahavir Singh Griwan,Jyotsna Sen 대한비뇨의학회 2012 Investigative and Clinical Urology Vol.53 No.8

Purpose: Controversy exists over the pain during prostate biopsy. Periprostatic nerve block is a commonly used anaesthetic technique during transrectal ultrasound (TRUS)-guided prostate biopsy. The recent trend toward increasing the number of cores has become popular. This practice further increases the need for a proper anaesthetic application. We compared the efficacy of periprostatic nerve block with or without intraprostatic nerve block. Materials and Methods: We conducted a prospective double-blinded placebo-controlled study at our institute with 142 consecutive patients. Patients were randomly assigned into 3 groups. Group 1 received periprostatic nerve block with intraprostatic nerve block with 1% lignocaine. Group 2 patients were administered periprostatic nerve block only with 1% lignocaine. Group 3 received no anaesthesia. Patients were asked to grade their level of pain by using an 11-point linear analogue scale at the time of ultrasound probe insertion, at the time of anaesthesia, during biopsy, and 30 minutes after biopsy. Results: The study groups were comparable in demographic profile, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level, and prostate size. The mean pain scores at the time of biopsy in groups 1, 2, and 3 were 2.70, 3.39, and 4.16, respectively. Group 1 recorded the minimum mean pain score of 2.70 during prostate biopsy, which was significantly lower than the scores of groups 2 and 3 (p<0.001). There were no significant differences in pain scores among the 3 groups during probe insertion, during anaesthesia, or at 30 minutes after biopsy (p>0.05). Conclusions: Periprostatic nerve block with intraprostatic nerve block provides better pain control than does periprostatic nerve block alone in TRUS-guided prostate biopsy. Purpose: Controversy exists over the pain during prostate biopsy. Periprostatic nerve block is a commonly used anaesthetic technique during transrectal ultrasound (TRUS)-guided prostate biopsy. The recent trend toward increasing the number of cores has become popular. This practice further increases the need for a proper anaesthetic application. We compared the efficacy of periprostatic nerve block with or without intraprostatic nerve block. Materials and Methods: We conducted a prospective double-blinded placebo-controlled study at our institute with 142 consecutive patients. Patients were randomly assigned into 3 groups. Group 1 received periprostatic nerve block with intraprostatic nerve block with 1% lignocaine. Group 2 patients were administered periprostatic nerve block only with 1% lignocaine. Group 3 received no anaesthesia. Patients were asked to grade their level of pain by using an 11-point linear analogue scale at the time of ultrasound probe insertion, at the time of anaesthesia, during biopsy, and 30 minutes after biopsy. Results: The study groups were comparable in demographic profile, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level, and prostate size. The mean pain scores at the time of biopsy in groups 1, 2, and 3 were 2.70, 3.39, and 4.16, respectively. Group 1 recorded the minimum mean pain score of 2.70 during prostate biopsy, which was significantly lower than the scores of groups 2 and 3 (p<0.001). There were no significant differences in pain scores among the 3 groups during probe insertion, during anaesthesia, or at 30 minutes after biopsy (p>0.05). Conclusions: Periprostatic nerve block with intraprostatic nerve block provides better pain control than does periprostatic nerve block alone in TRUS-guided prostate biopsy.