REVERSIBLE CONTRACEPTIVE POTENTIAL OF HARAD IN MALE ALBINO MICE

Objective: Developing a male contraceptive of plant origin has always been of great interest among researchers. The aim of present investigation was to evaluate the contraceptive potential of Terminalia chebula R. (Harad) with respect to dose and reversibility in male albino mice.Methods: Aqueous bark extract of Harad was administered orally at 100 (G III), 300 (G IV) and 500 (G V) mg/kg b.w. to males for 35 d, and the effect on histology of testis and accessory sex organs, enzymes 3ß-and 17ß-HSDs, SOD, catalase and LPO levels, sialic acid and fructose levels, sperm parameters, serum testosterone and fertility parameters was determined. Toxicological and recovery studies (G VI and VII) were also carried out.Results: Harad-treated mice showed dose-related histological alterations in reproductive organs with reductions in weights, the height of germinal epithelium, germ cell number and diameter of stage VII tubules, along with adverse effect on biochemical and sperm parameters compared to controls. No alterations were noticed in SOD, catalase and LPO levels, though, mice in G V showed an increased LPO level. Libido was not affected, but fertility suppressed significantly in Harad-treated males (G VI) compared to controls. However, 42 d after treatment withdrawal, alterations in reproductive end points and fertility recovered to control levels. Body and organ weights, histo-architecture of vital organs, levels of ALT, AST and creatinine, and hematological parameters remained unchanged.Conclusion: The results suggest that Harad causes dose-dependent reversible contraception in mice without any toxicity.Â

Effect of Hibiscus-Rosa-Sinensis (Linn.) on the Reproductive Endpoints and Fertility in Male Albino Mice

Introduction: Plants and plant products have been regularly used for fertility regulation in humans. This could be because plant-based remedies are easily available, cheap, reliable, and most importantly free from unwanted side effects. The different parts viz. leaves, stems, roots, and flowers of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis Linn. (family: Malavaceae) are known to exhibit many medicinal and pharmacological properties. Though Hibiscus has been known for its antifertility properties both in males and females, we do not have much information about the use of this plant in the control of fertility in males.  Objectives: The present study deals with the effect of Hibiscus-rosa-sinensis on the reproductive endpoints and fertility in male albino mice after oral administration of different extracts prepared from the leaves of Hibiscus. Methods: The aqueous, ethanol, and benzene leaf extracts of H. rosa-sinensis were administered orally (100 mg/kg BW/d for 35 d) to albino mice, and the effect of the treatments on the male reproductive organs, sperm parameters, biochemical and fertility indices in albino mice was examined. Toxicological as well as hematological studies were also carried out. Results: Treatment with Hibiscus extracts brought non-uniform but detectable histologic alterations in the testis, epididymis, and seminal vesicle; the alterations caused in the reproductive organs as well as the number, motility, viability, and morphology of caudal spermatozoa were, however, severe in mice treated with the benzene extract of Hibiscus compared to controls and those treated with other extracts of the plant. The level of sialic acid in the epididymis and that of fructose in the seminal vesicle were adversely affected in Hibiscus-treated mice with no significant differences among treated groups. The fertility was reduced significantly in benzene extract-treated males, though, libido remained unaffected after Hibiscus treatment compared to controls. Further, treatment with Hibiscus did not alter histological features of the liver and kidney, levels of ALT, AST, and creatinine in serum, and hematological indices compared to controls. Conclusions: The results of the present study suggest that the treatment with benzene leaf extract of H. rosa-sinensis results in suppression of spermatogenesis and fertility in albino mice, and therefore, Hibiscus might be a source of a male contraceptive of plant origin

Evaluation of antispermatogenic and antifertility properties of Terminalia chebula (Retz.) in albino mice

Background: The development of an orally active, safe, reversible, and effective male contraceptive of plant origin has always been a matter of great interest among researchers due to its ready availability, cost-effectiveness, and most importantly protection of privacy.  The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of oral feeding of Terminalia chebula Retz. (T. chebula; family: Combretaceae) on male reproductive organs and fertility. Methods: The albino mice were administered orally acetone, methanol, 50% ethanol, and aqueous bark extracts of T. chebula (300 mg/kg body weight daily) for 35 days, and the effect of the treatments on testis, epididymis, seminal vesicle, sperm parameters, biochemical, and fertility indices was investigated. Toxicological studies were also carried out. Results: Treatment with Terminalia extracts brought non-uniform but detectable histologic alterations in the testis, epididymis, and seminal vesicle; the alterations caused in the reproductive organs were, however, severe in mice treated with the aqueous extract of Terminalia compared to those in other treated groups and controls. Further, the level of fructose in the seminal vesicle and that of sialic acid in the epididymis reduced significantly in the above treated mice. Sperm parameters were adversely affected in extracts-treated mice. Libido was not affected, but fertility reduced significantly in aqueous extract-treated males as compared to controls. Further, histoarchitecture of the liver and kidney, serum levels of ALT, AST, creatinine, and haematological parameters remained unaltered in Terminalia-treated mice compared to controls. Conclusions: The results of the present study, therefore, suggested that the aqueous bark extract of T. chebula causes suppression of spermatogenesis and fertility in albino mice, and therefore, might be valuable in male fertility regulation

A PSYCHROTOLERANT STRAIN KLUYVERA INTERMEDIA SOLUBILIZES INORGANIC PHOSPHATE AT DIFFERENT CARBON AND NITROGEN SOURCE

A Kluyvera intermedium is a Gram negative psychrotolerant bacterium isolated from a high altitude rhizospheric soil from the Uttarakhand Himalayas where all over year temperature remains very low. This strain exhibited plant growth promoting traits both at 10°C and 30°C, under in-vitro conditions. The expression of plant growth promoting (PGP) traits like Indole acetic acid production by the bacterium was highest at 30°C, with a proportionate reduction in PGP activity at lower temperatures. Determination of phosphate solubilization by the bacterium at two incubation temperatures (10°C and 30°C) revealed a steady increase in the soluble phosphorus levels across the incubation temperatures, coupled with a concomitant drop in the pH levels of the culture supernatant, till the 10th day of incubation. The Uttrakhand soil has acidic in nature and the phosphorus applied to the soil get fixed and become unavailable to the plant. So, to provide phosphorous easily to the plant, this strain has been chosen because this strain have the capacity to solubilize unavailable phosphorus. The phosphorus solubilising ability has been increased while a different carbon and nitrogen source has been used. This strain show better result when glucose is taken as carbon source and ammonium sulphate as nitrogen source

Regular inclusions of simple unital C∗C^*-algebras

We prove that an inclusion $\mathcal{B} \subset \mathcal{A}$ of simple unital $C^*$-algebras with a finite-index conditional expectation is regular if and only if there exists a finite group $G$ that admits a cocycle action $(\alpha,\sigma)$ on the intermediate $C^*$-subalgebra $\mathcal{C}$ generated by $\mathcal{B}$ and its centralizer $\mathcal{C}_\mathcal{A}(\mathcal{B})$ such that $\mathcal{B}$ is outerly $\alpha$-invariant and $(\mathcal{B} \subset \mathcal{A}) \cong ( \mathcal{B} \subset \mathcal{C}\rtimes^r_{\alpha, \sigma} G)$. Prior to this characterization, we prove the existence of two-sided and unitary quasi-bases for the minimal conditional expectation of any such inclusion, and also show that such an inclusion has integer Watatani index and depth at most $2$.Comment: 16 page

EFFECT OF DIFFERENT CARBON AND NITROGEN SOURCES ON SOLUBILIZATION OF INSOLUBLE INORGANIC PHOSPHATE BY PSYCHROTOLERANT BACTERIAL STRAINS

Most agricultural soils contain large reserves of phosphorus (P), a considerable part of which accumulates as a consequence of regular applications of P fertilizers. However, a greater part of soil phosphorus, approximately 95–99% is present in the form of insoluble phosphates and hence cannot be utilized by the plants. Phosphate solubilizing microorganisms convert insoluble phosphates into soluble forms generally through the process of acidification, chelation and exchange reactions. Thus, such microorganisms may not only compensate for higher cost of manufacturing fertilizers in industry but also mobilizes the fertilizers added to soil. In the present study Pseudomonas lurida isolated from agriculture soil, having potential to solubilize insoluble inorganic phosphates at low temperature was characterized. Phosphate solubilization was related to pH decrease caused by growth of bacteria in medium containing glucose as carbon source. Strains show diverse levels of phosphate solubilization activity in liquid broth culture in presence of various carbon and nitrogen sources. TCP (Tri-calcium phosphate) solubilization with different carbon sources irrespective of incubation period can be related in the following order: glucose, maltose, sucrose, galactose, xylose both at ambient as well as 10oC. The pH changes from neutral to acidic with all carbon sources in presence of TCP. Regarding TCP, solubilization with different nitrogen sources maximum solubilization was recorded in the presence of ammonium sulphate. Pseudomonas lurida showed maximum phosphate solubilizing with glucose as carbon source and ammonium sulphate as nitrogen source. TCP solubilization in liquid medium was significantly high

Comparison of the antioxidant activity and total phenolic, flavonoid content of aerial part of Cleome viscosa L.

Cleome viscosa L. (Capparidaceae), commonly known as “wild mustard”, is an annual, sticky herb found as common weed all over the plains of India and throughout the tropics of the world. In traditional systems of medicine the plant is reported to possess beneficial effects as an anthelmintic, antiseptic, carminative, antiscorbutic, febrifuge, and cardiac stimulant. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the antioxidant activity of 70% methnolic extract of leaf and stem part of Cleome viscosa (CV) by using different in vitro model such as β carotene bleaching assay, reducing power and free radical scavenging activity (DPPH and hydroxyl radical scavenging activity). Total phenolic content were estimated by the Folin–Ciocalteu colorimetric method using gallic acid as standard and expressed as mg/g gallic acid equivalent (GAE) and total flavonoid content was estimated by aluminium chloride colourimetric method. The total phenolic, flavonoid content and antioxidant activity of Cleome viscosa leaves were found to be 66.38±0.82mg/g, 0.54±0.04mg/g and 77.30% respectively. Cleome viscosa leaves showed high free radical scavenging activity as evidenced by the low IC50 values in both DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl) (373.18 μg/ml) and hydroxyl radical (573.55 μg/ml) methods. Cleome viscosa leaves possess high phenolic, flavonoid content and potential antioxidant activity, reducing power and free radical scavenging activity in comparison to stem