Comparison of the effectiveness of red ginseng herbal mouth rinse with chlorhexidine and saline in oral cancer patients: A pilot double-blinded randomized control trial

Background: Red ginseng is an herb with many medicinal properties and aids as a mouth rinse with fewer side effects than chlorhexidine. Aim: The study aimed to compare the efficacy of red ginseng herbal mouth rinses with those of chlorhexidine and saline in oral cancer patients. Materials and methods: The present pilot study was a double-blinded randomized control trial with 45 histopathologically diagnosed oral squamous cell carcinoma patients divided into three groups: two intervention groups (herbal and chlorhexidine mouth rinse) and one control group (saline). Saliva samples for each patient were collected at baseline and after 14 days of using the mouth rinses. A microbiological examination of salivary samples was done by analysing total oral bacterial load along with specific counts for Porphyromonas gingivalis and Fusobacterium nucleatum at baseline and after the usage of mouth rinse. Statistical analysis: The data normality was analysed using the Shapiro-Wilk test, and following the normal distribution of data, parametric tests were employed. Paired t-test and one-way analysis of variance, followed by post hoc Bonferroni test, were used for inter-group and intra-group differences. Result: There was a significant mean difference in total colony count, Fusobacterium nucleatum, and Porphyromonas gingivalis with oral hygiene index and gingival index improvement in the red ginseng herbal mouth rinse group when compared to the chlorhexidine and saline groups. Conclusion: In this study, red ginseng mouth rinse exhibited an increased antibacterial effect compared to chlorhexidine and saline. Hence, red ginseng mouth rinse can be used in oral cancer patients to maintain oral health, thereby improving the prognosis of these patients

Clinical and diagnostic features of central nervous system tuberculosis in Indian children – a descriptive study

Children with tuberculous meningitis (TBM) present with diagnostic challenges as they often have atypical clinical features

Flocculation and antibacterial performance of dual coagulant system of modified cassava peel starch and alum

The present study examined the synergistic effect of alum-modified cassava peel starch as dual coagulants in removing total suspended solids and Escherichia coli in dam water. The optimisation study was carried out to evaluate the effects of pH, coagulant dosage, and settling time on the flocculation performance of the coagulants. Alum as sole coagulant and combination of alum and native cassava peel starch were also studied for comparison purpose. Characterisations of the coagulants using scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy studies confirmed the successful modification of cassava peel starch. Characterization studies revealed changes in surface morphology, elemental distribution after the modification. Pores, rough surfaces and several new element including Cl and Ca were observed on the surface of the modified starch. The presence of important active groups such as citral that responsible for antimicrobial and flocculation function was also reflected in the modified starch coagulant. The optimisation study indicated distinct performance of alum-modified cassava peel starch compared to alum alone and alum-cassava peel starch in terms of both flocculation and antibacterial functionality. High removal of both TSS and E. coli was achieved with the treatment using the combination of alum-modified cassava peel starch with superior removal of 92.75% and 100%, respectively, within 10 min of settling time using the recommended working conditions of alum-modified cassava peel starch dosage of 7.5–50 mg/L at pH 7. Additionally, the characterisation of flocs indicated that the employment of alum as sole coagulant and alum combined with the modified starch possessed distinctive features. Scanning electron micrograph showed that the flocs formed using alum-modified cassava peel starch was highly compacted clusters with appearance of E.coli cells embedded in the floc matrix, whereas for alum as the sole coagulant, the flocs were irregular-shaped and aggregated. Besides, the difference in peak occurrence from analysis reflected different mechanisms of floc formation using alum alone and alum-modified cassava peel starch. From the floc analysis study, charge neutralisation, bridging and sweep flocculation were the mechanisms that are expected to govern the coagulation and flocculation process