The current study investigated the renoprotective effects of stevia, angiotensin-II type 1 receptor (AT1) blocker and calcium (Ca2+) channel blocker in gentamycin-induced nephrotoxicity in rat models. Six groups of male Sprague-Dawley rats of eight weeks old were taken for the experiment: sham control, nephrotoxicity, treatment with amlodipine (4 mg/kg/day); stevia (200 mg/kg/day); losartan (15 mg/kg/day) and valsartan (5 mg/kg/day), accordingly. The blood sample was taken for the assessment of renal and hepatic-functional variables like serum creatinine, blood urea, BUN and SGPT, SGOT, and total serum bilirubin. Hematological parameters were also examined. Histological examination has been done on kidneys and liver. Alterations of the body weight and the organ's weight were documented. Treatment with stevia and valsartan significantly decreased serum creatinine levels. A reduction of liver enzymes, and total serum bilirubin levels were observed in all the treatment groups. Treatment with valsartan and amlodipine, remarkably and stevia, mildly reduced the renal tissue damage, inflammation, and tubular necrosis. However, the present study demonstrated that losartan treatment aggravated kidney damage by increasing protein cast, calcification, tubular necrosis, and injury. This comparison indicated that both stevia and valsartan have beneficial renoprotective effect and valsartan offers a better treatment option in renal damage over losartan.

Stevia, Stevia rebaudiana (Bertoni), has become an important economic plant for its commercial use as a sweetener. Stevia plays a significant role in the healthcare practice of different cultures and in population. Previous animal and clinical studies demonstrated the efficacy of Stevia against chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension. This study aimed to investigate the beneficial effect of Stevia in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients after three (3) months of treatment along with the conventional antihypertensive and anti diabetic medications. A prospective, interventional, randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled trial has been done with 97 participants. Stevia capsule (250 mg) or matching placebo was given to the participants twice daily along with Angiotensin-II Receptor Blocker (ARB) and/or Ca2+ Channel Blocker (CCB). First follow up visits were done after 3 months of the interval. Blood and urine samples were collected for the biochemical tests. A structured questionnaire was used for the baseline assessment. Informed consent was taken from each participant. Both hypertension and diabetes were found to be associated with CKD. Most of the participants (52.3%) of Stevia group were in CKD Stage II. Significant changes were found in Serum creatinine (p < 0.027), Serum Uric acid (p < 0.009), Fasting blood sugar (p < 0.041) and Postprandial blood sugar (p < 0.013) and Microalbumin (p < 0.041) level in the treatment group. The initial result demonstrated that Stevia has the potential for a significant improvement of some biochemical parameters in CKD patients. After completion of the nine (9) months clinical trial, the constructive effect of Stevia can be confirmed in this group of patients.

Globally, inflammation and pain are among the most prevalent health issues. The use of medicinal plants to alleviate these conditions is growing. This study comprehensively investigated the analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties of the ethyl-acetate extract of Nypa fruticans (EENF) leaves, traditionally used in folk Medicine. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) were employed to identify the phytochemicals in EENF. In vitro antioxidant studies were conducted to determine the antioxidative properties of EENF. Formalin-induced paw edema assay was employed to assess the in-vivo anti-inflammatory activity whereas; acetic acid-induced writhing test, hot plate test, and tail immersion test were performed to evaluate the in vivo anti-nociceptive effects. The identified compounds were subsequently evaluated by computational studies against the cyclooxygenase-2 enzyme. EENF demonstrated significant antioxidant activity in both the DPPH scavenging assay (IC₅₀: 105.18 μg/mL) and the reducing power assay (RC₅₀:1752.76 μg/mL). In the in-vivo anti-inflammatory assay, EENF exhibited the highest (50.39 % and 67.72 %) inhibition of edema at the fourth hour at 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight, accordingly. Moreover, all the pain modulation studies demonstrated significant (p < 0.001) analgesic properties of EENF in a dose-dependent manner. Among, the 23 identified phytocompounds, the most promising ones were determined to be potential anti-nociceptive and anti-inflammatory agents through molecular docking studies and ADME/T analysis. Molecular dynamics simulations (MDS) confirmed the stability of the protein-ligand complexes. Two phytochemicals, (−) Epicatechin (CID 72276) and Quercetin (CID 5280343), outperformed the standard anti-inflammatory drug, diclofenac sodium, in MDS studies. Both experimental and in-silico studies have scientifically verified the traditional use of Nypa fruticans in treating pain and inflammatory disease. Overall, (−) Epicatechin and Quercetin possess excellent potential as natural lead compounds for COX-2 inhibition. Further research, including pure compound isolation and biomolecular studies, is needed to understand the underlying mechanisms of these activities.

Lower respiratory tract infections (LTRIs) are responsible for the vital causes of morbidity and mortality in all ages. In recent years, antibiotic resistance among respiratory pathogens is increasing emergently. The present study aimed to find out the bacterial etiology of LRTIs in Bangladesh and to update the clinicians about the current scenario of antibiotic resistance in lower respiratory tract infections. A total 64 bacterial pathogens from 100 patients with LRTIs were isolated from sputum specimens from a teaching hospital in Savar, Bangladesh between July- 2014 to June- 2015. The sputum specimens received within this year were subjected to analysis with microscopy, culture and susceptibility testing using conventional bacteriologic methods. Out of 100 processed sputum samples 64 (64%) cases had established bacterial etiology. Staphylococcus aureus (57.81%) was found to be the predominant organism in LRTIs followed by Streptococcus pneumonia (25%), Klebsiella and Pseudomonas species. Males (64.06%) were found to be more susceptible to LRTIs than that of females (35.93%). In antimicrobial susceptibility testing, grampositive organisms showed maximum sensitivity to imipenem (94.6%), meropenem (97.3%) and cefotaxime (75%). The resistance pattern varied for different organisms. Staphylococcus aureus isolates were mostly resistant to amoxicillin and ceftazidime (89.2%), whereas, Streptococcus pneumonia was to ceftazidime, amoxicillin and cotrimoxazole (81.2%). In case of gram negative isolates, Klebsiella sp. was mostly resistant to ceftriaxone, ceftazidime and amoxicillin (100%). Escherichia coli were resistant to amoxicillin, cotrimoxazole and vancomycin (100%). Therefore, appropriate identification of the causative organisms and their antibiotic resistance is crucial for right choice of antibiotic therapy in LRTIs.Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Journal 19(1): 85-91, 2016

Rapid industrialization, deteriorating the quality of water leads towards disastrous health effects among the inhabitants of the areas with numerous industries. This study is a brief reflection of the toxicological effects of industrialization on water resources, as well as the pharmacological effects of contaminated household and drinking water on animal model of an industrialized area in a developing country. The obtained results of this study showed high concentration of some heavy metals in the water used in industrial area, than the maximum permissible limit that can be present in water according to the WHO guidelines of water which might cause anomaly in blood composition, severe effect on vital organs such as kidneys and livers. Successively, significant abnormalities were observed in the organs of the tested rat models drinking the water. Therefore, the findings of this study can be used to implement the long term study by broadening the sampling areas and to further elucidate the molecular mechanisms and public health impact associated with human exposure to water contaminated in the industrial areas.