eChapters

Q1. Glucuronide conjugation occurs in the compounds with following functional groups:

1. Hydroxyl
2. Carboxyl
3. Amino
4. All above

Q2. Which of the following is not a chelating agent:

1. Dimercaprol
2. Penicillamine
3. Dimethyl sulfoxide
4. Ca-EDTA

Q3. Most appropriate treatment of acute organophosphate toxicity:

1. Atropine alone
2. 2-PAM alone
3. Atropine + 2-PAM
4. Sod. Thiosulphate alone

1. Introduction

Antioxidants are defined as molecules which can be safely interact with free radicals and terminate the chain reaction before vital molecules are damaged (Nidhi and Gaurav, 2012). Naturally occurring antioxidants to replace synthetic antioxidants which are being restricted due to their carcinogenicity (Abdel Hameed, 2009). The antioxidant phytochemicals such as polyphenols, flavanoids and related compounds found in medicinal plants have received increasing attention for their potential role in prevention of human diseases (Upadhyay et al., 2010).
 
The genus Ophiorrhiza belongs to the family Rubiaceae and consists of about 150 species and distributed in tropical and subtropical Asia. Species of Ophiorrhiza are economically important and many of these species contain a high value anticancerous compound, a cytotoxic alkaloid camptothecin and other valuable alkaloids. Ophiorrhiza pectinata Arn. is a herbaceous plant and is distributed over peninsular India and Srilanka. A preliminary study conducted in O. pectinata also contains this important alkaloid (0.0040mg/g dry wt). Leaves and stem contain traces of hydrocyanic acid. The main objective of the present study is to evaluate the antioxidant and radical scavenging property of the chloroform methanol and water extract of whole plant of O. pectinata. 

ABSTRACT

Phospholipase A₂ catalyzes the hydrolysis of glycerophospholipids at the sn-2 position and releases fatty acids and lysophospholipids. When the fatty acid is the arachidonic acid, a complementary metabolism leads to pro-inflammatory mediators such as prostaglandins, leukotrienes, thromboxanes and platelet activating factors. Thus, modulating pro-inflammatory lipid mediator production by inhibiting PLA₂ activity remains a potential target for the development of new drugs for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. Medicinal plants have been explored therapeutically in traditional medicines and are a valuable source for drug discovery. Molecular docking studies were carried out for anti-inflammatory compounds from various plant sources with human non-pancreatic secretory phospholipase A₂.

ABSTRACT

Advances in biotechnology, particularly methods for culturing plant cells and tissues, can provide new means for the commercial processing of even rare plants and the chemicals they produce. These new technologies will extend and enhance the usefulness of plants as renewable resources of valuable chemicals. Aristolochic acid is mainly found in the genus Aristolochia. Aristolochic acid has been shown to have anti-tumour activity and has been recommended for its activity against various effects of snakebite and its capacity to inhibit phospholipase A₂ or other enzymes. Considering the importance of medicinal use of A. bracteolata and A. indica, in the present study, they were selected for in vitro development and rapid multiplication of plant through tissue culture. The study was undertaken to enhance the in vitro production of Aristolochic acid in different tissue cultures. Cell suspension culture was established from friable calli of both the species in MS liquid medium. Bergmann plating technique was carried out for cell line selection for more production of Aristolochic acid. Primary transformation was carried out by Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain LBA4404 / pTOK233 with Gus and hpt genes to confirm the transgenic potential of A. bracteolata and A. indica. In order to enhance the production of aristolochic acid in in vitro culture condition, the physical, chemical and biological conditions were altered. Aristolochic acid was isolated, identified and purified from naturally growing plants as well as from tissue culture plants and all other culture staes

1. Introduction

Atalantia monophylla (L.) DC. is a small tree belonging to the family Rutaceae; resembles Citrus in general aspects and is considered a close wild relative of Citrus. The species is commonly called as wild lime, in Malayalam it is called as Kattunaragam and in Tamil Katuuelumichai. A. monophylla is used in Ayurveda, Folk and Siddha systems of medicine. It is used for the treatment of rheumatoid pain and glandular swelling (Sankaranarayan et al., 2010). The root is believed to be antispasmodic (Kiritikar and Basu, 1999), the leaves are often applied for itching and other skin complaints (Panda, 2004) and acridone alkaloids isolated from roots were reported to have anti-allergic activity (Chukaew et al., 2008). The chloroform extract of leaves has shown antiviral activity (Chansakaow et al., 1996). Besides its medicinal value A. monophylla leaves are used as flavoring agent, berries are used for making pickles, juice of berries are used for dyeing purpose and wood as timber. It is also useful as a rootstock for breeding new cultivars of Citrus Linn. (Guha Bakshi et al., 1999). This species has high medicinal value and the natural population is under threat due to habitat destruction, use of wood as firewood, collection of fruits for making pickles and harvesting of leaves, roots for medicinal purposes by the local communities. Hence there is a need for developing an appropriate conservation strategy for this species.

The different biochemical values serve as an indicator of the correct health status, viz important organ functions,  the alteration in values if any, helps in identifying the specific organ damage and exact diagnosis of the  abnormal health condition or disease. Some of the important biochemical values of the animals, which may assist in diagnosing the specific disease  conditions are listed in this chapter.

1    Ruminants
2    Canines

1    General line of treatment of poisoning in animals

2    Systemic antidotes-dosage and method of treatment large animals

3    Small animals

4    Plant toxins

5    Zoo toxins

1    Dental formulae and eruption of tooth

2    Ageing based on rings of the horn

3    General appearance of animal

4    Longevity of different animals

1    Bovines

2    Canines

1    Disease diagnosis based on posture, gait appearance and clinical signs

1    Common diseases affecting livestock

2    Disease information

3    Diseases of skin

4    Diseases of muscuoskeletal system in canines

The selection of right dog for the required purposes like watching, hunting, guarding, showing, companionship and even animal associated therapies nowadays, warrants a detailed information on various dog breeds, like physical and other specific characteristics which may be different to each other. This  chapter  gives important characteristics of dog breeds and guidelines for buying a pup.

Drugs acting on alimentary system

Drugs acting on respiratory system

Drugs acting on urinary system

Drugs acting on genital system

Drugs acting on musculoskeletal system

Antineoplastic drugs

Antimicrobials

Antifungal

Antiprotozoal

Anthelmintics

The drug action can be adversely affected by the presence/concomitant administration of another drug/ agent, may be inhibiting its absorption, metabolism or excretion. Some of the drugs are incompatible with IV fluids, resulting in their inefficacy. The important drug interactions to be taken into consideration while administering a drug, are tabulated in this chapter.

The table gives the approximate date of parturition, based on the date of breeding/mating in the year as a easy ready reference table.

Fluid therapy plays an important role in emergency and critical care of  the malnourished, anemic, unhealthy and debilitated animals and as a supportive therapy in various disease conditions, accidents etc. The type, rate and quantity of fluids indicated for common abnormal conditions  in various animals are dealt in brief in  the following chapter.

1    Suggested fodder species for different regions

2    Package of practices for cultivated fodder crops

3    Estimation of agricultural by-products

1    Normal haemotological values

2    Blood biochemical values

Some of the Homeopathic remedies followed for common disease conditions of animals are listed in brief in the following chapter.