Background and Aims: Natural dyes and pigments are nontoxic, ecofriendly alternatives to synthetic counterparts and beetroot is one such natural dye. The red color of beetroot derived from betalain pigments confers great advantage to this plant. In this study, the physiochemical and spectrophotometric characteristics of beetroot as well as the histological staining potential of various tissues were carried out to determine its tissue specificity. Methods: The aqueous and ethanol extracts of beetroot were prepared using distilled water and 95% ethanol, respectively. Spectrophotometry, pH, and concentration of both extracts were determined before histological staining with 10% neutral-buffered formalin-fixed, paraffin-wax-embedded tissue sections. Stained sections were viewed with a photomicroscope. Results: The aqueous and ethanol extracts of beetroot were slightly acidic and soluble at concentrations of 381.5 mg/100 g and 253.7 mg/100 g fresh beetroot sample, respectively. Both extracts consist of three betalain pigments with absorbances at different spectrophotometric wavelengths, namely betaxanthins (475 nm), betanin (525 nm), and betanidin (575 nm). The maximum absorbance was 0.925 and 0.615 for the aqueous and ethanol extracts, respectively, at a peak wavelength of 525 nm for each extract. Both extracts stained various tissue structures such as muscles, mucins, red blood cells, keratin, and nerve fibers. Conclusion: Thus, beetroot stain is slightly acidic, contains betalain pigments, stains basic histological tissue structures, and can be used as an ecofriendly alternative to hematoxylin and eosin.
Opportunistic and intestinal parasite infections are common health problem among HIV/AIDS patients. Early detection and treatment of these parasites are important to improve the quality of life of this category of patients. The occurrence of intestinal parasites among 400 patients on highly active anti-retroviral drug therapy (HAART) aged 11-60 years was investigated. Standard parasitological techniques like direct microscopy, formol ether concentration and modified Ziehl- Neelsen staining techniques were used to analyze the stool samples. Intestinal parasite infections were positive in 116 (29%) of the subjects on HAART while control subjects had 12 (12%) and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Subjects in the age group 21-30 years had the highest infection rate 54 (35.1%). There was no statistically significant difference in infection according to age (P>0.05). Females 76 (32.5%) had a higher prevalence rate than males 40 (24.1%). But there was no statistically significant difference in infection according to gender (P<0.05). Patients with CD4 count of less than 200 cells/mm3 were observed to be more infected than those with CD4 count of more than 200 cells/mm3. There was a strong positive correlation (r=0.94) between CD4 count and the occurrence of intestinal parasite infection. Protozoan parasites 84 (21.0%) accounted for a higher prevalence rate than helminthic parasites 32 (8.0%). These findings has revealed a high prevalence of intestinal parasite infection among patients on HAART thus the routine screening of stool samples from these category of patients for intestinal parasites is advocated for effective management of the disease.
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