BackgroundPranayama, a branch of yoga practice is extremely beneficial to mankind in maintaining sound physical and mental health and this article aims to attain an insight on the studies conducted on the effectiveness of Bhramari Pranayama (Bhr.P) on health. The studies done until May 2016 were found using Medline, Embase, Google scholar and manual search. Studies conducted on the health effectiveness of Bhr.P specifically were included on the basis of prisma guidelines. The data were defined by their objectives, methodology, study setting, findings, interventions done and implications suggested in the study. Methodological Quality Rating Scale (MQRS) and Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) were used in reviewing and reporting results of the included studies. 6 studies satisfied the inclusion criteria; 2 studies were done on the cold pressor test, one on heart rate and BP, one on EEG changes, one each on the inhibitory response and tinnitus condition. In the included studies, the Bhr.P practices have shown para-sympathetic dominance. There are some encouraging effects of Bhr.P on various physiological systems. Methodological quality of the included studies was evaluated to be very low and none of them were RCTs. Yet the available studies are heterogeneous, dealing in different grounds and this heterogeneity serves as a resource for the limited scope of studies on Bhr.P. Therefore, further large-scale, properly designed, randomized trials of Bhr.P on various systems have to be done to justify these effects efficiently.

Present study showed that Bhr.P practice produces relaxed state and in this state parasympathetic activity overrides the sympathetic activity. It suggests that Bhramari pranayama improves the resting cardiovascular parameters in healthy adolescents.

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Context:Prāṇāyāma, the fourth limb of ancient aṣṭāṅga yoga consists of breathing techniques which produce various physiological and psychological effects. Though various types of prāṇāyāma and their effects have been scientifically established, Bhrāmarī prāṇāyāma (Bhr.P) is the one whose effects still remain understated.Aims:The present study was conducted to find the effects of Bhrāmarī prāṇāyāma practice on pulmonary function in healthy adolescents.Study Design:Randomized control trial.Subjects and Methods:90 healthy adolescents including 32 females and 58 males participated in the study. They were randomly divided into Bhr.P group (n = 45) and Control group (n = 45) by a simple lottery method. Pulmonary function test was done at baseline and at end of 12th week using RMS Helios spirometry. Prāṇāyāma group students were trained to do Bhr.P as 3 to 4 breaths/min for 5 min followed by 2 min rest. This was one cycle and in this way, they were instructed to do five cycles each time for 45 minutes five days in a week. Control group students were not allowed to practice any kind of exercise throughout the study period.Statistical Analysis:Student paired and unpaired T tests were used to analyse the intra group and intergroup differences using R statistical software.Results:A significant (P < 0.05) improvement in all pulmonary function parameters; FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC ratio, FEF 25%-75% and PEFR was seen in the Bhr.P group than the control group adolescents. Slow vital capacity (SVC) and Maximum Voluntary Volume (MVV) also showed significant improvement in the prāṇāyāma group.Conclusions:Bhrāmarī Prāṇāyāma practice is effective in improving the pulmonary function among the adolescents which could be utilized for further clinical studies.

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The antibacterial activity of β-lactam derived polycyclic fused pyrrolidine/pyrrolizidine derivatives synthesized by 1, 3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction was evaluated against microbes involved in dental infection. Fifteen compounds were screened; among them compound 3 showed efficient antibacterial activity in an ex vivo dentinal tubule model and in vivo mice infectious model. In silico docking studies showed greater affinity to penicillin binding protein. Cell damage was observed under Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) which was further proved by Confocal Laser Scanning Microscope (CLSM) and quantified using Flow Cytometry by PI up-take. Compound 3 treated E. faecalis showed ROS generation and loss of membrane integrity was quantified by flow cytometry. Compound 3 was also found to be active against resistant E. faecalis strains isolated from failed root canal treatment cases. Further, compound 3 was found to be hemocompatible, not cytotoxic to normal mammalian NIH 3T3 cells and non mutagenic. It was concluded that β-lactam compound 3 exhibited promising antibacterial activity against E. faecalis involved in root canal infections and the mechanism of action was deciphered. The results of this research can be further implicated in the development of potent antibacterial medicaments with applications in dentistry.

AbstractObjectivesThe improvement in the/reaction time is important, as it is an indicator of cognitive function. Therefore, there is a need, especially for adolescents in the form of techniques or courses that can improve the reaction time. Yoga was found to cause a better improvement in the health of the individuals. The present study intended to show the effects of Bhramari pranayama (Bhr.P) on reaction time in the healthy adolescents.MethodsOf the 730 potential subjects screened, 520 apparently healthy adolescents randomly assigned to either the Bhr.P group (n-260) or control group (n-260). Bhr.P group practiced the bhramari pranayama for 3 days in a week for 6 months. The Auditory Reaction Time (ART) and the Visual Reaction Time (VRT) were assessed before and after Bhr.P pranayama practice.ResultsBhr.P group shows significant shortening of response time in both VRT (from 267.13 ± 52.65 to 249.87 ± 39.41 ms) and ART (from 237.42 ± 48.12 to 227.91 ± 34.60 ms) after 6 months of Bhr.P practice. In control group subjects, no such significant changes were found (p > 0.05).ConclusionsShortening of RT implies an improvement in the information processing and reflexes. This beneficial effect of Bhr.P on reaction time can be used for improving cognitive function in the adolescents for their academic performances.

Chennai is the fourth largest metropolitan city in India. Around 10,000 conservancy workers of the Chennai Corporation handle about 4500 to 5200 tons of solid wastes per day. These workers are exposed to a lot of environmental and occupational hazards affecting the respiratory system. This paper presents the results of pulmonary function assessment in 178 conservancy workers (100 sweepers & 78 loaders) of the Chennai Corporation. Detailed medical and occupational history was obtained and clinical examination was performed after obtaining informed consent. Pulmonary functions (forced vital capacity [FVC], forced expiratory volume in 1 second [FEV1] and peak expiratory flow rate [PEFR]) were measured using a portable spirometer. Since normal pulmonary function values for healthy non-smoking South Indian adults are available through previously published studies, the pulmonary function test (PFT) values from the study group were compared with the predicted values after corrections for age and anthropometry. The pulmonary functions of the conservancy workers were significantly lower than their predicted values. Moreover, the pulmonary functions declined with increasing years of working. Among both the groups of conservancy workers, the pulmonary functions were significantly lower in sweepers than loaders (P<0.01). This study has generated lung function data of the Chennai Corporation conservancy workers that can aid the concerned authorities to implement specific interventions to reduce the exposure and improve the health status of the workers.