Eryngium foetidum L. (Family Apiaceae) is a biennial herb, and it is used as a culinary herb and spice across the different countries of the world, including Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Singapore, etc. due to its high aroma quality. Also, it is used to treat several ailments, such as respiratory diseases, gastrointestinal ailments, and skin diseases among different indigenous populations for its medicinal properties. Based on ethnomedical evidence, many studies have been conducted to identify the phytoconstituents, underlying mechanisms, and related pharmacological effects of different parts of this plant. This study reviewed the current state of findings related to the Pharmacological activities of E. foetidum. Based on this review, this plant is widely used for ethnomedical and culinary purposes. Pharmacological screening of the plant revealed that it had different activities such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, anthelminthic, anticonvulsant, anticancer, antidiabetic, antimalarial, larvicidal, and hepatoprotective activities. This review further promised that potential new chemical entities could be elicited from the phytoconstituents of E. foetidum.
Background: Triphala is a well-known polyherbal formulation widely used as an herbal, complementary and alternative medicine for various ailments, especially for gastrointestinal problems, and it is used as a dietary supplement for long years. Objectives: Objective of this study was to comparatively evaluate the quality of three marketed brands of Triphala tablets (Brand T 1 and T 2 ) and capsules (Brand T 3 ) which are available in Sri Lanka. Materials and Methods: This laboratory based experimental qualitative study was done among three brands of Triphala. Phytochemical screening was carried out for all those brands. Physicochemical tests were also performed to determine pH, moisture content, and loss on ignition, ash values and extractive values. Data were analysed by using Statistical Package of Social Sciences 23. Results: Physicochemical tests revealed that all three brands failed to comply with pharmacopoeial limits at least in one physicochemical test. According to ANOVA test, there was significant difference between results of physicochemical tests of marketed brands of Triphala. Conclusion: All three Triphala brands did not meet the quality standards. Quality of herbal medicine marketed in Sri Lanka should be monitored and regularized by relevant authorities.
Purpose: Diabetes is a noncommunicable disease with a rapid increase of prevalence in lowand middle-income countries during the last decade. Pictograms can be utilized to convey information regarding the management of diabetes. This study was conducted to develop and evaluate the comprehension level of pictograms regarding lifestyle modifications and medication use in diabetes. Methods: A mixed-method study was conducted through two phases which included the Delphi technique and a pilot study. Systematic sampling was used to select the 288 participants. Nineteen pictograms were developed and they were evaluated for their comprehension level by diabetic patients attending a teaching hospital in northern Sri Lanka. The criterion for acceptance of a pictogram was at least 85% of participants correctly interpreting the pictogram. Microsoft Excel 2019 was used to analyse data and descriptive statistics were used to present the data. Results: Out of 19, 18 pictograms were correctly interpreted (more than 85%) by diabetic patients. A pictogram representing the prevention of hypoglycaemic attacks was not interpreted by most patients. Conclusion:The developed pictograms could be used effectively to convey information regarding lifestyle modifications and medication usage to patients with diabetes. Further studies are needed to evaluate the comprehension level of the developed pictograms among diabetic patients in other parts of Sri Lanka.
Improper pharmaceutical waste management is one of the reasons for environmental hazards and affects all living organisms in the world. Pharmacy working personnel’s knowledge on pharmaceutical waste management plays important role in the provision of proper wastage management to secure the ecosystem in the country. The aim of the study was to assess the knowledge of pharmaceutical wastage management and the influence of socio-demographic and work-related factors among personals working at private pharmacies in Jaffna Municipality Area, Sri Lanka. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in private pharmacies. Pre-tested and validated self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. The knowledge level of participants was categorized as good, adequate and poor. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 23. Chi-square test was performed to analyze the variable and 95% confidence interval was set for the test and results were significant if p-value <0.05. Respondent rate of pharmacy personnel was 78.71% (n = 122) and most of them were female 59% (n = 72). The majority of the participants (67.2%, n = 82) were pharmacy assistants. In this study, most participants (76.2%, n = 93) had poor knowledge of pharmaceutical waste management. 10.7% (n = 13) had good knowledge and 13.1% (n = 16) had adequate knowledge. Age, marital status, educational level, position in the pharmacy and work experience (p< 0.001) had a statistically significant influence on the level of knowledge. Continuous education programs should be initiated and periodically conducted among pharmacy personnel to improve knowledge of pharmaceutical waste management. Existing guidelines should be strengthened and monitored for implementation by regulatory authorities.
Helminth infections are major health problems, especially in developing countries with warm and humid environments. Limited synthetic drugs are available for treating helminth infections, and some of them showed resistance to helminths. Phytoconstituents can be used to develop cheap and effective anthelminthic drugs. Borassus flabellifer has been used in traditional medicine, in addition to consuming as food. This study was designed to evaluate the comparative in vitro anthelmintic activities of aqueous and methanol extracts of root, fruit pulp, and sap of Borassus flabellifer using two different concentrations (50 and 100 mg/mL). Adult earthworms, Eisenia fetida was used to evaluate the in-vitro anthelmintic activity. In-vitro anthelmintic activity was evaluated by determining times of paralysis and the death of worms. The anthelminthic activity of extracts was compared with mebendazole, and earthworm saline was used as a control. ANOVA followed by Dunnett’s multiple comparison test was used to compare the activities of extracts with mebendazole. All extracts showed concentrations dependent activity. All extracts except aqueous extract of roots of Borassus flabellifer showed statistically significant in-vitro anthelminthic activity. Further studies are needed to isolate and evaluate the active components from the extracts of Borassus flabellifer.
Worm infestations are one of the significant health problems affecting children in developing countries. It is highly prevalent among poverty-stricken communities due to poor hygiene. The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge and practice on anthelmintic drugs and the influence of selected factors and knowledge on worm infestation among parents of pediatric patients attending OPD at a Teaching Hospital, Sri Lanka. It was a descriptive cross-sectional study. A validated interviewer-administered questionnaire was used as a study instrument. A systematic random sampling method was used to select the 422 participants. The response rate was 79% (n=334). Pre-determined cut-off values used to assess the knowledge of worm infestation and knowledge on anthelmintic drug usage were 60% and 50%, respectively. Using these cut-off values, the level of knowledge was categorized as good and poor. Most of the participants were females (85.6%, n=286), and the mean age was 32(±5) years. 60.2% (n= 201) and 86.8% (n=290) had good knowledge on worm infestation and anthelmintic drug usage. Only 66.4% (n=215) of respondents used anthelmintics to their children as self-medication or prescribed drug. The age of the participants was statistically associated with anthelmintic drug knowledge (p<0.05). Knowledge of worm infestation could be further improved by educating the parents.
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