Electrospun fibers have emerged as promising materials in the field of biomedicine, due to their superior physical and cell supportive properties. In particular, electrospun mats are being developed for advanced wound dressing applications. Such applications require the firers to possess excellent antimicrobial properties in order to inhibit potential microbial colonization from resident and non-resident bacteria. In this study, we have developed Poly-ε-Caprolactone /gelatin hybrid composite mats loaded with natural herbal extract (Gymnema sylvestre) to prevent bacterial colonization. As-spun scaffolds exhibited good wettability and desirable mechanical properties retaining their fibrous structure after immersing them in phosphate buffered saline (pH 7.2) for up to 30 days. The initial burst release of Gymnema sylvestre prevented the colonization of bacteria as confirmed by the radial disc diffusion assay. Furthermore, the electrospun mats promoted cellular attachment, spreading and proliferation of human primary dermal fibroblasts and cultured keratinocytes, which are crucial parenchymal cell-types involved in the skin recovery process. Overall these results demonstrated the utility of Gymnema sylvestre impregnated electrospun PCL/Gelatin nanofibrous mats as an effective antimicrobial wound dressing.

Cardiospermum L. is a genus belonging to Sapindaceae family. It comprises about 17 species of herbs, vines distributed in the tropical regions of the earth. 15 Cardiospermum halicacabum (C. halicacabum) is an herbaceous climber from Sapindaceae family. It is widely distributed in the tropics and subtropics of India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Malacca, Africa and America. It is one such plant which is traditionally used in Ayurvedic and folk medicines. 16 This plant is known to possess various biological and pharmacological properties. Various studies have shown the antimicrobial, antioxidant, analgesic, vasodepressant, anti-inflammatory properties of this plant. It is commonly used for treating arthritis, rheumatism, limbs stiffness, diabetes, lumbago, earache, fever. 17,18 It is the bioactive compounds present in the extracts of leaves, seeds, roots of this plant which contributes for the activities. 19,20 Various pharmacological properties of the phytoconstituents of this plant has been studied. Several chemical constituents such as i.e., apigenin, apigenin-7-Oglucuronide, chrysoeriol-7-O-glucuronide, luteolin-7-O-glucuronide rutin, and β-arachidic acid 21 have ABSTRACT Background: Cardiospermum halicacabum (C. halicacabum) is a common medicinal herb found in India and other Asian countries. It has various medicinal properties such as antimicrobial, pain relief, antibiotics, anti-inflammatory, antioxidants, anticancer etc. It is commonly used for treating diabetes, arthritis, limbs stiffness, rheumatism, lumbago, earache, fever. Type of solvent and polarity intensively affects the antioxidant activity of the extracts due to the solubility of the phytocompounds such as polyphenols and flavonoids in various solvents. Materials and Methods: In this study, different solvents like, ethanol, methanol, chloroform and petroleum ether were used for the extraction of C. halicacabum. Cold maceration method was followed for extraction. The crude extracts were screened preliminary and then confirmed using Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy analysis. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to determine the chemical composition of each extract. The DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) method was used for the evaluation of the antioxidant activity of different crude extracts of C. halicacabum. Results: The results showed that there is significant influence of solvent type in preserving various phytocompounds of the C. halicacabum leaves extract. The evaluation of the antioxidant capacity of different crude extracts was in the order of ethanol > methanol > petroleum ether > chloroform extract.

Plant sampleG. sylvestre leaves collected during the month of November 2016. The collected plant samples were identified and authenticated by Dr. G.V.S. Murthy, Botanical Survey of India (Ref No: BSI/ SRC/5/23/2016/Tech/215). The leaves were washed with running tap water, distilled water and shade dried at room temperature. The dried leaves were ground by using a laboratory blender. The pulverized samples were stored in cold storage for further usage.

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Background: In terms of living kidney transplantation programs worldwide, India is only second to the United States of America. Every year, over 7500 renal transplants are done in India, with 90% of the transplants coming from living donors and the rest from deceased donors. Aims and Objectives: The aim of the study is to examine and describe differences in human renal arteries, compare past studies with the present study, and report the occurrence of major categories of variation. Materials and Methods: This observational study was carried out on 25 well-embalmed adult cadavers in the Department of Anatomy, Rajah Muthiah Medical College, Annamalai Nagar, Chidambaram from December 2016 to October 2018. In all the 25 specimens, the renal artery took its origin from the lateral side of the abdominal aorta. Results: We observed that there is a 92% correlation between L1 and L2, 8% between L3 and L1, and zero between L1 and L2. Accessory renal artery (ARA) was discovered in 18 specimens (36%), with 10 on the right side and eight on the left. Superior polar arteries – 4 (8%), inferior polar arteries – 1 (2%), and hilar arteries – 5% on the right side (10%). Superior polar arteries – 6%, inferior polar arteries – 0%, and hilar arteries – 5% on the left side (10%). Conclusion: Living donor grafts have become a primary source for preserving the donor pool as the need for kidney transplantation rises, and a successful allograft with numerous arteries has become a must. All major vascular channels have not entirely regressed if there are polar or numerous renal arteries to a regularly positioned kidney.

Cardiospermum halicacabum (CH) is an annual or perennial herbaceous climber about 200-400 cm height and is found throughout tropical as well as subtropical regions of Asia and Africa, which is consumed as a green vegetable in Indian peninsula. CH has its application for the treatment of lumbago, rheumatism, nervous diseases, as a demulcent in orchitis, and in edema. 8,9 The plants have shown activities such as vasodepressant, antipyretic, antimalarial, antioxidant, antiulcer, and suppress the production of TNF α in mononuclear cells of human blood, anti-inflammatory and LPS induced COX 2, TNF α, nitric oxide production. 10,11 The plant has also been widely used for the treatment of skeletal fractures, earache , reduce hardened tumors, hyperthermia, anti-hyperglycaemic, antispasmodic, rheumatism, lumbago, snake bite. 8,9 With this background, the current research was carried out to analyse the chemical constituents, antioxidant and antibacterial efficiency of methanolic extracts of Cardiospermum halicacabum (MECH) leaves. MATERIALS AND METHODS Plant collection and processing The plants were collected from Kanavaipatti, Namakkal, Tamilnadu, India. Collected plants were ABSTRACT Background: Plants serve as an important source for curing various medical ailments for a wide variety of human and animal diseases. It is therefore necessary to prove the biological activities of the selected plants scientifically using modern technology. The current study focuses on the use of Cardiospermum halicacabum in their wound healing applications. Cardiospermum halicacabum is a well-known plant that has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-rheumatic properties and it is also used to treat joint pains, muscle tears, back pain, etc. Materials and Methods: In this study methanolic extracts of the active compounds from Cardiospermum halicacabum were tested for its phytochemical attributes by qualitative method, GC-MS, and the antioxidant properties were also assessed. The bactericidal activity and Minimal Inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the plant extract has been evaluated in both Gram +ve and Gram-ve microorganisms using the disc diffusion method. Results: The results obtained showed the presence of significant antibacterial and antioxidant activity. The plant extract was found to be more active against Gram positive microbes compared to Gram negative microbes. The extract has the radical scavenging activity of about 77%. And the GCMS results showed the presence of different phytocompounds which are greatly known for their pharmacognistic activities.

The proper function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis is essential for maintaining proper female reproductive function. In female mammals, the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis regulates reproductive changes that take place in the estrus cycle and are necessary for successful reproduction. This study aimed to investigate the influence of thymus gland on the female reproductive function in different stages of life. This present study was conducted to investigate the effect of thymectomy on the estrus cycle in prepubertal (5th week) and pubertal (7th week) thymectomized guinea pigs. In this study, 24 female guinea pigs, six thymectomized and six sham-operated in each group were studied. Gonadotropin and 17β-estradiol levels were assessed at regular intervals (days 0, 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15) of the estrus cycle, and the length of the oestrous cycle in the thymectomized and sham-operated guinea pigs was determined. The results showed no significant difference in gonadotropin and 17β-estradiol were detected in thymectomized versus sham-operated guinea pigs at any intervals of the oestrous cycle. Thymectomy did not affect the length of the oestrous cycle of females. In conclusion, the present study results suggested that the presence of thymus during prepubertal and pubertal life was not necessary to regulate the oestrous cycle of female guinea pigs.