The objective of our study was to determine the effect of melatonin administration on atypical antipsychotic-induced metabolic adverse effects in patients with psychiatric disorders. A systematic search was performed in PUBMED, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Web of Science, and EBSCOhost electronic databases. Randomized controlled trials studying the effect of melatonin on antipsychotic-induced metabolic adverse effects were identified and subjected to meta-analysis. Four studies were included in the meta-analysis, including 57 patients on melatonin and 61 patients on placebo. Melatonin produced a significant decrease in the diastolic blood pressure compared with placebo (mean difference = −4.44 [95% CI, −7.00 to −1.88]; p = 0.0007; I2 = 13%), but not the systolic blood pressure (mean difference = −4.23 [95% CI, −8.11 to −0.36]; p = 0.03; I2 = 0%). Although a decrease in the body mass index was seen in the melatonin group, the difference was not significant in the random-effects analysis model. To conclude, in patients on atypical antipsychotics, melatonin at a dose of up to 5 mg/day for a treatment duration of up to 12 weeks attenuated the rise in diastolic blood pressure compared with placebo but had no significant effects on other metabolic parameters.

Chrysanthemum (Dendranthemum grandiflorum kitam.) is a leading flower with applied value worldwide. Flower color is an important trait that influences the commercial value of chrysanthemum cultivars. Developing new chrysanthemum cultivars with novel characteristics such as new flower colors in a time-and cost-efficient manner is the ultimate goal for breeders. Understanding the molecular mechanisms that regulate flower pigmentation may provide important implications for the rationale manipulation of flower color. To generate diverse array of flower colour mutants in chrysanthemum cv. "Candid" through mutagenesis, in vitro grown micro shoots were exposed to 10, 20, 30 and 40 Gy gamma irradiation at 100 Gy per minute and were evaluated for different parameters. The rhizogenesis parameters decreased with the increase in irradiation dose from 0 Gy to 40 Gy, while as, 10 Gy dose proved to record minimum decline as compared to the control. Survival, leaf size and number of leaves plant −1 after 8th week interval also decreased with the increasing trend of gamma irradiation dose but recorded minimum decline in plants developed from shoots irradiated with 10 Gy gamma irradiation dose with respect to the control. Apparently minimum delay in number of days to floral bud appearance took under 10 Gy as compared to control. Highest number of flower colour mutants were recorded under 10 Gy (light pink, orange pink,white and yellow). Amountable mutation frequency on the basis of flower colour was desirable in plants irradiated with least dose of 10 Gy.

Objectives:Antiretroviral toxicity is an increasingly important issue in the management of HIV-infected patients. The objective of our study was to evaluate the toxicity profile of currently used antiretroviral regimens and to compare these toxicities among males and females.Materials and Methods:A retrospective analysis with a one year follow-up was done at a tertiary care hospital by reviewing the record. Patients who were >18 years of age attending the hospital and were initiated an antiretroviral drug regimen were included in the analysis. Data regarding demographic details, medical history, details of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection including most recent CD4 count, details of antiretroviral therapy (ART) collected from patient's records. Adverse drug reactions were recorded by reviewing patient records.Result:A total of 99 patients were included in study. Among them, 71 (71.7%) were males and 28(28.3%) were females. Common adverse effects observed included anemia (58.6%), pruritus(23.2%), skin rash(18.2%), hypertriglyceridemia(15.2%), and hepatitis (60.6%), peripheral neuropathy (14.1%). Prevalence of skin rash was more in females than males, the difference being statistically significant. Pruritus was also commonly seen in females than males though the difference observed in our study is statistically insignificant. Hypertriglyceridemia was more in males compared to females, the difference is statistically significant.Conclusion:The most common adverse effects associated with currently used ART regimens are anemia, hepatic toxicity, itching, skin rash, elevated triglycerides, and peripheral neuropathy. Gender differences were seen mainly with skin rash, which was significantly more in females.

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Objective:The objective was to evaluate the acute effect of melatonin on ethanol drinking in ethanol naïve rats and to determine the specificity of the effect of melatonin on ethanol intake as compared to an intake of plain tap water or sugar water.Materials and Methods:A total of three experiments (2 weeks duration each) using different drinking solutions (ethanol, plain tap water, sugar water) was conducted in individually housed male wistar rats of 5 weeks age. Each animal had access to bottles containing drinking solutions for 2 h a day. In each experiment, on day 1, day 2, day 4, day 5, day 8, day 9, day 11, day 12 rats received drinking solutions. Each individual rat received single doses of saline, melatonin (50 mg and 100 mg/kg), and naltrexone on day 2, 5, 9, and 12, 1-h before receiving drinking solution. The order of drug administration is permuted such a way that each animal received the drugs in a different order in different experiments.Results:Melatonin has significantly decreased ethanol consumption by the rats and effect is dose-dependent. Naltrexone also has caused a significant reduction in the ethanol consumption. The maximum reduction in ethanol consumption was seen with melatonin 100 mg/kg dose compared to melatonin 50 mg/kg and naltrexone. There was no statistically significant effect of melatonin on plain water and sugar solution intake.Conclusions:Melatonin decreases ethanol consumption in ethanol naïve rats. The effect of melatonin is similar to naltrexone affecting selectively ethanol consumption, but not plain water and sugar water consumption.

Chrysanthemum (Dendranthemum grandiflorum kitam.) is amongst the top ten cut flowers globally. The flower colour of ancestral species is restricted to white, yellow, and pink and is acquired from anthocyanins, carotenoids, and the dearth of both pigments, respectively. An extensive array of flower colours, like orange, dark red, purplish-red, and red, has been bred by enhancing the variety of pigments or the amalgamation of both pigments. In recent times, green-flowered cultivars having chlorophylls in their ray petals have been produced and have grown a reputation. Furthermore, violet /blue flowers have been bred via transgenic interventions. Flower colour is considered as critically acclaimed feature of any flower cultivar especially chrysanthemum. Creating newer chrysanthemum cultivars with novel features, for instance, new flower colours in a time and input optimised approach, is the eventual ambition for breeders. Exploring the molecular mechanisms that control flower pigmentation may present imperative suggestions for the rational manoeuvring of flower colour. To generate a diverse array of flower colour mutants in chrysanthemum cv. “Candid” through mutagenesis, in vitro grown micro shoots were exposed to 10, 20, 30, and 40 Gy gamma irradiation at 100 Gy per minute and were evaluated for different parameters. The rhizogenesis parameters declined with the increase in irradiation dose from 0 Gy to 40 Gy, while as, 10 Gy dose proved to record minimum decline in contrast to the control. Survival, leaf size, and the number of leaves plant− 1 after the 8th -week interval also decreased with the increasing trend of gamma irradiation dose but recorded a minimum decline in plants raised from shoots irradiated with 10 Gy gamma irradiation dose with respect to the control. Apparently, the minimum delay in the number of days to floral bud appearance took under 10 Gy compared to control. The highest number of flower colour mutants were recorded under 10 Gy (light pink, orange-pink, white and yellow). Demountable mutation frequency based on flower colour was desirable in plants irradiated with the slightest dose of 10 Gy

Introduction: Despite theavailability of numerous antidepressant drugs the therapy of depression is far from satisfactory. Two of the many reasons for this are the delay in onset of effect and the adverse effects associated with most of the antidepressants. Costus speciosus rhizome has shown adaptogenic activity. Objective: To evaluate the antidepressant activity of50% aqueous-ethanol extract of Costus speciosus (CS) leaves in experimental models of depression. Materials and Methods: Male albino mice were randomly assigned to five groups of six each. We studied three doses of the leaf extract (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg) on two models of depression -forced swim test and tail suspension test. Imipramine was used as the standard control. Both acute and chronic effects were studied. Drugs (test drug, standard control and vehicle) were administeredorally, one hour before the experiment in the acute study and daily for 14 days for the chronic study. Results: Imipramine showed significant antidepressant activity as demonstrated by a reduction in duration of immobility in both acute and chronic studies of forced swim test and tail suspension test. CS showed a dose dependent antidepressant activity. CS_100 demonstrated an antide-

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