Mineral Ingredients Research Articles

Antimicrobial potential of four mica drugs and their chemical and mineralogical properties

BackgroundMica drugs, a group of herbo-metallic traditional preparations comprising biotite mica as the major mineral ingredient, are prescribed for skin disorders and respiratory ailments and other chronic conditions in South Asian countries, particularly India and Sri Lanka. Mica-based drugs (Abhrak drugs) are subjected to unique and varied preparation procedures and the bioactivity of the drugs can be affected by drug-processing conditions, the ingredients used and the mica composition. The current study aimed to evaluate and compare, on the basis of their physical and chemical characteristics, the antimicrobial potential of two commercial mica drugs AbBb (Abhrak bhashma) and AbCh (Abhrak Chenhuram) and two mica drugs ABL1 (Abhrak Bhasma Laboratory Prepared 1) and ABL2 (Abhrak Bhasma Laboratory Prepared 2) prepared in the laboratory under different conditions.MethodsAntimicrobial activity of all four drugs was assessed at 10 mg/ml concentration against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherischia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and Candida albicans using well diffusion assay, agar dilution assay and Miles and Misra method. Major and trace metal constituents of the drug samples were measured using atomic absorption spectrometry. Mineralogical properties, bacteria-mineral interactions, morphological changes in microbes and the surface characteristics of the drugs were determined using X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).ResultsThe drugs ABL1, ABL2 and AbBh exhibited antimicrobial activity against only Gram-positive organisms (S. aureus and MRSA) when tested with Miles and Misra method (broth method). Mineralogical studies (XRD) revealed that biotite mica was altered into secondary clay minerals and iron oxides in the commercial drug AbCh while the other three drugs had altered mica and iron oxide phases. The essential elements (Na, K, Ca and Mg) required for microbial functions were present in varying extents in all four drugs while they were present in exceedingly high amounts in AbCh having comparatively high cation-exchange capacity, consistent with the observation that AbCh was inactive against all the microbes tested. The three drugs (ABL1, ABL2 and AbBh) showing antimicrobial activity contained comparatively high amounts of Fe, Zn and Cu that are known to display antimicrobial properties at high concentrations. SEM studies revealed that the drug particles adhered and entrapped the bacterial species, presumably modifying the physiochemical characteristics of the bacteria and eventually causing lethality.ConclusionThree of the four mica drugs inhibited the tested Gram-negative bacteria and the antibacterial activity of the mica drugs depends on their constituents and the methods of preparation.

Cardiovascular Effects of Chocolate and Wine-Narrative Review.

The consumption of food for pleasure is mainly associated with adverse health effects. This review was carried out to verify recent reports on the impact of chocolate and wine consumption on cardiovascular health, with a particular focus on atherosclerosis. On one side, these products have proven adverse effects on the cardiovascular system, but on the other hand, if consumed in optimal amounts, they have cardiovascular benefits. The submitted data suggest that the beneficial doses are 30–50 g and 130/250 mL for chocolate and wine, respectively, for women and men. The accumulated evidence indicates that the active ingredients in the products under consideration in this review are phenolic compounds, characterized by anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antiplatelet properties. However, there are also some reports of cardioprotective properties of other compounds such as esters, amines, biogenic amines, amino acids, fatty acids, mineral ingredients, and vitamins. Our narrative review has shown that in meta-analyses of intervention studies, consumption of chocolate and wine was positively associated with the beneficial outcomes associated with the cardiovascular system. In contrast, the assessment with the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) scale did not confirm this phenomenon. In addition, mechanisms of action of bioactive compounds present in chocolate and wine depend on some factors, such as age, sex, body weight, and the presence of additional medical conditions. Patients using cardiovascular drugs simultaneously with both products should be alert to the risk of pharmacologically relevant interactions during their use. Our narrative review leads to the conclusion that there is abundant evidence to prove the beneficial impact of consuming both products on cardiovascular health, however some evidence still remains controversial. Many authors of studies included in this review postulated that well-designed, longitudinal studies should be performed to determine the effects of these products and their components on atherosclerosis and other CVD (Cardiovascular Disease) disease.

Supervision and Registration of Traditional Medicine Brand in Indonesia

Traditional medicine (herbal medicine, standardized herbal medicine, phytopharmaca (clinical-based herbal medicine), imported traditional medicine) is an ingredient or herb ingredients in the form of plant ingredients, animal ingredients, mineral ingredients, galenic preparations, or a mixture of such ingredients that have been used for treatment for generations, and can be applied by the norms prevailing in the society. This study aims to find out and analyze related to the supervision and registration of traditional medicine brands in Indonesia. This research uses a qualitative method with a normative juridical approach. Data collection techniques are carried out through library studies. It can be concluded that the supervision of traditional medicine brands' registration must be carried out to the maximum by the National Agency of Drug and Food Control (NADFC). This avoids the problems that will arise in the event of the obscurity of the surveillance process. Good and proper supervision must be based on the rule of law because Indonesia recognizes the Law's existe.

Nutrient density of mineral ingredients in goat, goat-sheep

Nutrient density of mineral ingredients in goat, goat-sheep

Üniversite Öğrencilerinde Kendi Kendine İlaç Kullanımı

Objective: Self-medication is an important self-care practice that creates different fields for pharmaceutical companies and reduces the state's health costs and the time spent by the physician. This study aims to determine the prevalence of self-medication practice among university students in Turkey, along with the effective factors and self-medication practices.
 
 Methods: With the aim of conducting a descriptive cross-sectional study, this study was conducted with the participation of 494 undergraduate students selected through a stratified random weight-proportional sample. The students were asked to fill in a self-report questionnaire form including introductory characteristics and self-medication practices. Analyses were carried out using descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression.
 
 Results: Of the participants, 64.4% (n=318) were female and 35.6% (n=176) were male. The mean age was 20.9 ± 2.0 (18-29) years. It was determined that 15.8% (n=78) of the participants were using a prescription medication continuously due to a chronic disease. The prevalence of self-medication at any time was determined to be 81.6% (n=403). The prevalence of self-medication was found to be 84.9% in females and 75.6% in males (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.2-3.3, p=0.005). As a source of self-medication, 75.4% of the students (n=304) stated that self-medication drugs were previously prescribed by a physician. Of the participants, 27.5% (n=111) bought the medication by their own preferences and experiences. The most common self-medication symptoms of the participants were headache (90.8%) and common cold (59.8%). Other causes included muscle/joint pain, dysmenorrhea, and dyspeptic complaints. Self-medication drug groups were in the form of analgesics in 95.9% (n=259) of females and in 93.2% (n=123) of males. This was followed by cold drugs (58.2%), myorelaxants (47.5%), drugs with vitamin or mineral ingredients (41.8%), respectively. The prevalence of antibiotic self-medication was found to be 9.5% in the self-medication group and 7.7% for all participants. The thought of mild disease (77.6%) ranked first among the reasons for preferring self-medication. The prevalence of patient information leaflet reading behavior was 82.2% in the self-medication group. Due to self-medication, 8.2% (n=33) of the students experienced a adverse-effect at any time. The students in the self-medication group believed that there would not be serious adverse-effects caused by the OTC drugs even if they caused adverse-effect (30.5%) or that they would not cause any adverse-effects at all (3.8%). 
 
 Conclusion : Self-medication is a common behavior among university students, with higher rates in females. Students practice this largely by relying on their previous experiences. They mostly prefer medicines previously given by their physicians for similar conditions. Opportunities must be used to inform people on OTC drugs.

Estimation of mercury levels in blood by GFAAS after administration of two variants of Shwasakuthara Rasa in human volunteers

Introduction: Mercury is in use as medicine since thousands of years in India. It is the most important raw material of medicines belonging to Rasashastra, a branch of Ayurveda. It is need of time to establish data of pharmacokinetics of mercurial medicines. This is a preliminary study to know the absorption of Shwakakuthara Rasa, a herbo-mineral formulation. Aim: The study drug viz Shwasakuthara Rasa is a complex triturated drug having herbal and mineral ingredients. In this study, bioavailability of mercury from two samples Shwaskuthar Rasa was assessed. Materials and Methods: Shwaskuthar Rasa samples [S 1 and S 2] were manufactured by two formulas from Ayurvedic literature. Ingredients of the formulation are detoxified mercury, detoxified sulfur, detoxified realgar, detoxified borax, detoxified Aconitum ferox Piper nigrum, Piper longum, and Zingiber officinalis. Detoxification of said ingredients was done by specific processes mentioned in Ayurvedic literature. Per cent amount of detoxified mercury is 7.14 % and 11.1 % in S1 and S2 respectively and amount of Piper nigrum is 60% and 22.2 %, respectively. After administration of 125 mg dose of the S1 and S2 to 8 normal volunteers, blood samples were collected at 0, 1, 1.5 and 2 hours. The blood mercury levels were assessed by Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (GFAAS). Results: It is evident that mercury gets absorbed from both formulations. There is difference in absorption pattern. After 2 hours of administration of formulation; mercury level in blood from S1 is significantly higher than S2. Conclusions: The increased absorbance of mercury from S1 can be attributed to much higher levels of P. nigrum in it than S2. Keywords: Ayurveda, Rasashastra, Parad mercury, Shwasakuthara Rasa, Bioavailability, Pharmacokinetics.

AGATHIYAR KUZHAMBU (HERBO-MINERAL SIDDHA FORMULATION)

Introduction: Agathiyar kuzhambu (A.k) is a herbo-mineral siddha formulation. It is explained in the Siddha Vaith- iya Thiraddu Book. In Siddha Medicine, there are 32 internal & external medicines are explained in the Siddha Literatures. Agathiyar kuzhambu is a one form of the internal medicine which is commonly used in purgation ther- apy. It contains 11 ingredients. Agathiyar kuzhambu has different herbo- mineral ingredients which are having wide range of therapeutic uses. It is commonly used in Siddha OPDs. Aim: The researcher is going to develop the documentary evidence for the effectiveness of Agathiyar kuzhambu. Results and Discussion: Six ingredients herbs have hot potency and Pungent efficacy. These have many pharmacological actions. Commonly, these ingredients are possessed antioxidant, anti-microbial, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, anthelmintic, anti-dia- betic and anti -hypertensive activity. In Siddha, these ingredients and 5 minerals and metals ingredients were used in many disease conditions. Lots of adjuvants of Agathiyar kuzhambu have hot potency and pungent efficacy. Some of adjuvants have cool potency and sweet efficacy. In Siddha, these adjuvants were used in many disease conditions. Conclusion: According to the above study, Agathiyar kuzhambu may be act as stimulant and osmotic purgative at the same time it can use as a treatment aspect of many diseases. This study gives documentary evidence of Agathiyar kuzhambu as a purgative & possess many pharmacological activities in Siddha medicine. Keywords: Agathiyar kuzhambu, Siddha Medicine, Purgative, Croton tiglium

PREPARATION AND EVALUATION OF HERBOMINERAL FORMULATION - SEPTIPAT 250 TABLET

Ayurveda is the oldest system of medicine. Ayurvedic, herbal and herbo-mineral preparations are used for the treatment of chronic and degenerative diseases with less side-effects. Septipat - 250 Tablet is a compound herbomineral formulation widely used in Ayurvedic clinical practice as natural antibiotics, which has a tendency to kill the bacteria and give health and hygiene. Septipat - 250 Tablet consists of Kanchnar (Bauhinia variegata), Gulvel (Tinospora cordifolia), Shuddha Guggul (Commiphora mukul), Nagakaeshar (Mesua ferrea) and four mineral ingredients Tamra bhasma, Mandur bhasma, Shadgun Kajjali and Saindhav Lavana. The detailed evaluation of this Patented and Properitory Product was studied for the following parameters: physico-chemical, elemental assay and HPLC analysis of the product. The parameters were found to be sufficient and set as reference specification for the Septipat - 250 Tablet quality control study.

Recycling and Reuse of Sediments in Agriculture: Where Is the Problem?

Though suggested by international conventions for a long time, there are still several technical and legislative limitations to a complete reuse and recycling of dredged sediments. In particular, reuse of unpolluted sediments can be practiced, whereas sediment recycling is still affected by several downsides, and a significant proportion of the recycled fine sediments has no practical use and must be landfilled. However, the silty clayey fraction of the recycled sediments is rich in organic matter and macro- and micronutrients useful for plant growth. Nevertheless, sediment recycling in agriculture is not possible, even in non-food agricultural sectors, due to the lack of a permissive legislation and of consolidated supply chains. In addition to plant nutrients, the silty-clay sediment fraction may also accumulate organic and inorganic pollutants, and while the organic pollutants can be effectively biodegraded, metals and metalloids may concentrate at concentrations higher than the limits set by the environmental and agricultural legislations. In this paper, I briefly summarize the scientific evidence on the potential reuse and recycling of sediments in agriculture, and I discuss the main reasons for hindrance of sediment recycling in agriculture. I also present evidence from a real industrial biodegradation process that produces bioremediated fine sediment fractions with suitable properties as a mineral ingredient for plant-growing media. I propose that nutrient-rich recycled sediments could be reconsidered as a component material category in the new EU regulation on fertilizers.

The importance of mineral ingredients in biochar production, properties and applications

Biochar is a carbonaceous material that is rich in both carbon and mineral ingredients. Previous research has recognized that properties and various applications of biochar are often correlated with its carbon fraction. However, recent research advancement has validated that mineral ingredients of biochar also strongly influence the properties and eventually the application of biochar in various fields. Nevertheless, an in-depth review on this aspect is lacking. To fill this knowledge gap, the present review explores the importance of mineral ingredients in production, properties and applications of biochar. The impact of pyrolytic settings and the nature of feedstock on the mineral composition of biochar were discussed. The previous investigations identified that the mineral composition of biochar was impacted by the feedstock type and pyrolysis parameters. The mineral ingredients of biochar also in turn strongly impact the properties of biochar, such as pH, electric conductivity, specific surface area, structure and morphology of biochar. During biosorption of various contaminants such as metals, nutrients and organic constituents, the role of mineral ingredients was found to be indispensable. The presence of minerals also facilitates biochar to be employed in various other applications, including soil amendment, a precursor for supercapacitor, photoactive component and fuel cell.

Identifikasi Sediaan Jamu Kuat yang Beredar di Kecamatan Banguntapan dan Pleret Kabupaten Bantul dengan Metode KLT

Background: Traditional herbs are ingredients or herbs in the form of plant material, animal ingredients, mineral ingredients, galenic preparations or mixtures of these ingredients, it has been used as medicine traditionally.Objective: This study is aimed to Identify of Sildenafil Citrate on “Jamu Kuat” (Herbal Medicine) products.Methods: This type of research was descriptive and the sample was determined by quota sampling. The method used Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) which was a physicochemical method. There were seven samples were extracted by the soxhletation method until a thick extract was obtained to be spotted in the quite phase of TLC silica gel F254. The motion phase used to identify sildenafil citrate was chloroform: ethyl acetate (6: 4). Spots detection was done by observation under UV light 366 nm and the spots that appeared were calculated of Rf value and compared with the comparable Rf value of sildenafil citrate.Results: From this study, there were samples containing sildenafil citrate. Sample C with a sample Rf value of 0.75 and sample D with Rf value of sample 0.78 and a comparable Rf of sildenafil citrate 0.77.Conclusion: The seven samples of “Jamu Kuat” contained sildenafil citrate in Banguntapan and Pleret Districts, Bantul Regency. Keywords: Jamu Kuat (Herbal Medicine), Sildenafil citrate, TLC

Ethnobotanic survey of the galactagogue plants used by Brong and Koulango, two indigenous peoples in Gontougo region/Côte d’Ivoire

<p>This study aims to inventory plants and traditional medicinal recipes used by the population of Tanda (Gontougo region, Côte d’Ivoire) to boost milk production in women.</p><p>Using a questionnaire, the methods consisted in carrying out a survey near the traditional medicine actors of 15 localities. Among 47 actors of traditional medicine aged from 34 to 80 years investigated, 70.21 % were women. These women had more knowledge on the galactagogue plants than the men (29.79 % of the actors). They were represented by matrons, specialists in lactation, healers and saleswomen of medicinal plants. Among about fifteen listed galactagogue plants, <em>Euphorbia hirta </em>(Euphorbiaceae) was the most used plant. Leaves represented the majority of the medicinal preparations (73.33 %). These preparations were in 66.67 % of the cases associated with various other biological or mineral ingredients (pepper, meat, vegetables, ash, kaolin…). The direct application of crushings on mammary glands (cutaneous way) by friction constituted the principal route of administration (66.67 % of the medical receipts).</p>Traditional medicine actors of the town of Tanda are actively interested in the search of solutions to the lacteal secretion issues which occur in the breast-feeding mothers. They have about fifteen medicinal plants which enable them to stimulate the production of maternal milk when a need is expressed.

Internalization of Value System in Mineral Materials Management Policies Instead of Metal And Rocks in Merauke District

Public policy public comes from the existing problems in the community, so that policy objectives realized. Value systems as part of people's lives need to get places in the policy process, among others related to environmental management policies. As long as it is not metal minerals mining and rock in Merauke District, Papua Province, the mining generally leads to environmental damage, necessitating noteworthy local wisdom values as a value system in order to prevent damage to a sustainable environment. This research aims to analyze the value system of the local communities of Marind area can be internalised into the policy management of mineral ingredients instead of metal and rocks in Merauke District. Research methods are using qualitative approach. Data collected through interviews, documentation and further analyzed using observation and data analysis components from Milles, Huberman and Saldaña. The results showed that one of the value systems in society of Marind area such as Sasi i.e. Prohibition of entering a closed area in the customs, have sanctions for those who break them decisively, so internalization of Sasi as a value system culture in environmental protection needs implemented. It is particularly in the order of mineral material management policies instead of metal and rocks in Merauke District.
 Key words: Value System, Sasi, Environment Condition, Policy, Mining Activity.

DINAMISASI DAN PRODUKTIVITAS PRIMER SUNGAI CITARUM PROVINSI JAWA BARAT

Monitoring the quality of the river is essentially to know the status of the periodic quality of the river. Good assessment of river water quality should use a combination of physical, chemical and biological parameters. One way that can be done to describe water quality in an area is the primary productivity in the water. Primary productivity is the amount of organic material produced by autotrophic organisms with the help of sunlight. Perifiton as a river microorganism, will provide dissolved oxygen (DO) through photosynthesis to maintain most of the life of the surrounding water, then Periphyton can respond quickly to environmental changes, this is an indicator of changing conditions (Gaiser 2008 and Lakewatch, 2000) in Brown and Wright (2016) Chemical reactions that occur in the aquatic environment also involve interactions between ions and other phases. Some important interactions in the waters are the occurrence of photosynthesis by algae and the exchange of dissolved solids with dissolved gases in water. The same exchange occurs when bacteria degrade organic matter (often in the form of particles) in water. Some important elements move around in aquatic systems as colloidal chemical compounds or are absorbed into soil particles. The equilibrium of physical chemical reactions in waters involves sediment, gas, and water. Sediment is a layer of material or material that covers the bottom of small rivers, lakes, reservoirs, bays, and oceans. Sediments contain fine mixtures and subtle minerals, including clay, silt, and sand, which mix with organic materials. These materials may experience changes in composition from pure mineral ingredients to main organic ingredients. Sediments contain biological ingredients, chemicals, and pollutants in water.
 Keywords: Primary Productivity; citarum river ; sediment; water test parameter

Zero waste as an economic criterion of efficiency of the mining enterprise’s activity

When assessing the economic efficiency of economy’s mining sector, the following economic problems are of priority: the state of mineral deposits, the concentration of property, the raw material economy, dependence on world prices for raw materials, volatility and risks, the deficit of foreign investments, and so on. The issues of the economic environment’s volatility and limited financial and economic resources, rationalization of the use of resource determinants of regional development as well as their modernization development factors, the issues of creating a favorable institutional and infrastructural environment are regarded to be urgent. As a tool for the formation of the regional economy is the regional clustering direction and subregional economic systems, the prospects of which are associated with the processes of integration of economic entities. The current stage of development of the Russian economy is positioned as a deep transformation of commodity production according to the radical improvement of technology development. The addition of potential of chemical energy to the predominantly mining mechanical energy opens up new prospects to be involved in the operation of still inaccessible mineral resources. This process requires the development of other economic efficiency criteria. The proposed criterion for the mining enterprise’s evaluation effectiveness is a priority condition of non-waste production. Environmental damage due to improper use (waste) is differentiated based on the amount and cost of lost metal and mineral ingredients at local, regional, global and hierarchical levels. The damage components and economic efficiency can be determined based on the extent of utilization, costs and technological level of production.

A A Review – Rasasindur Various Types of Anupanas w.r.t. Rastangini

Ras Sindoor is an Ayurvedic medicine, with herbal and mineral ingredients, in powder form. Anupana is explained by all Bruhatrayis in detail.Those substances which are drunk along with or after medicine or food intake is known as anupana. Ayurveda also teaches us that certain substances have a particular affinity for specific tissue and channels in the body. A carrier substance (anupan or anupana, in Sanskrit) can be used to help catalyze the delivery of a particular herb or formula to a specific tissue or channel, to encourage its penetration deep into the cells, or to moderate its effect in some way. In this paper introduce Rassindur and various types of anupan use in various diseases.

Experimental evaluation of forced circulation crystallizer performance in production of sugar crystals

AbstractOperating conditions of forced circulation crystallizer, which is equipped with a condenser, are investigated in this research. The results can be used as tally rules for design and process optimization. The effect of operating pressure, operating temperature, and cooling water flow rate on the performance of forced circulation crystallizer as an industrial type of evaporators is evaluated in this research. Moreover, the relationship between the amounts of produced sugar crystal, acidity, distilled water, sugar crystal size, and energy consumption in the heat exchanger has been investigated, experimentally. Finally, the relationship between the concentration of sugar in liquor and related density is measured in this article. The experimental results show, with increasing operating temperature from 87.1 to 91.6 °C, the density of outlet liquor from the crystallizer decreases from 1,122.37 to 1,121.48 kg/m3. In addition, 6.24 kWh as the minimum amount of energy consumption is obtained at a temperature of 27.3 °C. Results show that the difference between feed temperature and heat exchanger temperature is between 5.9 and 9.8% for different cooling water flow rates.Practical applicationsA forced‐circulation crystallizer operates under reduced pressure. A high recirculation rate through the external heat exchanger is used to provide good heat transfer and minimize encrustation. The crystal magma is circulated from the lower conical section of the evaporator body through the vertical tubular heat exchanger and reintroduced tangentially into the evaporator below the liquor level to create a swirling action and prevent flashing (sudden evaporation). Feedstock enters on the pump inlet side of the circulation system. Product crystal magma is removed below the conical section. Its purpose is to concentrate nonvolatile materials such as organic compounds, mineral sugars, acids, and bases. Totally, a forced circulation evaporator utilizes a heavily recirculated heat exchanger with suppressed boiling. Moreover, it is typically used for fouling or crystallizing products. A high liquid rate combined with induced turbulence deters scaling on the heat transfer surfaces. Totally, the forced circulation crystallizers apply in food industries. Some of the industries, which are related to the forced circulation crystallizer, are mineral ingredients companies, chemical companies, and feed industries. The main applications of forced circulation crystallizer are as follows: (a) suitable for material with bigger concentration ratio, higher viscosity, and easily crystallization; (b) widely used in the evaporation and concentration of water phase solution or organic phase solution, in food, pharmaceutical, chemical, biological engineering, and other industries; (c) widely used for the evaporation and concentration of tomato sauce, malt dextrin, starch, sugar, glucose, lysine, inositol, fructose, oligosaccharides, peptides, and so on; (d) compact structure and convenient operation, ideal evaporator for treating corn syrup, tomato paste, and industrial sewage; and (e) for the production of chemical and petrochemical compositions such as phosphoric acid, ammonium sulfate, soda, sodium sulfate, and gelatin, urea.

Modification of Foam Concrete with Organo-Mineral Admixtures

A multi-level optimization of size-consist of foam concrete is considered with the aim of significantly increasing its construction and mechanical properties. The results of theoretical and experimental studies confirming the expediency of using this process technology are given. In the course of the studies, theoretical and experimental conditions for creating balanced size-consist of non-autoclaved modified foam concrete with an increased solids concentration per volume unit and performance properties with complex organo-mineral admixture of sustained action on the basis of balanced ratio of chemical and finely-dispersed mineral ingredients optimizing its size-consist and structure were developed. The use of microsilicasuspension in foam composition is theoretically justified, and in the composition of foam-concrete mix of finely-dispersed slag and complex chemical modifier with an accelerating agent, that provide an increase in the strength of non-autoclaved foam concrete by more than 2 times, a decrease in thermal conductivity by 25%, shrinkage – by more than 4 times.

EFEKTIVITAS EKSTRAK BUAH DELIMA (Punica granatum) TERHADAP PENINGKATAN KADAR KALSIUM DALAM DARAH TIKUS PUTIH (Rattus norvegicus)

Pomegranate (Punica granatum) has been known to contain many active mineral ingredient such as iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc, phosphorus, including calcium. Calcium levels in this fruit are 10mg in every 100g it is almost equivalent to the levels of vitamin C in this fruit. The research aims to know the benefit and effectiveness of the extract pomegranate (Punica granatum) to increase calcium blood level of the white rats (Rattus n orvegicus). This study used an experimental laboratory method. The pomegranate extract (Punica granatum) made in the Kopertis Laboratory X. Dose of pomegranate (Punica granatum) made in pharmaceutical laboratory Andalas University, Padang are 2mg, 4 mg, 8mg, 16mg and negative control without giving any extract. The results of this study showed that the higher the dose given, also increase the calcium blood level. Compared with the negative control group, the pomegranate extract (Punica granatum) at doses of 2 mg, 4 mg, 8 mg resulted in calcium blood levels are lower than the negative control. While on the 16mg dose showed elevated the calcium blood levels compared to the negative control group. This shows that the smallest dose of pomegranate extract that is able to increase the calcium blood levels at 16mg dose. Anova test showed a significant result of the observation value (p<0.05) in increase a calcium blood levels of white rats (Rattus Norvegicus). Conclusion pomegranate extract (Punica Granatum) has an effect in increasing the calcium blood level but not significant.

Ethnopharmacological study of Sephardic remedies in the 19th century: The “Livro de Milizinas”

Ethnopharmacological relevanceThe Sephardic or Judeo-Spanish communities kept a cultural heritage extremely relevant which is recognizable through the peculiar form of their language and practices. Medicine was one of the main professional activities among Jews of Spain before their expulsion in 1492. We expected to find ingredients and recipes in the Sephardic traditional medicine related to classical medicine and to modern ethnopharmacology of Spain, but also influenced by the host countries. Recipes for specific diseases could be compared with modern ethnopharmacology. Although the basic language of the recipes is Judeo-Spanish, it presents local variants and names which are not only dialectal Spanish, but also Turkish, Hebrew or Bosnian. MethodsThe main source of information for Sephardic folk medicine are the specimens of the “Livro de Milizinas” printed in Thessaloniki and Smyrna (Izmir) during the 19th century. Others are some documents on pharmacy conserved in Bosnia associated to the Papo family of Sephardic Aktars or Attars (Ottoman herbalists) and the oral tradition in the Sephardic communities of Asia, Europe and the Americas. In order to analyze these formularies, we have studied the recipes in eleven different sources systematized in an Excel® 2010 book. We focused on formulas that are not merely rituals instead contain specific ingredients and pathologies. Specific dictionaries were generated in Excel® 2010, to standardize names of ingredients and pathologies. ResultsIn the 502 complete recipes and variants studied, 107 pathologies and 154 different ingredients appear. Among ingredients, 93 are plants, 38 animals and 23 mineral substances. The most common pathologies in the recipes correspond to infectious diseases, headache, epistaxis, parasites and the "espanto". These ingredients received 397 different vernacular names, being prevalent those in Spanish (303) followed by those in Turkish. Preparations recorded are simple, easily made at home, not requiring special tools or hardware. In studies dated 1845 in Bulgaria the forms of preparation and administration are similar. Topic preparations externally applied are prevalent in numbers doubling the oral administration on the contrary of modern ethnopharmacology studies in Thessaloniki where dominate internal uses over external ones. The books of medicines of Smyrna and Thessaloniki are very similar, if not almost identical. The “Livro de Milizinas” constitute a peculiar Sephardic text within the Ottoman style of medicine. The proximity in the analyses with Ottoman sources (Ottoman pharmacopoeias, Turkish Aktar shops and Medieval Cairo Jewish pharmacopoeia) is due to the high proportion of ingredients in common. After excluding animal and mineral ingredients of the analyses, modern ethnobotanical records from Greece and Turkey appear closer to the Sephardic main sources. The rest of Sephardic sources with notably smaller lists of ingredients represent fragments of mostly oral transmitted tradition and treat pathologies such as evil eye or "espanto". The recipes of the Sephardic of Bosnia comprise pathologies such as plague, cholera, typhus or gastroenteritis. Ingredients, largely of plant origin, to 93, are still in use in phytotherapy and/or local medical-pharmaceutical ethnobotany in Turkey or Greece. ConclusionsThe Sephardic materia medica presented in the “Livro de Milizinas” is eclectic, adapted to an urban environment and to the prevalent pathologies of the second half of the 19th century, within the main cultural framework of the Ottoman Empire but with peculiarities characteristic of Sephardic Culture. These can be traced back to the period immediately after the expulsion of Sephardic from Spain. Their relationships with other modern sources are scarce, even in terms of pathologies.