Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease and Airway Hyperresponsiveness: Mechanisms and Mediators Involved GERD and Asthma

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is clearly explained as the unintentional passage of stomach contents through the esophagus that takes place many times during the day both in children and in adults.The diagnosis of GERD is made through the assessment ofreflux symptoms by monitoring of esophageal pH. In literature, there are few studies based on the correlation between GERD and age, and then on the onset of the disorder in both adults and children.

The prevalence rate is tightly linked with age, with adults aged 60 to 70 being the most commonly affected. In adults, the estimate of the prevalence of GERD, defined as the onset of anepisode a week, it is between 10% and 20% in Western countries, while it isless than 5% in Asian countries. Instead, the prevalence of GERD in children is less than 10%. Nevertheless, a specific populations of children has a greater risk of developing GERD, such as those with esophageal atresia, or respiratory diseases, or even children suffering from obesity or born prematurely.

Novel Encapsulation of Lycopene in Niosomes and Assessment of its Anticancer Activity

Lycopene is a major carotenoid pigment present in ripe tomatoes (Lycopersicum esculentum) having characteristic red color and has been the focus of considerable attention for its potential health benefits. The lycopene is a polyunsaturatedhydrocarbon (an unsubstituted alkene), and structurally it is a tetra-terpeneassembled from eight isoprene units. It has eleven conjugated double bonds give it its deep red color and is responsible for its antioxidant activity. It reduces oxidative DNA damage and results in the lower prostate-specific antigen, which prevents the cancer.

Results from epidemiological and experimental studies support the view that lycopene may provide protection against cardiovascular disease and cancer. However, the presence of unsaturated bonds in the molecular structure of lycopene, make it susceptible to oxidants, light, and heat, which can be easily deteriorated when exposed to such factors. Therefore, the free lycopene must be protected from chemical damage before itsapplication. To overcome such problems various drug delivery systems like liposome, niosome, etc., have been found promising for better and effective with various degree of success.

Edoxaban for the Prevention of Stroke in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a devastating disease in the United States and affects almost 12% of patients who are between the ages of 75 to 84. Having AF almost increases the risk of stroke by 5-fold, and therefore, anticoagulation therapy is essential for the prevention of stroke in patients with AF. Warfarin has been the sole oral anticoagulation available for decades. From 2010 to 2012, 3 additional novel oral anticoagulation (NOAC) came onto the market, which includes dabigatran, rivaroxaban, and apixaban and offered viable alternatives to warfarin for the management of AF. In January 2015, the FDA approved edoxaban, a factor Xa inhibitor, to come onto the market for the prevention of stroke in AF patients. Edoxaban is the third factor Xa inhibitor currently available, in addition to rivaroxaban and apixaban.

 Efficacy of edoxaban for the management of AF was investigated in the ENGAGE-AF TIMI 48 trial. Patients were randomized toreceive warfarin, edoxaban 30 mg, or edoxaban 60 mg daily. Doses of warfarin were adjusted to target international normalized ratio (INR) of 2 to 3.

Nutraceuticals: Emerging Trend in Public Health Promotion

Neuraceuticals are the biologically active materials of known medicinal uses generally accepted to supply substantially to the therapeutic activity of the drug. Nutraceutical was the term first defined by Dr. Stephen L. Later on, the meaning of nutraceutical term has been modified by Health Canada as a substance extracted, separated and or purified from foods, and sold in the form of drug and claimed to have a therapeutic activity. Longago Hippocrates, father of modern medicine emphasized as food must be medicineand medicine must be our food. Hence, the food we consume is suffering with lack of nutricinals and it necessitates us to provide the essential nutrients. As the nutraceuticals are recognized to play an important role in the public health promotion increased the worldwide awareness on these products. 

Nutraceuticals are considered as food or part of food gives therapeutic benefits and claimed to prevention and treatment of disease. These products include isolated nutrients, dietary supplements, herbal productsand processed foods. Presently over 500 such products are available with renowned health benefits. In future also there is a lot of scope in India for further growth of nutraceutical market. The scientific validation of nutraceutical products is also the area where are lacking behind.

Emerging Associations of the ALDH2*2 Polymorphism with Disease Susceptibility

Approximately eight percent of the world’s population inherits a point mutation in the Aldehyde Dehydrogenase-2 (ALDH2) gene. This polymorphism, referred to as ALDH2*2, is most prevalent in those ofEast Asian descent (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Taiwanese) and is rarelydetected in non-Asian individuals. Because of this genetic variation, roughly 560 million people worldwide are particularly susceptible to alcohol intoxication. The ALDH2*2 polymorphism encodes an inactivating, non-conservative amino acid substitution within the mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase gene product. 

An extensive body of literature has accumulated to describe the molecular underpinnings of the ALDH2*2 alcohol sensitivity phenotype and has revealed a compelling exemplar of an enzymatically dominant negative polymorphic gene product. Recent data suggests, however, thatsensitivity to alcohol intoxication may be only one of many susceptibilities ofALDH2*2 carriers. Here, we review the available published data concerning the role of ALDH2 in ethanol metabolism and associated phenotypic effects of ALDH2*2 polymorphism. We also point to a growing body of literature implicating ALDH2 in such diverse health effects as cancer, osteoporosis, and heart disease.