A. Nadamuni Naidu

Short term nutritional and safety evaluation of fenugreek

Abstract Antidiabetic properties of fenugreek seeds have been demonstrated in experimental animals as well as in humans. However, its safety has not been investigated. In a short term experiment of 90 days, nutritional and toxicological properties of fenugreek seeds were evaluated in 4 groups of weanling rats. Group I received casein based control diet while diets of experimental groups II, III and IV were supplemented with fenugreek seeds at 5, 10 and 20 g% level respectively. After ninety days of feeding, animals were sacrificed. Food intake, gain in body weight and feed efficiency ratios in both control and experimental groups were found to be similar. There was a negative correlation between fenugreek content of diet and dry matter digestibility (r = −0.8731) as well as protein digestibility (r = −0.7557). Haematological parameters like Hb, PCV and total as well as differential WBC counts were also not different. Activities of liver function enzymes like SGOT, SGPT and serum alkaline phosphatase were essentially the same. Male rats receiving diets with 10 and 20% fenugreek seeds had significantly lower levels of serum cholesterol when compared to animals receiving diets with 0 and 5% fenugreek seeds. Histopathological examination of various tissues revealed no significant changes attributable to the consumption of fenugreek seeds. It is concluded that fenugreek appears to be essentially non-toxic in doses given to rats in this study over a 90 day period.

NUTRITION AND FERTILITY

Malnourished populations are generally thought to have high fertility-rates, but in fact poor diets impose restraints on fertility by affecting sex ratios, raising age at menarche, and increasing pregnancy wastage and child and maternal mortality. When family size is large, the nutrition of the family is affected. It is suggested that to overcome the twin problems of malnutrition and population a concerted approach is needed rather than compartmentalised programmes as is so often the case.

The Effect of Malnutrition on the Pharmacokinetics of Phenylbutazone

SummaryThe pharmacokinetics of Phenylbutazone were studied after a single oral dose of 6mg/kg bodyweighl in 35 adult male subjects with differing nutritional status.The elimination half-life was significantly shorter and plasma clearance accelerated in undernourished patients who had significant weight deficit and low serum albumin concentration. Plasma protein binding was only 86% compared with 95 to 96% in normal subjects (smokers and non-smokers). The apparent volume of distribution was also higher in undernourished patients. Significant correlations were observed between serum albumin, protein binding and bodyweight.Multiple regression analysis of the data indicated that altered drug protein binding partially contributed towards variation in half-life and clearance; and the plasma albumin concentration significantly influenced the amount of drug bound in plasma.The results indicate that nutritional status is one of the important environmental variables that can alter drug kinetics and disposition in man. Further studies, including measurement of steady-stale plasma concentrations of various other drugs, are necessary to elucidate drug kinetics in malnourished subjects.

Vitamin B-complex deficiency and visual acuity

1. A study was carried out on 973 school children to find out any relationship between vitamin B-complex deficiency signs and defective vision, and the effect of supplementation of B-complex vitamins on visual acuity. 2. The results of the study showed a significant association between presence of clinical signs of vitamin B-complex deficiency and defective vision. 3. Supplementation with vitamin B-complex was found to have a beneficial effect in improving the visual-acuity status of defective children and in preventing visual defects from developing. 4. It is concluded, therefore, that from the present study it appears that the relationship between vitamin B-complex deficiency and visual defects could be one of cause and effect.