Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide. Several classes of drugs are available to treat different types of cancer. Currently, researchers are paying significant attention to the development of drugs at the nanoscale level to increase their target specificity and to reduce their concentrations. Nanotechnology is a promising and growing field with multiple subdisciplines, such as nanostructures, nanomaterials, and nanoparticles. These materials have gained prominence in science due to their size, shape, and potential efficacy. Nanomedicine is an important field involving the use of various types of nanoparticles to treat cancer and cancerous cells. Synthesis of nanoparticles targeting biological pathways has become tremendously prominent due to the higher efficacy and fewer side effects of nanodrugs compared to other commercial cancer drugs. In this review, different medicinal plants and their active compounds, as well as green-synthesized metallic nanoparticles from medicinal plants, are discussed in relation to their anticancer activities.

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Background: Self-directed learning (SDL) has been identified as an important skill for medical graduates. To meet the challenges in today's healthcare environment, self-directed learning is most essential. Readiness for SDL is the degree to which an individual possesses attitudes and abilities necessary for SDL. The present study was taken to assess the self-directed learning readiness (SDLR) among 4th semester medical students in a tertiary care teaching hospital. The objectives of the study were to assess the self-directed learning readiness among 4th semester undergraduate medical students of Andhra Medical College, Visakhapatnam using SDLR instrument; to find out the association if any between readiness for SDL and students’ demographic characteristics.Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among 4th semester undergraduate medical students of Andhra Medical College, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh in the month of June 2016 to assess the self-directed learning readiness, using Fishers’40–item self-directed learning readiness scale (SDLRS) which contains 3 domains. The student’s response was collected in a 5‑point Likert scale. The readiness for SDL was categorized as high (>150 scores) and low (<150).Results: The mean SDLRS score was 145.17±18.181 with 105 (64%) students scoring <150 indicating low readiness. The mean sores in the 3 domains of self-management (SM), desire for learning (DL), self-control (SC) were 43.81±7.134, 45.88±6.916, and 55.26±8.296 respectively.Conclusions: Self-directed learning readiness appeared to be low among medical students. This study points out the need to address SDL skills among medical students, and need to find ways to build SDL skills among them.

The present study was designed to investigate the total carbohydrate, total protein, and glycogen levels in the liver and to measure functional liver markers such as aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in streptozotocin-(STZ-) induced diabetic rats after treatment with methanolic extract of Rhinacanthus nasutus (R. nasutus). The methanolic extract of R. nasutus was orally administered at 200 mg/kg/day while glibenclamide was administered at 50 mg/kg/day. All animals were treated for 30 days before being sacrificed. The amounts of carbohydrate, glycogen, proteins, and liver markers (AST and ALT) were measured in the liver tissue of the experimental animals. The levels of carbohydrate, glycogen, and proteins were significantly reduced in the diabetic rats but were augmented considerably after 30 days of R. nasutus treatment. The elevated AST and ALT levels in diabetic rats showed a significant decline after treatment with R. nasutus for 30 days. These results show that the administration of R. nasutus ameliorates the altered levels of carbohydrate, glycogen, proteins, and AST and ALT observed in diabetic rats and indicate that R. nasutus restores overall metabolism and liver function in experimental diabetic rats. In conclusion, the outcomes of the present study support the traditional belief that R. nasutus could ameliorate the diabetic state.

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