No abstract

No abstract

Background: Dyslipidaemias are the major cause of increased atherogenesis. Lycopene is a pigment that imparts red colour to fruits and vegetables like tomatoes. Risk of cardiovascular diseases has been shown to decrease with dietary intake of tomatoes. Although the antioxidant and hypolipidaemic properties of tomatoes have been studied extensively, beneficial effect of pure lycopene supplement as hypolipidaemic is still debatable So, we aimed to evaluate the effect of pure lycopene powder on lipid profile, serum antioxidant enzymes and blood sugar level in hyperlipidaemic rabbits.Methods: Adult male New Zealand White rabbits (1.5-2.5kg) were divided into three groups of six each. Group I-High Fat Diet (HFD) (5ml/kg). Group II-HFD (5ml/kg) + lycopene (10mg/kg) orally. Group III-HFD (5ml/kg) + lycopene (20mg/kg) orally. Blood samples were taken from all rabbits for baseline estimations of serum lipids, serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) and blood sugar. Same tests were performed after six weeks.Results: There was significant decrease in the levels of serum TC, LDL-C, TG and VLDL and an increase in serum HDL-C and antioxidant SOD with lycopene administration. However, significant increase in HDL was not seen with lycopene 10mg. TG and VLDL levels were significantly less with 20mg lycopene compared to 10mg lycopene. There was however no change in blood sugar level with lycopene.Conclusions: Pure lycopene supplement showed significant hypolipidaemic and antioxidant activity. However, it did not show significant effect on blood glucose levels.

Out of FDC available in the market very few are present in 'WHO essential drug list and 'national list of essential medicine.' FDC should be formulated and developed on the basis of comprehensive pharmacological principles. It is essential that prescriber should have knowledge about guidelines and pharmacological principles used to manufacture and market the FDC. Hence this study was conducted to evaluate the knowledge and awareness of the prescribers about the guidelines and pharmacological principles used to consider the FDC as rational. It was a cross-sectional, observational, study conducted in 100 prescribers. Only 20% prescribers knew that the FDC is considered as rational if the individual drugs in it acts by different mechanisms. 54% prescribers couldn't decide that the FDC is a new drug in spite of availability of the individual drugs in the market. Knowledge and awareness about the rational drug use is a prerequisite for universal health care and this necessarily constitutes evaluation of FDC of its rationality by the prescribers. It is observed that knowledge about FDC is lacking in prescribers. The new combinations are 'new drugs' and hence each FDC has to undergo clinical trials and safety studies to qualify for entering the market. Strict scrutiny of FDC in general and new FDC in particular becomes necessary. Undermining of this aspect affects access to the drugs in the developing country like ours. As patient's health lies in the hands of healthcare professionals, awareness of the prescribers about rational prescribing of FDC is essential and it should be included in the undergraduate teaching. This study recommends that there is urgent call to enhance prescriber's knowledge to critically appraise FDC. Further more effective legislation and its implementation is needed to circumvent availability of irrational FDC.

No abstract