In the environment, conjugated estrogens are nontoxic but may hydrolyze to their potent unconjugated, 'free' forms. Compared to free estrogens, conjugated estrogens would be more mobile in the environment because of their higher water solubility. To identify the fate of a conjugated estrogen in natural agricultural soils, batch experiments were conducted with a (14)C labeled prototype conjugate, 17β-estradiol-3-glucuronide (E2-3G). Initially, aqueous dissipation was dominated by biological hydrolysis of E2-3G and its oxidized metabolite, estrone glucuronide (E1-3G), both of which were transformed into the free estrogens, 17β-estradiol (E2) and estrone (E1), respectively. Following hydrolysis, hydrophobic sorption interactions of E2 and E1 dominated. Depending on soil organic matter contents, dissolved E2-3G persisted from 1-14 d, which was much longer than what others reported for free estrogens (generally <24 h). Biodegradation rate constants of E2-3G were smaller in the subsoil (0.01-0.02 h(-1)) compared to topsoil (0.2-0.4 h(-1)). Field observations supported our laboratory findings where significant concentrations (425 ng L(-1)) of intact E2-3G were detected in groundwater (6.5-8.1 m deep) near a swine (Sus scrofa domesticus) farm. This study provides evidence that conjugate estrogens may be a significant source of free estrogens to surface water and groundwater.

Abstract:In vitro seed germination and seedling development of Phaius tancarvilleae (L'Her.) Blume. was carried out on 0.8%(w/v) agar solidified MS Medium (Murashige and Skoog, 1962) without hormones or supplemented with different concentration and combination of Naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) and 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP). MS medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/l of BAP was the most ideal condition for early seed germination, protocorm formation and development of seedlings. Germination started after 7 weeks of culture and complete seedlings were obtained after 24 weeks of culture. This protocol might be helpful for mass propagation of orchids by asymbiotic seed germination.

Soy corn yoghurt is a vegan friendly product prepared by using soymilk as the major ingredient. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of corn milk addition (0, 10, 20, 25 & 30%) on the quality of soy yoghurt. The samples were subjected to sensory evaluation for consumer acceptability and data were subjected to statistical analysis. From sensory evaluation and statistical analysis 10% corn milk inclusion was selected as the best product (p<0.05). The yoghurt thus prepared using 10% corn milk had total solids 22.04%, moisture content 78.62%, protein 4.84%, fat 3.29%, carbohydrate 12.57%, ash 0.81%, acidity 0.68% and pH 4.58. Both control and 10% corn milk incorporated yoghurts were stored under refrigeration 6±1° C and analyzed at 2 days interval till 10 days. Yoghurts with corn milk and control were organoleptically acceptable up to 10 and 6 days respectively. Acidity and syneresis increased but pH decreased with storage time in both samples.

aThe use of radioactive tracers for environmental fate and transport studies of emerging contaminants, especially for those that are labile, offers convenience in tracking study compounds and their metabolites, and in calculating mass balances. The aim of this study was to synthesize radiolabeled glucuronide and sulfate conjugates of 17b-estradiol (17b-E2). H and 13 C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Radiochemical yields of 84 and 44% were achieved for 17b-E2-3-G and 17b-E2-17-S, respectively. Synthetic products were purified using high-performance liquid chromatography and radiochemical purities of 98% or greater were obtained.

Background: Poor adherence (compliance) is common with antihypertensive medications among elderly patients. As the elderly people are prone to multiple comorbidities, they are at higher risk of polypharmacy and therefore may present with a higher risk of non-adherence to medications compared to the younger population. The study was conducted to investigate the impact of pharmacist counseling on medication adherence among elderly hypertensive patients. Methods: The elderly hypertensive patients who visited the out-patient department at Chitwan Medical College (CMC) between August to November 2018. The face-to-face interview was conducted among 332 elderly hypertensive patients, selected with the purposive sampling technique. A paired t-test was used to show the difference between pre-test and post-test medication adherence. Results: It was found that 13.85% of patients were poor adherent and 86.14% low adherent in the intervention and the control group. The major reason for non-adherence was found to be carelessness about taking medicine (97%). The adherence score for intervention group changed from 1.60±0.83 to 3.95±0.56 (p-value < 0.001) while in the control group the average score before and after follow up was 1.48±0.77 and 1.51±0.80 (p=0.373) respectively. Blood pressure status improved in the intervention group than the control group (p<0.001). Polypharmacy was 27.71%, 15.66% of whom experienced adverse drug reactions. Conclusion: The patient medication counseling had a good impact on hypertensive patients. All factors of the Morisky Green Levine adherence scale improved after counseling and motivation. Pharmacist-led counseling improved medication adherence among elderly hypertensive patients. Keywords: Blood Pressure, Counseling, Elderly, Hypertension, Medication Adherence, Pharmacist