Capsicum annuum L. (family: Solanaceae) possesses therapeutic benefits for the treatment of rheumatism, neuropathy, psoriasis, flatulence and so on. In this study fruits of four different varieties of C. annuum from four different geographical regions in India were evaluated based on their total content of capsaicin. Ethanol extracts of the fruits were used. HPTLC plates were developed in a mobile phase containing benzene, ethyl acetate and methanol (75:20:5). Densitometric scanning was performed at a wavelength of 283 nm in the absorbance mode. The calibration curve was described by the equation Y=393.587+3.836*X with a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.99890. The content of capsaicin in Nagaland, Manipur, West Bengal and Shimla varieties was found to be 3.71%, 1.78%, 0.54% and 0.06%, respectively. The developed densitometric method was found to be specific, accurate and precise. A recovery study and precision showed low levels of %RSD values. The linearity range of the curve for capsaicin was found to be 300-900 ng per spot. The limit of detection and the limit of quantification values were determined to be 31 and 94 ng, respectively, proving the sensitivity of the method. Thus the method can be used to control the total content of capsaicin on an industrial scale.

Objective: Present study was conceived to examine the relationship between blood lead level (BLL) and serum Iron (Fe) and Zinc (Zn) in lead-exposed workers from lead Battery plant. Methods: The study design was cross-sectional. Ninety seven male workers involved in the lead battery manufacturing plant were considered as study subjects. BLL, serum Zn and Fe were estimated using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. Haematological parameters were determined by using an Fx-19E haematology analyser. The renal function tests-creatinine and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) determined by standard methods. The statistical analysis was performed on SPSS version 16. Results: The body mass index (BMI) of subjects was 25.8±3.0. The systolic blood Pressure (SBP) was 127.8±14.5 mm Hg while diastolic blood Pressure (DBP) was 77.8±10.8 mm Hg. The workers with >30 µg/dL BLL (Fe 1745 ± 723 µg/L) had significantly (P<0.05) lower serum Fe levels as compared to workers with ≤ 30 µg/dL BLL (Fe 2063±784 µg/L), serum Zn levels (0.70 ± 0.13 µg/ mL versus 0.74 ± 0.14 µg/mL respectively) and renal function tests(serum creatinine and BUN) did not differ between these groups. The serum Fe showed significant negative correlation (r=-0.242, P=0.017) with BLL. Multivariate analysis between the four quartiles (Q1 to Q4) based on BLLs showed that the SBP (F=3.483, with 95% CI of 125.2 to 130.6 mm of Hg, P=0.004) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) (F= 2.505 with 95 % CI of 92.4 to 96.6 mm of Hg, P=0.027) significantly differed between four BLL quartiles with trends of increase of SBP as well as MAP with higher BLL. Conclusion: Study observed negative association between BLL and serum Fe among the non-anaemic lead battery workers and reiterated the earlier finding of positive association between blood pressure and BLL.

Purpose: The present study assessed the serum high sensitivity-C-reactive protein (Hs-CRP) and Hs-CRP/albumin ratio of workers exposed to lead (Pb) from Pb-battery manufacturing process with the use of center for disease control and prevention (CDC)/american hospital association (AHA) recommended risk categories of serum Hs-CRP and receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) to examine the diagnostic accuracy. Materials and methods:This study involved a total of 256 subjects, including both study and control. The study group consists of 176 workers involved in Pb-battery manufacturing process. Control group consists of 80 office workers with no occupational exposure to Pb. Blood lead levels (BLLs) in the study and control groups were determined with atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Serum Hs-CRP concentration was determined using the latex turbidimetric immunoassay method. Serum albumin concentration was measured by using the bromo-cresol green (BCG) method. The serum Hs-CRP/albumin ratio was calculated by dividing the serum Hs-CRP by the serum albumin. Analysis of data was done by using statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS), version 20.0. Results:The mean levels of serum Hs-CRP and Hs-CRP/ albumin ratio were shown significantly higher in the study group than in the control group. The abnormal frequency distribution of serum Hs-CRP and Hs-CRP/albumin ratio among study group found significantly higher than in control. Spearmen correlation coefficients (r) was found a positive and significant association between BLLs and serum Hs-CRP (r = 0.190) and Hs-CRP/albumin ratio (r = 0.193). Area under the curve (AUC) of ROC values among the study group noted as 0.465 (95% of CI = 0.393-0.537, p = 0.366) for serum albumin, 0.601(95% of CI = 0.526-0.675, p = 0.010) for serum Hs-CRP and 0.598 (95% of CI = 0.524-0.672, P = 0.012) for Hs-CRP/ albumin ratio. Conclusion:The levels of Hs-CRP and Hs-CRP/albumin ratio were significantly increased in the study group as compared to the control and reduction of Pb-exposure is needed to avoid the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and atherosclerosis.

Background: There are many controversies reported about the association between blood lead levels and blood pressure among lead exposed workers. Studies have suggested incorporating lifestyle factors along with blood lead levels. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of lead exposure on blood pressure changes among lead exposed workers in contemplation of lifestyle factors. Materials and methods: Study design is descriptive. Three hundred ninety one male lead exposed workers were enrolled. The subjects were categorized into four groups according to their blood lead levels by using quartile distribution. Blood lead levels were measured by using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Blood pressure was measured by using a standard mercury sphygmomanometer. Data were analyzed by using SPSS (Version 7.5). Results: The mean systolic blood pressure in quartile-2 blood lead levels and the prevalence of hypertensive in quartile-4 blood lead levels were significantly increased as compared to quartile-1 blood lead levels. Multiple regression analysis found no significant association between blood pressure and blood lead levels among lead exposed workers. The lifestyle factors such as alcohol consumption, smoking, body mass index and chewing of tobacco products were significantly associated with blood pressure changes among lead exposed workers. Conclusion: The findings of the present study showed that there was a significant association noticed between blood pressure and lifestyle factors.