Context:Paramignya trimera (Oliv.) Burkill (Rutaceae) has been used to treat liver diseases and cancer. However, the anti-inflammatory effects of this medicinal plant and its components have not been elucidated.Objective: This study investigated chemical constituents of the P. trimera stems and evaluated anti-inflammatory effects of isolated compounds.Materials and methods: Cytotoxicity of isolated compounds (5–40 μM) toward BV2 cells was tested using 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) for 24 h. Inhibitory effects of isolated compounds (5-40 μM) on nitrite and PGE2 concentrations were determined using Griess reaction and PGE2 ELISA kit, respectively (pretreated with the compounds for 3 h and then stimulated for 18 h with LPS). Inhibitory effects of compounds (5-40 μM) on iNOS and COX-2 protein expression were evaluated by Western blot analysis (pretreated with the compounds for 3 h and then stimulated for 24 h with LPS).Results: Seven coumarins were isolated and identified as: ostruthin (1), ninhvanin (2), 8-geranyl-7-hydroxycoumarin (3), 6-(6′,7′-dihydroxy-3′,7′-dimethylocta-2′-enyl)-7-hydroxycoumarin (4), 6-(7-hydroperoxy-3,7-dimethylocta-2,5-dienyl)-7-hydroxycoumarin (5), 6-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2,2-dimethyl-2H-1-benzopyran (6), and luvangetin (7). Compounds 1–4 and 7 inhibited NO and PGE2 production in LPS-stimulated BV2 cells, with IC50 values ranging from 9.8 to 46.8 and from 9.4 to 52.8 μM, respectively. Ostruthin (1) and ninhvanin (2) were shown to suppress LPS-induced iNOS and COX-2 protein expression.Discussion and conclusion: The present study provides a scientific rationale for the use of P. trimera in the prevention and treatment of neuroinflammatory diseases. Ostruthin and ninhvanin might have potential therapeutic effects and should be considered for further development as new anti-neuroinflammatory agents.

Cholera remains a major public health problem in many countries. Poor sanitation and inappropriate clean water supply, insufficient health literacy and community mobilization, absence of national plans and cross-border collaborations are major factors impeding optimal control of cholera in endemic countries.In March 2017, a group of experts from 10 Asian cholera-prone countries that belong to the Initiative against Diarrheal and Enteric Diseases in Africa and Asia (IDEA), together with representatives from the World Health Organization, the US National Institutes of Health, International Vaccine Institute, Agence de médecine préventive, NGOs (Save the Children) and UNICEF, met in Hanoi (Vietnam) to share progress in terms of prevention and control interventions on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), surveillance and oral cholera vaccine use.This paper reports on the country situation, gaps identified in terms of cholera prevention and control and strategic interventions to bridge these gaps.

No abstract

ABSTRACT:A new species, Billolivia cadamensis Q. D. Nguyen, N. L. Vu & H. T. Luu, sp. n. of the family Gesneriaceae is described from Quang Ngai Province, central Vietnam. The new taxon is close to B. tichii but differs in shorter stem, abaxially glabrous bracts, calyx divided into 5 lobes to base, outside pubescent apical half of corolla tube, oblong or deltoid corolla lobes, dense hairs on apical 3/4 of the ovary and white corolla lobes. A key to all already known species from Billolivia of Vietnam is given.

Billolivia citrina and B. yenhoae are described as new species of Gesneriaceae from Central Vietnam. They are the first taxa of the genus known to have yellow corolla lobes. A key to all eleven species of the genus is given.