Background: Areca nut (Areca catechu Linn.) is commonly used for skin ulcers in Indian traditional medicine. Areca nut oil is prepared and is applied topically for burn wound healing. However, scientific study has not been conducted so far. Hence, this study was aimed to evaluate burn wound healing activity of Areca catechu. Objective: To evaluate the burn wound healing property of Areca catechu kernel in normal as well as dexamethasone treated rats. Materials and Methods: Ethanolic extract of Areca catechu kernel was prepared and an ointment was made with 2% of this extract. Burn wound was induced by standard procedure. Rats with burn wound model received either vehicle, standard drug or test drug. Two other groups were injected with dexamethasone to delay the wound healing process. The dexamethasone treated groups received either vehicle or test drug topically. Wound contraction rate and period of epithelialization were measured. The collected data were subjected to statistical analysis. Results: The wound contraction rate was significantly increased in Areca catechu treated group in all the days compared to control. Period of epithelialization was faster in the drug treated group than control group. The dexamethasone treated group showed a significant delay in wound healing process when compared to control. Test drug showed a significant reversal in wound contraction rate and epithelialization period in dexamethasone suppressed burn wound healing model. Conclusion: This study has shown the wound healing property of Areca catechu. Further study is required to know the compounds responsible for its wound healing property and to understand the mechanism of action.

Background: Traditional Medicine throughout the world has been passed on to the next generation mostly by oral tradition. The two codified medical traditions of India, Ayurveda and Siddha have also been similarly promoted and the medical literature is in the poetic form for continuity and easy memorization. Subsequently they were written down in palm leaves. Not all palm manuscripts, treasure of knowledge have been converted into books. Objective: To collect and digitize the traditional Siddha medical knowledge documented in the Siddha palm manuscripts in the possession of Traditional healers. Materials and Methods: The Centre for Traditional Medicine, Tamil Nadu, India, carried out survey among different practitioners of Traditional Medicine in northern Tamil Nadu, to locate and collect palm manuscripts and followed it with preservation, cataloging and digitization using digital scanners and photographic equipment. Results: Two hundred and fifty six works were analyzed and this paper presents the age, authorship, subject content and status of the palm manuscripts. Conclusion: The traditional knowledge present in the palm manuscripts are undergoing decay and the persons with knowledge to decipher are less. Hence there is an urgent need to decipher and publish the contents as books.

Although the side effect of tetracycline like GIT disturbance, hepatotoxicity, photosensitivity and staining of teeth are fairly common but dermatological reaction is rare.In this article, we report a case of tetracycline induced intraoral lesions as well lesions on the glans penis which subsided after the discontinuation of tetracycline.

The present study was carried out to evaluate alpha-glucosidase inhibitory activity of abraga chendhooram which is a Siddha drug being used to treat diabetes mellitus. The ingredient of abraga chendhooram includes biotite (K(Mg,Fe)3AlSi3O10(F,OH)2), Sesbania grandiflora, Calotropis gigantea and Momordica charantia. In-vitro alpha-glucosidase inhibitory assay was performed by standard procedure. Different concentrations of abraga chendhooram and miglitol (standard drug) were used. Abraga chendhooram exhibited a dose dependent alphaglucosidase inhibitory activity, but it was less than standard drug. Further studies are warranted to look other possible mechanisms for its antidiabetic claim and to assess its safety

Epilepsy, a neurological disorder is currently the target of many drug research companies who are constantly involved in the development of new therapies with novel mechanism of actions as the current plethora of anti epileptics have not been successful in achieving full control of the seizures. Retigabine (Ezogabine) is a new paradigm in the treatment of epilepsy, as it is first of its kind of a drug that targets neuronal voltage gated potassium channels (Kv7) and facilitates them, thus decreasing the repetitive firing of neurons. It has been approved by European Medicine Agency and USA Food and Drug Administration as an add on therapy for use in patients 18 years and above suffering from partial onset seizures with or without secondary generalization.