After the Call for Research Proposals of the Research and Development Committee (R&D) of the Region 1 Health Research and Development Consortium (R1HRDC) last June 2015, thirty (30) Research Proposals/Papers were submitted by different institutions.
As part of the screening process,
Student-researchers bagged first prize at the Gruppo Medica Award for their research on the anti-dengue property of papaya (Carica papaya) and tawa-tawa (Euphorbia hirta) during the 8th Philippine National Health Research System (PNHRS) Week celebration in Cebu City on 12-14 August 2014.
Topping 21 research entries from all regions in the Philippines, the research done by Pharmacy students at the San Pedro College in Davao City revealed that tea concoction from tawa-tawa can increase blood platelet counts in rabbits by 194% in just 24 hours.
Results on tests done on tea concoctions from papaya leaves only and mixture of papaya leaves and tawa-tawa plant also significantly increased platelet counts in rabbits within 24 hours.
Further laboratory tests on papaya and tawa-tawa revealed that both plants contain quercetin, a plant pigment known to naturally increase the platelet counts.
Recommending the continuation of the research, especially with the isolation of quercetin, the students stressed that the study is significant in the effort to develop treatment for the management of dengue. They said, “This research can benefit the society because it will pave the way to the development of new drug that is affordable, accessible, and effective against dengue.”
The Gruppo Medica Award is conferred annually by the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (PCHRD-DOST) to give recognition to undergraduate researches on the practical or commercial application of herbal plants for health.
Banana stalk may be the next alternative herbal remedy against kidney stones according to a study done on mice by Pharmacy students at the San Pedro College in Davao City.
Kidney stones or renal calculi are hard masses developed from the crystalized substances from the urine. Factors attributed to the formation of the kidney stones include low fluid intake, acidic urine, and high intake of foods rich in protein (meat and beans), salt (canned and processed foods), and oxalate (spinach, tea, nuts, and cocoa).
In the study, laboratory mice were drug-induced to develop kidney stones and were given banana stalks that were processed into capsules for 10 days.
Laboratory examinations showed that mice fed with banana capsules did not show signs of developing kidney stones. Blood and urine examination conducted on the mice revealed healthy functioning kidneys.
Researchers attributed to the high magnesium and potassium content of banana for its ability to prevent the formation of kidney stones. They explained that magnesium combines readily with the oxalates in the food we eat, inhibiting the growth of a type of kidney stone known as calcium oxalate crystals. Potassium on the other hand balances the acidity of the urine preventing increase in urine acidity and development of calcium oxalate crystals.
While treatments for kidney stones are available, the student researchers argued that prevention is still better. The cost of treatment for removal of kidney stones can be exorbitant and may be beyond the reach of the poor. The researchers expressed that the study will help with the development of affordable remedy against kidney stones.
The research, entitled, “The Anti-Urolithiatic Activity of the Tundan Saging (Musa paradisiaca Linn.) Pseudo-Stem Capsule in Ethylene Glycol-Induced Albino Rats (Rattus norvegicus): A Potential Preventng Agent for Kidney Stone Formation,” was recently awarded second prize at the Gruppo Medica award during the Philippine National Health Research System week Celebration in Cebu on August 12, 2014.
Malunggay (Moringa oleifera) can destroy colorectal cancer cells while remaining safe and non-toxic on healthy human cells, according to a study done by researchers at the De La Salle University (DLSU).
The ability of malunggay extract to destroy colorectal cancer cells was attributed to a bioactive compound called isothiocyanates. The compound has been reported to induce cell death in some human cancer cell lines.
With regards to safety, cell viability assay, a procedure used to test whether cells can withstand doses of medicinal compounds, found that malunggay extracts are not toxic to normal human cells. Further test comparing it with colchinine, a common anticancer drug, revealed that malunggay extract is less toxic than the drug.
Since drug toxicity is a major concern in cancer treatment, researchers said that malunggay’s safety is a promising find in the search for effective and safe drug against cancer.
Researchers noted that their study could provide the foundation for further investigation of malunggay’s potential for cancer treatment. They said, “This study will provide solid scientific basis for at least one of the most important medicinal benefits that could be attributed to the plant - its anticancer property.”
The study won the recently concluded Poster Exhibit Contest during the 8th Philippine National Health Research System (PNHRS) Week celebration in Cebu City on 12-14 August 2014.
“Iba na ang Panahon: Science for Safer Communities", thus Secretary Mario G. Montejo of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), sounded the battlecry during the launch of a nationwide program designed to make our communities safer during calamities.
The need to come up with databases and information systems that can ease access to research information, for benchmarking, research, policy, programming and related purposes, inspired the development of HERDIN NeOn. HERDIN NeOn is a specialized network of documentation and information centers which hosts electronic collection or database of bibliographic entries of published and unpublished health researches in the Philippines.
Thus, the Central Luzon Health Research and Development Consortium (CLHRDC) conducted a one-day appreciation training and seminar on the use of this important research resource last December 6, 2013 at the University of the Assumption in San Fernando, Pampanga. It was attended by librarians and I.T. personnel from the CLHRDC – member institutions.
Ms. Joana J. Angostora, Mr. Ronel D. Molina and Ms. Maylene B. Marco from the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) provided lectures regarding the establishment of HERDIN NeOn System in the country, its benefits, current status and where it’s headed to. This was followed by an actual demonstration where participants were given the chance to upload health research articles to the system.
As of December 2013, 59 institutions are linked to HERDIN nationally, 5 of which region 3, namely: Bataan Peninsula State University (BPSU), Bulacan State University (BulSU), Republic Central Colleges (RCC), Tarlac State University (TSU) and University of the Assumption (UA). A total of 5,295 articles have been uploaded to the database where Region 3 contributed 11 articles (10 from BPSU and 1 from TSU).
With this training, CLHRDC hopes to encourage its member institutions to organize their health research information to help institutionalize the updating of the national health research information database using the system.
The participants during their hands-on activity using the HERDIN NeOn System
First published here on Friday, 13 December 2013 07:38.
The human race have long experienced the wrath of nature. The ancient Egyptians, Mesopotamians, Mayans and European populations among other primeval inhabitants during the four centuries of the Little Ice Age were all distressed by nature's climatic cycles. Disasters and disease outbreaks occurred repeatedly in response to the extremes of climatic cycles from drought to flooding to extreme cool climate.
Cool, wet summers led to outbreaks of an illness called St. Anthony's Fire in Central Europe. Malnutrition led to a weakened immunity to a variety of illness. Even in non-tropical areas where malaria was less likely to be expected, became one of the most dreaded illness and caused significant number of deaths in England.
In 1969, when the Apollo moon shot provided extraordinary images of the earth suspended in space, people's view on the biosphere and its limits were transformed. People gained more understanding on how both human and animal species depend on supplies of food and water, freedom from excess infectious disease, and the physical safety and comfort conferred by climatic stability, that the world’s climate system is fundamental to this life-support.
However today, massive outbreaks of climate-induced diseases continue to threaten the population. Humankind's activities are altering the world's climate. We are increasing the atmospheric concentration of energy-trapping gases, thereby amplifying the natural "greenhouse effect" that makes the Earth habitable.
In its Fourth Assessment Report in 2007, the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said that there is a new and stronger evidence that most of the global warming observed over the last decade is attributable to human activities. Furthermore, IPCC states that Eleven of the last twelve years (1995-2006) rank among the twelve warmest years in the instrumental record of global surface temperature (since 1850). The temperature increase is widespread over the globe and is greater at higher northern latitudes. . Observations since 1961 show that the average temperature of the global ocean has increased to depths of at least 3000m and that the ocean has been taking up over 80% of the heat being added to the climate system. New analyses of balloonborne and satellite measurements of lower- and mid-tropospheric temperature show warming rates similar to those observed in surface temperature.
At continental, regional and ocean basin scales, numerous long-term changes in other aspects of climate have also been observed. Trends from 1900 to 2005 have been observed in precipitation amount in many large regions. Some extreme weather events have changed in frequency and/ or intensity over the last 50 years.
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Photo Credits: www.globalpovertyproject.com |
Now, we are experiencing once more the environmental consequences of climate change, such as extreme heat waves, rising sea-levels, changes in precipitation resulting in flooding and droughts, intense hurricanes, and degraded air quality which affect directly and indirectly the physical, social, and psychological health of humans.
The health status of millions of people is projected to be affected through, for example, increases in malnutrition; increased deaths, diseases and injury due to extreme weather events; increased burden of diarrheal diseases; increased frequency of cardio-respiratory diseases due to higher concentrations of ground-level ozone in urban areas related to climate change; and the altered spatial distribution of some infectious diseases.
Societies can respond to climate change by adapting to its impacts and by reducing GHG emissions (mitigation), thereby reducing the rate and magnitude of change. Health effects can be minimized or avoided with sound mitigation and adaptation strategies.
According to UN's IPCC, there is high confidence that neither adaptation nor mitigation alone can avoid all climate change impacts. Adaptation is necessary both in the short term and longer term to address impacts resulting from the warming that would occureven for the lowest stabilization scenarios assessed. There are barriers, limits and costs that are not fully understood. Adaptation and mitigation can complement each other andtogether can significantly reduce the risks of climate change.
Information source: http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar4/syr/ar4_syr.pdf
Originally posted at http://www.caragahealthresearch.org/2013/08/climate-change-and-human-health-glimpse.html
Date Sunday, September 1, 2013