Sarang Khajuria’s research while affiliated with Rajasthan Dental College and Hospital and other places

Background: Oligosaccharides are composed of a variable number of monosaccharide units and very important in the biologically diverse of biological systems. Material and Methods: Crude water-soluble oligosaccharide was extracted from the fruiting bodies with water and then successively purified by DEAE-cellulose 52 and Sephadex G-100 column chromatography, yielding one major oligosaccharides fractions: LES-A. Structural features of Lactarius deliciosus (L. ex Fr.) Gray oligosaccharide (LDGO-A) were investigated by a combination of monosaccharide component analysis by TLC, infrared (IR) spectra, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and high-performance gel permeation chromatography analysis (HPGPC). Result: The results indicated that LDGO-A was composed of D-Glucose and D-Xylose and the average molecular sizes was approximately 945 Da. The anti-tumor activity of LDGO-A was evaluated in vivo. The inhibitory rate in mice treated with 40 mg/kg LDGO-A can reach 40.02%, being the highest in the three doses, which may be comparable to mannatide. Histology of immune organs shows that the tissues arranged more regular and firmer, but the tumor tissue arranged looser in LDGO-A group than those in control group. Meanwhile, there is no obvious damage to other organs, such as heart. The antitumor activity of the LDGO-A was usually believed to be a consequence of the stimulation of the cell-mediated immune response because it can significantly promote the lymphocyte and macrophage cells in the dose range of 100-400 μg/mL in vitro. LDGO-A also effected the expression of some housekeeping genes mRNA in S180 tumor. Conclusion: Accordingly, the LDGO-A might serve as an effective healthcare food and source of natural anti-tumor compounds.

Statement of the Problem: Despite of many studies conducted on toothbrushes and toothpaste to find out the culprit for abrasion, there is no clear cut evidence to pin point the real cause for abrasion. Purpose: An in vitro assessment of the role of different types of toothbrushes (soft/ medium/hard) in abrasion process when used in conjunction with and without a dentifrice. Materials and Method: Forty five freshly extracted, sound, human incisor teeth were collected for this study. Enamel specimens of approximately 9 mm2 were prepared by gross trimming of extracted teeth using a lathe machine (Baldor 340 Dental lathe; Ohio, USA). They were mounted on separate acrylic bases. The specimens were divided into three groups, each group containing 15 mounted specimens. Group 1 specimens were brushed with soft toothbrush; Group 2 brushed with medium toothbrush and Group 3 with hard toothbrush. Initially, all the mounted specimens in each group were brushed using dentifrice and then the same procedure was repeated with water as control. Profilometric readings were recorded pre and post to tooth brushing and the differences in readings served as proxy measure to assess surface abrasion. These values were then compared to each other. Kruskal Wallis and Mann-Whitney U test were performed. Results: The results showed that brushing, with water alone, caused less abrasion than when toothpaste was added (p< 0.008). When brushed with water, the harder toothbrush caused more abrasion (higher Ra-value), but when toothpaste was added, the softer toothbrush caused more abrasion (p< 0.001). Conclusion: Besides supporting the fact that toothpaste is needed to create a significant abrasion, this study also showed that a softer toothbrush can cause more abrasion than harder ones. The flexibility of bristles is only secondary to abrasion process and abrasivity of dentifrice has an important role in abrasion process.

Health and intelligence are two closely related aspects of human well being. Nutrition, including iron levels, affects cognitive function and thereby may influence the occupational performance of an individual. Inadequate nutrition during adulthood may lead to decreased work efficiency, poor exercise tolerance and increased susceptibility to infections. The profession of dentistry requires keen recognizing abilities and decision making skills as well as ample physical stamina, which may be impaired in a state of malnourishment. Keeping this in view, this study was designed to assess the possible impact of iron levels on cognitive function among dental students. In this study 206 dental students (150 females and 56 males) participated and their cognitive functioning was determined by answering a questionnaire. The questionnaire evaluated the confidence level, work pattern and the tendency to be distracted by the physical environment of the study participants. Iron status was determined by estimating the hemoglobin level of the individuals. Each of the three cognitive traits was correlated with hemoglobin levels. The results revealed that that majority of dental students had good levels of confidence, work patterns with a low level of restriction and low levels of distraction by the physical environment. No significant correlations were found between any of the cognitive parameters and hemoglobin levels (p>0.05) in female participants. In male participants significant correlations were found in two out of three cognitive functioning tests, confidence levels and work pattern (p<0.05). The results of this study suggest that these three cognitive functions may not be influenced by hemoglobin levels in females and may be slightly or, due to the small male sample size which may have confounded the results, not influenced by hemoglobin in males.