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Authors are the souls of any journal, and deserve much respect. To publish a journal manuscripts are needed from authors. Authors have a great responsibility for producing facts of their work in terms of number and results truthfully and an individual honesty is expected from authors in this regards. Both ways its true "No authors-No manuscripts-No journals" and "No journals–No manuscripts–No authors". Reviewing a manuscript is also a very responsible and important task of any peer-reviewed journal and to be taken seriously. It needs knowledge on the subject, sincerity, honesty and determination. Although the process of reviewing a manuscript is a time consuming task butit is expected to give one's best remarks within the time frame of the journal.
Salient features of the JCDR: It is a biomedical, multidisciplinary (including all medical and dental specialities), e-journal, with wide scope and extensive author support. At the same time, a free text of manuscript is available in HTML and PDF format. There is fast growing authorship and readership with JCDR as this can be judged by the number of articles published in it i e; in Feb 2007 of its first issue, it contained 5 articles only, and now in its recent volume published in April 2011, it contained 67 manuscripts. This e-journal is fulfilling the commitments and objectives sincerely, (as stated by Editor-in-chief in his preface to first edition) i e; to encourage physicians through the internet, especially from the developing countries who witness a spectrum of disease and acquire a wealth of knowledge to publish their experiences to benefit the medical community in patients care. I also feel that many of us have work of substance, newer ideas, adequate clinical materials but poor in medical writing and hesitation to submit the work and need help. JCDR provides authors help in this regards.
Timely publication of journal: Publication of manuscripts and bringing out the issue in time is one of the positive aspects of JCDR and is possible with strong support team in terms of peer reviewers, proof reading, language check, computer operators, etc. This is one of the great reasons for authors to submit their work with JCDR. Another best part of JCDR is "Online first Publications" facilities available for the authors. This facility not only provides the prompt publications of the manuscripts but at the same time also early availability of the manuscripts for the readers.
Indexation and online availability: Indexation transforms the journal in some sense from its local ownership to the worldwide professional community and to the public.JCDR is indexed with Embase & EMbiology, Google Scholar, Index Copernicus, Chemical Abstracts Service, Journal seek Database, Indian Science Abstracts, to name few of them. Manuscriptspublished in JCDR are available on major search engines ie; google, yahoo, msn.
In the era of fast growing newer technologies, and in computer and internet friendly environment the manuscripts preparation, submission, review, revision, etc and all can be done and checked with a click from all corer of the world, at any time. Of course there is always a scope for improvement in every field and none is perfect. To progress, one needs to identify the areas of one's weakness and to strengthen them.
It is well said that "happy beginning is half done" and it fits perfectly with JCDR. It has grown considerably and I feel it has already grown up from its infancy to adolescence, achieving the status of standard online e-journal form Indian continent since its inception in Feb 2007. This had been made possible due to the efforts and the hard work put in it. The way the JCDR is improving with every new volume, with good quality original manuscripts, makes it a quality journal for readers. I must thank and congratulate Dr Hemant Jain, Editor-in-Chief JCDR and his team for their sincere efforts, dedication, and determination for making JCDR a fast growing journal.
Every one of us: authors, reviewers, editors, and publisher are responsible for enhancing the stature of the journal. I wish for a great success for JCDR."
Thanking you
With sincere regards
Dr. Rajendra Kumar Ghritlaharey, M.S., M. Ch., FAIS
Associate Professor,
Department of Paediatric Surgery, Gandhi Medical College & Associated
Kamla Nehru & Hamidia Hospitals Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh 462 001 (India)
E-mail: drrajendrak1@rediffmail.com
On May 11,2011
Dr. Shankar P.R.
"On looking back through my Gmail archives after being requested by the journal to write a short editorial about my experiences of publishing with the Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research (JCDR), I came across an e-mail from Dr. Hemant Jain, Editor, in March 2007, which introduced the new electronic journal. The main features of the journal which were outlined in the e-mail were extensive author support, cash rewards, the peer review process, and other salient features of the journal.
Over a span of over four years, we (I and my colleagues) have published around 25 articles in the journal. In this editorial, I plan to briefly discuss my experiences of publishing with JCDR and the strengths of the journal and to finally address the areas for improvement.
My experiences of publishing with JCDR: Overall, my experiences of publishing withJCDR have been positive. The best point about the journal is that it responds to queries from the author. This may seem to be simple and not too much to ask for, but unfortunately, many journals in the subcontinent and from many developing countries do not respond or they respond with a long delay to the queries from the authors 1. The reasons could be many, including lack of optimal secretarial and other support. Another problem with many journals is the slowness of the review process. Editorial processing and peer review can take anywhere between a year to two years with some journals. Also, some journals do not keep the contributors informed about the progress of the review process. Due to the long review process, the articles can lose their relevance and topicality. A major benefit with JCDR is the timeliness and promptness of its response. In Dr Jain's e-mail which was sent to me in 2007, before the introduction of the Pre-publishing system, he had stated that he had received my submission and that he would get back to me within seven days and he did!
Most of the manuscripts are published within 3 to 4 months of their submission if they are found to be suitable after the review process. JCDR is published bimonthly and the accepted articles were usually published in the next issue. Recently, due to the increased volume of the submissions, the review process has become slower and it ?? Section can take from 4 to 6 months for the articles to be reviewed. The journal has an extensive author support system and it has recently introduced a paid expedited review process. The journal also mentions the average time for processing the manuscript under different submission systems - regular submission and expedited review.
Strengths of the journal: The journal has an online first facility in which the accepted manuscripts may be published on the website before being included in a regular issue of the journal. This cuts down the time between their acceptance and the publication. The journal is indexed in many databases, though not in PubMed. The editorial board should now take steps to index the journal in PubMed. The journal has a system of notifying readers through e-mail when a new issue is released. Also, the articles are available in both the HTML and the PDF formats. I especially like the new and colorful page format of the journal. Also, the access statistics of the articles are available. The prepublication and the manuscript tracking system are also helpful for the authors.
Areas for improvement: In certain cases, I felt that the peer review process of the manuscripts was not up to international standards and that it should be strengthened. Also, the number of manuscripts in an issue is high and it may be difficult for readers to go through all of them. The journal can consider tightening of the peer review process and increasing the quality standards for the acceptance of the manuscripts. I faced occasional problems with the online manuscript submission (Pre-publishing) system, which have to be addressed.
Overall, the publishing process with JCDR has been smooth, quick and relatively hassle free and I can recommend other authors to consider the journal as an outlet for their work."
Dr. P. Ravi Shankar
KIST Medical College, P.O. Box 14142, Kathmandu, Nepal.
E-mail: ravi.dr.shankar@gmail.com
On April 2011 Anuradha
Dear team JCDR, I would like to thank you for the very professional and polite service provided by everyone at JCDR. While i have been in the field of writing and editing for sometime, this has been my first attempt in publishing a scientific paper.Thank you for hand-holding me through the process.
Dr. Anuradha
E-mail: anuradha2nittur@gmail.com
On Jan 2020
Experimental Research
Full Version
Effect Of The Insulin Plant ( Costus Igneus ) Leaves On Blood Glucose Levels In Diabetic Patients: A Cross Sectional Study.
Correspondence Address :
E-mail: shettyakhila@yahoo.com
Background: The complications of Diabetes mellitus are related to glycaemic control. Normoglycaemia or near normoglycaemia is the desired, but often elusive, goal for most patients. Regardless of the level of hyperglycaemia, improvement in glycaemic control will lower the risk of diabetes complications. Consumption of the leaves of the insulin plant has been claimed to achieve glycaemic control and hence, we have planned the present cross sectional study in diabetic patients.
Aim Of The Study: Analysis of glycaemic control in diabetic patients who have been consuming the leaves of the insulin plant and to know the adverse effects/ benefits of insulin plant leaf consumption.
Materials And Methods/ Statistical Analysis: A cross sectional study was conducted after taking informed consent from the patients. Retrospective data was collected from diabetic patients who consumed the leaves of the insulin plant. Wilcoxson’s paired test was the statistical method which was used for analysis of the data.
Results And Conclusion: Statistically significant reduction in the fasting and postprandial blood sugar levels in all the patients who consumed the leaves.
Blood glucose, Diabetes, insulin plant leaves.
Introduction
Epidemiological studies over the last three decades have shown a fivefold increase in the prevalence of diabetes in India. Primary prevention studies have shown a significant reduction in the relative risk of the development of diabetes using lifestyle modifications as well as drugs like metformin, acarbose and rosiglitazone, among others. The use of such strategies which are adapted to suit the local culture along with the use of traditional approaches like yoga and ayurveda, would go a long way in responding to the challenges.(1) When compared to non-diabetics, patients with diabetes have an increased risk of morbidities involving multiple organ systems. There is a 25 fold increased risk of renal failure, 20-fold risk of blindness, 40-fold risk of amputation, threefold risk of stroke and fivefold risk of myocardial infarction. The expected lifespan is reduced by an average of 15 years (2). In the developed world, diabetes is the leading cause of blindness, end-stage renal disease and amputation. Besides morbidity and mortality, these disorders impact the socio-economic status of individuals as well as the state (3).
Costus igneus leaves (Zingeberaceae family), the leaves of the so called INSULIN PLANT (picture1), have been claimed to have antidiabetic effects in the ayurvedic system of medicine, as a treatment for diabetes. Hence, we had planned the present cross sectional study in Dakshina Kannada district, Karnataka, India, to validate the claims which were made.
Aims of the study
1. To assess the effect of the leaves of the insulin plant on the blood sugar levels of diabetic patients.
2. To know the adverse effects/ benefits of the insulin plant leaves treatment.
A cross sectional study was conducted after taking informed consent from the patients. Retrospective data was collected from diabetic patients who consumed the leaves of the insulin plant, in addition to allopathic medicines.
Inclusion criteria
Patients with diabetes mellitus who consumed the leaves of the Insulin Plant for a minimum of one month were included in the study.
Exclusion criteria
Patients who were irregular in their treatment, patients who had other comorbidities which were related to the cardiovascular and renal systems, children and pregnant women with diabetes.
The study was conducted from 01-10-08 to 31-05-09. Laboratory reports that contained fasting blood sugar levels before and after consumption of the leaves of the insulin plant were analyzed. Patients were interviewed regarding the amount of leaves consumed, duration of the treatment, benefits and adverse effects.
There were 24 males and 6 females, whose ages ranged from 47-65 years. These patients did not have any other medical problems. They were diagnosed to have diabetes since the past 3 to 30 years. The number of patients receiving insulin injection were 12, those receiving oral hypoglycaemic treatment were 14 ( metformin 10, metformin with glibenclamide 4) and those receiving non-allopathic therapies for diabetes mellitus were 4. All the patients t took one fresh leaf / 1 tea-spoon of shade dried leaf powder in the morning on an empty stomach without discontinuing their past treatments for diabetes; The fasting blood sugar level decreased in all the thirty patients. The benefit of the insulin leaf therapy was noted from day fifteen (p<0.001, Wilcoxson’s paired test). Prolonged duration of consumption of the leaves improved glycaemic control. The glycaemic control on the 60th day was better than that on day 15 and day 30 (p<0.001). In patients who had non healing leg ulcers (4) and recurrent urinary tract infections (2), the problem resolved within day fifteen to day sixty; Cataract surgery could be successfully performed (6) after treatment with insulin plant leaves for fifteen days ; The dose of insulin could be reduced to half in all the 12 patients who were on insulin. Patients who were on oral hypoglycaemic drugs (14) and non-allopathic medications (4), whose blood glucose was not under control, could get their blood glucose levels under control after the consumption of the leaves. There were 4 patients with non healing leg ulcers who reported healing. 6 patients who could not undergo surgery for cataract due to fluctuating high fasting blood sugar could successfully undergo surgery with no post operative complications. 2 patients with a history of recurrent urinary tract infection did not suffer from it any longer. No retinopathy, nephropathy, neuropathy or cardiovascular events due to diabetes were reported in these patients. They are continuing to take the leaves since it is beneficial for glycaemic control and since it also protects them against the development of diabetic complications.
The management of diabetes involves primary and secondary prevention strategies. At-risk individuals with obesity, low physical activity and a family history of disease could be advised interventions to prevent the occurrence of the disease.
Secondary prevention involves patients who have already developed the disease, with the aim of intervention to prevent complications. This usually involves the use of drugs and therapies for the specific disorder.(1) As diabetes is a disorder which results from changes in the lifestyle, most studies on primary prevention have involvedthe modification of the same. A healthy lifestyle with regular exercise/physical activity and the consumption of a fibre rich, low-calorie healthy diet has been the primary intervention. Lifestyle intervention with a combination of regular physical activityand dietary advice showed an impressive reduction in the risk of developing diabetes in all the studies (1).
Secondary prevention involves the management of diabetes with an aim to prevent complications. Various studies have shown that the tight control of hyperglycaemia reduces micro vascular and macro vascular complications (4).
Besides this, control of blood pressure, dyslipidaemia and use of anti-thrombotics form the pillars of overall diabetes management. Control of obesity, dyslipidaemia, blood pressure, insulin resistance, dysglycaemia and the pro-thrombotic and pro-inflammatory states results in lower cardiovascular events.(1) There are Insulin dependent Diabetics and Non insulin dependent Diabetics.
The majority of non insulin diabetic patients will fail to respond to diet and oral agents and will eventually require insulin therapy to control hyperglycaemia (5). There has been a growing need to develop better and more convenient drugs. There are certain management issues that are unique to India due to its tradition, culture, geography and people at large. Ayurveda, the science of life, originated in India, more than 5000 years ago. It has been traditionally been used as a system of medicine to promote health and well-being and to relieve ailments using a holistic approach. In this country, a proportion of the population follows this system of medicine, either solely or in combination with allopathic medicine. Diabetes management in Ayurveda includes diet, behaviour and herbal modalities. Various herbs have been reported to be having anti-hyperglycaemic actions. Some of these like karela, turmeric, spinach and fenugreek seeds among others, can be the part of a healthy diet (6). Because the complications of DM are related to glycaemic control, normoglycaemia or near normoglycaemia is the desired, but often elusive, goal for most patients. Regardless of the level of hyperglycaemia, improvement in glycaemic control will lower the risk of diabetes complications (7). Regular consumption of insulin plant leaves has provided statistically significant glycaemic control (p<0.001, Wilcoxson’s paired test) and has prevented the onset of diabetic complications when consumed in addition to the past treatments for diabetes.A controlled trial with larger sample size is desired.
Regular consumption of insulin plant leaves in conjunction with other modalities of treatment has effectively provided glycaemic control in diabetics; the dose of insulin could be reduced to half. Blood sugar levels which were earlier not controlled with oral hypoglycaemic drugs or non allopathic treatments were controlled. The risk ofdiabetic complications was avoided and no adverse effects due to the consumption of insulin plant leaves were reported. Glycaemic control was evident from day fifteen. Regular consumption is necessary for benefits to be observed.
Source of support- NIL
Conflict of interest- NONE
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