Researchers in the Regional Research Laboratory (RRL) in Jammu have found that certain ingredients in cumin seed (cuminum cyminum) enhance the efficacy of widely used anti-tuberculosis drug, rifampicin, by one-third. Rifampicin is a very effective drug, but its dose efficiency is poor. Animal studies by an RRL team led by Rakesh Kumar Johri has shown that when the drug is administered with an aqueous extract from jeera seeds, maximum concentration of the drug in blood plasma shot up by 35 per cent. The study, published in the journal Phytotherapy, says that the trick is done by glycoside, a flavonoid present in the culinary herb.

Oranges for smokers

An orange a day may protect your lungs from harmful effects of nicotine, according to a new research study. Researchers at the biochemistry department at Annamalai University in Tamil Nadu found that herspiridin, a bioflavonoid present in oranges and other citrus fruits, had beneficial effects on the lungs of rats exposed to nicotine. The study that appeared in the Indian Journal of Experimental Biology said that the compound offered protection by curbing the level of lipids such as cholesterol triglycerides and free fatty acids by 90 per cent. However, nicotine is just one of the 60 chemicals found in tobacco products that are known to cause cancer.