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Purpose: This study was conducted to identify various factors in the development of rampant type of dental caries in South Kerala children, other than high sucrose intake and poor oral hygiene. This was done by comparing the salivary buffering capacity(BC), flow-rate(FR), resting pH and salivary immunoglobulin-A(s-IgA) levels in children who are caries resistant(CR) and who have rampant dental caries. Materials and Methods:Two study groups, a rampant caries group(RC) with more than five active caries lesions in the early stages and a CR with no caries lesions were selected based on a specific criteria. Unstimulated whole mixed saliva was collected directly from the floor of the mouth for a period of 10 min and the FR was calculated. Resting pH of saliva was measured using color coded pH paper. BC was measured by calculating the amount of citric acid of pH2.5, required to lower the initial pH of saliva down to 3. s-IgA levels were also estimated by immunoturbidometric method after forming a precipitate of s-IgA with specific anti-IgA antibodies. Result: The salivary BC, FRs, pH and s-IgA levels were significantly lower in the RC group when compared to the CR group. Conclusion: This study showed that salivary BC, flow-rate, resting pH and levels of s-IgA in saliva are risk factors in the development of RC in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From the very beginning of civilization, humans have used chemicals from Nature - most of them comparatively small organic molecules now designated as secondary metabolites - for a variety of purposes such as pigments and dyes, arrow and fish poisons and olfactory stimulants. It is no wonder that many eminent chemists were attracted to these materials to elucidate the underlying chemistry. Willstatter, Baeyer, Richard Kuhn, Karrer, Robinson and others made pioneering studies and isolated several new compounds which were included in the curriculum of earlier days. Another pioneer, A G Perkin, second son of Sir W H Perkin, was, according to his elder brother, W H Perkin, Jr, a dabhand with natural dyes.He andAE Everest wrote a book The Natural Organic Colouring Matters, first published in 1918, which was like a Bible to natural product chemists of yesteryears. (You can now read it on line!). As organic chemistry progressed, making leaps and bounds, the newer exciting discoveries gradually pushed the study of several of these compounds out of the curriculum. While one can understand this trend, one also feels sad that students these days are not aware of several interesting facets of natural products chemistry which link organic chemistry with folklore, traditional practices by diverse native communities, indigenous systems of medicine and current ideas of chemical structure and reactivities. It is not possible to fill in these gaps in textbooks which are designed to cater to the needs of students preparing for various university examinations, but articles such as those contemplated here can provide students with knowledge that can be stimulating, interesting as well as enjoyable! We begin the series with 'some exotic red pigments of plant origin'. Several red coloured dyes and pigments of vegetable origin have been known to mankind ever since the dawn of civilization. Their varied uses have been mentioned in ancient literature, including the Ramayana, folklores, travelogues and accounts of several explorers. Their chemistry is equally fascinating and has attracted the attention of a number of eminent organic chemists. In this article, we examine a few of these pigments isolated from plant materials found in different parts of the world. They include the pigments of the red sandalwood, the colourants of safflower, the exotic cosmetic chica red, brazilin from the Brazil wood (and the related hematoxylin), the compounds from the Dragon's blood, the sesquiterpene quinones of the Miro wood and rottlerin, the main red pigment of Kamala dye. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]