The emergence of viral infections has necessitated the development and use of effective antiviral therapies. This review critically compares the therapeutic efficacy and safety profiles of a conventional antiviral, ribavirin, with a traditional herbal formulation, Nilavembu Kudineer, which is widely used in Siddha medicine. Ribavirin, known for its broad-spectrum antiviral activity, demonstrates significant clinical efficacy in chronic viral infections but is associated with adverse effects such as hemolytic anemia and teratogenicity. Nilavembu Kudineer, composed of multiple herbal ingredients, offers a safer alternative with its anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and antiviral properties, particularly in acute viral infections. The review explores the mechanisms of action, resistance patterns, and potential for combining these therapies to enhance clinical outcomes. The findings suggest that while ribavirin remains a cornerstone in antiviral therapy, Nilavembu Kudineer provides a complementary option with fewer side effects, making it suitable for broader use. The integration of herbal and conventional antivirals could offer synergistic benefits, although further research is needed to confirm these findings and establish clinical guidelines.

The gut microbiota has emerged as a significant factor influencing bone health, with emerging evidence suggesting its critical role in the development and management of osteoporosis, particularly in postmenopausal women. This review explores the complex interactions between gut microbiota and bone metabolism, focusing on the mechanisms linking microbial communities to bone health. We discuss how microbial dysbiosis—characterized by an imbalance in gut microbial composition—can contribute to osteoporosis through inflammation and impaired nutrient absorption. Additionally, we examine the influence of estrogen on gut microbiota and its subsequent impact on bone health. The role of nutritional interventions, including prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics, in modulating gut microbiota and improving bone density is also evaluated. Current clinical evidence supports the potential of these interventions in osteoporosis management, highlighting the need for further research to optimize therapeutic strategies. This review underscores the importance of integrating gut microbiota modulation into osteoporosis prevention and treatment protocols.

Oral hygiene practices have evolved significantly over time, with traditional methods and modern approaches offering distinct advantages for maintaining oral health. This review provides a comparative analysis of Siddha oral hygiene practices and contemporary modern methods, focusing on their techniques, efficacy, safety, and consumer acceptance. Siddha oral hygiene practices include the use of herbal mouthwashes, oil pulling, and tooth powders such as Thiripala Chooranam and Padigara Neer. These methods rely on natural ingredients with antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. In contrast, modern oral hygiene practices involve commercial mouthwashes, fluoride toothpaste, and electric toothbrushes, which are supported by extensive clinical research demonstrating their effectiveness in plaque reduction and gingival health maintenance. The review highlights that while traditional Siddha practices have shown potential benefits, the scientific evidence is limited compared to the robust clinical data supporting modern products. Safety profiles differ, with traditional methods generally being well-tolerated, though they may pose risks for allergic reactions, whereas modern products can sometimes cause mucosal irritation or sensitivity. Consumer preferences are shifting towards natural solutions, but modern practices remain widely accepted due to their proven efficacy and convenience. The potential for integrating traditional Siddha techniques with modern practices is discussed, suggesting a holistic approach could enhance overall oral health. The review concludes with recommendations for future research to further investigate the synergistic effects of combining these approaches.

Africa is one of the continents that show more consciousness in their belief and Nigeria cannot be excluded. However, in recent decades, Nigeria has been experiencing high surge of Islamic based schools. These school pupils suffer as they undergo rigorous learning from two major curriculums, thus, Western and Islamic. Combining these curriculums together is referred to integration on the basis of Islamic view point. This research work was carried out to determine the implementation of content on dual system using survey methods. The findings revealed that the content has influences in many aspects of the pupils such as; developing the skill of reciting, memorization of holy Qur’an, incorporating intellectual, emotional, spiritual and physical aspects in all subject areas. In the same vein, Fisher’s Exact test in SPSS software was used for the null hypothesis testing which portrayed that there was no significant effect in implementing content of IIBC on dual Islamic education in Muslim preschool children in Sabon Gari LG, Zaria as the value is statistically significant, χ2 (4) = 5.227, p = 0.667 at 5%. The null hypothesis is therefore retained. The paper recommended that the school management should endeavour to provide enabling instructional materials for proper learning as such would not affect the pupils’ performance and reduce over burdening.

Introduction: Traditional medicine (TM) occupies a very important place in health care in the world in general, in Africa and Ghana in particular: In Ghana the process to effectively develop TM is in progress due to a favourable integrated environmental, an ongoing national dialogue between stakeholders of traditional medicine and agencies set up by the Government. The Governments of African countries should establish the necessary institutional and financial support to promote the potential role of herbal medicine in primary health care delivery due to their inabilities to fully and efficiently fund orthodox medical systems. A second chance should be given to the development of herbal medicines in standardised scientific processes to support section of the population who voluntarily opt for traditional medicine treatment. Methodology: The authors laid much emphasis and reviewed in totality the work done by (Barimah, K. B. & Okyere, B., 2018) on traditional medicine in Ghana. Google scholar, web of science, pub med were used to search for peer reviewed works done on the field of traditional and herbal medicine. In all about 170 articles were sorted and 80 were admitted as extremely useful to the article of the authors Findings: Despite support from the world health organisation, the various ministries of health of African countries, donor agencies and non-governmental organisations, the traditional medicine(TM or TRM) sector is plague with numerous constraints relating to the development of traditional medicine that can be summarised as follows: The lack of institutional support for production and dissemination of key species for cultivation; The low prices paid for traditional medicinal plants by herbal medicine traders and urban herbalists; Lack of appropriate technology for post-harvest and pre-processing purposes adapted productively and effectively; Insufficient documentation and scientific experimentation for verification of the herbalist's claims; Lack of preservation of medicinal extracts for extended shelf life. This findings highly confirm a similar finding in the work of (MINSANTE, 2007; Jiofack et al., 2009) Conclusion: There has been a tendency in Western medical journals to play down the expertise of African healers by predominantly presenting the iatrogenic risks of their traditional therapies. It cannot be denied, of course, that sometimes there is genuine cause for concern (Stafford et al., 2008). The authors agree with the work of ((Noumi, 1984; Ngameni et al 2007) and make emphatic statements that it would be unfair, however, to pass judgement on the biomedical merits of African traditional medicine on the basis of its worst outcomes. Instead, African healing should be considered with a sympathetic eye putting in all rigorous legislations, clinical trials, scientific processes for efficacy before any can be rolled out for public acceptance based on its highly data proven efficacies by regulators.

The machines operated in wood furniture factories generate a high level of noise. Therefore, wood furniture workers are exposed to machine-derived noise. The noise situation and the effects of noise are worthy of attention. This study was conducted in Rajshahi City to measure the noise levels in the selected wood furniture factories and evaluate the impact of noise on workers. A digital sound level meter was used to measure the noise level, and a total of 102 furniture workers were surveyed about their perceptions of noise effects. The findings show that 70% of noise levels exceeded the 85 dBA occupational standards, and the maximum noise level was recorded at 107.6 dBA. In terms of noise effects on conversation during work time, 52% of respondents treated the workplace as moderately noisy; whereas 55.9% experienced moderate communication interference; 32.4% had moderate disturbance in recreation activities during work. 70% workers had to raise voice sometime to overcome noise; most of them (76.5%) were not aware of the adverse effects of noise. One-third (34.3%) of the workers had headaches, one-six (16.6%) had digestion problems, and a mentionable amount (13.7%) had asthma symptoms. Workers hardly wear personal protective equipment (PPE) and hearing aids while working in wood furniture factories in Rajshahi City.