Effect of Apium Graveolens (Celery) Seed Extract on Serum Uric Acid Level of Hyperuricemic Rats and its Comparison with Allopurinol

Background: Plant derived medicines are widely used in traditional culture all over the world. Objectives: To determine the effect of Celery Seed Extract (CSE) on uric acid levels in hyperuricemic rats and to compare the effect of allopurinol and CSE. Methods: It was an animal experimental research study. Group A served as negative control whereas Group B served as positive control. CSE was given orally to three groups of rats (C, D, and E). One hour prior to administration of CSE; potassium oxonate was injected intraperitoneally in all groups except negative control to induce hyperuricemia. Similarly, group F was given allopurinol one hour after injection of potassium oxonate. Blood samples were collected for uric acid estimation. Results: It was found that administration of both CSE (group C, D, E) and allopurinol (group F) significantly lowered serum uric acid levels (p<0.001) as compared to positive control (group B). Serum uric acid lowering effect of both drugs CSE and allopurinol was found to be statistically significant on day 3rd and day 7th and was almost comparable. Conclusions: Celery seed extract significantly reduces serum uric acid levels in potassium oxonate-induced hyperuricemic rats and its uric acid lowering effect was comparable with that of allopurinol.

A Case Study: Formative Classroom Assessment Practices of Two Lower Secondary Teachers of Mathematics in an English Medium Private School of Karachi

This small-scale case study attempts to investigate the formative assessment practices of two lower secondary mathematics teachers of two private English-medium secondary schools of Karachi, Pakistan. It paves the path to explore the different ways of giving feedback to students and asking oral questions from them in the classroom. The nature of the study leads the researcher towards using the qualitative paradigm, with the case study approach at the heart of the study. The trustworthiness of the data was ensured through designing different tools for investigation: interview, observation, and the use of complementary documentary evidence. The dominant form of assessment in Pakistan is highly summative and is focused on promoting students to the next classes. However, teachers in this study were found to be using some aspects of formative assessment. In this connection, the main findings that emerged from classroom observations, interviews, and document analyses of primary and secondary research participants were analyzed and discussed. In particular, the findings reiterate the teachers' understanding of formative assessment, along with ways of feedback from the teacher to the students. Furthermore, the teachers' classroom observations exemplified that they give oral feedback to explain how to get to the appropriate solution of mathematical problems. Moreover, the nature of feedback was corrective, but errors were not explained. Some hindering and facilitating factors regarding sustaining formative assessment at the classroom level emerged during the teachers' interviews. Although teachers faced several challenges, there is still hope for sustaining formative assessment in classrooms, because it is given utmost priority in the National Education Policy (2007).