Gastrointestinal Health Problems

There are many prevalent conditions in the elderly that can interfere with the normal pharmacokinetic process. The changes in the gastrointestinal tract due to aging do not normally give any problems with drug treatment but in combination with diverse chronic ailments, they do. The absorption of drugs can be disturbed by the 

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Free radicals might be involved in the incidences of various diseases such as arthritis, hemorrhagic shock, atherosclerosis, advancing age, ischemia and reperfusion injury of many organs, Alzheimer and Parkinson s disease, gastrointestinal dysfunctions, tumor promotion and carcinogenesis, AIDS, and other human health problems [85]. The oxidative proanthocyanidins as antioxidants could quench the free radicals and might help to enhance the action of other antioxidants such as vitamin C. 

Glaucoma represents a significant health problem with estimates that between 2 to 9 percent of the adult population worldwide suffers from increased intraocular pressure. Current therapy include use of so-called beta-blockers . These drugs however are not effective for all patients and often result in undesirable side effects that include lowered pulse rate, asthma and gastrointestinal problems. It thus would be desirable to have a new means for treatment of glaucoma. 

Helminths constitute a major health problem in humans and domestic animals, especially in the tropical and sub-tropical areas of the world. They are classified in two phyla the flatworms (Platyhelminthes), comprising the flukes (or trematodes) and the tapeworms (or cestode), and the roundworms or nematodes (Nemathelminthes). Most nematodes are not parasitic, but some infect vertebrates by entering the digestive tracts of animals where they develop into adults. Diseases caused by infection are dependent on the residence site of the adult nematode the gastrointestinal tract or body tissues. 

Arsenic is one of the most feared contaminants because of its high toxicity at low concentrations. Exposure to high levels of arsenic can cause problems in humans ranging from gastrointestinal symptoms to arsenicosis. Once this element is dissolved in water and is ingested, it is accumulated in the body. Contamination of groundwater with arsenic is one of the major environmental and public health problems on a global scale (NRC, 1999). 

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