PHYTO-PHARMACOLOGY of Berberis aristata DC: A REVIEW

ABSTRACT Plants have been the basis of many traditional medicines throughout the world for thousands of years and continue to provide new remedies to mankind. Plants are one of the richest sources of compounds. Berberis aristata is one of the plants used in Ayurveda for several remedies. Berberis aristata commonly known as  “Daru haldhi and Chitra†is spinous herb native to northern Himalaya region. The plant  is  widely distributed  from Himalayas to Srilanka, Bhutan,  and  hilly areas of  Nepal.  Berberis aristata is used  in ayurvedic  medicines  from  very  long time.  It is used as a tonic, alternative, demulscent, diaphoretic, and diuretic, in the treatment of diarrhoea, jaundice and skin diseases, syphilis, chronic rheumatism and urinary disorders. Scientific evidence suggests its versatile biological functions that support its traditional use in the orient.  Phytochemical  studies  shows  that  plant Berberis  aristata contains  mainly  yellow  colored alkaloids Berberine,  oxyberberine,  berbamine,  aromoline,  a  protoberberine  alkaloid  karachine,  palmatine, oxycanthine  and  taxilamine  and  tannins,  sugar,  starch.  The  plant  has  effective  pharmacological  action  and  shows promising future for further researches.  This review aims to highlight the ethnobotany, pharmacognostic and pharmacological uses of Berberis aristat

MAGNETICALLY CONTROLLED PILLS: NEW ERA IN DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEM

As orally administered pill often will not dissolve at exactly the right site in the gastrointestinal tract where the medicine can be absorbed into the bloodstream, so a new drug delivery system developed which includes magnetic pill (tiny magnet inside a gelatin capsule) which solve the problem by safely holding a pill in place in the intestine wherever it needs to be. The two main component of the system are conventionally-looking gelatin capsules that contain a tiny magnet, and an external magnet, external magnet use to guide the location of that capsule in intestine. This new technology can be used as a new drug delivery method for cancer drugs or drugs targeting GI diseases

THIENOPYRIDINES: PLATELET ADP RECEPTOR ANTAGONIST

Atherothrombotic disease is the result of atherosclerosis progression, and its clinical manifestations [acute coronary syndromes (ACS), stroke, etc). These events are mostly secondary to atherosclerotic plaque disruption and subsequent thrombus formation. Atherosclerosis prevention is mainly focused on the management of the so-called ‘cardiovascular risk factors’; whereas thrombosis-related complications are mainly prevented and/or treated by antithrombotic therapies. The central role of platelets in the pathophysiology of arterial vascular disease has focused attention on the development of effective platelet inhibitor modalities to mitigate the clinical consequences of atherothrombotic disease. Aspirin has been the mainstay; the thienopyridines provide new opportunities for those patients who are intolerant, resistant or have failed aspirin, and for those who can derive greater beneï¬t from combined therapy. Thienopyridines (ticlopidine, clopidogrel etc.) are a class of ADP receptor/P2Y12 inhibitors used for their anti-platelet activity. The co-administration aspirin-clopidogrel results in enhancement of platelet inhibition, since they act via different platelet receptors. This article reviews the current antiplatelet agents in ACSs and role of thienopyridines as antiplatelet agents in management

SIX SIGMA TECHNIQUE USED IN RISK ANALYSIS IN TABLET FORMULATION

FMEA is a systematic method for evaluating a process to identify where and how it might fail and access the relative impact of different failure, in order to identify the part of the process that are most in change needed. Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) is a procedure which is performed after a failure mode effects analysis.Tablet is Formulated in different steps, so the failure mode is studied for every step and also consider human failure and the technical risks, all these consider in the study. Each failure mode is ranked on estimated frequency of occurrence (O), probability that the failure would remain undetected later in process (D) and severity (S). Failure risk were calculated by Risk Priority Number (RPNs) i.e O*D*S. Failure mode with highest RPN scores is concider and subjected to the corrective action and FMEA was repeated. This technique is very useful in the evaluating the new process prior to the implementation. When the process change the existing process. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate an application of this technique on the basis of FME

FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF METOCLOPRAMIDE RAPIDLY DISINTEGRATING TABLETS

Metoclopramide an effective antiemetic; acting on the CTZ, blocks apomorphine induced vomiting. Rapidly disintegrating tablets of metoclopramide hydrochloride were prepared by mass extrusion technique using three different superdisintegrants Sodium Starch Glycolate, Avicel Ph 102, L-HPC. Pre-compression parameters and post-compression parameters were evaluated for all the nine formulations. Angle of repose and % compressibility showed good flowability in all the formulations. Weight variation was found within limits and drug content of all the formulations was found in the range of 9.700 mg - 9.925 mg in each tablet. The hardness of all the formulations was almost uniform and possessed good mechanical strength with sufficient hardness. The wetting time in all the formulation was fast. Formulations F3 containing sodium starch glycolate 10% & F6 containing Avicel ph 102 10% tablets disintegrated rapidly to release the drug. In vitro release studies revealed that 96% of drug releases from SSG, MCC (90%), and L-HPC (85%) for all the formulations were within 15 min. Based on above results, three formulations F3, F6, F9 were selected for stability studies these formulations showed not much variation in any parameter even after the period of 30 days, formulations F3, F6, F9 are found to be stable and retained their original properties. Thus, it may be concluded that formulation containing sodium starch glycolate as superdisintegrants is fulfilling all the parameters satisfactorily. It showed excellent in vitro disintegration, in vitro dispersion time, compared to other superdisintegrants. And the rapidly disintegrating tablets can be prepared by mass extrusion technique Â

NASAL DRUG DELIVERY: SUCCESS THROUGH INTEGRATED DEVICE DEVELOPMENT

Transmucosal nasal delivery is a promising drug delivery option where common drug administrations (e.g., intravenous, intramuscular, or oral) are inapplicable. Recently, it has been shown that many drugs have better bioavailability by nasal route than by oral route. This has been attributed to rich vasculature and a highly permeable structure of the nasal mucosa coupled with avoidance of hepatic first-pass elimination, gut wall metabolism and/or destruction in the gastrointestinal tract. The physiology of the nose presents obstacles, but offers a promising route for non-invasive systemic delivery of numerous therapies and debatably drug delivery route to the brain.  Intranasal microemulsions, gels and microspheres have gained increased interest in recent years as a delivery system for protein and peptides through nasal route. Since building a more efficient nasal drug delivery device requires not only better device design but  a far more versatile technology platform; one that delivers optimal nasal deposition, with formulation flexibility to work successfully with the many variables of the formulation itself. Thus present review focuses on innovations in nasal drug delivery devices

FOOD ALLERGY: AN OVERVIEW

oai:ojs2.jddtonline.info:article/1The immune system protects our body against pathogens and other foreign substances by producing a kind of glycoprotein known as immunoglobulin or antibodies from plasma cells or B-cells. Surveys show that about one-third of all adults believe they have food allergies. About 4-8% percent of young children are diagnosed with food allergies, most of which are evident in the first years of life and are often outgrown. A food allergy is any adverse reaction to an otherwise harmless food or food component that involves the body’s immune system. In others words, a food allergy is an immune system response to a food that the body mistakenly believes is harmful. Components of a food that trigger the immune system are called food allergens. Cows’ milk allergy appears to be among the more prevalent food allergies in infants. Eggs and peanuts are also common allergenic foods for infants, along with soybeans, tree nuts, fish, and wheat. Seafood allergies, especially to crustaceans (shrimp, crab, lobster) are also rather common among adults. The present review provides brief information about food allergy and allergic reactions, their types, symptoms and approaches for reduction