Formulation and evaluation of chewable tablets of Desloratadine prepared by aqueous and non-aqueous techniques

In the modern era, chewable tablets are preferred over conventional dosage forms by pediatric, geriatric and bedridden patients due to difficulty in swallowing, lesser amount of water for swallowing medications as well as unable to tolerate the bitter taste of certain drugs. Chewable tablets of Desloratadine (DS) were formulated by aqueous and non-aqueous granulation method using water paste and Isopropyl alcohol (IPA) as a wetting agents respectively. Desloratadine is used to treat the symptoms of allergy such as sneezing, watery eyes. In the recent research, we have formulated eight trials by various concentrations of excipients. For instance; lactose, talcum, magnesium stearate, blue color, flavor, aspartame, mannitol, avicel 101 and polyvenylpyrollidine (PVP). Pre-compression and post compression parameters (thickness, hardness, friability weight variation and drug content) of the formulations were evaluated. B3 was our optimum dosage form because its Hausner’s ratio, compressibility index, bulk density, tap density, angle of repose have optimum values i.e. 1.01, 5.1%, 0.66(g/cc), 0.69(g/cc), 26.1º respectively and post-compression i.e. thickness, hardness, friability weight variation and drug content have values, 2.9mm, 3.9(kg/cm²), 0.6%, 99.5% respectively. Tablets prepared by wet granulation technique showed reasonable release profile i.e. 100% within the required time i.e. 2 hours.  Moreover, organoleptic evaluation of all formulations were performed. Keywords: Desloratadine, chewable, magnesium stearate, aspartame, compressibility, granulation

The Phytochemical and Comparative Anticancer Study of Methanolic and Chloroform Extracts of Psidium guajava L. Leaves of Pakistani Origin

The chief focus of our study is to evaluate the phytochemical and anti-cancer activity of methanol (PGM) and chloroform extracts (PGC) of the leaves of Psidium guajava (guava) collected from local area of district Sialkot, Pakistan. Shade dried milled leaves was subjected to extraction (maceration) with methanol and chloroform. Quantitative and qualitative screenings by GC-MS and phytochemical techniques were performed. Then different secondary metabolites and phytochemical compounds were identified which are typically associated with the existence of therapeutic characteristics. Psidium guajava has been extensively used as herbal remedies like, anti-diarrheal, antihypertensive, antibacterial, antifungal as well as to control obesity, ulcer, diabetes. In this study, both extracts of P. guajava were evaluated for their anticancer activities against HeLa cell-lines (cancerous cells). The healthiest anticancer response in the form of cell-line suppression was perceived with 200µg/mL of both extracts, PGM showed 81% and PGC exhibited 91% while the standard drug doxorubicin presented around 76% inhibition. The comparative better result was seen with chloroform extract than methanolic abstract. In conclusion, the chloroform and methanol extracts of our nominated plant from Pakistan origin has a good source of phytochemicals that revealed an outstanding anti-cancer potential. Keywords: Psidium guajava, anticancer, phytochemicals, methanol extracts, secondary metabolites

A nationwide virtual research education program for medical students in Pakistan: Methodological framework, feasibility testing, and outcomes

Introduction: Equipping young medical trainees with fundamental research skills can be a promising strategy to address the need for professionals who can understand and responsibly communicate evolving scientific evidence during a pandemic. Despite an ardent interest to partake in research, most educational institutions in Pakistan and other low-middle income countries have not yet adopted a comprehensive strategy for research skills education. The authors aimed to design and assess the feasibility of implementing the first nation-wide virtual research workshop for medical students in Pakistan. Methods: The course Beginners Guide to Research, designed as a nation-wide virtual research workshop series, was conducted for medical students across Pakistan in June 2020. Four interactive live workshops took place online on alternate days from June 22nd, 2020, to June 27th, 2020, each lasting 1-2 h. Outcomes included: (i) reach, (ii) efficacy as indexed by pre-post change in score pertaining to knowledge and application of research and (iii) self-rated perceptions about understanding of research on a Likert scale. Results: 3,862 participants enrolled from 41 cities and 123 institutions. Enrolled participants belonged to the following provinces: Sindh (n = 1,852, 48.0%), Punjab (n = 1,767, 45.8%), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (n = 109, 2.8%), Azad Jammu and Kashmir (n = 84, 2.2%) Balochistan (n = 42, 1.1%). We also saw a few registrations from international students (n = 8, 0.2%). Mean (SD) age of enrolled medical students was 21.1 (2.1) years, 2,453 (63.5%) participants were female and 2,394 (62.0%) were from private-sector medical colleges. Two thousand ninety-three participants participants filled out all four pre-test and post-test forms. The total median knowledge score improved from 39.7 to 60.3% with the highest improvements in concepts of research bioethics and literature search (p \u3c 0.001) with greater change for females compared to males (+20.6 vs. +16.2%, p \u3c 0.001) and private institutions compared to public ones (+16.2 vs. +22.1%, p \u3c 0.001). Conclusion: The overwhelming enrollment and significant improvement in learning outcomes (\u3e50% of baseline) indicate feasibility of a medical student-led research course during a pandemic, highlighting its role in catering to the research needs in the LMICs

Current trends in complete denture education in undergraduate dental colleges of Pakistan

Objective: To determine the current trends in complete denture education in undergraduate dental colleges. Method: The survey-based study was conducted in April and May 2020 at undergraduate dental colleges of Pakistan, and comprised heads of the Prosthodontics Department at all dental colleges across Pakistan having at least one batch of final year dental students. Data was collected using an online predesigned questionnaire that explored theoretical and practical teaching patterns of complete denture prosthodontics in the undergraduate years, and the materials and practices of students when constructing complete dentures in the clinics. The participants were given the option of choosing more than one option where needed. Data was analysed using SPSS 23. Results: Of the 49 subjects approached, 40(81.6%) returned the forms duly filled; 11(27.5%) from public-sector institutions and 29(72.5%) from the private sector. There were 26(65%) institutions which required that their undergraduate students fabricate 2-4 conventional complete dentures. In all 40(100%) colleges, faculty gave live clinical demonstrations before students fabricated conventional complete dentures in the outpatient departments. Teaching strategy included small group discussions in 25(62.5%) institutions. Green stick 40(100%), zinc oxide eugenol 40(100%) and impression compound 39(97.2%) were the materials of choice for various steps of impression making. In all the 40(100%) institutions, students fabricated conventional complete dentures during their prosthodontics rotation. Immediate, copy and overdentures were constructed by students in 8(20%), 3(7.5%) and 8(20%) institutions, respectively. Conclusions: Majority of the dental schools used similar impression materials and techniques for fabricating conventional complete dentures. Didactic teaching of conventional and unconventional complete dentures was being carried out at a huge majority of the dental institutions studied. Key Words: Current trends, Complete dentures, Undergraduate dental education

Untargeted-metabolomics differentiation between poultry samples slaughtered with and without detaching spinal cord

Chicken meat is among the common and relatively inexpensive source of protein consumed worldwide from the poultry industry. Many communities show concern regarding the procedure of slaughtering animals for meat consumption due to ethical, religious, or cultural reasons. Liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) based untargeted metabolomics of 40 chicken meat samples were evaluated to differentiate meat samples based on slaughtering methods. Samples were grouped into, Zabiha (cutting neck without detaching spinal cord) and Non-Zabiha (completely detaching neck). A volcano plot reveals at least 150 features found significantly different between the two groups having >= 2-fold changes in intensities with p-values <= 0.05. Among them 05 identified and 25 unidentified metabolites have clear differences in peak intensities. The identified features can be employed to differentiate meat obtained from different slaughtering methods. A characteristic pattern based on principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least square-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) was observed among the groups. The results will benefit Halal certification, food safety, and security agencies to curb food fraud. (C) 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of King Saud University

Selective C-Arylation of 2,5-Dibromo-3-hexylthiophene via Suzuki Cross Coupling Reaction and Their Pharmacological Aspects

The present study reports the synthesis of various new derivatives based on 5-aryl-2-bromo-3-hexylthiophene with moderate-to-good yields via a palladium-catalyzed Suzuki cross-coupling reaction. This coupling method involved the reaction of 2,5-dibromo-3-hexylthiophene with several arylboronic acids in order to synthesize corresponding thiophene derivatives under controlled and optimal reaction conditions. The different substituents (CH3, OCH3, Cl, F etc.) present on arylboronic acids are found to have significant electronic effects on the overall properties of new products. The synthesized thiophene molecules were studied for their haemolytic, biofilm inhibition and anti-thrombolytic activities, and almost all products showed potentially good properties. The compound 2-bromo-5-(3-chloro-4-fluorophenyl)-3-hexylthiophenein particular exhibited the highest values for haemolytic and bio-film inhibition activities among all newly synthesized derivatives. In addition, the compound 2-bromo-3-hexyl-5-(4-iodophenyl)thiophene also showed high anti-thrombolytic activity, suggesting the potential medicinal applications of these newly synthesized compounds

Novel Variants in MPV17, PRX, GJB1, and SACS Cause Charcot–Marie–Tooth and Spastic Ataxia of Charlevoix–Saguenay Type Diseases

Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease (CMT) and autosomal recessive spastic ataxia of Charlevoix–Saguenay type (ARSACS) are large heterogeneous groups of sensory, neurological genetic disorders characterized by sensory neuropathies, muscular atrophies, abnormal sensory conduction velocities, and ataxia. CMT2EE (OMIM: 618400) is caused by mutations in MPV17 (OMIM: 137960), CMT4F (OMIM: 614895) is caused by PRX (OMIM: 605725), CMTX1 (OMIM: 302800) is caused by mutations in GJB1 (OMIM: 304040), and ARSACS (OMIM: 270550) is caused by mutations in SACS (OMIM: 604490). In this study, we enrolled four families: DG-01, BD-06, MR-01, and ICP-RD11, with 16 affected individuals, for clinical and molecular diagnoses. One patient from each family was analyzed for whole exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing was done for the rest of the family members. Affected individuals of families BD-06 and MR-01 show complete CMT phenotypes and family ICP-RD11 shows ARSACS type. Family DG-01 shows complete phenotypes for both CMT and ARSACS types. The affected individuals have walking difficulties, ataxia, distal limb weakness, axonal sensorimotor neuropathies, delayed motor development, pes cavus, and speech articulations with minor variations. The WES analysis in an indexed patient of family DG-01 identified two novel variants: c.83G>T (p.Gly28Val) in MPV17 and c.4934G>C (p.Arg1645Pro) in SACS. In family ICP-RD11, a recurrent mutation that causes ARSACS, c.262C>T (p.Arg88Ter) in SACS, was identified. Another novel variant, c.231C>A (p.Arg77Ter) in PRX, which causes CMT4F, was identified in family BD-06. In family MR-01, a hemizygous missense variant c.61G>C (p.Gly21Arg) in GJB1 was identified in the indexed patient. To the best of our knowledge, there are very few reports on MPV17, SACS, PRX, and GJB1 causing CMT and ARSACS phenotypes in the Pakistani population. Our study cohort suggests that whole exome sequencing can be a useful tool in diagnosing complex multigenic and phenotypically overlapping genetic disorders such as Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease (CMT) and spastic ataxia of Charlevoix–Saguenay type

Novel Variants in <i>MPV17, PRX, GJB1</i>, and <i>SACS</i> Cause Charcot–Marie–Tooth and Spastic Ataxia of Charlevoix–Saguenay Type Diseases

Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease (CMT) and autosomal recessive spastic ataxia of Charlevoix–Saguenay type (ARSACS) are large heterogeneous groups of sensory, neurological genetic disorders characterized by sensory neuropathies, muscular atrophies, abnormal sensory conduction velocities, and ataxia. CMT2EE (OMIM: 618400) is caused by mutations in MPV17 (OMIM: 137960), CMT4F (OMIM: 614895) is caused by PRX (OMIM: 605725), CMTX1 (OMIM: 302800) is caused by mutations in GJB1 (OMIM: 304040), and ARSACS (OMIM: 270550) is caused by mutations in SACS (OMIM: 604490). In this study, we enrolled four families: DG-01, BD-06, MR-01, and ICP-RD11, with 16 affected individuals, for clinical and molecular diagnoses. One patient from each family was analyzed for whole exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing was done for the rest of the family members. Affected individuals of families BD-06 and MR-01 show complete CMT phenotypes and family ICP-RD11 shows ARSACS type. Family DG-01 shows complete phenotypes for both CMT and ARSACS types. The affected individuals have walking difficulties, ataxia, distal limb weakness, axonal sensorimotor neuropathies, delayed motor development, pes cavus, and speech articulations with minor variations. The WES analysis in an indexed patient of family DG-01 identified two novel variants: c.83G>T (p.Gly28Val) in MPV17 and c.4934G>C (p.Arg1645Pro) in SACS. In family ICP-RD11, a recurrent mutation that causes ARSACS, c.262C>T (p.Arg88Ter) in SACS, was identified. Another novel variant, c.231C>A (p.Arg77Ter) in PRX, which causes CMT4F, was identified in family BD-06. In family MR-01, a hemizygous missense variant c.61G>C (p.Gly21Arg) in GJB1 was identified in the indexed patient. To the best of our knowledge, there are very few reports on MPV17, SACS, PRX, and GJB1 causing CMT and ARSACS phenotypes in the Pakistani population. Our study cohort suggests that whole exome sequencing can be a useful tool in diagnosing complex multigenic and phenotypically overlapping genetic disorders such as Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease (CMT) and spastic ataxia of Charlevoix–Saguenay type