EVALUATION OF THE HYPOGLYCAEMIC POTENTIAL OF KIGELIA AFRICANA FRUIT POWDER BEING SOLD IN MALAWIAN RETAIL PHARMACIES

Background: Kigelia africana fruit powder is being sold in Malawian retail pharmacies for the purported purpose of lowering blood sugar in diabetic patients when there is scant data on its hypoglycaemic activity. This study was aimed at evaluating the hypoglycaemic potential of the Kigelia africana fruit powder being sold in Malawian retail pharmacies. Materials and Methods: Hyperglycaemia was induced in rats via intra-peritoneal injection of dexamethasone. Albino rats were randomly allocated into five different groups of eight rats each. Group 1 consisted of non-hyperglycaemic rats receiving no treatment, group 2 consisted of hyperglycaemic rats receiving no treatment, group 3 consisted of hyperglycaemic rats receiving 25mg/kg of metformin, group 4 consisted of hyperglycaemic rats receiving 0.5mL of Kigelia africana fruit powder filtered solution, and group 5 consisted of hyperglycaemic rats receiving 1mL of Kigelia africana fruit powder solution. Results: The Kigelia africana fruit powder filtered solution administered to hyperglycaemic albino rats significantly lowered the sugar level which was comparable to the reduction caused by the pharmacological drug, metformin. Conclusions: Kigelia africana fruit powder has the potential of lowering glucose levels in white albino rats

Rapid, accurate and precise quantitative drug analysis: comparing liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry and chip-based nanoelectrospray ionisation mass spectrometry

We have developed a liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) system capable of achieving better than 2% accuracy, routinely over a wide concentration range of 1–800 ng mL–1. We demonstrate that the necessary high precision, high accuracy and rapid analysis can be achieved using LC-MS/MS technology. Automated nanoelectrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry (nanoESI-MS/MS) technology can be employed to eliminate the chromatographic step completely. In this paper, nanoESI-MS/MS is evaluated and compared directly with LC-MS/MS for the quantitative analysis of two-test analytes, amitriptyline (ATT) and 5-methoxytryptamine (5-MTT), in aqueous/organic mixture. Calibration curves were found to be linear over a wide concentration range of 1–800 ng mL–1 for both analytes using LC-MS/MS. Using nanoESI-MS/MS ATT gave a linear response while 5-MTT gave a non-linear response using nanoESI-MS/MS over the same concentration range as in LC-MS/MS. Accuracy and precision values of quality control samples (QCs) at four concentration levels were analysed in replicates of six at each level using 5-MTT and ATT as test analytes for both techniques. The LC-MS/MS system was capable of achieving accuracy levels of 99.50–101.96% for ATT and 100.17–100.40% for 5-MTT. Accuracy levels using nanoESI-MS/MS were not comparable to LC-MS/MS, they ranged from 90.09–100.18% for ATT and 95.95–113.55% for 5-MTT. The precision values obtained for nanoESI-MS/MS were in good agreement with those obtained by LC-MS/MS

A Malawian pharmaceutical response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has elicited swift and innovative responses due to the severity of the outbreak. Higher education institutions worldwide with pharmacy programs have identified vital gaps in COVID-19 care and has undertaken proactive steps to aid in the fight against the coronavirus. In Malawi, the Kamuzu University of Health Science’s Department of Pharmacy initiated the production of a modified formulation of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended hand sanitizer. This manufacturing venture involved mobilizing the pharmacy faculty, identifying gaps in supplies and equipment, and utilizing evidenced-based information to create a high-quality sanitation product, which passed the requirements as tested by the Malawi Bureau of Standards. The department of pharmacy is expanding their distribution of the product to meet the needs of frontline healthcare workers and vulnerable populations. With historical issues of accessing care in Malawi and with COVID-19’s spread among healthcare workers, this hand sanitizer venture is vital in the public healthcare’s system response. The department of pharmacy will continue to lead the pharmacy profession in Malawi to provide targeted interventions in this unprecedented time