Evaluation of binder and disintegrant properties of starch derived from Xanthosoma sagittifolium in metronidazole tablets

The aim of the study was to formulate metronidazole tablets using starch from Xanthosoma sagittifolium as binder and disintegrant in metronidazole tablets. Metronidazole tablets were produced by wet granulation method using X. sagittifolium starch as binder at concentrations of 5, 10, 15 and 20% w/w, and as disintegrant (5% w/w). The micromeritic properties of the granules were determined using the direct and indirect methods. The necessary official and non official tests were performed on the tablets to include uniformity of tablets weight, content of active ingredient, disintegration test, hardness, friability tests and in vitro drug release. Also, the phytochemical constituents of the starch were determined. The results show that the granules had a good flow and values obtained were within the specified limits for the production of good quality tablets. Deviations obtained from the tablet weight uniformity test were significantly (p< 0.05) below 5%. Tablets disintegration time ranged from 3.00 ± 0.08 min to 14.00 ± 0.10 min for M1 and M4 tablets formulated with 5 and 20% of X. sagittifolium starch respectively. The tablets hardness ranged from 7.20 ± 1.25 to 8.55 ± 1.17 kgf. In vitro release showed that M1 tablets had T25, T50 and T90 % at 5, 13 and 23 min respectively, while M4 tablets had T25, T50 and T90 % at 8, 18 min and were unable to release 90% of metronidazole at 30 min. Phytochemical analysis showed that the starch contained alkaloids, glycosides, carbohydrate and steroids. Therefore, starch from X. sagittifolium could be used to formulate metronidazole tablets for improved oral bioavailability of metronidazole.Keywords: Xanthosoma sagittifolium starch, tablets binder and disintegrant, metronidazoleAfrican Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 12(20), pp. 3064-307

IN VITRO PROPERTIES OF SOLID LIPID MICROPARTICLES (SLMS) LOADED WITH METHANOLIC EXTRACT OF GARCINIA KOLA (HECKEL) SEED

Objective: The decline in the use of herbal medicine especially in the Western world may be due to lack of readily available market brand formulations and the fact that most herbal remedies are taken as tea, decoctions and infusions. The taste of some of these herbal drugs is not palatable, and some have unpleasant odour and colour hence, the need to formulate these drugs in form of encapsulated dosage forms. The objective of the work was to formulate solid lipid microparticles (SLMs) loaded with the methanolic extract of Garcinia kola seed. Methods: The SLMs containing 1 and 3 % of Garcinia kola seed extract were formulated using fat from Capra hircus and Phospholipon® 90H (3:1). The particle morphology and size, encapsulation efficiency (EE%), pH, in vitro release and the inhibition zone diameter (IZD) of the SLMs were determined. Results: The results showed that the extract was very bitter while, the encapsulated G. kola had slight bitter taste. The pH remained in the acidic region from 1 to 30 days. Particle size of 28.65 ± 1.13 and 29.49 ± 1.24 µm were obtained for SLMs loaded with 1 and 3 % of the extract respectively. SLMs had high EE% of 94 % and also exhibited good release of the extract in simulated intestinal fluid (SIF, pH 7.2). Garcinia kola-loaded SLMs had good activity against Staphylococcus aureus and no action against Escherichia coli. Conclusion: Therefore, Garcinia kola seed extract could be formulated as SLMs in order to mask its bitter taste and improve compliance. Â

FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF ETHANOLIC EXTRACT OF CRYPTOLEPIS SANGUINOLENTA ROOT TABLETS

Objectives: To study were to formulate the ethanolic extract of Cryptolepis sanguinolenta root into tablets and to evaluate the effect of different binders and binder concentration on the properties of tablets. Materials and method: The phytochemistry of ethanolic extract of Cryptolepis sanguinolenta was evaluated. The tablets were formulated by wet granulation using gelatin and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (SCMC) as binders at concentrations of 2 %, 4 %, 6 % and 8 %w/w. The tablets were evaluated using the necessary official and unofficial tests. Results: Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of alkaloids, terpenoids, steroids, proteins, carbohydrate, resins, reducing sugars and glycosides. Tannins, saponins, flavonoids and acidic compounds were absent.  The tablets passed the uniformity of weight test and deviations obtained complied with BP specifications. Tablets disintegration time ranged from 8.00 ± 0.10 to 13.50 ± 0.21 min for tablets formulated with 2 and 4 % gelatin and 10.00 ± 0.17 to 31.00 ± 0.27 min for tablets formulated with 2 and 8 % SCMC. C. sanguinolenta tablets formulated gelatin significantly showed higher hardness values than SCMC (p < 0.05). Tablets showed friability of approximately ≤ 1 %. Conclusion: Therefore, gelatin showed good properties for formulating Cryptolepis sanguinolenta normal release tablets than SCMC.Â

Fungos endofíticos em folhas de Erva-mate (Ilex paraguariensis A. St.-Hill.).

Este estudo teve como objetivo analisar o efeito da idade de folhas de erva-mate, colhidas em ervas cultivadas e nativas, sobre a população de fungos endofíticos. Como resultado verificou-se que ocorre uma maior diversidade de fungos endofíticos em folhas adultas de erva-mate do que em folhas jovens. A diversidade foi maior nas plantas nativas, com uma microbiota mais abundante, decorrente de um ambiente sombreado e úmido, mais propício para o seu desenvolvimento, diferente de um agroecossistema. Plantas de erva-mate nativa apresentaram fungos endofíticos de gêneros com potencial de biocontrole que deveriam ser testados quanto à capacidade de induzir proteção contra pragas e doenças.Notas técnicas

SUSTAINED RELEASE ARTEMETHER-LOADED SOLID LIPID MICROPARTICLES, BASED ON SOLIDIFIED REVERSE MICELLAR SOLUTION (SRMS)

Objectives: To prepare and evaluate sustained release artemether-loaded SLMs based on SRMS Material and methods: SRMS, consisting of mixtures of Phospholipon® 90H (P90H) and Softisan® 154 (1:1, 2:1 and 1:2) were formulated and characterized using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The SRMS were used to formulate artemether-loaded SLMs by melt homogenization. The SLMs were characterized based on particle size and morphology, pH stability, encapsulation efficiency (EE%) and loading capacity. In vitro release was carried out in simulated intestinal fluid (SIF, pH 7.5). Results: Thermograms of the SRMS (1:1, 2:1 and 1:2) showed sharp endothermic peaks at 65.5, 64.4 and 62.3 oC respectively. Maximum EE% of 70.00 ± 1.50 % was obtained for SLMs formulated with SRMS 1:1 and 1 % artemether. Loading capacity ranged from 5.67 to 17.90 g drug/100 g lipid. In vitro release showed about 80 to 84 % drug release at 7 h. Particle size of artemether-loaded SLMs ranged from 18.60 ± 0.09 to 34.80 ± 0.30 µm. The pH decreased significantly at 60 days from 6 to 4.8 for batch A2 formulated with SRMS 2:1 and 3 % artemether (p < 0.05). Conclusion: artemether-loaded SLMs based on SRMS had good sustained release properties and could be used once daily in order to enhance patient's compliance.   Key words: Malaria, artemether, SRMS, lipids, sustained release SLMs Â

Three Open Questions for the Design of AI for Music Composition

This paper suggests three open questions for designing AI for music composition by reflecting on interviews with expert and novice composers. Our questions consider the role of AI as a mediator, the importance of a composer’s originality, and AI for building intuition

Factors associated with low rate of exclusive breastfeeding among mothers in Enugu, Nigeria

Background: Exclusive breastfeeding has proven to be beneficial both maternal and child health hence its adopted as a policy for infant feeding in most countries especially developing nations. Its practice has remained low despite the high levels of awareness of exclusive breastfeeding. The study set out to find out the possible reasons that have limited the translation of knowledge of exclusive breastfeeding to action by nursing mothers in an urban city in Nigeria.Methods: A self-administered structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 304 mothers attending immunization clinics of the Institute of maternal and child health in Enugu, Southeast Nigeria.Results: Awareness of exclusive breastfeeding was 98% with an exclusive breastfeeding rate of 26%. The commonest non-human milk given to infant was water- given in the first week of life. Post-natal support from lactation experts and family, beliefs about the sufficiency of human milk and subsequent refusal of complementary foods were major challenges to successful exclusive breastfeeding. Maternal age and education did not determine exclusive breastfeeding.Conclusions: Exclusive breastfeeding rates have remained low in Nigeria. Lack of family support and the belief that human milk is not sufficient food for the less-than-six-months-old infant were major challenges to exclusive breastfeeding

Electrical and optical impulse response of High Speed Micro-OLEDs under ultra-short pulse excitation

International audienceThe electric and optical impulse response of two types of high-speed OLED (HSOLED) driven by ultrashort electrical pulses is investigated. The two HSOLED were designed and manufactured to be characterized in the presence of electrical pulses ranging from 10 to 100 ns in duration and a repetition rate of 10 Hz. The impact of the OLED geometry and the fabrication process on the time response is investigated. This is the first time that an optimized HSOLED exhibits an electrical time response as low as 2.1 ± 0.6 ns and also shorter than the device optical decay time (9.8 ± 0.2 ns). Moreover, the HSOLED measured current density reaches 3.0 kA/cm 2 , the highest value reported in the literature, with state-of-the-art electroluminescence of 12 W/cm

Digestibility and nutrient intake of African Giant Land Snails (Archachatina marginata) hatchlings fed municipal organic waste with foliage and grass/legume

Snails are important kind of micro livestock in the animal industry with a wide range of economic value and significance, the study determined the digestibility and nutrient intake of African Giant Land Snails (Archachatina marginata) hatchlings fed municipal organic waste, foliage or grass/legume using Completely Randomized Design. The experiment had four (4) treatments with five (5) replicates each, the experimental diets were diet 1 (100% municipal organic waste), diet 2 (100% grasses), diet 3 (75% grasses and 25% legume) and diet 4 (100% foliage). There were 25 hatchlings per replicate. The experiment lasted for 120 days. Snail hatchlings fed experimental diet 4, maintained higher significant (P<0.05) results for diet protein intake, digestible protein for growth, total digestible protein for gain, digestible protein, gross protein value, protein replacement value, and a better protein utilization efficiency. Dietary fibre intake was (P<0.05) higher on diet 3, 2 and 1, lower on diet 4, digestible fibre for growth showed (P<0.05) higher and similar values for diet 4 and 1, lower values for diet 3 and 2, digestible fibre and fibre replacement value decreased (P<0.05) in the order diet, 2, 3, 1 and 4, for efficiency of fibre utilization, diet 2 and 3 showed better fibre utilization efficiency. Dietary fat intake, digestible fat, fat replacement value showed (P<0.05) higher for diet 1, and with a better fat utilization efficiency. Snail’s micro-biota had high substrates dependency role on the quality of feed nutrient utilization in a symbiotic mechanism that helped in the breakdown and digestion of feed materials

A study on Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles synthesized from Titanium Isopropoxide under Silar-Induced Gel Method : transition from Anatase to Rutile structure

Abstract: Successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method was adopted in synthesizing titanium dioxide nanoparticles at various temperatures so as to investigate their morphological, structural, elemental, optical, chemical bond and photoluminescence properties. The as-prepared nanoparticles were characterized with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area electron diffractometer (SAED), energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX), UV-Visible spectrophotometry (UV-Vis), photoluminescence (PL) spectra and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Nanospherical balls revealing anatase and rutile crystal structures at (101) and (110) planes respectively were observed. Agglomerations of chain-like small particles manifested in Debye-Scherrer’s rings were evident from the TEM and SAED patterns. EDX spectra confirmed the deposition of the major elements: Ti and O. High transmittance of about 80% with a band gap energy range of 3.41-3.60 eV was obtained from the optical properties. Emission peaks arising from the PL spectra gave information on the charge transport and recombination rates occurring at the TiO2 nanoparticles while FTIR studies revealed the chemical vibrational bonds of the deposited TiO2 NPs. The obtained results show the deposited nanoparticles are suitable for solar cell applications