Liquid Chromatographic Separation of Isoniazid, Pyrazinamide and Rifampicin on a Reversed-Phase Silica Column

A gradient liquid chromatographic method which can separate isoniazid, pyrazinamide and rifampicin is described. A Hypersil C18, 5 mm, 250 mm x 4.6 mm internal diameter column was maintained at 40°C. The method was developed by systematic evaluation of the influence of the buffer concentration, column temperature and the mobile phase pH. The method proposed uses isocratic elution with potassium phosphate buffer (pH 6.0; 0.05 M) for 10 min, followed by linear gradient to potassium phosphate buffer (pH 6.0; 0.05 M)-methanol (40:60, v/v) in 5 min, isocratic elution at the same composition for a further 15 min and then linear gradient back to potassium phosphate buffer (pH 6.0; 0.05 M) in 5 min. The flow-rate was 1 ml/min and UV detection was at 254 nm. The method was validated and it has been used for routine analysis of tablets containing isoniazid, pyrazinamide and rifampicin. Analysis time is 35 minutes. (E & C Afr Jnl Pharm Sci: 2002 5(1): 8-14

Distance learning approach to train health sciences students at the University of Nairobi

Background: The University of Nairobi (UoN) College of Health Sciences (CHS) established Partnership for Innovative Medical Education in Kenya (PRIME-K) programmeme to enhance health outcomes in Kenya through extending the reach ofmedical training outside Nairobi to help health sciences students enhance their handson skills. The institution partnered with 18 hospitals in rural and urban centers as the UoN teaching hospitals referred to as decentralised training sites and appointed medical staff from these sites as adjunct faculty of the University of Nairobi to train health sciences students on hands-on skills. Webcasts  presentations were conducted by undergraduate students from all the schools at the College of Health Sciences during their elective term and clinical rotations at the decentralised training sites to present on the ground health issues.Objective: To describe how the University of Nairobi (UoN) used the distance  learning platform from the Medical Education Partnership Initiative (MEPI) grant to outspread medical education to the underserved communities located in rural and urban surroundings across the country.Design: A cross-sectional studySetting: The University of Nairobi College of Health SciencesSubjects: Health Sciences students of the College of Health Sciences, University of Nairobi and Hospital staff in 18 hospitals in rural and urban centersResults: A total of 670 health sciences students participated in the decentralised learning, a total of 549 health sciences  students participated in webcast presentations over a period of four years from 2012 to 2015, and a total of 48 medical  consultants and specialists from the decentralised training sites were appointed as Adjunct Faculty of the College of Health Sciences – University of Nairobi.Conclusion: Webcast presentations provided information on priority health conditions afflicting the communities at the  decentralised sites which would not be the case in the institution’s teaching hospital. Adjunct faculty at the decentralised training sites provided a platform enabling students to enhance their practical skills in line of  health profession and offered mentorship on coping in rural settings where there is scarcity of medical equipment and disposable materials in the health facilities and lack of constant electric power supply and clean water among other

Estrogenic and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of a Steroidal Indoxyl

The estrogenic and anti-inflammatory activities of 3-methoxy-16, 17-seco-16-norestra-1,3,5-trien-15-(2'-indoxyliden)-17-oic acid is reported. After intraperitoneal administration, the dose of this compound required to reduce swelling of the rat paw by 50% (ED50) was 14.1 mg/kg using the carrageenan-induced rat paw oedema anti-inflammatory assay method. Indomethacin had an ED50 of 3.2 mg/kg in this assay while dexamethasone had an ED50 of 1.7 mg/kg. The estrogenic activity of the compound after intramuscular administration in rats was 0.72 relative to diethylstilbestrol, when the two compounds were assayed at three dose levels of 1.0, 0.3 and 0.1 mg/kg. Key Words: Steroidal indoxyl, synthesis, estrogenic, anti-inflammatory East and Central African Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences Vol.5(3) 2002: 44-4

Quantification of three macrolide antibiotics in pharmaceutical lots by HPLC: Development, validation and application to a simultaneous separation

A new validated high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method with rapid analysis time and high efficiency, for the analysis of erythromycin, azithromycin and spiramycin, under isocratic conditions with ODB RP18 as a stationary phase is described. Using an eluent composed of acetonitrile –2-methyl-2-propanol –hydrogenphosphate buffer, pH 6.5, with 1.5% triethylamine (33:7: up to 100, v/v/v), delivered at a flow-rate of 1.0 mL min-1. Ultra Violet (UV) detection is performed at 210 nm. The selectivity is satisfactory enough and no problematic interfering peaks are observed. The procedure is quantitatively characterized and repeatability, linearity, detection and quantification limits are very satisfactory. The method is applied successfully for the assay of the studied drugs in pharmaceutical dosage forms as tablets and powder for oral suspension. Recovery experiments revealed recovery of 97.13–100.28%

A synthesis of past, current and future research for protection and management of papyrus (Cyperus papyrus L.) wetlands in Africa

Papyrus wetlands (dominated by the giant sedge Cyperus papyrus L.) occur throughout eastern, central and southern Africa and are important for biodiversity, for water quality and quantity regulation and for the livelihoods of millions of people. To draw attention to the importance of papyrus wetlands, a special session entitled ‘‘The ecology of livelihoods in papyrus wetlands’’ was organized at the 9th INTECOL Wetlands Conference in Orlando, Florida in June 2012. Papers from the session, combined with additional contributions, were collected in a special issue of Wetlands Ecology and Management. The current paper reviews ecological and hydrological characteristics of papyrus wetlands, summarizes their ecosystem services and sustainable use, provides an overview of papyrus research to date, and looks at policy development for papyrus wetlands. Based on this review, the paper provides a synthesis of research and policy priorities for papyrus wetlands and introduces the contributions in the special issue. Main conclusions are that (1) there is a need for better estimates of the area covered by papyrus wetlands. Limited evidence suggests that the loss of papyrus wetlands is rapid in some areas; (2) there is a need for a better understanding and modelling of the regulating services of papyrus wetlands to support trade-off analysis and improve economic valuation; (3) research on papyrus wetlands should include assessment of all ecosystem services (provisioning, regulating, habitat, cultural) so that trade-offs can be determined as the basis for sustainable management strategies (‘wise use’); (4) more research on the governance, institutional and socio-economic aspects of papyrus wetlands is needed to assist African governments in dealing with the challenges of conserving wetlands in the face of growing food security needs and climate change. The papers in the special issue address a number of these issues

Structure and performance of formal retail market for bamboo products in Kenya

This study focuses on the bamboo market segments in Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu with the aim of addressing uncertainties in market structure and lack of concrete information on market potentials of the products. A stratified random sample of 20 branches of major supermarkets was conducted. The study revealed that most bamboo products are imported, a scenario that results in high product prices and low demand; thus the need to encourage domestic production of products. Conditions of imperfect competition with oligopolistic tendencies characterize the formal retail market. It is necessary to strengthen competition through consumer awareness and information dissemination

Translactonization in erythromycins

When erythromycin A is heated in diethylamine-acetic acid, an erythromycin hemiketal is obtained, which can be further transformed into a new enol ether and spiroketal. The new enol ether is also obtained in equilibrium with the normal one on heating erythromycin A or B in pyridine-acetic acid. The novel compounds, which will be called pseudoerythromycin derivatives, are characterized by a translactonization between the C11-hydroxyl and the lactone group. Their structure was proved by mass and1H and13C NMR spectrometry, by acetylation experiments, and by degradation with lead tetraacetate. © 1987, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.status: publishe

Triterpenoids from the stem bark of Blighia unijugata bak. (sapindaceae)

Two pentacyclic triterpenoids were isolated, for the first time, from the stem bark of Blighia unijugata Bak. The structures of the two compounds were elucidated on the basis of their spectral data as friedelin and epifriedelinol.Keywords: triterpenoid, stem bark, Blighia unijugata, friedelin, epifriedelino