EFFECT OF SELF- MOUNTING ON COCOON AND POST - COCOON PARAMETERS IN SILKWORM BOMBYX MORI. L.

In silkworm rearing, self-mounting is rational method of mounting to save labour and time. But in self-mounting, mounting rate is low. To improve the mounting rate various repellents viz. lime, sawdust, kaolin and management practices were tried. Lime and saw dust was found better because of maximum number of larvae climbed and formed the cocoons in the mountage (96.9% & 96.0%), minimum percentage of defective cocoons (5.15% & 5.57%) in lime and saw dust respectively. Further, there was no bad effect on cocoon and post cocoon parameters

The prevalence, pattern, and clinical correlate of Internet gambling disorder in a tertiary care hospital – A cross-sectional observational study

Background: Internet gambling disorder is the fastest-growing mode of gambling addiction. Materials and Methods: It is a cross-sectional study. A total of 31 cases were chosen as per the DSM 5. The Online Gambling Symptoms Assessment Scale (OGSAS) was used to assess the severity, and the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview was used for assessing the psychiatric morbidity. Personality profiles were assessed using the International Personality Disorder Examination (IPDE). Results: The prevalence rate of Internet gambling disorder was 0.16%. The majority were under 35 years of age, married, and unemployed. Sports, followed by cards, and the stock market, were the more common types of Internet gambling addiction. As per DSM 5, 25% had severe, 48% had moderate, and 25% had mild addiction. Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) (7), suicidality (5), and depression (3) were the common psychiatric morbidities found in these 31 cases. A fairly strong correlation was observed with Dissocial (0.9), Impulsive (0.8), Borderline (0.9), and Anxious (0.8) personalities with Internet Gambling Disorder. On Logistic Regression, there was a significant association between Internet Gambling Disorder and Psychiatric illness (OR 2.22, 95% CI 1.1591, 4.2867 P = 0.0091). Conclusion: Internet gambling disorder is very common and is being ignored in clinical practice. Internet gambling is significantly associated with psychiatric morbidity. Awareness strategies targeting all levels are very important

Prevalence of Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Coinfection in HIV Infected Individuals in South India and Characterization of HCV Genotypes

Purpose: To determine anti-HCV antibodies and genomic subtype of HCV in 1487 confirmed human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive samples. Methods: A total of 1487 confirmed HIV-positive samples were tested for anti-HCV antibodies by using a third generation ELISA kit (Ortho 3.0) and by RT PCR for HCV. HIV and HCV coinfected samples were selected for HCV genotyping by RFLP and subtyping with NS5-type specific primers. Results: A total of 1487 HIV-infected serum samples were screened for HCV infection, of which, a 1443 (97.04%) were negative and 45 (3.02%) were coinfected. HIV-HCV coinfection was predominant in the age group 41-50 years (51.1%). HCV genotyping and subtyping was done for the 45 HCV RNA-positive specimens of which genotype 1 was observed in 31 (68.8%) and genotype 3 was observed in 14 (31.1%) subjects. Further subtyping analysis showed the genotype 1b in 23 (51.1%), 1a in eight (17.7%), 3a in 10 (22.2%) and 3b in four (8.8%) subjects. Conclusion: HIV and HCV seroprevalence is higher in South India, and the most prevalent genotype in coinfection was genotype 1b

Genotype analysis and assessment of antigenic sensitivity for recombinant HCV proteins by indigenous SIBA for detection of Hepatitis C Virus infection: A comparison with 3rd EIA and RT-PCR

33-39The first serological testing for the detection of anti-HCV antibodies using recombinant antigens was introduced in 1991. Since then many developments have taken place and at present third generation ELISA kits are being used most widely and globally. Detection of anti-HCV does not distinguish past from present infections and in diagnostic virology particularly ELISA’s, a positive HCV test result may be non-specific and therefore has to be crosschecked by another test of different principle for which Immunoblots were initially developed. Patients with liver disease attending the inpatient and outpatient wards of the CLRD (Center for Liver Research and Diagnostics) between Aug 2004 and Feb 2007 were screened for HCV by using 3rd generation ELISA, HCV blot, and RT-PCR. Genotyping was done for all the positive samples. Out of 531 samples tested, 211 samples showed identical results as reactive by ELISA, HCV blot and RT-PCR. Out of the 214 genotype samples, genotype 1a was found to be prevalent by 52.33% (n=112), followed by others. RNA based detection by RT-PCR remains the reliable method of HCV diagnosis, however, where there are no facilities for the PCR to be performed particularly in the small to medium laboratory and diagnostic centers, HCV blot could be done as a supplemental assay

Development of Duloxetine Hydrochloride Tablets for Delayed and Complete Release Using Eudragit L 100

The purpose of the research was to optimize the preparation of duloxetine hydrochloride (duloxetine HCl) delayed release tablets. Duloxetine HCl produces a toxic substance called alpha-naphthol when duloxetine HCl is in contact with gastric fluid. Thus, duloxetine HCl when given orally needed a protective enteric coating that disable the delivery of duloxetine HCl in gastric fluid while enabling the drug delivery only in small intestine. Four different core tablets were prepared by direct compression technique, and the one which displayed quick disintegration and dissolution was chosen for enteric coating. The compressed tablets were enteric coated by dip coating technique. Since subcoating is required to safeguard the enteric coating, the core tablets were subcoated by using polymer HPMC K15M and then enteric coated with Eudragit L 100. The prepared tablets were assessed for the entire precompression and postcompression characteristics. FTIR study revealed the existence of all prominent peaks signifying its compatibility and authenticity. The in vitro studies showed that enteric-coated tablets were capable of restricting release in acidic media. The formulation F8 was optimised with 5% and 15% increase in weight of seal coat and enteric coat with good dissolution profile. Stability studies revealed that the optimized formulation was intact without any deterioration for 3 months. In conclusion, the optimized formulation could resist the drug release in acidic environment of gastrointestinal region and release the drug at a time once the tablet reaches the intestine

Development of stealth liposomal formulation of celecoxib: In vitro and in vivo evaluation.

Celecoxib (CLB) is a highly hydrophobic selective cyclo-oxygenase inhibitor with high plasma protein binding and undergoes extensive hepatic metabolism. CLB is highly effective in the treatment of osteo and rheumatoid arthritis as first line therapy but produces severe gastro-intestinal toxicities and cardiovascular side effects. In this research, stealth liposomes of CLB were developed with the intention to reduce the side effects and increase the accumulation of drug in the sites of inflammation. Stealth liposomes were prepared by thin film hydration technique using distearoylphosphatidylcholine and PE-PEG 2000 with variable amounts of cholesterol and characterized. The effects of various lipids such as hydrogenated soy phosphatidylcholine, dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine, distearoylphosphatidylcholine and cholesterol content on % drug encapsulation was investigated. The optimized stealth liposomes were characterized by FT-IR and DSC for possible drug excipients interaction. Pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and biodistribution studies were carried out for the stealth liposomes. The results revealed that the stealth liposomes reduced the inflammation to the larger magnitude and have also sustained the magnitude when compared to free drug along with maximum analgesic response. Higher elimination half-life, AUC, MRT and lowered clearance rate denotes the extended bioavailability of the drug in blood. Biodistribution studies revealed that stealth liposomes extend the circulation time of liposomes in blood by decreasing opsonisation and be less concentrated in kidney, thereby reducing the toxicities to RES and renal organs and facilitate the drug accumulation in the area of inflammation. Our results indicated that CLB, without the requirement of modifications to enhance solubilisation, can be encapsulated and released from liposomal formulations. This new-fangled drug delivery approach may be used to circumvent the low bioavailability and toxic side effects of oral CLB formulations

Smart Nanocarriers as an Emerging Platform for Cancer Therapy: A Review

Cancer is a group of disorders characterized by uncontrolled cell growth that affects around 11 million people each year globally. Nanocarrier-based systems are extensively used in cancer imaging, diagnostics as well as therapeutics; owing to their promising features and potential to augment therapeutic efficacy. The focal point of research remains to develop new-fangled smart nanocarriers that can selectively respond to cancer-specific conditions and deliver medications to target cells efficiently. Nanocarriers deliver loaded therapeutic cargos to the tumour site either in a passive or active mode, with the least drug elimination from the drug delivery systems. This review chiefly focuses on current advances allied to smart nanocarriers such as dendrimers, liposomes, mesoporous silica nanoparticles, quantum dots, micelles, superparamagnetic iron-oxide nanoparticles, gold nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes, to list a few. Exhaustive discussion on crucial topics like drug targeting, surface decorated smart-nanocarriers and stimuli-responsive cancer nanotherapeutics responding to temperature, enzyme, pH and redox stimuli have been covered

Development and Characterization of Oral Raft Forming In Situ Gelling System of Neratinib Anticancer Drug Using 32 Factorial Design

Neratinib (NTB) is an irreversible inhibitor of pan-human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER-2) tyrosine kinase and is used in the treatment of breast cancer. It is a poorly aqueous soluble drug and exhibits extremely low oral bioavailability at higher pH, leading to a diminishing of the therapeutic effects in the GIT. The main objective of the research was to formulate an oral raft-forming in situ gelling system of NTB to improve gastric retention and drug release in a controlled manner and remain floating in the stomach for a prolonged time. In this study, NTB solubility was enhanced by polyethylene glycol (PEG)-based solid dispersions (SDs), and an in situ gelling system was developed and optimized by a two-factor at three-level (32) factorial design. It was analyzed to study the impact of two independent variables viz sodium alginate [A] and HPMC K4M [B] on the responses, such as floating lag time, percentage (%) water uptake at 2 h, and % drug release at 6 h and 12 h. Among various SDs prepared using PEG 6000, formulation 1:3 showed the highest drug solubility. FT-IR spectra revealed no interactions between the drug and the polymer. The percentage of drug content in NTB SDs ranged from 96.22 ± 1.67% to 97.70 ± 1.89%. The developed in situ gel formulations exhibited a pH value of approximately 7. An in vitro gelation study of the in situ gel formulation showed immediate gelation and was retained for a longer period. From the obtained results of 32 factorial designs, it was observed that all the selected factors had a significant effect on the chosen response, supporting the precision of design employed for optimization. Thus, the developed oral raft-forming in situ gelling system of NTB can be a promising and alternate approach to enhance retention in the stomach and to attain sustained release of drug by floating, thereby augmenting the therapeutic efficacy of NTB

Newfangled Topical Film-Forming Solution for Facilitated Antifungal Therapy: Design, Development, Characterization, and In Vitro Evaluation

Luliconazole is a broad-spectrum topical antifungal agent that acts by altering the synthesis of fungi cell membranes. Literature suggests that the recurrence of fungal infection can be avoided by altering the pH of the site of infection. Studies have also suggested that fungi thrive by altering skin pH to be slightly acidic, i.e., pH 3–5. The current study is aimed to design, develop, characterize, and evaluate an alkaline pH-based antifungal spray solution for antifungal effects. Luliconazole was used as an antifungal agent and an alkaline spray was formulated for topical application by using Eudragit RS 100, propylene glycol (PG), water, sodium bicarbonate, and ethanol via solubilization method. Herein, sodium bicarbonate was used as an alkalizing agent. Based on DSC, FTIR, PXRD, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and rheological analysis outcomes, the drug (luliconazole) and polymer were found to be compatible. F-14 formulation containing 22% Eudragit RS 100 (ERS), 1.5% PG, and 0.25% sodium bicarbonate was optimized by adopting the quality by design approach by using design of experiment software. The viscosity, pH, drying time, volume of solution post spraying, and spray angle were, 14.99 ± 0.21 cp, 8 pH, 60 s, 0.25 mL ± 0.05 mL, and 80 ± 2, respectively. In vitro drug diffusion studies and in vitro antifungal trials against Candida albicans revealed 98.0 ± 0.2% drug diffusion with a zone of inhibition of 9 ± 0.12 mm. The findings of the optimized luliconazole topical film-forming solution were satisfactory, it was compatible with human skin, and depicted sustained drug release that suggests promising applicability in facilitated topical antifungal treatments

Development and Evaluation of Solid Lipid Nanoparticles for the Clearance of Aβ in Alzheimer’s Disease

Aggregation of Amyloid-β (Aβ) leads to the formation and deposition of neurofibrillary tangles and plaques which is the main pathological hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The bioavailability of the drugs and their capability to cross the BBB plays a crucial role in the therapeutics of AD. The present study evaluates the Memantine Hydrochloride (MeHCl) and Tramiprosate (TMPS) loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) for the clearance of Aβ on SHSY5Y cells in rat hippocampus. Molecular docking and in vitro Aβ fibrillation were used to ensure the binding of drugs to Aβ. The in vitro cell viability study showed that the M + T SLNs showed enhanced neuroprotection against SHSY5Y cells than the pure drugs (M + T PD) in presence of Aβ (80.35µM ± 0.455 µM) at a 3:1 molar ratio. The Box–Behnken Design (BBD) was employed to optimize the SLNs and the optimized M + T SLNs were further characterized by %drug entrapment efficiency (99.24 ± 3.24 of MeHCl and 89.99 ± 0.95 of TMPS), particle size (159.9 ± 0.569 nm), PDI (0.149 ± 0.08), Zeta potential (−6.4 ± 0.948 mV), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and in vitro drug release. The TEM & AFM analysis showed irregularly spherical morphology. In vitro release of SLNs was noted up to 48 h; whereas the pure drugs released completely within 3 hrs. M + T SLNs revealed an improved pharmacokinetic profile and a 4-fold increase in drug concentration in the brain when compared to the pure drug. Behavioral tests showed enhanced spatial memory and histological studies confirmed reduced Aβ plaques in rat hippocampus. Furthermore, the levels of Aβ decreased in AlCl3-induced AD. Thus, all these noted results established that the M + T SLNs provide enhanced neuroprotective effects when compared to pure and individual drugs and can be a promising therapeutic strategy for the management of AD