FORMULATION AND IN-VITRO-IN-VIVO EVALUATION OF ALGINATE-CHITOSAN MICROSPHERES OF GLIPIZIDE BY IONIC GELATION METHOD

Objective: The present work is aimed to formulate and evaluate alginate-chitosan microspheres of glipizide for the effective use in the treatment of diabetes.Methods: Sustained release microspheres were prepared by gentle mixing of polymers in water phase with drug by agitation. The polymers used for preparation were sodium alginate and chitosan, which was extruded into 5% calcium chloride solution to produce microspheres by ionic gelation method.Results: Single unit dosage form of Glipizide causes gastric irritation. To convert it in to the multiple unit dosage form will release the drug evenly throughout the stomach which suppresses the irritation. The aim of study towards formulation and evaluation of alginate-chitosan microspheres, which can provide sustained release of the model drug. It shows better in-vitro and in-vivo activity than conventional dosage forms. The work also aims to study various parameters affecting the behavior of microspheres in oral dosage form. Conclusion:  Drugs that are simply absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and having a short half life are eliminated rapidly from the blood flow. To avoid this trouble, the oral sustained release (SR) has been developed as these will release the drug slowly in to the GIT and maintain a stable drug concentration in the serum for a longer period of time

TOTAL FLAVONOID QUANTIFICATION AND TO STUDY ANTIBACTERIAL POTENCY OF EXTRACTS OF BUTEA MONOSPERMA FLOWERS, NIGELLA SATIVA SEEDS AND VITEX AGNUS CASTUS LEAVES

Objective: An attempt has been made to develop a method for quantitative estimation of flavonoids in the crude extract of Butea monosperma flowers, Nigella sativa seeds and Vitex agnus castus leaves. Antibacterial activity is attributed to various phytochemicals present in these plants.Methods: The amount of total flavonoids was analysed using aluminium chloride colorimetric assay using rutin as standard. Plants studied were subjected to hydromethanolic extraction by using soxhlet apparatus. Flavonoids in extracts were quantified by U. V at a wavelength of 415 nm Antibacterial activities of extracts were evaluated on various bacterias like E. coli, P. aeruginosa, S. aureus, S. pneumonie, P. acne. The in vitro antibacterial activities of these extracts were compared against standard drugs such as gentamycin, ampicillin, chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin.Results: Flavonoid content in the crude extract of Butea monosperma flowers, Nigella sativa seeds and Vitex agnus castus leaves was found to be 2.58 %w/w, 0.92% w/w and 1.6 % w/w respectively. The antibacterial study found that activity of Vitex extract against P. acne was better than the standard drugsConclusion: In the present study an attempt has been made to standardize the plant material in terms of its flavonoid content and the study indicated that this extract individually or in combination with other herbal drugs can be useful in treating diseases caused by the organisms mentioned above

EVALUATION OF STABILITY OF HERBAL ANTI-ACNE GEL FORMULATION

Objective: The present study was aimed to evaluate the physical and chemical stability of prepared gel formulations at various intervals for a period of one year.Methods: The amount of total flavonoids was analysed using aluminium chloride colorimetric assay using rutin as standard. Gels were dissolved in distilled water and then analysis was carried out and flavonoids quantified by U. V at a wavelength of 415 nm.Results: Flavanoid content were examined at various time intervals and rate of drug degradation was calculated graphically and by using arrhenius equation. The shelf life of the prepared gel F1, F2, F3, and F4 was found to be 291.76, 460, 184 and 148.39 d.Conclusion: In the present study an attempt has been made to evaluate the shelf life of herbal gel formulations and to generate scientific database for formulation and evaluation of herbal products

Formulation, in-vitro & in-vivo evaluation of Ethyl cellulose microspheres of Glipizide

Objective: The objective of the present study was to formulate sustained release glipizide loaded microspheres and evaluate the effect of various variables on their properties. Materials and Methods: The microspheres were prepared by non solvent addition coacervation method. Ethyl cellulose used as a polymer, petroleum ether (60-40º) for induced coacervation and n-hexane as non solvent for microspheres preperation. Results: Microspheres were characterized in term of percent yield, percent entrapment and release pattern of drug. The shape, color and particle size of microspheres were also evaluated. According the result of formulation, n-hexane used as non solvent resulted in enhances rigidization of coating and petroleum ether (60-40º) for induced coacervation. The maximum percent yield of GEN6 formulation was 75.7; particle size in the range of 50-450 µ, maximum entrapment was 89.8 ± 0.11% for GEN3 formulation. GEN1 formulation with low polymer ratio showed better in-vitro release between 95-100%.  Formulation GEN4 showed 40-50% reduction in plasma glucose level than conventional dosage forms when tested in-vivo. Conclussion: Result of the present study supported that the formulation showed sustenance release with the potential application of n-hexane for improving the physical properties as well as the release profile of this water insoluble drug

PHYTOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION AND ANTIOXIDANT ASSESSMENT OF HERBAL EXTRACTS

Aim: The present study was aimed to evaluate and compare the antioxidant potential of the methanolic extracts Plumbago zeylanica Linn (PZME), Datura stramonium (DSME) and Argemone mexicana Linn (AMME) with its polyherbal methanol extract (PHME) composition. Material and method: All the extracts were screened for the presence of various phytochemical by known and standard methods. Qualitative estimation of some potential phytoconstituents like flavonoids and polyphynolics was characterized by TLC (thin layer chromatography) and FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy). The quantification of the Rutin (flavonoid) and Gallic acid (polyphenol) were carried out using UV-visible spectrophotometry. The antioxidant activity of methanolic plant extracts and their combinations were assessed by DPPH (1, 1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazil) method. Ascorbic acid was used as a standard and the antioxidant potential were evaluated at 2, 4, 6 and 8 mg/ml concentration. Results: The phytochemical characterization of PZME, DSME and AMME revealed the presence of tannins, alkaloids, phenols and flavonoids.The polyherbal methanol extract (PHME) was found to exhibit potent antioxidant activity with maximum free radical scavenging activity (FRSA) of 82.79% as compared to standard ascorbic acid (92.92%) at a concentration of 8 mg/ml and was found to be significantly greater than individual methanol plant extracts. Conclusion: The study revealed a potent synergistic antioxidant effect of methanol extracts of Plumbago zeylanica Linn, Datura stramonium Linn and Argemone mexicana Linn which can be successfully used to mitigate oxidative stress associated complications and other regenerative therapies. Keywords: Plumbago zeylanica Linn, Datura stramonium Linn, Argemone mexicana Linn, Antioxidant, DPPH (1, 1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazil), FTIR, Rutin, Gallic acid

The decay Z -> neutrino antineutrino photon in the Standard Model

A complete study of the one-loop induced decay Z -> neutrino antineutrino photon is presented within the framework of the Standard Model. The advantages of using a nonlinear gauge are stressed. We have found that the main contributions come from the electric dipole and the magnetic dipole transitions of the Z gauge boson and the neutrino, respectively. We obtain a branching ratio B=7.16E-10, which is about four orders of magnitude smaller than the bound recentely obtained by the L3 collaboration and thus it leaves open a window to search for new physics effects in single-photon decays of the Z boson.Comment: REVTEX,15 pp, 5 eps figures, Approved for publication in Physical Review

Impact of COVID-19 on cardiovascular testing in the United States versus the rest of the world

Objectives: This study sought to quantify and compare the decline in volumes of cardiovascular procedures between the United States and non-US institutions during the early phase of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the care of many non-COVID-19 illnesses. Reductions in diagnostic cardiovascular testing around the world have led to concerns over the implications of reduced testing for cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality. Methods: Data were submitted to the INCAPS-COVID (International Atomic Energy Agency Non-Invasive Cardiology Protocols Study of COVID-19), a multinational registry comprising 909 institutions in 108 countries (including 155 facilities in 40 U.S. states), assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on volumes of diagnostic cardiovascular procedures. Data were obtained for April 2020 and compared with volumes of baseline procedures from March 2019. We compared laboratory characteristics, practices, and procedure volumes between U.S. and non-U.S. facilities and between U.S. geographic regions and identified factors associated with volume reduction in the United States. Results: Reductions in the volumes of procedures in the United States were similar to those in non-U.S. facilities (68% vs. 63%, respectively; p = 0.237), although U.S. facilities reported greater reductions in invasive coronary angiography (69% vs. 53%, respectively; p < 0.001). Significantly more U.S. facilities reported increased use of telehealth and patient screening measures than non-U.S. facilities, such as temperature checks, symptom screenings, and COVID-19 testing. Reductions in volumes of procedures differed between U.S. regions, with larger declines observed in the Northeast (76%) and Midwest (74%) than in the South (62%) and West (44%). Prevalence of COVID-19, staff redeployments, outpatient centers, and urban centers were associated with greater reductions in volume in U.S. facilities in a multivariable analysis. Conclusions: We observed marked reductions in U.S. cardiovascular testing in the early phase of the pandemic and significant variability between U.S. regions. The association between reductions of volumes and COVID-19 prevalence in the United States highlighted the need for proactive efforts to maintain access to cardiovascular testing in areas most affected by outbreaks of COVID-19 infection