Comparative Adsorption of Spiramycin on Veegum®, Activated Charcoal and Garcinia kola Heckel (Guttiferea) Seed

Purpose: To investigate the adsorptive interaction of Garcinia kola with spiramycin, since the kola is widely chewed as a tonic and spiramycin attains high concentrations in saliva.Methods: Spiramycin solutions of different concentration were added to a fixed mass of Garcinia kola (200 mg), activated charcoal or Veegum®. Shaking was carried out at room temperature after which the dispersion was filtered and the filtrate assayed for residual drug concentration. The process was repeated under different equilibrium conditions of pH and ionic strength. The adsorption data obtained for the three adsorbents were analyzed using Langmuir and Freundlich’s plots.Results: At neutral pH, drug adsorprtion by Garcinia kola, activated charcoal and Veegum® were 67, 54 and 71 %, respectively; differences in adsorption was not significant (p = 0.09). However, the other two adsorbents exhibited adverse adsorption characteristics in terms of negative adsorption capacity (-5.78 mol.kg-1) and constant (-1141 mol-1L). For each of the adsorbents, pH and ionic strength affected the extent of adsorption, due to their effect on adsorbent surface charge. Correlation with Langmuir and Freundlich relationships were poor, the correlation coefficient for the latter being 0.97, 0.894 and 0.351 for Garcinia kola, Veegum® and activated charcoal, respectively.Conclusion: The study reveals that Garcinia kola significantly adsorbs spiramycin under alkaline conditions comparable to salivary pH, and therefore should not be taken concurrently with the drug in order to minimize reduction in drug levels.Keywords: Garcinia kola, Spiramycin, Adsorption, Antidote, Interaction, Langmuir plot, Freundlich’s plo

In vivo antimalarial activity of methanol leaf extract of Bombax buonopozense in mice infected with Plasmodium berghei

Bombax buonopozense is used in ethnomedical practice for the treatment of fever. The methanol leaf extract of this plant was evaluated for in vivo antiplasmodial activity against chloroquine sensitive plasmodium berghei in mice. The antiplasmodial effect during early and established infections was investigated. The extract (200-600 mg/kg, p.o) exhibited significant (P<0.05) antimalarial activity both in four-day early and in an established infection tests. The LD50 of the extract was established to be greater than 5000 mg/kg, p.o in mice. The result suggests that B. buonopozense leaf extract possesses significant (P< 0.05) antiplasmodial activity thus confirming its traditional use in malarial therapy.Keywords: Bombax buonopozense; Herbal medicine; Plasmodium berghei berghei; Mic

Studies on anti-ulcer, analgesic and antipyretic properties of the ethanolic leaf extract of Gongronema latifolium in rodents

The ethanol extract of Gongronema latifolium leaves were evaluated for anti-ulcer, analgesic and anti pyretic activities in rats and mice. Ethanol-induced gastric ulceration, acetic acid-induced writhing and formalin-induced nociception were used. Yeast-induced hyperpyrexia was used to investigate the antipyretic activity. The extract produced a significant ulcer protective activity in rats. The extract also decreased pain induced both by acetic acid in mice and early phase of formalin test in rats. A significant reduction in hyperpyrexia was also produced by the extract in rats. This present studyprovides a strong evidence of anti-ulcer, analgesic and antipyretic activities of G. latifolium

Mathematical Model for The Estimation Of Onchocerca Volvulus Worm Load/Burden in The Body of The Host

In this paper, we present a model for the estimation of onchocerca wormload/burden in the body of the host. Of vital importance to this work is theestimation of microfilaria load in a given host which has also been modeled,Mbah(2007). The age of the host, the transmission potential of the vector, the death rate of the larva and the inhibiting factors are all considered in themodel and solved. Analysis of the model is subsequently given.Keywords: , Hybrid points, Continuous LMM, stiffly stable

Evaluation of Some Starches as Disintegrants in Sodium Salicylate Tablet Formulations

The disintegrant properties of official maize and potato starches and locally produced cassava starch in sodium salicylate tablet formulations were studied. The disintegrants were added intragranularly in each batch. Concentration range of 5 % to 15 % w/w of each disintegrant was used. In vitro dissolution profile, uniformity of weight and content, disintegration time, friability and hardness tests were also evaluated. The mean disintegration times obtained at 5 % disintegrant concentrations were 32.33, 33.83, and 41.50 minutes for tablets formulated with maize, cassava and potato starches respectively. At 10 % w/w starch concentration, the mean disintegration times were 28.66, 34.67 and 32.33 minutes for maize, cassava and potato starches respectively, while at 15 % w/w, the results were 33.33, 46.67 and 42.67 minutes for maize, cassava and potato starches respectively. The T50 % obtained for all the batches of tablets produced indicates that all the disintegrants released up to 50 % of the active ingredient within 18 minutes for the range of concentrations investigated. The study showed that the starches tested performed relatively well as disintegrants in the order: maize > potato > cassava, with maize and potato being optimum at 10 % w/w while the locally produced cassava starch was optimum at 5 % w/w in the sodium salicylate tablet formulations.Keywords: disintegrant properties, maize starch, potato starch, cassava starch, sodium salicylate tabletsNigerian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, Vol. 8 No 1 pp. 203 - 217 (September 2010