Formulation and Evaluation of Floating Matrix Tablets of Drotaverine Hydrochloride

Drotaverine Hydrochloride is effectively used in the treatment of management of spasticity, indicated in muscle pain as muscle relaxant. Drotaverine Hydrochloride approximately 95% bounds to plasma proteins and is metabolized by liver. In the present investigation, efforts were put to develop a sustained release floating matrix tablets of Drotaverine Hydrochloride. Gastro retentative dosage form will also greatly improve the pharmacotherapy of the stomach itself through local drug release leading to high drug concentrations at the gastric mucosa, which are sustained over a long period of time. Floating matrix tablets were prepared by direct compression method using sodium bicarbonate and citric acid as gas forming agents. HPMC K100M and Ethyl cellulose were used in the formula to retard drug release. Floating matrix tablets were evaluated for different quality attributes. In vitro drug release showed that polymer percentage is enough to extend the release of the drug for at least 12 hr. The dissolution curve shows that formulation FT-6 shows maximum drug release 79.37% at the end of 12 hours while FT-7 shows least 46.33 %

The Current Trends in Microspheres: A Review

The idea of targeted drug delivery is to concentrate the treatment in the target tissues while lowering the relative concentration of the drug in the non-target tissues. As a result, the medication is concentrated at the desired location. As a result, the medication has no effect on the tissues nearby. Therefore, by combining the drug with a carrier particle like microspheres, nanoparticles, liposomes, niosomes, etc. that regulates the release and absorption characteristics of the drug, carrier technology offers an intelligent way for drug delivery. Microspheres are naturally biodegradable powders made of proteins or synthetic polymers that flow freely and preferably have a particle size of less than 200 m. If improved, it is the trustworthy method for maintaining the desired concentration at the site of interest without unfavourable effects and reliably delivering the drug to the target site with specificity. Microspheres attracted a lot of interest for their sustained release as well as their ability to direct anti-cancer medications to the tumour. Microspheres will play a key role in novel drug delivery in the future by fusing together a variety of other strategies, especially in diseased cell sorting, diagnostics, gene & genetic materials, safe, targeted, and efficient in vivo delivery, and supplements as miniature representations of diseased organs and tissues in the body. Keywords: Microspheres, controlled release, Types of microspheres, Methods of preparation, characterisation of microspheres, applications

Unusual case of hypomagnesaemia induced seizures

Alterations in electrolyte homeostasis associated with major surgery and critical illness are common but usually non-specific. We report an unusual case of hypomagnesaemia induced seizures in a 73-year-old woman who was recovering from ileal resection and limited right hemicolectomy for small bowel volvulus. Hypomagnesaemia as a de novo cause of seizures is rarely reported

In Vitro Study of Interactions of Carboxamide Derivatives of Amino Acid with BSA: Ultrasonic Interferometer

In this paper we account the interaction of the Carboxamide derivatives of amino acid viz 2-{[2-(cyclohexycarbamoyl) benzoyl] amino} propanoic acid (2CMPA), 2-Benzamido acetic acid 2-cyclohexyl carboxamide (2BA2C), 2-{[2-(cyclohexylcarbamoyl) benzoyl] amino}-3-methylbutanoic acid (2CA3MBA), 2-benzamido-4-methylpentanoic acid-2-cyclohexyl carboxamide (2-BMCA) and  2-{[2-(cyclohexycarbamoyl) benzoyl] amino}-4-(methylsulfanyl) butanoic acid (2CA4MBA) with protein Bovine serum albumin (BSA) using ultrasonic interferometer technique. Ultrasonic velocity for complex solution of different compounds of carboxamide derivatives of amino acid with BSA has been measured at their different composition using ultrasonic interferometer. Difference in the ultrasonic velocity at different compositions of complex is measure of binding of the compounds with BSA. Binding effect at various pH viz. 3, 4 and 5 shows that compounds bound to the BSA more significantly at acidic pH and association constant decreases with increase in pH value. Scatchard analysis gives the values of association constants (Kf) for all the compounds at pH 3, 4 and 5 respectively. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17807/orbital.v10i5.1161  </p

Cryogenic treatment: Processing segment to tailor the interface and improve mechanical performance of impact modified PET/PBT blends

Cryogenic treatment of polymers is a well-known area of research these days. Many reports confirm the fact that, similar to metals, polymeric materials also undergo some structural changes that ultimately enhance mechanical properties like wear performance, tensile strength, impact strength, elongation, hardness, etc. The cryogenic treatment has proven an advantage for improving the properties of both virgin polymers and polymer micro- and nanocomposites. The present study, the first of its kind, reports the effect of cryogenic treatment on polymeric blends. An attempt is made to explore the effect of the treatment parameters, like temperature and time, on the impact modified and unmodified PET/PBT blends. Similar to the polymers and composites, the blend systems studied here reflect significant improvement by ∼50% in wear performance, ∼16–19% in tensile strength, and ∼9% in impact strength after cryogenic treatment. Thus, after extensive analysis of the material properties, structure, and thermal behavior, cryogenic treatment of PET/PBT blends, both impact-modified and unmodified, is advocated as an effective tool for tailoring the interface and improving performance

Studies on the Effect of Nitrate Esters on the Properties of Advanced Energetic Propellants

Propulsion designers all over the world are exploring the possibility of achieving higher performance by enhancing the energy of solid propellants. This can be achieved by replacing non-energetic ingredients with energetic ones or by replacing low density ingredients, particularly binders, with higher density ones, without affecting the processibility and ageing characteristics. The same has been attempted by using nitroglycerine (NG) and butanetriol trinitrate (BTTN) as plasticizers in propellant compositions. In the present study, NG and BTTN have been used in different plasticizer to polymer ratios (Pl/Po) and various parameters of each composition have been theoretically predicted. Three propellant compositions plasticized with NG, BTTN and a 1:1 combination of NG and BTTN, have been processed and analyzed for targeted properties. From the theoretical data, it was observed that there is a negligible increase in density impulse beyond a Pl/Po ratio of 2, apart from the higher density and calorimetric values of the NG-plasticized propellant; these plasticizers have a significant effect on the ballistic and mechanical properties. Another observation was that the elongation of BTTN and NG/BTTN (1:1) plasticized propellants is significantly higher at a low crosshead rate than NG-plasticized propellant, implying that the two former propellants have higher strain capabilities at low temperatures and can be used for missiles having long term low temperature storage requirements. Thermal decomposition studies have been carried out by DSC, and for each composition 5 distinct peaks were observed

Molecular characterization and meta-analysis of gut microbial communities illustrate enrichment of prevotella and megasphaera in Indian subjects

The gut microbiome has varied impact on the wellbeing of humans. It is influenced by different factors such as age, dietary habits, socio-economic status, geographic location, and genetic makeup of individuals. For devising microbiome-based therapies, it is crucial to identify population specific features of the gut microbiome. Indian population is one of the most ethnically, culturally, and geographically diverse, but the gut microbiome features remain largely unknown. The present study describes gut microbial communities of healthy Indian subjects and compares it with the microbiota from other populations. Based on large differences in alpha diversity indices, abundance of 11 bacterial phyla and individual specific OTUs, we report inter-individual variations in gut microbial communities of these subjects. While the gut microbiome of Indians is different from that of Americans, it shared high similarity to individuals from the Indian subcontinent i.e., Bangladeshi. Distinctive feature of Indian gut microbiota is the predominance of genus Prevotella and Megasphaera. Further, when compared with other non-human primates, it appears that Indians share more OTUs with omnivorous mammals. Our metagenomic imputation indicates higher potential for glycan biosynthesis and xenobiotic metabolism in these subjects. Our study indicates urgent need of identification of population specific microbiome biomarkers of Indian subpopulations to have more holistic view of the Indian gut microbiome and its health implications