Design and Evaluation of an Oral Floating Matrix Tablet of Salbutamol Sulphate

Purpose: To develop floating matrix tablets of salbutamol sulphate using ethyl cellulose and acrycoat S-100 as polymers, and sodium bicarbonate, citric acid and tartaric acid as gas generating agents. Methods: Twenty four formulations were prepared and segregated into four major categories, A to D. The floating tablets were prepared by wet granulation technique, and the granules were compressed at a pressure of 50 kg/cm2. The tablets contained drug, ethyl cellulose and Acrycoat S-100 (as releaseretarding polymers), sodium bicarbonate, citric acid and tartaric acid (as gas formers) as well as various additives. The tablets were made by wet granulation technique. The formulations were evaluated for in vitro buoyancy, dissolution and in vitro drug release. Results: All the formulations fulfilled the essential requirements for good floating systems. Formulation F8, containing citric acid and sodium bicarbonate, showed lower lag time and longer floating duration than the formulations containing only sodium bicarbonate. Formulation F8.2 (which contained citric and tartaric acid at a ratio of 1:1) showed longer floating duration (9 h) than F8. As the concentration of sodium bicarbonate increased in formulation F8.2, drug release decreased while floating duration increased.Conclusion: Of all the 24 formulations, the one containing tartaric acid and citric acid in ratio 1:3 and 12 mg sodium bicarbonate showed the highest floating duration and least lag time.Keywords: Salbutamol sulphate, Ethyl cellulose, Acrycoat S-100, Sodium bicarbonate, Citric acid, Tartaric aci

Repurposing existing drugs for the treatment of COVID-19

The rapid global spread and significant mortality associated with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV-2 viral infection has spurred an urgent race to find effective treatments. Repurposing existing drugs is a particularly attractive approach as pharmacokinetic and safety data already exist, thus development can leapfrog straight to clinical trials of efficacy, generating results far more quickly than de novo drug development. This review summarizes the state of play for the principle drugs identified as candidates to be repurposed for treating COVID-19 grouped by broad mechanism of action: antiviral, immune enhancing, and anti-inflammatory or immunomodulatory. Patient selection, particularly with regard to disease stage, is likely to be key. To date only dexamethasone and remedesivir have been shown to be effective, but several other promising candidates are in trials

IS BACTERIOLOGY A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN UNSALVAGEABLE NATURE OF DIABETIC FOOT INFECTIONS?–A STUDY IN A DISTRICT HOSPITAL IN MALAYSIA

Objective: The objective is to study bacterial pathogens isolated in diabetic foot infection (DFI) and their sensitivity pattern to antibiotics commonly used in the management of DFI in the salvageable and unsalvageable groups of patients in a district hospital.Methods: 122 patients with diabetic limb infections treated at the Orthopedic Department of Hospital Sultan Abdul Halim, Sungai Petani, Kedah State in Malaysia. Clinically, limb infections were classified as salvageable and unsalvageable infections. Salvageable-mild, superficial/deep, localized ulcer with no systemic derangements necessitating conservative treatment or surgical procedures with minor amputations of limb (toe/ray amputation). Unsalvageable-deep seated extensive or spreading ulcers threatening the integrity of limb with or without toxic symptoms or metabolic derangement and could result in major limb amputation. A standard questionnaire was used to collect demographic, clinical and microbiological details of patients in both groups. Co-morbid illnesses, type/severity of limb infection during presentation and results of routine blood investigations were recorded. Details of nature of each specimen, species of isolate pathogen and sensitivity pattern to antibiotic of each clinical isolates were recorded.Results: 62 and 60 patients respectively belonged to the salvageable and unsalvageable groups. Only 11.66% presented with evidence of toxemia in the unsalvageable group. ESBL was the commonest nosocomial organisms. Percentage of organism sensitivity was most to vancomycin, ceftazidime, and gentamicin.Conclusion: All severe infections do not present with toxemia in diabetic patients. Gram-negative organisms were predominant in both groups although Staphylococcal organisms were the single largest group in the unsalvageable group. 3rd generation antibiotics are more useful in its control.Â

NANOEMULSIFICATION - A NOVEL TARGETED DRUG DELIVERY TOOL

Nanoemulsion has been identified as a promising delivery system for various drugs including biopharmaceuticals. Nanoemulsion is a heterogeneous system composed of fine oil in water or water in oil dispersion with surfactant and co-surfactant having droplets covering the size range of 20-600 nm and show narrow size distribution. High energy emulsification method achieved using high shear stirring, high pressure homogenizer, Jet dispersers, Micro fluidizer, Ultrasound generators or Ultrasonication. Different oil in water (o/w) or water in oil (w/o) nanoemulsions was prepared by aqueous phase titration method. Nanoemulsion were characterized by thermodynamic stability tests for phase separation, creaming, cracking, coalescence or phase inversion and prepared nanoemulsion formulations were characterized in term of morphology ,droplets size, viscosity, pH, optical clarity, zeta potential, conductivity, transmission electron microscopy, polydispersity. Pharmaceutical application of nanoemulsion formulation was controlled drug delivery, target drug delivery, nutraceuticals, food products, transdermal and colloidal drug delivery. The preparation, characteristics, evaluation and application of nanoemulsion are reviewed and summarized.Keywords: High energy emulsification, Jet dispersers, Microfluidizer, Nanoemulsion, Ultrasonication, Targeted drug delivery, Nanotechnology

Correlation Between Instrumental Hand Function and Activities of Daily Living in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Objective: To find the correlation of instrumental handfunction (grip strength, muscle power and range ofmotion) and Activities of Daily Living (ADL) inrheumatoid arthritis patients.Methods: 50 patients of either sex were included in thestudy. Objective evaluation of hand function was doneusing Hand dynamometer and Electrogoniometer(Tracker system-version 4®). The patients were assessedfor their functional limitations using Indian version ofHAQ-DI. Spearman rank collision was performed to findout the association among the variables.Results: It was found that most of the disease specificparameters like morning stiffness, number of inflamedjoints, duration of the disease and deformities had a strongcorrelation with the instrumental hand function. Deficitsin grip strength, tip pinch, palmar pinch, and range ofmotion of hand strongly correlated to difficulty in activitiesof daily living in patient with RA. Instrumental handfunctions (grip strength, pinch strength and range of motionof joints) were significantly impaired in patient with RAand they had good correlation with Indian HealthAssessment Questionnaire Disability Index (IHAQ-DI).Conclusion: Instrumental hand function assessmentalong with IHAQ-DI is an effective tool in evaluationand modulation of therapeutic interventions in patientswith rheumatoid arthritis. The instrumental hand functionassessment can also predict the deficits in ADL

Relative performance of wheat genotypes under individual and combined water deficit and salinity stress

49-58Ascertaining the genetic variability and its relationships among valuable genetic resources is important for crop improvement programme. Here, we assessed the response of eleven wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes using cluster and principal component analysis (PCA) based on morphophysiological data and yield under nine different environments. Wheat genotype WH 1080 maintained higher photosynthetic efficiency under individual stress of 50% water deficit (drought) and 100 mM NaCl (salt), whereas under interactive stresses KRL 370 and KRL 283 were found to be the best genotypes. The highest value of Na+/K+ ratio in shoots was recorded for WH 1080 (1.167) and lowest in KRL 283 (0.612) under combined stresses. Proline accumulation was maximum in KRL 330 (3.17 mg g-1 FW) and minimum in KRL 283 (2.8 mg g-1 FW). Significantly higher reduction (73.4%) was observed in HD 2009 for grain weight/plant at 100 mM NaCl + 50% WD stress treatment whereas minimum reduction of 39.18% was recorded in KRL 370 in comparison to the control treatment. The PCA showed that the first three components comprising about 91% of the total variation for which the variables were analyzed. AMMI model revealed KRL 210 to be stable genotype as being close to center on biplot. E5 environment (100 mM NaCl) was most stable followed by E9 (50% WD + 100 mM NaCl). HD 2888, C-306, HD 2851 and HD 2009 were having positive interaction with E1 (Control) whereas WH 1080 had positive interaction with water deficit environments i.e. E2 and E3 (25 and 50% WD) while KRL 433 had highest positive interaction with combined water deficit and salt stress environments E6, E7, E8 and E9, followed by KRL 370. Similarly, KRL 283, KRL 330, KRL 210 and Kharchia 65 had high positive interaction with saline environments E4 and E5. Findings of the experiment would be beneficial to wheat breeders, specifically the location-specific promising genotypes could possibly be used to develop/breed MAGIC populations to tag genes/alleles conferring drought and salinity tolerance

Gluteal compartment syndrome: a case report

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Mass screening of Trichoderma spp. for their antagonism against some plant pathogenic oomycetes fungi

In vitro efficacy of twenty five Trichoderma isolates (twenty were TCMS series viz., TCMS 2, 4, 5, 12, 14a, 14b, 15, 16, 24, 32, 34, 36, 43, 60, 62, 64, 65, 72, 85 and 93, and five Th series; Th 1, 3, 14, 19 and 32) were ascertained for their antagonistic activity against few major plant pathogenic oomycetes namely, Phytophthora infestans, P. parasitica and Pythium aphenidermatum using dual culture technique. P. infestans was isolated from infected potato leaves and Pythium aphenidermatum from infected brinjal. P. parasitica culture was collected from Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI), Simla. The present study was conducted at Biological Control Laboratory, Department of Plant Pathology, G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar. All the 25 Trichodrma isolates were found significantly effective against the test pathogens. TCMS-36 and TCMS-72 were found highly effective against P. aphinidermatum with 59.57 per cent inhibition of radial growth of the fungus. Maximum reduction in mycelial growth of P. infestans was recorded with isolate TCMS-64 (60.40%) followed by TCMS-65 (59.41%), TCMS-34 (58.42%), TCMS-24, TCMS-43 and TCMS-93 with 57.43 per cent inhibition. While, maximum inhibition of P. parasitica was recorded with TCMS-4 (92.75%) followed by TCMS-36 (92.23%), TCMS-2 (91.71%), TCMS-14a (91.17%) and TCMS-32 (90.67%). The selected potential isolates may be applied to sustainable and eco-friendly management of many major crop diseases caused by the oomycetes and other fungi

F-Theory and the Mordell-Weil Group of Elliptically-Fibered Calabi-Yau Threefolds

The Mordell-Weil group of an elliptically fibered Calabi-Yau threefold X contains information about the abelian sector of the six-dimensional theory obtained by compactifying F-theory on X. After examining features of the abelian anomaly coefficient matrix and U(1) charge quantization conditions of general F-theory vacua, we study Calabi-Yau threefolds with Mordell-Weil rank-one as a first step towards understanding the features of the Mordell-Weil group of threefolds in more detail. In particular, we generate an interesting class of F-theory models with U(1) gauge symmetry that have matter with both charges 1 and 2. The anomaly equations --- which relate the Neron-Tate height of a section to intersection numbers between the section and fibral rational curves of the manifold --- serve as an important tool in our analysis.Comment: 29 pages + appendices, 5 figures; v2: minor correction