APPLICATION OF MOLECULAR SALT FORMATION REACTIONS OF PICRIC ACID AND CITRIC ACID -ACETIC ANHYDRATE SYSTEM WITH CINITAPRIDE TARTRATE FOR ESTIMATION OF THE DRUG IN BULK AND PHARMACEUTICAL FORMULATIONS

Objective: The present investigation was aimed at developing and validating two novel highly sensitive, selective, accurate and simple spectrophotometric methods for the determination of Cinitapride tartrate (CNP) in bulk and its dosage forms Methods: Method A was based on molecular salt formation reaction of Cinitapride tartrate with Picric Acid to form a yellow coloured chromogen having absorption maxima of 410 nm*. Method B was based on the formation of an internal salt between Cinitapride tartrate and citric acid –acetic anhydrate system that was measured at 565 nm*. The factors affecting the reaction in both the methods were carefully studied and optimized. The kinetics of the reaction was investigated, and the reaction mechanism was postulated. Results: Under the optimized conditions, linear relationship with good correlation coefficient of was found between the absorbance and Cinitapride tartrate concentration in the range of 8-40 μg / mL and 4-20μg / mL for method A and B respectively. The precision of the method was satisfactory; the values of relative standard deviations did not exceed 1.4%. The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of Cinitapride tartrate in its bulk form and pharmaceutical formulations with good accuracy. Conclusion: The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of Cinitapride tartrate in its bulk form and pharmaceutical formulations with good accuracy. Hence, these methods can be used for the routine quality control of CNP in its dosage forms

ASSESSMENT OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF USAGE OF INHALERS AMONG HEALTH-CARE PROFESSIONAL STUDENT COMMUNITY

Objective: Incorrect usage of inhaler devices might have a significant influence on the clinical effectiveness of the drug delivered. This issue is poorly addressed; hence, the study was designed to investigate the knowledge and ability of the health-care professional student community to use inhaling devices. Methods: A questionnaire was constructed and piloted before carrying out the study. The health-care professional students were taken as the sample. The data obtained from the result of the survey were subjected to proper statistical analysis using SPSS software, and a statistical significance level of 0.05 was considered. Results: Analysis of the data obtained from the study reveals that a significant difference was observed between the proper usage of the inhaling device and how the health-care professional student community executed the steps in its use. Their knowledge of cleaning pressurized metered-dose inhalers, storage, and the use of pictograms in patient counseling were also not well established. Conclusion: Inefficient usage of inhalers may lead to insufficient drug delivery and hence to insufficient lung deposition. Regular reinforcement and assessment of correct inhalation technique for health professionals and caregivers are an essential component of successful asthma management. Therefore, appropriate and continuous educational programs enhancing health professionals’ ability and knowledge of using inhaled devices are highly recommended for giving of proper inhalation technique, thus ensuring more successful drug delivery

Carotenoids: Role in Neurodegenerative Diseases Remediation

Numerous factors can contribute to the development of neurodegenerative disorders (NDs), such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Huntington’s disease, and multiple sclerosis. Oxidative stress (OS), a fairly common ND symptom, can be caused by more reactive oxygen species being made. In addition, the pathological state of NDs, which includes a high number of protein aggregates, could make chronic inflammation worse by activating microglia. Carotenoids, often known as “CTs”, are pigments that exist naturally and play a vital role in the prevention of several brain illnesses. CTs are organic pigments with major significance in ND prevention. More than 600 CTs have been discovered in nature, and they may be found in a wide variety of creatures. Different forms of CTs are responsible for the red, yellow, and orange pigments seen in many animals and plants. Because of their unique structure, CTs exhibit a wide range of bioactive effects, such as anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. The preventive effects of CTs have led researchers to find a strong correlation between CT levels in the body and the avoidance and treatment of several ailments, including NDs. To further understand the connection between OS, neuroinflammation, and NDs, a literature review has been compiled. In addition, we have focused on the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of CTs for the treatment and management of NDs

PREVALENCE AND CLINICAL CONSEQUENCES OF POLYPHARMACY ON MEDICATION PROFILE AMONG THE ELDERLY IN A TERTIARY CARE TEACHING HOSPITAL

Objective: A sharp increase in chronic diseases for elderly patients has been observed in recent years resulting in polypharmacy, which may lead to drug-drug interactions (DDI’s), drug-related problems, adverse drug reactions (ADR’s), and many more issues in these patients. The present study was conducted to assess the clinical consequences of polypharmacy and its prevalence in the older adult population. Methods: Our work is a prospective, observational study carried out in a tertiary care teaching hospital. The polypharmacy prescriptions were identified (taking at least five medications), and drug-drug interactions were detected by Micromedex® DrugReax® System 2.0 version. The medication profiles were also checked for inappropriate prescribing according to Beers Criteria 2015. Results: In the study, the mean age of patients was found to be 72.4±8.8 years. Most of the patients (81.8%) had more than two and less than five diseases. The mean number of drugs prescribed in all the prescriptions was found to be 7.4±2.6. According to Beers Criteria-2015, 3.83% of the total medications prescribed were inappropriate, 74.1% of moderate DDI’s were observed in patients, and 50.2% of the DDI’s observed theoretically were documented as fair. Conclusion: The impact of polypharmacy on consequences such as the length of stay, DDI’s, and DRP’s was also found to be significant. This study concludes that the medication profile of older adult patients should be assessed regularly for the rationality of drug therapy to maximize the therapeutic response positively with the lowest number of medications possible

A case of concomitant leukemoid reaction and mucormycosis in a patient with severe COVID-19 infection

Leukemoid Reaction (LR) signifies leukocytosis characterized by mature neutrophils. The incidence of LR is about 1 % among hospitalized patients. Mucormycosis is a rare, aggressive, fatal fungal infection that afflicts immune-compromised patients. This study discusses the case of concomitant leukemoid reaction and mucormycosis in a patient with severe COVID-19 infection

Development of Validated Spectrophotometric Methods for Estimation of Ethacridine Lactate in Pharmaceutical Formulations

Abstract: Ethacridine lactate (EAL) is an antiseptic in solutions of 0.1%. It is also used as an agent for second trimester abortion. Two simple and sensitive spectrophotometric methods (Method A and Method B) were developed for the estimation of EAL in pharmaceutical formulations. Method A is based on the condensation of the primary aromatic amino group of ethacridine lactate with an aromatic aldehyde (p-Dimethylaminocinnamaldehyde) to form a chromophore with absorption maximum of 600nm. Method B is based on redox reaction followed by complex formation of EAL with IO 3 -/Metol reagent to form a stable chromogen, which can be estimated at 520 nm. Method A obeys Beer's law in the concentration range of 2 to 12 µg/mL and method B in the range of 20 to 100 µg/mL. Interference studies were conducted to see the influence of excipients with the proposed methods. The common excipients usually present in dosage forms do not interfere in the proposed method A and method B. The optical characteristics, regression analysis data and precision of the methods were also calculated. The methods were validated for use in routine quality control of EAL in pharmaceutical formulations

Development of Dapagliflozin Solid Lipid Nanoparticles as a Novel Carrier for Oral Delivery: Statistical Design, Optimization, In-Vitro and In-Vivo Characterization, and Evaluation

Controlling hyperglycemia and avoiding glucose reabsorption are significant goals in type 2 diabetes treatments. Among the numerous modes of medication administration, the oral route is the most common. Introduction: Dapagliflozin is an oral hypoglycemic agent and a powerful, competitive, reversible, highly selective, and orally active human SGLT2 inhibitor. Dapagliflozin-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) are the focus of our present investigation. Controlled-release lipid nanocarriers were formulated by integrating them into lipid nanocarriers. The nanoparticle size and lipid utilized for formulation help to regulate the release of pharmaceuticals over some time. Dapagliflozin-loaded nanoparticles were formulated by hot homogenization followed by ultra-sonication. The morphology and physicochemical properties of dapagliflozin-SLNs have been characterized using various techniques. The optimized dapagliflozin-SLNs have a particle size ranging from 100.13 ± 7.2 to 399.08 ± 2.4 nm with 68.26 ± 0.2 to 94.46 ± 0.7% entrapment efficiency (%EE). Dapagliflozin-SLNs were optimized using a three-factor, three-level Box–Behnken design (BBD). Polymer concentration (X1), surfactant concentration (X2), and stirring duration (X3) were chosen as independent factors, whereas %EE, cumulative drug release (%CDR), and particle size were selected as dependent variables. Interactions between drug substances and polymers were studied using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis indicated the crystalline change from the drug to the amorphous crystal. Electron microscope studies revealed that the SLNs’ structure is nearly perfectly round. It is evident from the findings that dapagliflozin-SLNs could lower elevated blood glucose levels to normal in STZ-induced diabetic rats, demonstrating a better hypoglycemic impact on type 2 diabetic patients. The in vivo pharmacokinetic parameters of SLNs exhibited a significant rise in Cmax (1258.37 ± 1.21 mcg/mL), AUC (5247.04 mcg/mL), and oral absorption (2-fold) of the drug compared to the marketed formulation in the Sprague Dawley rats

Development and Characterization of PEGDA Microneedles for Localized Drug Delivery of Gemcitabine to Treat Inflammatory Breast Cancer

Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is one of the most belligerent types of breast cancer. While various modalities exist in managing/treating IBC, drug delivery using microneedles (MNs) is considered to be the most innovative method of localized delivery of anti-cancer agents. Localized drug delivery helps to treat IBC could limit their adverse reactions. MNs are nothing but small needle like structures that cause little or no pain at the site of administration for drug delivery via layers of the skin. The polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA) based MNs were fabricated by using three dimensional (3D) technology called Projection Micro-Stereo Lithography (PµSL). The fabricated microneedle patches (MNPs) were characterized and coated with a coating formulation comprising of gemcitabine and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose by a novel and inventive screen plate method. The drug coated MNPs were characterized by various instrumental methods of analysis and release profile studies were carried out using Franz diffusion cell. Coat-and-poke strategy was employed in administering the drug coated MNPs. Overall, the methods employed in the present study not only help in obtaining MNPs with accurate dimensions but also help in obtaining uniformly drug coated MNPs of gemcitabine for treatment of IBC. Most importantly, 100% drug release was achieved within the first one hour only

3-Methoxy Carbazole Impedes the Growth of Human Breast Cancer Cells by Suppressing NF-κB Signaling Pathway

Breast cancer represents the most frequently occurring cancer globally among women. As per the recent report of the World Health Organization (WHO), it was documented that by the end of the year 2020, approximately 7.8 million females were positively diagnosed with breast cancer and in 2020 alone, 685,000 casualties were documented due to breast cancer. The use of standard chemotherapeutics includes the frontline treatment option for patients; however, the concomitant side effects represent a major obstacle for their usage. Carbazole alkaloids are one such group of naturally-occurring bioactive compounds belonging to the Rutaceae family. Among the various carbazole alkaloids, 3-Methoxy carbazole or C13H11NO (MHC) is obtained from Clausena heptaphylla as well as from Clausena indica. In this study, MHC was investigated for its anti-breast cancer activity based on molecular interactions with specific proteins related to breast cancer, where the MHC had predicted binding affinities for NF-κB with −8.3 kcal/mol. Furthermore, to evaluate the biological activity of MHC, we studied its in vitro cytotoxic effects on MCF-7 cells. This alkaloid showed significant inhibitory effects and induced apoptosis, as evidenced by enhanced caspase activities and the cellular generation of ROS. It was observed that a treatment with MHC inhibited the gene expression of NF-kB in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. These results suggest that MHC could be a promising medical plant for breast cancer treatment. Further studies are needed to understand the molecular mechanisms behind the anticancer action of MHC