Ravi

Rhinosinusitis (RS), chiefly viral in origin, is increasingly widespread, and puts heavy financial burdens on society. Treatments range from home remedies and alpha-adrenergic agonistic decongestants to antibiotics, corticosteroids, and even surgery. Much discomfort, pain, individual and societal cost, could be avoided through efficient, judicious and cost-effective treatments. In absence of a specific and effective treatment for RS, saline water nasal irrigation is considered safe and beneficial. In a simple scientific approach to find a novel remedy that would target not only the symptoms but also the causes of RS, a tannin-rich hypertonic solution for nasal spray was formulated and evaluated for efficacy against traditional saline. Tannin-rich plant extracts (procyanidins or PCDs) showing anti-bacterial, influenza virus-neutralizing activity were identified in vitro, and incorporated into a hypertonic glycerol solution. A pilot randomized, single blind trial was conducted on 113 RS patients not undergoing any other treatment: 51 patients received a 3% NaCl solution as placebo saline spray (PSS), while 62 patients received the PCD-containing, hypertonic solution. 3-4 sprays of the products were applied twice daily for 21 days (maximum) or until recovery. Rhinosinusitis symptom severity scores were recorded. Although PSS proved beneficial, the PCD-glycerol solution produced a much greater, statistically significant improvement with regard to speed and degree of symptom reduction, leading to a lesser need for antibiotherapy. Results show that the use of a non-irritant hypertonic solution containing specific tannins represents a new, efficient, safe and cost effective approach to treat RS.

The major problems associated with the anti-tubercular (TB) drug therapy include loss of efficacy through bacterial resistance, side effects, low patient compliance and duration and complexity of treatment. The present study attempts to confront them through a combined approach consisting of microspheres and bioenhancers. Microspheres containing rifampicin were prepared by emulsification technique using stearic acid as a cross-linking agent. Extract of Carum carvi were added as a bioenhancer in variable amount of 5 to 15 mg for each dose of rifampicin. The loading efficiency and release behavior of loaded microparticles were found to be dependent on the cross-linker concentration, cross-linking time and drug-polymer ratio. Prolonged release of the drug from the microspheres was demonstrated in a simulated intestinal fluid. In-vitro release of rifampicin from the microspheres containing 15 mg of bioenhancer showed significant increase in release profile (87.42% in formulation containing bioenhancer against 51.41% for the formulation without bioenhancer) and the release rates were reduced upon increasing the amount of cross-liking agent and prolonging the cross-linking time.

  The purpose of this research was to introduce and evaluate natural excipients (soy polysaccharides, CP) that have versatile property in the orally disintegrating tablets. The main objective of this work was to assess the excipient for its activity as a disintegrant and compare its properties with other synthetic superdisintegrants. Orodispersible tablets containing a model drug, Lornoxicam was prepared using different ratios of banana powder, soy polysaccharides, crosspovidone, croscarmellose sodium (CCS) and sodium starch glycollate (SSG) as disintegrants. The prepared tablets were evaluated for their physiochemical properties like wetting time, water absorption ratio, dispersion time, disintegration time and drug release studies. It was observed that the results obtained from formulations containing the soy polysaccharides and CP as superdisintegrant showed a better profile in comparison to banana powder, CCS and SSG. Disintegration time of the formulations varied from 15 to 36s for all the formulations. Dissolution studies suggested that the drug dissolution from formulations containing soy polysaccharides was more than 90% within 15min in comparison to 82% and 85% for CCS and SSG respectively. Stability studies of the prepared tablets showed non-significant drug loss and drug release. Hence, it was concluded that banana powder can be used as a natural disintegrant in orodispersible tablets. The excipient being available naturally and having nutritional benefits adds value to the formulation and can be utilized as an effective excipient in preparing tablets with less cost.

As a site for drug delivery the oral cavity offers advantages over the conventional gastrointestinal route and the parenteral and other alternative routes of drug administration. It provides direct entry into the systemic circulation thereby avoiding the hepatic first pass effect. Verapamil HCl belongs to a drug group of calcium channel antagonists. The oral absorption of the drug from these forms is 90% but its bioavailability approaches only 10–20%, due to a extensive first-pass effect. Here attempt is made to extract mucilage and use as gelling and mucoadhesive agent. The yield of natural mucoadhesive fenugreek extract was 28-29 percent. Fenugreek mucilage shows synergistic effect with xanthan gum and provide higher viscosity. Fenugreek is used with xanthan gum in the selected ratio of 2.5:1. Different parameters were evaluated like % yield of fenugreek, viscosity, gel strength, mucoadhesive study, in-vitro diffusion study, ex-vivo permeation study and differential scanning calorimetry. The mucosal permeation of drug from the formulation was evaluated using Franz diffusion cell, goat buccal mucosa as semi-permeable membrane. The amount of the drug released was determined by evaluating drug diffused through the membrane by using UV- spectrophotometry. The verapamil HCl release was sustained up to 6 hrs by optimizing concentration of fenugreek and xanthan gum.

The aim of writing this review is to put a light on the recent trends in development of Drug loaded Beads. Drug loaded beads are gastro retentive drug delivery systems based on multi Unit approach and are prepared to obtain prolonged or controlled drug delivery, to improve bioavailability, stability and target drug to specific sites. These are Spherical in shape and approximately 1.5 mm in diameter. These can be prepared by various methods like ionotropic gelation, hydrogel embedment, solvent evaporation and Melt Solidification by using different polymers. Promising enhancement in bioavailability and site specificity has been achieved by drug loaded beads.

Iloperidone is a novel antipsychotic drug widely used to treat schizophrenia. Objective of this investigation was to develop a validated stability indicating high performance thin layer chromatographic method for the quantification of iloperidone in bulk and pharmaceutical dosage form. Aluminium backed TLC plates precoated with silica gel 60F-254 was employed as the stationary phase and n-propanol: chloroform (5:5 v/v) as the mobile phase. Densitometric analysis was performed at 275 nm in the reflectance mode. Compact spots of iloperidone with Rf value 0.36 were observed. Validation of the method as per ICH guidelines produced satisfactory results of linearity (r2>0.999), limit of detection (5.349 ng/spot), limit of quantification (16.2099 ng/spot), precision (< 2%), and accuracy (99.66 ±0.341 to 100.34±0.292%). Degradation products were found to be well separated from the pure drug with significantly different Rf values suggesting a stability indicating analysis method for the estimation of iloperidone in pharmaceutical preparations and as bulk drug. The proposed method is selective, sensitive, precise, and accurate. It is also simple, economic and time saving as compared to reported HPLC methods. 

A simple, specific, accurate and stability-indicating reversed phase high performance liquid chromatographic method was developed for the simultaneous determination of thiocolchicoside  and lornoxicam, using a RP-18 column and a mobile phase composed of 10mM ammonium acetate : methanol(50:50), pH7 adjusted with 1%triethyl amine. The retention time of thiocolchicoside and lornoxicam were found to be 4.6 and 10.2 min, respectively. Linearity was established for both thiocolchicoside and lornoxicam in the range of 1-10 µg/ml. The percentage recoveries of thiocolchicoside and lornoxicam were found to be 100.45±0.4489 and 100.70±0.5111, respectively. Both the drugs were subjected to acid, alkali and neutral hydrolysis, oxidation, dry heat, and photolytic degradation. The degradation studies indicated thiocolchicoside to be susceptible to acid, alkaline and neutral hydrolysis while lornoxicam showed degradation under acid and alkali. The degradation products of thiocolchicoside and lornoxicam were well resolved from the pure drugs with significant differences in the retention time values. This method can be successfully employed for simultaneous quantitative analysis of thiocolchicoside and lornoxicam in bulk drugs and formulations.

This review highlights the recent development and achievements made for the micropropagation of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni (an antidiabatic sweetener herb) in Hadoti region of south-east Rajasthan. Shootlets were regenerated from nodal explants of stem through auxiliary shoot proliferation. The induction of multiple shoots from nodal segments was the highest in MS medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/l BAP+0.5 mg/l Kn. For rooting different concentration of IBA were used and highest rooting was recorded on MS medium with 0.5 mg/l IBA. The rooted Plantlets were hardened initially in culture room conditions and then transferred to misthouse. Leaf petiole explants were used for the purpose of callus induction. Best growth was observed in MS medium supplemented with 0.25 mg/l 2, 4-D+ 0.5 mg/l Kn and 0.25 mg/l 2,4-D+ 0.5mg/l BAP.

The aim of this study is to find the usage of antimicrobials in hospital section and to study the frequency of morbidity and mortality. The present study was undertaken to screen rational use of antimicrobials in inpatient department (IPD). Prescriptions from medicine, surgery, obstetrics (OBG) were collected over a period of nine months. Prescriptions containing antimicrobial drugs were analyzed for appropriateness in dose, dosage, duration of therapy. In our study we found that, out of 362, 179 were males and 189 were females. In that most commonly Cephalosporinns 142 (39.22%), Quinolones 128 (35.35%), Antiprotozoal 63 (17.40%) followed by Macrolides, Aminoglycosides, Penicillines, and Anthelmentics were prescribed. Our findings indicate an urgent need for the establishment of proper guidelines, dissemination of information to practitioners and supervision of antimicrobial usage in low income countries like India. Irrational and unnecessary drug use can be expensive and harmful leading to resistance. Key words: Antimicrobials, Prescription, Health Care

Depression is an affective disorder characterized mainly by change in mood and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. A number of drugs are used for treatment but their adverse effects compromise the therapeutic effects. Thus search for an agent with minimal adverse effects and maximum therapeutic benefit is going on.  In Asia, Camellia sinensis (CS) popularly known as green tea is widely used as a beverage and has been reported to have antioxidant property.On this basis, the present study was designed to evaluate the antidepressant activity of Camellia sinensis on albino mice. The antidepressant effect of Camellia sinensis was examined using two behavioral models, the forced swim test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST) in albino mice. The effect ofethanolicextract of Camellia sinensisin three different doses (3.3, 16.5 and 33mg/kg) was compared with the standard antidepressant, imipramine (10mg/kg).  Antidepressant effect was studied both on acute and chronic administration (14 days) of Camellia sinensis. Acute and chronic treatment with Camellia sinensis reduced duration of immobility in FST in a dose dependent manner. In TST acute treatment with Camellia sinensis reduced duration of immobility at 3.3 & 16.5 mg/kg; whereas on chronic treatment CS reduced duration of immobility at 3.3 & 33 mg/kg. Acute & chronic treatment with Camellia sinensis produced antidepressant effect in both FST & TST models of depression in mice.