Pharmacy And Bioallied Sciences

A completely polyherbal conditioning and antioxidant shampoo: A phytochemical study and pharmaceutical evaluation Riham O Bakr, Reham I Amer, Marwa A A Fayed, Tamer I M Ragab Journal of Pharmacy And Bioallied Sciences 2019 11(2):105-115 Aim: A recent approach in shampoo research has been to find a natural alternative for synthetic detergents that have deteriorative effects on hair follicles. This study aimed at the formulation of a completely herbal shampoo containing a natural foaming agent, in addition to having conditioning, antioxidant, and antimicrobial effects. Material and Methods: The leaves of Salix babylonica L., Ziziphus spina-christi L. (Willd), and Glycyrrhiza glabra rhizomes were extracted with 70% methanol then quantified for their phenolic and flavonoid contents using colorimetric assays that were qualitatively identified by Ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) with tandem mass spectrometry (MS-MS). The mineral content was also estimated. The radical scavenging activity was estimated using 1,1-diphenyl-2-Picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) was determined. Additionally, the antimicrobial activity was tested using agar diffusion assay and compared to vancomycin and ketoconazole. Four formulations, consisting of the different plant extracts and a combination of the extracts, were prepared and evaluated for several physicochemical properties. The best formula was evaluated for its conditioning effects using scanning electron microscope and blind touch tests by asking volunteers for grading the formulations. Results and Discussion: UPLC-MS-MS analysis of S. babylonica and Z. spina-christi allowed tentative identification of 12 phytoconstituents in each. Z. spina-christi showed the highest phenolic content and a high copper, zinc, and manganese content beside the best antioxidant activity, whereas G. glabra had a high potency against Bacillus cereus and Candida albicans. The polyherbal shampoo formulation (F4) was selected as an optimized formulation because of a high foam stability after 4 min, low wetting time (2 s), surface tension reduction, and comparable results for percent solid content. F4 showed good conditioning effect and consumer contentment. Conclusion: The formulated polyherbal shampoo is chemical free, extra-nourishing shampoo with excellent conditioning, cleansing, and antimicrobial effects.

Comparative evaluation of wound healing potential of manuka and acacia honey in diabetic and nondiabetic rats Rupam Gill, Basavaraj Poojar, Laxminarayana K Bairy, Kumar S E Praveen Journal of Pharmacy And Bioallied Sciences 2019 11(2):116-126 Background: Manuka honey has attracted the attention of the scientific community for its antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. The active compounds of manuka honey to which its myeloperoxidase activity inhibition is owed are methyl syringate (MSYR) and leptosin (a novel glycoside of MSYR). The non-peroxide antibacterial activity is attributed to glyoxal, 3-deoxyglucosulose, and methylglyoxal. These properties make it an inexpensive and effective topical treatment in wound management. This study has focused on the evaluation of the effect of manuka honey and acacia honey on wound healing in nondiabetic and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted on a total of 42 rats (six rats in each group) and respective drug/substance was topically applied once daily on the excision wound for 21 days. Induction of diabetes was carried out in rats in groups IV, V, VI, and VII only. Measurement of wound contraction was carried out on days 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, and 21 after operation. Time taken for the complete epithelization was recorded along with a histopathological examination of the healed wound bed. Results: Topical application of manuka honey achieved ≥80% wound contraction on day 9 after operation in both the nondiabetic and diabetic group. Complete epithelization was achieved 2 days earlier than the normal epithelization time in the manuka group. Histopathological examination showed well-formed keratinized squamous epithelium with normal collagen tissue surrounding hair follicles. Conclusion: This study provides good outcome with respect to wound healing (especially in diabetic condition) when manuka honey was compared to acacia honey and standard treatment.

Vitamin D and elevated serum uric acid as novel predictors and prognostic markers for type 2 diabetes mellitus Abdulbari Bener, Abdulla O A A Al-Hamaq, Mustafa Öztürk, Ihab Tewfik Journal of Pharmacy And Bioallied Sciences 2019 11(2):127-132 Aim: To ascertain the active role of uric acid and vitamin D as potential biomarkers for impaired glucose metabolism among people living with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Turkish community. Subjects and Methods: This study was based on 680 patients with T2DM and 680 healthy subjects aged between 25 and 70 years, who visited the diabetes and endocrinology department of Istanbul Mega Medipol University Teaching Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey, during January 2016 to April 2018. The investigated biochemical indices included lipid profiles (low-density lipoprotein [LDL], high-density lipoprotein, total cholesterol, and triglyceride [TG]), uric acid, blood pressure (BP), serum creatinine, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), postprandial glucose, and any related comorbidities. Results: This study reported significant differences between family history duration of patients with T2DM of ≤5 and >5 years when compared to that of control subjects with respect to body mass index (BMI), smoking habit, sheesha smoking, income, family history of metabolic syndrome, hypertension, coronary heart disease, and nephropathy. Similarly, significant differences were found between patients with T2DM (with family history T2DM duration of less than 5 years and more than 5 years in contrast to healthy subjects’ level of LDL, TG, fasting blood glucose, HbA1c, systolic BP (SBP), bilirubin, albumin, magnesium, potassium, calcium, number of sleeping hours, and TSH. We uncovered the correlation between serum uric acid level with the clinical biochemical indices related to T2DM: serum calcium (r = 0.336), magnesium (r = 0.272), potassium (r = 0.205), HbA1c (r = 0.638), fasting blood glucose (P = 0.486), bilirubin (r = 0.251), albumin (r = 0.285), LDL (r = 0.322), TG (r = 0.434), diastolic BP (DBP) (r = 0.392), SBP (r = 0.344), BMI (r = 0.482), waist circumference (WC) (r = 0.366), age (r = 0.217), number of sleeping hours (r = 0.275), and TSH (r = 0.445). Multivariate stepwise logistic regression showed that variables, such as serum vitamin D, uric acid, TSH, HbA1c, DBP, WC, BMI, and SBP, were considered at higher risk as significant (P < 0.001) predictors for T2DM. Conclusion: The results suggest strong positive correlation between serum uric acid level with BP (SBP and DBP), age, BMI, and WC among patients with T2DM. This study ascertains that an increase in uric acid level may be due to elevated level of HbA1c, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, obesity, and/or hypertension.

Applying Beers Criteria for elderly patients to assess rational drug use at a university hospital in Northern Cyprus Sarah Khamis, Abdikarim Mohamed Abdi, Ali Uzan, Bilgen Basgut Journal of Pharmacy And Bioallied Sciences 2019 11(2):133-141 Background: Several regulations for potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) have been published specifically for elderly patients to rationalize drug use in such vulnerable communities. Objectives: To determine the proportion and characteristics of PIMs in patients receiving one or more drugs according to Beers Criteria 2015. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional prospective analysis of 451 inpatients admitted between September 25 and October 25, 2016, was conducted in Near East University Hospital, Northern Cyprus. Data were extracted from the patient medical records using special forms. Results: A total of 119 elderly patients were identified (26.4%) and evaluated, of which 107 were eligible and 12 were excluded. Of the 1039 prescribed medicines, 16.9% were PIMs during hospitalization, whereas 12% were at discharge. The most prevalent PIM group during hospitalization was identified as the “medications to be avoided in older adults” (48.8%), whereas it also formed 52% of medications prescribed at discharge. PIMs of the class “drugs used with caution” formed 19.4% of prescribed medicine during hospitalization and 18.4% on discharge. The prevalence of polypharmacy was 79.4%, mainly identified as unpreventable polypharmacy of elders. Conclusion: A significantly higher prevalence of PIMs was observed in hospitalized patients than those discharged, with high prevalence of polypharmacy. These results necessitate a nationwide assessment, and responsible bodies who adopt strategies should act to reduce or overcome the aforementioned high prevalence in Northern Cyprus.

Antidiabetic activity of ajwain oil in different in vitro models Nilamaideen Noorul Aneesa, Roy Anitha, Sheeja Varghese Journal of Pharmacy And Bioallied Sciences 2019 11(2):142-147 Context: Ajwain oil is an essential oil with thymol as its major constituent which is known for many pharmacological activities.Aims: To evaluate the anti-hyperglycaemic potential of ajwain oil using different in vitro models.Methods and Material: In vitro α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory effect of ajwain oil was carried out by the method of Bernfeld and Shibano et al. 1997 with minor modifications respectively. Cytotoxicity of the ajwain oil was assessed using MTT assay. Glucose uptake potential was assessed in differentiated L6 myotubes using fluorescent tagged 6-NBDG.Results: Ajwain oil showed very good α – amylase inhibitory activity. A maximum inhibition of 88.55 ±0.43 % was achieved at a concentration of 4µL/ml by ajwain oil which was comparable to that of standard acarbose, 90.96 ± 1.81%. The IC50 of the extract was found to be 0.47µL/ml and for acarbose 0.69µL/ml. The maximum in vitro α – glucosidase inhibitory activity was found to be 89 ± 0.72 % and 91.67 ± 1.09% at 4µL/ml for ajwain oil and acarbose. The IC50 of the extract and acarbose were found to be 0.37µL/ml and 0.41µL/ml respectively. Ajwain oil has enhanced glucose uptake in L6 myotubes in a dose dependent manner.Conclusion: The anti-hyperglycaemic activity of the ajwain oil strongly support its ability to decrease sugar level hence it may be further validated for its use as an antidiabetic agent.

Use of phosphate binders in end-stage renal disease: An experience from a secondary care hospital in United Arab Emirates Syed Arman Rabbani, Sathvik B Sridhar, Padma G M Rao, Martin T Kurian, Basset E Essawy Journal of Pharmacy And Bioallied Sciences 2019 11(2):148-154 Objective: Hyperphosphatemia in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) is associated with many serious patient-level consequences including cardiovascular events and mortality. The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of phosphate binders in ESRD patients on maintenance hemodialysis. Materials and Methods: The study was a prospective observational cohort study including adult ESRD patients undergoing hemodialysis at a secondary hospital in United Arab Emirates. Patient characteristics were compared as per type of phosphate binder used. Bivariate and multivariate multinomial logistic regression analyses were carried out to determine variables that were independently associated with use of different phosphate binders. Results: Phosphate binders used at our study site were sevelamer, calcium carbonate, and a combination of sevelamer and calcium carbonate. Bivariate multinomial logistic regression analysis revealed that serum phosphorous (odds ratio [OR]: 0.14, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.04–1.09, P = 0.047; OR: 0.10, 95% CI: 0.03–0.89, P = 0.042), calcium (OR: 0.11, 95% CI: 0.02–0.86, P = 0.041; OR: 0.22, 95% CI: 0.01–0.96, P = 0.012), and calcium–phosphorous product (OR: 0.20, 95% CI: 0.06–0.64, P = 0.008; OR: 0.16, 95% CI: 0.05–0.54, P = 0.003) levels were significantly lower in patients on sevelamer per se as well as in patients on combination therapy, respectively when compared to calcium carbonate per se. Multivariate multinomial logistic regression analysis revealed that in sevelamer and combination groups, cardiovascular diseases (OR: 0.12, 95% CI: 0.02–0.65, P = 0.022; OR: 0.10, 95% CI: 0.01–0.88, P = 0.038) were significantly lesser compared to calcium carbonate group after being adjusted for other variables in the model. Conclusion: We observed that hyperphosphatemia and related events in our study population were better controlled by sevelamer per se and combination therapy than calcium carbonate per se. Further large scale, multicenter studies are required to confirm and establish these findings.

Screening of potential phytocompounds from Euclea crispa (Thunb.) leaves targeting human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) signaling pathway Chella Perumal Palanisamy, Anofi Omotayo Tom Ashafa Journal of Pharmacy And Bioallied Sciences 2019 11(2):155-161 Background: Overexpression of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) plays an important role in the development and progression in a variety of cancers and it is a novel therapeutic target for breast cancer and ovarian cancer. Euclea crispa (E. crispa) is a South African medicinal plant in the family Ebenaceae used in the management of different human diseases and disorders. Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential inhibitors against HER2 from hexane extract of E. crispa leaves. Materials and Methods: Chemical fingerprinting method was used to identify the presence of natural compounds from the extract whereas their inhibitory activities were analyzed by molecular docking analysis against HER2. Absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) properties also predicted to establish the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics profiles of the selected compounds. Results: The molecular docking analysis expressed that phenyl glucuronide, hydrocortisone acetate, and 6-(4,6-dioxo-1,4,5,6-tetrahydropyrimidin-2-yl-amino)hexanoic acid trifluoroacetate possess good inhibitory activities with good glide score of −6.63, −5.41, and −5.40 and glide energy of −35.03, −42.51, and −31.38 kcal/mol, respectively when compared with standard Food and Drug Administration–approved drug and other compounds. All the screened compounds were within the acceptable and permissible limits of ADME properties. Conclusion: Thus, from this study it can be concluded that, these screened natural compounds from E. crispa leaves may serve as potential inhibitors for HER2 and they might lead to development of new therapeutic agents against cancer and its associated complications.

Relationship between antimicrobial prescribing and antimicrobial resistance among UTI patients at Buraidah Central Hospital, Saudi Arabia Sulaiman I A Alsohaim, Abdulkader A Bawadikji, Ramadan Elkalmi, Mohammed Imad Al-deen M Mahmud, Mohamed Azmi Hassali Journal of Pharmacy And Bioallied Sciences 2019 11(2):162-169 Introduction: Most of the decisions regarding diagnosis and treatment are based on laboratory test results. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common infections in humans. The changing antimicrobial sensitivity in UTI requires appropriate antibiotics. Antimicrobial resistance is an emerging problem in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia where the complete reversal of antimicrobial resistance is difficult due to irrational use of antibiotics. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the most common bacterial agents causing UTI in different seasons among patients who were admitted to Buraidah Central Hospital (BCH), Saudi Arabia. The study also evaluated the link between prescribing and resistance toward antimicrobials. Materials and Methods: A 6-month retrospective study was conducted among adult patients who were admitted to the inpatient department at BCH. A total of 379 files were collected from microbiological laboratory for inpatients. Results: Most UTI-causing bacteria prevailed in the same season. Of 15 bacterial strains, 12 were significantly correlated with 20 (of a total of 40) antibiotics that were used. Most bacteria were gram-negative. Gram-negative bacilli including Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp., and Pseudomonadaceae and gram-positive Enterococcus faecalis were most frequently causing UTIs. Conclusion: Overall prevalence of antibiotic resistance was negative in bacterial isolates. However, the relationship between antimicrobial prescribing and antimicrobial resistance was significantly negative among UTI patients in BCH, Saudi Arabia.

Prevalence of depression among health sciences students: Findings from a public university in Malaysia Abdul Rahman M Fata Nahas, Ramadan M Elkalmi, Abdulkareem M Al-Shami, Tarek M Elsayed Journal of Pharmacy And Bioallied Sciences 2019 11(2):170-175 Background: High rates of psychological problems including depression among university students have been reported in various studies around the world. The objectives of this study were to explore the prevalence of depressive disorder, as well as the associated sociodemographic factors (gender, origin, school, and year of study) among health sciences students. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 425 students from 5 different schools of health sciences at International Islamic University Malaysia, using the Patient Health Questionaire-9 (PHQ-9). Results: With a response rate of 85.9% (n = 365), the results showed a depressive disorder prevalence of 36.4%. The mean PHQ-9 score of the respondents was 8.10 (SD = 4.9), indicating mild depression severity. A statistically significant association was revealed between gender and severity of depression (P = 0.03), as well as between students’ origin and severity of depression (P = 0.02). Conclusion: The findings indicated high prevalence of depression among undergraduate health sciences students. While providing significant information to students’ affairs department, the study findings suggest the necessity to address depressive disorder in health sciences university students in Malaysia. Future research is needed to confirm these results in larger samples.

Wound-healing effect of honey gel and film Febriyenti Febriyenti, Henny Lucida, Almahdy Almahdy, Istianah Alfikriyah, Muhammad Hanif Journal of Pharmacy And Bioallied Sciences 2019 11(2):176-180 Background: Honey has been formulated into gel and film dosage forms for burn wound as previously reported. Aims: In this study, we evaluated the ability of honey gel and film to promote the healing of burns and incision wounds on the skin of Sprague-Dawley female white rats. Materials and Methods: Twenty-four female rats were divided into four groups, which were treatment groups (for honey gel or film), negative control, and positive control (treated with marketed product “B”), respectively. Burn and incision wound were created by the method previously reported with slight modification. Parameters such as the percentage of wound closure and the tensile strength of the incision wound were determined. Results: The experimental results showed that honey film has a greater effectiveness to accelerate the healing for burns and incision wound in comparison to the negative control. Conclusions: Two-way analysis of variance indicates the type of treatment group, and time has a significant effect on the burn wound (P < 0.05). Honey film shows the significant difference (P < 0.05) with other group on the incision wound.