Recent Advances on Pharmacology and Chemistry of Pycnanthus angolensis over the last decade (2012-2021)

<i>Pycnanthus angolensis</i>, widely known under its trade name "ilomba", is a medicinal plant from the family Myristicaceae that has occupied a prominent place in African traditional medicine for several decades; its broad application to treat numerous diseases, including malaria, bacterial infections and most recently COVID-19. The various chemical studies undertaken on the plant identified many classes of specialized compounds, including quinone-terpenoids, lignans and isoflavonoids, as the most abundant and bioactive components. The plant is defined as a major asset in developing new potent drugs and deserves further investigation in this regard. This mini-review aims to compile the newly documented findings on the traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology of<i> P. angolensis</i> over the last decade from 2012 to 2021. In this regard, a literature search using the keyword <i>Pycnanthus</i> has been done without language restriction in numerous online libraries, including Scifinder, PubMed, Google Scholar, and only papers on <i>Pycnanthus angolensis</i> published after 2011 have been exploited during the writing.

Role of Dietary Fiber in the Correction of Gut Microbiocenosis Disorders Against the Background of Antibacterial Therapy

Antibiotic-associated gut microbiocenosis disorders develop on average in every third patient in the form of both mild disorders and severe life-threatening conditions. The negative impact of antibacterial agents on the gut microbiota causes a decrease in the number and species diversity of microorganisms that produce butyric acid. Low concentrations of butyric acid can often induce inflammatory and atrophic processes of the gut mucosa, the water-electrolyte balance regulation disorders and, as a result, the gut motility and functions disorders. Long-term gut microbiocenosis disorders themselves can cause the development of the disease and in future, they become factors of its progression, thereby launching a whole cascade of new pathological processes. The article analyzes a representative clinical data published in authoritative international magazines from 1990 to 2020, indicating the effectiveness of the dietary fiber (DF) management for the correction of gut microbiocenosis disorders caused by antibacterial drugs intake. Partially hydrolyzed guar gum, registered in our country under the trade name “OptiFiber”, due to its effects such as the gut regulation, abdominal pain reduction, flatus and bloating reduction, increase the resident gut microflora amount and its metabolic activity, helps to restore and maintain of the gut eubiosis. Conclusion. “OptiFiber” can be administered for a long-term intake in order to increase the effectiveness of antibiotic therapy for various infectious diseases, as well as for the correction and prevention of gut microbiocenosis disorders associated with antibacterial drugs intake

Оптимизация элементов технологии возделывания томатов в защищенном грунте по малообъемной технологии

The elements of the technology of cultivation of tomatoes by a low-volume hydroponic method using the mineral wool substrate "Grodan" have been studied. The advantages of growing crops by the method of low-volume technology in the greenhouse complex SRL "Polimer Gaz Conducte", Falesti, Moldova are shown. The trade name of the branch is "EcoAgroPrim". Greenhouse SRL "PolimerGazPrim" is a member of the Moldovan Association "Association of Farmers of Moldova", which includes 128 greenhouse facilities. The enterprise produces 130-245 tons of pink-fruited indoor (greenhouse) tomato per year. We studied and analyzed the elements of technology for growing tomatoes in greenhouses using low-volume technology and carried out phenological observations and biometric measurements of plants for several years 2015-2020. It is shown that based on the analysis of phenological observations and biometric measurements, a table of the seasonal development of the crop was compiled, and the highest yield was noted in May and June for all years of observation and, accordingly, the gross harvest was the highest during this period.

Robust W1282X-CFTR rescue by a small molecule GSPT1 degrader

With the approval of elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor (trade name Trikafta), the vast majority of people with cystic fibrosis (CF) are eligible for CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) modulator therapy. Remaining individuals have premature termination codons or rare CFTR variants with limited treatment options. Although clinical modulator response can be reliably predicted using primary airway epithelial cells, primary cells carrying rare CFTR variants are scarce. To overcome this obstacle, these cells can be expanded by overexpression of mouse Bmi-1 and human TERT (hTERT). We therefore used this approach to develop two non-CF and three CF (F508del/F508del, F508del/S492F, W1282X/W1282X) nasal cell lines and two W1282X/W1282X bronchial cell lines. Bmi-1/hTERT cell lines recapitulated primary cell morphology and ion transport function. The F508del/F508del and F508del/S492F cell lines robustly responded to Trikafta, which was mirrored in the parent primary cells and the cell donors' clinical response. CC-90009, a novel cereblon E3 ligase modulator targeting the GSPT1 protein, rescued ~20% of wildtype CFTR function in our panel of W1282X/W1282X cell lines and primary cells. Intriguingly, CC-90009 also diminished epithelial sodium channel function. These studies demonstrate that Bmi-1/hTERT cell lines faithfully mirror primary cell responses to CFTR modulators and illustrate novel therapeutic approaches for the W1282X CFTR variant.

Effect of Molecular Weight and Degree of Substitution on the Physical-Chemical Properties of Methylcellulose-Starch Nanocrystal Nanocomposite Films

This research studied the effect of molecular weight (Mw) and degree of substitution (DS) on the microstructure and physicochemical characteristics of methylcellulose (MC) films with or without SNC. The Mw and DS of three types of commercial MC (trade name of M20, A4C, and A4M, respectively) were in the range of 0.826 to 3.404 × 105 Da and 1.70 to 1.83, respectively. Mw significantly affected the viscosity of methylcellulose solutions as well as the microstructure and tensile strength of methylcellulose films, while DS had a pronounced effect on their oxygen permeability properties. The incorporation of 15% (w/w) SNC resulted in the efficient improvement of tensile strength, water, and oxygen barrier properties of films, particularly for the A4C nanocomposite films. The results from SEM and FTIR illustrated that relatively homogenous dispersion of SNC was distinguished in A4C-15% (w/w) SNC films. Furthermore, microstructures of MC-SNC nanocomposite films were strongly dependent on both Mw and DS of MC. This work offers a convenient and green method to fabricate MC-based nanocomposite films with desirable mechanical, light, oxygen, and water vapor barrier properties.

Risk versus Benefit of Using Hydroxychloroquine to Treat Patients with COVID-19

Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), also known by its trade name Plaquenil®, has been used for over 50 years as a treatment for malaria, systemic lupus erythematosus, and rheumatoid arthritis. As the COVID-19 pandemic emerged in the United States and globally in early 2020, HCQ began to garner attention as a potential treatment and as prophylaxis against COVID-19. Preliminary data indicated that HCQ as well as chloroquine (CQ) possessed in vitro antiviral activity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Early clinical data from China and France reported that HCQ and CQ were associated with viral load reduction and clinical improvement in patients with COVID-19 compared to control groups; however, an overwhelming number of randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews have since concluded that HCQ used alone, or in combination with azithromycin (AZ), provides no mortality or time-to-recovery benefit in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Additionally, these same trials reported adverse events including cardiac, neuropsychiatric, hematologic, and hepatobiliary manifestations in patients with COVID-19 whom had been treated with HCQ. This review article summarizes the available data pertaining to the adverse events associated with HCQ use, alone or in combination with azithromycin, in patients with COVID-19 in order to fully assess the risk versus benefit of treating COVID-19 patients with these agents. The results of this review lead us to conclude that the risks of adverse events associated with HCQ use (with or without AZ) outweigh the potential clinical benefits and thus recommend against its use in the treatment or prevention of COVID-19.

Failure Investigation of Layered LFT SB1plus Package after Ballistic Tests for Level IIA

The main objective of this study focuses on designing and testing body protection systems using advanced materials based on aramid fibers, for high impact speeds of up to 420 ± 10 m/s. Ballistic applications of aramid fiber-based composites mostly include soft body armors. The investigation of the failure mechanisms identifies issues of protective fabrics, major challenges and technological problems for efficient development of these systems. The authors present an investigation on the failure processes and destructive stages of a ballistic package made of successive layers of LFT SB1plus, a trade name for a multiaxial fabric by Twaron Laminated Fabric Technology (LFT), taking into account the particular test conditions from NIJ Standard-0101.06 Ballistic Resistance of Body Armor. The main parameter of interest was the backface signature (BFS), but also details of projectile arrest and SEM investigation could offer arguments for using this material for individual protection. For the reported tests, the maximum and minimum values for BFS were 12 mm and 24 mm, the mean value being 18.66 mm and the standard deviation being 3.8 mm.

Some aspects of means of individualization on the market of medical and pharmaceutical services

Ponomarova O. Some aspects of means of individualization on the market of medical and pharmaceutical services. The article deals with some aspects of means of individualization in the market of medical and pharmaceutical services. Of particular importance is the identification of goods or services in the field of health care, in conditions of high competition in the pharmaceutical and medical markets, is for patients who consume (use) the product or service of this manufacturer, because brand awareness will not allow the patient to confuse one drug with another. Confusion in the names of medicines is quite common, but such confusion can lead to the appointment, purchase and use of a medicine with a similar name, which can have threatening consequences for human life and health.In the market of medical and pharmaceutical services, in most cases, we trace such means of individualization of participants in economic activities as trade names and trademarks (signs for goods and services). Individualization tools on the one hand individualize the entrepreneur (manufacturer) from a number of other participants in the market of medical and pharmaceutical services, and on the other - are a link between the manufacturer of the drug and the patient or between the doctor (health care facility / clinic) and the patient. A trade name is a designation under which an entity may act in a business relationship. Trademarks intended to identify and individualize the goods (services) of the manufacturer (provider) are usually associated with the name of the doctor who provides medical services or with the name of the medicinal product under which the medicinal product enters into commercial circulation and is sold on market of medical and pharmaceutical goods.There are many lawsuits regarding the similarity of the trade name of a medicinal product to another. In Ukraine, the owner of a trademark for a medicinal product may apply for protection of his rights against unfair competition to the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine and to the court for protection of infringed intellectual property rights to the mark.Companies that manufacture medicines in the process of creating a new drug name must remember that the main function of the brand name of the drug is to protect patients from misleading them, as well as to prevent medical errors due to the similarity of drug names, which can lead to to risks to life and health of patients. At the same time, the correctly and successfully chosen trade name of the drug plays an important commercial and legal role in the implementation of pharmaceutical companies in the market of medicines.Key words: means of individualization, trademark, medicine, pharmacy, intellectualproperty

Virtual Approach to the Comparative Analysis of Biomaterials Used in Endodontic Treatment

The importance of endodontics is presented within our own concept of Dentistry Sustainable Development (DSD) consisting of three inseparable elements; i.e., Advanced Interventionist Dentistry 4.0 (AID 4.0), Global Dental Prevention (GDP), and the Dentistry Safety System (DSS) as a polemic, with the hypothesis of the need to abandon interventionist dentistry in favour of the domination of dental prevention. In view of the numerous systemic complications of caries that affect 3−5 billion people globally, endodontic treatment effectively counteracts them. Regardless of this, the prevention of oral diseases should be developed very widely, and in many countries dental care should reach the poorest sections of society. The materials and methods of clinical management in endodontic procedures are characterized. The progress in the field of filling materials and techniques for the development and obturation of root canals is presented. The endodontics market is forecast to reach USD 2.1 billion in 2026, with a CAGR of 4.1%. The most widely used and recognized material for filling root canals is gutta-percha, recognized as the “gold standard”. An alternative is a synthetic thermoplastic filler material based on polyester materials, known mainly under the trade name Resilon. There are still sceptical opinions about the need to replace gutta-percha with this synthetic material, and many dentists still believe that this material cannot compete with gutta-percha. The results of studies carried out so far do not allow for the formulation of a substantively and ethically unambiguous view that gutta-percha should be replaced with another material. There is still insufficient clinical evidence to formulate firm opinions in this regard. In essence, materials and technologies used in endodontics do not differ from other groups of materials, which justifies using material engineering methodology for their research. Therefore, a detailed methodological approach is presented to objectify the assessment of endodontic treatment. Theoretical analysis was carried out using the methods of procedural benchmarking and comparative analysis with the use of contextual matrices to virtually optimize the selection of materials, techniques for the development and obturation of root canals, and methods for assessing the effectiveness of filling, which methods are usually used, e.g., in management science, and especially in foresight research as part of knowledge management. The results of these analyses are presented in the form of appropriate context matrices. The full usefulness of the research on the effectiveness and tightness of root canal filling using scanning electron microscopy is indicated. The analysis results are a practical application of the so-called “digital twins” approach concerning the virtual comparative analysis of biomaterials used in endodontic treatment.

Type IV Hypersensitivity Reaction to Dermabond (2-Octyl Cyanoacrylate) in Plastic Surgical Patients: A Retrospective Study

Background: The Dermabond (2-octyl cyanoacrylate) is a commonly used skin adhesive in plastic surgery. There are some reports in the literature regarding Dermabond associated contact dermatitis. In this retrospective cohort study, we evaluated the incidence and characteristics of contact dermatitis (type IV hypersensitivity reaction) post application of Dermabond (Trade name PRINEO manufactured by ETHICON) in patients who underwent plastic surgical breast procedures in our hospital. Methods: Sixty patients had undergone plastic surgical breast procedures (mastopexy and reduction mammoplasty) with Dermabond application over the period of last 3 years in our hospital. The records of these 60 patients were studied retrospectively. Results: Four patients (6.6%) out of the 60 patients taken for study had developed type IV hypersensitivity reaction to Dermabond. All of these patients presented with pruritus and skin rash in the second week of their post-operative period and none of them had any known past allergic history. Conclusion: We conclude that the incidence of type IV hypersensitivity allergic reaction post application of Dermabond (2-octyl cyanoacrylate) is significantly high and its possibility should be explained to the patients prior to its application.