In vitro assessment of genotoxic and cytotoxic effects of Artemisia annua L. tincture

The genus Artemisia (fam. Asteraceae) is one of the largest and widely distributed with around 500 species, majority used as aromatic and medicinal plants. Artemisia annua L. is widely used as a dietary spice, herbal tea, as a supplement, and in a non-pharmaceutical form for treatment of malaria and fever. It is orally consumed as capsules, extracts and tinctures and topically applied as an essential oil diluted in lotions and ointments. Artemisinin is the main constituent of Artemisia annua L. extracts. Since the discovery that the artemisinin is efficient in malaria treatment, there is also a growth in consumption of A. annua extracts for antitumour and even recently for antiviral treatments against SARS-CoV-2 infections. This study aimed to investigate genotoxic effect in peripheral blood culture and cytotoxic effects in cancer and normal cell lines, of commercially available A. annua L. tincture in series of dilutions. Both comet and neutral red uptake assays revealed dose-dependent genotoxicity and cytotoxicity of A. annua tincture dilutions. Comet assay revealed significantly increased DNA damage in peripheral blood cells while neutral-red assays showed increase in cytotoxicity (p<0.001) in both normal and cancer cell cultures treated with the lowest extract dilution compared to the highest one applied. Obtained results indicate caution needed in A. annua L. tincture use, especially when poorly diluted.

Analysis of the pharmaceutical care activities practiced by private homeopathic pharmacies located in Rio de Janeiro North Zone

The complexity of homeopathic treatment delegates to the Pharmacist the need and the responsibility of pharmaceutical care. This paper had the objective of verifying the practices of pharmaceutical care in homeopathy. The study was conducted in homeopathic pharmacies situated in Rio de Janeiro North Zone, during March and April, 2011, where 15 pharmacists were interviewed, with the help of a semi-open questionary self-administered. For the survey were investigated variables related to pharmaceutical: sex, age, nature of the institution where he graduated, having completed post-graduate and working ties. Information professionals for the pharmaceutical care were collected in 14 questions grouped into three areas: attitudes, perceptions and satisfaction. Attending the ethical aspects, the study was submitted to and approved by the Ethics Committee of University Estácio de Sá. The results demonstrated that 33% of the pharmacists have less than 5 years of professional practice, and 53% are specialists graduated by the Hahnemann’s Institutite of Brasil. All Pharmacists claim to orient patients, mostly during dispensation and through phone contacts. Most pharmacists oriented patients passively and actively. The elderly were pointed as the ones, who most often sought orientation. During dispensation of homeopathic drugs, all patients elicit some orientation. 67% of the pharmacies keep material for pharmaceutical guidance to the patients, usually leaflets. The verbal and written orientation was predominanted on homeopathic pharmacist. Posology and instructions of use for the pharmaceutical form dispensed were described as the most common doubts of the patients. Of all pharmacists interviewed, 67% pointed to self-medication practices in the pharmacy. The questions which measure the position and perception of the pharmacists related to pharmaceutical assistance scored over 3. The question which scored higher was related to the patient trust regarding the pharmacist guidance. We concluded that there was a mobilization on the pharmacists side to overcome obstacles and focus on the patient through the practices of pharmaceutical care.

Silver Nanoparticles AgNPs Preparation by Chemical Method to Obtain Optimal Characteristics of The Pharmaceutical Form and Study Their Effect on The Leishmania Parasite in Laboratory: تحضير جسيمات الفضة النانوية AgNPs بالطريقة الكيميائية للحصول على الخصائص المثلى للشكل الصيدلاني المعتمد ودراسة تأثيرها على طفيلي الليشمانيا مختبريا

This study aimed first to prepare silver nanoparticles AgNPs in a chemical reduction, The silver nanoparticles AgNPs properties were characterized using spectroscopy of Vision and UV- Visible (UV- Vis), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) and a ZetaSizer device. This study also aimed to study the results effect of preparing Silver nanoparticles on the Leishmania parasite using an artificial environment. The results of the spectrophotometer of the secondary silver solution with yellow color, showed maximum absorption at a wavelength of 400 mm, while the image of atomic force microscope (AFM) showed the hierarchical morphology shape of the prepared Silver nanoparticles with an average size of (10- 30 nm). Silver secondary particles were estimated with a diameter ranging from (12- 60 nm) and with good dispersion in water by ZetaSizer device. The results illustrated that the number of Promastigotes of the Leishmania parasite decreased after adding the Silver nanoparticles AgNPs in varying proportions, as the concentration of 500 μg/ml had the highest effect after 72 hours from incubation, and the percentage of remaining parasites was 5.2% comparing with the control percentage of 14.99%, while the value of IC50 was 253.075 μg/ml, The value of R2 = 0.8809, slope = 0.0478 after 24 hours from incubation.

Is the Magnesium Content in Food Supplements Consistent with the Manufacturers’ Declarations?

Food supplements (FS) are gaining more and more popularity because they are a quick way to compensate for deficiencies in the diet. Due to their affordable price and easy-to-take form, they are eaten by all age groups and by healthy and sick people. There are many categories of this type of preparations on the market, and FS with magnesium (Mg) are some of the most commonly used. Therefore, the aim of the study was to determine the Mg content in FS and to compare the estimated value with that declared by the manufacturer. The study included 116 FS containing Mg. In order to determine the Mg content, the atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) method was used. The tested FS were divided in terms of the declared content, pharmaceutical form, chemical form of Mg, composition complexity, and price. It was shown that in the case of 58.7% of the samples, the Mg content was different than the permissible tolerance limits set by the Polish chief sanitary inspectorate, which range from −20% to +45%. It has been estimated that as a result of the differences in the content, the patient may take up to 304% more Mg per day or 98% less than it is stated in the declaration. The above results indicate that the quality and safety of FS should be more closely monitored.

Evaluation of nano-confined catalytic oxidation air purification technology on eliminating marijuana chemicals and odour

The novel air purification technology, Nano-Confined Catalytic Oxidation (NCCO), has been proven to be effective at eliminating air pollutants. With the increasing legalization and decriminalization of medicinal and recreational cannabis and related products, respectively, in many countries and jurisdictions around the world, concerns have been raised about indoor air quality from smoking cannabis products, such as marijuana, which produce gaseous pollutants and intense odour. In this study, NCCO technology has been evaluated for its effectiveness in reducing key marijuana concentrations in polluted indoor air by direct measurements and odour intensity assessments by human volunteers. For the odour intensity measurements, 20 non-cannabis adults participated in the odour assessment. The results are remarkable and statistically significant. The reduction in Dronabinol, a pharmaceutical form of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), Cannabidiol (CBD) and Cannabinol, averages 93.4%, whereas that in airborne marijuana compounds with no air purification only averages 6.2%. The technology also demonstrates statistically significant reductions in PM2.5, PM10 and total volatile organic compounds generated from marijuana smoke. The technology was able to restore high levels of harmful particulate matter to normal baseline levels. Furthermore, the odour assessment conducted by a group of 20 volunteers also confirmed statistically significant reductions in marijuana odour by 55.6% after 50 min of air purification.

RP–HPLC Method Validation for Simultaneous Estimation of Paracetamol and Caffeine in Formulating Pharmaceutical Form

A novel, simple and accurate, Reversed Phase High Performance Liquid Chromatography (RP-HPLC) method for simultaneous estimation of Paracetamol (PCM) and Caffeine (CAF) in mixture of standard and formulation tablets was validated in this research. The absorbance maximum of drugs using UV- spectroscopy was found at (244.8 and 272.6nm) for PCM and CAF respectively in deionized water: methanol mixture (60:40 V/V) as solvent. This method involves the separation of PCM and CAF on RP - HPLC Shimadzu type LC–20 - A, Japan, and Phenomenex column, C18 (250mm, 4.6mm and 5μm). The elution was done using an eluent phase composed of methanol and water in the ratio of (40:60 V/V with a pH adjusted at 4.0 using acetic acid). A separation was fixed for 10 min at 270nm, using a UV-Vis - detector and 1.0mL/min, flow rate and the drugs were eluted in (3.468 and 5.376 min) for PCM and CAF respectively. The suitable conditions such as the elution phase composition, rate of flow, pH and wavelength were studied. The linearity of the method was in the range of concentration within (0.5 – 25 and 0.1 - 30μg/mL), while, R2 values within (0.9995 and 0.9997), and the means of recovery were found within (99.57 and 100.36) for PCM and CAF respectively. The method was applied for the estimation of gradient active of drugs in different formulating form samples. The method accuracy was validated by the mean of recovery percentages which, were found in acceptable limit.

Theoretical Analysis of Anticancer Cellular Effects of Glycoside Amides

Background: This article is a continuation of Theoretical Analysis for the Safe Form and Dosage of Amygdalin Product and Theoretical Study of the Process of Passage of Glycoside Amides through the Cell Membrane of Cancer Cell. They consider some possible natural modifications and hypothesize that it is not nitrile glycosides that have antitumor properties, but their amide / carboxyl derivatives. The possibility of using this circumstance in conservative oncology is also considered. A mechanism for crossing the cell membrane and overcoming the immune functions of the cancer cell is presented. The physiologically active cancer cell itself is quite inert to external influences. It is far more stable than any physiologically active structural and/or functional organismal cell. Its defenses are discussed in detail in the article, and its main weakness was defined, namely: the cancer cell feeds mainly on carbohydrates and/ or carbohydrate complexes. In an effort to preserve its gene set, it has evolved to counteract biologically active substances by maximally preventing its passage through its cell membrane. It is this property that could be used to minimize its effect on the whole body. In the same article, based on theoretical calculations and literature references, a hypothesis is stated: cancers could turn from severe infectious to controlled chronic ones (similar to diabetes, chronic hepatitis, etc.) Objective: The pharmaceutical form allows deviation from the chemically pure substance. It is a convenient and at the same time accessible (from a financial and/or technological point of view) form for admission by patients. Due to the great variety of natural glycosamide nitriles (starting material for the production of amide/ carboxylic acid), modern pharmacology allows their combined intake by chemical nature and concentration of the active form crossing the cell membrane. Natural nitrile glycosides hydrolyzed to amide/carboxylic acid are still unexplored, but with great theoretical potential. As biologically active substances, these compounds also have significant toxicity. One of the purposes of this article is to organize laboratory tests on animals. Methods: A comparative analysis is performed on the basis of stoichiometric calculations for the concentration of the active form and the prediction of the bioactivity. For this purpose, the following methodology is applied: Data analysis for active anticancer cell molecular form and Determination of the drug dose. The derived chemicals obtained immediately after the passage of glycosamide across the cancer cell membrane are: (R)-2-hydroxy-2-phenylacetamide, (R)-2-hydroxy-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)acetamide, (R)-2-hydroxy-2-(3-hydroxyphenyl)acetamide, 2-hydroxy-2-methylpropanamide, (S)-2-hydroxy-2-methylbutanamide, 2-hydroxy-3-methylbut-2-enamide, (2Z,4E)-4-(2-amino-1-hydroxy-2-oxoethylidene)hex-2-enedioic acid, (S)-1-hydroxycyclopent-2-ene-1-carboxamide, (1S,4S)-1,4-dihydroxycyclopent-2-ene-1-carboxamide, (1R,4R)-1,4,5-trihydroxycyclopent-2-ene-1-carboxamide, (Z)-2-((4S,6R)-4,6-dihydroxycyclohex-2-en-1-ylidene)acetamide, (R)-2-hydroxy-3-methylbutanamide, (E)-2-((4S,5R,6R)-4,5,6-trihydroxycyclohex-2-en-1-ylidene)acetamide, (Z)-2-((4R,5R,6S)-5,6-dihydroxy-4-methoxycyclohex-2-en-1-ylidene)acetamide, (E)-2-((4R,6S)-4,6-dihydroxycyclohex-2-en-1-ylidene)acetamide и (E)-2-((4S,5R,6R)-4,5,6-trihydroxycyclohex-2-en-1-ylidene)acetamide. Results: The use of two or more pharmaceutical forms would not prevent their penetration subject to the mass ratios between the active antitumor amide and the active carboxyl transfer form. Conclusion: Amides resulting from the hydrolysis of nitrile glycosides would have the ability to cross the cell membrane of a cancer cell and thus cause its cellular response. The pharmaceutical form must represent the exact amide / carboxylic acid ratio for the corresponding active anticancer cell form.

Evaluation of the System of Dispensation of Drugs in Intrahospital Services, of a Health Unit of Riobamba

Introduction: In Ecuador, many health institutions have not yet migrated to the Unit Dose Dispensation / Distribution System for Medications, which ensures the correct, safe and rational use of medications. Objective: The medication dispensing process in a Riobamba health unit was evaluated as part of the service quality improvement process. Methodology: Information was collected during three months of investigation, from the in-hospital services of hospitalization, intensive care unit, operating room and emergency. The instruments used for the evaluation corresponded to medical prescriptions, medication and medical device request sheets, medication return record sheets and labeling of boxes. Results: In the medical prescriptions as in the record sheets for the return of evaluated drugs, the main drawback was presented in the writing of the pharmaceutical form and the absence of mandatory data for the identification of the patient. In the total of the registers for the return of medications, the absence of the reason for the return of the medications was identified. The medication dispensing process was considered a critical point within the evaluation, since throughout the review period it was observed that the boxes did not have the minimum required labeling, for the correct identification of the patient. Conclusion: It was concluded that the dispensing system presented critical flaws, such as: deficiencies in the supply of medications, dispensing errors, lack of pharmacotherapeutic follow-up and little participation of the pharmaceutical professional. Keywords: dispensing, medication, medication error. Resumen Introducción: En Ecuador, muchas instituciones de salud aún no migran al Sistema de Dispensación/Distribución de Medicamentos por Dosis Unitaria, el cual asegura la correcta, segura y racional utilización de los medicamentos. Objetivo: Se evaluó el proceso de dispensación de medicamentos en una unidad de salud de Riobamba, como parte del proceso de mejoramiento en la calidad del servicio. Metodología: Se recolectó información durante tres meses de investigación, de los servicios de intrahospitalarios de hospitalización, unidad de cuidados intensivos, quirófano y emergencia. Los instrumentos utilizados para la evaluación correspondieron a recetas médicas, hojas de requerimiento de medicamentos y dispositivos médicos, hojas de registro de devolución de medicación y rotulación de cajetines. Resultados: En las recetas médicas como en las hojas de registro de devolución de medicamentos evaluadas, el principal inconveniente se presentó en la escritura de la forma farmacéutica y la ausencia de datos obligatorios para identificación del paciente. En el total de los registros de devolución de medicamentos, se identificó la inexistencia del motivo de la devolución de los medicamentos. El proceso de dispensación de medicación, se consideró un punto crítico dentro de la evaluación, ya que durante todo el período de revisión se observó que los cajetines no contaban con la rotulación mínima requerida, para la identificación correcta del paciente. Conclusión: Se concluyó que el sistema de dispensación presentaba fallas críticas, tales como: deficiencias en el suministro de medicamentos, errores de dispensación, falta de seguimiento farmacoterapéutico y la poca participación del profesional farmacéutico. Palabras clave: dispensación, medicamentos, error de medicación.

Development of Innovative Chewable Gel Tablets Containing Nutmeg Essential Oil Microcapsules and Their Physical Properties Evaluation

Chewable gel tablets are a dosed pharmaceutical form, which can have an active substance, pharmacological effect, or value of nutrition. The texture of these tablets is soft, springy, flexible, and elastic—this is influenced by the chosen ingredients. The aim of this study was to prepare chewable gel tablets with nutmeg essential oil-loaded microcapsules and determine the volatile compounds released from this pharmaceutical form. Gel tablets were prepared by using gelatin as basis, nutmeg essential oil as active compound, and natural ingredients: thyme-sugar syrup, thyme extract, and citric acid as taste and color additives. Texture properties were measured by a texture analyzer. The release of volatile compounds from nutmeg essential oil and gel tablets were analyzed by headspace-gas chromatography with mass spectroscopy in control and artificial saliva conditions in vitro. Nutmeg essential oil microcapsules had influence on the gel tablet’s physical properties (p < 0.05, by comparing tablets without glycerol and relative sample with glycerol); glycerol protects the tablets from the formation of sugar crystals on top and keeps good physical parameters (p < 0.05). A total of 12 volatile compounds were identified in nutmeg essential oil, and the six compounds with the highest amounts were selected as controls. Gel tablets prolong the release time of volatile compounds and reduce the amount of the compounds compared to the microcapsules (p < 0.05).