A GREEN AND FACILE APPROACH FOR ANTIDIABETIC AND ANTI-INFLAMMATORY POTENCY FOR FICUS SUBINCISA FRUIT

Ficus subincisa belongs to the Moraceae family comprising approximately 850 species. Many Ficus species have been used ethnopharmacologically for the treatment of many health-promoting effects. With increasing economical and ecological concerns for several chemical processes, green chemistry is providing various kinds of “green” solvents that can be a recruit for the extraction and isolation of numerous alleviative and important phytoconstituents from plants. The present study was undertaken to prepare crude extracts of F. subincisa fruits with different polarities of green solvents (d-limonene, isopropyl alcohol, ethyl lactate, and hydroalcohol) by using a modified magnetic stirrer extraction method and assessing in vitro anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory activities by the spectrophotometric method. Among all, ethyl lactate and hydroalcohol fraction of F. subincisa have shown the highest α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzyme inhibitory activity with an IC50 value of 166.91±2.73 and 118.73±0.67 µg/mL, respectively, which were comparable with that of acarbose. At a concentration of 1000 µg/mL, the hydroalcohol and ethyl lactate of fruit produced 134.53±1.23 and 114.67±4.23 µg/mL inhibition of HRBC hemolysis and bovine serum albumin, respectively, as compared with standard drug aspirin and sodium diclofenac. However, there has been no report on the anti-inflammatory and antidiabetic activity of F. subincisa fruit. Therefore this study was aimed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and antidiabetic activity of F. subincisa fruit extracts of different green solvents. Our study validated the traditional claim with pharmacological data of the Ficus genus. Taken together, these findings imply that the F. subincisa could be useful therapeutic agents to attenuate muscle insulin resistance due to diet-induced obesity and its associated inflammation.

Організаційно-правове вивчення стану формування, розвитку та розповсюдження полінаркоманії у світі та в Україні

Over the past decade, the dynamics of the prevalence of substance abuse with various classification and legal groups, the growth of illegal circulation of psychoactive substances, falsification of psychoactive alcoholic beverages, alcohol, delinquency and polydrug abuse have become almost epidemic, with combined abuse of psychoactive substances registered mainly among young people. The goal or the study was to review scientific sources on the current state of the problem of formation, development and spread of polydrug abuse in the world and in Ukraine on the principles of medical and pharmaceutical law. To achieve this goal, the methods of regulatory, documentary, comparative, graphical and tabular analysis were used. A review of scientific observations of scientists from around the world and Ukraine found that in the initial stages of polydrug addiction begins with the simultaneous use of psychoactive substances such as alcohol (ethyl alcohol), psychoactive alcohol-containing liquids, beer, psychoactive drugs, tobacco. Explained that the simultaneous (combined, consistent) use of psychoactive substances of different classification and legal groups and psychoactive alcoholic beverages, alcoholic beverages, beer, psychoactive drugs are widespread among different contingents in the early stages of formation and development of polydrug addiction. Established that the most common alcoholic beverage is beer, which contains a combination of several psychoactive substances, so beer addiction is actually a polydrug addiction, it forms and develops faster, and its pharmaceutical correction is more difficult.

Monitoring Quality of Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizers Used in Johannesburg Area During the Covid‐19 Pandemic.

Since the outbreak of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (CoViD-19), the World Health Organization has recommended that, in the absence of soap and water, alcohol-based hand sanitizer can be used to prevent the transmission of coronaviruses. Unfortunately, many media reports indicate that majority of current alcohol-based hand sanitizers are substandard and some contain potentially toxic ingredients. The study aimed to identify sanitizers used in the Johannesburg area that do not contain the WHO-recommended alcohol concentration of at least 70% propanol or 60% ethanol, and contain traces of toxic ingredients. Hand sanitizers were randomly collected from various traders around Johannesburg. The samples were analyzed using Agilent Auto sampler coupled to a gas chromatograph utilizing flame ionisation detection. Of the 94 different hand sanitizers collected, three preparations were found to contain no alcohol, whereas the rest contained either ethanol or 2-propanol or a combination of the two. Of the alcohol-containing sanitizers, 37 (41%) contained less than 60% v/v alcohol. Ethyl acetate, isobutanol and other non-recommended alcohols (methanol, 1-propanol and 3-methyl-butanol) were also identified. Consumers are therefore warned that among the many brands of hand sanitizer found around Johannesburg, there are some substandard preparations and some that contain traces of toxic ingredients.

Evaluation of silymarin and berberine efficiencies in the self-emulsifying drug delivery systemin paracetamol-induced experimental toxic liver injury

The hepatoprotective properties of the silymarin and the plant alkaloid berberine combinationin experimental paracetamol-inducedliver damage were studied. Silymarin was obtained from milk thistle seeds. The conditions for extraction of flavonolignans (silymarin) were optimized. 70 % ethyl alcohol, ethyl acetate and water were used as extractants. It was shown that the optimal conditions for the extraction of flavonolignans in order to obtain the maximum yield of flavonolignans were alcohol extraction in a Soxhlet apparatus. The experiment showed that the combined of silymarin and berberine was greater than their individual actions, which most effectively permitted stabilization of hepatocyte membranes and prevented altering their integrity in paracetamol-induced toxic liver damage. The self-emulsifying system with silymarin and berberine to a greater extent a significant extent prevented dystrophic changes in hepatocytes and necrosis in liver tissue, reduced hyperfermentemia in rat blood serum, prevented disturbance in the activity of thioredoxin reductase and enzymes of the glutathione antioxidant system and there by more effectively prevented hepatocyte functional impairment.

An investigation on printability of different solvent based inks by gravure printing onto various substrates

Gravure printing is an intaglio printing process, the image to be printed is engraved on the surface of the gravure cylinder, so that the image to be printed is embedded into the surface. The places engraved in the cylinder during printing are filled with ink, surplus of ink is stripped by a blade and separated for reuse. Print quality consistency and efficiency is high in gra-vure printing. It is also possible to print on different substrates. Ink systems, viscosity, surface properties of substrate material and dot structures on the gravure cylinder are the main factors that determine the print quality. Appropriate inks can be chosen depending on the material to be printed and finished product used area. Mostly solvent based inks are used. The aim of this study is to determine the solvent that can enable higher quality printing on different substrates, which are frequently used in the gravure printing system, and to investigate the conditions under which the ink-sub-strates interface relationship can be the best in terms of printability.In this study, IGT F1 laboratory type gravure testing machine was used. Polyethylene and polypropylene printable films are used as the substrate materials. Three different solvent-based inks are used, prepared with ethyl alcohol, ethyl acetate and isopropyl alcohol. Density, contact angle, surface energy and gloss properties of the printed materials were examined. The printability properties of selected substrates and inks have been determined.

Preparation and assessment of ocular inserts containing sulbactum for controlled drug delivery

Ocuserts or Ophthalmic inserts are sterile preparations containing drug as dispersion or as solution in the polymeric support. The sulbactum is highly used as antibacterial agent in combination with other antibacterial agent. This study aims to formulate novel sulbactum ocuserts to enhance patient compliance through providing controlled drugs release from polymeric matrix. Ocuserts were prepared by solvent-casting method using different polymers HPMC, K4M, Polyvinyl alcohol,ethyl cellulose as polymer gelatine and propylene glycol and dibutyl phthalate as plasticizer in different ratios. The prepared ocusters were physic-chemichally evaluated for their weight, thickness, drug content uniformity, surface pH, swelling index (SI) and folding endurance. The viscosity of the polymeric solution used for the formulations was determined using Brookfield viscometer. In-Vitro Drug Release study and Accelerated stability studies were also performed. The prepared ocuserts show uniform weight, thickness and drug content. Their surface pH was in the physiological range and showed acceptable folding endurance. HPMC formulas had higher SI values. Results of in-vitro testing for one of the prepared ocuserts shows slow release of drugs up to 24 hours. One of the prepared ocuserts is promising for once-daily effective and safe drug delivery system of sulbactum for glaucoma treatment. Keyword: Ocuserts, sulbactum, viscosity, Ophthalmic

FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF ANTIMICROBIAL OINTMENTS FROM EUPATORIUM GLANDULOSUM HORT. EX KUNTH

Objective: The present study was undertaken to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of an ointment prepared from alcohol, ethyl acetate, and chloroform extracts of Eupatorium glandulosum Hort. ex Kunth. Methods: The dried plant materials of E. glandulosum were individually extracted using alcohol, ethyl acetate, and chloroform by Soxhlet method. These three different types of extracts were used for the preparation of ointment and evaluated for the phytochemicals, pH, homogeneity, spreadability, tube extrudability, stability, and antimicrobial activity. The activity of prepared ointments was evaluated against Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis and the in vitro antimicrobial activity of ointments of plant extracts was performed by cup plate methods. The most effective antimicrobial ointment was determined by comparing the results of the zone of inhibition of all the ointments of each solvent extract. Results: The antimicrobial activity of optimized formulation was showed significant activity against the tested bacterial pathogens. Conclusion: The present study confirmed the antimicrobial activity of the formulations. Furthermore, it can use as a potential dosage form for clinical utility. The results are the justification for the use of the plant in folk medicine.