Design, Formulation and Physicochemical Evaluation of Clotrimazole Chewing Gum

Background: Oral candidiasis is widespread in the patients with immunodeficiency diseases. Chewing gums are considered as mobile drug delivery systems that affected locally or systemically via the oral cavity. This study aimed to develop and evaluate the formulation of clotrimazole chewing gums for patients having oral candidiasis. Materials and Methods: Fourteen formulations (F) were designed by Design-Expert, version 7. These formulations were different in the amount of gum bases and sweeteners. Gum bases of elvasti, 487, stick, and fruit C were heated up to 70°C. Clotrimazole powder, sugar, liquid glucose, glycerin, mannitol, xylitol, and maltitol as well as different flavoring agents were added to the gum bases at 40°C. Content and weight uniformity, organoleptic properties evaluation, releasing the active ingredient in the phosphate buffer pH, 6.8, and taste evaluation were analyzed by Latin square analysis. Also, the mechanical test was done on F13 and F14 formulations. Results: F14 was the best formulation in terms of organoleptic properties. This formulation had suitable size, hardness, softness, and lack of adhesion to teeth. F14 formulation released 89% and 97% of clotrimazole after 30 and 45 minutes, respectively. F14 content uniformity and weight variations were 9.83±0.086 mg and 1.14±0.09 g, respectively. F14 evaluation of mechanical properties showed Young’s modulus about 0.32 MPa, and yield point occurred at the stress of 0.599 MPa and strain of 4.1%. Conclusion: F14 was chosen according to its physicochemical and organoleptic properties. F14 had adequate hardness, lack of adhesion to the teeth, suitable size, and best drug release. Tutti Frutti was a proper flavoring agent for clotrimazole gum formulations.[GMJ.2021;10:e1084]

The Use of Electronic Nose as Alternative Non-Destructive Technique to Discriminate Flavored and Unflavored Olive Oils

Cv. Arbequina extra virgin olive oils (EVOO) were flavored with cinnamon, garlic, and rosemary and characterized. Although flavoring significantly affected the physicochemical quality parameters, all oils fulfilled the legal thresholds for EVOO classification. Flavoring increased (20 to 40%) the total phenolic contents, whereas oxidative stability was dependent on the flavoring agent (a slight increase for rosemary and a decrease for cinnamon and garlic). Flavoring also had a significant impact on the sensory profiles. Unflavored oils, cinnamon, and garlic flavored oils had a fruity-ripe sensation while rosemary flavored oils were fruity-green oils. Fruit-related sensations, perceived in unflavored oils, disappeared with flavoring. Flavoring decreased the sweetness, enhanced the bitterness, and did not influence the pungency of the oils. According to the EU regulations, flavored oils cannot be commercialized as EVOO. Thus, to guarantee the legal labelling requirement and to meet the expectations of the market-specific consumers for differentiated olive oils, a lab-made electronic nose was applied. The device successfully discriminated unflavored from flavored oils and identified the type of flavoring agent (90 ± 10% of correct classifications for the repeated K-fold cross-validation method). Thus, the electronic nose could be used as a practical non-destructive preliminary classification tool for recognizing olive oils’ flavoring practice.

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis as Flavoring Agent for Alcoholic Beverages

The present work is an evaluation of the chemical composition of the aroma and the sensorial characters of a beer flavored with Hibiscus rosa-sinensis flowers. Moreover, the total polyphenol, flavonoid and anthocyanin contents and the antioxidant activity of the plant materials and beers were assessed. A comparison with a liqueur flavored with the same hibiscus flowers was also performed. Non-terpene derivatives constituted the main class of components of the aroma of both samples, representing 96.4% of the whole volatilome in the control beer and 99.0% in the hibiscus one. Among this class, esters were the most abundant compounds, being significantly higher in the treated sample (77.6%) than in the control (68.4%), followed by the alcohols (20.9% in control beer and 18.8% in hibiscus beer). From a sensorial point of view, the control beer was characterized by malty and hoppy notes, attributable to the noticeable content in myrcene and α-humulene in its headspace, while in the hibiscus beer, floral and fruity notes, typical of esters and alcohols, prevailed. The polyphenol content was significantly higher in the treated beer (143.96 mg/g) than in the control, as well as the total flavonoids and the total anthocyanins, and, consequently, the antioxidant activity (DPPH-assay).

Metabolism of Diterpenoids Derived from the Bark of Cinnamomum cassia in Human Liver Microsomes

Cinnamomum cassia L. is used as a spice and flavoring agent as well as a traditional medicine worldwide. Diterpenoids, a class of compounds present in C. cassia, have various pharmacological effects, such as anti-inflammatory, antitumor, and antibacterial activities; however, there are insufficient studies on the metabolism of diterpenoids. In this study, the metabolism of seven diterpenoids, namely, anhydrocinnzeylanol, anhydrocinnzeylanine (AHC), cinncassiol A, cinncassiol B, cinnzeylanol, cinnzeylanone, and cinnzeylanine, obtained from the bark of C. cassia was studied in human liver microsomes (HLMs). All studied diterpenoids, except for AHC, exhibited strong metabolic stability; however, AHC was rapidly metabolized to 3% in HLMs in the presence of β-NADPH. Using a high-resolution quadrupole-orbitrap mass spectrometer, 20 metabolites were identified as dehydrogenated metabolites (M1–M3), dehydrogenated and oxidated metabolites (M4–M10), mono-oxidated metabolites (M11–M13), or dioxidated metabolites (M14–M20). In addition, CYP isoforms involved in AHC metabolism were determined by profiling metabolites produced after incubation in 11 recombinant cDNA-expressed CYP isoforms. Thus, the diterpenoid compound AHC was identified in a metabolic pathway involving CYP3A4 in HLMs.

Mentha arvensis (Pudina): A Review Based upon its Medicinal Properties

Since the origin in life, plants have remained the primary source of food, shelter and various remedial approaches. Plants are being in use for treating various kind of diseases across the world. Mentha arvensis linn. is a medicinal plant belonging to the Lamiaceae family. It is utilized as a household remedy, food seasoner and for many other industrial purposes. Mentha arvensis is traditionally used in patients with hypertension and ischemic heart disease. The plant species are well recognized for their folk medicinal uses, especially to treat cold, fever, digestive and cardiovascular disorders. The leaves of Mentha arvensis are recorded to possess potent therapeutic values. Leaves of plant also possess aromatic fragrance and are utilized as a flavoring agent. The leaves are utilized for the treatment of liver disease, spleen, asthma and jaundice. Various bioactive compounds isolated from this plant are terpenoids, alcohols, rosmarinic acids and phenolics. These bioactive compounds have many pharmacological properties such as antimicrobial, hepatoprotective, cardioprotective, antioxidant, antiulcer, immunomodulatory, antifertility and anti-tumor. These pharmacological activities of the Mentha arvensis plant are also mentioned in the literature of ayurveda, unani and other traditional system of medicine. The present review is summarizing the general description, phytochemical compounds, traditional view, modern view and pharmacological activities of the Mentha arvensis plant.

Computational Studies on Drug Likeness and Pharmacokinetic Profile of Selected Phytoconstituents from Liquorice

Liquorice consists of dried, unpeeled, roots and stolons of Glycyrrhiza glabra Linn., traditionally used as an expectorant, demulcent, antispasmodic, flavoring agent and also used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis inflammation and addision’s disease. It has reported for the presence of wide variety of simple and complex primary and secondary phytoconstituents. In the present investigation an attempt has been made to study the drug likeness properties and pharmacokinetic profile of selected phytoconstituents from Liquorice using computer and server based technology. We have selected Liqhiritin, Isoliqiritin, Shinflavanone, Licopyranocoumarin, Methoxyficifolinol, Licoriphenon, Isoliquiritigenin, Ligquritigenin, Prenyllicoflavone A, and Glisoflavone. PubChem database server is used for the find out the canonical smiles. Molsoft server is used for the drug likeness and molecular property prediction. The using the admetSAR server was used for the determination of pharmacokinetic profile along with some toxicity investigations. The results of investigation yield the drug likeness score of selected phytoconstituents along with its absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion profile along with some toxicity behaviors of selected phytoconstituents. The present investigation concludes that computer and server based screening play important role for identification of drug like candidates from Liquorice and also data obtained from admetSAR is valuable for research on Liquorice.

Vaping and Commitment Flu-B Infection Is a Deadly Combination for Spontaneous Pneumomediastinum

Vaping or E-cigarettes were created to deliver nicotine-containing aerosol to users with a flavoring agent without agents such as tars, oxidant gases, and carbon monoxide smoke found in traditional tobacco cigarettes. The use of E-cigarettes is steadily increasing in the United States, especially among the young population. Electronic cigarettes seem capable of causing various injury patterns in the lungs, collectively called E-cigarettes or vaping-associated lung injury (EVALI). Spontaneous pneumomediastinum (SPM) is a rare finding in EVALI. Here, we report a case of spontaneous pneumomediastinum secondary to vaping in a young man with no past medical history except for daily vaping and a recent untreated influenza infection.

Review Based Upon Ayurvedic and Traditional Uses of Cinnamomum tamala (Tejpatta)

Cinnamomum tamala is an evergreen plant native to Sri Lanka and India. This herbal plant is commonly called Indian cassia, Tejpatta and Indian bay leaf. There are many bioactive constituents isolated from plant Cinnamomum tamala. Leaves of the plant possess aromatic fragrance and are also utilized as a flavoring agent. It is used in food curry, pickles and other spices. Besides food application, the leaves have also been used for curing a number of ailments. All parts of the plant possess many major bioactive chemical constituents like cinnamaldehyde, trans-cinnamaldehyde, 3,4,5,7- tetrahydroxyflavone, 3,3,4,5,6- pentahydroflavone (non-glycoside compounds), kaempferol, eugenol, etc. These phytochemical compounds have many pharmacological activities such as anticancer, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, hepatoprotective, antidiarrheal and immunomodulatory. In the past time, it is also considered for medicinal use. Their medicinal use was also mentioned in the literature of ayurveda, yunani and other traditional systems of medicine. Due to aromatic fragrance, it is also utilized in the perfume industry. The major aim of this review is to give a brief knowledge about the plant Cinnamomum tamala based on their phytochemical constituents, ayurvedic view, folk view and pharmacological application.

Honey-Based Medicinal Formulations: A Critical Review

Honey, a concentrated natural product, is produced by honeybees (Apis mellifera) from the nectar of flowers. It contains over 200 compounds that exert various biological or pharmacological activities, ranging from antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antihypertensive to hypoglycemic effects. Due to the presence of a plethora of bioactive compounds, as well as unique physicochemical properties, honey has been widely used as medicine throughout human history along with its extensive utilization as common food and flavoring agent. The application of neat honey for therapeutic purpose, however, poses some difficulties such as the maintenance of a required therapeutic concentration over an adequate timeframe due to the problem of liquefaction and leakage. This has driven researchers to incorporate honey into a range of formulations, for example, hydrogels, dressings, ointments, pastes, or lozenges. After a brief discussion of the chemistry and medicinal use of honey, this review focuses on commercial honey-based medicinal formulations as well as in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies on noncommercial honey formulations for the treatment of various ailments. In addition to this, it also covers the application of honey formulations and the evidence underpinning their use.

Ru Catalysts Supported on Commercial and Biomass-Derived Activated Carbons for the Transformation of Levulinic Acid into γ-Valerolactone under Mild Conditions

Ru catalysts (1 wt.%) supported on commercial and biomass-derived activated carbons (AC) have been prepared, thoroughly characterized, and used in the hydrogenation of levulinic acid to produce gamma-valerolactone (GVL). This is an important platform compound that plays a key role in the production of liquid fuels and that can also be used, for example, as a food flavoring agent, antifreeze, and solvent. The study focuses on the influence of the carbon support characteristics, such as porous texture and acidity, on the properties and performance (LA conversion and selectivity to GVL) of the catalysts. Catalytic activity tests have been carried out at 170 °C and also in noticeably milder conditions (70 °C) to implement a less energy-demanding process. All the catalysts show high LA conversion and GVL yield at 170 °C, while at 70 °C, important differences between them, related to the support properties, have been found. The catalysts prepared with more acidic supports show better catalytic properties: very good catalytic performance (98% LA conversion and 77% selectivity to GVL) has been obtained in mild temperature conditions.