Solubility Enhancement of Diclofenac Using Solid Dispersions

Background: The phenomenon which gives rise to a homogenous system, formed by the dissolution of solute in a solvent is known as solubility. Low solubility is the limiting factor in formulation development. Diclofenac being BCS class II drug have low aqueous solubility of 0.00401mg/ml. Amongst various solubility enhancement techniques, solid dispersion is the easiest one. Objective: Present work is primarily focused on the development of solid dispersions of diclofenac through solvent evaporation technique utilizing Eudragit E100 as a carrier. Methods: Solid dispersion consists of at least one active pharmaceutical ingredient as a carrier in solid state. Various methods for preparing solid dispersions includes melt extrusion, fusion lyophilization, spray drying, solvent evaporation, and super critical fluid (SCF) technology. Solvent evaporation technique is used among various solid dispersion methods. Conclusion: The enhanced solubility found to be 0.485mg/ml. The dissolution was performed using USP Type II apparatus was %CDR of pure drug and its solid dispersion in 8 hr were found out to be 45.14926% and 98.04758% respectively. Henceforth, solid dispersion technique results marked solubility enhancement of diclofenac sodium.

Review of Experimental Pharmacological Studies of Plants Used for Asthma Management in Africa

Objectives: The aim was to contribute to the promotion of medicinal plants used in Africa for management of asthma by analyzing their experimental pharmacological evaluation data. Methods: We carried out a systematic review of the literature based on the following research equations in English and in French: « médecine traditionnelle africaine » ET « asthma » ; « African traditional medicine » AND « asthma » or « Medicine African traditional » AND « asthma » ; « plantes médicinales » ET « asthma » ET « antispasmodique » ; «medicinal plants » AND « asthma » AND « anti-spasmodic » ; « plantes médicinales » ET « asthma » ET « anti-inflammatoire » ; «medicinal plants » AND « asthma » AND « anti-inflammatory ». Results: The study revealed 184 medicinal plants used in Africa for the treatment of asthma, 34 of which showed pharmacological properties in favor of their use. In animal experiments, 18 of these plants exerted a spasmolytic effect, 22 an anti-inflammatory effect and 6 both effects. The spasmolytic activity study protocols were based primarily on inhibition of smooth airway muscle contraction, including trachea, induced by various spasmogenic agents. As for of the methods used to study anti-inflammatory activity, the majority of them consisted of tests for carrageenan-induced edema or for formalin-induced leg irritation. Conclusion: Our results justify the need for standardization of experimental study protocols for the recovery of medicinal plants.

How Kerala and Rajasthan Mitigated COVID-19: A Comparative Study

All the countries of the world have been taking all the possible precautionary measures to combat COVID-19. In India, although there are many states which were affected by this flareup, the authors had taken only two states, i.e., Kerala and Rajasthan. Both the states did their best to combat this pandemic. Kerala was the first state to witness the first case in India on 30th January 2020 whereas in Rajasthan, the first case was tested on 2nd March 2020. After announcing this flareup as a pandemic by WHO, all the states did their best to break the chain of transmission, till date the recovery rate of India is 63.30%, Kerala is 47%, and Rajasthan is 73%. The high rate of recovery and low rate of case fatality show the benefits of early lockdown and the precautionary measures taken by Government of India and State governments (Kerala and Rajasthan). This paper implies the comparative study of all the precautionary measures and situation of COVID-19 in the two states.

Effect of Pravastatin on Development of Diabetes Mellitus - A Statement of Review

According to the ADA, diabetes mellitus is defined as having fasting blood glucose levels >= 7.0mmol/l. Statins are the lipid-lowering agents used to treat dyslipidemia and act by inhibiting the HMG Co-A reductase enzyme. Very few studies have reported the results of drugs concerning the profile of blood lipids or which have anti-inflammatory activity behaviour on diabetes. Pravastatin is such a drug that shows inherent beneficial pleiotropic effects on plasma lipids and inflammatory actions. Pravastatin remarkably reduced the increased levels of plasma glucose when compared with the control group, subjecting to no change in body weight or food intake in mice. By performing certain insulin tolerance tests using tracers like 2- [3 H]-deoxy glucose (2DG), they concluded that insulin-induced glucose uptake is increased in adipose tissue. Pravastatin is shown to reduce the circulating concentration of the interleukin-6, cytokines, and TNF-alpha. Pravastatin's anti-inflammatory properties interrupt the natural progression from central obesity to insulin resistance mediated by cytokines from the adipose tissue. Pravastatin can significantly impact selective tissue perfusion through restoring the endothelial function and thus benefit the transportation of glucose and insulin.

Using or not using anti-inflammatory drugs against Covid-19: Timeline

There is great controversy about the use and non-use of anti-inflammatories during the COVID19 epidemic. From the beginning, the information that has been circulating worldwide presents contradictions. The information from the world health organization (WHO), which presents contradictions on the use of anti-inflammatory drugs, is followed up. The seriousness of these indecisions and their consequences are discussed. It is shown that, due to the indifference to attack this disease in its initial stage, by giving patients only painkillers that mask the advance of COVID-19; by making the patient think that he is healing when in fact his illness is worsening. We include a timeline where the opinions and clinical studies on this subject are observed. Including recent favourable results with the use of anti-inflammatory drugs.

Letter to Editor: Vitamin D Fighting Against Novel Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2)

We are under attack by an unseen entity. A never seen disaster like this has crippled the world. For the first instance, as an emergency, the lock-down and social boycotts were applied all around the world. These steps have slowed down the speed of spread. A game changer effective and safe vaccine could take unexpected long time. Long term lockdown and social boycotts could lead to more disasters than virus. And again, after some time, countries will be forced to lift-off all these restrictions to save economy, industries and social system. So, what to do? We need a novel sophisticated system that could hold the world from economic, industrial and social disasters. All activities should go on to its full extent with precise precautions and guidelines