Pakistan Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

2

Authors: Muhammad Imran Qadir, Mamoona Yasmeen

For the betterment of mankind, scientists are trying to overcome all factors that hinder our economy and health. For this purpose they form genetically modified animals or organisms that have required characteristics, improved productivity, better health of animals and production of human required products. In genetic engineering, transgenesis is a process by which we improve genome of an organism. In whole world, people have different views about genetically modified animals. To know these views in our society, a research was conducted. For this purpose, 100 people of Multan, Pakistan were selected. Results showed that our society agrees with this fact that GM farm animals serve our economy but at the same time they don’t want to ignore their harmful effects.

5

Authors: Yousef A. Taher, Amel M. Hamza, Awatef M. Samud, Jamal S. Elmezogi

Matricaria chamomilla L. (Asteraceae) is a well-known plant in most ancient traditional medicine and highly used for the cure of numerous medical disorders, insomnia included. Using a sleep disturbed model, pentobarbital sodium and ether induce loss of righting reflex were applied for the evaluation of hypnotic and narcosis effects respectively. In the present study, the methanol extract of Matricaria chamomilla flower, at the intraperitoneal (IP) dose 300 mg/kg, showed considerable restful effect and significantly potentiate the hypnotic effect of pentobarbital sodium, both the latency to sleep and duration time, with a decrease value of 31.9% (P<0.001) and increase values of 53.3% (P<0.01) respectively. On the contrary, the Matricaria chamomilla flower methanol extract did not prolong the narcosis effect induced by ether. These findings indicate that Matricaria chamomilla methanol extract, at the dose used has a potential sedative-hypnotic effect as well as providing a scientific evidence for its traditional use as a sleep inducer.

6

Authors: Ambreen Aleem, Muqeet Wahid

Stoppage of bleeding from damaged blood vessels is hemostasis, an essential factor to be checked before any surgical process. Hence blood test is a routine test for hospital prior to surgeries. The study was aimed to assess the distribution of blood groups and to check gender-based relationship among the blood groups, bleeding and clotting time. The study was conducted in the department of pharmacy, BZU. The available data of 122 students of 1st year of Pharm. D was analysed in every required aspects i.e. sex, age, ABO and Rh blood groups, bleeding and clotting times. The standard antisera (A, B, & D) were used to determine the blood group, Duke Method and Capillary tube method were used to find out bleeding and clotting time respectively. Finally, all the parameters were compared and analysed statistically. In the present study, it is found that B blood group is more prevalent in both the sexes than O, A and AB. Clotting time is found to be significantly higher in O and B blood groups in females and males respectively, whereas Bleeding time was found to be greater than others in AB blood group in females and ‘O’ blood group in males but the values are not significantly different from each other. In females, the values of bleeding and clotting time are slightly greater than in males, may be because of hormonal differences. Various cardiovascular and gastrointestinal diseases are associated with the blood groups, so people can take preventive measures according to their blood groups.

7

Authors: Amna Jaffar, Muhammad Imran Qadir

World Health Organization (WHO) reported that developed and developing, both countries are suffering from childhood obesity. Childhood obesity has increased nationally and internationally. This can be reduced by focusing on prevalence, cancer association with obesity, risk factors and preventive measures of worldwide childhood obesity. Vitamin D and calcium both are inversely associated with obesity in children. So, supplementation of both micro-nutrients is warranted in childhood obesity. Some natural products in the form of diet are also helpful in reduction of obesity namely; prebiotics, probiotics and fatty acids.

9

Authors: S Ashutosh Kumar, Manidipa Debnath, D. Vimala

The present study aimed to develop and validate the simultaneous estimation of phenylephrine HCl, chlorpheniramine maleate and dextromethorphan HBrintablet dosage forms. A gradient reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatographic (RP-HPLC) method with ultraviolet detection at 220 nm has been developed for the simulataneous determination of phenylephrine HCl, chlorpheniramine maleate and dextromethorphan HBrin pharmaceutical dosage forms (Syrup). Good chromatographic separation was achieved by using a stainless steel analytical column, the Hypersil BDS C8column(4.6 X 250 mm; 5 μm). The system was operated at 25 ± 2°C using a mobile phase consisted of HPLC grade water (composed of TEA and 1-octane sulfonic acid sodium salt) (pH adjusted to 3.2 using orthophosphoric acid) and acetonitrile, mixed at gradient mode, manitained flow rate at 1.0 mL/minute. The slope, intercept, and correlation coefficient were found to be y = 34306x -11042 (r2= 0.999) for phenylephrine HCl, y = 35874x -13101 (r2= 0.999) for chlorpheniramine maleate anddextromethorphan HBry = 25516x -26579 (r2 = 0.999),respectively. The proposed method was validated for its specificity, linearity, accuracy, and precision. The method was found to be suitable for the quality control of phenylephrine HCl, chlorpheniramine maleate and dextromethorphan HBr simultaneously in a bulk drug samples as well as in a formulations.

12

Authors: Ogunwa T.H., Adeyelu T.T., Fasimoye R.Y., Oyewale M.B., Ademoye T.A., Ilesanmi O.C.,Awe O.B., Ajiboye S.A., Oloye O.B.1, Sholanke D.R.

Clerodenrum volubile is an important locally used medicinal plant. It is one of the essential herbs,nature has provided for mankind to be consumed as spices, vegetable and is also used in the treatment of diseases. Qualitative phytoconstituent screening of the plant revealed the presence of steroids, flavonoids, tannins, saponinsand phenolic compound while chalcones, alkaloid and anthraquinone were absent. Quantitative phytochemical evaluation showed values of 8.29±1.26mg/g rutin equivalent for flavonoids, 3.53±0.05mg/g gallic acid equivalent for phenol, 3.97±0.03mg/g tannic acid equivalent for tannins and 13.67±1.27% for saponin per dry weight. As it is imperative to extend research work on therapeutic effects of the arsenal of plants,nature has given to us in Africa,so as to obtain a cure for various diseases attacking human’s health, antioxidant properties of the plant was evaluated. Antioxidant models used include iron chelating, DPPH(2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical, superoxide ion, hydrogen peroxide, ABTS (2,2′-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) radical, hydroxyl radical scavenging activities and ferric ion reducing properties. The obtained IC50(concentration of an inhibitor where the response (or binding) is reduced by half) values against DPPHradical were 141.342 and 120.349µg/mL for Clerodendrum volubile and trolox respectively. The chelating effect of the plant extract at 50% inhibition was close to that of ascorbic acid (standard) with 134.34 and 131.19µg/mL concentration respectively. Overall, the aqueous extract of the plant showed antioxidant potential which was close to the effects exerted by known standard antioxidants (ascorbic acid, trolox and EDTA). The plant could hence provide natural antioxidants which are needed to combat numerous free radical-mediated diseases and complications such asaging, cancer and atherosclerosiswhich are linked with oxidative stress.

4

Authors: Maryum Khan, Muhammad Tauqeer Ajmal

Asthma is exaggerated response of immune system which is a leading cause of death in the third world. Main causes of asthma are allergy, smoking, drugs like NSAID (Aspirin) and family history. Objective of study was to check the prevalence of asthma in different age groups and its impact on socioeconomical behaviors of the peoples of southern Punjab, by developing a questionnaire. Incidence of asthmatic attack in the age group of 20 to 60 years was more than in age group of 20 years, furthermore the incidence was found to be more common in females as compare to males. The smokers were at more risk to develop the disease as compared to the nonsmokers.

5

Authors: Zeeshan Masood, Muhammad Tayyab Ansari, Sharjeel Adnan, Muhammad Asad, Muhammad Farooq, Mueen Ahmad

A rapid, simple and sensitive spectrophotometric method has been developed for the determination of metronidazole in pharmaceutical pure and dosage forms. The method depends on alkaline hydrolysis of metronidazole releases the nitro group as nitrite ion and yielded nitrite ions can be used to give a colored complex that absorbs maximally at 505 nm. Beer’s law is obeyed in the concentration ranges 9-100 g/ml with molar absorptivity of 1.14 ×103 L mole-1 cm-1. The proposed method is precise, accurate and specific for the quantitative determination of drug in bulk and dosage forms. The results of analysis of commercial formulations and the recovery study of metronidazole suggested that there is no interference from any excipients, which are present in pharmaceutical formulations of metronidazole. Statistical comparison of the results was performed with regard to accuracy and precision using student’s t-test and F-ratio at 95% confidence level. There is no significant difference between the reported and proposed methods with regard to accuracy and precision.

6

Authors: Mehreen Jabeen , Umair Jillani, Bashir Ahmad Chaudhary, Muhammad Uzair

Phyla nodiflora (Verbenaceae) has been used in folk medicine for various ailments such as asthma, bronchitis, knee joint pain, gonorrhea, and irritation of internal hemorrhoids, cardiopathy, hepatitis and fever. It is known to have various biological activities such as antimicrobial, antitumor, antiinflammatory, antidiabetic, antimelanogenesis, hepatoprotective and antioxidant effects. Phyla nodiflora is a common ingredient of herbal tea used for the treatment of inflammation, menstrual disorders, and infectious disease. In the present study the plant has been completely reviewed for detection and isolation of secondary metabolites and biological activities which will facilitate the scientists to plan for future studies.

7

Authors: Sana Sharif, Nazar Mohammad Ranjha, Abdul Majeed, Ghulam Abbas, Muhammad Tuqeer Ajmal, Sana Hassan, Basma Aftab, Musaddique Hussain, Rauf ur Rehman

Tuberculosis is a worldwide health problem affecting one third of world’s population and Pakistan is no exception. In this study, we used a structured and close-ended questionnaire to collect data about sociodemographic prevalence of tuberculosis, its risk factors, multiple drug resistance tuberculosis and clinical characterization of tuberculosis from Nishtar Hospital Multan, Pakistan. Tuberculosis is an infectious disease, affecting young people and females more commonly in Pakistan. Urbanization, illiteracy, poverty, family history of TB, associated immunosuppressive disorders, smoking and alcohol consumption are major factors of tuberculosis. Multiple drug resistance tuberculosis is also an emerging problem.

8

Authors: Hira Rafi, Muhammad Farhan

Stress is a complicated condition that effects on person’s mental and physical health, and it is the precursor of other psychological disorders mainly depression. Serotonin (5-Hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) is well known to have hypo function in unpredictable chronic mild stress whereas, unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) has produced the most steady and continuous results of anhedonia and learned helplessness particularly in rats. The stress-induced depressive like behavior can be reversed by many antidepressants such as SSRIs. Selective serotonin [5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)] reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) is mostly prescribed antidepressant that can deplete neurochemical and behavioral deficits. The present study was designed to investigate whether repeated administration of dapoxetine at dose (1.0 mg/kg) could reverse the behavioral deficits induced by UCMS in rat model of depression. UCMS induced behavioral deficits. Locomotive activity in familiar environment (home cage), novel (open field) environment and anxiolytic behavior in light/dark activity box were greater in unstressed group than stressed group. The inhibition of serotonin reuptake at pre-synaptic receptors by repeated dapoxetine administration is mainly the mechanism involved and discussed. This particular study may assist in novel approach for understanding the interaction between stress and behavioral functions and extending the therapeutic use of dapoxetine.

12

Authors: Mughisa Munir , Muhammad Hanif, Nazar Muhammad Ranjha

Dendrimers are the valuable additives in different routes of drug administration and are the most successful agents, because dendrimers provide greater biocompatibility, water solubility and bioavailability. In this review, synthesis structures, method of preparation have been discussed. Interaction mechanisms between dendrimer molecules and active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), like simple encapsulation and covalent conjugation and the recent applications of dendrimers have also been focused. Divergent method of poly amidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers is found to be more applicable as compare to convergent method and PAMAM are also considered as ideal carriers for drug delivery because of large variety of surface groups, high aqueous solubility, and their unique architecture.