International Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation

INTRODUCTION: Pakistan spends 0.7% of its gross domestic product on health. The public sector health-care system provides services to 22% of population thus paving the way for a dominant private sector. Patients in Pakistan mostly pay their medical expenses directly, and 64% of the health expenditures are borne by the household. Expenditure on medicine constitutes 43% of the total household expenditure. METHODS: A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted in Karachi, Pakistan, for a month...

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of conducting this research was evaluation of the frequency of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) in separated Enterobacteriaceae isolates from clinical samples in Khorramabad city and determination of their antimicrobial resistance pattern. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, 240 isolates belonging to Enterobacteriaceae family were collected in time duration between March and June in 2014. The isolates were identified by standard biochemical tests...

Orally administered solid dosage forms currently dominate over all other dosage forms and routes of administrations. However, human gastrointestinal tract (GIT) poses a number of obstacles to delivery of the drugs to the site of interest and absorption in the GIT. Pharmaceutical scientists worldwide have been interested in colon drug delivery for several decades, not only for the delivery of the drugs for the treatment of colonic diseases such as ulcerative colitis and colon cancer but also for delivery of therapeutic proteins and peptides for systemic absorption...

The recent amendments notified by the Government of India, for conducting clinical trial, is greatly appreciable as promoting safety and well-being of human subjects. These rules clearly state that medical management of injuries in clinical trials is mandatory, and clinical trial-related injury or death needs to be compensated over and above the medical management. These rules need to be reconsidered for simplification and better understanding of issues regarding compensation. There is a need of clarity at some points which should be discussed with all stakeholders for better understanding of current regulations...

OBJECTIVE: Zinc chloride is an important inorganic compound used as a source of zinc and has other numerous industrial applications. Unfortunately, it lacks reliable and accurate physicochemical, thermal, and spectral characterization information altogether. Hence, the authors tried to explore in-depth characterization of zinc chloride using the modern analytical technique. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The analysis of zinc chloride was performed using powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), particle size distribution, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis/differential thermogravimetric analysis (TGA/DTG), ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis), and Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) analytical techniques...

BACKGROUND: Diabetes is a chronic, progressive disease associated with several complications leading to significant mortality and morbidity. Limitations and drawbacks of the conventional treatment generate need for safer, effective complimentary therapies to prevent complications, and maintain normoglycemic status. AIM AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to to evaluate antidiabetic activity of AHPL/AYTAB/0513 tablet alone, oral hypoglycemic agents (OHA[s]), and combination of AHPL/AYTAB/0513 tablet and OHA(s) in streptozotocin-induced diabetes in rats...

INTRODUCTION: The delivery of drug is often affected by formulation processes and the excipients used in the formulation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 2(3) factorial analysis was used in this study to evaluate the effect of acetylated ginger starch (AGS) (Zingiber officinale) as a binder in metronidazole tablets, in comparison to corn starch (CS) BP. The individual and interacting effects of variables (binder type X1, binder concentration X2, and compression pressure X3) used on tablet properties such as friability, crushing strength, crushing strength friability ratio (CSFR), disintegration and crushing strength friability/disintegration time ratio (CSFR/DT) were determined...

BACKGROUND: Transdermal drug delivery system (TDDS) was designed to sustain the release and improve the bioavailability of drug and patient compliance. Among the various types of transdermal patches, matrix dispersion type systems disperse the drug in the solvent along with the polymers and solvent is allowed to evaporate forming a homogeneous drug-polymer matrix. The objective of the present study was to design and formulate TDDS of topiramate (TPM) and to evaluate their extended release in vitro and ex vivo ...

Tablets have been choice of manufacturers over the years due to their comparatively low cost of manufacturing, packaging, shipping, and ease of administration; also have better stability and can be considered virtually tamper proof. A major challenge in formulation development of the tablets extends from lower solubility of the active agent to the elaborated manufacturing procedures for obtaining a compressible granular material. Moreover, the validation and documentation increases, as the numbers of steps increases for an industrially acceptable granulation process...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

PURPOSE: Osmotic devices are the most promising strategy-based systems for controlled drug delivery. By optimizing formulation and processing parameters, possible to develop osmotic systems to deliver drugs at predetermined rate with high in vitro-in vivo correlation. The aim of the present investigation was to develop an oral elementary osmotic pump (EOP) of atenolol with zero-order or near zero-order drug release profile. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Differential scanning calorimetry and Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy studies did not show any evidence of interaction between the drug and excipients...

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare the effects of radiofrequency radiation (RF) in synergism with gold (Au) and silver (Ag) nanoparticles (NPs) on the survival fraction of human normal kidney (HNK) and human embryonic kidney (HEK) cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: HNK and HEK cells were divided into three groups as control, 1 and 2 h/day-irradiated groups for 8 days. To compare the effects of RF in the presence of Au-NPs and Ag-NPs, the cells were incubated with NPs during the irradiation...

INTRODUCTION: The quality of radix scutellariae is particularly associated with environmental stresses, but detailed mechanisms remained unclear. Plant under unfavorable situation generates redundant reactive oxygen species (ROS), and ROS can modify the secondary metabolism. The varied quality of radix scutellariae could be explained by ROS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: .004, 0.4, and 40 μmol/L of sodium dithionite (Na2S2O4), a material producing ROS, were applied to Scutellaria baicalensis to mimic unfavorable situation...

INTRODUCTION: The majority of drugs obtained through synthesis and development show poor aqueous solubility and dissolution velocity, resulting in reduced bioavailability of drugs. Most of these problems arise from formulation-related performance issues, and an efficient way to overcome these obstacles and to increase dissolution velocity is to reduce the particle size of drug substances to form drug nanosuspensions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Danazol nanosuspensions were prepared by wet milling (WM) and high-pressure homogenization (HPH) methods...

BACKGROUND: To formulation and development of plasma volume expander (PVE) by using natural and modified starch from Solanum tuberosum. The function of blood circulation is to provide the needs of the body tissues and to maintain an appropriate environment in all tissue fluids of the body for the optimal survival and functions of the cells. Rapid restoration of the blood volume is necessary to decrease reduction in the amount of the blood. The PVEs are isotonic colloidal solutions, act by increasing the osmotic pressure of the intravascular compartment, which leads to the influx of the interstitial fluids through the capillary pore which, in turn, leads to the increase in the volume of the blood...

OBJECTIVE: The present investigation involves the development of zolmitriptan oral soluble film (OSF) formulations and optimization with quality by design (QBD) using natural polymers and evaluation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Initially, various natural polymers such as sodium alginate, pectin, and gelatin were screened by casting films using solvent casting technique and the prepared films were evaluated. Based on the physical and mechanical properties, sodium alginate was selected as best film former and zolmitriptan-loaded films were casted...

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to provide a mechanistic insight into solubility enhancement and dissolution of acyclovir (ACY) by polyethylene glycol20000 (PEG20000). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Solid dispersions with differing ratios of drug (ACY) and carrier (PEG20000) were prepared and evaluated by phase solubility, in vitro release studies, kinetic analysis, in situ perfusion, and in vitro permeation studies. Solid state characterization was also done by Powder X-Ray Diffraction (PXRD), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis and surface morphology was assessed by Polarizing Microscopic Image (PMI) analysis, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) analysis...

INTRODUCTION: The study was aimed at the development of low-density gastroretentive bioadhesive microsponges of cinnarizine by two-pronged approach (i) coating with bioadhesive material and (ii) exploration of acconon MC 8-2 EP/NF as bioadhesive raw material for fabrication. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Microsponges were prepared by quasi-emulsion solvent diffusion method using 32 factorial design. Capmul GMO was employed for bioadhesive coating. In parallel, potential of acconon for the fabrication of bioadhesive floating microsponges (A8) was assessed...

INTRODUCTION: Valsartan is a type II Biopharmaceutics Classification System (BCS) classified drug. The poor aqueous solubility restricts its use in developing sustained or controlled release systems for the treatment of chronic hypertensive conditions. The present investigation was conducted with an objective to formulate porous matrices (PMs) of valsartan in order to enhance aqueous solubility. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) K30 and poloxamer 407 were used as hydrophilic carriers; hexane was used as a pore-forming agent, ethanol was used as a solvent, and tween 20 was used as an emulgent...

INTRODUCTION: The aim of burn management and therapy is fast healing and epithelisation to prevent infection. The present study is concerned with the development and characterization of a novel nanaoparticulate system; cubosomes, loaded with silver sulfadiazine (SSD) and Aloe vera for topical treatment of infected burns. METHODS: Cubosome dispersions were formulated by an emulsification technique using different concentrations of a lipid phase Glyceryl Monooleate (GMO) and Poloxamer 407...