Review Article

Polysaccharide: Carrier in colon targeted drug delivery system

Vipin K. Agarwal^a, Amresh Gupta^b,* Shashank Chaturvedi^a, Farheen Khana^a

^aDepartment of Pharmaceutics, Invertis Institute of Pharmacy, Invertis University, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India.

^bDepartment of Pharmacognosy, Pharmacy College Saifai, U.P. Rural Institute of Medical Sciences & Research, Saifai, Uttar Pradesh, India.

*Corresponding Author: Tel.: +91 9415520130, E-mail: amreshgupta@gmail.com

Oral delivery has become a widely accepted route of administration of therapeutic drugs. The gastrointestinal tract presents several formidable barriers to drug delivery. The delivery of drugs to the colon has a number of therapeutic implications in the field of drug delivery. The objective of the present study is to develop colon targeted drug delivery system by using polysaccharide as a carrier. The colon is a site where both local and systemic delivery of drugs can take place. Local delivery allows topical treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. However, treatment can be made effective if the drugs can be targeted directly into the colon, thereby reducing the systemic side effects. The various approaches that can be exploited to target the release of drug to colon include prodrug formation, coating with pH sensitive polymers, coating with biodegradable polymers, embedding in biodegradable matrices, hydrogel, timed release systems, osmotic and bioadhesive systems. In this review article we have made an attempt to give an overview on polysaccharidebased colon specific drug delivery system.

Keywords: Polysaccharide, Colon targeted drug delivery system, Gums

Review Article

An overview on recent trends of fast dissolving drug delivery system

Sunil Kumar *, Vijay K. Sharma

Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Dr. K.N. Modi Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Modi Nagar, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India.

*Corresponding Author: Tel.: +91 9012406375, E-mail address: sunilak2813@gmail.com

Oral drug delivery remains the preferred route of drug delivery. Oral delivery is currently the gold standard in the pharmaceutical industry where it is regarded as the safest, most convenient and most economical method of drug delivery having the highest patient compliance. Novel technologies with improved performance, patient compliance, and enhanced quality have emerged in the recent past. FDTs have received ever-increasing demand during the last decade, and the field has become a rapidly growing area in the pharmaceutical industry. As a drug entity nears the end of its patent life, it is common for pharmaceutical manufacturers to develop a given drug entity in a new and improved dosage form. Fast or mouth dissolving tablets have been formulated for paediatric, geriatric, and bedridden patients and for active patients who are busy and travelling and may not have access to water, which is a major benefit over conventional dosage form. This article reviews the selection, advantages, disadvantages, mechanism of superdisintegrants, formulation technologies (conventional and patented), and marketed product of fast dissolving tablets. The review also covers the evaluation parameters including pre-compression and post compression parameters FDTs.

Keywords: Fast dissolving tablets, Superdisintegrants, Oral disintegrating tablets, Direct compression

Short Communication

Comparative study on phytochemical screening of different extracts of Bacopa monnieri

Rahul Gupta^a,*, Nidhi Jain^b

^aSri Sai College of Pharmacy, Badhani, Pathankot, Punjab, India.

^bDepartment of Pharmacy, Barkatullah University, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India.

*Corresponding Author: Tel.: +91 9419146880, E-mail address: rahul191sb@gmail.com

The crude extract of Bacopa Monnieri in three different solvents ethanol, methanol and distilled water were produced and finally analyzed for the presence of various phytochemicals. Alcoholic extract was found to possess alkaloids, tannins, saponins, phytosterols, steroids and flavonoids while aqueous extract possesses alkaloids, tannins, saponins, phytosterols, steroids and cardiac glycosides while no extract showed the presence of anthraquinone and phenolic compounds. The identification of various phytochemicals in crude extracts of Bacopa monnieri allows for further extraction of principal active constituents having profound medicinal activity which can be determined by various reported tests.

Keywords: Bacopa Monnieri, Phytochemical screening, Leafy extract, Medicinal plants, Herbal drugs, Bacosides A

Short Communication

A study of Natco v. Bayer case: its effect and current situation

Anu Singhai^a,*, Manu Singhai^b

^aAmity Law School, Amity University Rajasthan, Jaipur, India.

^bLakshmi Narain College of Pharmacy, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India.

*Corresponding Author: Tel: +918094047437, E-mail address: singhai.anu48@gmail.com

Patent right provide the monopoly to the patentee over the manufacture, sell and import of the products. In the absence of such right to the patentees, the infringement of the same will not be penalized and their work will not be awarded, but there are certain conditions when the government can forcefully take away the rights of the patentee and give it to the third party for the sale and manufacture of the same. This article focuses on the case analysis of the grant of compulsory licensing, introduced in India with the case of Natco Pharma. Ltd. v Bayer Corporation, its effect and the present scenario.

Keywords: Patent, Monopoly, Patentee, License, Infringement, TRIPS, WTO

Original Article

Design and development of fast disintegrating film of quetiapine fumarate

Mehul B. Vyas *, Chirag A. Patel, Samir K. Shah, Abhishek Raj

Department of Pharmaceutics, Sardar Patel College of Pharmacy, Vidyanagar, Vadtal Road, Bakrol, Anand, Gujrat, India.

*Corresponding Author: Tel.: +918866747170, E-mail: mehulvyas_85@yahoo.co.in

The work is to develop, optimize and characterize the fast disintegrating films of quetiapine fumarate by using various natural and synthetic polymers and co-excipients to improve its absorption and bio-availability. After the selection of polymer and plasticizer concentration, the optimize formulation of fast disintegrating film develop by using 32 full factorial design. The preliminary batches of film for polymer selection contains quetiapine fumarate as a drug, Poly Vinyl Alcohol (PVA), Hydroxy propyl methyl cellulose E5 LV (HPMC E5 LV), Pectin in different concentration and PEG 400 as plasticizer with other co-excipients. Other preliminary batches of fast disintegrating film for plasticizer selection contains quetiapine fumarate as a drug, HPMC E5 LV as polymer, and PEG 400 as plasticizer in different concentration with other co-excipients. Each formulation was characterised in terms of morphological study, weight variation, thickness, surface pH, tensile strength, folding endurance, % drug content uniformity, % uniform drug distribution, disintegrating time and % drug release. 32 full factorial statistical screening designs was used to statistically optimize the formulation batch and evaluate main effects, interaction effects of independent variables on dependent variables. The factorial batches were evaluated on mainly three dependent variables folding endurance (Y1), in-vitro disintegrating time (Y2) and % drug release (Y3) with other parameters. Preliminary batches were evaluated that shows the HPMC E5 LV 300mg polymer gives the best result for film forming polymer and the PEG 400 1.5ml concentration 32 full factorial design results on the basis of the contour plot, 3d surface plot, desirability study and overlay study indicates that the independent variables were strongly effected on dependent variables.

Keywords: Quetiapine Fumarate, Fast disintegrating film, Poly Vinyl Alcohol (PVA), HPMC E5 LV, PEG 400

Original Article

An in-vitro evaluation of anthelmintic activity of Morus alba bark

Kshitij Agarwal*, Harmeet Singh

Dev Bhoomi Institute of Pharmacy & Research, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India.

*Corresponding Author: Tel.: +91 9219600668, E-mail address: ksmv56@rediffmail.com

Different extracts of Morus alba bark were taken for anthelmintic activity against Indian earthworm Pheretima posthuma. Three concentrations (2, 4, and 10 mg/ml) of various extracts were tested and results were expressed in terms of time for paralysis and time for death of worms. Piperazine hydrate (2 and 4 mg/ml) was used as reference standard and normal saline as control group. Dose dependent activity was observed in the plant extracts but hydroalcoholic extract exhibited more activity as compared to others. The anthelmintic activity of Morus alba bark extract has therefore been demonstrated for the first time.

Keywords: Anthelmintic, Morus alba, Pheretima posthuma, Methanolic extract

Original Article

Formulation and evaluation of controlled floating tablet of Alprazolam

Anupam K. Sachan, Swati Singh*

Dayanand Dinanath College, Institute of Pharmacy, Ramaipur, Kanpur, India.

*Corresponding Author: Tel.: +91 9005614409, E-mail address: 00swatisingh@gmail.com

The objective of this work was to formulate and evaluate a floating drug delivery of alprazolam. Gastroretentive floating tablets of alprazolam were prepared by direct compression method employing three different polymers (HPMC K100M, HPMC K15M and HPMC K4M), which prolonged the drug release from the dosage forms. Tablets were prepared by the direct compression technique, using polymers such as different grades of HPMC. The buoyant layer, prepared with hydroxypropyl methylcellulose HPMC, citric acid, and sodium bicarbonate, provides buoyancy to increase the retention of the oral dosage form in the stomach. Tablets were evaluated for their physical characteristics, viz., hardness, thickness, friability, and mass variation, drug content and floating properties. The prepared tablets were characterized and found to exhibit satisfactory physico-chemical characteristics. The properties of the tablets in terms of floating lag time, floating time and in-vitro release were evaluated. The optimized formulation (F9) exhibited 99.01% drug release in 24 hrs, while the buoyancy lag time was 2.66 min. In-vitro drug release kinetics was found to follow the Korsmeyer and Peppas equation.

Keywords: Floating tablets, Alprazolam, HPMC, In-vitro buoyancy, Release kinetics

Original Article

Factors generating stress in pharmacy students: A cross-sectional study

Ashish Singhai*, Ankit Agarwal, Maneesh Soni

Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, VNS Group of Institutions, Neelbud Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India.

*Corresponding Author: Tel.: +91 9826606911, E-mail address: singhai_ashish12@rediff.com

The study was aimed to determine the factors which were generating stress in Pharmacy students in current scenario. A questionnaire based short intensive survey was conducted in the various Private Institutions of the Bhopal region. The questionnaire consists of ten questions related to the challenges and problems arise during the study and their influence on the various academic paradigms of the students that may create stress in students. In this study the questionnaire based cross-sectional survey was conducted on the 200 Pharmacy students from different institutions to assess the factors which create the stress in students. This study confirms the existing body of information about undergraduates regarding the academic stress, study habits, and academic performance. Academic environment exposes undergraduate students to stressful situations. First year students experience greater levels of stress than continuing students. In this study we find that approximately 51.63% students are highly optimistic, 34.4% students were quite neutral and 13.97% students pessimistic towards these questionnaire or challenges.

Keywords: Pharmacy, Questionnaire, Stress, Academic, Cross-sectional, Optimistic, Pessimistic

Origin Article

Comparative study on teaching and non-teaching staff of MITGI campus regarding knowledge, attitude and understanding (KAU) of prescription: A survey based cross-sectional study

Nikhil Singh^a,*, Santosh Kumari^a, Reena Antil^b, Rajnish Srivastava^a, Krishna Murti^c

^aMoradabad Educational Trust, Faculty of Pharmacy, Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, India.

^bDepartment of Botany, Maharshi Dyanand University, Rohtak, Haryana, India.

^cNational Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Hajipur, Bihar, India.

*Corresponding Author: Tel: +91 9457546396, E-mail: nikhilsinghchauhan13@gmail.com

This study was to assess all the factors age, education, knowledge, attitude, awareness and understanding of prescription in the patients and its correlation with education. A prevalidated questionnaire based study was conducted amongst 130 subjects in MIT campus. The duration of study was three months and the cross-sectional questionnaire based observation study. The study concluded that the average weight and waist circumference of teaching staff is greater than the non- teaching staff, P-value <0.0001. The maximum number of subject belongs to the Hindu group. The prevalence of male subjects (66.15%) were more as compare to the female subject (33.84%) P-value <0.0001. The number of post-graduate teaching staff (70.76%) was more as compared to non-teaching staff (36.84%). The non-teaching staff (28.07%) was more hypertensive as compared to teaching staff (20%) P-value <0.0001. The occurrences of normal weight (65.51%) & underweight (8.62%) subjects were more in non-teaching staff and overweight subjects (40%) in teaching staff, P-value 0.1148. All the factors i.e. age, education, knowledge, attitude and awareness directly affects the perception of prescription. Due to splendid analytical knowledge of teaching staff makes them understand the prescription in a better way as comparison to non-teaching staff. Although teaching staff average BMI exceeds the normal ranges. The non-teaching staff was not aware regarding their health they were suffering from hypertension, which was found at the time of study. The right information and education may improve the quality of patients.

Keywords: Education, Knowledge, Attitude, Awareness, Understand, Waist circumference, BMI

Original Article

A comparative assessment of quality of different marketed turmeric powders

Priyanka Pandey*, Amit Agrahari, Laxmi Tripathi

Moradabad Educational Trust, Group of Institutions, Faculty of Pharmacy, Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, India.

*Corresponding Author: Tel.: +919412494105, E-mail address: pandeypriyanka619@gmail.com

Turmeric, or Curcuma longa, is a spice native to India. The main constituent group is polyphenolic curcuminoids which include: curcumin (diferuloylmethan), demethoxycurcumin, bisdemethoxycurcumin, and cyclocurcumin. Curcumin, containing a mixture of three curcuminoids namely; curcumin, demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin can be isolated by various chromatographic techniques and identified by spectroscopic studies. In the present study five different turmeric powder samples were taken and a comparative organoleptic, physical and chemical evaluations was done to compare the quality of these different samples. Results show that T1 and T2 samples of turmeric powders are of better quality as compared to that of other samples. They have less ash value showing less earthy and mineral impurity, more extractive values showing increased amount of curcuminoids and less moisture content showing that they are less susceptible to degradation. T1 and T2 samples showed highest concentration of coloring matter present.

Keywords: Curcuma longa, Extraction, Physical evaluation, Assay