Dhaka University Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Anti-viral Activity of 62 Medicinal Plants, Herbs and Spices Available in Bangladesh: A Mini Review

2023-07-03T15:48:52+00:00

Microorganisms can cause devastating diseases leading to a pandemic, such as COVID-19 which has created a devastating situation throughout the world. The SARS-CoV-2 or severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 is the major concern for creating this pandemic situation. Viruses are the major pathogenic microorganisms that have the potential to be detrimental to human beings and animals in many ways. By entering the human body through different routes and commanding different machinery of the body to generate a higher number of their genomic copies and proteins they create pathogenesis. Phytomedicines may act as suitable weapons to halt the reproduction of such viruses and combat diseases caused byBangladesh is the habitat of about 500 medicinal and aromatic plants. Many of these plants have been found to show anti-viral activity. The anti-viral activity of Terminalia chebula, a well-known Bangladeshi medicinal plant has been proven to combat Newcastle Disease virus, Herpes Simplex Virus, Adenovirus type 5, Measles virus, Echovirus type 11, Rotavirus, Influenza A virus, Hepatitis B virus and Enterovirus. This review article was aimed to search available medicinal plants as novel anti-viral drugs.

Dhaka Univ. J. Pharm. Sci. 22(2): 213-232, 2023 (December)

Isolation and Characterization of Alkaline Proteases Producing Indigenous Bacillus sp. as a Source of Thrombolytic and Fibrinolytic Agents

2023-07-03T15:48:47+00:00

Fibrinolytic enzymes derived from bacteria can be effective as a potent, safe and cost-effective thrombolytic agent for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. In this study, microorganisms were isolated from various soil samples and screened for their protease activity and protein concentration. Isolates with higher protease activity were subsequently tested for their thrombolytic and fibrinolytic activity. Of a total 37 isolates, 7 exhibited significant zone in SMA media (zone ratio above 1.3). Of these, 8 isolates showed increased protease activity with values ranging from 120 to 199 U/ml. The highest protease activity was observed for the isolate GST12 obtained from mung bean (green gram) soil. The freeze-dried concentrated crude enzymes were screened by in vitro clot lysis method. Six of these eight concentrated enzymes demonstrated clot lysis above 20%, whereas, enzymes from GST12 and GST21 exhibited the highest clot lysis activity (about 27%), which is comparable with standard drug streptokinase. These two enzymes are also strongly associated with fibrinolytic activity. Our findings identify 8 isolates having potential thrombolytic and fibrinolytic activities that belong to Gram-positive Bacillus.

Dhaka Univ. J. Pharm. Sci. 22(2): 125-135, 2023 (December)

In vitro and In vivo Interaction of Ketorolac Tromethamine and Cefixime Trihydrate

2023-07-03T15:48:48+00:00

Drug-drug interaction, a major impediment towards safe and effective pharmacotherapy, often leads to adverse outcome or therapeutic failure if not properly identified. The present study employed a number of in vitro and in vivo methods to conduct a thorough investigation of the interaction potential between ketorolac tromethamine (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug) and cefixime trihydrate (beta-lactam antibiotic). UV-Visible spectrophotometry, FTIR and DSC were carried out to analyze the interaction of ketorolac and cefixime in vitro. UV-visible spectrophotometric study at different pH showed hyperchromic shift and blue shift (hypsochromic shift) in the mixture of the studied drugs compared to ketorolac alone. In contrast, only hyperchromic shift was found in the mixture when compared to cefixime alone. In DSC study, the melting endotherm of ketorolac tromethamine shifted from 169.62°C to 149.99°C in the 1:1 mixture. Again, the FTIR spectrum showed that in 1:1 mixture, the lactam (C=O) band of cefixime trihydrate shifted from 1771.68 cm^-1 to 1718.63 cm^-1, the amide carbonyl band (-CONH) moved from 1669.45 cm^-1 to 1616.4 cm^-1and the -OH band moved from 3296.46 cm^-1 to 3397.72 cm^-1 which might be indicative of interaction between these two drugs. The in vivo study in rat model was designed to determine whether cefixime has any significant impact on the analgesic activity of ketorolac. In vitro antimicrobial effect was also performed to evaluate the effect of ketorolac on cefixime. The findings from these study suggested that neither ketorolac nor cefixime imparted any deleterious impact on the biological property of each other which might indicate that co-administration of ketorolac and cefixime are therapeutically effective and safe.

Dhaka Univ. J. Pharm. Sci. 22(2): 137-146, 2023 (December)

Isolation, Molecular Characterization, Optimization and Purification of Amylase Enzyme from Locally Isolated Bacillus Species in Different Regions of Munshiganj, Bangladesh

2023-07-03T15:48:49+00:00

Amylase is a kind of enzyme that facilitates the breakdown of carbohydrates in the body. This enzyme has many applications in different industries. Generally, in pharmaceutical sector it is used for the treatment of pancreatic disorder, pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) and as a digestive aid. In this study, the bacterial strain was isolated from soil samples collected from potato dumpsites in different areas of Munshiganj, Bangladesh. After subculturing on the nutrient agar plate, 31 colonies were obtained, of which 9 isolates were found as amylase producer on starch agar medium. Of these, 2 isolates (MC-04 and MC-15) were selected based on the starch hydrolysis clear zone ratio. The isolate MC-04 showed crude enzyme activity of 2.82 IU/ml and specific enzyme activity of 3.42 IU/mg, and isolate MC-15 showed crude enzyme activity of 3.16 IU/ml and specific enzyme activity of 3.77 IU/mg. The best isolate, MC-15, was then identified by morphology, biochemical and molecular characterization and confirmed by 16S-rRNA gene sequencing. After 16S-rRNA sequencing, the isolate (MC-15) was identified as Bacillus subtilis. This amylase production of this strain had also been optimized under certain conditions such as different incubation periods, pH, temperatures and different carbon sources. We found that the best incubation period was 48 h, the optimum pH-7.0, the optimum temperature at 40°C and 2% starch was considered as the best source of carbon. Finally, the crude amylase enzyme was purified by precipitation with ammonium sulfate, dialysis, and single-step gel filtration chromatography. The enzymatic activity of the purified amylase was found to be 8.91 IU/ml, that was 2.82-fold greater enzymatic activity than the raw enzyme. The experiments confirmed that Bacillus subtilis may be a good source of amylase enzyme for industrial application in Bangladesh.

Dhaka Univ. J. Pharm. Sci. 22(2): 147-154, 2023 (December)

Phytochemical and Biological Investigations of Bacopa monnieri L.

2023-07-03T15:48:51+00:00

Bacopa monnieri L. (Family: Scrophulariaceae), a medicinal herb of Bangladesh, has been used in traditional medicine to increase memory and brain power. The present research was aimed to investigate the phytochemical composition and biological activities of whole plant of B. monnieri. Through phytochemical analysis, two triterpenes, taraxerone and betulinic acid were obtained from B. monnieri. The crude methanol extract of the whole plant of Bacopa monnieri and its petroleum ether, dichloromethane, chloroform and aqueous fractions were screened for determination of several in vitro biological activities. In DPPH assay for antioxidant test, the dichloromethane fraction showed strong DPPH radical quenching activity (IC₅₀ = 3.78 μg/ml). The chloroform fraction exhibited the maximum lethal concentration, LC₅₀ value of 5.5 μg/ml against brine shrimp. In membrane stabilization assay, the crude extract and all solvent fractions revealed significant anti-inflammatory activity by inhibiting hemolysis of RBC induced by both hypotonic solution and heat. In thrombolytic assay, the petroleum ether fraction demonstrated highest thrombolytic activity (39.24%), when compared to the standard streptokinase (64.22%). In antimicrobial screening, the chloroform fraction displayed reasonable activity against most of the tested microorganisms. This study concludes that B. monnieri has potential antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and thrombolytic activities.

Dhaka Univ. J. Pharm. Sci. 22(2): 155-161, 2023 (December)

Antimicrobial Potential and Biochemical Profile of Methanolic Extracts of Common Solanum Species in Nigeria

2023-12-17T05:22:55+00:00

Due to the rise in microbial resistance to orthodox medicines, there is need for investigation towards the discovery of plants with potential pharmacological effects. Methanolic extracts of the leaves of four Solanum species were screened for their antimicrobial properties and for various biochemical analyses, using standard methods. S. melongena showed highest antifungal activity against Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus flavus. The antifungal activity of S. gilo extract was the highest at 5 mg/ml against Aspergillus flavus and Candida albicans. Antifungal activity of S. macrocarpon extract was observed as the highest at 25 mg/ml against Candida albicans. The promising antimicrobial potential of the investigated plants can be attributed to the presence of specific biochemical compounds detected in them by means of GC-MS profiling and other biochemical analyses. The study revealed that the four species of African eggplant are nutritionally and therapeutically valuable and can be further developed into medicinal products.

Dhaka Univ. J. Pharm. Sci. 22(2): 163-172, 2023 (December)

Formulation and Evaluation of Ledipasvir Nano-suspension Through QbD Approach

2023-10-11T07:06:28+00:00

Ledipasvir, belonging to the BCS class II, is a directly acting anti-viral agent used to treat Hepatitis C virus infections. Due to poor water solubility and oral bioavailability, developing an effective delivery system for this drug has been an enormously challenging issue for the formulators. Moreover, suitable dosage forms for pediatric and geriatric patients and patients having difficulty in swallowing as well pose an added burden. Therefore, the present study aims to formulate a nanosuspension, via a solid dispersion technique, based on liquid oral suspension using the Quality by Design (QbD) method. Primarily, the compatible polymers for Ledipasvir were screened using FT-IR and DSC, and finally, the polymers- poloxamer 188, poloxamer 407, HPC and HMPC were selected, considering their ability to turn the API into amorphous state in solid dispersions. The design of formulation and analysis with the D-Optimal design using Design Expert^® Software revealed that poloxamer 188 and poloxamer 407 at 0.3:0.7 ratio of Ledipasvir:Polymer produced the optimized nanosuspension formulations with a statistically significant mathematical model. Subsequently, the formulations were stabilized using a suspension vehicle optimized via Box-Behnken design using the amount of xanthan gum (gm), avicel^® RC-591 (gm) and citric acid monohydrate (gm) as independent variables, and viscosity (cp) and zeta potential (mv) as responses. The dissolution profiles revealed that the prepared suspensions of Ledipasvir had much faster dissolution than the market products available as the tablet dosage form. In-vivo simulation studies using PKSolver^® suggested that the absorption of the drug from the formulated suspensions was comparable to that of market product up to a single dose level (90 mg) and superseded in triplicate dose level (270 mg). The formulated suspensions were found to be stable over three- and six-month periods, as identified via accelerated stability studies. Interestingly, the dissolution profile of the stabilized suspensions was found to be similar after six months to that of the initial.

Dhaka Univ. J. Pharm. Sci. 22(2): 173-188, 2023 (December)

Design, Optimization and In vitro Evaluation of Mesalazine 400 mg Delayed Release Tablet for Colon Specific Delivery

2023-10-11T07:23:24+00:00

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory disease, and patients would get benefit more if the drug is given directly to the colon. Mesalazine is intended to deliver to the colon for treating ulcerative colitis. Here, we aimed to design and optimize mesalazine 400 mg delayed release tablet for colon-specific delivery using a quality by design (QbD) approach. The tablet was first formulated as an optimized core tablet and then coated with Eudragit S 12.5 for ensuring colonic delivery. The experimental design for the core tablet was constructed using a 3² full factorial design, where the percentages of sodium starch glycolate (SSG) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP K-30) were independent variables and the tablet hardness (kg/cm²) and cumulative percentage of drug release at pH 7.2 phosphate buffer after 1.5 hours were treated as responses. Responses obtained from the initial exploratory formulations were evaluated to develop an optimized formulation to have a hardness value of 7-8 kg/cm² and the maximum amount of drug release at pH 7.2 buffer. The optimized formulation involved the use of SSG and PVP K-30 at 3.05% and 1.69%, respectively. Hardness and cumulative percent of drug release obtained for the optimized core tablet were 7.8 kg/cm² and 91.76%, respectively. The compatibility of drug and excipients was studied utilizing XRD, FTIR and TGA. The optimized core tablet was then coated with Eudragit S 12.5 to deliver the drug selectively to the colon and further assessed for its in vitro dissolution. Dissolution studies indicated that coated tablets with a weight gain of 7.4% exhibited the maximum cumulative percent of drug release (91.19 ± 0.11%), with a zero-order drug release profile (R² = 0.943). A stability study performed according to ICH Q1A (R2) guidelines at accelerated storage conditions identified that there was no significant change in drug content over the storage period, indicating the stability of the formulated tablet batches. Together, these data suggest that the mesalazine tablet developed through the QbD approach offers excellent physical properties and drug release profile and, therefore, could be recommended for commercial manufacturing.

Dhaka Univ. J. Pharm. Sci. 22(2): 189-201, 2023 (December)

A Cross-sectional Study on Caffeine Dependency by Drinking Tea and Coffee Among Bangladeshi Students

2023-10-11T07:34:28+00:00

Too much caffeine consumption might cause physical and mental dependency on the consumer. This study examined the socio-demographic factors, knowledge, behavior, and perception of Bangladeshi students about caffeine which is based on drinking tea and coffee. This questionnaire-based study included 1020 respondents from primary level to postgraduate level students. The analysis utilized frequencies, means, percentages, Pearson's chi-square (χ²) statistic and Spearman's rank correlation coefficients. Pearson's chi-square (χ²) statistic test was performed to determine the significance at 5% with a p-value < 0.05. Most of the students (94.8%) consume tea or coffee regularly, and 66.1% drink it daily. A total of 87.5% of students knew that tea and coffee have caffeine. Nearly two-thirds (67.1%) of the students were dependent on tea and coffee, and 35.9% experienced psycho-physiological alterations after a day without drinking those items. About 38% of students noticed side effects after consumption of tea or coffee multiple times in a day. This study also reveals that gender did not alter the knowledge or drinking behavior of tea and coffee. Tea and coffee drinking patterns were not significantly dependent upon the participants’ educational qualifications.

Dhaka Univ. J. Pharm. Sci. 22(2): 202-212, 2023 (December)