Antioxidant and antiacetylcholine esterase potential of aerial parts of Conocarpus erectus, Ficus variegata and Ficus maclellandii

The current study was designed to check the antioxidant and enzyme inhibition potential of various extracts/fractions of three selected plants. The aerial parts of Conocarpus erectus [Combretaceae], Ficus variegata [Moraceae] and Ficus maclellandii [Moraceae] were extracted with ethanol [95%] and the resulting crude extracts were partitioned with n-hexane, chloroform and n-butanol successively. Folin-Ciocalteu reagent was used to calculate the total phenolic contents, flavonoids contents were calculated with aluminum chloride while antioxidant and enzyme studies were carried out through standard protocols. All extracts/fractions contained reasonable amount of phenolic compounds ranging from 0.58-58.23mg CE/g of DW and 0.43-30.56mg GAE/g of DW. Total flavonoids were determined using rutin and quercetin standards, ranging from 2.65-18.2 mg rutin equivalent/g of dry weight and 0.92-5.41mg quercetin equivalent/g of dry weight. Antioxidant studies such as DPPH inhibition FRAP and total antioxidant capacity [TAC] was checked. The crude ethanolic extract of C. erectus showed maximum antiradical scavenging power [90.43%; IC[50]=7 micro g] and ferric reducing antioxidant power [16.5micro M eq.FeSO[4].7H[2]O], respectively while leave extract of F. variegata [chloroform] was the most active [0.6577] in TAC among other extracts of the selected medicinal plants. Butanolic leave extract of C. erectus exhibited maximum enzyme inhibition activity [91.62% with IC50 40micro g/ml] while other extracts showed significant activity. It was observed from results that all extracts/fractions of under consideration plants, exhibited significant bioactivities especially ethanolic and butanolic fractions, which may be the richest source of such type of activities

Simultaneous estimation of rosuvastatin and amlodipine in pharmaceutical formulations using stability indicating HPLC method

A viable cost-effective and isocratic approach employing C-18 column (250 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 µm) based HPLC has been utilized to separate and estimate the drugs, rosuvastatin, amlodipine and their stress induced degradation products, simultaneously in pharmaceutical formulations. Focused on ICH guideline parameters, the efficient separation of both drugs and their degradation products was achieved by optimizing a 30:70 (v/v) solvent mixture of acetonitrile and 0.1 M ammonium acetate buffer (pH 5) as mobile phase. The flow rate of the mobile phase was 1.5 mL/min and all the detections were carried out at 240 nm using UV detector. The method was linear in the concentration range of 1-200 µg/mL for rosuvastatin with 0.996 coefficient of determination value. For amlodipine, linearity was in the range of 0.5-100 µg/ml with 0.994 coefficient of determination value. Both the drugs along with their degradation products were separated in less than twenty minutes. The results of within-day and between-day precision were varied from 0.72 to 1.81% for rosuvastatin and 0.83 to 1.88% for amlodipine. The results show that this ICH validated method can be employed successfully for the routine as well as stability quantification of both the active ingredients simultaneously in pharmaceutical formulations.

Utilizou-se abordagem de viabilidade custo-efetividade e isocrática, baseada em CLAE, empregando coluna C-18 (250 mm x 4,6 mm, 5 µm) para separar e avaliar os fármacos, rosuvastatina, anlodipino e seus produtos de degradação induzida por estresse, simultaneamente, em formulações farmacêuticas. Focada nos parâmetros das diretrizes da ICH, a separação eficiente de ambos os fármacos e de seus produtos de degradação foi obtida por meio da otimização da fase móvel com mistura de solventes 30:70 (v/v), respectivamente, acetonitrila e tampão acetato de amônio O,1 M (pH 5). A velocidade de fluxo da fase móvel foi de 1,5 mL/min e todas as detecções foram realizadas em 240 nm, utilizando detector de UV. O método foi linear no intervalo de concentração de 1-200 µg/mL para a rosuvastatina com coeficiente de determinação 0,996. Para o anlodipino, a linearidade ficou na faixa de 0.5-100 µg/mL, com coeficiente de determinação 0,994. Ambos os fármacos, junto com seus produtos de degradação, foram separados em menos de vinte minutos. Os resultados de precisão intra-dia e inter-dia variaram de 0,72 a 1,81% para a rosuvastatina e de 0,83 a 1,88%, para o anlodipino. Os resultados mostram que este método validado pelo ICH pode ser empregado com sucesso tanto para a rotina quanto para a quantificação simultânea da estabilidade de ambos os ingredientes ativos em formulações farmacêuticas.

Pattern of early loss of deciduous molars and a cross sectional study

A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of Fatima Jinnah Dental College, Karachi to find out the factors responsible for premature loss of deciduous molars in children aged three to nine years. All children aged 3 - 9 years visiting the Dental OPD of Fatima Jinnah Dental College Karachi for extraction of deciduous molars from Feb 2011 to Feb 2012 were included in the study. 256 children format the study group. The data were collected on a predesigned Proforma filled by a single operator. Parameters taken into consideration were age, sex, tooth brushing and reasons for extraction. In this study 176 were male and 80 female. Overall 368 deciduous molars were extracted, 237 deciduous molars were extracted in males and 131 in females. Among the investigated subjects, 17% of children reported no tooth-brushing. Caries was the commonest cause of premature loss of deciduous molars accounted for 96.1% followed by tooth fracture 2.3% and malocclusion 1.6%. The frequency of only one deciduous molar loss was 67.2%. Maximum deciduous molar loss 50.7% was observed in children aged 8 years. Most commonly extracted tooth was mandibular left first deciduous molar [37.7%]. Results of this study suggested that improper tooth-brushing dental caries and no-treatment of carious deciduous molars were major risk factors in its early loss

Frequency of diseases among flood affected individuals at relief camps of Karachi Pakistan

To determine the frequency of diseases among flood affected individuals and facilities available at relief camps of Karachi Pakistan. A cross sectional study. This study was conducted at the Department of Community Medicine, Sindh Medical College, DUHS, Karachi from July 2010 to Nov. 2010. A cross sectional study was conducted and data was collected by using a structured questionnaire. A sample size of 300 flood affected individuals were drawn by using convenient sampling methods from four different flood camps located in Karachi. Out of the 300 case studied cases studied 46.0% had malaria, 90.5% of malarial patients admitted that they did not use mosquito repellents or nettings to protect themselves. About 27.3% suffered from diarrhea and 26.7% had skin infections. Adequate water supply was supplied to 66.7% of the patients. This study concluded that malaria had higher frequency at relief camps of Karachi followed by diarrhea and skin infections