Treatment of pre-school children under 6 years of age for schistosomiasis: safety, efficacy and acceptability of praziquantel

The World Health Organization [WHO] recommends praziquantel for the control and treatment of schistosomiasis, with no real alternative. Pre-school children are excluded from population treatment programs mainly due to paucity of safety data on this age group. This study investigated safety, efficacy and acceptability of praziquantel for the treatment of S. haematobium and S. mansoni infections among pre-school children aged <6years. The study also investigated the burden of schistosomiasis in this age group. Pre-school children [n=188] from Sudan were included in the study. The children were treated with praziquantel tablets at a single dose of 40 mg/kg body weight. Adverse events were assessed at 24 hours and 7 days later, via questionnaire administration to parents and guardians. Efficacy of treatment was assessed at 1, 3 and 6 months by examining stool and urine samples for schistosome eggs. Acceptability was determined by the number of children spitting or vomiting during administration of the drug. The burden of schistosomiasis among pre-school children aged <6 years was high [31.1%], and this was comparable to that observed among school children-aged 6 years [32%]. Praziquantel treatment achieved high cure rates [egg negative] for both S. haematobium and S. mansoni infections when assessed at 1 month after treatment [89.6-92.1%] and remained high for S. haematobium [89.6-100%] up to 6 months. However, cure rate dropped from 90.5% at one month to 58.8% and 69.2% at 3 and 6 months among S. mansoni-treated children. Praziquantel treatment decreased egg counts considerably with post-treatment geometric mean egg reductions rates ranging from 96.4% to 99.4% at 1 month. Acceptability of praziquantel treatment was high, only for one child the dose had to be repeated after initial spitting. Treatment resolved haematuria and improved weight of the children. There were no drug-related adverse events in all the treated children during follow-up at 24 hours and 7 days. Praziquantel is safe, effective and acceptable among children aged <6 years. Preschool children represent a high risk group for schistosomiasis and should be included in population treatment programs

Physicomechanical properties and release characteristics of ketorolac trometh-amine from chitosan films: effect of inclusion of different polyols plasticizers

The film-forming ability of chitosan polymer loaded with ketorolac tromethamine [KT] was evaluated. Films were prepared by a casting/solvent evaporation technique from plasticizer - free and plasticizer containing aqueous solutions. Glycerol, sorbitol, and 1-erythritol were used as plasticizers. Solid state of the films was studied by powder X-ray diffractometry [PXRD], and differential scanning calorimetry [DSC]. The plasticizing efficiency was evaluated by measuring the physicomechanical properties as modulus of elasticity, tensile strength, percent of elongation and swelling ratio. The medicated films - plasticized or free - were clear and colorless. A plasticizer concentration of 20% [w/w of polymer weight] was sufficient to obtain flexible films with all tested samples. X-ray diffration patterns and DSC thermograms indicated an amorphous state of the films independent on the type of the plasticizer used. The results have showed that, incorporation of different polyols as plasticizer s improves the consistency and the physicomechanical properties of the films. The plasticizers effect was dependant on the hydrophilicity and chemical structure of both plasticizer and polymer. The release profile of the drug was also significantly increased by addition of polyols as plasticizers. Moreover, the drug release pattern was found to follow Higuchi-diffusion model

Formulation and characterization of biodegradable chitosan films for topical application of terbinafine Hcl

Chitosan biodegradable films containing terbinafine HCI [Tr.HCl] were evaluated for their potential drug delivery at a controlled rate. Terbinafine HCI could be loaded at 1.8% w/w of polymer in films, which were translucent and flexible. The effect of drug loading and nature of plasticizers on the in-vitro release of Tr.HCl have been examined, Physicochemical characterization of Tr.HCl via thermal, spectroscopic, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy techniques revealed information on the solid-state properties of Tr.HCl as well as chitosan in films. While chitosan was in an amorphous form, Tr.HCl seemed to be present in crystalline form in the films. It was found that the release rate of the drug was directly proportional to drug concentraton. Also medicated chitosan films plasticized with water- soluble plasticizers as glycerol triacetate [GTA], propylene glycol [PG], and polyethylene glycol 400 [PEG 400], produced fast release in comparison with water insoluble plasticizers as glycerol tributyrate [GTB], dimethylphthalate [DMPH], and diethyl phthalate [DEPH]. The characterizations of chitosan films conducted by IR, X-ray, and DSC, showed that no interaction occurred between Tr.HCl and chitosan polymer. The minimum inhibitory concentration [MIC] of the drug against Candida albicans was investigated. Results showed that MIC of Tr.HCl was 1.4 micro g/ml. The inhibition zone diameter of Tr.HCl chitosan films was higher than that of Tr.HCl normal dressing. Also antifungal activity of Tr.HCl was enhanced in plasticized chitosan films. The results were promising for topical formulation of Tr.HCl in biodegradable chitosan films and have the potential to be used as a novel drug delivery

Colorimetric determination of estriol hormone in bulk, pharmaceutical formulations and urine of normal and high risk pregnancy

An accurate, sensitive and selective colorimetric method for the determination of estriol hormone based on its coupling with diazotized p-amino-N-substituted banzamide and diazotized benzocaine has been developed. The red color of produced azodye is stable for at least 12 hours and exhibits an absorption maximum at 525 nm. The method has been successfully adopted for the determination of estriol in its pure form, formulated products and residues in urine of normal and high risk pregnancy. Azodye of estriol with aromatic amine was isolated and investigated by instrumental analysis and reaction pathway was proposed

Two colorimetric methods for the assay of six nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in their pure and dosage forms

This paper described two new colorimetric methods for estimation of six nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; namely, piroxicam, tenoxicam, mefenamic acid, flufenamic acid, ibuprofen and ketoprofen in their pure forms and pharmaceutical preparations. The first method depends on scanning the azodyes resulting from the reaction of piroxicam and tenoxicam with diazonium salts of benzocaine, p-amino-N- methylbenzamide and sulfadiazine. The second procedure is based on colorimetric determination of the blue colored complexes yielded from the reaction of methylene blue with drugs under investigation. The different conditions for the proposed methods were studied. The methods have been applied for the analysis of pharmaceutical preparations containing these drugs and the results obtained were compared with those of pharmacopoeial or published methods. The methods are simple, precise and reproducible

Synthesis and reactions of 2-chloromethyl-3,1-benzoxazin 4-ones with amines

In continuation of our previous works on the reaction of 3,1 - benzoxazin -4 - ones with amines [1,4], it has been found interesting to synthesize 6 - bromo and 6,8 - dibromo - 2 - chloro - methyl - 3, 1 - benzoxazin - 4 - ones IIa, b and to then study their reactions with a variety of amines. Accordingly, 5-bromo and 3,5-dibromoanthranilic acids were chloroacetylated to give I which were cyclodehydrated to the corresponding benzoxazinones IIa, b. Reaction of IIa, b with aromatic amines, ammonia and/or hydrazine hydrate in ethanol or dioxane produced the 2- chloromethyl -4-quinazolinones IIIa-p, presumably through the attack of the amines on the electrophilic C-2 of the benzoxazinone ring system, regardless the amount of the amine used. Structures of III were confirmed by microanalytical and spectroscopic data [table 1]. Evidence was investigated by conversion of III to the corresponding salicylate esters IV via their reaction with sodium salicylate

Frequency of presenting symptoms of giardiasis in children

The symptoms among Giardia lamblia-infected children were found to be abdominal colic [74.77%], diarrhoea [59.35%], flatulence [50.93%], failure to thrive [50%], anorexia [42.06%], constipation [30.84%], weight loss [30.37%] and nausea and vomiting [17.29%], whereas 11.58% were asymptomatic. Eosinophilia was encountered in 48%, and anaemia in 90% of cases examined