Validation of UV Spectrophotometric Method of Analysis of some Marketed Perfloxacin in Nigeria

Background: Acquiring sophisticated LC instruments by most third world laboratories is capital intensive.Literatures on simple spectrophotometric analytical methods for pefloxacin are scarce. Objectives: The present study was undertaken to develop and validate a simple and economic UV spectrophotometric method for estimating pefloxacin mesylate (PFM) in dosage preparations.Methods: Using a JENWAY spectrophotometer at predetermined emax of 277nm with 1 v/v aqueous glacialacetic acid as blank; the method was validated for linearity; accuracy; precision; reproducibility; and specificity asper International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) guidelines and used to determine the content of pefloxacinin seven marketed brands in Nigeria. Results: The method exhibited good linearity over a range of 0.40-12.0 ?g/ml (regression equation: y = 0.0859x+0.0211 ; r=0.999). Mean recovery accuracy (99.183 ) and assay result in the range of 100.5- 110.17 for these lected brands were not significantly different at p=0.05. The coefficient of variation (CV) for both intra andinter-day were below 7 . The method was specific for pefloxacin in the presence of common excipients Conclusion: The method gave good validation results and could be employed for routine analysis of PFM incommercial formulations

Medical Herbalism and Herbal Clinical Research: A Global Perspective.

This review aims to sensitize researchers, regulators and other stakeholders to the centrality of clinical research to drug development from herbs used in Traditional Medicine (TM). The review uncovered and dwelt on the fact that: While clinical trials of chemical medicines (pharmaceuticals) tend to come late in the drug development chain, the reverse is often the case with herbal medicines (phytomedicines). Once the decision is made to develop a single phytochemical entity (phytopharmaceutical, example: artemisinin) from a plant, the need for such sensitization is particularly desirable, given their huge socioeconomic implications. The review emphasized that drug development from a traditional herb can: i) take the route of standardization of the herb or its extract for immediate use without further chemical manipulations; or ii) proceed along the line of isolation and other manipulations aimed at optimising bioactivity. By the first route, development proceeds directly from confirming that the pharmacological property of the herb tallies with its traditional indication, leading instantly to value addition to traditional knowledge accumulated over years. This is because herbal medicines based on time tested traditions need not undergo phased trials as would a novel pharmaceutical (or an old herb for a new indication), since their long histories often offer evidence of their safety and efficacy. In the second route, clinical studies usually come later in the chain. This is because, unlike the traditional therapeutic, the new phytopharmaceutical, taken out of its natural microenvironment and subjected to various chemical manipulations, including purification, is no longer the equivalent of the ancient remedy with predicable effects. Moreover, in this later case, interest in the new entity (an artificially concentrate isolate) may shift completely from the traditional indication of the herb, hence the need for phased trials of phytopharmaceuticals (or an old herb for a new indication), despite their natural origin.

Evaluation of phytochemical and antimicrobial properties of leaf extract of Tapinanthus sessilifolius (P. Beauv) van Tiegh.

Leaf extracts of T. sessilifolius growing on five different host plants (Psidium guajava, Citrus lemon, Vernonia amygdalina, Persea americana and Jatropa curcas) were evaluated for antimicrobial activity of the plant. Powdered leaves of T. sessilifolius collected from each host plant was divided into two portions. One portion was used for aqueous infusion and the other portion was successively extracted with hexane, ethylacetate and methanol. Infusion of aqueous extract of powdered leaves did not show antimicrobial effect even at the concentration of 1000 and 2000 microg/ml on test microorganisms (Staph. aureus, E. coli, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans). However in broth culture, methanolic and hexane extract had MIC range of 62.5-500 microg/ml and ethylacetate extract had 250-500 microg/ml. Phytochemical screening of leaf samples of T. sessilifolius collected from different host plants showed positive test for hydrolysable tannins, saponins, flavonoids, terpenes, cardiac glycoside, reducing sugars and proteins. LD50 concentration was found to be > 1.500 mg/kg for samples from P. guajava; 489.89 mg/kg for J. curcas and C. lemon; and 692 mg/kg for V. amydalina in mice.