Bioactivity evaluation of least explored traditionally acclaimed medicinally potent herb Nanorrhinum ramosissimum(Wall. ) Betsche

Abstract Present study analysed the therapeutic potential of traditionally acclaimed medicinal herb Nanorrhinum ramosissimum, using plant parts extracted with different solvents (10 mg/mL). Shoot extracts exhibited comparatively better antimicrobial properties, in comparison to root extracts. Total phenolic content was estimated, to ascertain its dependency on antioxidant properties of plant extracts. Antioxidant assay revealed promising results in comparison to IC50 value of standard ascorbic acid (52.2±0.07 µg/mL), for methanolic extracts of shoot (61.07±0.53 µg/mL and 64.33±0.33 µg/mL) and root (76.705±0.12 µg/mL and 89.73±0.28 µg/ mL) for in vivo and in vitro regenerants respectively. Correlation coefficient R2 values ranged between 0.90-0.95, indicating a positive correlation between phenolic contents and antioxidant activity. Plant extracts were also able to inhibit DNA oxidative damage again indicating their antioxidative potential. Antidiabetic potential was confirmed by alpha amylase inhibition assay where shoot methanolic extracts (invivo, in vitro) exhibited the best IC50 values (54.42±0.16 µg/mL, 66.09±0.12 µg/mL) in comparison to standard metformin (41.92±0.08 µg/mL). Ethanolic extracts of roots (in vitro, invivo) exhibited the relative IC50 values (88.97±0.32µg/mL,96.63±0.44 µg/mL) indicating that shoot parts had a better alpha amylase inhibition property; thus proving the herb's bioactive potential and its prospective therapeutic source for curing various ailments.

Effect of CYP3A4 Inhibitor Erythromycin on the Pharmacokinetics Of Lignocaine in Subjects with Liver Dysfunction

Background: Lignocaine is a local anaesthetic agent that isalso effectively in the acute intravenous treatment of ventriculararrhythmias. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect oferythromycin, as a prototypical CYP3A4 inhibitor, on thedisposition kinetics of lignocaine in healthy volunteers andpatients with liver cirrhosis.Materials & Methods: A double-blind, randomized controlstudy, thirty male subjects (10 healthy volunteers and 20patients with biopsy-proven liver cirrhosis) participated in thestudy, after giving their informed written consent. The studydesign was approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee.Patients were excluded from this study if they had a history ofgastrointestinal bleeding, severe encephalopathy or any otherdisease. None of the participants was a smoker or a heavyconsumer of alcohol. They were requested to abstain fromalcohol during the preceding week and throughout the period ofinvestigation.Results: In our study showed that there were no statisticallysignificant differences between the three groups for age,weight, height, or body mass index. Our study indicates thatonly in decompensated (Child’s class C) cirrhotic patients werethe disposition kinetics of lignocaine profoundly alteredcompared with healthy volunteers. In particular, CL wasapproximately halved, whereas Vss was increased and,consequently, t1/2 was more than doubled.Conclusion: This study has shown that concomitantadministration of erythromycin causes a moderate butstatistically significant decrease in lignocaine clearance that,contrary to predictions, is quantitatively similar in healthysubjects and cirrhotic patients. Because, erythromycin alsosignificantly increases the AUC of MEGX, which has beenshown to have 80–90% of the antiarrhythmic potency oflignocaine.Keyw

To monitor the adverse drug reactions and safety of medicines commonly prescribed at obstetrics and gynaecology unit in a tertiary care hospital.

Adverse drug reactions are the recognized hazards of drug therapy and they can occur with any class of drugs. Any substance that is capable of producing a therapeutic effect can also produce unwanted or adverse effects. Adverse Drug Reactions result in increased healthcare cost due to the need of some interventions and increased hospital stay. The study was undertaken to monitor the adverse drug reactions to medicines commonly prescribed at obstetrics and gynaecology unit in a tertiary care hospital, to establish ten most commonly prescribed medicines in this unit that gave maximum adverse drug reactions and to determine the list of commonly affected organ systems and assess their causality. In this Retrospective, non-interventional study a total of 63 adverse drug reaction reports were collected from 249 patients. The most common medicine that caused maximum ADRs was Oxytocin 10 (15.87%). Other frequently used drugs were Amikacin, Methylergometrine, Mifepristone+Misoprostol, Levonorgestrel+Ethinylestradiol, Cefotaxim+sulbactam, Cefixime+Ofloxacin, Mifepristone alone, Clomifene citrate, Tramadol. The most commonly affected organ system was cardio-vascular system 12 (19.04%).The assessment by Naranjo’s scale showed that out of 63 ADRs, 41 (65.07%) ADRs were probably related to drugs, 21 (33.33%) ADRs were possibly related to drugs and 1 (1.58%) ADR was doubtful. WHO causality assessment scale revealed that out of 63 ADRs, 51(80.95%) ADRs were probable or likely, 12(19.04%) ADRs were possible. It was observed that safe medicines were prescribed in obstetrics and gynaecology department as per FDA category A with no banned drugs .However, there is a need to sensitize the doctors to prescribe rationally and emphasize this aspect in under and post graduate medical teaching as well. The health system needs to promote spontaneous reporting of Adverse Drug Reactions from all health care professionals and the public at large in a well structured programme to build synergies for monitoring ADR in the country. Also proper documentation and periodic reporting to regional pharmacovigilance centres should be encouraged to arrive at meaningful conclusion on safety issue of medicines and thereby reduce considerably social and economic consequences of ADRs.