Different Eco-Friendly Spectrophotometric Approaches Including Direct and Manipulations of Zero and Ratio Spectra for Simultaneous Determination of Novel Nasal Spray Combination Used in Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis.

BACKGROUND: The presentation of rhinitis has drawn increasing attention in recent years due to the possibility of overlap or confusion between allergic rhinitis symptoms and those of COVID-19. Azelastine hydrochloride (AZH) and mometasone furoate (MOF) are two of the most efficient combinations for enhancing the symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis. OBJECTIVE: This work concerns applying and validating different accurate and simple spectrophotometric approaches for simultaneous quantification of the binary mixture of AZH and MOF in raw material, laboratory-prepared mixtures, and pharmaceutical preparation. Moreover, assessment of the environmental impact of the applied approaches on the environment was also a key goal of this study. METHODS: AZH was determined using the direct spectrophotometric (D0) method, while four reliable spectrophotometric approaches namely, induced dual wavelength (IDW), ratio subtraction (RS), ratio difference (RD), and ratio derivative (1DD) were used for MOF determination. RESULTS: The methods were validated in line with the International Conference of Harmonization standards. In the AZH range of (5-56 µg/mL) and MOF range of (2-20 µg/mL), the linearity of the proposed approaches was investigated with high accuracy findings. There were no significant differences between the obtained results and those of the reported method when compared statistically. Furthermore, the applied spectrophotometric methods were deemed to be eco-friendly according to Green Analytical Procedure Index (GAPI) and Analytical Greenness Calculator (AGREE) assessment metrics. CONCLUSIONS: The applied spectrophotometric methods are simpler, more eco-friendly, and take a shorter time to precisely estimate many measurements compared to the only reported chromatographic analysis. HIGHLIGHTS: Neither publications of novel spectrophotometric methods nor reported green ones have been available for simultaneous determination of the binary mixture of AZH and MOF, so this work has a great significance and novelty in the area of pharmaceutical analysis.

Assessment of incidence of cerebral vascular diseases and prediction of stroke risk in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients using multimodal biomarkers.

BACKGROUND: Early assessment of cerebrovascular disease in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients is an important issue for a favorable influence on the quality of life. METHODOLOGY: This cross-sectional case-control study was conducted on 38 eligible COPD patients (mean age 55.5 ± 11.5, 25 males, and 13 females) and 26 age-/sex-matched healthy controls. All participants were subjected to stroke risk screening instruments that included the Stroke Riskometer™, the Framingham 10-Year Risk Score, the stroke risk screening tool (the Department of Disease Control of Thailand), the My Risk Stroke Calculator, and Q Stroke. Radiologically, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and echo-gradient MRI (T2 star) T2 star imaging were done. Color-coded duplex sonography was done. Laboratory investigations included C-reactive protein (CRP), serum amyloid A, plasma fibrinogen level, serum IL6, 8-Isoprostane, vWF and urinary albumin creatinine ratio. RESULTS: Stroke risk screening instruments revealed a significant increase in COPD patients. DTI showed a significant bilateral reduction in fractional isotropy and a significant bilateral increase in mean diffusivity of white matter through many areas in COPD patients. Patients also had a significant increase of intima-media thickness, presence of atherosclerotic focal thicknesses or plaques on duplex sonography. There was a significant elevation of CRP, serum amyloid A, plasma fibrinogen level, serum IL6, 8-isoprostane, von Willebrand factor (vWF), and urinary albumin creatinine ratio in COPD patients. CONCLUSION: COPD patients had an increased risk for stroke that could be assessed on stroke risk screening instruments, DTI, T2 star, duplex sonography, and laboratory investigation and could be correlated with the severity of the disease.

A green spectrophotometric method for the simultaneous determination of nasal binary mixture used in respiratory diseases: Applying isosbestic point and chemometric approaches as a resolving tool, greenness evaluation.

Nasal drug combination is a very useful therapy for elevating the symptoms of various respiratory diseases as seasonal allergic rhinitis and infectious respiratory illness as pandemic COVID-19. One of best combination is Fluticasone propionate (FLU) and Azelastine (AZE). In this study, different UV spectrophotometric and chemometric methods have been applied for quantitative analysis of FLU and AZE without previous separation in their pure form, laboratory prepared mixture and pharmaceutical dosage form. Absorbance subtraction (AS) and Amplitude modulation (AM) spectrophotometric methods have been applied for the simultaneous determination of the cited drugs. Besides, three well-known chemometric techniques; namely, classical least squares (CLS), partial least square (PLS), and principal component regression (PCR) have been applied for the simultaneous analysis of both drugs by using spectrophotometric data. To be friendly to the environment, the greenness of the proposed methods was taken into consideration and evaluation of the analytical methods' greenness was done using two green analytical chemistry metrics known as, Analytical Greenness Calculator and an eco-scale scoring method. They indicated that the methods were environmentally friendly in relation to numerous approaches like instrument, reagents, and safety of waste. Analyzing laboratory prepared mixtures including different quantities of FLU and AZE, as well as their marketed dose form, was used to assess the selectivity of the applied methods. The validity of the developed methods was investigated by applying the standard addition technique. The resulting data were statistically compared to those obtained by the official or reported HPLC methods for FLU and AZE, which revealed no significant difference in accuracy and precision at p = 0.05.

Comparative study on the microbial adhesion to preveneered and stainless steel crowns.

CONTEXT: The extensive plaque formation on dental restorations may contribute to secondary caries or periodontal inflammation. Therefore, it is important to know how different types of dental restorations may prevent or promote the accumulation of microorganisms. AIMS: The aim of this in vivo study was to evaluate the adhesion of Streptococcus mutans to preveneered and stainless steel crowns (SSCs) and to evaluate the effects of these restorations on the gingival health and oral hygiene. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty patients (age 3-5 years) were selected from the outpatient clinic of the pedodontics department, Faculty of Oral and Dental Medicine, Cairo University. The selected patients had (dmf) index for primary dentition ≤4, including lower right and left first primary molars. Each tooth was pulpotomy-treated and restored with either type of crowns (split-mouth technique). Then, ten swabs from the buccal mucosa, preveneered crown, and SSC surfaces were taken from each patient. Also, the gingival index (GI) and oral hygiene index (OHI-S) were measured at different times during the study. Mitis Salivarius Bacitracin agar (MSBA) was used as a selective medium for S. mutans growth. MSBA plates were taken in candle jar and incubated aerobically in 37°C for 48 h. Finally, bacteria were counted and expressed in colony forming unit (CFU). RESULTS: After 1, 2, and 4 weeks, mucosa and crown swabs of preveneered crown showed statistically significant higher mean CFU counts than SSC. Through the whole study period, the two restorations revealed a statistically significant decrease in mean CFU counts. Also, there was a statistically significant positive (direct) correlation between OHI-S, GI, and S. mutans counts on both restorations. CONCLUSIONS: The adhesion of S. mutans to preveneered crowns was higher than to SSC. Full mouth rehabilitation led to significant decrease in S. mutans count in the short term. An increase in S. mutans counts is associated with an increase in OHI-S and GI.