The purpose of this study was to develop a novel nano antibacterial formulation of dextran sulfate sodium polymer. The dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) nanoparticles were formulated with gelation ...technique. The nanoparticles exhibited significant physicochemical and effective antibacterial properties, with zeta potential of - 35.2 mV, particle size of 69.3 z d nm, polydispersity index of 0.6, and percentage polydispersity of 77.8. The DSS nanoparticles were stable up to 102 °C. Differential scanning calorimetry revealed an endothermic peak at 165.77 °C in 12.46 min, while XRD analysis at 2θ depicted various peaks at 21.56°, 33.37°, 38.73°, 47.17°, 52.96°, and 58.42°, indicating discrete nanoparticle formation. Antibacterial studies showed that the DSS nanoparticles were effective against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of DSS nanoparticles for Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis), Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), Streptococcus pyogenes (S. pyogenes), Escherichia coli (E. coli), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa), Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) and Proteus vulgaris (P. vulgaris) were 150, 200, 250, 150, 200, 250, 250 µg/mL, respectively. The antibacterial effects of DSS nanoparticles were in the order E. coli (26 ± 1.2 mm) at 150 µg/mL > S. pyogenes (24.6 ± 0.8 mm) at 250 µg/mL > B. subtilis (23.5 ± 2 mm) at 150 µg/mL > K. pneumoniae (22 ± 2 mm) at 250 µg/mL > P. aeruginosa (21.8 ± 1 mm) at 200 µg/mL > S. aureus (20.8 ± 1 mm) at 200 µg/mL > P. vulgaris (20.5 ± 0.9 mm) at 250 µg/mL. These results demonstrate the antibacterial potency of DSS injectable nanoparticles.
Avoidance of medication errors is imperative for the safe use of medications, and community pharmacists are uniquely placed to identify and resolve the errors that may arise due to poorly handwritten ...prescriptions. Purpose: To explore the opinion and attitudes of community pharmacists towards poor prescription writing and their suggestions to overcome this concern. Methods: A cross-sectional, self-administered survey was conducted among the community pharmacists in the Jazan region, Saudi Arabia. Descriptive analysis and chi-square test were used at 5% p-value (p > 0.05) as the significance level. Results: The response rate for the survey was 78.66%, and 140 community pharmacists agreed to participate. Among the study subjects, the majority (73.57%) had a bachelor’s degree. Nearly three-fourths (3/4) of the pharmacists (72.29%) chose to send the patient back to the prescriber when they found difficulty in interpreting the information from an illegible prescription. As many as 80.71% of the pharmacists believed that poorly handwritten prescriptions were the cause of actual errors when dispensing medications. The most commonly encountered problem due to poorly handwritten prescriptions was the commercial name of medicine, which was reported by around two-thirds (67.86%) of the pharmacists. The use of e-prescription was suggested by 72.86% of the pharmacists as a probable solution to encounter this problem. Conclusion: Our findings highlight the belief and attitudes of community pharmacists in the region and their opinions to solve this impending problem of poor prescription writing. Continuous professional development courses can be adopted to tackle the problem. Additionally, health authorities can work on incorporating and facilitating the use of e-prescription in the community sector, which can be a boon to physicians, pharmacists, and patients. Proper and extensive training is however needed before the implementation of e-prescribing.
Background Self-efficacy is a popular psychological concept that refers to an individual’s perception or belief in his ability to perform specific actions. This study aimed to assess the predictive ...value of self-efficacy, measured using the Self-Efficacy for Managing Chronic Disease 6-Item Scale (SEM6S) questionnaire, for diabetes management and overall well-being in patients with diabetes. Subject and methods An anonymous online cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate the self-efficacy of diabetic patients in the Asser region of Saudi Arabia. The participants were requested to upload their most recent glycated hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C) measurements taken in the last three months, which helped in the accurate categorization of their diabetes as either controlled or uncontrolled. We used the valid Arabic version of the SEM6S and WHO-5 well-being questionnaires to assess patient self-efficacy and well-being. Results A cohort of 342 patients was enrolled in the study, 67.25% were married, their mean age was 43.17 ± 17.61 years, and 52.69% had university-level or higher education. Among the participants, 46.0% exhibited well-being, while 24.9% reported poor well-being, including 9.4% who were identified as experiencing depression. The mean scores of self-efficacy and well-being were significantly higher among those with controlled diabetes versus uncontrolled diabetes (40.86 ± 13.26 vs. 36.48 ± 13.26) and (67.35 ± 21.22 vs. 60.93 ± 25.05), respectively. The predictors of glycemic control were self-efficacy Odds ratio (OR)=1.03 (95%CI, 1.01-1.06, P =0.002, having other chronic diseases OR=3.25 (95%CI), P <0.001, having type 1 diabetes OR=7.16, 95%CI, P =0.005, being Saudi OR=7.67, (95%CI, P =0.027, working in a public sector OR=0.15, (95%CI, 0.05-0.44), P =0.005, being unemployed OR=0.19, (95%CI, 0.06-0.59), P =0.005, being a smoker OR=0.44, 95%CI, 0.19-0.98, P =0.048, and duration of diabetes between 6-10 years OR= 0.33, 95%CI, 0.11-0.95), P =0.043 or more than 10 years OR=0.32, 95%CI, 0.12-0.86), P =0.026. The main determinants of well-being were having self-efficacy OR=1.07 (95%CI, 1.04-1.09), P = 0.0001, having public health insurance OR=4.36 (95%CI, P =0.015, and education level (read and write) OR=0.13 (95%CI,.02-.70), P =0.021. Conclusions The study reveals that non-modifiable and modifiable factors, including self-efficacy, play a crucial role in diabetes control. The study recommends providing targeted educational interventions, using different social media platforms, psychosocial support programs, and inclusive healthcare policies to improve diabetes control and mental well-being among diabetic patients.
Current research aimed to develop nanocubosomes co-loaded with dual anticancer drugs curcumin and temozolomide for effective colon cancer therapy. Drugs co-loaded nanocubosomal dispersion was ...prepared by modified emulsification method using glyceryl monooleate (GMO), pluronic F127 and bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a lipid phase, surfactant, and stabilizer, respectively. The resulting nanocubosomes were characterized by measuring hydrodynamic particle size, particle size distribution (PSD), drug loading capacity (DL), encapsulation efficiency (EE), colloidal stability and drug release profile. We also physiochemically characterized the nanocubosomes by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and x-rays diffraction (XRD) for their morphology, polymer drug interaction and its nature, respectively. Further, the in-vitro cell-uptake, mechanism of cell-uptake, in-vitro anti-tumor efficacy and apoptosis level were evaluated using HCT-116 colon cancer cells. The prepared nanocubosomes exhibited a small hydrodynamic particle size (PS of 150 ± 10 nm in diameter) with nearly cubic shape and appropriate polydispersity index (PDI), enhanced drug loading capacity (LC of 6.82 ± 2.03% (Cur) and 9.65 ± 1.53% (TMZ), high entrapment efficiency (EE of 67.43 ± 2.16% (Cur) and 75.55 ± 3.25% (TMZ), pH-triggered drug release profile and higher colloidal stability in various physiological medium. Moreover, the nanocubosomes showed higher cellular uptake, in-vitro cytotoxicity and apoptosis compared to free drugs, curcumin and temozolomide, most likely because its small particle size. In addition, BSA-stabilized nanocubosomes were actively taken by aggressive colon cancer cells that over-expressed the albumin receptors and utilized BSA as nutrient source for their growth. In short, this study provides a new and simple strategy to improve the efficacy and simultaneously overawed the adaptive treatment tolerance in colon cancer.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Cancer cells have an unusual regulation of hydrogen ion dynamics that are driven by poor vascularity perfusion, regional hypoxia, and increased glycolysis. All these forces synergize/orchestrate ...together to create extracellular acidity and intracellular alkalinity. Precisely, they lead to extracellular pH (pH
) values as low as 6.2 and intracellular pH values as high as 8. This unique pH gradient (∆pH
to ∆pH
) across the cell membrane increases as the tumor progresses, and is markedly displaced from the electrochemical equilibrium of protons. These unusual pH dynamics influence cancer cell biology, including proliferation, metastasis, and metabolic adaptation. Warburg metabolism with increased glycolysis, even in the presence of Oxygen with the subsequent reduction in Krebs' cycle, is a common feature of most cancers. This metabolic reprogramming confers evolutionary advantages to cancer cells by enhancing their resistance to hypoxia, to chemotherapy or radiotherapy, allowing rapid production of biological building blocks that support cellular proliferation, and shielding against damaging mitochondrial free radicals. In this article, we highlight the interconnected roles of dysregulated pH dynamics in cancer initiation, progression, adaptation, and in determining the programming and re-programming of tumor cell metabolism.
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a global transpiring pollutant and an endocrine disruptor present in the environment which has a substantial harmful effect on plants. In the present study, its effects on seed ...germination, radicle length and cytogenetic alterations were investigated in Pisum sativum L root tip cells. Pisum sativum L seeds were germinated after treating with various concentrations of BPA (2 mg/L, 5 mg/L, 10 mg/L, 15 mg/L, 20 mg/L and 25 mg/L) at 24±1°C for 72 hours and the cytogenetic variations were assessed. The investigation showed that BPA reduced the percentage of seed germination, mitotic index, radicle length (at higher concentrations) and instigated a rise in chromosomal anomalies in a dose-related manner. In total, there is an enhanced occurrence of c-mitosis, stickiness, bridges, fragments and laggards in the BPA treated root tip cells of Pisum sativum L seeds.
Recently, drug delivery using natural biological carriers has emerged as one of the most widely investigated topics of research. Erythrocytes, or red blood cells, can act as potential carriers for a ...wide variety of drugs, including anticancer, antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory, along with various proteins, peptides, enzymes, and other macromolecules. The red blood cell-based nanocarrier systems, also called nanoerythrosomes, are nanovesicles poised with extraordinary features such as long blood circulation times, the ability to escape immune system, the ability to release the drug gradually, the protection of drugs from various endogenous factors, targeted and specified delivery of drugs, as well as possessing both therapeutic and diagnostic applications in various fields of biomedical sciences. Their journey over the last two decades is escalating with fast pace, ranging from in vivo to preclinical and clinical studies by encapsulating a number of drugs into these carriers. Being biomimetic nanoparticles, they have enhanced the stability profile of drugs and their excellent site-specific targeting ability makes them potential carrier systems in the diagnosis and therapy of wide variety of tumors including gliomas, lung cancers, breast cancers, colon cancers, gastric cancers, and other solid tumors. This review focuses on the most recent advancements in the field of nanoerythrosomes, as an excellent and promising nanoplatform for the novel drug delivery of various drugs particularly antineoplastic drugs along with their potential as a promising diagnostic tool for the identification of different tumors.
Nano-crystallization is a new emerging strategy to promote the saturation solubility, dissolution rate and subsequent bioavailability of Biopharmaceutical Class II drugs. Capsaicin belongs to BCS ...class-II drugs having low water solubility and dissolution rate. Nano-crystals (NC) of pure Capsaicin was developed and optimized in order to increase its water solubility, dissolution and further to promote its adhesiveness to skin epidermis layer. NC formulations were subjected to stability studies, droplet size, surface charge, poly-dispensability index, drug content, entrapment efficiency, thermal analysis, surface morphology, crystalline studies, solubility profile, in vitro release and ex vivo permeation studies. In vivo anti-inflammatory assay (Carrageenan-induced paw edema) was performed in Sprague Dawley rats. Nanocrystals loaded with capsaicin showed particle size 120 ± 3.0 nm with surface charge of −20.7 ± 3.5 and PDI was 0.48 ± 1.5. Drug content and entrapment efficiency of T3 was 85% and 90 ± 1.9% respectively. Thermal studies predicted that melting peak of capsaicin was present in the formulation suggested that there was no interaction between active moieties and excipients in NC formulation. Surface morphology confirmed the presence of Nano-size crystals having rough crystalline surface. XRD proved that the capsaicin NC are successfully developed by using high speed homogenization. The solubility of capsaicin was found to be 12.0 ± 0.013 μg/mL in water. In vitro study revealed that 89.94 ± 1.9% of drug was released within 24 h. Similarly, drug permeation was 68.32 ± 1.83%, drug retained in skin was 16.13 ± 1.11% while drug retained on skin was 9.12 ± 0.14% after 12 h. The nanocrystals showed higher anti-inflammatory activity as compared to marketed product (Dicloran®). The study concluded that improvement in dissolution rate of capsaicin may potentially provide the opportunities in the development of a much cost-effective dosage forms that will produce improved pharmacological effects, but at low dose as compared to the already available products.
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The purpose of this study was to explore the biocomponents of flowers from Caralluma retrospiciens (Ehrenb). The study investigated the FT-IR and GC–MS spectral analysis of flower ...from C. retrospiciens (Ehrenb). A flower concentrate (FC) was prepared and the functional groups were determined by FT-IR spectroscopy study. FT-IR analysis showed the presence of significant compounds at frequency 3287.45, 2850.32, 2595.91, 2524.69, 2041.07 cm−1. The GC–MS study demonstrated the presence of unique pharmaceutically important compounds. The extract was characterized by the presence of unique compounds such as “7,8-Epoxylanostan-11-ol, 3-acetoxy”, “Pregnan-20-one, 5,6-epoxy-3-hydroxy-, (3á,5á,6á)-”, “Benzenepropanoic acid, 3,5-bis(1,1-dimethylethyl)-4-hydroxy-, methyl ester”, “Hexadecanoic acid, methyl ester”, “Dasycarpidan-1-methanol, acetate”, etc. The antibacterial effect of the FC showed a wide spectrum of activity against the screened human pathogenic bacteria. The activity was predominantly against Gram-negative bacteria.
Health care providers are mandated to deliver specialized care for the treatment and control of type 2 diabetes mellitus. In Malaysia, Diabetes Medication Therapy Adherence Clinics (DMTAC) in ...tertiary hospitals have designated pharmacists to administer these services.
To assess the effects of pharmacist-led interventions within DMTAC on the outcomes of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in two distinct hospitals in Kedah, Malaysia.
Patients with type 2 diabetes were randomly selected from the two hospitals included in this study. The study population was divided into two equal groups. The control group consisted of 200 patients receiving routine care from the hospitals. On the other hand, the intervention group included those patients with type 2 diabetes (200), who received separate counseling sessions from pharmacists in the DMTAC departments along with the usual treatment. The study lasted 1 year, during which both study groups participated in two distinct visits.
Parametric data were analyzed by a paired
-test and one-way ANOVA, while non-parametric data were analyzed by a Chi-squared test using SPSS v24. A
< 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The study presented the results of a greater reduction in HBA1c levels in the intervention group compared to the control group, i.e., 3.59 and 2.17% (
< 0.001). Moreover, the Systolic and Diastolic values of BP were also significantly reduced in the intervention group, i.e., 9.29 mmHg/7.58 mmHg (
< 0.005). Furthermore, cholesterol levels were significantly improved in patients in the intervention group, i.e., 0.87 mmol/L (
< 0.001).
Based on the findings of the current study it has been proven that the involvement of pharmacists leads to improved control of diabetes mellitus. Therefore, it is recommended that the government initiate DMTAC services in both private and government hospitals and clinics throughout Malaysia. Furthermore, future studies should assess the impact of pharmacist interventions on other chronic conditions, including but not limited to asthma, arthritis, cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and dementia.
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