Iranian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Volume:16 Issue: 3, Summer 2020

Marine soft corals contain a variety of secondary metabolites with diverse, biological activities, including cytotoxic and anti-oxidant. The aim of this study was to evaluate the total phenolic content, antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of some soft corals of Persian Gulf including: Junceella juncea, Cavernularia sp., white Menella sp., brown Menella sp., Virgularia sp., Sinularia compressa, Sinularia variablis and Sinularia polydactyla were collected from Persian Gulf and extracted by maceration with methanol-ethyl acetate (1:1) solvent. The extract was evaporated and the total phenolic content was evaluated by using the Folin-ciocalteu reagent. The antioxidant activity of corals was tested by using DPPH photometric assay and cytotoxic activity of them against MCF-7 and OVCAR-3 cancer cell lines were performed. The cell survivals of MCF-7 and OVCAR-3 cell lines were decreased by increasing the concentration of the extracts. The brown Menella sp. showed the highest cytotoxic activity against MCF-7 with IC50 values of 325.45±2.57 µg/ml and S. polydactyla showed the highest cytotoxic activity against OVCAR-3 cell line with IC50 values of 260.99±7.93 µg/ml. White Menella sp. showed the highest antioxidant activity with IC50 values 0.056 µg/ml. Finally Cavernularia sp. had the most polyphenol content with 186.33 mg/L.

The objective of the current study was to develop Ibuprofen (IBP) gel using different polymers individually and in combination and then to select best gel formulation based on various in-vitro evaluation parameters such as bioadhesive strength, gel strength, spreadability, viscosity and drug release study. The selected gel formulation was found to be composed of 1% (w/w) each of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC K100M) and sodium carboxy methylcellulose (NaCMC). Two techniques such as chemical method using 1,8-cineole as chemical penetration enhancer (CPE) and physical technique using microneedle were employed to improve IBP permeation across the abdominal skin of rat. Out of the two techniques, the later technique showed higher (2.865-fold) permeation enhancement compared to control. Furthermore, a synergistic effect was also observed when both the techniques were used simultaneously with 3.307-fold increase in permeation enhancement. In-vivo anti-inflammatory study on rats induced with carrageenan paw oedema and analgesic activity investigation by tail flick method in rat model exhibited sustained effect up to 8 h compared to orally treated group. The stability study at room and accelerated conditions for three months did not show any sign of instability. Thus, the developed IBP gel is stable and have potential to illicit both anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect when administered transdermally.

Falcaria vulgaris (F. vulgaris) is a vegetable that contains antioxidant ingredients. Nicotine is the most important alkaloid compound in tobacco and is a major risk factor in the development of functional disorder of several organ systems.

In this study, 48 male rats were randomly assigned to 8 groups: Normal control (saline) group, nicotine control group (0.5 mg/kg), F. vulgaris groups (50, 100, and 150 mg/kg), and nicotine + F. vulgaris groups (10, 30, and 60 mg/kg). Treatments were administered intraperitoneally daily for 28 days. FRAP method was applied to determine the total antioxidant capacity. The number of dendritic spines was investigated by Golgi staining technique. Cresyl violet staining method was used to determine the number of neurons in hippocampal region CA1. Also, Griess technique was used to determine serum nitrite oxide level.

Nicotine administration increased significantly nitrite oxide level and total antioxidant capacity and a decreased number of neuronal dendritic spines and neurons compared to the normal control group (P < 0.05). In the F. vulgaris and nicotine + F. vulgaris groups, in all dosages, the number of neurons and neuronal dendritic spines increased significantly while nitrite oxide level and total antioxidant capacity decreased compared to the nicotine control group (p < 0.05).

It seems that F. vulgaris administration improves hippocampal region CA1 injury in rates because of nicotine.

In South Africa, cervical cancer is the utmost common cancer in women with an annual crude incidence rate of 30.2 per 100,000 women. Many homes are still dependent on traditional medicine. Because of the name “cancer bush’ given to Sutherlandia frutescens (SF) plant by the traditional healers for its anti-cancer activity, the plant was used lines.

MTT and xCELLigence were used to predict the IC50 and evaluate methanolic extract effect on SiHa cell lines. A flow cytometer was used to characterize the cell death type. Caspase 3/7 and ATP assays.

MTT and xCELLigence results showed a growth inhibition following treatment with varying concentrations of Sutherlandia frutescens with IC50 optimal at 50ug/ml. ATP level increased in S.F treated cells. Flow cytometry showed cells dying by apoptosis and with many cells trapped in S-Phase. Caspase activity was high in methanolic treated cells. The compounds used were: Canavanine, GABA and Pinitol. These compounds induced cell death at the highest concentration used.

Sutherlandia frutescens has shown potential to disrupt DNA replication thereby damaging DNA and arresting cells at S-phase leading to cell death by apoptosis.

This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of combining salbutamol nebulizer and oral procaterol compared to only oral procaterol on the respiratory rate, temperature (fever), spasm, cough frequency, thoracic retraction, and length of stay (LOS) among young children with pneumonia. This prospective cohort study included 48 consecutive sampling subjects with pneumonia in Indonesia. The subjects were classified based on the type of therapy they received: intervention group used the combination of salbutamol nebulizer and oral procaterol therapy (n=24 subjects) and the control group received oral procaterol only (n=24). The result showed that the combination therapy salbutamol nebulizer and oral procaterol was more effective than the administration of oral procaterol only with the rate of clinical change. Combination therapy nebulized salbutamol and oral procaterol significantly respiratory rate (p=0.006) and temperature (fever) (p=0.002) compared to the only oral procaterol. The combination had clinical change in reducing spasm, cough frequency, thoracic retraction, and length of stay (LOS) however there are was no significant effect of this combination in reducing spasm (p=0.348), cough frequency (p=0.964), thoracic retraction (p=0.666), and length of stay (LOS) (p=0.192) compared to the only oral procaterol among the Indonesian children with pneumonia.

Silymarin is a safe herbal medicine; however, it has some undesirable properties such as short half-life and poor aqueous solubility. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to report utilizing a dual-drug delivery system (DDDS) to enhance the release profile of silymarin from both micelles and hydrogels. In this experimental study, the release profile of micellar silymarin and micelle-hydrogel bounded silymarin during 21 days was examined using Knauer K2600A liquid chromatography. The calibration curve was plotted using the peak-areas of the silymarin at different concentrations. The RP-C18 column allowed a good separation of the components of standard silymarin. LOD and LOQ were 16.5 and 55.02 μg/ml, respectively. The in vitro release profiles of the two compounds showed a rapid release of silymarin, especially in the absence of hydrogel. The cumulative release graph revealed that the hydrogel-bound form has more constant release kinetics than the free micelle form; this means that the hydrogel-bound form may sustain for longer durations. In this study, a dual-drug delivery system based on hydrogel/micelle composites was introduced. The results showed that Puramatrix hydrogel plays an important role in the constant release of silymarin. Furthermore, the RP-HPLC method presented in this study can be used by other researchers to overcome the difficulties associated with the in-vitro separation and quantification of silymarin.

Based on European Pharmacopeia, there are some features which should be measured for any intravenous immunoglobulins prior to final release of the product. The most critical ones are the level of prekallikrein and anti-complementary activity in final formulation. For all commercial products, the national reference laboratory is prone to conduct such tests and there is no local report on quality control tests done on the products derived from Iranian human plasma. The study is to measure and control the international requirements such as prekallikrein count and anti-complementary activity for human intravenous immunoglobulins manufactured by local developed process in Iran in pilot scale. IgG-rich fraction was obtained by two fractionation methods. Cryoprecipitate was separated from tested fresh frozen plasma in both methods. In method I, for the next steps, fraction I paste, fraction II+III paste, and at the end, the fraction II paste were precipitated. In method II, the fraction I+II+III paste was simultaneously precipitated followed by deriving the fraction II paste. The paste obtained by both methods was separately subjected to the purification processes using anion and cation exchange chromatography followed by gel filtration and activity level of Prekallikrein in addition to anti-complement activity were compared with other laboratory evaluations. No difference was illustrated between protein and albumin content, pH, and conductivity of the two products. The fraction II paste obtained from both methods, was measured and compared with each other. The IgG yield compared to the primary plasma was calculated as 4.6 and 4.3 g for the aforementioned methods respectively. The absence of impurities was determined by a strong IgG bond in electrophoresis while by HPLC, the dimer/ monomer content was measured more than 99% and the polymer/ aggregate was less than 1%. The amount of prekallikrein and total anti-coagulant activity met the European Pharmacopoeia requirements for both methods.

Neuroblastoma is one of the nervous system cancers, which approximately consists of 9% of childhood cancers. In this study, we evaluated the toxic effects of prenyl hydroxy coumarin derivatives on apoptosis of the neuroblastoma cell line N2A. N2a cells were cultured in DMEM medium, then the effects of different concentrations (0.75–200 μg/mL) of prenyl hydroxy coumarin derivatives during 24, 48, and 72 h were studied. Cell viability was quantified by MTT assay; apoptotic cells were determined using PI staining of DNA fragmentation by Flow cytometry (sub-G1 peak). The toxic effect of 3- farnesyl oxi coumarin in the N2A cell starts at 6.25 μg/ml and increases relatively depending on rising in concentration and time. The toxicity and apoptosis in 3- farnesyl and 6- farnesyl oxi coumarin is more than 3- Geranyl and 6-Geranyl oxi coumarin. Prenyl hydroxy coumarin induces peak sub-G1in flow cytometry compared to the control group, indicating prenyl hydroxy coumarin-induced toxicity, which is involved in apoptotic cell death. Different concentration of hydroxy coumarin derivatives (0.75-200) µg/mL in lymphocytes, did not induce any anti-proliferative effect in 24 h. In conclusion, prenyl hydroxy coumarin derivatives induce apoptotic effects in the N2A cell line. Thus prenyl hydroxy coumarin derivatives sound to be chemotherapeutic agents for the neuroblastoma cancer cells.