Posted by admin on Aug 15, 2010 in |
Currently, natural polysaccharides are being utilized increasingly in the markets because they exhibit biodegradability, biocompatibility, versatility, and are found abundant in nature. Chitosan is a natural polysaccharide that possesses excellent biological properties. It has been recognized for its antibacterial activity, in that it is destructive towards the bacterium Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). The major problem associated for its use in formulation is its water insolubility. This research entails the chemical modification of chitosan with N-acylation and crosslinking using substituted benzoyl chloride to enhance its solubility and antimicrobial properties. The derivative also shoe antifungal activity against Candida species. It is believed that these types of hydrophilic derivatives shows better bioadhesion and inhibit the growth of bacteria by initial electrostatic interactions with negatively charged groups of the bacterial cell surface. The antibacterial and antifungal activities of the water soluble N-acyl crosslinked chitosan were investigated using the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) method. Substituted benzoyl chloride derivative of chitosan exhibited a MIC of 45 μg/mL against Escherichia coli...
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Posted by admin on Aug 15, 2010 in |
Rimonabant is an anti-obesity drug which acts as Cannabinoid-1 receptor antagonist. Its main avenue of effect is reduction in appetite. The drug was formulated in the form of Sodium Alginate – Guar gum microspheres following ionotropic gelation method to reduce its dose related side effects. A detailed study of physical and chemical parameters including percentage drug loading and cumulative drug release was carried out and statistically evaluated. Each and every test on all batches was carried out in triplicate. After the experiment the microspheres showed good flow properties with drug entrapment efficiency recorded highest at 71.6%, drug loading results ranged from 12.91-18.20% and the yield percentage was recorded over 90% for all the formulations. The rate of drug release followed Higuchi matrix model equation....
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Posted by admin on Aug 15, 2010 in |
Pharmacogenomics is the branch of pharmacology and genomics that deals with the influence of genetic variation on drug response in patients by correlating molecular expressions and single-nucleotide polymorphisms with a drug’s efficacy or toxicity. Pharmacogenomics aims to develop rational means to optimize drug therapy, with respect to the patients’ genotype, to ensure maximum efficacy with minimal adverse effects. Such approaches promise the advent of “personalized medicine”; in which drugs and drug combinations are optimized for each individual’s unique genetic makeup. Pharmacogenomics is the whole genome application of pharmacokinetics, which examines the single gene interactions with drugs. Pharmacogenomics has a high potential to revolutionize cancer therapy. Some of the examples of genetic variations in drug metabolizing enzymes and drug targets described appear to play major roles in influencing drug efficacy or toxicity. In addition to the single gene variations described above, identification of genetic profiles to subtype the breast cancer and to identify the prognosis by microarray analysis has shown great promise towards individualized cancer therapy. Pharmacogenomics is the study of how an...
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Posted by admin on Aug 15, 2010 in |
Direct genetic alterations leading to deregulated PI3K/Akt signaling are common in a significant fraction of human malignancies. Both Akt and Aurora A kinase have been shown to be important targets for intervention for cancer therapy. Nuclear Akt1 expression and Akt activation are common in cancer invasion. However, the mechanisms for this association and its causal role in invasion are uncertain. It is a key downstream effector of phosphoinositide 3’-kinase (PI3K) and directly modulates a wide range of pro-apoptotic and metabolism regulating proteins. Inhibition of Akt is a significant therapeutic goal due to the prevalence of activating mutations in the PI3K/Akt...
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Posted by admin on Aug 15, 2010 in |
Pimenta dioica commonly known as Allspice was used by early Central American civilizations as a flavoring for chocolate and found to have good anti-microbial action. The current study was therefore carried out to provide requisite pharmacognostic details about the plant. The results of the study could be useful in setting some diagnostic indices for the identification and preparation of a monograph of the...
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