Progress in antimalarial drug discovery and development: obstructions and opportunities

Mosquitoes conveying Plasmodium store parasites into the skin of the mammalian host. Parasites make a trip through the circulation system to the liver, where they cross a few hepatocytes prior to building up a disease. Inside the last hepatocyte the parasite goes through morphogenesis and afterward abiogenetically partitions to become more than 20,000 blood-infective parasites, called merozoites. On account of P. vivax, P. ovale, and P. cynomolgi, the parasites can stay lethargic in the liver in structures called hypnozoites. The merozoites are delivered once again into the circulation system, where they start the repetitive blood stage. Inside erythrocytes, a little division of parasites separate into male or female gametocytes. These gametocytes are ingested by the mosquito during blood taking care of, where they will duplicate explicitly, in the long run prompting the arrangement of sporozoites

Rukshi naaz

Life-threatening side effects of amphotericin b

A 22-year-old Indonesian woman was admitted through the emergency department with a 10-day history of  fever associated with chills. Other medical history was unremarkable. On examination, she appeared ill; BP 95/60 mmHg, pulse 105/min, and temperature 39.5°C. Abdominal examination showed splenomegaly; examination of the heart, lungs, and nervous system was unremarkable.

Karishma Karishma

Rapid diagnostic test versus microscopy in the diagnosis of acute malaria in a district hospital in enugu state, southeast nigeria

Background: Malaria is a systemic disease caused by various species of Plasmodium, transmitted through the bite of a female Anopheles mosquito. According to the World Health Organisation, there were 214 million cases of malaria worldwide in 2015. Nigeria’s burden of malaria is about 51million cases and 207,000 deaths annually, accounting for 60% of outpatient visits to hospitals, 11% of maternal mortality, and 30% of child mortality. The study aimed to compare RDT and microscopy in malaria diagnosis in a District Hospital in Enugu state, Southeast Nigeria. Methods: Blood samples of 300 suspected cases of acute malaria were tested for malaria parasite using RDT and microscopy simultaneously. Results: In 2017, the study found a malaria prevalence of 25% (46.2% in children, and 18.1% in adults) in Awgu. RDT was positive in 38% and microscopy in 70.3% of cases. Both RDT and microscopy were positive in 36.3%, negative in 28.3%, and discordant in 35.4%. Sensitivity of RDT was 50.7% (89.4% in children, and 25.6% in adults). RDT had a specificity of 100% (both children and adults), positive predictive value of 1 (both children and adults), and negative predictive value of 0.6 (0.5 in children, 0.6 in adults). Conclusions: RDT (SD Malaria Ag P. f) had more sensitivity in children (89.4%) than adults (25.6%), and the occurrence of false negative results was more in adults (46.8%) than children (9.5%). All negative RDT results need to be examined microscopically, to rule out false negative cases.

Emmanuel umegbolu

Preliminary tests and anatomical features of few medicinal weeds

Now-a-days there is a renewed interest in drugs of natural origin simply because they are considered as green medicine and are always safe. The advantage of natural drugs is their easy availability, economic and less or no side effects they have been used in traditional medicine practices. In the present investigation some medicinal weeds were analyzed, it includes Centella asiatica, Phyllanthus niruri, Argemone mexicana, Amaranthus viridis, Asclepias currasavica, Cyperus iria and Portulaca oleraceae. All the eight medicinal weeds collected during field visits were subjected to study organoleptic features, macroscopic studies, powder analysis, physicochemical limits and fluorescence analysis, single and double staining techniques.

Veerabhadraswamy AL Veerabhadraswamy al

New dimension in higher education in india

Higher Education has an important role in the task of rebuilding a nation and it pavCes the way for overall development of a nation. The twentieth century has witnessed several revolutions like Green revolution, White revolution, I.T revolution, so on and so forth, taking human civilization to new heights. At the start of 21st century, we gave a lot of importance given to higher education. Every country realized the value of higher education and the benefits that accrue from it. “The social demands for higher education continue to increase. The inabilities of the state to support this growing demand result in new financing arrangements for higher education. The recent reforms in this area could be broadly divided into two categories: the privatization of public institutions and the establishment of private institutions of higher education. Privatization implies the application of market principles in the operation of public institutions, while ownership rests within the public domain. Promotion of the private sector implies the growth and expansion of the non-state sector in higher education, and very often this sector does not rely on state funding for its growth and expansion. Both of these measures have paved the way for market operations in higher education

Dr Gedam Kamalakar Dr gedam kamalakar

Anti-emetic and anti-inflammatory activity of fruit peel of luffa cylindrica (l.) roem

Ethanol extract of Luffa cylindrica (L.) Roem. Fruit peel was evaluated for antiemetic and anti-inflammatory effects using the chick emesis model and carrageenan-induced rat paw edema. The antiemetic effect was observed at 150 mg /kg body weight whereas the anti-inflammatory effect was observed at doses of 500, 750 and 1000 mg /kg body weight orally. Chlorpromazine 150mg/kg and indomethacin 10mg/kg orally were used as standard anti-emetic and anti-inflammatory drugs. The anti-emetic effect was determined by calculating the mean decrease in the number of retchings compared to those of the control group after 10 minutes of copper sulfate (50mg/kg orally) administration. The degree of paw oedema of all the groups was measured using a plethysmometer at the 5th hour of carrageenan (1% w/v) administration. The extract exhibited statistically significant anti-emetic (P< 0.001) and anti-inflammatory (P< 0.05) effects.

Dr. Salman Ahmed Dr. salman ahmed

Antiemetic activity of acalypha fimbriata schumach. & thonn., acalypha ornata hochst., and acalypha wilkesiana cv. godseffiana muell arg

The current study was designed to explore the antiemetic effect of the methanolic extracts of Acalypha fimbriata Schumach. & Thonn., Acalypha ornata Hochst., and Acalypha wilkesiana cv. godseffiana Muell Arg., aerial parts using chick emesis model to validate their folk use in G.I. disorders. Emesis was induced by the oral administration of copper sulfate to male chicks. All the extracts (150 mg/kg orally) showed an antiemetic effect and were compared with the reference drug chlorpromazine. Among all the extracts, Acalypha ornata Hochst., leaves extract showed the highest (94.51%) and Acalypha fimbriata Schumach. & Thonn., stem extract showed the lowest (35.04%) antiemetic effect.

Dr. Salman Ahmed Dr. salman ahmed

Natural products targeting the atr-chk1 signaling pathway in cancer therapy

Cancer is one of the most severe medical conditions in the world, causing millions of deaths each year. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy are critical treatment approaches, but both have numerous adverse health effects. Furthermore, the resistance of cancerous cells to anticancer medication leads to treatment failure. The rising burden of cancer requires novel, efficacious treatment modalities. Natural remedies offer feasible alternative options against malignancy in contrast to available synthetic medication. Selective killing of cancer cells is privileged mainstream in cancer treatment, and targeted therapy represents the new tool with the potential to pursue this aim. The discovery of innovative therapies targeting essential components of DNA damage signalling and repair pathways, such as ataxia telangiectasia mutated and Rad3-related Checkpoint kinase 1 (ATR-CHK1), has offered a possibility of significant therapeutic improvement in oncology. The activation and inhibition of this pathway account for chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic activity, respectively. Targeting this pathway can also aid in overcoming the resistance of conventional chemo- or radiotherapy. This review enlightens the anticancer role of natural products by ATR-CHK1 activation and inhibition. Additionally, these compounds have been shown to have chemotherapeutic synergistic potential when used in combination with other anticancer drugs. Ideally, this review will trigger interest in natural products targeting ATR-CHK1 and their potential efficacy and safety as cancer-lessening agents.

Dr. Salman Ahmed Dr. salman ahmed

Knowledge, attitude, and practices towards covid-19: a cross-sectional study among nursing and midwifery students in jalingo, nigeria

ABSTRACT Background: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infection rate and mortality among Nigerian health care workers appear to be on the increase. Aside from health workers, it has caused millions of infections and deaths worldwide. This study determined the level of knowledge, attitude, and practices of nursing and midwifery students towards COVID-19 in a North-Eastern Nigerian state. Methods: A total of 156 respondents were involved in this institutional-based cross-sectional study, conducted after the lockdown period. A total of 17 questions were used to assess the KAP with knowledge appraised with 12 questions, attitudes with 2 questions, and practices with 3 questions. Results: The majority of the students (53.80%) possessed a good level of knowledge regarding COVID-19, while 40.4% had fair knowledge regarding COVID-19 with only 5.80% having poor knowledge of COVID-19. The mean knowledge of COVID-19 in this study was 9.40±1.353 with an overall 78% correct answer rate. A vast majority of the respondent (82.7% and 98.1%) had strong confidence in Nigeria and believed that the pandemic will soon be over, respectively. Only a few avoided large gatherings of people (30.8%) with the vast majority reporting to have worn a mask when going out (84.6%) and washing their hands with running water and soap frequently as recommended (73.1%). In multiple logistic regression analyses, the COVID-19 knowledge score (OR: 0.39-0.40, 95%CI: 0.26 – 0.62, P<0.05) was significantly associated with a lower likelihood of negative preventive practices towards COVID-19. Conclusions: The participants in this study showed good knowledge, positive attitudes, and good practices toward COVID-19. There is still a need to strategize and implement periodic educational interventions and training on infection control practices among healthcare workers including students.

Hope Inegbenosun Hope inegbenosun

Primary hydatid cyst of the small intestine masquerading as intestinalhydatid cyst

Hydatid disease or hydatidosis is a worldwide zoonosis disease caused by the tapeworm of Echinococcus granulosus and still widely endemic in Tunisia especially in rural areas where the sheep-dog cycle is dominant. It is an important public health problem in the pediatric age group causing significant morbidity and mortality. We report a case of primary hydatid cyst of the small intestine in a child and we want to highlight the difficulty that we meet in the diagnosis despite the contribution of imaging.

Sameh Sameh

Pharmacognostic and phytochemical study of the flowers of cordia sebestena l

The present study shows the pharmacognostic and phytochemical studies on the flowers of Cordia sebestena. L. belongs to the family Boraginaceae. C. sebestena L. is found primarily in tropical and subtropical regions of the American, Asian and African continents. Though it is an essential plant, no pharmacognostic work has been found on its parts, such as flowers. Various organoleptic characters were recorded by macroscopic study. A microscopic study of the flowers was also conducted, which shows the presence of fibres, calcium oxalate crystals and multiple types of trichomes, along with fluorescence analysis. The present study also deals with the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic analysis of C. sebestena L. FT-IR spectra revealed the presence of C-H, C=C, C-N, C-O and aromatic groups. The chemical composition of the hexane extract of the flowers of C. sebestena L. was detected through GC-MS, and the spectrum achieved through GC-MS was correlated with the database of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) which comprise more than 62000 outlines of the mass spectrum. GC-MS analysis of n-hexane extract showed the existence of Retinoic acid, lupeol, β-sitosterol, stigmasterol, and hexadecanoic acid, along with fatty acids, esters, alkaloids and alcohols. These pharmacognostic and phytochemical studies can be valuable in providing reliable proof of the quality of the plant, which can benefit health professionals and herbal medicine manufacturers.

Dr. Salman Ahmed Dr. salman ahmed

Evaluation of the antifungal efficacy of mitracarpus scaber extracts and ocimum gratissimum oil against clinical isolates of fungi

Dermatophytes and Candida albicans are widespread with increasing prevalence and pose a grave threat to public health globally. Ocimum gratissimum and Mitracarpus scaber have been used in Southeastern Nigeria for several purposes, including antimicrobial effects, and have exhibited inhibition of growth to fungi. This study aimed to evaluate and ascertain the antifungal potential of these extracts against dermatophytes and Candida albicans. A total of 50 samples of dermatophytes and Candida albicans previously isolated from clinical samples at two different Hospitals, in the Southeast of Nigeria were used. The clinical samples were vaginal discharge, sputum, swab samples from the endocervix, urine, groin, mouth thrush, and palm. These organisms were all identified using standard mycological identification and characterization techniques. The sensitivity of selected fungi to the extracts (ethanolic extract of M. scaber and O. gratissimum oil) and ketoconazole was evaluated using a modified cup-agar diffusion plate method. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the extracts was determined by the agar dilution method. Their minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) and killing rates against the isolates were also determined. The organisms remain an important etiological agent in this species, implicated in several kinds of infections. The result showed that the activity of the O. gratissimum oil was comparable with that of the conventional drugs, indicating the potential in this extract. The MIC values for Candida isolates were consistently lower against O. gratisimum compared to ketoconazole. The MFC results indicated that O. gratissimum oil had a greater biocidal effect against most of the test organisms in contrast to ketoconazole. The killing rate study also indicated that the oil has very good activity against the isolates. O. gratissimum oil holds great potential for use in treating a wider spectrum of fungal pathogens.

Mediterranean Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Mediterranean journal of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences

The effect of phaseolus vulgaris l. fixed oil on the behavioural activity of swiss albino mice

Background: Phaseolus vulgaris, commonly known as kidney bean, has been studied previously for pharmacological properties such as antidiabetic, antioxidant, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, and antibacterial properties. Various extracts of the seeds have been researched except fixed oils. Objective: Therefore, the present study aims to investigate the behavioral activity of fixed oil extracted from Phaseolus vulgaris seeds. Methodology: Hole board, light and dark, stationary rod and open field tests were used for behavioral evaluation. Four groups were made with seven mice in each : (1) Control = Normal saline 2ml/kg (2) Phaseolus vulgaris fixed oil = PVFO 2ml/kg (3) PVFO 4ml/kg (4) Diazepam (1mg/kg) as standard. All treatments were given orally 30 minutes before the performance of tests. In the hole board test, PVFO 4ml/kg decreased the number of head poking (p≤0.01). Results: In light and dark tests, PVFO in both doses reduced the time spent in the light compartment (p≤0.01). In the open field test, the number of peripheral lines crossed was decreased (p≤0.05), whereas in the stationary rod test, no effect was observed by any dose of PVFO. Conclusion: Results indicate that Phaseolus vulgaris fixed oil does not affect memory or learning in mice and may possess a dose-dependent sedative hypnotic effect.

Dr. Salman Ahmed Dr. salman ahmed

Practices towards artificial fruit ripening among fruit vendors in rivers state

This study investigated the practice of artificial fruit ripening among fruit vendors of banana, plantain, mango and pawpaw in Rivers State. The study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional survey design. Two objectives, corresponding research questions and null hypotheses guided the study. The population for the study comprised all the accessible 1,810 fruit vendors in Rivers East senatorial district. A sample size of 472 fruit vendors was drawn using multi-stage sampling procedure. A validated self-structured questionnaire titled ‘Practice of Artificial Fruit Ripening’ with inter-scale reliability co- efficient of 0.896 was used as instrument for data collection. The descriptive statistics of mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions, while inferential statistics of Z-test and One-Way Analysis of Variance were used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 alpha level. It was found that fruit vendors in Rivers State sometimes practiced artificial fruit ripening using chemical and non-chemical methods. It was also discovered that regardless of their level of education and years of experience in the fruit business, the fruit vendors sometimes indulged in unhealthy practice of artificial fruit ripening. More so, the study revealed significant difference in practice among the fruit vendors in Rivers State based on level of education and years of experience. Based on the findings, it was concluded that the current practice of artificial fruit ripening in Rivers State is not in tandem with global best practices and therefore portend danger to the wellbeing of Rivers people and other Nigerians. The study therefore recommended among others that; community health workers should carry-out regular and effective health awareness campaigns concerning the dangers of using chemicals to ripen fruits. The Government of Rivers State through the Ministry of Agriculture should organise training programmes for fruit vendors on faster, safer, and economically feasible methods of fruits ripening and other post-harvest management techniques

FXintegrity Publishing Fxintegrity publishing

Uv spectrophotometric determination of cefixime in bulk and its dosage form

A novel, simple, accurate, sensitive, reproducible, economical and less time consuming spectroscopic method was developed and validated for determination of cefixime. The solvent used was 0.1 N HCL and the absorbance maxima or the λmax was found to be 283.0 nm and 303nm for zero order and first order derivative respectively. This method obeyes Beer’s Law for the concentration range of 8–16 µg/ml for cefixime. The proposed method was been validated statistically as per the ICH guidelines for linearity, accuracy, precision, specificity, LOD and LOQ. The method developed and validated successfully for the quantitative analysis of cefixime in bulk and dosage form.

Prasanna Pradhan Prasanna pradhan

Role of pharmacy students in fostering rational use of dietary supplements: knowledge, attitude, and practice study

Dietary supplements are extensively consumed, but irrational use is a health hazard. Pharmacy students, being future healthcare providers, can facilitate rational use. The present study evaluated the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of pharmacy students at Srinivas College of Pharmacy, Mangalore, about dietary supplements and their role as an advocate, in addition to mental health correlations. 250 students selected through stratified random sampling took part in a cross-sectional mixed-methods study. A 30-question instrument (Cronbach's alpha=0.85) measured demographics, dietary supplement usage, knowledge, attitude, practices, and mental health was evaluated with the depression, anxiety, and stress Scale-21 (DASS-21). The data were collected during January-March 2025 and were analyzed with the chi-square test, logistic regression, and Pearson correlation tests. 35.0% (n=88) used dietary supplements regularly, with a preference for multivitamins (50%) and protein supplements (30%). Knowledge was moderate (60% risk aware), attitudes favorable (70% in favor of counseling), but practice restricted (25% informed peers). Everyday use of dietary supplements escalated stress probability (OR=2.5, 95% CI: 1.8-3.4, p<0.001), with correlation (r=0.38, p<0.01). In conclusion, students have promise as dietary supplement champions but require additional training to close knowledge-practice gaps and mitigate mental health risks. Curriculum and policy interventions are needed to enhance students' abilities in encouraging rational dietary supplement use and identifying potential mental health effects.

Mediterranean Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Mediterranean journal of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences

Enhancing hydro power plant efficiency through hybrid optimization approach

The inclusion of hydroelectric power is crucial to Nigeria's overall energy mix, playing a significant role in electricity generation. However, the Shiroro hydro plant, one of the main facilities located on the Kaduna River, is currently facing operational obstacles due to deteriorating infrastructure and inadequate maintenance practices. To overcome these challenges and improve efficiency within Nigeria's hydroelectric power sector, a hybrid-optimization approach has been proposed. This study sought to enhance the efficiency of the Shiroro hydro plant by implementing this innovative method. To achieve our objectives and address pertinent research questions, a mixed research method combining primary and secondary data was employed. The analysis included hydropower modeling and hydro-turbine input-output modeling. Three optimizer models, namely the particle swarm optimizer (PSO), Ant colony optimizer (ACO), and Artificial bee colony optimizer (ABCO), were utilized to formulate objective functions and task representations. The study involved comparing the daily output and fitness response of the Shiroro hydro plant through swarm optimizer iterations. The findings revealed a clear correlation between the turbine's power output and the water flow rate and water column height, suggesting that altering these factors could significantly improve the plant's performance. The comparison of the PSO, ACO, and ABCO models demonstrated that PSO and ABCO generated optimal or near-optimal solutions, while ACO produced suboptimal results. Consequently, the study concluded that enhancing the Shiroro hydro plant's output was feasible by increasing the water flow rate and column height. Additionally, the utilization of PSO and ABCO models proved to be an effective means of accurately predicting the turbine's output. As a result, the study recommended the integration of hybrid optimization techniques to monitor and identify any deviations in the Shiroro hydro plant's daily power output. This approach would enable prompt maintenance to be carried out, preventing significant damage to the plant. Ultimately, this research contributes valuable insights into improving the efficiency and performance of Nigeria's Shiroro hydro plant.

FXintegrity Publishing Fxintegrity publishing

The impact of internal service quality on job satisfaction in the hotel industry

Service quality is a key factor for success in any hotel. Many researchers have conducted studies on service quality, but only a few studies have been conducted on internal service quality (ISQ) in general, and in the hotel industry in particular. Since there is no general agreement among researchers on the measurement of ISQ, many studies have used SERVQUAL instrument to measure the employees’ perceptions of ISQ. The purpose of this study is to explore the influence of ISQ on employee’s job satisfaction in five-star hotels in Jordan. The current study was carried out by measuring the data gathered through a seven-point Likert scale. The quantitative survey method was applied, and therefore the SERVQUAL instrument was used to measure ISQ, and the Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS) was used to measure job satisfaction. Data obtained from a sample of 238 respondents drawn from 14 five-star hotels in Jordan were analysed with the SPSS software based on descriptive statistics. The study’s findings indicated that the ISQ of five-star hotels in Jordan has a significantly positive influence on an employee’s job satisfaction. These findings support the hypothesis that there is a positive relationship between ISQ in the hotel industry and industry employees’ job satisfaction.

Mukhles m. al-ababneh

The prevalence of and risk factors for stroke among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients in qatar: a hospital-based study

Background and Objectives: The complications of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) can occur in some organs, such as the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, and nerves. Stroke, one of such complications, is increasing every year. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of and risk factors for stroke among T2DM patients in Qatar. Methods: This was a secondary post hoc analysis of collected data from our previous study titled “Association of Vitamin D deficiency with dyslipidemia, glycemic control, and microalbuminuria in patients with T2DM in Qatar.” Results: The prevalence of stroke among our patients was 3.8%. A comparison between stroke and no-stroke groups showed a significant association between stroke and other diseases, namely, chronic kidney diseases (CKD) (p=0.007), coronary artery disease (CAD) (p=0.010), peripheral vascular disease (PVD) (p<0.001), retinopathy (p=0.044), prolonged duration of diabetes mellitus (DM) (p=0.041), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) (p=0.006), and a high serum creatinine level (p=0.003). In the multivariate analysis, we identified the following variables as independent risk factors for stroke in patients with T2DM: male gender, CKD, CAD, PVD, high HbA1c, a high creatinine level, and prolonged duration of DM. Conclusion: The prevalence of stroke among T2DM patients in Qatar was around 3.8%. The main risk factors were male gender, CKD, CAD, PVD, high HbA1c, prolonged duration of DM, and a high level of creatinine.

Karishma Karishma

Preparation and characterization and biodistribution studies of lomustine loaded plga nanoparticles by interfacial deposition method

The incorporation of lomustine, a hydrophobic anticancer drug into PLGA nanoparticles by interfacial deposition method was optimized. Based on the optimal parameters, it was found that lomustine-PLGA nanoparticles with acceptable properties could be obtained. Optimization of formulation variables to control the size and drug entrapment efficiency of the prepared nanoparticles seems to be based on the same scientific principles as drug-loaded nanoparticles prepared by nanoprecipitation, solvent evaporation method. The process was the most important factor to control the particle size, while both the drug-polymer interaction and the partition of drug in organic and aqueous phases were the crucial factors to govern the drug entrapment efficiency. PLGA concentration at lower level (100 mg), 1:5 organic phase: aqueous ratio, 1%w/v PVA concentration, 3%w/v pluronic F68 achieved smaller particle size. Additionally, L:G ratio of PLGA 75:25, lower volume of organic solvent (1:10 organic phase: aqueous phase), higher initial drug content (10 mg) enhanced the drug entrapment efficiency and maintained lomustine concentration in blood for an extended time period, elevated lomustine concentration in lungs and slowed the elimination of lomustine. The biodistribution profiles of prepared nanoparticles in albino mice showed higher plasma drug concentration for longer period of time, elevated drug concentration in lungs and slow elimination from kidney. No toxic effects of prepared nanoparticles were observed in histopathological examination of lungs and kidney. The systematic investigation reported here promises the development of PLGA nanoparticles loaded with lomustine when tested in Lung Cancer cell line L132 and toxicological/ histopathological studies in albino mice.

Archana Mehrotra Archana mehrotra

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