ABSTRACT Pesticides used in agriculture for the control of various pests often leave residues in foodstuffs and these have been shown to pose health hazards. Analysis of pesticide residues in food is one way to determine the level of human exposure to these chemicals and hence their potential human health hazards. Maize (Zea mays L.) and beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) samples purchased from different markets in Lagos State were analyzed for residues of organochlorine, organophosphate and carba...
Abstract One of the objectives of the present studies is to investigate the possible interaction potential between ciprofloxacin and some representative antimalarial agents
ABSTRACT White yam starch obtained from the tubers of Dioscorea rotundata Poir was modified by hydroxypropylation and used as a binding agent in a metronidazole tablet formulation and compared with corn starch BP. The quantitative effects of the novel starch binder on the mechanical (tensile strength and friability) and release properties (disintegration and dissolution times) of the metronidazole tablet was analyzed using a full 23 factorial experimental design. The individual and interactio...
sodiuma b s t r a c tFour natural gums, namely albizia, cissus, irvingia and khaya gums have been characterized and evaluatedas polymers for the formulation of microbeads for controlled delivery of diclofenac sodium. The naturalgums were characterized for their material properties using standard methods. Diclofenac microbeadswere prepared by ionotropic gelation using gel blends of the natural gums and sodium alginate at differentratios and zinc chloride solution (10%w/v) as the crosslinking a...
ABSTRACT The use of starches as natural polymers for pharmaceutical applications remains attractive because they are cheap, readily available, biodegradable and capable of modification (Lawal et al., 2007; Yiu et al., 2008; Okunlola et al., 2010). Native starch is a white powder with a bland taste and flavor, and is insoluble in cold water. Due to the sub-optimal properties of native starches, modifications are efficient methods of improving their suitability as excipients for specific pharma...
Austral'! The elhno;;,raphic study was conducted in IWI' communities in Oyo SI;Jle in Southwestern Nigeria. The study sites consisted of it rural .uu! an urban local government area located in the rroplcnl rain forest zone of Nigeria. The study was designed to obtain information on febrile illnesses alld herbal remedies 1'01 treatment with rhc aim of identifying potential antimalarial drugs. The study revealed that fever is a general term for describing illnesses ussociatcd with elevated hody...
Abstract Background: Acetylated starches with degrees of substitution (DS) of > 2 have been found suitable for sustained release applications because of their hydrophobic nature and thermoplasticity. The short half-life and high dosing frequency of repaglinide make it an ideal candidate for sustained release. Objectives: To formulate and evaluate repaglinide microspheres using acetylated starch of the indigenous rice species Oryza glaberrima Steud (Ofada) as polymer. Materials and Methods: Of...
ABSTRACT Controlled release floating metformin hydrochloride microbeads were prepared and optimized using a blend of varying concentrations of freeze-dried pregelatinized Chinese yam starch (Dioscorea oppositifolia L) and sodium alginate. Floating microbeads were prepared by the ionotropic gelation method using 10% w/v calcium chloride as the cross-linking agent and sodium bicarbonate as the gas releasing agent. A full 32 factorial design was used to investigate the influence of two variables...
ABSTRACT Pregelatinized Chinese yam (Dioscorea oppositifolia) starch has been evaluated as a polymer for the formulation of floating gastroretentive beads for the controlled delivery of metformin hydrochloride. Floating microbeads were prepared by the ionotropic gelation method using a blend of modified Chinese yam starch and sodium alginate at different ratios. Sodium bicarbonate was added as a gas-generating agent. The floating microbeads were characterized by SEM, DSC, FTIR analyses and...
ABSTRACT Nimesulide microspheres were prepared by the quasi-emulsion solvent diffusion method, using acetylated starches of the indigenous Ofada rice (Oryza glaberrima Steud) with degrees of substitution (DS) 1.42 and 2.62. A full 23 factorial experimental design was performed using DS (X1), drug:polymer ratio (X2) and polymer concentration (X3) as independent factors; size, entrapment, swelling and time taken for 80% drug release (t80) were the dependent variables. Contour plots were generat...
ABSTRACT Mucoadhesive drug delivery systems are designed to prolong drug retention, thus offering advantages over conventional dosages through reduced dosage regimen and improved patient compliance. Natural polymers have gained importance over synthetic materials as excipients in such systems because they are less expensive, biocompatible and biodegradable. Entandophragma angolense gum (ENTA) is used in traditional medicine as a febrifuge, but its excipient properties have not been exploited...
ABSTRACT Malaria is one of the most devastating parasitic diseases in the world and remains a major public health problem in Sub-Saharan Africa. First-line treatment of uncomplicated malaria includes the use of artesunate and amodiaquine. However, the existence of counterfeit and substandard artesunate and amodiaquine in the market may lead to therapeutic failures or development of resistance when consumed. The aim of the study was to examine the pharmaceutical equivalence of different brand...