Cannabis and regulatory science: A review of challenges in Africa
March 2023
To some Cannabis is antisocial anathema, to others it is a harmless sedative-hypnotic, or narcotic analgesic and to others it occupies a cultural position as religious sacrament. Some fear its use leads to psychosis and addiction; to others still it is a legal anomaly and should be decriminalized. Whatever the case may be, in Africa where Cannabis is a recreational drug. It is caught in a bizarrely legal and regulatory...
Bioactivities of Picrasma javanica Blume. leaf extract
March 2023
Picrasma javanica Blume. is locally known as Nilghanta. Traditionally, the plant is used as an anti-pyretic. The aim of this study was to determine the biological properties of P. javanica leaf extract. The writhing test and tail flick response were determined to assess peripheral and central analgesic activities, respectively. Castor oil was fed orally to induce diarrhea in the test animals. Paw edema method was...
Prevalence and possible psychoactive effects of hair cream use among students
February 2023
In the last decade, there have been different mental health challenges among students due to academic stress, especially during examinations. This has led to the need to explore the relationship between psychoactive ingredients, behavioral responses and academic stress in relation to the use of hair creams. The objectives of the study were to identify hair creams containing psychoactive ingredients in use by female...
Anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities of methanolic extract of Elaeis guineensis Jacq. leaves (Arecaceae) and its fractions
February 2023
Elaeis guineensis Jacq. is an arborescent monocotyledon of the Arecaceae family. It is a plant originated from tropical rainforest of West Africa. For centuries, it has been a source of food and a natural remedy against several pathologies. The aim of the present research was to evaluate anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities of methanolic extract E. guineensis Jacq. (Arecaceae) leaves and phytochemical groups....
Acute and sub-acute toxicity evaluation of aqueous stem bark extract of Zanthoxylum Zanthoxyloides (Lam.) in male Albino Wistar rats
February 2023
Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides has been used for decades in traditional medicine across West African countries to treat several ailments such as malaria and pain. However, sometimes it is used without information on its toxicity level. This present work aimed to explore the toxicity level of Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides bark aqueous extract (AZZ) on albino Wistar rats after single and repeated administrations. For the acute...
In vitro inhibition of cyclooxygenases, anti-denaturation and antioxidant activities of Malian medicinal plants
February 2023
Cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) is involved in the production of prostaglandins that sustain the inflammatory process. Inflammatory cells release a number of reactive species. Furthermore, reactive oxygen species can initiate intracellular signaling cascades and enhance the expression of pro-inflammatory genes. The objective was to study the cyclooxygenase and protein denaturation inhibition and antioxidant activity of ten...
Acute toxicity and laxative effect of the aqueous extract of the leaves Crossopteryx febrifuga (Benth) in rats
January 2023
The leaves of Crossepteryx febrifuga (Euphorbiaceae) are commonly used in the Republic of Congo in traditional medicine as a laxative. The present study aims to justify the traditional use of C. febrifuga in the treatment of constipation. The acute toxicity of the aqueous extract was evaluated at the doses of 2000 and 5000 mg/kg in mice in accordance with the OECD (2001) guideline no. 423. The laxative activity of the...
Anti-viral compounds from Jatropha curcas seed extract with anti-HIV-1 and anti-SARS-CoV-2 action
January 2023
Many studies have dealt with the medicinal properties of Jatropha curcas; however, there are limited studies on the scope of its antiviral potential. This is a fact associated with the current challenges posed by HIV-AIDS and COVID-19, which has reinforced the need to expand the knowledge about its antiviral resource. Based on the search for natural products with anti-HIV-1 and anti-SARS-CoV-2 activities, this work...
Obesity related alterations in kidney function and plasma cytokines: Impact of sibutramine and diet in male Wistar rats
November 2022
Obesity is a global problem due to widespread consumption of high fat diet (HFD) with implications to well-being. This study was to investigate the modulatory effect of sibutramine and normal diet on obesity-induced alteration in kidney functions and adipokines in Wistar rats. Hundred rats were divided into four groups of 25 each and fed with either normal rat chow (NRC) (group I, control group, n=25) or HFD (n=75)....
Clinical Pharmacy in South Africa: Qualitative investigation of perspectives of practicing pharmacists
November 2022
The National Department of Health identified the need for Universal Health Coverage, highlighting improved access to quality healthcare in South Africa.Clinical pharmacists play a vital role in various settings, including medication safety, therapeutic drug monitoring and antimicrobial stewardship. Healthcare-related key performance indicators measures quality that ensure accountability, improve patient safety and...
Maternal-fetal repercussions of Angylocalyx oligophyllus leaves aqueous extract in pregnant rat
September 2022
Angylocalyx oligophyllus (Fabaceae) is a shrub used traditionally to treat diabetes mellitus and intestinal parasites. Although it is also used by pregnant women, no scientific study has yet revealed its effects on pregnancy. This work aimed to assess the toxic effects of A. oligophyllus leaves aqueous extract on pregnancy, reproduction and fetal development in pregnant rats. The acute toxicity of the A. oligophyllus...
In vivo studies of the immunomodulatory effect of aqueous extract of Artemisia herba alba
September 2022
Historically Artemisia herba alba (AHA) is widely used in traditional Moroccan medicine. Few studies have been carried out to confirm its traditional use, in particularly immunological studies and to the authors’ knowledge; no study has treated the in vivo immunomodulatory effect of AHA aqueous extracts. This work was established to assess the immunological effects of AHA, including the humoral and cellular...
Characterization of native, acetylated and enzymatically modified amura starch (Tacca involucrata) for tablet binding
August 2022
This research is aimed at producing alternative starch used for tablet binding from amura tuber. The microbiological load and physicochemical properties of native and modified amura starches were determined using plate counting method and standard method of BP. Amylose and amylopectin content of native and modified amura starches were determined using spectrophotometric method. Binding and disintegrant abilities of...
Evaluation of the pharmaceutical quality of two nutraceutical lysine products in South Africa
August 2022
Dietary supplements, particularly nutraceuticals, are an expanding sector on the South African market, especially since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, regulatory authorities do not regulate nutraceuticals and concern arose regarding safety, quality and efficacy of the product reaching the end-user. The aim of the study was to evaluate the pharmaceutical quality, specifically the physical and the...
Dynamics of herbal medicine processing and production in Benue State Nigeria
July 2022
The aim of this study was to determine the knowledge base of traditional medicine practitioners (TMPs) in Benue State in relation to current good manufacturing practice for effective quality, safety, and increased economic value. A cross-sectional study was conducted among the TMPs using questionnaire. Information such as practice area, type of herbal medicine preparations, water quality, preservatives as well as...
Formulation and evaluation of gastro-retentive floating tablets of griseofulvin
June 2022
About 50% of an oral dose of griseofulvin passes through the gastro-intestinal tract unabsorbed and is excreted in faeces. Short residence time of the low soluble griseofulvin, in stomach and small intestine, limits its dissolution. Griseofulvin is highly soluble in acidic pH, and so a gastro-retentive floating matrix system was developed to control dissolution rate and thereby enhance solubility to develop an...
In vivo antiplasmodial activity of an aqueous extract of leafy stems of Ipomoea pes-caprea (L.) R.Br. in Swiss mice infected with Plasmodium berghei
June 2022
The study aimed to evaluate the in vivo antiplasmodial activity of an aqueous extract of aerial parts of Ipomoea pes-caprea in mice infected with Plasmodium berghei. Extracts of Ipomoea pes-caprea were obtained from the decoction of the dried leafy stem of the plant. The extracts obtained were used for the evaluation of the antiplasmodial activity which was done according to two methods: the Rane test was used to...
Development of novel preparation method for rapid release of paclitaxel as a dry powder for inhalation: A preparation method for dry powder inhalers
May 2022
The purpose of this experiment was to develop a novel dry powder inhalation preparation method. Paclitaxel dry powder for inhalation was prepared by spraying a paclitaxel-ethanol solution directly onto an inhalable lactose carrier. This process was carried out under a relatively low temperature, avoiding potential damage to the drug from exposure to high temperatures. After preparation, the particle morphology, size,...
Assessment of the immunomodulatory activity of Artavol® aqueous extract in Plasmodium berghei infected mice
May 2022
ARTAVOL® is an herbal product derived from de-artemisinised extracts of Artemisia annua combined with lemon grass extract and avocado seed powder as a base locally used in Uganda for malaria prevention. This study assessed the immunomodulatory activity of the aqueous extract of Artavol® in Plasmodium berghei infected mice. The immunomodulatory activity of the aqueous extract of Artavol® was evaluated on...
Antibacterial activities of Bidens pilosa L, Hoslundia opposita Vahl, and Ageratum conyzoides L against some common wound pathogens
May 2022
Bacterial infection cause delayed wound healing, and the rising cases of antibiotic resistance call for alternative solutions. This research aims to determine and compare the antibacterial activity of selected research plants when extracted by different methods using different solvents. The plants were extracted with ethanol, methanol, acetone, water, chloroform, and ethyl acetate using Soxhlet and maceration...
Ethanol extracts of Terminalia catappa leaves and Persea americana seed attenuate renal damage associated with Streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats
April 2022
Kidney is an essential organ responsible for excretion and detoxification. The use of streptozotocin in rat model experiments has provided rooms for researchers to test the effectiveness of medicinal plants that might possess nephroprotective and antidiabetic properties; so as to help in the treatment of diabetes complications. The study was aimed to evaluate the attenuating effects of ethanol extracts of Taminalia...
Herbal medicine for psoriasis and their molecular targets: A systematic review
March 2022
Psoriasis is an incurable, chronic, recurrent immune-mediated in?ammatory dermatosis characterized by epidermal hyperplasia and excessive in?ltration of in?ammatory cells into the dermis and neovascularization. The study aimed to provide a systematic review on the in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies to support traditional uses of herbal medicine for psoriasis treatment. The systematic review was performed by...
Knowledge, perception and beliefs of human health workers and veterinarians on antimicrobial resistance in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
February 2022
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major public health problem in both hospital and community acquired infections. This study assessed knowledge, attitudes and perceptions on AMR among human health workers and veterinarians in Ouagadougou. A cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire was applied among medical health and veterinary structures in Ouagadougou, on February 2020 to January 2021. A total...
A cross-sectional survey on COVID-19 knowledge and precautionary measures of the pharmacists and patients in community pharmacies
January 2022
In the global pandemic of COVID-19, community pharmacists play key roles in implementing personal protective measures to control their own risk as well as the patient’s risk of being infected with COVID-19. This study was designed to explore the COVID-19 knowledge and precautionary measures of the pharmacists and patients in community pharmacies. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on the pharmacists and...
Detection of oxytetracycline and chloramphenicol in untreated wastewater effluents by reverse phase-high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) technique
January 2022
The occurrence of antibiotics in wastewater effluent has been a concern worldwide for the development of antibiotics resistance and the impact of antibiotic residues on living components in surface water may pose plausible threats on humans. Reverse phase - high performance liquid chromatographic (RP-HPLC) method was used for the detection and estimation of Oxytetracycline (OTC) and Chloramphenicol (CAP) in untreated...
Antiplasmodial activities of leaves and trunk bark of Sclerocaria Birea (A. Ric H.) Hochst (Anacardiaceae), a plant used in traditional medicine of Niger
December 2021
In the crude extracts of the bark and leaves of Sclerocarya birrea, have been characterized sterols, triterpenes, saponosides, tannins, anthocyanosides, coumarins, reducing compounds, alkaloids and carotenoids. Tests were carried out in vitro with extracts from each part of the plant to assess their efficacy against strains of Plasmodium falciparum sensitive to chloroquine K1 and that resistant to chloroquine 3D7. The...
Anticancer activity of terpenoid saponin extract of Psidium guajava on MCF-7 cancer cell line using DAPI and MTT assays
December 2021
Psidium guajava (Guava) could be an ancient remedy used for a variety of health conditions. Research suggests that guava fruits and leaves might have a variety of advantages. Guava is the tropical tree with yellowish-green skin fruits, and widely grown in Central America and Asia. Individuals use guava leaf tea as a treatment for gastric symptoms in many countries, together with India and China. In different countries,...
Evaluation of the adverse effects of Dracaena steudneri Engl. stem bark aqueous extract in Wistar rats
December 2021
Safety of medicinal plants/products is one of the major areas that require more attention because of the high rate at which consumers use medicinal plants/products due to their availability and accessibility. Dracaena steudneri Engl. is among the plants being used and recommended for the treatment of several diseases for decades among the traditional health practitioners. Despite its frequent use, there is little...
Antimalarial drug utilization pattern amongst staff of three health facilities in Rivers State, Nigeria
December 2021
The study assessed the level of antimalarial drug utilization amongst Staffers of three Health facilities in Rivers State. It was a cross sectional questionnaire based study. The study assessed the knowledge, attitude and malaria treatment and preventive practices of one hundred and five respondents gotten from amongst health workers at Terabor and Ahoada General Hospitals as well as College of Health Science and...
Investigation on the possibilities for ex vivo- and in vitro-derivation of initial myeloid and lymphoid precursors from hematopoietic and non-hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells
November 2021
Initial myeloid and lymphoid differentiation of hematopoietic and non-hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells by appropriate ex vivo- and in vitro-incubation was evaluated. So, hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells from mouse spleen were ex vivo-incubated in the presence of different interleukins, as well as of various combinations of them. Non-hematopoietic mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) were in vitro-incubated in the...
Clinical pharmacists education and counselling in patients with co-morbid hypertension and diabetes in a Municipal hospital in Ghana
October 2021
Hypertension and diabetes co-morbidity are very common chronic diseases in today’s world. Patients with such conditions may have medication related problems. Assessment was made on the impact of clinical pharmacists’ led education and counselling in patients with co-morbid hypertension and diabetes in a hospital setting. This study was done at the medical outpatient department (OPD) of a Municipal Hospital...
Medication administration omission errors: Frequency and their causes during medication administration process at Ndola Teaching Hospital in Zambia
September 2021
Medication administration omission errors (MAOE) are very common and often affect patient outcomes and length of stay in the hospitals. This study was a cross-sectional study in which the frequency and causes of MAOE over four weeks at Ndola University Teaching Hospital (NUTH) was assessed. It involved reviewing patients’ drug charts and observation of nurses during the administration of medications to inpatients...
Pharmacokinetics of gallic acid following oral administration of Triphala formulation in rats
August 2021
Triphala formulation is one of the most common traditional medicines used for several health conditions. The study investigated the pharmacokinetics of gallic acid following an oral dose administration in rats. The pharmacokinetics of gallic acid was investigated in rats following a daily oral dose of 1,000 and 5,000 mg/kg body weight (28 days). Plasma concentrations of gallic acid were measured using liquid...
Sclerocarya birrea: Review of the pharmacology of its antidiabetic effects and toxicity
August 2021
Sclerocarya birrea (A. Rich.) Hochst, an African widespread plant is known to be used for type 2 diabetes management in sub-Saharan Africa. This review aims to summarize the findings for the pharmacology of S. birrea antidiabetic effects and its in vivo and in vitro toxicity. To collate data on S. birrea, various scientific search engines like PubMed, Scopus, Scifinder, Google Scholar, Web of Science, Wiley Online,...
Examining characteristics, knowledge, attitude and practice of pharmacovigilance by health care professionals in Sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review of the literature
August 2021
The pharmacovigilance practices aim to improve the safety and care of patient in relation to the utilization of medications, as well as other medical and paramedical interventions. Due to emergence of outbreaks of infections, the sub-Saharan African countries have been widely utilizing the trial drugs, which have been increasing the events of Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) in the region. This systematic literature review...
Bioactive pyrrole-pyrazine derivative from a novel Bacillus species and review of the literature
August 2021
The rising antibiotic resistance is urging researchers to explore for new forms of antibiotics, notably from soil microorganisms such as Bacillus species. This study aimed to screen Bacillus strains from soil samples in Sudan for antifungal activity and to review relevant compounds from members of the genus in the literature. Out of 10 isolates from soil in Sudan, the strain JS6 (DSM 28831) was found active against...
The "Date Rape" drug abuse: Implications on the female reproductive system
July 2021
Rohypnol is hypnotics that are commonly used to treat insomnia, anxiety and seizure disorders. It has been abused by both sexes and club men often drop the tablets into women's drinks to create a potential rape situation. Thirty-six animals (Wistar rats) were used for this study. They were grouped into three (N=12); Group 1 (Control) received 0.04 ml/kg body weight (bwt) of distilled water, Group 2 (Normal dose)...
Prescription of antimalarials at Kisangani University Clinics, Democratic Republic of Congo
June 2021
The objective of this study was to contribute to the improvement of medical prescription of antimalarials at Kisangani University Clinics. This a cross-sectional study with retrospective data collection, based on 200 medical prescriptions from patients aged 3 days to 80 years, treated for malaria from March to December 2019. The study took place between March and May, 2020. Sixty one percent of patients suffered from...
A prospective study on assessment of clinically potential drug-drug interactions in hospital and community pharmacy prescriptions
June 2021
Drug-drug interaction or simply term drug interactions may be defined as the combining of two or more drugs such that the potency or efficiency of one drug is significantly modified by the presence of another. Potential drug-drug interactions (DDIs) are concern for patients and providers, as multiple medication use is becoming more common to manage complex diseases. The consequences of DDIs can range from no untoward...
Antidiabetic effect of grape seed (OPC 95%) powder on nSTZ-induced type 2 diabetic model rats
June 2021
Grape seeds (GSs) have been claimed for antidiabetic effects since long. Due to its rich phytochemical potential, current study was aimed to evaluate the antidiabetic effect of GSs powder (GSP) (OPC 95%) on neonatal streptozotocin (nSTZ) induced T2DM rats. STZ (90 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally in 48 h old rat pups. After 3 months, 24 T2DM rats were selected by OGTT for 28-days experiment and divided into...
Characteristics and pharmacological management of COVID-19 patients admitted at a hospital in Nairobi, Kenya
May 2021
COVID-19 is a novel viral disease with little known about its management. The Nairobi Hospital (TNH) has been involved in managing these patients. This study sought to describe the patients admitted in the hospital due to COVID-19, their management and outcomes. This was a retrospective review of COVID-19 patients admitted at TNH between March and October 2020. Demographic and clinical data, pharmacological management...
A cross-sectional pilot study on COVID-19 disease pattern, recovery status and effect of co-morbidities in Bangladesh
May 2021
The COVID-19 disease has triggered the death of millions of people worldwide and has been the cause of 4,281 deaths in Bangladesh since 8th March 2020 till 31st August 2020. This cross-sectional study was aimed at discerning the pattern of COVID-19 among the people of this country the testing response, the recovery pattern of the patients and the effect of co-existing conditions on their recovery. An online...
Knowledge of hypertension and diabetes comorbid patients about their medication in a municipal hospital in Ghana
April 2021
Patients with hypertension and diabetes co-morbidity may have medication knowledge and therapy challenges that could impact on patients’ outcomes. The study examines knowledge of medication and therapy among hypertension and Type-2- diabetes mellitus co-morbid patients at a Municipal hospital in Ghana. This study was conducted at the medical outpatient department (OPD) of the Municipal Hospital in Tema (a Harbour...
Quality assessment of frequently available mother tinctures in the market by employing standard values
April 2021
As general awareness for using herbal drugs in today’s health practice is increasing, the world is endorsing extraordinary increase in the consumption of herbal products. This increase in the demand has led to consumers’ dissatisfaction due to substandard products, making the herbal market risky. There is need to set standard that will help to evaluate herbal drugs to ensure formulation of high quality...
NONMEM population pharmacokinetic and Monte Carlo dosing simulation of ertapenem in patients with sepsis
April 2021
An alteration of pharmacokinetics (PK) due to pathophysiological changes in patients with critical illnesses have the impact on the drug levels in plasma, consequently affecting the achievement of pharmacodynamics (PD) targets of antibiotics. The objectives of this study were (i) to determine the population PK, and (ii) to assess the probability of target attainment (PTA) of ertapenem in patients with critical...
Evaluation of hematological and biochemical activity of Bauhinia strychnifolia Craib leaves ethanol extracts in normal albino rats
March 2021
The aim of this research is to evaluate the hematological and biochemical activity of Bauhinia strychnifolia Craib leaf ethanol extracts in normal albino rats. Thirty-two male and female rats were divided into four groups, each with equal numbers of male (n=4), female (n=4). The control group was administered 1 ml of 10% tween 80. The experimental groups were administered ethanol with concentrations of 125, 250 and 500...
Effect of Cov-Pla1 and Cov-Pla3 extract on some pulmonary function parameters in rabbits
March 2021
Transmission of COVID-19 is facilitated by uptake of droplets containing coronavirus from the breath, sneeze or cough of infected persons. This represents the commonest mode of coronavirus infection and spread to mucous membranes of the respiratory system. The virus rapidly replicates in alveolar cells, triggering a strong immune response, resulting in cytokine storm syndromes and pulmonary tissue damage. These...
Novelty-induced behavior and memory enhancing activities of aqueous and ethanol extracts of Solanum incanum Linn. fruits in mice
February 2021
The present study investigated novelty-induced behavior, learning and memory enhancing activities of aqueous and ethanol fruit extracts of Solanum incanum Linn. using mice models. The mice were divided into sixteen (16) groups of five (5) mice each and treated with distilled water (10 ml/kg, i.p); 7.5, 15, 30 mg/kg (i.p) of both aqueous and ethanol fruit extracts; scopolamine (0.4 mg/kg) and scopolamine (0.4 mg/kg, i.p)...
Reflection on medicinal plants, especially antivirals and how to reconsider ethnobotany as an interesting way for health preservation
January 2021
The medicinal plants, which are at the origin of the medical sciences, are gradually passing from the apothecary vials, from the handmade bags of the tradipraticians to the laboratories to provide countless new medicines synthesis models. Today, chemical drugs have replaced most herbal drugs in pharmacies. Empirical knowledge has been neglected as chemistry progressed. Yet 80% of the world’s population is still...
Therapeutic potential of Annona senegalensis Pers (Annonaceae), a plant used in traditional medicine for the treatment of epilepsy in Burkina Faso
January 2021
Annona senegalensis Pers. is a plant used in Burkina folkloric medicine for the treatment of epilepsy. The stem-bark, roots and leaves of A. senegalensis are used for an array of human disorders, including epilepsy. Previous studies have demonstrated some genuine effects of A. senegalensis fractions in vivo models of temporal lobe epilepsy. In the present work, we have compared the pharmacological profile of the most...
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