Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Journal

New Generic Approvals Vol. 27(1)

Md Abdur Rashid — 2024-02-11

Abstract not available

Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Journal 27(1): 127, 2024 (January)

New Indications & Dosage Forms for Existing Drugs Vol. 27(1)

Md Abdur Rashid — 2024-02-11

Abstract not available

Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Journal 27(1): 128-131, 2024 (January)

Current Health News Vol. 27(1)

Md Abdur Rashid — 2024-02-11

Abstract not available

Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Journal 27(1): 132-134, 2024 (January)

Herbal and Traditional Medicine News Vol. 27(1)

Md Abdur Rashid — 2024-02-11

Abstract not available

Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Journal 27(1): 135, 2024 (January)

In vitro Assessment of Antioxidant, Membrane Stabilization and Thrombolytic Activities of Ethanolic Extract of Lagenaria siceraria Fruit

Arifa Sultana — 2024-02-11

Lagenaria siceraria is a well-known vegetable fruit in Bangladesh. This study aimed to investigate the antioxidant, membrane stabilizing and thrombolytic activities of the ethanolic extract of L. siceraria fruits (EELSF). Total phenolic content and DPPH free radical scavenging activity tests were done to determine antioxidant properties. The anti-inflammatory effects were evaluated using heat- and hypotonic solution induced hemolysis. Human RBC from healthy volunteers were used to assess the thrombolytic activity of the extract. Ethanolic extract of L. siceraria fruits displayed noticeable antioxidant, membrane stabilizing and thrombolytic activities when compared to the standard drugs. Further studies are necessary to evaluate the pharmacological activities of different solvent fractions and plant parts of L. siceraria.

Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Journal 27(1): 1-8, 2024 (January)

Design and Evaluation of Hair Growth - Hair Fall Oil Formulation from Botanicals

Md Jahid Hossain — 2024-02-11

Hair loss in adult men albeit common, can cause emotional distress. Many people with hair fall issues try chemical-based treatments that may lead to health complications and allergic reactions. Cosmetics using natural ingredients derived from plants have fewer side effects compared to synthetic alternatives. The study aimed to formulate herbal hair oil using various ingredients like castor oil, sunflower oil, jojoba oil, olive oil, pumpkin oil, etc. and evaluate its effectiveness in promoting hair growth and prevention of hair fall (HG-HF). Besides, the oil was supposed to provide a range of benefits for hair health, including preventing dandruff, improving scalp health, providing antioxidant properties, and thereby protecting against oxidative damage. The DPPH radical scavenging test was done to evaluate the antioxidant activity of the oils. Varying IC50 values were found such as olive oil and sunflower oil showed IC50 values of 3.79 μg/ml and 4.44 μg/ml respectively. Hence, these oils have significant antioxidant activity with a strong ability to scavenge or neutralize free radicals. A study was conducted on sixteen volunteers with hair loss, dandruff, and other hair problems to check the performance of the oil. 56.25% of the participants experienced increased hair growth and 50% reported a decrease in hair fall after using the oil for 3 months, with no remarkable side effects. Data demonstrated effectiveness and overall acceptable perception of the HG-HF oil by the participants.

Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Journal 27(1): 9-18, 2024 (January)

Community-based Descriptive Cross-sectional Study on Prevalence, Clinical Manifestation, Beliefs and Management Approach of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) Among Young Bangladeshi Population

Kazi Milenur Rahman Prattay — 2024-02-11

Despite being a common public health problem, there are few population-based research available to learn about the epidemiology and management of gastrointestinal reflux disease (GERD) in Bangladesh. The tenacity of this study was to investigate the prevalence, potential predisposing factors, clinical representation, therapeutic management of GERD among the young Bangladeshi population along with their beliefs regarding the disease. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted during 13th June 2022 to 10th December 2022 among 925 individuals (16-35 years of age) from various parts of Bangladesh. A standardized online questionnaire in both English and the local language (Bengali) was utilized to collect all the desired data that were analyzed using either Microsoft Excel 2019 or, IBM SPSS Statistics, v26.0. The prevalence of GERD was 55.7% which was not significantly associated with different sociodemographic parameters. However, family history (Odds ratio (OR) = 2.512), irregular meal (OR = 1.527) and spicy/junk food (OR = 1.495) were significantly associated with GERD prevalence in binary logistic regression analysis. Heart burn (94.0%) and regurgitation (83.3%) were the major symptoms observed and the average number of symptoms was higher in patients with relevant family history (p < 0.0005). Omeprazole (42.5%) was the most used medication to treat GERD followed by other proton pump inhibitors and H2 blockers. Self-medication was practiced by 52.6% of the patients which was associated with duration of treatment (p < 0.0005). The study has found a high prevalence of GERD in Bangladesh. Family history, irregular meal and spicy/junk foods have been identified as potential risk factors and only half the participants had the right belief regarding the effectiveness of lifestyle modification against GERD. Further cohort studies are advised to solidify the findings of this study.

Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Journal 27(1): 19-36, 2024 (January)

Characterization and In vitro Dissolution Assessment of Pitavastatin-polyvinyl Pyrrolidone and Kollicoat®IR Solid Dispersions Prepared by Solvent Evaporation and Fusion Methodologies

Ishtyaque Mikrani — 2024-02-11

Pitavastatin (PTV) is a potent lipid lowering drug that acts on hepatocytes by blocking the 3-hydroxy-3- methylglutaryl-CoA reductase enzyme. As a Biopharmaceutical Classification System (BCS) Class II drug, PTV possesses very low water solubility; hence, poor bioavailability leads to poor drug delivery to the target organ. The study aims to develop various PTV solid dispersion (SD) formulations and to investigate the release profile of PTV SD systems. Different PTV physical mixing and SD formulations were prepared using polyvinylpyrrolidone (Kollidon®90F) and Kollicoat®IR hydrophilic polymers by fusion and solvent evaporation approaches. The efficacy of the formulations was evaluated by in vitro PTV release studies. Subsequently, the characterization of SD formulations was performed using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The in vitro release studies confirmed that all the developed formulations showed a comparatively better release percentage (75.31–98.45%) than the pure PTV (61.76%) after 60 min. Additionally, the outcomes showed that raising the concentration of both polymers improved PTV's ability to dissolve. In comparison to physical mixing formulations, SD formulations made using fusion and solvent evaporation processes performed better during dissolution. The TGA, DSC, and FTIR studies confirmed that the tested SD formulations (1:2, 1:3 ratios) were stable at high temperatures with a reduction in crystallinity and no notable interaction between the drug and polymers. The SEM analysis showed that the PTV was evenly spread out in the carriers and that the crystal-like structure of the PTV had changed into an amorphous form.

Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Journal 27(1): 37-50, 2024 (January)

Antidepressant, Antidiarrheal, Thrombolytic and Phytochemical Profiling of Ethanol Extract of Amomum aromaticum Leaves: In vivo and In vitro Approaches

Enama Nabi Shetu — 2024-02-11

The study evaluated several pharmacological effects including antidepressant, antidiarrheal and thrombolytic activities of ethanol extract of Amomum aromaticum leaves (EEAA). Upon the assessment for qualitative phytochemical groups in the extract, several doses of EEAA (1000 - 4000 mg/kg) were studied to find acute oral toxicity in mouse for safe dose selection. Then EEAA was tested whether it demonstrates antidepressant activity in tail suspension test (TST) and forced swim test (FST). Antidiarrheal and clot lysis activities of EEAA were evaluated in castor oil-induced diarrhoea in mouse and In vitro clot lysis method, respectively. Oral administration of EEAA (1000 - 4000 mg/kg) showed no morality after 10 days, and no sign of acute toxicity observed within 24 hrs post-treatment. The qualitative phytochemical screening showed the presence of carbohydrate, alkaloid, flavonoid, tannin, saponin, and polyphenol groups in EEAA. The TST and FST resulted with significant improvement in mobility in mice treated with EEAA (400 mg/kg), where fluoxetine (20 mg/kg) was used as standard in both tests. EEAA treatment also showed a moderate dose-dependent anti-diarrheal effect. The 400 mg/kg oral dosing for 14 days decreased the rate of defecation by 52.8% compared to the control group. This study also demonstrated that EEAA possesses clot lysis activity. Hence, further intense investigations are suggested to identify specific potential active phytochemicals.

Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Journal 27(1): 51-58, 2024 (January)

Quantification of Riboflavin and Thiamine in GI (Geographical Indication) Branded Yogurts Collected from Bogura, Bangladesh Using HPLC Equipped with a Fluorescence Detector

Md Lemon Mia — 2024-02-11

Thiamine (vitamin B1) and riboflavin (vitamin B2) are both essential vitamins for human health. Thiamine (vitamin B1) is essential for energy metabolism, nervous system function, carbohydrate metabolism, cardiovascular health, digestion, muscle function, etc. On the other hand, Riboflavin (vitamin B2), which acts as an antioxidant, is essential for energy production, healthy skin, hair and nails, eye health, red blood cell production, nervous system function, etc. Due to its specialty, Bogura's famous yogurt was recognized as a Geographical Indication (GI) on June 26, 2023 by the Directorate of Patents, Designs, and Trademarks (DPDT) under the Ministry of Industry, the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh (Prothom Alo, 2023). The purpose of the study was the quantitative determination of two water-soluble vitamins, thiamine and riboflavin, in the GI branded yogurt and whey (Ghol), collected from Bogura, Bangladesh to ensure health benefits. The methods employed for the quantitative analysis of these vitamins were reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) equipped with a fluorescence detector. The extraction process involved acid hydrolysis followed by enzymatic hydrolysis with takadiastase enzyme. Chromatographic separation was achieved with a Shimadzu Prominence HPLC system using isocratic elution mode on a C18 column (4.6 mm × 250 mm, 5 μm). The correlation coefficients for thiamine and riboflavin were 0.9975 and 0.9974, respectively. The recovery rates for thiamine and riboflavin were found as 97.70% and 105.40%, respectively. Twenty-two samples were analyzed. Thiamine and riboflavin were found in the range of 0.0647 to 0.1396 mg/100 g and 0.0227 to 0.3749 mg/100 g, respectively. It can be concluded that these yogurts were rich in thiamine and riboflavin. Therefore, these yogurts are beneficial for health.

Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Journal 27(1): 59-66, 2024 (January)

Clinical Evidence of Multi-drug Resistant, Extensively Drug Resistant and Pan-drug Resistant Acinetobacter sp. in Bangladesh

Muhammad Asaduzzaman — 2024-02-11

Blood borne infections are one of the major health problems in Bangladesh, which requires frequent use of antimicrobials. In most of the cases, diagnosis and treatment with such antimicrobials are done empirically. Therefore, updated information on etiological data for major pathogens and their pattern of antibiotic resistance is required for formulating strategy and guideline for the prescribers. This study was carried out to assess the pattern of antibiotic resistance and to determine the prevalence of resistance phenotypes of different bacterial pathogens, including Acinetobacter sp. previously collected from patients from a hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Retrospective analysis of 573 clinical records was performed, and the antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of those records was used to determine the prevalence of the isolates that were multi-drug resistant. Our finding indicates that Acinetobacter sp. (12%), followed by Salmonella typhi (58%) were the second most often found pathogen in the blood samples. In addition, we identified that these organisms exhibited a multi-drug resistance (MDR) pattern toward the most frequently used antibiotic classes, including cephalosporin, fluoroquinolones, aminoglycosides and carbapenems. We found moderate to high levels of resistance against aminoglycosides (45-53%), cephalosporins (28-45%), fluoroquinolones (28-39%) and carbapenem (17- 19%) in Acinetobacter sp. (11.7%, n = 67), as well as multi-drug resistant (66.7%, n = 38), and extensively drug-resistant or XDR (13.64%, n = 9), isolates. We also found pan-drug resistant (PDR) isolates (2.3%) of Acinetobacter sp. showing resistance against all antibiotics that are used clinically. In order to launch effective treatment strategies and prevent the further emergence of MDR, it can be suggested that extensive national antimicrobial surveillance be conducted against these pathogens. There is also a need for further characterization of such superbugs to address the issue of antimicrobial resistance.

Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Journal 27(1): 67-72, 2024 (January)

Sedentary Lifestyle and Prospective Health Risks: A Pilot Study Among Bangladeshi Corporate Professionals

Ferdous Alam Papry — 2024-02-11

Physical inactivity is one of the global health problems due to increased automation, moving less than before causing people to an elevated risk of developing various health conditions like obesity, hypertension, heart disease, etc. Most of the aforementioned diseases are linked to unhealthy lifestyles that are quite preventable. Although very few studies have been done related with sedentary lifestyle and its risks in Bangladesh, no study was focused on corporate professionals whom are at high health risk due to their job nature. This study therefore aims to explore the sedentary lifestyle and associated health and lifestyle related factors that might play role in the worsening of healthy life. Results of our study concluded that professionals belonging to age group between 25-29 years are most likely heading towards the risk zone of developing sedentary lifestyle associated risk according to WHO guidelines on sedentary lifestyle especially high body mass index (BMI 25 and more). Among the studied participants 78% were smokers and 21% were alcoholics. Moreover, 63% corporates reported that they could sleep 6 hour or less in a day, while 64% of the participants claimed that their stress level is high (7 to 10) in a 10 scale. Almost one fourth (24%) of the participants informed that they did not do any format of physical activity, and 26% participants were working for 5 years or more. Our data adequately pointed out some leading risk factors among the corporates that directly or indirectly provoke prospective health risks as described in numerous number of previous studies.

Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Journal 27(1): 73-84, 2024 (January)

Development and Validation of RP-HPLC Method for Routine Analysis of Osimertinib

Halima Akter — 2024-02-11

Osimertinib is a newly approved treatment line for the non-small cell lung carcinoma actively caused by mutation in EGFR and T790M. The present study was targeted to originate a validated method for the qualification as well as quantification of osimertinib through RP-HPLC in bulk and its pharmaceutical formulation. The mobile phase, 65% triethylamine buffer (pH 2.5) and 35% acetonitrile (v/v) was run through a prontosil column (C18, 4.6×150 mm i.d., 3.5 μm particle size) at a flow rate of 0.7 ml/min. A PDA plus detector was used to scan the absorbance over 210 to 360 nm. Validation study performed following the ICH guidelines Q2 (R1) was found the developed method to be specific, precise, accurate, linear over the range of 64–96 μg/ml with R2 > 0.999, robust and rugged. The % recovery of osimertinib at different levels ranged between 99.32% and 100.37% from tablet formulation (Osicent). The method holds promise for analysis of osimertinib in bulk, pharmaceutical formulations and for further research.

Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Journal 27(1): 85-91, 2024 (January)

Practice and Perception Analysis of Mosquito Coil Usages in Bangladesh

Md Azizur Rahman — 2024-02-11

Among many mosquito control approaches, the use of mosquito coil is popular because of its cost effectiveness and ease of use. But along with repelling mosquitoes, the burning of mosquito coils can cause severe health hazard. In mosquito coils, pyrethrin, allethrin, d-allethrin etc. are typically used as active ingredients. In this study, it was found that mosquito coil is used mostly (51%) in rural area and most of the rural people (64.7%) believed it to be beneficial as mosquito repellent as well as they are not so aware of the harmful effects of the mosquito coil (25%). Due to mosquito coil burning, the participants feel many such complications like suffocation (32.3%), eye irritation (29.2%), sneezing (13.1%) but they do not take any special measure or treatment to protect them. Rather, they mostly place the coil away from them (50%) to protect themselves after being exposed to those complications. These findings have raised a question, ― which one is more harmful: Mosquito or mosquito coil? Besides, most of the people even don’t know about the dangerous effects of mosquito coils. Although mosquito net is the most effective way to repel mosquito, 69% people do not use mosquito net due to laziness. Extensive research regarding alternative mosquito repelling strategy and safe use of mosquito coil is urgently needed in the context of countries like Bangladesh.

Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Journal 27(1): 92-102, 2024 (January)

Characterization of Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) Isolated from Homemade Fermented Kimchi in Bangladesh

Kohinur Begum — 2024-02-11

The purpose of this present study was to explore lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from homemade kimchi. Traditionally, kimchi was made in this study at home using fresh vegetables such as cabbage, carrots, radish, green onion leaf, red pepper, garlic, ginger, salt and rice flour, and fermented for seven days. LAB were isolated using selective media and identified by macroscopic and microscopic morphological analysis and short biochemical tests such as catalase, oxidase and Kliger's iron agar (KIA) test. Probiotic potential of LAB was investigated by acid, salt, temperature tolerance and sugar including glucose, fructose, sucrose, xylose and lactose fermentation test. Four distinct single colonies were isolated from four different kimchi preparations. All isolated bacteria were identified as lactic acid bacteria and found gram positive, non-spore forming, survive in both aerobic and anaerobic condition, catalase and oxidase negative. Isolated LAB survive in both highly acidic (pH 2) and alkaline (pH 8) medium, up to 4% NaCl concentrations and at temperatures ranging from 4°C to 55°C. The isolated LAB have also ability to ferment sugars. These findings reveal that isolated LAB found suitable to survive in the environment of human gastrointestinal tract and have probiotic potential.

Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Journal 27(1): 103-109, 2024 (January)

In vitro Anti-inflammatory, Antioxidant and Membrane Stabilization Activities of Leaf Extracts of Byttneria pilosa Roxb

Bilkis Zohora — 2024-02-11

This current research work was conducted an investigation into the biological activities of various fractions of Byttneria pilosa Roxb. (Family: Sterculiaceae) and analyze the chemical compositions. Preliminary examination of the raw fractional extractives identified the presence of alkaloids, glycosides, flavonoids, saponins, reducing sugars, and tannins. The standard was acetyl salicylic acid for heat-induced method to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and membrane-stabilizing properties. The crude ethanol extract displayed a moderate activity, inhibiting albumin denaturation by 44.7% compared to the positive control. All three extractives also demonstrated significant (p<0.05) in-vitro membrane-stabilizing activity. Additionally, the plant showcased robust antioxidant properties, as evidenced by the IC50 values of the ethanol extract, nhexane extract and chloroform extracts (5.3, 5.4, and 6.2 μg/ml, respectively), one the contrary, the acetyl salicylic acid as standard drug exhibited an IC50 value of 3.8 μg/ml. In summary, the outcomes of this investigation propose that this specific plant species holds promise for the discovery of novel natural bioactive compounds.

Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Journal 27(1): 110-115, 2024 (January)

Carvacrol: A Prospective Gold Mine of New Drug Discovery and Development

Anika Zaman — 2024-02-11

Carvacrol, a widely extracted monoterpenoid phenol from an abundant number of aromatic plant species including thyme and oregano. At present, carvacrol is being utilized in low concentrations as a preservative and food flavoring agent, in addition to serving as a fragrance element in cosmetic formulations. A great deal of study has been done in recent years as an effort to determine the biological effects of carvacrol for possible therapeutic application. Carvacrol has been identified to have a vast range of biological and pharmacological characteristics which include antidiabetic, antimicrobial, antiinflammatory, anti-obesity, antitumor, hepatoprotective, gastroprotective, and neuroprotective effects based on both in vitro and in vivo experiments. The main objective of this review is to assess current understanding of carvacrol's pharmacological impacts as well as its biosynthesis and plant sources in order to potentially inform the future researchers. It can be postulated that upon extensive research, this noteworthy bioactive phytochemical can be a very promising source of next generation drug development.

Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Journal 27(1): 116-125, 2024 (January)