Comparative evaluation of metered-dose inhaler technique demonstration among community pharmacists in Al Qassim and Al-Ahsa region, Saudi-Arabia.

TITLE: Comparative evaluation of metered-dose inhaler technique demonstration among community pharmacists in Al Qassim and Al Ahsa regions, Saudi Arabia. BACKGROUND: Patients rely on the information about use of proper inhaler technique when dispensed by community pharmacists however; several studies have shown that patients are unable to show correct inhalation technique. The aim of this study is to assess the ability of community pharmacists in Al Qassim region to demonstrate proper inhalation technique of metered dose inhaler and compare the baseline outcomes with a similar study at Al-Ahsa region. METHOD: We approach 96 pharmacies in Al Qassim region as mock patient (Investigator). The investigator asks the Pharmacist to guide him about proper inhalation technique of metered dose inhaler. Investigator completes a standardized and validated checklist of 8 steps of inhaler device use immediately after leaving the pharmacy. Baseline data were compared between the two study groups et al. Ahsa and Al-Qassim for variables for effectiveness of pharmacist handling of patient queries. RESULT: A total number of 96 community pharmacies were approached in five cities of the Al Qassim province in Saudi Arabia This study has found that majority (93.7%) of community pharmacists failed to demonstrate proper inhalation technique of pMDI inhaler. CONCLUSION: The pharmacists demonstrated particularly poor skills involving steps for coordination of the actuation process with the mechanics of inhalation with MDI. The errors detected in this simple assessment session, if translated to patient self-medication errors, are potentially significant.

Molecular Docking and ADMET Analysis Strategy-Based Stability Indicating RP-HPLC-PDA Method Development and Validation of Toremifene.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this research is to develop an analytical method and validate it according to ICH guidelines for the estimation of Toremifene by RP-HPLC-PDA with molecular docking and ADMET analysis. From molecular docking, it came to know the receptor affinity specifically to estrogen receptors (ERα and ERß), which are responsible for cancer therapy. ADMET analyses secure its therapeutic potential as well safety of the drug. METHODS: An isocratic method has developed by RP-HPLC-PDA (AGILENT 1100) with symmetry of 100 mm x 4.6 mm x 5 µm particle size C18 column and optimise mobile phase is methanol: 0.1% OPA (orthophosphoric acid) water ratio of 43:57% v/v. Under different conditions like acidic, alkaline, oxidative, and neutral environments, toremifene was tested for degradation. RESULTS: The developed method is validated in accordance with ICH guidelines. A calibration curve with an r2 value of 0.9987 has been prepared across the range of 10 to 50 µg/ml with five standard dilutions. The retention time of the drug is 5.575 minutes. The validation results are system suitability (%RSD-0.76), inter-day precision (%RSD 0.14-0.29), intraday precision (%RSD 0.08-0.34), accuracy (%RSD 0.16-0.96), and robustness (%RSD 0.16-0.35). In different intended conditions, four peaks are in 1 N HCl, two peaks in 1 N NaOH, three peaks in 10% H2O2 (1hr), and one peak in neutral. CONCLUSION: Toremifene, a Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulator (SERM), Drug pharmacokinetic properties and receptor binding affinity results are helpful in designing the analytical method. Developing the RP-HPLC-PDA method is found to be novel, simple and precise. It could be used for testing toremifene in bulk and pharmaceutical tablet dosage forms in quality control, as well as stability tests.

Investigating the effects of four medicinal plants against dengue virus through QSAR modeling and molecular dynamics studies.

The Dengue virus (DENV) has been increasingly recognized as a prevalent viral pathogen responsible for global transmission of infection. It has been established that DENV's NS5 methyltransferase (MTase) controls viral replication. As a result, NS5 MTase is considered a potentially useful drug target for DENV. In this study, the two phases of virtual screening were conducted using the ML-based QSAR model and molecular docking to identify potential compounds against NS5 of DENV. Four medicinal plants [Aloe vera, Cannabis sativa (Hemp), Ocimum sanctum (Holy Basil; Tulsi), and Zingiber officinale (Ginger)] that showed anti-viral properties were selected for sourcing the phytochemicals and screening them against NS5. Additionally, re-docking at higher exhaustiveness and interaction analysis were performed which resulted in the identification of the top four hits (135398658, 5281675, 119394, and 969516) which showed comparable results with the control Sinefungin (SFG). Post molecular dynamics simulation, 135398658 showed the lowest RMSD (0.4-0.5 nm) and the maximum number of hydrogen bonds (eight hydrogen bonds) after the control while 5281675 and 969516 showed comparable hydrogen bonds to the control. These compounds showed direct interactions with the catalytic site residues GLU111 and ASP131, in addition to this these compounds showed stable complex formation as depicted by principal component analysis and free energy landscape. 135398658 showed lower total binding free energy (ΔGTotal = -36.56 kcal/mol) than the control, while 5281675 had comparable values to the control (ΔGTotal = -34.1 kcal/mol). Overall, the purpose of this study was to identify phytochemicals that inhibit NS5 function, that could be further tested experimentally to treat dengue virus (DENV).Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Discovery of Novel Isonipecotic Acid-Based Heteroaryl Amino Acid Derivatives as Potential Anticonvulsant Agents: Design, Synthesis, In-Silico ADME Study, and Molecular Docking Studies.

Background: Epilepsy is a neurological disorder characterized by anomalous brain activity, convulsions, and odd behavior. Several substituted-(naphthalen-2-yl)-3-(1H-indol-3-yl) allyl)-1,4-dihydropyridine-4-carboxylic acid derivatives (5a-j) were intended to be produced in the current research effort to reduce convulsions and seizures. Materials and Methods: The newly developed compounds were produced by the prescribed process. Numerous methods (infrared spectroscopy (IR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), mass, elemental analysis, etc.) were used to characterize these substances. Several models were used to test each of these molecules for anticonvulsant activity. By using the rotarod and ethanol potentiation techniques, neurotoxicity was also evaluated. The study meticulously examined each parameter and showed absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) predictions for each of the 10 congeners that were produced. In addition, studies on molecular docking employed the gamma amino butyric acid (GABA)-A target protein. Results: Anticonvulsant screening results identified compounds 5f, 5h, 5d, and 5b as the most efficacious of the series. All synthesized equivalents largely passed the neurotoxicity test. The results of molecular docking revealed significant interactions at the active site of GABA-A with LEU B: 99, TYR A: 62, Ala A: 174, and THR B: 202, and the outcomes were good and in agreement with in vivo findings. Conclusions: The study's findings showed that some substances had promising anticonvulsant properties that were comparable to those of the standard drug. The highly active novel anticonvulsant analogs may therefore represent a possible lead, and additional studies may result in a potential new drug candidate.

Formulation, In Vitro and In Silico Evaluations of Anise (Pimpinella anisum L.) Essential Oil Emulgel with Improved Antimicrobial Effects.

Over the past decade, researchers have made several efforts to develop gel-based formulations that provide an alternative to traditional hydrogels and emulgel. Due to its excellent antibacterial properties, anise, the main constituent of Pimpinella anisum L., widely used in pharmaceuticals, was selected as the active ingredient in this study. Since many bacteria have developed considerable antibiotic resistance, this research aimed to develop an herbal emulgel for treating skin infections caused by bacteria. Given these obstacles, we developed and evaluated a new, cost-effective topical emulgel solution containing anise essential oil against Escherichia coli (E. coli). Anise-based emulgels, potential drug delivery platforms, have been evaluated for various parameters, including physical properties, viscosity, pH, rheology, encapsulation efficiency, and in vitro release research. The AEOs emulgel demonstrated remarkable colloidal stability, with a zeta potential of 29 mV, a size of 149.05 nm, and considerable polydispersity. The efficacy of anise-loaded emulgels as antibacterial formulations was evaluated in vitro. E. coli was used as a model microbial organism for the antibacterial study. Human keratinocytes (HaCaT) were used to examine the biocompatibility of the emulgel. Molecular docking revealed that the essential oil components of Pimpinella anisum L. possess a high affinity for the bacterial adhesin protein FimH of E. coli. These findings indicate that the developed AEOs have the potential to be analyzed using E. coli as a model organism.

Formulation Development, Optimization by Box-Behnken Design, and In Vitro and Ex Vivo Characterization of Hexatriacontane-Loaded Transethosomal Gel for Antimicrobial Treatment for Skin Infections.

There are many different infections and factors that can lead to skin illnesses, but bacteria and fungi are the most frequent. The goal of this study was to develop a hexatriacontane-loaded transethosome (HTC-TES) for treating skin conditions caused by microbes. The HTC-TES was developed utilizing the rotary evaporator technique, and Box-Behnken design (BBD) was utilized to improve it. The responses chosen were particle size (nm) (Y1), polydispersity index (PDI) (Y2), and entrapment efficiency (Y3), while the independent variables chosen were lipoid (mg) (A), ethanol (%) (B), and sodium cholate (mg) (C). The optimized TES formulation with code F1, which contains lipoid (mg) (A) 90, ethanol (%) (B) 25, and sodium cholate (mg) (C) 10, was chosen. Furthermore, the generated HTC-TES was used for research on confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), dermatokinetics, and in vitro HTC release. The results of the study reveal that the ideal formulation of the HTC-loaded TES had the following characteristics: 183.9 nm, 0.262 mV, -26.61 mV, and 87.79% particle size, PDI, and entrapment efficiency, respectively. An in vitro study on HTC release found that the rates of HTC release for HTC-TES and conventional HTC suspension were 74.67 ± 0.22 and 38.75 ± 0.23, respectively. The release of hexatriacontane from TES fit the Higuchi model the best, and the Korsmeyer-Peppas model indicates the release of HTC followed a non-Fickian diffusion. By having a higher negative value for cohesiveness, the produced gel formulation demonstrated its stiffness, whereas good spreadability indicated better gel application to the surface. In a dermatokinetics study, it was discovered that TES gel considerably increased HTC transport in the epidermal layers (p < 0.05) when compared to HTC conventional formulation gel (HTC-CFG). The CLSM of rat skin treated with the rhodamine B-loaded TES formulation demonstrated a deeper penetration of 30.0 µm in comparison to the hydroalcoholic rhodamine B solution (0.15 µm). The HTC-loaded transethosome was determined to be an effective inhibitor of pathogenic bacterial growth (S. aureus and E. coli) at a concentration of 10 mg/mL. It was discovered that both pathogenic strains were susceptible to free HTC. According to the findings, HTC-TES gel can be employed to enhance therapeutic outcomes through antimicrobial activity.

Her-2-directed systemic delivery of fatty acid synthase (FASN) siRNA with novel liposomal carrier systems in the breast cancer mouse model.

Despite the current advancements in the gene silencing therapy in vitro, the systemic delivery of siRNA still remains a challenging task for its transition into clinics. We have previously developed the Her2-targeted fatty acid synthase (FASN) siRNA-encapsulating immunoliposomes (ILs) with a great stability in the presence of serum. We report here the therapeutic potential of the lipid-based novel formulations in the breast cancer mouse model. The growth inhibitory and gene silencing effects of various formulations were determined by measuring the size of the tumour, cell proliferation, apoptotic index and immunoassays against Her2-overexpressed tumour xenografts in nude mice. The pegylated DSPC/Chol and DOPE/CHEMS ILs containing FASN-siRNA significantly decreased the tumour growth relative to non-targeted liposomes. They induced the 1.5-fold increase in cellular apoptosis and several fold decrease in proliferation as compared to non-targeted liposomal formulations of FASN-siRNA. Moreover, FASN-siRNA-ILs produced several fold increase in the ratios of p53/p21 and Bax/Bcl-2. The gene silencing effects of targeted FASN-liposomes were found to be significantly superior, resulting in 30-40% downregulation in FASN as compared to non-targeted similar formulations. Both types of FASN ILs provided a highly efficient approach for targeted delivery in Her-2-expressed breast cancer and thus offered a promising anticancer strategy in the clinical therapy.

Towards the discovery of potential RdRp inhibitors for the treatment of COVID-19: structure guided virtual screening, computational ADME and molecular dynamics study.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a major challenge affecting almost every corner of the world, with more than five million deaths worldwide. Despite several efforts, no drug or vaccine has shown the potential to check the ever-mutating SARS-COV-2. The emergence of novel variants is a major concern increasing the need for the discovery of novel therapeutics for the management of this pandemic. Out of several potential drug targets such as S protein, human ACE2, TMPRSS2 (transmembrane protease serine 2), 3CLpro, RdRp, and PLpro (papain-like protease), RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) is a vital enzyme for viral RNA replication in the mammalian host cell and is one of the legitimate targets for the development of therapeutics against this disease. In this study, we have performed structure-based virtual screening to identify potential hit compounds against RdRp using molecular docking of a commercially available small molecule library of structurally diverse and drug-like molecules. Since non-optimal ADME properties create hurdles in the clinical development of drugs, we performed detailed in silico ADMET prediction to facilitate the selection of compounds for further studies. The results from the ADMET study indicated that most of the hit compounds had optimal properties. Moreover, to explore the conformational dynamics of protein-ligand interaction, we have performed an atomistic molecular dynamics simulation which indicated a stable interaction throughout the simulation period. We believe that the current findings may assist in the discovery of drug candidates against SARS-CoV-2.

An in-silico analysis of ivermectin interaction with potential SARS-CoV-2 targets and host nuclear importin α.

Ivermectin (IVM) is a broad-spectrum antiparasitic agent, having inhibitory potential against wide range of viral infections. It has also been found to hamper SARS-CoV-2 replication in vitro, and its precise mechanism of action against SARS-CoV-2 is yet to be understood. IVM is known to interact with host importin (IMP)α directly and averts interaction with IMPß1, leading to the prevention of nuclear localization signal (NLS) recognition. Therefore, the current study seeks to employ molecular docking, molecular mechanics generalized Born surface area (MM-GBSA) analysis and molecular dynamics simulation studies for decrypting the binding mode, key interacting residues as well as mechanistic insights on IVM interaction with 15 potential drug targets associated with COVID-19 as well as IMPα. Among all COVID-19 targets, the non-structural protein 9 (Nsp9) exhibited the strongest affinity to IVM showing -5.30 kcal/mol and -84.85 kcal/mol binding energies estimated by AutoDock Vina and MM-GBSA, respectively. However, moderate affinity was accounted for IMPα amounting -6.9 kcal/mol and -66.04 kcal/mol. Stability of the protein-ligand complexes of Nsp9-IVM and IMPα-IVM was ascertained by 100 ns trajectory of all-atom molecular dynamics simulation. Structural conformation of protein in complex with docked IVM exhibited stable root mean square deviation while root mean square fluctuations were also found to be consistent. In silico exploration of the potential targets and their interaction profile with IVM can assist experimental studies as well as designing of COVID-19 drugs. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Synthesis and antihepatotoxic activity of 5-(2,3-dihydro-1,4-benzodioxane-6-yl)-3-substituted-phenyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazole derivatives.

In continuance of our search for newer antihepatotoxic agents some novel pyrazoline derivatives containing 1,4-dioxane ring system were synthesized starting from 3-(2,3-dihydro-1,4-benzodioxane-6-yl)-1-substituted-phenylprop-2-en-1-one. Some of the synthesized compounds were evaluated for antihepatotoxic activity against CCl(4)-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Among them some compounds have shown significant antihepatotoxic activity comparable to standard drug silymarin.

Synthesis and antihepatotoxic activity of 2-(substituted-phenyl)-5-(2,3-dihydro-1,4-benzodioxane-2-yl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives.

Novel 1,3,4-oxadizole derivatives containing the 1,4-dioxane ring system were synthesised starting from 2,3-dihydro-1,4-benzodioxane-2-carbohydrazide. The synthesised compounds were evaluated for antihepatotoxic activity against CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Some compounds demonstrated a significant antihepatotoxic activity comparable to the standard drug Silymarin.

Fatty Acid Synthase (FASN) siRNA-Encapsulated-Her-2 Targeted Fab'-Immunoliposomes for Gene Silencing in Breast Cancer Cells.

PURPOSE: The overexpression of Her-2 in 25-30% breast cancer cases and the crosstalk between Her-2 and fatty acid synthase (FASN) establishes Her-2 as a promising target for site-directed delivery. The present study aimed to develop the novel lipid base formulations to target and inhibit the cellular proliferation of Her-2-expressing breast cancer cells through the silencing of FASN. In order to achieve this goal, we prepared DSPC/Chol and DOPE/CHEMS immunoliposomes, conjugated with the anti-Her-2 fab' and encapsulated FASN siRNA against breast cancer cells. METHODS: We evaluated the size, stability, cellular uptake and internalization of various formulations of liposomes. The antiproliferative gene silencing potential was investigated by the cell cytotoxicity, crystal violet, wound healing and Western blot analyses in Her-2+ and Her-2¯ breast cancer cells. RESULTS: The data revealed that both nanosized FASN-siRNA-encapsulated liposomes showed significantly higher cellular uptake and internalization with enhanced stability. The cell viability of Her-2+ SK-BR3 cells treated with the targeted formulation of DSPC/Chol- and DOPE/CHEMS-encapsulating FASN-siRNA reduced to 30% and 20%, respectively, whereas it was found to be 45% and 36% in MCF-7 cells. The wounds were not only failed to close but they became broader in Her-2+ cells treated with targeted liposomes of siRNA. Consequently, the amount of FASN decreased by 80% in SK-BR3 cells treated with non-targeted liposomes and it was 30% and 60% in the MCF-7 cells treated with DSPC/Chol and DOPE/CHEMS liposomes, respectively. CONCLUSION: In this study, we developed the formulation that targeted Her-2 for the suppression of FASN and, therefore, inhibited the proliferation of breast cancer cells.

Antihepatotoxic activity of debelalactone, a new oxirano-furanocoumarin from Phyllanthus debilis.

The whole plant of Phyllanthus debilis (Euphorbiacae) afforded a new oxirano-furanocoumarin, characterized as 5-hydroxy-7-methoxy-furanocoumarin-9(14)-cyclohex-12(13)-oxirano-11-one (1), named as debelalactone. Debelalactone exhibited a significant antihepatotoxic activity by reducing the elevated levels of serum enzymes such as serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT) by 59.14%, serum glutamate pyruvate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGPT) by 61.84%, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) by 85.93%; while the total protein (TP) levels were increased by 110.35%, when compared with standard drug silymarin that have decreased SGOT by 77.03%, SGPT by 69.67%, ALP by 93.18%, and increased TP levels by 100.48%, respectively, against CCl(4)-induced toxicity in Wistar rats. These biochemical observations were also supplemented by histopathological examinations of the liver sections.

A new monoterpene acid from Marrubium vulgare with potential antihepatotoxic activity.

The whole plant of Marrubium vulgare L. afforded a new terpenoid, characterised as p-menthane-5,6-dihydroxy-3-carboxylic acid (1), which has been designated as marrubic acid. Its structure has been elucidated on the basis of spectral and chemical analyses. The compound (1) also exhibited a significant antihepatotoxic activity by reducing the elevated levels of serum enzymes such as serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT) by 40.16%, serum glutamate pyruvate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGPT) by 35.06%, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) by 30.51%. On the other hand, total protein (TP) levels were increased by 34.07%, as compared to the standard drug silymarin, which decreased SGOT by 53.04%, SGPT by 55.96%, ALP by 35.87% and increased TP levels by 59.59%. These biochemical observations were also supplemented by histopathological examinations of liver sections.

Anti-hepatotoxic activity of cichotyboside, a sesquiterpene glycoside from the seeds of Cichorium intybus.

The seeds of Cichorium intybus L. (Asteraceae) afforded a new guaianolide sesquiterpene glycoside, cichotyboside, which was characterized as 2alpha, 6beta, 7beta, 15-tetrahydroxy-1 (10), 4 (5)-diene-guaian-9alpha, 12-olide-7-O-beta-caffoyl-15-O-beta-D-glucoside (1) by means of spectral methods. Cichotyboside (1) exhibited a significant anti-hepatotoxic activity against CCl4 induced toxicity in Wistar rats, wherein it reduced the elevated levels of liver enzymes such as serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT) by 52 units/ml; SGPT 38 units/ml; ALKP 24.97 units/ml and 7.54 g/dl, 5.48 g/dl increase in total protein and albumin, respectively. It was observed that cichotyboside (1) decreased the level of ALKP comparable with that of standard drug silymarin, exhibiting an 88% decrease in comparison to silymarin (92%) and increased the level of total albumin 85% in comparison to silymarin (89%) against intoxicated control. Whereas, the levels of SGOT and SGPT were also decreased considerably in comparison to standard and intoxicated control.