A Comparative Analysis of Phytochemicals, Metal Ions, Volatile Metabolites in Heart Wood, Stem Bark and Leaves of Salix alba L. along with in Vitro Antioxidant, Antacid, Antimicrobial Activities for Sake of Environment Conservation by Substitution of Stem Bark With Leaf.

The genus of Salix is used in food, medicine and nutraceuticals, and standardized by using the single marker compound Salicin only. Stem bark is the official part used for the preparation of various drugs, nutraceuticals and food products, which may lead to overexploitation and damage of tree. There is need to search substitution of the stem bark with leaf of Salix alba L. (SA), which is yet not reported. Comparative phytochemicals viz. Salicin, Procyanidin B1 and Catechin were quantified in the various parts of SA viz. heart wood (SA-HW), stem bark (SA-SB) and leaves (SA-L) of Salix alba L.by using newly developed HPLC method. It was observed that SA-HW and SA-L contained far better amount of Salicin, Procyanidin B and Catechin as compared to SA-SB (SA-HW~SA-L≫SA-SB). Essential and toxic metal ions of all three parts were analysed using newly developed ICP-OES method, where SA-L were founded as a rich source of micronutrients and essential metal ions as compared to SA-SB and SA-HW. GC-MS analysis has shown the presence of fatty acids and volatile compounds. The observed TPC and TFC values for all three parts were ranged from 2.69 to 32.30 mg GAE/g of wt. and 37.57 to 220.76 mg QCE/g of wt. respectively. In DPPH assay the IC50 values of SA-SB, SA-HW, and SA-L were 1.09 (±0.02), 5.42 (±0.08), and 8.82 (±0.10) mg/mL, respectively. The order of antibacterial activities against E. coli, S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, and B. subtilis strains was SA-L>SA-HW>SA-SB with strong antibacterial activities against S. aureus, and B. subtilis strains. The antacid activities order was SA-L>SA-SB>SA-HW. The leaves of SA have shown significant source of nutrients, phytochemicals and medicinal properties than SA-HW and SA-SB. The leaves of SA may be considered as substitute of stem bark to save the environment or to avoid over exploitation, but after the complete pharmacological and toxicological studies.

Almagate interference in breath test results for the diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection.

BACKGROUND: Infection by Helicobacter pylori is common and affects both genders at any age. The 13C-urea breath test is a widely used test for the diagnosis of this infection. However, multiple drugs used for the treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection symptoms have interactions with this breath test that generate false negative results. This observational study was to assess the potential interaction between almagate and the breath test. METHODS: Thirty subjects on almagate therapy who underwent a breath test were included. If the result was negative, almagate was withdrawn for a month and the breath test was then repeated. RESULTS: In general, 51.9 % of assessed subjects had a negative result after the first test, and 100 % of these also had a negative result after the second test. CONCLUSIONS: It was concluded that the use of almagate does not interfere in breath test results. These results provide a drug therapy option for the treatment of symptoms associated with Helicobacter pylori infection during the diagnostic process.

Disposable optical sensor for Al(III) ions determination by coupled colorimetric solid-phase extraction-reflectance spectroscopy in leachates from cookware, antacids and hygienic care products.

A disposable and miniaturised optical sensor based on colorimetric solid-phase extraction has been designed using poly(styrene-divinylbenzene) membrane disks modified with the colorimetric reagent pyridoxal salicyloylhydrazone to determine the aluminium concentration in aqueous solutions. The extraction of Al(III) ions by the reagent immobilised onto a disk allows the quantification directly on the adsorbent surface by a miniature portable reflectance spectrometer with an optical fibre at 434 nm. The optimisation of the sensing system was carried out by a fractional factorial design 33-1 considering the extraction pH, amount of ligand immobilised onto the disk and time of immobilisation as experimental factors. The linear dynamic range of the sensor response ranged from 0.18 to 2 mg L-1 Al(III) with a detection limit of 0.18 mg L-1 (n = 10), being the precision of 6.3% for 1 mg L-1 Al(III) (n = 10, confidence level of 95%). The proposed method was successfully applied to the analysis of aluminium in leachates from cookware, antacids and hygienic care products, as contribution to the concern about aluminium as a known systemic toxicant at high doses.

Flow and sequential injection methods for the spectrofluorimetric determination of aluminium in pharmaceutical products using chromotropic acid as chromogenic reagent.

This work reports rapid and sensitive FI and SI spectrofluorimetric methods for the determination of aluminium in pharmaceutical formulations. The methods are based on the reaction of aluminium with chromotropic acid (CA) in acidic medium to form a water-soluble complex (lambdaex.=360 nm, lambdaem.=385 nm). The proposed methods were validated in terms of linearity, repeatability, detection limit, accuracy and selectivity. The calibration curves were linear over the range of 0.03-2.0 and 0.1-4.0mg/l of aluminium using the FI and SI assays, respectively. The repeatabilities (sr=0.8% and 1.1% at 1mg/l aluminium using the FI and the SI assay, respectively, n=12) were satisfactory. The FI and SI methods proved to be adequately selective and sensitive with respective 3sigma limits of detection equal to cL=0.01 and 0.03 mg/l Al(III). The sampling rates were 120 and 72 h(-1) with the FI and SI assay. The methods were applied successfully to the analysis of pharmaceutical formulations (tablets and suspensions). The results were in good agreement with those by an official reference method and the nominal values of the pharmaceutical products.

Modulation of microenvironmental pH and utilization of alkalizers in crystalline solid dispersion for enhanced solubility and stability of clarithromicin.

Clarithromycin (CAM) is known to be poorly water-soluble and acid-labile drug. Various alkalizers such as MgO, Na2CO3, Na2HPO4 and NaHCO3 were utilized to modulate the microenvironmental pH (pHM) and to improve the low stability and solubility of CAM in a crystalline-solid dispersion system (CSD). Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP K-30) and hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC) 4000-based CSDs containing alkalizers were prepared by cosolvent precipitation followed by evaporation process. The dried-CSDs mixed with microcrystalline cellulose, 2% croscarmellose sodium, and 1% magnesium stearate was then directly compressed into tablet. A dissolution test was carried out in 900 mL of pH 5.0 buffer solutions at 37 °C with a 50 rpm paddle speed. pHM, surface morphology, and structural behaviors were investigated. The dissolution rates of CAM in CSD containing alkalizers were improved. The drug in CSD remained crystalline as observed by differential scanning calorimetry and powder X-ray diffraction. Scanning electron microscopy revealed nearly identical images regardless of the sorts and amounts of carriers. PVP-based CSD tablet without alkalizer showed greater drug release, while HPMC-based CSD tablet without alkalizer retarded drug release due to its greater swelling capability. However, when the alkalizers were added in CSD tablet, the drug release was sharply increased. NaHCO3 induced the most rapid drug release while MgO retarded drug dissolution. Alkalizers in CSD also could maintain the pHM of the tablet above pH 5 under acidic conditions. The use of pH modifiers in CSDs could provide a useful method to improve the dissolution rate and stability of CAM via modulation of pHM without changing drug crystallinity.

Lead in calcium supplements.

Intercalibrated measurements of lead in calcium supplements indicate the importance of rigorous analytical techniques to accurately quantify contaminant exposures in complex matrices. Without such techniques, measurements of lead concentrations in calcium supplements may be either erroneously low, by as much as 50%, or below the detection limit needed for new public health criteria. In this study, we determined the lead content of 136 brands of supplements that were purchased in 1996. The calcium in the products was derived from natural sources (bonemeal, dolomite, or oyster shell) or was synthesized and/or refined (chelated and nonchelated calcium). The dried products were acid digested and analyzed for lead by high resolution-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. The method's limit of quantitation averaged 0.06 microg/g, with a coefficient of variation of 1.7% and a 90-100% lead recovery of a bonemeal standard reference material. Two-thirds of those calcium supplements failed to meet the 1999 California criteria for acceptable lead levels (1.5 microg/daily dose of calcium) in consumer products. The nonchelated synthesized and/or refined calcium products, specifically antacids and infant formulas, had the lowest lead concentrations, ranging from nondetectable to 2.9 microg Pb/g calcium, and had the largest proportion of brands meeting the new criteria (85% of the antacids and 100% of the infant formulas).

Acid-neutralizing capacity and sodium content of antacid products from Belgium.

The acid-neutralizing capacity and sodium content of nine antacid products available in Belgium were evaluated and compared with typical values for Mylanta-II. Liquid and tablets of Mylanta-II have a higher acid-neutralizing capacity per unit dose than do all the other Belgian antacids tested. On a unit dose basis, the sodium contents of the Mylanta-II products are lower than those of all other Belgian antacids tested except Maalox products. Because the minimum recommended dose (MRD) of Mylanta-II liquid is 5 ml, while that of Maalox is 10 ml, the sodium content of the MRD of Mylanta-II liquid is lower than that of the MRD of any of the other Belgian liquid antacids tested.

An improved in vitro method for the evaluation of antacids with in vivo relevance.

An improved in vitro method for the evaluation of antacids for use with standard equipment is described. The method is a modification of an older method (RIGO method) and has in vivo relevance. The improved method uses USP dissolution test apparatus 2 with a stirring rate of 125 rpm in combination with a computerized automatic burette. The test solution is 250 ml 0.02 M HCl. A total of 20 min after addition of an antacid to the test solution titration starts at a constant speed of 2.0 ml/min 0.1 M HCl. The proposed acceptance criteria for a waiver for clinical studies are: pH after 4 min not less than 2.5 to ensure a rapid onset of effect, pH after 20 min not exceeding 7.0 to ensure that the pH in the stomach remains within physiological values, buffering capacity between pH 2.5 and 4.5 not less than 8 meq/dose and neutralizing capacity not less than 10 meq/dose to ensure sufficient efficacy within the physiological range. The improved method has been validated with respect to robustness to variations in sample preparation, repeatability and intermediate precision and has been cross-validated versus the RIGO method. The improved method has been found to be rather insensitive to variations in sample pretreatment and at least equivalent to the RIGO method.

Simultaneous determination of methyl, ethyl, propyl, and butyl 4-hydroxybenzoates and 4-hydroxybenzoic acid in liquid antacid formulations by gas chromatography.

An isothermal chromatographic (GC) method employing an SE-30 column and flame-ionization detection has been developed for the simultaneous assay of methyl, ethyl, propyl, and butyl 4-hydroxybenzoates and 4-hydroxybenzoic acid in liquid antacid formulations. The method, which uses a silica column chromatographic cleanup step prior to GC, is specific for the compounds with respect to possible degradation products, impurities, and excipients.

Convenient method of simultaneously analyzing aluminum and magnesium in pharmaceutical dosage forms using californium-252 thermal neutron activation.

A commercial antacid suspension containing aluminum hydroxide and magnesium hydroxide products was used as a model sample to study the use of a californium-252 thermal neutron activation as a method for quantifying aluminum content as well as for the simultaneous assay of aluminum and magnesium. A 3.5-micrograms californium-252 source was used for the activation, and the induced aluminum-28 and magnesium-27 activity was simultaneously measured by sodium iodide crystal gamma-ray spectrometry using dual single-channel analyzers and scalers. The antacid suspension was contained in a chamber designed with the unique capability of serving as the container for counting the induced radioactivity in addition to being the irradiation chamber itself. Ten replicate irradiations were performed, and the precision was compared with 10 replicate analyses of the antacid suspension using the official ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid titration method. For aluminum the precision was 1.4 versus 0.62% for the titration method. For the magnesium the precision was 5.3 versus 0.79% for the titration method. This pilot study demonstrated that use of more intense californium-252 sources, which are commonly available, would provide a method that is competitive with the ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid titration method in precision and in other aspects as well.

Stabilized normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of aspirin and salicylic acid in solid pharmaceutical dosage forms.

A simultaneous analysis of aspirin and nonaspirin salicylates in solid pharmaceutical dosage forms is described. Two separate extraction procedures are employed, one for plain aspirin tablets and one for tablets containing aspirin plus buffers or antacids. The analyses of the extracted samples are accomplished by a stabilized normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) procedure. Prepared samples and standards are stable for up to 24 h, and the methodology is suitable for an automated HPLC system.

Desorption of carbonate from aluminum hydroxycarbonate gel by nitrogen purging.

Carbonate was completely desorbed from amorphous aluminum hydroxycarbonate gel by purging with nitrogen. The reversibility of carbonate adsorption suggests that aluminum hydroxycarbonate particles are composed of planes of aluminum hydroxide with carbonate adsorbed at edge aluminum sites. A slow-reacting phase which was identified as a precursor of gibbsite, formed when the carbonate/aluminum molar ratio was less than 0.20.

Exchange of sodium by magnesium in aluminum hydroxycarbonate gel.

Approximately 90% of the sodium present in a washed aluminum hydroxycarbonate gel was removed by exchange with magnesium. This behavior supports recent structural studies which have suggested that cations such as sodium serve as counterions in aluminum hydroxycarbonate gel. However, sodium could not be removed from dihydroxyaluminum sodium carbonate by exchange with magnesium because sodium is part of the crystal structure. It is hypothesized that aluminum hydroxycarbonate gels which resist removal of sodium are actually mixtures containing dihydroxyaluminum sodium carbonate in addition to aluminum hydroxycarbonate.

Action of hydrochloric acid on aluminum hydroxide-magnesium hydroxide gels and magaldrate: 27Al NMR and pH-stat studies.

Neutralization of mixtures of aluminum hydroxide-magnesium hydroxide gels and of magaldrate by hydrochloric acid were studied by 27Al NMR under conditions of both equilibrium and kinetic control. Under conditions where equilibrium has been attained, an aluminum NMR signal is detectable for suspensions of the mixed gels and magaldrate only after enough acid has been added to exhaust the acid-neutralizing capacity of the magnesium hydroxide. Mixed gels seem to form several soluble aluminum-containing species as neutralization proceeds. Under the conditions of the modified Beekman neutralization procedure, in which the species concentrations reflect neutralization kinetics, mixed gels show a sharp burst of the hexaaquoaluminum cation as acid is added followed by a slow loss of that cation from solution and an accompanying slow rise in pH. Magaldrate shows a steady increase in the hexaaquoaluminum cation with added acid. Differences between magaldrate and mixed gels are also apparent in pH-stat titrations in which magaldrate displays a biphasic response, contrasting to the two burst phases with an intervening lag phase observed for mixed gels. The results of the 27Al NMR and pH-stat titrations are consistent with the hypotheses that magaldrate is a homogeneous substance with a hydrotalcite-like structure and that mixed gels consist of a magnesium hydroxide core surrounded by aluminum hydroxide.

Structural survey of carbonate-containing antacids.

A series of carbonate-containing antacids was examined by IR and X-ray analysis to establish the role of carbonate and to compare the structure of the antacids to naturally occurring carbonate minerals. Based on IR analysis, the relative degree of perturbation of carbonate increases in the order calcium carbonate, carbonate-containing aluminum hydroxide gel, and dihydroxyaluminum sodium carbonate. The crystalline carbonate-containing antacids were poorly organized forms of the minerals calcite, CaCO3; dawsonite, NaAl(OH)2CO3; and hydrotalcite, Mg6Al2CO3(OH)16-4H2O. Amorphous carbonate-containing aluminum hydroxide gel can be classified mineralogically as amorphous aluminum hydroxycarbonate. IR and X-ray evidence indicates that magaldrate has a hydrotalcite-like structure with sulfate as the major interlayer anion and carbonate also present in the interlayer space.

Flow injection potentiometric determination of bismuth(III) in anti-acid formulations.

A flow injection potentiometric procedure is proposed for determining bismuth(III) in anti-acid formulations. In this work, a tubular electrode coated with an ion-pair formed between [Bi(EDTA)](-) and tricaprylylmethylammonium cation (Aliquat 336) in a poly(vinylchloride) (PVC) was constructed and used in a single channel flow injection system. The effect of membrane composition, pH and flow injection parameter over the Bi(III) tubular electrode response (slope (mV/decade)) was initially evaluated in quintuplicate in 0.5 mol l(-1) EDTA solution as carrier. The best response (-59.6+/-0.9 mV/decade) was attained with the 5% m/m ion-pair; 65% m/m o-nitrophenyl octyl ether (o-NPOE) and 30% m/m PVC in pH 6-9. The electrode showed a linear response to E (mV) versus log [Bi(EDTA)](-) in the bismuth(III) concentration range from 2.0x10(-5) to 1.0x10(-2) mol l(-1) and a useful lifetime of at least 5 months (more than 1000 determinations for each polymeric membrane). The detection limit was 1.2x10(-5) mol l(-1) and the R.S.D. was less than 2.0% for a solution containing 5.0x10(-4) mol l(-1) bismuth(III) (n=10). Several species such as Cd(II), Mn(II), Ni(II), Zn(II), Co(II), Cu(II), Mg(II), Cr(III) and Al(III) at 1.0x10(-3) mol l(-1) concentration in 0.5 mol l(-1) EDTA solution did not cause any interference. The frequency rate was 90 determinations per hour and the results obtained for bismuth(III) in anti-acid formulations using this flow procedure and those obtained using a spectrophotometric procedure are in agreement at the 95% confidence level.

The determination of aluminium in antacid formulations by Gran's Plot titration with sodium fluoride.

The aluminium content of a number of proprietary antacid formulations has been determined by titration with sodium fluoride, using the fluoride activity electrode as an end-point detector. Results compared favourably with the official method. The fluoride titration, however, involved less sample manipulation and was more rapid to carry out. End-point detection was made easier by treating titration data by the Gran's Plot method.

Some problems with antacids.

The author points out that because a high intake of Vitamin D and calcium is normally encouraged in pregnancy, care should be taken in the prescription of certain antacids likely to cause alkalosis. Calcium-containing antacids are probably best avoided because of nocturnal acid rebound. Because of undesirable fluid retention in some situations in pregnancy caution should be exercised in the use of sodium-containing antacids. The very high sodium content of some antacids is stressed.

Evaluation of antacid gel preparations available commercially in the Indian market.

A scoring system based on the neutralising capacity, cost efficiency and time of buffering of twenty four commercially available antacid gels was analysed. A gel scoring eight out of the ten points was considered as the best antacid. The study provides a practical guide in choosing a quick neutralizing and low cost antacid gel.

Studies of neutralizing properties of antacid preparations. Part 4: Application of Weibull distribution function to neutralization of dihydroxyaluminum sodium carbonate.

The rate of neutralization of hydrochlorid acid by dihydroxyaluminum sodium carbonate (DHASC) has been studied by pH-stat method. The neutralization process was examined by monitoring the appearance of aluminum and sodium ions in the reaction medium. The Weibull distribution function was applied to the quantitative interpretation of neutralization rate data. All mathematically meaningful parameters derived from this distribution function were useful for consideration of the mechanism according to which the neutralization of DHASC occurs.