1987 – Volume 12, Issue 3

CONTENTS

BİLİMSEL TARAMALAR

Aktiflik, Aktiflik Katsayısı ve Eczacılıktaki Uygulamaları

İnci BİRYOL(*)

(*) Ankara Üniversitesi Eczacılık Fakültesi, Analitik Kirriya Anabilim Dalı, Tandoğan · Ankara.

Pages, 186-196. Abstract | PDF (452KB)

BİLİMSEL ARAŞTIRMALAR

Türkiye İlaç Piyasasında Bulunan Kaplanmış Fenilbutazon Tabletlerinin Çözünme Hızları

Gönül HAKYEMEZ(*) Perçem ATABERK(*) A. Atilla HINCAL(**)

(*) Farmasötik Teknoloji Anabilim Dalı, Eczacılık Fakültesi, Gazi Üniversitesi, Etiler – Ankara.

(**) Farmasötik Teknoloji Anabilim Dalı, Eczacılık Fakültesi, Hacettepe Üniversitesi, 06100 Hacettepe -Ankara.

Pages, 197-212. Abstract | PDF (696KB)

2-(p-Sü bstitüe-Fen il) Oksazolo (4, 5-b) Piridin Türevlerinin Streptococcus feacalıs ve Staphylococcus aureus’ a Karşı Antibakteriyel Etkileri ve Kantitatif Yapı – Etki İlişkileri

İsmail YALÇIN(*) Esin ŞENER{*) Seçkin ÖZDEN(*) Ahmet AKIN(**) Sulhiye YILDIZ(**)

(*) A.Ü. Eczacılık Fakü1tesi, Farmasötik Kimya AnabHim Dalı, Tandoğan, ANKARA.

(**) A.Ü. Eczacılık Fakültesi, Mikrobiyoloji Bilim Dalı, Tandoğan, ANKARA.

Pages, 213-221. Abstract | PDF (416KB)

BİYOYARARLANIM DOSYASI

Piroksikam

Rana KUNT(*) Gönül HAKYEMEZ(*)

* Gazi Üniversitesi Eczacılık Fakültesi Farmasötik Teknoloji Anabilim Dalı Etiler – ANKARA

Pages, 222-242. | PDF (560KB)

Journal of Pharmaceutical SciencesWednesday July 1st, 1987Tuesday June 19th, 2018

COVID-19: Mutated Strain, Treatment Options and Vaccine Development

Ayushi MAHAJAN* , Lakhvir KAUR**º , Gurjeet SINGH*** , RK DHAWAN**** , Anureet KAUR*****

* ORCID: 0000-0002-8666-4523, Department of Pharmaceutics, Khalsa College of Pharmacy, Amritsar, Punjab, India
** ORCID: 0000-0001-8091-2365, Department of Pharmaceutics, Khalsa College of Pharmacy, Amritsar, Punjab, India
*** ORCID: 0000-0003-4399-4693, Department of Pharmaceutics, Khalsa College of Pharmacy, Amritsar, Punjab, India
**** ORCID: 0000-0002-8587-6807, Department of Pharmacology, Khalsa College of Pharmacy, Amritsar, Punjab, India
***** ORCID: 0000-0002-2158-9569, Department of Pharmaceutics, Khalsa College of Pharmacy, Amritsar, Punjab, India

º Corresponding Author: Dr. Lakhvir Kaur
e-mail: lakhvir86@gmail.com

SUMMARY

The ongoing outbreak of the COVID-19 is a significant threat to global health and the economy. This disease is a highly contagious pathogenic disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The virus has a high reproduction rate, due to that it is highly transmittable and has turned into a catastrophe. Scientists and researchers worldwide are exaggerating every possible approach to limit the spread of this malicious disease. An abrupt rise has been reported in the number of cases due to newly mutated strains like SARS-CoV-2 VUI 2020/12/01. To date, no specific drug is effective in the complete eradication of this dangerous disease but, some broad-spectrum antivirals such as Remdesivir and Lopinavir are being used in the management of this ailment. Also, every possible effort has been made in the development of vaccines for preventing the outbreak of this deadly virus. The BNT162b2 by Pfizer and m-RNA-1273 by Moderna have been recently launched into the market, which have shown undesirable effects in geriatrics leading to mortality. In this review, we have tried to highlight important aspects of the COVID-19 that will aid in global awareness and will help the researchers to investigate possible ways to eradicate this menace and design new moieties for its effectual management.

Key Words: COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Mutations, Spike protein, Pandemic, Vaccine.

Neuroprotective Therapy with Citicoline and Piracetam at Acute Cerebrovascular Disease: Clinical and Psychosomatic Effects

Iryna SOKOLOVA*° , Serafima TAZINA** , Oksana ZAKHAROVA***

* Orcid ID: 0000-0002-3102-2910, Department of Practical Psychology, Ukrainian Engineering and Pedagogical Academy, Kharkiv, Ukraine;
** Orcid ID: 0000-0003-3676-3467, Department of Therapy, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russian Federation;
*** Orcid ID: 0000-0003-0249-5257,Department of Organization and Economics of Pharmacy, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russian Federation

° Corresponding Author; Iryna SOKOLOVA
Phone: +380503642304; E-mail: sokolovairr@ukr.net

SUMMARY

Contemporary pharmacological market is well developed, suggesting a wide choice of medical preparations for treating various disorders. Particular attention is paid to the group of diseases related to cerebrovascular accidents as the complications and consequences are often unfavorable. A study was conducted in the post-Soviet countries and aimed to determine the effect and efficacy of using neuroprotective drugs in the treatment of cerebrovascular disease,
taking into account the psychosomatic effect in patients. Two preparations were chosen for the study, namely, Citicolin and Piracetam. The main purpose was to compare the effectiveness and necessity of these drugs in improving the patients` condition and reducing the effects and mortality. The results of this study and works of other scientists proved a higher efficacy of using Citicolin compared to Piracetam. Among 680 patients (100%) receiving Citicolin as a neuroprotective therapy, 625 (91.9%) patients noted improvement in general condition already after three days. Of 405 patients (100%) receiving Piracetam, the regression of neurological symptoms occurred on the 4th or 5th day of treatment. The improvement of visual functions was noted in 26 patients from Citicolin group and only in 3 patients who received Piracetam as neuroprotective therapy.

Key Words: Ischemic stroke, citicoline, piracetam, neuroprotective therapy, psychosomatic effect

Molecular Investigation of Carbapenem and Colistin Resistance Mechanisms in Klebsiella pneumoniae Bloodstream Isolates

Neslihan GENİŞEL*° , Nida ÖZCAN** , Kadri GÜL*** , Nezahat AKPOLAT**** , Selahattin ATMACA***** , Levent KENAR****** , Nurten ALTANLAR******* , Tuba DAL********

* ORCID: 0000-0002-2579-1932, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Dicle University, Diyarbakir, Turkey
** ORCID: 0000-0001-6898-7516, Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Dicle University, Diyarbakir, Turkey
*** ORCID: 0000-0002-4642-0276, Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Dicle University, Diyarbakir, Turkey
**** ORCID: 0000-0002-8653-6046, Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Dicle University, Diyarbakir, Turkey
***** ORCID: 0000-0002-2730-5790, Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Dicle University, Diyarbakir, Turkey
****** ORCID: 0000-0002-6613-1308, Department of Medical CBRN Defense, University of Health Sciences, Ankara, Turkey
******* ORCID: 0000-0003-2977-2269, Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology, University of Ankara, Ankara, Turkey
******** ORCID: 0000-0002-4245-1534, Department of Clinical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara Yildirim Beyazit University, Ankara,

° Corresponding Author; ; Neslihan GENİŞEL
Tel: +90 412 2411000 - 7545; e-mail : ngenisel@gmail.com

SUMMARY

Carbapenem-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKp) infections are worrying health problems due to decreasing treatment options. This study investigates the carbapenemase (OXA-23,24, 48, 51, 55, 58, KPC, NDM-1, VIM, IMP) and mcr-1 genes of the CRKps isolates A total of 33 CRKp isolates isolated from patient blood samples from the Dicle University Medical Faculty Hospital, intensive care units (ICUs) between February 2020 and June 2020, were included in the study. The presence of carbapenemase encoding genes -including all CRKp isolates, bla OXA-23, 24, 48, 58, bla KPC, blaNDM-1, bla VIM, bla IMP- were investigated by multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). CRKp isolates were
tested for mcr-1 gene and bla OXA-51, bla OXA-55 genes by monoplex PCR. All CRKp isolates studied with Kirby Bauer Disc Diffusion Method (DDM) (100%) were resistant to ertapenem, 9 (27.27%) resistant to imipenem, and 23 (69.70%) were resistant to meropenem. 20 (60.61%) of the isolates were found resistant to colistin. bla OXA-48, bla NDM-1 and bla OXA-24 genes were found in 75.76% (n = 25), 6.06% (n = 2) and 3.03% (n = 1) isolates, respectively. Both bla OXA-48 and bla NDM-1 genes were detected in two (6.06%) isolates and mcr-1 gene in 16 (48.48%) isolates. While the mean hospitalization was 20.3 days in 13 patients with a colistin minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 2
μg/ml, it was 33.9 days in 20 patients with a colistin MIC of > 2 μg/ml. The average length of stay in the hospital was 21.8 days in mcr-1 negative patients and 35.7 days in mcr-1 positive patients. Carbapenemase and mcr-1 positivities were found at dramatically high rates in Diyarbakır, Turkey. It was indicated that plasmid-mediated antimicrobial resistance in Kp isolates was problematic. Each hospital should monitor the colistin and carbapenem resistance mechanisms by molecular methods. Colistin resistance should be confirmed by the broth microdilution method (BMD).

Key Words: Klebsiella pneumoniae, carbapenemase, bla OXA-48, mcr-1, multiplex PCR, broth microdilution.

Association Between TP53 Gene Polymorphism and Obesity

Mehmethan CİHAN* , Hakan BULUŞ** ° , Onur DİRİCAN*** , Serpil OĞUZTÜZÜN**** , Doğan ÖZTÜRK***** , Abdulkadir ÜNSAL****** , Ahmet Oğuz ADA******* , Mümtaz İŞCAN********

* ORCID: 0000-0001-8701-754X, University of Health Sciences; Keçiören Training and Research Hospital, General Surgery Department; Ankara/Turkey
** ORCID: 0000-0001-7439-8099, University of Health Sciences; Keçiören Training and Research Hospital, General Surgery Department; Ankara/Turkey
*** ORCID: 0000-0003-0511-6611, Kırıkkale University Faculty of Science; Department of Biology, Kırıkkale/Turkey
**** ORCID: 0000-0002-5892-3735, Kırıkkale University Faculty of Science; Department of Biology, Kırıkkale/Turkey
***** ORCID: 0000-0003-1754-9246, University of Health Sciences; Keçiören Training and Research Hospital, General Surgery Department; Ankara/Turkey
****** ORCID: 0000-0002-7989-4232, University of Health Sciences; Keçiören Training and Research Hospital, General Surgery Department; Ankara/Turkey
******* ORCID: 0000-0001-9987-0572, Ankara University Faculty of Pharmacy Department of Toxicology; Ankara/Turkey.
******** ORCID: 0000-0001-5839-4987, Cyprus International University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Lefkoşe, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

° Corresponding Author; Hakan BULUŞ
Tel.: +90-312 356 90 00 / 1158; e-mail: hakan_bulus6@hotmail.com

SUMMARY

Obesity is a chronic disorder with increasing prevalence worldwide and occurs when energy intake is greater than energy expenditure. Obesity is one of the factors that cause oxidative stress and arises from an imbalance between the reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the cell’s antioxidant defense system. Increasing ROS in obesity, influencing the hypothalamic neurons, affects hunger and satiety control, so correspondingly on body weight control. When ROS amount
increases, through DNA, protein and lipid oxidation, cell damage, necrosis, and apoptosis take place. Tumor protein p53, the guardian of the genome, is responsible for the regulation of genes involved in apoptosis as well as energy generating metabolic pathways. In our study, we investigated the TP53 (Arg72Pro) polymorphism in 151 patients diagnosed with obesity. TP53 mutation (rs1042522) was determined by real-time PCR. In 8 patients, the TP53 mutation was
identified as carrying heterozygous (Arg72Pro) and in 143 patients carrying homozygous (wild type) (Arg72Arg). No individual with a homozygous mutant (Pro72Pro) genotype was found in the studied group. Associations between TP53 genotypes and clinical obesity parameters such as body mass index, thyroid stimulating hormon, glucose, postprandial blood sugar, triglyceride and cholesterol levels were compared statistically. According to the results of statistical
analysis, it was observed that TP53 polymorphism was associated with insulin level. Genotype frequencies were also compared with previous studies performed in control populations and found to be different. This study shows that there may be a relationship between TP53(Arg72Pro) polymorphism and obesity.

Key Words: Obesity, Oxidative stress, TP53, Polymorphism.

Synthesis, Characterization and In Vitro Evaluation for Antimicrobial and Anthelmintic Activity of Novel Benzimidazole Substituted 1,3,4-Thiadiazole Schiff ’s Bases

Saravanan KALIYAPERUMAL* , Priyabrata PATTANAYAK**,°

* ORCID: 0000-0002-8859-8099, Department of Pharmacy, Bhagwant University, Sikar Road, Ajmer, Rajasthan, India, 305004.
** ORCID: 0000-0003-4035-1182, Department of Pharmacy, Bhagwant University, Sikar Road, Ajmer, Rajasthan, India, 305004.

° Corresponding Author; Priyabrata Pattanayak
Phone: +91 9438269361, e-mail: Priyabrata2005@gmail.com

SUMMARY

Benzimidazoles, 1,3,4-Thiadiazoles, and Schiff bases have shown many properties against different types of diseases, including bacterial infection and helminthiasis. Because of the need for new antimicrobial and anthelmintic agents, novel benzimidazole substituted 1,3,4-thiadiazole Schiff’s bases were designed and synthesized. The synergy arising from the successful incorporation of benzimidazole ring, thiadiazole ring, and Schiff’s base in one pharmacophore was exploited in this work. Eleven such derivatives were synthesized and investigated for their in vitro antimicrobial and anthelmintic properties.1H-benzo[d]imidazole-2-carboxylic acid was first prepared by the oxidation of 2-methyl-1H-benzo[d]
imidazole with alkaline potassium permanganate. 1H-benzo[d] imidazole-2-carboxylic acid was then converted to N-arylidene-5- (1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-amine by reacting with an aqueous solution of thiosemicarbazide in the presence of few drops of concentrated sulphuric acid. Finally, different benzimidazole substituted 1,3,4-thiadiazole Schiff’s bases were prepared by reacting thiadiazole substituted benzimidazole with
suitable aryl aldehyde. Compound PP-4 was found to be more potent than the standard drug in causing the death of nematodes, which took an average time of 13.22 and 19.00 min against Perionyx excavatus and Pheretima posthuma, respectively. Compounds PP-4, PP-6, and PP-8 containing electron-withdrawing groups (4-nitro, 2-bromo, 4-chloro) exhibited antimicrobial activity with the zone of inhibition ranging from 8-27 mm comparable to Ampicillin with
the value ranging from 22-27 mm for all the tested strains.

Key Words: Schiff base, Benzimidazole, 1,3,4-Thiadiazole, Anthelmintic activity, Helminthiasis, Antibacterial

Effect of Spathodea campanulata Ethanol Leaf Extract on Hematology and Liver Function of Salmonella-infected and Paracetamol-induced Swiss Albino Mice

Fred. Coolborn AKHARAIYI*° , Arthur Chinedu OKAFOR**

* ORCID: 0000-0001-5605-5543, Microbiology Department, Edo State University Uzairue, KM 7 Auchi-Abuja Road, Iyamho, Edo State, Nigeria
** ORCID: 0000-0002-6819-4724, Microbiology Department, Edo State University Uzairue, KM 7 Auchi-Abuja Road, Iyamho, Edo State, Nigeria

° Corresponding Author; Fred. Coolborn AKHARAIYI

Phone: +234 8066982772, e-mail: akharaiyi.fred@edouniversity.edu.ng

Herbal remedies for healing is basically on the existing traditional methods, which is different from one tradition to the other. Liver performs useful functions that maintain health in humans but it can be affected to become malfunction if not guided or protected against some chemical substances contained in some foods, hard drugs and drinks. Effect on hematology and hepatoprotective activity of Spathodea campanulata ethanol leaf extract was studied using an animal model. Group I mice served as the positive control, group II mice as negative control, and groups III – XII mice as satellite groups which were treated with 200, 400, 800, 1000, and 2000 mg/kg of extract after respective Salmonella typhi infection and paracetamol inducement. Overdose of mice with paracetamol caused changes in the mice’s physiology status. In hematology parameters of mice, red blood cell mean count was higher in the negative control (7.6±70.92 million/mm3) than the positive control (4.36±0.12 million/ mm3) and lower white blood cells mean count of 3.50±0.18 thousand/mm3 in the negative control than positive control with a value of 9.62±0.39 thousand/mm3. However, in biochemical evaluation, albumin (2.21±0.60 mg/dL) and bilirubin (2.11±0.63 mg/dL) were higher in the positive control than negative control with values of 4.90±0.11 and 1.08±0.10 mg/dL, respectively. These abnormalities in the mice’s physiological status were reversed on treatment with extract concentrations of 200 to 2000 mg/mL for five days. S. campanulata ethanol leaf extract can be used as traditional medicine for the treatment of liver diseases.

Key Words: Liver function, Spathodea campanulata, paracetamol, Salmonella typhi.

Interactions between Warfarin and Herbal Products: Case reports, Preclinical and Clinical Studies

İçim GÖKKAYA* , Tuğba SUBAŞ** , Gülin RENDA***° , Ufuk ÖZGEN****

* ORCID: 0000-0003-0803-2886, Karadeniz Teknik Üniversitesi Eczacılık Fakültesi, Farmakognozi ABD, Trabzon, TÜRKİYE
** ORCID: 0000-0002-0956-6567, Karadeniz Teknik Üniversitesi Eczacılık Fakültesi, Farmakognozi ABD, Trabzon, TÜRKİYE
*** ORCID: 0000-0001-6323-0338, Karadeniz Teknik Üniversitesi Eczacılık Fakültesi, Farmakognozi ABD, Trabzon, TÜRKİYE
**** ORCID: 0000-0001-9839-6717, Karadeniz Teknik Üniversitesi Eczacılık Fakültesi, Farmakognozi ABD, Trabzon, TÜRKİYE

º Corresponding Author: Gülin RENDA
Phone: 04623778830 – 05323331133; e-mail: gulingurhan@yahoo.com

SUMMARY

Plants have been used in the prevention and treatment of diseases since ancient times. Due to the popularity and unconscious use of herbal products, the risk of health problems is increasing day by day. Simultaneous use of herbal products especially with drugs having narrow therapeutic index can lead to very serious toxic effects. Warfarin, which is used to treat or prevent atrial fibrillation, venous thromboembolism, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, artificial heart valve and myocardial infarction, acts as an anticoagulant by blocking the epoxide reductase enzyme and inhibiting the conversion of vitamin K and vitamin K epoxide. Warfarin is rapidly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract, has high bioavailability and reaches the maximum concentration in blood plasma after 90 minutes orally and is therefore widely used in the clinic. Warfarin has the potential to interact with many drugs, herbal products and foods, and it has been reported that it is the drug that causes the most frequent plant-drug interactions. In this study, case reports of warfarin-herb interaction in the literature were examined and the herb/herbal product used by the patient, drugs used by the patient other than warfarin, and the clinical symptoms related to the interaction were compiled. In addition, in vivo, in vitro, and clinical studies conducted on plants reported to be interacting in case reports were investigated, and the results obtained regarding the herbal products, dose, duration of use, study type, warfarin dose, and interaction mechanism were presented. Herbal products cause an interaction by inducing or inhibiting CPY2C9, CYP3A4, and CYP1A2 enzyme activities as well as P-glycoprotein, which play a role in warfarin metabolism. The responsibility of healthcare professionals and the importance of selling herbal products under the consultancy of healthcare personnel is emerging in preventing possible adverse drug reactions and toxic effects and ensuring rational drug use.

Key Words: Warfarin, drug-herb interactions, drug-food interactions, P-glycoprotein, rational drug use, herbal product.

Design of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitory Compounds and Anticancer Mechanisms of Action

Süreyya ÖLGENº* , Ahmet Mesut ŞENTÜRK**

* ORCID: 0000-0002-0725-8413, Biruni Üniversitesi Eczacılık Fakültesi, Farmasötik Kimya Anabilim Dalı, 10. Yıl Cad. No:45 Topkapı/ İSTANBUL
** ORCID: 0000-0001-6818-6161, Biruni Üniversitesi Eczacılık Fakültesi, Farmasötik Kimya Anabilim Dalı, 10. Yıl Cad. No:45 Topkapı/ İSTANBUL

º Corresponding Author: Süreyya Ölgen
Tel: 444 8 276, Fax: 90 212 416 46 46, e-mail: solgen@biruni.edu.tr

SUMMARY

Cancer is a complex disease that is caused by uncontrolled division and proliferation of cells and under the influence of genetic and conditions. There are more than 100 types of cancers known and standardized therapies to certain types of cancers as much as possible have been developed. The DNA of any human on Earth is not alike. Therefore, patients provide different responses to similar treatments. Tyrosine kinases (TKs) are a family of enzymes involve the signal transduction in human cell. TKs are essential needs for normal human physiology. Destruction of normal functions cause abnormal cell activities, immunological, neurological, metabolic and infectious diseases, especially cancer. Among the kinases, Abelson Leukemia (Abl), sarcoma (Src), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) are primary molecular targets for selective inhibition and are considered the most successful targeted therapy for tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Today, there are many Food and Drug Administration approved TKIs, which are frequently used in cancer treatment. In this review, the design strategies of the compounds as TKIs, the structure-protein interaction relationships, the functional role of the kinases targeted in the inhibitor design, the structural analysis of the binding modes of the kinase inhibitors, and the current developments in the therapeutic interventions of tyrosine kinase inhibitors have been discussed.

Key Words: Cancer, inhibitor design, TKIs, structural analysis, selectivity, specifity.

Hydroxychloroquine: Similarity Search and Structure- Based Virtual Screening for Identification of Potential Hits for Chemoprophylaxis Against SARS-CoV-2

Shravan Kumar PASWAN°*† , Virendra NATH***† , Pritt VERMA** , Arun Pratap SIKARWAR**** , Sudhir K. VERMA*****

* ORCID: 0000-0002-2729-6257, CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
** ORCID: 0000-0003-1433-2623, CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
*** ORCID: 0000-0003-1367-7144, Central University of Rajasthan, Ajmer, India
**** ORCID: 0000-0001-5322-3951, Department of Zoology, Dayalbagh Educational Institute, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India
***** ORCID: 0000-0002-7713-2250, Department of Chemistry, Dayalbagh Educational Institute, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India
† Equally contributed authors

° Corresponding Author; Shravan Kumar PASWAN
e-mail: paswanshravan@gmail.com

SUMMARY

The current eruption of the novel severe acute respiratory syndrom causing coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an atrocious health tragedy. In this virulent disease, the computational approach appears to be the most hopeful choice to make out an efficient remedial medicinal agent for the treatment of an infected population. This current exploration inclined to analyze the similar druggable compounds as hydroxychloroquine to combat unworn coronavirus (COVID-19), using a pharmacoinformatics study. Docking-based virtual screening was carried-out using Glide, followed by Absorption Distribution Metabolism Excretion (ADME) anticipation. Hydroxychloroquine is being used as the criterion for comparison as it showed potential effect for symptomatic relief. Target-based virtual screening study divulged 28 top-ranked compounds based on their binding energy and dock score from 10695 PubChem compounds. In the additional weed-out process, 07 compounds were selected based on their similar interactions as hydroxychloroquine, comparable binding energy, and shape complementarity of the binding pocket of 6LU7. The
three-dimensional binding pose of screened 07 hits and their chemoessential features were successfully matched with reference compound. These candidates showed potential interactions with the amino acid residues of the active site of SARS-CoV-2 (PDB ID 6LU7). Therefore, they may have the capability as lead compound(s) against COVID-19.

Key Words: Binding energy, COVID-19, Docking,Hydroxychloroquine, SARS-CoV-2, Virtual Screening

Investigation of GSTM1 and GSTT1 Polymorphisms in Obesity Patients Under Bariatric Surgery

Abdulkadir Ünsal* , Hakan Buluş** , Onur Dirican*** , Serpil Oğuztüzün**** , Doğan Öztürk***** , Mehmethan Cihan****** , Ahmet Oğuz Ada******* , Mümtaz İşcan********

* ORC ID: 0000-0002-7989-4232, University of Health Sciences; Keçiören Training and Research Hospital; General Surgery Department; Ankara/Turkey
** ORC ID: 0000-0001-7439-8099, University of Health Sciences; Keçiören Training and Research Hospital; General Surgery Department; Ankara/Turkey
*** ORC ID: 0000-0003-0511-6611, Kırıkkale University Faculty of Science; Department of Biology; Kırıkkale/Turkey
**** ORC ID: 0000-0002-5892-3735, Kırıkkale University Faculty of Science; Department of Biology; Kırıkkale/Turkey
***** ORC ID: 0000-0003-1754-9246, University of Health Sciences; Keçiören Training and Research Hospital; General Surgery Department; Ankara/Turkey
****** ORC ID: 0000-0001-8701-754X, University of Health Sciences; Keçiören Training and Research Hospital; General Surgery Department; Ankara/Turkey
******* ORC ID: 0000-0001-9987-0572, Ankara University Faculty of Pharmacy Department of Toxicology; Ankara/Turkey.
******** ORC ID: 0000-0001-5839-4987, Cyprus International University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Lefkoşe, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

° Corresponding Author; Hakan BULUŞ
Tel.: +90-312 356 90 00 / 1158, e-mail : hakan_bulus6@hotmail.com

SUMMARY

Obesity is a chronic disorder with increasing prevalence worldwide and occurs when energy intake is more than energy expenditure. Obesity is one of the factors that cause oxidative stress and arises from an imbalance between the reactive oxygen species ROS and the cell’s antioxidant defense system. Increasing ROS in obesity, influencing the hypothalamic neurons, affect hunger and satiety control, so correspondingly on body weight control. When ROS amount increases, through DNA, protein, and lipid oxidation, cell damage, necrosis, and apoptosis take place. Oxidative stress increment in adipose tissue causes the development of metabolic syndrome in obese people. Also, weight loss due to calorie restriction or exercise reduces oxidative stress. Mitochondria is the essential source for ROS formation. In the electron transfer system, reactive oxygen species forming due to oxidative phosphorylation reactions are involved in various physiological processes such as cell proliferation and differentiation. Glutathione S-transferase M1 and T1 genes encode enzymes that have oxidant-scavenging activities. Deletion polymorphisms in these genes cause the absence of their corresponding enzymes. In this study, we investigated the parameters associated with obesity such as body mass index (BMI), TSH, glucose, satiety blood glucose, triglyceride,
and cholesterol levels, and deletion polymorphisms of GSTM1 and GSTT1 genes in 152 patients diagnosed with obesity in a Turkish population. No statistically significant relationship was found
between the parameters studied in obese patients and GSTM1 and GSTT1 polymorphisms. More studies are needed to elucidate the relationship of GSTM1 and GSTT1 polymorphisms with obesity.

Key Words: Obesity, GSTM1, GSTT1, Oxidative stress, Polymorphism, Multiplex PCR.

Rice Bran Supplement Enhances GSH Levels in Testis and Liver of Carbon Tetrachloride-induced Rats

Dwirini Retno Gunarti* , Dewi Sukmawati** ° , Mochammad Kamal Nasser*** , Teuku Abdi Zil Ikram**** , Rizqi Nanda Pribawa***** , Dwi Anita Suryandari******

* ORCID ID: 0000-0002-1990-0098, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
** ORCID ID: 0000-0003-3777-8118, Department of Histology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
*** ORCID ID: 0000-0002-9895-8019, Undergraduate student, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
**** ORCID ID: 0000-0003-1109-4893, Undergraduate student, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
***** ORCID ID: 0000-0002-0984-925X, Undergraduate student, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
****** ORCID ID: 0000-0003-2711-8335,Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia

° Corresponding Author; Dewi Sukmawati, MD., Ph.D.
Phone: +62 21 3146129, e-mail: ds_histoui@outlook.com; dewi.sukmawati@ui.ac.id

SUMMARY

In the present study, the potency of rice bran as an antioxidant was examined. Rice bran is a by-product of the rice milling process, despite being a rich nutrient, it has limitations in food application. In this study, we used carbon tetrachloride-induced rats (CCl4) as a model of oxidative stress and examined the effect of extract IPB 3S rice bran supplement (RBS) on testis and liver endogenous antioxidant. The testis and liver were used as the representative organs which prone to exposure to reactive oxygen species (ROS). We used 150 and 300 mg.kg-1 Body weight (BW) of RBS. The Concentration of glutathione (GSH) in both organs was measured. All groups administered by RBS had significantly higher GSH levels compared to the CCl4 group, both in testis and liver. The dose of 300 mg.kg-1 BW RBS had a significantly higher GSH level in testis, while 150 mg.kg-1 VA RBS had a significantly higher GSH level in the liver tissue compared to the control group accordingly. Thus, the rice bran supplement enhances GSH levels in rat’s liver and testis which potentially has protective effects.

Key Words: Rice bran, IPB 3S, antioxidants, glutathione, CCl4, liver, testis.

Protective Effects of Ferulic Acid Against Isoniazid-Induced Hepatotoxicity in Rats

Ahmad AHMADIPOUR* , Fariba SHARIFIFAR** , Hussein ANANI*** , Somayyeh KARAMI-MOHAJERI****°

* ORCID: 0000-0001-7987-3872 Pharmaceutics Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran,
** ORCID: 0000-0003-1792-3760 Herbal and Traditional Medicines Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran,
*** ORCID: 0000-0002-4770-3008 Faculty of Allied Medical Sciences, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran,
**** ORCID: 0000-0001-6256-6550 Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran,

° Corresponding Author; Somayyeh KARAMI-MOHAJERI,
Tel: +98 34 31325239, Fax: +98 34 31325003, e-mail: s_karami@kmu.ac.ir

SUMMARY

Isoniazid (INH) is an antibiotic that is used for the prevention and treatment of tuberculosis. The most common side effect of INH is seemingly hepatotoxicity through the induction of oxidative damage. Ferulic acid (FA) is an organic compound with antioxidant properties that is found abundantly in plant cell walls. The aim of this study was to evaluate the hepatoprotective effects of FA against hepatotoxicity induced by INH in Wistar rats. The rats were injected with INH (100 mg/kg/d for 21 days) with and without co-administration of FA (10 and 20 mg/kg/d) or silymarin (100 mg/kg/d) from day 11 to day 21. Then, the animals were sacrificed to evaluate the serum levelof aminotransferases and total bilirubin, and liver histopathology and oxidative stress parameters. Co-administration of FA prevented the hepatotoxicity of INH according to the biochemical and histology findings. FA dose-dependently decreased level of lipid peroxidation in liver tissue. The activities of catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase in liver tissues of rats treated with FA were higher than those in non-treated INH-exposed rats. Taken together,
the results demonstrated that FA could be used as a hepatoprotective supplement to prevent INH-induced hepatotoxicity.

Key Words: Isoniazid, ferulic acid, hepatotoxicity, antioxidant, oxidative stress, histopathology.

Morphological Investigations on the Diagnostic Features of Six Hypericum Species of the Ukrainian Flora

Valentyna MINARCHENKO* , Oksana FUTORNA** , Vitalii PIDCHENKO***° , Iryna TYMCHENKO**** , Tetyana DVIRNA***** , Larysa MAKHYNIA******

* ORCID: 0000-0002-5049-7620, M.G. Kholodny Institute of Botany, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine 2 Tereshchenkivska Str., Kyiv 01004, Ukraine;
O.O. Bogomolets National Medical University. 22 Pushkinska Str., Kyiv 01004, Ukraine
** ORCID: 0000-0002-3713-6644, M.G. Kholodny Institute of Botany, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine 2 Tereshchenkivska Str., Kyiv 01004, Ukraine
*** ORCID: 0000-0003-0850-6666, O.O. Bogomolets National Medical University. 22 Pushkinska Str., Kyiv 01004, Ukraine
**** ORCID: 0000-0001-7505-3164, M.G. Kholodny Institute of Botany, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine 2 Tereshchenkivska Str., Kyiv 01004, Ukraine
***** ORCID: 0000-0002-9279-9766, M.G. Kholodny Institute of Botany, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine 2 Tereshchenkivska Str., Kyiv 01004,
Ukraine; O.O. Bogomolets National Medical University. 22 Pushkinska Str., Kyiv 01004, Ukraine
****** ORCID: 0000-0002-8095-4255, O.O. Bogomolets National Medical University. 22 Pushkinska Str., Kyiv 01004, Ukraine

° Corresponding Author: Vitalii Pidchenko
Phone: +380937670224; e-mail: pidchenkovitalii@gmail.com

SUMMARY

The results of comparative analysis of the main diagnostic features of the medicinal raw material of six species of the genus Hypericum of Ukraine are presented. The most important diagnostic features of H. alpigenum Kit, H. elegans Steph. ex Willd., H. hirsutum L., H. maculatum Crantz, H. montanum L., and H. perforatum L. are the localization, form, and color of secretory structures. Characteristics of the basic morphological features of leaves, sepals, petals, and stems of the studied species are provided. It is emphasized that a comprehensive analysis of the species-specific peculiarities of the main raw organs of species of the genus Hypericum allows us to determine their species affiliation clearly. The use of these features makes it impossible to intentionally falsify or incorrectly identify the raw material of a particular species of St. John’s worth during merchandising analysis.

Key Words:

Diagnostic features, Hypericum, medicinal raw materials, leaves, sepals, petals, stems, secretory structures, Ukraine

Enhancing Skin Penetration: The Role of Microneedles

Bülent SAMANCI*º , Fatma Gülgün YENER** , İsmail Tuncer DEĞİM***

* ORCID: 0000-0002-7198-5375, Pharmaceutical Technology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Dicle University, Diyarbakir, Turkey,
** ORCID: 0000-0002-7234-0034, Proffesor, Pharmaceutical Technology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
*** ORCID: 0000-0002-9329-4698, Proffesor, Pharmaceutical Technology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Biruni University, Istanbul, Turkey

º Corresponding Author: Bülent SAMANCI
Phone: +904122411000-7531; e-mail: bulent.samanci@dicle.edu.tr

SUMMARY

Since transdermal delivery systems provide some important advantages over oral delivery systems and parenteral delivery systems, they have attracted the attention of researchers. Degradation of the drug in the gastrointestinal (GI) system, irritation of the GI system tract, and the first-pass effect of the drug are some of the disadvantages of oral administration, while the need for medical staff to administer it and creating phobia in the patient are among the disadvantages of parenteral administration. To overcome these drawbacks, researchers have developed formulations for the transdermal delivery of drugs. The most important handicap of transdermal drug administration is the Stratum Corneum layer (St. Corneum), which forms the enormous barrier layer of the skin. Some techniques have been developed to overcome this serious barrier problem of the skin. Microneedles are one of the physical methods to increase the penetration of therapeutic agents through the skin. Microneedles consist of needle arrays long enough to deliver the drug to the dermis layer and micron-sized enough to not reach the nerve cells and not cause pain. Microneedles can
be classified into five different types as solid microneedles, dissolving microneedles, hollow microneedles, coated microneedles, and hydrogel microneedles according to the properties of the materials used in the fabrication and the mechanisms of release of the therapeutic agent. Microneedles can be used in the application of vaccines, proteins, nucleotides, drug delivery systems, cosmetic, and for diagnostic purposes. Although important technological developments have been experienced for microneedle in many areas such as drug delivery systems, disease diagnosis, and cosmetics in the last two decades, there are many working areas that need to be developed. Especially in longterm treatments, studies should be done to develop them as smart devices.

Key Words:

Drug Delivery, Intradermal, Microfabricated device, Microneedle, Skin Penetration, Transdermal.

Bioactivities of A Major Compound from Arthrinium rasikravindrae An Endophytic Fungus of Coleus amboinicus Lour.

Puji ASTUTI°* , Dwi Koko PRATOKO** , Rollando ROLLANDO*** , Giri Wisnu NUGROHO**** , Subagus WAHYUONO***** , Triana HERTIANI****** , Arief NURROCHMAD*******

* ORCID: 0000-0003-3316-6149, Pharmaceutical Biology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia 55281
** ORCID: 0000-0001-7262-4515, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Jember, Jember, Indonesia
*** ORCID: 0000-0001-6210-6247, Program of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science and Technology, Ma Chung University, Malang, Indonesia
**** ORCID: 0000-0001-9086-3181, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia 55281
***** ORCID: 0000-0002-1374-4506, Pharmaceutical Biology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia 55281
****** ORCID: 0000-0002-1756-2478, Pharmaceutical Biology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia 55281
******* ORCID: 0000-0001-7597-2574, Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia

°Corresponding author: Puji Astuti
Phone/Fax: +62-274-543120; e-mail: puji_astuti@ugm.ac.id

SUMMARY

Many studies reported the ability of endophytic fungi to produce various bioactive compounds having therapeutic values. An endophytic fungus identified as Arthrinium rasikravindrae was isolated from the stem of Coleus amboinicus Lour. This study examined cytotoxic and antimicrobial activities of a major compound isolated from ethyl acetate extract of the fungus fermentation broth. Cytotoxic activities were conducted using MTT assay against T47D, MCF-7, WiDr, 3T3, and Vero cells. IC50 values against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were used as the parameters for determining antimicrobial activities. The isolated compound appeared as a single peak in HPLC chromatogram (98.55 %), displayed the highest cytotoxic activity on WiDr cells (IC50 35.03 ± 2.08 μg/mL) and antimicrobial activities against S. aureus (IC50 232.10 ± 1.20 μg/mL) and E. coli (243.59 ± 1.32 μg/mL). Analysis of the UV spectrum and TLC data generated by various detection reagents revealed that the compound was predicted as an N-containing substance having conjugated double bonds.

Key Words:

Coleus amboinicus Lour., cytotoxicity, antimicrobial, Arthrinium rasikravindrae, endophyte, fungus.

Effects of Pycnogenol and Its Combinations with Cisplatin on Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cell Viability

Merve BECİT*,° , Sevtap AYDIN DİLSİZ** , and Nurşen BAŞARAN***

* ORCİD: 0000-0002-8084-4419, Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ataturk University, Erzurum, 25240, TURKEY
** ORCİD: 0000-0002-6368-2745, Department of Pharmaceutical Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Hacettepe University, Ankara, 06100, TURKEY
*** ORCİD: 0000-0001-8581-8933, Department of Pharmaceutical Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Hacettepe University, Ankara, 06100, TURKEY

° Corresponding Author: Merve BECİT
Phone: +904422315241; Fax: +904422315201; e-mail: mervebecit@hotmail.com

SUMMARY

Many challenges of hepatocellular carcinoma treatment, such as side effects and drug resistance, still remain. Therefore, new improvements with high pharmaceutical function and low toxicity
are needed. Recently, the efficacy of the combination therapy of antineoplastic drugs with natural products like pycnogenol has garnered attention. Pycnogenol® is a standardized extract from the bark of Pinus pinaster and consists of phenolic compounds. Pycnogenol is considered complementary in the treatments of some cancer besides its good tolerability and high safety. This study aims to reveal the synergistic effects of pycnogenol combination with cisplatin and its relation to human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cell viability. Effects of single and combined treatment on cell viability were evaluated in Chinese hamster lung fibroblasts (V79) and HepG2 cells using MTT assay. In HepG2 cells, this combined treatment showed a more cytotoxic effect than singledose
groups. Pycnogenol increased the cytotoxicity of cisplatin at 500 μM for 24 h; at 250-500 μM for 48 h in V79 cells; and also, at 125-500 μM for 24 h; at 62.5-500 μM for 48 h in HepG2 cells (p<0.05). Our study is the first study to show that pycnogenol treatment with cisplatin has been combined in the HepG2 cell line. As a result, pycnogenol induced cisplatin cytotoxicity via combined treatment on HepG2 cells and exhibited a synergistic effect with cisplatin. In conclusion, pycnogenol may play a role in the chemotherapy of hepatocellular carcinoma; however, further
studies are required to confirm their interactions with cisplatin.

Key Words:

Pycnogenol, cisplatin, MTT, cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, HepG2 cells.

Improvement in Aqueous Solubility of Cilnidipine by Amorphous Solid Dispersion, Its Formulation into Interpenetrating Polymer Network Microparticles and Optimization by Box-Behnken Design

Amit KUHIKAR* , Shagufta KHAN**° , Komal KHARABE*** ,
Dilesh SINGHAVI**** , Girish DAHIKAR*****

* ORCID: 0000-0001-7353-9814, Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Borgaon (Meghe) Wardha, Maharashtra, India.
** ORCID:0000-0002-2827-7939, Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Borgaon (Meghe) Wardha, Maharashtra, India.
*** ORCID: 0000-0002-5237-6929, Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Borgaon (Meghe) Wardha, Maharashtra, India.
**** ORCID: 0000-0002-2544-7226, Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Borgaon (Meghe) Wardha, Maharashtra, India.
***** ORCID: 0000-0002-2284-535X, Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Borgaon (Meghe) Wardha, Maharashtra, India.

°Corresponding Author: Shagufta Khan, Professor,
Phone: (+91)7152-240284, Fax (+91)7152-241684; e-mail: shaguftakhan17@rediffmail.com

SUMMARY

Cilnidipine(CPN), a Biopharmaceutics Classification System class II drug, has dissolution rate-limited bioavailability and a very short half-life (20.4 min). Thus, there is a need to improve the solubility and prolong the drug release so that the therapeutic concentration of CPN could be maintained for a prolonged time. Therefore, the present investigation was aimed to improve the solubility of CPN by preparing amorphous solid dispersion (ASD) and sustain its release by incorporating CPN loaded ASD (CPNASD) in interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) microparticles. ASD was prepared using Solutol HS 15 and Gelucire®50/13. Solutol HS 15 provided a better effect by increasing 84.09 folds solubility of CPNASD in water as compared to the free CPN, therefore it was used in the formulation of IPN microparticles. Characterization of ASD by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed a decrease in the crystallinity
of CPN. IPN microparticles loaded with CPNASD were prepared by varying chitosan concentrations, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and massratio of chitosan:TPP and optimized by Box-Behnken Design. The constraints on the responses were maximum drug entrapment efficiency and sustained drug release with more than 80% drug release in 12 h. IPN microparticles with composition, chitosan 50mg, PVA 74.99mg (Volume of aqueous phase; 10 ml, Volume of organic phase; 50 ml) and chitosan:TPP 2.52 was the predicted optimized condition by the software and IPN with this composition provided high % entrapment efficiency (83.87±0.85) and sustained release (83.29±0.55) for 12 h. Solutol HS 15 was successful in providing a massive increase in solubility of CPN, and a uniform sustained release was achieved by loading CPNASD in IPN microparticles.

Key Words:

Cilnidipine, Solid dispersion, Solutol HS 15, Interpenetrating polymer network microparticles, Chitosan, Polyvinyl alcohol.

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