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Experimental investigation of compression and wetting behavior of liquisolid systems with different porous carriers prepared via fluid bed processing
No full textLiquisolid systems prepared in a fluidised bed processor were investigated to evaluate the suitability of four different porous excipients (Fujicalin®, Neusilin® US2, Syloid® XDP 3050 and Syloid® XDP 3150) as carriers in high liquid content formulations. PEG 400 was used as liquid phase and colloidal silicon dioxide as coating material. The prepared formulations were tested for their flowability, compaction properties and wetting behaviour. The results show that all tested liquisolid mixtures exhibited acceptable flowability. Compaction was carried out using a compaction simulator to investigate all stages of the tableting process. Formulations with Fujicalin® and Neusilin® US2 as carriers showed better tabletability, compressibility and compactibility as well as lower values for detachment stress, elastic recovery and work of compression than the formulations with Syloid® XDP carriers. On the other hand, the liquisolid systems with Syloid® XDP carriers exhibited higher porosity, which, together with their mechanical properties, resulted in a shorter wetting time and overall good wettability. The shortest wetting time was observed for liquisolid systems with the Syloid® XDP 3150 carrier. The amount of coating material used did not appear to have a pronounced effect on either the mechanical properties or the wettability of the formulations tested. Of the four carriers considered, Neusilin® US2 stood out as the carrier capable of absorbing the largest amount of liquid phase (about 110–125 % of its mass) while ensuring good flowability of the liquisolid mixtures, satisfactory mechanical properties and acceptable wettability of the liquisolid compacts
Concentration of heavy metals in the leaves of rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus Spenn., Lamiaceae) cultivated in urban habitats of Belgrade
No full textRosemary (Salvia rosmarinus Spenn., Lamiaceae) is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant in urban areas. Due to essential oil, carnosic and rosmarinic acid, its leaves have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. Rosemary leaves are traditionally used as a bath additive for mild muscle and joint pain and peripheral circulatory disorders, as well as in herbal teas for dyspepsia and mild gastrointestinal spasms. Rosemary is also a common culinary spice. Given the potential health adverse effects of heavy metals accumulated from environmental pollution and pesticide residues, this study analyzed Hg, Pb and Cd concentrations in rosemary leaf samples from seven locations in central and peripheral Belgrade and in two commercial samples. The dried leaves were subjected to microwave mineralization with nitric acid, and metal concentrations were measured by ICPOES. All samples contained heavy metals below the limits for herbal products according to national and European regulations. The highest levels of Hg and Pb were found in a commercial sample from Morocco, while Cd was most abundant in samples from Zemun. The lowest metal levels were found in a sample from the Faculty of Pharmacy’s garden in the outskirts of Belgrade. Acknowledgements: This research was funded by the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation, Republic of Serbia through two Grant Agreements with University of Belgrade-Faculty of Pharmacy No. 451-03-136/2025-03/200161 and 451-03137/2025-03/200161
Variability of leaf anatomical traits of Gentiana sect. Ciminalis (Gentianaceae) on the Balkan Peninsula
No full textEarlier studies on Gentiana acaulis, G. clusii and G. dinarica (G. section Ciminalis) from the Balkan Peninsula had not resolved their taxonomic status. To clarify this, a detailed anatomical study was carried out on leaf samples from ten populations from the Balkans and one from the Carpathians. Measurements were performed on cross-sections of ten rosette leaves from each population. Statistical data analyses were conducted on 14 morphometric traits. A range of statistical techniques were used to assess variability and identify important discriminating traits. These included descriptive statistics, principal component analysis and discriminant analysis. The results indicate that the species can be distinguished based on leaf anatomy, particularly mesophyll thickness and number of crystal cells. The populations of G. acaulis have the thinnest mesophyll, G. dinarica the thickest, while G. clusii lies between these two. Crystal cells are most abundant in G. clusii, followed by G. dinarica, while they are sparse or absent in G. acaulis. These results suggest that leaf anatomy is a valuable diagnostic tool for distinguishing taxa within the section Ciminalis of the genus Gentiana
DNA damage induced by parasitic infections in humans and animals
No full textPathologies caused by parasitic infections, including protozoans and helminths remain a burden for healthcare in many countries. The DNA damage is produced by numerous parasites, both protozoans and helminths. However, the exact number of cancer-causing parasites and their role in neoplasma formation is still undetermined. The progression and dynamics of parasitic infections are significantly influenced by endogenously induced increase in oxidative stress (OS). Increased ROS production undermines antioxidant defense mechanisms by disrupting the balance between prooxidants and antioxidants, causing structural damage to important biomolecules, including host DNA. The generation of DNA damage possibly leads to the progression of carcinogenesis. However, direct DNA damage by parasites, eggs and factors released by parasites is also possible, and it leads to genomic instability that is a hallmark of most human and animal cancers. Understanding the way parasites induce DNA damage in the hosts may be helpful in the control of parasitic infections and the prevention of parasite-induced malignancies, ultimately benefiting the health of humans and animals. This review article offers an updated overview of parasitic infection-induced DNA damage mechanisms
Embracing green chromatography principle in perindopril, amlodipine and indapamide drug mixture analysis using β-cyclodextrin modified mobile phase
No full textObjective:
Green chromatography has become an increasingly desirable focus in pharmaceutical analysis for its
objective of making the world safer. Different means have been stipulated by various researchers to
achieve this. Among them is using cyclodextrins (CDs), which are derived from starch, are non-toxic,
and cost-effective, finding applications in chemistry, analysis of pharmaceuticals, food, and cosmetics.
One great advantage of incorporating CDs in mobile phases in liquid chromatography (LC) is reducing
the organic solvent-water ratio without compromising selectivity or resolution [1]. The objective of this
study was to develop a green LC method to separate the components of a cardiovascular multi-drug
mixture containing perindopril erbumine, amlodipine besylate and indapamide, employing β-CD as a
mobile phase modifier.
Methods:
Analyses were conducted using a Merck Chromolith RP-18e (100 mm x 4.6 mm, macropore size 2 μm,
mesopore size 13 nm) LC column. Preliminary investigations disclosed the factors of significant
influence on the retention behaviour of analytes. Subsequently, experimental region comprising of β-CD
in the aqueous part of the mobile phase in the range 5-15 mM with pH adjusted in range 4.0-6.0, and 20-
30%, v/v, of acetonitrile (ACN) in the mobile phase was investigated. Optimization objectives were
established to adequately separate all peak pairs and execute the analysis in a reasonable time frame.
Design of Experiments methodology by means Box-Behnken response surface design and the
Desirability function (D) calculation was employed to simultaneously optimize selected factors. The
experimental plan and appropriate mathematical models were obtained using Design-Expert 7.0.0
software. The level of eco-friendly character of the method was accessed by AGREE tool [2].
Results:
Obtained mathematical models were statistically evaluated concerning coefficients of determination (R2,
pred. R2 and adj. R2) and inspection of the significance of lack of fit value. The analyses of 3D response
surfaces indicated that the increase of ACN ratio led to the decrease in retention of all analytes. However,
the increase of CD concentration demonstrated similar influence indicating that significant complexation
between drug molecules and CD occurred enabling for the mobile phase to retain appropriate elution
strength. The influence of pH of the aqueous part of the mobile phase was of lower importance. Optimal
separation which resulted in D=1 was achieved using the following chromatographic conditions: 10 mM
CD (pH 5.4) and ACN (70:30, v/v), 25 °C column temperature, 210 nm detection wavelength, 2 mL/min
mobile phase flow rate and 10 μL injection volume. The value of total AGREE score of the developed
method being close to be 0.71 was also calculated.
Conclusions:
New green and sustainable HPLC method for the analysis of perindopril, amlodipine and indapamide
was successfully developed as eco-friendly alternative in the quality control of their combined drug
formulations
The influence of PEGylation on the passive loading of risperidone in nanoemulsions
No full textThe aim of this work was to determine the effects of PEGylated phospholipid on the passive loading of risperidone, a poorly water-soluble psychopharmacological agent, in nanoemulsions (NEs) for parenteral use
Nanoemulsions loaded with CW-02-79-phospholipid complex: linking EPR spectroscopy-analyzed interfacial properties with physicochemical stability
No full textThe aim of this study was to gain deeper insight into the interfacial properties and localization of the CW-02-79-phospholipid complex within the intricate structure of lipid-based systems, and to link these findings to their impact on long-term physicochemical stability
Impact of Essential and Toxic Trace Elements on Cervical Premalignant Lesions
No full textBacground/Objectives: Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) comprises a range of precancerous cervical lesions, and timely detection and intervention are essential to avert the development to invasive cervical cancer. Our previous study showed specific elemental alterations in the serum of patients with diagnosed CIN. In this study, we aimed to determine the levels of trace elements (Be, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Se, Cd, Tl, Pb, Rb, Sr, Mo, Th, and U) in more valuable materials, cervical tissue samples collected from patients diagnosed with CIN 2 and 3 (n = 60). Methods: The control group consisted of healthy, pathologically unaltered samples from the same patients (n = 60). The concentrations of all trace elements were determined using inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Key demographic and clinical data were statistically analyzed in the context of trace element levels in cervical tissues. Results: We discovered that CIN 2 and CIN 3 tissues had significantly higher concentrations of essential trace elements Cr, Co, Se, and Mo, and toxic trace elements Be, Ni, and Cd compared to controls. The findings of this study highlight the differences in trace element concentrations in CIN tissue samples compared to controls. Conclusions: The presented results suggest the possible role of trace elements in the pathophysiological processes that lead to neoplasms in cervical tissues. The results provide initial and pivotal insight into the trace element concentrations in CIN tissues, which could aid further studies regarding cervical neoplasms and their pathogenesis
The role of small, dense lipoproteins in type-2 diabetes and maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY): What’s new
No full textAlthough diabetic dyslipidemia is a well-known and extensively
studied phenomenon, its features continue to attract significant atten-
tion from both researchers and clinicians. Given that lipid profile ab-
normalities are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular
disease,1,2 considerable efforts have been devoted to elucidating the
underlying mechanisms through which these pathophysiological alter-
ations contribute to elevated cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in
patients with diabetes. Moreover, specific components of diabetic dys-
lipidemia are being studied for their potential as diagnostic or thera-
peutic tools
Sex differences in cholesterol metabolism and their association with SCORE2 cardiovascular risk based on cholesterol homeostasis markers and principal component analysis
No full textBackground: Sex-related differences in cholesterol metabolism may influence cardiovascular disease risk and outcomes. Understanding these differences in the context of SCORE2 predicted cardiovascular risk could support the implementation of sex-specific prevention and therapeutic protocols. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, serum levels of non-cholesterol sterols, desmosterol, lathosterol (markers of cholesterol synthesis) and campesterol and β-sitosterol (markers of cholesterol absorption) were analysed in 100 healthy adults (50 men, 50 women). CVD risk was assessed with SCORE2. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to identify latent structures linking cholesterol homeostasis to sex and cardiovascular risk. K-means clustering and linear regression were used to examine sex-specific and SCORE2-related patterns. Results: Men had significantly higher cholesterol synthesis markers, while women had higher cholesterol absorption markers. The desmosterol/lathosterol ratio was significantly higher in women, indicating preferential utilization of the Bloch biosynthetic pathway. PCA revealed three principal components (PCs), with PC1 distinguishing sex (p <.0001) and PC2 correlating with SCORE2 risk category (p <.0001). Cluster analysis based on PC1 and PC2 revealed two groups that correlated strongly with biological sex (χ2 = 18.7, p <.0001). Elevated synthesis and absorption markers were associated with a higher risk according to SCORE2, especially in women. Conclusions: Our results showed higher cholesterol synthesis in men and higher cholesterol absorption in women. PC1 reflected sex-specific differences, while PC2 was sex-independent but SCORE2-dependent. D/L, L, K, B, which contributed to PC3, accounted for a substantial proportion of the variance encompassing both sex and SCORE2 risk. These findings suggest differences in cholesterol metabolism between sexes, with possible implications for future CVD risk management