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The impact of PEGylation on passive loading of curcumin in nanoemulsions
No full textThe aim of this research was to investigate the effects of PEG coating on maximum loading, loading kinetics, in vitro release and protein interactions on the passive loading of curcumin, an active ingredient previously shown to be located in the stabilizing layer of NEs
Synergistic Effects of Genipin and Alendronate in 3D-Bioprinted Gelatin-Polyvinylpyrrolidone Scaffolds
No full textIn this study, we introduce a one-step semi-solid extrusion 3D printing strategy to fabricate gelatin-polyvinylpyrrolidone (GAG-PVP) scaffolds loaded with a low dose (0.5 wt%) of alendronate (ALN) and crosslinked in situ with 1 wt% genipin. The genipin-crosslinked ALN scaffold (GAG-PVP-GEN-ALN) demonstrated enhanced functional performance compared to both non-crosslinked GAG-PVP and GAG-PVP-ALN controls. Its peak swelling reached 462% at 5 h, surpassing the 362% of the unmodified scaffold and preventing the rapid dissolution observed for GAG-PVP-ALN, before gradually deswelling for 96 h. Water contact angle measurements confirmed that genipin fully restored surface hydrophobicity (101.9°), counteracting the pronounced wettability induced by ALN (47.8°) and exceeding the 78.2° of the GAG-PVP matrix, which is consistent with swelling ratio. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) indicated enhanced thermal stability of the crosslinked gelatin, with shifts in both glass transition and denaturation temperatures reflecting greater molecular rigidity despite the presence of glycerol as a plasticizer. Mechanical testing showed that while alendronate alone reduced mechanical performance, the combined inclusion of alendronate and genipin significantly enhanced scaffold properties compared to gelatin-polyvinyl pyrrolidone blend: tensile strength increased from 19.7 MPa to 39.8 MPa, elastic modulus rose from 805 MPa to 1174 MPa, and microhardness improved from 9.24 MPa to 22.3 MPa, values nearing those of native cancellous bone. The sustained ALN release profile extended from an abrupt 3 h burst in GAG-PVP-ALN to a controlled 48 h delivery in GAG-PVP-GEN-ALN, following first-order kinetics. Both direct and indirect cytotoxicity assays confirmed high cell viability (> 85%) without morphological abnormalities. These results highlight that embedding low-dose ALN within a genipin-crosslinked gelatin-PVP network results in a mechanically robust, biocompatible scaffold with tunable swelling and prolonged drug release, offering a versatile platform for localized bone tissue engineering
Praktični aspekti primene antiepileptika kod pedijatrijskih pacijenata - koristan vodič za farmaceute koji savetuju mlade pacijente sa epilepsijom i njihove roditelje
No full textEpilepsy is a common brain disorder which frequently affects pediatric patients (from
newborns to adolescents). The cornerstone of epilepsy treatment for most patients is the use of
antiseizure medicines (ASM). These medications, when used as monotherapy or in combination,
can achieve seizure control in up to 70% of patients with epilepsy. However, despite the
availability of effective ASMs, adherence to these medicines in pediatric epilepsy tends to be
suboptimal, which may adversely affect the long-term prognosis of pediatric patients. In this
regard, pharmacist-led interventions, aimed at increasing the health literacy of patients and their
family members regarding epilepsy treatment, have been shown to increase adherence to the
prescribed ASMs. These interventions focus on educating patients and parents on the nature of
epilepsy and practical aspects related to appropriate ASM use. In this article, we aimed to provide
a useful source of information for pharmacists (and other healthcare workers) on how to counsel
patients and parents on issues related to starting/using ASM treatment (e.g. appropriate dose
titration, managing skipped doses), additional measures that may improve treatment outcomes
(e.g. monitoring seizure frequency, avoidance of seizure triggers) and safety risks associated with
ASMs (and how to control/mitigate these risks)Epilepsija je čest neurološki poremećaj koji se može razviti kod pedijatrijskih pacijenata (od novorođenčadi do adolescenata). Osnova lečenja epilepsije za većinu pacijenata je upotreba antiepileptika (AEL). Ovi lekovi, kada se koriste u monoterapiji ili u kombinaciji, mogu dovesti do kontrole napada kod čak 70% pacijenata sa epilepsijom. Međutim, uprkos dostupnosti efikasnih lekova, adherencija prema propisanim AEL u pedijatrijskoj populaciji je često suboptimalna, što može negativno uticati na dugoročnu prognozu pedijatrijskih pacijenata. U tom smislu, pokazalo se da intervencije farmaceuta, usmerene na povećanje zdravstvene pismenosti pacijenata i članova njihovih porodica u vezi sa lečenjem epilepsije, mogu povećati adherenciju prema propisanim AEL. Ove intervencije se fokusiraju na edukaciju pacijenata i roditelja o prirodi epilepsije i praktičnim aspektima vezanim za upotrebu AEL. U ovom radu, cilj NAM je bio da pružimo koristan izvor informacija farmaceutima (i drugim zdravstvenim radnicima) o tome kako savetovati pacijente i roditelje o pitanjima vezanim za započinjanje/korišćenje AEL (npr. odgovarajuća titracija doze AEL, kako postupiti u slučaju propuštanja doza AEL), dodatnim merama koje mogu poboljšati ishode lečenja (npr. praćenje učestalosti napada, izbegavanje okidača napada) i bezbednosnim rizicima primene AEL (i kako kontrolisati/ublažiti ove rizike)
The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Antimicrobial Resistance Trends in a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital: A Ten-Year Surveillance Study
No full textBackground/Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the inappropriate use of
antibiotics, amplifying the global threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), particularly in
resource-limited healthcare settings. This study investigated AMR patterns in a tertiary care
hospital, focusing on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on invasive bacterial pathogens.
Methods: This retrospective observational study was conducted at the University Clinical
Centre of the Republic of Srpska, analyzing AMR data from invasive bacterial isolates
collected between 2015 and 2024, and assessing correlations between antibiotic utilization
and resistance patterns during the study periods. Results: Among 4718 invasive bacterial
isolates, Acinetobacter spp. (26.7%) and K. pneumoniae (20.8%) were the most prevalent. A
significant increase in invasive isolates was observed during the COVID-19 period, partic-
ularly for K. pneumoniae (p = 0.003), P. aeruginosa (p = 0.017), Acinetobacter spp. (p = 0.013),
and E. faecium (p = 0.028). The highest multidrug-resistant (MDR) rates were observed
in Acinetobacter spp. (97% during COVID-19) and K. pneumoniae (>80% post-COVID-19).
Resistance increased significantly in K. pneumoniae to cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones, and
carbapenems, and in P. aeruginosa and Acinetobacter spp. to carbapenems, while P. aeruginosa
resistance to aminoglycosides declined. Strong correlations were found between carbapen-
ems use and Acinetobacter spp. resistance (r = 0.861, p = 0.001), and vancomycin use and E.
faecalis resistance (r = 0.798, p = 0.006). Moderate correlations were also observed between
carbapenems use and resistance of K. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa. Conclusions: These
findings highlight the profound impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on AMR dynamics,
particularly among Gram-negative pathogens, and underscore the urgent need for strength-
ened antimicrobial stewardship and targeted surveillance to curb the spread of MDR
pathogens, especially in resource-limited hospitals
Uticaj starenјa na multiplu sklerozu: biološki, klinički i terapijski izazovi
No full textRastuća prevalencija multiple skleroze (MS) delimično
se pripisuje produženju životnog veka, jer sama bolest
samo neznatno utiče na dužinu života i traje više decenija.
Uočen je porast učestalosti kasnog (nakon 50. godine
života) i veoma kasnog početka MS (nakon 60. godine
života). Starenje utiče na klinički tok bolesti i osnovne
patofiziološke mehanizme. Kod mlađih pacijenata dominira
relapsno-remitentni oblik, dok je primarno-progresivna
forma češća nakon 45. godine. Pokazano je da
vreme početka progresije bolesti zavisi više od starosne
dobi nego od dužine trajanja bolesti. Starenje i imunskog
i nervnog sistema može doprineti progresiji MS, slabijem
odgovoru na terapiju koja modifikuje prirodni tok
bolesti ili većem riziku od neželјenih efekata primenjene
terapije. Starenje posebno pogađa CD8+ T-limfocite.
Međutim, izraženo je povećanje populacije citotoksičnih
CD4+ T-limfocita kod starijih pacijenata sa MS. Pretpostavlјa
se da citotoksični CD4+ T-limfociti imaju manje
značajnu ulogu u mehanizmima koji pokreću relapsnu
bolest, a veću u održavanju inflamatornog procesa unutar
centralnog nervnog sistema, što se smatra klјučnim
faktorom u razvoju progresivnog oblika bolesti. Takođe,
uticaj starenja na poremećaj limfocitne funkcije može
povećati rizik od infekcija prilikom korišćenja terapija
koje modifikuju bolest. Starenje takođe remeti funkciju
mikroglije, smanjuje ekspresiju CX3CR1 receptora na
mikrogliji i povećava rizik od neuronskog oštećenja. Hronična
neuroinflamacija u MS može dovesti do povećanja
oksidativnog stresa, praćenog sekundarnim oštećenjem
mitohondrija, što dovodi do ekscesnog stvaranja slobodnih
radikala kiseonika i nedovolјnog stvaranja energije i
konačno do oštećenja neurona. Uticaj starenja na mitohondrije
doprinosi neurodegenerativnom procesu u MS.
Razumevanje uloge starenja kod pacijenata sa MS moglo
bi biti klјučno za zaustavlјanje progresije bolesti koja nije
povezana sa relapsima. Nove terapijske strategije koje cilјaju
senescentne ćelije imunskog i nervnog sistema imaju
potencijal da podrže remijelinizaciju i neuroprotekciju
Addressing the second victim phenomenon among community pharmacists and its impact on clinical pharmacy practice: a consensus study
No full textBackground: The second victim phenomenon, denoting the harmful effects of patient safety incidents on healthcare practitioners, remains insufficiently examined within the pharmacy workforce.
Aim: This study aimed to investigate the second victim phenomenon in community pharmacies, focusing on its triggers, impacts on pharmacists' well-being, and effects on pharmaceutical care and safety.
Method: This consensus study with the Nominal Group Technique involved 27 community pharmacists in three equal groups. The final ranks of the statements scored by participants from 5 to 1 were recalculated using the Van Breda method, combining three distinct data sets with higher values for a higher impact on the output evaluated. Statistics were applied to ascertain event distribution and investigate the potential relationships between event categories and outcomes for patients and pharmacists.
Results: "Patient-centric anxiety" (6.8) was the top mental health issue, followed by "Personal responsibility and resilience" and "Future concerns and career aspirations" (6.0 each). The dominant support was "Colleague/Peer support" (5.3). The most frequent patient safety incidents were "Inadequate pharmaceutical service" (8.0) and "Wrong drug dispensed" (7.8). Most errors (63%) were dispensing failures, primarily wrong drug dispensed (44.4%). Of these, 50% were near misses, 25.0% caused no harm, and 16.7% had serious consequences. Field notes suggest contributing factors like inadequate supervision, crowding, and storage issues.
Conclusion: This study revealed the second victim phenomenon among pharmacists, which potentially stems from breaches in practice standards. The impact on the quality and safety of pharmaceutical care and its influence on pharmacists' well-being should be studied in further studies.This is peer-reviewed version of the following article: Zimonjić, I., Marinković, V., Joaquín Mira, J., Đokić, B.,& Odalović, M.. (2024). Addressing the second victim phenomenon among community pharmacists and its impact on clinical pharmacy practice: a consensus study. in International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
Springer Nature..
[https://doi.org/10.1007/s11096-024-01807-w
Assessment of causes of stress in a pharmacy student population during semester and exam period
No full textStress is one of the most significant factors that can influence the academicperformance of students. To explore the causes of stress in students, the crosssectionalonline survey was conducted during semester (in 2019 year) and duringexamination period (in 2020 year) period at the University of Belgrade - Faculty ofPharmacy. The main results indicated that female gender was the most significantpredictor of stress during the examimation period, and the most frequent stresssources were limited time to prepare exams and/or colloquia. The role of family,friends, and boyfriend/girlfriend showed to be of great importance in stress reductionduring the semester and especially during the examimation period. The most frequentmanifestations of stress were feeling nervous, tired and worried. For stress reductionstudents usually listened to music and talked with friends. Therefore, student’sobligations and their overall living conditions should be observed comprehensively.These results may indicate further actions to decrease stress levels in students, andneed for academic environment that may help students to achieve the best academicperformance.Peer-reviewed manuscript: [https://farfar.pharmacy.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/4239
Influence of static magnetic field (SMF) of 100 mT on hen egg fatty acids profile
No full textOver the past 2 decades, significant evidence has been collected about the interaction of static magnetic fields (SMF) with living organisms as well as with the cell and tissue samples. Different effects have been observed based on the cell or tissue type, magnetic field strength, and exposure duration. The aim of our study was to investigate the influence of the static magnetic field on the fatty acid (FA) profile of hen eggs. The eggs were treated for 1 h with the highly homogeneous SMF of 100 mT oriented vertically upwards and downwards. The hens were on standard diet. Fresh eggs were collected from the hen farm (Panovo, Serbia) and divided into three groups: the control group, “up” group exposed to the vertically upward oriented SMF, and “down” group exposed to the vertically downward oriented SMF. The following day, the eggs were exposed to the SMF of 100 mT for 1 h. The highly homogeneous static magnetic field used for egg exposure was produced with a custom-made electromagnet whose operating parameters were set to produce 100 mT in the centre of the 6.6 cm gap between the magnet poles. After exposure, the egg samples were collected, and lipids were extracted following the standard procedure and the profiles of fatty acids were determined by the gas–liquid (GC) chromatography. The fatty acid methyl esters were separated by a gas chromatograph equipped with flame ionization detector and the column that was 60 m long with an internal diameter of 0.25 mm, and 0.2 μm film thickness. Samples were injected in a split mode using the split ratio of 1:4, and helium as a gas carrier. The injector and detector temperature were set at 220 and 250 °C, respectively. Fatty acids were identified by comparing retention times with those corresponding to the standard mixture and the content of the individual fatty acid in the investigated tissues was expressed as a percentage of the total lipid pool within a sample. Our results show that SMF has changed the percentage of FA in hen eggs. In the “up” group, the percentage of palmitoleic acid (PA) was increased when compared to the control group with the statistical significance of p < 0.05, whereas the linoleic acid content was decreased in comparison to the control, as was the case with the linolenic acid. In the “down” group, the SMF treatment caused a decrease of the palmitoleic, linolenic, and linoleic acids. The percentage of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) was significantly higher in the “up” group than in the control group. Comparison of the linolenic acid values in the two treated groups showed its larger presence in the “up” group than in the “down” group. Our results showed that SMF of 100 mT affects the fatty acid profile of hen eggs and that the influence depends on the direction of SMF. Comparison between the exposed and control groups shows that the SMF oriented upwards changed the fatty acid composition and caused statistically significant increase of overall omega 3 fatty acids and DHA
Basil essential oil: Estragole content and chemical profiles
No full textBasil (sweet basil, Ocimum basilicum L.) is an aromatic plant known for its culinary and traditional medicinal uses. The content of estragole (methyl chavicol), a compound associated with a potential risk to human health, was determined in the essential oils of 12 samples of basil herb by gas chromatography with flame ionisation and mass spectrometry detection (GC-FID/MS) using an external standard method. The essential oils contained estragole at various levels, from 1.85 to 561.01 mg mL–1. Regarding the chemical profile, among the eleven essential oils, the compound with the highest relative proportion was linalool (29.1–70.3%), while estragole dominated in one essential oil with a relative proportion of 45.2%. All essential oils tested correspond to the European chemotype, which is characterised by a high content of linalool or a combination of linalool and estragole. Given the recommendation for limiting human exposure to estragole, the safety of some essential oils may be of concern due to their high levels of estragole content. The results indicate the importance of the chemical analysis of basil herb samples and the selection of chemotypes with low estragole content
Uloga oksidativnog stresa u muškoj neplodnosti: veza sa skraćivanjem telomera spermatozoida i generalnim oštećenjem DNK
No full textMale infertility affects approximately 20% of men, with 30–40% of cases being linked to
issues in both partners. While sperm production may be normal, DNA damage in spermatozoa
can occur and become a primary cause of infertility. The exacerbation of oxidative stress leads to
damage to various biomolecules, such as DNA fragmentation, lipid peroxidation, and protein
oxidation, all of which can impair egg fertilization and embryo development. Elevated levels of
reactive oxygen species (ROS) in semen are associated with poor sperm quality, reduced
fertilization potential, and increased sperm DNA fragmentation. Additionally, shorter telomeres
in semen correlate with reduced sperm vitality and function. Oxidative stress accelerates telomere
attrition by inducing DNA damage, which leads to telomere shortening and potentially
compromises sperm function and fertility. DNA damage can occur at different stages of
spermatogenesis and fertilization. If the damage surpasses the oocyte’s repair capacity, infertility
may occur. Various tests are available to assess sperm DNA damage, with the sperm DNA
fragmentation (SDF) test being one of the most promising. DNA damage is quantified as the DNA
fragmentation index (DFI), which represents the percentage of spermatozoa with fragmented
DNA. Although reference intervals for DFI may vary depending on the method used, DFI ≤ 15%
is generally considered normal, 15–30% is considered average, and DFI ≥ 30% indicates poor
DNA integrity, which may negatively impact pregnancy outcomes.Muška neplodnost pogađa oko 20% muškaraca, pri čemu je 30–40% slučajeva povezano
sa problemima kod oba partnera. Iako spermatogeneza može biti normalna, određeni faktori mogu
da dovedu do oštećenja DNK u spermatozoidima i uslove pojavu neplodnosti. Oksidativni stres
dovodi do oštećenja različitih biomolekula, kao što su fragmentacija DNK, peroksidacija lipida i
oksidacija proteina, što sve može narušiti fertilizaciju jajne ćelije i razvoj embriona. Povišeni
nivoi reaktivnih kiseonikovih jedinjenja (ROS) u semenoj tečnosti su povezani sa lošim
kvalitetom spermatozoida, smanjenim potencijalom oplodnje i povećanom fragmentacijom DNK.
Pored toga, kraće telomere u semenoj tečnosti koreliraju sa smanjenom vitalnošću i funkcijom
spermatozoida. Oksidativni stres ubrzava skraćivanje telomera spermatozoida izazivanjem
oštećenja DNK, što ugrožava sposobnost oplodnje. Oštećenje DNK može nastati u različitim
fazama spermatogeneze i oplodnje. Ako oštećenje premašuje sposobnost popravke oocita, može
doći do neplodnosti. Dostupni su različiti testovi za procenu oštećenja DNK spermatozoida, pri
čemu je test fragmentacije DNK spermatozoida (SDF) jedan od najperspektivnijih. Oštećenje
DNK se kvantifikuje kao indeks fragmentacije DNK (DFI), koji predstavlja procenat
spermatozoida sa fragmentovanom DNK. Iako referentni intervali za DFI mogu da variraju u
zavisnosti od korišćene metode, DFI ≤ 15% se generalno smatra normalnim, 15–30% se smatra
prosečnim, a DFI ≥ 30% ukazuje na loš integritet DNK, što može negativno uticati na ishod
trudnoće