In this study, a rapid, precise, accurate, specific and sensitive ion-paired reverse phase liquid chromatographic method has been developed for the simultaneous estimation of nebivolol hydrochloride and valsartan in their capsule formulation. The chromatographic method was standardized using a HIQ sil C ₁₈ column (250×4.6 mm i.d., 5 µm particle size) with UV detection at 289 nm and flow rate of 1 ml/min. The mobile phase consisting of methanol:water (80:20 v/v) with addition of 0.1 percent 1-hexanesulfonic acid monohydrate sodium salt as an ion-pairing reagent was selected. The method was validated and produced accurate and precise results for estimation of the two drugs.

Antibacterial activity of aqueous and ethanol leaf extracts of Cadaba trifoliata was evaluated by cup plate method against bacterial strains such as Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Acinetobacter, Enterobacter aerogenes, Erwinia and Escherichia coli . The ethanol extract of the leaves demonstrated a high degree of activity against all the tested bacterial strains except Erwinia and Acinetobacter, whereas the aqueous extract of the leaves showed moderate activity against E. coli, B. subtilis and Staph. aureus and Enterobacter aerogenes.

In the present work, fast dissolving tablets of fexofenadine HCl were prepared by effervescent method with a view to enhance patient compliance. Three super-disintegrants viz., crospovidone, croscarmellose sodium and sodium starch glycolate along with sodium bicarbonate and anhydrous citric acid in different ratios were used and directly compressible mannitol (Pearlitol SD 200) to enhance mouth feel. The prepared batches of tablets were evaluated for hardness, friability, drug content uniformity and in vitro dispersion time. Based on the in vitro dispersion time (approximately 20 s), three formulations were tested for in vitro drug release pattern in pH 6.8 phosphate buffer, short-term stability at 40º/75% RH for 3 mo and drug-excipient interaction (IR spectroscopy). Among the three promising formulations, the formulation ECP ₃ containing 8% w/w of crospovidone and mixture of 24% w/w sodium bicarbonate 18% w/w of anhydrous citric acid emerged as the best (t _50% 4 min) based on the in vitro drug release characteristics compared to conventional commercial tablet formulation (t _50% 15 min). Short-term stability studies on the formulations indicated that there are no significant changes in drug content and in vitro dispersion time ( P <0.05).

The objective of this study was to develop soft paracetamol gel using gellan gum as a gelling agent and sodium citrate as a source of cation. Different batches were prepared using three different concentrations of gellan gum (0.1, 0.3, and 0.5%), each with two different sodium citrate concentrations (0.3 and 0.5%). The consistency of the paracetamol gel was dependent on the concentration of gellan gum, sodium citrate and co-solute. The results of dissolution study of soft gel containing 0.3% gellan gum and 0.3% sodium citrate revealed that paracetamol was completely released in 30 min. Polyethylene glycol 400 worked as a solubilizer for paracetamol. All the gels possessed acceptable sensory characteristics when evaluated by human volunteers. Short term stability study carried out for four weeks at different temperatures revealed no considerable changes in performance characteristics of developed optimized formulation.

Based on traditional reports, the aqueous and ethanol extracts of the leaves of N. laevis were tested on isolated uterine preparations of non-pregnant rats. The effects of increasing cumulative concentrations of the extracts on the amplitude and frequency of spontaneously contracting uterine tissues were tested. Direct effects of the extracts and acetylcholine on uterine smooth muscle were also tested in organ baths containing aerated physiological salt solution maintained at 37°. The EC ₅₀ and Emax were determined and analyzed using one way ANOVA with Dunnett's post hoc test. The extract significantly increased the frequency ( P <0.05) of spontaneous contractions without significantly affecting the amplitude. The extracts and acetylcholine were observed to directly stimulate uterine contractions, however there were significant differences ( P <0.05) in their EC ₅₀ and Emax. In conclusion, the leaves of N. laevis increase the frequency of spontaneously contracting tissues and directly stimulate uterine contractions which may account for the use of the leaf extract traditionally.

A simple and efficient method for the isolation of rhein from Cassia angustifolia (senna) leaves is described in which the hydrolysis of the sennosides and extraction of the hydrolysis products (free anthraquinones) is carried out in one step. Further isolation of rhein is achieved from the anthraquinone mixture. This method reduces the number of steps required for isolation of rhein as compared to conventional methods.

Chemical investigation of fruits of Crataeva nurvala has revealed the presence of four known compounds which are pentadecane, octanamide, 12-tricosanone and friedelin. These compounds have been characterized on the basis of spectral and other data. These are being reported for the first time from the fruits of this plant.

Argyreia speciosa commonly known as Vridha daraka in Sanskrit is one of the important plants used in indigenous system of medicine. The root is regarded as an alternative tonic and useful in the diseases of nervous system. To confirm the veracity of aforementioned claim, we have evaluated the anticonvulsant effect of the extract. In this investigation, the mice were pretreated with different doses of Argyreia speciosa extract (100, 200, 400 mg/kg) for 10 days and then, they were subjected to either pentylenetetrazole (80 mg/kg) or maximal electroshock seizures (50 mA, 0.2 s) treatment. The hydroalcoholic extract of Argyreia speciosa at the dose of 200 and 400 mg/kg significantly delayed the latency to the onset of first clonus as well as onset of death in unprotected mice and exhibited protection in 16.66% and 33.33% of pentylenetetrazole treated mice respectively. Whereas in case of maximal electroshock-seizures, the dose of 200 and 400 mg/kg significantly reduced the duration of hind limb extension and both the doses were statistically found to be equipotent. The reference standards, clonazepam (0.1 mg/kg) and phenytoin (20 mg/kg) provided complete protection. Thus, present study revealed anticonvulsant effect of Argyreia speciosa against pentylenetetrazole- and maximal electroshock-induced convulsions in mice.

Essential oils extracted from flower petals of palmarosa ( Cymbopogon martini ), evening primrose ( Primula rosea ), lavender ( Lavandula angustifolia ) and tuberose ( Polianthus tuberosa ) were tested for their antibacterial activities against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Different concentrations of each essential oil ranging from 10-100% were tested. Both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria were found susceptible to the studied flower essential oils. With increase in concentration of essential oil, increase in zone of inhibition was observed thus dose-dependent response was clear for each essential oil. Essential oil extracted from Cymbopogon martini showed the highest activity against both gram positive and gram negative bacteria among the tested essential oils.

Seventeen Indian folklore medicinal plants were investigated to evaluate antibacterial activity of aqueous, ethanol and acetone extracts against 66 multidrug resistant isolates of major urinary tract pathogens ( Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterococcus faecalis ) by disc diffusion method. Ethanol extract of Zingiber officinale and Punica granatum showed strong antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli. Ethanol extracts of Terminalia chebula and Ocimum sanctum exhibited antibacterial activity against Klebsiella pneumoniae . Ethanol extract of Cinnamomum cassia showed maximum antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa while ethanol extract of Azadirachta indica and Ocimum sanctum exhibited antibacterial activity against Enterococcus faecalis . The results support the folkloric use of these plants in the treatment of urinary tract infections by the tribals of Mahakoshal region of central India.

Curcumin is a phytoconstituent with wide range of biological activity. It is poorly soluble in water. In the present study a new dissolution medium was developed, as there is no validated dissolution method available in the literature. The composition of the dissolution medium was selected on the basis of solubility data at 37°. Solubility data revealed that addition of surfactant may be suitable as a dissolution medium. The suitability of dissolution medium (0.5% sodium lauryl sulphate in water) relative to the other dissolution medium was evaluated. The selected dissolution media was used for the evaluation of curcumin tablets.

The objective of the present work was to propose a method for calculating weight in the Moore and Flanner Equation. The percentage coefficient of variation in reference and test formulations at each time point was considered for calculating weight. The literature reported data are used to demonstrate applicability of the method. The advantages and applications of new approach are narrated. The results show a drop in the value of similarity factor as compared to the approach proposed in earlier work. The scientists who need high accuracy in calculation may use this approach.

Some new 2-alkyl-5-mercapto-1,3,4-Oxadiazoles and 3-alkyl-5-mercapto-1,2,3-4H triazoles were synthesized from hydrazides of acid oil and oil recovered from spent bleaching earth. These newly synthesized compounds were characterized on the basis of elemental analysis and evaluated for biological properties. Certain derivatives exhibited fairly high antibacterial and antifungal activities when compared with streptomycin and immidil used as standard antibacterial and antifungal agents respectively.

A rapid high performance liquid chromatographic method has been developed and validated for the estimation of ramipril and telmisartan simultaneously in combined dosage form. A Genesis C18 column having dimensions of 4.6×250 mm and particle size of 5 µm in isocratic mode, with mobile phase containing a mixture of 0.01 M potassium dihydrogen phosphate buffer (adjusted to pH 3.4 using orthophosphoric acid): methanol:acetonitrile (15:15:70 v/v/v) was used. The mobile phase was pumped at a flow rate of 1.0 ml/min and the eluents were monitored at 210 nm. The selected chromatographic conditions were found to effectively separate ramipril (R _t : 3.68 min) and telmisartan (R _t : 4.98 min) having a resolution of 3.84. The method was validated in terms of linearity, accuracy, precision, specificity, limit of detection and limit of quantitation. Linearity for ramipril and telmisartan were found in the range of 3.5-6.5 µg/ml and 28.0-52.0 µg/ml, respectively. The percentage recoveries for ramipril and telmisartan ranged from 99.09-101.64% and 99.45-100.99%, respectively. The limit of detection and the limit of quantitation for ramipril was found to be 0.5 µg/ml and 1.5 µg/ml respectively and for telmisartan was found to be 1.5 µg/ml and 3.0 µg/ml, respectively. The method was found to be robust and can be successfully used to determine the drug content of marketed formulations.

In the present work, orodispersible tablets of pheniramine maleate were designed with a view to enhance patient compliance by effervescent method. In the effervescent method, mixture of sodium bicarbonate and tartaric acid (each of 12% w/w concentration) were used along with super disintegrants, i.e., pregelatinized starch, sodium starch glycolate, croscarmellose sodium and crospovidone. The prepared batches of tablets were evaluated for hardness, friability, drug content uniformity and in vitro dispersion time. Based on in vitro dispersion time (approximately 60 s), three formulations were tested for in vitro drug release pattern (in pH 6.8 phosphate buffer), short-term stability (at 40±2 ^o /75±5% RH for 3 mo) and drug-excipient interaction (IR spectroscopy). Among three promising formulations, formulation ECP ₄ containing 4% w/w crospovidone and mixture of sodium bicarbonate and tartaric acid (each of 12% w/w) emerged as the overall best formulation (t _70% = 1.65 min) based on the in vitro drug release characteristics compared to commercial conventional tablet formulation. Short-term stability studies on the formulations indicated no significant changes in the drug content and in vitro dispersion time (P < 0.05).