Iranian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

This research was conducted to investigate the physico-mechanical characteris-tics of the ethylcellulose-based coating membranes plasticized with different weightpercents of dibutyl sebacate. In this experiment, free thin polymer sheetings of thesample formulations, by incorporating incremental weight percents of the plasticizer,were prepared employing a revised casting method of delayed solvent evaporation,whereby similar flat specimens of standard dimensions were subjected to tensileloadings and extensions. The data were analyzed to fairly decide on a moderateconcentration of the plasticizer to provide a rationale explanation of a strong, hard,and tough structure among the specimens. The data revealed that 40% (w/w) of theester results in the toughest structure amongst the similar specimens of the seriesleading to an ultimate toughness of 3.31 mj/m3.

Eight samples of flowering tops from six species of the genus CrataegusL.,commonly called Hawthorn, from different geographic locations of Iran werestandardized according to German Pharmacopoeia monograph on Crataegi foliumcum flore(hawthorn leaf with flower) by high-performance thin-layer chromatograph-ic (HPTLC) fingerprinting combining with digital scanning profiling of their majorpolyphenolics as flavonoids and phenol carboxylic acids (PCAs). All of the species,except one, contained rutin and hyperoside as flavonoids, and chlorogenic andcaffeic acid as PCAs in their flowering tops samples. HPTLC fingerprinting, ratherthan conventional TLC in the DAB 1997 hawthorn monograph, gave faster and moreefficient qualitative and quantitative analysis of hawthorn plant material and theirextracts that was appropriate for standardization of Crataegus spp. The correspondingdigital scanning profiling provided an easy way for quantitative comparisons amongthe species. The HPTLC fingerprint is also suitable for rapid and simple authenticationand comparison of subtle differences among samples of identical plant resource, butfrom different geographic locations.

The aim of this study was to evaluate aflatoxin M1(AFM1) contamination inpasteurized milk samples in Mashhad, Iran. One hundred and ten milk samples fromdifferent supermarkets were collected during three months in spring and investigatedby Enzyme Linked Immuno Sorbent Assay (ELISA). AFM1was found in 100% ofthe milk samples. About 5.4% of the samples contained AFM1greater than themaximum tolerance limit (0.05 μg/l) accepted by European Union. There was nota significant difference among the mean value of AFM1in three months.

Aloe verais a tropical plant belonging to the Liliaceae family. It has beneficialeffects in variety of diseases. The aim of this study was to formulate a topical creamfrom A. verawith wound burn healing effect and to perform its clinical trial. Atotalof 30 patients (20 males and 10 females in the age range of 20-50 years) with seconddegree burn wounds on their both hands were selected for the study. The subjectsused A. veratopical formulation or silver sulfadiazine 1% cream on each hand asthe test and control, symmetrically. The rate of healing was measured and comparedon 0 to 18 days after treatment. Results indicated that average percent of healingwith A. veraon day 10 was 90.6% compared with silver sulfadiazine which was only29.8% (p<0.001). Toxicity monitoring of the burn surfaces during healing courseaccording to patient responses showed neither rashes, swelling, inflammation,redness, irritation, itching nor any other toxicity symptoms. Significant effect ofA. veraon burn wounds without any adverse dermal toxic effects is very promisingand it may be employed in management of burn wound, routinely.

Aconvenient liquid chromatographic-single Quadrupole mass spectrometric(LC-MS) method was developed and validated for dexchlorpheniramine maleate (INNname: chlorphenamine) determination in human plasma. The need for just a singleliquid-liquid extraction with ethyl acetate and being highly sensitive were theadvantages of this method. The linearity was also excellent over the range of 1 to150 ng.ml-1of dexchlorpheniramine maleate concentration. The method wasstatistically validated for its selectivity, linearity, precision and robustness. This methodwas successfully applied to the analysis of chlorpheniramine maleate in clinicalstudies.

The essential oil of Prangos ferulacea (Apiaceae) fruits was obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) and GC-mass spectrometery (MS). Among the 39 identified constituents accounting for 99.99% of the total oil, the major components were chrysanthenyl acetate (26.53%), limonene (19.59%), alpha pinene (19.50%), delta-3-carene (6.56%), mesitaldehyde (6.09), and germacrene-B (3.55%). Antimicrobial activity of the essential oil was investigated against some gram positive and gram negative bacteria. The essential oil of P. ferulacea showed activity against Staphylococus aureus, S. epidermis, Eschrechia coli and Pseudomonas aeroginosa.

The composition of essential oil of leaves of the male and female shrubs ofJuniperus chinensis L. (growing in Isfahan) was analyzed by gas choromatography(GC) and GC-mass spectrometery (MS). The main constituents of leaf oil of the maleshrub were: bornyl acetate (26.1%), sabinene (18.3%),trans-sabinyl acetate (11.1%),myrcene (9.2%), limonene (6.1%), elemol (5.5%), α-cadinol (2.3%), δ-cadinene(2.2%), trans-thujone (1.6%), α-pinene (1.3%) and α-muurolol (1.1%); while themajor constituents of leaf oil of the female shrub were: sabinene (18.0%), bornylacetate (12.3%), carotol (11.4%), elemol (9.9%), myrcene (8.8%), α-pinene (6.4%),δ-cadinol (4.8%), limonene (3.9%), δ-cadinene (3.4%) and α-muurolol (2.7%).

To evaluate the enhancement effect of Berberis vulgaris var. integerrima seeds on the antibacterial activity of cephalexin and ceftizoxime against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli ethanol extract of the seeds were prepared. Disk diffusion and broth dilution methods were used to determine the antibacterial activity of two cephalosporins in the absence and presence of the extract and its various fractions separated by thin layer chromatography. Clinical isolates of S. aureus and E. coli were used as test strains. Total extract and one of its fractions enhanced the antibacterial activity of cephalexin and ceftizoxime. The active component of the extract involved in the enhancement of cephalexin and ceftizoxime antimicrobial activities had an Rf of 0.47 on TLC and a lmax of 209 nm. The highest fold decrease
in minimum inhibitory concentration was observed for ceftizoxime plus the active fraction of the extract against E. coli. Our preliminary results on the column chromatography and identification of the active component by high resolution mass spectroscopy showed that this minor compound may be categorized as a protoberberine structure compound. Therefore, the ethanolic extract of B. vulgaris
var. integerrima seeds combined with cephalosporins may be useful against S.aureus and E. coli.