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Addressing the dual challenges of antimicrobial resistance and pharmaceutical contamination in wastewater is crucial for global health and environmental preservation. Predictions estimate up to 10 million annual deaths by 2050 due to antimicrobial resistance, underscoring the urgent need for innovative solutions. This study explores the potential of zinc oxide Sub-Microparticles (ZnO SMPs) doped with iron (Fe) to enhance the photocatalytic degradation of pharmaceutical compounds in water and improve antimicrobial efficacy. A green laser-assisted chemical bath synthesis method created ZnO SMPs with varying Fe dopant concentrations (1 %, 1.5 %, and 3 %). The synthesized Sub-Microparticles underwent rigorous structural analysis using X-ray diffractometry, SEM, EDX, FTIR, and UV–visible spectrophotometry techniques. Their photocatalytic performance was evaluated in the degradation of paracetamol under blue laser light, and their antimicrobial properties were assessed following CLSI guidelines. Structural analyses confirmed the hexagonal wurtzite structure of ZnO SMPs, with noticeable changes due to Fe doping, including a transition from sub-microrods to sub-microsheets and a redshift in the optical band gap. Photocatalytic tests revealed a significant enhancement in paracetamol degradation efficiency, increasing from 53.41 % with pure ZnO to 98.99 % with 3 % Fe-doped ZnO in 50 min. Antimicrobial assays demonstrated an increased inhibitory effect against pathogens, with Fe-doped ZnO outperforming control discs. This study substantiates the potential of Fe-doped ZnO SMPs in wastewater treatment and antimicrobial applications, showcasing significant improvements in photocatalytic degradation of pharmaceutical compounds and antimicrobial efficacy. The findings underscore the importance of continuing research in this domain for environmental and public health benefits.

Laser-Assisted Chemical Bath Synthesis (LACBS) was used to fabricate pure and magnesium-doped zinc oxide nanoparticles. Analysis of these nanoparticles' structural, morphological, optical, and antimicrobial characteristics was conducted. This analysis spanned across varying concentrations of magnesium-doped zinc oxide from 1 % to 3 %. XRD confirmed the nanoparticles' crystalline nature, revealing the hexagonal wurtzite phase. SEM analysis showcased their nanometric domain existence and hexagonal crystalline morphology, transforming from nanorods to nanotubes. Optical analysis showed band gap energy decrease from 3.27 to 2.85 eV correlating with the magnesium doping concentration increase. Optical absorption displayed a distinctive redshift for the nanoparticles as magnesium concentration increased from 1 % to 3 %. Photocatalytic assessments highlighted the superior degradation ability of 3 % Mg-doped nanoparticles, showing a 98.04 % degradation rate against methylene orange dye under blue light exposure. Antimicrobial activity tests against various pathogens showed that Mg ions' incorporation significantly enhanced antimicrobial performance, demonstrating the effectiveness of the LACBS method.

Purpose of present study was to develop eight formulations of chlorpheniramine (CPM) niosomes according to 23 factorial design, characterise on the basis of various evaluation tests, i.e. in vitro drug release, SEM, FTIR, TGA and release kinetics, optimise the eight formulation on the basis in vitro drug release data, formulate gel of optimised dispersion, and to perform in vivo and histopathological study using gel of optimised dispersion on rabbits. Here, N3 having low level of cholesterol and span-80 but high level of span-60(0.1:0.2:0.05) was selected as optimised dispersion of niosomes that showed highest drug release i.e. 88.25% at pH 6 over 24 h of study and followed Korsmeyers-Peppas release kinetics with Fickian diffusion mechanism. After application of statistic by Analysis of variance (ANOVA) with 3D surface plots construction, gel of optimised dispersion of CPM niosomes was formulated, and evaluated by tests for i.e. viscosity, Spreadability, Extrudibility, drug content, drug entrapment, stability, SEM, FTIR, TGA, in vitro drug release, in vivo drug release following first order kinetics and histopathological study. Niosomal gel of CPM ensured successful development using suitable combination of non-ionic surfactants, and effective loading of drug for targeted delivery of drug.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the antibacterial potential and ex vivo skin permeation kinetics of cefixime from bionanocomposite films. Methods: The films were prepared by solvent casting method by using chitosan and starch. The fabricated films were tested for their antibacterial potential against three bacteria i.e. Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, and Acetobacter aceti. In vitro permeation studies of cefixime from the films across rat skin was conducted using Franz diffusion cell. Results: The highest antibacterial effect was exhibited by F5 formulation (non-irradiated film) against Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumonia; however, antibacterial activity of the films was significantly (p

Chitosan-based nano-sized particles increase the penetration of the drug through the narrow junction into the bloodstream and target the specific site. The objective of this study was to prepare chitosan nanoparticles to entrap a hydrophobic drug (tamoxifen citrate), followed by the alginate coating of the developed nanoparticles to decrease their degradation in the acidic pH. Drug-loaded chitosan nanoparticles were prepared by the ionic gelation method. Alginate coating was done by dissolving sodium alginate to buffer solution and drug-loaded chitosan nanoparticles drop-wise under mild agitation. The size of alginate coated chitosan nanoparticles, zeta potential, surface morphology, in-vitro drug release, and entrapment efficiency was measured. The optimised formulation of both uncoated (SH3) and coated (SH7) formulation showed the particle size, PDI, and zeta potential with values 221 & 338 nm, 0.161 & 0.230 and 36.5 & −20.7 mV, respectively. The resulted nanoparticle surface was non-porous. The percentage yield of the optimised formulation SH3 was 28% and SH6 was 33%. The entrapment efficiency of the optimised formulation SH3 (uncoated formulation) and SH6 (coated formulation) is 69.5 and 58.51%, respectively. Chitosan nanoparticles were successfully prepared to entrap tamoxifen citrate. The coating of chitosan nanoparticles decreased their degradation in the acidic pH.

Cutaneous wounds pose a significant health burden, affecting millions of individuals annually and placing strain on healthcare systems and society. Nanofilm biomaterials have emerged as promising interfaces between materials and biology, offering potential for various biomedical applications. To explore this potential, our study aimed to assess the wound healing efficacy of amniotic fluid and Moringa olifera-loaded nanoclay films by using in vivo models. Additionally, we investigated the antioxidant and antibacterial properties of these films. Using a burn wound healing model on rabbits, both infected and non-infected wounds were treated with the nanoclay films for a duration of twenty-one days on by following protocols approved by the Animal Ethics Committee. We evaluated wound contraction, proinflammatory mediators, and growth factors levels by analyzing blood samples. Histopathological changes and skin integrity were assessed through H&E staining. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software (version 2; Chicago, IL, USA) with significance set at p < 0.05. Our findings demonstrated a significant dose-dependent increase in wound contraction in the 2%, 4%, and 8% AMF-Me.mo treatment groups throughout the study (p < 0.001). Moreover, macroscopic analysis revealed comparable effects (p > 0.05) between the 8% AMF-Me.mo treatment group and the standard treatment. Histopathological examination confirmed the preservation of skin architecture and complete epidermal closure in both infected and non-infected wounds treated with AMF-Me.mo-loaded nanofilms. RT-PCR analysis revealed elevated concentrations of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), along with decreased levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in AMF-Me.mo-loaded nanofilm treatment groups. Additionally, the antimicrobial activity of AMF-Me.mo-loaded nanofilms contributed to the decontamination of the wound site, positioning them as potential candidates for effective wound healing. However, further extensive clinical trials-based studies are necessary to confirm these findings.

This research aims to fabricate and characterize chemically crosslinked CMC/PVP-co-poly (AMPS) based hydrogel for the sustained release of model drug metoprolol tartrate through the free radical polymerization technique. Box-Behnken Design was used to optimize CMC/PVP-co-poly (AMPS) hydrogel by varying the content of reactants such as; polymers (CMC and PVP), monomer (AMPS), and crosslinker (EGDMA). Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) was crosslinked chemically with AMPS with a constant ratio of PVP by the ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as the crosslinker in the presence of sodium hydrogen sulfite (SHS)/ammonium peroxodisulfate (APS) as initiators. After developing CMC-based hydrogels using different polymers, monomer, and crosslinker concentrations, this study encompassed dynamic swelling, sol–gel fraction, drug release and chemical characterizations such as FTIR, XRD, TGA, DSC, and SEM. In vitro drug release and swelling were performed at 1.2 and 6.8 pH to determine the sustained release pattern and pH-responsive behavior. These parameters depended on the crosslinker, polymer, and monomer ratios used in the formulation development. XRD, SEM, and FTIR showed the successful grafting of constituents resulting in the formation of a stable hydrogel. DSC and TGA confirmed the thermodynamic stability of the hydrogel. Hydrogel swelling was increased with an increase in the ratio of monomer; however, an increase in the ratio of polymer and crosslinker decreased the hydrogel swelling. In vitro gel fraction and drug release also depended on polymer, monomer, and crosslinker ratios. The fabricated CMC/PVP-co-poly (AMPS) hydrogels constituted a potential system for sustained drug delivery.

The aim of this study was to find the correlation between failure modes and acoustic emission (AE) events in a comprehensive range of thin-ply pseudo-ductile hybrid composite laminates when loaded under uniaxial tension. The investigated hybrid laminates were Unidirectional (UD), Quasi-Isotropic (QI) and open-hole QI configurations composed of S-glass and several thin carbon prepregs. The laminates exhibited stress-strain responses that follow the elastic-yielding-hardening pattern commonly observed in ductile metals. The laminates experienced different sizes of gradual failure modes of carbon ply fragmentation and dispersed delamination. To analyze the correlation between these failure modes and AE signals, a multivariable clustering method was employed using Gaussian mixture model. The clustering results and visual observations were used to determine two AE clusters, corresponding to fragmentation and delamination modes, with high amplitude, energy, and duration signals linked to fragmentation. In contrast to the common belief, there was no correlation between the high frequency signals and the carbon fibre fragmentation. The multivariable AE analysis was able to identify fibre fracture and delamination and their sequence. However, the quantitative assessment of these failure modes was influenced by the nature of failure that depends on various factors, such as stacking sequence, material properties, energy release rate, and geometry.

Currently, hydrogels are considered as ideal biomaterials due to their unique structure and characteristics that facilitates considerable hydrophilicity, swelling, drug loading and release. In this study, we report pH-responsive GG-MAA-AMPS hydrogel delivery system prepared via free radical polymerization technique. Hydrogels were loaded with Metformin HCl as a model drug. Hydrogels were characterized through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). FTIR confirmed the successful crosslinking of reactants, hydrogel network formation and drug loading. TGA and DSC proved the higher thermal stability of reactants after crosslinking and drug loading. XRD analysis showed decrease in crystallinity of drug after loading into the hydrogels. SEM revealed smooth and glassy appearance of both loaded and unloaded hydrogels. Gel content was increased with increase in concentration of reactants. Drug entrapment was decreased by increasing concentration of GG and AMPS while MAA acted inversely. Hydrogels displayed pH-dependent swelling and drug release behavior being high at pH 6.8 and 7.4 while low at acidic pH (1.2). Oral tolerability in rabbits showed that hydrogels were safe without causing any hematological or histopathological changes in healthy rabbits. Based on the obtained results, GG-MAA-AMPS can be considered as potential carrier for metformin HCl as well as other hydrophilic drugs.

Background: Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a neuroendocrine metabolic disorder characterized by an irregular menstrual cycle. Treatment for PCOS using synthetic drugs is effective. However, PCOS patients are attracted towards natural remedies due to the effective therapeutic outcomes with natural drugs and the limitations of allopathic medicines. In view of the significance of herbal remedies, herein, we discuss the role of different herbs in PCOS. Methods: By referring to the Scopus, PubMed, Google Scholar, Crossref and Hinari databases, a thorough literature search was conducted and data mining was performed pertaining to the effectiveness of herbal remedies against PCOS. Results: In this review, we discuss the significance of herbal remedies in the treatment of PCOS, and the chemical composition, mechanism of action and therapeutic application of selected herbal drugs against PCOS. Conclusions: The present review will be an excellent resource for researchers working on understanding the role of herbal medicine in PCOS.

In this study, laser-assisted chemical bath synthesis (LACBS) was used to prepare pure and Ag-doped ZnO submicron structures using a simplified hydrothermal approach that did not require a catalyst. The photocatalytic degradation of Methylene Blue was investigated under blue laser irradiation (λ = 444.5 nm and I = 8000 lx). The doping concentration varied (2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, tando 10%) and was prepared by LACBS using a continuous blue laser (P = 7 W, λ = 444.5 nm) for the first time. XRD, FE-SEM, EDX, and UV-Vis investigated the characteristics of the samples produced by the LACBS. ZnO: Ag(10%) submicron flowers are essential in rapid photodegradation under blue laser irradiation. The high surface area and catalytic activity of the prepared Ag-decorated ZnO are attributed to this improved photocatalytic activity. Using UV-visible spectroscopy, the photocatalytic efficiency was determined from the absorption spectra. The separation of photo-generated electron-hole pairs was facilitated, and the absorption edge of the hybrid submicron structures shifted into the visible spectrum region due to a combination of the Ag plasmonic effect and surface imperfections in ZnO. Effective visible light absorption was achieved via band-edge tuning, which increased the ZnO:Ag submicron structures’ ability to degrade dyes.

The current research aimed to fabricate ondansetron nanostructured lipid carriers (OND-NLCs) and incorporate them into a suppository base to manage chemotherapy-induced vomiting and nausea, which offer the advantage of both rapid onset and prolonged release. NLCs were fabricated by adopting the solvent diffusion method. The binary lipid mixture of oleic acid (liquid lipid) and lauric acid (solid lipid) were prepared in distinct ratios. The NLCs were characterized concerning the surface charge, size, drug encapsulation efficiency, and surface morphology. In addition, the influence of surfactant, co-surfactant, and lipid on entrapment efficiency and particle size was investigated. Phosphate buffer having pH 7.4 is used for evaluating in vitro drug release by utilizing a dialysis membrane. Various kinetics models were used to estimate the drug release kinetics of fabricated nanostructured lipid carriers. The particle size of the NLCs was calculated between 101 and 378 nm with negative zeta potential on the NLC’s surface. The entrapment efficiency was found between 68 and 87%. Scanning Electron Microscopic analysis showed the spherical shape of nanostructured lipid carriers. The dissolution profile of the ondansetron-loaded NLC suppository depicts biphasic behavior of firstly burst release then slow release was observed. The diffusion controlled release was evident from kinetic modeling. The succeeding step comprehended the fabrication and characterization of NLC-based suppositories utilizing NLC formulations that demonstrated the combined advantage of rapid onset, prolonged release, and better in vivo bioavailability as compared to control suppository.

Background: The emergence of COVID-19 has been a major challenge to public health and the world economy. During a wave of COVID-19, the usage of widespread vaccination procedures and broader coverage to the whole of humanity will be made possible if the general population has access. An intended effect of vaccination is to provide “herd immunity,” which protects those who have not been vaccinated along with those who have been. However, some concerns regarding the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines were raised. Aim: This study aims to provide evidence on the short-term safety and efficacy of four types of vaccines that are officially approved by the Ministry of Health in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). These include Sinopharm, Sputnik V, Pfizer, and AstraZeneca. Method: This study utilized a cross-sectional descriptive design. Data on the efficacy and short-term protection of COVID-19 vaccines on vaccinated citizens and residents (n = 764) of the UAE were collected between February and April 2021. Participants were conveniently approached using a Google Forms survey, where they responded to a semi-structured questionnaire pertaining to socio-demographic questions and in-depth questions related to COVID-19, including whether they suffer from any comorbidities, the most commonly encountered post-vaccination side effects, and the severity of their symptoms, using a 5-point Likert scale. Results were analyzed using SPSS version 24, calculations of p-values and descriptive statistics were used for data differentiation. Results: The majority of the participants (n = 612 or 94.4%) stated that they did not become reinfected after receiving two doses of COVID-19 vaccine. In addition, the incidence of being hospitalized after vaccination was negligible. In terms of adverse effects, the most common individually reported side effects, regardless of the vaccination type, included “pain at the site of injection”, followed by “general fatigue”, then “lethargy”. Moreover, most of these side effects occurred after the second dose of the vaccine, irrespective of the type of vaccine. Females were found to be more susceptible to the adversities of COVID-19 vaccination. The occurrence of side effects was not found to be related to the nationality/ethnicity of the vaccine recipient. Furthermore, none of the vaccines affected sleep pattern, since a significant number of respondents reported a regular sleep pattern after being vaccinated. The majority respondents who received two doses of vaccination (n = 585 or 76.6%) reported that they did not become infected post vaccination, regardless the type of vaccine received, whereas only (n = 11 or 1.9%) were reinfected with COVID-19 after 2–4 weeks. Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that vaccines can offer short-term protection against COVID-19 reinfection. Moreover, both the first- and second-vaccination side effects were described as very mild to moderate, which indicates tolerability. These data may strengthen the public confidence in receiving vaccinations.

Fused pyridines are reported to display various pharmacological activities, such as antipyretic, analgesic, antiprotozoal, antibacterial, antitumor, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and antiapoptotic. They are widely used in the field of medicinal chemistry. Imidazopyridines (IZPs) are crucial classes of fused heterocycles that are expansively reported on in the literature. Evidence suggests that IZPs, as fused scaffolds, possess more diverse profiles than individual imidazole and pyridine moieties. Bacterial infections and antibacterial resistance are ever-growing risks in the 21st century. Only one IZP, i.e., rifaximin, is available on the market as an antibiotic. In this review, the authors highlight strategies for preparing other IZPs. A particular focus is on the antibacterial profile and structure–activity relationship (SAR) of various synthesized IZP derivatives. This research provides a foundation for the tuning of available compounds to create novel, potent antibacterial agents with fewer side effects.

Background: Patients with chronic diseases often experience difficulty adhering to recommended treatments as instructed by their healthcare professionals. Recently, diabetes has been associated with the severity of the novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19), which raises the importance of improving medication adherence for diabetic patients to enhance the right use of antidiabetics amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Methods: This work assesses medication adherence among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and identifies the set of key demographic and health factors significantly associated with medication adherence. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on an appropriate sample of type 2 diabetic patients in the UAE, with 180 patients of both genders and various social levels. A validated version of the eight-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS) was used for data collection. Results: The average MMAS score was 4.88, with 95% confidence intervals (CI) 4.6 and 5.2. 61.67% (n=111), 28.89% (n=52), and 9.44% (n=17) of patients were categorized into low, medium, and high adherent groups, respectively. These findings indicate that a high level of non-compliance to antidiabetic regimens among the population in the UAE. Conclusions: Patients demonstrated low level of compliance to antidiabetic regimens. Therefore, they must receive up-to-date knowledge about the disease and the treatment and enable easy access to their health care providers to enhance medication adherence.

Background: E-commerce of medicines has been extensively spread worldwide. Many reasons influence consumers to purchase their medical needs through the Internet, including low cost, availability, accessibility, and time saving. However, most of these medicines are substandard and counterfeit. Aim: To assess the perception of people in the UAE about purchasing medicines from online sources and to evaluate the quality of furosemide tablets from two different sources including illegal online source. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 528 participants in the UAE. The questionnaire included three parts to assess the public perception and experience toward purchasing medicines from online sources. Furosemide tablets, purchased from the UAE market and an illegal online source, were physically and chemically studied to assess their quality according to the British Pharmacopoeia (2018). Results: The survey results revealed that less than 10% of participants have purchased their medicines from online sources and mostly they were nonprescription products (78%). Most common motives for online purchasing were either unavailability in the local pharmacies (43%) or lower cost compared to that in local market (43%). The opinion of participants toward purchasing of online medicines was negative. On the other hand, the experimental analysis showed that online furosemide had failed to pass the chemical assay test (91.0% ± 0.8), which makes it a substandard product. Conclusion: This study showed that few consumers had considered purchasing pharmaceutical products from online sources as a feasible way to save money and time. However, most of them were in doubt about their quality, which encourages health-care providers to guide patients to government-supported websites if required. The study also showed that the quality of online medicines is questionable, indicating that these products are not equally effective as the medicines purchased from a local pharmacy.

Naproxen (NAP) is commonly used for pain, inflammation, and stiffness associated with arthritis. However, systemic administration is linked with several gastrointestinal tract (GIT) side effects. The present work aims to prepare and evaluate NAP nanoparticulate shells of chitosan (CS) and carrageenan (CRG) loaded into a Carbopol 940 (Ca-940) gel system with unique features of sustained drug delivery as well as improved permeation through a topical route. Moreover, this study aims to evaluate its ex vivo, histopathological, and in vivo anti-inflammatory activity in albino Wistar rats. The percentage of ex vivo drug permeation patterns in the optimized formulation (No) was higher (88.66%) than the control gel (36.195%). Oral toxicity studies of developed nanoparticles in albino rabbits showed that the NAP-loaded CS/CRG are non-toxic and, upon histopathological evaluation, no sign of incompatibility was observed compared to the control group. A In Vivo study showed that the optimized gel formulation (No) was more effective than the control gel (Nc) in treating arthritis-associated inflammation. The sustained permeation and the absence of skin irritation make this novel NAP nanoparticle-loaded gel based on CS/CRG a suitable drug delivery system for topical application and has the potential for improved patient compliance and reduced GIT-related side effects in arthritis.

Conventional formulations of antiviral drug acyclovir have various limitations such as low bioavailability. The current study was aimed at developing polymeric matrices for the controlled delivery of acyclovir using sericin as polymer and acrylic acid (AA) as a monomer. The free radical polymerization technique was used for hydrogel formulation. Briefly, sericin was chemically cross-linked with acrylic acid. N′-N′-methylene bis-acrylamide (MBA) and ammonium persulfate (APS) were used as cross-linker and initiator, respectively. FTIR spectra showed that acyclovir was successfully loaded into sericin hydrogel. SEM micrographs revealed that the outer surface was solid-like and smooth. According to DSC thermograms, the developed polymeric network was thermally stable. Amorphous nature of acyclovir was observed in XRD. The pH of medium and reactants’ concentration affected swelling dynamics and acyclovir release pattern. In addition, drug release occurred through a diffusion-controlled process. Sericin hydrogel suspension was well tolerable up to 3800 mg/kg of rabbits’ body weight. Haematology and serum chemistry results were well within the range signifying normal liver and kidney functions. Similarly, histopathology slides of the rabbit’s vital organs were also in normal condition without causing any histopathological change. It was concluded from the findings that sericin-co-AA polymeric matrices are ideal for the pH-dependent delivery of acyclovir.

Background: Many personal care products, and particularly cosmetic products, contain preservatives that release formaldehyde. These are potentially harmful to consumer health, especially considering that the levels of formaldehyde in some products are hidden and excessive. Objectives: To study the formaldehyde levels of preservatives in personal care products and cosmetics on the UAE market and determine the extent of compliance with health and safety requirements. Methods and Materials: Sixty-nine personal care and cosmetic product samples from the UAE market were collected and prepared to determine their formaldehyde content. According to the Second European Commission Directive 82/434/EEC of 2000 and as per the Gulf Technical Regulation, Safety Requirements of Cosmetics and Personal Care Products in GSO 1943:2016, quantitative analyses were performed to identify and quantify the content of formaldehyde as free formaldehyde. Results: With a maximum permissible limit of ≤0.2% w/w, the average formaldehyde content was found to be 0.083 with a 95% CI (0.039–0.13). Nine of the tested personal care and cosmetic products exceeded the recommended formaldehyde level, corresponding to 13% of all samples. None of these samples listed the free formaldehyde content or formaldehyde releaser. Conclusion: Applying good manufacturing practices (GMP), education, and regulatory control to improve the regulation and inspection of cosmetics containing formaldehyde releasers as preservatives, conducting research, and reporting the adverse side effects are highly recommended. There is an urgent need to monitor the incidence of skin sensitivity resulting from the use of cosmetics containing formaldehyde releasers as preservatives.

Aim: Anxiety and intolerance to dental local anesthetic injections are common in patients undergoing dental procedures. This work was designed to study cytotoxicity of selected flavors in primary gingival keratinocytes (PGK), to acquire information on their suitability for use in dental lidocaine hydrochloride (LID) injection. We also evaluated the bio-mimetic taste of LID dental injection in the presence of selected flavors and sweetener using an Astree electronic tongue (ETongue). Methods: The cytotoxicity of chocolate natural and artificial flavor (CTE), raspberry flavor artificial (RAS), cherry flavor (CHR), bitterness suppressor flavor (BSF) and lemon flavor extract (LFE) at various dilutions (0.16–10% v/v) was carried out in PGK using the live cell morphological analysis and MTT cell cytotoxicity assay. Based on the cytotoxicity data, CTE and RAS were added to Xylocaine® (2%) along with 0.09% sodium saccharin and taste was assessed using an ETongue. Results: After three hours of treatment, a dose-dependent cell death was induced by all flavors compared to the untreated control. BSF was found to be more toxic when compared to other flavors. CTE was found to be less toxic. The mean IC50 values of CTE, RAS, CHR, BSF and LFE in PGK were found to be 9.54, 8.43, 2.21, 0.38 and 4.01 mg/mL. Taste analysis with the ETongue showed a clear taste difference between the control and test formulations containing CTE and RAS flavors along with sodium saccharin. Conclusion: CTE and RAS flavors in combination with 0.09% sodium saccharin can achieve a significant taste-masking effect in the dental LID injection.

Background: Patients with chronic diseases often experience difficulty adhering to recommended treatments as instructed by their healthcare professionals. Recently, diabetes has been associated with the severity of the novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19), which raises the importance of improving medication adherence for diabetic patients to enhance the right use of antidiabetics amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Methods: This work assesses medication adherence among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and identifies the set of key demographic and health factors significantly associated with medication adherence. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on an appropriate sample of type 2 diabetic patients in the UAE, with 180 patients of both genders and various social levels. A validated version of the eight-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS) was used for data collection. Results: The average MMAS score was 4.88, with 95% confidence intervals (CI) 4.6 and 5.2. 61.67% (n=111), 28.89% (n=52), and 9.44% (n=17) of patients were categorized into low, medium, and high adherent groups, respectively. These findings indicate that a high level of non-compliance to antidiabetic regimens among the population in the UAE. Conclusions : Patients demonstrated low level of compliance to antidiabetic regimens. Therefore, they must receive up-to-date knowledge about the disease and the treatment and enable easy access to their health care providers to enhance medication adherence.

Background: Patients with chronic diseases often experience difficulty adhering to recommended treatments as instructed by their healthcare professionals. Recently, diabetes has been associated with the severity of the novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19), which raises the importance of improving medication adherence for diabetic patients to enhance the right use of antidiabetics amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Methods: This work assesses medication adherence among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and identifies the set of key demographic and health factors significantly associated with medication adherence. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on an appropriate sample of type 2 diabetic patients in the UAE, with 180 patients of both genders and various social levels. A validated version of the eight-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS) was used for data collection. Results: The average MMAS score was 4.88, with 95% confidence intervals (CI) 4.6 and 5.2. 61.67% (n=111), 28.89% (n=52), and 9.44% (n=17) of patients were categorized into low, medium, and high adherent groups, respectively. These findings indicate that a high level of non-compliance to antidiabetic regimens among the population in the UAE. Conclusions : Patients demonstrated low level of compliance to antidiabetic regimens. Therefore, they must receive up-to-date knowledge about the disease and the treatment and enable easy access to their health care providers to enhance medication adherence.