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Ampelocissus africana (wild cassava tuber) is a starch-rich tropical plant that has been used as a source of diet by humans for several years, particularly in some parts of Africa during times of famine. The stalk and foliage are used to treat many ailments. This research aims to extract and modify starch from wild cassava tuber for drug delivery applications. The starch was extracted and modified by acetylation reaction. The physicochemical properties of the resultant starch was evaluated following standard procedures. The isolated starch was odourless and tasteless, with a faint ash-off-white colour. The iodine test indicated a starch content of 10.12%. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis revealed that the starch was globular and oval. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) result showed that the modified starch exhibited a decrease in thermal stability. The range of acetyl content and degree of substitution (DS) achieved in this study were 0.39% to 6.47% and 0.02 to 0.26, respectively. The swelling power of the modified starch tended to increase with an increase in DS. The Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) spectra indicated the presence of four significant absorption peaks: OH, C-H, C-O, and C-O, which signified the presence of the acetyl group in the starch. The findings revealed that the modified wild cassava tubers starch could be a potential excipient for enhanced drug delivery applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information related to the quality of ceftriaxone (CF) sold in northern Nigeria is limited. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the quality of different brands of CF sodium injections marketed in Kano State of Nigeria. Thirteen different brands of CF sodium for injection (three samples per brand) were obtained from patent medicines vendors (PMVs), pharmacies and a government drug store in Kano State of Nigeria. The quality of these brands was assessed using physicochemical quality-control tests (colour, appearance, labelling, pH, weight uniformity and percentage of content). The results obtained from these tests were checked for compliance with the standards specified in British Pharmacopoeia 2009 (BP 2009) and the United States Pharmacopeia 2016 (USP 2016). All 13 (100%) brands were registered with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). The samples were brands imported from other countries and passed tests for colour and pH. However, 1 of the 13 samples did not pass the labelling inspection and only 4 (30.8%) brands were found to fulfil the requirements for physical appearance. Twelve (92.3%) of the 13 evaluated brands were found to have an acceptable percentage of content within a range of 95%-105% based on BP 2009 standards. The tested brands of CF sodium injection being marketed in Kano State of Nigeria were found to have variable compliance regarding the BP 2009 and USP 2016 specifications. Therefore, there is a need for relevant regulatory agencies to embark on more post-marketing surveillance to ensure the quality of medicines in Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A combination of two drugs involving flurbiprofen (FLB) and triclosan (TCS) has been found to be potential treatment candidates against periodontal disease. In the present study, a new, simple, reliable and stability-indicating high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for the simultaneous determination of FLB and TCS in the dental nanogel (NGs) formulation has been introduced. The chromatographic fractionation was accomplished with Agilent ZORBAX SB-C18 column (5 µm, 4.6 × 250 mm), using a mixture of acetonitrile and 8×10-4 mol l-1 citric acid, pH 3.26 (90:10, v/v) as a mobile phase, under isocratic elution mode with a flow rate of 0.3 ml min-1. The UV detection was set at 242 nm. The method was validated according to ICH guidelines. Results indicated excellent linearity with a correlation coefficient of 0.999 and 1 for FLB and TCS, respectively. The retention time (tR) was found to be 10.11 ± 0.03 and 12.55 ± 0.02 min for FLB and TCS, respectively. Extensive stress degradation studies of acidic/alkaline hydrolysis, oxidative, photolytic and heat degradation demonstrated good specificity and stability-indicating power of the method. The method was found to be simple, specific and could be employed for the simultaneous determination of FLB and TCS in dental formulations and for routine quality control evaluations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Periodontitisis is a dental disorder which affects the tissues surrounding and supporting the teeth (periodontium) such as gingiva, periodontal ligament, cementum, and alveolar bone. If left untreated, the disease will progress to result in the formation of periodontal pockets. This occurs due to the destruction of the gums, alveolar bone, and the outer layer of the tooth root, and consequently leads to the loss of teeth. Over the years, a vast variety of systemic and local delivery approaches for periodontal disease treatment have been proposed, investigated or developed. But most of them were characterised by limited effectiveness, poor bio-distribution, and lack of selectivity, among other limitations. Recent advances in nanotechnology suggest that nanodentistry will make it possible to maintain near perfect oral health through the use of nanomaterials, nanorobotics and nanoparticulate drug delivery approaches. Therefore, nanotechnology approaches would have a profound impact on dental diseases diagnosis, prevention, and treatment, and hence through its advances, it would be possible to provide high quality dental care to the millions of the world's population who are suffering from periodontal diseases. The advent of novel technological-nanocarriers such as liposomes, lipid and polymeric nanoparticles, nanocrystals, dendrimers, nanopores, nanotubes, nanoneedles and nanofibers as nanoparticulate drug delivery systems as promising impact in the management of periodontitis. The major aim of this review is to provide clinicians and academicians in the field of health sciences, with an insight of various investigated and future envisaged nanotechnology based targeted delivery systems for the treatment of periodontal diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]