The aim of this study was to develop hydrogel loaded with capsicum extract nanoparticles and wax gourd extract for transdermal delivery of capsaicin. The addition of wax gourd extract was supposed to reduce cytotoxicity of capsaicin in capsicum extract against HaCaT keratinocyte cell line. Capsicum extract nanoparticles were prepared by solvent displacement method using hyaluronic acid as a stabilizer

Withanolides are natural medicinal agents whose safety and therapeutic profiles make them valuable to mankind. Among multiple withanolides, withametelin is underexplored. The present study was aimed to create a general biological profile of isolated withametelin from Datura innoxia Mill. targeting different biological models. In-silico studies include drug-likeliness, pharmacokinetics, toxicity, molecular

Background The cost of Saudi healthcare continues to rise at an alarming rate, putting the sustainability of the public healthcare system into question. Data have shown that hospital and healthcare providers’ services represent the bulk of this rising cost, which makes the calls to reform the Saudi healthcare system more focused on payment models than at any time before. Objective The aim of this paper

Background Pharmacological treatments including antivirals (Lopinavir/Ritonavir), Immuno-modulatory and anti-inflammatory drugs including, Tocilizumab and Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) has been widely investigated as a treatment for COVID-19. Despite the ongoing controversies, HCQ was recommended for managing mild to moderate cases in Saudi Arabia . However, to our knowledge, no previous studies have been

Objective To evaluate the effect of different demographic, clinical and social factors on diabetic patients' quality of life (QOL). Research Design and Methods A cross sectional study conducted on patients with type 2 diabetes who attended King Abdulaziz University Hospital outpatient clinics between February and March 2017. The patients were asked about sociodemographic data including age, sex, educational

Drug-drug interactions (DDIs) are a potentially distressing corollary of drug interventions, and may result in discomfort, debilitating illness, or even death. Existing research predominantly considers only a single level of interaction; however, serious health complications may result from multi-pathway DDIs, and so new methods are needed to enable predicting and preventing complex DDIs. This article

Background Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is presently considered an emergent major global public health concern and excessive and/or inappropriate use of broad-spectrum antimicrobials contribute to the development of AMR. Objective To evaluate the appropriateness of carbapenems and piperacillin-tazobactam use in a tertiary care hospital. Methods A retrospective, observational, cross-sectional, drug-utilization

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a disease characterized by degeneration of the joint complex due to cartilage destruction. Fraxetin, a widely used and studied coumarin compound extracted from a traditional Chinese herb (Qin Pi), has shown anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, but its effects on OA have not been studied. In the present study, western blotting, immunofluorescence, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl

The first case of COVID-19 was announced at the end of year 2019, and later many cases were identified worldwide. In Saudi Arabia, the first case was announced on 2 March 2020. To prevent the spread of this pandemic disease, many precautionary actions were taken by Saudi government. One of these actions was closing public and private schools and universities and transfer the educational activities

Saudi Arabia is one of the countries that has been affected by COVID-19. At the beginning of March 2020, it revealed a steadily rising number of laboratory-confirmed cases. By 20th May 2020, 59,854 infected cases had been confirmed, with 329 deaths. To prevent a further outbreak of COVID-19, this article discusses the current understanding of COVID-19 and compares it with the outbreak of Middle East

Tarchonanthus Camphoratus L. is traditionally known for its various medicinal purposes. In this study, the T. camphoratus essential oil (TCEO) was isolated via steam distillation, and its chemical constituents were determined using GC-MS. The in vitro antiproliferative effects of TCEO on A549, HepG2, MCF-7cancer cells, and HUVEC non-tumor cells was investigated using an MTT assay. Flow cytometry analysis

Rutin, a well-known bioflavonoid, was found abundantly in cassava leaves. In the present study, extraction techniques including maceration, boiling, reflux, ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), and microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) were optimised to increase the yield of rutin. Extraction parameters such as solvents, solid-liquid ratio, temperature, and time were optimised to give better extraction

Purpose This study assessed adjuvant potential of Ocimum sanctum hydroalcoholic extract (OSHE) with antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) carbamazepine (CBZ) and phenytoin (PHT) in maximal electroshock seizure (MES) model in male Wistar rats. Material and Methods Pharmacodynamic effect of OSHE (1000 mg/kg) was assessed through seizure protection potential, neurobehavioral tests and oxidative stress estimation

Traditional and complementary medicine constitutes an important, and often underestimated, source of healthcare for multiple diseases including cancer. However, little is known about the ethnomedical knowledge and practices in Northern Africa. The main objective of this study is to identify and analyze the variety of natural products used in Algerian ethnopharmacology for cancer therapy. For this purpose

Diabetic wounds are difficult to treat due to multiple causes, including reduced blood flow and bacterial infections. Reduced blood flow is associated with overexpression of prostaglandin transporter (PGT) gene, induced by hyperglycaemia which causing poor vascularization and healing of the wound. Recently, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have been biosynthesized using cold and hot sclerotium of Lignosus

Background Wearing facial masks, hand hygiene, and social distancing are highly recommended preventive measures against COVID-19. Masks and disinfectants are usually sold in community pharmacies that are supposed to undertake extreme precautions to avoid cross infection among clients. It is also their responsibility to play a prominent role in educating the community regarding this outbreak. Objectives

Drug-drug interactions lead to altered clinical effects, including adverse reactions. Therapeutic drug monitoring of digoxin is necessary due to its narrow therapeutic range. Linezolid can cause variable exposures in patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit owing to its possibility of drug-drug interactions. We present a patient with pneumonia and heart failure who experienced a possible drug

Atorvastatin (ATO) is of the statin class and is used as an orally administered lipid-lowering drug. ATO is a reversible synthetic competitive inhibitor of 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA (HMG-CoA) reductase thus leading to a reduction in cholesterol synthesis. It has recently been demonstrated that ATO has different pharmacological actions, which are unrelated to its lipid-lowering effects and has

Increasing incidence of multi-drug resistance bacterial pathogens, especially in clinical settings, has been developed into a grave health situation. The drug resistance problem demands the necessity for alternative unique therapeutic policies. One such tactic is targeting the quorum sensing (QS) controlled virulence and biofilm production. In this study, we evaluated a marine steroid Siphonocholin

Three factors, three levels (33) full factorial design was used to develop venlafaxine HCl fast dissolving oral films (FDOFs) to optimize the concentrations of the film forming polymer; hydroxypropyl methylcellulose HPMC (X1), superdisintegrant; sodium starch glycolate SSG, (X2) and glycerol as the film plasticizer (X3). Effects of the three factors on the disintegration time (Y1), swelling index (Y2)

In this paper, Doxil coupled with anti-CD133 monoclonal antibodies made by either routine or optimized post-insertion technique, were compared with respect to their size, drug leakage and release pattern and the number of antibodies conjugated per single liposome. The results demonstrated that the number of antibodies conjugated per liposome in the optimized post-insertion technique was almost two

Cepharanthine (CEP) is a bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid. Molecular dynamics studies show that CEP interacts with Voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC), inducing the voltage-independent channel narrowing. In the new conformation, transport between mitochondria and cytoplasm is altered, which leads to the dose-dependent cytotoxicity. The biological effects of the interaction were investigated on glioblastoma

Background The therapeutic utility of the effective chemotherapeutic agent cisplatin is hampered by its nephrotoxic effect. We aimed from the current study to examine the possible protective effects of amlodipine through gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) enzyme inhibition against cisplatin nephrotoxicity. Methods Amlodipine (5 mg/kg, po) was administered to rats for 14 successive days. On the 10th

Replacing sucrose with non-caloric sweeteners is an approach to avoid overweight and diabetes development. Non-caloric sweeteners are classified into either artificial as sucralose or natural as stevia. Both of them have been approved by FDA, but the effects of their chronic consumption are controversial. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of these two sweeteners, in male and female albino

Risedronate is a nitrogen-containing bisphosphonate for the treatment and prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis. The current work aims to develop a novel green HPLC-UV method for the rapid analysis of risedronate sodium in bulk and tablet formulation. The analyzed samples were separated on Waters Atlantis dC18 (150 mm × 3.9 mm; 5 μm) column using a green mobile phase consisting of potassium phosphate

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is an increasing health threat and often leads to cardiovascular complications. The aim of this study was to evaluate icariin’s ability to combat MetS induced in rats and outline the involved mechanisms for action. Rats were grouped in four batches. The controls received a regular diet and water. MetS was induced in the remaining three groups using a high-salt high-fructose

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a global pandemic on March 11, 2020. SARS-CoV-2 targets the respiratory system, resulting in symptoms such as fever, headache, dry cough, dyspnea, and dizziness. These symptoms vary from person to person, ranging from

The lack of treatment options for COVID-19 has raised many concerns among populations worldwide, which has led to many attempts to find alternative options to prevent the transmission of the disease or to alleviate the progression of the infection, including focusing more on preventive measures (to prevent transmission to other individuals) and the use of natural products and herbal extracts to increase

Sesamin, a major lignin isolated from sesame (Sesamum indicum) seeds and sesame oil, is known to possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Several studies have revealed that oxidative stress and inflammation play a major role in a variety of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). This comprehensive review summarizes the evidence on the effects of sesamin on CVD and its risk factors, principally

Cell- based targeted delivery is recently gain attention as a promising platform for delivery of anticancer drug in selective and efficient manner. As a new biotechnology platform, bacterial ghosts (BGs) have novel biomedical application as targeted drug delivery system (TDDS). In the current work, Salmonellas’ BGs was utilized for the first time as hepatocellular cancer (HCC) in-vitro targeted delivery

Objectives There are many treatment modalities for myofascial pain, and recent findings reported in the literature highlight the superiority of using local anesthetics as the treatment of choice. The objective of the present study was to compare the effectiveness of two of the most used local anesthetic agents—lidocaine and mepivacaine—in the management of myofascial pain. Materials and Methods Thirty

Pandanus tectorius fruit, a natural product rich in tangeretin and ethyl caffeate, has been reported to have potential as anti-hypercholesterolemia agent via Scavenger Receptor Class B type 1 (SR-B1) pathway. However, due to its semi-polar properties, P. tectorius extract exhibits poor solubility when used as a medical remedy. The extract’s solubility can potentially be improved through a synthesis

The novel coronavirus outbreak has reported to be rapidly spreading across the countries and becomes a foremost community health alarm. At present, no vaccine or specific drug is on hand for the treatment of this infectious disease. This review investigates the drugs, which are being evaluated and found to be effective against nCOVID-19 infection. A thorough literature search was performedon the recently

Drug development, from preclinical to clinical studies, is a lengthy and complex process. There is an increased interest in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), to promote innovation, research and local content including clinical trials (Phase I-IV). Currently, there are over 650 registered clinical trials in Saudi Arabia, and this number is expected to increase. An important part of drug development

Objective Newer antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are expected to have less adverse effects (AEs) and drug interactions as compared to conventional AEDs but the high cost is the major limitation for their use. This study evaluated variation in the cost of treatment with newer and conventional AEDs through its correlation with treatment efficacy and AEs in persons with epilepsy (PWE). Methods This cross-sectional

The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics of medication errors (MEs) and adverse drug reactions (ADRs) using data from the spontaneous reporting system, which is helpful to understand the actual situation of MEs in China. Data from 2015 in a south distinct in Shanghai were gathered from the spontaneous reporting system and analyzed. The general information, cause of errors, severity

Combination of antibiotics with natural products is a promising strategy for potentiating antibiotic activity and overcoming antibiotic resistance. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether morusin and kuwanon G, prenylated phenolics in Morus species, have the ability to enhance antibiotic activity and reverse antibiotic resistance in Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis

Background Prolonged exposure of free radicals, or known as reactive oxygen species (ROS), in hepatic cells may cause oxidative stress. Without proper treatment, it can induce liver injury and fatal hepatic disease, including cirrhosis. Red betel (Piper crocatum Ruiz and Pav) is one of Indonesia’s medicinal plants that has been known to exhibit antioxidant, anti-inflammatory activities. This study

The aim of this work is to evaluate the chemical constituents and potential biological activists of Cunninghamella blakesleeana. Three fatty acids were isolated using column chromatography and identified as palmitic acid (F1), oleic acid (F2) and stearic acid (F3)in addition to other two steroidal compounds; α-amyrin (A4), and β–sitosterol (A5). Using GC, ten fatty acids were detected the major fatty

Background Chronic periodontitis has an interplay between different species of bacteria found in dental biofilms act a crucial role in pathogenesis and disease progression. The existing antibacterial therapy is inadequate, associated with many side effects as well as evolving multidrug resistance. Hence, novel drugs development with minimum or no toxicity is an immediate priority. Methods Antibacterial

Cellulose acetate nanofibers with different degrees of alignment (randomly aligned (RA), partially aligned (PA), and highly aligned (HA)) were produced using an electrospinning technique. The different degrees of alignment were obtained by adjusting the rotation speed of the collector. Alpha-arbutin (3% w/w) employed as a model water-soluble compound was incorporated into the nanofibers during the

Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) are collaborative efforts to optimize antimicrobial use in healthcare institutions through evidence-based quality improvement strategies. The general administration of pharmaceutical care in the Saudi ministry of health (MOH) is putting outstanding efforts in implementing antimicrobial stewardship in Saudi health care settings. Several surveys have been conducted

Background Self-medication plays a key role in public health as it influences both negatively and positively on the health of individuals and the existing healthcare systems. This is especially the case during public health emergencies like the 2019 SARS-CoV-2 disease. Objectives The study aimed at assessing the prevalence of self-medication before and during the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic and its

Globally, breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women and the second most common cause of cancer-related death among women. There is therefore a need to identify more efficacious therapies for this neoplasm. Galenia africana (Kraalbos) is a perennial shrub found in Southern Africa and is used by the indigenous people to treat various ailments. There has therefore been much interest to establish

Clinical studies have shown that renal injury in Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients has been a real concern, which is associated with high mortality and an inflammation/apoptosis-related causality. Effective target therapy for renal injury has yet been developed. Besides, potential anti-COVID-19 medicines have also been reported to cause adverse side effects to kidney. Chinese Herbal Medicine

Parkinsonia aculeata L. growing in Saudi Arabia was investigated for its phytochemical profile, antioxidant, and cytotoxic properties. UPLC-ESI-MS/MS was employed as a powerful technique for the characterization of secondary metabolites from a hydroalcoholic extract, dichloromethane, and ethyl acetate fractions of P. aculeata L. aerial parts. Sixty-nine compounds (flavonoids, anthocyanins, phenolics

Background The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) provides free healthcare, including medications, for the over 2 million Muslim pilgrims who attend Hajj every year. Information on drug utilization patterns at the Hajj is important to strengthen the supply chain for medicines, avert stock-outs, identify inappropriate use, and support public health planning for the event. Method We investigated drug utilization

Background COVID-19 lockdown has forced pharmacy education to be conducted remotely for approximately half of the second semester in the year 2019/2020. This sudden shift to distance learning has put the pharmacy education system through an extraordinary experience that may impact its future. Objective To investigate the effect emergency remote teaching has had on pharmacy education in Saudi Arabia

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune inflammatory disease, which is accompanied by progressive joint damage and disability. The intolerability of conventional antirheumatic drugs by some patients necessitates the search for effective antirheumatic agents having better tolerability. In the current work, we aimed to investigate the efficacy of cinnamaldehyde, tadalafil, and aliskiren as potential

Two new benzoic acid derivatives: 1-p-hydroxy benzoyl-3-palmitoyl glycerol (1) and 6 -p-hydroxy benzoyl daucosterol (2), along with scutellarein-6-methyl ether (3), quercetin (4), and rutin (5) had been separated from Cassia italica (Fabaceae) aerial parts from EtOAc fraction. Their characterisation was accomplished by various spectroscopic techniques and by comparing with the published data. The Ethyl

Quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) represents quantitative correlation of chemical structural features called as molecular descriptors and pharmacological activity as response endpoints. Topological index is a molecular descriptor extensively used to study QSAR of pharmaceuticals to assess their molecular characteristics by numerical computation. Theoretical assessment of drug like

Background In the previous literature, patients’ perceptions of medication consultation provided by pharmacists was found to poor, depending upon various factors, which may lead to poor compliance with medication instructions and, therefore, poor health outcomes. In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), this specific area has been overlooked to date, so this study aims to examine patients’ perceptions

Clostridioides difficile infections (CDIs) are infamous healthcare-associated infections for causing watery diarrhea to long-term hospitalized patients with a high mortality rate. Epidemiological reports from western countries showed up-trending pattern in the number of CDIs cases. It is becoming immensely challenging for routine diagnostic protocols to detect CDIs accurately with short turnaround

Clinical pharmacy (Pharm.D or MSc Clinical Pharmacy graduates) is a patient care oriented specialty. It aims to improve patient therapeutic outcomes and minimize medication errors. In Palestine, it is a new specialty taught at two universities. In order to implement this new specialty in healthcare settings, healthcare providers should have a high awareness about it, its role and importance in clinical

Purpose The study aimed to translate and validate the Arabic version of General Medication Adherence Scale (GMAS) in Saudi patients with chronic diseases. Methods A multi-center cross sectional study was conducted for a month in out-patient wards of hospitals in Khobar, Dammam, Makkah, and Madinah, Saudi Arabia. Patients were randomly selected from a registered patient pools at hospitals and the item-subject

Background and aim Dyspepsia is one of the gastrointestinal diseases that is very common worldwide. Despite its prevalence globally, which ranges between 1.8% and 57%, no study has assessed the prevalence in Saudi Arabia. This study was aimed to investigate the prevalence and severity of dyspepsia in the general population of Saudi Arabia. Methods A modified Short-Form Leeds Dyspepsia Questionnaire

Purpose The main aim of this study is to estimate the economic burden and prevalence of bites and stings injuries in Saudi Arabia. Methods A retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted at King Saud University Medical City (KSUMC) for all bites and stings cases presented to the Emergency Department (ED) between the period June 2015 and May 2019. Results A total of 1328 bites and stings cases

Breast cancer therapy using anticancer bioactive compounds derived from natural products as adjuvant treatment has gained recognition due to expensive and toxic conventional chemotherapeutic drugs. The whole plant of Anastatica hierochuntica (L.) (A. hierochuntica) has been investigated for its pharmacologically important anticancer properties but without categorizing the biological activities of the

On the 2nd of March 2020, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia confirmed its first case of the coronavirus's newly emerging strain, causing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Soon after, the number of confirmed cases started to increase nationally. In light of the emerging outbreak, all healthcare professionals, including pharmacists, began to function with maximum capacity and efforts. The Saudi Society of Clinical

Sennoside A (dianthrone glycoside) shows laxative properties and used as a folk traditional medicine. Sennoside A capped silver nanoparticles (Ag/sennoside A) were synthesized at room temperature for the first time by using sennoside A as reducing and capping agent. UV–visible spectroscopic data reveals that the absorption peaks of pure sennoside A was appeared at 266, and 340 nm, which red shifted