No abstract

Management of diarrhea has evolved over the years from relatively inadequate interventions in the early years to more successful physiological approaches. The use of herbal medicinal products and supplements has grown significantly over the past three decades, with more than half of the global population depending on it for some aspect of their primary health care needs. This study is aimed at formulating solid and liquid oral dosage forms of the ethanolic extract of Cola nitida seeds for the treatment of diarrhea. The flow property of the dried ethanolic extract was determined and subsequently formulated into granules for encapsulation. The ethanolic extract was also used in formulating an oral suspension. Pharmacopeia tests such as uniformity of weight, disintegration, drug content, and dissolution were carried out on the formulated capsules. The formulated suspension was also assessed using the following parameters; viscosity, flow rate, drug content, dissolution, sedimentation rate, and sedimentation volume. The dried ethanolic extract and formulated granules exhibited good flow properties. The formulated capsules exhibited optimal in vitro release of extract (>90% after 45 minutes) and passed the uniformity of weight, disintegration, and drug content tests. The formulated suspension also passed the drug content test and had a good sedimentation rate, sedimentation volume, and flow rate. The formulated suspension also exhibited pseudoplastic flow, optimal viscosity, and a good in vitro release profile (>90% after 45 minutes). Capsules and suspension of the ethanolic extract of Cola nitida seeds have been successfully formulated and can be used as standard dosage forms for the management of diarrhea.

Okra pectin has been studied as a potential excipient in tablet formulations for pharmaceutical industries. Okra is widely grown and available in Ghana and other parts of the world. The prospective use of pectin from okra genotypes grown in Ghana as tablet disintegrants has not been reported. This study aims to determine the potential and comparative disintegrating properties of pectin from five okra genotypes (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) in Ghana using uncoated immediate release paracetamol tablet formulations. The yield of the pectin from the various genotypes ranged between 6.12 and 18.84% w/w. The extracted pectins had pH ranging from slightly acidic to almost neutral (6.39–6.92). Pectin from the various genotypes exhibited good swelling indexes (˃200%), varying solubility in different solvents, and low moisture content (˂20%). Elemental analysis of the extracted pectin from the various genotypes revealed very low levels of toxic metals and micronutrients. Pectin from the various genotypes was evaluated as disintegrants within concentrations of 5–10% w/w (F1–F18). Their disintegrating properties were compared to that of maize starch BP. All the formulated batches of uncoated immediate release paracetamol tablets (F1–F18) passed the following: uniformity of weight test, uniformity of dimensions, hardness, friability (˂1%), and drug content (95–105%). Significant differences ( p ≤ 0.05 ) were observed between the hardness of the maize starch tablets and tablets formulated from pectin of the various genotypes. Pectin from all genotypes other than PC5 exhibited good disintegrating properties (DT ˂ 15 min) and subsequently passed the dissolution profile test (≥70% release in 45 minutes). Tablets formulated with PC5 as disintegrants at all concentrations (5% w/w (F5), 7.5% w/w (F11), and 10% w/w (F17)) failed the disintegration and dissolution tests. Ultimately, pectins extracted from PC1, PC2, PC3, and PC4 can be commercially exploited as disintegrants in immediate release tablets.

Background: Disintegrants are essential in the formulation of solid dosage forms such as tablets because they aid in the release of the active drug for therapeutic action. Disintegrating agents such as starch are currently posing challenges such as tablet softening and slow disintegration. In the quest for alternatives that are cheaper, readily available and possessing same or better disintegrating property, Khaya senegalensis gum was considered. Currently, there is no available literature pertaining to its disintegrating property. Objective: To investigate the disintegrating properties of Khaya senegalensis gum using paracetamol tablets. Methods: K. senegalensis gum was obtained by making an incision on the stem bark of the mahogany tree. The dried purified K. senegalensis gum was employed in the formulation of granule I whiles Tragacanth gum was used in formulating granule II using the wet granulation technique. The flow properties of both granules were subsequently determined and compared. Paracetamol tablets were then produced with the formulated granules I and II. Friability, hardness, weight uniformity and disintegration testing were performed on the paracetamol tablets formulated with both granules. Results: The results showed granule I had a better flowability with angle of repose 31.63°C, Hausner’s ratio 1.24 and Carr’s index 19.57 as compared to granule II with angle of repose 34.72°C, Hausner’s ratio 1.31 and Carr’s index 23.84. The study also revealed, paracetamol tablets formulated with granule I (K. senegalensis gum) passed the hardness test (6.57 Kg.f), disintegration time (2.44 min), weight uniformity test (2.2% standard deviation) and friability test (0.69%). Paracetamol tablets formulated with granule II (Tragacanth gum) also passed the hardness test (8.20 Kg.f), disintegration time (7.69 min), weight uniformity test (1.6% standard deviation) and friability test (0.86%). Conclusion: Khaya senegalensis gum can therefore be explored as an alternative disintegrant in the formulation of paracetamol tablets for improved bioavailability.

The ever-growing commercialization of poor-quality and substandard medicines, especially anti-infectives characterized by inadequate postmarket surveillance by stakeholders remains a major global health challenge, particularly in developing countries, where antibiotic drug resistance and its repercussions on human health remain dominant. This research sought to evaluate the pharmaceutical quality of six randomly selected brands of cefuroxime axetil tablets (250 mg) marketed in the Greater Accra region of Ghana. The selected brands were coded and subjected to both compendial and noncompendial tests. Statistical analysis and model-independent parameter (similarity factor, f2) were employed in analyzing the dissolution profiles of all the brands. All brands including the reference brand conformed to the pharmacopeial specifications for both compendial and noncompendial tests, indicating that they were of good quality. However, there were significant variations ( p < 0.05 ) in the disintegration time amongst the various brands. All the brands had ƒ2 values > 50 indicating similarity of their drug release profiles with the innovator. Hence, all the sampled cefuroxime axetil brands can be considered as pharmaceutical equivalents to the innovator drug. These brands can, therefore, be used as a substitute for the innovator drug by physicians to patients in cases of unaffordability or unavailability of the innovator brand.

One of the tools used in providing comprehensible medication information to patients on their medication use for improved adherence and subsequent optimal therapeutic effect is the Patient Information (PI) leaflet. In Ghana, the patient information leaflet is available through various sources including health-care professionals (HCPs) and electronic forms. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that more than 70% of patients, especially in the developing countries, who receive medications do not read the accompanying leaflet. This study assessed the role of the patient information leaflet in Patients’ medication therapy in the Kumasi metropolis of Ghana. A random cross-sectional survey was conducted in various hospitals and pharmacies within selected districts in the Kumasi metropolis. The survey revealed that 96.9% of the sampled respondents (n = 300) were provided with PI leaflets on their medicines while only 3.1% of them indicated otherwise. Among the proportion of respondents who were provided with PI leaflets, 66.7% of them read the information on the drug leaflets whilst the remaining 33.3% did not. Ultimately, 62.4% of those who read the PI leaflets were influenced to discontinue their medication. In conclusion, reading of the drug information leaflet was higher than that found in previous studies in Ghana. Reading the leaflet did not increase adherence but aroused anxiety and decreased adherence in some patients. A large number of the patients who were given the PI leaflets indicated that it did not provide them with the needed information.

Pharmaceutical oral solutions are preparations in which the active ingredients are dissolved in suitable liquid vehicles such as syrups. This study sought to determine the potential of glucose syrup produced from high quality cassava flour (HQCF) as a vehicle or sweetener in the preparation of paracetamol syrup and simple linctus. Four formulations (two paracetamol syrups (B1 and B2) and two simple linctus formulations (A1 and A2)) were prepared using glucose syrup from HQCF as vehicle or sweetener while two controls (B3 and A3) were prepared for each group using sucrose syrup as vehicle or sweetener. Two brands of paracetamol syrup and simple linctus were purchased from retail pharmacies to serve as standards. Physical and organoleptic parameters such as pH, taste and color, microbial load, and drug content of all formulations were determined. All formulations passed the microbial load and drug content tests as specified by the British Pharmacopoeia. The paracetamol syrups were all sweet with characteristic bitter aftertastes except formulation B2 which was sweetened with sucralose. All the simple linctus formulations were sweet except A2 (sweetened with sucralose) which was very sweet. The taste masking capacity of the glucose syrup produced from HQCF matched that of the sucrose syrup in the products formulated. Therefore, glucose syrup from HQCF could be a suitable alternative to sucrose syrup as a vehicle or sweetener in oral liquid formulations and can ultimately reduce the cost of these oral liquid formulations.

Natural polymers have become attractive to pharmaceutical researchers and manufacturers as excipients because of the advantages they possess relative to their semisynthetic and synthetic counterparts. Although pectin from some natural sources has been investigated for use in the pharmaceutical industry as excipients, pectin from okra, which is readily available and used as food in many parts of the world, has not been extensively investigated as a potential control-releasing agent in tablets. This study thus seeks to determine the drug release modifying properties of okra pectin from 6 different genotypes of okra cultivated and available in Ghana. Pectin was extracted from different genotypes of okra, physicochemical properties were characterized, and control release matrix tablets of metformin (F1–F6) were formulated using the wet granulation method with the okra pectin as the drug release modifier, respectively. The drug content, in vitro drug release, and mathematical kinetic modeling of drug release from the matrix tablets were studied. Drug release profiles of formulated matrix tablets were compared to an existing (innovator) brand of metformin sustained-release tablet on the market using the similarity and difference factors, respectively. The extracted pectin had percentage yields ranging from 6 to 20% w/w with swelling indexes and water-holding capacities between 300–500% and 9-10 mL/g, respectively, and pH within 6.20–6.90. All the formulated batches passed the drug content test (90–105%) and produced the optimal release of metformin (>80%) after 24 hours. Different batches of formulated tablets exhibited different mechanisms of drug release with batches F1, F2, F5, and F6 being similar (ƒ2 values being >50 and ƒ1 values <15) to the innovator brand. Pectin from the 6 different genotypes of okra studied has the potential for use as drug release modifiers in pharmaceutical manufacturing of control release matrix tablets and production of more affordable medicines.