Lymphatic filariasis is a parasitic disease of tropical countries. This is a disfiguring and painful disease contracted in childhood, but the symptoms become apparent only in later years. Diagnosis of filarial infection is very crucial for the management of the disease. The main objective of this study was to develop a filarial antigen-based immunological assay for the diagnosis and surveillance of the disease. Monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies were raised to the recombinant protein Brugia malayi vespid allergen homologue (VAH). Capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was standardized utilizing various combinations of antibodies and evaluated with serum samples of endemic normal (EN, n= 110), microfilaraemic (MF, n= 65), chronic pathology (CP, n= 45) and non-endemic normal (NEN, n= 10) individuals. Of the 230 samples tested, VAH capture assay detected circulating antigen in 97.91% of bancroftian and 100% of brugian microfilaraemic individuals, and 5% of endemic normal individuals, comparable to the earlier reported SXP-1 antigen detection assay. However, the combination of VAH and SXP-1 (VS) capture ELISA was found to be more robust, detecting 100% of microfilaraemic individuals and with higher binding values. Thus an antigen capture immunoassay has been developed, which can differentiate active infection from chronic infection by detecting circulating filarial antigens in clinical groups of endemic areas.
In situ gels are one of the most successful means of delivering the drug at ocular site with maximum bioavailability, which undergoes gelation upon instillation as drops into the eye due to physicochemical changes inherent to the biological fluids. The main aim of the present investigation was to obtain an ophthalmic drug delivery system with improved mucoadhesive and mechanical properties that could provide extended retention time for the treatment of ocular infections. For this in situ gels of Gemifloxacin Mesylate comprised of the combination of a thermosetting polymer, polaxamer with a mucoadhesive agent chitosan was developed. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry techniques (DSC) were performed to know the compatibilities between drug and polymer. FTIR spectra and DSC thermograph of Gemifloxacin Mesylate formulations showed that there is no chemical interaction between drug and polymer and confirmed the stability of the drug. The gels were evaluated for pH, Gel strength, Gelling capacity, Rheology, Drug content uniformity and Ocular irritancy studies. In vitro drug release studies reveal that all the formulations showed sustained release of the drug in the range of 70.82 to 76.43 % for a period of 8 h. The optimized formulation was tested for ocular irritation study on male albino rabbit and the result indicated that the formulation was well tolerated, non-irritating and therapeutically efficacious. In conclusion in situ gelling systems containing polaxamer / chitosan solution are viable alternative to enhance bioavailability thus leads to an excellent potential alternative ophthalmic sustained-release formulation of Gemifloxacin Mesylate in ocular infections.
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