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Pharmacy Newsletter : October 2012, Pharmacy Department

Pharmacy Newsletter

Content:

• Quick review of important standards of medication management and use
• Food Grade vitamin D supplements - are our patients safe?
• Cross sensitivity (cross allergy) between drugs
• Drug safety updates

Water Pipe Smoking Amongst The University And College Students Of Karachi, Pakistan, Shehla Batool Jaffri, Aisha Yousuf, Waris Qidwai

Department of Family Medicine

Background:

An extensive literature search revealed that water pipe smoking is an emerging health risk and deserves the attention of health professionals. This study was therefore undertaken to determine the frequency of water pipe smoking among students in college and universities of Pakistan and to assess the practices, knowledge and attitude towards water pipe smoking among them.

Method:

A cross sectional survey was conducted in the College and Universities of Karachi, Pakistan from April 2009 to October 2009. Students were selected through non probability sampling and given self administered questionnaire after the informed consent.

Result:

A total …

Antioxidant, Antimicrobial Properties And Phenolics Of Different Solvent Extracts From Bark, Leaves And Seeds Of Pongamia Pinnata (L.) Pierre, Zahid Iqbal Sajid, Farooq Anwar, Ghulam Shabir, Ghulam Rasul, Khalid M. Alkharfy, Anwarul Hassan Gilani

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

This study appraises the antioxidant and antimicrobial attributes of various solvent extracts (absolute methanol, aqueous methanol, absolute ethanol, aqueous ethanol, absolute acetone, aqueous acetone, and deionized water) from bark, leaves and seeds of Pongamia pinnata (L.) Pierre. Maximum extraction yield of antioxidant components from bark (16.31%), leaves (11.42%) and seeds (21.51%) of P. pinnata was obtained using aqueous methanol (20:80). Of the extracts tested, the bark extract, obtained with aqueous methanol, exhibited greater levels of total phenolics [6.94 g GAE/100 g dry weight (DW)], total flavonoids (3.44 g CE/100 g DW), inhibition of linoleic acid peroxidation (69.23%) and DPPH radical …

Species And Tissue-Specificity Of Prokinetic, Laxative And Spasmodic Effects Of Fumaria Parviflora, Najeeb-Ur-Rehman, Malik Hassan Mehmood, Adnan J. Al-Rehaily, Ramzi A. A. Mothana, Anwar H. Gilani

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Background: Fumaria parviflora Linn. (Fumariaceae), is a small branched annual herb found in many parts of the world including Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. This study was designed to provide pharmacological basis for the medicinal use of Fumaria parviflora in gut motility disorders. Methods: The in-vivo prokinetic and laxative assays were conducted in mice. Isolated intestinal preparations (ileum and jejunum) from different animal species (mouse, guinea-pig and rabbit) were separately suspended in tissue baths containing Tyrode's solution bubbled with carbogen and maintained at 37 degrees C. The spasmogenic responses were recorded using isotonic transducers coupled with PowerLab data acquisition system. Results: …

Pharmacy Newsletter : March 2012, Pharmacy Department

Pharmacy Newsletter

Content:

• ‘Warfarin’ – High Alert Medication Policy Update
• Rational use of Antibiotics 2011 – a Snapshot
• Pharmacist Interventions – Curbing Potential Prescribing Errors
• Reporting Adverse Drug Reactions - An Important Tool for Patient Safety!
• Drug Safety Updates

Aqueous-Methanolic Extract Of Sweet Flag (Acorus Calamus) Possesses Cardiac Depressant And Endothelial-Derived Hyperpolarizing Factor-Mediated Coronary Vasodilator Effects., Abdul Jabbar Shah, Anwar Gilani

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

This investigation was aimed to probe the pharmacological base of medicinal use of Acorus calamus in ischemic heart diseases. Effect on heart parameters was studied in isolated rabbit heart while coronary vasodilator effect was studied in isolated bovine coronary arterial rings, suspended in tissue baths filled with Krebs solution, maintained at 37degreesC, aerated with carbogen and responses were measured on PowerLab data acquisition system. In Langendorrf's perfused rabbit heart, the crude extract of Acorus calamus (Ac.Cr) at 0.01-10 mg/mL partially suppressed force of ventricular contractions (FVC), heart rate (HR) and coronary flow (CF). The ethylacetate fraction completely suppressed FVC, partially …