FACULTY OF PHARMACY

Introduction: Disintegrating agents are used to speed up the breakdown of solid dosage forms, such as tablets and capsules, after administration. Pectin is a complex polysaccharide composed of galacturonic acid units commonly used in the pharmaceutical industry as a disintegrant due to its ability to absorb water and swell leading to the disruption of tablet structure and promoting
rapid disintegration.
Objective: To investigate the feasibility of incorporating pectin obtained from citrus sinensis peel as a fast acting disintegrant and assessing its impact on tablet disintegration and dissolution profile and to compare the performance of the locally obtained pectin based-formulations with
other disintegrants.
Method: Pectin was extracted using the hot acid extraction method and various batches of ciprofloxacin tablets (F1-F7) were prepared by wet granulation technique. The granules
produced were subjected to pre-compression (bulk and tapped densities, angle of repose, Hausner’s ratio and Carr’s index) and post compression (hardness, friability, weight uniformity and dissolution) evaluations respectively.
Results: The granular mixtures of the various batches had angle of repose between 22.53° to 28.60° indicating excellent flow. The Hausner’s ratio ranged from 1.12 to 1.22 while the Carr’s index was between 11.69% and 17.20%. The bulk and tapped densities were found to be between 0.41gm/cm3 to 0.58gm/cm3 and 0.42gm/cm3 to 0.60gm/cm3 respectively. The seven batches had uniform weight with low standard deviation values of less than ±5% which are within the
B.P limits. The hardness values ranged from 7.2 to 10.0 kg/cm2 while the friability values of 0.60- 0.98% were found to be less than 1%. The disintegration time of the pectin formulation F2-F6 ranged from 11.5-26.4min as compared with those of the standards F1 and F7 whose disintegration time value were 8.2 and 13.5 respectively. The in vitro dissolution result showed that F6 had the best dissolution profile among the formulations containing pectin.
Conclusion: Pectin obtained from Citrus sinensis at a concentration of 15% showed excellent disintegrating property when compared with sodium starch glycolate and maize starch which are super disintegrants and conventional disintegrants respectively.

This research explored the chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil derived from Ocimum basilicum Linn. (Sweet Basil). The oil was obtained through
hydrodistillation using a Clevenger-type apparatus, producing a 0.71% (v/w) average yield of a light-yellow, aromatic extract. Chemical profiling carried out with Gas Chromatography– Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS) revealed nine major constituents, with estragole (46.12%), eucalyptol (16.87%), and linalool (10.45%) as the predominant compounds, supported by smaller amounts of eugenol, thymol, β-caryophyllene, bisabolene, and τ-cadinol. The antimicrobial properties of the oil were assessed using agar well diffusion and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assays against selected bacterial and fungal strains. Results indicated that the oil displayed dose-dependent inhibitory activity, showing marked effects against Staphylococcus aureus (19 mm), Bacillus subtilis (18 mm), Candida albicans (17 mm), and Aspergillus niger (21 mm), while Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa exhibited resistance. The observed antimicrobial efficacy was linked to the synergistic actions of oxygenated monoterpenes and phenylpropanoids in the oil. These findings demonstrate that O. basilicum essential oil exhibits strong antimicrobial potential, especially toward Gram-positive bacterial and fungal organisms, thereby validating its traditional medicinal applications. The dominance of estragole and eucalyptol suggests the Nigerian-grown species belongs to the estragole–eucalyptol chemotype. In summary, the study establishes O. basilicum oil as a viable natural antimicrobial candidate with promising applications in pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and cosmetic industries, contributing to sustainable strategies against antimicrobial resistance.

Cymbopogon citratus (lemongrass) is well known for its medicinal and therapeutic activity which is mainly due to its essential oil, which has been established in previous studies to exhibit antioxidant, and sun-protective properties. In addition, the previous study has already determined its phytochemical composition (via GC-MS). This study serves as a continuation of previous work, focusing on the physicochemical characterization of lemongrass essential oil and its formulation into a cream to explore its stability and potential skincare applications. Fresh lemongrass leaves were subjected to hydrodistillation using a Clevenger-like apparatus to extract the essential oil. The physicochemical properties of the oil were analyzed, including specific gravity, acid value, saponification value, refractive index, iodine value, color, and taste. The extracted oil was then formulated into an oil-in water (O/W) emulsion cream, and its stability, pH, viscosity, spreadability, and irritation potential were evaluated. The yield of the extracted essential oil was 0.64%. Physicochemical analysis indicates a specific gravity of 0.8713, acid value of 5.0 mg KOH/g, saponification value of 170 mg KOH/g, refractive index of 1.4818, iodine value of 60 g I₂/100 g, and a pale yellow color with a bitter, spicy taste. The formulated cream exhibited good visual stability, spreadability, and a neutral pH, with the 1% essential oil concentration showing the best compatibility with the skin. These findings validate the potential of Cymbopogon citratus essential oil as a natural sun screen ingredient for skincare formulations, particularly for its stability and suitability in cream-based products. Further studies on the long-term stability and enhanced formulation characteristics are recommended.

Paracetamol also known as Acetaminophen or N-acetyl-Para aminophenol (APAP) is one of the most widely used non-prescription medications known for its analgesic and antipyretic property. The experimental procedure involve standard methods of analysis and was focused on the determination and comparison of specific nutritional or related parameter. The parameters
include; pH, moisture, protein, fat, ash and essential micro-nutrients (Calcium, potassium, sodium, Iron, zinc, magnesium) when cow beef was cooked with paracetamol and without paracetamol. The PH3C pH meter was used to determine the cooked solution pH, Protein content was determined using the Kjeldahl method of protein determination, The fat content was determined by Soxhlet extraction with n-hexane, the loss on drying method was utilized to determine the moisture content, a heating furnace was used to determine the amount of ash in the sample and the ash was further analyzed for micronutrients with the aid of atomic absorption spectroscopy (Buck scientific 210VGIP Atomic absorption spectrometer). The result from the study showed an increase in the concentration of moisture, fat, ash and micronutrients in beef cooked with Paracetamol and a decrease in the protein content and pH values of beef cooked with Paracetamol. This study demonstrated that beef cooked with Paracetamol and less protein content but higher levels of fat and metal ions.

Introduction: Excipients play a crucial role in pharmaceutical tablet formulation, influencing drug stability,bioavailabilty,and mechanical properties.Traditional excipients often present challenges such as poor flowability,inadequate compressibility and inconsistent drug release to address these limitations,co-processed excipients,which combine multiple excipients to enhance functionality,have gained attention.
Purpose: The primary aim of this study is to prepare and characterize a co-processed excipient for direct compression and fast tablet disintegration.
Method: The novel excipient was prepared through milling and co-processing of the selected excipient.The excipients physical and flow properties were characterized by measuring bulk density, tapped density,car’s index, hausner’s ratio, moisture content, swelling index and hydration capacity.Paracetamol tablets were formulated using the excipient in different concentrations an evaluated for weight uniformity,hardness,friability,disintegration time and dissolution rate.
Results: The co-processed excipient exhibited improved physiochemical properties with hardness(6.6-7),Disintegration time(1.45secs) and drug release profile of above 80% within 50mins in two separate batches.It showed poor flow properties with carr’s index of 60% and hydration capacity of 1.18
Conclusion: The result from the disintegration time of the different batches of tablet
formulation with the co-processed excipient showed signs of a fast disintergratig tablet with a disintegration time of 1.45secs.

Background: Acute pain is a complex experience involving both sensory perception and significant affective components, particularly anxiety. This interaction is mediated by shared neural pathways and potentially linked to oxidative stress. This study investigates the comparative anxiotropic effects of orphenadrine and diclofenac, alone and in combination, focusing on their ability to modulate anxiety-like behaviour and associated oxidative damage in acute pain in mice. Methods: Twenty-four mice were allocated into four groups receiving normal saline (10ml/kg), orphenadrine (25mg/kg), diclofenac (50mg/kg), and an orphenadrine–diclofenac combination at the aforementioned doses. Peripheral analgesia was assessed with the acetic-acid–induced writhing assay while anxiety-like behavior was evaluated the following day, using the elevated plus maze. Animals were euthanized, brain tissue was excised and fixed in 10% formalin, and brain MDA was quantified by TBA derivatization and HPLC.
Results: Diclofenac and the orphenadrine-diclofenac combination demonstrated superior analgesic activity (p < 0.01 to p < 0.001). Both orphenadrine (p < 0.0001) and diclofenac (p < 0.001) were associated with significantly elevated MDA levels compared to the control group, while the combination group showed a reduction in MDA compared to either drug alone. All three treatment groups saw a decrease in the time spent in the open arm and a modest increase in time spent in the closed arms of the EPM, compared to the control group (p < 0.001). All drugs were associated with a decrease in the number of entries into the open arm, while orphenadrine uniquely led a significant reduction in closed arm entries (p < 0.01) compared to the control, an effect not seen with diclofenac or the combination groups.
Conclusion: Data from this study shows that all three analgesic treatments were associated with significantly increased anxiety-like behavior and accompanying oxidative damage.

Rutin hydrate (Vitamin P), a known flavonoid glycoside, commercially available and found in various plants, have been shown to possess a range of pharmacological effects including antioxidant, cytoprotective, vasoprotective, anticarcinogenic, neuroprotective and cardioprotective activities. There is however limited scientific knowledge on its effect on the uterus. This study aimed at investigating the effect of rutin hydrate on spontaneous and agonistinduced contractions of isolated pregnant mice uterine tissues. Pure rutin hydrate sample was examined on uterine tissues isolated from healthy pregnant albino mice (gestation day 18). This investigation was carried out using a range of concentrations (0.03- 25mg/ml) to assess its activity on spontaneous contractions, oxytocin-induced contractions, high KCL-induced contractions, as well as oxytocin-induced contractions in a calcium-free medium. For mating conditions to achieve pregnancy, virgin female albino mice were paired with male mouse of the same strain overnight at the ratio of 2:1 and gestation day 0 was defined by the presence of vaginal plug in the paired females the next morning. Rutin hydrate exerted inhibitory effects on spontaneous uterine contractions in a dose dependent manner. Both the frequency and amplitude of spontaneous contractions progressively reduced until complete elimination. There was immediate tissue recovery following washout of the drug with fresh PSS. It however showed no significant changes to the contractions elicited by oxytocin, high KCL and oxytocin-induced contractions in a zero-calcium medium. This study offers scientific evidence suggesting that rutin hydrate has relaxing effects on pregnant uterine contractions but does not interfere with calcium-dependent mechanisms of action in the uterus. Hence, this compound merits further investigation as a potentially new or complementary tocolytic drug therapy, via studying its effects on pathways other than calcium antagonism, for managing conditions requiring uterine contractility inhibition during pregnancy, such as in preterm labou

Nature has long been a source of medicine, with traditional plant-based remedies playing a key role in modern healthcare. About 80% of the global population relies on traditional medicine. A polyherbal remedy from plant leaves including; Moringa oleifera, Anacardium occidentale, Carica papaya, Azadirachta indica, Mangifera indica, Cymbopogon citratus, Justicia carnea, Ocimum gratissimum and Psidium guajava is gaining popularity for their use in the treatment
of various ailments including malaria. Although many phytochemicals present in these plants have beneficial effects, studies however need to be carried out to verify their safety and efficacy. This study aims to evaluate the safety potential of the polyherbal remedy on male Wistar rats. Fifty (50) grams of each plant were weighed and chopped into smaller pieces and placed in a pot. Three (3L) liters of water was added and boiled for 30 minutes. This procedure was repeated for multiple extraction. After boiling, the extracts were cooled, filtered and the filtrates evaporated to dryness in porcelain dishes, over a boiling water bath. HPLC analysis was performed using a uBondapak C18 column and a UV 254nm detector. The effect of the extract on biochemical parameters was determined following a 14-day daily administration of the extract via the oral route, on male Wistar rats.

Co-processed excipients have been developed to enhance the performance of poorly soluble drugs like Glimepiride. Varying ratios of the API (Glimepiride) was mixed with the co-processed excipients and from the results, there was improved flowability, compressibility and disintegration properties, optimizing tablet formulation and bioavailability. Studies have demonstrated reduced lubricant sensitivity and enhanced drug release profiles. Co-processed excipients offer improved dilution potential, mechanical strength and faster manufacturing processes making co-procession a valuable advancement in pharmaceutical technology

Variable drug release from solid dosage forms has been a major cause of bioavailability problems. The two main processes by which they release drugs are disintegration and dissolution. The objective of the present study was to assess the disintegration and dissolution of Omeprazole in different beverages like Coca-Cola, Chivita juice, Hollandia yoghurt and Malta Guinness. The test was carried out per the US Pharmacopoeia standard for delayedrelease drugs. A hybrid medium of different beverages and pH 6.8 phosphate buffer (250ml) was prepared to mimic in-vivo conditions. The result showed that the disintegration time increased in Hollandia yoghurt, while it decreased in Coca-Cola, Malta Guinness and Chivita juice. As the viscosity of fluid increases, the disintegration time was also increased. Coco- cola which contains Carbon Dioxide is implicated in reducing the disintegration time of omeprazole. Since the dissolution profile phase of the study, the results reflected that the drug release was retarded in Hollandia yoghurt and it was sufficiently released in Coca-Cola, Malta Guinness and Chivita juice. From the above study, it can be concluded that there is variation in the disintegration time and dissolution profile of the studied drug in different beverages. Hollandia yoghurt had poor disintegration and dissolution quality compared to other dissolution media used.