Matthew Ikhuoria Arhewoh

Background: Aloe vera gel, like other natural products, is prone to microbial contamination hence highlighting the need for effective stabilization to enhance its shelf life. This study Evaluate the stability of Aloe vera gel as a potential pulp mummifying agent and also investigates its antimicrobial activity against oral pathogen. Method: Fresh Aloe vera leaves (105.84 g) were harvested, thoroughly washed with distilled water, and filleted to remove the outer rind. The inner mucilaginous gel was scooped into a beaker, homogenized, and filtered to obtain 60 ml of clear Aloe vera sap. This extract was incorporated into different gel bases prepared using varying concentrations of Carbopol 990, Sodium Carboxymethyl cellulose (Na-CMC), Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), and Gelatin. Calculated amounts of Tween 80, Vitamin E, Methyl paraben, and Propyl paraben were added. The Carbopol-based gels were neutralized with Triethanolamine to a pH of 6–7 to achieve optimal consistency. All formulations were evaluated for physicochemical properties including pH, viscosity, density for a period of 8 weeks and antimicrobial evaluation was carried out against Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus acidophilus. The gels were stored for two months, and the physiochemical parameters were re-evaluated after 4 and 8 weeks; variations over time were an index of their stability Results: pH values of the various formulation ranged between 3.69 ± 0.00 and 7.83 ± 0.00, with most formulations within the physiological range of 5.5–8.0. Carbopol gels showed excellent pH stability, HPMC formulations became slightly more acidic over time, while Na-CMC and Gelatin gels exhibited an alkaline change over time. Viscosity values ranged from 4.38 ± 0.01 to 17.10 ± 0.14 mPa·s. Carbopol gels retained consistency, HPMC gels demonstrated a slight increase, whereas Na-CMC and Gelatin formulations demonstrated viscosity loss during storage. The Specific gravity ranged from 0.9984 to 1.0217 g/ml, indicating good physical uniformity across all formulations. The Antimicrobial testing revealed no inhibitory zones for Aloe vera gel or sap against the tested organisms, while formocresol showed a 55 mm inhibition zone. Conclusion: Carbopol-based formulations exhibited superior stability in both pH and viscosity, making them the most suitable gelling agents for Aloe vera dental gels. Although the formulations showed no antimicrobial activity, their favorable physicochemical properties indicate potential for dental therapeutic applications. Further long-term stability studies are recommended.

Background: Herbal teas, also known as tisanes, are beverages prepared by infusing plants or plant parts such as seeds, bark, leaves, flowers, dried nuts, fruits, and grasses into hot water, producing a distinct taste with various health benefits. Insufficient comparative analysis exists for commonly consumed herbal teas in Nigeria, regarding antioxidant activity, organoleptic, and physicochemical parameters. The purpose of this study is to conduct an in vitro evaluation of organoleptic, physicochemical, and antioxidant properties of selected herbal teas. Method: Ten herbal tea brands (Ginseng tea, Adams Moringa tea, Organic Immune System Booster, 3 Ballerina Tea, Legend Tea and Herbs, Qualitea, Top Tea, Lipton, Costa Tea, and Richmond) were selected from supermarkets and local markets in Edo state, Nigeria. The selected herbal teas were assessed for their organoleptic and physicochemical properties (pH, moisture content, and specific gravity). In the DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging assay, the absorbance at 517 nm of the herbal teas brewed at different temperatures (95, 28, and 10℃) was determined using an ultraviolet spectrophotometer. The percentage inhibition was calculated, and the results were recorded. Result: The organoleptic properties of the herbal tea brew were fresh and within acceptable sensory limits. The pH determination shows that the herbal teas have pH values within the acidic range (<7), from 4.83 to 6.03. From the test carried out, the moisture content ranged from 3.4% to 8.5% (<10%). The specific gravity determination showed that the teas have specific gravity similar to that of water (1.000 g/mL), ranging from 0.92 to 1.02 g/mL. The DPPH radical scavenging assay shows that the percentage inhibition of the teas brewed at 95℃ ranged from 0 to 83.46%. The percentage inhibition of the teas brewed at 28℃ ranged from 59.04 to 82.02%, and the percentage inhibition of teas brewed at 10℃ ranged from 65.52 to 84.62%. Conclusion: The findings suggest that the analyzed herbal teas met the basic quality requirements. The majority of the herbal teas exhibited high antioxidant activity (high percentage inhibition) when brewed at lower temperatures. Costa tea did not show activity at 95℃.

Background: Self emulsifying drug delivery systems (SEDDS) offer a means of enhancing the bioavailability and therapeutic efficacy of drugs with poor water solubility. The aim of this study is to formulate and evaluate a self emulsifying drug delivery system of diclofenac potassium using palm oil as the lipid phase.
Method: Five batches of SEDDS labelled B1, B2, B3, B4, B5 were prepared by incorporating diclofenac potassium in SEDDS bases of palm oil and Tween 80 at varying component ratios. The resulting formulations were evaluated for their self-emulsification performance upon dilution with water by visual inspection and classified according to standard emulsion grading criteria (Grade A, B, or C). They were evaluated for their stability and Absorbance values.
Result: The emulsification performance demonstrated significant variability across the batches, with Batch B1 successfully forming a highly stable Grade A emulsion, indicating rapid and fine self-microemulsification. Conversely, Batches B2 and B3 yielded a satisfactory Grade B emulsion, whereas Batches B4 and B5 resulted in a milky Grade C emulsion, signifying poor emulsification performance. Batches B1, B2 and B3 showed stability,while batches B4 and B5 showed poor stability. The batches had absorbance values which ranged from 0.579 ±0.006 to 0.713 ±0.004 showing considerable drug entrapment.
Conclusion: The optimal performance of Batch B1 confirms that diclofenac potassium can be successfully formulated into a stable SEDDS using palm oil, providing a practical, scalable, and effective strategy for enhanced in vitro dissolution and potential clinical application.