Day 1 :
Keynote Forum
Amots Dafni
Haifa University Israel
Keynote: Medicinal plants of the bible - past, present and future
Biography:
Dr. Dafni is a researcher at the "Laboratory of Ecology and Pollination, Institute of Evolution",In the Hebrew University of Jerusalem he obtained in 1967 his B.Sc. in Biology, in 1969 the Teacher's Certificate, in 1970 his M.Sc. in Botany, and from 1971 to 1975 he studied Doctorate, defending the thesis: "Comparative Biology of Prosopis farcta populations from different habitats in Israel.
Abstract:
Based on data on archaeobotany and ethnobotany of the Holy Land, survey of the use of Medicinal plants in the Holy Land throughout history as well as at the present time , and a Revision of the medicinal plant of Assyria we suggest a new list of the Medicinal Plants of the bible. While Duke and Duke (1983) enumerated not less than 176 plant species as “Biblical Medicinal Plants” and Jacob (1993) only 54, in our survey we suggest reducing that figure to 37. The overlap between Jacob’s list and ours is 19 species in total. Our contribution is 18 “new” suggested Biblical Medicinal Plants.
This discrepancy is due to three reasons:
1. Not less than 22 species in Jacob’s list are not recognized today (Amar, 2012) as valid Biblical plants names at all, or they are not related to specific species.
2. Several identifications from Campbell-Thompson (1949), the only Mesopotamian source used by Jacob, are no longer recognized by modern Assyriologists.
3. Several Mesopotamian plants were only recently identified in medical context.
In our list there are three groups:
1. Plants which are mentioned directly as medicinal plants in the Bible: Fig (Ficus carica), Nard (Nardostachys jatamansi), Hyssop (Majorana syriaca), Balm of Gilead (Commiphora gileadensis) and Mandrake (Mandragora officinarum= M. autumnalis).
2. Plants which are mentioned in the bible and are known as medicinal in post Biblical Jewish sources and / or Egypt and/or Mesopotamia (28spp.)
3. Plant which are not mentioned in the Bible but are present in the Holy Land and are known as medicinal in post Biblical Jewish sources and / or Egypt and/or Mesopotamia (12 spp.) According to our survey, all the 45 suggested BMP’s are still in medical use today in the Middle East and are subjected, at the 21 century, to an active research in attempts; to understand their chemical composition and/or Medical activity and/or Isolation of new compounds for new drug development. Shakya (2016) mentioned “Top 25 Bioactive Compounds of Medicinal plants”, his list includes also : Curcuma longa, Ricinus communis, Piper nigrum, Aloe vera, Nigella sativa, Artemisia absinthium and Allium sativa = 24% of our list of Biblical Medicinal Plants!!
As written in the Bible: “That which has been is what will be, that which is done is what will be done, And there is nothing new under the sun”.
Keynote Forum
Radostina Alexandrova
Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Bulgaria
Keynote: Ru(III) complexes with schiff bases as promising cytotoxic agents in cultured human cancer cells
Biography:
Radostina Alexandrova has completed her graduation with honors in Biochemistry and Microbiology from Sofia University “St. Kl. Ohridski” (SU) in 1991; MSc and PhD in Virology; Post-doctoral training in Slovakia, Hungary, Denmark, Iceland; Lecturer in SU and PhD School of Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS). She is a Team-Leader in the Department of Pathology, IEMPAM-BAS. She has published more than 150 papers in reputed journals and conference proceedings.
Abstract:
A wide range of Schiff bases and especially their metal complexes have been reported to exhibit promising antitumor activity. In addition, there are data confirming the anticancer potential of various Ru(II) and Ru(III) complexes in model systems in vitro and in vivo. The aim of our study was to evaluate the cytotoxic activity of six newly synthesized ruthenium(III) complexes with Schiff bases resulted from the condensation reaction of salicylaldehyde with ethylenediamine (H2Salen), 1,3-diaminopropane (H2Salpn) and 1,2-phenylenediamine (H2Salphen), respectively; and from the condensation reaction of o-vanillin with ethylenediamine (H2Valen), 1,3-diaminopropane (H2Valpn) and, respectively 1,2-phenylenediamine (H2Valphen). Cell lines established from human breast cancer (MCF-7, MDA-MB-231) and cervical carcinoma (HeLa) as well as non-tumor human embryonic fibroblastoid cells (Lep-3) were used as model systems in our investigations. The effect of the compounds on cell viability and proliferation was examined by thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide (MTT) test, neutral red uptake cytotoxicity assay, crystal violet staining, double staining with acridine orange and propidium iodide, hematoxylin and eosin staining, AnnexinV/ICH - DAB and/or AnnexinV/FITC, colony-forming method. The compounds were applied at a concentration range of 5-100 µg/ml for 24-72 h (in short-term experiments, with monolayer cultures) and 25-30 days (in long-term experiments, with 3D cancer cell colonies). The results obtained revealed that the examined metal complexes reduced significantly viability and/or proliferation of the treated cells in a time - and concentration - dependent manner.
Keynote Forum
Nuzhat Chalisa
Morris Hospital, USA
Keynote: Understanding diabetes beyond numbers: Complications and comorbidities
Biography:
Dr. Chalisa is a Clinical Endocrinologist practicing in Chicago IL for past 20 years. Dr. Chalisa started her career in United states as a research assistant in Hepatology with Dr. David Vanthiel at Loyola university medical center in Chicago IL. She completed her Internal medicine training at Loyola university Hospital in Chicago. She did fellowship in Endocrinology Diabetes and metabolism at the Rosalind Franklin university of health sciences. Dr. Chalisa’s primary interest has been in the area of Diabetes. Her experience crosses between research and clinical practice. Some of her initial research was on age related cognitive decline in diabetics and continuous glucose monitoring. She was then focused on clinical practice for few years. She has been interviewed and have published several articles on Diabetes in local newspapers and Journals and has been a speaker in several International diabetes conferences.
Abstract:
Diabetes is a growing global health concern that affects all age groups and genders. Analysts predict a worldwide prevalence of 552 million people with diabetes by 2030. Uncontrolled diabetes can lead to acute complications, including but not limited to, hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, diabetic coma, diabetic ketoacidosis, and diabetic non-ketotic hyperosmolar coma.
Recurrent ongoing hyperglycemia can lead to chronic complications. These complications occur due to a mix of microangiopathy, macrovascular disease, and immune dysfunction. Microangiopathy can affect all vital organs, including they kidneys, heart, and brain, as well as eyes, nerves, lungs, and local gums and feet. Macrovascular problems can lead to cardiovascular disease, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease leading to gangrene and amputation. The damaging effects of hyperglycemia on the vasculature significantly contribute to diabetes complications and comorbidities. Between 30% and 50% of all diabetic patients have some organ damage, which can potentially progress to long-term complications. Hyperglycemia is toxic, whether it occurs early or later in life, and regardless of its etiology.
Comorbidities compound the chronic complications of diabetes. These include smoking, obesity, high blood pressure, and/or elevated cholesterol levels. Additionally, there are many other complications of diabetes which are not recognized and often remain unaddressed, such as diabetic dermopathy, osteoporosis, sleep apnea, musculoskeletal impairments, gastroparesis and dental problems, mental health issues, and vitamin deficiencies.
Type 2 diabetes has been disproportionately increasing in minority populations. Non-Caucasian populations such as Hispanics, African Americans, and Asians are much more likely to develop type 2 diabetes and less likely to have effective control. Certain ethnic populations have a higher risk of complications from diabetes than others.
In addition to the societal and humanistic effects, the management of diabetes and its’ complications has substantial economic impact. If diabetes is undetected or its complications are poorly managed, patients can experience a poor health-related quality of life with significant morbidity and mortality, so optimal prevention and treatment strategies are necessary.
Adequate and sustained control of blood sugar levels can prevent or delay the onset of diabetes-related complications. However, effective interventions, at both the individual and population levels, are desperately needed to slow the diabetes epidemic and reduce the burden of diabetes-related complications.
- Pharmaceutical Technology | Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Discovery | Pre-formulation & formulation Aspects
Session Introduction
Hiba Natsheh
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
Title: Nasal administration of tramadol and oxytocin in animal model for pain using Phospholipid Magnesome carrier
Biography:
Hiba Natsheh is currently a Post-doctoral fellow in Prof. Elka Touitou lab at The Institute for Drug Research, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Prof. Touitou lab is worldwide recognized for designing novel approaches for enhanced dermal and transmucosal drug delivery.
Abstract:
In a previous work, we have shown the ability of Phospholipid Magnesome to improve nasal drug delivery to brain. Here, we focus on the role of this carrier to enhance the antinociceptive effect of two central acting analgesic drugs, tramadol and oxytocin. More than a two-fold increase in tramadol brain concentration relative to controls was detected in 10 minutes (the first tested time point) following the drug nasal administration in Phospholipid Magnesome. In an in vivo experiment using the acetic acid induced pain mice model, we observed a rapid and improved antinociceptive effect of nasal treatment with these drugs, each incorporated in the new carrier. The treatments reduced significantly the number of writhes achieving a maximum possible effect (MPE%) of 67 and 62% for tramadol and oxytocin systems, respectively. On the other hand, a weak antinociceptive effect was noticed for the nasal control systems: water solution, a non-vesicular system and liposome. In conclusion, our data showed that administrating the two analgesic drugs nasally from Phospholipid Magnesome enhances their delivery to brain and improves pain treatment efficacy in animal model. Using the new carrier may help to design nasal products for noninvasive and efficient pain treatment with a rapid onset of action.
KVRNS Ramesh
RAK Medical & Health Sciences University, UAE
Title: Studies on the influence of formulation and processing factors on the drug release from multiparticulate systems
Biography:
KVRNS Ramesh has completed his Post-graduation in Pharmaceutical Sciences and obtained his Doctoral degree in Pharmaceutics specialization from Andhra University, India. His broad area of interest is in the development of controlled release dosage forms and investigations on the stabilization of fast dissolving dosage forms. He has 30 years of teaching and research experience. He has published about 35 research papers in national and international journals. He has delivered lectures in different seminars and conferences organized in the area of Pharmaceutics and Drug Product Development. He has worked in Addis Ababa University under the United Nations Development Project. He is presently Associate Dean and Professor at RAK College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, RAK Medical & Health Sciences University, United Arab Emirates.
Abstract:
New technologies and processes are being developed for existing and new drug molecules to prepare sustained release (SR) and controlled release (CR) dosage forms. Multi-unit forms such as pellets offer significant advantages such as better control over drug release and less chances of dose dumping. In the present work, pellets of furosemide (as a model drug) are prepared by extrusion and spheronization. It belongs to BCS class IV drugs having poor solubility. Since furosemide exhibits low solubility in gastric fluids, to initiate a prompt release from the pellets, a novel approach of incorporating the inclusion complex of furosemide in sulfobutyl ether cyclodextrin in the pellets was employed. Inclusion complex is prepared by kneading method. The utility of almond gum as a binding agent in extrusion and spheronization was investigated. Compared to pellets prepared by employing microcrystalline cellulose, the pellets made by using almond gum were found to be more uniform in size and exhibited a more controlled release spread over 12 hours. The influence of various processing parameters such as speed of extrusion, rpm of spheronizer and time of operation was studied. The characteristics of pellets such as size, size distribution, and shape and drug release are influenced by formulation and processing variations. The drug release data showed a good fit into both Higuchi and Korsmeyer - Peppas equations. The differential scanning calorimetry and infrared spectroscopy (IR) studies revealed that there are no interactions between furosemide and almond gum. The x-ray diffraction studies indicated that the drug furosemide existed in amorphous state in the inclusion complex. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of pellets showed that the pellets have spherical shape and their size depended on amount of almond gum employed. The details of experiments performed and results of the investigations will be presented.
Leena H Saeed
King Fahad Medical City, Saudi Arabia
Title: Early switch from intravenous to oral therapy in hospitalized patients in Neuroscience center at KFMC: a cost-minimizing approach
Biography:
Leena H Saeed is a Clinical Pharmacist, was graduated from King Saud University in 2009 with First Honor degree. She has obtained her Master’s degree in Clinical Pharmacy in 2013 from King Saud University. Currently, she is working as Clinical Pharmacist covering Neurology and Neurosurgery at King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. She is interested in Pharmacoeconomics - the use of drug formulations for cost minimization and also in Pharamcogenetics.
Abstract:
Background: In each hospital, there is a good number of patients who are candidates for the switch-over from intravenous (IV) to oral therapy. The main hindrance that restricts intravenous to oral conversion is the idea that oral medications do not reach the same bioavailability as that of intravenous medications and that the same item must be used both intravenously and orally. Although several drugs commonly used in hospitalized patients are equally bioavailable intravenously and orally, patients usually are not shifted to the oral medication when stable and taking oral medications or eating an oral diet. There are many advantages involved in earlier conversion from the intravenous to the oral therapy, including but not conclusive to less nursing time for medication administration, lower cost, less intravenous catheters needed can lead to increased patient satisfaction and safety.
Objective: The objective of the present study is establishment of a pharmacist-led IV to oral switch over protocol in the national neuroscience institute (NNI) at King Fahad Medical City (KFMC), in an attempt to reduce the annual medication cost.
Materials & Methods: The study was conducted in the NNI of KFMC in Riyadh Saudi Arabia. The study was prospective. We identified five targeted medications that are commonly prescribed in NNI (NHDU, NW1, Stroke) inpatient wards with almost identical oral and intravenous bioavailability Forty five (45) patients were recruited. Their files were reviewed by the pharmacist and recommendation to switch was communicated to physician either verbally or documented in the patient file. The total cost of the medications was compared between oral and intravenous forms according to the length of stay in the ward. Inclusion and exclusion criteria are mentioned Difference between oral and IV medication cost were compared using Mann-Whitney U test. All data entry and statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 22.0 software.
Results: This study has been in place for six months. Seventy one (71) recommendations were made. Of these recommendations, 11 (15.5%) were rejected and 60 (84.5%) were accepted and implemented, resulting in a cost savings of 10,652 SAR (P=0.001). When annualized, the expected savings is 21,304 SAR or nearly the monthly salary of two full-time pharmacists.
Conclusion: This study demonstrates successful implementation of a pharmacist-led switch-over strategy. Duration of IV treatment reduced dramatically and the annual savings significantly improved. This program has been well accepted by physicians and pharmacists. It appears to be having a positive impact on physician awareness of using oral medications when appropriate. This study may be used as a template for the introduction of further pharmacist-led early IV to oral switch-over initiatives.
Atif M Madi
University of Dublin, Ireland
Title: Downstream optimisation of manufactured spray dried Amorphous Solid Dispersion (ASD) Powders
Biography:
Dr Madi is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow and PI with a demonstrated history of working in the higher education sector. Dr Madi is currently undertaking an Industrial Research Fellowship with APC Ltd (Science Foundation Ireland Award). Skilled in Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technologies. Dr Madi holds a Master of Science (MSc.) in Pharmaceutical Analysis and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) focused on Oral Drug Delivery. Dr Madi works under the direction of Professor Anne-Marie Healy of Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland since February 2016.
Abstract:
Spray drying (SD) is often used as a continuous processing technique to isolate, purify and to enhance the biopharmaceutical properties and processability of many active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). One of the main applications of SD is to manufacture amorphous solid dispersion (ASD) formulations of poorly water-soluble crystalline drugs. The amorphous state, with a higher energy than the equivalent crystalline form, typically confers significantly higher solubility on the API, resulting in enhanced dissolution and bioavailability characteristics, which can reflect in a higher therapeutic efficacy of the drug product. One of the limitations of SD is that it usually produces fine spherical solid particles that exhibit poor powder flow characteristics, which requires further processing before they can be presented in a final dosage form such as a tablet. Materials selection and processing conditions are critical parameters for the success of the SD technique in the manufacture of ASDs. Furthermore, addition of excipients and further downstream processing will influence the performance of manufactured ASDs. In our research, the SD technique was employed as a continuous processing technique to manufacture ASD formulations of model poorly water-soluble drugs; namely: Indomethacin and Glibenclamide. The effect of polymeric carrier selection, solvent mixtures used, and different SD processing conditions were all investigated. ASDs of the candidate API were successfully manufactured and different process critical parameters were monitored and identified. This study provides deeper insights on the effect of different SD process related parameters, as well as material selection, on the nature and performance of the manufactured formulations.
Radostina Alexandrova
Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Bulgaria
Title: Metal [Zn(II), Co(II), Ni(II)] complexes with kojic acid: do they help us to fight against cancer?
Biography:
Prof. Radostina Alexandrova has graduated with honors in Biochemistry and Microbiology, Sofia University “St. Kl. Ohridski” (SU) in 1991; MSc and PhD in Virology; Postdoctoral training in Slovakia, Hungary, Denmark, Iceland; lecturer in SU and PhD School of Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS). She is a team-leader in the Department of Pathology, IEMPAM-BAS. She has published more than 150 papers in reputed journals and conference proceedings.
Abstract:
The aim of our study was to evaluate the influence of newly synthesized complexes of Zn(II), Co(II) and Ni(II) with kojic acid on viability and proliferation of cultured human (HeLa cervical carcinoma), rat (sarcoma LSR-SF-SR) and avian (liver cancer LSCC-SF-Mc29) cancer cells. Short-term experiments (24-72 h, with monolayer cell cultures) by thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide (MTT) test, neutral red uptake assay (NR), crystal violet staining (CV), double staining with acridine orange and propidium iodide, AnnexinV/FITC method as well as long-term experiments (14 days, with 3D cancer cell colonies) by 3D-colony forming method were carried out to investigate the cytotoxic activity of the compounds. The results obtained revealed that the compounds examined decreased viability and inhibited 2D and 3D growth of the treated cells in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. Co(II) complex with kojic acid (CoKoj) was found to be the most promising cytotoxic agent in human HeLa and rat LSR-SF-SR cells whereas ZnKoj showed the highest effectivity in chicken LSCC-SF-Mc29 cells. NiKoj exhibited the lowest cytotoxicity. Cytopathological changes and apoptosis were observed in the cells cultivated in the presence of the compounds tested.
Jesús Rodriguez Lastra
University of Carabobo, Venezuela
Title: Uses of radiofrequency in skin ulcers, and diabetic foot
Biography:
Jesús Rodriguez Lastra is Doctor in Medicine Physiologist at Habana University. He is Professor of Physiology at Habana University and Carabobo University, Valencia, Venezuela. He is also Professor Collaborator at University Autonomic de Madrid.
Abstract:
Introduction: There is evidence that electromagnetic stimulation can result in a greater reduction of the surface area with more complete healing of stage II to IV ulcers.
Methodology: We studied 36 patients, 21 women and 15 men, who presented ulcers in the lower limbs. Nine men and 15 women had diabetes mellitus. The thickness of the skin of the leg was measured with ultrasonography and the temperature with thermographic camera.
Results: A CAPENERGY C200 Tecartherapy device was used. A total of 10 sessions were applied at a frequency of one/week with a power of 60% and a frequency of 1.2 MHz for 30 minutes. The edema, observed in 34 patients in the region of the lower extremity, disappeared in 26 of the 36 patients (Wilcoxon p=0.003). This result was confirmed by the 0.4 mm decrease in subcutaneous cell thickness (Friedman's test p=0.000). The temperature before and after was increased by an average of 1.4°C (Wilcoxon p=0.000).
Discussion: The use of radiofrequency in the treatment of ulcers in diabetic and non-diabetic patients is beneficial. An important characteristic is that it is not invasive, it is not painful, it is well tolerated and the results are evident, the injury improves and the quality of life.
Conclusion: The greater speed in healing can be explained by the anti-inflammatory effect due to the changes in the coagulation and anticoagulation systems, the improvement of the microcirculation, together with better response of the immune system.
Zavialova Kseniia Vladimirovna
Tomsk State University, Russia
Title: The development of ideas about the characteristics of the near-field interaction of electromagnetic radiation in a wide frequency band with the biological environment being diagnosed to create on this basis a new technology of non-invasive glucometer: part 1 - first results
Biography:
Zavialova Kseniia Vladimirovna is a Research Scientist at the Department of Radiophysics at Tomsk State University. She has obtained her Master's degree in Radiophysics and defended PhD in the field of Physical and Mathematical Sciences in 2015. Since 2016, she has been researching and developing methods of radio wave tomography of biological objects.
Abstract:
Introduction: In view of the fact that existing portable blood glucose meters have sufficient accuracy only with direct blood sampling taken from a patient’s finger, now numerous studies are aimed at developing non-invasive technologies for analyzing blood glucose concentrations. Such an opportunity will allow the prevention and early diagnosis of the population to identify violations of carbohydrate metabolism, which will lead to a decrease in the number of diabetes diseases, as well as save the huge costs associated with consumables. However, despite the intensive development of the market for non-invasive blood glucose meters, their technology has not yet been fully developed. The complexity of the task is explained by the huge number of factors affecting the reading of a non-invasive glucometer, which must be optimized in order to obtain an effective device. These factors range from the influence of the skin to the percentage of glucose. In fact, the question boils down to extracting reliable information from noise, or to identifying an empirical relationship between the observed phenomenon and the level of blood glucose. To date, the accuracy of non-invasive blood glucose meters created is poor and, above all, due to the presence of a protective skin and muscle cover of a person. As a rule, it is the skin and the parameters of the internal environment that introduces significant errors in the measured data.
Purpose: This project proposes a study of the characteristics of the near-field interaction of electromagnetic radiation with the diagnosed biological environment in order to create a non-invasive glucometer technology on this basis. When conducting a detailed analysis of the existing technologies of non-intrusive blood glucose meters, it was found that the protective cover of a person (skin, muscles) makes a significant contribution to the rather high error of these devices. Overcoming this cover, as a rule, introduces significant errors in the measured data (signal-to-noise ratio). The original solution of this problem to the authors of the project is seen in the study of the so-called near-field effect. Each radiator (antenna) has near itself two spatially distributed zones - the near and the far. Based on our previous studies, the boundaries of the near and far zones are sufficiently localized. In the near zone, the weakening (exponential) of the electromagnetic field is not associated with the absorption of radiation, but in the far zone, absorption (exponential) does occur. The near field of the emitter penetrates deeply enough, since it does not experience significant absorption in a conducting medium. This allows you to maximize the signal-to-noise ratio. The fact is that in the near field the field is quasi-static. The field takes the form of a wave only outside the near zone. When the emitter is located directly on the surface of the probed medium, for example, on the skin, the electrophysical properties of the cover do not affect the phase structure of the field within the near zone. By aligning the wave zone with the location of the vein, it will be possible to increase the unambiguous interpretation of the result in order to determine the glucose concentration. The magnitude of the clamping force of the radiator, that is, contact with the body, does not play a fundamental role in this case. The amount of glucose (sugar) dissolved in a liquid is reliably determined by the rotation of the plane of polarization of the radiation. The key here is the possibility of combining the border of the near zone of the emitter with a vein without invasive intervention, which solves the problem of “delivering” the field through the skin and muscle integument without loss.
Conclusion: At the first stage of these studies, a physico-mathematical model of the interaction of the electromagnetic field of the near zone with a model of the biological environment based on the human hand (the top layer of skin, tissues, muscles, blood vessels at different depths with a controlled variation of glucose concentration) was developed. The results of the calculation and analysis of the recorded responses, based on the model understanding of the dielectric properties of normal biological tissues and tissues that are subject to the negative effect of an excess of sugar content in the blood vessels, show high sensitivity to different concentrations glucose. Developed a near-field sensor antenna matched with biological tissue. The features of electromagnetic field interaction radiation in a wide frequency band with a diagnosed biological environment allow to create on this basis a new non-invasive glucometer technology for treating and preventing diabetes.