International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology

International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology ISSN 2326-7267 Vol. 15 (3), pp. 001-006, March, 2026. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Chemical Profiling and Inorganic Element Analysis of Calendula officinalis and Sonchus asper

Iqbal Hussain¹*, Riaz Ullah^{1, 3}, Naeem Khan1, Sultan Ayaz⁴, Shabir Ahmad1, Shanzeb¹, Majed Ahmed1, Pir Tariq Hasan¹ and Farhat Ali Khan²

¹Department of Chemistry, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Kohat, Pakistan.
²Department of Pharmacy, Sarhad University of Science and Information Technology, Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
³Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, King Saud University, P. O. Box 800, Riyadh 11421, KSA.
⁴Department of Zoology, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Kohat, Pakistan.

Accepted 19 November, 2025

The present work was carried out to investigate the quantitative determination of crude phytochemicals (alkaloids, flavonoids and saponins), heavy metals and inorganic constituents in Calendula officinale and Sonchus asper. Heavy metals were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometer and inorganic constituents by the available methods (AOAC, 2000). The studied plants showed variable amount of phytochemicals, heavy metals and inorganic constituents. In case of heavy metals, Pb, Fe, Cu, Zn, Ni and Ag were recorded. The amount of inorganic constituents was also found in considerably different levels. The study is of particular importance for providing a scientific data base line.

Key words: Phytochemicals, Calendula officinale, heavy metals.

International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology ISSN 2326-7267 Vol. 15 (3), pp. 001-009, March, 2026. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Mechanism of Curcumin-Induced Caspase-Dependent Apoptosis in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma CNE-2z Cells

Qiang Wu¹, Yunlong Hou¹, Bo Sun¹, Kun Zhuang², Haocheng Zhang¹ and Dejun Jin³*

¹Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150086, China. 2Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150001, China. 3Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150086, China.

Accepted 28 September, 2025

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is an epidemic malignant cancer in Southern China and Southeast Asia. Curcumin, an edible yellow pigment, has been shown to exert an anti-cancer activity in several tumor types. In this study, the effects of curcumin on cell growth and apoptosis were examined in the human NPC cell line CNE-2z, using the 3-(4,5-dimethythiazol-. 2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and flow cytometry. Western blotting and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were used to quantify pro- and anti-apoptotic gene expression. Curcumin significantly inhibited the growth of CNE-2z cells. Curcumin also induced apoptosis in CNE-2z cells, in a mechanism dependent on activation of Caspase-3, which was associated with Bax up-regulation and Bcl-2 and NF-kB down- regulation. Curcumin had no effect on Fas or caspase-8 expression. The results of this study suggest that curcumin induces apoptosis in CNE-2z cells via the intrinsic pathway.

Key words: Anti-tumor, curcumin, nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
 

International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology ISSN 2326-7267 Vol. 15 (2), pp. 001-008, February, 2026. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Sevoflurane Mitigates Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Lung Injury by Enhancing Heme Oxygenase-1 Expression

Zhaoshuang Ping*, Wu Jiao and Zhang Zhong

Department of Critical Care Medicine, Hunan Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.

Accepted 09 October, 2025

To observe the effect of sevoflurane pretreatment with different concentrations on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI) and expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were divided into six groups in different sevoflurane pretreatment experiment, Group A (control), Group B (1.5 MAC sevoflurane), Group C (1.5 MAC sevoflurane + LPS), Group D (1.0 MAC sevoflurane + LPS), group E (0.5 MAC sevoflurane + LPS) and Group F (LPS) at random. Besides, SD rats were divided into other six groups in induced HO-1 expression experiment, Group A (control group), Group B (ZnPP), Group C (1.0 MAC sevoflurane), Group D (1.0 MAC sevoflurane + LPS), Group E (ZnPP + 1.0 MAC sevoflurane + LPS) and Group F (LPS). Using traditional method to detect pathological changes, wet/dry ratio (W/D), myeloperoxidase (MPO) and HO-1 activity; detecting the mRNA and protein level of cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant (CINC), and intercellular adhesion molecule-1(ICAM-1) and HO-1 by RT-PCR and Western blot. 1.0 MAC sevoflurane pre-treatment could effectively protect ALI with decreasing pathomorphological scores, MPO activity, W/D and down- regulated expression of ICAM-1 and CINC. Furthermore, 1.0 MAC sevoflurane pre-treatment could significantly induced HO-1 expression suggesting sevoflurane may protect ALI from inflammation through inducing abundant HO-1 expression. Sevoflurane pre-treatment may be an effective avenue to alleviate ALI through inducing HO-1 expression.

Key words: Sevoflurane, acute lung injury, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1).
 

International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology ISSN 2326-7267 Vol. 15 (2), pp. 001-002, February, 2026. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Short communication

Phytochemical Modulation of Immune Response by Phlomis bracteosa

Riaz Ullah^1,2, Yousef Saleh Al-Zeghayer² and Sajjad Haider²

¹Department of Chemistry, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Kohat-26000, KPK, Pakistan.
²Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, King Saud University, P.O BOX 800, Riyadh 11421, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Accepted 16 September, 2025

The present study reports the immunomodulatory activities of different crude fractions of Phlomis bracteosa. In case of immunomodulatory study, the ethylacetate fraction demonstrated significant modulatory effect for oxidative burst of polymorphoneutrophils and CHCl3 crude fraction for the whole blood, while the aqueous fraction demonstrated reasonable inhibition. Hence, both the chloroform and ethylacetate fractions of P. bracteosa are suggested further for the isolation and identification of active constituents responsible for the observed effects.

Key words: Phlomis bracteosa, lamiaceae, immunmodulatory potential.
 

International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology ISSN 2326-7267 Vol. 15 (2), pp. 001-010, February, 2026. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Engineering Propranolol Hydrochloride-Loaded Microballoons for Gastroretentive Floating Drug Delivery

Akash Yadav* and Dinesh Kumar Jain

Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, Indore Professional Studies (IPS) Academy, Knowledge Village, Agra-Bombay Road, Rajendra Nagar, Indore (Madhya Pradesh)-452012, India.

Accepted 20 September, 2025

The purpose of this research was to prepare floating microballoons consisting of (i) calcium silicate as porous carrier; (ii) propranolol hydrochloride (PRH), an oral anti-hypertensive agent; and (iii) Eudragit S as polymer, by solvent evaporation method and to evaluate their gastro-retentive and controlled release properties. The effect of various formulation and process variables on the particle morphology, micromeritic properties, in-vitro floating behavior, percentage drug entrapment, and in-vitro drug release was studied. The gamma scintigraphy of the optimized formulation was performed in albino rabbits to monitor the transit of floating microballoons in the gastrointestinal tract. The propranolol hydrochloride-loaded optimized formulation was orally administered to albino rabbits, and blood samples collected were used to determine pharmacokinetic parameters of propranolol hydrochloride from floating microballoons. The microballoons were found to be regular in shape and highly porous. Microballoons formulation CS4, containing 200 mg calcium silicate showed the best floating ability (89 ± 4% buoyancy) in simulated gastric fluid as compared with other formulations. Release pattern of propranolol hydrochloride in simulated gastric fluid from all floating microballoons followed Higuchi matrix model and Peppas-Korsmeyer model. Prolonged gastric residence time of over 6 h was achieved in all rabbits for calcium silicate based floating microballoons of propranolol hydrochloride. The enhanced elimination half life observed after pharmacokinetic investigations in the present study is due to the floating nature of the designed formulations.

Key words: Propranolol hydrochloride, calcium silicate, gastroretentive floating drug delivery, microballoons, gamma scintigraphy.
 

International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology ISSN 2326-7267 Vol. 15 (2), pp. 001-004, February, 2026. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Evaluation of the Antidiarrheal Potential of Catharanthus roseus Leaf Extract in Experimental Rat Models

Kyakulaga A. Hassan^1,2*, Alinda T. Brenda², Vudriko Patrick² and Ogwang E. Patrick³

¹Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, P. O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda.
²Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Department of Physiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Makerere University, P. O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda.
³Division of Pharmacology, Natural Chemotherapeutics Research Institute, P. O. Box 4864, Kampala, Uganda.

Accepted 16 September, 2025

Catharanthus roseus is a medicinal plant with various pharmacological properties. In this study, we investigated the in vivo antidiarrheal activity of C. roseus ethanolic leaf extract in Wistar rats. Castor oil was used to induce experimental diarrhea in rats pretreated with extracts administered at 200 and 500 mg/kg to determine antidiarrheal effect. Loperamide and atropine sulphate were used as standard drugs in the two experiments. Preliminary phytochemical screening of the extract revealed the presence of alkaloids, tannins, triterpenes, flavonoids and saponins. The antidiarrheal effect of ethanolic extract of C. roseus revealed a dose dependant inhibition of castor oil induced diarrhea at doses of 200 and 500 mg/kg. On comparison of the extract with the negative control, there was a significant difference at 200 mg/kg (P < 0.05) and a more significant difference at 500 mg/kg (P < 0.001). Test extract’s effect was further evaluated on intestinal transit and it exhibited dose dependant inhibition of transit motility of charcoal meal. The results indicated that the ethanol extract of C. roseus possesses significant antidiarrheal effect and corroborate the use of this herbal remedy as non-specific treatment for diarrhea in folk medicine.

Key words: Catharansu roseus, antidiarrheal, ethanolic, phytochemical.