Journal of Pharmaceutical Research International

Extraction and Chromatographic Profiling of Ascorbic Acid from Emblica officinalis Root

Subhendu Dey — 2025-11-28

Background: Emblica officinalis (amla) is known for its vitamin C-rich fruit, but its root remains underexplored. Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) is a vital plant antioxidant that plays essential roles in stress responses. We investigated E. officinalis root as a potential source of vitamin C, focusing on its extraction and profiling.

Methods: Amla roots were dried, powdered, and extracted by Soxhlet with 95% ethanol. The concentrated extract underwent standard phytochemical tests for reducing compounds (iodine, ferric chloride, silver nitrate, nitroprusside). Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) was performed on silica gel plates using various solvent systems to resolve ascorbic acid. UV-Visible spectrophotometry (200–400 nm) compared the extract’s absorbance spectrum against pure vitamin C.

Results: All chemical assays gave positive indications of ascorbic acid in the root extract (Table 1). TLC yielded a single major spot; the optimal mobile phase (n-butanol: acetic acid: water, 4:1:5) produced R_f ≈0.48, matching literature values for ascorbate. Other solvent systems gave R_f≈0.83 and ≈0.78 (Table 2). The UV-Vis spectrum of the extract showed a peak at ~267 nm, consistent with pure ascorbic acid (λ_max≈258–265 nm).

Conclusion: These findings confirm that E. officinalis roots contain vitamin C. The established extraction and chromatographic protocol provides a basis for qualitative identification and future quantification of this antioxidant. Ascorbate in roots could contribute to the plant’s oxidative stress defence and overall physiology. This work lays the groundwork for utilizingAmla root in antioxidant profiling and plant defence studies.

Risk Assessment, Environmental and Health Hazards of Hexane (HEX) and Ethyl Acetate (EtOAc): A Review

Renato Augusto Pereira Damásio — 2025-11-22

Background: Manufactured chemicals are the second important classes as the natural chemicals mentioned above and the American Chemistry Council (ACC) projects global chemical production to rise by 3.4 % in 2024 and 3.5 % in 2025, after increasing just 0.3 % in 2023. Exist a variety of process in the industries that use a wide range of different chemicals accordingly their classes considering structure, polarity solubility for specific targeting. The common organic solvents are generally classified as an aliphatic hydrocarbon, aromatic hydrocarbon, cyclic hydrocarbon, halogenated hydrocarbon, amines, ketones, esters, ether, aldehyde, alcohols among others. Objective: This short-critical review will discuss throughout the literature background risk assessment, environmental and health hazard of two organic solvents as known Hexane (HEX) and Ethyl Acetate (EtoAc).

Methods: The most significative databases regarding risk assessment, environmental, and health hazard was consulted and evaluated as American Chemistry Council (ACC); National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information in the NIH (National Library of Medicine); U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA); European Chemicals Agency (ECHA-OECD); World Health Organization (WHO) and Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (AU).

Conclusions and Future Outlook: In recent decades, various efforts have been made to replace toxic VOCs in chemical processes, according to the principles of Green Chemistry and Green Extraction One of the. However even for EtoAc still exist and susbtantial lack of background do be evaluated and properly described. Additionally the lack of accurated data, the number of unclear regulations and non-standarized protocols to proof risk assessment, environmental and health hazard of VOCs as HEX and EtoAc and many other chemicals are still a great challenge to be harmonized.

A Metered-dose Inhalers in the Modern Era: Technologies, Challenges, Industrial Insights and Future Directions

Chinna Reddy Palem — 2025-11-26

Scope and Objective: Metered-dose inhalers (MDIs) remain the cornerstone of inhalation therapy for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), offering a portable, efficient, and cost-effective means of delivering drugs directly to the lungs. The global MDI market is projected to grow from around US$26.22 billion in 2024 to about US$42.02 billion by 2035, representing an estimated CAGR of about 4.38%. This review aims to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the current state of MDI technologies, encompassing conventional pressurized MDIs, breath-actuated MDIs, and non-pressurized soft mist inhalers (SMIs). The discussion focuses on their mechanisms of operation, formulation strategies, technological innovations, clinical advantages, and inherent limitations. Additionally, the review highlights key industrial insights, regulatory challenges, and future trends driving innovation in inhalation drug delivery systems, with the goal of guiding future research and development in this evolving therapeutic field.

Methodology: This review systematically compiles and analyses current scientific and industrial literature on MDIs, focusing on technological developments, formulation strategies, regulatory perspectives, and sustainability concerns. Sources from peer-reviewed journals, pharmacopeial standards, and regulatory guidance documents (FDA, EMA, and ICH) were critically evaluated to identify trends, challenges, and innovations influencing MDI design and performance. Particular emphasis was placed on device engineering, aerosol performance parameters, and the integration of quality-by-design (QbD) principles in product development and lifecycle management.

Conclusions: MDIs continue to play a vital role in the management of Asthma and COPD; however, persistent issues such as patient misuse, adherence barriers, and the environmental impact of hydrofluoroalkane (HFA) propellants demand targeted innovation. Future progress in MDI technology requires a multidisciplinary approach combining advances in formulation science, sustainable propellant alternatives, and intuitive device design. Regulatory compliance must emphasize aerodynamic particle size distribution, emitted dose uniformity, extractable and leachable profiling, and robust in vitro–in vivo correlation (IVIVC). Harmonization with FDA and EMA guidelines through risk-based design control and QbD-driven development will be crucial in achieving safer, more effective, and environmentally responsible inhalation therapies.

Comparative Effects of Ustekinumab and Vedolizumab on Alopecia in Ulcerative Colitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Bedoor Turky — 2025-11-18

Alopecia areata (AA) is an autoimmune disorder characterised by patchy hair loss and a significant psychological impact. Although traditionally attributed to Th1-mediated pathways, emerging evidence highlights roles for Th2, Th9, and IL-23 signalling. This study aims to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis comparing ustekinumab (IL-12/23 inhibitor) and vedolizumab (α₄β₇-integrin blocker) regarding alopecia outcomes among patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). Biologic agents such as ustekinumab (IL-12/23 inhibitor) and vedolizumab (α-integrin blocker) are increasingly used for ulcerative colitis (UC), but their dermatologic effects remain uncertain. This systematic review and meta-analysis assesses the influence of these biologics on alopecia outcomes. A comprehensive literature search of major databases through September 2025 identified studies reporting hair loss or regrowth in patients treated with these agents. The number of samples ranged from case-report studies in one patient to systematic reviews of studies in more than 2200 patients. Data extraction included demographics, interventions, and outcomes, with pooled analyses conducted using random-effects models. Bias was evaluated using the MINORS tool.

Eighteen studies met the inclusion criteria, encompassing case series, cohort studies, and systematic reviews. Ustekinumab showed variable effects, ranging from substantial hair regrowth to paradoxical alopecia, particularly in pediatric patients. Vedolizumab outcomes were similarly inconsistent, with reports of both new-onset alopecia and improvement in skin manifestations. Pooled analysis indicated that 65.5% of patients achieved hair regrowth, and active therapy significantly increased the odds of attaining a SALT score ≥50 (OR = 3.05). Adverse events were mostly mild, while relapse remained common, especially with topical immunotherapy.

In conclusion, ustekinumab and vedolizumab exhibit heterogeneous effects on alopecia in UC patients, ranging from disease worsening to meaningful regrowth. While biologics may have therapeutic potential in select cases, their cutaneous effects require further clarification through large, well-designed randomised trials.

An Efficient Random Forest Model for Predicting Respiratory Toxicity of Organic Chemicals

Aubin N’GUESSAN — 2025-11-15

This study developed a random forest (RF) model based on a large and diverse dataset to classify whether organic chemicals or drugs are respiratory toxicants. Indeed, the concerns regarding drug-induced respiratory remain a major cause of drug candidate failure in clinical trials resulting in the high cost of bringing drugs to market. In addition, animal models for experimental determination of the respiratory toxicity of chemicals are very lengthy, costly and time-consuming. It is therefore urgent to develop a theoretical model based on machine learning to qualitatively identify toxicants from a large dataset of drug/chemical compounds associated with respiratory system toxicity. However, it should be noted that the use of an excessive number of descriptors has the potential to increase the risk of overfitting, thereby reducing the model's ability to generalise. It is essential to implement more robust methods, capable of capturing relevant information without burdening the model with unnecessary variables. In this study, the random forest (RF) machine learning method combined with only nine (09) descriptors was used to build an efficient binary classification model for predicting the pulmonary or respiratory toxicity of chemicals. To demonstrate its predictive reliability, the global respiratory toxicity model was assessed using 10-fold internal cross-validation alongside external test set validation. RF model achieved a prediction accuracy of 76.66% and an AUC of 0.83 for the compounds in the test set. These findings emphasize the importance of rigorous descriptor selection and streamlined models to achieve reliable predictions in real-world scenarios, and they offer valuable contributions to respiratory toxicity assessment during early-stage drug discovery and environmental safety evaluations.

Structure-Based Design and In silico Evaluation of Novel Donepezil Analogues as Potent Inhibitors of Human Acetylcholinesterase for Alzheimer's Disease Therapy

Issouf Fofana — 2025-11-21

Alzheimer's disease (AD) accounts for 60 to 70% of dementias worldwide. This condition is primarily associated with the decrease in acetylcholine (ACh) levels, due to the action of human acetylcholinesterase (AChE). The lack of a curative treatment for Alzheimer's disease underscores the urgency to develop options that are more effective. This study aims to design new analogues of donepezil optimized for the effective inhibition of human AChE. Using a physics-based computer-aided molecular design (CAMD) approach, we developed a reliable quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) model utilizing the crystallographic structure of AChE (PDB code: 7E3H) along with a series of 45 molecules derived from donepezil, of which 32 were used for the training set and 13 for external validation. The QSAR model was rigorously validated with this external validation set, demonstrating a high predictive power. The established QSAR model ( ) explains 95% of the variation in experimental biological activity ( ) based on the variation in binding free energy (∆∆G_com). The variation in binding free energy in the biological environment is given by the equation: . A detailed investigation into the binding mode of inhibitors at the human AChE active site, combined with the energetic assessment of individual residue interactions, enabled the rational selection of molecular substituents necessary for the design of new, optimized analogues. Using an intuitive substitution method, a series of 59 new, more effective analogues of donepezil (DPZA) were designed, notably: DPZA46 ( ), DPZA36 ( ), DPZA20 ( ). The best-designed DPZA analogues exhibit a favorable theoretical pharmacokinetic profile. The stability of the best-designed DPZA inhibitors and their complexes formed with AChE has been confirmed through molecular dynamics simulations, thereby validating the obtained active conformations. These results suggest that the designed analogues, particularly DPZA46, are promising candidates worthy of further experimental investigation as potential anti-Alzheimer agents.