Pharmaceutical Science: New Insights and Developments Vol. 10

Spectroscopic Methods for Analysing Herbal Medicine and their Roles in Healthcare

Sabiha Ferdowsy Koly — 2026-02-23

Background: Spectroscopic methods are very fundamental, convenient, cost-effective and available equipment settings in both industry and laboratory to analyse a range of products, including food, medicines, cosmetics and herbal products. Herbal drugs, that is, plant-derived products, have been used in the healthcare system from ancient times. There are different types of spectroscopic methods, among which ultraviolet and visible spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, atomic absorption spectroscopy, Mass spectroscopy, Fluorescence spectroscopy and Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy are widely used for analysing herbal drugs.

Materials and Methods: PubMed, Research Gate, Google Scholar and other search engines, including Artificial intelligence tools, have been searched to find suitable literature to find relevant research works. The keywords “Spectroscopy”, “Herbal medicines”, “UV-VIS spectroscopy”, “Analysis”, “Infra-Red spectroscopy”, “Raman spectroscopy”, “Atomic absorption spectroscopy”, “Mass spectroscopy”, “Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy”, “Analysis of herbs and phytoconstituents” etc. have been applied to find expected research articles and collect information on various aspects of spectroscopic methods for analysing herbal medicine and their roles in healthcare.

Results: After a thorough study of a lot of published articles, standard textbooks and related literature, we found some spectroscopic methods which are suitable for the analysis of herbal drugs. Some of these methods are - ultraviolet spectroscopy, infrared and Fourier Transform Infra-red spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, atomic absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and mass spectroscopy. Several tandem systems integrate spectroscopic and chromatographic techniques. Prominent examples include gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). These methods are highly suitable, specific, sensitive, and readily amenable to validation.

Conclusion: Spectroscopic methods provide a reliable and cost-effective approach for evaluating phytochemical potency and ensuring the quality of herbal preparations, making them essential tools in routine laboratory analysis.

Evaluation of α-Amylase Inhibitory Activity of Aqueous Extracts of Selected Plants

Nisha Joseph — 2026-02-23

Background: Diabetes is a chronic, metabolic disease characterised by elevated levels of blood glucose (or blood sugar), leading to serious damage to the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys and nerves. Naturally occurring inhibitors of carbohydrate-digesting enzymes may offer an effective way to limit the absorption of dietary carbohydrates while causing fewer adverse effects than synthetic drugs. α-amylase helps in the digestion and absorption of dietary starch and causes elevated blood glucose levels.

Aims: The present work aims to find natural α-amylase inhibitors derived from plants that have gained popularity as safe and cost-effective alternatives.

Study Design: This study investigates the α-amylase inhibitory potential of five medicinal plants (Aerva lanata, Emblica officinalis, Momordica charantia, Musa paradisiaca, and Psidium guajava) traditionally used in diabetes management.

Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted at the Department of Botany, Catholicate College, Pathanamthitta, Kerala, India.

Methodology: The α-amylase inhibitory activity of five plant extracts (Aerva lanata, Emblica officinalis, Momordica charantia, Musa paradisiaca, and Psidium guajava) was evaluated at concentrations ranging from 10, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 μg/mL. Metformin was used as a standard antidiabetic drug for comparison. The extracts underwent additional phytochemical analysis to determine their total tannin and total phenolic contents.

Results: Our findings demonstrate that these plant extracts exhibit varying degrees of α-amylase inhibitory activity, with Momordica charantia showing the highest inhibition (95.00% ± 0.58% at 100 μg/mL). The inhibitory potential of these extracts correlates with their phenolic and tannin content, suggesting a role for these phytochemicals in α-amylase inhibition. Notably, Emblica officinalis and Psidium guajava also displayed significant inhibitory activity comparable to the standard drug metformin.

Conclusion: The study provides valuable insights into the development of novel antidiabetic therapies from natural sources. Further studies are warranted to isolate and characterise the bioactive compounds and elucidate their mechanisms of action. The findings of this study have significant implications for the management of diabetes and the development of natural antidiabetic agents.

Chronotherapy and Pulsatile Drug Delivery Systems: Aligning Pharmacotherapy with Circadian Rhythms

Y. Ismail — 2026-02-23

Chronotherapy is a therapeutic strategy that synchronises the timing of drug administration with the body’s endogenous circadian rhythms to enhance efficacy and reduce adverse effects. These rhythms regulate physiological processes such as hormone secretion, metabolism, sleep–wake cycles, and cardiovascular function, making timing an essential component of optimised therapy. Pulsatile drug delivery systems complement chronotherapy by releasing drugs in a programmed manner after a predetermined lag time, allowing the drug to reach peak concentrations at the time when symptoms are most severe or when the body is most receptive to treatment. Chronotherapy can be implemented using various approaches, including delayed or advanced sleep phase therapy, rest-phase adjustment, and combination interventions involving light or behavioural therapy. In clinical practice, chronotherapy has shown particular benefit in arthritis management—night-time dosing of NSAIDs or corticosteroids helps reduce early-morning stiffness in rheumatoid arthritis, while morning dosing of COX-2 inhibitors is more effective for osteoarthritis. Overall, aligning drug delivery with circadian patterns offers a promising strategy to enhance therapeutic outcomes in time-dependent diseases.

Development and in vivo Evaluation of Gastroretentive Floating Microballoons of Acetohydroxamic Acid for Enhanced Oral Bioavailability

Munija Pancheddula — 2026-02-23

The oral route remains the most preferred and patient-friendly mode of drug administration. Microballoons, a non-effervescent gastroretentive system, are hollow microspheres (<200 µm) composed of polymers or proteins that exhibit excellent buoyancy due to their internal cavity. As multiple-unit systems, they ensure uniform drug distribution, minimise dose dumping, and allow controlled drug release by optimising polymer composition. Acetohydroxamic acid, a urease inhibitor structurally similar to urea, effectively inhibits Helicobacter pylori by penetrating bacterial cells and blocking urease activity, making it suitable for stomach-specific delivery. This study involved the formulation of acetohydroxamic acid floating microballoons, the evaluation of gastric retention by X-ray imaging in rabbits, and bioavailability assessment through pharmacokinetic studies. DSC and FTIR confirmed drug–polymer compatibility. The percentage yield was in the range of 60-90 % for all the formulations. It was found to be less than 70% yield with ethyl cellulose and HPMC K4M, and for the optimised formulation, the yield was around 80 %. The entrapment efficiency was in the range of 60-90 % for all the formulations and was found to be 89.6%for optimized formulation. The percentage buoyancywas in the range of 60-90 % for all the formulations and was found to be 85.5% for optimized formulation. Drug content of all the prepared formulations was found to be within the acceptable range of 90.0 -110.0%. This manuscript is important to the scientific community as it provides a comprehensive and well-validated approach to gastroretentive drug delivery using floating microballoons as a non-effervescent, multiparticulate system. The work offers a reproducible formulation strategy for stomach-specific delivery of urease inhibitors, addressing a critical challenge in the management of Helicobacter pylori infections. Overall, the findings contribute valuable translational insights for the development of advanced oral drug delivery systems with improved clinical efficacy.

Evaluation of Origanum vulgare Essential Oil as a Natural Antibacterial Agent in Minced Meat

Sonia Heni — 2026-02-23

The increasing consumer demand for natural, clean-label food preservation strategies has intensified interest in plant-derived essential oils as alternatives to synthetic preservatives. This study evaluates the antibacterial efficacy and preservative potential of Origanum vulgare essential oil in fresh minced meat under refrigerated storage. The oil was obtained by hydrodistillation and chemically characterised using GC–MS, revealing a carvacrol-rich chemotype with significant amounts of thymol, p-cymene, and γ-terpinene, which collectively contribute to its strong antimicrobial activity. Phenolic derivatives accounted for over 64% of the oil composition, explaining its pronounced efficacy against microorganisms.

When incorporated into minced meat at a sensorially acceptable concentration of 0.1%, the essential oil significantly reduced total aerobic mesophilic microflora and Staphylococcus aureus populations over 48 hours at 4 °C, without affecting sensory attributes such as taste and odour. The stronger reduction in S. aureus is attributed to the higher susceptibility of Gram-positive bacteria to phenolic compounds. The antibacterial mechanism involves disruption of bacterial cell membranes, ion leakage, ATP depletion, and collapse of the proton-motive force, while minor compounds like p-cymene and γ-terpinene enhance membrane penetration and synergistically boost antimicrobial activity. The essential oil also exhibits anti-biofilm properties, preventing adhesion and disrupting mature biofilms.

From an industrial perspective, challenges such as volatility, instability, and strong aroma can be mitigated using encapsulation technologies (nanoemulsions, liposomes, cyclodextrins, biopolymer-based matrices) and by combining essential oils with other multi-hurdle preservation strategies, including modified atmosphere packaging, edible coatings, organic acids, and mild thermal treatments.

In conclusion, Origanum vulgare essential oil is a promising natural preservative capable of enhancing food safety, extending shelf life, and meeting the consumer demand for minimally processed, natural meat products. Further studies are warranted to optimise encapsulation systems, synergistic preservation strategies, and industrial-scale applications.

Phytochemical Screening, Chemical Characterisation, and Antibacterial Activity of Essential Oils from Different Types of Medicinal Plants against Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria

Maryam Mansoor Mathkoor — 2026-02-23

Medicinal plants represent the most ancient form of medication, used for thousands of years in traditional medicine in many countries around the world. Essential oils and plant extracts are sources of beneficial chemical compounds that have potential applications in food, cosmetics, agriculture and the medicine industry. The purpose of this study is to extract three medicinal plants, including seeds of Syzygium aromaticum (S. aromaticum), leaves of Thymus vulgaris (T. vulgaris) and Myrtus communis (M. communis) using the steam distillation method. It evaluated their ability to inhibit pathogenic and antibiotic-resistant bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa), and Escherichia coli (E.coli) isolated from skin ulcers. Seeds of S aromaticum and leaves of T. vulgaris were purchased from the local markets in the holy Karbala, Iraq, while the leaves of M. communis were collected from local farms in the same governorate. Moreover, the extracts were analysed to evaluate their phytochemicals and chemical constitutions using classical methods and GC-mass spectroscopy. The phytochemical screening of these three crude extracts has been evaluated to present chemical groups, i.e., alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, tannins, steroids, glycosides, phenols, and saponins. The phytochemicals results showed that the Flavonoids and terpenoids were observed in all samples, while the Alkaloids didn't appear. The extracts of S. aromaticum, T. vulgaris, and M. communis showed interesting compounds during the GC-mass spectroscopy test. It showed the presence of chemical compounds with active groups that could have a significant role in bacterial treatment, such as 9-octadecenamide, Caryophyllene, and Limonene. Moreover, the results of the bacterial test showed a high effectiveness of these oils on the types of bacteria used, especially S. aureus and E. coli, where the highest results were for Myrtus on E. coli bacteria, with an inhibition diameter of 56 mm, while clove oil did not show any effectiveness against S. aureus; the inhibition zone diameter is zero. In general, the effectiveness of these essential oils against Gram-negative P. aeruginosa was very weak compared to the effectiveness of these essential oils on other bacterial species used in the study, where the highest diameter of inhibition of these bacteria was by clove oil and reached 15 mm. In conclusion, the essential oils of S. aromaticum, T. vulgaris, and M. communis demonstrated significant antibacterial activity against certain pathogenic bacteria, particularly S. aureus and E. coli, but showed limited efficacy against P. aeruginosa.

Vaccine and Adjuvant-Induced Autoimmune Responses: Mechanisms and Evidence

Ibrahim M. S. Shnawa — 2026-02-23

Vaccinations are one of the most important preventive tools against infectious diseases. The efficacy of a vaccine depends not only on the antigen components but also on adjuvants that are often used in order to stimulate the immune system in a more effective way. Human beings, in a normal immune homeostatic state, immune cells like macrophages, natural killer cells, iNKT, MAIT, g delta T cells and conventional B as well as conventional T cells, in one way or other recognise the host body components as self via the immune surveillance mechanisms. Though when there was a shift in immune homeostasis due to chronic induction by environmental stimulus, interplay of predisposing genetic elements, family history, bystander pathologic inflammatory system, innate and adaptive immune dysregulation, change in proteomic signature, as well as microbial interactions in a unified collective theme “Unified autoimmunity theme”. Immune cells become prone to recognise the self or self as a non-self with subsequent induction of autoimmune diseases. Vaccines and adjuvants associated with autoimmunity are currently being reported all over the world. The present chapter was aimed at vaccine and adjuvant-mediated autoimmune diseases. Different human-approved vaccines induce different autoimmune diseases; more than one vaccine may induce the same autoimmune disease. Shoenfeld Syndrome encompasses adjuvant-induced autoimmune/inflammatory syndrome, including Postvaccination reactions with an adjuvanted vaccine, macrophagic myofasciitis, sick building disease condition, Gulf War disease condition and siliconosis. A protocol for the practical evaluation of these diseases was suggested. Understanding the unified autoimmune theme and Shoenfeld Syndrome is crucial for producing vaccines with a safer side effect profile. Clinicians and researchers can use this knowledge to monitor, prevent, and manage vaccine-related autoimmune reactions more effectively.

Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 Inhibitors: An Overview of Their Combination with Oral Hypoglycemic Agents

Nina Filip — 2026-02-23

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), the most prevalent form, is characterised by insulin insensitivity as a result of insulin resistance, declining insulin production, and eventual pancreatic beta-cell failure. Dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4) inhibitors are a new class of Oral Hypoglycemic Drugs (OHD) that can control T2DM. This chapter aims to provide a critical and systematic update of the specialised literature on the therapeutic effects and safety profile of hypoglycemic drugs, used in combination with DPP-4 inhibitors, in the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Given the rapid advances in the field of medicine and the pharmaceutical industry, therapeutic strategies for this pathology have undergone significant changes, oriented not only towards effective glycemic control but also towards reducing cardiovascular risks and mortality associated with the disease. Numerous studies have investigated the impact of different therapeutic combinations on the evolution of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, paying particular attention to the associations between metformin and other classes of hypoglycemic drugs. An important part of the research has focused on comparing the classic metformin–sulfonylurea combination with more recent therapeutic regimens, such as metformin associated with DPP-4 inhibitors. The data suggest that the use of sulfonylureas combined with metformin is associated with a significantly increased risk of severe hypoglycemia compared with metformin–DPP-4 inhibitors. Another relevant observation is related to the use of insulin in combination with metformin. According to the analysed data, this therapeutic combination was associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality, compared with treatment based on DPP-4 inhibitors combined with metformin. In conclusion, the current evidence supports the use of DPP-4 inhibitors in combination with metformin as a safer therapeutic alternative to sulfonylureas or insulin, especially in terms of reducing the risk of severe hypoglycemia, cardiovascular events and mortality. These results highlight the need to integrate recent clinical data into medical practice guidelines and to individualise the treatment for patients with type 2 diabetes.

Development and Validation of a Simple and Reliable UV Spectrophotometric Method for the Simultaneous Estimation of Metformin Hydrochloride and Pravastatin Sodium

Ankita Sharma — 2026-02-23

Background: Metformin hydrochloride is a drug used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. It exhibits high aqueous solubility, limited solubility in ethanol, and negligible solubility in organic solvents such as acetone, ether, and chloroform.

Aim: A straightforward and reliable ultraviolet (UV) spectrophotometric method was developed and validated for the simultaneous estimation of Metformin Hydrochloride (MH) and Pravastatin Sodium (PS) in their pure forms.

Methodology: The proposed method employs an absorbance subtraction approach using UV spectrophotometry. Quantification was carried out by measuring absorbance at two selected wavelengths, 232 nm for Metformin Hydrochloride and 238 nm for Pravastatin Sodium. Method validation was performed in accordance with ICH guidelines, including accuracy studies conducted at three concentration levels (75%, 100%, and 125%), and percentage recovery was calculated for both drugs.

Results: The method demonstrated acceptable sensitivity, with limits of detection and quantification determined as 0.481 μg/mL and 0.670 μg/mL for MH, and 1.15 μg/mL and 1.68 μg/mL for PS, respectively. Statistical evaluation of validation parameters confirmed that the method exhibited satisfactory precision, accuracy, and selectivity within the specified limits.

Conclusion: The validated UV spectrophotometric method is simple, precise, and accurate, making it suitable for the simultaneous estimation of Metformin Hydrochloride and Pravastatin Sodium. The method can be effectively applied for routine analysis of these drugs in pure form and pharmaceutical dosage formulations.