Antiretroviral fixed-dose-combination drugs are best assayed with high-performance liquid chromatography, or liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. However, most scientists in developing nations have no access to these expensive instruments. A more affordable quantitative technique is the use of ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy-where often the absorption spectra of these antiretrovirals are overlapping; thus complex derivative methodologies are required for quantification. A simple, rapid, and accurate thin layer chromatography-ultraviolet spectrophotometric method for the quantification of binary mixtures of lamivudine, zidovudine, and tenofovirdisoproxil-fumarate in tablet formulations was developed. Lamivudine/tenofovirdisoproxil-fumarate and lamivudine/zidovudine were extracted and separated on glass thin-layer chromatography plates. Drugs were identified in ultraviolet light at 254 nm and quantified in acidic medium using ultraviolet spectrophotometry. The retardation factors were 0.43, 0.79, and 0.81 for lamivudine, tenofovir-disoproxilfumarate, and zidovudine, respectively, with corresponding absorption maxima at 270, 260, and 265 nm. Linearity ranged from 1 to 40 µg/mL for all drugs (R = 0.9998-0.9999), while recovery studies were 95.10-102.11% and amount in formulations ranged from 97.99 ± 0.63 to 101.47 ± 2.39%. The paired t-test (n = 5) indicated no significant difference between the proposed and high-performance liquid chromatography methods, hence comparable and can be used as an alternative method in routine quality determination of antiretroviral medicines. K E Y W O R D S

Fate of pesticides in soils is dependent on adsorption-desorption kinetics, isotherm and soil types. Interaction of technical grade endosulfan with top soils (0-15cm) from CRIN, Igba and Sore Bale Theobroma...

Background and Purpose: Soft drinks are commonly consumed globally. Due to high demand, regulatory protocols may be breached thereby leading to contamination with heavy metals. In this study, we determined the content of five heavy metals in some Nigerian soft drinks and estimated their potential health risks. Methods: Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) was used to determine the concentrations of magnesium, aluminum, lead, arsenic, and zinc. Twelve (12) soft drinks (labeled B1–B12) were used. After the AAS, parameters such as target health quotient (THQ), average daily intake (EDI), and chronic daily intake (CDI) were evaluated. Results: The level of arsenic found in all soft drinks ranged from 0.001-0.0603 mg/L, as against the 0.01 mg/L maximum contaminant level (MCL) standard. Lead was 0.001-0.023mg/L (MCL is 0.01 mg/L) and within the MCL except in one sample (0.023 mg/L). Aluminum levels ranged from 0.001-2.0491 mg/L except in one sample (0.001 mg/L) and the WHO limit is 0.02 mg/L. The concentration range for magnesium was 0.6954-2.4341 mg/L versus the standard limit of 0.02 mg/L. The THQ values of aluminum were significantly different from the values of other heavy metals. The order of abundance of the metals was: Mg > Zn > Al > Pb > As. Arsenic and lead were found in relatively small concentrations compared to the other metals. The THQ value of aluminum in most of the samples was higher than normal. Conclusion: The concentration of magnesium was above the acceptable limits in all the soft drinks. All the heavy metals, except aluminum, were within acceptable THQ limits. The high values of magnesium and aluminum underscores the need for quality control measures during production.    

Background and Purpose: Men of age 40 years and above are at risk of  non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate gland also known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Adverse drug reactions and treatment relapse limit the effectiveness of orthodox pharmacotherapies. This study evaluated the effect of Cassia fistula hydroalcoholic extract on BPH. Methods: BPH was induced in Wistar rats by subcutaneous injection of 10 mg/kg/day of testosterone propionate (TP) for 7 days. The rats were randomly allotted to five groups: corn oil only; finasteride (FS) 5 mg/kg/day; and C. fistula extract at doses of 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg/day. A sixth group in which BPH was not induced received only the vehicle. At the end of 28 consecutive days of treatment, prostate and testicular weights and indices were evaluated. The in vitro antioxidant capacity of the extract was evaluated using the DPPH free radical scavenging method. Results: The extract showed a very strong free radical scavenging activity with IC50 value of 1.58 µg/mL (IC50 of gallic acid = 0.63 µg/mL) due to the presence of secondary metabolites. The results also showed significant (P?0.0001) reduction in the prostate weight, prostatic index, testes weight, and testes index of C. fistula extract-treated rats when compared with the untreated BPH group. Conclusion: These results suggest that C. fistula extract possesses potentials as a remedy for the treatment of BPH.