Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurological disorder characterized by loss of memory and cognition. Stephania japonica is being used as traditional medicine in the treatment of different neurological problems. In this study, we evaluated the anticholinesterase and antioxidant activities of the crude methanol extract of S. japonica and its fractions in vitro and the neuroprotective effect of the most active fraction in the scopolamine-induced mouse model of memory impairment. Among the crude extract and its fractions, chloroform fraction exerted strong inhibition of acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase enzymes with IC50 values of 40.06 and 18.78 µg/mL, respectively. Similarly, the chloroform fraction exhibited potent antioxidant activity and effectively inhibited the peroxidation of brain lipid in vitro. The phytochemical profile revealed the high content of polyphenolics and alkaloids in the chloroform fraction. Pearson’s correlation studies showed a significant association of anticholinesterase and antioxidant activity with alkaloid and phenolic contents. Kinetic analysis showed that the chloroform fraction exhibited a noncompetitive type of inhibition. In experimental mice, the chloroform fraction restored the impaired learning and memory induced by scopolamine as evidenced by a significant decrease in latency time and increase of quadrant time in probe trial in Morris water maze task. The chloroform fraction also significantly reduced the activity of acetylcholinesterase and oxidative stress in mice. Our results suggest that the chloroform fraction of S. japonica may represent a potential candidate for the prevention and treatment of AD.

Aim: Ciprofloxacin is a broad‑spectrum antibiotic under the group of drugs called fluoroquinolones. It is extensively being manufactured and marketed drug by many national and multinational pharmaceutical companies. The purpose of this study was to compare the quality of different brands of ciprofloxacin 500mg tablets available in Bangladesh using quality characteristics such as weight variation, hardness, thickness, friability, disintegration time, and dissolution profile. Methodology: The tablets' overall quality criteria, such as weight variation, hardness, thickness, diameter, friability, disintegration time, and dissolving profile, were evaluated using established protocols. An electric analytical balance was employed to measure weight variation. An automated hardness tester was used to determine the hardness, thickness, and diameter. A friabilator was used to determine the degree of friability. A disintegration equipment and a dissolution tester were used to examine the disintegration time and dissolution profile, respectively.  Results: In this study, all the values were compared with the standards. All brands had been passed for the weight variation test, because no tablets surpass the ± 5 % weight variation. The weight variation range was from 714.57±4.08 mg (brand C) to 837.92±7.49 mg (brand E). In hardness testing procedure, all brands of ciprofloxacin 500mg tablets were within the specified limit. The average hardness of the items ranges from 11.11±1.44 kgF to 19.26±2.20 kgF respectively. The five brand's percentage friability was less than 1%, indicating that they met the requirements. The lowest friability (0.015 %) was found in Brand E, while the highest friability (0.032 %) was found in Brand B. Within 10 minutes, the entire trademark had disintegrated, indicating that they had met the requirements. Brand E had the quickest disintegration time (5.35±0.49 minutes), while brand B had the slowest (9.12±0.88 minutes).All brands had a dissolution rate of 83.56% for A, 95.84% for B, 91.15% for C, 84.46% for D and 88.97% for E, all those were within 60 minutes in dissolution testing. The five brands' assay was within the specified limit, indicating that they met the requirements Conclusion: In conclusion, the present study of evaluating quality control parameters revealed that all of the leading brands of this tablet comply the quality control parameters as per pharmacopoeial specifications. Further work is recommended on bioequivalence of these tablets.