Surfactants are a group of amphiphilic molecules (i.e., having both hydrophobic and hydrophilic domains) that are a vital part of nearly every contemporary industrial process such as in agriculture, medicine, personal care, food, and petroleum. In general surfactants can be derived from (i) petroleum-based sources or (ii) microbial/plant origins. Petroleum-based surfactants are obvious results from petroleum products, which lead to petroleum pollution and thus pose severe problems to the environment leading to various ecological damages. Thus, newer techniques have been suggested for deriving surfactant molecules and maintaining environmental sustainability. Biosurfactants are surfactants of microbial or plant origins and offer much added advantages such as high biodegradability, lesser toxicity, ease of raw material availability, and easy applicability. Thus, they are also termed "green surfactants". In this regard, this review focused on the advantages of biosurfactants over the synthetic surfactants produced from petroleum-based products along with their potential applications in different industries. We also provided their market aspects and future directions that can be considered with selections of biosurfactants. This would open up new avenues for surfactant research by overcoming the existing bottlenecks in this field.

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Background and purpose: Pregabalin is used in the treatment of epilepsy, chronic pain, and other psychological disorders. Preparation of pregabalin in the sustained-release formulation will enhance patient compliance and reduce the incidence of side effects. The aim of this study was to prepare sustained-release microspheres for pregabalin utilizing ethylcellulose and evaluate the processing factors that influence the fabrication and the performance of the prepared microspheres. Experimental approach: The microspheres were prepared using the water-oil-oil double emulsion solvent evaporation method. Microspheres were characterized for particle size, encapsulation efficiency, and in vitro drug release. The influence of the processing variables on the characteristics of the prepared microspheres was studied. Microspheres solid-state characterization performed using differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Findings/Results: The results described in the context of the current work illustrated the suitability of the water-oil-oil system in the preparation of sustained-release microspheres for pregabalin. The optimum formulation was prepared at a drug to polymer ratio of 1:3 w/w, stirring speed of 600 rpm, surfactant concentration of 1.5%, and external phase volume of 150 mL. This formula produced microspheres particle size in the range 600-1000 μm, with 87.6% yield, and 80.14 ± 0.53% encapsulation efficiency. Drug release from the microspheres was found to be diffusion controlled, with a pH-independent behavior. Conclusion and implication The current work presented a successful attempt to fabricate a sustained-release microsphere comprising pregabalin. This will help overcome the frequent dosing problems with conventional pregabalin dosage forms and improve product performance.

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This study aims to assess the correlation of hypertension, diabetes, obesity with gender, smoking and physical activity in two hundred and fifty students of Ajman University in the United Arab Emirates. A structured questionnaire followed by a clinical examination performed for the two hundred and fifty students at Ajman University. Each student interviewed and assessed thoroughly. BMI was categorized into normal weight (< 25 kg/m 2), Overweight (25-29.9 kg/m 2) and Obese (≥ 30 kg/m 2); readings of systolic pressure of 140 mmHg or higher or diastolic pressure of 90 mmHg or higher considered hypertensive. Statistical analysis performed using SPSS, version 23.0 and data presented as means, standard deviation (SD) and percentages. The study indicated that 13.20 % of students have hypertension and 41.6 % are pre hypertensive. The mean systolic and diastolic pressure was 120.53 ± 14.29 and 76.19 ± 8.89 mm Hg respectively. The mean fasting plasma glucose concentration in students was 95.11 ± 18.53 mg/dl. Percentages of students with overweight and obesity were 22 % and 14.85 % respectively. The prevalence of hypertension, diabetes and obesity amongst students of Ajman University was close to that observed amongst comparable age groups in the world and specifically the Arab region.