• CELLMED
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.7.1-7.4
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• 2019

A cuttlefish bone is not a bone, but the internal shell of the Cuttlefish/ sepia officinalis, a small, squid-like cephalopod of phylum molusca, an animals of the order Sepiida. Cuttlefish bone comprises up to 90 percent of its content of calcium carbonate with the abundance of different bioinorganic elements such as magnesium, strontium, iron, even trace amounts of copper, zinc, aragonite and ${\beta}$-chitin which makes it extremely valuable and worthwhile to be used for biomedical research. Unani system of medicine has been using cuttlefish bone under the name of 'kafe dariya' for the treatment various disorders and ailments since centuries. Unani scholars were well aware of the valuable medical and cosmetologically aspect of cuttlefish bone. However, the drug has been forgotten for its beneficial effect and went deep away from the scientific researches. The purpose of the present review is to highlight and revive the data on cuttlefish and cuttlefish bone for its morphology, composition, types, pharmacological actions, temperament, therapeutic dosage, contraindications, correctives, alternatives and therapeutic uses with special reference of Unani medicine to attain its the beneficial features in biomedical sciences.

• Journal of Digestive Cancer Research
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.82-91
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• 2022

Gastrointestinal cancer accounts for one-third of the overall cancer occurrence worldwide. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a type of gastrointestinal cancer that is known to be one of the most fatal among all cancer types, with a 5-year survival rate of less than 8%. Chemotherapy combined with surgical resection is its probable curative option. However, surgery is accessible for only 10-15% of patients diagnosed with PDAC. Organoids show self-organizing capacities and resemble the original tissue in terms of morphology and function. Organoids can also be cultured with high effectiveness from tumor tissues derived from each patient, making them an extremely fitting model for translational uses and improving personalized cancer medicine. Enhancing drug screening platforms is necessary to apply personalized medicinebased organoids in clinical settings.

• Translational and Clinical Pharmacology
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.150-154
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• 2018

This tutorial reviews the principles of dose individualisation with an emphasis on target concentration intervention (TCI). Once a target effect is chosen then pharmacodynamics can predict the target concentration and pharmacokinetics can predict the target dose to achieve the required response. Dose individualisation can be considered at three levels: population, group and individual. Population dosing, also known as fixed dosing or "one size fits all" is often used but is poor clinical pharmacology; group dosing uses patient features such as weight, organ function and comedication to adjust the dose for a typical patient; individual dosing uses observations of patient response to inform about pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics in the individual and use these individual differences to individualise dose.

• CELLMED
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.12.1-12.5
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• 2020

Higher incidences of adverse reaction associated with the prolonged use of synthetic drugs has once again increased the faith of humans in the traditional systems of medicine and motivated them to return back towards the clinical proven remedies for the treatment. It is also true that number of modern medications used in the present scenario, were developed from various plants. In Unani System of medicine, numerous herbal drugs are mentioned for medicinal purpose. Siras (Albizia lebbeck (L.) Benth.) is one of them. It is found all over India. Almost all parts of this plant are used for the treatment of ailments such as migraine, conjunctivitis, diarrhea, jaundice, skin problems, asthma etc. Many chemical constituents have been isolated from Albizia lebbeck such as lebbekannin, echinocystic acid, flavonoids, Linoleic acid, saponins etc. This review highlights the medicinal properties and therapeutic uses of Albizia lebbeck and scientific studies conducted on the drug in human and animal models that will provide the further research direction.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.266-271
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• 2018

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) is amending its test methods for health-functional foods (dietary food supplements) to establish regulatory standards and specifications in Korea. In this regard, we continue our research on developing analytical methods for the items. Octacosanol is the major component of polycosanol and is a high-molecular-mass primary fatty alcohol, obtained from sugar cane wax. Previous researchers have shown that octacosanol can lower cholesterol and has antiaggregatory properties, cytoprotective uses, and ergogenic properties for human health. Recently, octacosanol products have been actively introduced into the domestic market because of their functional biological activity. We have developed a sensitive and selective test method for octacosanol that the TMS derivatives by means of gas-chromatographic-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The trimethylsilyl ether derivative of the target analyte showed excellent chromatographic properties. The procedure was validated in the range of $12.5{\sim}200{\mu}g/L$. Standard calibration curves presented linearity with the correlation coefficient ($r^2$) > 0.999, and the limits of detection (LOD) and limits of quantitation (LOQ) were $4.5{\mu}g/L$ and $13.8{\mu}g/L$, respectively. The high recoveries (92.5 to 108.8%) and precision (1.8 to 2.4%) obtained are in accordance with the established validation criteria. Our research can provide scientific evidence to amend the octacosanol test method for the Health-Functional Food Code.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.41-54
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• 1978

Aspirin is one of the oldest synthetic drugs and remains the most widely used medical agent. It is a household remedy effective in treating such common ailments as headache, minor muscular pain and fever. Aspirin is the drug choice for rheumatic fever and arthritis which some five million Americans suffer. Lately it has been established by double-blind and randomized clinical studies that regular aspirin intake reduces the incidence of mild strokes and heart attackes.

• CELLMED
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.5.1-5.2
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• 2019

Unani medicine utilizes Terminalia bellerica (known as balela in Unani classics) for the treatment of diseases such as obesity, diarrhea, weakness of digestive system, ageing, greying of hairs, weakness of memory and eyesight, strengthening of immunity, general weakness etc. This paper briefly review this worthwhile drug for its general morphology, chemical constituents, dosage, pharmacological actions, therapeutic uses, compound formulations in Unani medicine and experimental studies.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.437-446
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• 2014

Problems appear when triptans are taken orally. For example, the bioavailability of triptan is reduced by the digestive system, and the drug level in the blood reduces rapidly over time; there is also a possibility of gastrointestinal disorder. To improve side effects, a transdermal patch has been prepared in hydrogel form. The polymer matrix that makes up the hydrogel uses PVA; PEG is used as an additive to induce inter/intra hydrogen bonding of the PVA and almotriptan drug is added. In addition, to accelerate micro-phase separation between PVA chains, liquid nitrogen is used. In FT-IR analysis, the absorption bands of PVA, PEG, and almotriptan were found. The degree of crystallinity, the water uptake ability and tensile strength were increased with increasing PEG content. In drug release tests, the amount of drug released increased depending on the PEG content. In this study, hydrogels with 10 wt% PEG showed better performance in drug release. Approximately 60% of the total drug amount was released in 2 hr, and the drug continued to release for 1 day. Thus, the prepared hydrogel patch is suitable as a transdermal formulation for the second dose administration of triptans to patients who require recurrent migraine treatment within 24 hr after the first administration.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.73-80
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• 2020

Objective: The Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) is a national drug subsidy program. Given the similarity and comprehensiveness of the Australian PBS and the Korean National Health Insurance (NHI) data, these data are increasingly used for pharmacoepidemiological investigations, as well as international comparative studies. This study aims to introduce the various sources of publicly available PBS data and provide a practical guide to researchers conducting drug utilization studies. Methods: We searched literature and websites to detail and compare the collection, structure, components, and characteristics of each PBS data format. We identified different characteristics of the PBS data from the Korean NHI claims data which are mainly owing to their unique co-payment policies and data collection processes. In addition, the utilization and expenditure of atorvastatin, a widely used treatment for hyperlipidemia, were analyzed using two different sources of PBS data and the different results were interpreted. Results: There exist differences in when data were collected or non-subsidized uses of medicine were included among sources of PBS data. Additionally, two countries have different cost sharing methods inmedicine subsidy scheme; co-payment in Australia and co-insurance in Korea. Therefore, it should be noted that prescriptions under co-payment are not included in some data sources in Australia. Conclusion: Despite several analytical challenges, open access and easy data management are the strengths of the PBS data sources. A detailed knowledge of the PBS data can ensure robust methodology and interpretation of pharmacoepidemiological investigations or international comparative studies.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.311-323
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• 2021

Objective: The disabled are in a blind spot for obtaining information on drugs, and the pharmacies' counseling on drug use is centered on non-disabled people. Few studies have investigated the current statuses of drug use by type of disability. The purpose of this study is to understand the drug use by type of disability and by life cycle of visually impaired and hearing impaired in Korea. Methods: The study participants consisted of 16 people with visually impairments, 12 people with hearing impairments. One in-depth interview was conducted per participant, and each interview was recorded and documented. Results: Common barriers against safe medication and medical service uses across disability types are 'lack of consideration and service for the disabled, limited access to medical facilities due to disability, limited access to information regarding medication use, psychological anxiety about drug use and side effects, and inconvenience regarding COVID-19 epidemic. The specific factors were 'difficulties in identifying proper medicines and following prescribed dosages' in the case of visually impaired, and 'problems with sign language interpretation system' for the hearing impaired. Conclusion: Disabled people are hindered from using medicines properly due to various factors. Based on the content derived from this study, it is necessary to eliminate the inhibition factors and devise specific measures for the safety of each type of disorder such as developing a method for medication counseling considering disabilities and establishing communication support systems.