The convenient synthetic strategy for the one-pot synthesis of silver nanoparticles capped by tartaric acid with a controlled size is reported here. Their characterization is revealed through spectroscopic protocols, such as UV/Vis and FTIR, while SEM, DLS and a Zetasizer revealed the surface morphology, size distribution and surface charge on the nanoparticles. The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) band was observed at 406 nm with 1.07 a.u absorbance, the image for SEM shows that the particles were monodispersed and spherical in shape, while the z-average size distribution of AgNPs/TA in a colloidal solution was found to be 79.20 nm and the surface charge was monitored as −28.2 mV. The antibacterial activities of these capped nanoparticles alone and in synergism with selected fluoroquinolones (ofloxacin, sparfloxacin, ciprofloxacin and gemifloxacin) and macrolides (erythromycin and azithromycin) were assessed on selected Gram-negative as well as Gram-positive organisms by employing the disc diffusion method. Antioxidant activity against the DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) was also evaluated using the standard assay method. The antibacterial activity of the antibiotics has been increased against studied microorganisms, showing the positive synergistic effect of the capped nanoparticles. A potential therapeutic application of AgNPs/TA in combination with antibiotics is determined from the results of the present research. These capped nanoparticles also possess good antioxidant activity and, therefore, can be used in various fields of biomedical sciences.

Background: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common gastrointestinal disorder that results from regurgitation of acid from the stomach into the esophagus. Treatment available for GERD includes lifestyle changes, antacids, histamine-2 receptor antagonists (H₂RAs), proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), and anti-reflux surgery. Aim: The aim of this review is to assess the cost-effectiveness of the use of PPIs in the long-term management of patients with GERD. Method: We searched in PubMed to identify related original articles with close consideration based on inclusion and exclusion criteria to choose the best studies for this narrative review. The first section compares the cost-effectiveness of PPIs with H₂RAs in long-term heartburn management. The other sections shall only discuss the cost-effectiveness of PPIs in 5 different strategies, namely, continuous (step-up, step-down, and maintenance), on-demand, and intermittent therapies. Results: Of 55 articles published, 10 studies published from 2000 to 2015 were included. Overall, PPIs are more effective in relieving heartburn in comparison with ranitidine. The use of PPIs in managing heartburn in long-term consumption of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) has higher cost compared with H₂RA. However, if the decision-maker is willing to pay more than US$174 788.60 per extra quality-adjusted life year (QALY), then the optimal strategy is traditional NSAID (tNSAID) and PPIs. The probability of being cost-effective was also highest for NSAID and PPI co-therapy users. On-demand PPI treatment strategy showed dominant with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of US$2197 per QALY gained and was most effective and cost saving compared with all the other treatments. The average cost-effectiveness ratio was lower for rabeprazole therapy than for ranitidine therapy. Conclusion: Our review revealed that long-term treatment with PPIs is effective but costly. To achieve long-term cost-effective approach, we recommend on-demand approach to treat heartburn symptoms, but if the symptoms persist, treatment with continuous step-down therapy should be applied.

The impact of computer-aided drug designing in the field of medicinal chemistry has created a boon in the drug discovery process. Molecular docking is an integral part of bioinformatics that deals with protein-ligand interactions, binding conformations, and affinity predictions. It has shown to be a rapid, easy, and affordable method in business and research settings alike. The advancement in the hardware and software has led to enhanced molecular dynamic simulations and thus authenticate the computational results. This has created a great impact in minimizing the cost and time involved in the drug discovery process. It has also helped in identifying the rationale for drug repurposing approaches. This chapter will give in-depth knowledge of the importance of molecular docking in drug designing and discovery, their impact on drug repurposing, and success stories of the in silico approach in drug discovery and repurposing.

Simultaneous determination of moxifloxacin (MOX) and H2-antagonists was first time developed in bulk and formulations. Purospher STAR C18 (250 x 4.6 mm, 5 μm) column was used. The mobile phase (methanol: water: ACN, 60:45:5 v/v/v, pH 2.7) was delivered at a flow rate of 1.0 mL min-1, eluent was monitored at 236, 270 and 310 nm for cimetidine, famotidine and ranitidine, respectively. The proposed method is specific, accurate (98-103%), precise (intra-day and inter-day variation 0.098-1.970%) and linear (r>0.998). The LOD and LOQ were 0.006-0.018 and 0.019-0.005 μg mL-1, respectively. The statistical parameters were applied to verify the results. The method is applicable to routine analysis of formulations and interaction of MOX with H2-antagonist