Al-Mustaqbal Journal of Pharmaceuticals and Medical Sciences

Background: Oral administration is the most common and preferred route for drug delivery. Oral dispersible tablets
(ODTs) are solid dosage forms that disintegrate into saliva without the need for water. Tizanidine is a centrally acting
muscle relaxant used to manage spasticity from spinal or brain injuries. Preparing it as a flash (ODT) tablet may enhance
patient compliance and potentially improve bioavailability by bypassing part of the first-pass metabolism.
Methods: Six formulations of tizanidine flash tablets were developed using varying concentrations of mannitol (bulkforming agent), glycine (to aid tablet collapse), and gelatin (matrix-forming agent). The formulations were evaluated
for weight variation, friability, wetting time, disintegration time, and drug release.
Results: All formulations complied with pharmacopeial standards for weight variation and friability (0.75–0.94%).
Wetting times ranged from 19 to 55 seconds. A strong correlation was observed between wetting and disintegration times.
Notably, formula F6, which had the shortest wetting time, also showed the fastest disintegration and drug release. After
10 minutes, F6 released nearly 100% of the drug content, outperforming other formulations and conventional film-coated
tablets. This enhanced performance is attributed to its lower gelatin content.
Conclusion: Tizanidine can be effectively formulated as a flash tablet, offering rapid disintegration and improved

Objectives: To assess the prevalence of drug use patterns among ENT outpatient settings in Kirkuk, Iraq.
Methods: This retrospective observational study was conducted in Kirkuk, Iraq, involving the collection of data from
the e-Prescribing system and the review of written prescriptions, including 582 outpatient records from ENT clinics,
from January 2024 to December 2024.
Results: Most patients were below 20yr age (18.73%), with a male predominance (57%). Ear-related complaints like
otitis media were the most frequent (35.22%). The average number of drugs per prescription was 2.82. The percentage
of prescriptions in which an antibiotic was prescribed was 84.7%. The percentage of drugs prescribed by generic name
was 100%. The percentage of prescriptions in which an injection was prescribed was 8%, and the percentage of drugs
prescribed by the Essential Drug List was 71.6%.
Conclusions: The average number of drugs per prescription, and the percentage of prescriptions in which an antibiotic
was prescribed, are higher than the standard recommended by the WHO. The percentage of drugs prescribed from the
Essential Drug List was lower than the WHO reference value. These findings highlig

Medicinal plants remain an important source of therapeutic agents and play a significant role in modern drug
discovery. Philenoptera laxiflora (Fabaceae) is a tropical African plant widely used in traditional medicine, but the
scientific evidence supporting its therapeutic potential remains fragmented. This review aims to comprehensively
summarize the current knowledge on the ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemical composition, pharmacological activities,
and toxicological profile of P. laxiflora, while highlighting research gaps and future directions for drug discovery. A
comprehensive literature search was conducted using electronic scientific databases, including PubMed, Google Scholar,
Scopus, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect. Relevant publications on the ethnobotany, phytochemistry, pharmacology,
and toxicology of P. laxiflora were identified using targeted keywords such as “Philenoptera laxiflora”, “Lonchocarpus
laxiflorus”, “ethnomedicine”, “phytochemistry”, “pharmacological activity”, and “toxicity”. Studies published in peerreviewed journals, ethnobotanical reports, and related scientific sources were critically analyzed and synthesized.
Ethnobotanical evidence indicates that various parts of P. laxiflora are traditionally used to manage numerous diseases,
including diabetes, infections, parasitic diseases, liver disorders, and inflammatory conditions. Phytochemical investigations have identified diverse secondary metabolites, and experimental studies have demonstrated several activities,
including antimicrobial, antihyperglycemic, cytotoxic, and antiparasitic effects. Toxicological evaluations suggest a
relatively favorable safety profile, with acute and sub-chronic studies indicating low toxicity. P. laxiflora represents
a promising yet underexplored medicinal plant with significant potential for natural product–based drug discovery.
Further research focusing on bioactive compound isolation, mechanistic pharmacology, comprehensive toxicological
evaluation, and clinical validation is necessary to realize its therapeutic potential fully.

Oral administration through the digestive tract is still the most common means by which drugs are given, as it is simple
and cheap. However, it has some biopharmaceutical limitations in general, such as varying gastrointestinal conditions,
enzymatic degradation, and extensive hepatic first-pass metabolism, which decrease drug stability and bioavailability
To address these challenges, drug delivery through the oral mucosa (OMDD) has emerged as a potential non-invasive
option. The buccal mucosa is well supplied with blood, provides a relatively mild environment, and avoids hepatic
first-pass metabolism, thereby resulting in a faster onset of action and improved bioavailability. Mucoadhesive buccal
films have been the most important choice of many due to their wide-ranging properties like dosing accuracy, flexibility,
and patient compliance among different OMDD technologies. These films bind to the mucosal surface, hence prolonging
the contact time and facilitating uptake. This review covers in detail the structure and function of the buccal mucosa,
the main components of the formulation, and modern fabrication techniques such as solvent casting, hot-melt extrusion,
electrospinning, and 3D printing. Besides, the evaluation criteria, like thickness, mucoadhesion, and stability, are also
addressed. Limited drug loading, saliva-induced washout, etc. are some of the issues that still exist. However, recent
technological breakthroughs keep on improving buccal films as efficient, patient-friendly devices for local and systemic
drug delivery.

Hair loss is a common human scalp condition caused by chemotherapy, chronic diseases, and aging. Currently, it is
estimated that approximately 50% of males and 15–30% of females experience hair loss issues. Minoxidil is considered
a preferred treatment for hair loss in men and women. Nifedipine is effective in improving blood circulation and blood
supply via its vasodilator action. To compare nifedipine and minoxidil in terms of their effect on stimulating hair growth
using a mouse model. Fifteen female albino mice, aged 8 to 10 weeks, were randomly assigned to three groups of five
mice each, all with shaved dorsal skin, for a 21-day experiment. Group 1 (untreated intact control) consisted of healthy
mice that experienced the same conditions as the other groups without receiving any treatment. Group 2 (Positive
control) contained mice that received a standard drug, minoxidil solution at a 2% concentration, administered topically
once daily for 21 days. Group 3 included mice that received topical treatment with nifedipine gel (0.3% w/w) once
daily for 21 days. Hair samples were collected on days 14 and 21. Nifedipine cream and standard minoxidil solution
2% increased hair growth when compared with an untreated control group, and the hair of the mice group treated with
nifedipine cream on days 14 and 21 of the treatment course was significantly longer than all the other mouse groups
treated with minoxidil solution 2%. The current study shows that nifedipine cream exhibits hair growth-promoting
effects, with the best result being observed with the use of nifedipine topical cream in a strength of 0.3%.

Mixing and formulation of drugs with very low dose is a brutal challenge to formulators sometimes due to all kinds
of difficulties like segregation, content uniformity and physicochemical stability issues. A careful consideration of all
related factors is essential during manufacturing of very low dose drug products.
The aim of this study is to evaluate the quality control of ultra-low dose drugs of different companies available in
local Iraqi and their compliance with regulatory weight variation test.
Quantitative analysis conducted to five drugs using weight variation technique with 20 randomly selected tablets for
each drug. All of these drugs passed the test.
The variations amongst the tablet weights can be attributed to factors like the powder flowing properties, tableting
machine speed, compression force and pressure and the type of machinery used for tableting process. These factors can
affect tablet weight. However, the most important two causes of weight variation are differences in bulk densities of
powder mixture ingredients and particle size distribution in tablet compression.
Further investigation is required to assess the content of these drugs using content uniformity technique with UV
spectrophotometer.