Al Mustansiriyah Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Genital herpes is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases. Ulcerations of primary
genital herpes may be susceptible to secondary infection with bacteria, fungus or even viruses.
This study was directed to investigate the incidence of HSV and other pathogens in female patients
presented with vaginal discharge and/or genital discomfort. Special attention was directed toward the
possible occurrence of HSV with other pathogens in the same individual.
Two vaginal swabs were collected from 80 female patients, and from 20 healthy women which were
represented as age match control group. One swab was tested with commercial enhanced enzyme
immunoassay for the direct detection of HSV 1 & 2 antigen. The other swab was used for formal
bacteriological and mycological culture, and for microscopy.
HSV antigen was detected from the genital area in 21 of 80 patients (26.25%), and in 4 of 20 control
group (20%). The diagnosis of candida spp. Trichomonus vaginalis , and Neisseria gonorrhoeae was
established in 15%, 8.75%, and 2.5% of the patients respectively. Other microorganisms were also
diagnosed in some patients.
Of the 21 patients proved to be infected with HSV, combined coexistence with other pathogens was
proved to be in 11 patients (52.4%), with a highest percentage (28.6%) was found with candida spp.
Followed by combined HSV with different species of bacteria (14.3%), also this coexistence was
found in 9.5% (2), and 4.8% (1) of patients infected with T.vaginalis and N.gonorrhoeae respectively.
One HSV infected patient (4.8%) was found to be infected with both T.vaginalis and Staph. aureus.
While this concomitance infection was found in only one (25%) of the 4 normal females proved to be
infected with T. vaginalis beside HSV.
From the results of this study we can conclude that herpes genitalis is a common genital tract infection
among Iraqi females. Furthermore, genital herpes often occur in association with one or more other
pathogens.

ingredients are dissolved or suspended .The plant Aloe vera is widely distributed in Iraq, in addition to
it's tranditional use in the treatment of occasional constipation , it is also used to assist healing of
wounds ,burns and psoriasis. In this study; the amount of aloin (the major component of the plant) in
the dried juice of the Iraqi plant Aloe vera is determined and was found to be 15.4% w/w and it is the
major compound responsible for the antimicrobial activity of the plant.
Different ointment bases were used in this study to prepare topical preparations from the dried juice of
the Iraqi plant with different concentrations and were found that 4%w/w sodium carboxy methyl
cellulose gel base was the best formula using comparative diffusion study through the skin. The
clinical study which is carried out in this research on 61 patients with skin infections (mainly Tinea
corporis and Tinea cruris) showed that 4%w/w gel base formula of aloe gave significant improvement
in comparison with those treated with nystatin and hydrocortison and proved the antipruritic and anti
inflammatory action of the dried juice of the Iraqi plant Aloe vera without any adverse effect. Finally
the expiration date of aloin in the selected formula is determined and was found to be ≈ 2 years.

This work describes the antimicrobial activity of newly synthesized 4-methyl (3-mercapto -4
phenyl -4H- 1,2,4-Triazole –5-yl) methyl piperazine. [1]. The newly synthesized piperazine
derivative was obtained from basic cyclization of the intermediate product obtained from the
reaction between acetic hydrizide –4-methyl piperazine and phenylisothiosyanate(1) .
The in vitro tests showed antimicrobial activity against two pathogenic bacteria viz;
Staphylococcus aureus (gram positive) and Escherichia coli (gram negative), in addition to
the dermatophyte pathogenic fungi Trichophyton rubrum. The screening antibacterial results
illustrated below indicate that concentration [50mg/ml] showed the highest inhibitory effect
against Escherichia coli, while the same concentration has a moderate activity against
Staphylococcus aureus.
While the highest inhibitory

Antagonism between cell-mediated immunity and humoral immunity that develops in atopic patients
may be correlated with susceptibility of those patients to dermatophytoses. One hundred and one
patients were included in this study from September 2002 to September 2003 to discover the
association between atopy and dermatophytoses. The atopic status of patients did not act as a
predisposing factor for different types of dermatophytoses, but it increased the susceptibility of such
infections to become chronic rather than acute.

The alteration in serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), glutamic-pyruvic transaminase
(GPT), alkaline phosphotase (ALP) and total protein during giardiasis were studied.
This study has been performed on 53 patients with giardiasis; the control consists of 22 children
without giardiasis. The results of each group of patients were compared with the same age of the
control, the results indicated that the level of serum GOT, GPT and ALP was significantly higher than
that of control for each age , while the level of protein was significantly lower than that for control for
each age group.
The results indicate that the giardiasis affected the function of liver and the intestine, which lead to
some biochemical changes in serum.

The non surgical periotherepy are based on the bacteriologic back ground of periodontal diseases.
More than 46 different verulant species were composing the bacterial flora. Tetracycline, doxycyline,
minocyline were used systemically and / or topically in association with conventional scaling and root
planning, as well chlorhexidine and wide variety of antiseptics were used. Rapidly progressive type A
and type B being a complex disease showing a specific entity and a complex bacterial flora, a curative
non surgical remedy not yet well realized.
The polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) a highly effective wide broad spectrum bactericidal, fungicidal and
virocidal antiseptic used in low concentration (3%) as an intrapocket irrigation solution accompanied
with conventional ultrasound scaling and root planning. Eight patients having rapidly progressive
periodontal (3 of type A , 5 of type B) were involved in this study, 12 therapeutic sessions were
performed during 6 months. Once a week, in the first month, twice a month in the next 3 months, then
once a month in the later 2 months. The result showed a significant improvement of the clinical
parameters, gingival bleeding index (GBI), clinical pocket depth (CDD) and clinical tooth mobility
(CTM) and with radiologic evidences of bone formation.
The result suggests that PVP could be the promising effective, safe, clinically applicable, easy to use,
and cheap remedy of complex periodontal diseases.

This study includes the detection of the anti microbial activity of both the plant extract of Suaeda
baccata (Chenopodiaceae) and its constituent the trigonelline alkaloid, against several micro
organisms (Staphylococcus aureus to represent one member of Gram positive bacteria, Escherichia
coli to represent one member of Gram negative bacteria and Candida albicans to represent one
member of fungi) in that trigonelline alkaloid and the plant extract, showed an antibacterial activity
against the growth of gram positive bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, while gram negative bacteria,
Escherichia coli and the yeast, Candida albicans were resistant to both.

Coumarins antgonise the effects of vitamine K
During the formation of clotting factors II, VII, IX and X in the liver, vitamine K is converted into a
biologically inactive metabolite which then reduced back to the active vitamine by the enzyme
epoxide reductase.
Coumarins which are structurally similar to vitamine K, are believed to act as competitive inhibitors of
this enzyme and thus limit the availability of the active form of the vitamine to form clotting factors.
Coumarins, e.g. (warfarin) is indicated in deep–vein thrombosis and in pulmonary embolism …etc.
The aim of this study is to synthesize and isolate a nitrocoumarin derivative with a possible high
intrinsic activity.
The nitrocoumarin derivative was synthesized by the reaction of 7–hydroxy, 4–methylcoumarin with
mixture of concentrated sulfuric acid and concentrated nitric acid at 0°C.
The identity of the prepared compound had been confirmed using UV–Vissibile spectroscopy, I.R
spectroscopy, elementary analysis, (sodium fusion test) and HPLC.

Alopecia areata is a nonscarring hair-loss condition that often has a patchy distribution and can be quite unpredictable. Its is believed to be an autoimmune disease involving T lymphocytic infiltrate around the hair follicle. Recent study reported a potential role of oxygen free radicals (OFR) in pathogenesis of alopecia. This clinical study was designed for further evaluation of oxidative stress in lymphocytes and evaluate the antioxidant effect of nutrient antioxidants (vitamin A,E&C).This study revealed a significant increase in basal malondialdehyde (MDA) level and increase of lymphocyte susceptibility to invitro challege using hydrogen peroxide. Also there is significant decrease in lymphocyte glutathione content (GSH) and total antioxidant status (TAS) in patients with alopecia areata.Two month treatment with nutrient antioxidant combination [vitamin A (5000I.U./day);vitamin E (400mg/day) and vitamin C (500mg/day)] normalized MDA levels ,decreased suscptibility to in vitro challenge with hydrogen peroxide , increased GSH content and TAS level in lymphocytes of patients with alopecia areata. The present study suggests that supplementation with nutrient antioxidant have direct and indirect positive effect on immune system. The direct effect may be through the antioxidant immunoenhancing / immunostimulant effect of vitamins on immune system and the indirect effect by counteracting damaging effects of oxygen free radicals (OFR) and utilization of GSH in neutralizing phagocytes–induced free radicals. So replenishment of GSH within natural killer (immune) cells strengthens the immune system and increases the rate of hair growth.

Acne vulgaris is a common skin disease.
The therapeutic approach to this disease includes standard topical and systemic agents to newly
introduced alternative medications.
This study suggests a new indication for clofibrate (the lipid lowering agent) & that is to be used
topically in the treatment of acne vulgaris. The proposed mechanism is by decreasing lipid
biosynthesis which takes place in the sebaceous gland.
A total of 60 patients with visible papules and pustules of severe acne were enrolled in this study .
Their age range between 13 – 31 years (24 males & 36 females).
Healthy age matched controls (30 subjects) without any skin diseases were also participated is this
study.
Clinical investigations involved disappearance of signs and symptoms of the disease while the
biochemical investigations involved measuring total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, & TG levels, SGOT,
SGPT in the sera of all volunteers done before and 10 days after the topical application of clofibrate
(500mg once daily).
The effectiveness of the topical application of clofibrate was approved in the treatment of acne
vulgaris as a new clinical application of this drug and a novel strategy for the treatment of the disease
as there was significant improvement 75% of the patients & moderate improvement for the rest of the
patients .
In comparison with controls, patients with acne had higher total serum cholesterol and LDL levels
with no significant difference in TG, HDL & enzyme levels.
However, after the topical application of clofibrate, total serum cholesterol and LDL levels were
decreased while no significant changes observed in the TG, HDL, GOPT, GPT serum levels.
The results revealed that circulating lipid were slightly higher in patients with acne than control
subjects but declined after treatment. Healing was accompanied with improvement in the symptoms of
the disease. This might suggest that the lipid profile is one of the contributing or aggravating factors
for this disease.

In order to have an idea about some of biochemical changes which might play a role in the
pathogenesis of Behcet's disease. Estimation of serum total protein, albumin, globulin and HLA typing
were carried out in 70 patients with Behcets disease using colorematric, mathematic &
microlymphocytotoxicity tests respectively, compared with 35 patients with recurrent oral ulcers, and
35 healthy control group.
Hyperproteinemia, hyperglobulinemia with hypoalbuminemia were observed in those patients in
comparison to control groups.

In this work a statistical comparison were carried out between two techniques, normal calibration
(NC) and ultimate precision (UP) technique, for the spectrophotometric determination of Aspirin
(acetyl salicylic acid) in APC tablets, where the second method provide a means of expanding the
scale of readout limited instrument and decreasing error significantly. It was found that the relative
error was decreased from 6% to 2% on using the UP technique with RSD of 0.86% and 0.54% for NC
and UP technique, respectively, Where these data were calculated for synthetic sample with known
concentration. The 95 % confidence limit was also calculated for NC and UP methods.
An equation was also derived for direct calculation of concentration of unknown from UP technique.
Where this equation could be applied for most spectrophotometric determination of sample by UP
procedure.