Sterile Water For Injections B.P. ( 5 mL , 10 mL and 20 mL ) and Sodium Chloride Injection B.P.( 5 mL & 10 mL ) products get Therapeutic Goods Administration – Australia approval

Amanta Healthcare, India’s leading manufacturer and marketer of sterile dosages and Blow-Fill-Seal (BFS) specialist, opens a new chapter in Australia with the award of the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approval for Sterile Water For Injections B.P and Sodium Chloride Injection B.P products manufactured at its Small Volume Parenterals (SVP) facility at Kheda.

The TGA Australia will enable Amanta Healthcare to access the Australian markets with products Sterile Water For Injections B.P. (5 mL , 10 mL and 20 mL) and Sodium Chloride Injection B.P. (5 mL & 10 mL). The Australian market, growing at a CAGR of 6.2% is expected to reach USD 42.5 Billion (2020).  Growth will be largely driven by increasing demand for lifestyle disease drugs among aging population; the uptake of new, expensive drugs; and strong government support for generics. The Australian Government’s Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme (PBS) that subsidizes close to $6.5 bn on over 80 percent of drugs in Australia. Beside the ongoing reduction in PBS subsidy, the Australian government also supports the trading of generic drugs, given that the cost of purchase is far lower than its branded equivalent. Together with the subsidy reduction and government support for generics, many physicians will soon prefer to prescribe mostly generics to their patients.

For Amanta Healthcare, the approval carries the opportunity of accessing Australia’s fastest growing segments.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration is part of the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing. The TGA’s overall purpose is to protect public health and safety by regulating therapeutic goods that are supplied either imported or manufactured, or exported from Australia. It is responsible for administering the provisions of the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989. The TGA is responsible for ensuring that therapeutic goods available for supply in Australia are safe and fit for their intended purpose. Broadly, this involves undertaking activities to ensure that therapeutic goods available in Australia are of an acceptable standard.

Speaking on the TGA Australia approval, Mr Bhavesh Patel, MD, Amanta Healthcare, said: “The TGA – Australia approval for our Kheda facility will provide further impetus to our current expansion efforts in stable growth economies.  Australia’s health expenditure will continue to increase with the increasingly ageing population. The focus on lifestyle disease management presents robust growth possibilities.  I see strong revenue potential in the Australian market and believe that we can make a quantum contribution to healthcare in the various segments”.

About Amanta Healthcare:

Amanta Healthcare Ltd., located in Ahmedabad, India – is a versatile manufacturer & marketer of Sterile Liquid Parenterals manufactured using Aseptic Blow – Fill – Seal technology. Both Large & Small Volume Parenteral facilities are ISO certified & cGMP compliant. Amanta’s Small Volume Parenterals facility is MCC – South Africa approved. Founded in 1988 and headquartered in Ahmedabad, Amanta manufactures and markets a range of over 80 sterile dosages spanning Formulations, Fluid therapy, Eye care range, Respules and Irrigation solutions across India and exports to over 77 countries. Nationally, Amanta’s reach extends to 16 states and it has a significant presence in all premium hospitals and institutions.  The company’s operations are profitable spanning across three business segments viz. domestic, international and contract manufacturing. Offering customized manufacturing solutions to all major companies of the pharmaceutical industry in India, Amanta is promoted by Bhavesh Patel, a first generation entrepreneur.

By Anita Dhami

Torque Communications
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This year 2016 marks the 37th year anniversary of Pharmanews. As part of our celebration, we will be releasing some photographs of past events in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries. Next months’s edition (May 2016) will  be exciting and memorable.

This week we will be celebrating the Old members Pharmaceutical Association of Nigerian Students (PANS). The picture above is a group photograph of members of PANS University of Ife, taken at Ibadan during the 1963/1964 academic session.

SITTING LEFT – RIGHT:

1st – LATE PHARMACIST FRANCIS EFFANGA

2nd – PHARMACIST TOLA AYUBA

3rd – PHARMACIST (SIR) PROF BONA OBIORAH

4th – PHARMACIST SENA AMOSUN

5th – PHARMACIST PROF AJIBOLA OLANIYI

6th – DR VERNON WALTERS

7th – PHARMACIST (CHIEF) LAMBERT ERADIRI

8th – PHARMACIST SOLA WILLIAMS

9th – PHARMACIST (CHIEF) MUTANDA ANOHU

10th – PHARMACIST (SIR) IFEANYI ATUEYI

11th – PHARMACIST PIUS OGWUELEKA

12th – PHARMACIST EUGENE OKONKWO

FIRST ROW STANDING LEFT – RIGHT:

1st – PHARMACIST JOE OLAROGUN

2nd – DON’T REMEMBER

3rd – PHARMACIST MOSES AZUIKE

4th – LATE PHARMACIST DEMOLA ODUSOTE

5th – LATE PHARMACIST B.K.C CHUKWURAH

6th – PHARMACIST EKEJI NDUGBU

7th – PHARMACIST EKOT

8th – LATE PHARMACIST LEYE ODUNSI

9th – DON’T REMEMBER

10th – PHARMACIST GANTUA ODUJA

11th – PHARMACIST T.C. IBEAWUCHI

12th – PHARMACIST MUSTAFA

SECOND ROW STANDING LEFT – RIGHT:

1st – DON’T REMEMBER

2nd – PHARMACIST OKAFOR

3rd – PHARMACIST PAUL NDUKWE

4th – PHARMACIST LUKE EDENARU

5th – PHARMACIST AWATEFE

6th – PHARMACIST SILAS IFEANACHO

7th – PHARMACIST (VEN) ADESIMBO ADEFARASIN

8th – LATE PHARMACIST EDET OKON

THIRD ROW STANDING LEFT – RIGHT:

1st – PHARMACIST DOUGLAS EGBUONU

2nd – PHARMACIST TALABI

3rd – PHARMACIST (BARR.) JULIUS ADELUYI

4th – LATE PHARMACIST SAM OKEWUNMI

5th – PHARMACIST DENNIS OKOLO

The Lagos branch of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeriam (PSN), has called on the registrar of the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) to rise to the challenge of curbing the spate of irregularities that has affected the profession in recent times.

Speaking on the state of pharmacy practice in Nigeria during the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of PSN-Lagos, chairman of the branch, Pharm. Gbenga Olubowale, also expressed the disappointment of his members over the aborted plan to kick-start the National Drug Distribution Guidelines (NDDGs) which was expected to sanitise the nation’s drug distribution system.

The plan could not be implemented as earlier scheduled due to disagreement among stakeholders.

“This and other issues necessitate the pragmatic intervention of the PCN registrar, as there is no gainsaying the fact that the environment as presently obtains is not very conducive for practice in the land. Our colleagues are still yearning for the much promised change in the administration of pharmacy practice in our land as promised by the registrar on assumption of office over a year ago”, Olubowale said .

He also lamented the adverse effects of the absence of a governing council for the PCN, following the dissolution of the former council alongside other agencies and parastatals by the federal government, stating that this had brought setback to the practice, as there were several pending issues awaiting the ratification of the council.

Olubowale, who was returned unopposed as chairman of the Society with all the officers in his administration, to pilot the affairs of the branch for another year, promised to continue to serve the group in the best interest of the members.

Delivering a report on his stewardship to the house, Olubowale said his administration had successfully secured the pharmacy villa building, which had been facing some structural challenges in recent times.

Another issue that took the centre stage at the AGM was the secretary’s report that showed a drop in revenues generated in the year under review, which the chairman attributed to the fact that some members moved away from Lagos to other states, probably due to high cost of living.

He also cited failure on the part of some civil servants in payment of annual dues.

Rising from a meeting of its national officers committee, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has called for the reconstitution of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), which was disbanded by the federal government, along with other professional regulatory bodies and government parastatals.

Speaking through a press release jointly signed by Dr Kayode Obembe, NMA president and Dr Adewunmi Alayaki, secretary general, the association said it was highly appalled by the state of affairs in the health care delivery system which has been reinforced by the recent ruling of the National Industrial Court.

Describing medicine and dentistry as internationally recognised noble professions, Obembe declared that the NMA was is deeply concerned with increasing number of people who die daily due to the present situation.

“We are concerned that unless decisive actions are taken NOW to allow international best practices to take root, many more avoidable deaths are in the offing as a result of the miscarriage of unionism, impunity, ignorance and lawlessness in our health institutions.

“Stories of staff removing life-support gadgets, switching off oxygen supply lines, electricity and water during strikes have become common. Rather than charge those concerned with murder, there is a subtle conspiracy to help perpetrators get away with their role in the strike”, he said.

The president further lamented that doctors who choose to uphold the elevated calling of the medical ethics by deciding to work during the strike actions are usually assaulted by detailed thugs – often junior and middle cadre staff -sometimes deployed from other establishments for cover.

Obembe noted that it was in the light of the foregoing and others too numerous to mention that the NMA had decided to step out boldly and insist that things be made right, provided they are done in the best interest of patient care and the health system in line with international best practices.

Buttressing this claim, Dr Adewunmi Alayaki, NMA secretary general reiterated that many well-trained and highly-skilled Nigerian doctors and dentists had left the shores of the country over the years because of unhealthy, antagonistic, unproductive and acrimonious work environment in the public health sector.

“How else can one explain a situation where a professor of haematology is barred from performing tests and implementing quality assurance programmes in the haematology laboratory by a judicial pronouncement?

“A consultant plastic surgeon was once prevented from reviewing the wound of a patient in the ward he operated in earlier, simply because a ‘consultant’ nurse had given order that the wound must not be opened. Can the Nigerian sick people survive under this state of anarchy?” he queried.

The experienced physician argued that in other climes, other health professions are recognised and designated as professions allied to medicine, which is akin to a tree with its branches and other parts.

He opined that it is only in Nigeria that allied health professionals lock up equipment, cannibalise them, re-label reagents, and even pull off or plug off life-support machines with patients connected to them when they embark on strikes under the watch of the authorities.

“The NMA will not tolerate any encroachment in any medical or dental arena as no doctor or dentist will submit his practice to any other health professional regulatory body other than the MDCN and the relevant state ministries of health.

“For emphasis, pathologists must perform their role in the pathology services laboratories. doctors and dentists are hereby cautioned against using pathology services or laboratory results not reviewed, interpreted and reported by pathologists,” he warned.

The secretary general remarked that the unquenchable appetite to extort and exploit the Nigerian masses leading to the phenomena of pseudo-typhoid epidemic, small hepatitis and little malaria syndromes is one handy example of what running laboratories without pathologists looks like.

He further stated that human samples are often handled without recourse to the state of health of the owner.

“It is only the pathologists that have the training and mandate to situate and connect the biological samples and the patient. Enough of mediocrity, enough of ignorance, enough of absurdity, enough of indiscipline!

“Laboratories that do not have permanent or visiting pathologists are to be avoided as much as possible in the interest of patients. The same applies to radiology where there are no radiologists,” he charged.

In conclusion, the NMA reiterated that the reconstitution of the MDCN should be done without any further delay so that appropriate regulatory activities can be effectively executed in line with legal provisions, and malpractices and other breaches of its codes of ethics sanctioned accordingly.

“Finally we believe that the recommendations of the Yayale Ahmed Committee on Inter-professional relationships in the public health sector should be implemented forthwith,” Alayaki appealed.

Tajudeen is a pharmacist with a small retail store in Olodi Apapa.  He embarks on the importation of certain drugs from India, after fulfilling the requirements of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).  Being completely new to the business, he engages the services of Godfrey, a clearing agent in the neighbourhood.

Godfrey agrees to facilitate the importation and clearing of the goods at Apapa Wharf in Lagos.  The terms of the transaction are discussed and the fees are agreed on.  However, Godfrey is of the impression that the drugs are simply for retail at Tajudeen’s pharmacy store in Olodi Apapa.

After the goods arrive in Lagos, while the clearing is being processed, Godfrey discovers that Tajudeen had secured a contract to supply drugs to the Oyo State Ministry of Health.  Indeed, the goods at the wharf are specifically for the fulfilment of that contract and not for the retail pharmacy, as previously assumed.  In the light of this, Godfrey confronts Tajudeen and renegotiates his fees for an increase of 10 per cent.  Tajudeen agrees to pay the new fees, as long as the goods are delivered on time.

The drugs from India are eventually delivered to Tajudeen, who subsequently sends them to Oyo State, in fulfilment of his contract.  Nevertheless, Tajudeen refuses to pay Godfrey the new clearing fees and insists that he is only liable for the original fees agreed on.  What is the position of the law on a transaction of this nature?

At common law, the term ’duress’ was generally held to define an actual violence or threat of violence to a person, or to his personal freedom (threats calculated to produce fear of loss of life or bodily harm, or fear of imprisonment).  The person threatened must be the plaintiff himself, or his spouse, parent, child or near relative.  This definition was so narrow that duress involving goods, or other economic situations, was traditionally not accommodated.  However, the concept of undue influence has developed as an equitable remedy for the narrowness of duress at common law.  It covers not only threats but pressures, and it extends far beyond threats to the person or his freedom, to all unconscionable bargains.

The legal issues involved are:

1. The meaning of ‘duress’ in law.
2. The incidence of economic duress.
3. The effect of duress or undue influence in a transaction.

From the case of Maskell v. Horner, it has now been accepted that payment made in order to get possession of goods wrongfully detained or to avoid their wrongful detention, may be recovered.  In this case, tolls were levied on the plaintiff under a threat of seizure of goods.  According to Lord Reading, “If a person pays money, which he is not bound to pay, under the compulsion of urgent and pressing necessity or of seizure, actual or threatened, of his goods, he can recover it as money had and received.”

In the transaction between Tajudeen and Godfrey, there was an agreement for the provision of importation and clearing services.  The business was entered into on agreed terms but was later renegotiated for an increase of fees payable to the agent.

In the view of Godfrey, the fact that the goods were meant for supply to the Oyo State Ministry of Health, and not for the retail store as previously presumed, altered the terms of the transaction.  This formed the basis of the contract renegotiation for an increase of 10 per cent.  The argument now is that since Tajudeen agreed to the new fees, he is liable to pay, as the delivery of goods was facilitated to enable him fulfil his contract to Oyo State.

However, this position is not supported by law.  Tajudeen entered into an agreement without regard for the purpose of the goods to be imported.  It is immaterial whether the goods are for commercial purposes or for private use.  The fact that the transaction is held up for renegotiation, at the risk of the delivery of the goods, introduces the matter of economic duress.

In the related case of North Ocean Shipping Co. Ltd. v. Hyundai Construction Co. Ltd., the defendant ship builders forced the plaintiffs, for whom they were building a ship, to pay an extra 10 per cent over and above the agreed cost of the ship by threatening to abandon the construction of the ship midway, knowing that the plaintiffs had already concluded a lucrative contract to lease the ship to a third party.  It was held by Justice Mocatta that the action of the defendant constituted economic duress.  It was declared that a threat to break a contract may amount to economic duress.  Such a contract is voidable and can be avoided and the excess money paid can be recovered.

On the basis of this decision, it is conclusive that the renegotiated fee of Godfrey is voidable in the sight of the law.  Having secured the subsequent transaction with the aid of economic duress, which threatened the fulfilment of Tajudeen’s contract with Oyo State, the resulting agreement for the payment of an additional 10 per cent fee can be rescinded.  Tajudeen is not liable to make the extra payment.

Principles and cases are from Sagay: Nigerian Law of Contract

It was a beehive of activities at the five-day training held for inspectorate officials of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), local pharma manufacturers and industrial pharmacists.

Themed ‘Advanced Good Manufacturing Practices Training,’ the conference, which was organised by the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) from 14 to 18 March at Banex Hotel in Anthony, Lagos, was aimed at promoting quality of medicines in Nigeria.

In his presentation, Teferi Bedane, a senior GMP specialist, highlighted several issues associated with pharmaceutical manufacturing, including product quality monitoring, corrective action and preventive action (CAPA), change management system, out of specification (OOS) handling and root cause analysis.

Bedane noted that Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) must be applied throughout products’ life-cycle, while arguing that the desired established character of a product in terms of identity, strength and purity must be defined.

The Ethiopian expert canvassed accuracy and promptness during the entire manufacturing process with the aid of CAPA.

“As I mentioned earlier, CAPA can be described as an absolute measure that defines the backbone of pharmaceutical quality system.  And, of course, only someone who is part of the company’s quality assurance team has the power to approve a change to meet up with the standard of procedure (SOP),” he said.

In his summation, retesting or resampling is necessary only when out of specification investigation reveals equipment malfunction or sample handling error (dilution error).

“When this happens, the sample used for retesting should be taken from the same samples. Secondly, the retesting can only be performed by an analyst other than the one who performed the original test result,” he stressed.

Discussing the role of USP in Nigeria pharmaceutical industry, Dr Chimezie Anyakora, a consultant and USP chief of party explained that the United States’ organisation is an independent, non-profit scientific organisation that sets quality standards for medicines in the United States (US) that are enforceable by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Anyakora also disclosed that USP and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) formed a cooperative agreement about 20 years ago to promote the quality of medicines globally.

“This gave rise to a USP programme known as ‘Promoting the Quality of Medicines (PQM)’. Today, PQM is active in 38 countries,” he said.

He added that the PQM programme has been active in Nigeria for about four years, with its office being formally established last year in Lagos.

Dr Anyakora is presently the chief of party for the PQM initiative in Nigeria.

By Pharm. Sesan Kareem

What are your numbers? I’m not talking about your phone numbers or account numbers. No, I’m talking about your health numbers – your Blood Pressure (BP), Blood Glucose Level (BGL), Body Mass Index (BMI) and other vital numbers that depict your health status.

I work with numbers. If a person tells me his number, I can quickly predict whether the person has been a Health Conscious Person (HCoP) or a Health Careless Person (HCaP). Further questions will reveal to me whether he is a Hereditary Advantaged Person (HAP) or a Hereditary Disadvantaged Person (HDP).

A Health Conscious Person is someone who is always aware of his vitals because he often checks his health status regularly. A Health Careless Person is someone who doesn’t care about his health status; thus, he doesn’t have current information about his health vitals.

A Hereditary Advantaged Person is someone who has little or no family history of non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, arthritis, cancer etc. A Hereditary Disadvantaged Person is someone who is predisposed to more than one non-communicable disease because of his family history.

Why know your numbers?

Information is vital. What we can’t define we can never FIND. And ignorance is not an excuse in the court of health where justice is based on our lifestyle. Science is objective. It works with facts, procedures and figures. Therefore, it is pertinent for health-conscious people to often check their health status by going for regular medical checkups.

Medical checkup, also known as comprehensive health examination, periodic health examination, general health check, and preventive health examination, is an important preventive and diagnostic tool. It helps to monitor one’s health and assists with the prevention of disease or illness. It involves a medical history, a brief or comprehensive physical examination and sometimes laboratory tests.

Some advanced medical checkups also include ultra sound and mammography, depending on the age, gender, medical or family history of the person in question. I always counsel those between the ages of 40 and 60 to go for a comprehensvfi eexamination once in a year. Senior citizens above 60 should go or their general health check once in six months. However, getting a routine comprehensive health examination is important for everyone, regardless of age, gender or economic status.

Essence of medical tests

A medical test is a medical procedure performed to detect, diagnose or monitor diseases, disease processes and susceptibility, as well as determine a course of treatment. It helps to screen for illness, diagnose the cause of symptoms and monitor health conditions or the effects of treatment.

Medical tests can be broadly grouped into two: Pathology test and x-rays. Pathology tests include blood tests, stool tests, urine tests etc. X-rays includes, Computed Tomography (CT) scans, ultrasound and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).

Medical tests are an important part of medical practice for proper diagnosis and treatment. However, absolute care must be implemented in carrying out the right test, because the wrong test may actually do more harm than good. The right test for the right patient at the right time always leads to right diagnosis and treatment.

Tragedy of ignorance

Many people have died ignorantly because they failed to know their health status. In May 2015, one of my good friends’ uncle was driving along Ikorodu road, when he suddenly packed his car by the roadside, placed his head on the steering wheel and slept to eternity. He had had a heart attack. Further investigations revealed that his sudden death was due to uncontrolled hypertension which had been detected very late.

I’ve heard of individuals who died of cancers because of late diagnosis. If these people had been doing their medical checkup regularly, perhaps they would have been alerted early to quickly treat themselves and avoid the huge consequences of late diagnosis, including untimely death.

So, having read this far, what opinion have you formed?  Do you think knowing your health numbers is a bit important or very important? Is going for a regular checkup to be quite sure of your health status somehow important or absolutely important? Is being a health conscious person is something you will give a try or something you must do?

Your honest answers to the above questions will open your mind to the importance of knowing your health numbers.

Action plan

When last did you check your health numbers? What is your Body Mass index (BMI), Blood Pressure (BP), Blood Glucose Level (BGL) and other important vitals? Do you have a place you record your health numbers?

My advice? Find out your health vitals. Have a specific place you record it and go for your medical checkup regularly.

Affirmation: Knowing my health number is very important. I commit to a healthy lifestyle.

Computer-aided or computational drug design is fast gaining prominence in many drug discovery campaigns. This approach leverages on chemical and biological information about ligands and/or biological targets to design potential drug candidates whereby the biological and physical properties of the target are studied and a prediction is made of the sorts of chemicals that might ût in to an active site. This streamlines the drug discovery and development, avoiding a large population of inactive compounds to save money, time and resources.

Today, there are many drugs which owe their discovery to the application of computational method of drug design. One of such is Dorzolamide, a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor used for the management of glaucoma. It was the first drug which resulted from structure base computational drug design approach introduced in 1995 by Merck.
Computer-aided drug design as a tool in drug development is being applied in the repositioning of known drugs for a different therapeutic use. Computational drug repositioning involves repurposing a known drug for new therapeutic indication, using computer technology. In other words, it involves finding new therapeutic use for already existing drugs.

Examples of repositioned drugs

There are many examples of drugs successfully repositioned. A typical example is the phosphodiesterase inhibitor, Sildenafil, sold as Viagra, which was initially developed for treating pulmonary arterial hypertension (angina) but later repositioned for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. Another well-known example is Thalidomide developed by the German drug company, Chemie Grunenthal in 1957. It was primarily prescribed as a sedative or hypnotic. Afterwards, it was used against nausea and to alleviate morning sickness in pregnant women. Due to its teratogenic effects as seen in the malformation of limbs in infants, it was withdrawn from the market in 1961 and later repositioned for the treatment of certain cancers (multiple myeloma) and in complication of leprosy.

It is worthy of note that drug repositioning may be achieved with or without computational design tools. In the past, some drugs formerly indicated for the treatment of certain ailments or used for entirely different purposes were discovered serendipitously or deliberately repositioned to be useful for other therapeutic indications. An example is the sulphur mustard which was used as a biological weapon during the second world war, but later repositioned without the use of computer-assisted drug modelling, serving as the template for the development of the nitrogen mustards (DNA alkylating agents) such as Melphalan used in cancer chemotherapy.

For a drug to be successfully repositioned, adequate information on the biological activity of the drug and/or target and its involvement in the pathology of the disease condition must be known. The process of gathering such functional information of the biological target is called “target validation” in pharmaceutical industry parlance.

The application of computational drug repositioning as an alternative approach in drug development  has been made possible by increase identification of molecular targets, elucidation of the 3D structures by X- ray crystallography and Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), availability of commercial, private or public databases (for biological targets and ligands), and availability of computer-aided drug design software.

Approaches to computer-aided drug design

Depending on the availability of structural information, a structure-based approach or a ligand-based approach is used. Structure-based computer aided drug design depends on the information of the target protein structure obtained from X-ray crystallography, NMR or homology modelling to calculate interaction energies for all tested compounds. This approach involves “docking” a process of ligand binding to its receptor or target protein, to identify and optimize drug candidates by examining how the drug interacts with its target and modelling molecular interactions between ligands and target macromolecules.

According to Anson et al (2009) the conventional methods (High Throughput screening) of drug discovery is a lengthy, “expensive, diûcult, and ineûcient process” with low rate of new therapeutic discovery. The average time to develop a new drug has also increased over time (Hurle, Yang et al. 2013). In 2010, it was estimated that the cost of research and development of new molecular entities (NME) was US$1.8 billion (Paul et al 2010). Very few compounds, out of hundreds of thousands tested in animals, reach human clinical trials. This represents an enormous investment in terms of time and money and other resources.

For a very long time, there have been many propositions in improving the efficiency in the drug discovery and development process in the pharmaceutical industry. A Pharma report by PriceWaterhouse coopers in 2005 : “An Industrial Revolution in R&D” stressed the reality that pharmaceutical industry needs to find means of improving efficiency and effectiveness of drug discovery and development in order to sustain itself.”

The report emphasized growth and value of computational approaches to address this issue and projected that it will become dominant approach of drug discovery in the nearest future.

Benefits of computational drug repositioning

There are many benefits presented by computational drug repositioning compared to conventional methods of drug discovery, which involves a trial-and-error approach of lead identification from natural sources or high throughput screening (HTS) of large chemical libraries in vitro.

Firstly, in computational drug repositioning, the pharmacological profile (Pharmacokinetics, safety profile, toxicology and drug interactions) of the drug to be repositioned is well-known (Lu, Agarwal et al. 2012).

Secondly, it is both cost effective and time-efficient as it increases the effectiveness and efficiency of drug discovery at a lower price and decreases the use of animals in the process of lead identification and optimisation (Kapetanovic 2008). The estimated time required for repositioning of a known drug for a new clinical indication can be as low as three years (Hurle, Yang et al. 2013).

References

Anson D, MaJ, HeJ-Q (2009). “Identifying Cardio-toxic Compounds”. Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News. Tech Note 29 (9) (Mary Ann Liebert). pp. 34– 35. ISSN1935-472X.OCLC77706455.

Hurle, M., L. Yang, et al. (2013). “Computational Drug Repositioning: From Data to Therapeutics.” Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics 93(4): 335-341.

Kapetanovic, I. (2008). “Computer-Aided Drug Discovery and Development (Caddd): In Silico-Chemico-Biological Approach.” Chemico-biological interactions 171(2): 165-176.

Paul S, Mytelka D, Dunwiddie C, Persinger C, Munos B, Lindborg R, Schacht A. (2010). “How to improve R&D productivity: the pharmaceutical industry’s grand challenge”. Nature Reviews. Drug Discovery9 (3): 203–14.

Yunusa, A. and Bello, S.O.  (2015) “Computational Drug Design: An Approach In Drug Re-Positioning-A Review” International Journal of Scientific Research Engineering & Technology (IJSRET), ISSN 2278 – 0882   Volume 4, Issue 8.

Wikipedia: Drug discovery. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_discovery?oldid=697280369

Today is World Health Day 2016, and the theme for this year’s commemoration is: “Beat Diabetes”. Diabetes is a chronic, progressive noncommunicable disease (NCD) characterized by elevated levels of blood glucose (blood sugar). It occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough of the insulin hormone, which regulates blood sugar, or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces.

According to a press release from the World Health Organisation (WHO) the number of people living with diabetes has nearly quadrupled since 1980 to 422 million adults, with most living in developing countries, like Nigeria.

WHO is calling all well meaning inhabitants of the world to participate in the battle against diabetes, in order to end the epidemic.

To effectively halt the prevalence of the disease, there are measures needed to expand health-promoting environments to reduce diabetes risk factors, like physical inactivity and unhealthy diets, and strengthening national capacities to help people with diabetes receive the treatment and care they need to manage their conditions.

“If we are to make any headway in halting the rise in diabetes, we need to rethink our daily lives: to eat healthily, be physically active, and avoid excessive weight gain,” says Dr Margaret Chan, WHO Director-General. “Even in the poorest settings, governments must ensure that people are able to make these healthy choices and that health systems are able to diagnose and treat people with diabetes.”

The number of people living with diabetes and its prevalence are growing in all regions of the world. In 2014, 422 million adults (or 8.5% of the population) had diabetes, compared with 108 million (4.7%) in 1980.

Speaking on the prevalence in Nigeria, the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Prof. Chris Bode, said though the disease was gradually assuming an epidemic proportion worldwide, as it had become one of the 10 leading causes of death globally, the real situation in Nigeria could not really be established because of lack of data.

He said while the dearth of data continues to affect diabetes management and research, it had continue to ravage many Nigerians because of its silent nature.

Bode said: “Because of our cultural believe that if a condition does not stops one from eating, does not cause pains and bleeding, it is not considered serious,” the disease hides behind many others since it is taken for granted.

The National Association of Resident Doctors of Nigeria (NARD) has said that except the Federal Government expedite action in paying up the backlog of salaries owed its members within 21 days, the nation’s health sector might experience a walkout of its members.

The President of NARD, Muhammad Askira, gave the warning on Monday in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, lamenting the situation where their members in Osun, Oyo, Imo and Kogi States were owed salaries ranging from three to eight months.

According to Channelstv.com, the group also queried why the situation remained the same despite President Muhammadu Buhari’s pronouncement to care for the welfare of health workers.

The health workers are asking the Federal Government to intervene and find a lasting solution to the issues raised within the 21-day window.

They threatened that if the government failed to attend to their needs, they would embark on a nationwide industrial action by April 25.

The minister of health, Professor Isaac Adewole has said that except there is an immediate increase in the number of available radiotherapy machines in the country, there might be no end in sight to the rising cancer profile in Nigeria.

Adewole who disclosed this during his visit to LUTH, categorically stated that Nigeria needs about 140 radiotherapy machines to address rising cancer cases in the country.

He said only two out of the available seven in the country are functional which are being overstretching for the treatments of 2million cancer patients.

The Minister who urged Nigerians to improve on their lifestyle said 40per cent of cancer cases can be prevented while 40percent are also curable if detected early.

He said late detection of cancer is death even when patients travel abroad for help adding that this why awareness is key to prevent the scourge.

The Minister, who also  ordered free treatments for indigent patients at the hospital, said  until the system put in place an insurance scheme or some form of social health scheme, everyone cannot be taken care of but, only the poor can enjoy such free treatment.

He said “We can also not deny poor Nigerians quality treatment because they have no money. Those who are poor should enjoy our services. We are pleading to Nigerians to be genuine and truthful because we cannot take care of everybody for now, the free treatment is for the poor alone.”

As part of efforts to reduce the health care challenges in the nation, the Federal Government of Nigeria has announced plans to address inadequate facilities in 10,000 primary health care centres across the country.

The Minister of State for Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, disclosed the plan in Abuja‎, according to Channels TV reports, stating that  the Federal Government was committed to improving the health care needs of Nigerians in order to sustain the progress so far recorded in the health sector.

Dr Ehanire , who was speaking during a gathering of health experts, as the World Bank convened a round table on the health care sector in Nigeria,  expressed his optimism that  Nigeria is moving in the right direction, having succeeded in reducing the number of child and maternal deaths.

The occasion, which commenced with the inauguration of a policy makers summit, also witnessed the attendance of the acting Country Director of the World Bank, who advised the Federal Government to go beyond rhetoric by addressing the poverty level in Nigeria.

The policy makers summit put together by the World Bank is expected to, among other things, evaluate ‎maternal and child health impact on Nigerians including a general overview of the nation’s health sector.

Worried by the torrent of criticisms trailing the prospects and content of the proposed Unified Scheme of Service (USS) by the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), a group of nurses under the aegis of University Graduates of Nursing Science Association (UGONSA) have decried the situation, demanding clarification from the NANNM president, Comrade Abdulrafiu Alani Adeniji.

The complaint, which was signed by comrade Jude Chiedu, Fwacn, and published on NursingworldNigeria.com, demanded for a certified copy of the USS, in order  to clarify confusing issues therein.

The statement, which reminded the president of his obligation to run an open policy administration, in the interest of all members, cautioned the president on the tendency to turn deaf ears to this call, adding that this could trigger greater protest, if nothing is done to salvage the image of the nursing profession.

“Ignoring them has not helped in any way. Since there has been no rebuttal publication or sensitization by the Leadership of NANNM on these issues raised by UGONSA, your silence has left us at a loss as to making an informed decision on which team we are on”, the publication reads.

In an exclusive chat with pharmanewsonline.com, the NANNM president, Comrade Adeniji  gave reasons for the actions of NANNM, acknowledging that  the USS actually originated from them,  and its not strange to anybody, except those who are out to create confusion in the profession.

He said:”There is justification for the USS, because just like there is entry point into any profession, the USS stated clearly the criteria to practice nursing in Nigeria, and this has not been hidden to any nurse. The USS also states that obtaining a degree in nursing does not automatically qualify anyone one for practice, until he/she sits for qualifying examination to practice”.

Describing the protest of UGONSA’s members as a foul cry, where there is no cause for alarm, he explained that once a document is filed through the public service rule, it is regarded as classified document, which remains confidential, until its approval. Thus, circulating such document is not feasible for now.

“The issue with UGONSA’s members is the mere fact that they are looking for recognition, because how many practicing nurses are graduates presently. They are yet to be members of NANNM, and thus have to right to demand for the USS”, he insisted.

Adeniji further condemned the action of UGONSA’s members, stating that having gone ahead to register with the Corporate Affairs commission (CAC) does not empower them to protest over issues in the profession.

As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to mark the 2016 World Tuberculosis Day today, the World Health organisation (WHO) is calling on countries and partners to “Unite to End Tuberculosis” by the year 2030.

The theme of the 2016 World TB Day commemoration in Nigeria is ‘’Find TB, Treat TB and Working together to Eliminate TB’’ while the global slogan is “Unite to End TB.”

The WHO made the call earlier in a press release, saying ending TB is imperative, as we enter the era of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Ending tuberculosis (TB) by 2030 is a target of the SDGs and the goal of the WHO End TB Strategy.

The press release reads in part:

That is an ambitious aim. While there has been significant progress in the fight against TB, with 43 million lives saved since 2000, the battle is only half-won: over 4 000 people lose their lives each day to this leading infectious disease. Many of the communities that are most burdened by tuberculosis are those that are poor, vulnerable and marginalized.

Greater collaboration needed

Ending TB will only be achieved with greater collaboration within and across governments, and with partners from civil society, communities, researchers, the private sector and development agencies. This means taking a whole-of-society and multidisciplinary approach, in the context of universal health coverage.

Momentum is growing at country and community levels – including in the 30 countries with the highest TB burden (over 85% of the global burden). A number of countries are strengthening the strategic agendas of their TB programmes, by adopting newer tools, extending access to care and linking with other parts of government to reduce the financial costs borne by patients. Other countries are partnering with researchers to speed development of diagnostic tests, drugs and vaccines, and to improve delivery.

Country progress on TB

For example, India which is home to more people ill with TB and multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) than any other country, has committed to achieving universal access to TB care with its campaign for a TB-Free India. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is expanding its capacity to test patients rapidly for drug-resistant TB and is initiating use of bedaquiline, a new, WHO-recommended drug in MDR-TB treatment. In addition, by making TB case notification mandatory in 2012 and by intensifying efforts to engage the private sector, case notifications rose 29% in 2014 alone.

In working towards universal health coverage, South Africa has greatly expanded access to Xpert MTB/RIF, a WHO-recommended rapid molecular test for TB and drug-resistant TB. South Africa has the largest number of people living with HIV who are receiving TB preventive treatment in the world.

In Thailand, where a large percentage of the population has access to health services at modest cost, efforts are focusing on ensuring that all residents – including migrants – have access to TB treatment.

In the Russian Federation, a high-level working group across government institutions has strengthened TB policies over the last 15 years. Since 2005, Russia reports that TB mortality rate has dropped more than 50%, and TB notifications have dropped 20%. WHO will work with the Ministry of Health in 2016 to assess these data and help assess the factors leading to such a decline.

Brazil and Viet Nam, both with effective basic TB services, are investing in research efforts to drive down the TB burden. Brazil has formed a national network of TB researchers, REDE-TB, which is working on basic science, clinical trials, and operational research priorities. Viet Nam has formed VICTORY (“Viet Nam Integrated Centre for Tuberculosis and Respirology Research”), a research partnership that is initiating a TB prevalence survey and developing tools to prioritize interventions for MDR-TB.

Challenges remain

Despite these advances, formidable challenges remain including fragile health systems, human resource and financial constraints, and the serious co-epidemics with HIV, diabetes, and tobacco use.

MDR-TB is another critical challenge. Urgent and effective action to address antimicrobial resistance is key to ending TB by 2030. So are increased investments, as the global tuberculosis response remains underfunded for both implementation and research.

WHO is committed to continuing its work with countries and partners around the world to address these challenges and to accelerate collective action to end the TB epidemic altogether.

Key TB Facts

TB ranks alongside HIV/AIDS the world’s top infectious disease killer.

In 2014, 9.6 million people fell ill with TB and 1.5 million died from the disease, including 380 000 among people living with HIV.

More than 95% of TB deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, and TB is among the top 5 causes of death for women aged 15 to 44.

In 2014, an estimated 1 million children became ill with TB and 140 000 children died.

TB is a leading killer of HIV-positive people: in 2014, 1 in 3 HIV deaths was due to TB.

Globally, in 2014, an estimated 480 000 people developed MDR-TB.

The TB death rate dropped by 47% between 1990 and 2015.

An estimated 43 million lives were saved through TB diagnosis and treatment between 2000 and 2014.

The WHO End TB Strategy aims to reduce TB deaths by 90% and to cut new cases by 80% between 2015 and 2030, and to ensure that no TB-affected family faces catastrophic costs due to TB.

Since the inauguration of World Water Day in March 22, 1993 by the United Nations General Assembly, the day had been set aside to create awareness on the need for safe water consumption and provision.

The theme for this year’s celebration: “Water and Jobs”, made it clear that availability of portable water is paramount in creating conducive work environments and homes. It is however regrettable that most homes in Nigeria, still lack means of hygienic water, talk less of workplaces.

In the light of this commemoration, the Nigerian government needs to rise to its obligation of providing safer water for its citizens, as improving these rights, and improving access to safer water, we can improve the lives of everyone.

Then comes the question, why do you need to drink water?

It is generally said that water is life, this explains the reason every cells and organs in the body need water to function effectively. Water is also an indispensable lubricant in the human system that lubricates the joints, protect the spinal cord and other sensitive tissues, regulate body temperature and assist the passage of food through the intestines.

How much water is ideal to drink?

The recommended amount of water that should be drunk per day varies from person to person depending on factors such as how active they are and how much they sweat. There is no universally agreed upon threshold of water consumption that must be reached, but there is a general level of consensus as to what a healthy amount is.

According to the Institute of Medicine (IOM), an adequate intake for men is approximately 13 cups (3 litres) a day. For women, an adequate intake is around 9 cups (2.2 litres).

Many people may have heard the phrase, “Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day,” which works out at around 1.9 litres and is close to the IOM’s recommendation for women. Drinking “8 by 8” is an easy-to-remember amount that can put people on the right track in terms of water consumption.

Water also helps dissolve minerals and nutrients so that they are more accessible to the body, as well as helping transport waste products out of the body. It is these two functions that make water so vital to the kidneys.

Just like a nightmare, Lassa fever has taken over from where Ebola stopped in West Africa, especially in Nigeria which, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), reportedly recorded 159 suspected cases of Lassa fever, including 82 deaths, across 19 states between August 2015 and January 2016.

For most West African countries, especially Nigeria, that had devastating experiences with the Ebola outbreak, it isn’t yet time to heave a sigh of relief as the sub-region battles the onslaught of Lassa fever. The last Ebola outbreak, which was the worst of its kind, tormented the West African countries between December 2013 and November 2015, and infected about 29,000 people, claiming over 11,315 lives.

Like the Ebola virus, the Lassa virus is transmitted through close contact with the virus host or the sweat, vomit, blood or other bodily fluids of an infected person, or the recently deceased. Both cause severe fever and muscle pain, weakness, vomiting and diarrhoea. In many cases, they shut down organs and cause unstoppable internal bleeding. Patients often succumb within 3 to 21 days.

However, unlike Ebola, Lassa is treatable with Ribavirin – an antiviral drug that is only effective if administered within the first six days after the disease onset.  Also, Lassa fever patients benefit from careful monitoring of fluid, electrolyte and oxygen levels.

Infection with Lassa virus often arises from exposure to infected rodents. Person-to-person transmission occurs through direct contact with sick patients in both community and health care settings. Those at greatest risk are persons living in rural areas where the carriers are found. Health care workers are also at risk if adequate infection control practices are not maintained.

According to the Wikipedia, Lassa fever or Lassa haemorrhagic fever (LHF) is an acute viral haemorrhagic fever caused by the Lassa virus and first described in 1969 in the town of Lassa, in Borno State, Nigeria. Lassa fever is a member of the Arenaviridae virus family. Similar to ebola, clinical cases of the disease had been known for over a decade, but had not been connected with a viral pathogen.

Lassa virus frequently infects people in West Africa. It results in 300,000 to 500,000 cases annually and causes about 5,000 deaths each year. Outbreaks of the disease have been observed in Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and the Central African Republic. The primary animal host of the Lassa virus is the Natal multimammate mouse (Mastomys natalensis), an animal found in most of sub-Saharan Africa. The virus is probably transmitted by contact with the faeces or urine of animals accessing grain stores in residences.

Given its high rate of incidence, Lassa fever is a major problem in affected countries because in 80 per cent of cases, the disease is asymptomatic, but in the remaining 20 per cent, it takes a complicated course. The virus is estimated to be responsible for about 5,000 deaths annually and it accounts for up to one-third of deaths in hospitals within the affected regions and 10 to 16 per cent of total cases.

The Wiki report states further that after an incubation period of six to 21 days, an acute illness with multiorgan involvement will develop. s nonspecific symptoms include fever, facial swelling, and muscle fatigue, as well as conjunctivitis and mucosal bleeding.

An acute viral illness, Lassa fever, according to the Federal Ministry of Health, has so far claimed over 70 lives across over 17 states of the country and the FCT.

In order to curtail the spread of the disease, the federal government has created the Lassa Fever Rapid Response Committee, which goal is to control and prevent the spread of the malady. Public health officials have also asked Nigerians to stop burning bushes as this drives rats out of the bush and into nearby houses. Government has also placed a ban on consumption of rats that are a delicacy common to some states in the Middle Belt region of the country, so as to curtail the spread of the disease.

The garri connection

The Medical and Health Workers Union, Lagos State Council, has discouraged the consumption of soaked garri as a preventive measure against Lassa fever. Chairman of the Union, Mr Razak Adeofalade, was quoted to have said: “We are going to encourage members of the public to depart from the process of drinking garri. At this period, it is better that the cassava flour is utilised for eba, because of the use of hot water. We are waging total war and that is: ‘War against Rats,’ and that is what we are going to do to ensure we do not have more victim of Lassa fever in the state.”

Continuing, he said: “Garri is often fried half-dry and subsequently dried on polythene sheets on tarred roads or compounds in villages, where rats feed on them, and in the process defecate and urinate on the garri, which dries up with it. If used for eba, the virus may die because of the hot water used. But if soaked in normal water and consumed, the virus is directly ushered in.”

However, in a swift reaction, the association of cassava processors, through their chairman, Pastor Tayo Adewumi, reportedly debunked the warning on garri, stressing that the virus can hardly survive the production process. He explained that the cyanide content in cassava makes it difficult for rats to feed on it during production process.

He however drew attention to the need for better hygienic practices at home, saying that if not properly stored after production, rats could feed, urinate and defecate on it and by so doing people could come down with Lassa fever.

Remedial measures

At a meeting of the National Council of Health in Abuja to adopt strategies for combating Lassa fever and other viral diseases in the country, the minister of health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, warned health managers not to deceive executives by keeping silence on the spread of the disease.

During the emergency meeting, Adewole was quoted as saying, “We currently have testing capability in 14 testing centres, some of which are in Maiduguri, Kano, Iddo, Irrua, Lagos, Port Harcourt and the FCT. We have treatment centres all over the country. We have enough personnel for managing Lassa fever. Unlike Ebola Virus Disease that is untreatable, Lassa fever is treatable. But we must start treatment on time to enable us to save the patients.”

The minister while assuring the public that the federal government would maintain high level of alert to eliminate the disease soon, added that the ministry had deployed rapid response teams to all affected states to assist in investigating and verifying fresh cases of the disease.

He further added that government had raised a four-man expert committee, led by Prof. Michael Asuzu, to visit Kano, Niger and Bauchi States, saying the committee would embark on a fact finding mission, assess the current situation, document response experiences, identify gaps and proffer recommendations on how to prevent future occurrences.

According to him, the task of the committee was to document lessons learnt for better planning of an affective responsive. He also said the federal government had also given the Committee on the Eradication of Lassa fever in Nigeria, headed by Prof. Oyewale Tomori, president of the Nigeria Academy of Science, a mandate to provide a one-health approach to the complete elimination of the disease in the country.

Issues for consideration

However, beyond the promises by the state and federal governments, there are fundamental issues that need to be addressed, if the country must conquer the scourge of Lassa fever. A nation as diverse as Nigeria should have a national response strategy for disease outbreak which should be automatically activated once there is an outbreak of a highly infectious disease like Lassa fever. It is imperative to strengthen the nation’s National Centre for Disease Control to ensure this important agency is able to deliver on its mandate of helping to prevent disease outbreaks and needless deaths of Nigerians from conditions like Lassa fever that are preventable and treatable.

Lassa fever has been with us since 1969; therefore, we must come out of the box and design a new and sincere approach to dealing with a disease that is quite endemic in our region, rather than continue with the fire brigade methods of raising alarm, waiting for ministerial updates on deaths tolls on television, setting up committee, and begging for international donations.

It is also important that Nigerians themselves are orientated to pay more attention to disease prevention. The health ministry must leave no stone unturned in ensuring that Nigerians are enlightened about strategies to adopt to prevent diseases because prevention is better than cure.

Importantly, elimination of rats is key to controlling the Lassa fever virus. Also, proper sanitization of the environment is advisable, while people should make sure that their house is not conducive for rodents by getting rid of old newspapers and books that can be food to them. Beyond this, they should store their food items in containers to avoid being contaminated by rodents. Also, they should endeavour to wash every plate before using them and immediately after usage, and they should dispose of all dirt in air-tight plastic containers that cannot be accessible to rats.

A ‘nutraceutical’ is any nontoxic food-derived supplement that has scientifically-proven health benefits for both the treatment and prevention of disease. This term was coined in 1989 by Stephen DeFelice. Nutraceuticals may range from isolated nutrients, dietary supplements to genetically engineered food, herbal products, and processed products such as cereals, and beverages.

The growing interest in nutraceuticals reflects the awareness of consumers about epidemiological studies indicating that a specific diet or component of the diet is associated with a lower risk for a certain disease. A typical example is seen in the French paradox which drew the attention of researchers, in which low incidence of cadiovascular disease was observed in the french population associated with red wine consumption, but having a greater amount of saturated fat in their average diet than in other countries.

In recent years, proteins and peptides have gained prominence as potential source of nutraceuticals. Many studies have shown that peptides from various food sources possess bioactivities, including antihypertensive, antioxidant, anticancer, antimicrobial, and opioid activities as well as immuno-modulatory and cholesterol-lowering properties, suggesting their potential use as nutraceuticals for health promotion and disease risk reduction.

Peptides are short polymers of amino acids linked together by peptide bonds. One or more polypeptide subunits makeup a protein molecule. Proteins are essential components of tissues in living organisms and participate in a large number of physiological processes within cells. In foods, proteins are an important macronutrient, serving as a source of energy and amino acids, which are essential for normal growth and maintenance of the body functions. The physiological and functional properties of food proteins are attributed to peptides with biological activities, released from their precursor proteins during gastrointestinal digestion or food processing.

Such peptides with biological activities are referred to as bioactive peptides. Bioactive peptides are specific protein fragments with hormone or drug like activity that eventually modulate physiological function through binding interactions to specific receptors on target cells leading to induction of physiological responses. The activity of these peptides is dependent on their amino acid composition and sequence. Moreover, some peptides are multifunctional and can exert more than one effect mentioned. Most of the dietary peptides having biological activity which have been investigated to date originated from milk. Examples include immunoglobulins, caseins, whey proteins etc. However, proteins from other animal sources, as well as plant proteins, have been reported to exert specific bioactivities.

The first biologically active peptide found in milk was opioid peptides followed by the immunomodulatory peptides.

 Anticancer activity

Bioactive proteins and peptides have been associated in preventing the development of different types of cancer. Soybean Kunitz trypsin inhibitor, was reported by Kobayashi et al in 2004 to suppress ovarian cancer cell invasion by blocking urokinase activity. Bowman Birk protease inhibitor (BBI), a water-soluble protein isolated from legumes and many monocotyledonous seeds, has shown anticarcinogenic activity in in vitro and in vivo studies and is now intensively studied as a cancer chemopreventive agent in clinical trials. Lunasin, a 43 amino acid peptide is a novel chemopreventive agent from soybean, and has been found to suppress chemical carcinogen and viral oncogene-induced transformation of mammalian cells and inhibit skin carcinogens in mice.

 Cholesterol-lowering effect

Many proteins and their peptides are known to exert a cholesterol-lowering effect, among which soybean is the most well-recognised source of hypocholesterolemic proteins and peptides and soybean-rich diet has become the most potent dietary tool for treating hypercholesterolemia. An early study by Sirtori et al. in 1977 have reported that 7S globulin, a major storage protein in soybean, decreased plasma cholesterol concentration by 35 per cent in rats. Recent studies have shown that soy protein reduces circulation of triacylglycerols and cholesterol in hypercholesterol individuals. Proteins from soybean given to animals or human subjects by oral administration are subjected to protease digestion in the gastrointestinal tract, releasing the bioactive peptides which inhibit cholesterol absorption.

 Antihypertensive activity

Antihypertensive peptides have been found effective in treating and preventing hypertension primarily by inhibiting the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), which is mainly responsible for  the regulation of blood pressure and maintenance of the equilibrium of water and salts in the body (electrolyte homeostasis). ACE is also responsible for the inactivation of the vasodilator bradykinin, which in turn leads to increase in blood pressure. ACE acts by converting the peptide angiotensin I with 10 amino acid residue into angiotensin II with 8 amino acid residue. Angiotensin II is a potent vasoconstrictor which also has a regulatory effect on cellular lipoxygenases and catalyses the oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), a process implicated in atherogenesis. Antihypertensive peptides can decrease the activity of ACE and indirectly reduce the level of angiotensin II, thereby exerting a vasorelaxing effect on blood vessels. Examples of Antihypertensive peptides include Lactoglobulin, Lactalbumin, αs1-Casein and β-casein which are derived from milk and Ovalbumin derived from egg.

 Antimicrobial activity

A broad spectrum of antimicrobial peptide protects the gastrointestinal tract against pathogenic bacteria and viruses. A typical example of peptide with antimicrobial activity is Lactoferricin, formed from Lactoferrin an iron-binding glycoprotein during digestion. lactoferrin is responsible for inhibition of growth of pathogens by iron scavenging.

Antimicrobial peptides are also of immense importance for their potential application in food preservation and for therapeutic use in health care. Bioactive peptides have been identified in a wide variety of natural sources from microorganisms to animals and plants. Antimicrobial peptides display inhibitory effects against microbe-caused food deterioration. Advantages of antimicrobial peptides over chemical preservatives include better selectivity and sensitivity on target microorganisms, fewer adverse effects introduced to the food, lower intensity of heat treatment required, and retaining of organoleptic and nutritional properties of food, such as less acidic and lower salt content.

 Immunomodulatory properties

Immunomodulating peptides have been detected in human as well as in cow milk proteins. From human milk protein digests, two peptides, β-casein and α-lactalbumin enhance the phagocytic activity of macrophages both in mice and humans and enhance resistance against certain bacteria in mice. Immunomodulating peptides have also been found to stimulate the proliferation of human lymphocytes, the phagocytic activities of macrophages and antibody synthesis. The peptides may stimulate the proliferation and maturation of T cells and natural killer cells for defence of  infants against a large number of bacteria, particularly enteric bacteria.

References

Kobayashi H., Suzuki M., Kanayama N., & Terao T. (2004) Clin. Exp. Metastasis 21, 159–166

FitzGerald R. and Murray B. (2006). Bioactive peptides and lactic fermentations. International Journal of Dairy Technology, 59, 118-125.

Shrikant S., Raghvendar S, Shashank R. (2011). Bioactive Peptides: A Review. Int. J. Bioautomation, 15(4), 223-250.

Shahidi F. & Zhong Y. (2008). Bioactive Peptides. Journal of AOAC International vol. 91, no. 4

Sirtori, C.R., Agradi, E., Mantero, O., Conti, F., & Gatti, E. (1977) Lancet 1, 275–277

Tapas A, Sakarkar D and Kakde R (2008). Flavonoids as Nutraceuticals: A Review. Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, 7 (3): 1089-1099

Walther B, Sieber R. (2011). Bioactive proteins and peptides in foods. International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research 81(2-3):181-92. DOI: 10.1024/0300-9831/a000054