Drug Development And Mechanistic Studies

Scope of the Research and focus areas

Research areas:

  • Drug discovery and development
  • Pharmacological and toxicological studies
  • Cancer research
  • Bio-evaluation of medicinal plants and phytochemical analysis

Focus areas of Research:

  • The Research group is engaged in different apects pf pharmacological toxicological and microbiological studies, at cellular and molecular levels. The research group is engaged to study on various aspects of pharmacology and toxicology, including  Drug Properties, Drug Interactions, Studies of Symptoms, Mechanisms, Treatments and Detection of Poisoning, and Pharmacological Screenings.
  • One of the laboratories is engaged in bio-evaluation of medicinal plants and phytochemical analysis. Studies are being carried out on the efficacy, safety and mechanisms of herbal medicine, natural supplements used in the treatment of diabetes, anxiety, stress, obesity, gastric ulcers, addiction, neuro-pharmacological studies including Parkinson’s disease, neuro protective natural products.
  • The research group is also engaged in in vitro cytotoxic and anticancer studies.
  • Combination of innocuous dietary components with anticancer drugs is an emerging new strategy for cancer chemotherapy to increase the tumor responses. Studies have been carried out on human ovarian cancer cells, Naringenin against UVB-induced apoptosis and genome involvement. At present efforts are being put to establish the cancer cell line for in vitro and in vivo anticancer studies. 
  • Recently the study was carried out with the aim to overcome the side effects associated with oral diclofence sodium possible effectiveness as oleaginous ointment base to have benefits associated with topical therapy, using in vitro and ex-vivo drug delivery.
Current Research activity/Research group Projects:
  • Evaluation of Therapeutic Potential and Safety of the Prosopis cineraria (L.)Druce (Fam. Leguminosae), the National Plant of the United Arab Emirates. Project ID No: (Ref. # 2017-A-PH-02) started on 15.10.2017; closing date 5.10.1., Coinvestigators: Prof. Nageeb A. Hassan; Dr. Moayad Al Shawan; Dr. Samir Issa Bloukh; Dr. Richie Rashmin Bhandare.
  • Measures to Combat Counterfeit and Substandard Quality of Drug Products in United Arab Emirates” (Ref. # 2017-A-PH-07)., Starting date 15.10.2017; completion date 5.10.1., Co-investigator: Dr. Farah Hamad.
  • Role of Tangeritin, a novel antiulcerogenic agent from Mediterranean Mandarin peels, in the prevention of gastric mucosal lesions, in albino rats. Starting date 15.10.2017. Co-investigator. Principle investigator Dr. Elshima Arafa; Co-investigator, Dr. M. Waseemul Islam.
  • Some of the research members are engaged in the collaboration of the other research group in the College:
  • Oxidation in Omega-3 Fish Oil Supplements: Rancidity determination; Principal investigator: Moayed Jamal Alomar; Coinvestigator Moayad J. Al-Shahwan, Moawia M. M. Al-Tabakha, Abdalla Al Khateeb. 
  • Factors Influencing Vitamin D Deficiency: A Cross-sectional Study among College Students” (Ref. # 2017-A-PH-09). Ajman University UAE Budget: 9800AED. Principal investigator: Coinvestigator: Dr. Shawan
Research achievements:
  1. The research group members have published the papers in the current year. The papers published in the following journals.
    • Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical and clinical research, 2018
    • Journal of Applied Pharamceutical Sciences, 2018
    • Journal ofPharmaceutical Sciences and Research, 2018
    • International journal of Research in Medical Sciences, 2017
    • Europen Journal of Research in Ayurveda and Pharmacy, 2017
    • Europens Journal of Pharmaceutical and Medical Research, 20117

    • European Journal of Pharmaceutical and Medical Research, 2017

  2. The research group members participated the following conferences in the current year:
    • International Conference on Pure and Applied chemistry
    • Dubai International pharmaceutical and Technologies conference and exhibition
    • International conference of Pharmacy and Medicine
    • International Pharmaceutical conference (ZTIPC), Jordan.
Research facilities:

Instruments:

  1. The Rota rod
  2. Tail flick analgesiometer,
  3. Eddy’s hot plate
  4. Morris Water maize ,
  5. Gas anesthesia system,
  6. Grip strength meter,
  7. Mouse activity wheel,
  8. Open field cage,
  9. Biorad Chemidoc system
  10. Palthysmometer
  11. Pole climbing apparatus
  12. Vogel test apparatus
  13. Tread mill of rats
  14. Metabolic cages
  15. Histamine chamber for Asthma
  16. Elevated maize for anxiety
  17. Photoactometer
  18. Hematology analyzer
  19. Automated biochemical Analyzer
  20. Hot air oven
  21. Rectal temperature thermometer for rats and mice

Animal Care Center

The Animal care center has the following facilities:

  1. Albino mice and rats
  2. Rabbits
  3. Chicken
  4. Deep freezer for keeping carcass of animals
  5. Heat radiator
  6. Animal food and animal bedding material storing system

Medicinal Plant Extraction Unit.

The unit is engaged in extracting the medicinal plant extracts using soxhelt apparatus and other.

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