Raphael Johnson

• B.Pharm, M. Pharm, PhD/ Dr. rer. nat (Mainz)
• Professor (Associate) at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

Plantain peels are a potential source of raw materials for the pharmaceutical industry. In Ghana, most of the pharmaceutical excipients used by local companies are synthetically produced and imported from developed countries. One such excipient is pectin, a polysaccharide used as a disintegrating agent in solid-oral-dosage forms. In this study, we...

Introduction: Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L. Lam) represents an essential underutilised crop globally. The ubiquitous hydrocolloid, pectin, with versatile pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications has been reported to be abundant in the peels. This study thus examined the impact of acid (citric acid) and alkaline (sodium hydroxide) extraction proc...

Pharmaceutical formulations have traditionally relied on plants and their derivatives for various APIs and excipients. In Ghana, the widespread utilization of plantains, irrespective of their ripeness, generates significant waste at every stage of processing, posing disposal issues. Fascinatingly, these wastes, often discarded, possess significant...

Pharmaceutical excipients are classified based on the function(s) in the processing and/or finished product. However, functionality evaluations, procedures, and related acceptance criteria for excipients tend to depend on the dosage form, and assessment is usually done on a case-by-case basis. This means that any useful and reliable evaluation of t...

Artemether-lumefantrine (AL) is a highly effective and commonly used Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy (ACT) for treating uncomplicated malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum, including drug-resistant strains. However, ineffective regulatory systems in resource-limited settings can lead to the infiltration of poor-quality and counterfeit antim...

Fruit waste has emerged as a significant environmental issue in recent years, adding to the global burden. In Ghana, the extensive use of plantains at various stages of ripeness results in substantial waste during each processing stage, leading to disposal challenges. Interestingly, these wastes often hold considerable economic value and can be rep...

Developing countries face enormous challenges with substandard and falsifed antimalarial drugs. One specifc issue is the lack of a simple, cost-efective, and robust HPLC method to simultaneously determine and quantify the active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in fxed-dose artemether-lumefantrine pharmaceutical dosage forms. Te current study deve...

The focus of most pharmaceutical research in recent times has been the use of natural products like gums as pharmaceutical excipients because they are safer, economical and readily available. This study aimed to investigate the applicability of gum extracted from the exudates from the stem bark of Pentadesma butyracea as a binder in conventional re...

Acne vulgaris is an inflammatory skin condition that affects virtually everyone at some point. Papules, comedones, pustules, scarring, and nodules are standard features of the disease and can have a detrimental social and psychological impact on an individual. Although allopathic acne treatments are available, they have adverse side effects, are ex...

Natural polymers such as pectin have gained increased utilization in pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors because they are affordable, easily accessible, nontoxic, and chemically modifiable, with the potential to be biodegradable and biocompatible. Musa paradisiaca (plantain) peels make up 30–40% of the overall weight of the fruit. The extracti...

Background: The availability of energy drinks on the global market result from intensive marketing campaigns in the media. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the consumption of energy drink and its potential effect on sleep patterns of consumers. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional design with self-administered questionnaire was used for...

The development of a raw material into an acceptable pharmaceutical excipient involves evaluation of the physicochemical and formulation properties of the potential raw material. Results from these evaluations may serve as a guide to subsequent use of the substance. The objective of the study was to evaluate the physicochemical and microbiological...

The extraction method of edible Allanblackia floribunda seed butter is crucial for preserving its constituents. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effects the extraction methods have on the physicochemical properties of A. floribunda butter regarding its potential use as a pharmaceutical excipient. Butter obtained from differ...

Background In the wake of economic challenges, the role of generic medicines has become crucial in meeting the healthcare needs of people. Their use, however, can only be guaranteed if established to be bioequivalent to their corresponding innovator products. Aim In this study, we assess the suitability of a generic brand of cetirizine hydrochlori...

Pectin is a high molecular weight polymer which is present in virtually all plants where it contributes to the cell structure. Pectin is a high valuable food ingredient widely used as a gelling agent and thickening agent with limited use in the pharmaceutical industry. The objective of this study is to evaluate the suspending properties of pectin f...

Plant-based (natural) excipients can reduce the over reliance on synthetic ones. They have advantages such as low toxicity, biodegradability and low-cost relative to the synthetic ones. Telfairia occidentalis is a creeping plant that is cultivated for food in some African countries. The leaves, stem and root of the plant have been investigated as p...

The health benefits of docosahexaenoic (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic (EPA) in omega-3 containing supplements are compelling. However, their source and pharmaceutical regulation in Ghana presents two potential problems; quality and safety. This study investigated the quality and safety of some omega-3 containing supplements on the Ghanaian market. Twen...

Excipients are components other than active ingredients that are added to pharmaceutical formulations. Naturally sourced excipients are gradually gaining preeminence over synthetically sourced excipients due to local availability and continuous supply. This study aimed to investigate the binding and disintegrating characteristics of gum extracted f...

The study sought to formulate and evaluate suppositories using a locally produced brand of alum (Aw) obtained from bauxite waste generated at Awaso bauxite mine in the Western-North region of Ghana, for use in the treatment of hemorrhoids. The suppositories were formulated using shea butter modified, respectively, with amounts of beeswax and theobr...

Drugs play a vital role in maintaining and promoting health. The safety, efficacy, and quality of the drugs must be assessed to protect the health of the user. Diclofenac is a cyclooxygenase inhibitor and one of the most useful, effective commercially available NSAIDs used in the management of pain. Many different brands and dosage forms (tablets,...

Cryptolepis sanguinolenta of the family Asclepiadaceae contains the antimalarial alkaloid cryptolepine. Proliferation of Cryptolepis-based formulations in Ghana calls for pharmacovigilance to improve malaria treatment outcomes. The objective of this study is to qualitatively and quantitatively assess Cryptolepis-based formulations on the Ghanaian m...

T arget Nano-Pharmaceutics shall improve therapy and diagnosis of severe diseases, e.g. cancer, by individual targeting of drug-loaded nano-pharmaceuticals towards cancer cells, and drug uptake receptors in other diseases. Specific ligands, proteins or cofactors, which are recognized by the diseased cells or cells of food and drug uptake, are bound...

A set of biorelevant media "fasted-state simulated intestinal fluid with cholesterol (FaSSIF-C)" for the in vitro study of intestinal drug dissolution in the duodenum was developed. These contain cholesterol at the same levels as in human bile: the cholesterol content of FaSSIF-7C is equivalent to healthy female, FaSSIF-10C to healthy male persons,...

A novel homogenous core‐shell formulation ‘AmbiShell’ of the hydrophobic antifungal polyene drug Amphotericin B was prepared from the pure drug, lecithin, and gelatin. The established ‘Hydrophilic Solubilisation Technology’ (HST) was used for embedding the lipophilic drug with lecithin and gelatin, yielding core‐shell microparticles of 1 µm size. T...

The characteristics of intestinal model fluids were investigated at conditions, which simulate the passage from the middle to the end of the duodenum. The formation and decay of liposomes and micelles in model bile fluids were studied, because of their role as an intermediate host for the resolution and uptake of hydrophobic drugs (BCS classes II,...

Cashew gum was investigated as a potential emulsifying and suspending agent in pharmaceutical formulations. The microbial quality of the purified gum was higher than the crude gum. Both crude and purified gum (20 – 50 % w/v) showed no antimicrobial activity against a number of pathogenic bacteria and fungi tested. The emulsifying property of the pu...

Recent studies have provided relevant scientific support for the use of C. membranaceus root in the treatment of prostate cancers. In the current study, we formulated both liquid and solid oral dosage forms from the ethanol extract of C. membranaceus root and investigated their physicochemical properties, release effects and suitability in comparis...

The aqueous decoctions of Bridelia ferruginea leaf and Canthium glabriflorum stem bark were converted into granules by absorbing into different types of absorbents in different quantities. In vitro dissolution studies were then used to assess the release of the extracts from the granules. Comparative and ranking studies of the effects of different...