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Polifenoli su široko rasprostranjeni biljni sekundarni metaboliti s velikim biomedicinskim potencijalom. U ovome istraživanju usporedno su ispitana antioksidacijska svojstva trideset odabranih polifenola i njihova sposobnost inhibicije enzima, s naglaskom na povezanost strukturnih obilježja polifenola i bioloških učinaka. Većina ispitanih flavonoida, fenolnih kiselina, flavan-3-ola i stilbena posjedovala je značajnu sposobnost hvatanja slobodnih radikala i redukcije željeza(III). Galna kiselina je pokazala najveću sposobnost hvatanja DPPH radikala (IC50 = 2, 09 μg/mL) i NO radikala (IC50 = 12, 36 μg/mL) te redukcije željeza (IC50 = 1, 21 μg/mL). Resveratrol je najbolje inhibirao enzim α- glukozidazu (IC50 < 12, 5 μg/mL), a miricetin acetilkolinesterazu (IC50 = 147, 77 μg/mL). Rezultati su istaknuli polifenole izraženih antioksidacijskih svojstava i sposobnosti inhibicije enzima te ukazali na njihov potencijal za daljnja istraživanja te primjenu u prevenciji i liječenju kroničnih bolesti povezanih sa starenjem.

The Src family of protein tyrosine kinases and cytokines such as the proinflammatory interleukin-6 (IL-6) have been identified as promising targets for new drug discovery. Plants are considered an excellent source of anti-inflammatory compounds whose therapeutic potential remains to be explored. Selected of the most common plant phenolic acids including hydroxybenzoic acids (HBA) and hydroxycinnamic acids (HCA) were tested in vitro for their inhibitory effects on Src tyrosine kinase and IL-6 production in BALB/c mice splenocytes. The anti-inflammatory effects of 14 phenolic acids were investigated using time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer (TR-FRET) tyrosine kinase assay, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Gallic acid was the strongest IL-6 inhibitor among HBA, achieving 100% inhibition at a concentration of 21.3 µg/mL, whereas caffeic acid and rosmarinic acid stood out among HCA as particularly potent inhibitors of IL-6 production with IC50 values of 2.5 µg/mL and 27.0 µg/mL, respectively. Rosmarinic acid, o-coumaric acid and gallic acid were found to be the most potent Src kinase inhibitors with IC50 values ranging from 24.0 µg/mL to 57.0 µg/mL. This study suggests that phenolic acids, and possibly plants rich in them have great potential for the prevention and treatment of inflammation-related diseases.

Natural products are increasingly in demand in dermatology and cosmetology for reasons of sustainability and environmental protection. They are also a potential means of improving treatment outcomes for chronic skin diseases and skin care. Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) contains many medicinal properties that are slowly being discovered. Industrial hemp in its natural form, contain very small amounts of CBD, but therefore contain its acid form, which is CBDA. Once this acid form is activated by increasing the temperature, the desired effect and the corresponding decarboxylated analogue (CBD) is formed. This study is a good example for obtaining highly valuable natural extracts of industrial hemp with green technique - supercritical CO2 (sCO2) extraction. Terpenes in the extracts were determined by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC-MS) while high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to identify and quantify present cannabinoids. GC-MS analysis indicated β-myrcene chemotype, with abundant α- pinene and β-pinene and variety of other monoterpenes as minor constituents, while the most abundant sesquiterpene was β-caryophyllene. Extracts rich in cannabidiol (CBD) as predominant compound were obtained at higher pressure with decarboxylation as pretreatment before sCO2 extraction.

Rod Salvia L. najveći je rod porodice Lamiaceae i obuhvaća brojne vrste koje se od davnina primjenjuju u ljekovite svrhe. Europska farmakopeja priznaje biljne droge triju vrsta Salvia L., a Europska agencija za lijekove izradila je monografije dviju vrsta. Značajniji predstavnici roda Salvia L. iz hrvatske flore su S. fruticosa Mill., S. glutinosa L., S. nemorosa L., S. officinalis L., S. pratensis L., S. sclarea L. i S. verticillata L. Ukupni flavonoidi, fenolne kiseline, trjeslovine i antocijani navedenih vrsta određeni su spektrofotometrijskim metodama, a kvalitativna i kvantitativna analiza zatim su provedene metodom HPLC-DAD. Ispitani su antioksidacijski učinci putem nekoliko različitih mehanizama kao što su hvatanje slobodnih radikala, redukcija i keliranje metalnih iona te inhibicija lipidne peroksidacije te sposobnosti inhibicije enzima acetilkolinesteraze i α-glukozidaze čije se djelovanje veže uz neurodegenerativne bolesti i dijabetes.

Cannabis sativa L. (Cannabaceae) is one of the earliest known medicinal plants. Despite long- standing controversial and limited medical use by unavoidable psychotropic effects, lately it is receiving renewed scientific interest. The last two decades have brought a new evidence of cannabis therapeutic potential, especially in cancer care. Cannabis is a source of over 100 active compounds known as phytocannabinoids whose numerous effects on the human body are primarily exerted through interactions with cannabinoid receptor types 1 (CB1) and 2 (CB2). Delta-9- tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) having psychoactive properties and non-psychotropic cannabidiol (CBD) are the principal plant constituents. The therapeutic value of cannabis and cannabinoid-based medicines has been evaluated in numerous clinical trials, several of them are still ongoing. Obtained results indicated that cannabis, its main components, and their synthetic analogues may have a meaningful clinical impact on several common cancer-related symptoms, including chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, pain, cachexia, and anorexia. Nausea and vomiting are the chemotherapy side effects considered by patients as the most stressful. Cannabis extracts and synthetic THC (dronabinol) added to standard antiemetic therapy were well tolareted and provided better protection against these chemotherapy-induced symptoms. Cancer-related pain is often multidimensional and can affect all aspects of a patient’s life. At this time, data supporting the effectiveness of cannabis and cannabinoids in the treatment of cancer-related pain is limited. However, available studies indicate that the cannabis extract containing THC and CBD may be an effective addition to cancer pain treatment in those who are not optimized by opioid therapy, but the effectiveness varies widely between patients. Great number of cancer patients also suffer from anorexia which can lead to poor chemotherapy response and decreased survival. In contrast to cannabis extracts and THC, synthetic cannabinoids dronabinol and nabilone showed appetite improvement properties. In addition, surveys collected data implicated the potential use of cannabis for palliative indications in oncology as well-tolerated, effective and a safe option to help patients cope with the malignancy related symptoms. In conclusion, the current evidence for the use of cannabis-based medical products in cancer patients is still weak because of clinical trials with small populations, multiple dosage forms and products, and inconsistent results. Given the increased use of cannabis and cannabinoids in oncology patients, it is needed to conduct larger, high quality randomised controlled trials including patients with similar cancer diagnoses and medical conditions to elucidate their efficiency and safety in cancer care.

Micromeria species are rich sources of essential oils and polyphenols. They are traditionally used against colds, wounds, skin infections, headache, cardiac disorders, and digestive system problems. The important representatives of genus Micromeria in Croatian flora are M. croatica (Pers.) Schott, M. thymifolia (Scop.) Fritsch and M. juliana (L.) Bentham ex Reichenb. The first two are endemic species in Croatia and in some neighbouring countries, while M. juliana is more widely distributed in Mediterranean region. The aim of the study was to evaluate polyphenolic profile and anti-inflammatory potential of these Croatian indigenous plants. Total phenolic acid and flavonoid contents (5.26-6.84% and 0.01-0.09%, respectively) in dried aerial parts were determined spectrophotometrically. Furthermore, eleven hydroxycinnamic derivatives and fifteen flavonoids were identified in the ethanolic extracts by LC-ESI-MS/MS. Most of them were detected in the studied plant species for the first time, such as cryptochlorogenic and salvianolic acids. Rosmarinic acid (13.50-26.1 mg/g) was found to be the predominant constituent (RP-HPLC-DAD). The Micromeria ethanolic extracts inhibited Src tyrosine kinase activity in the time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer (TR-FRET) assay. Modulation of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in LPS-stimulated mouse splenocytes by tested extract was determined using ELISA assay. The plant extracts reduced the production of proinflammatory cytokine IL-6, with a substantial contribution of rosmarinic acid contained. Our results indicated the multi-target mechanism of polyphenolic constituents of Micromeria species and highlighted their potential in the prevention and treatment of inflammatory-related diseases.

Introduction: Older people are more susceptible to experiencing drug therapy problems (DTPs) due to their age-related changes in pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics, multiple comorbidities and polypharmacy 1. With the lack of data on DTP profile of the elderly living in Croatian nursing homes, identification and resolution of DTPs could be crucial in improving health care of the elderly. Aim: To determine the prevalence of DTPs, identify their type and the medications most frequently related with the DTPs of the nursing home residents. Materials and methods: A prospective observational study was conducted during the 5-month period in the nursing home “Sv. Kamilo de Lellis” (Vrbovec, Croatia). Home residents with at least two regular prescription medications and signed informed consent were included in the study. Residents’ data were retrieved by a careful review of their medical records, and through the interview with the resident, their caregiver or health care professionals. DTPs were classified according to the Pharmacotherapy Workup method proposed by Cipolle et al. 2, with DTPs being grouped into indication, effectiveness, safety and adherence. Results: Seventy-three residents were included in the study with a median age (range) of 80 (57-96) years. On average, residents used 7 (2-16) medications and had 5 (1-10) comorbidities. The total number of 310 DTPs was identified (4.3 ± 1.9 per resident). The most prevalent DTP was the ‘‘Needs additional drug therapy’’ (N = 74 ; 23.9%), followed by the ‘‘Adverse drug reaction’’ (N = 57 ; 18.4%) and ‘‘Dosage too high“ (N = 53 ; 17.1%). A significant correlation was found between the number of comorbidities (p < 0.001) and the number of used medications (p < 0.001) with the proportion of identified DTPs. Lactulose and potassium were the most frequently used medications related with DTPs. Potassium was the most involved medicine in the DTP “Dosage too low” (N = 18 ; 5.8%) due to incorrect administration, while tramadol was most frequently related to the DTP “Adverse drug reaction” (n = 25 ; 8.1%) for causing constipation. Conclusion: High prevalence of DTPs among nursing home residents highlights the irrational drug use in a clinical setting of a nursing home, thus implying an important role of pharmacists in the care of polymedicated elderly patients with multiple comorbidities. In that context, the pharmacist intervention could improve therapeutic safety and efficacy, clinical outcomes and lead to cost reduction. References: 1 Turnheim K. When drug therapy gets old: pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in the elderly. Exp Gerontol. 2003 ; 38(8):843-53. 2 Cipolle RJ, Strand LM, Morley PC. Pharmaceutical care practice: the patient-centered approach to medication management. Third edit. New York:The McGraw-Hill Companies ; 2012.

Background: Comprehensive Medication Management Services (CMM) are clinical services based on pharmaceutical care. It is a patient-centred approach in which pharmacists take responsibility for the patient’s needs. Purpose: To determine the prevalence of drug therapy problems and identify their type. Secondary aim: To describe the interventions proposed to a general practitioner and identify the proportion of accepted interventions. Methods: An interventional study was conducted during a 17- month period in a nursing home. DTPs were classified according to an evaluation of the indication, effectiveness, safety, and convenience of each medication the patient was taking. Results: Sixty (60) residents were included in the study. Median age was 79.9 (56.1 – 96.7) years. On average, residents used seven (2-16) medications and had five (1-10) comorbidities. The total number of 146 DTPs were identified (4.3 ± 1.9 per resident). The most prevalent DTP was ‘‘Needs additional drug therapy’’ (N=74 ; 23.9%), falling into effectiveness category. Pharmacists involved in the study suggested a total of 133 modifications to the mentioned DTPs. Pharmacist suggested six intervention. Physicians accepted a total number of 112 interventions. Conclusion: The high prevalence of DTPs identified among elderly institutionalised patients strongly suggests the need to incorporate CMM services within the already existing institutional care facilities to improve the care provided to nursing home residents. High acceptance of such suggestions by the physicians proves that pharmacists are an essential part of the health system

Background: Opportunistic and nosocomial pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa in planktonic form causes acute infection, and in biofilm form causes chronic persistent infections, common in patients with cystic fibrosis and diabetic chronic wounds. Multiple resistance mechanisms compromise the choice of effective treatment. Essential oils and their components have a wide range of antimicrobial properties and some of them have recently been shown to have antibiofilm activity. Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Satureja montana L. essential oil and thymol as the predominant component of the oil (56.5%) on the planktonic growth and biofilm of P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853, alone and in combination with tobramycin. Methods: The effect on planktonic growth was determined by measuring OD570. The amount of formed biofilm was determined by crystal violet staining and the effect on biofilm was defined as biofilm index. Results: Essential oil and thymol in subinhibitory concentrations could effectively inhibit the planktonic growth of P. aeruginosa, both alone, and in combination with tobramycin. On the other hand, the effect on the biofilm may be opposite and completely independent of antibacterial effect. Essential oil and thymol in subinhibitory concentrations promoted biofilm formation. Essential oil antagonized the promotional effect of tobramycin on preformed biofilm in concentration corresponding to its MIC value. Depending on the concentration, thymol in subinhibitory concentrations either antagonized tobramycin or synergises with it to promoted biofilm survival. Results of this work will support future studies to find new and preserve existing therapies of P. aeruginosa infections.

UVOD I CILJ Od akademske godine 2011./2012., Farmaceutsko- biokemijski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu (FBF) provodi šestomjesečni program stručnog osposobljavanja studenata farmacije (SOF) temeljen na Hrvatskom ljekarničkom kompetencijskom okviru (HLJKO) [1]. Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je prikazati mišljenja i stavove studenata farmacije o novom programu SOF-a. METODE U studiju su uključeni studenti FBF-a koji su u ak. god. 2015./2016. i 2016./2017. sudjelovali na SOF-u. Podaci su prikupljeni kroz dva anonimna anketna upitnika za studente (jedan o program SOF-a i drugi o mentoru u javnoj ljekarni). Svaki upitnik sastojao se od kvantitativnog (prikazan u ovom istraživanju) i kvalitativnog dijela. Studenti su mogli izraziti stavove i stupanj zadovoljstva na skali 1-5, pri čemu je 1 najniži, a 5 najviši stupanj slaganja s pojedinom tvrdnjom. Ankete su upućene studentima po završetku SOF-a putem sustava za e-učenje Merlin, uz zajamčenu anonimnost pri ispunjavanju obaju upitnika. REZULTATI Ukupno je 126 studenata sudjelovalo u istraživanju. Većinu su činile osobe ženskog spola (87, 3%). Najveći udio studenata (47, 6%) izrazio je srednji stupanj zadovoljstva programom SOF-a (ocjena 3 na skali 1-5), dok ih je 3, 8% bilo u potpunosti zadovoljno. Najveći udio studenata iskazao je najveće zadovoljstvo mentorom u javnoj ljekarni (61, 7%). Studentska mišljenja o važnosti samoprocjene prema HLJKO-u su podijeljena, a samo manji broj to smatra iznimno bitnim (15, 3%). Preko 60% studenata smatra da su im za rad u ljekarni nepotpuna znanja iz područja bezreceptnih lijekova, dermatofarmacije te dodataka prehrani i prve pomoći. Većina (93, 7%) iskazala je visoko zadovoljstvo odnosom mentora prema studentu, dok je najniže ocijenjena potpora mentora pri izradi portfolia za SOF. ZAKLJUČCI Istraživanje je pokazalo da su prve generacije studenata prema novom programu SOF-a iznimno zadovoljne mentorima-ljekarnicima koji ih vode kroz SOF. Identificirana su također područja u okviru SOF- a, ali i samog studija farmacije FBF-a, koja treba dodatno razvijati s ciljem poboljšanja kvalitete studija te unapređenja studentskih kompetencija.

Medication management is associated with improvements in the quality of life (QoL), foremost with health outcomes and life aspects overall. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of pharmacy medication management on QoL in nursing home residents. In this 3-year randomized controlled trial, the effects of pharmacy interventions were analysed in nursing home (NH) residents situated in "Sv. Kamilo de Lellis“, Croatia. Sixty residents with the mean age of 78, 4 years (± 8, 77 years) were randomized to usual care (N=32) or intervention (N=28), with 70% (N=42) of the female gender. The Older People's Quality of Life (OPQOL-35) questionnaire was evaluated at baseline, and after three years to measure residents' QoL, as a primary outcome measure. Multilevel analyses were adjusted for baseline performance, age, and gender. Pharmacy interventions positively affected the following domains: Life overall (p=0, 033), Health (p

Phlomis fruticosa L. and P. herba-venti are species belonging to the Lamiaceae family, which have been traditionally used to prepare tonic and digestive drinks. Multiple studies also demonstrated the inhibitory effects of P. fruticosa extracts and essential oil against oxidative/proinflammatory pathways and bacterial strains deeply involved in ulcerative colitis. Considering these findings, the present study evaluated the effects of alcoholic P. fruticosa and P. herba-venti leaf extracts in isolated rat colon challenged with Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS), an ex vivo experimental paradigm of ulcerative colitis. In this context, we assayed colon levels of pro-oxidant and proinflammatory biomarkers, including nitrites, malondialdehyde (MDA), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and serotonin (5-HT). Additionally, the extracts have been tested in order to evaluate possible inhibitory effects on specific bacterial and fungal strains involved in ulcerative colitis. Alcoholic P. fruticosa and P. herba-venti extracts were able to blunt LPS-induced nitrite, MDA, 5-HT, and LDH levels in isolated rat colon. The same extracts also inhibited the growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis. In conclusion, our findings show a potential role exerted by alcoholic P. fruticosa and P. herba- venti in managing the clinical symptoms related to ulcerative colitis.

The need for new antimicrobial agents is greater than ever because of the global emergence of multidrug resistance in common pathogens and the appearance of new infectious diseases. Currently, it is undisputed that natural products have been, and will be, key sources of innovative pharmaceutical therapeutic agents. In the context of drug discovery from natural sources, Traditional Chinese Medicine and Traditional Mediterranean Herbal Medicine may offer a plethora of interesting possibilities to combat drug resistance. Plant-derived natural products inhibit bacterial growth by different mechanisms depending on their chemical structure and properties. Acting on multiple biochemical targets of the bacterial cell, different of those of conventional antibiotics, plant compounds could be of clinical value in the treatment of resistant bacteria. They act as resistance-modifying agents by inhibiting efflux pumps, affecting membrane permeability, inhibiting bacterial enzymes that inactivate antibiotics, or acting on the modified target sites of antimicrobial action. The perspective of phytomolecules as antibacterial agents in combination with existing antibiotics provides their other attractive application. Traditional medical knowledge integrated with major scientific and technological advances in the relevant research area may be an effective approach to deal with the global antimicrobial resistance. Collaborative, innovative and multidisciplinary research is therefore crucial.

Introduction: Objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) has been successfully implemented into the graduate pharmacy curriculum as a part of the Pre-registration final exam at the Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Zagreb, in the academic year 2015/2016. OSCE is used to assess pharmacy students’ competencies following the completion of a 6-monhts Professional training for pharmacists. OSCE is composed of six stations, run in the circuit, and set up to test students’ response to a given simulation. Stations are as follows: Medications and devices counselling (10 minutes) ; Magistral compounding (20 minutes) ; Legal aspects of prescription (10 minutes) ; Responding to symptoms and history taking (10 minutes) ; Hospital patient case (10 minutes) ; Portfolio (10 minutes). 1 Aim: To evaluate pharmacy students’ performance following Professional training for pharmacists. Materials and methods: From September 2016 to December 2017 OSCE has been conducted 8 times. Students' overall scores were collected following each OSCE. Minimum of 60% needed to be met at each OSCE station. Results: Following the OSCE implementation in 2016, altogether 139 students completed it after passing a written exam. Students were the most successful at the stations Portfolio (mean percentage was 100%), Responding to symptoms and history taking (mean percentage was 86.6 ± 13.6) and Legal aspects of prescription (mean percentage was 86.1 ± 13.5). The lowest results were presented at the station Hospital patient case (mean percentage was 74.0 ± 12.2). Overall mean students’ scores were 84.8 ± 4.9. Conclusion: A high score acquired by the majority of students at the OSCE indicates favourable student performance following six-month Professional training for pharmacists.

Introduction: Older people, due to their age-related changes in pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics, multiple comorbidities and polypharmacy, are more susceptible to experiencing drug therapy problems (DTPs) 1, 2. With the lack of data on DTP profile of the elderly living in Croatian nursing homes, identification and resolution of DTPs could be crucial in improving health care of the elderly. Aim: To determine the prevalence and type of DTPs in the elderly placed in a nursing home. Materials and methods: A prospective observational study was conducted from February to June 2016 in the nursing home “Sv. Kamilo de Lellis”, Vrbovec. Home residents were eligible for the participation if they had at least two regular prescription medications and signed informed consent. Residents’ data were retrieved by a careful review of resident’s medical records, and through the interview with the resident, or health care professionals. DTPs were classified according to the Pharmacotherapy Workup Method proposed by Cipolle, Strand and Morley (2012), where DTPs were grouped into indication, effectiveness, safety, and adherence. Results: Sixty-seven residents were included in the study with a median age (range) of 78 (57-96) years. On average residents used 7 (2-16) medications and had 4 (1-10) comorbidities. The total number of 276 DTPs was identified (mean = 4.1 ± 2.0 per patient). Tramadol, potassium and lactulose were the most frequently used medications related with DTPs. The most prevalent DTP was the ‘‘Needs additional drug therapy’’ (n = 60 ; 21.7%), followed by the ‘‘Adverse drug reaction’’ (n = 50 ; 18.1%) (Figure 1). Conclusion: High prevalence of DTPs among elderly in a nursing home emphasizes an irrational drug use in a nursing home, thus implying an important role pharmacists could play by identifying, preventing and resolving DTPs.

The genus Thymus (Lamiaceae) is notewory for the numerous plants biosynthesizing remarkable amount of volatile compounds. Present study aimed to evaluate chemical composition and antibacterial activity of essential oils from five selected Thymus species originated from Croatia (T. longicaulis C. Presl, T. praecox Opiz subsp. polytrichus (A. Kern. ex Borbás) Jalas, T. pulegioides L., T. serpyllum L. subsp. serpyllum and T. striatus Vahl), in comparison with T. vulgaris L. The extraction yields (V/m) of essential oils isolated by hydrodestilation from aerial parts of investigated species were in the range 0.2- 1.7%. According to GC-MS analysis 95 different components were identified, representing 87.6- 99.7% of the total oil content. Thymol (43%), p-cymene (18%) and γ-terpinene (11%) were the most abundant compounds of essential oil of T. longicaulis. The main component of T. pulegioides essential oil was carvacrol (39%) while 1, 8-cineole (37%) was found to be the major compound of the essential oil of T. serpyllum subsp. serpyllum. The essential oils of mountain species T. praecox subsp. polytrichus and T. striatus were rich in sesquiterpenes, with germacrene-D-4-ol (12% and 12%) and β-caryophyllene (10% and 12%) as predominant compounds. The multivariate analysis of the essential oil constituents from the selected Thymus species indicated that the greatest similarity to the thyme oil, thymol type which is officially recognized in European Pharmacopoeia, was presented by T. longicaulis. In vitro antibacterial activity of the essential oils against Gram-positive and Gram- negative bacterial strains (S. aureus, E. faecalis and E. coli) was determined using the microdilution method. E. coli showed the highest susceptibility to all tested essential oils, while E. faecalis was the most resistant. MIC values for E. coli and S. aureus ranged from 0.5 mg/mL to 2 mg/mL, while the MIC value for E. faecalis was 4 mg/mL. Our study showed that, in addition to the phenolic compounds (thymol and carvacrol) well-known as strong antimicrobial agents, sesquiterpenes also contribute to the antibacterial activity of the selected Thymus species.

Uvod: Konoplja (Cannabis sativa L., Cannabaceae) je biljka koja potječe iz središnje Azije gdje se već nekoliko tisuća godina uzgaja za dobivanje vlakana, hrane i lijekova. U Europi se u medicinske svrhe počela primjenjivati početkom 19. stoljeća. Služila je za ublažavanje boli i grčeva, protiv dizenterije i depresije te kod poremećaja sna i gubitka apetita. Dostupnost sintetskih lijekova, varijabilnost sastava i nedostatak kontrole kakvoće te rizik od intoksikacije i zlouporabe bitno su smanjili medicinsku primjenu konoplje tijekom 20. stoljeća, posebice nakon njenog uvrštavanja na popis opojnih droga najjačeg ovisničkog potencijala. No, otkrićem endokanabinoidnog sustava u našem organizmu ranih 1990-ih ponovo je porastao interes za medicinsku konoplju, što je potaknulo brojna znanstvena istraživanja. Svrha rada: Cilj ovog rada je u relevantnim bibliografskim bazama podataka sustavno pretražiti i objediniti dostupne kliničke dokaze te istaknuti mogućnosti terapijske primjene medicinske konoplje i kanabinoida. Metode: Istraživanje u okviru ovog rada je teorijskog karaktera i uključuju pregled dostupne literature o predloženoj temi. U pretraživanju su korištene elektronske bibliografske baze podataka kao što su: Current Contents, ScienceDirect, Cochrane Library, Scopus, PubMed i dr. Prikupljeni podaci su proučeni i sistematično prikazani. Rezultati: U više od 150 kontroliranih kliničkih studija procijenjen je terapijski potencijal medicinske konoplje i kanabinoida kod kemoterapijom uzrokovane mučnine i povraćanja, gubitka apetita, akutne, kronične i neuropatske boli, multiple skleroze, sindroma iritabilnog crijeva, Crohnove bolesti, intestinalne disfunkcije, ozljede kralježnične moždine, Touretteovog sindroma, epilepsije, glaukoma, anksioznosti, shizofrenije, Parkinsonove bolesti, distonije, kronične opstruktivne plućne bolesti i karcinoma. Znanstvene spoznaje govore u prilog moguće primjene standardiziranih ekstrakata konoplje i kanabinoida za simptomatsko ublažavanje spasticiteta u oboljelih od multiple skleroze, boli kod uznapredovale maligne bolesti te mučnine i povraćanja u onkoloških bolesnika, kao i u liječenju kaheksije/anoreksije u HIV/AIDS bolesnika. Zaključak: Ustanovljeni terapijski potencijal ohrabruje daljnje kliničke studije koje će pružiti nove dokaze o koristima i rizicima primjene ljekovitih pripravaka na bazi medicinske konoplje.

Thymus longicaulis C. Presl (Lamiaceae) is a small aromatic perennial herb and a typical representative of the Illyric-Mediterranean flora. It is a traditional remedy for cold, flu, cough, nephritis and abdominal pain (1). This study was aimed to evaluate phytochemical composition of the aerial parts of T. longicaulis wild-growing in Croatia. In order to find the possibility of its use in modern phytotherapy, the results were compared with those obtained for T. vulgaris, as the officially recognised medicinal plant within the genus Thymus (2). The presence of phenolic acids and flavonoids in the methanolic extracts and terpenes from the essential oil was detected by TLC. Chromatographic profiles were established for the studied plant extracts by LC-ESI-MS/MS and RP-HPLC-DAD analysis. All detected phenolic acids belonged to derivatives of rosmarinic acid, while all identified flavonoids were flavons. Rosmarinic acid was found to be the most abundant polyphenolic constituent (48 mg/g) while among flavonoids luteolin-7-O-glucuronide was present with the highest concentration (14 mg/g). The extraction yield (V/m) of essential oil isolated by hydrodistillation was 1.7%. According to GC-MS analysis forty three compounds were identified, representing 99.7% of the total oil. The essential oil was characterised by a high percentage of the monoterpene fraction (95%) with a prevalence of oxygenated monoterpenes (61%). Thymol (43%), p-cymene (18%) and γ-terpinene (11%) were identified as the most abundant compounds. Owing to its phytochemical composition comparable to those of T. vulgaris, this medicinal plant could be considered as a new source of the pharmacopoeial herbal drugs Thymi herba and Thymi aetheroleum.

Cannabis sativa L. (Cannabaceae) is one of the first plants cultivated by man and one of the oldest plant sources of fi bre, food and remedies. To date, 750 constituents have been identified from cannabis. Out of those 750 over 100 are classified as cannabinoids, a unique group of terpenophenolic secondary metabo- lites. The principal active constituent is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) which binds to endocannabi- noid receptors to exert its pharmacological activity, including its psychoactive effect. The other important molecule of current interest is non-psychotropic cannabidiol (CBD). Research of cannabis medical proper- ties has gained worldwide interest after the discovery of two types of cannabinoid receptors, which are G-protein coupled receptors specifically responding to endocannabinoids, phytocannabinoids and related synthetic cannabimimetic compounds. The medical use of cannabis is still controversial and strongly lim- ited by unavoidable psychotropic effects. However, solid scientific data indicated the potential of thera- peutic value of cannabis in controlling some forms of pain, relieving chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) as well as treating cachexia and anorexia with no evidence that giving cannabis to the patients would increase illicit drug use in the general population. Various clinical studies have confi rmed the antiemetic effect of cannabinoids in patients with CINV. It has been reported that cancer patients downsized opioid dose after adding cannabis in their pain therapy regimen. Poor chemotherapy response and decreased survival is often connected with cachexia. The majority of clinical studies dealing with cachexia and anorexia are focused on AIDS patients, but there is some clinical evidence that cannabinoids could be beneficial for patients with cancer-associated anorexia/cachexia. In conclusion, cannabis and can- nabinoids have an acceptable safety profile with side effects which are generally tolerable and reversible. They also show positive results in various clinical trials considering treatment of nausea, vomiting, pain and anorexia/cachexia. Further clinical trials are essential for clearly defining the role of medical cannabis in symptomatic therapy of oncology patients.

This article describes the implementation of the course Professional Training for Pharmacists in Master of Pharmacy programme at the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry. Th e six-month professional training is carried out in community pharmacies (540 hours), hospital pharmacies (120 hours) and galenic and analytical laboratories (60 hours), with the objective of preparing students for independent work within pharmaceutical profession. Training programme is based on the Croatian Competency Framework for Pharmacists. Following the six months of training, students are obligatory to pass fi nal exam, consisted of written and practical part (Objective Structured Clinical Examination, OSCE). With the aim of improving and enhancing the professional training, the quality control of the training is continuously carried out upon completing training, through three online questionnaires assessing satisfaction with training from students and supervisors perspective.