Study of lactose crystallization in water-acetone solutions

Nucleation behaviour of racemic and enantiopure histidine

Small non-centrosymmetric domains are observed in the racemic crystal, due to the low nucleation activation energy of the conglomerate.

Crystallo-co-spray drying as a new approach to manufacturing of drug/excipient agglomerates: Impact of processing on the properties of paracetamol and lactose mixtures

The novel process of crystallo-co-spray drying of paracetamol and α-lactose monohydrate was investigated by varying the spray dryer inlet temperature and inlet feed solvent composition. A crystalline agglomerate was obtained with no change to the physical structure of either component throughout both investigations and with possible interactions between the hydroxyl groups of the α-lactose monohydrate and the amide and hydroxyl groups of the paracetamol detected. The percentage soluble fraction of the components in the inlet feed had the largest influence on the morphology of the final dried agglomerate. Low excipient soluble fraction resulted in an increase in paracetamol surface coating and high excipient soluble fraction produced agglomerates of highly mixed components. The use of crystallo-co-spray drying can serve as a method of producing an agglomerated blend of crystalline co-spray dried components leading to possible opportunities for process intensification with the reduction of process steps such as blending, agglomeration, drying and milling into one single stage.

A novel gastro-floating multiparticulate system for dipyridamole (DIP) based on a porous and low-density matrix core: in vitro and in vivo evaluation

The study was aimed to develop a novel gastro-floating multiparticulate system based on a porous and low-density matrix core with excellent floatability. The gastro-floating pellets (GFP) were composed of a porous matrix core, a drug loaded layer (DIP and HPMC), a sub-coating layer (HPMC) and a retarding layer (Eudragit(®) NE 30D). The porous matrix cores were evaluated in specific. EC was chosen as the matrix membrane for its rigidity and minimal expansion to large extent. The porous matrix core was achieved by the complete release of the bulk water soluble excipient from the EC coated beads, and mannitol was selected as the optimal water soluble excipient. SEM photomicrographs confirmed the structure of porous matrix cores. The compositions of GFP were investigated and optimized by orthogonal array design. The optimized formulation could sustain the drug release for 12h and float on the dissolution medium for at least 12h without lag time to float. The pharmacokinetic study was conducted in beagle dogs, and the relative bioavailability of the test preparation was 193.11±3.43%. In conclusion, the novel gastro-floating pellets can be developed as a promising approach for the gastro-retentive drug delivery systems.

Antisolvent crystallisation is a potential technique to prepare engineered lactose with promising aerosolisation properties: effect of saturation degree

Engineered lactose particles were prepared by anti-solvent crystallisation technique using lactose solutions with different saturation degrees. In comparison to commercial lactose, engineered lactose particles exhibited less elongated and more irregular shape (large aggregates composed of smaller sub-units), rougher surface texture, higher specific surface area, and different anomer form. Engineered lactose powders demonstrated smaller bulk density, smaller tap density, and higher porosity than commercial lactose powder. Dry powder inhaler (DPI) formulations containing engineered lactose and salbutamol sulphate as a model drug demonstrated improved drug content homogeneity and higher amounts of drug delivered to lower airway regions. Higher fine particle fraction of drug was obtained in the case of lactose powders with higher porosity, higher specific surface area and higher fine particle content (<5 μm). The results indicated that the higher the saturation degree of lactose solution used during crystallisation the smaller the specific surface area, the higher the amorphous lactose content, and the higher the β-lactose content of engineered lactose particles. Also, lactose powders obtained from lactose solution with higher degree of saturation showed higher bulk and tap densities and smaller porosity. Engineered lactose powders crystallized from lower saturation degree (20% and 30% w/v) deposited higher amounts of drug on lower airway regions. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that it is possible to prepare engineered lactose particles with favourable properties (e.g. higher fine particle fraction and better drug content homogeneity) for DPI formulations by using lactose solutions with lower degree of saturation during crystallisation process.

Improved aerosolization performance of salbutamol sulfate formulated with lactose crystallized from binary mixtures of ethanol-acetone

It has been shown that dry powder inhaler (DPI) formulations typically achieve low fine particle fractions (poor performance). A commonly held theory is that this is due, at least in part, to low levels of detachment of drug from lactose during aerosolization as a result of strong adhesion of drug particles to the carrier surfaces. Therefore, the purpose of the present study is to overcome poor aerosolization performance of DPI formulation by modification of lactose particles. Lactose particles were crystallized by adding solution in water to different ratios of binary mixtures of ethanol-acetone. The results showed that modified lactose particles had exceptional aerosolization performance that makes them superior to commercial lactose particles. Morphology assessment showed that crystallized lactose particles were less elongated, more irregular in shape, and composed of smaller primary lactose particles compared with commercial lactose. Solid-state characterization showed that commercial lactose particles were α-lactose monohydrate, whereas crystallized lactose particles were a mixture of α-lactose monohydrate and β-lactose according to the ratio of ethanol-acetone used during crystallization process. The enhanced performance could be mainly due to rougher surface and/or higher amounts of fines compared with the lactose crystallized from pure ethanol or commercial lactose.