Lipid-based nanoparticles as a promising treatment for the skin cancer

The prevalence of skin disorders, especially cancer, is increasing worldwide. Several factors are involved in causing skin cancer, but ultraviolet (UV) light, including sunlight and tanning beds, are considered the leading cause. Different methods such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, cryotherapy, and photodynamic therapy are mostly used for the skin cancer treatment. However, drug resistance and toxicity against cancer cells are related to these treatments. Lipid-nanoparticles have attracted significant interest as delivery systems due to non-invasive and targeted delivery based on the type of active drug. However, the stratum corneum, the outer layer of the skin, is inherently impervious to drugs. Due to their ability to penetrate the deep layers of the skin, skin delivery systems are capable of delivering drugs to target cells in a protected manner. The aim of this review was to examine the properties and applications of nanoliposomes used in the treatment and prevention of numerous types of skin cancer.

Effect of mango butter on the physicochemical properties of beeswax-Moringa seed oil-based oleogels for topical application

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this research was to determine any connections between the characteristics of oleogels made of beeswax and the impact of mango butter.

METHODS

Oleogel was prepared through inverted tube methods, and optimized through oil binding capacity. Other evaluations like bright field and polarized microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, crystallization kinetics, mechanical study, and X-ray diffractometry (XRD). The drug release kinetic studies and in vitro antibacterial studies were performed.

RESULTS

FTIR study reveals that the gelation process does not significantly alter the chemical composition of the individual components. Prepared gel exhibiting fluid-like behavior or composed of brittle networks is particularly vulnerable to disruptions in their network design. The incorporation of mango butter increases the drug permeation. In-vitro microbial efficacy study was found to be excellent.

CONCLUSION

The studies revealed that mango butter can be used to modify the physico-chemical properties of the oleogels.

Liposome bilayer stability: emphasis on cholesterol and its alternatives

Liposomes are spherical lipidic nanocarriers composed of natural or synthetic phospholipids with a hydrophobic bilayer and aqueous core, which are arranged into a polar head and a long hydrophobic tail, forming an amphipathic nano/micro-particle. Despite numerous liposomal applications, their use encounters many challenges related to the physicochemical properties strongly affected by their constituents, colloidal stability, and interactions with the biological environment. This review aims to provide a perspective and a clear idea about the main factors that regulate the liposomes' colloidal and bilayer stability, emphasising the roles of cholesterol and its possible alternatives. Moreover, this review will analyse strategies that offer possible approaches to provide more stable in vitro and in vivo liposomes with enhanced drug release and encapsulation efficiencies.

Plant-Based Approaches for Rheumatoid Arthritis Regulation: Mechanistic Insights on Pathogenesis, Molecular Pathways, and Delivery Systems

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is classified as a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disorder, associated with a varied range of immunological changes, synovial hyperplasia, cartilage destructions, as well as bone erosion. The infiltration of immune-modulatory cells and excessive release of proinflammatory chemokines, cytokines, and growth factors into the inflamed regions are key molecules involved in the progression of RA. Even though many conventional drugs are suggested by a medical practitioner such as DMARDs, NSAIDs, glucocorticoids, etc., to treat RA, but have allied with various side effects. Thus, alternative therapeutics in the form of herbal therapy or phytomedicine has been increasingly explored for this inflammatory disorder of joints. Herbal interventions contribute substantial therapeutic benefits including accessibility, less or no toxicity and affordability. But the major challenge with these natural actives is the need of a tailored approach for treating inflamed tissues by delivering these bioactive agentsat an appropriate dose within the treatment regimen for an extended periodof time. Drug incorporated with wide range of delivery systems such as liposomes, nanoparticles, polymeric micelles, and other nano-vehicles have been developed to achieve this goal. Thus, inclinations of modern treatment are persuaded on the way to herbal therapy or phytomedicines in combination with novel carriers is an alternative approach with less adverse effects. The present review further summarizes the significanceof use of phytocompounds, their target molecules/pathways and, toxicity and challenges associated with phytomolecule-based nanoformulations.

Organic and Biogenic Nanocarriers as Bio-Friendly Systems for Bioactive Compounds' Delivery: State-of-the Art and Challenges

"Green" strategies to build up novel organic nanocarriers with bioperformance are modern trends in nanotechnology. In this way, the valorization of bio-wastes and the use of living systems to develop multifunctional organic and biogenic nanocarriers (OBNs) have revolutionized the nanotechnological and biomedical fields. This paper is a comprehensive review related to OBNs for bioactives' delivery, providing an overview of the reports on the past two decades. In the first part, several classes of bioactive compounds and their therapeutic role are briefly presented. A broad section is dedicated to the main categories of organic and biogenic nanocarriers. The major challenges regarding the eco-design and the fate of OBNs are suggested to overcome some toxicity-related drawbacks. Future directions and opportunities, and finding "green" solutions for solving the problems related to nanocarriers, are outlined in the final of this paper. We believe that through this review, we will capture the attention of the readers and will open new perspectives for new solutions/ideas for the discovery of more efficient and "green" ways in developing novel bioperformant nanocarriers for transporting bioactive agents.

Lipid-Based Delivery Systems for Flavonoids and Flavonolignans: Liposomes, Nanoemulsions, and Solid Lipid Nanoparticles

Herbal chemicals with a long history in medicine have attracted a lot of attention. Flavonolignans and flavonoids are considered as two classes of the above-mentioned compounds with different functional groups which exhibit several therapeutic capabilities such as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antidiabetic, and anticancer activities. Based on the studies, high hydrophobic properties of the aforementioned compounds limit their bioavailability inside the human body and restrict their wide application. Nanoscale formulations such as solid lipid nanoparticles, liposomes, and other types of lipid-based delivery systems have been introduced to overcome the above-mentioned challenges. This approach allows the aforementioned hydrophobic therapeutic compounds to be encapsulated between hydrophobic structures, resulting in improving their bioavailability. The above-mentioned enhanced delivery system improves delivery to the targeted sites and reduces the daily required dosage. Lowering the required daily dose improves the performance of the drug by diminishing its side effects on non-targeted tissues. The present study aims to highlight the recent improvements in implementing lipid-based nanocarriers to deliver flavonolignans and flavonoids.

Recent progress of nanomedicine in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of memory disruption in elderly subjects, with the prevalence continuing to rise mainly because of the aging world population. Unfortunately, no efficient therapy is currently available for the AD treatment, due to low drug potency and several challenges to delivery, including low bioavailability and the impediments of the blood-brain barrier. Recently, nanomedicine has gained considerable attention among researchers all over the world and shown promising developments in AD treatment. A wide range of nano-carriers, such as polymer nanoparticles, liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, dendritic nanoparticles, biomimetic nanoparticles, magnetic nanoparticles, etc., have been adapted to develop successful new treatment strategies. This review comprehensively summarizes the recent advances of different nanomedicine for their efficacy in pre-clinical studies. Finally, some insights and future research directions are proposed. This review can provide useful information to guide the future design and evaluation of nanomedicine in AD treatment.

Formulation Development and In Vitro/In Vivo Characterization of Methotrexate-Loaded Nanoemulsion Gel Formulations for Enhanced Topical Delivery

Methotrexate-loaded oil-in-water nanoemulsion formulations were prepared using the high shear homogenization technique. A drug excipient study (ATR-FTIR) was carried out to investigate the compatibility between the drug, the polymers, and its admixtures. The thermal stability of the nanoemulsion formulations was evaluated by subjecting them to a heating and cooling cycle. The prepared nanoemulsion formulations (FNE1 to FNE6) were evaluated for particle size, PDI value, and entrapment efficiency (EE). They were analyzed for morphological information using transmission electron microscopy. The drug (methotrexate)-loaded nanoemulsion formulations (FNE2, FNE4, and FNE6) were then converted into nanoemulsion gel formulations by adding 1% chitosan (polymer) as a gelling agent. The nanoemulsion gel formulations (FNEG2, FNEG4, and FNEG6) were investigated for physicochemical parameters, viscosity, spreadability, extrudability, drug content, and skin irritation. Various penetration enhancers (olive oil, clove, and almond oil) were employed to examine the potency of the prepared nanoemulsion gel formulations. In vitro drug release, ex vivo permeation, skin drug retention, and stability tests were carried out for evaluation of the prepared nanoemulsion gel formulations (FNEG2, FNEG4, and FNEG6). The data obtained from the in vitro study were subjected to the kinetic model, and the Korsemeyer-Peppas model was best fitted to the data. The nanoemulsion gel formulation FNEG6 showed the maximum controlled drug release and followed an anomalous, non-Fickian release mechanism. The use of almond oil in the preparation of the nanoemulsion gel formulation FNEG6 helped the penetration of the drug across stratum corneum and the restructuring of the properties of skin and resulted in a higher penetration and retention of methotrexate in a deeper layer of the skin. The current study concluded that the methotrexate-loaded nanoemulsion gel formulation FNEG6 showed the best optimum release, permeation, and retention results as compared to the available oral tablets' formulations, followed by a low serum concentration and the maximum drug retention, which is beneficial in treating skin infections and reducing systemic toxicity.

Meropenem-Loaded Nanostructured Lipid Carriers For Skin and Soft Tissue Infection Caused by Staphylococcus aureus: Formulation, Design, and Evaluation

AIM

Meropenem hydrochloride (MpM)-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers were designed for the effective management of skin infection caused by Staphylococcus aureus via topical route. The solvent evaporation tactic was preferred to develop nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs). Stearic acid was used as a solid fatty acid; oleic acid was used as liquid fatty acid and Tween 80 as a surfactant. The Staphylococcus aureus burden was analyzed by pharmacodynamic studies. The skin retention was analyzed by fluorescence microscopy. Spherical shape of NLCs was confirmed by TEM. The optimum particle size of the MpM-NLCs was ~ 126.5 ± 0.9 nm with 79.1 ± 2.3% entrapment (EE) and 0.967 mV zeta potential. The in vitro release studies revealed 81.5 ± 3.1% release of drug in 48 h, while the pure drug was almost completely released (98.4 ± 1.4%) within 24 h confirming the potential of NLCs for sustained topical drug delivery. Skin permeation study also revealed better permeation of drug from NLCs than of plain drug. The prepared MpM-NLCs when stored at 4 ± 2°C for 90 days were found to be more stable when the formulation was stored at 28 ± 2°C. The S. aureus burden was analyzed by evaluating the zone of inhibition (ZOI). The ZOI of MpM alone and MpM-NLC gel was measured and compared with that of the control group. The MpM was found significantly effective when its gel was prepared with NLCs because of its enhanced adhesion property occlusion and ability to sustain release. In overall, the study's outcomes validated the relevance of NLC's composition as a vehicle for topical MpM administration in skin diseases caused by Staphylococcus aureus.

Sustained release of azithromycin from lipid liquid-crystalline nanoparticles laden in situ gel for the treatment of periodontitis: In vitro and efficacy study

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting teeth, periodontal ligament and alveolar bone. Current treatment options include surgery or oral antibiotics. Oral dosage forms shows systemic side effects due to frequent dosing and it failed to reach the therapeutic concentration in the periodontal cavity. In this work, a novel in situ gel loaded with azithromycin laden lipid liquid-crystalline nanoparticles (cubosomes) was formulated for effective treatment of periodontitis. Cubosomes were prepared using DL-α-monoolein (MO) and Pluronic^®F-127, and characterized for size, zeta potential, shape, and entrapment efficacy. In situ gel laden cubosomes were evaluated for pH, drug content, viscosity, syringeability, mucoadhesive strength, texture profile, gelation temperature, gel strength, in vitro release profile, antimicrobial activity and in vivo efficacy in rat model. Cubosomal size (137-450 nm) and entrapment efficacy (74-88%) increases with increase in the level of MO. The in situ gel-cubosomal batches showed sufficient viscosity (878-956 cp), syringeability (125-150N), mucoadhesive strength (25.7-26.2 dyne/cm²), gelation temperature (34.3-35.3^oC), gel strength (45-51 s), and texture profile for periodontal application. The in vitro release profiles showed sustain azithromycin release for 24h from the in situ gel-cubosomal gels compared to 4h from the marketed azithromycin gel. The in vivo studies (alveolar bone loss and histopathology) in rat model confirmed the efficacy of in situ gel to treat periodontitis at low frequency of dosing compared to marketed gel. In conclusion, the study demonstrated the potential of cubosomes to sustain the release of azithromycin from in situ gelling system for effective treatment of periodontitis.

Cubosomal Betamethasone-Salicylic Acid Nano Drug Delivery System for Enhanced Management of Scalp Psoriasis

Introduction

Betamethasone dipropionate (BD), a potent corticosteroid, and salicylic acid (SA), a keratolytic agent, have been used in combination to treat scalp psoriasis; however, undesirable side effects associated with their prolonged topical use are inevitable. In this study, BD and SA were loaded into cubosomes, a nanoparticulate system with outstanding biocompatibility, bio-adhesivity and penetration power.

Methods

Design of experiments (DOE) was utilized to prepare thirteen different cubosomal dispersions by emulsification technique using glycerol monoolein (GMO) as a lipid phase and Poloxamer 407 (P407) as a surfactant, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (SCMC) was added to enhance the dispersions’ rheological properties. The thirteen dispersions were in-vitro characterized for their particle size, polydispersity index (PDI), zeta potential, BD and SA content and rheological behaviour. The desirability of an optimized formula (OF) was set to the smallest particle size, lowest zeta-potential and highest viscosity. The OF was in-vitro characterized for the same parameters in addition to transmission electron microscope imaging and in-vitro drug release. The OF’s anti-psoriatic activity was evaluated in-vivo using an imiquimod-induced psoriasis model.

Results

The OF achieved a particle size of 197.4 ± 9.47 nm, a PDI of 0.443 ± 0.025, a zeta potential of −44.4 ± 0.141mv, BD content of 105.85 ± 2.290%, SA content of 88.855 ± 2.920% with shear-thinning rheological behaviour and completed in-vitro drug release within 2–3 hours. The in-vivo studies confirmed the cubosomes’ higher anti-psoriatic efficacy over the commercial product with lower changes in ear thickness, spleen to body weight ratio, psoriasis area severity index score and improved histopathological findings.

Conclusion

The developed BD SA-loaded cubosomes exhibit promising anti-psoriatic activity attributed to its nano-size and unique lipid content, with enhanced skin penetration and modified rheological properties; increasing the formulation’s in-contact duration with the scalp resulting in lower application frequency and thus reduced BD and SA associated side effects.

Nano to rescue: repository of nanocarriers for targeted drug delivery to curb breast cancer

Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease with different intrinsic subtypes. The conventional treatment of surgical resection, chemotherapy, immunotherapy and radiotherapy has not shown significant improvement in the survival rate of breast cancer patients. The therapeutics used cause bystander toxicities deteriorating healthy tissues. The breakthroughs of nanotechnology have been a promising feat in selective targeting of tumor site thus increasing the therapeutic gain. By the application of nanoenabled carriers, nanomedicines ensure targeted delivery, stability, enhanced cellular uptake, biocompatibility and higher apoptotic efficacy. The present review focuses on breakthrough of nanoscale intervention in targeted drug delivery as novel class of therapeutics. Nanoenabled carriers like polymeric and metallic nanoparticles, dendrimers, quantum dots, liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, drug-antibody conjugates and exosomes revolutionized the targeted therapeutic delivery approach. These nanoassemblies have shown additional effect of improving the solubility of drugs such as paclitaxel, reducing the dose and toxicity. The present review provides an insight on the different drug conjugates employed/investigated to curb breast cancer using nanocarrier mediated targeted drug delivery. However, identification of appropriate biomarkers to target, clearer insight of the biological processes, batch uniformity, reproducibility, nanomaterial toxicity and stabilities are the hurdles faced by nanodrugs. The potential of nano-therapeutics delivery necessitates the agglomerated efforts of research community to bridge the route of nanodrugs for scale-up, commercialization and clinical applications.

Self-Assembling Drug Formulations with Tunable Permeability and Biodegradability

This review focuses on key topics in the field of drug delivery related to the design of nanocarriers answering the biomedicine criteria, including biocompatibility, biodegradability, low toxicity, and the ability to overcome biological barriers. For these reasons, much attention is paid to the amphiphile-based carriers composed of natural building blocks, lipids, and their structural analogues and synthetic surfactants that are capable of self-assembly with the formation of a variety of supramolecular aggregates. The latter are dynamic structures that can be used as nanocontainers for hydrophobic drugs to increase their solubility and bioavailability. In this section, biodegradable cationic surfactants bearing cleavable fragments are discussed, with ester- and carbamate-containing analogs, as well as amino acid derivatives received special attention. Drug delivery through the biological barriers is a challenging task, which is highlighted by the example of transdermal method of drug administration. In this paper, nonionic surfactants are primarily discussed, including their application for the fabrication of nanocarriers, their surfactant-skin interactions, the mechanisms of modulating their permeability, and the factors controlling drug encapsulation, release, and targeted delivery. Different types of nanocarriers are covered, including niosomes, transfersomes, invasomes and chitosomes, with their morphological specificity, beneficial characteristics and limitations discussed.

The Emerging Role of Ionic Liquid-Based Approaches for Enhanced Skin Permeation of Bioactive Molecules: A Snapshot of the Past Couple of Years

Topical and transdermal delivery systems are of undeniable significance and ubiquity in healthcare, to facilitate the delivery of active pharmaceutical ingredients, respectively, onto or across the skin to enter systemic circulation. From ancient ointments and potions to modern micro/nanotechnological devices, a variety of approaches has been explored over the ages to improve the skin permeation of diverse medicines and cosmetics. Amongst the latest investigational dermal permeation enhancers, ionic liquids have been gaining momentum, and recent years have been prolific in this regard. As such, this review offers an outline of current methods for enhancing percutaneous permeation, highlighting selected reports where ionic liquid-based approaches have been investigated for this purpose. Future perspectives on use of ionic liquids for topical delivery of bioactive peptides are also presented.