A novel lidocaine hydrochloride mucoadhesive films for periodontal diseases

Impact of the Preparation Method on the Formulation Properties of Allantoin Hydrogels: Evaluation Using Semi-Solid Control Diagram (SSCD) Principles

Allantoin possesses numerous beneficial properties for the skin, like anti-irritant effects, wound healing, skin hydration, and epithelization. In this paper, we investigated a suitable preparation method for an allantoin hydrogel using the Semi-Solid Control Diagram (SSCD) method and characterized its rheological and consistency behavior. To accomplish this, xanthan gum (XG) was selected as a model gelling agent. Briefly, four hydrogels were prepared, two without allantoin (coded M01 and M02) and two with allantoin (M1 and M2). Similarly, the formulations were either prepared through magnetic stirring (M01 and M1) or homogenization in a mortar (M02 and M2). The prepared hydrogels were evaluated using the SSCD for specific parameters and indexes. The Good Quality Index (GQI) shows a higher value for the formulation, M1 = 6.27, compared to M2 = 5.45. This result is also underlined by the value of M01 = 6.45, which is higher than M02 = 6.38. Considering the consistency, the formulation M01 possessed the highest spreadability, followed by M02 and then the allantoin hydrogels M1 and M2. The rheological behavior had a thixotropic pseudoplastic flow for all the formulations. The use of SSCD pictographs outlined the rheological properties that need improvement, the method that is suitable to prepare the allantoin hydrogels, and the influence of the allantoin suspended in the XG hydrogel.

Design and in vitro effectiveness evaluation of Echium amoenum extract loaded in bioadhesive phospholipid vesicles tailored for mucosal delivery

The Echium amoenum Fisch. and C.A. Mey. (E. amoenum) is an herb native from Iranian shrub, and its blue-violet flowers are traditionally used as medical plants. In the present study, an antioxidant phytocomplex was extracted from the flowers of E. amoenum by ultrasounds-assisted hydroalcoholic maceration. The main components, contained in the extract, have been detected using HPLC-DAD, and rosmarinic acid was found to be the most abundant. The antioxidant power of the extract along with the phenolic content were measured using colorimetric assays. The extract was loaded in liposomes, which were enriched adding different bioadhesive polymers (i.e., mucin, xanthan gum and carboxymethyl cellulose sodium salt) individually or in combination. The main physico-chemical properties (i.e. size, size distribution, surface charge) of the prepared vesicles were measured as well as their stability on storage. The viscosity of dispersion and the ability of vesicles to interact with mucus were evaluated measuring their stability in a mucin dispersion and mobility in a mucin film. The biocompatibility and the ability of the formulations to protect keratinocytes from damages caused by hydrogen peroxide and to promote the cell migration were measured in vitro.

Bacterial cellulose adhesive patches designed for soft mucosal interfaces

The wet environment in the oral cavity is challenging for topical disease management approaches. The compromised material properties leading to weak adhesion and short retention (<8 h) in such environment result in frequent reapplication of the therapeutics. Composites of bacterial cellulose (BC) and carbene-based bioadhesives attempt to address these shortcomings. Previous designs comprised of aqueous formulations. The current design, for the first time, presents dry, shelf-stable cellulose patches for convenient ready-to-use application. The dry patches simultaneously remove tissue surface hydration while retaining carbene-based photocuring and offers on-demand adhesion. The dry patch prototypes are optimized by controlling BC/adhesive mole ratios and dehydration technique. The adhesion strength is higher than commercial denture adhesives on soft mucosal tissues. The structural integrity is maintained for a minimum of 7 days in aqueous environment. The patches act as selective nanoporous barrier against bacteria while allowing permeation of proteins. The results support the application of BC-based adhesive patches as a flexible platform for wound dressings, drug depots, or combination thereof.

Polymer Coated Polymeric (PCP) Microneedles for Controlled Delivery of Drugs (Dermal and Intravitreal)

Microneedles are used to deliver drugs topically across the skin and mucous membranes. Dissolvable microneedles are made using soluble polymers, which disintegrates in the tissue and release the entire payload instantaneously including the polymer construct. Often, a slow release of drug into the tissue is desirable to overcome the severity of side effects at the site of administration as well as systemic adverse effects. In addition, controlled release of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) only (not the excipients) is safe and effective particularly when the drug delivery is intended to sensitive organs like the eye. In this project, the feasibility of fabricating polymer coated polymeric (PCP) microneedles to achieve a gradual release of only the active ingredient from the device was investigated. The potential application of such PCP microneedles in the dermal and intravitreal drug delivery was also explored using animal tissue models. The PCP microneedles were found to be intact even after prolonged contact with the release medium. The time at which 50% (T50%) of dextran (10 K) was released in case of microneedles prepared using 20% of core polymer (PVP-K30) was about 15 min versus less than 5 min in the case of uncoated microneedles. Whereas when the core polymer concentration was increased to 50%, the T50% was increased to 90 min. The rate of release depended on the polymer molecular weight grade. The rate of drug release was not influenced by the total amount of concentration of dextran. The PCP microneedles of lidocaine hydrochloride could constantly release the drug for up to 9 h in the skin tissue. Likewise, the PCP microneedles infused voriconazole, intravitreally for 6 h.

Lidocaine represses the malignant behavior of lung carcinoma cells via the circ_PDZD8/miR-516b-5p/GOLT1A axis

Lung carcinoma is the most prevalent malignancy in adults. Lidocaine (Lido) has been confirmed to exert an anti-tumor role in many human cancers. However, the role and underlying mechanism of Lido in lung carcinoma remain poorly understood. Cell proliferation ability, migration, invasion, and apoptosis were measured by Colony formation, 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU), Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), transwell, and flow cytometry assays. Circ_PDZD8, microRNA-516b-5p (miR-516b-5p), and Golgi transport 1A (GOLT1A) levels were detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Protein levels of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and GOLT1A were examined by western blot assay. The binding relationship between miR-516b-5p and circ_PDZD8 or GOLT1A was predicted by circular RNA Interactome or Starbase 3.0 and then verified by a dual-luciferase reporter assay. The biological roles of circ_PDZD8 and Lido on lung carcinoma cell growth were examined by the xenograft tumor model in vivo. Lido suppressed proliferation, migration, invasion, and induced apoptosis in lung carcinoma cells. Circ_PDZD8 and GOLT1A were increased, miR-516b-5p was decreased in lung carcinoma tissues and cell lines. Their expression presented the opposite trend in Lido-triggered lung carcinoma cells. Circ_PDZD8 might overturn the repression of Lido on cell growth ability and metastasis in this tumor. Mechanically, circ_PDZD8 might regulate GOLT1A expression by sponging miR-516b-5p. Circ_PDZD8 weakened the anti-lung carcinoma effect of Lido in vivo. Circ_PDZD8 might mitigate the inhibitory effect of Lido on tumor cell malignancy by modulating the miR-516b-5p/GOLT1A axis, providing a novel insight for lung carcinoma treatment.

Preparation and characterization of a hydroxypropyl methylcellulose based wafer for simultaneous delivery of phenytoin and insulin as wound dressing material

In this study, a novel wafer based on Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) was prepared as a wound dressing for the simultaneous delivery of phenytoin (PT) and insulin; evaluation of the cutaneous wound repair property was performed too. Due to its low water solubility, PT was encapsulated in polymeric micelles (PM) by the film hydration method at different polymer/drug ratios and characterized in terms of particle size (PS), polydispersity index (PdI), zeta potential (ZP), drug loading (DL) %, entrapment efficiency (EE) %, and drug release. Then, the optimized PT loaded PM (PT-PM) was embedded in the wafers prepared from the HPMC polymer, alone or in combination with Carbopol 940 (CB) and xanthan gum (XG). This wafer also contained a fixed amount of insulin (PT-PM-Insulin-wafer). The obtained wafers were evaluated in terms of morphology, water uptake ability, porosity, bioadhesion and hardness features. Finally, the efficacy of the PT-PM-Insulin-wafer was assessed in full-thickness excision wound models. The optimized PT-PM showed the PS of 84.05 ± 1.80 nm, PdI of 0.28 ± 0.22, ZP of -3.38 ± 0.26 mV, DL of 15.63 ± 0.01%, EE of 92.66 ± 0.08%, and the release efficiency of 59.95 ± 0.03%. The results obtained from the XRD studies of PT-PM also demonstrated the transition of the crystalline nature of the PT to the amorphous form, while FTIR studies showed some intermolecular interaction of PT and the Soluplus® copolymer chain. It was also found that the incorporation of XG into HPMC wafers influenced the microstructure, thus increasing the porosity, water uptake ability and bioadhesion. Compared with other groups, the PT-PM-Insulin-wafer group showed the enhancement of wound closure through increasing collagen deposition and re-epithelialization. The present study, therefore, revealed that the PT-PM-Insulin-wafer group might have very promising applications for wound healing.

Development and optimization of tibezonium iodide and lignocaine hydrochloride containing novel mucoadhesive buccal tablets: A pharmacokinetic investigation among healthy humans

OBJECTIVE

It is clinically important to deliver sustained-release mucoadhesive dosage of local anesthetic and antimicrobial agent for pain control. The current study aimed to develop and evaluate chitosan (CHI) based buccal mucoadhesive delivery for local release of tibezonium iodide (TBN) and lignocaine hydrochloride (LGN).

METHODS

Direct compression technique was employed, aided by other mucoadhesive polymers like hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC) and sodium alginate (SA) and evaluated for physicochemical and in vivo character.

RESULTS

Fourier transform infrared spectral analysis (FTIR), powdered X-ray diffraction (XRPD), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) absence of physical interaction between ingredients. The physical parameters complied with USP specifications for all formulations. Optimum swellability (551.9%) was offered from formulation TL15, containing 30% SA. Highest ex vivo mucoadhesive strength (24.79 g) and time (18.39 h) was found with TL8. Formulation TL8 also exhibited maximum in vivo residence time (11.37 h). Almost complete drug release at 6 h was possessed by formulation TL5 (HPMC and CHI, 20% each) for TBN (99.98%) and LGN (99.06%). The optimized formulation TL5 exhibited dosage stability up to 6 months at 75% relative humidity and retained drug contents. TL5 was well tolerated by the volunteers with no inflammation, pain or irritation found. Almost 73% of volunteers reported an increase in salivary secretion. The first-order salivary C_max of TBN and LGN were found as 16.02 and 7.80 µg/mL within 4 h, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Therefore, the sustained release mucoadhesive dosage form of TBN and LGN can be an effective and alternative option to conventional delivery.

Docetaxel and Lidocaine Co-Loaded (NLC-in-Hydrogel) Hybrid System Designed for the Treatment of Melanoma

Melanoma is the most aggressive skin carcinoma and nanotechnology can bring new options for its pharmacological treatment. Nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) are ideal drug-delivery carriers for hydrophobic drugs, such as the antineoplastic docetaxel (DTX), and hybrid (NLC-in-hydrogel) systems are suitable for topical application. This work describes a formulation of NLC_DTX in xanthan-chitosan hydrogel containing lidocaine (LDC) with anticancer and analgesia effects. The optimized nanoparticles encapsulated 96% DTX and rheological analysis revealed inherent viscoelastic properties of the hydrogel. In vitro assays over murine fibroblasts (NIH/3T3) and melanoma cells (B16-F10), human keratinocytes (HaCaT) and melanoma cells (SK-MEL-103) showed reduction of docetaxel cytotoxicity after encapsulation in NLC_DTX and HGel-NLC_DTX. Addition of LDC to the hybrid system (HGel-NLC_DTX-LDC) increased cell death in tumor and normal cells. In vivo tests on C57BL/6J mice with B16-F10-induced melanoma indicated that LDC, NLC_DTX, HGel-NLC_DTX-LDC and NLC_DTX + HGel-LDC significantly inhibited tumor growth while microPET/SPECT/CT data suggest better prognosis with the hybrid treatment. No adverse effects were observed in cell survival, weight/feed-consumption or serum biochemical markers (ALT, AST, creatinine, urea) of animals treated with NLC_DTX or the hybrid system. These results confirm the adjuvant antitumor effect of lidocaine and endorse HGel-NLC_DTX-LDC as a promising formulation for the topical treatment of melanoma.

Naturally Occurring Polyelectrolytes and Their Use for the Development of Complex-Based Mucoadhesive Drug Delivery Systems: An Overview

Biopolymers have several advantages for the development of drug delivery systems, since they are biocompatible, biodegradable and easy to obtain from renewable resources. However, their most notable advantage may be their ability to adhere to biological tissues. Many of these biopolymers have ionized forms, known as polyelectrolytes. When combined, polyelectrolytes with opposite charges spontaneously form polyelectrolyte complexes or multilayers, which have great functional versatility. Although only one natural polycation-chitosan has been widely explored until now, it has been combined with many natural polyanions such as pectin, alginate and xanthan gum, among others. These polyelectrolyte complexes have been used to develop multiple mucoadhesive dosage forms such as hydrogels, tablets, microparticles, and films, which have demonstrated extraordinary potential to administer drugs by the ocular, nasal, buccal, oral, and vaginal routes, improving both local and systemic treatments. The advantages observed for these formulations include the increased bioavailability or residence time of the formulation in the administration zone, and the avoidance of invasive administration routes, leading to greater therapeutic compliance.

In situ drug release measuring in α-TCP cement by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy

The use of drug delivery systems is a good technique to leave the right quantity of medicine in the patient's body in a suitable dose, because the drug application is delivered directly to the affected region. The current techniques such as HPLC and UV-Vis for the drug delivery calculation has some disadvantages, as the accuracy and the loss of the sample after characterization. With the aim of reducing the amount of material used during the characterization and have a non-destructive test with instantaneous results, the present paper shows the possibility of using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) to have a drug delivery measurement during the release phenomena for a calcium phosphate cement (CFC) delivery system with gentamicin sulfate (GS) and lidocaine hydrochloride (LH), at a ratio of 1% and 2%, respectively. The equivalent circuit and the chemical mechanism involved during the measurements have been proposed as a tool to determine the drug delivery profile. The method has been compared with the UV-Vis technique. XRD was realized to verify conditions, before and after release. It was possible to verify the potential for using EIS as an instant technique to quantify drug delivery.

Hybrid nanofilms as topical anesthetics for pain-free procedures in dentistry

Topical anesthetics are widely applied in order to relieve the discomfort and anxiety caused by needle insertion and other painful superficial interventions at the oral cavity. So far, there are no commercially available effective topical anesthetic formulations for that purpose, and the most of developments are related to hydrophilic and low mucoadhesive forms. Therefore, we have prepared different hybrid nanofilms composed of biopolymer matrices (chitosan, pectin, and chitosan-pectin) blended with nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) loading the eutectic mixture of 5% lidocaine-prilocaine (LDC-PLC), in order to fulfill this gap in the market. These dual systems were processed as hybrid nanofilms by the solvent/casting method, and its mucoadhesive, structural and mechanical properties were detailed. The most appropriate hybrid nanofilm combined the advantages of both pectin (PCT) and NLC components. The resultant material presented sustained LDC-PLC release profile for more than 8 h; permeation across porcine buccal mucosa almost twice higher than control and non-cytotoxicity against 3T3 and HACAT cell lines. Then, the in vivo efficacy of PCT/NLC formulation was compared to biopolymer film and commercial drug, exhibiting the longest-lasting anesthetic effect (> 7 h), assessed by tail flick test in mice. These pectin-based hybrid nanofilms open perspectives for clinical trials and applications beyond Dentistry.