Emodin-nicotinamide (1:2) cocrystal identified by thermal screening to improve emodin solubility

Colon-Targeted Hydrogel Microsphere System Encapsulating Oleic Acid-Emodin for Crohn's Disease Treatment via Ferroptosis Inhibition

Crohn's disease (CD) is a relapsing, systemic inflammatory disease that primarily affects the gastrointestinal tract and is often accompanied by extraintestinal manifestations and associated immune disorders. However, current pharmacological treatments for CD encounter several challenges, such as a lack of precise drug targeting and inadequate retention of drugs in the inflamed colon, along with low bioavailability. Herein, we utilized oleic acid (OA) as a solvent to enhance the bioavailability and solubility of emodin. Simultaneously, we encapsulated OA-emodin (OAE) into hydrogel microspheres (HMs) composed of hyaluronic acid (HA) and calcium alginate (CA) to develop a colon-targeted drug delivery system (HM@OAE) for CD therapy. The pH responsiveness of CA enabled HM@OAE to bypass the stomach and specifically target the colon, where it released OAE following oral administration. In addition, in vitro studies demonstrated that HM@OAE significantly reduced the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines, decreased reactive oxygen species levels, and restrained ferroptosis by upregulating GPX4 and SLC7A11 expression while downregulating ACSL4 expression. Furthermore, to confirm these findings in a live organism, an in vivo study was conducted using a dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis mouse model. This study validated the therapeutic efficacy of HM@OAE, significantly alleviating colonic inflammation and restoring intestinal epithelial integrity. These results suggest that HM@OAE is a promising clinical candidate for CD treatment.

Using the Cocrystal Approach as a Promising Drug Delivery System to Enhance the Dissolution and Bioavailability of Formononetin Using an Imidazole Coformer

Background: Natural isoflavones are recognized for their diverse pharmacological activities; however, their low aqueous solubility presents a significant challenge for further development. Here, we aimed to develop a cocrystal of formononetin (FMN) to improve its solubility. Methods: The formononetin-imidazole (FMN-IMD) cocrystal was prepared using liquid-assisted grinding method. The prepared cocrystal was identified through a thermal analysis of physical mixtures with various coformers. FTIR and solid-state NMR confirmed the presence of hydrogen bonds and π-π interactions in the FMN-IMD cocrystal. Results: The solubility of FMN-IMD was two to three times higher than that of crystalline FMN. The FMN-IMD cocrystal showed a 4.93-fold increase in the Cmax value and a 3.58-fold increase in the AUC compared to FMN after oral administration in rats. There were no changes in the PXRD of the FMN-IMD cocrystal after six months of storage at 40 °C. Conclusions: Thus, the FMN-IMD cocrystal is proposed as an effective solid form for oral delivery, offering enhanced solubility and physical stability.

A review on advancement of cocrystallization approach and a brief on screening, formulation and characterization of the same

The objective of this review is, to discuss recent advancements in screening methods for co-formers, evaluation cum confirmation methods and co-crystallization with examples. Co-crystals are considered as a new form of an old drug entity. Co-crystals improve the stability, hygroscopicity, solubility, dissolution, and physicochemical properties of pure drugs without altering chemical and pharmacological properties. Advancement in co-crystal formulation methods like electrospray and laser-irradiation methods are showing potential for solvent-free co-crystallization and tends to give better yield and lesser loss of materials. Screening methods are also transformed from trial and error to in-silico methods, which facilitate the selection process by reducing the time of screening and increasing the number of co-formers to be screened. Advanced evaluation methods like Raman and solid-state NMR spectroscopy provide a better understanding of crystal lattice by pinpointing the interaction between drug/co-former molecules. The same evaluation methods can also differentiate between the formation of salt and co-crystals. Co-crystals are helping open a new door in pharmaceutical industries in the field of formulation for the improvement of physicochemical properties in existing old molecules and several new molecules. With a motto of "making a good drug better", co-crystals show scope for vast research and give researchers an ocean of opportunities to make the impossible, possible.

Preparation, Characterization, in-vitro and in-vivo Pharmacokinetic Evaluation of Thermostable Dimethyl Fumarate Cocrystals

Dimethyl fumarate (DMF) is an FDA-approved drug for treating relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis; but it is susceptible to sublimation leading to its loss during processing. Cocrystals can protect against thermal energy via the interaction of DMF with a coformer via weak forces of interaction. With this hypothesis, we have, for the first time, prepared DMF cocrystals using the solvent evaporation method using coformers like citric acid and succinic acid screened by in-silico predictions and hydrogen bonding properties. Analysis using infra-red (IR), powder x-ray diffraction (PXRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and sublimation evaluation characterized cocrystals and their thermostability. Comparative analysis of the release profile has been done by dissolution and pharmacokinetic study of DMF and its cocrystals. The cocrystals have improved thermal stability and better pharmacological activities than DMF. In the safety and efficacy evaluation of the formulated cocrystals, they were found to be non-cytotoxic, antioxidant, and inhibiting IL-6 and TNF-α in PBMC induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). We have obtained cocrystals of DMF with improved thermal stability and better pharmacological activities than DMF.

Chinese herbal medicines: The modulator of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease targeting oxidative stress

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Plants are a natural treasure trove; their secondary metabolites participate in several pharmacological processes, making them a crucial component in the synthesis of novel pharmaceuticals and serving as a reserve resource foundation in this process. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with the risk of progression to hepatitis and liver cancer. The "Treatise on Febrile Diseases," "Compendium of Materia Medica," and "Thousand Golden Prescriptions" have listed herbal remedies to treat liver diseases.

AIM OF THE REVIEW

Chinese herbal medicines have been widely used for the prevention and treatment of NAFLD owing to their efficacy and low side effects. The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) during NAFLD, and the impact and potential mechanism of ROS on the pathogenesis of NAFLD are discussed in this review. Furthermore, common foods and herbs that can be used to prevent NAFLD, as well as the structure-activity relationships and potential mechanisms, are discussed.

METHODS

Web of Science, PubMed, CNKI database, Google Scholar, and WanFang database were searched for natural products that have been used to treat or prevent NAFLD in the past five years. The primary search was performed using the following keywords in different combinations in full articles: NAFLD, herb, natural products, medicine, and ROS. More than 400 research papers and review articles were found and analyzed in this review.

RESULTS

By classifying and discussing the literature, we obtained 86 herbaceous plants, 28 of which were derived from food and 58 from Chinese herbal medicines. The mechanism of NAFLD was proposed through experimental studies on thirteen natural compounds (quercetin, hesperidin, rutin, curcumin, resveratrol, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, salvianolic acid B, paeoniflorin, ginsenoside Rg1, ursolic acid, berberine, honokiol, emodin). The occurrence and progression of NAFLD could be prevented by natural antioxidants through several pathways to prevent ROS accumulation and reduce hepatic cell injuries caused by excessive ROS.

CONCLUSION

This review summarizes the natural products and routinely used herbs (prescription) in the prevention and treatment of NAFLD. Firstly, the mechanisms by which natural products improve NAFLD through antioxidant pathways are elucidated. Secondly, the potential of traditional Chinese medicine theory in improving NAFLD is discussed, highlighting the safety of food-medicine homology and the broader clinical potential of multi-component formulations in improving NAFLD. Aiming to provide theoretical basis for the prevention and treatment of NAFLD.

Novel co-crystal of 3-methylcinnamic acid with berberine (1:1): synthesis, characterization, and intestinal absorption property

OBJECTIVE

To synthesis a novel 'Pharmaceutical Cocrystal' of berberine (BBR) with coformer 3-methylcinnamic acid (3MCA) for increasing its solubility and intestinal absorption property.

SIGNIFICANCE

BBR-HCl has poor liposolubility, difficulty in penetrating the cell membrane and absorption in the gastrointestinal tract, low bioavailability, and limited clinical application. A new cocrystal is formed by the interaction between 3-MCA and BBR through molecular interaction, which improves the physicochemical properties, intestinal absorption property, and hygroscopicity.

METHODS

The solvent evaporation method was used to synthesize BCR-3MCA cocrystal. The physicochemical properties of the crystals were confirmed by different spectral techniques, i.e. by X-ray diffraction (PXRD, SXRD), thermogravimetry and differential thermal analysis (DSC, TGA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Hygroscopicity of the cocrystal was evaluated by dynamic water vapor sorption (DVS). The intestinal absorption property was evaluated by the Ussing chamber system.

RESULTS

BBR and 3MCA can be directly self-assembled into uniform co-crystal by hydrogen bonds and π-π stacking interactions. Compared with BBR-HCl, the solubility of BBR-3MCA cocrystal in polar solvents of water, methanol, ethanol, and isopropanol increased by 13.9, 1.5, 4.7, and 15.8 times, respectively. The apparent absorption and the absorption rate constants were increased by 7.7 and 5.6 times, respectively. Surprisingly, BBR-3MCA co-crystal almost had no hygroscopicity.

CONCLUSION

The absolute molecular structure of the co-crystal was further confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The hydrogen bonds drove the formation of X-like one-dimensional unit. Compared to the BBR-HCl, BBR-3MCA cocrystal displayed superior dissolution and solubility performance, improved physical-chemical properties and significantly improved intestinal absorption.

Norfloxacin Cocrystals: Mechanochemical Synthesis and Scale-up Viability Through Solubility Studies

Cocrystals are recognized as one of the most efficient approaches to improve aqueous solubility of Biopharmaceutical Classification System, BCS, classes II and IV drugs. Cocrystal discovery and the establishment of experimental conditions suitable for scale-up purposes are some of the main challenges in cocrystal investigation. In this work, the investigation of mechanochemical synthesis of norfloxacin cocrystals with picolinic and isonicotinic acids is performed, leading to the discovery of two new cocrystals of this important BCS class IV antibiotic, which were characterized through thermal, spectral and diffractometric analysis. Norfloxacin apparent aqueous solubility using the cocrystals is also presented, with higher values being obtained for all the investigated systems when compared to the pure drug. Norfloxacin has 3 polymorphs and several solvents/hydrates, which represents a challenge for obtaining pure cocrystal forms from solvent crystallization. This challenge was successfully overcome in this work, as experimental conditions to obtain the pure cocrystals (the new ones and also norfloxacin-nicotinic acid and norfloxacin-saccharin) were established using Crystal16 equipment. This is a crucial step to envisage future scale-up procedures and therefore a valuable information for the pharmaceutical industry.

Novel Gastroprotective and Thermostable Cocrystal of Dimethyl Fumarate: Its Preparation, Characterization, and In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluation

Crystallization has revolutionized the field of solid-state formulations by modulating the physiochemical and release profile of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). Dimethyl fumarate (DF), an FDA-approved first-line drug for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, has a sublimation problem, leading to loss of the drug during its processing. To tackle this problem, DF cocrystal has been prepared by using solvent evaporation technique using nicotinamide as a coformer, which has been chosen based on in silico predictions and their ability to participate in hydrogen bonding. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and sublimation analysis have characterized the cocrystal and its thermostability. Comparative analysis of the release profile has been done by the dissolution and pharmacokinetic study of DF and its cocrystal. Formulated cocrystal is noncytotoxic, antioxidant and inhibits interleukin-6 and tissue necrosis factor-α in peripheral blood mononuclear cells induced by lipopolysaccharide. We have obtained a thermostable cocrystal of DF with a similar physicochemical and release profile to that of DF. The formulated cocrystal also provides a gastroprotective effect which helps counterbalance the adverse effects of DF by reducing lipid peroxidation and total nitrite levels.

Non-Covalent Reactions Supporting Antiviral Development

Viruses are the current big enemy of the world's healthcare systems. As the small infector causes various deadly diseases, from influenza and HIV to COVID-19, the virus continues to evolve from one type to its mutants. Therefore, the development of antivirals demands tremendous attention and resources for drug researchers around the world. Active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) development includes discovering new drug compounds and developing existing ones. However, to innovate a new antiviral takes a very long time to test its safety and effectiveness, from structure modeling to synthesis, and then requires various stages of clinical trials. Meanwhile, developing the existing API can be more efficient because it reduces many development stages. One approach in this effort is to modify the solid structures to improve their physicochemical properties and enhance their activity. This review discusses antiviral multicomponent systems under the research phase and has been marketed. The discussion includes the types of antivirals, their counterpart compound, screening, manufacturing methods, multicomponent systems yielded, characterization methods, physicochemical properties, and their effects on their pharmacological activities. It is hoped that the opportunities and challenges of solid antiviral drug modifications can be drawn in this review as important information for further antiviral development.

Pharmaceutical Co-crystal of Antiviral Agent Efavirenz with Nicotinamide for the Enhancement of Solubility, Physicochemical Stability, and Oral Bioavailability

The present research work attempted to improve the oral bioavailability of the antiviral drug Efavirenz (EFV) using a pharmaceutical cocrystallization technique. EFV comes under BCS-II and has extremely low water solubility, and results in low oral bioavailability. EFV and nicotinamide (NICO) were selected in a (1:1) stoichiometric ratio and efavirenz nicotinamide cocrystal (ENCOC) was prepared through the liquid-assisted grinding method (LAG). The confirmation of the formation of a new solid phase was done through spectroscopic techniques like Fourier transmission infrared (FTIR), Raman, and ¹³C solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (¹³C ssNMR). Thermal techniques like differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and hot stage microscopy (HSM) illustrated the thermal behavior and melting patterns of ENCOC, EFV, and NICO. The X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) confirms the formation of a new crystalline phase in ENCOC. The Morphology was determined through scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The results of saturated solubility studies and in vitro drug release studies exhibited 8.9-fold enhancement in solubility and 2.56-fold enhancement in percentage cumulative drug release. The percentage drug content of ENCOC was found higher than 97% and cocrystal exhibits excellent accelerated stability. The oral bioavailability of EFV (C_max, 799.08 ng/mL) exhibits significant enhancement after cocrystallization (C_max, 5597.09 ng/mL) than EFV and Efcure®-200 tablet (2896.21 ng/mL). The current work investigates the scalable and cost-effective method for enhancement of physicochemical stability, solubility, and oral bioavailability of an antiviral agent EFV.

Promising Role of Emodin as Therapeutics to Against Viral Infections

Emodin is an anthraquinone derivative that is widely present in natural plants and has a wide spectrum of pharmacological effects, such as antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-fibrotic and anticancer and so on. Through reviewing studies on antiviral effect of emodin in the past decades, we found that emodin exhibits ability of inhibiting the infection and replication of more than 10 viruses in vitro and in vivo, including herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2), human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), coxsackievirus B (CVB), hepatitis B virus (HBV), influenza A virus (IAV), SARS-CoV, viral haemorrhagic septicaemia rhabdovirus (VHSV), enterovirus 71 (EV71), dengue virus serotype 2 (DENV-2) and Zika virus (ZIKV). Therefore, this review aims to summarize the antiviral effect of emodin, in order to provide reference and hopes to support the further investigations.

Insight of the various in silico screening techniques developed for assortment of cocrystal formers and their thermodynamic characterization

Most of the widely used drugs have problems associated with their oral bioavailability either due to their poor aqueous solubility or due to their poor permeability. Co-crystallization is an efficient and economically feasible approach that offers a great opportunity for improvement in physicochemical properties such as solubility, stability, and bioavailability of such type of therapeutic agent. Selection of the best co-former plays a major role in co-crystallization. Various approaches have been developed for the selection of suitable co-formers with API. In recent years in silico screening, a computational tool paying more attention for screening of co-formers has been developed. Numerous approaches can be used for in silico screening such as the Autodocking tool, COSMORS, COSMOTHERM, etc. Autodocking can predict several numbers of co-former effectively screened in silico method to identify a suitable co-former with an API. Prediction of solubility and dissolution is also important for the development of co-crystal. In this review, we discuss in silico screening of coformer and thermodynamic approaches to determine the dissolution and solubility of co-crystal specially with reference to the drugs belonging to BCS class II group.

Advances in the study of emodin: an update on pharmacological properties and mechanistic basis

Rhei Radix et Rhizoma, also known as rhubarb or Da Huang, has been widely used as a spice and as traditional herbal medicine for centuries, and is currently marketed in China as the principal herbs in various prescriptions, such as Da-Huang-Zhe-Chong pills and Da-Huang-Qing-Wei pills. Emodin, a major bioactive anthraquinone derivative extracted from rhubarb, represents multiple health benefits in the treatment of a host of diseases, such as immune-inflammatory abnormality, tumor progression, bacterial or viral infections, and metabolic syndrome. Emerging evidence has made great strides in clarifying the multi-targeting therapeutic mechanisms underlying the efficacious therapeutic potential of emodin, including anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, anti-fibrosis, anti-tumor, anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-diabetic properties. This comprehensive review aims to provide an updated summary of recent developments on these pharmacological efficacies and molecular mechanisms of emodin, with a focus on the underlying molecular targets and signaling networks. We also reviewed recent attempts to improve the pharmacokinetic properties and biological activities of emodin by structural modification and novel material-based targeted delivery. In conclusion, emodin still has great potential to become promising therapeutic options to immune and inflammation abnormality, organ fibrosis, common malignancy, pathogenic bacteria or virus infections, and endocrine disease or disorder. Scientifically addressing concerns regarding the poor bioavailability and vague molecular targets would significantly contribute to the widespread acceptance of rhubarb not only as a dietary supplement in food flavorings and colorings but also as a health-promoting TCM in the coming years.

Experimental anti-tumor effect of emodin in suspension - in situ hydrogels formed with self-assembling peptide

Lung cancer is a major cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Stimulus-sensitive hydrogels, which can be formed by responding to stimuli in the cancer microenvironment, have been widely studied as controlled-release carriers for hydrophobic anticancer drugs. In this study, self-assembling peptide RADA16-I was used to encapsulate the hydrophobic drug emodin (EM) under magnetic stirring to form a colloidal suspension, and the colloidal suspension (RADA16-I-EM) was introduced into environments with physiological pH/ionic strength to form hydrogels in situ. The results showed that RADA16-I had good cell compatibility and the RADA16-I-EM in situ hydrogels can obviously reduce the toxicity of EM to normal cells. In addition, compared with free EM (in water suspensions without peptide) at equivalent concentrations, RADA16-I-EM in situ hydrogels significantly reduced the survival fraction of LLC lung cancer cells, while increased the uptake of EM by the cells, and it also induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase more significantly and reduced the migration, invasion, and clone abilities of the cells in vitro. The RADA16-I-EM in situ hydrogels also showed better cancer growth inhibition effects in cancer models (mice bearing LLC cells xenograft cancer), which induced cell apoptosis in the cancer tissue and reduced the toxic side effects of EM on normal tissues and organs in vivo compared with the free EM. It was revealed that RADA16-I can be exploited as a promising carrier for hydrophobic anticancer drugs and has the potential to improve the administration of anticancer drugs to treat cancer effectively with enhanced chemotherapy.

Zaltoprofen/4,4'-Bipyridine: A Case Study to Demonstrate the Potential of Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) in the Pharmaceutical Field

The Zaltoprofen/4,4'-Bipyridine system gives rise to two co-crystals of different compositions both endowed - in water and in buffer solution at pH 4.5 - with considerably higher solubility and dissolution rate than the pure drug. The qualitative and quantitative analysis of the DSC measurements, carried out on samples made up of mixtures prepared according to different methodologies, allows us to elaborate and propose an accurate thermodynamic model that fully takes into account the qualitative aspects of the complex experimental framework and which provides quantitative predictions (reaction enthalpies and compositions of the co-crystals) in excellent agreement with the experimental results. Co-crystal formation and cocrystal compositions were confirmed by X-ray diffraction measurements as well as by FT-IR and NMR spectroscopy measurements. The quantitative processing of DSC measurements rationalizes and deepens the scientific aspects underlying the so-called Tammann's triangle and constitutes a model of general validity. The work shows that DSC has enormous potential, which however can be fully exploited only by paying adequate attention to the experimental aspects and the quantitative processing of the measurements.

Novel cocrystals of itraconazole: Insights from phase diagrams, formation thermodynamics and solubility

In this work, the cocrystallization approach was applied to itraconazole (ITR), a very slightly soluble triazole antifungal drug, which led to the formation of two new solid forms of ITR with 4-aminobenzoic acid (4AmBA) and 4-hydroxybenzamide (4OHBZA). A thermodynamic analysis of the solid-liquid binary phase diagrams for the (ITR + 4AmBA) and (ITR + 4OHBZA) systems provided conclusive evidence of the cocrystal stoichiometry: 1:1 for the cocrystal with 4-aminobenzoic acid, and 1:2 for the cocrystal with 4-hydroxybenzamide. Powder X-Ray diffraction analysis confirmed the formation of two different polymorphic forms of the [ITR + 4OHBZA] (1:2) cocrystal obtained either through solution or melt crystallization. Cocrystal formation and polymorphic transition processes were investigated in detail by the DSC and HSM methods. The thermodynamic functions of cocrystal formation were estimated from the solubility of the cocrystals and the corresponding solubility of the pure compounds at different temperatures. The combination of ITR and 4OHBZA was found to be more favorable than the reaction between ITR and 4AmBA in terms of both Gibbs energy and enthalpy. The pH-solubility behavior of the cocrystals was investigated at different pH values using eutectic concentrations of the components and the cocrystal solubility advantage was estimated. It was found that the cocrystallization of itraconazole with 4OHBZA and 4AmBA can potentially increase the drug solubility at pH1.2 and 37 °C by 225 and 64 times, respectively. The cocrystal dissolution behavior in biorelevant media was analyzed in terms of C_max, σ_max parameters (the maximum ITR concentration and supersaturation), and AUC (the concentration area under the curve during the dissolution - supersaturation - precipitation process). The cocrystals had similar σ_max values during the dissolution and sustained supersaturation for up to 6 h, which gave them an advantage in the AUC values (13-37 times higher) over the drug. The differences in the dissolution profiles of the cocrystals were rationalized in terms of their dissolution rate values.

Vibrational spectral and structural characterization of multicomponent ternary co-crystal formation within acetazolamide, nicotinamide and 2-pyridone

Ternary co-crystal, as a novel co-crystal design strategy developed on the basis of binary co-crystal, could be used to improve the physicochemical properties of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) efficiently. However, it is difficult to obtain specific ternary co-crystals since such ternary one involves complex assembly of three different molecules. There are few reports on the micro-molecular structure respect of specific ternary co-crystal systems. In present work, 1:1:1 ternary co-crystal between acetazolamide (ACZ), nicotinamide (NAM) and 2-pyridone (2HP) has been synthesized successfully by mechanical grinding approach, and their structures are investigated by terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) and Raman spectroscopy combined with theoretical calculation at the molecular level. The experimental THz spectral results showed that ACZ-NAM-2HP ternary co-crystal and the starting parent materials exhibited a few distinct spectral features in frequency-domain absorption spectra. Likewise, the Raman spectral result also shows some difference between the co-crystal and starting raw materials. Through density functional theory (DFT) calculations, the theoretical THz/Raman spectra and vibrational modes of two kind of possible ternary co-crystal theoretical forms (form I and II) between ACZ, NAM and 2HP were obtained. By comparing experimental and theoretical spectral results, the most suitable structure and vibrational modes of ACZ-NAM-2HP ternary co-crystal were determined. These results provide a wealth of information and unique method for studying molecular assembly and also inter-molecular interactions in specific ternary co-crystals at the molecular level in the emerging pharmaceutical co-crystal fields.

Antitumor Effects of Self-Assembling Peptide-Emodin in situ Hydrogels in vitro and in vivo

PURPOSE

To study the in vitro and in vivo antitumor effects of the colloidal suspension-in situ hydrogel of emodin (EM) constructed with the self-assembling peptide RADA16-I and systematically evaluate the feasibility of the delivery system.

METHODS

The MTT and colony-formation assays were used to determine the viability of normal cells NCTC 1469 and tumor cells Hepa1-6. The uptake of EM in the RADA16-I-EM in situ hydrogel by tumor cells was analyzed by laser confocal microscope and flow cytometry. Flow cytometry was used to detect the cell apoptosis and cell cycle distribution. Transwell assay was used to detect the migration and invasion of tumor cells. The antitumor efficacy of the RADA16-I-EM in situ hydrogel and its toxic effects was further assessed in vivo on Hepa1-6 tumor-bearing C57 mice.

RESULTS

The results showed that the RADA16-I-EM in situ hydrogels could obviously reduce the toxicity of EM to normal cells and the survival of tumor cells. The uptake of EM by the cells from the hydrogels was obviously increased and could significantly induce apoptosis and arrest cell cycle in the G2/M phase, and reduce the migration, invasion and clone-formation ability of the cells. The RADA16-I-EM in situ hydrogel could also effectively inhibit the tumor growth and obviously decrease the toxic effects of EM on normal tissues in vivo.

CONCLUSION

Our results demonstrated that RADA16-I has the potential to be a carrier for the hydrophobic drug EM and can effectively improve the delivery of hydrophobic antitumor drugs with enhanced antitumor effects and reduced toxic effects of the drugs on normal cells and tissues.

Solution-Mediated Phase Transformation of Aripiprazole: Negating the Effect of Crystalline Forms on Dissolution and Oral Pharmacokinetics

We aimed to evaluate the effect of crystalline forms of aripiprazole, an antipsychotic drug for schizophrenia, on the dissolution rates and oral pharmacokinetics. Solubility, intrinsic dissolution rates, and tablet dissolution rates of the monohydrate (MA) and the anhydrous form (AA) were measured in various aqueous media while monitoring the phase transformation by ATR-FTIR. And their oral pharmacokinetics in dogs were compared. The intrinsic dissolution rate of MA was lower compared to AA, confirming its thermodynamic stability relative to AA in water. Phase transformations during the solubility measurement were media-dependent: In simulated gastric fluid, both AA and MA changed to HCl salt form, whereas AA and HCl salt form transformed to MA in simulated intestinal fluid. In vitro dissolution rates and dog oral pharmacokinetics of AA and MA tablets were similar. The results suggest that the solution-mediated transformation to HCl salt or MA negates the effect of different crystalline forms on dissolution rates in vivo and, consequently, on oral pharmacokinetics. We emphasize the importance of the dissolution tests employing various bio-relevant media for better prediction of in vivo performance and the selection of a solid form for development.

Improved Solubility and Oral Absorption of Emodin-Nicotinamide Cocrystal Over Emodin with PVP as a Solubility Enhancer and Crystallization Inhibitor

Emodin exerts anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects. However, its poor water solubility limits development into a pharmaceutical product. Although an emodin-nicotinamide cocrystal (ENC) with improved dissolution rate was proposed as a potential candidate, crystallization back to emodin after dissolution diminished the advantage of the cocrystal approach. The objectives of this study were to identify a crystallization inhibitor to maintain the emodin supersaturation generated by ENC dissolution, and to examine its effect on oral pharmacokinetics of ENC. Among various polymers, polyvinylpyrrolidone K30 (PVP) was the most effective solubilizer and crystallization inhibitor. The solubility of ENC in a simulated intestinal fluid containing 1.5% PVP was 2-fold higher than that of emodin. However, comparison of oral pharmacokinetics in rats between ENC and emodin did not reflect such improved solubility of ENC in vitro relative to emodin. Instead, the plasma concentrations of a major metabolite of emodin showed a positive correlation with in vitro dissolution results, suggesting rapid gastrointestinal metabolism of emodin during absorption. In conclusion, PVP contributes to enhanced dissolution rates of ENC and inhibits crystallization of emodin in vivo, so that more metabolites can be formed and absorbed. Therefore, a metabolism inhibitor would be necessary to improve the oral bioavailability of emodin further.

Pharmacokinetic Comparisons of Naringenin and Naringenin-Nicotinamide Cocrystal in Rats by LC-MS/MS

Naringenin (NAR), 4',5,7-trihydroxydihydroflavone, has a wide range of pharmacological activities but shows poor water solubility and low bioavailability. The pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of naringenin-nicotinamide cocrystal (NAR-NCT), which offers improved solubility, were evaluated in this study. Rats were orally administered NAR, a physical mixture of naringenin and nicotinamide (NAR + NCT), and NAR-NCT. The relative bioavailability of NAR-NCT was 175.09% of NAR, C_max was 8.43 and 2.06 times of NAR and NAR + NCT, respectively, Tmax was advanced from 0.49 h to 0.09 h, CL was decreased from 91.1 L/h/kg to 49.1 L/h/kg, and t _1/2 was increased from 5.37 h to 8.24 h, highlighting its rapid absorption and slow elimination. This study showed that NAR-NCT could improve the bioavailability of NAR.

Investigations on the Solubility of Vortioxetine Based on X-ray Structural Data and Crystal Contacts

Investigation on the solid-state pharmaceutical chemistry has been known as an intriguing strategy to not only modify the physicochemical properties of drugs but also expand the solid form landscape. Vortioxetine (VOT) is an effective but poorly soluble antidepressant. To improve the solubility of vortioxetine and expand possible solid forms, in this paper, four novel solid forms of vortioxetine with dihydroxybenzoic acids (VOT-23BA, VOT-24BA-TOL, VOT-25BA, and VOT-26BA, 23BA = 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid, 24BA = 2,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, 25BA = 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid, 26BA = 2,6-dihydroxybenzoic acid, and TOL = toluene) were synthesized first by a solvent evaporation method and then characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD), thermal, and XRD techniques. VOT-24BA-TOL, VOT-25BA, and VOT-26BA, showed similar [2+2] tetrameric R 4 4 (12) hydrogen bonds by acid-piperazine heterosynthon. In the VOT-23BA-H2O salt, the VOT cation and 23BA anion interacted through protonated piperazine-hydroxyl N-H···O hydrogen bonds, not protonated piperazine-deprotonated carboxylic acid N-H···O hydrogen bonds. Solubility studies were carried out in purified water and it was found that the VOT-23BA-H2O, VOT-25BA, and VOT-26BA salts exhibited an increase in water compared to pure VOT. The solubility of the stabilized salt formations followed the order of VOT-25BA > VOT-26BA > VOT-23BA-H2O in purified water.

Synthesis, Crystal Structure, and Solubility Analysis of a Famotidine Cocrystal

A novel cocrystal of the potent H2 receptor antagonist famotidine (FMT) was synthesized with malonic acid (MAL) to enhance its solubility. The cocrystal structure was characterized by X-ray single crystal diffraction, and the asymmetry unit contains one FMT and one MAL connected via intermolecular hydrogen bonds. The crystal structure is monoclinic with a P21/n space group and unit cell parameters a = 7.0748 (3) Å, b = 26.6502 (9) Å, c = 9.9823 (4) Å, α = 90, β = 104.2228 (12), γ = 90, V = 1824.42 (12) Å3, and Z = 4. The cocrystal had unique thermal, spectroscopic, and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) properties that differed from FMT. The solubility of the famotidine-malonic acid cocrystal (FMT-MAL) was 4.2-fold higher than FMT; the FAM-MAL had no change in FMT stability at high temperature, high humidity, or with illumination.

Drug–drug salts of mefenamic acid\tolfenamic acid and piperazine to improve physicochemical properties for potential veterinary use

Drug–drug salts of mefenamic acid\tolfenamic acid and piperazine were designed to improve the solubility and hygroscopicity, which could possibly extend the drug–drug salt form into veterinary use.