Influence of drug loading on the physical stability of phospholipid-stabilised colloidal lipid emulsions

Thermally-Induced Supersaturation Approach for Optimizing Drug Loading and Biopharmaceutical Properties of Supersaturated Lipid-Based Formulations: Case Studies with Ibrutinib and Enzalutamide

Lipid-based formulations (LbFs) have demonstrated success in pharmaceutical applications; however, challenges persist in dissolving entire doses of the drug into defined liquid volumes. In this study, the temperature-induced supersaturation method was employed in LbF to address drug loading and pill burden issues. Supersaturated LbFs (super-LbF) were prepared using the temperature-induced supersaturation method, where the drug load is above its equilibrium solubility. Further, the influence of the drug's physicochemical and thermal characteristics on drug loading and their relevance with an apparent degree of supersaturation (aDS) was studied using two model drugs, ibrutinib and enzalutamide. All the prepared LbFs were evaluated in terms of physical stability, dispersion, and solubilization capacity, as well as pharmacokinetic assessments. Drug re-crystallization was observed in the lipid solution on long-term storage at higher aDS values of 2-2.5. Furthermore, high-throughput lipolysis studies demonstrated a significant decrease in drug concentration across all LbFs (regardless of drug loading) due to a decline in the formulation solvation capacity and subsequent generation of in-situ supersaturation. Further, the in vivo results demonstrated comparable pharmacokinetic parameters between conventional LbF and super-LbF. The short duration of the thermodynamic metastable state limits the potential absorption benefits. However, super-LbFs of Ibr and Enz showed superior profiles, with 1.7-fold and 5.2-fold increased drug exposure compared to their respective crystalline suspensions. In summary, this study emphasizes the potential of temperature-induced supersaturation in LbF for enhancing drug loading and highlights the intricate interplay between drug properties, formulation characteristics, and in vivo performance.

Aged garlic therapeutic intervention targeting inflammatory pathways in pathogenesis of bowel disorders

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), which include Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, manifest as a result of intricate interactions involving genetic predisposition, environmental factors, intestinal microbiota dynamics, and immune dysregulation, ultimately leading to persistent mucosal inflammation. Addressing this complex pathology requires a nuanced understanding to inform targeted therapeutic strategies. Consequently, our study explored the viability of Aged Garlic Extract (AGE) as an alternative therapeutic regimen for IBD management. Utilizing gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), we characterized AGE, revealing distinctions from Fresh Garlic Extract (FGE), particularly the absence of allicin in AGE and accompanying structural alterations. In In-Vivo experiments employing an IBD rat model, AGE intervention exhibited remarkable antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties. Noteworthy outcomes included improved survival rates, mitigation of intestinal damage, restoration of gut microbial diversity, reinforcement of tight junctions, and reversal of mitochondrial dysfunction. Collectively, these effects contributed to the preservation of enterocyte integrity and the attenuation of inflammation. In conclusion, the unique chemical composition of AGE, coupled with its substantial influence on gut microbiota, antioxidant defenses, and inflammatory pathways, positions it as a promising adjunctive therapy for the management of IBD. These observations, synergistically considered with existing research, provide significant insights into the potential utility of AGE in addressing the intricate pathophysiology inherent to IBD. The potential strength of study and rationale of using AGE against IBD includes exploring alternative therapeutic regimens if conventional treatments are associated with side effects, identification of potential hotspots/pathways involved in disease progression and study can provide economically cheaper and naturally occurring alternative to patient community who are struggling to afford expensive medications. These promising findings underscore the necessity for additional investigations to ascertain the feasibility of clinical translation, thereby substantiating the potential therapeutic role of AGE in the management of IBD.

Breaking barriers: bilosomes gel potentials to pave the way for transdermal breast cancer treatment with Tamoxifen

OBJECTIVE

Breast cancer affects women globally, regardless of age or location. On the other hand, Tamoxifen (TXN), a class II biopharmaceutical drug is acting as a prophylactic/treating agent for women at risk of and/or with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. However, its oral administration has life-threatening side effects, which have led researchers to investigate alternative delivery methods. One such method is transdermal drug delivery utilizing bile salts as penetration enhancers, aka Bilosomes.

METHODS

Bilosomes formulations were optimized statistically for the outcome of vesicle shape, size, and entrapment efficiency using two types of bile, i.e. sodium taurocholate and sodium cholate. These bilosomes were then loaded into HPMC base gel and further characterized for their morphology, drug content, pH, viscosity, spreadability and eventually ex-vivo skin penetration and deposition studies.

RESULTS

Findings showed that sodium cholate has superiority as a penetration enhancer over sodium taurocholate in terms of morphological characterizes, zeta potential, and cumulative amounts of tamoxifen permeated per unit area (15.13 ± 0.71 μg/cm2 and 6.51 ± 0.6 μg/cm2 respectively). In fact, bilosomes designed with sodium cholate provided around 9 folds of skin deposition compared to TXN non-bilosomal gel.

CONCLUSION

Bilosomes gels could be a promising option for locally delivering tamoxifen to the breast through the skin, offering an encouraging transdermal solution.

Phosphatidylcholine-Based Nanoemulsions for Paclitaxel and a P-Glycoprotein Inhibitor Delivery and Breast Cancer Intraductal Treatment

In this study, incorporation of the cytotoxic agent paclitaxel and the P-glycoprotein inhibitor elacridar in hyaluronic acid (HA)-modified nanoemulsions was studied for intraductal delivery and breast cancer localized treatment. To improve cytotoxicity, we investigated the incorporation of perillyl alcohol or tributyrin as components of the nanoemulsion oil phase. The nanoemulsions presented size <180 nm and negative zeta potential. Both tributyrin and perillyl alcohol increased nanoemulsion cytotoxicity in MCF-7 cells, but not in MDA-MB-231. However, perillyl alcohol reduced nanoemulsion stability in the presence of the drugs. Concomitant incorporation of paclitaxel and elacridar in HA- and tributyrin-containing nanoemulsions (PE-NETri) increased cytotoxicity and reduced IC50 by 1.6 to 3-fold in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells compared to the nanoemulsion containing only paclitaxel (P-NE). This nanoemulsion also produced a 3.3-fold reduction in the viability of MDA-MB-231 spheroids. Elacridar incorporated in the nanoemulsion was capable of inhibiting P-glycoprotein in membranes. In vivo intraductal administration of the NE containing HA resulted in a three-fold higher retention of a fluorescent marker compared to a solution or nanoemulsion without HA, demonstrating the importance of HA. The nanoemulsion produced no histological changes in the mammary tissue. These results support the potential applicability of the nanoemulsion for local breast cancer management.

Preparation and Characterization of Nifedipine-Loaded Dry Medium Internal-Phase Emulsions (Dry MIPEs) to Improve Cellular Permeability

A nifedipine (NP) dry emulsion was fabricated by the adsorption of medium internal-phase emulsions (MIPEs). Simple homogenizers were first used to mix conventional liquid MIPEs, and then a microfluidizer was used to reduce the resulting emulsions’ droplet sizes. The dry MIPEs (solid) were produced by adsorbing the emulsions onto solid carriers with a high surface area. The dry MIPEs were diluted in a simulated gastric fluid under gentle agitation to form emulsions. The diluted dry MIPEs were divided into three groups based on an NP content of 0.3%, 0.5%, and 0.7%, with sizes of 5026–5404 nm, 2583–3233 nm, and 1318–1618 nm in diameter, respectively. Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) measurements and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were used to characterize the physical properties of the dry MIPEs. The samples contained 0.5% or 0.7% drug, 2–4% surfactant, and 8–16% oil (5RH2/8, 7RH2/8, and 7RH4/16) and showed the characteristic peak for NP. No NP peak was observed in formulations with 0.3% NP and any oil-phase content (3RH2/8, 3RH4/16, and 3RH8/32). The formulations with 0.5% drug, 4–8% surfactant, 16–32% oil (5RH4/16 and 5RH8/32) and those with 0.7% drug, 8% surfactant, and 32% oil (7RH8/32) also did not show the peak for NP. These findings demonstrated that microfluidization improved the solubility of NP in the formulations. The subsequent drug dissolution results were consistent with the DSC thermogram and PXRD pattern results. 3RH2/8, 3RH4/16, 3RH8/32, 5RH4/16, 5RH8/32, and 7RH8/32 were completely dissolved and showed higher dissolved NP amounts than 5RH2/8, 7RH2/8, 7RH4/16, and NP powder. The lowest mean dissolution time was for 7RH8/32 (13.31 ± 0.87 min). Caco-2 cells were used to determine drug uptake, and 7RH8/32 showed the maximum intracellular uptake (10.89%). After storage under accelerated and normal conditions (3 and 6 months), the selected formulations remained stable. The developed formulations can be used to improve NP solubility and absorption.

Formulation of Cannabidiol in Colloidal Lipid Carriers

In this study, the general processability of cannabidiol (CBD) in colloidal lipid carriers was investigated. Due to its many pharmacological effects, the pharmaceutical use of this poorly water-soluble drug is currently under intensive research and colloidal lipid emulsions are a well-established formulation option for such lipophilic substances. To obtain a better understanding of the formulability of CBD in lipid emulsions, different aspects of CBD loading and its interaction with the emulsion droplets were investigated. Very high drug loads (>40% related to lipid content) could be achieved in emulsions of medium chain triglycerides, rapeseed oil, soybean oil and trimyristin. The maximum CBD load depended on the type of lipid matrix. CBD loading increased the particle size and the density of the lipid matrix. The loading capacity of a trimyristin emulsion for CBD was superior to that of a suspension of solid lipid nanoparticles based on trimyristin (69% vs. 30% related to the lipid matrix). In addition to its localization within the lipid core of the emulsion droplets, cannabidiol was associated with the droplet interface to a remarkable extent. According to a stress test, CBD destabilized the emulsions, with phospholipid-stabilized emulsions being more stable than poloxamer-stabilized ones. Furthermore, it was possible to produce emulsions with pure CBD as the dispersed phase, since CBD demonstrated such a pronounced supercooling tendency that it did not recrystallize, even if cooled to -60 °C.