Advanced surface chemical analysis of continuously manufactured drug loaded composite pellets

Self-Emulsifying Drug Delivery System for Enhanced Oral Delivery of Tenofovir: Formulation, Physicochemical Characterization, and Bioavailability Assessment

Tenofovir (TNF) is a common component of many antiretroviral therapy regimens, but it is associated with poor membrane permeability and low oral bioavailability. To improve its oral bioavailability and membrane permeability, a self-emulsifying drug delivery system (SEDDS) was developed and characterized, and its relative bioavailability was compared to the marketed tablets (Tenof). Based on solubility and ternary phase diagram analysis, eucalyptus oil was selected as an oil phase, Kolliphor EL, and Kollisolv MCT 70 were chosen as surfactant and cosurfactant, respectively, while glycerol was used as cosolvent in surfactant mixture. Optimized SEDDS formulation F6 showed an oil droplet size of 98.82 nm and zeta potential of -13.03 mV, indicating the high stability of oil droplets. Differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy characterization studies were also carried out to assess the amorphous and morphological states of the drug in the prepared SEDDS formulation. The in vitro dissolution profile of SEDDS shows the rapid release of the drug. SEDDS F6 demonstrates a higher drug permeability than the plain TNF and TNF-marketed tablets (Tenof). A pharmacokinetic study in rats revealed that SEDDS F6 showed significantly higher Cmax and AUC0-t than the marketed tablets and pure drug suspension. In addition, the relative bioavailability of SEDDS formulation dramatically improved by 21.53-fold compared to marketed tablets and 66.27-fold compared to pure drugs. These findings show that SEDDS composed of eucalyptus oil, glycerol, Kolliphor EL, and Kollisolv MCT 70 could be a useful tool for enhancing physiochemical properties and oral TNF absorption. Therefore, SEDDS has shown promise in improving the oral bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs.

Formulation, Optimization and Evaluation of Cytarabine-Loaded Iron Oxide Nanoparticles: From In Vitro to In Vivo Evaluation of Anticancer Activity

Innovative drug delivery systems based on iron oxide nanoparticles (INPs) has generated a lot of interest worldwide and have prime biomedical benefits in anticancer therapy. There are still issues reported regarding the stability, absorption, and toxicity of iron oxide nanoparticles (INPs) when administered due to its rapid surface oxidation and agglomeration with blood proteins. To solve this problem, we have synthesized trehalose-coated stabilized iron oxide nanoparticles (TINPs) by a co-precipitation technique. The surface coating of INPs with trehalose helps to improve the stability, prevents protein binding, and increase absorption uptake inside the body. Developed TINPs was then loaded with anticancer drug cytarabine by chemical crosslinking encapsulation method using suitable solvent. Engineered cytarabine-loaded trehalose-coated stabilized iron oxide nanoparticles (CY-TINPs) were optimized for particle size, zeta potential (-13.03 mV), and solid-state characterization such as differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscope (TEM) studies. The particle size of 50 nm was achieved for developed CY-TINPs. The developed CY-TINPs was further evaluated for in vitro cell line investigations which confirmed potential cytotoxic activity. Developed CY-TINPs show remarkable enhancement in in vivo pharmacokinetic parameters Cmax as 425.26 ± 2.11 and AUC0-72 as 11,546.64 ± 139.82 as compared to pure drug. Compared to traditional drug delivery, the CY-TINPs formulation can effectively delay release, improve bioavailability, and boost cytotoxic activity against tumors.

Premium ethylcellulose polymer based architectures at work in drug delivery

Premium ethylcellulose polymers are hydrophobic cellulose ether based biomaterials widely employed as biocompatible templates for the design of novel drug delivery systems. They are classified as United States Food and Drug Administration Generally-Recognized-As-Safe chemical substances and have been extensively utilized within the biomedical and pharmaceutical industries for over half a century. They have so far demonstrated the potential to modulate and improve the physiological performance of bioactives leading to the desired enhanced prophylactic and therapeutic outcomes. This review therefore presents a scholarly survey of inter-disciplinary developments focused on the functionalities of ethylcellulose polymers as biomaterials useful for the design of smart delivery architectures for relevant pharmacotherapeutic biomedical applications. Emphasis was placed on evaluating scientific resources related to recent advancements and future directions associated with its applications as delivery systems for drugs and biologics within the past decade thus complementing other specialized reviews showcasing the theme.

Chemico-calorimetric analysis of amorphous granules manufactured via continuous granulation process

The current study explores the first case of the implementation of solution calorimetry (SolCal) in order to determine the amorphous content of crystalline benzoyl-methoxy-methylindol-acetic acid (BMA)-a model poorly soluble drug, in the amorphous granules prepared via single-step continuous twin-screw dry granulations (TSG). Amorphous magnesium aluminometasilicate (Neusilin®) (US2) was used as a novel inorganic carrier via a TwinLab 10 mm twin-screw extruder. The BMA/US2 blends were processed at 180 °C and varying drug: carrier ratios of 1:4, 1:2.5 and 1:1 (w/w). Physico-chemical characterisation conducted via SEM, DSC and XRPD showed amorphous state of the drug in all granulated formulations. Reverse optical microscopy revealed a meso-porous structure of US2 in which the drug particles are adsorbed and/or entrapped within the porous network of the carrier. This phenomenon can be the underlying reason for the increase of the amorphous content in the extruded granules. Solution calorimetry (SolCal) study revealed amorphous content of the drug in all formulations quite precisely, whereas the dynamic vapour sorption (DVS) analysis complemented the results from SolCal. Furthermore, an attempt has been made for the first time to interrelate the findings from the SolCal to that of the release of the drug from the amorphous granules. It can be concluded that SolCal can be used as a novel technique to precisely quantify and interrelate the amorphous content to its physico-chemical performances such as drug release from the granulated formulations processed via TSG.