Improved bioavailability of raloxifene hydrochloride using limonene containing transdermal nano-sized vesicles

Application of biomacromolecule-based passive penetration enhancement technique in superficial tumor therapy: A review

Transdermal drug delivery (TDD) has shown great promise in superficial tumor therapy due to its noninvasive and avoidance of the first-pass effect. Especially, passive penetration enhancement technique (PPET) provides the technical basis for TDD by temporarily altering the skin surface structure without requiring external energy. Biomacromolecules and their derived nanocarriers offer a wide range of options for PPET development, with outstanding biocompatibility and biodegradability. Furthermore, the abundant functional groups on biomacromolecule surfaces can be modified to yield functional materials capable of targeting specific sites and responding to stimuli. This enables precise drug delivery to the tumor site and controlled drug release, with the potential to replace traditional drug delivery methods and make PPET-related personalized medicine a reality. This review focuses on the mechanism of biomacromolecules and nanocarriers with skin, and the impact of nanocarriers' surface properties of nanocarriers on PPET efficiency. The applications of biomacromolecule-based PPET in superficial tumor therapy are also summarized. In addition, the advantages and limitations are discussed, and their future trends are projected based on the existing work of biomacromolecule-based PPET.

Raloxifene encapsulated spanlastic nanogel for the prevention of bone fracture risk via transdermal administration: Pharmacokinetic and efficacy study in animal model

This research work is to evaluate spanlastic-loaded raloxifene (RLX) nanogel administration via the transdermal route to avoid its hepatic metabolism and to enhance the bioavailability for better management of osteoporosis. RLX-loaded spanlastic nanogel was prepared and characterized for its viscosity, pH, spreadability, and texture profile. The formulation was applied on the skin surface of the animal for pharmacokinetic evaluation, and later, the efficacy of the formulation was assessed in ovariectomized female Wistar rats. The nanogel was obtained with a viscosity (2552.66 ± 30.61 cP), pH (7.1 ± 0.1), and spreadability (7.1 ± 0.2 cm). The texture properties, cohesiveness, and adhesiveness of the nanogel showed its suitability for transdermal application. Nanogel showed no sign of edema and erythema in the skin irritation test which revealed its safety for transdermal application. The t1/2 obtained for RLX-spanlastic nanogel (37.02 ± 0.59 h) was much higher than that obtained for RLX-oral suspension (14.43 h). The relative bioavailability was found to be 215.96% for RLX-spanlastic nanogel, and the drug and formulation did not show any toxicity in any of the vital organs, as well as no hematological changes occurring in blood samples. In microarchitectural measurement, RLX-spanlastic nanogel exhibited no unambiguous deviations along with improved bone mineral density compared to the RLX suspension treated group. Transdermal administration of RLX-spanlastic nanogel showed significant improvement of drug bioavailability (approx. twice to oral administration) without any toxic effect in the treated rats. Hence, spanlastic nanogel could be a better approach to deliver RLX via transdermal route for the management of osteoporosis.

Key Transdermal Patch Using Cannabidiol-Loaded Nanocarriers with Better Pharmacokinetics in vivo

Purpose

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a promising therapeutic drug with low addictive potential and a favorable safety profile. However, CBD did face certain challenges, including poor solubility in water and low oral bioavailability. To harness the potential of CBD by combining it with a transdermal drug delivery system (TDDS). This innovative approach sought to develop a transdermal patch dosage form with micellar vesicular nanocarriers to enhance the bioavailability of CBD, leading to improved therapeutic outcomes.

Methods

A skin-penetrating micellar vesicular nanocarriers, prepared using nano emulsion method, cannabidiol loaded transdermal nanocarriers-12 (CTD-12) was presented with a small particle size, high encapsulation efficiency, and a drug-loaded ratio for CBD. The skin permeation ability used Strat-M™ membrane with a transdermal diffusion system to evaluate the CTD and patch of CTD-12 (PCTD-12) within 24 hrs. PCTD-12 was used in a preliminary pharmacokinetic study in rats to demonstrate the potential of the developed transdermal nanocarrier drug patch for future applications.

Results

In the transdermal application of CTD-12, the relative bioavailability of the formulation was 3.68 ± 0.17-fold greater than in the free CBD application. Moreover, PCTD-12 indicated 2.46 ± 0.18-fold higher relative bioavailability comparing with free CBD patch in the ex vivo evaluation. Most importantly, in the pharmacokinetics of PCTD-12, the relative bioavailability of PCTD-12 was 9.47 ± 0.88-fold higher than in the oral application.

Conclusion

CTD-12, a transdermal nanocarrier, represents a promising approach for CBD delivery, suggesting its potential as an effective transdermal dosage form.

Quality-by-design-based development of ultradeformable nanovesicular transgelosome of standardized Piper longum extract for melanoma

Background: Melanoma is the most aggressive and deadly form of skin cancer. The stratum corneum of the skin is a major obstacle to dermal and transdermal drug delivery. Ultradeformable nanovesicular transferosome has the capacity for deeper skin penetration and its incorporation into hydrogel forms a transgelosome that has better skin permeability and patient compliance. Method: Here, the quality-by-design-based development and optimization of nanovesicular transgelosome of standardized Piper longum fruit ethanolic extract (PLFEE) for melanoma therapy are reported. Results: Compared with standardized PLFEE-loaded plain gel, the transgelosome displayed optimal pharmaceutical properties and improved ex vivo skin permeability and in vivo tumor regression in B16F10 melanoma-bearing C57BL/6 mice. Conclusion: The results reflect the potential of transgelosome for melanoma therapy.

QbD-based optimization of raloxifene-loaded cubosomal formulation for transdemal delivery: ex vivo permeability and in vivo pharmacokinetic studies

Raloxifene (RLX) is a drug that is commonly recommended to postmenopausal women at high risk of invasive breast cancer and to prevent osteoporosis. However, limited water solubility (0.000512 mg/ml) and low oral bioavailability (2%) of RLX limit its therapeutic utility. The objective of the present study was to develop an alternative transdermal delivery of RLX to improve its absorption, bypass first pass metabolism, and subsequently improve bioavailability. RLX-loaded cubosomes were prepared using the ethanol injection method followed by microfluidization technique and optimized using the QbD-based 2³ factorial design. The average particle size, entrapment efficiency, and zeta potential of the optimized formulation were found to be 110.6 nm, 98.23%, and 26.2 mV, respectively. In vitro dissolution study indicated that the RLX-loaded cubosomes released 98.26% of the drug compared to pure RLX dispersion (58.6%). Histopathological examination revealed no sign of inflammation, indicating the safety of the developed formulation. Accelerated stability study as per ICH guidelines displayed no significant change in the formulation characteristics and drug-related performance of the developed formulation. Ex vivo permeability studies demonstrated a prolonged release from cubosomal formulation. In vivo pharmacokinetic studies revealed that the relative bioavailability of the optimized transdermal RLX-loaded cubosomes increased by 2.33-fold and 1.22-fold when compared with the oral RLX dispersion and transdermal RLX hydro-ethanolic solution respectively. IVIVC showed level C correlation with linear regression. Thus, the developed RLX-loaded cubosomes may have potential to overcome the problems associated with the existing marketed oral dosage forms of RLX.

Spanlastics a Novel Nanovesicular Carrier: Its Potential Application and Emerging Trends in Therapeutic Delivery

Nanotechnology-based drug delivery system has played a very crucial role in overpowering the tasks allied with the conventional dosage form. Spanlastics, an elastic nanovesicle with an ability to carry wide range of drug molecules, make it a potential drug delivery carrier. Spanlastics have extended rising curiosity for diverse sort of route of administration. They can squeeze themselves through the skin pore due to elastic and deformable nature which makes them favorable for transdermal delivery. Spanlastics consist of non-ionic surfactant or blend of surfactants. Many researchers proved that spanlastics have been significantly augment therapeutic efficacy, enhanced drug bioavailability, and reduced drug toxicity. This review summarizes various vesicular systems, composition and structure of spanlastics, advantages of spanlastics over other drug delivery systems, and mechanism of drug penetration through skin. It also gives a brief on different types of drug encapsulated in spanlastics vesicles for the treatment of various diseases.

Formulation Development for Transdermal Delivery of Raloxifene, a Chemoprophylactic Agent against Breast Cancer

Raloxifene (RLX) is a second-generation selective estrogen receptor modulator approved for the prevention of invasive breast cancer in women. Oral therapy of RLX requires daily intake and is associated with side effects that may lead to low adherence. We developed a weekly transdermal delivery system (TDS) for the sustained delivery of RLX to enhance the therapeutic effectiveness, increase adherence, and reduce side effects. We evaluated the weekly transdermal administration of RLX using passive permeation, chemical enhancers, physical enhancement techniques, and matrix- and reservoir-type systems, including polymeric gels. In vitro permeation studies were conducted using vertical Franz diffusion cells across dermatomed human skin or human epidermis. Oleic acid was selected as a chemical enhancer based on yielding the highest drug delivery amongst the various enhancers screened and was incorporated in the formulation of TDSs and polymeric gels. Based on in vitro results, both Eudragit- and colloidal silicon dioxide-based transdermal gels of RLX exceeded the target flux of 24 μg/cm²/day for 7 days. An infinite dose of these gels delivered 326.23 ± 107.58 µg/ cm² and 498.81 ± 14.26 µg/ cm² of RLX in 7 days, respectively, successfully exceeding the required target flux. These in vitro results confirm the potential of reservoir-based polymeric gels as a TDS for the weekly administration of RLX.

Transfersomes: a Revolutionary Nanosystem for Efficient Transdermal Drug Delivery

Transdermal delivery system has gained significance in drug delivery owing to its advantages over the conventional delivery systems. However, the barriers of stratum corneum along with skin irritation are its major limitations. Various physical and chemical techniques have been employed to alleviate these impediments. Among all these, transfersomes have shown potential for overcoming the associated limitations and successfully delivering therapeutic agents into systemic circulation. These amphipathic vesicles are composed of phospholipids and edge activators. Along with providing elasticity, edge activator also affects the vesicular size and entrapment efficiency of transfersomes. The mechanism behind the enhanced permeation of transfersomes through the skin involves their deformability and osmotic gradient across the application site. Permeation enhancers can further enhance their permeability. Biocompatibility; capacity for carrying hydrophilic, lipophilic as well as high molecular weight therapeutics; deformability; lesser toxicity; enhanced permeability; and scalability along with potential for surface modification, active targeting, and controlled release render them ideal designs for efficient drug delivery. The current review provides a brief account of the discovery, advantages, composition, synthesis, comparison with other cutaneous nano-drug delivery systems, applications, and recent developments in this area.

Bioadhesive polymer/lipid hybrid nanoparticles as oral delivery system of raloxifene with enhancive intestinal retention and bioavailability

Raloxifene (RLX) is a second-generation selective estrogen receptor modulator used to treat osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. RLX fails to be developed into injectable dosage forms due to poor solubility. Although oral formulations are clinically available, the lower bioavailability (<2%) embarrasses the pharmaceutists. This work reported a bioadhesive nanosystem intended for oral delivery of RLX to enhance its oral bioavailability and address the formulation challenge. The bioadhesive nanosystem refers to polymer-lipid hybrid nanoparticles made up of Carbopol 940, glyceryl distearate, and TGPS. RLX was solidly encapsulated into bioadhesive nanoparticles (bNPs) through a nanoprecipitation technique along with synchronous desalting of RLX·HCl. The resultant RLX-loaded bNPs (RLX-bNPs) were characterized by particle size, ζ potential, morphology, and entrapment efficiency. The in vitro release and in vivo oral bioavailability of RLX-bNPs in rats were comparatively investigated with RLX-loaded common lipid nanoparticles (RLX-cNPs). The preferred formulation possesses a particle size of 150 nm around with a polydispersity index (PDI) of 0.282. RLX-bNPs exhibited slower drug release than RLX-cNPs owing to the presence of an adhesive layer. After oral administration, RLX-bNPs resulted in significant enhancement in the bioavailability of RLX, up to 556.9% relative to RLX suspensions, while it was merely 244.7% for RLX-cNPs. Cellular testing and ex vivo transport imaging demonstrated that bNPs were endowed with excellent intestinal epithelial affinity and absorbability. Our study affords an alternative option for designing a suitable oral delivery system specific to amphiphobic drugs like RLX·HCl.

Effect of a Selection of Skin Penetration Enhancers on Topical Anti-Inflammatory Effect of Boswellic Acids in Carrageenan-Induced Paw Edema in Rats

BACKGROUND

Boswellia species have been used for treatment of chronic inflammatory disease. Several studies have documented the anti-inflammatory effect of Boswellic acids (BAs) after systemic administration. This study was aimed to evaluate the effect of some skin penetration enhancers on topical anti-inflammatory effect of BAs in rats.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Male Wistar rats weighting 180-220 were used. Anti-inflammatory activity was assessed using carrageenan test. BAs dissolved in ethanol, propylene glycol 2%, 5%, olive oil and applied topically. Menthol, D-limonene, or eucalyptus oil 0.5%, 1% were also tested as other skin penetration enhancers and applied topically 30 min prior to subplantar injection of carrageenan into the right hind paw of rats. The volume of the paw was measured at 0 and 4 h after carrageenan with a digital plethysmometer and the difference was used as an index of inflammation. Piroxicam gel was used as a standard drug.

RESULTS

A 4% ethanolic solution of BAs showed significant anti-inflammatory effect. Propylene glycol (2% and 5%) in alcohol did not change the effect. Olive oil also enhanced penetration of BAs. Menthol 0.5%, 1% and D-limonene 0.5%, 1% did not show any significant change compared to olive oil alone. In the present study, eucalyptus oil 1% in olive oil was known as the best carrier for transdermal delivery of BAs.

CONCLUSION

BAs have considerable topical anti-inflammatory effects and olive oil alone or especially in combination with eucalyptus oil can be promising vehicles for skin penetration of topical BAs.

Design of experiments (DoE) to develop and to optimize nanoparticles as drug delivery systems

Nanotechnology has been widely applied to develop drug delivery systems to improve therapeutic performance. The effectiveness of these systems is intrinsically related to their physicochemical properties, so their biological responses are highly susceptible to factors such as the type and quantity of each material that is employed in their synthesis and to the method that is used to produce them. In this context, quality-oriented manufacturing of nanoparticles has been an important strategy to understand and to optimize the factors involved in their production. For this purpose, Design of Experiment (DoE) tools have been applied to obtain enough knowledge about the process and hence achieve high-quality products. This review aims to set up the bases to implement DoE as a strategy to improve the manufacture of nanocarriers and to discuss the main factors involved in the production of the most common nanocarriers employed in the pharmaceutical field.

Liposomes and transferosomes: a breakthrough in topical and transdermal delivery

The topical and transdermal routes of drug administration are long known to the field of pharmaceutics. These routes have been explored for the delivery of a wide range of therapeutic agents over centuries. However, the anatomy of the skin and the physicochemical properties of molecules limit their transport via these routes. To overcome these challenges, a nano-phospholipid carrier called liposome was developed in the 1960s. Liposomal delivery of drugs was reported to be limited to the upper layers of skin. This led to the development of self-regulating and self-adaptable vesicles known as transfersomes. This review critically evaluates the barriers in delivery across the skin, recent advancements in liposomes, transfersomes and their impact in the pharmaceutical field.

Transfersomes: The Ultra-Deformable Carrier System for Non-Invasive Delivery of Drug

Vesicular systems have many advantages like prolonging the existence of the drug in the systemic circulation, minimizing the undesirable side-effects and helping the active moieties to reach their target sites using the carriers. However, the main drawback related to transdermal delivery is to cross stratum corneum, which can be overcome by the utilization of novel carrier systems e.g., transfersomes, which are ultra-deformable carrier systems composed of phospholipid (phosphatidylcholine) and edge activators (surfactants). Edge activators are responsible for the flexibility of the bilayer membranes of transfersomes. Different edge activators used in transfersomes include tween, span, bile salts (sodium cholate and sodium deoxycholate) and dipotassium glycyrrhizinate. These activators decrease the interfacial tension, thereby, increasing the deformability of the carrier system. Transfersomes can encapsulate both hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs into a vesicular structure, which consists of one or more concentric bilayers. Due to the elastic nature of transfersomes, they can easily cross the natural physiological barriers i.e., skin and deliver the drug to its active site. The main benefit of using transfersomes as a carrier is the delivery of macromolecules through the skin by non-invasive route thereby increasing the patient's compliance. The transfersomal formulations can be used in the treatment of ocular diseases, alopecia, vulvovaginal candidiasis, osteoporosis, atopic dermatitis, tumor, leishmaniasis. It is also used in the delivery of growth hormones, anaesthesia, insulin, proteins, and herbal drugs. This review also focuses on the patents and clinical studies for various transfersomal products.