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Lopez-Vidal L, Parodi P, Actis MR, Camacho N, Real DA, Paredes AJ, Irazoqui FJ, Real JP, Palma SD. Formulation and optimization of pH-sensitive nanocrystals for improved oral delivery. Drug Deliv Transl Res 2024; 14:1301-1318. [PMID: 37953429 DOI: 10.1007/s13346-023-01463-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
The challenge of low water solubility in pharmaceutical science profoundly impacts drug absorption and therapeutic effectiveness. Nanocrystals (NC), consisting of drug molecules and stabilizing agents, offer a promising solution to enhance solubility and control release rates. In the pharmaceutical industry, top-down techniques are favored for their flexibility and cost-effectiveness. However, increased solubility can lead to premature drug dissolution in the stomach, which is problematic due to the acidic pH or enzymes. Researchers are exploring encapsulating agents that facilitate drug release at customized pH levels as a valuable strategy to address this. This study employed wet milling and spray drying techniques to create encapsulated NC for delivering the drug to the intestinal tract using the model drug ivermectin (IVM). Nanosuspensions (NS) were efficiently produced within 2 h using NanoDisp®, with a particle size of 198.4 ± 0.6 nm and a low polydispersity index (PDI) of 0.184, ensuring uniformity. Stability tests over 100 days at 4 °C and 25 °C demonstrated practical viability, with no precipitation or significant changes observed. Cytotoxicity evaluations indicated less harm to Caco-2 cells compared to the pure drug. Furthermore, the solubility of the NC increased by 47-fold in water and 4.8-fold in simulated intestinal fluid compared to the pure active compound. Finally, dissolution tests showed less than 10% release in acidic conditions and significant improvement in simulated intestinal conditions, promising enhanced drug solubility and bioavailability. This addresses a long-standing pharmaceutical challenge in a cost-effective and scalable manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucía Lopez-Vidal
- Faculty of Chemical Sciences, National University of Córdoba (FCQ-UNC), Haya de la torre y Medina Allende, X5000XHUA, Córdoba, Argentina
- Pharmaceutical Technology Research and Development Unit (UNITEFA) - CONICET, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Pedro Parodi
- Faculty of Chemical Sciences, National University of Córdoba (FCQ-UNC), Haya de la torre y Medina Allende, X5000XHUA, Córdoba, Argentina
- Center for Research in Biological Chemistry of Cordoba (CIQUIBIC) - CONICET, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Maribel Romanela Actis
- Faculty of Chemical Sciences, National University of Córdoba (FCQ-UNC), Haya de la torre y Medina Allende, X5000XHUA, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Nahuel Camacho
- Faculty of Chemical Sciences, National University of Córdoba (FCQ-UNC), Haya de la torre y Medina Allende, X5000XHUA, Córdoba, Argentina
- Pharmaceutical Technology Research and Development Unit (UNITEFA) - CONICET, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Daniel Andrés Real
- Faculty of Chemical Sciences, National University of Córdoba (FCQ-UNC), Haya de la torre y Medina Allende, X5000XHUA, Córdoba, Argentina
- Pharmaceutical Technology Research and Development Unit (UNITEFA) - CONICET, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Alejandro J Paredes
- School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Medical Biology Centre, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Fernando José Irazoqui
- Faculty of Chemical Sciences, National University of Córdoba (FCQ-UNC), Haya de la torre y Medina Allende, X5000XHUA, Córdoba, Argentina
- Center for Research in Biological Chemistry of Cordoba (CIQUIBIC) - CONICET, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Juan Pablo Real
- Faculty of Chemical Sciences, National University of Córdoba (FCQ-UNC), Haya de la torre y Medina Allende, X5000XHUA, Córdoba, Argentina
- Pharmaceutical Technology Research and Development Unit (UNITEFA) - CONICET, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Santiago Daniel Palma
- Faculty of Chemical Sciences, National University of Córdoba (FCQ-UNC), Haya de la torre y Medina Allende, X5000XHUA, Córdoba, Argentina.
- Pharmaceutical Technology Research and Development Unit (UNITEFA) - CONICET, Córdoba, Argentina.
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Drug Nanocrystals: Focus on Brain Delivery from Therapeutic to Diagnostic Applications. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14040691. [PMID: 35456525 PMCID: PMC9024479 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14040691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of new drugs is often hindered by low solubility in water, a problem common to nearly 90% of natural and/or synthetic molecules in the discovery pipeline. Nanocrystalline drug technology involves the reduction in the bulk particle size down to the nanosize range, thus modifying its physico-chemical properties with beneficial effects on drug bioavailability. Nanocrystals (NCs) are carrier-free drug particles surrounded by a stabilizer and suspended in an aqueous medium. Due to high drug loading, NCs maintain a potent therapeutic concentration to produce desirable pharmacological action, particularly useful in the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) diseases. In addition to the therapeutic purpose, NC technology can be applied for diagnostic scope. This review aims to provide an overview of NC application by different administration routes, especially focusing on brain targeting, and with a particular attention to therapeutic and diagnostic fields. NC therapeutic applications are analyzed for the most common CNS pathologies (i.e., Parkinson’s disease, psychosis, Alzheimer’s disease, etc.). Recently, a growing interest has emerged from the use of colloidal fluorescent NCs for brain diagnostics. Therefore, the use of NCs in the imaging of brain vessels and tumor cells is also discussed. Finally, the clinical effectiveness of NCs is leading to an increasing number of FDA-approved products, among which the NCs approved for neurological disorders have increased.
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