Clickable PEG conjugate obtained by “clip” photochemistry: Synthesis and characterization by quantitative 19F NMR

Functionalization of Polydimethylsiloxane with Diazirine-Based Linkers for Covalent Protein Immobilization

Biomolecule attachment to solid supports is critical for biomedical devices, such as biosensors and implants. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is commonly used for these applications due to its advantageous properties. To enhance the biomolecule immobilization on PDMS, a novel technique is demonstrated using newly synthesized diazirine molecules for the surface modification of PDMS. This nondestructive process involves a reaction between diazirine molecules and PDMS through C-H insertion with thermal or ultraviolet activation. The success of the PDMS modification is confirmed by various surface characterization techniques. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) are strongly attached to the modified PDMS surfaces, and the amount of protein is quantified using iodine-125 radiolabeling. The results demonstrate that PDMS is rapidly functionalized, and the stability of the immobilized proteins is significantly improved with multiple types of diazirine molecules and activation methods. Confocal microscopy provides three-dimensional images of the distribution of immobilized IgG on the surfaces and the penetration of diazirine-based linkers through the PDMS substrate during the coating process. Overall, this study presents a promising new approach for functionalizing PDMS surfaces to enhance biomolecule immobilization, and its potential applications can extend to multimaterial modifications for various diagnostic and medical applications such as microfluidic devices and immunoassays with relevant bioactive proteins.

Functionalized silica nanoplatform as a bimodal contrast agent for MRI and optical imaging

The preparation of an efficient bimodal single probe for magnetic resonance (MRI) and optical imaging (OI) is reported. Paramagnetic properties have been obtained by the non-covalent encapsulation of the clinically used Gd³⁺ chelate (i.e., Gd-HP-DO3A) within silica nanoparticles through a water-in-oil microemulsion process. To ensure colloidal stability, the surface of the particles was modified by means of treatment using PEG-silane, and further functionalized photochemically using a diazirine linker bearing carboxylic functions. Optical properties were obtained by the covalent grafting of a near-infrared emitting probe (NIR) on the resulting surface. The confinement of Gd complexes within the permeable matrix resulted in a significant increase in longitudinal relaxivities (>500% at 20 MHz) in comparison with the relaxivities of free chelate, while the post-functionalization process of PEG with fluorescent compounds appeared promising for the derivatization procedure. Several physico-chemical properties attested to the efficient surface modification and confirmed covalent grafting. Preliminary imaging experiments complete this study and confirm the potential of the presented system for preclinical imaging experiments.

Facile method based on 19F-NMR for the determination of hydroxyl value and molecular weight of hydroxyl terminated polymers

Two-steps method to determine hydroxyl value and molecular weight of hydroxyl terminated polymers by ¹⁹F-NMR measurements.

Method development and validation: quantitation of telmisartan bulk drug and its tablet formulation by 1 H NMR spectroscopy

The quantitative NMR (qNMR) spectroscopy is nowadays a new tool for the determination of pharmaceutical potent biologically active molecules in bulk drug and its tablet formulation than the other analytical techniques. Herein, qNMR method was developed for an anti-hypertensive drug, telmisartan in bulk drug and its tablet formulation. The precise method was developed by using malononitrile as an internal standard. The methylene signal of telmisartan appeared at δ = 5.46 ppm (singlet) relative to the signal of malononitrile at δ = 3.59 ppm (singlet) in CDCl₃ , as an NMR solvent. The development and validation of the method were carried out as per International Conference on Harmonization guidelines. The method was found to be linear (r²  = 0.9999) for 0.5 to 3.5 mg/ml in the drug concentration range. The relative standard deviation for accuracy and precession was not more than 2.0%. The sensitivity of the method was carried out by limit of detection and a limit of quantification, at 0.05 and 0.2 mg/ml, respectively, concentration. The robustness of the method was studied by changing parameters as well as different solvent manufacturer company. The result shows that method was accurately developed for quantification of telmisartan in pharmaceutical dosage form. The developed method by ¹ H NMR spectroscopy is comparatively easy and more precise with respect to the other analytical tools. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Rapidly Biodegrading PLGA-Polyurethane Fibers for Sustained Release of Physicochemically Diverse Drugs

Sustained release of physicochemically diverse drugs from electrospun fibers remains a challenge and precludes the use of fibers in many medical applications. Here, we synthesize a new class of polyurethanes with poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) moieties that degrade faster than polyurethanes based on polycaprolactone. The new polymers, with varying hard to soft segment ratios and fluorobenzene pendant group content, were electrospun into nanofibers and loaded with four physicochemically diverse small molecule drugs. Polymers were characterized using GPC, XPS, and 19F NMR. The size and morphology of electrospun fibers were visualized using SEM, and drug/polymer compatibility and drug crystallinity were evaluated using DSC. We measured in vitro drug release, polymer degradation and cell-culture cytotoxicity of biodegradation products. We show that these newly synthesized PLGA-based polyurethanes degrade up to 65-80% within 4 weeks and are cytocompatible in vitro. The drug-loaded electrospun fibers were amorphous solid dispersions. We found that increasing the hard to soft segment ratio of the polymer enhances the sustained release of positively charged drugs, whereas increasing the fluorobenzene pendant content caused more rapid release of some drugs. In summary, increasing the hard segment or fluorobenzene pendant content of segmented polyurethanes containing PLGA moieties allows for modulation of physicochemically diverse drug release from electrospun fibers while maintaining a biologically relevant biodegradation rate.

Quantitation of memantine hydrochloride bulk drug and its tablet formulation using proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry

The use of quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry for the determination of non-UV active memantine hydrochloride with relative simplicity and precision has been demonstrated in this study. The method was developed on a 500 MHz NMR instrument and was applied to determination of the drug in a tablet formulation. The analysis was performed by taking caffeine as an internal standard and D2 O as the NMR solvent. The signal of methyl protons of memantine hydrochloride appeared at 0.75 ppm (singlet) relative to the signal of caffeine (internal standard) at 3.13 ppm (singlet). The method was found to be linear (r(2)  = 0.9989) in the drug concentration range of 0.025 to 0.80 mg/ml. The maximum relative standard deviation for accuracy and precision was <2. The limits of detection and quantification were 0.04 and 0.11 mg/ml, respectively. The robustness of the method was revealed by changing nine different parameters. The deviation for each parameter was also within the acceptable limits. The study highlighted possibility of direct determination of memantine hydrochloride in pure form and in its marketed tablet formulation by the use of quantitative NMR, without the need of derivatization, as is the requirement in HPLC studies. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Quantitative analysis of sitagliptin using the19F-NMR method: a universal technique for fluorinated compound detection

¹⁹F-NMR spectroscopy is employed to expand the application scope of NMR technology in quantitative analysis of pharmaceutical ingredients.

The application of quantitative NMR for the facile, rapid and reliable determination of clindamycin phosphate in a conventional tablet formulation

Spectroscopic tools such as NMR can be applied to the quantitative analysis of active pharmaceutical ingredients with relative ease and accuracy. Here, we demonstrate the quantification of clindamycin phosphate (CLP) in a conventional tablet formulation, performed using potassium hydrogen phthalate (KHP) as the internal standard and deuterium oxide (D2O) as the NMR solvent. The methyl protons signal of CLP at 0.72 ppm (triplet) relative to the signal of KHP at 7.37-7.40 ppm (multiplet) was used for quantification purposes using (1)H NMR. This method was shown to be specific and linear (r = 0.9997) within the CLP concentration range from 7.2 to 23.1 mg per 0.5 ml of D2O. The maximum relative standard deviation (RSD) of accuracy and precision was calculated at 0.39% and 0.64%, respectively. The limits of detection (LOD) and quantification were 0.04 and 0.11 mg/ml, respectively. The method was highly stable with a calculated RSD of 0.03%. The robustness of the method was demonstrated by changing four different parameters, and the difference among each parameter was ≤ 0.78%. The findings of this work were in good agreement with previously reported conventional HPLC-based approaches, highlighting its applicability in the determination of other active pharmaceutical ingredients in conventional formulations for quality control purposes.

Targeted nanoparticles with novel non-peptidic ligands for oral delivery

Orally administered targeted nanoparticles have a large number of potential biomedical applications and display several putative advantages for oral drug delivery, such as the protection of fragile drugs or modification of drug pharmacokinetics. These advantages notwithstanding, oral drug delivery by nanoparticles remains challenging. The optimization of particle size and surface properties and targeting by ligand grafting have been shown to enhance nanoparticle transport across the intestinal epithelium. Here, different grafting strategies for non-peptidic ligands, e.g., peptidomimetics, lectin mimetics, sugars and vitamins, that are stable in the gastrointestinal tract are discussed. We demonstrate that the grafting of these non-peptidic ligands allows nanoparticles to be targeted to M cells, enterocytes, immune cells or L cells. We show that these grafted nanoparticles could be promising vehicles for oral vaccination by targeting M cells or for the delivery of therapeutic proteins. We suggest that targeting L cells could be useful for the treatment of type 2 diabetes or obesity.

Drug delivery to inflamed colon by nanoparticles: comparison of different strategies

For inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) treatment, local delivery of molecules loaded in nanoparticles to the inflamed colon could be a promising strategy. The aim of this study was to investigate how drug-loaded polymeric nanoparticles target the site of inflammation and to analyse the influence of different colon-specific delivery strategies. Three different polymeric nanoparticles were formulated using ovalbumin (OVA) as a model drug. pH-sensitive nanoparticles were made with Eudragit(®) S100. Mucoadhesive nanoparticles were created with trimethylchitosan (TMC). A mix of polymers, PLGA, PEG-PLGA and PEG-PCL, were used to obtain a sustained drug delivery. Furthermore, ligands targeting immune cells (i.e. mannose) or the inflamed colon (i.e. a specific peptide) were grafted on the PEG chain of PCL. Interaction of nanoparticles with the intestinal epithelium was explored using Caco-2 monolayers designed to mimic an inflamed epithelium and then visualized using confocal laser microscopy. TMC nanoparticles had the highest apparent permeability for OVA in the untreated model. However, in the inflamed model, there were no difference between TMC, PLGA-based and Eudragit(®) nanoparticles. The uptake of nanoparticles in the inflamed mouse colon was assessed in a horizontal diffusion chamber. Mannose-grafted PLGA nanoparticles showed the highest accumulation of OVA in inflamed colon. Based on these results, active targeting of macrophages and dendritic cells may be a promising approach for targeting the colon in IBD.