Effect of amorphization method on the physicochemical properties of amorphous sucrose

Development and Characterization of Bio-Based Formaldehyde Free Sucrose-Based Adhesive for Fabrication of Plywood

In order to solve the problem of excessive consumption of petrochemical resources and the harm of free formaldehyde release to human health, biomass raw materials, such as sucrose (S) and ammonium dihydrogen phosphate (ADP) can be chemically condensed in a simple route under acidic conditions to produce a formaldehyde free wood adhesive (S-ADP), characterized by good storage stability and water resistance, and higher wet shear strength with respect to petroleum based phenolic resin adhesive. The dry and boiling shear strength of the plywood based on S-ADP adhesive are as high as 1.05 MPa and 1.19 MPa, respectively. Moreover, is Modulus of Elasticity (MOE) is as high as 4910 MPa. Interestingly, the plywood based on the developed S-ADP adhesive exhibited good flame retardancy. After burning for 90 s, its shape remains unchanged. Meanwhile, it can be concluded from thermomechanical analysis (TMA) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) that the S-ADP acquired excellent modulus of elasticity (MOE) and good thermal stability. It is thus thought promisingly that the use of S-ADP adhesive as a substitute for PF resin adhesive seems feasible in the near future.

Palm sap sugar an unconventional source of sugar exploration for bioactive compounds and its role on functional food development

Palm sap sugar is a sweetener which is made from the sap or nectar collected from different varieties/species of palm trees. It has huge scope as an alternative sweetener in Indian market. It is a natural alternative to unhealthy cane sugar and is more beneficial for farmers as well. Some of its characteristic features are low GI value and its macro (Glucose: 0.49-86.90 g/100 ml, Fructose: 0.26-1.61, Sucrose: 5.30-27.00 g/100 ml) and micro (K: 65.28-1326.0, Na: 2.85-117.5, Mg: 0.54-31.00, Ca: 0.24-79.00 mg/100 ml) nutritional content. Palm sugar also has impact on colour, aroma and taste profile of the final product. The taste, sensory profile and nutritional attributes of palm sugar vary on the basis of its species, region of growth and climatic conditions. At present, traditional processing of palm sap leads to lower yield and higher expenses. There is huge potential in the field of development in processing techniques (Traditional processing, spray drying, membrane technology, and vacuum drying) to optimize the production of palm sugar. Palm sugar and other products from different parts of palm can be used to make a variety of other value-added products like toffees, chocolates, cola, toddy wine, candy, and palm vinegar etc. The purpose of this review paper is to summarise the composition of palm sap, distinctive qualities of the extracted sap, various production procedures, nutritional and physico-chemical properties of palm sugar, and the development of functional foods using palm sugar.

Lyophilization of Curcumin–Albumin Nanoplex with Sucrose as Cryoprotectant: Aqueous Reconstitution, Dissolution, Kinetic Solubility, and Physicochemical Stability

An amorphous curcumin (CUR) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) nanoparticle complex (nanoplex) was previously developed as a promising anticancer nanotherapy. The CUR-BSA nanoplex had been characterized in its aqueous suspension form. The present work developed a dry-powder form of the CUR-BSA nanoplex by lyophilization using sucrose as a cryoprotectant. The cryoprotective activity of sucrose was examined at sucrose mass fractions of 33.33, 50.00, and 66.66% by evaluating the lyophilized nanoplex’s (1) aqueous reconstitution and (2) CUR dissolution and kinetic solubility. The physicochemical stabilizing effects of sucrose upon the nanoplex’s 30-day exposures to 40 °C and 75% relative humidity were examined from (i) aqueous reconstitution, (ii) CUR dissolution, (iii) CUR and BSA payloads, (iv) amorphous form stability, and (v) BSA’s structural integrity. The good cryoprotective activity of sucrose was evidenced by the preserved BSA’s integrity and good aqueous reconstitution, resulting in a fast CUR dissolution rate and a high kinetic solubility (≈5–9× thermodynamic solubility), similar to the nanoplex suspension. While the aqueous reconstitution, CUR dissolution, and amorphous form were minimally affected by the elevated heat and humidity exposures, the treated nanoplex exhibited a lower BSA payload (≈7–26% loss) and increased protein aggregation postexposure. The adverse effects on the BSA payload and aggregation were minimized at higher sucrose mass fractions.

Ibuprofen loaded centrifugally spun microfibers for quick relief of inflammation in rats

The conventional dosage forms (tablets, capsules), of ibuprofen has less potential in suppression of pain and inflammation due to their slow dissolution rates and lower bioavailability. Aim of this study was to fabricate fibrous solid dispersion of ibuprofen for improved dissolution rate and quick therapeutic action. Drug loaded microfibers were fabricated using centrifugal melt spinning (CMS) technique from the physical mixture of sucrose, ibuprofen and a hydrophilic polymer, PVP. These fibers were characterized by SEM, PXRD, DSC, and FTIR spectroscopy. The selected formulation was also pressed into tablets by direct compression method followed by its in-vitro and in-vivo characterization. The production yield of fibers was 75 ± 2% with an average diameter 15 ± 5 µm. The drug loading efficiency (DLE) was 85 ± 5%. The tablets dissolved rapidly (<40s). In-vitro dissolution studies have shown >85% of ibuprofen dissolved from tablet within first 2 min which was ∼5 times quicker than drug alone. Dissolution efficiency has improved from 0.63 of ibuprofen to 0.95 of that in fibers with ∼7 times reduction in mean dissolution time. PXRD, andDSC have shown amorphous state of ibuprofen in the formulation and FTIR spectra demonstrated no interaction of drug with excipients . In-vivo anti-inflammatory studies using rabbits revealed a significant (p <0.05) reduction in paw volume (mm) in the groups treated with fibrous formulation. This study concludes that microfibers produced by centrifugal melt spinning has improved dissolution rates and bioavailability of ibuprofen. Incorporation of polymer in the formulations improves the production yield and drug loading efficiency of microfibers.

Structural Analysis of Molecular Materials Using the Pair Distribution Function

This is a review of atomic pair distribution function (PDF) analysis as applied to the study of molecular materials. The PDF method is a powerful approach to study short- and intermediate-range order in materials on the nanoscale. It may be obtained from total scattering measurements using X-rays, neutrons, or electrons, and it provides structural details when defects, disorder, or structural ambiguities obscure their elucidation directly in reciprocal space. While its uses in the study of inorganic crystals, glasses, and nanomaterials have been recently highlighted, significant progress has also been made in its application to molecular materials such as carbons, pharmaceuticals, polymers, liquids, coordination compounds, composites, and more. Here, an overview of applications toward a wide variety of molecular compounds (organic and inorganic) and systems with molecular components is presented. We then present pedagogical descriptions and tips for further implementation. Successful utilization of the method requires an interdisciplinary consolidation of material preparation, high quality scattering experimentation, data processing, model formulation, and attentive scrutiny of the results. It is hoped that this article will provide a useful reference to practitioners for PDF applications in a wide realm of molecular sciences, and help new practitioners to get started with this technique.

Controlling desolvation through polymer-assisted grinding

We demonstrate the ability to controllably desolvate a crystal-solvate system in step-wise fashion through polymer-assisted grinding by varying the type and proportion of polymer agent used. A plausible mechanistic explanation...

Self-assembling, supramolecular chemistry and pharmacology of amphotericin B: Poly-aggregates, oligomers and monomers

Antifungal drugs such as amphotericin B (AmB) interact with lipids and phospholipids located on fungal cell membranes to disrupt them and create pores, leading to cell apoptosis and therefore efficacy. At the same time, the interaction can also take place with cell components from mammalian cells, leading to toxicity. AmB was selected as a model antifungal drug due to the complexity of its supramolecular chemical structure which can self-assemble in three different aggregation states in aqueous media: monomer, oligomer (also known as dimer) and poly-aggregate. The interplay between AmB self-assembly and its efficacy or toxicity against fungal or mammalian cells is not yet fully understood. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report that investigates the role of excipients in the supramolecular chemistry of AmB and the impact on its biological activity and toxicity. The monomeric state was obtained by complexation with cyclodextrins resulting in the most toxic state, which was attributed to the greater production of highly reactive oxygen species upon disruption of mammalian cell membranes, a less specific mechanism of action compared to the binding to the ergosterol located in fungal cell membranes. The interaction between AmB and sodium deoxycholate resulted in the oligomeric and poly-aggregated forms which bound more selectively to the ergosterol of fungal cell membranes. NMR combined with XRD studies elucidated the interaction between drug and excipient to achieve the AmB aggregation states, and ultimately, their diffusivity across membranes. A linear correlation between particle size and the efficacy/toxicity ratio was established allowing to modulate the biological effect of the drug and hence, to improve pharmacological regimens. However, particle size is not the only factor modulating the biological response but also the equilibrium of each state which dictates the fraction of free monomeric form available. Tuning the aggregation state of AmB formulations is a promising strategy to trigger a more selective response against fungal cells and to reduce the toxicity in mammalian cells.

Local Structural Effects Due to Micronization and Amorphization on an HIV Treatment Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient

Processing procedures for inducing domain size reduction and/or amorphous phase generation can be crucial for enhancing the bioavailability of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). It is important to quantify these reduced coherence phases and to detect and characterize associated structural changes, to ensure that no deleterious effects on safety, function, or stability occur. Here, X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), total scattering pair distribution function (TSPDF) analysis, and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (SSNMR) have been performed on samples of GSK2838232B, an investigational drug for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Preparations were obtained through different mechanical treatments resulting in varying extents of domain size reduction and amorphous phase generation. Completely amorphous formulations could be prepared by milling and microfluidic injection processes. Microfluidic injection was shown to result in a different local structure due to dispersion with dichloromethane (DCM). Implications of combined TSPDF and SSNMR studies to characterize molecular compounds are also discussed, in particular, the possibility to obtain a thorough structural understanding of disordered samples from different processes.