Screening of process variables to enhance the solubility of famotidine with 2-HydroxyPropyl–β-Cyclodextrin & PVP K-30 by using Plackett–Burman design approach

Ultrasonic enhanced emulsification process in 3D printed microfluidic device to encapsulate active pharmaceutical ingredients

A new method to prepare polymer encapsulated repaglinide nanoparticles through ultrasonic enhanced microchannel emulsification technique was explored. Using the concept of 3D printing, three different shaped micromixers (T-type, Y-type, and F-type) followed by a serpentine microchannel was fabricated using SS-316. Parametric study was performed on all three fabricated micromixers. The best results were obtained for the Y-microchannel in a microfluidic system alone, which showed a minimum particle size of 513.6 nm with 75.4% encapsulation efficiency (EE). In the selected microchannel, to further reduce the drug particle size and to increase% EE, convective mixing between immiscible fluids was enhanced by implementing ultrasound. Compared to the microfluidic system, particle size and EE were significantly improved in the ultrasonic microfluidic system. The experimental results revealed that the minimum particle size of 75.4 ± 1.3 nm with 82.9 ± 0.2% EE was achieved using an ultrasonic enhanced microfluidic system. The zeta potential of + 29.5 mV was obtained for emulsion prepared using the ultrasonic microfluidic system, whereas + 22 mV was prepared using a microfluidic system. Moreover, a backscattering measurement was performed to predict the stability of prepared emulsions. Integrating the ultrasound with a microfluidic system has proven beneficial for drug encapsulation.

Development, Statistical Optimization and Characterization of Fluvastatin Loaded Solid Lipid Nanoparticles: A 32 Factorial Design Approach

The purpose of the present research work was to design, optimize, and evaluate fluvastatin-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (FLV-SLNPs) using 32 factorial design for enhancing the bioavailability. Fluvastatin has several disadvantages, including the low solubility and substantial first-pass metabolism resulting in a low (30%) bioavailability and a short elimination half-life. FLV-SLNPs were prepared using the nano-emulsion technique. For the optimization of the FLV-SLNPs, a total of nine formulations were prepared by varying two independent factors at three levels, using full factorial design. In this design, lipid (A) and surfactant (B) concentrations were chosen as independent factors, whereas entrapment efficiency (Y1) and in-vitro drug release (Y2) were selected as the dependent variables. Additionally, the prepared SLNPs were characterized for X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry. These studies revealed that there were no interactions between the drug and the selected excipients and the selected formulation components are compatible with the drug. Pharmacokinetic studies in rats confirmed significant improvement in AUC and MRT of SLNPs in comparison with the pure drug indicating the enhanced bioavailability of SLNPs. This study provides a proof-of-concept for the fact that SLNPs can be effectively developed via experimental factorial design, which requires relatively minimal experimentation.

Quality-by-design in pharmaceutical development: From current perspectives to practical applications

Current pharmaceutical research directions tend to follow a systematic approach in the field of applied research and development. The concept of quality-by-design (QbD) has been the focus of the current progress of pharmaceutical sciences. It is based on, but not limited, to risk assessment, design of experiments and other computational methods and process analytical technology. These tools offer a well-organized methodology, both to identify and analyse the hazards that should be handled as critical, and are therefore applicable in the control strategy. Once implemented, the QbD approach will augment the comprehension of experts concerning the developed analytical technique or manufacturing process. The main activities are oriented towards the identification of the quality target product profiles, along with the critical quality attributes, the risk management of these and their analysis through in silico aided methods. This review aims to offer an overview of the current standpoints and general applications of QbD methods in pharmaceutical development.

Pharmaceutical assessment of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP): As excipient from conventional to controlled delivery systems with a spotlight on COVID-19 inhibition

Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) is a water-soluble polymer obtained by polymerization of monomer N-vinylpyrrolidone. PVP is an inert, non-toxic, temperature-resistant, pH-stable, biocompatible, biodegradable polymer that helps to encapsulate and cater both hydrophilic and lipophilic drugs. These advantages enable PVP a versatile excipient in the formulation development of broad conventional to novel controlled delivery systems. PVP has tunable properties and can be used as a brace component for gene delivery, orthopedic implants, and tissue engineering applications. Based on different molecular weights and modified forms, PVP can lead to exceptional beneficial features with varying chemical properties. Graft copolymerization and other techniques assist PVP to conjugate with poorly soluble drugs that can inflate bioavailability and even introduces the desired swelling tract for their control or sustained release. The present review provides chemistry, mechanical, physicochemical properties, evaluation parameters, dewy preparation methods of PVP derivatives intended for designing conventional to controlled systems for drug, gene, and cosmetic delivery. The past and growing interest in PVP establishes it as a promising polymer to enhance the trait and performance of current generation pharmaceutical dosage forms. Furthermore, the scrutiny explores existing patents, marketed products, new and futuristic approaches of PVP that have been identified and scope for future development, characterization, and its use. The exploration spotlights the importance and role of PVP in the design of Povidone-iodine (PVP-I) and clinical trials to assess therapeutic efficacy against the COVID-19 in the current pandemic scenario.

Orphan Formulations for Pediatric Use: Development and Stability Control of Two Sildenafil Citrate Solutions for the Treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension

Sildenafil citrate causes vasodilatation, relaxation of the smooth muscle, and reduction of pulmonary arterial pressure. The latter property makes sildenafil citrate efficient for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, including pulmonary arterial hypertension. Pediatric patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension are more susceptible to errors in drug administration than adults because of a lack of suitable drug dosages. Thus, the purpose of this study was to develop stable (chemically and microbiologically) sildenafil citrate drop liquid formulation, suitable for pediatric patients (including diabetics), ensuring safety during preparation and storing and improving palatability by using milk as a carrier for administration. The significant factors that affect the sildenafil solubility were evaluated by applying a Plackett-Burman design using two levels with six variables. The experiment showed that the type of buffer and glycerin content influenced the sildenafil solubility. The developed formulations proved to be stable for 6 months at all three assayed conditions (40± 2°C, 75 ± 5% RH; 25± 2°C, 60 ± 5% RH; and 4 ± 2°C). The microbiological tests fit with the requirement of the pharmacopeia at day 0 and 90 and even more at day 180. Finally, the palatability assay showed that 0.82 mL of the formulation containing buffer phosphate, 20% glycerin, and 4 mg mL^-1 of sildenafil citrate diluted in 4.8 mL milk (which fits the medium pediatric dose) presented similar palatability to milk alone, and no precipitate or turbidity was observed. Graphical abstract.

Development of Pediatric Orodispersible Tablets Based on Efavirenz as a New Therapeutic Alternative

BACKGROUND

Efavirenz is the most used medication in the treatment of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). The limited number of pediatric antiretroviral formulations approved by regulatory agencies is the most significant obstacle to adequate and efficient pharmacotherapy for this group of patients. The efavirenz has excellent therapeutic potential, but has low aqueous solubility/bioavailability.

METHODS

To minimize these limitations, multicomponent systems with β-cyclodextrin and polyvinylpyrrolidone K-30 were obtained. Due to the limited number of pediatric antiretroviral formulations, the development of a pediatric orodispersible tablet is an alternative that is thought easy to administer, since it disintegrates rapidly in the oral cavity. The multicomponent systems were obtained by the method of kneading and characterized by solubility test, X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry and infrared absorption spectroscopy by Fourier transform. The orodispersible tablets were prepared by direct compression. The quality control of hardness, friability, disintegration, and dissolution was performed. The influence of the components of the formulation on the characteristics of the tablets was evaluated through a 22 factorial design added with three central points, to compare the effect of the dependent variables on the responses.

RESULTS

An increase in drug solubility was observed, with a decrease in crystallinity. Besides that, an excellent dissolution profile presented with more than 83% of the drug's content dissolved in less than 15 minutes. Satisfactory disintegration time and friability were observed.

CONCLUSION

It was observed that reduced concentrations of mannitol decreased the hardness and disintegration time of the formulations. The orodispersible tablet composed of efavirenz: β- cyclodextrin: polyvinylpyrrolidone, favors greater absorption and bioavailability. It has several advantages for pediatric patients, as the dosage form disintegrates quickly in the mouth and does not require water for administration, thereby improving patient compliance with the treatment.

Sustainable Drug Delivery of Famotidine Using Chitosan-Functionalized Graphene Oxide as Nanocarrier

This work mainly focuses on the graphene oxide (GO)-assisted sustainable drug delivery of famotidine (FMT) drug. Famotidine is loaded onto GO and encapsulated by chitosan (CH). UV-visible spectroscopy, field emission scan electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy confirm the loading of FMT on GO. An interaction of FMT with GO and CH through amine functionalities is confirmed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Differential scanning calorimetric and cyclic voltammetric investigations confirm the compatibility of FMT and its retaining activity within chitosan-functionalized graphene oxide (CHGO) composite. Encapsulation efficiency of FMT is determined for various CHGO-FMT combinations and found to be higher at 1:9 ratio. The in vitro drug release profile is studied using a dissolution test apparatus in 0.1 m phosphate buffer medium (pH = 4.5), which shows sustainable drug release up to 12 h, which is greater than the market product (Complete release within 2 h). Comparative study of drug encapsulated with CH and without GO elucidates that GO is responsible for the sustainable release. The "n" value obtained from slope using Korsmeyer-Peppas model suggests the super case-II transport mechanism.

Use of Risk Assessment and Plackett-Burman Design for Developing Resveratrol Spray-Dried Emulsions: a Quality-by-Design Approach

In this study, the resveratrol spray-dried emulsions were developed using a quality-by-design approach. Further, the product and process factors that affected the quality of the spray-dried emulsions were analyzed and illustrated using an Ishikawa diagram. The product and process risks were prioritized using a risk-ranking system. The low methoxyl pectin (LMP) amount, caprylic/capric glyceride (CCG) amount, homogenization time, homogenization speed, inlet temperature, pump speed, drying airspeed, and de-blocking speed were observed to be the eight highest risk factors. Further, the criticality of these eight factors on the responses was determined using the Plackett-Burman design. Increasing the LMP amount increased the particle size, whereas increasing the CCG amount enhanced the drug-loading capacity and drug dissolution at 5-min intervals (Q₅) and decreased the moisture content. Q₅ was positively affected by the homogenization speed and pump speed; however, it was negatively affected by the LMP amount. The spraying efficiency was affected by the pump speed and the LMP amount. Further, the risk level of the homogenization time, inlet temperature, drying airspeed, and de-blocking speed were reduced. However, the LMP amount, CCG amount, homogenization speed, and pump speed were observed to remain at high risk and require further investigation. The risk assessment and Plackett-Burman design mitigated the risks and identified the critical factors that affected the quality of the resveratrol spray-dried emulsions and the spray-drying process.

Fast dissolving drug delivery membrane based on the ultra-thin shell of electrospun core-shell nanofibers

Structural nanocomposites that provide fast dissolving drug release profiles are highly in demand in pharmaceutics. In this study, a poorly water-soluble drug such as quercetin or tamoxifen citrate (TC) was selected as a model active pharmaceutical ingredient. Core-shell nanofibers with ultra-thin shells were designed and prepared using modified coaxial electrospinning. Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) K90 or Polycaprolactone (PCL) was selected as core. The drugs and PVP K10 were selected as shell. All types of solutions can be used as the shell fluids in modified coaxial process regardless of their electrospinnability, which means the increasing functional ingredients and unspinnable matrix can be processed. Evaluations via SEM and TEM demonstrated that the core-shell nanofibers had linear morphology with a shell thickness smaller than 100 nm. XRD and FTIR results showed that the model drug was distributed in the polymeric matrix amorphously and that PVP K10 had good compatibility with quercetin or TC. In vitro dissolution tests suggested that the core-shell nanofibers with ultra-thin shells released the loaded cargoes in the dissolution media within 1 min. The present investigation paved a new way for implementing the modified coaxial processes, which can be utilized to fabricate structural nanocomposites with ultra-thin shells for enhancing the fast dissolution of poorly water-soluble drugs.

Optimization of Conditions for Extraction of Polyphenols and the Determination of the Impact of Cooking on Total Polyphenolic, Antioxidant, and Anticholinesterase Activities of Potato

In this work we optimized the cooking and extraction conditions for obtaining high yields of total polyphenols from potato and studied the effect of three domestic methods of cooking on total phenols, antioxidant activity, and anticholinesterase activities. The optimization of the experiment was carried out by the experimental designs. The extraction of the polyphenols was carried out by maceration and ultrasonication. Determination of the polyphenols was performed by using the Folin-Ciocalteau reagent method. The antioxidant activity was evaluated by three methods: 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS), and CUPRAC(Cupric reducing antioxidant capacity), the anticholinesterase activity was evaluated by the method of Elmann. The optimum of total phenolic obtained was: 4.668 × 10⁴, 1.406 × 10⁴, 3357.009, 16,208.99 µg Gallic Acid Equivalent (GAE)/g of dry extract for crude potato, steamed potatoes, in boiling water, and by microwave, respectively. The three modes of cooking cause a decrease in the total polyphenol contents, antioxidant and anticholinesterase activities.