Optimization and in-vivo evaluation of isradipine nanoparticles using Box-Behnken design surface response methodology

d-α-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate surface scaffold polysarcosine based polymeric nanoparticles of enzalutamide for the treatment of colorectal cancer: In vitro, in vivo characterizations

In this study, Enzalutamide (ENZ) loaded Poly Lactic-co-Glycolic Acid (PLGA) nanoparticles coated with polysarcosine and d-α-Tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate (TPGS) were prepared using a three-step modified nanoprecipitation method combined with self-assembly. A three-factor, three-level Box-Behnken design was implemented with Design-Expert® software to evaluate the impact of three independent variables on particle size, zeta potential, and percent entrapment efficiency through a numeric optimization approach. The results were corroborated with ANOVA analysis, regression equations, and response surface plots. Field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscope images revealed nanosized, spherical polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) with a size distribution ranging from 178.9 ± 2.3 to 212.8 ± 0.7 nm, a zeta potential of 12.6 ± 0.8 mV, and entrapment efficiency of 71.2 ± 0.7 %. The latter increased with higher polymer concentration. Increased polymer concentration and homogenization speed also enhanced drug entrapment efficiency. In vitro drug release was 85 ± 22.5 %, following the Higuchi model (R2 = 0.98) and Fickian diffusion (n < 0.5). In vitro cytotoxicity assessments, including Mitochondrial Membrane Potential Estimation, Apoptosis analysis, cell cycle analysis, Reactive oxygen species estimation, Wound healing assay, DNA fragmentation assay, and IC50 evaluation with Sulforhodamine B assay, indicated low toxicity and high efficacy of polymeric nanoparticles compared to the drug alone. In vivo studies demonstrated biocompatibility and target specificity. The findings suggest that TPGS surface-scaffolded polysarcosine-based polymer nanoparticles of ENZ could be a promising and safe delivery system with sustained release for colorectal cancer treatment, yielding improved therapeutic outcomes.

Hydrocortisone-Loaded Lipid-Polymer Hybrid Nanoparticles for Controlled Topical Delivery: Formulation Design Optimization and In Vitro and In Vivo Appraisal

The barrier functionalities of the skin offer a major but not insuperable hindrance for fabrication of skin delivery effective systems. This work aimed to develop an optimized lipid polymer hybrid nanoparticle and assess the skin delivery effectiveness of hydrocortisone (9.872 ± 0.361 × 10^-3 cm²/h) of a drug through the skin from an optimized formulation when compared with a drug solution. Meanwhile, histological examination after topical application of the optimized formulation showed a safe increase in epidermal thickness. In vivo, the optimized formulation showed promising anti-inflammatory activity in a croton oil-induced ear rosacea model. As an excellent anti-inflammatory agent, these findings propose that the use of lipomers could be a promising strategy to improve the topical effectiveness of hydrocortisone acetate (HCA) against inflammatory diseases. Collectively, these results support our view that lipid polymer hybrid nanoparticles can proficiently deliver hydrocortisone to the skin in treating skin inflammatory conditions.

Development of Olive Oil Containing Phytosomal Nanocomplex for Improving Skin Delivery of Quercetin: Formulation Design Optimization, In Vitro and Ex Vivo Appraisals

The objective of the current work was to fabricate, optimize and assess olive oil/phytosomal nanocarriers to improve quercetin skin delivery. Olive oil/phytosomal nanocarriers, prepared by a solvent evaporation/anti-solvent precipitation technique, were optimized using a Box-Behnken design, and the optimized formulation was appraised for in vitro physicochemical characteristics and stability. The optimized formulation was assessed for skin permeation and histological alterations. The optimized formulation (with an olive oil/PC ratio of 0.166, a QC/PC ratio of 1.95 and a surfactant concentration of 1.6%), and with a particle diameter of 206.7 nm, a zeta potential of -26.3 and an encapsulation efficiency of 85.3%, was selected using a Box-Behnken design. The optimized formulation showed better stability at ambient temperature when compared to refrigerating temperature (4 °C). The optimized formulation showed significantly higher skin permeation of quercetin when compared to an olive-oil/surfactant-free formulation and the control (~1.3-fold and 1.9-fold, respectively). It also showed alteration to skin barriers without remarkable toxicity aspects. Conclusively, this study demonstrated the use of olive oil/phytosomal nanocarriers as potential carriers for quercetin-a natural bioactive agent-to improve its skin delivery.

Design of mirtazapine solid dispersion with different carriers' systems: optimization, in vitro evaluation, and bioavailability assessment

The solid dispersion technique is the most effective and widely used approach for increasing the solubility and release of drugs that have low water solubility. Mirtazapine (MRT) is an atypical antidepressant used to treat severe depression. MRT has a low oral bioavailability (about 50%) due to its low water solubility (BCS class II). The study's goal was to determine optimum conditions for incorporating MRT into various polymer types utilizing the solid dispersion (SD) technique, with the goal of selecting the most suitable formula with the optimal aqueous solubility, loading efficiency, and dissolution rate. The D-optimal design was used to pick the optimal response. The optimum formula was subjected to physicochemical evaluation by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In vivo bioavailability study was conducted on white rabbits' plasma samples. MRT-SDs were prepared by the solvent evaporation method using Eudragit (RL-100, RS-100, E-100, L-100-55), PVP K-30, and PEG 4000 with different drug/polymer percentages (33.33%, 49.99%, and 66.66%). Results showed that the optimum formula obtained using PVP K-30 at a drug percentage of 33.33% gave a loading efficiency of 100.93%, an aqueous solubility of 0.145 mg/ml, and a dissolution rate of 98.12% after 30 min. These findings demonstrated promising enhancement of MRT properties and increasing its oral bioavailability by 1.34-fold more than plain drug.

Harnessing Folate-Functionalized Nasal Delivery of Dox-Erlo-Loaded Biopolymeric Nanoparticles in Cancer Treatment: Development, Optimization, Characterization, and Biodistribution Analysis

The aim of the present study is to develop Doxorubicin-Erlotinib nanoparticles (Dox-Erlo NPs) and folate-armored Dox-Erlo-NP conjugates for targeting glioma cancer. Glioma is one of the most common progressive cancerous growths originating from brain glial cells. However, the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is only semi-permeable and is highly selective as to which compounds are let through; designing compounds that overcome this constraint is therefore a major challenge in the development of pharmaceutical agents. We demonstrate that the NP conjugates studied in this paper may ameliorate the BBB penetration and enrich the drug concentration in the target bypassing the BBB. NPs were prepared using a biopolymer with a double-emulsion solvent evaporation technique and functionalized with folic acid for site-specific targeting. Dox-Erlo NPs and Dox-Erlo-NP conjugates were extensively characterized in vitro for various parameters. Dox-Erlo NPs and Dox-Erlo-NP conjugates incurred a z-average of 95.35 ± 10.25 nm and 110.12 ± 9.2 nm, respectively. The zeta potentials of the Dox-Erlo NPs and Dox-Erlo-NP conjugates were observed at -18.1 mV and -25.1 mV, respectively. A TEM image has shown that the NPs were well-dispersed, uniform, de-aggregated, and consistent. A hemolytic assay confirmed hemocompatibility with the developed formulation and that it can be safely administered. Dox-Erlo-NP conjugates significantly reduced the number of viable cells to 24.66 ± 2.08% and 32.33 ± 2.51% in U87 and C6 cells, respectively, and IC50 values of 3.064 µM and 3.350 µM in U87 and C6 cells were reported after 24 h, respectively. A biodistribution study revealed that a significant concentration of Dox and Erlo were estimated in the brain relative to drug suspension. Dox-Erlo-NP conjugates were also stable for three months. The findings suggest that the developed Dox-Erlo-NP conjugates may be a promising agent for administration in glioma therapy.

Co-Formulation of Amphiphilic Cationic and Anionic Cyclodextrins Forming Nanoparticles for siRNA Delivery in the Treatment of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia

Non-viral delivery of therapeutic nucleic acids (NA), including siRNA, has potential in the treatment of diseases with high unmet clinical needs such as acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). While cationic biomaterials are frequently used to complex the nucleic acids into nanoparticles, attenuation of charge density is desirable to decrease in vivo toxicity. Here, an anionic amphiphilic CD was synthesised and the structure was confirmed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). A cationic amphiphilic cyclodextrin (CD) was initially used to complex the siRNA and then co-formulated with the anionic amphiphilic CD. Characterisation of the co-formulated NPs indicated a significant reduction in charge from 34 ± 7 mV to 24 ± 6 mV (p < 0.05) and polydispersity index 0.46 ± 0.1 to 0.16 ± 0.04 (p < 0.05), compared to the cationic CD NPs. Size was similar, 161−164 nm, for both formulations. FACS and confocal microscopy, using AML cells (HL-60), indicated a similar level of cellular uptake (60% after 6 h) followed by endosomal escape. The nano co-formulation significantly reduced the charge while maintaining gene silencing (21%). Results indicate that blending of anionic and cationic amphiphilic CDs can produce bespoke NPs with optimised physicochemical properties and potential for enhanced in vivo performance in cancer treatment.

Optimization of mirtazapine loaded into mesoporous silica nanostructures via Box-Behnken design: in-vitro characterization and in-vivo assessment

Employment of mesoporous silica nanostructures (MSNs) in the drug delivery field has shown a significant potential for improving the oral delivery of active pharmaceutical products with low solubility in water. Mirtazapine (MRT) is a tetracyclic antidepressant with poor water solubility (BCS Class II), which was recently approved as a potent drug used to treat severe depression. The principle of this research is to optimize the incorporation of Mirtazapine into MSNs to improve its aqueous solubility, loading efficiency, release performance, and subsequent bioavailability. The formulation was optimized by using of Box-Behnken Design, which allows simultaneous estimation of the impact of different types of silica (SBA-15, MCM-41, and Aluminate-MCM-41), a different drug to silica ratios (33.33%, 49.99%, and 66.66%), and different drug loading procedures (Incipient wetness, solvent evaporation, and solvent impregnation) on the MRT loading efficiency, aqueous solubility and dissolution rate. The optimized formula was achieved by loading MRT into SBA-15 at 33.33% drug ratio prepared by the incipient wetness method, which displayed a loading efficiency of 104.05%, water solubility of 0.2 mg/ml, and 100% dissolution rate after 30 min. The pharmacokinetic profile of the optimized formula was obtained by conducting the in-vivo study in rabbits which showed a marked improvement (2.14-fold) in oral bioavailability greater than plain MRT. The physicochemical parameters and morphology of the optimized formula were characterized by; gas adsorption manometry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), polarized light microscopy (PLM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD).

Role of Organic and Inorganic Nanoparticles in the Drug Delivery System for Hypertension Treatment: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

The present investigation was designed to systematically review the antihypertensive effects of all the organic and inorganic nanoparticles in the in vitro, in vivo, and clinical trials.

METHODS

The current study was carried out using 06-PRISMA guideline and registered in the CAMARADES- NC3Rs Preclinical Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Facility (SyRF) database. The search was performed on five English databases, including Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Google Scholar, without time limitation for publications worldwide related to the anti-hypertensive effects of all the organic and inorganic nanoparticles without date limitation, so as to identify all the published articles (in vitro, in vivo, clinical, and case-control). Studies in any language were entered in the search step if they had an English abstract.

RESULTS

Out of 3602 papers, 60 including 25 werein vitro (41.7%), 17 in vitro / in vivo (28.3%), 16 in vivo (26.7%), and 2 in vitro / ex vivo (3.3%) up to 2020 met the inclusion criteria for discussion in this systematic review. The most widely used nanoparticles were organic nanoparticles such as polylactic acid, poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA), lipid, chitosan, etc., followed by inorganic nanoparticles such as silver and palladium nanoparticles.

CONCLUSION

This review demonstrated the anti-hypertensive effects of some organic and inorganic nanoparticles alone or in combination with the available anti-hypertensives. We found that organic nanoparticles such as PGLA and chitosan can be considered as preferred options in nanomedicine for treating high blood pressure. The results also showed these nanoparticles displayed antihypertensive effects through some mechanisms such as sustained release forms via increasing bioavailability, increasing oral bioavailability and improving oral and non-oral absorption, counteracting excessive superoxide, decreasing blood pressure, etc. However, further investigations are required to prove these effects, particularly in clinical settings, as well as their accurate possible mechanisms and toxicity.

Increase in Dissolution Rate of Zotepine via Nanomilling Process - Impact of Dried Nanocrystalline Suspensions on Bioavailability

Zotepine is an atypical antipsychotic drug used in the treatment of schizophrenia. However, its poor dissolution properties limit its therapeutic efficacy. In this investigation, a series of nanosuspension-containing zotepine were prepared employing media milling method with an aim to improve its dissolution properties and oral bioavailability. Briefly, Box-Behnken design was applied to investigate the influence of various independent variables such as X₁- amount of stabilizer, X₂- amount of milling agent, and X₃- milling time on the performance of the formulation. Dissolution studies revealed enhancement of dissolution rate as compared to pure drug. Solid state characterization (DSC, PXRD, and SEM) studies demonstrated no polymorphic changes in drug after lyophilization of media-milled nanosuspension. In vivo pharmacokinetic studies of lyophilized nanosuspension was carried out in rat and the results exhibited significant improvement in C_max and AUC_0-t, about 450.0 and 287.45%, respectively, suggesting amelioration in oral bioavailability by 2.87-fold higher as compared to pure drug. Accelerated stability studies of the optimized lyophilized formulation at 40°C and 75% RH suggested stability of the nanocrystals for at least a 6-month period. The obtained nanocrystals successfully showed dissolution enhancement and improved oral bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drug, zotepine.

Development, Characterization, and Evaluation of α-Mangostin-Loaded Polymeric Nanoparticle Gel for Topical Therapy in Skin Cancer

The aim of this study was to prepare and evaluate α-mangostin-loaded polymeric nanoparticle gel (α-MNG-PLGA) formulation to enhance α-mangostin delivery in an epidermal carcinoma. The poly (D, L-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) were developed using the emulsion-diffusion-evaporation technique with a 3-level 3-factor Box-Behnken design. The NPs were characterized and evaluated for particle size distribution, zeta potential (mV), drug release, and skin permeation. The formulated PLGA NPs were converted into a preformed carbopol gel base and were further evaluated for texture analysis, the cytotoxic effect of PLGA NPs against B16-F10 melanoma cells, and in vitro radical scavenging activity. The nanoscale particles were spherical, consistent, and average in size (168.06 ± 17.02 nm), with an entrapment efficiency (EE) of 84.26 ± 8.23% and a zeta potential of -25.3 ± 7.1 mV. Their drug release percentages in phosphate-buffered solution (PBS) at pH 7.4 and pH 6.5 were 87.07 ± 6.95% and 89.50 ± 9.50%, respectively. The release of α-MNG from NPs in vitro demonstrated that the biphasic release system, namely, immediate release in the initial phase, was accompanied by sustained drug release. The texture study of the developed α-MNG-PLGA NPs gel revealed its characteristics, including viscosity, hardness, consistency, and cohesiveness. The drug flux from α-MNG-PLGA NPs gel and α-MNG gel was 79.32 ± 7.91 and 16.88 ± 7.18 µg/cm2/h in 24 h, respectively. The confocal study showed that α-MNG-PLGA NPs penetrated up to 230.02 µm deep into the skin layer compared to 15.21 µm by dye solution. MTT assay and radical scavenging potential indicated that α-MNG-PLGA NPs gel had a significant cytotoxic effect and antioxidant effect compared to α-MNG gel (p < 0.05). Thus, using the developed α-MNG-PLGA in treating skin cancer could be a promising approach.

Full-Field Temperature Measurement of Stainless Steel Specimens Subjected to Uniaxial Tensile Loading at Various Strain Rates

This article presents a study on the effect of strain rate, specimen orientation, and plastic strain on the value and distribution of the temperature of dog-bone 1 mm-thick specimens during their deformation in uniaxial tensile tests. Full-field image correlation and infrared thermography techniques were used. A titanium-stabilised austenitic 321 stainless steel was used as test materials. The dog-bone specimens used for uniaxial tensile tests were cut along the sheet metal rolling direction and three strain rates were considered: 4 × 10^-3 s^-1, 8 × 10^-3 s^-1 and 16 × 10^-3 s^-1. It was found that increasing the strain rate resulted in the intensification of heat generation. High-quality regression models (Ra > 0.9) developed for the austenitic 321 steel revealed that sample orientation does not play a significant role in the heat generation when the sample is plastically deformed. It was found that at the moment of formation of a necking at the highest strain rate, the maximum sample temperature increased more than four times compared to the initial temperature. A synergistic effect of the strain hardening exponent and yield stress revealed that heat is generated more rapidly towards small values of strain hardening exponent and yield stress.

Formulation and Evaluation of Isradipine Nanosuspension and Exploring its Role as a Potential Anticancer Drug by Computational Approach

BACKGROUND

T-type calcium channels are aberrantly expressed in different human cancers and regulate cell cycle progression, proliferation, migration, and survival. FAK-1 can promote tumor protein degradation (p53) through ubiquitination, leading to cancer cell growth and proliferation. Similar findings are obtained regarding protease inhibitors' effect on cytokine-induced neutrophil activation that suppresses Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating-factor (GM-CSF) TNF-α-induced O2 release and adherence in human neutrophils without affecting phosphorylation of Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and p38. Nanosuspensions are carrier-free, submicron colloidal dispersions which consist of pure drugs and stabilizers. Incorporating drug loaded in nanosuspensions possessed great advantages of passive drug targeting with improved solubility, stability, and bioavailability, as well as lower systemic toxicity.

OBJECTIVE

The present investigation objective was to establish a molecular association of Protease and Focal Adhesion Kinase 1 as cancer targets for isradipine a calcium channel blocker (CCB). Furthermore, the study also aimed to formulate its optimized nanosuspension and how the physical, morphological, and dissolution properties of isradipine impact nanosuspension stability.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

Five different molecular targets, namely Cysteine Proteases (Cathepsin B), Serine Proteases (Matriptase), Aspartate Proteases, Matrix Metalloproteases (MMP), and FAK-1 were obtained from RCSB-PDB, which has some leading associations with the inhibition in cancer pathogenesis. Molecular interactions of these targets with CCB isradipine were identified and established by the molecular simulation docking studies. Isradipine-loaded nanosuspension was prepared by precipitation technique by employing a 23 factorial design. PVP K-30, poloxamer 188, and sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) were used as polymer, co-polymer, and surfactant. The nanosuspension particles are characterized for particle size, zeta potential, viscosity, polydispersity index (PDI), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), In-vitro drug release kinetics, and short-term stability study.

RESULT

It was found to show considerable interaction with Cysteine, Serine, Aspartate, Threonine, and Matrix metalloproteases with the binding energy of -3.91, -6.7, -3.48, -8.42, respectively. Furthermore, the interaction of isradipine with FAK-1 was compared with 7 native ligands and was found to show significant interaction with a binding energy of -8.62, -7.27, -7.69, -5.67, -5.41, -7.44, -8.21. The optimized nanosuspension was evaluated and exhibited the particle size of 754.9 nm, zeta potential of 32.5 mV, the viscosity of 1.287 cp, and PDI of 1.000. The in-vitro dissolution of the optimized formulation (F8) was higher (96.57%).

CONCLUSION

Isradipine could act as a potential inhibitor of different proteases and FAK-1 associated with tumor growth initiation, progression, and metastasis. Furthermore, isradipine-loaded nanosuspension with optimized release could be utilized to deliver the anticancer drug in a more targeted way as emerging cancer nanotechnology.

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.

Development and Evaluation of Polymeric Nanosponge Hydrogel for Terbinafine Hydrochloride: Statistical Optimization, In Vitro and In Vivo Studies

Terbinafine hydrochloride, although one of the prominent antifungal agents, suffers from low drug permeation owing to its hydrophobic nature. The approach of nanosponge formulation may thus help to resolve this concern. Thus, the present research was envisioned to fabricate the nanosponge hydrogel of terbinafine hydrochloride for topical delivery since nanosponge augments the skin retentivity of the drug. The optimized formulation was obtained using Box Behnken Design. The dependent and independent process parameters were also determined wherein polyvinyl alcohol (%), ethylcellulose (%), and tween 80 (%) were taken as independent process parameters and particle size, polydispersity index (PDI), and entrapment efficiency (EE) were the dependent parameters. The nanosponge was then incorporated into the hydrogel and characterized. In-vitro drug release from the hydrogel was 90.20 ± 0.1% which was higher than the drug suspension and marketed formulation. In vitro permeation potential of the developed formulation through rat skin showed a flux of 0.594 ± 0.22 µg/cm²/h while the permeability coefficient was 0.059 ± 0.022 cm/s. Nanosponge hydrogel was evaluated for non-irritancy and antifungal activity against C. albicans and T. rubrum confirming the substantial outcome. Tape stripping studies exhibited ten times stripping off the skin quantified 85.6 ± 0.21 μg/cm². The confocal analysis justified the permeation potential of the prepared hydrogel. The mean erythemal score was 0.0, confirming that the prepared hydrogel did not cause erythema or oedema. Therefore, based on results obtained, nanosponge hydrogel formulation is a potential carrier for efficient topical delivery of terbinafine hydrochloride.

Formulation Design, Statistical Optimization, and In Vitro Evaluation of a Naringenin Nanoemulsion to Enhance Apoptotic Activity in A549 Lung Cancer Cells

Naringenin (NAR), a flavonoid mainly found in citrus and grapefruits, has proven anti-cancer activities. However, the poor water solubility and low bioavailability of NAR limits its use as a therapeutic agent. The aim of this study was to develop and optimize stable naringenin nanoemulsions (NAR-NE) using a Box-Behnken experimental design to obtain a formulation with a higher efficiency. Anticancer activity of optimized NAR-NE was evaluated in A549 lung cancer cells using cell viability, flow-cytometric assays, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The stabilized nanoemulsion, which showed a spherical surface morphology, had a globule size of 85.6 ± 2.1 nm, a polydispersity index of 0.263 ± 0.02, a zeta potential of -9.6 ± 1.2 mV, and a drug content of 97.34 ± 1.3%. The NAR release from the nanoemulsion showed an initial burst release followed by a stable and controlled release for a longer period of 24 h. The nanoemulsion exhibited excellent thermodynamic and physical stability against phase separation and storage. The NAR-NE showed concentration-dependent cytotoxicity in A549 lung cancer cells, which was greater than that of free NAR. The percentage of apoptotic cells and cell cycle arrest at the G2/M and pre-G1 phases induced by NAR-NE were significantly higher than those produced by free NAR (p < 0.05). NAR-NEs were more effective than the NAR solution in reducing Bcl2 expression, while increasing pro-apoptotic Bax and caspase-3 activity. Therefore, stabilized NAR-NE could be a suitable drug delivery system to enhance the effects of NAR in the treatment of lung cancer.

Mangiferin-Loaded Polymeric Nanoparticles: Optical Characterization, Effect of Anti-topoisomerase I, and Cytotoxicity

Mangiferin is an important xanthone compound presenting various biological activities. The objective of this study was to develop, characterize physicochemical properties, and evaluate the anti-topoisomerase activity of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles containing mangiferin. The nanoparticles were developed by the emulsion solvent evaporation method and the optimal formulation was obtained with a response surface methodology (RSM); this formulation showed a mean size of 176.7 ± 1.021 nm with a 0.153 polydispersibility index (PDI) value, and mangiferin encapsulation efficiency was about 55%. The optimal conditions (6000 rpm, 10 min, and 300 μg of mangiferin) obtained 77% and the highest entrapment efficiency (97%). The in vitro release profile demonstrated a gradual release of mangiferin from 15 to 180 min in acidic conditions (pH 1.5). The fingerprint showed a modification in the maximum absorption wavelength of both the polymer and the mangiferin. Results of anti-toposiomerase assay showed that the optimal formulation (MG4, 25 µg/mL) had antiproliferative activity. High concentrations (2500 µg/mL) of MG4 showed non-in vitro cytotoxic effect on BEAS 2B and HEPG2. Finally, this study showed an encapsulation process with in vitro gastric digestion resistance (1.5 h) and without interfering with the metabolism of healthy cells and their biological activity.

A chemotherapeutic approach targeting the acidic tumor microenvironment: combination of a proton pump inhibitor and paclitaxel for statistically optimized nanotherapeutics

Development of statistically optimized, paclitaxel–lansoprazole, dual drug loaded PLGA nanoparticles as a promising tumor acidic microenvironment targeted chemotherapeutic approach.

Development and optimization of methotrexate-loaded lipid-polymer hybrid nanoparticles for controlled drug delivery applications

Lipid-polymer hybrid nanoparticles (LPHNPs) are emerging platforms for drug delivery applications. In the present study, methotrexate loaded LPHNPs consisted of PLGA and Lipoid S100 were fabricated by employing a single-step modified nanoprecipitation method combined with self-assembly. A three factor, three level Box Behnken design using Design-Expert^® software was employed to access the influence of three independent variables on the particle size, drug entrapment and percent drug release. The optimized formulation was selected through numeric optimization approach. The results were supported with the ANOVA analysis, regression equations and response surface plots. Transmission electron microscope images indicated the nanosized and spherical shape of the LPHNPs with fair size distribution. The nanoparticles ranged from 176 to 308nm, which increased with increased polymer concentration. The increase in polymer and lipid concentration also increased the drug entrapment efficiency. The in vitro drug release was in range 70.34-91.95% and the release mechanism follow the Higuchi model (R²=0.9888) and Fickian diffusion (n<0.5). The in vitro cytotoxicity assay and confocal microscopy of the optimized formulation demonstrate the good safety and better internalization of the LPHNPs. The cell antiproliferation showed the spatial and controlled action of the nanoformulation as compared to the plain drug solution. The results suggest that LPHNPs can be a promising delivery system envisioned to safe, stable and potentially controlled delivery of methotrexate to the cancer cells to achieve better therapeutic outcomes.