Qualitative and quantitative analysis of patent data in nanomedicine for bridging the gap between research activities and practical applications

Application of text-mining techniques for extraction and analysis of paracetamol and ibuprofen marketed products' qualitative composition

Text mining (TM) applications in the field of biomedicine are gaining great interest. TM tools can facilitate formulation development by analyzing textual information from patent databases, scientific articles, summary of products characteristics, etc. The aim of this study was to utilize TM tools to perform qualitative analysis of paracetamol (PAR) and ibuprofen (IBU) formulations, in terms of identifying and evaluating the presence of excipients specific to the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and/or dosage form. A total of 152 products were analyzed. Web-scraping was used to retrieve the data, and Python-based open-source software Orange 3.31.1 was used for TM and statistical analysis (ANOVA) of the obtained results. The majority of marketed products for both APIs were tablets. The predominant excipients in all tablet formulations were povidone, starch, microcrystalline cellulose and hypromellose. Povidone, stearic acid, potassium sorbate, maize starch and pregelatinized starch occurred more frequently in PAR tablets. On the other hand, titanium dioxide, lactose, shellac, sucrose and ammonium hydroxide were specific to IBU tablets. PAR oral suspensions more frequently contained dispersible cellulose; liquid sorbitol; methyl and propyl parahydroxybenzoate, glycerol and acesulfame potassium. Specific excipients in other PAR dosage forms, such as effervescent tablets, hard capsules, oral powders, solutions and suspensions, as well as IBU gels and soft capsules, were also evaluated.

Prospective Study on Microencapsulation of Oils and Its Application in Foodstuffs

BACKGROUND

Edible oils have gained the interest of several industrial sectors for the different health benefits they offer, such as the supply of bioactive compounds and essential fatty acids. Microencapsulation is one of the techniques that has been adopted by industries to minimize the degradation of oils, facilitating their processing.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the intellectual property related to patent documents referring to microencapsulated oils used in foods.

METHODS

This prospective study investigated the dynamics of patents filed in the Espacenet and National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) databases, and it mapped technological developments in microencapsulation in comparison with scientific literature.

RESULTS

The years 2015 and 2018 showed the greatest growth in the number of patents filed in the Espacenet and INPI databases, respectively, with China leading the domains of origin, inventors, and owners of microencapsulation technology. The largest number of applications of microcapsules were observed in the food industry, and the foods containing microencapsulated oils were powdered seasonings, dairy products, rice flour, nutritional formulae, pasta, nutritional supplements, and bread. The increase in oxidative stabilities of oils was the most cited objective to microencapsulate oils. Spray drying was the most widely used microencapsulation technique, and maltodextrin, gum arabic, and modified starch were the most widely used wall materials.

CONCLUSION

Microencapsulation of oils has been expanding over the years and increasing the possibilities of the use of microcapsules, but further investments and development of policies and incentive programs to boost this technology need to be made in less developed countries. For future perspectives, the microencapsulation technique is already a worldwide trend in the food industry, enabling the development of new products to facilitate their insertion in the consumer market.

Can Nanoparticles in Homeopathic Remedies Enhance Phototherapy of Cancer? A Hypothetical Model

The continuous rise in cancer incidence places a massive burden on the health sector to increase efforts in the fight against cancer. As a holistic complementary medicine modality, homeopathy has the potential to assist in the supportive and palliative treatment of cancer patients. Recent empirical studies demonstrate the presence of silica and original source nanoparticles in ultra-high dilutions of several homeopathic medicines. Recent studies have also demonstrated the efficacy of phototherapy in inducing the ablation of cancer cells through laser-activated nanoparticle photosensitizers. A new hypothetical research model is presented herein, in an attempt to investigate and compare the phototherapeutic effects of homeopathic source nanoparticles with photosensitizing nanoparticle agents that have previously been tested.

Prioritising breast cancer theranostics: A current medical longing in oncology

The Theranostics approach has full potential to completely transform the contemporary medicine system to a patient-centric approach, as it is emerging in quite efficient manner, over the past few years. The primary impetus of this review is to analyse the patent growth in the domain of breast cancer theranostics. This wholesome analysis provides an insight into the current technological and R & D advancement over the years, in breast cancer theranostics. Thus, guide the end-users in getting the conclusion for policymaking and other public recommendations. This patent assessment also foretells about the future trends to carry out further achievements. Due to their easy availability, information richness, & versatility, patent's role in R&D policy has been emphasized by stake holders of innovation including scientists time to time. Graphical Abstract: The figure illustrates the applied technologies used for breast cancer theranostics by top three forward cited patents (A) The oligonucleotides with specific sequences (comprised of at least one of DNA, RNA, PNA. LNA, UNA or combination)¹ are capable of binding a targeted tumor protein (PARP1, HISTIHIB, HISTIHID, NCL, FBL, SFPQ, RPL12, ACTB, HIST1H4A, SSBP1, NONO, H2AFJ, and DDX21, forming a tumor protein complex or subunit or their fragments and might block the tumoral activity. These are also capable of binding to Ramos cells (Derived from Human Burkitt's lymphoma that is negative for Epstein Barr virus). These can also bind cell surface nucleolin and may inhibit cell proliferation. These molecules with detection agent detect the presence or level of disease specific protein. (B) These aptamers with chemical functionalization can be conjugated to an amine linker or high molecular weight non-immunogenic compound or a drug or cytotoxic moiety or labelled with fluorescent agent. These chemically modified aptamers can also bind disease - specific biomarkers e.g., circulating biomarkers, micro- vesicle surface antigens or their functional fragments and can be subsequently used for early diagnosis, prognosis or therapeutic purposes. ¹PNA: Peptide Nucleic Acid. LNA: Locked Nucleic Acid. UNA: Unlocked Nucleic Acid.