Curcumin nanogel and its efficacy against oxidative stress and inflammation in rat models of ischemic stroke

Aim: The study was designed to develop and analyze curcumin nanoparticles. Methods: Curcumin nanoparticles were formulated and evaluated. Their efficacy in protecting against brain damage was investigated in a rat model of ischemic stroke, considering motor function, muscle strength and antioxidant enzyme activity. Results: Curcumin nanoparticles displayed a zeta potential of -55 ± 13.5 mV and an average particle size of 51.40 ± 21.70 nm. In ischemic stroke rat models, curcumin nanoparticle treatment significantly improved motor functions, and muscle strength and increased the activities of antioxidant enzymes like glutathione peroxidase, glutathione, glutathione S-transferase, superoxide dismutase and catalase, reducing oxidative stress and inflammation. Conclusion: Curcumin nanoparticles showed significant neuroprotective effects in ischemic stroke models.

Carboxylated nanofibrillated cellulose empowers moxifloxacin to overcome Staphylococcus aureus biofilm in bacterial keratitis

Bacterial keratitis is one of the vision-threatening ocular diseases that is increasing at an alarming rate due to antimicrobial resistance. One of the primary causes of antimicrobial resistance could be biofilm formation, which alters the mechanism and physiology of the microorganisms. Even a potent drug fails to inhibit biofilm due to the extracellular polysaccharide matrix surrounding the bacteria, inhibiting the permeation of drugs. Therefore, we aimed to develop carboxylated nanocellulose fibers loaded with moxifloxacin (Mox-cNFC) as a novel drug delivery system to treat bacterial corneal infection. Nanocellulose fibers were fabricated using a two-step method involving citric acid hydrolysis followed by TEMPO oxidation to introduce carboxylated groups (1.12 mmol/g). The Mox-cNFC particles showed controlled drug release till 40 h through diffusion. In vitro biofilm inhibition studies showed the particle's ability to disrupt the biofilm matrix and enhance the drug penetration to achieve optimal concentrations that inhibit the persister cells (without increasing minimum inhibitory concentration), thereby reducing the bacterial drug-resistant property. In vivo studies revealed the therapeutic potential of Mox-cNFC to treat Staphylococcus aureus-induced bacterial keratitis with once-a-day treatment, unlike neat moxifloxacin. Mox-cNFC could improve patient compliance by reducing the frequency of instillation and a controlled drug release to prevent toxicity.

Study on the Nasal Drug Delivery System of NMD Liposomes In Situ Thermosensitive Gel

Nimodipine (NMD) is a 1,4-dihydropyridine calcium antagonist that is effective in the prevention and treatment of cerebral arterial vasospasm and cerebral ischemic injury caused by subarachnoid hemorrhage. Since the drug itself is highly insoluble in water and has low oral bioavailability, while injectable formulations may cause pain and inflammation, the blood-brain barrier (BBB) prevents the effective delivery of therapeutic agents to the brain tissue. Therefore, in the present study, NMD liposomes were prepared by ethanol injection and innovatively lyophilised and loaded into temperature-sensitive in situ gels for intranasal administration as sprays to deliver drugs to brain tissues bypassing the blood-brain barrier. The optimal gel formulation was obtained by screening in which liposomes were divided into lecithin, cholesterol, and NMD in the ratio of 40:10: 1; Pluronic P407, Pluronic P188, Tween 80, polyvinyl ketone and ethyl nipagin in the ratio of (180:20:3:1:1); Pluronic P407, Pluronic P188, Tween 80, polyvinyl ketone, and ethyl nipagin in the ratio of (180:20:3:1:1). The prepared flow gel can form a solidified gel after a temperature of 31.07-32.07°C and a time of 58.51-59.89 s. Meanwhile, the NMD liposome gel formulation achieved sustained release over 56 h. The pharmacokinetic results of the developed NMD liposomal temperature-sensitive in situ gel and NMD temperature-sensitive in situ gel showed that liposomal nasal mucosal in situ gel is a more effective brain-targeted drug delivery system for NMD.

Development of Bedaquiline-Loaded SNEDDS Using Quality by Design (QbD) Approach to Improve Biopharmaceutical Attributes for the Management of Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB)

Background: The ever-growing emergence of antibiotic resistance associated with tuberculosis (TB) has become a global challenge. In 2012, the USFDA gave expedited approval to bedaquiline (BDQ) as a new treatment for drug-resistant TB in adults when no other viable options are available. BDQ is a diarylquinoline derivative and exhibits targeted action on mycobacterium tuberculosis, but due to poor solubility, the desired therapeutic action is not achieved. Objective: To develop a QbD-based self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system of bedaquiline using various oils, surfactants, and co-surfactants. Methods: The quality target product profile (QTPP) and critical quality attributes (CQAs) were identified with a patient-centric approach, which facilitated the selection of critical material attributes (CMAs) during pre-formulation studies and initial risk assessment. Caprylic acid as a lipid, propylene glycol as a surfactant, and Transcutol-P as a co-surfactant were selected as CMAs for the formulation of bedaquiline fumarate SNEDDS. Pseudo-ternary phase diagrams were constructed to determine the optimal ratio of oil and Smix. To optimize the formulation, a Box-Benkhen design (BBD) was used. The optimized formulation (BDQ-F-SNEDSS) was further evaluated for parameters such as droplet size, polydispersity index (PDI), percentage transmittance, dilution studies, stability studies, and cell toxicity through the A549 cell. Results: Optimized BDQ-F-SNEDDS showed well-formed droplets of 98.88 ± 2.1 nm with a zeta potential of 21.16 mV. In vitro studies showed enhanced drug release with a high degree of stability at 25 ± 2 °C, 60 ± 5% and 40 ± 2 °C, 75 ± 5%. Furthermore, BDQ-F-SNEDDS showed promising cell viability in A549 cells, indicating BDQ-F-SNEDDS as a safer formulation for oral delivery. Conclusion: Finally, it was concluded that the utilization of a QbD approach in the development of BDQ-F-loaded SNEDDS offers a promising strategy to improve the biopharmaceutical properties of the drug, resulting in potential cost and time savings.

Engineered Nano-carrier Systems for the oral targeted delivery of Follicle Stimulating Hormone: Development, characterization, and, assessment of in vitro and in vivo performance and targetability

Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) is widely used for the treatment of female infertility, where the level of FSH is suboptimal due to which arrest in follicular development and anovulation takes place. Currently, only parenteral formulations are available for FSH in the market. Due to the drawbacks of parenteral administration and the high market shares of FSH, there is a need for easily accessible oral formulation. Therefore, enteric coated capsules filled with FSH loaded nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) or liposomes were prepared. Preliminary studies such as circular dichroism, SDS-PAGE, FTIR and ELISA were conducted to analyze FSH. Prepared formulations were optimized with respect to the size, polydispersity index, zeta potential, and entrapment efficiency using the design of experiments. Optimized formulations were subjected to particle counts and distribution analysis, TEM analysis, in vitro drug release, dissolution of enteric coated capsules, cell line studies, everted sac rat's intestinal uptake study, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and stability studies. In the case of liposomes, RGD conjugation was done by carbodiimide chemistry and conjugation was confirmed by FTIR, ¹HNMR and Raman spectroscopy. The prepared formulations were discrete and spherical. The release of FSH from enteric coated capsules was slow and sustained. The increased permeability of nano-formulations was observed in Caco-2 monoculture as well as in Caco-2 and Raji-B co-culture models. NLCs and liposomes showed an improvement in oral bioavailability and efficacy of FSH in rats. This may be due to mainly chylomicron-assisted lymphatic uptake of NLCs; whereas, in the case of liposomes, RGD-based targeting of β1 integrins of M cells on Peyer's patches may be the main reason for the better effect by FSH. FSH was found to be stable chemically and conformationally. Overall, the study reveals the successful development and evaluation of FSH loaded NLCs and liposomes.

Nose-to-brain delivery of paliperidone palmitate poloxamer-guar gum nanogel: Formulation, optimization and pharmacological studies in rats

Oral delivery of paliperidone palmitate (PPD), a potent antipsychotic agent, has been reported with a potential risk of very serious drug-induced adverse events such as tachycardia, hyperprolactinemia, sexual dysfunction, and neutropenia. Alternatively, the potential of nasal delivery has also been explored to treat CNS complications by delivering the medicines directly to the brain bypassing the blood-brain barrier. Hence, the objectives of current work were to formulate, design, optimize, and investigate the therapeutic potency of PPD-loaded intranasal in-situ gel (PPGISG) in the treatment of schizophrenia. PPD-nanoemulsion (PNE) was fabricated using water titration technique, was further optimized via Box-Behnken design. Furthermore, the optimized PNE was evaluated for parameters such as globule size, polydispersity index, zeta potential, and % entrapment efficiency were found to be 21.44±1.58nm, 0.268±0.02, -25.56±1.6mV, and 99.89±0.25%, respectively. PNE was further converted to PPGISG utilizing two polymers, poloxamer, and guar gum. Simultaneously, ex-vivo permeation for PNE, PPGISG, and PPD-suspension was found to be 211.40±4.8, 297.89±3.9 and 98.66±1.6μg/cm², respectively. While PPGISG nanoparticles showed 1.58 and 5.65-folds more J_ss than PNE and PPD-suspension. Behavioral studies confirmed that no extrapyramidal symptoms were observed in experimental animals post intranasal administration. Finally, the outcomes of the in-vivo hemato-compatibility study proved that intranasal formulation did not cause any alteration in leukocytes, RBCs, and neutrophils count. Therefore, intranasal delivery of PPGISG can be considered a novel tool for the safe delivery of PPD in schizophrenic patients.

Nanostructured Lipid Carriers for Oral Delivery of a Corticosteroid: Role of Formulation on Biopharmaceutical Performance

Corticosteroids are potent anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive drugs widely used world-wide for treatment of diverse conditions. However, their use is restricted by their poor bioavailability and high risk-benefit ratio. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop nanostructred lipid carriers (NLC) of prednisolone acetate (PA) to improve the drug's therapeutic outcome by altering its pharmacokinetic profile and/or allow preferential targeting to inflammatory tissues. PA-loaded NLCs were formulated by solvent injection method using Compritol (solid lipid), oleic acid (liquid lipid) and Tween 80 or Pluronic F68 (surfactant). Formulation conditions, such as liquid lipid concentration, total lipids, drug:lipid ratio and surfactant type were optimized based on particle size (PS), polydispersity index (PDI), and encapsulation efficiency (EE%) results. Optimized formulation was further characterized for its surface morphology, thermal properties, storage stability and anti-inflammatory activity in an animal acute inflammation model. Selected NLCs displayed PS of 170.7 nm, EE% of 67.4%, sustained release over 72 h and good stability for 30 days at refrigeration conditions. PA NLCs displayed superior anti-inflammatory activity of 83.9 ± 4.46% compared to PA suspension (40.5 ± 7.03%) and drug-free NLCs (54.7 ± 6.12%). The current work delineates the potential of NLCs for distinctly improved biopharmaceutical performance of PA.

Boosting the In Vivo Transdermal Bioavailability of Asenapine Maleate Using Novel Lavender Oil-Based Lipid Nanocapsules for Management of Schizophrenia

Lipid nanocapsules (LNCs) are promising for transdermal drug delivery due to their higher permeability-enhancing effects compared to polymeric nanoparticles. Lavender oil is an essential oil consisting of several terpenes (primarily linalool and linalyl acetate) known for their profound permeation-enhancing action. In the present work, we successfully encapsulated asenapine maleate (a second-generation antipsychotic that is highly metabolized by the liver, reducing its oral bioavailability) into biocompatible LNCs for transdermal application using a novel oily phase, i.e., lavender oil (LO-LNCs). A comparative study was conducted to determine the effects of different oily phases (i.e., Miglyol^® 812, Labrafil^® M1944CS, and Labrafac™ PG) on the LNCs. Surfactant types (Kolliphor^® HS15, Kolliphor^® EL and Tween80) and oil:surfactant ratios were studied. Blank and asenapine-loaded LNCs were optimized for particle size, polydispersity index, zeta potential, drug content and ex vivo skin permeation. Lavender oil and Labrafil^® showed smaller vesicular sizes, while LO-LNCs increased the permeation of ASP across rat skin. In vivo pharmacokinetics revealed that LO-LNCs could increase the ASP C_max via transdermal application by fourfold compared to oral suspension. They increased the bioavailability of ASP by up to 52% and provided sustained release for three days. The pharmacokinetic profile of the LO-LNCs was compared to ASP-loaded invasomes (discussed in a previous study) to emphasize LNCs' transdermal delivery behavior.

Enhanced encapsulation efficiency and controlled release of co-encapsulated Bacillus coagulans spores and vitamin B9 in gellan/κ-carrageenan/chitosan tri-composite hydrogel

The current study, for the first time, attempts to co-encapsulate Bacillus coagulans spores as probiotics and vitamin B9 in the polysaccharide-based matrix for their targeted delivery. Instead of vegetative cells, probiotic spores were chosen owing to their higher stability. The matrix, tri-composite hydrogel, was synthesized from gellan, κ-carrageenan, and chitosan through self-assembly devoid of chemical cross-linkers. Hence, it was found suitable for application in the co-encapsulation of bioactive compounds. The synthesized hydrogel showed remarkable encapsulation efficiency for folic acid and probiotic spores, both individually and in combination. At acidic pH, loaded hydrogel exhibited 28.42 % and 45.14 % release of spores and folic acid, respectively, which was comparatively lower than the trends observed under neutral and alkaline pH. These results were correlated with the release pattern observed during in vitro digestibility studies. Moreover, spore conversion to vegetative cells and its high colonization were observed in the simulated intestinal phase. Therefore, the matrix maintained viability and stability of co-encapsulated folic acid and bacterial spores in gastric pH while they were slowly released in the intestinal phase. These promising findings pave the way to develop a natural matrix for co-encapsulating various bioactive compounds and probiotics.

Development of favipiravir loaded PLGA nanoparticles entrapped in in-situ gel for treatment of Covid-19 via nasal route

In 2019 the emergence of SARS-COV-2 caused pandemic situation worldwide and claimed ∼6.4 M lives (WHO 2022). Favipiravir (FAV) is recommended as a therapy for Covid-19 which belongs to BCS class III with a short half-life of 2-5.5h. Thus, the objective of current study was the development of favipiravir loaded PLGA nanoparticles (NPs) by box-behnken design. Moreover, these NPs were entrapped in thermosensitive gel to increase the permeation through nasal route. The nanoparticles exhibit particle size of 175.6 ± 2 nm with >70 ± 0.5 %EE. NPs showed PDI (0.130) and zeta potential (-17.1 mV) suggesting homogeneity and stability of NPs. DSC, XRD, and FTIR studies concluded absence of any interaction of FAV and the excipients. SEM and AFM studies demonstrated spherical morphology of NPs with smooth surface. The NPs entrapped in-situ gel showed clarity and pH 5.5-6.1. The gelation temperature of NPs dispersed in-situ gel was found in the range of 35 °C -37 °C. The gel has viscosity in range of 34592-4568 cps. The texture analysis profile of gel showed good gelling properties. Dissolution study suggested a sustained release of FAV from NPs (24h) and NPs dispersed gel (32h) as compared to FAV solution (4h). The gel showed good mucoadhesion properties (9373.9 dyne/cm²). Ex-vivo permeation through nasal mucosa of goat elucidated NPs dispersed gel demonstrated significantly higher permeation than solution and NPs. Therefore, it would be a prospective formulation to combat Covid-19 infection with high patient compliance.

A Pharmaco-Technical Investigation of Thymoquinone and Peat-Sourced Fulvic Acid Nanoemulgel: A Combination Therapy

Thymoquinone has a multitude of pharmacological effects and has been researched for a wide variety of indications, but with limited clinical success. It is associated with pharmaco-technical caveats such as hydrophobicity, high degradation, and a low oral bioavailability. A prudent approach warrants its usage through an alternative dermal route in combination with functional excipients to harness its potential for treating dermal afflictions, such as psoriasis. Henceforth, the present study explores a nanoformulation approach for designing a fulvic acid (peat-sourced)-based thymoquinone nanoemulsion gel (FTQ-NEG) for an enhanced solubility and improved absorption. The excipients, surfactant/co-surfactant, and oil selected for the o/w nanoemulsion (FTQ-NE) are Tween 80/Transcutol-P and kalonji oil. The formulation methodology includes high-energy ultrasonication complemented with a three-dimensional/factorial Box-Behnken design for guided optimization. The surface morphology assessment through scanning/transmission electron microscopy and fluorescence microscopy revealed a 100 nm spherical, globule-like structure of the prepared nanoemulsion. Furthermore, the optimized FTQ-NE had a zeta potential of -2.83 ± 0.14 Mv, refractive index of 1.415 ± 0.036, viscosity of 138.5 ± 3.08 mp, and pH of 5.8 ± 0.16, respectively. The optimized FTQ-NE was then formulated as a gel using Carbopol 971^® (1%). The in vitro release analysis of the optimized FTQ-NEG showed a diffusion-dominant drug release (Higuchi model) for 48 h. The drug permeation flux observed for FTQ-NEG (3.64 μg/cm²/h) was much higher compared to that of the pure drug (1.77 mg/cm²/h). The results were further confirmed by confocal microscopy studies, which proved the improved penetration of thymoquinone through mice skin. Long-term stability studies of the purported formulation were also conducted and yielded satisfactory results.

Meta-Analysis: A Convenient Tool for the Choice of Nose-to-Brain Nanocarriers

OBJECTIVES

The intranasal route represents a high promising route of administration aiming for brain delivery. Yet, it represents one of the most difficult and complicated routes. Accordingly, scientists are in a continuous search for novel drug delivery vehicles such as the lipid and polymeric nanoparticles that are apt to enhance the bioavailability of the administered drugs to reach the brain. In this study, a certain number of publications were selected from different databases and literature. Meta-analysis studies using two different algorithms (DerSimonian-Laird and inverse variance) followed aiming to explore the published studies and confirm by evidence the superiority of nanocarriers in enhancing the brain bioavailability of various drugs. Furthermore, the quantitative comparison of lipid versus polymeric nanosystems was performed.

METHODS

The area under the curve (AUC) as an important pharmacokinetic parameter extracted from in vivo animal studies was designated as the "effect" in the performed meta-analysis after normalization. Forest plots were generated.

KEY FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS

The meta-analysis confirmed the augmentation of the AUC after the comparison with traditional preparations such as solutions and suspensions. Most importantly, lipid nanoparticles were proven to be significantly superior to the polymeric counterparts.

Central Composite Design Implemented Azilsartan Medoxomil Loaded Nanoemulsion to Improve Its Aqueous Solubility and Intestinal Permeability: In Vitro and Ex Vivo Evaluation

The present research attempted to design and develop a nanoemulsion formulation of azilsartan medoxomil to improve its aqueous solubility and intestinal permeability. Based on the solubility profile, ethyl oleate, tween 80, and Transcutol P were selected as the oil phase, surfactant, and co-surfactant, respectively. Central composite design (CCD) suggested an optimized azilsartan medoxomil- nanoemulsion formulation (optimized AZL-NE formulation) with 1.25% oil, 15.73% Smix, and 90 s ultrasonication time; it was found to have the droplet size, percentage transmittance, and % cumulative drug release (%CDR) of 71.5 nm, 93.46 ± 1.13%, and 90.14 ± 0.94%, respectively. Furthermore, it exhibited a 0.141 polydispersity index, 34.05 mV zeta potential, a 1.413 ± 0.03 refractive index, 6.68 ± 0.22 pH, 28.17 ± 0.52 cps viscosity, and a 96.98 ± 0.94% percentage drug content. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) assessed the nano-sized spherical shape, and a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) assessed the solubilization of the drug in the optimized formulation. The %CDR was 1.71 times higher and the % cumulative drug permeation was 2.1 times higher for the optimized AZL-NE formulation than for the drug suspension through an intestinal segment of a rat, which was also supported by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) studies. Thus, the nanoemulsion formulation of azilsartan medoxomil ensured the enhancement of the drug availability in the body.

Unraveling enhanced brain delivery of paliperidone-loaded lipid nanoconstructs: pharmacokinetic, behavioral, biochemical, and histological aspects

Antipsychotics are accompanied by extrapyramidal side effects that deter treatment adherence and patient compliance. Paliperidone (PPD), an atypical (second-generation) antipsychotic recommended for managing schizophrenia presents biopharmaceutical challenges and pharmacological constraints which dissuade it from crossing the brain barrier. The present research aimed to assess paliperidone-loaded lipid nanoconstruct (PPD-LNC) for an improved antipsychotic activity for managing schizophrenia. High % cell viability in Neuro-2a cells (70–98%) exhibited the safety of PPD-LNC. The pharmacokinetic data showed a 3.46-fold improvement in the relative bioavailability in the brain for PPD-LNC compared to a drug suspension. The pharmacodynamic evaluation demonstrated a significant (p < .05) reduction in cataleptic behavior, attenuated escape latency, and prolonged stay in the open arm with PPD-LNC, thus showing its effectiveness in reducing extrapyramidal symptoms. The histopathological images further validated the safety of the formulation. Reduction in NF-κB levels as identified by immunohistochemical analysis exhibited the anti-inflammatory effect of PPD-LNC. The formulation demonstrated significant (p < .01) improvement in the activity of oxidative stress parameters and attenuation of neuroinflammatory markers. Based on the study findings, it was observed that formulating LNC of PPD would surmount the pharmacological constraints, improve the in vivo performance, and diminish the associated side effects.

Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Intranasal Solid Lipid Nanoparticles and Nanostructured Lipid Carriers for Nose-to-Brain Delivery

Nose-to-brain drug delivery has been of great interest for the treatment of many central nervous system (CNS) diseases and psychiatric disorders over past decades. Several nasally administered formulations have been developed to circumvent the blood-brain barrier and directly deliver drugs to the CNS through the olfactory and trigeminal pathways. However, the nasal mucosa’s drug absorption is insufficient and the volume of the nasal cavity is small, which, in combination, make nose-to-brain drug delivery challenging. These problems could be minimized using formulations based on solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) or nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs), which are effective nose-to-brain drug delivery systems that improve drug bioavailability by increasing drug solubility and permeation, extending drug action, and reducing enzymatic degradation. Various research groups have reported in vivo pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of SLNs and NLCs nose-to-brain delivery systems. This review was undertaken to provide an overview of these studies and highlight research performed on SLN and NLC-based formulations aimed at improving the treatment of CNS diseases such neurodegenerative diseases, epilepsy, and schizophrenia. We discuss the efficacies and brain targeting efficiencies of these formulations based on considerations of their pharmacokinetic parameters and toxicities, point out some gaps in current knowledge, and propose future developmental targets.

Lipid Nanocarriers Overlaid with Chitosan for Brain Delivery of Berberine via the Nasal Route

This research aimed to design, optimize, and evaluate berberine-laden nanostructured lipid carriers overlaid with chitosan (BER-CTS-NLCs) for efficient brain delivery via the intranasal route. The nanostructured lipid carriers containing berberine (BER-NLCs) were formulated via hot homogenization and ultrasonication strategy and optimized for the influence of a variety of causal variables, including the amount of glycerol monostearate (solid lipid), poloxamer 407 (surfactant) concentration, and oleic acid (liquid lipid) amount, on size of the particles, entrapment, and the total drug release after 24 h. The optimal BER-NLCs formulation was then coated with chitosan. Their diameter, in vitro release, surface charge, morphology, ex vivo permeability, pH, histological, and in vivo (pharmacokinetics and brain uptake) parameters were estimated. BER-CTS-NLCs had a size of 180.9 ± 4.3 nm, sustained-release properties, positive surface charge of 36.8 mV, and augmented ex-vivo permeation via nasal mucosa. The histopathological assessment revealed that the BER-CTS-NLCs system is safe for nasal delivery. Pharmacokinetic and brain accumulation experiments showed that animals treated intranasally with BER-CTS-NLCs had substantially greater drug levels in the brain. The ratios of BER brain/blood levels at 30 min, AUC_brain/AUC_blood, drug transport percentage, and drug targeting efficiency for BER-CTS-NLCs (IN) were higher compared to BER solution (IN), suggesting enhanced brain targeting. The optimized nanoparticulate system is speculated to be a successful approach for boosting the effect of BER in treating CNS diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, through intranasal therapy.

Nanocarrier mediated drug delivery as an impeccable therapeutic approach against Alzheimer's disease

For the past several years, dementia, is one of the predominantly observed groups of symptoms in a geriatric population. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive memory related neurodegenerative disease, for which the current Food and drug administration approved therapeutics are only meant for a symptomatic management rather than targeting the root cause of AD. These therapeutics belong to two classes, Acetylcholine Esterase inhibitors and N-methyl D-aspartate antagonist. Furthermore, to facilitate neuroprotective action in AD, the drugs are majorly expected to reach the specific target area in the brain for the desired efficacy. Thus, there is a huge requirement for drug discovery and development for facilitating the entry of drugs more in brain to exert a specific action. The very first line of defense and the major limitation for the entry of drugs into the brain is the Blood Brain Barrier, followed by Blood-Cerebrospinal Fluid Barrier. More than a barrier, these mainly act as selectively permeable membranes, which allows entry of specific molecules into the brain. Furthermore, specific enzymes result in the degradation of xenobiotics. All these mechanisms pose as hurdles in the way of effective drug delivery in the brain. Thus, novel techniques need to be harbored for the facilitation of the delivery of such drugs into the brain. Nanocarriers are advantageous for facilitating the specific targeted drug treatment in AD. As nanomedicines are one of the novels and most useful approaches for AD, thus the present review mainly focuses on understanding the advanced use of nanocarriers for targeted drug delivery in the management of AD.

In Vitro Evaluation of Curcumin- and Quercetin-Loaded Nanoemulsions for Intranasal Administration: Effect of Surface Charge and Viscosity

The nose-to-brain delivery of neuroprotective natural compounds is an appealing approach for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Nanoemulsions containing curcumin (CUR) and quercetin (QU) were prepared by high-pressure homogenization and characterized physicochemically and structurally. A negative (CQ_NE−), a positive (CQ_NE+), and a gel (CQ_NEgel) formulation were developed. The mean particle size of the CQ_NE− and CQ_NE+ was below 120 nm, while this increased to 240 nm for the CQ_NEgel. The formulations showed high encapsulation efficiency and protected the CUR/QU from biological/chemical degradation. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy showed that the CUR/QU were located at the interface of the oil phase in the proximity of the surfactant layer. The cytotoxicity studies showed that the formulations containing CUR/QU protected human nasal cells from the toxicity evidenced for blank NEs. No permeation across an in vitro model nasal epithelium was evidenced for CUR/QU, probably due to their poor water-solubility and instability in physiological buffers. However, the nasal cells’ drug uptake showed that the total amount of CUR/QU in the cells was related to the NE characteristics (CQ_NE− > CQ_NE+ > CQ_NEgel). The method used allowed the obtainment of nanocarriers of an appropriate size for nasal administration. The treatment of the cells showed the protection of cellular viability, holding promise as an anti-inflammatory treatment able to prevent neurodegenerative diseases.

Design and evaluation of nanostructured lipid carriers loaded with Salvia officinalis extract for Alzheimer's disease treatment

Considering the potential of Salvia officinalis in prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD), as well as the ability of nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) to successfully deliver drug molecules across blood-brain barrier (BBB), the objective of this study was design, development, optimization and characterization of freeze-dried salvia officinalis extract (FSE) loaded NLC intended for intranasal administration. NLC were prepared by solvent evaporation method and the optimization was carried out using central composite design (CCD) of experiments. Further, the optimized formulation (NLCo) was coated either with chitosan (NLCc) or poloxamer (NLCp). Surface characterization of the particles demonstrated a spherical shape with smooth exterior. Particle size of optimal formulations after 0.45 μm pore size filtration ranged from 127 ± 0.68 nm to 140 ± 0.74 nm. The zeta potential was -25.6 ± 0.404 mV; 22.4 ± 1.106 mV and - 6.74 ± 0.609 mV for NLCo, NLCc, and NLCp, respectively. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) confirmed the formation of NLC whereas Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed the FSE encapsulation into particles. All formulations showcased relatively high drug loading (>86.74 mcg FSE/mg solid lipid) and were characterized by prolonged and controlled release that followed Peppas-Sahlin in vitro release kinetic model. Protein adsorption studies revealed the lowest adsorption of the proteins onto NLCp (43.53 ± 0.07%) and highest protein adsorption onto NLCc (55.97 ± 0.75%) surface. The modified ORAC assay demonstrated higher antioxidative activity for NLCo (95.31 ± 1.86%) and NLCc (97.76 ± 4.00%) as compared to FSE (90.30 ± 1.53%). Results obtained from cell cultures tests pointed to the potential of prepared NLCs for FSE brain targeting and controlled release.

Convolutions in the rendition of nose to brain therapeutics from bench to bedside: Feats & fallacies

Brain, a subtle organ of multifarious nature presents plethora of physiological, metabolic and bio-chemical convolutions that impede the delivery of biomolecules and thereby resulting in truncated therapeutic outcome in pathological conditions of central nervous system (CNS). The absolute bottleneck in the therapeutic management of such devastating CNS ailments is the BBB. Another pitfall is the lack of efficient technological platforms (due to high cost and low approval rates) as well as limited clinical trials (due to failures of neuro‑leads in late-stage pipelines) for CNS disorders which has become a literal brain drain with poorest success rates compared to other therapeutic areas, owing to time consuming processes, tremendous convolutions and conceivable adverse effects. With the advent of intranasal delivery (via direct N2B or indirect nose to blood to brain), several novel drug delivery carriers viz. unmodified or surface modified nanoparticle based carriers, lipid based colloidal nanocarriers and drysolid/liquid/semisolid nanoformulations or delivery platforms have been designed as a means to deliver therapeutic agents (small and large molecules, peptides and proteins, genes) to brain, bypassing BBB for disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), epilepsy, schizophrenia and CNS malignancies primarily glioblastomas. Intranasal application offers drug delivery through both direct and indirect pathways for the peripherally administered psychopharmacological agents to CNS. This route could also be exploited for the repurposing of conventional drugs for new therapeutic uses. The limited clinical translation of intranasal formulations has been primarily due to existence of barriers of mucociliary clearance in the nasal cavity, enzyme degradation and low permeability of the nasal epithelium. The present review literature aims to decipher the new paradigms of nano therapeutic systems employed for specific N2B drug delivery of CNS drugs through in silico complexation studies using rationally chosen mucoadhesive polymers (exhibiting unique physicochemical properties of nanocarrier's i.e. surface modification, prolonging retention time in the nasal cavity, improving penetration ability, and promoting brain specific delivery with biorecognitive ligands) via molecular docking simulations. Further, the review intends to delineate the feats and fallacies associated with N2B delivery approaches by understanding the physiological/anatomical considerations via decoding the intranasal drug delivery pathways or critical factors such as rationale and mechanism of excipients, affecting the permeability of CNS drugs through nasal mucosa as well as better efficacy in terms of brain targeting, brain bioavailability and time to reach the brain. Additionally, extensive emphasis has also been laid on the innovative formulations under preclinical investigation along with their assessment by means of in vitro /ex vivo/in vivo N2B models and current characterization techniques predisposing an efficient intranasal delivery of therapeutics. A critical appraisal of novel technologies, intranasal products or medical devices available commercially has also been presented. Finally, it could be warranted that more reminiscent pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic relationships or validated computational models are mandated to obtain effective screening of molecular architecture of drug-polymer-mucin complexes for clinical translation of N2B therapeutic systems from bench to bedside.

Design of long acting invasomal nanovesicles for improved transdermal permeation and bioavailability of asenapine maleate for the chronic treatment of schizophrenia

Asenapine Maleate (ASPM) is a second generation antipsychotic used for the management of schizophrenia but with very limited oral bioavailability due to its extensive first pass metabolism. Transdermal administration of ASPM using nanocarriers like invasomes might offer an excellent alternative to its oral administration with enhanced bioavailability and a sustained action. ASPM-loaded invasomes were successfully prepared by thin film hydration technique; meanwhile the penetration enhancing effect of terpenes (cineole and limonene) was compared to hydromiscible cosolvent (Transcutol®). Soft nanovesicles containing Transcutol® displayed smaller particle sizes than invasomes containing limonene and cineole while invasomes showed higher efficiency to encapsulate asenapine. Ex- vivo skin permeation revealed that invasomes with limonene are more efficient than those with cineole for the transdermal delivery of asenapine. The optimum nano-invasomes formulation contained 1% Limonene and showed particle size of 82 ± 0.6 nm, entrapment efficiency of 56.6 ± 1.5 % and transdermal flux of 3401.6 ± 604.2 (μg/h.cm²). Transmission electron microscopy of the selected formulation showed uniform spherical vesicles with intense outline and lighter core and FTIR study emphasized that ASPM was completely incorporated within the vesicles. The in- vivo pharmacokinetic study revealed that transdermal invasomes achieved 2 folds higher Cmax compared to oral suspension and delayed the Tmax from 1.5 h to around 4 h. The bioavailability of asenapine loaded invasomes after transdermal application was significantly improved to 54.5% compared to the 3.6 % achieved with the oral administration and exceeding the bioavailability of sublingual tablets currently available in the market and exhibited sustained release kinetics over 72 h which permits reduction of dosing frequency to increase patient adherence to medication.

Applications of innovative technologies to the delivery of antipsychotics

Psychosis is a high-incidence pathology associated with a profound alteration in the perception of reality. The limitations of drugs available on the market have stimulated the search for alternative solutions to achieve effective antipsychotic therapies. In this review, we evaluate innovative formulations of antipsychotic drugs developed through the application of modern pharmaceutical technologies, including classes of micro and nanocarriers, such as lipid formulations, polymeric nanoparticles (NPs), solid dispersions, and cyclodextrins (CDs). We also consider alternative routes of administration to the oral and parenteral ones currently used. Improved solubility, stability of preparations, and pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) parameters confirm the potential of these new formulations in the treatment of psychotic disorders.

Nose-to-brain delivery of amisulpride-loaded lipid-based poloxamer-gellan gum nanoemulgel: In vitro and in vivo pharmacological studies

Unfavorable side effects of available antipsychotics limit the use of conventional delivery systems, where limited exposure of the drugs to the systemic circulation could reduce the associated risks. The potential of intranasal delivery is gaining interest to treat brain disorders by delivering the drugs directly to the brain circumventing the tight junctions of the blood-brain barrier with limited systemic exposure of the entrapped therapeutic. Therefore, the present research was aimed to fabricate, optimize and investigate the therapeutic efficacy of amisulpride (AMS)-loaded intranasal in situ nanoemulgel (AMS-NG) in the treatment of schizophrenia. In this context, AMS nanoemulsion (AMS-NE) was prepared by employing aqueous-titration method and optimized using Box-Behnken statistical design. The optimized nanoemulsion was subjected to evaluation of globule size, transmittance, zeta potential, and mucoadhesive strength, which were found to be 92.15 nm, 99.57%, -18.22 mV, and 8.90 g, respectively. The AMS-NE was converted to AMS-NG using poloxamer 407 and gellan gum. Following pharmacokinetic evaluation in Wistar rats, the brain C_max for intranasal AMS-NG was found to be 1.48-folds and 3.39-folds higher when compared to intranasal AMS-NE and intravenous AMS-NE, respectively. Moreover, behavioral investigations of developed formulations were devoid of any extrapyramidal side effects in the experimental model. Finally, outcomes of the in vivo hematological study confirmed that intranasal administration of formulation for 28 days did not alter leukocytes and agranulocytes count. In conclusion, the promising results of the developed and optimized intranasal AMS-NG could provide a novel platform for the effective and safe delivery of AMS in schizophrenic patients.

Determination of Asenapine Maleate in Pharmaceutical and Biological Matrices: A Critical Review of Analytical Techniques over the Past Decade

Asenapine maleate is a second-generation atypical antipsychotic agent used in the treatment of schizophrenia, a neuropsychiatric disorder. It is available as a fast-dissolving sublingual tablet to avoid extensive first-pass metabolism with higher bioavailability as compared to oral formulations. Although, the established therapeutic solutions do not sufficiently satisfy the patient's safety and efficacy needs. Thus, the core research emphasis is to investigate strategies to produce novel formulations with enhanced safety and efficacy. This necessitates the development of robust, precise, and accurate methods for quantification of asenapine maleate in different sample matrices. Given the foregoing information, the current analysis concentrates on the different analytical techniques used to assess asenapine maleate in bulk, pharmaceutical formulations, and biological specimens. Reverse-phase HPLC coupled with UV detection is a majorly (nearly 50% of papers investigated) used technique for the estimation of asenapine maleate in formulations. On the other hand, for its quantification in the biological matrix, hyphenated techniques using mass spectrometry are widely used. This critical review reveals different analytical methodologies, including spectrophotometric, chromatographic, capillary electrophoresis techniques reported from 2011 to 2020, for the measurement of asenapine maleate in various sample matrices. The information presented in this review would be useful in future research for robust analytical method development for asenapine maleate utilizing a more scientific and risk-based approach. Also, it would aid to minimize analytical failure as well as method fine-tuning throughout the product life cycle. Further, this review may also direct scientists toward the development of methodologies for green research.

Validation of an RP-HPLC Method for the Determination of Asenapine Maleate in Dissolution Media and Application to Study In Vitro Release from Co-Crystals

Asenapine maleate is an antipsychotic drug that is indicated in the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorders. It has low aqueous solubility and high permeability (Class II drug) and undergoes an extensive first pass effect. These problems result in low oral bioavailability (<2%). To enhance its solubility/dissolution rate and hence bioavailability, co-crystals using different co-formers in different ratios were prepared and evaluated. To study the in vitro dissolution of the drug from these co-crystals into phosphate buffer (pH 6.8), an RP-HPLC method was developed and validated according to the ICH Q2R1 guidelines. The method was linear in the range 0.1–14 µg/mL (R > 0.9998) and accurate and precise. An ANOVA test indicated that calibration curves run on different days did not differ significantly. It was sensitive (lower limit of quantitation (LLOQ) = 25.03 ng/mL), specific (the co-formers did not interfere with the determination of the drug), and robust to small changes in the mobile phase (pH, composition, and flow rate). The in vitro release of asenapine maleate from the co-crystals and the physical mixture was much enhanced when compared to the in vitro dissolution of the unprocessed drug. In conclusion, the developed and validated RP-HPLC method met the acceptance criteria and was applied successfully in evaluating the in vitro release of the drug.

In-vitro and in-vivo evaluation of chitosan-based thermosensitive gel containing lorazepam NLCs for the treatment of status epilepticus

The objective of this study was to develop an in-situ gel containing lorazepam (LZM) loaded nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) for direct nose-to-brain delivery in order to increase drug therapeutic efficacy in the treatment of epilepsy. Accordingly, LZM loaded NLCs were formulated using emulsification solvent diffusion and evaporation method; then the effects of the formulation variables on different physicochemical characteristics of NLCs were investigated. Thermosensitive in-situ gels containing LZM-NLCs were prepared using a combination of chitosan and β-glycerol phosphate (β-GP). The anticonvulsant efficacy of LZM-NLCs-Gel was then examined using the pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) model. The optimised NLCs were spherical, showing the particle size of 71.70 ± 5.16 nm and the zeta potential of -20.06 ± 2.70 mV. The pH and gelation time for the chitosan solution with 15% (w/v) β-GP were determined to be 7.12 ± 0.03 and 5.33 ± 0.58 min, respectively. The in-vivo findings showed that compared with the control group and the group that received LZM-Gel, the occurrence of PTZ-induced seizures in the rats was significantly reduced by LZM-NLCs-Gel after intranasal administration. These results, therefore, suggested that the LZM-NLCs-Gel system could have potential applications for brain targeting through nasal route and might increase LZM therapeutic efficacy in the treatment of epilepsy.

Mucoadhesive nanostructured lipid carriers as a cannabidiol nasal delivery system for the treatment of neuropathic pain

The therapeutic potential of cannabidiol (CBD) has been explored to treat several pathologies, including those in which pain is prevalent. However, the oral bioavailability of CBD is low owing to its high lipophilicity and extensive first-pass metabolism. Considering the ability of the nasal route to prevent liver metabolism and increase brain bioavailability, we developed nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) for the nasal administration of CBD. We prepared particles with a positively charged surface, employing stearic acid, oleic acid, Span 20^Ⓡ, and cetylpyridinium chloride to obtain mucoadhesive formulations. Characterisation of the CBD-NLC dispersions showed uniform nano-sized particles with diameters smaller than 200 nm, and high drug encapsulation. The mucoadhesion of cationic particles has been related to interactions with negatively charged mucin. Next, we added in-situ gelling polymers to the CBD-NLC dispersion to obtain a CBD-NLC-gel. A thermo-reversible in-situ forming gel was prepared by the addition of Pluronics^Ⓡ. CBD-NLC-gel was characterised by its gelation temperature, rheological behaviour, and mucoadhesion. Both formulations, CBD-NLC and CBD-NLC-gel, showed high mucoadhesion, as assessed by the flow-through method and similar in vitro drug release profiles. The in vivo evaluation showed that CBD-NLC dispersion (without gel), administered intranasally, produced a more significant and lasting antinociceptive effect in animals with neuropathic pain than the oral or nasal administration of CBD solution. However, the nasal administration of CBD-NLC-gel did not lessen mechanical allodynia. These findings demonstrate that in-situ gelling hydrogels are not suitable vehicles for highly lipophilic drugs such as CBD, while cationic CBD-NLC dispersions are promising formulations for the nasal administration of CBD.

CCRD based development of bromocriptine and glutathione nanoemulsion tailored ultrasonically for the combined anti-parkinson effect

Bromocriptine Mesylate (BRM) acts as a dopamine receptor agonist along with antioxidant effect and is utilized in the treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD). Glutathione (GSH) is a thiol- reducing agent having antioxidant properties in the brain. Replenishment of GSH inside the brain can play a major role in the management of PD. Both BRM and GSH suffer from low oral bioavailability and poor absorption. The objective of the present study was to develop BRM and GSH loaded nanoemulsion for the combined and synergistic effect delivered through the intranasal route for the better and effective management of PD. After extensive screening experiments, Capmul PG-8 NF was selected as oil, polyethylene glycol (PEG) 400 as a surfactant and propylene glycol as co-surfactant. Ultrasonication technique was employed for the fabrication of nanoemulsion. Central composite rotatable design (CCRD) was used to obtain the best formulation by optimization. Oil (%), S_mix (%), and sonication time (second) were chosen as independent variables for the optimization. Particle size, PDI, zeta potential, % transmittance, pH, refractive index, viscosity and conductivity of the optimized nanoemulsion were found to be 80.71 ± 2.75 nm, 0.217 ± 0.009, -12.60 ± 0.10 mV, 96.00 ± 3.05 %, 6.48 ± 0.28, 1.36 ± 0.03, 30.12 ± 0.10 mPas and 214.28 ± 2.79 μS/cm respectively. Surface morphology demonstrated that nanoemulsion possessed spherical and globular nature of the particle which showed 3.4 times and 1.5 times enhancement in drug permeation in the case of BRM and GSH respectively as compared to suspension. MTT assay done on neuro-2a cell lines revealed that nanoemulsion was safe for intranasal delivery. Behavioural studies were carried out to prove the efficacy of optimized nanoemulsion in PD using forced swimming test, locomotor activity test, catalepsy test, rota-rod test, and akinesia test in Wistar rats. The outcomes of the behavioural studies revealed that BRM and GSH loaded nanoemulsion treatment showed significant improvement in behavioural activities of PD (haloperidol-induced) rats after intranasal administration. This study concluded that BRM and GSH loaded nanoemulsion could be promising for the combined and synergistic anti-parkinson effect for the effective management of PD.

Chitosan coated synergistically engineered nanoemulsion of Ropinirole and nigella oil in the management of Parkinson's disease: Formulation perspective and In vitro and In vivo assessment

The research presented aims at developing Ropinirole hydrochloride (RHCl) nanoemulsion (NE) with nigella oil for Parkinson's disease (PD). In silico study was done to explore interactions of ropinirole and thymoquinone at receptor site (TNF-α and NFK-β). Ropinirole and Thymoquinone forms a hydrogen bond with residue Arginine 201 and residue Arginine 253 with a bond length of 1.89 Å and 2.30 Å at the NF-κβ receptor. NE was optimized using Central Composite Rotatable Design (CCRD). The globule size of chitosan coated NE, Polydispersity index (PDI) and zeta potential were 183.7 ± 5.2 nm, 0.263 ± 0.005, and 24.9 mV respectively. NE exhibited 85.28% transmittance showing the formulation was clear and transparent. TEM showed that NE had spherical globules with no aggregation. The formulation had a stable pH value of 5.8 ± 0.18. In vitro release and permeation studies exhibited 2 folds and 3.4 folds enhancement when compared with the drug suspension. Neurobehavioral activity and biochemical parameters corroborated well with the pharmacokinetic results. Histopathological study and immunohistochemical analysis were performed to get better picture of 6-OHDA induced toxicity and reversal of PD symptoms. Thus, the NE tailored is a promising synergistic approach yielding enticing outcomes for better management of PD related symptoms.

Intranasal delivery of interferon-β-loaded nanoparticles induces control of neuroinflammation in a preclinical model of multiple sclerosis: A promising simple, effective, non-invasive, and low-cost therapy

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease affecting the central nervous system (CNS). Interferon (IFN)-β constitutes one of the first-line therapies to treat MS, but has limited efficacy due to the injectable systemic administration, short half-life, and limited CNS access. To address these limitations, we developed IFN-β-loaded chitosan/sulfobutylether-β-cyclodextrin nanoparticles (IFN-β-NPs) for delivery of IFN-β into the CNS via the intranasal (i.n.) route. The nanoparticles (NPs) (≈200 nm, polydispersity ≈0.1, and zeta potential ≈20 mV) were prepared by mixing two aqueous solutions and associated human or murine IFN-β with high efficiency (90%). Functional in vitro assays showed that IFN-β-NPs were safe and that IFN-β was steadily released while retaining biological activity. Biodistribution analysis showed an early and high fluorescence in the brain after nasal administration of fluorescent probe-loaded NPs. Remarkably, mice developing experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an experimental model of MS, exhibited a significant improvement of clinical symptoms in response to intranasal IFN-β-NPs (inIFN-β-NPs), whereas a similar dose of intranasal or systemic free IFN-β had no effect. Importantly, inIFN-β-NPs treatment was equally effective despite a reduction of 78% in the total amount of weekly administered IFN-β. Spinal cords obtained from inIFN-β-NPs-treated EAE mice showed fewer inflammatory foci and demyelination, lower expression of antigen-presenting and costimulatory proteins on CD11b⁺ cells, and lower astrocyte and microglia activation than control mice. Therefore, IFN-β treatment at tested doses was effective in promoting clinical recovery and control of neuroinflammation in EAE only when associated with NPs. Overall, inIFN-β-NPs represent a potential, effective, non-invasive, and low-cost therapy for MS.

Boosting the Brain Delivery of Atazanavir through Nanostructured Lipid Carrier-Based Approach for Mitigating NeuroAIDS

Atazanavir (ATZ) presents poor brain availability when administered orally, which poses a major hurdle in its use as an effective therapy for the management of NeuroAIDS. The utilization of nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) in conjunction with the premeditated use of excipients can be a potential approach for overcoming the limited ATZ brain delivery. Methods: ATZ-loaded NLC was formulated using the quality by design-enabled approach and further optimized by employing the Box–Behnken design. The optimized nanoformulation was then characterized for several in vitro and in vivo assessments. Results: The optimized NLC showed small particle size of 227.6 ± 5.4 nm, high entrapment efficiency (71.09% ± 5.84%) and high drug loading capacity (8.12% ± 2.7%). The release pattern was observed to be biphasic exhibiting fast release (60%) during the initial 2 h, then trailed by the sustained release. ATZ-NLC demonstrated a 2.36-fold increase in the cumulative drug permeated across the rat intestine as compared to suspension. Pharmacokinetic studies revealed 2.75-folds greater C_max in the brain and 4-fold improvement in brain bioavailability signifying the superiority of NLC formulation over drug suspension. Conclusion: Thus, NLC could be a promising avenue for encapsulating hydrophobic drugs and delivering it to their target site. The results suggested that increase in bioavailability and brain-targeted delivery by NLC, in all plausibility, help in improving the therapeutic prospects of atazanavir.

Tailoring lipid nanoconstructs for the oral delivery of paliperidone: Formulation, optimization and in vitro evaluation

PURPOSE

The present research work involves Quality by Design (QbD)-based fabrication of lipid nanoconstructs (LNC) of paliperidone (PPD) bearing superior biopharmaceutical attributes.

METHODS

LNC of paliperidone was prepared by melt emulsification-probe sonication and high-pressure homogenization method followed by optimization using QbD approach. Preparing LNC by both these methods will give the benefit of identifying the best optimized formulation which will be further evaluated for in vitro studies.

RESULTS

The best optimized formulation was obtained using melt emulsification-probe sonication technique with small particle size (86.35 nm), high entrapment efficiency (90.07 %), and high loading capacity (8.49 %). The drug release from LNC was found to be 5, 8, and 9-folds greater than drug suspension in pH 1.2, 6.8, and 7.4 respectively (p < 0.001). Stability studies of LNC in simulated gastric fluid pH 1.2 and fasted state simulated intestinal fluid depicted no alteration in particle size and polydispersity index of LNC but were found to increase in fed state simulated intestinal fluid. The drug permeability through rat intestine for LNC was found to be approximately 6-folds (p < 0.05) greater as compared to the drug suspension which was further confirmed by confocal microscopy. The in vitro lipolysis study presented significantly highest solubilization (p < 0.001) in the aqueous phase thereby anticipating higher in vivo absorption.

CONCLUSION

Thus, it was concluded that LNC bears the knack of improving the solubilization and permeation potential of an otherwise hydrophobic drug, paliperidone."

Management of epileptic disorders using nanotechnology-based strategies for nose-to-brain drug delivery

INTRODUCTION

Epilepsy, a major neurological disorder affects about 1% of the Indian population. The discovery of noninvasive strategies for epilepsy presents a challenge for the scientists. Different types of nose-to-brain dosage-forms have been studied for epilepsy management. It aims to give new perspectives for developing new and existing anti-epileptic drugs. Combining nanotechnology with nose-to-brain approach can help in promoting the treatment efficacy by site-specific delivery. Also, it will minimize the side-effects and patient noncompliance observed in conventional administration routes. Peptide delivery can be an interesting approach for the management of epilepsy. Drug-loaded intranasal nanoformulations exhibit diverse prospective potentials in the management of epilepsy. Considering that, nanotherapy using nose-to-brain delivery as a prospective technique for the efficient management of epilepsy is reviewed.

AREAS COVERED

The authors have compiled all recently available data pertaining to the nose-to-brain delivery of therapeutics using nanotechnological strategies. The fundamental mechanism of nose-to-brain delivery, claims for intranasal delivery and medical devices for epilepsy are discussed.

EXPERT OPINION

Drug-loaded intranasal nanoformulations exhibit different prospective potentials in the management of epilepsy. Considering the foregoing research done in the field of nanotechnology, globally, authors propose nose-to-brain delivery of nanoformulations as a potential technique for the efficient management of epilepsy.

Antimicrobial Essential Oil Formulation: Chitosan Coated Nanoemulsions for Nose to Brain Delivery

Brain infections as meningitis and encephalitis are attracting a great interest. Challenges in the treatment of these diseases are mainly represented by the blood brain barrier (BBB) that impairs the efficient delivery of even very potent drugs to reach the brain. The nose to the brain administration route, is a non-invasive alternative for a quick onset of action, and enables the transport of numerous medicinal agents straight to the brain thus workarounding the BBB through the highly vascularized olfactory region. In this report, Thymus vulgaris and Syzygium aromaticum essential oils (EOs) were selected to be included in chitosan coated nanoemulsions (NEs). The EOs were firstly analyzed to determine their chemical composition, then used to prepare NEs, that were deeply characterized in order to evaluate their use in intranasal administration. An in vitro evaluation against a collection of clinical isolated bacterial strains was carried out for both free and nanoemulsioned EOs. Chitosan coated NEs showed to be a potential and effective intranasal formulation against multi-drug resistant Gram-negative bacteria such as methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus and multi-drug resistant Gram-negative microorganisms including carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii and Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Preparation, characterization, and optimization of asenapine maleate mucoadhesive nanoemulsion using Box-Behnken design: In vitro and in vivo studies for brain targeting

The tight junctions between capillary endothelial cells of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) restricts the entry of therapeutics into the brain. Potential of the intranasal delivery tool has been explored in administering the therapeutics directly to the brain, thus bypassing BBB. The objective of this study was to develop and optimize an intranasal mucoadhesive nanoemulsion (MNE) of asenapine maleate (ASP) in order to enhance the nasomucosal adhesion and direct brain targetability for improved efficacy and safety. Box-Behnken statistical design was used to recognize the crucial formulation variables influencing droplet size, size distribution and surface charge of ASP-NE. ASP-MNE was obtained by incorporating GRAS mucoadhesive polymer, Carbopol 971 in the optimized NE. Optimized ASP-MNE displayed spherical morphology with a droplet size of 21.2 ± 0.15 nm and 0.355 polydispersity index. Improved ex-vivo permeation was observed in ASP-NE and ASP-MNE, compared to the ASP-solution. Finally, the optimized formulation was found to be safe in ex-vivo ciliotoxicity study on sheep nasal mucosa. The single-dose pharmacokinetic study in male Wistar rats revealed a significant increase in concentration of ASP in the brain upon intranasal administration of ASP-MNE, with a maximum of 284.33 ± 5.5 ng/mL. The time required to reach maximum brain concentration (1 h) was reduced compared to intravenous administration of ASP-NE (3 h). Furthermore, it has been established during the course of present study, that the brain targeting capability of ASP via intranasal administration had enhanced drug-targeting efficiency and drug-targeting potential. In the animal behavioral studies, no extrapyramidal symptoms were observed after intranasal administration of ASP-MNE, while good locomotor activity and hind-limb retraction test established its antipsychotic activity in treated animals. Thus, it can be concluded that the developed intranasal ASP-MNE could be used as an effective and safe tool for brain targeting of ASP in the treatment of psychotic disorders.

Brain targeted delivery of lurasidone HCl via nasal administration of mucoadhesive nanoemulsion formulation for the potential management of schizophrenia

This investigation aimed to design, develop, and optimize intranasal nanoemulsion for brain targeted delivery of lurasidone hydrochloride for the management and treatment of schizophrenia. The design of experiment supported optimization of high-pressure homogenization (HPH) process was executed for the manufacturing of lurasidone loaded nanoemulsion. The nanoemulsion comprising of lurasidone hydrochloride (10 mg/mL), 20% Oil_mix, 25% surfactant and, 55% aqueous phase (w/w) was processed with HPH at optimized conditions to get droplet size in the nano range. The droplet size of optimized nanoemulsion was found to be 48.07 ± 3.29 nm with a polydispersity index of 0.31 ± 0.01. The optimized translucent nanoemulsion (% transmittance of 88.56 ± 2.47) was found to be non-toxic to sheep nasal mucosa and stable for six months. The results of ex vivo diffusion study revealed the improvement in drug diffused by mucoadhesive nanoemulsion (MLNE) (1.41 × 10^-4 ± 1.11 × 10^-5 cm²/min) as compared to the solution (1.15 × 10^-4 ± 1.35 × 10^-5 cm²/min). The results of pharmacodynamic studies in mice uncover the highest inhibition of compulsive behavior (64.63%) and spontaneous locomotor activity (60.87%) shown by MLNE. This may be due to increased bioavailability in a brain, and possibly confirms the potential of nanoemulsion in targeting the brain through nasal route in the treatment of schizophrenia.

Nose-to-brain delivery of antipsychotics using nanotechnology: a review

INTRODUCTION

Orally-administered antipsychotics are effective in the management of psychosis-related disorders although generation-specific adverse drug reactions (ADRs) significantly hinder clinical outcomes, driven by issues such as patient non-compliance. Direct nose-to-brain (N2B) delivery of antipsychotics via the olfactory epithelium could avert peripheral ADRs by maximizing cerebral drug concentrations, and reducing drug levels in the periphery. However, there exist physicochemical challenges related to psychotropic drugs, alongside biochemical barriers associated with targeting the olfactory region. Nanotechnological approaches present a viable strategy for the development of intranasal antipsychotic formulations where drug stability, mucosal absorption and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-bioavailability can be optimized.

AREAS COVERED

This review explores the unique anatomical features of the nasal cavity as a pathway for antipsychotic drug delivery to the brain. Nanocarrier-based approaches to encapsulate antipsychotics, and enhance stability, absorption and bioavailability are explored. The aim of this review is to determine current knowledge gaps for direct N2B psychotropic drug delivery, and identify clinically acceptable strategies to overcome them.

EXPERT OPINION

The olfactory epithelium may be the most effective and direct administration route for antipsychotic delivery to the central nervous system (CNS). This research is novel and has the potential to revolutionize the mode of delivery of neurological medicines to the CNS in the future.

Recent strategies and advances in the fabrication of nano lipid carriers and their application towards brain targeting

In last two decades, the lipid nanocarriers have been extensively investigated for their drug targeting efficiency towards the critical areas of the human body like CNS, cardiac region, tumor cells, etc. Owing to the flexibility and biocompatibility, the lipid-based nanocarriers, including nanoemulsion, liposomes, SLN, NLC etc. have gained much attention among various other nanocarrier systems for brain targeting of bioactives. Across different lipid nanocarriers, NLC remains to be the safest, stable, biocompatible and cost-effective drug carrier system with high encapsulation efficiency. Drug delivery to the brain always remains a challenging issue for scientists due to the complex structure and various barrier mechanisms surrounding the brain. The application of a suitable nanocarrier system and the use of any alternative route of drug administration like nose-to-brain drug delivery could overcome the hurdle and improves the therapeutic efficiency of CNS acting drugs thereof. NLC, a second-generation lipid nanocarrier, upsurges the drug permeation across the BBB due to its unique structural properties. The biocompatible lipid matrix and nano-size make it an ideal drug carrier for brain targeting. It offers many advantages over other drug carrier systems, including ease of manufacturing and scale-up to industrial level, higher drug targeting, high drug loading, control drug release, compatibility with a wide range of drug substances, non-toxic and non-irritant behavior. This review highlights recent progresses towards the development of NLC for brain targeting of bioactives with particular reference to its surface modifications, formulations aspects, pharmacokinetic behavior and efficacy towards the treatment of various neurological disorders like AD, PD, schizophrenia, epilepsy, brain cancer, CNS infection (viral and fungal), multiple sclerosis, cerebral ischemia, and cerebral malaria. This work describes in detail the role and application of NLC, along with its different fabrication techniques and associated limitations. Specific emphasis is given to compile a summary and graphical data on the area explored by scientists and researchers worldwide towards the treatment of neurological disorders with or without NLC. The article also highlights a brief insight into two prime approaches for brain targeting, including drug delivery across BBB and direct nose-to-brain drug delivery along with the current global status of specific neurological disorders.

Enhanced bactericidal effect of ceftriaxone drug encapsulated in nanostructured lipid carrier against gram-negative Escherichia coli bacteria: drug formulation, optimization, and cell culture study

BACKGROUND

Ceftriaxone is one of the most common types of antibiotics used to treat most deadly bacterial infections. One way to alleviate the side effects of medication is to reduce drug consumption by changing the ordinary drug forms into nanostructured forms. In this study, a nanostructured lipid carrier (NLC) containing hydrophilic ceftriaxone sodium drug is developed, and its effect on eliminating gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli death is investigated.

METHODS

Double emulsion solvent evaporation method is applied to prepare NLC. Mathematical modeling based on the solubility study is performed to select the best materials for NLC preparation. Haftyzer-Van Krevelen and Hoy's models are employed for this purpose. Drug release from optimized NLC is examined under in vitro environment. Then, the efficacy of the optimized sample on eliminating gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli is investigated.

RESULTS

Mathematical modeling reveals that both methods are capable of predicting drug encapsulation efficiency trends by chaining solid and liquid lipids. However, Haftyzer-Van Krevelen's method can precisely predict the particle size trend by changing the surfactant types in water and oily phases of emulsions. The optimal sample has a mean particle size of 86 nm and drug entrapment efficiency of 83%. Also, a controlled drug release in prepared nanostructures over time is observed under in-vitro media. The results regarding the effectiveness of optimized NLC in killing Escherichia coli bacteria suggests that by cutting drug dosage of the nanostructured form in half, an effect comparable to that of free drug can be observed at longer times.

CONCLUSION

Results confirm that NLC structure is an appropriate alternative for the delivery of ceftriaxone drug with a controlled release behavior.

Enhanced delivery of melatonin loaded nanostructured lipid carriers during in vitro fertilization: NLC formulation, optimization and IVF efficacy

In this study, the potential of melatonin hormone loaded in nanostructured lipid carriers (Mel-NLCs) in the in vitro fertilization (IVF) environment is investigated by measuring the appropriate IVF parameters on the oocytes of mice.

Intranasal Nanoparticulate Systems as Alternative Route of Drug Delivery

There is always a need for alternative and efficient methods of drug delivery. The nasal cavity can be considered as a non-invasive and efficient route of administration. It has been used for local, systemic, brain targeting, and vaccination delivery. Although many intranasal products are currently available on the market, the majority is used for local delivery with fewer products available for the other targets. As nanotechnology utilization in drug delivery has rapidly spread out, the nasal delivery has become attractive as a promising approach. Nanoparticulate systems facilitate drug transportation across the mucosal barrier, protect the drug from nasal enzyme degradation, enhance the delivery of vaccines to the lymphoid tissue of the nasal cavity with an adjuvant activity, and offer a way for peptide delivery into the brain and the systemic circulation, in addition to their potential for brain tumor treatment. This review article aims at discussing the potential benefit of the intranasal nanoparticulate systems, including nanosuspensions, lipid and surfactant, and polymer-based nanoparticles as regards productive intranasal delivery. The aim of this review is to focus on the topicalities of nanotechnology applications for intranasal delivery of local, systemic, brain, and vaccination purposes during the last decade, referring to the factors affecting delivery, regulatory aspects, and patient expectations. This review further identifies the benefits of applying the Quality by Design approaches (QbD) in product development. According to the reported studies on nanotechnology-based intranasal delivery, potential attention has been focused on brain targeting and vaccine delivery with promising outcomes. Despite the significant research effort in this field, nanoparticle-based products for intranasal delivery are not available. Thus, further efforts are required to promote the introduction of intranasal nanoparticulate products that can meet the requirements of regulatory affairs with high patient acceptance.

In vivo Antiplasmodial Activity of Curcumin-Loaded Nanostructured Lipid Carriers

Background:

It was shown that curcumin (Cur) has anti-plasmodium activity, however, its weak bioavailability, rapid metabolism, and limited chemical stability has restricted its application in clinical usages. Nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) are a type of drug-delivery systems (DDSs) which their core matrix is composed of both solid and liquid lipids.

Objective:

The aim of the current study was to prepare and characterize curcumin-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers (Cur-NLC) for malaria treatment.

Methods:

For the production of NLC, coconut oil and cetyl palmitate were selected as a liquid and solid lipid, respectively. In order to prepare the Cur-NLC, the microemulsion method was applied. General toxicity assay on Artemia salina and also hemocompatibility was investigated. Antimalarial activity was studied on mice infected with Plasmodium berghei.

Results:

The NLCs mean particle size and polydispersity index (PI) was 145 nm and 0.3, respectively. Moreover, the zeta potential of the Cur-NLC was −25 mV, as well as, the NLCs showed pseudo-spherical shape which revealed via transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The loading capacity and encapsulation efficacy of the obtained Cur-NLC were 3.1 ± 0.015% and 74 ± 3.32%, respectively. In vitro, Cur release profiles showed a sustained-release pattern up to 5 days in synthesized Cur-NLC. The results of in vivo anti-plasmodial activity against P. berghei revealed that antimalarial activity of Cur-NLC was high 2-fold compared with bare Cur at the tested dosage level.

Conclusion: :

The results of this study showed that NLC would be used as a potential nanocarrier for the treatment of malaria.