Preparation and evaluation of self-assembly Soluplus®-sodium cholate-phospholipid ternary mixed micelles of docetaxel

Solusomes (novel soluplus® enriched nano-vesicular carriers) for improving the oral bioavailability of Candesartan cilexetil

Candesartan cilexetil (CAN) is administered for treating hypertension and heart failure. CAN suffers poor oral bioavailability, owing to limited aqueous solubility, and first-pass metabolism. Solusomes (novel Soluplus® enriched nano-vesicular carriers) combine the merits of Soluplus®, and the traditional liposomes. They were explored to increase CAN solubility, allow a high drug release rate, and improve the oral drug bioavailability. Solusomes were developed via thin film hydration technique utilizing lipid (phosphatidylcholine; PC) and polymeric solubilizer (Soluplus®; Solu). S6 system comprising PC (0.1% w/v), CAN and Soluplus® (at 1:5 ratio; w/w), following a 5 min sonication period, was the optimum one with respect to drug entrapment efficiency (83.5 ± 2.6%), drug loading (11.9 ± 0.3%), particle size and shape (377.2 ± 12.1 nm, spherical), zeta-potential (-19.6 ± 2.1 mV), saturated drug solubility (32.09 ± 0.71 µg/mL), drug released % after 1 h (68 ± 0.9%), and stability. Significantly higher Cmax (969.12 ± 46.3 ng/mL), shorter median Tmax (1h), and improved relative bioavailability (≈ 6.8 folds) in rabbits could evidence the potential of S6 system in enhancing oral CAN bioavailability. S6 solusomes act as dual platform to improve the oral drug bioavailability and maintain effective drug concentration for a prolonged period.

Development and Evaluation of Polymeric Mixed Micelles Prepared using Hot-Melt Extrusion for Extended Delivery of Poorly Water-Soluble Drugs

The poor aqueous solubility is a well-recognized restriction for the clinical application of many drug molecules. Micelles delivery system provides a promising strategy for the solubility enhancement of hydrophobic drugs. This study developed and evaluated different polymeric mixed micelles prepared using hot-melt extrusion coupled hydration method to improve the solubility and extend the release of the model drug ibuprofen (IBP). The physicochemical properties of the prepared formulations were characterized in terms of particle size, polydispersity index, zeta potential, surface morphology, crystallinity, encapsulation efficiency, drug content, in vitro drug release, dilution stability, and storage stability. Soluplus®/poloxamer 407, Soluplus®/poloxamer 188, and Soluplus®/TPGS mixed micelles had average particle sizes of 86.2 ± 2.8, 89.6 ± 4.2, and 102.5 ± 3.13 nm, respectively with adequate encapsulation efficiencies of 80% to 92%. Differential scanning calorimetry studies confirmed that the IBP molecules were dissolved in the polymers in an amorphous state. The in vitro release results revealed that the IBP-loaded mixed micelles presented extended-release behavior compared to the free drug. In addition, the developed polymeric mixed micelles remained stable upon dilution and one-month storage. These results demonstrated that the hot-melt extrusion coupling hydration method could be a promising, effective, and environment-friendly manufacturing technique for the scale-up production of polymeric mixed micelles to deliver insoluble drugs.

Self-assembly of bile salts and their mixed aggregates as building blocks for smart aggregates

The present communication offers a comprehensive overview of the self-assembly of bile salts emphasizing their mixed smart aggregates with a variety of amphiphiles. Using an updated literature survey, we have explored the dissimilar interactions of bile salts with different types of surfactants, phospholipids, ionic liquids, drugs, and a variety of natural and synthetic polymers. While assembling this review, special attention was also provided to the potency of bile salts to alter the size/shape of aggregates formed by several amphiphiles to use these aggregates for solubility improvement of medicinally important compounds, active pharmaceutical ingredients, and also to develop their smart delivery vehicles. A fundamental understanding of bile salt mixed aggregates will enable the development of new strategies for improving the bioavailability of drugs solubilized in newly developed potential hosts and to formulate smart aggregates of desired morphology for specific targeted applications. It enriches our existing knowledge of the distinct interactions exerted in mixed systems of bile salts with variety of amphiphiles. By virtue of this, researchers can get innovative ideas to construct novel nanoaggregates from bile salts by incorporating various amphiphiles that serve as a building block for smart aggregates for their numerous industrial applications.

Fabrication, Optimization, and Evaluation of Paclitaxel and Curcumin Coloaded PLGA Nanoparticles for Improved Antitumor Activity

Codelivery of chemotherapeutic drugs in nanoparticles can enhance the therapeutic effects against tumors. However, their anticancer properties and physiochemical characteristics can be severely influenced by many formulation parameters during the preparation process. It is a complicated development phase to select the optimal parameters for preparation of nanoparticles based on the commonly used one single parameter method, which consumes a lot of money, time, and effort, and sometimes even fails. Therefore, the statistical analysis based on Box-Behnken design (BBD) has attracted much attention in bioengineering fields because it can illustrate the influence of parameters, build mathematical models, and predict the optimal combinational factors in a decreased number of experiments. In this study, we used a three-factor three-level BBD design to optimize the preparation of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles coloaded with two anticancer drugs curcumin and paclitaxel (PLGA-CUR-PTX nanoparticles). The surfactant concentration, polymer concentration, and oil-water ratio were selected as independent variables. An optimized model of the formulation for PLGA-CUR-PTX nanoparticles was validated. The optimal nanoparticles possessed a uniform spherical shape, with an average size of 99.94 nm, and the drug encapsulation efficiencies of CUR and PTX were 63.53 and 80.64%, respectively. The drug release from nanoparticles showed a biphasic release behavior, with a release mechanism via diffusion and fundamentally quasi-Fickian diffusion. The optimized nanoparticles demonstrated an enhanced cytotoxicity effect with lower IC₅₀ values to 4T1 and MCF-7 breast cancer cell lines compared to free drugs. In summary, BBD optimization of CUR and PTX coloaded nanoparticles yielded a favorable drug carrier that holds potential as an alternative treatment for anticancer therapy.

Bile acids as novel enhancers of CNS targeting antitumor drugs: a comprehensive review

Despite a relatively low prevalence of primary brain tumors, they continuously attract scientific interest because of the complexity of their treatment due to their location behind the blood-brain barrier. The main challenge in treatment of brain tumors is not the efficacy of the drugs, per se, but the low efficiency of drug delivery to malignant cells. At the core of the problem is the complex structure of the blood-brain barrier. Nowadays, there is evidence supporting the claim that bile acids have the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier. That ability can be exploited by taking a part in novel drug carrier designs. Bile acids represent a drug carrier system as a part of a mixed micelle composition, bilosomes and conjugates with various drugs. This review discusses the current knowledge related to bile acid molecules as drug penetration modifying agents, with the focus on central nervous system antitumor drug delivery.

Preparation, evaluation and metabolites study in rats of novel amentoflavone-loaded TPGS/soluplus mixed nanomicelles

Amentoflavone (AMF) is a kind of biflavonoids existing in Ginkgo biloba leaves. It has many biological activities, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, antiviral, hypoglycemic, anti-tumor and inducing apoptosis. However, its solubility and bioavailability are poor and there are a few studies on it in vivo. In this study, to improve its solubility and bioavailability, the nanomicelles were prepared with TPGS and soluplus as carriers for the first time. The particle size, Zeta potential, encapsulation efficiency, drug loading, stability, cytotoxicity, cellular uptake, and metabolites in rats were studied. Cytotoxicity, cellular uptake, and metabolites in rats of AMF-loaded TPGS/soluplus mixed micelles were compared with those of AMF. As a result, AMF-loaded TPGS/soluplus mixed micelles with a particle size of 67.33 ± 2.01 nm and Zeta potential of -0.84133 ± 0.041405 mV were successfully prepared. The encapsulation efficiency and drug loading of the mixed nanomicelles were 99.18 ± 0.76% and 2.47 ± 0.01%, respectively. The physical and chemical properties of the mixed micelles were stable within 60 d, and the cytotoxicity of the mixed micelles was much greater than that of AMF monomers. Thirty-four kinds of metabolites of AMF were identified in rats. The metabolites were mainly distributed in rat feces. No metabolites were detected in bile and plasma. 14 kinds of metabolites of the mixed micelles in rats were detected, including 11 in feces, 6 in urine, and 3 in plasma, which indicated that the bioavailability of AMF has been improved. And the toxicity to cancer cells was enhanced, which laid a foundation for the development of new drugs.

Study on different particle sizes of DOX-loaded mixed micelles for cancer therapy

Nano-based drug delivery systems have been widely applied in cancer therapy, among that, particle sizes may affect the delivery efficiency of nanocarriers. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential impacts of particle size on tumor therapy, in consideration of this, lipid/glycocholic acid mixed micelles (LGs) were designed as the model nanocarriers. Doxorubicin (DOX) loaded LGs with two different particle sizes at around 10 nm and 100 nm, respectively, were successfully prepared by controlling the ratio of EPC to GAH. In vitro release study showed that the release behaviors of DOX in mixed micelles with two different particle sizes was basically consistent and showed sustained release. DOX-LGs at 10 nm exhibited higher cellular uptake capacity, compared with DOX-LGs at 100 nm. Besides, in vivo NIFR imaging also demonstrated that DOX-LGs at 10 nm had more accumulation in tumor site. Furthermore, DOX-LGs at 10 nm presented both higher in vitro cytotoxicity and superior in vivo antitumor activity than that of 100 nm. In vivo safety evaluations showed that the mixed micelles had lower toxicities than free DOX solution formulations. These results indicated that the nanoparticles with smaller particle size could improve the profiles in cellular uptake, tumor accumulation as well as anti-tumor efficacy, which would provide a theoretical principle for the design of nanoparticles.

Preparation, evaluation and metabolites study in rats of novel Isoginkgetin-loaded TPGS/soluplus mixed nanomicelles

At present, cancer is one of the most lethal diseases in the world, and researchers are committed to developing effective anticancer drugs. Isoginkgetin (IGG) is a kind of biflavone with the potential to treat cancer due to the features of altering the cell cycle and inhibiting tumor cell infiltration. However, its solubility, absorbability and bioavailability are poor, so in this study, IGG was prepared into mixed nanomicelles and evaluated in vitro and in vivo. After condition optimization, IGG-loaded TPGS/soluplus mixed nanomicelles with particle size of 62.34 ± 1.10 nm, entrapment efficiency of 96.92 ± 0.66% and drug loading of 2.42 ± 0.02% were successfully prepared. The physicochemical properties of the nanomicelles were stable within 60 days, and the cytotoxicity of the nanomicelles was significantly higher than that of IGG. The metabolism results showed that 32 kinds of metabolites of IGG and 21 kinds of IGG-loaded nanomicelles were detected. The metabolites of IGG can only be detected in feces of rats, while the metabolites of IGG-loaded nanomicelles can be detected in plasma, bile, urine and feces. All these indicated that after prepared into nanomicelles, the stability, solubility, cytotoxicity and bioavailability of IGG were increased significantly, which provided a new choice for the development of new drugs.