Mineral oil in food, cosmetic products, and in products regulated by other legislations

For a few years, mineral oils and their potential adverse health effects have been a constant issue of concern in many regulatory areas such as food, cosmetics, other consumer products, and industrial chemicals. Analytically, two fractions can be distinguished: mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons (MOSH) and mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons (MOAH). This paper aims at assessing the bioaccumulative potential and associated histopathological effects of MOSH as well as the carcinogenic potential of MOAH for consumer-relevant mineral oils. It also covers the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of MOSH and MOAH upon oral and dermal exposures. The use and occurrence of consumer-relevant, highly refined mineral oils in food, cosmetics and medicinal products are summarized, and estimates for the exposure of consumers are provided. Also addressed are the challenges in characterizing the substance identity of mineral oil products under REACH. Evidence from more recent autopsy and biopsy studies, along with information on decreasing food contamination levels, indicates a low risk for adverse hepatic lesions that may arise from the retention of MOSH in the liver. With respect to MOAH, at present there is no indication of any carcinogenic effects in animals dermally or orally exposed to highly refined mineral oils and waxes. Such products are used not only in cosmetics but also in medicinal products and as additives in food contact materials. The safety of these mineral oil-containing products is thus indirectly documented by their prevalent and long-term use, with a simultaneous lack of clinical and epidemiological evidence for adverse health effects.

Rotator phases in alkane systems: In bulk, surface layers and micro/nano-confinements

Medium- and long-chain alkanes and their mixtures possess a remarkable physical property - they form intermediate structured phases between their isotropic liquid phase and their fully ordered crystal phase. These intermediate phases are called "rotator phases" or "plastic phases" (soft solids) because the incorporated alkane molecules possess a long-range positional order while preserving certain mobility to rotate, which results in complex visco-plastic rheological behaviour. The current article presents a brief overview of our current understanding of the main phenomena involved in the formation of rotator phases from single alkanes and their mixtures. In bulk, five rotator phases with different structures were identified and studied in detail. Along with the thermodynamically stable rotator phases, metastable and transient (short living) rotator phases were observed. Bulk rotator phases provided important information about several interfacial phenomena of high scientific interest, such as the energy of crystal nucleation, entropy and enthalpy of alkane freezing, interfacial energy between a crystal and its melt, etc. In alkane mixtures, the region of existence of rotator phases increases significantly, reflecting the disturbed packing of different molecules. All these phenomena are very important in the context of alkane applications as lubricants, in cosmetics, as phase-change materials for energy storage, etc. Significant expansion of the domain of rotator phases was observed also in confinements - in the pores of solid materials impregnated with alkanes, in polymeric microcapsules containing alkanes, and in micrometer sized emulsion droplets. The rotator phases were invoked to explain the mechanisms of two recently discovered phenomena in cooled alkane-in-water emulsions - the spontaneous "self-shaping" and the spontaneous "self-bursting" (fragmentation) of emulsion drops. The so-called "α-phases" formed by fatty acids and alcohols, and the "gel phase" formed in phospholipid and soap systems exhibit structural characteristics similar to those in the alkane rotator phases. The subtle connections between all these diverse systems are outlined, providing a unified outlook of the main phenomena related to the formation of such soft solid materials. The occurrence of alkane rotator phases in natural materials and in several technological applications is also reviewed to illustrate the general importance of these unique materials and the related phenomena.

Perspectives on Physicochemical and In Vitro Profiling of Ophthalmic Ointments

Ophthalmic ointments are unique in that they combine features of topical drug delivery, the ophthalmic route and ointment (semisolid) formulations. Accordingly, these complex formulations are challenging to develop and evaluate and therefore it is critically important to understand their physicochemical properties as well as their in vitro drug release characteristics. Previous reports on the characterization of ophthalmic ointments are very limited. Although there are FDA guidance documents and USP monographs covering some aspects of semisolid formulations, there are no FDA guidance documents nor any USP monographs for ophthalmic ointments. This review summarizes the physicochemical and in vitro profiling methods that have been previously reported for ophthalmic ointments. Specifically, insight is provided into physicochemical characterization (rheological parameters, drug content and content uniformity, and particle size of the API in the finished ointments) as well as important considerations (membranes, release media, method comparison, release kinetics and discriminatory ability) in in vitro release testing (IVRT) method development for ophthalmic ointments. Graphical Abstract Summary of the physicochemcial profiling and in vitro drug release testing (IVRT) for ophthalmic ointments.

Study of petrolatum structure: Explaining its variable rheological behavior

The rheological properties of petrolatum are dependent on both temperature and thermal history. How this thermal dependency can be explained is unclear. In the past it has been suggested that the structure of petrolatum consists of a three-dimensional crystalline network. This has been established using old microscopic techniques only. Therefore a study on the microstructure of petrolatum was conducted using rheometry, DSC, pulsed NMR, polarized light microscopy and synchrotron X-ray. The combination of these techniques show that petrolatum is composed of 21% solid material at room temperature. This consists of partly crystalline lamellar sheets which are packed in stacks. The occurrence of these lamellar sheets is temperature dependent and the number of lamellar stacks is dependent on thermal history. It was shown that rheological differences in petrolatum can be explained by the number of lamellar stacks present, where more lamellar stacks result in more rigid petrolatum.

Effects of mixing procedure itself on the structure, viscosity, and spreadability of white petrolatum and salicylic acid ointment and the skin permeation of salicylic acid

White petrolatum is a mixture of solid and liquid hydrocarbons and its structure can be affected by shear stress. Thus, it might also induce changes in its rheological properties. In this study, we used polarization microscopy to investigate how different mixing methods affect the structure of white petrolatum. We used two different mixing methods, mixing using a rotation/revolution mixer and mixing using an ointment slab and an ointment spatula. The extent of the fragmentation and dispersal of the solid portion of white petrolatum depended on the mixing conditions. Next, we examined the changes in the structure of a salicylic acid ointment, in which white petrolatum was used as a base, induced by mixing and found that the salicylic acid solids within the ointment were also dispersed. In addition to these structural changes, the viscosity and thixotropic behavior of both test substances also decreased in a mixing condition-dependent manner. The reductions in these parameters were most marked after mixing with a rotation/revolution mixer, and similar results were obtained for spreadability. We also investigated the effects of mixing procedure on the skin accumulation and permeation of salicylic acid. They were increased by approximately three-fold after mixing. Little difference in skin accumulation or permeation was detected between the two mixing methods. These findings indicate that mixing procedures themselves affect the utility and physiological effects of white petrolatum-based ointments. Therefore, these effects should be considered when mixing is required for the clinical use of petrolatum-based ointments.

Brian Barry: Innovative Contributions to Transdermal and Topical Drug Delivery

Brian Barry published over 300 research articles across topics ranging from colloid science, vasoconstriction and the importance of thermodynamics in dermal drug delivery to exploring the structure and organisation of the stratum corneum barrier lipids and numerous strategies for improving topical and transdermal drug delivery, including penetration enhancers, supersaturation, coacervation, eutectic formation and the use of varied liposomes. As research in the area blossomed in the early 1980s, Brian wrote <i>the</i> book that became essential reading for both new and established dermal delivery scientists, explaining the background mathematics and principles through to formulation design. Brian also worked with numerous scientists, as collaborators and students, who have themselves taken his rigorous approach to scientific investigation into their own research groups. This paper can only describe a small fraction of the many significant contributions that Brian made to the field during his 40-year academic career.

Continuous shear, viscoelastic and spreading properties of a new topical vehicle, FAPG base

The rheology of a new topical vehicle FAPG base was investigated over the temperature ranges of 25–37°. Continuous shear rheograms obtained with a Ferranti-Shirley cone and plate viscometer were hysteresis loops with spur points; loop areas, yield values and apparent viscosities decreased with increase in temperature and an activation energy for viscous flow of 10.4 kcal mol−1 (43.5 kJ mol−1) was derived. In creep (concentric cylinder geometry) the base was viscoelastic with a low limit of linearity with respect to strain. Creep compliance curves showed an initial elastic response, a region of retarded elasticity and a viscous region; compliances increased and viscosities decreased with temperature rise. Patient acceptance of skin spreadability of the base was assessed using a master curve concept; the spreading properties were close to the preferred values for maximum patient acceptance. It is concluded that FAPG base deserves further study as a vehicle for dermatological use.

Rheological evaluation of petroleum jelly as a base material in ointment and cream formulations: steady shear flow behavior

The objective of the present study is to systematically characterize a nonlinear rheological behavior of petroleum jelly (petrolatum) in steady shear flow fields correspondent to the spreading condition onto the human body. With this aim, using a strain-controlled rheometer, the steady shear flow properties of commercially available petroleum jelly have been measured at 37 degrees C (body temperature) over a wide range of shear rates. In this article, the shear rate dependence of steady shear flow behavior was reported from the experimentally obtained data. In particular, the existence of a yield stress and a non-Newtonian flow behavior were discussed in depth with a special emphasis on their importance in actual application onto the human body. In addition, several inelastic-viscoplastic flow models including a yield stress parameter were employed to make a quantitative description of the steady shear flow behavior, and then the applicability of these models was examined in detail. Main findings obtained from this study can be summarized as follows: (1) Petroleum jelly exhibits a finite magnitude of yield stress. The appearance of a yield stress is attributed to its three-dimensional network structure that can show a resistance to flow and plays an important role in determining a storage stability and sensory feature of the product. (2) Petroleum jelly demonstrates a pronounced non-Newtonian shear-thinning flow behavior which is well described by a power-law equation and may be interpreted by the disruption of a crystalline network under the influence of mechanical shear deformation. This rheological feature enhances sensory qualities of pharmaceutical and cosmetic products in which petroleum jelly is used as a base material during their actual usage. (3) The Casson, Mizrahi-Berk, Heinz-Casson and Herschel-Bulkley models are all applicable and have almost an equivalent ability to quantitatively describe the steady shear flow behavior of petroleum jelly whereas the Bingham model does not give a good validity. Among these flow models, the Herschel-Bulkley model provides the best applicability.

In vitro release of Tacrolimus from Tacrolimus ointment and its speculated mechanism

The in vitro release profiles and the bleeding phenomenon of Tacrolimus and propylene carbonate (PC) as a dispersing solvent for Tacrolimus drug substance in Tacrolimus ointment were investigated when changing concentrations of Tacrolimus and PC in the ointment were used, respectively. The bleeding test result indicated that Tacrolimus was in equilibrium between inside and outside of PC droplets in intact ointment base. A cumulative release amount of Tacrolimus from ointment, plotted against the square root of time, showed a straight line initially with a slope of q1 followed to change a slope to be q2 at a certain time, where the relation of these slopes being q1<q2. The q1 values increased with the concentration of Tacrolimus but decreased with PC concentration in Tacrolimus ointment. And the q2 values increased with Tacrolimus concentration but were independent of PC concentration. These profiles indicated that there were two phases for Tacrolimus release from ointment, namely, first phase was related with the period during PC release and the second phase was related with the state of ointment after PC release. When the PC release was applied to the Higuchi's release equation, the above slope q1 was found to be correlated to the parameter of A/phi(0), where A was a parameter of release rate of PC and phi(0) was an initial volume fraction of PC droplets. It should be indicated that more rapid release rate of PC rather than that of Tacrolimus resulted in the generation of amorphous phase of Tacrolimus outside of remaining PC droplets. During PC release, the slope q1 could be influenced by the thermodynamic activity of Tacrolimus dissolved in PC droplets. After PC release, it would be reasonable to speculate that the amorphous cluster of Tacrolimus with a constant thermodynamic activity would give constant q2 values regardless of PC contents in Tacrolimus ointment.

A novel percolation method for determining solubilities of pharmaceutical agents in semisolid vehicles

A novel technique was developed to quantify the solubility of pharmaceutical actives in semisolid formulations. Ointments and emulsions of increasing potencies were sheared to disrupt their internal microcrystalline networks. These sheared materials were held in taut cheesecloth pouches, and the bleed that percolated out was collected and assayed for active potency. The solute concentration in the bleed was proportional to the concentration of the solute in solution in the formulation. Plots of bleed active potency against total formulation potency rose linearly to the point of formulation saturation. Above saturation, bleed potencies remained constant, producing plateaus on the solubility plots. The formulation potency at the onset of plateau quantified the saturation solubility of the active in each formulation. This technique was demonstrated with butylparaben in three ointment bases, and with hydrocortisone in an emulsion formulation. The solubility estimates thus obtained were confirmed experimentally by optical microscopy. This novel technique permits saturation solubilities to be determined for a range of semisolid formulations, with much greater accuracy than was previously possible.

An investigation into the use of thermorheology and texture analysis in the evaluation of W/O creams stabilized with a silicone emulsifier

The aim of the study was to evaluate a range of W/O semisolid emulsion systems (creams) containing white soft paraffin (petrolatum) and a new type of nonionic lipophilic silicone emulsifier (Abil EM 90) using a novel combination of rheological tests. Emulsifier concentrations from 1.5% to 3.0% w/w were used with two manufacturing procedures, cold (25 degrees C) and warm (70 degrees C) emulsification, to determine whether and to what extent these variables alter the structure and consistency of the creams. The techniques comprised linear (continuous flow) and dynamic (oscillatory) rheometry at 25 degrees C, thermal flow experiments (from 10 degrees to 90 degrees C and back to 10 degrees C), and penetrometry studies. The differences in emulsifier concentration produced effects on the rheological properties of the W/ O creams, although the manufacturing process was much more influential. Cold emulsification led to creams with higher viscosity, lower thixotropy, and better elastic properties. The results of penetration tests on creams correlated with those of the rheological studies. The flow properties of white soft paraffin at 25 degrees C were comparable with the creams obtained by cold emulsification, while the elasticity was considerably lower. Thermorheological studies showed evidence for transitional behavior for white soft paraffin on heating, but not for the creams. White soft paraffin showed a higher viscosity (and resistance to the penetrating force) when melted at 70 degrees C and left to solidify at room temperature, compared to the "unmelted" sample. This was the opposite trend to that found with warm and cold emulsified creams. The input of heat during the emulsification process showed a strong effect on the structure and consistency of the W/O creams containing petrolatum and silicone emulsifier, resulting in a less viscous product. The use of the aforementioned techniques represents a useful and novel approach to the evaluation of cream consistency.

Structural rheology of a model ointment

A model ointment consisting of white petrolatum, mineral oil and microcrystalline wax was studied using rheology, microscopy and thermal techniques. Rheograms studied over a temperature range of 25-40 degrees C indicated that the overall rheogram shape changed little as the temperature increased. However, two inflections gradually disappeared as the temperature increased. Thermal optical analysis showed that the temperature range over which these inflection disappeared correlated with the melting transition of the components forming the secondary structure. Another series of rheograms obtained from ointments with different combinations of the raw materials showed the rheology of the ointment is primarily controlled by the white petrolatum and mineral oil and that the microcrystalline wax acts to build-up the structure by incorporating itself into the existing white petrolatum structure. Thermal optical analysis of comelts of the raw materials proved that the ointment network structure is essentially a recombination of the naturally occurring components in differing ratios. The knowledge obtained from these studies is applied to a discussion of the thermal and mechanical stresses encountered in the filling operation.

Chemical and physicochemical characterization of petrolatums used in eye ointment formulations

Petrolatums from different manufacturers were characterized by viscosity measurements, oil number and ratio of low to high mol. wt components (capillary gas chromatography). Viscosity measurements and oil numbers of original materials did not correlate with the viscosity of the processed material in eye ointments. The ratio of high carbon number components to the low carbon number components was a reliable predictor for the viscosity of the formulation.