Development and In Vivo Evaluation of Ziyuglycoside I-Loaded Self-Microemulsifying Formulation for Activity of Increasing Leukocyte

Polydopamine-coated mesoporous silica nanoparticles co-loaded with Ziyuglycoside I and Oseltamivir for synergistic treatment of viral pneumonia

Viral pneumonia (VP) is a serious health risk to humans, however, there is still a lack of specific treatments for VP. The spread of the virus in the body induces an excessive inflammatory response that can cause chronic or irreversible damage to lungs. Hence, VP treatment requires rapid clearance of the virus and sustained inflammation control. In this study, an innovative mesoporous silica medication delivery system co-loaded with Ziyuglycoside I(ZgI) and Oseltamivirv(OST) in fast and slow monomeric forms ZgI@MSNs-OST@ Polydopamine (PDA) was prepared for targeted treatment of VP. The prepared ZgI@MSNs-OST@PDA nanoparticles had a homogeneous and membrane-encapsulated spherical structure, with an average particle size of approximately 760 nm. in vitro release and in vivo pharmacokinetic studies demonstrated that ZgI@MSNs-OST@PDA achieved immediate release of OST and sustained release of ZgI, which was readily taken up by the cells. In vitro anti-H1N1 virus experiments showed that nanoparticles rapidly killed the virus in host cells, and the anti-inflammatory effect was sustained and long-lasting, providing excellent protection to host cells. In vivo antiviral pneumonia experiments confirmed the rapid clearance of influenza viruses from mouse lungs and the effective control of overactivated immune responses by ZgI@MSNs-OST@PDA nanoparticles. Through a mechanistic study, we found that the treatment of viral pneumonia with nanoparticles was associated with inhibition of the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway. In conclusion, the constructed nanoparticles achieved synergistic therapeutic effects of ZgI and OST on VP, that is, rapid killing of influenza viruses by OST and effective control of the virus-induced hyperinflammatory response by ZgI.

Celecoxib Oral Solution and the Benefits of Self-Microemulsifying Drug Delivery Systems (SMEDDS) Technology: A Narrative Review

INTRODUCTION

The oral route of drug delivery is the most widespread and preferred route of administration, but it has several limitations, including variable pharmacokinetics (PK), reduced dissolution and absorption, and gastrointestinal irritation. Further, many compounds have low aqueous solubility, which also limits intestinal absorption.

METHODS

For this narrative review, we conducted a literature search of PubMed until August 2022, focusing on emulsions, microemulsions, nanoemulsions, and self-emulsifying drug delivery systems.

RESULTS

The self-microemulsifying drug delivery system (SMEDDS) overcomes these limitations of hydrophobic compounds to enhance their bioavailability. A SMEDDS formulation is a clear, thermodynamically stable, oil-in-water emulsion of lipid, solubilized drug, and two surfactants, which spontaneously forms droplets < 100 nm in diameter. These components help deliver presolubilized drugs to the gastrointestinal tract, while protecting them from degradation in gastric acid or first-pass hepatic metabolism. SMEDDS formulations have improved oral drug delivery in the treatment of cancer (paclitaxel), viral infections (ritonavir), and migraine headache (ibuprofen and celecoxib oral solution). The American Headache Society recently updated their consensus statement for the acute treatment of migraine and included a selective cyclo-oxygenase-2 selective inhibitor formulated in SMEDDS, celecoxib oral solution. This SMEDDS formulation showed pronounced improvement in bioavailability compared with celecoxib capsules, allowing for a low dose of celecoxib in the oral solution to provide safe and effective acute migraine treatment. Here, we will focus on SMEDDS formulations, what differentiates them from other analogous emulsions as vehicles for poorly soluble drugs, and their clinical application in the acute treatment of migraine.

CONCLUSIONS

Oral drugs reformulated in SMEDDS have shown accelerated times to peak plasma drug concentrations and increased maximum plasma concentrations, compared with capsules, tablets, or suspensions. SMEDDS technology increases both drug absorption and bioavailability of lipophilic drugs, compared with other formulations. Clinically, this allows the use of lower doses with improved PK profiles without compromising efficacy, as shown with celecoxib oral solution for the acute treatment of migraine.

Application of Design of Experiments in the Development of Self-Microemulsifying Drug Delivery Systems

Oral delivery has become the route of choice among all other types of drug administrations. However, typical chronic disease drugs are often poorly water-soluble, have low dissolution rates, and undergo first-pass metabolism, ultimately leading to low bioavailability and lack of efficacy. The lipid-based formulation offers tremendous benefits of using versatile excipients and has great compatibility with all types of dosage forms. Self-microemulsifying drug delivery system (SMEDDS) promotes drug self-emulsification in a combination of oil, surfactant, and co-surfactant, thereby facilitating better drug solubility and absorption. The feasible preparation of SMEDDS creates a promising strategy to improve the drawbacks of lipophilic drugs administered orally. Selecting a decent mixing among these components is, therefore, of importance for successful SMEDDS. Quality by Design (QbD) brings a systematic approach to drug development, and it offers promise to significantly improve the manufacturing quality performance of SMEDDS. Furthermore, it could be benefited efficiently by conducting pre-formulation studies integrated with the statistical design of experiment (DoE). In this review, we highlight the recent findings for the development of microemulsions and SMEDDS by using DoE methods to optimize the formulations for drugs in different excipients with controllable ratios. A brief overview of DoE concepts is discussed, along with its technical benefits in improving SMEDDS formulations.

Gold Nanoparticles Coated with SH-PEG-NH2 and Loaded with Ziyuglycoside I for Promoting Autophagy in Hematopoietic Stem Cells

Introduction

Radiotherapy and chemotherapy are the fundamental causes of myelosuppression in cancer patients, which usually induce a serious hematopoietic system toxicity, causing the hemocytes and immunity decline of patients. Ziyuglycoside I (ZgI), an active ingredient isolated from traditional Chinese medicine Sanguisorba officinalis L, has been demonstrated to increase the leucocytes and protect hematopoietic stem cells, which is related to its promotion of autophagy in hematopoietic stem cells.

Methods

In the present study, we formulated the SH-PEG-NH₂-coated gold nanoparticles loading ZgI (ZgI-AuNPs) with a enhanced autophagy promotion in hematopoietic stem cells. ZgI-AuNPs were prepared by HAuCl₄-sodium citrate reduction method, and the synthesis of ZgI-AuNPs was validated by XRD, FT-IR, DSC, and TEM findings. Furthermore, the drug loading rate and the release of ZgI were evaluated, and the ZgI-AuNPs' effects on autophagy and immunofluorescence staining for LC3B were tested. Finally, the effect of ZgI-AuNPs on the autophagy and hematopoietic ability of HSCs in vivo was also carried out.

Results

The prepared ZgI-AuNPs have an irregular cubic crystal structure by TEM observation, and the average particle size was 340 ± 16.5 nm determined by DLS. The XRD, FT-IR and DSC detection showed that the ZgI had been well loaded in AuNPs, and the AuNPs can load the ZgI at a content of 160.63 ± 1.35 μg·mg^-1. Meanwhile, the AuNPs can reduce the drug release rate of ZgI. Importantly, the ZgI-AuNPs enhanced autophagy of HSCs both in vitro and in vivo. At the same time, the gold nanoparticles enhance the hematopoietic effect of ZgI on mice HSCs.

Conclusion

Our research suggests that SH-PEG-NH₂-coated gold nanoparticles loading ZgI has potential application in myelosuppression therapy.

Development of an Oral Isoliquiritigenin Self-Nano-Emulsifying Drug Delivery System (ILQ-SNEDDS) for Effective Treatment of Eosinophilic Esophagitis Induced by Food Allergy

Isoliquiritigenin (ILQ) is a natural flavonoid with various pharmacological activities. In this study, we optimized the preparation method of self-nano-emulsion-loaded ILQ to further improve its bioavailability based on our previous study. In addition, its effect on the treatment of eosinophilic esophagitis was also evaluated. Combined surfactants and co-surfactants were screened, and the optimal formulation of ILQ-SNEDDS was determined according to droplet size, droplet dispersity index (DDI), and drug loading. The formulation was composed of ethyl oleate (oil phase), Tween 80 & Cremophor EL (surfactant, 7:3), and PEG 400 & 1,2-propylene glycol (cosurfactant, 1:1), with a mass ratio of 3:6:1. Its physicochemical properties, including drug loading, droplets' size, Zeta potential, appearance, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, were characterized. In vitro release profile, in situ intestinal absorption, and in vivo pharmacokinetics were applied to confirm the improvement of oral ILQ bioavailability by NEDDS. Finally, the efficacy of ILQ-SNEDDS in the treatment of food allergy-induced eosinophilic esophagitis (EOE) was further evaluated. When the ILQ drug loading was 77.9 mg/g, ILQ-SNEDDS could self-assemble into sub-spherical uniform droplets with an average size of about 33.4 ± 2.46 nm (PDI about 0.10 ± 0.05) and a Zeta potential of approximately -10.05 ± 3.23 mV. In situ intestinal absorption showed that optimized SNEDDS significantly increased the apparent permeability coefficient of ILQ by 1.69 times, and the pharmacokinetic parameters also confirmed that SNEDDS sharply increased the max plasma concentration and bioavailability of ILQ by 3.47 and 2.02 times, respectively. ILQ-SNEDDS also significantly improved the apparent signs, allergic index, hypothermia and body weight of EoE model mice. ILQ-SNEDDS treatment significantly reduced the levels of inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α, IL-4, and IL-5, and the level of PPE-s-IgE in serum, and significantly inhibited the expression of TGF-β1 in esophageal tissue. SNEDDS significantly improved the solubility and bioavailability of ILQ. Additionally, ILQ-SNEDDS treatment attenuated symptomatology of EoE model mice, which was associated with inhibiting the production of T_H2 inflammatory cytokines and PPE-s-IgE and the expression of TGF-β1. The above results shows that ILQ-SNEDDS has great potential as a good candidate for the treatment of eosinophilic esophagitis.

A Comprehensive Insight on Self Emulsifying Drug Delivery Systems

BACKGROUND

The oral route is a highly recommended route for the delivery of a drug. But most lipophilic drugs are difficult to deliver via this route due to their low aqueous solubility. Selfemulsifying drug delivery systems (SEDDS) have emerged as a potential approach of increasing dissolution of a hydrophobic drug due to spontaneous dispersion in micron or nano sized globules in the GI tract under mild agitation.

OBJECTIVE

The main motive of this review article is to describe the mechanisms, advantages, disadvantages, factors affecting, effects of excipients, possible mechanisms of enhancing bioavailability, and evaluation of self-emulsifying drug delivery systems.

RESULTS

Self emulsifying systems incorporate the hydrophobic drug inside the oil globules, and a monolayer is formed by surfactants to provide the low interfacial tension, which leads to improvement in the dissolution rate of hydrophobic drugs. The globule size of self-emulsifying systems depends upon the type and ratio of excipients in which they are used. The ternary phase diagram is constructed to find out the range of concentration of excipients used. This review article also presents recent and updated patents on self-emulsifying drug delivery systems. Self-emulsifying systems have the ability to enhance the oral bioavailability and solubility of lipophilic drugs.

CONCLUSION

This technique offers further advantages such as bypassing the first pass metabolism via absorption of drugs through the lymphatic system, easy manufacturing, reducing enzymatic hydrolysis, inter and intra subject variability, and food effects.

A Comprehensive Review of Genus Sanguisorba: Traditional Uses, Chemical Constituents and Medical Applications

Genus Sanguisorba (family: Rosaceae) comprises nearly 148 species, distributed widely across the temperate and subtropical regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Sanguisorba officinalis L. (S. officinalis) has been used as a hemostatic and scald treating medicine in China for a long time. Numerous studies have demonstrated that plant extracts or monomers from S. officinalis exhibit several pharmacological effects, such as anti-cancer, anti-virus, anti-inflammation, anti-bacteria, neuroprotective and hepatoprotective effects. The other species of genus Sanguisorba are also being studied by researchers worldwide. Sanguisorba minor Scop. (S. minor), as an edible wild plant, is a common ingredient of the Mediterranean diet, and its young shoots and leaves are often mixed with traditional vegetables and consumed as salad. Reports on genus Sanguisorba available in the current literature were collected from Google Scholar, Web of Science, Springer, and PubMed. The Plant List (http://www.theplantlist.org./tpl1.1/search?q=Sanguisorba), International Plant Name Index (https://www.ipni.org/?q=Sanguisorba) and Kew Botanical Garden (http://powo.science.kew.org/) were used for obtaining the scientific names and information on the subspecies and cultivars. In recent years, several in vivo and in vitro experiments have been conducted to reveal the active components and effective monomers of S. officinalis and S. minor. To date, more than 270 compounds have been isolated and identified so far from the species belonging to genus Sanguisorba. Numerous reports on the chemical constituents, pharmacologic effects, and toxicity of genus Sanguisorba are available in the literature. This review provides a comprehensive understanding of the current traditional applications of plants, which are supported by a large number of scientific experiments. Owing to these promising properties, this species is used in the treatment of various diseases, including influenza virus infection, inflammation, Alzheimer’s disease, type 2 diabetes and leukopenia caused by bone marrow suppression. Moreover, the rich contents and biological effects of S. officinalis and S. minor facilitate these applications in dietary supplements and cosmetics. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to summarize the recent advances in the traditional uses, chemical constituents, pharmacological effects and clinical applications of genus Sanguisorba. The present comprehensive review may provide new insights for the future research on genus Sanguisorba.

TPGS-Modified Long-Circulating Liposomes Loading Ziyuglycoside I for Enhanced Therapy of Myelosuppression

Background

Ziyuglycoside I (ZgI), an active ingredient isolated from traditional Chinese medicine Sanguisorba officinalis L, has been demonstrated to increase the leucocytes and protect hematopoietic stem cells. However, the poor solubility and a short half-life of ZgI limit its bioavailability and efficacy. The D-α-tocopherol polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate (TPGS) has been widely used to increase the solubility, improve the encapsulation rate, and extend the half-life of drugs.

Methods

Here, we formulated the TPGS-modified long-circulating liposomes loading ZgI with a sustained drug release and enhanced therapy for myelosuppression. ZgI-TPGS-liposomes were manufactured using a thin-film hydration technique, followed by characterizations of physicochemical properties, including the particle size, zeta potential, TEM, SEM, FTIR, XRD, stability, drug loading (DL), encapsulation efficiency (EE). The in vitro and in vivo delivery efficiency were further evaluated by cellular uptake, in vitro drug release and in vivo pharmacokinetics. Finally, therapeutic effect on myelosuppression was investigated.

Results

The ZgI-TPGS-liposomes had an particle size of 97.89 ± 1.42 nm and ZP of −28.65 ± 0.16 mV. It exhibited DL of 9.06 ± 0.76% and EE of 92.34 ± 3.83%, along with excellent storage stability, cellular uptake and sustained drug release to free ZgI and liposomes without TPGS. Additionally, the TPGS modified liposomes significantly enhanced the therapeutic effect of ZgI on CTX induced myelosuppression, which can be confirmed in the apoptosis inhibition and cell viability promotion of CTX injured HSPC-1 cells. Also, the mice in vivo pharmacodynamics demonstrated that TPGS liposomes promoted ZgI increasing the numbers of leucocytes and neutrophils in myelosuppression mice induced by CTX.

Conclusion

Our research suggest that TPGS-modified long-circulating liposomes loading ziyuglycoside I has potential application in myelosuppression therapy.

Preparation and evaluation of oral self-microemulsifying drug delivery system of Chlorophyll

OBJECTIVE

This study was aimed at improving the water solubility and oral bioavailability of Chl by self-microemulsifying drug delivery system (Chl-SMEDDS).

METHODS

Compatibility experiments, pseudo-ternary phase diagram and central composite design were used to optimize the formulation. The selected systems were further evaluated for physical characteristics, including particle size, zeta potential, and appearance. The stability, in vitro dispersion test, and in vivo intestinal perfusion experiments were used to evaluate the SMEDDS.

RESULTS

The optimal composition of Chl-SMEDDS included: Labrafil M 1944 CS (35%), kolliphor RH 40 (46%), Transcutol HP (19%) and 60 mg/g Chl. The appearance of water emulsified Chl-SMEDDS was green and transparent. The particle size, ζ-potential, and transmission electron microscopy studies showed that spherical globules of Chl-SMEDDS with a size of about 22.82 ± 1.29 nm and a negative surface charge of -24.21 ± 3.45 mV were obtained. Chl-SMEDDS could remain stable at 25 °C and 4 °C for at least 6 months. The dispersion test showed that Chl-SMEDDS dispersed spontaneously to form microemulsion after disintegration of capsule shell and 90% drug dispersed in just 30 min in pH 1.2 HCl without any drug precipitation during the test period. In vivo intestinal perfusion experiment revealed that the main absorption site for Chl-SMEDDS was duodenum.

CONCLUSIONS

This study indicates that SMEDDS formulation could be an effective strategy for the oral administration of Chl.

Development of an Orally Bioavailable Isoliquiritigenin Self-Nanoemulsifying Drug Delivery System to Effectively Treat Ovalbumin-Induced Asthma

Purpose

Isoliquiritigenin (ILQ), an important component of Anti-Asthma Herbal Medicine Intervention (ASHMI), had shown potent anti-asthma effect in vitro in our previous study. However, poor solubility and low bioavailability hindered in vivo application to treat asthma. This study was to develop a novel ILQ loaded self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system (ILQ-SMEDDS) with enhanced bioavailability.

Methods

The optimized SMEDDS formulation was composed of ethyl oleate (oil phase), Tween 80 (surfactant) and PEG400 (co-surfactant) at a mass ratio of 3:6:1. The physiochemical properties of ILQ-SMEDDS, including drug content, globule size, zeta potential, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, were characterized. And the in vitro release profile, in situ intestinal absorption, in vivo pharmacokinetic parameters and the anti-asthma effect of ILQ suspension and ILQ-SMEDDS were evaluated.

Results

The ILQ-SMEDDS had an average globule size of 20.63 ± 1.95 nm with a polydispersity index (PDI) of 0.11 ± 0.03, and its zeta potential was −12.64 ± 2.12 mV. The cumulative release rate of ILQ from ILQ-SMEDDS to the simulated gastrointestinal tract was significantly higher than that of free ILQ suspension. And area under curve with ILQ-SMEDDS was found to be 3.95 times higher than that of ILQ suspension indicating improved bioavailability by SMEDDS. Although ILQ-SMEDDS showed a slight less effective inhibitory effect on eotaxin-1 in human lung fibroblast (HFL-1) cells than free ILQ, in an ovalbumin-induced asthma model, ILQ-SMEDDS exhibited more efficacy than ILQ suspension in improving asthma-associated inflammation, including eosinophil production, ovalbumin-specific immunoglobulin E (OVA-sIgE), interleukin 4 (IL 4), interleukin 5 (IL 5) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ). Even the low dose of ILQ-SMEDDS group (10 mg/kg) showed better anti-asthma effect than that of the ILQ suspension group (20 mg/kg).

Conclusion

Compared with ILQ suspension, ILQ-SMEDDS showed significantly improved bioavailability and anti-asthma effect, revealing its potential as a favorable pharmaceutical agent for treating asthma.

Advances in drug delivery systems: Work in progress still needed?

A new era of science and technology has emerged in pharmaceutical research with focus on developing novel drug delivery systems for oral administration. Conventional dosage forms like tablets and capsules are associated with a low bioavailability, frequent application, side effects and hence patient noncompliance. By developing novel strategies for drug delivery, researchers embraced an alternative to traditional drug delivery systems. Out of those, fast dissolving drug delivery systems are very eminent among pediatrics and geriatrics. Orally disintegrating films are superior over fast dissolving tablets as the latter are assigned with the risk of suffocation. Due to their ability of bypassing the dissolution and the first pass effect after oral administration, self-emulsifying formulations have also become increasingly popular in improving oral bioavailability of hydrophobic drugs. Osmotic devices enable a controlled drug delivery independent upon gastrointestinal conditions using osmosis as driving force. The advances in nanotechnology and the variety of possible materials and formulation factors enable a targeted delivery and triggered release. Vesicular systems can be easily modified as required and provide a controlled and sustained drug delivery to a specific site.

This work provides an insight of the novel approaches in drug delivery covering the critical comparison between traditional and novel “advanced-designed” systems.

Surface activity and foaming properties of saponin-rich plants extracts

Saponins are amphiphilic glycosidic secondary metabolites produced by numerous plants. So far only few of them have been thoroughly analyzed and even less have found industrial applications as biosurfactants. In this contribution we screen 45 plants from different families, reported to be rich in saponins, for their surface activity and foaming properties. For this purpose, the room-temperature aqueous extracts (macerates) from the alleged saponin-rich plant organs were prepared and spray-dried under the same conditions, in presence of sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate as preservatives and drying aids. For 15 selected plants, the extraction was also performed using hot water (decoction for 15 min) but high temperature in most cases deteriorated surface activity of the extracts. To our knowledge, for most of the extracts this is the first quantitative report on their surface activity. Among the tested plants, only 3 showed the ability to reduce surface tension of their solutions by more than 20 mN/m at 1% dry extract mass content. The adsorption layers forming spontaneously on the surface of these extracts showed a broad range of surface dilational rheology responses - from null to very high, with surface dilational elasticity modulus, E' in excess of 100 mN/m for 5 plants. In all cases the surface dilational response was dominated by the elastic contribution, typical for saponins and other biosurfactants. Almost all extracts showed the ability to froth, but only 32 could sustain the foam for more than 1 min (for 11 extracts the foams were stable during at least 10 min). In general, the ability to lower surface tension and to produce adsorbed layers with high surface elasticity did not correlate well with the ability to form and sustain the foam. Based on the overall characteristics, Saponaria officinalis L. (soapwort), Avena sativa L. (oat), Aesculus hippocastanum L. (horse chestnut), Chenopodium quinoa Willd. (quinoa), Vaccaria hispanica (Mill.) Rauschert (cowherb) and Glycine max (L.) Merr. (soybean) are proposed as the best potential sources of saponins for surfactant applications in natural cosmetic and household products.