The effect of nanoemulsion as a carrier of hydrophilic compound for transdermal delivery

Tailoring and optimization of a honey-based nanoemulgel loaded with an itraconazole-thyme oil nanoemulsion for oral candidiasis

The use of essential oil-based nanoemulsions (NEs) has been the subject of extensive research on a variety of conditions affecting the oral cavity. NEs are delivery methods that improve the solubility and distribution of lipid medicines to the intended areas. Because of their antibacterial and antifungal properties, itraconazole and thyme oil-based self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems (ItZ-ThO-SNEDDS) were created to protect oral health against oral microorganisms. The ItZ-ThO-SNEDDS were created utilizing an extreme verices mixture design, and varying concentrations of ThO (10% and 25%), labrasol (40% and 70%), and transcutol (20% and 40%) were used. The ItZ-ThO-SNEDDS had droplet sizes of less than 250 nm, a drug-loading efficiency of up to 64%, and a fungal growth inhibition zone of up to 20 mm. The accepted design was used to obtain the ideal formulation, which contained ThO in the amount of 0.18 g/ml, labrasol 0.62 g/ml, and transcutol 0.2 g/ml. The best ItZ-ThO-SNEDDS formulation was incorporated into a honey-based gel, which demonstrated improved release of ItZ in vitro and improved transbuccal permeation ex vivo. In addition, when compared with various formulations tested in rats, the optimized loaded emulgel decreased the ulcer index. This study therefore demonstrated that the ItZ-ThO-SNEDDS could offer an effective defense against oral diseases caused by microbial infections.

Magnetic Nanoemulsions for the Intra-Articular Delivery of Ascorbic Acid and Dexamethasone

(1) Osteoarthritis (OA) is a progressive joint degenerative disease that currently has no cure. Limitations in the development of innovative disease modifying therapies are related to the complexity of the underlying pathogenic mechanisms. In addition, there is the unmet need for efficient drug delivery methods. Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have been proposed as an efficient modality for the delivery of bioactive molecules within OA joints, limiting the side effects associated with systemic delivery. We previously demonstrated MNP's role in increasing cell proliferation and chondrogenesis. In the design of intra-articular therapies for OA, the combined NE-MNP delivery system could provide increased stability and biological effect. (2) Proprietary Fe3O4 MNPs formulated as oil-in-water (O/W) magneto nanoemulsions (MNEs) containing ascorbic acid and dexamethasone were tested for size, stability, magnetic properties, and in vitro biocompatibility with human primary adipose mesenchymal cells (ADSC), cell mobility, and chondrogenesis. In vivo biocompatibility was tested after systemic administration in mice. (3) We report high MNE colloidal stability, magnetic properties, and excellent in vitro and in vivo biocompatibility. By increasing ADSC migration potential and chondrogenesis, MNE carrying dexamethasone and ascorbic acid could reduce OA symptoms while protecting the cartilage layer.

Magnetic Nanoemulsions for the Intra-Articular Delivery of Ascorbic Acid and Dexamethasone

(1) Osteoarthritis (OA) is a progressive joint degenerative disease that currently has no cure. Limitations in the development of innovative disease modifying therapies are related to the complexity of the underlying pathogenic mechanisms. In addition, there is the unmet need for efficient drug delivery methods. Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have been proposed as an efficient modality for the delivery of bioactive molecules within OA joints, limiting the side effects associated with systemic delivery. We previously demonstrated MNP’s role in increasing cell proliferation and chondrogenesis. In the design of intra-articular therapies for OA, the combined NE-MNP delivery system could provide increased stability and biological effect. (2) Proprietary Fe3O4 MNPs formulated as oil-in-water (O/W) magneto nanoemulsions (MNEs) containing ascorbic acid and dexamethasone were tested for size, stability, magnetic properties, and in vitro biocompatibility with human primary adipose mesenchymal cells (ADSC), cell mobility, and chondrogenesis. In vivo biocompatibility was tested after systemic administration in mice. (3) We report high MNE colloidal stability, magnetic properties, and excellent in vitro and in vivo biocompatibility. By increasing ADSC migration potential and chondrogenesis, MNE carrying dexamethasone and ascorbic acid could reduce OA symptoms while protecting the cartilage layer.

Current Advances in Lipid Nanosystems Intended for Topical and Transdermal Drug Delivery Applications

Skin delivery is an exciting and challenging field. It is a promising approach for effective drug delivery due to its ease of administration, ease of handling, high flexibility, controlled release, prolonged therapeutic effect, adaptability, and many other advantages. The main associated challenge, however, is low skin permeability. The skin is a healthy barrier that serves as the body's primary defence mechanism against foreign particles. New advances in skin delivery (both topical and transdermal) depend on overcoming the challenges associated with drug molecule permeation and skin irritation. These limitations can be overcome by employing new approaches such as lipid nanosystems. Due to their advantages (such as easy scaling, low cost, and remarkable stability) these systems have attracted interest from the scientific community. However, for a successful formulation, several factors including particle size, surface charge, components, etc. have to be understood and controlled. This review provided a brief overview of the structure of the skin as well as the different pathways of nanoparticle penetration. In addition, the main factors influencing the penetration of nanoparticles have been highlighted. Applications of lipid nanosystems for dermal and transdermal delivery, as well as regulatory aspects, were critically discussed.

A Novel Nanoemulsion Formula for an Improved Delivery of a Thalidomide Analogue to Triple-Negative Breast Cancer; Synthesis, Formulation, Characterization and Molecular Studies

Background

Thalidomide (THD) and its analogues were recently reported as a promising treatment for different types of solid tumors due to their antiangiogenic effect.

Methods

In this work, we synthesized a novel THD analogue (TA), and its chemistry was confirmed with different techniques such as IR, mass spectroscopy, elemental analysis as well as ¹H and ¹³C NMR. To increase solubility and anticancer efficacy, a new oil in water (O/W) nanoemulsion (NE) was used in the formulation of the analogue. The novel formula's surface charge, size, stability, FTIR, FE-TEM, in vitro drug release and physical characteristics were investigated. Furthermore, molecular docking studies were conducted to predict the possible binding modes and molecular interactions behind the inhibitory activities of the THD and TA.

Results

TA showed a significant cytotoxic activity with IC₅₀ ranging from 0.326 to 43.26 µmol/mL when evaluated against cancerous cells such as MCF-7, HepG2, Caco-2, LNCaP and RKO cell lines. The loaded analogue showed more potential cytotoxicity against MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7-ADR cell lines with IC₅₀ values of 0.0293 and 0.0208 nmol/mL, respectively. Moreover, flow cytometry of cell cycle analysis and apoptosis were performed showing a suppression in the expression levels of TGF-β, MCL-1, VEGF, TNF-α, STAT3 and IL-6 in the MDA-MB-231 cell line.

Conclusion

The novel NE formula dramatically reduced the anticancer dosage of TA from micromolar efficiency to nanomolar efficiency. This indicates that the synthesized analogue exhibited high potency in the NE formulation and proved its efficacy against triple-negative breast cancer cell line.

Beneath the Skin: A Review of Current Trends and Future Prospects of Transdermal Drug Delivery Systems

The ideal drug delivery system has a bioavailability comparable to parenteral dosage forms but is as convenient and easy to use for the patient as oral solid dosage forms. In recent years, there has been increased interest in transdermal drug delivery (TDD) as a non-invasive delivery approach that is generally regarded as being easy to administer to more vulnerable age groups, such as paediatric and geriatric patients, while avoiding certain bioavailability concerns that arise from oral drug delivery due to poor absorbability and metabolism concerns. However, despite its many merits, TDD remains restricted to a select few drugs. The physiology of the skin poses a barrier against the feasible delivery of many drugs, limiting its applicability to only those drugs that possess physicochemical properties allowing them to be successfully delivered transdermally. Several techniques have been developed to enhance the transdermal permeability of drugs. Both chemical (e.g., thermal and mechanical) and passive (vesicle, nanoparticle, nanoemulsion, solid dispersion, and nanocrystal) techniques have been investigated to enhance the permeability of drug substances across the skin. Furthermore, hybrid approaches combining chemical penetration enhancement technologies with physical technologies are being intensively researched to improve the skin permeation of drug substances. This review aims to summarize recent trends in TDD approaches and discuss the merits and drawbacks of the various chemical, physical, and hybrid approaches currently being investigated for improving drug permeability across the skin.

Nanoemulsion-based dosage forms for the transdermal drug delivery applications: A review of recent advances

INTRODUCTION

Nanoemulsion-based drug delivery approaches have witnessed massive acceptance over the years and acquired a significant foothold owing to their tremendous benefits over the others. It has widely been used for transdermal delivery of hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs with solubility, lipophilicity, and bioavailability issues.

AREAS COVERED

The review highlights the recent advancements and applications of transdermal nanoemulsions. Their utilities and characteristics, clinical pertinence showcasing intellectual properties and advancements, potential in treating disorders accompanying liquid, semisolid, and solid dosage forms, the ability to modulate a drug's physicochemical properties, and regulatory status are thoroughly summarized.

EXPERT OPINION

Despite tremendous therapeutic utilities and extensive investigations, this field of transdermal nanoemulsion-based technologies yet tackles several challenges such as optimum use of surfactant mixtures, economic burden due to high energy consumption during production, lack of concrete regulatory requirement, etc. Provided with the concrete guidelines on the safe use of surfactants, stability, use of scalable and economical methods, and the use of NE as a transdermal system would solve the purpose best as nanoemulsion shows remarkable improvement in drug release profiles and bioavailability of many drugs. Nevertheless, a better understanding of nanoemulsion technology holds a promising outlook and would land more opportunities and better delivery outcomes.

The technology of transdermal delivery nanosystems: from design and development to preclinical studies

Transdermal administration has gained much attention due to the remarkable advantages such as patient compliance, drug escape from first-pass elimination, favorable pharmacokinetic profile and prolonged release properties. However, the major limitation of these systems is the limited skin penetration of the stratum corneum, the skin's most important barrier, which protects the body from the insertion of substances from the environment. Transdermal drug delivery systems are aiming to the disruption of the stratum corneum in order for the active pharmaceutical ingredients to enter successfully the circulation. Therefore, nanoparticles are holding a great promise because they can act as effective penetration enhancers due to their small size and other physicochemical properties that will be analyzed thoroughly in this report. Apart from the investigation of the physicochemical parameters, a comparison between the different types of nanoparticles will be performed. The complexity of skin anatomy and the unclear mechanisms of penetration should be taken into consideration to reach some realistic conclusions regarding the way that the described parameters affect the skin permeability. To the best of the authors knowledge, this is among the few reports on the literature describing the technology of transdermal delivery systems and how this technology affects the biological activity.

Development of omega-3 loxoprofen-loaded nanoemulsion to limit the side effect associated with NSAIDs in treatment of tooth pain

The majority of newly developed drugs need to be incorporated with delivery systems to maximize their effect and minimize side effects. Nanoemulsions (NEs) are one type of delivery system that helps to improve the solubility and dissolution of drugs, attempting to enhance their bioavailability and onset of action. The objective of this investigation was to develop an omega-3 oil-based NE loaded with loxoprofen (LXP) to enhance its dissolution, in vitro release, and mucosal penetration and decrease its mucosal ulcerative effects when applied in an oral treatment. LXP-loaded NEs were formulated with varying levels of omega-3 oil (10–30%), surfactant polyoxyethylene-C21-ethers (laureth-21) (40–60%), and co-surfactant polyethylene glycol-40 hydrogenated castor oil (HCO-40) (30–50%) using an extreme vertices mixture design. The developed NEs were characterized for globule size and drug loading capacity. The optimal formulation was tested for in vitro drug release, ex vivo permeation, and ulcer index value. The developed NE acquired a globule size ranging 71–195 nm and drug loading capacity of 43–87%. Considering the results of the in vitro release study, the optimized NE formulation achieved 2.45-fold and 2-fold increases in drug permeation across tested mucosa compared to a marketed tablet and drug aqueous dispersion, respectively. Moreover, the optimum NE exhibited the best ulcer index in comparison to drug aqueous suspension and different formulations when tested in rats. Overall, this research highlights the capacity of NEs to deliver LXP with enhanced solubility, drug release, and permeation while effectively protecting the application site from side effects of the model drug.

In vitro kinetic release study, antimicrobial activity and in vivo toxicity profile of a kojic acid ester-based nanoemulsion for topical application

Nanoemulsions have emerged as novel vehicles for drug delivery that allow sustained or controlled release for topical application. In this study, kojic acid ester-based nanoemulsion (KAE-NA) was analyzed for in vitro permeation evaluation, kinetic release study, in vitro antimicrobial activity and in vivo toxicity profile on embryonic zebrafish (Danio rerio). Based on KAE-NA in vitro permeation evaluation, the percentage of permeation was significantly improved from 4.94% at 1 h to 59.64% at 8 h of application. The permeation rate of KAE-NA at 8 h was 4659.50 μg cm^-2 h^-1 (initial concentration, C ₀ = 2000 μg mL^-1) with a permeability coefficient (K _p) value of 0.48 cm h^-1. The kinetic release analysis showed the Korsmeyer-Peppas model was the best fitted kinetic model with high linearity [R ² = 0.9964]. Antimicrobial activity of KAE-NA was studied against the skin pathogen bacteria Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 43300. The results indicated that the inhibition zone size of the KAE-NA (8.00 ± 0.0 mm) was slightly bigger than that of its active ingredient, kojic acid ester (6.5 ± 0.0 mm). The toxicity profile of KAE-NA on embryonic zebrafish revealed less toxicity with LC₅₀ (50% lethal concentration) more than 500 μg mL^-1. The survival rate of the embryonic zebrafish was more than 80% when treated at doses ranging from 7.81-250 μg mL^-1 and showed normal development throughout the experiment without any observed deformation. Hence, KAE-NA proved to be less toxic on the embryonic zebrafish.

Development of an Oil-in-Water Self-Emulsifying Microemulsion for Cutaneous Delivery of Rose Bengal: Investigation of Anti-Melanoma Properties

The topical delivery route is proposed as an alternative or adjunctive approach to melanoma treatment, since the target site for melanoma treatment-the epidermal basal layer-is potentially accessible by this route. Microemulsion systems are effective delivery vehicles for enhanced, targeted skin delivery. This work investigated the effect of Rose Bengal (RB) and RB-loaded self-emulsifying microemulsions (SEMEs) on growth inhibition of human melanoma and normal skin cell monolayers, the safety of the excipients incorporated in SEMEs on human cell lines, and the in-vitro human skin penetration of RB delivered in SEMEs and control solution. Cellular toxicity was assessed by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, and the growth inhibitory mechanism of RB was investigated by flow cytometry using PI staining. Unloaded SEMEs caused reduced cellular toxicity compared to the surfactant excipient, Labrasol^®. RB-loaded SEMEs increased cell growth inhibition compared to the RB aqueous solution. Flow cytometry revealed apoptotic cells after treatment with RB-loaded SEMEs, indicating that apoptosis may be one of the mechanisms of cell death. Preliminary results of multiphoton microscopy with fluorescence lifetime imaging (MPM-FLIM) analysis showed deeper penetration with greater skin concentrations of RB delivered from SEMEs compared to the RB aqueous solution. This study highlights the enhanced skin penetration and antimelanoma effects of RB loaded in a SEME system.

Enhanced transdermal delivery of curcumin nanosuspensions: A mechanistic study based on co-localization of particle and drug signals

Nanosuspensions have received much attention in enhanced transdermal delivery. However, the corresponding mechanisms have not been clarified. In particular, whether nanosuspensions can directly penetrate across the stratum corneum (SC) and what is the transdermal route for the enhanced penetration. Therefore, curcumin (CUR) was adopted in this study as a model drug, while an aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) probe was physically embedded in CUR nanosuspensions, i.e., the CUR hybrid nanosuspensions (CUR-HNSs), for bioimaging. The ACQ properties enable identification of intact CUR-HNSs. The co-localization of particle and CUR signals was exploited to outline the translocation profiles of intact nanosuspensions as well as the cargoes. Three sizes of CUR-HNSs are prepared, which are spherical and amorphous. CUR is poor in transdermal transport even in propylene glycol solution, which was enhanced by nanosuspensions. Although 400 nm CUR-HNSs present higher steady state flux than 140 nm and 730 nm ones, the cumulative amount of permeated CUR is yet less than 2% of the applied dose at 12 h. Co-localization of CUR and ACQ probe signals indicates that CUR-HNSs can infiltrate into the SC layer and accumulate in the hair follicles. The intact CUR-HNSs cannot enter into the skin. On the contrary, CUR molecules diffuse into the whole skin tissues following dissolution of CUR-HNSs in the SC and the hair follicles. In conclusion, nanosuspensions are advantageous for transdermal delivery of poorly permeable drugs by filtrate into the SC and accumulate in hair follicles.

Development of nanoemulsion gel drug delivery systems of cetirizine; factorial optimisation of composition, in vitro evaluation and clinical study

Aim: This work aimed to develop topical nanoemulsion gels of cetirizine, a second-generation antihistamine, to avoid its oral intake drawbacks and enhance skin permeation.Methods: Cetirizine nanoemulsions were formulated and characterised for their particle size, polydispersity index, zeta potential, drug release and drug permeation through rat skin. The optimised formulation, obtained using 2³ full factorial design, was incorporated in carbopol and chitosan gels and evaluated clinically for urticaria treatment.Results: The optimised formulation had particle size of 32.015 ± 1.87 nm, polydispersity index of 0.29 ± 0.04, zeta potential of -19.31 ± 0.43 mV, cetirizine percent released of 98.50 ± 1.23% and permeability coefficient of 7.65 cm.h^-1. Cetirizine nanoemulsion gels were more effective than their control gels in urticaria treatment with significant decrease in the degree of wheals and itching and higher recovery percent.Conclusion: Cetirizine nanoemulsion topical gels are expected to be a rational and effective tool for avoiding cetirizine oral side effects and targeting the affected skin.

Phonophoretic application of a glucosamine and chondroitin nanoemulsion for treatment of knee chondropathies

Aim: This study was performed to assess the effect of the phonophoretic application of a nanoemulsion incorporating glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate (NANO-CG) associated with kinesiotherapy on the reduction of pain and stiffness in knee chondropathy. Materials & methods: NANO-CG was tested in vitro and in vivo prior to being applied in a randomized and controlled clinical trial. Results: Cell viability and hen's egg test-chorionallantonic membrane tests indicated the NANO-CG is safe for topical application. Permeation tests showed NANO-CG enhances drug permeation through the skin. There was no statistical significance between treated groups in this preliminary study, however, pain reduction and complete recovery of articular cartilage were observed in some patients treated with NANO-CG. Conclusion: We demonstrate that NANO-CG may be a promising candidate for the therapy of knee chondropathy.

Development and optimization of nanoemulsion based gel for enhanced transdermal delivery of nitrendipine using box-behnken statistical design

Objective: The purpose of present research was to develop and statistically optimize nitrendipine nanoemulsion gel for transdermal delivery using box-behnken statistical design.Method: The nanoemulsion formulations bearing nitrendipine were prepared by application of ternary phase diagram and spontaneous emulsification method. Box-behnken design was employed for the optimization of nitrendipine loaded nanoemulsion. The independent variables were oil, surfactant and co-surfactant while globule size, drug content and zeta potential were dependent variables. The optimized nanoemulsion formulation was incorporated into gel and evaluated for in-vitro release, ex-vivo permeation studies, confocal laser scanning microscopy, skin irritation and histopathological studies.Results: The optimized formulation through box-behnken statistical design showed globule size of 20.43 ± 1.50 nm, drug content of 97.05 ± 1.77% and zeta potential of -15.45 ± 0.35 mV. The ex-vivo study confirmed the enhanced delivery of nitrendipine from nanoemulsion gel than compare to drug solution by virtue of better permeation and solubility. Nanoemulsion gel was proved significantly superior by confocal laser scanning microscopy for satisfactory permeation and distribution of gel, deep into the rat skin. The optimized gel was found with no allergic dermal effects and was proved safe by histopathological studies for transdermal application.Conclusions: Results reveals that developed nitrendipine nanoemulsion gel overcomes the limitation of low penetration and accentuate permeation through albino Wistar rat skin. It was concluded that nanoemulsion gel could be utilized as a potential carrier for transdermal delivery of nitrendipine.

Nanoemulsion: A Review on Mechanisms for the Transdermal Delivery of Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Drugs

Nanoemulsions (NEs) are colloidal dispersions of two immiscible liquids, oil and water, in which one is dispersed in the other with the aid of a surfactant/co-surfactant mixture, either forming oil-in-water (o/w) or water-in-oil (w/o) nanodroplets systems, with droplets 20–200 nm in size. NEs are easy to prepare and upscale, and they show high variability in their components. They have proven to be very viable, non-invasive, and cost-effective nanocarriers for the enhanced transdermal delivery of a wide range of active compounds that tend to metabolize heavily or suffer from undesirable side effects when taken orally. In addition, the anti-microbial and anti-viral properties of NE components, leading to preservative-free formulations, make NE a very attractive approach for transdermal drug delivery. This review focuses on how NEs mechanistically deliver both lipophilic and hydrophilic drugs through skin layers to reach the blood stream, exerting the desired therapeutic effect. It highlights the mechanisms and strategies executed to effectively deliver drugs, both with o/w and w/o NE types, through the transdermal way. However, the mechanisms reported in the literature are highly diverse, to the extent that a definite mechanism is not conclusive.

Size-dependent penetration of nanoemulsions into epidermis and hair follicles: implications for transdermal delivery and immunization

Nanoemulsions have been widely applied to dermal and transdermal drug delivery. However, whether and to what depth the integral nanoemulsions can permeate into the skin is not fully understood. In this study, an environment-responsive dye, P4, was loaded into nanoemulsions to track the transdermal translocation of the nanocarriers, while coumarin-6 was embedded to represent the cargoes. Particle size has great effects on the transdermal transportation of nanoemulsions. Integral nanoemulsions with particle size of 80 nm can diffuse into but not penetrate the viable epidermis. Instead, these nanoemulsions can efficiently fill the whole hair follicle canals and reach as deep as 588 μm underneath the dermal surfaces. The cargos are released from the nanoemulsions and diffuse into the surrounding dermal tissues. On the contrary, big nanoemulsions, with mean particle size of 500 nm, cannot penetrate the stratum corneum and can only migrate along the hair follicle canals. Nanoemulsions with median size, e.g. 200 nm, show moderate transdermal permeation effects among the three-size nanoemulsions. In addition, colocalization between nanoemulsions and immunofluorescence labeled antigen-presenting cells was observed in the epidermis and the hair follicles, implying possible capture of nanoemulsions by these cells. In conclusion, nanoemulsions are advantageous for transdermal delivery and potential in transcutaneous immunization.

Recent trends in the transdermal delivery of therapeutic agents used for the management of neurodegenerative diseases

With the increasing proportion of the global geriatric population, it becomes obvious that neurodegenerative diseases will become more widespread. From an epidemiological standpoint, it is necessary to develop new therapeutic agents for the management of Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis and other neurodegenerative disorders. An important approach in this regard involves the use of the transdermal route. With transdermal drug delivery systems (TDDS), it is possible to modulate the pharmacokinetic profiles of these medications and improve patient compliance. Transdermal drug delivery has also been shown to be useful for drugs with short half-life and low or unpredictable bioavailability. In this review, several transdermal drug delivery enhancement technologies are being discussed in relation to the delivery of medications used for the management of neurodegenerative disorders.

Nanocarriers enhance the transdermal bioavailability of resveratrol: In-vitro and in-vivo study

The aim of this study was to develop and assess the potential of nanostructured emulsion carriers for resveratrol topical application. Different compositions of resveratrol-loaded nanostructured emulsions were prepared using different types and amounts of surfactants and oily phases (isopropyl myristate and caproyl 90). The produced nanostructured emulsions were within the nanosized range 23.4-422.2nm with low viscosity range 2.15-17.53cps. The transdermal amount and deposition amount in the skin after 24 applications of resveratrol-loaded nanostructured emulsion were significantly increased about 896.2-fold and 10.2-fold respectively, when compared to the drug-saturated solution-treated group. Nanostructured emulsion containing IPM and low amounts of mixed surfactant of Tween80/Span 20 showed highest permeation capacity. In vivo study showed that the plasma concentration of resveratrol could be maintained at high levels for a long time after topical application of drug-loaded nanostructured emulsion. The histological examination demonstrated that the free drug- and drug-loaded nanostructured emulsion demonstrated considerably less irritation than the standard irritation group (0.8% paraformaldehyde-treated). The residual contents of resveratrol in the tested formulations after 3 months of storage at 25°C and 40°C were more than 99.97±3.90%. The results of present work confirm the high potential of nanostructured emulsion as carriers for drug topical application.

An Artificial Neural Network Based Analysis of Factors Controlling Particle Size in a Virgin Coconut Oil-Based Nanoemulsion System Containing Copper Peptide

A predictive model of a virgin coconut oil (VCO) nanoemulsion system for the topical delivery of copper peptide (an anti-aging compound) was developed using an artificial neural network (ANN) to investigate the factors that influence particle size. Four independent variables including the amount of VCO, Tween 80: Pluronic F68 (T80:PF68), xanthan gum and water were the inputs whereas particle size was taken as the response for the trained network. Genetic algorithms (GA) were used to model the data which were divided into training sets, testing sets and validation sets. The model obtained indicated the high quality performance of the neural network and its capability to identify the critical composition factors for the VCO nanoemulsion. The main factor controlling the particle size was found out to be xanthan gum (28.56%) followed by T80:PF68 (26.9%), VCO (22.8%) and water (21.74%). The formulation containing copper peptide was then successfully prepared using optimum conditions and particle sizes of 120.7 nm were obtained. The final formulation exhibited a zeta potential lower than -25 mV and showed good physical stability towards centrifugation test, freeze-thaw cycle test and storage at temperature 25°C and 45°C.

Evaluation of characterization and disinfection efficacy of chlorocresol nanoemulsion disinfectant

The aim of this study is to evaluate the characterization and disinfection efficacy of chlorocresol nanoemulsion disinfectant (CND).

Melanoma therapy with transdermal mitoxantrone cubic phases

CONTEXT

Melanoma therapy absorbs attention because of the high morbidity and mortality. However, currently systematic administrations could take little therapeutic efficiency and severe side effects.

OBJECTIVE

An effective transdermal formulation for the convenient melanoma therapy was found and evaluated.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A mitoxantrone (MTO) cubic phase was prepared with glyceryl monooleate, ethanol and water. The permeation, cytotoxicity, in vivo anti-melanoma effect of the MTO cubic phases were evaluated. The anti-cancer mechanism of the MTO cubic phases was explored according to the immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The isotropic structure of MTO cubic phases was identified. The transdermal permeability of MTO was greatly improved by the cubic phase compared to that of the MTO solution. The MTO cubic phases showed the high cytotoxicity in B16 melanoma cells evidenced by a modified electrical cell-substrate impedance sensing system. High anti-melanoma effect of the MTO cubic phases was confirmed according to the tumor volume changes and tumor weight. The tumor inhibitory rate of the MTO cubic phases was 68.44%. The calreticulin expression of B16 cells was improved by the MTO cubic phases, and the improved cell uptake of MTO was confirmed by the flow cytometry.

CONCLUSION

The MTO cubic phase is a promising topical delivery system for melanoma therapy with the advantages of non-invasion and no severe side effects.

Preparation and evaluation of submicron-carriers for naringenin topical application

Submicron emulsion system is one kind of submicron-carrier that can ensure close contact and increase the amount of drug transport into the skin. In the present study, naringenin was loaded into a submicron emulsion system for topical applications. The enhancement effect of drug permeability through skin, stability, and skin irritation of naringenin-loaded submicron emulsions were evaluated. The results showed that the transdermal amount and deposition amount in skin of naringenin from submicron emulsion formulations were significantly increased when compared to the control group of saturated aqueous solution of naringenin. The drug-loaded submicron emulsions showed thermodynamic stability after centrifugation and cooling-heating cycle tests. The level of drug was more than 98% after 3 months of storage at 25°C and 40°C. In skin irritation test, the result also demonstrated that naringenin-loaded submicron emulsion had less skin irritation, indicating that the formulation can possibly be developed for topical application.