A novel preparation method for drug nanocrystals and characterization by ultrasonic spray-assisted electrostatic adsorption

Preparation and characterization of nano amitriptyline hydrochloride particles by spray freeze drying

Aim: To investigate the enhancement of bioavailability by the usage of drug nanoparticles for increasing the efficacy of antidepressant therapeutic value. Materials & methods: Nano-amitriptyline HCI (AMT·HCl) particles were successfully prepared via a simple spray freeze drying (SFD) method. Results: The as-prepared nanoparticles are amorphous instead of crystalline. The mean size of AMT·HCl nanoparticles is 90 nm. In in vitro evaluation, AMT·HCl nanoparticles have greatly improved the dissolution compared with pure bulk materials, which have potential for enhancing human bioavailability and diminishing toxic effect. A nanoparticle formation mechanism was also proposed. Conclusion: These findings promote the development of antidepressant therapeutic evaluation based on the usage of AMT·HCl nanoparticles by SFD method and indicate that SFD is an alternative for a range of nanoparticle preparation in industrial pharmacy.

Design Space and QbD Approach for Production of Drug Nanocrystals by Wet Media Milling Techniques

Drug nanocrystals are nanosized solid drug particles, the most important application of which is the improvement of solubility properties of poorly soluble drug materials. Drug nanocrystals can be produced by many different techniques, but the mostly used are different kinds of media milling techniques; in milling, particle size of bulk sized drug material is decreased, with the aid of milling beads, to nanometer scale. Utilization of Quality by Design, QbD, approach in nanomilling improves the process-understanding of the system, and recently, the number of studies using the QbD approach in nanomilling has increased. In the QbD approach, the quality is built into the products and processes throughout the whole production chain. Definition of Critical Quality Attributes, CQAs, determines the targeted final product properties. CQAs are confirmed by setting Critical Process Parameters, CPPs, which include both process parameters but also input variables, like stabilizer amount or the solid state form of the drug. Finally, Design Space determines the limits in which CPPs should be in order to reach CQAs. This review discusses the milling process and process variables, CPPs, their impact on product properties, CQAs and challenges of the QbD approach in nanomilling studies.

Nanocrystal-based drug delivery system of risperidone: lyophilization and characterization

OBJECTIVE

In the present work nanocrystal-based formulation of risperidone (RIS) was proposed to overcome solubility issue of RIS, while lyophilization technique was used effectively, for conversion of RIS nanosuspension to solid state.

SIGNIFICANCE

RIS nanosuspension was developed and stabilized with a combination of polycaprolactone and Pluronic^® F-68 as stabilizers. With focus on critical parameters like nature of cryoprotectants and effect of eutectic temperature on properties of nanosuspension, the suitability of lyophilization technique in improving the physical stability of prepared nanosuspension was also evaluated. Additionally, the developed nanocrystals were also assessed for their solid states properties.

METHODS

Various process parameters affecting average particle size and polydispersity index (PDI), viz. drug to surfactant ratio, solvent to anti-solvent ratio, stirring speed, type of stabilizer were optimized. Assessment of lyophilization as a suitable solidification technique (for conversion to powder form) was done with selective cryoprotectants (trehalose dihydrate and sorbitol).

RESULTS

The formulation was found to be stable at 4 °C for 3 months with size, PDI and zeta potential of 214 ± 3.4 nm, 0.120, and -10.2 ± 0.90 mV, respectively. Release profile of developed nanosuspension showed cumulative % release of ∼90% in initial 10 h whereas the value for the unprocessed drug was ∼11% in same time frame.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that developed formulation was able to enhance water solubility of the drug effectively and can be potentially used in the management of psychotic disorders.

Nanomedicine applications in women's health: state of the art

State-of-the-art applications of nanomedicine have the potential to revolutionize the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of a range of conditions and diseases affecting women’s health. In this review, we provide a synopsis of potential applications of nanomedicine in some of the most dominant fields of women’s health: mental health, sexual health, reproductive medicine, oncology, menopause-related conditions and dementia. We explore published studies arising from in vitro and in vivo experiments, and clinical trials where available, to reveal novel and highly promising therapeutic applications of nanomedicine in these fields. For the first time, we summarize the growing body of evidence relating to the use of nanomaterials as experimental tools for the detection, prevention, and treatment of significant diseases and conditions across the life course of a cisgender woman, from puberty to menopause; revealing the far-reaching and desirable theoretical impact of nanomedicine across different medical disciplines. We also present an overview of potential concerns regarding the therapeutic applications of nanomedicine and the factors currently restricting the growth of applied nanomedicine.

Oral nanomedicine approaches for the treatment of psychiatric illnesses

Psychiatric illnesses are a leading cause of disability and morbidity globally. However, the preferred orally dosed pharmacological treatment options available for depression, anxiety and schizophrenia are often limited by factors such as low drug aqueous solubility, food effects, high hepatic first-pass metabolism effects and short half-lives. Furthermore, the discovery and development of more effective psychotropic agents has stalled in recent times, with the majority of new drugs reaching the market offering similar efficacy, but suffering from the same oral delivery concerns. As such, the application of nanomedicine formulation approaches to currently available drugs is a viable option for optimizing oral drug delivery and maximizing treatment efficacy. This review focuses on the various delivery challenges encountered by psychotropic drugs, and the ability of nanomedicine formulation strategies to overcome these. Specifically, we critically review proof of concept in vitro and in vivo studies of nanoemulsions/microemulsions, solid lipid nanoparticles, dendrimers, polymeric micelles, nanoparticles of biodegradable polymers and nanosuspensions, and provide new insight into the various mechanisms for improved drug performance. The advantages and limitations of current oral nanomedicine approaches for psychotropic drugs are discussed, which will provide guidance for future research directions and assist in fostering the translation of such delivery systems to the clinical setting. Accordingly, emphasis has been placed on correlating the in vitro/in vivo performance of these nanomedicine approaches with their potential clinical outcomes and benefits for patients.

Preparation, optimization, and in vitro simulated inhalation delivery of carvedilol nanoparticles loaded on a coarse carrier intended for pulmonary administration

Carvedilol (CAR) is a potent antihypertensive drug but has poor oral bioavailability (24%). A nanosuspension suitable for pulmonary delivery to enhance bioavailability and bypass first-pass metabolism of CAR could be advantageous. Accordingly, the aim of this work was to prepare CAR nanosuspensions and to use artificial neural networks associated with genetic algorithm to model and optimize the formulations. The optimized nanosuspension was lyophilized to obtain dry powder suitable for inhalation. However, respirable particles must have a diameter of 1-5 µm in order to deposit in the lungs. Hence, mannitol was used during lyophilization for cryoprotection and to act as a coarse carrier for nanoparticles in order to deliver them into their desired destination. The bottom-up technique was adopted for nanosuspension formulation using Pluronic stabilizers (F127, F68, and P123) combined with sodium deoxycholate at 1:1 weight ratio, at three levels with two drug loads and two aqueous to organic phase volume ratios. The drug crystallinity was studied using differential scanning calorimetry and powder X-ray diffractometry. The in vitro emitted doses of CAR were evaluated using a dry powder inhaler sampling apparatus and the aerodynamic characteristics were evaluated using an Andersen MKII cascade impactor. The artificial neural networks results showed that Pluronic F127 was the optimum stabilizer based on the desired particle size, polydispersity index, and zeta potential. Results of differential scanning calorimetry combined with powder X-ray diffractometry showed that CAR crystallinity was observed in the lyophilized nanosuspension. The aerodynamic characteristics of the optimized lyophilized nanosuspension demonstrated significantly higher percentage of total emitted dose (89.70%) and smaller mass median aerodynamic diameter (2.80 µm) compared with coarse drug powder (73.60% and 4.20 µm, respectively). In summary, the above strategy confirmed the applicability of formulating CAR in the form of nanoparticles loaded on a coarse carrier suitable for inhalation delivery.

Newcastle disease virus vaccine encapsulated in biodegradable nanoparticles for mucosal delivery of a human vaccine

An overwhelming number of medicines on the market are oral medicine with the disadvantage of lower bioavailability universally. Newcastle disease (ND) has become a serious disease that threatens the poultry industries in many countries, and there are no treatments available for ND. The biodegradable materials could be surface modified and protect antigen or DNA from damage. Furthermore, nanoparticles are also a potential drug delivery with proper size. However, Newcastle disease virus (NDV) vaccines encapsulated in nanoparticles were widely used due to their proved a high safety and induced quicker and better mucosal and humoral immune responses. Here we review the results of mucosal immune delivery system for ND. Due to the safety, low toxicity, and better immunogenicity of the mucosal immune delivery system, our studies provide a clearly view that used the biodegradable materials to research and develop the human vaccines to save more patients' lives. These promising results provide a foundation for testing the approach in humans.

Nanosizing of a poorly soluble drug: technique optimization, factorial analysis, and pharmacokinetic study in healthy human volunteers

CONTEXT

Diacerein (DCN) has low aqueous solubility (3.197 mg/L) and, consequently, low oral bioavailability (35%-56%). To increase both the solubility and dissolution rate of DCN while maintaining its crystalline nature, high pressure homogenization was used but with only a few homogenization cycles preceded by a simple bottom-up technique.

METHODS

The nanosuspensions of DCN were prepared using a combined bottom-up/top-down technique. Different surfactants - polyvinyl alcohol, sodium deoxycholate, and sodium dodecyl sulfate - with different concentrations were used for the stabilization of the nanosuspensions. Full factorial experimental design was employed to investigate the influence of formulation variables on nanosuspension characteristics using Design-Expert(®) Software. Particle size (PS), zeta potential, saturation solubility, in vitro dissolution, and drug crystallinity were studied. Moreover, the in vivo performance of the optimized formula was assessed by bioavailability determination in healthy human volunteers.

RESULTS

The concentration of surfactant had a significant effect on both the PS and polydispersity index values. The 1% surfactant concentration showed the lowest PS and polydispersity index values compared with other concentrations. Both type and concentration of surfactant had significant effects on the zeta potential. Formula F8 (containing 1% sodium deoxycholate) and Formula F12 (containing 1% sodium dodecyl sulfate) had the highest desirability values (0.952 and 0.927, respectively). Hence, they were selected for further characterization. The saturated solubility and mean dissolution time, in the case of F8 and F12, were significantly higher than the coarse drug powder. Techniques utilized in the nanocrystals' preparation had no effect on DCN crystalline state. The selected formula (F12) showed a higher bioavailability compared to the reference market product with relative bioavailability of 131.4%.

CONCLUSION

The saturation solubility, in vitro dissolution rate and relative bioavailability of DCN were significantly increased after nanocrystallization. Less time and power consumption were applied by the combination of bottom-up and top-down techniques.

Preparation and characterization of nano-1,1-diamino-2,2-dinitroethene (FOX-7) explosive

Two kinds of nano FOX-7 particle sizes, elementary particles of about 30–90 nm and 100–200 nm, were prepared by the USEA method.