The development andin vitroevaluation of herbal pellets coated with Eudragit FS 30

Development and characterization of spheroidal antidiabetic polyherbal formulation from fresh vegetable juice: A novel approach

Polyherbal Formulations (PHF) were developed by combining fruit juices of Momordica charantia, Cucumis sativus, and Solanum lycopersicum in different ratios and optimized through Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) model. PHF-C pretreated rats showed the highest reduction of Serum Glucose Levels (SGL) after 60 min of glucose administration. PHF-C was incorporated into spheroids using fresh juice (FJS) and lyophilized powder (LPS) of selected plants. In OGTT study, LPS showed a significant reduction of SGL. LPS was characterized as almost spherical, having disintegration time 8 min, adequate friability, and good flow properties. In STZ-induced diabetic rats on 7th, 14th, and 21st days, LPS was reduced SGL by 9.01%, 20.9%, 38.9% (250 mg/kg dose); 20.5%, 33.9%, and 50.7% (500 mg/kg dose), respectively. LPS showed a significant improvement in abnormal body weight, biochemical, and oxidative parameters in comparison to PHF-C and metformin. Novel formulation LPS (500 mg/kg) was found more effective (p < .05) in reversing STZ-induced hyperglycemia as compared to PHF-C (1,000 mg/kg) and at par with metformin (500 mg/kg). PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Fresh vegetable juice contains large quantities of vitamins and minerals. Cooking and processing of fruits may destroy their nutritional value. However, FJS also has some limitations, including seasonal specificity, patient compliance, less stability, loss of vitamins and fibers, abnormal sugar level, weak immunity, and difficult to carry by patients. Lyophilization is a well-known method to improve the physical state, shelf life, and stability of phytoconstituents. Poor absorption and less bioavailability also impede the acceptance of PHF. To overcome these limitations, a suitable novel drug delivery system is required which has high therapeutic efficacy and enhanced bioavailability. The patented spheroids of herbal extracts which are in use for the treatment of the number of diseases encouraged the present work. Spheroid protects the constituents of herbal drugs from gastric destruction and gut bacteria. The outcome of present research supports the concept of enhanced stability and bioavailability of phytoconstituents present in FJS.

Expedition of Eudragit® Polymers in the Development of Novel Drug Delivery Systems

Eudragit® polymer has been widely used in film-coating for enhancing the quality of products over other materials (e.g., shellac or sugar). Eudragit® polymers are obtained synthetically from the esters of acrylic and methacrylic acid. For the last few years, they have shown immense potential in the formulations of conventional, pH-triggered, and novel drug delivery systems for incorporating a vast range of therapeutics including proteins, vitamins, hormones, vaccines, and genes. Different grades of Eudragit® have been used for designing and delivery of therapeutics at a specific site via the oral route, for instance, in stomach-specific delivery, intestinal delivery, colon-specific delivery, mucosal delivery. Further, these polymers have also shown their great aptitude in topical and ophthalmic delivery. Moreover, available literature evidences the promises of distinct Eudragit® polymers for efficient targeting of incorporated drugs to the site of interest. This review summarizes some potential researches that are being conducted by eminent scientists utilizing the distinct grades of Eudragit® polymers for efficient delivery of therapeutics at various sites of interest.

A Multiparticulate Delivery System for Potential Colonic Targeting Using Bovine Serum Albumin as a Model Protein : Theme: Formulation and Manufacturing of Solid Dosage Forms Guest Editors: Tony Zhou and Tonglei Li

PURPOSE

There are many important diseases whose treatment could be improved by delivering a therapeutic protein to the colon, for example, Clostridium difficile infection, ulcerative colitis and Crohn's Disease. The goal of this project was to investigate the feasibility of colonic delivery of proteins using multiparticulate beads.

METHODS

In this work, bovine serum albumin (BSA) was adopted as a model protein. BSA was spray layered onto beads, followed by coating of an enteric polymer EUDRAGIT® FS 30 D to develop a colonic delivery system. The secondary and tertiary structure change and aggregation of BSA during spray layering process was examined. The BSA layered beads were then challenged in an accelerated stability study using International Council for Harmonization (ICH) conditions. The in vitro release of BSA from enteric coated beads was examined using United States Pharmacopeia (USP) dissolution apparatus 1.

RESULTS

No significant changes in the secondary and tertiary structure or aggregation profile of BSA were observed after the spray layering process. Degradation of BSA to different extents was detected after storing at 25°C and 40°C for 38 days. Enteric coated BSA beads were intact in acidic media while released BSA in pH 7.4 phosphate buffer.

CONCLUSION

We showed the feasibility of delivering proteins to colon in vitro using multiparticulate system.