Assessment of Clayey Peloid Formulations Prior to Clinical Use in Equine Rehabilitation

Fu'cupping Physical Permeation-Enhancing Technique Enhances the Therapeutic Efficacy of Corydalis yanhusuo Gel Plaster

Corydalis yanhusuo, a traditional Chinese medicine, is widely used to treat various pains, and its active ingredients are alkaloids. This study aimed to develop a new type of transdermal gel plaster containing the extract of C. yanhusuo. Studies have shown that Fu'cupping physical permeation-enhancing technique can promote the penetration of alkaloids and improve the efficacy of drugs. A transdermal gel plaster containing the extract of C. yanhusuo was prepared and optimized using an orthogonal experimental design. The skin permeation ability of the gel plaster was studied in vitro, while the anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of the prepared patch alone or with Fu'cupping physical permeation-enhancing technique were evaluated in a rat model. The formulation of a gel plaster containing C. yanhusuo extract was successfully prepared with an optimized composition consisting of glycerin (15 g), sodium polyacrylate (2 g), silicon dioxide (0.3 g), ethanol (2 g), aluminum oxide (0.1 g), citric acid (0.05 g), the C. yanhusuo extract (3 g), and water (15 g). The cumulative transdermal permeation of dehydrocorydaline, corypalmine, tetrahydropalmatine, and corydaline in 24 h was estimated to be 569.7 ± 63.2, 74.5 ± 13.7, 82.4 ± 17.2, and 38.9 ± 8.1 µg/cm2, respectively. The in vitro diffusion of dehydrocorydaline and corydaline followed the zero-order kinetics profile, while that of corypalmine and tetrahydropalmatine followed a Higuchi equation. The prepared gel plaster significantly reduced paw swelling, downregulated inflammatory cytokines, and mitigated pain induced by mechanical or chemical stimuli. The Fu'cupping physical permeation-enhancing technique further improved the anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of the patch. The combined application of the Fu'cupping physical permeation-enhancing technique and the alkaloid gel plaster may be effective against inflammation and pain.

Development and Assessment of Acyclovir Gel Plaster Containing Sponge Spicules

Acyclovir is an acyclic purine nucleoside analog that is highly effective in inhibiting the herpes simplex virus. However, topical acyclovir has poor efficacy because of its low skin permeability. This study aimed to develop an acyclovir gel plaster containing sponge spicules (AGP-SS) to achieve synergistic improvements in skin absorption and deposition of acyclovir. The process of preparing the gel plaster was optimized by orthogonal experiments, while the composition of the formulation was optimized using the Plackett-Burman and Box-Behnken experimental designs. The selected formula was tested for physical properties, in vitro release, stability, ex vivo permeation, skin irritation, and pharmacokinetics. The optimized formulation exhibited good physical characteristics. In vitro release and ex vivo permeation studies showed that acyclovir release from AGP-SS was dominated by diffusion with significantly higher skin permeation (20.00 ± 1.07 μg/cm2) than that of the controls (p < 0.05). Dermatopharmacokinetic analyses revealed that the maximum concentration (78.74 ± 11.12 μg/g), area under the curve (1091.81 ± 29.05 μg/g/h) and relative bioavailability (197.12) of AGP-SS were higher than those of the controls. Therefore, gel plaster containing sponge spicules show potential for development as transdermal delivery systems to achieve higher skin absorption and deposition of acyclovir, especially in deep skin layers.

Geochemical and mineralogical characterization of Ria de Aveiro (Portugal) saltpan sediments for pelotherapy application

The present study aims to characterize sediments textural, geochemical and mineralogical composition used in a SPA for pelotherapy applications. Six samples were collected in two areas of an open-air saline SPA, a former saltpan in Ria de Aveiro (Portugal). Sampling areas are predominantly composed by recent alluvium that had been affected by chemical industrial effluents for over 50 years. Samples < 2000, 63, and 2 µm fractions were analyzed by X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and X-ray Fluorescence (XRF), for identification of mineral phases and chemical composition. SEM analysis was used for individual particles morphological characterization and chemical semi-quantification. Texture, mineral phases and chemical composition showed the influence of SPA pond beneficiation works. The two SPA areas revealed distinct mineral phases, one with higher quartz content, and the other with higher halite content, consistent with their environmental conditions. Illite constituted the most abundant mineral phase of the clay fraction. Preliminary results suggested concentrations of potential toxic elements (e.g., As, Cd) above reference values, representing a risk to the ecosystem and humans.

Improved transdermal permeability of tanshinone IIA from cataplasms by loading onto nanocrystals and porous silica

Novel transdermal cataplasms have been designed to improve permeability of poorly soluble drugs by different pretreatments. Nanocrystal and porous silica solid dispersions were loaded with Tanshinone IIA and incorporated into a cross-linked hydrogel matrix of cataplasm. It was shown that the small particle size and improved dissolution would increase dermal bioavailability. The adhesion, rheological properties, drug release, skin permeation, skin deposition and in vivo skin absorption of the different formulations were investigated. In an in vitro experiment using mouse skin, cumulative amount of drug permeated within 24 h was 7.32 ± 0.98 μg/cm² from conventional cataplasm, 13.14 ± 0.70 μg/cm² from nanocrystal-loaded cataplasm and 11.40 ± 0.13 μg/cm² from porous silica solid dispersion-loaded cataplasm. In vitro dissolution profiles showed that drug release was 76.5% and 74.9% from two optimized cataplasms within 24 h, while conventional cataplasm was 55.0%. The cross-linking characteristics of the cataplasms were preserved after incorporation of different drug forms, while the elastic and viscous behaviors of the hydrogel layers increased. In vivo evaluation by CLSM showed the more favorable skin permeation for two optimized cataplasms. These findings suggest that applications of nanocrystal and porous silica systems on cataplasms enable effective transdermal delivery of poorly soluble drugs. The resulting drug delivery and rheological properties are desirable for transdermal application.AbbreviationAll the abbreviations that appear in this article are shown in Table 1.

Mud therapy and rehabilitation - scientific relevance in the last six years (2015 – 2020) Systematic literature review and meta-analysis based on the PRISMA paradigm

Abstract Background. Balneotherapy is a stimulation - adaptation treatment method applied in the forms of bathing, drinking, and inhalation cures performed with natural therapeutic factors, a method which is acting in three main ways: thermally, mechanically, and chemically. Mud or peloids are natural therapeutic factors formed by natural processes under the influence of biological and geological phenomena, which in a finely dissolved state and mixed with water (mud) are used in medical practice in the form of baths or local procedures. Objective. This systematic review aims to rigorously select related articles and identify within their content, the main possible uses of therapeutic mud and physiological mechanisms, to see the main region of scientific interest for pelotherapy, and to discuss the value of mud therapy in rehabilitation medicine. Methods. The working method is based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. We searched for open-access articles published in English, between January 2015 and December 2020, from the following databases: Cochrane, Elsevier, NCBI/PubMed, NCBI/PMC, PEDro, and ISI Web of Knowledge/Science (the latter was also used to identify ISI indexed articles). The contextually searched syntax used was ”Pelotherapy/Peloidotherapy/Mud-therapy/ /Fango-therapy AND Rehabilitation”. The selected articles were analyzed in detail regarding pathologies addressed by mud therapy and country scientific relevance for this therapeutic method. The meta-analysis proceeded was designated to estimate the prevalence of various pathologies in the use of mud therapy. Results. Our search identified, first, 394 articles. Based on the successive filtering stages and, respectively, on the classification criteria of the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro), we finally identified/retained and analyzed 68 articles. Although, in principle, a rigorous method – and we have followed the PRISMA type paradigm – there still might be some missing works of our related article selection. On the other hand, to augment/ consolidate our documentation base, we have used also 40 papers freely found in the literature, and even – aiming, too, at an as exhaustive knowledge underpinning as possible – derogatively, we have also considered some articles which, probably being very new, couldn't yet have reached the PEDro threshold score we have settled. Conclusions. This paper overviews the current state-of-the-art knowledge in the approach of peloidotherapy in rehabilitation, with a focal point on the therapeutic properties of peloids. Keywords: mud-therapy, pelotherapy, peloidotherapy, fango therapy, rehabilitation, balneotherapy, natural therapeutic factors,