Development of 3D-Printed, Liquisolid and Directly Compressed Glimepiride Tablets, Loaded with Black Seed Oil Self-Nanoemulsifying Drug Delivery System: In Vitro and In Vivo Characterization

Application of 3D printing on the design and development of pharmaceutical oral dosage forms

3D printing technologies confer an unparalleled degree of control over the material distribution on the structures they produce, which has led them to become an extremely attractive research topic in pharmaceutical dosage form development, especially for the design of personalized treatments. With fine tuning in material selection and careful design, these technologies allow to tailor not only the amount of drug administered but the biopharmaceutical behaviour of the dosage forms as well. While fused deposition modelling (FDM) is still the most studied 3D printing technology in this area, others are gaining more relevance, which has led to many new and exciting dosage forms developed during 2022 and 2023. Considering that these technologies, in time, will join the current manufacturing methods and with the ever-increasing knowledge on this topic, our review aims to explore the advantages and limitations of 3D printing technologies employed in the design and development of pharmaceutical oral dosage forms, giving special focus to the most important aspects governing the resulting drug release profiles.

Unveiling the Preparation and Characterization of Lercanidipine Hydrochloride in an Oral Solid Self-Nanoemulsion for Enhancing Oral Delivery

INTRODUCTION

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is becoming increasingly prevalent worldwide, particularly among the elderly, along with an increase in the incidence of hypertension and cardiovascular disorders. Developing lipid-based oral dosage forms with a higher expected bioavailability of antihypertensive drugs with nephroprotective effects poses a challenge. Lercanidipine hydrochloride (LRCH) is a newer type of third-generation dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker that functions as an antihypertensive and has significant nephroprotective effects. Due to its extensive first-pass metabolism, its bioavailability is about 10% and increases to 3-4 times when taken with a high-fat meal. Targeting this drug to the lymphatic system using the solid self-nano-emulsifying drug delivery system (SSNEDDS) is a promising approach for improving LRCH's bioavailability and dispersion rate. SSNEDDS combines the benefits of both liquid self-emulsifying and solid dosage forms, improving drug stability and extending storage time.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this study, liquid SNEDDS composed of 10% peppermint oil, 67% Tween 20, and 22.5% propylene glycol was solidified using two adsorbent agent mixtures (SSNEDDS1: Avicel PH 101 and Aerosil 200) and (SSNEDDS2: Avicel PH 102 and Aerosil 200) separately. The prepared formulations were evaluated for powder flow, drug content, and an in-vitro dispersion test in comparison to the brand-marketed tablet as a standard or pure drug. DSC and X-ray diffraction analysis were also used.

RESULTS

The SSNEDDS2 shows excellent flowability, a higher drug content (99.761%), and a significantly higher and faster dispersion rate of 100% within 10 minutes compared to 92% of the marketed LRCH tablet and 18.1% of the pure drug for 60 minutes. The solid-state characterization of the formulation composed of SSNEDDS2 confirmed that the LRCH was in an amorphous form inside the solidified nano system without interacting with the excipient.

CONCLUSION

This study successfully prepared LRCH using the promising strategy of SSNEDDS as a hard gelatin capsule with a higher dispersion rate. It improved its stability and expected bioavailability compared to the brand-marketed tablet as the standard.

Targeted Screening of Curcumin Derivatives as Pancreatic Lipase Inhibitors Using Computer-Aided Drug Design

Curcumin has demonstrated promising preclinical antiobesity effects, but its low bioavailability makes it difficult to exert its full effect at a suitable dose. The objective of this study was to screen curcumin derivatives with enhanced bioavailability and lipid-lowering activity under the guidance of computer-aided drug design (CADD). CAAD was used to perform virtual assays on curcumin derivatives to assess their pharmacokinetic properties and effects on pancreatic lipase activity. Subsequently, 19 curcumin derivatives containing 5 skeletons were synthesized to confirm the above virtual assay. The in vitro pancreatic lipase inhibition assay was employed to determine the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of these 19 curcumin derivatives. Based on CADD analysis and in vitro pancreatic lipase inhibition, 2 curcumin derivatives outperformed curcumin in both aspects. Microscale thermophoresis (MST) experiments were employed to assess the binding equilibrium constants (K d) of the aforementioned 2 curcumin derivatives, curcumin, and the positive control drug with pancreatic lipase. Through virtual screening utilizing a chemoinformatics database and molecular docking, 6 derivatives of curcumin demonstrated superior solubility, absorption, and pancreatic lipase inhibitory activity compared to curcumin. The IC50 value for 1,7-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)heptane-3,5-dione (C4), which displayed the most effective inhibitory effect, was 42.83 μM, while the IC50 value for 1,7-bis(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)heptane-3,5-dione (C6) was 98.62 μM. On the other hand, the IC50 value for curcumin was 142.24 μM. The MST experiment results indicated that the K d values of C4, C6, and curcumin were 2.91, 18.20, and 23.53 μM, respectively. The results of the activity assays exhibited a relatively high degree of concordance with the outcomes yielded by CADD screening. Under the guidance of CADD, the targeted screening of curcumin derivatives with excellent properties in this study exhibited high-efficiency and low-cost benefits.

3D Printing Technology as a Promising Tool to Design Nanomedicine-Based Solid Dosage Forms: Contemporary Research and Future Scope

3D printing technology in medicine is gaining great attention from researchers since the FDA approved the first 3D-printed tablet (Spritam®) on the market. This technique permits the fabrication of various types of dosage forms with different geometries and designs. Its feasibility in the design of different types of pharmaceutical dosage forms is very promising for making quick prototypes because it is flexible and does not require expensive equipment or molds. However, the development of multi-functional drug delivery systems, specifically as solid dosage forms loaded with nanopharmaceuticals, has received attention in recent years, although it is challenging for formulators to convert them into a successful solid dosage form. The combination of nanotechnology with the 3D printing technique in the field of medicine has provided a platform to overcome the challenges associated with the fabrication of nanomedicine-based solid dosage forms. Therefore, the major focus of the present manuscript is to review the recent research developments that involved the formulation design of nanomedicine-based solid dosage forms utilizing 3D printing technology. Utilization of 3D printing techniques in the field of nanopharmaceuticals achieved the successful transformation of liquid polymeric nanocapsules and liquid self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems (SNEDDS) to solid dosage forms such as tablets and suppositories easily with customized doses as per the needs of the individual patient (personalized medicine). Furthermore, the present review also highlights the utility of extrusion-based 3D printing techniques (Pressure-Assisted Microsyringe-PAM; Fused Deposition Modeling-FDM) to produce tablets and suppositories containing polymeric nanocapsule systems and SNEDDS for oral and rectal administration. The manuscript critically analyzes contemporary research related to the impact of various process parameters on the performance of 3D-printed solid dosage forms.

3D Printed Pharmaceutical Systems for Personalized Treatment in Metabolic Syndrome

The current healthcare system is widely based on the concept of “one size fit for all”, which emphasizes treating a disease by prescribing the same drug to all patients with equivalent doses and dosing frequency. This medical treatment scenario has shown varied responses with either no or weak pharmacological effects and exaggerated adverse reactions preceded by more patient complications. The hitches to the concept of “one size fits all” have devoted the attention of many researchers to unlocking the concept of personalized medicine (PM). PM delivers customized therapy with the highest safety margin for an individual patient’s needs. PM has the potential to revolutionize the current healthcare system and pave the way to alter drug choices and doses according to a patient’s clinical responses, providing physicians with the best treatment outcomes. The 3D printing techniques is a solid-form fabrication method whereby successive layers of materials based on computer-aided designs were deposited to form 3D structures. The 3D printed formulation achieves PM goals by delivering the desired dose according to patient needs and drug release profile to achieve a patient’s personal therapeutic and nutritional needs. This pre-designed drug release profile attains optimum absorption and distribution, exhibiting maximum efficacy and safety profiles. This review aims to focus on the role of the 3D printing technique as a promising tool to design PM in metabolic syndrome (MS).

Incorporating sodium deoxycholate endorsed the buccal administration of avanafil to heighten the bioavailability and duration of action

The highly effective phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor (avanafil; AVA) is routinely prescribed to treat erectile dysfunction. The drug has poor oral bioavailability and undergoes a significant first-pass metabolism. Therefore, altering AVA's solubility and choosing a different delivery method may boost its effectiveness. Nine different solid dispersion formulations utilizing polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) at three different ratios were prepared and characterized. The Box-Behnken design was employed to optimize AVA-buccal tablets. The pre-compression and post-compression characteristics of the tablets were assessed. The mucoadhesion strength of the optimized tablet was investigated using cow buccal mucosal tissue. In vivo performance of the optimized tablets was examined on human volunteers compared to the commercial tablets. PVP K90 at 2:1 drug to polymer ratio showed the highest solubilization capacity. The mucoadhesive polymer type and percentage and the mucopenetration enhancer percentage were significantly affect the mucoadhesion strength, tablet hardness, and the initial and cumulative AVA released from the prepared tablets. The optimized AVA-buccal tablet showed 4.96 folds increase in the mean residence time, higher plasma exposure, and an improvement in the relative bioavailability of AVA by 1076.27% compared with the commercial tablet. Therefore, a successful approach to deal with AVA first-pass metabolism and low bioavailability could be to employ buccal tablets containing a solubility-enhanced form of AVA.

Influences of Glimepiride Self-Nanoemulsifying Drug Delivery System Loaded Liquisolid Tablets on the Hypoglycemic Activity and Pancreatic Histopathological Changes in Streptozotocin-Induced Hyperglycemic Rats

The development of an oral anti-diabetic medication characterized by enhanced hypoglycemic activity is in high demand. The goal was to study the hypoglycemic activity and pancreatic histopathology after the black-seed-based self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system (SNEDDS) loaded with glimepiride liquisolid tablets to diabetic rats. The solubility of glimepiride in various vehicles was investigated. An optimization SNEDDS formulation was developed using a mixture of the experimental design approach. Box-Behnken design (BBD) was used to develop glimepiride liquisolid tablets utilizing Avicel PH 101 and Neusilin as a carrier mixture and FujiSil as a coating material. The quality attributes of the prepared tablets were assessed. Following the administration of the optimized tablets to diabetic rats, the pharmacodynamics and histopathological changes were investigated and compared to a commercial drug product. Results revealed that the optimized SNEDDS formulation that contains 15.43% w/w black seed oil, 40% w/w Tween 80, and 44.57% w/w Polyethylene glycol 400 showed an average droplet size of 34.64 ± 2.01 nm and a drug load of 36.67 ± 3.13 mg/mL. The optimized tablet formulation contained 0.31% Avicel in the carrier mixture, a 14.99 excipient ratio, and 8% superdisintegrant. Pre- and post-compression properties were satisfactory, and the optimized glimepiride liquisolid tablet showed a two-fold increase in dissolution. The optimized tablet demonstrated superior pharmacodynamics. The pancreatic tissues of the group treated with the optimized tablet displayed normal histological structure. The obtained data offered a commercially viable alternative for manufacturing solid dosage forms containing water-insoluble drugs, but additional clinical research is required.