Development and Characterization of Eudragit® EPO-Based Solid Dispersion of Rosuvastatin Calcium to Foresee the Impact on Solubility, Dissolution and Antihyperlipidemic Activity

Mitochondria-associated membranes contribution to exercise-mediated alleviation of hepatic insulin resistance: Contrasting high-intensity interval training with moderate-intensity continuous training in a high-fat diet mouse model

OBJECTIVE

Mitochondria-associated membranes (MAMs) serve pivotal functions in hepatic insulin resistance (IR). Our aim was to explore the potential role of MAMs in mitigating hepatic IR through exercise and to compare the effects of different intensities of exercise on hepatic MAMs formation in high-fat diet (HFD) mice.

METHODS

Male C57BL/6J mice were fed an HFD and randomly assigned to undergo supervised high-intensity interval training (HIIT) or moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT). IR was evaluated using the serum triglyceride/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (TG/HDL-C), glucose tolerance test (GTT), and insulin tolerance test (ITT). Hepatic steatosis was observed using hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) and oil red O staining. The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B/glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (PI3K-AKT-GSK3β) signaling pathway was assessed to determine hepatic IR. MAMs were evaluated through immunofluorescence (colocalization of voltage-dependent anion-selective channel 1 [VDAC1] and inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate receptor [IP3R]).

RESULTS

After 8 weeks on an HFD, there was notable inhibition of the hepatic PI3K/Akt/GSK3β signaling pathway, accompanied by a marked reduction in hepatic IP3R-VDAC1 colocalization levels. Both 8-week HIIT and MICT significantly enhanced the hepatic PI3K/Akt/GSK3β signaling and colocalization levels of IP3R-VDAC1 in HFD mice, with MICT exhibiting a stronger effect on hepatic MAMs formation. Furthermore, the colocalization of hepatic IP3R-VDAC1 positively correlated with the expression levels of phosphorylation of protein kinase B (p-AKT) and phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (p-GSK3β), while displaying a negative correlation with serum triglyceride/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels.

CONCLUSION

The reduction in hepatic MAMs formation induced by HFD correlates with the development of hepatic IR. Both HIIT and MICT effectively bolster hepatic MAMs formation in HFD mice, with MICT demonstrating superior efficacy. Thus, MAMs might wield a pivotal role in exercise-induced alleviation of hepatic IR.

Mechanochemical Approach to Obtaining a Multicomponent Fisetin Delivery System Improving Its Solubility and Biological Activity

In this study, binary amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs, fisetin-Eudragit®) and ternary amorphous solid inclusions (ASIs, fisetin-Eudragit®-HP-β-cyclodextrin) of fisetin (FIS) were prepared by the mechanochemical method without solvent. The amorphous nature of FIS in ASDs and ASIs was confirmed using XRPD (X-ray powder diffraction). DSC (Differential scanning calorimetry) confirmed full miscibility of multicomponent delivery systems. FT-IR (Fourier-transform infrared analysis) confirmed interactions that stabilize FIS's amorphous state and identified the functional groups involved. The study culminated in evaluating the impact of amorphization on water solubility and conducting in vitro antioxidant assays: 2,2-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)-ABTS, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl-DPPH, Cupric Reducing Antioxidant Capacity-CUPRAC, and Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power-FRAP and in vitro neuroprotective assays: inhibition of acetylcholinesterase-AChE and butyrylcholinesterase-BChE. In addition, molecular docking allowed for the determination of possible bonds and interactions between FIS and the mentioned above enzymes. The best preparation turned out to be ASI_30_EPO (ASD fisetin-Eudragit® containing 30% FIS in combination with HP-β-cyclodextrin), which showed an improvement in apparent solubility (126.5 ± 0.1 µg∙mL-1) and antioxidant properties (ABTS: IC50 = 10.25 µg∙mL-1, DPPH: IC50 = 27.69 µg∙mL-1, CUPRAC: IC0.5 = 9.52 µg∙mL-1, FRAP: IC0.5 = 8.56 µg∙mL-1) and neuroprotective properties (inhibition AChE: 39.91%, and BChE: 42.62%).

The Study of Amorphous Kaempferol Dispersions Involving FT-IR Spectroscopy

Attenuated total reflection-Mid-Fourier transform-infrared (ATR-Mid-FT-IR) spectroscopy combined with principal component analysis (PCA) has been applied for the discrimination of amorphous solid dispersion (ASD) of kaempferol with different types of Eudragit (L100, L100-55, EPO). The ASD samples were prepared by ball milling. Training and test sets for PCA consisted of a pure compound, physical mixture, and incomplete/complete amorphous solid dispersion. The obtained results confirmed that the range 400-1700 cm-1 was the major contributor to the variance described by PC1 and PC2, which are the fingerprint region. The obtained PCA model selected fully amorphous samples as follows: five for KMP-EL100, two for KMP-EL100-55, and six for KMP-EPO (which was confirmed by the XRPD analysis). DSC analysis confirmed full miscibility of all ASDs (one glass transition temperature). FT-IR analysis confirmed the formation of hydrogen bonds between the -OH and/or -CH groups of KMP and the C=O group of Eudragits. Amorphization improved the solubility of kaempferol in pH 6.8, pH 5.5, and HCl 0.1 N.

Review of industrially recognized polymers and manufacturing processes for amorphous solid dispersion based formulations

Evolving therapeutic landscape through combinatorial chemistry and high throughput screening have resulted in an increased number of poorly soluble drugs. Drug delivery strategies quickly adapted to convert these drugs into successful therapies. Amorphous solid dispersion (ASD) technology is widely employed as a drug delivery strategy by pharmaceutical industries to overcome the challenges associated with these poorly soluble drugs. The development of ASD formulation requires an understanding of polymers and manufacturing techniques. A review of US FDA-approved ASD-based products revealed that only a limited number of polymers and manufacturing technologies are employed by pharmaceutical industries. This review provides a comprehensive guide for the selection and overview of polymers and manufacturing technologies adopted by pharmaceutical industries for ASD formulation. The various employed polymers with their underlying mechanisms for solution-state and solid-state stability are discussed. ASD manufacturing techniques, primarily implemented by pharmaceutical industries for commercialization, are presented in Quality by Design (QbD) format. An overview of novel excipients and progress in manufacturing technologies are also discussed. This review provides insights to the researchers on the industrially accepted polymers and manufacturing technology for ASD formulation that has translated these challenging drugs into successful therapies.

Ball-Milling Preparation of the Drug-Drug Solid Form of Pioglitazone-Rosuvastatin at Different Molar Ratios: Characterization and Intrinsic Dissolution Rates Evaluation

Ball-milling using neat grinding (NG) or liquid-assisted grinding (LAG) by varying the polarity of the solvents allowed access to various drug-drug solid forms of pioglitazone hydrochloride (PGZ·HCl) and rosuvastatin calcium (RSV). Using NG, the coamorphous form was formed from the reaction of pioglitazone hydrochloride (PGZ·HCl) and rosuvastatin calcium (RSV) in a 2:1 molar ratio. The formation of the expected coamorphous salt could not be corroborated by FT-IR, but DSC data showed that it was indeed a single-phase amorphous mixture. By varying the molar ratios of the reactants, either keeping PGZ·HCl constant and varying RSV or vice versa, another coamorphous form was obtained when a 1:1 molar ratio was employed. In the case of the other outcomes, it was observed that they were a mixture of solid forms coexisting simultaneously with the coamorphous forms (1:1 or 2:1) together with the drug that was in excess. When RSV was in excess, it was in an amorphous form. In the case of PGZ·HCl, it was found in a semicrystalline form. The intrinsic dissolution rates (IDRs) of the solid forms of PGZ·HCl-RSV in stoichiometric ratios (1:1, 2:1, 1:4, 6:1, and 1:10) were evaluated. Interestingly, a synchronized release of both drugs in the dissolution medium was observed. In the case of the release of RSV, there were no improvements in the dissolution profiles, because the acidic media caused the formation of degradation products, limiting any probable modification in the dissolution processes. However, the coamorphous 2:1 form exhibited an improvement of 1.03 times with respect to pure PGZ·HCl. It is proposed that the modification of the dissolution process of the coamorphous 2:1 form was limited by changes in the pH of the media as RSV consumes protons from the media due to degradation processes.

Solubility Enhancement of a Poorly Water-Soluble Drug Using Hydrotropy and Mixed Hydrotropy-Based Solid Dispersion Techniques

Purpose. The biopharmaceutics classification system places rosuvastatin calcium in class II has a low and fluctuating oral bioavailability. The research focus is to maximize rosuvastatin calcium solubility in water and dissolution rate by employing and combining various hydrotropic agents to make a solid dispersion using solvent evaporation techniques. Methodology. The experimental study was conducted at Duhok University, College of Pharmacy. Initially, assess rosuvastatin’s solubility in hydrotropic agents including urea, mannitol, citric acid, sodium benzoate, and sodium salicylate at concentrations of 10, 20, 30, and 40% w/v. Then, various ratios of 2 and 3 hydrotropic agents were employed to reduce the concentration of each hydrotropic agent. By using a solvent evaporation procedure, solid dispersions were made. The solid dispersion powders underwent evaluation for their percentage drug content, percentage yield, solubility, dissolution test, XRD, DSC, SEM, and FTIR. For statistical analysis, GraphPad InStat Demo software was used to conduct a two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results. In comparison to the pure drug, the solubility of hydrotropic solid dispersions and physical mixtures of rosuvastatin with a combination of hydrotropic agents (sodium salicylate, sodium benzoate, and urea) in the ratio of 13.33 for each increased in all formulations significantly, and all manufactured formulations’ drug release ranged from 98.83 to 104.78%, indicating a noticeably higher dissolution rate. Conclusion. The concept of mixed hydrotropic solid dispersion was shown to be an original, risk-free, and cost-effective method for enhancing the bioavailability of drugs that have a low degree of solubility in water.

Solubility and Permeability Enhancement of Oleanolic Acid by Solid Dispersion in Poloxamers and γ-CD

Oleanolic acid (OA) is a pentacyclic triterpenoid widely found in the Oleaceae family, and it represents 3.5% of the dry weight of olive leaves. OA has many pharmacological activities, such as hepatoprotection, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-diabetic, anti-tumor, and anti-microbic activities. Its therapeutic application is limited by its poor water solubility, bioavailability, and permeability. In this study, solid dispersions (SDs) were developed to overcome these OA limitations. Solubility studies were conducted to evaluate different hydrophilic polymers, drug-to-polymer ratios, and preparation methods. Poloxamer 188, Poloxamer 407, and γ-CD exhibited the highest increases in terms of OA solubility, regardless of the method of preparation. Binary systems were characterized using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRPD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). In addition, pure compounds and SDs were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in order to observe both the morphology and the particle surface. In vitro dissolution studies were performed for P407, P188, and γ-CD SDs. Preparation using the solvent evaporation method (SEM) produced the highest increase in the dissolution profiles of all three polymers with respect to the OA solution. Finally, the effect of SDs on OA permeability was evaluated with an in vitro parallel artificial membrane permeability assay (PAMPA). The formulation improved passive permeation across the simulated barrier due to OA increased solubility. The dissolution and PAMPA results indicate that the amorphization of OA by SD preparation could be a useful method to enhance its oral absorption, and it is also applicable on an industrial scale.