Thermosensitive periodontal sol of ciprofloxacin hydrochloride and serratiopeptidase: Pharmaceutical and mechanical analysis

An up-to-date review of biomedical applications of serratiopeptidase and its biobetter derivatives as a multi-potential metalloprotease

Serratiopeptidase is a bacterial metalloprotease used in a variety of medical applications. The multidimensional properties of serratiopeptidase make it noticeable as a miraculous enzyme. Anti-coagulant, anti-inflammatory and anti-biofilm activity of serratiopeptidase making it useful in reducing pain and swelling associated with various conditions including arthritis, diabetes, cancer, swelling, pain and also thrombolytic disorders. It breaks down fibrin, thins the fluids formed during inflammation and due to its anti-biofilm activity, can be used in the combination of antibiotics to reduce development of antibiotic resistance. However, some drawbacks like sensitivity to environmental conditions and low penetration into cells due to its large size have limited its usage as a potent pharmaceutical agent. To overcome such limitations, improved versions of the enzyme were introduced using protein engineering in our previous studies. Novel functional serratiopeptidases with shorter length and higher stability have seemingly created a hope for using this enzyme as a more effective therapeutic enzyme. This review explains the structural properties and functional aspects of serratiopeptidase, its main characteristics and properties, pre-clinical and clinical applications of the enzyme, improved qualities of the modified forms, different formulations of the enzyme, and the potential future developments.

Development and In Vitro Characterization of Antibiotic-Loaded Nanocarriers for Dental Delivery

The aim of this research work was to formulate and evaluate ciprofloxacin hydrochloride-loaded nanocarriers for treating dental infections and bone regeneration. Periodontal infection is associated with inflammation, soft tissue destruction, and bone loss. The objective of the study was to extract β tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) from coral beach sand using the hydrothermal conversion method and load these nanocarriers with ciprofloxacin hydrochloride. The developed drug-loaded nanocarriers were evaluated for various parameters. In vitro drug-loading studies showed the highest drug loading of 71% for F1 with a drug: carrier ratio compared to plain ciprofloxacin hydrochloride gel. β-TCP and nanocarriers were evaluated for powder characteristics and the results were found to have excellent and fair flowability. In vitro drug release studies conducted over a period of 5 days confirmed the percentage drug release of 96% at the end of 120 h. Nanocarriers were found to be effective against S. aureus and E. coli showing statistically significant antibacterial activity at (* p < 0.05) significant level as compared to plain ciprofloxacin hydrochloride gel. The particle size of β-TCP and nanocarriers was found to be 2 µm. Fourier transform infra-red studies showed good compatibility between the drug and the excipients. Differential scanning calorimetry studies revealed the amorphous nature of the nanocarriers as evident from the peak shift. It is obvious from the XRD studies that the phase intensity was reduced, which demonstrates a decrease in crystallinity. Nanocarriers released the drug in a controlled manner, hence may prove to be a better option to treat dental caries as compared to conventional treatments.

Formulation and Evaluation of Eudragit RL-100 Nanoparticles Loaded In-Situ Forming Gel for Intranasal Delivery of Rivastigmine

Purpose: Rivastigmine hydrogen tartrate (RHT) is commonly used for the treatment of mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The aim of this work was to formulate in-situ pluronic F-127 (PF-127) hydrogels containing Eudragit RL-100 (EU-RL) nanoparticles (NPs) in order to improve the therapeutic efficacy of RHT through the nasal route.

Methods: The NPs were prepared using different polymer to drug ratios and evaluated for their physicochemical characteristics, cellular uptake and in vitro cytotoxicity against lung adenocarcinoma cells (A459). PF-127 nanoformulations were prepared via cold method and analyzed in terms of physicochemical properties and drug release profiles. The nanoformulations and plain drug gel were then assessed by ex vivo permeation studies across the sheep nasal mucosa.

Results: The EU-RL NPs exhibited a particle size within the range of 118 to 154 nm and positive zeta potential values of 22.5 to 30 mV with an approximately spherical shape. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) suggested no drug to polymer interaction through the preparation of nanoformulations. The RHT-loaded NPs exhibited an acceptable cytocompatibility with a time- and dose-dependent cellular internalization.

Conclusion: Our results clearly indicated the potential of nanoformulations as controlled release systems to improve the therapeutic efficacy of RHT through the intranasal administration

Co-delivery of curcumin and serratiopeptidase in HeLa and MCF-7 cells through nanoparticles show improved anti-cancer activity

Curcumin was employed to prepare anticancer nanoparticles (size 175 ± 15 nm) using anti-inflammatory enzyme serratiopeptidase by desolvation method. Here serratiopeptidase acted as a carrier as well as bioactive molecule in the nanoformulations. The Cur-SPD NPs (curcumin loaded serratiopeptidase nanoparticles) were characterized using DLS, FESEM and FTIR. The in vitro release behavior depicted biphasic pattern at 37 °C (pH 7.4) and release of 95% of both molecules occurred in 24 h. Serratiopeptidase not only provided stability to curcumin but also increased its effectiveness against cancer cells. These nanoparticles had anti-cancer activity in MCF-7 and HeLa cell lines as shown by cytotoxicity assay, DAPI nuclear staining, ROS production and DNA damage. The immunomodulatory tests showed that Cur-SPD NPs reduce level of IL-6 but increase TNFα level in THP1 cell lines. Structural similarity of serratiopeptidase to matrix metallo proteases (MMPs), particularly MMP8, have been found (based on low RMSD values) to induce TNFα production and play tumour suppressive role in certain cancers. Thus anti-cancer properties of Cur-SPD NPs may be attributed to synergistic effect of curcumin and serratiopeptidase. Thus results in present investigation provide an insight on role of serratiopeptidase in development of co-delivery of multifunctional nanoparticles with anti-cancer properties introduction.

Analytical techniques for serratiopeptidase: A review

A review is presented on different analytical techniques used for qualitative and quantitative analysis of serratiopeptidase, a proteolytic enzyme, which has recently gained importance as an anti-inflammatory agent. Efforts have been made to collate all the relevant references to the extent possible. The review discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the cited analytical techniques, which will help to give insights into the methods used for estimation of serratiopeptidase as such, from clinical isolates and from its dosage forms. The review highlights the basic as well as advanced techniques performed for estimating serratiopeptidase. The techniques illustrated here have been demonstrated to be useful for qualitative and quantitative determination of serratiopeptidase and may find application in analyzing other related proteases.