Formulation, Optimization and Evaluation of Cytarabine-Loaded Iron Oxide Nanoparticles: From In Vitro to In Vivo Evaluation of Anticancer Activity

Innovative drug delivery systems based on iron oxide nanoparticles (INPs) has generated a lot of interest worldwide and have prime biomedical benefits in anticancer therapy. There are still issues reported regarding the stability, absorption, and toxicity of iron oxide nanoparticles (INPs) when administered due to its rapid surface oxidation and agglomeration with blood proteins. To solve this problem, we have synthesized trehalose-coated stabilized iron oxide nanoparticles (TINPs) by a co-precipitation technique. The surface coating of INPs with trehalose helps to improve the stability, prevents protein binding, and increase absorption uptake inside the body. Developed TINPs was then loaded with anticancer drug cytarabine by chemical crosslinking encapsulation method using suitable solvent. Engineered cytarabine-loaded trehalose-coated stabilized iron oxide nanoparticles (CY-TINPs) were optimized for particle size, zeta potential (-13.03 mV), and solid-state characterization such as differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscope (TEM) studies. The particle size of 50 nm was achieved for developed CY-TINPs. The developed CY-TINPs was further evaluated for in vitro cell line investigations which confirmed potential cytotoxic activity. Developed CY-TINPs show remarkable enhancement in in vivo pharmacokinetic parameters Cmax as 425.26 ± 2.11 and AUC0-72 as 11,546.64 ± 139.82 as compared to pure drug. Compared to traditional drug delivery, the CY-TINPs formulation can effectively delay release, improve bioavailability, and boost cytotoxic activity against tumors.

Development and validation of synchronous spectrofluorimetric method for the simultaneous determination of duvelisib and moxifloxacin: greenness metric assessment and application to a pharmacokinetic study in rats

Duvelisib (DUV) is a potent anticancer drug whereas Moxifloxacin (MOX) is an antimicrobial drug with anti-proliferative potency against cancerous cells, which is empirically administered in cancer treatment. DUV and MOX combination is commonly prescribed to combat infections in patients while they are under chemotherapy treatment. This study describes, for the first time, the development of a simple and green synchronous spectrofluorimetric (SSF) method for the simultaneous estimation of DUV and MOX in plasma. DUV and MOX were quantified at 273 and 362 nm, respectively without interference between each other at Δλof 120 nm. The experimental variables influencing fluorescence intensities were thoroughly investigated and the optimum conditions were established. At pH 3.5, the optimum synchronous fluorescence intensity (SFI) was achieved in water solvent by using sodium acetate buffer solution. Calibration curves for DUV and MOX, correlating the SFI with the corresponding drug concentration, were linear in the range of 50-1000 ng mL-1for both drugs, with good correlation coefficients. The method was extremely sensitive, with limits of detection of 24 and 22 ng mL-1, and limits of quantitation of 40 and 45 ngmL-1for DUV and MOX, respectively. The SSF method was validated according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines for validation of analytical procedures, and the validation parameters were acceptable. The proposed SSF method was applied to the pharmacokinetic and bioavailability studies in rats' plasma after single concurrent oral administration of both drugs. The results of the study revealed that caution should be taken with DUV dose when concurrently administered with MOX. The greenness of SSF method was assessed by three different metric tools namely Analytical Eco-scale, Green Analytical Procedure Index, and Analytical Greenness Calculator. The results confirmed that SSF method is an eco-friendly and green analytical approach. In conclusion, the proposed SSF method is a valuable tool for pharmacokinetic/bioavailability studies and therapeutic drug monitoring of simultaneously administered DUV and MOX.

Development of Glycerosomal pH Triggered In Situ Gelling System to Ameliorate the Nasal Delivery of Sulpiride for Pediatric Psychosis

Sulpiride (Sul) is a medication that blocks dopamine D2 receptors. It is used to treat gastrointestinal disturbances and has antipsychotic effects depending on the dose given. Sulpiride is subject to P-glycoprotein efflux, resulting in limited bioavailability and erratic absorption. Hence, the aim of this study was to generate a glycerosomal in situ gel of sulpiride for intranasal administration, specifically targeting children with schizophrenia who may have difficulty swallowing traditional solid medications, for enhancing its bioavailability. This study aimed to demonstrate the efficacy of intranasal administration of glycerin-encapsulated lipid-nanovesicles (glycerosomes) mixed with in situ gels for prolonged release of anti-psychotic medication. A Box-Behnken design was utilized to create sulpiride-loaded glycerosomes (Sul-GMs), with the lipid amount (A), glycerin concentration (B), and sonication time (C) acting as independent variables. Their impact on the entrapment efficiency, EE% (Y1), and in vitro drug release (Y2) were evaluated. The sulpiride EE% showed an increase when the glycerin concentration was raised to 25% v/v. Nevertheless, when the glycerin concentration was raised to 40% v/v, there was a notable decrease in the EE%. The optimized glycerosome was added to pH triggered carbopol 974P in situ gel formulations including HPMC K15M with different concentrations. The in situ gel formulation (G3) comprising 0.6% carbopol 974P and 0.6% hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose-K15M (HPMC K15M) demonstrated suitable pH, viscosity, desired gel strength, spreadability, and mucoadhesive strength. Consequently, it was selected for in vitro study, ex vivo permeation investigation, and in vivo evaluations. The glycerosomal in situ gel exhibited favorable ex vivo permeability of SU when applied to the nasal mucosa. The pharmacokinetic investigation revealed that the optimized Sul-loaded glycerosomal in situ gel exhibited a significant fourfold and twofold enhancement in systemic bioavailability compared to both the control gel and the commercially available formulation. Finally, the intranasal administration of Sul-loaded glycerosomal in situ gel is a promising alternative to oral treatment for pediatric patients with psychosis.