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Nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) are lipidic nanocarriers that recover the permanency and capacity of drug payloads. NLCs are well-known as second-generation lipid nanocarriers with an unstructured matrix, presenting potentially advantageous nanocarrier systems with marketable opportunities because of reproducible production methodologies and biocompatible lipidic excipients. These (NLCs) are now recognized as a very promising nanocarrier structure for the efficient delivery of drugs via different administration routes. In recent years, several NLC-based gels have been developed and evaluated for topical delivery of many drugs and other therapeutic agents. This review article presents an overview of NLC-based topical gels investigated to deliver drugs via ocular, dermal, and transdermal routes. In addition, the classification, manufacturing, characterizations, advantages, and disadvantages of NLCs are addressed in this article. We also discussed different evaluations of NLC-based topical gels., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Background: Fungal keratitis (mycotic keratitis) is an eye infection in which the cornea is infected by fungi and such fungal keratitis management can be effectively possible by ocular administration of antifungal drugs., Objective: The main objectives of the present research were to develop and evaluate fluconazoleloaded transfersomal hydrogels for ocular delivery in the effective management of fungal keratitis., Methods: A 23 factorial design-based approach was used for statistical optimization, where (A) the ratio of lipid to edge activators, (B) the amount of hyaluronic acid (% HA), and (C) the ratio of edge activators (sodium deoxycholate to Span 80) were taken as three factors. The average vesicle diameter (Z, nm) of transfersomes was taken as a response. Further, fluconazole-loaded transfersomes (FTO) were incorporated into 1% Carbopol 940-based hydrogel (OF1) and 2% HMPC K4M-based hydrogel (OF2) containing D-panthenol (5% w/w)., Results: The optimal variable setting for the optimized formulations of FTO was (A) = 9.15, (B) = 0.30%, and (C) = 3.00. FTO exhibited 66.39 nm Z, 0.247 polydispersity index, - 33.10 mV zeta potential, and 65.38 ± 1.77 % DEE, and desirable elasticity. TEM image of FTO demonstrated a unilamellar vesicular structure. The ex vivo ocular permeation of fluconazole from transfersomal hydrogels was sustained over 24 h. All the transfersomal hydrogels showed good bioadhesion and excellent antifungal activity with respect to the zone of inhibition against Candida albicans than Aspergillus fumigates, in vitro. HET-CAM study results demonstrated that both the hydrogels were nonirritant and safe for ocular. Short-term physical stability study suggested the stability of the developed formulation., Conclusion: The current research demonstrated a new way to enhance the ocular penetration of fluconazole via transfersomal hydrogel formulations for ocular delivery in the effective management of fungal keratitis., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Insulin is a peptide hormone that is essential for regulating body homeostasis. Furthermore, it is involved in various neurological functions such as memory, behaviors, and cognition. The ubiquitous distribution of insulin receptors on various brain cells, such as neurons, microglia, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes, and their differential localization across various brain regions, including the hippocampus, hypothalamus, and olfactory bulb, collectively underscore the crucial involvement of insulin in the modulation of cerebral functions. Along with ageing, in some pathological conditions such as diabetes and brain insulin resistance, the need for exogenous insulin is felt to compensate for insulin deficiency. In these cases, the biggest obstacle to the delivery of insulin to the brain is the blood-brain barrier (a physical barrier consisting of endothelial cells with tight junctions), which prevents the direct entry of most substances possessing high molecular weight, like insulin, into the brain. Therefore, different delivery methods have been proposed by researchers for insulin delivery that directly or indirectly cause the transfer of insulin to the brain. Some of these methods lack high efficiency and cause many side effects for the patient. In this regard, many new technologies have come to the aid of researchers and have introduced more effective delivery strategies, including the use of nanocarriers. Despite the promising outcomes demonstrated in the experimental models, the utilization of these techniques in human studies remains at a nascent stage and necessitates further comprehensive investigation. This review article aims to examine the diverse methods of insulin administration to the brain by gathering extensive information on insulin and its obstacles to brain delivery., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Different nanocarriers-based strategies are now extensively being used as an important strategy for improving drug efficacy and responsiveness, reducing toxicity issues related to drugs and harmful side effects, and overcoming the numerous significant difficulties related to absorption and bioavailability. Amongst different nanocarriers, nanovesicles are excellent and versatile systems for effectively delivering biomolecules, drugs, and targeted ligand distribution and location. Nanovesicles are nanosized self-assembling spherical capsules with an aqueous core and one/more lipid(s) layers. Several synthetic nanovesicles have been developed and investigated for their prospective uses in delivering drugs, proteins, peptides, nutrients, etc. Important procedures for nanovesicle manufacturing are thin-film hydration, unshaken method, ethanol injection, ether injection, proliposomes, freeze-drying, hot method, cold method, reverse-phase evaporation, and ultrasonication. Liposomes, liposomes, ethosomes, exosomes, and transferosomes (elastic vesicles) are the nonvesicular candidates extensively investigated to deliver antiviral drugs. This review article comprehensively reviews different nanovesicles, their compositions, manufacturing, and applications as potential carriers for effectively delivering different antiviral drugs to treat viral diseases., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Pharmaceutical grade sugars manufactured under Current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) and complied with International Pharmaceutical Excipients Council (IPEC) quality standards, also contain a significant amount of nano-particulate impurities (NPIs). This review will focus on the origin of NPIs, the mechanism of their interference with Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and endotoxin tests, filtration technology to effectively reduce the NPIs, methodologies for analytical quantification of NPIs, guidance for setting the limits of threshold concentration and the overall impact of NPIs on the therapeutic activity, performance, stability of biopharmaceuticals and protein-based formulations. NPIs with an average particle size of 100 to 200 nm are present in sugars and are a combination of various chemicals such as dextrans (with the presence of β-glucans), ash, inorganic metal salts, aromatic colorants, etc. These NPIs primarily originate from raw materials and cannot be removed during the sugar refinement process. While it is commonly believed that filtering the final formulation with a 0.22 μ sterilizing grade filter removes all microbes and particles, it is important to note that NPIs cannot be filtered using this standard sterile filtration technology. Exceeding the threshold limit of NPIs can have detrimental effects on formulations containing proteins, monoclonal Antibodies (mAbs), nucleic acids, and other biopharmaceuticals. NPIs and β-glucans have a critical impact on the functionality and therapeutic activity of biomolecules and if present below the threshold limit of reaction, stability and shelf-life of biologics formulation will be greatly improved and the risk of immunogenic reactions must be significantly decreased., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Background: The tear ferning test can be an easy clinical procedure for the evaluation and characterization of the ocular tear film., Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the restoration of tear ferning patterns and reduction of glycosylation peak after amlodipine application in carrageenan-induced conjunctivitis., Methods: At the rabbit's upper palpebral region, carrageenan was injected for cytokine-mediated conjunctivitis. Ferning pattern and glycosylation of the tear fluid were characterized using various instrumental analyses. The effect of amlodipine was also examined after ocular instillation and flexible docking studies., Results: Optical microscopy showed a disrupted ferning of the tear collected from the inflamed eye. FTIR of the induced tear fluid exhibited peaks within 1000-1200 cm -1 , which might be due to the protein glycosylation absent in the normal tear spectrogram. The glycosylation peak reduced significantly in the tear sample collected from the amlodipine-treated group. Corresponding energy dispersive analysis showed the presence of sulphur, indicating protein leakage from the lacrimal gland in the induced group. The disappearance of sulphur from the treated group indicated its remedial effect. The flexible docking studies revealed a stronger binding mode of amlodipine with Interleukin-1β (IL-1β). The reduction in the intensity of the glycosylated peak and the restoration offering are probably due to suppression of IL-1β., Conclusion: This study may be helpful in obtaining primary information for drug discovery to be effective against IL-1β and proving tear fluid as a novel diagnostic biomarker., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Bioelectronic medicine is a multidisciplinary field that combines molecular medicine, neurology, engineering, and computer science to design devices for diagnosing and treating diseases. The advancements in bioelectronic medicine can improve the precision and personalization of illness treatment. Bioelectronic medicine can produce, suppress, and measure electrical activity in excitable tissue. Bioelectronic devices modify specific neural circuits using electrons rather than pharmaceuticals and uses of bioelectronic processes to regulate the biological processes underlining various diseases. This promotes the potential to address the underlying causes of illnesses, reduce adverse effects, and lower costs compared to conventional medication. The current review presents different important aspects of bioelectronic medicines with recent advancements. The area of bioelectronic medicine has a lot of potential for treating diseases, enabling non-invasive therapeutic intervention by regulating brain impulses. Bioelectronic medicine uses electricity to control biological processes, treat illnesses, or regain lost capability. These new classes of medicines are designed by the technological developments in the detection and regulation of electrical signaling methods in the nervous system. Peripheral nervous system regulates a wide range of processes in chronic diseases; it involves implanting small devices onto specific peripheral nerves, which read and regulate the brain signaling patterns to achieve therapeutic effects specific to the signal capacity of a particular organ. The potential for bioelectronic medicine field is vast, as it investigates for treatment of various diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, hypertension, paralysis, chronic illnesses, blindness, etc., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Background: The scope of nanotechnology has been extended to almost every sphere of our daily life. As a result of this, nanocarriers like Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) are gaining considerable attention for their use in various therapeutic and diagnostic applications., Objective: The objective of the current article is to review various important features of CNTs that make them as efficient carriers for anticancer drug delivery in cancer therapeutics., Methods: In this review article, different works of literature are reported on various prospective applications of CNTs in the targeting of multiple kinds of cancerous cells of different organs via; the loading of various anticancer agents., Results: Actually, CNTs are the 3rd allotropic type of the carbon-fullerenes that are a part of the cylindrical tubular architecture. CNTs possess some excellent physicochemical characteristics and unique structural features that provide an effective platform to deliver anticancer drugs to target specific sites for achieving a high level of therapeutic effectiveness even in cancer therapeutics. For better results, CNTs are functionalized and modified with different classes of therapeutically bioactive molecules via; the formation of stable covalent bonding or by the use of supramolecular assemblies based on the noncovalent interaction(s). In recent years, the applications of CNTs for the delivery of various kinds of anticancer drugs and targeting of tumor sites have been reported by various research groups., Conclusion: CNTs represent an emerging nanocarrier material for the delivery and targeting of numerous anticancer drugs in cancer therapeutics., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Background: In recent years, gastroretentive, hydrodynamically balanced system (HBS) for stomach-specific floating sustained drug release has gained a lot of importance in improving absorption of drugs especially those absorbed from stomach and small intestine., Objective: The objective of the current investigation is to evaluate chitosan-hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) based on polymeric matrices as a carrier for single-unit capsules based on HBS for stomach- specific floating sustained drug release using moxifloxacin HCl (MX) as a model drug., Method: Various HBS capsules of MX were prepared by physical blending of MX with chitosan (low or medium molecular mass) or HPMC (K4M or K15M) or chitosan-HPMC combinations in varying proportions followed by encapsulation into size 0 capsules made of hard gelatin. The in vitro buoyancy and drug release in 0.1 N HCl (pH 1.2) were evaluated., Results: HBS capsules based on chitosan (low and medium molecular weight and their combination) as polymer matrix failed to float on 0.1 N HCl (pH 1.2). Whereas, formulations containing HPMC (K4M or K15M) or their mixture with chitosan, remained buoyant and released MX over 9 h in the acidic dissolution medium following zero-order kinetics., Conclusion: HPMC (K4M, K15M, blend of K4M and K15M) or their mixture with low/medium molecular mass chitosan may constitute excellent carrier systems for the stomach-specific sustained delivery of MX over a longer period., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.)

The work investigates the formulation and evaluation of microemulsions containing olive oil, Tween 80 and isopropyl alcohol for transdermal candesartan cilexetil delivery. The pseudoternary phase diagram was constructed to determine composition of microemulsions. These formulated microemulsions were evaluated for in vitro skin permeation and stability. The microemulsion containing 72 % olive oil, 8 % water, 15 % Tween 80, and 5 % isopropylalcohol showed maximum viscosity of 29.54±0.32 mPas, average small droplet size of 180.90 nm, smaller polydispersity index of 0.37, zeta potential of -12.20 and maximum candesartan cilexetil permeation flux of 0.49±0.05 μg/cm2/h through excised porcine skin. The degradation of candesartan cilexetil microemulsions after 3 months storage was found low and its shelf-life was calculated as 3.92 years at room temperature.

The present investigation describes development and optimization of pioglitazone-loaded jackfruit seed starch (JFSS)-alginate beads by ionotropic-gelation using 3(2) factorial design. The effect of polymer-blend ratio and CaCl2 concentration on the drug encapsulation efficiency (DEE, %), and cumulative drug release after 10 hours (R10h, %) was optimized. The DEE (%) of these beads were 64.80 ± 1.92 to 94.07 ± 3.82 % with sustained in vitro drug release of 64.± 1.83 to 92.66 ± 4.54 % over 10 hours. The in vitro drug release from these beads followed controlled-release pattern with super case-II transport. Particle size range of these beads was 0.77 ± 0.04 to 1.24 ± 0.09 mm. The beads were also characterized by SEM and FTIR. The swelling of these beads was influenced by pH of the test medium. The optimized pioglitazone-loaded JFSS-alginate beads showed significant hypoglycemic effect in alloxan-induced diabetic rats over prolonged period after oral administration.

The present study deals with preparation, optimization and in-vitro drug release study of hydroxyapatite (HAp)- ofloxacin for bone-implantable delivery in osteomyelitis treatment. The effect of drug amount added, and orthophosphoric acid addition rate as process parameters on the drug loading into HAp-system by precipitation method was optimized by using 32 factorial design. The response surface methodology utilizing polynomial equation was used to search for optimal drug loading into HAp-system. The responses observed coincided well with the predicted values obtained through optimization technique. HAp-ofloxacin bone-implants were manufactured using synthesized HAp-ofloxacin composite powders and 2 % w/v aqueous solution of sodium alginate was used as binder. Characterization of the delivery system was done by FTIR spectroscopy. The in-vitro ofloxacin release from optimized HAp-ofloxacin bone-implants was slow and sustained over 10 weeks. The drug release pattern was correlated well with Korsmeyer-Peppas model and was followed by Fickian (diffusional) release mechanism.