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Acetaminophen (paracetamol, APAP) is a major component of Tylenol, Penzal Q, and Panpyrin, and is the most commonly used antipyretic analgesic in children. The conventional oral drug delivery systems of APAP are pills and tablets. However alternative drug delivery methods are desirable in case of pediatric or geriatric patients, especially for drugs like APAP that must be taken in large doses at once. Another requirement for a good drug delivery system is the rapid dissolution to ensure a rapid therapeutic action as pain reliever. In this study Acetaminophen (paracetamol, APAP) was encapsulated in a water-soluble polymer. After the preparation of the solid dispersion by encapsulating acetaminophen in polyvinylpyrrolidone, the resultant granules were used in three formulations: tablets, chewable tablets, and oral dissolving films (ODF). Solid dispersions and prepared formulations were evaluated by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), and universal tensile machine (UTM), and the release behavior was compared. As a result, it was confirmed that the oral dissolving films can be taken easily because it has the advantages of both tablet and liquid dosage form accurate dosage, easy administration, easy swallowing, and fast bioavailability. Furthermore, the drug absorption rate can be effectively increased by changing the formulation.

Patients at risk for hypertension with comorbidities such as diabetes and metabolic syndrome often require two or more antihypertensive drugs to lower their blood pressure. Telmisartan and amlodipine are widely known drugs to treat hypertension. However, telmisartan suffer of poor solubility in water that makes necessary to increase its dosage to reach a sufficient therapeutic concentration. In this study, a solid dispersion containing a water-soluble polymer was prepared to make the absorption rate of telmisartan similar to that of amlodipine, a water soluble drug. As water-soluble polymers, polyvinylpyrrolidone K30, polyethylene glycol 6000, and poloxamer 407 were used. The encapsulation of the solid dispersion was analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry, Xray diffraction, and high-performance liquid chromatography. The reduced flowability of the solid dispersion was improved by a wet granulation. Scanning Electron Microscopy was used to study the morphology and the flowability was verified by measuring the angle of repose, bulk density, and tap density, and expressed by Hausner ratio and Carr index. The release behavior was confirmed by dissolution test and high-performance liquid chromatography. As result we proved that telmisartan a higher release rate when encapsulated with PVP K30. Finally, we designed a drug formulation in which amlodipine and telmisartan could be absorbed at a similar rate.

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is one of the most applied biomaterials in a tissue engineering field due to its biocompatibility and its presence in the native extracellular matrix (ECM) of tissues. However, the mechanical property of the HA is weak and requires specific treatment to improve its properties. The application of Agarose (AG) hydrogel is widely studied and used as a support for the three-dimensional culture of cells due to its biocompatibility. Nevertheless, AG itself lacks the biological environment of the matrix which is unsuitable for the growth of the encapsulated cells. In this study, the composite of HA hydrogel and AG hydrogel (HA/AG hydrogel) is proposed to supplement the drawbacks of each hydrogel. HA provided enhanced microenvironment of matrix and AG improved the mechanical properties and assisted the cells. The characterization of the blended hydrogels was carried out with FT-IR, weight loss, swelling ratio, and compressive strength study. The biocompatibility and biological environment of the composite was evaluated by dimethylthiazol-2-yl-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide; thiazolyl blue (MTT), live/dead staining, and morphological study. The composite biomaterial exhibited applicability for cartilage tissue engineering and the in vitro study of the cell-laden HA/AG hydrogel displayed potential for cartilage tissue engineering in the future.

Nifedipine is a calcium channel blocker widely used for the treatment of blood pressure related diseases such as angina, hypertension and Raynaud. However, since the drug after the administration reaches the highest blood concentration between 30 min and 2 h, its insolubility may expose the patient to various side effects. In this study, nifedipine was prepared as a solid dispersion using a water-soluble polymer (PVP-K30) in order to increase the releasing time and postpone the time at which the drug reaches its highest concentration, thereby increasing its bioavailability. SEM, XRD, DSC, and FT-IR were used for characterization of the solid dispersion. In order to test the release of the drug, a dissolution test was performed with a serous fluid for 12 h. In this work a drug formulation capable of sustained release of nifedipine using a water-soluble polymer was developed.

Omeprazole (OM), typically used for patients with gastric problems, is a proton pump inhibitor, which reduces the amount of stomach acid production effectively by regulating the proton pump. However, the main side effect of OM is the calcium indigestion, which may cause the calcium deficiency in the long term. Seaweeds are abundant in calcium (approximately 560–1200 mg per 100 g) and nutrients such as vitamins (approximately 150–400 mg per 1 kg) and minerals. In particular, high level of magnesium in the seaweed can assist the absorption of calcium. Accordingly, seaweeds can be a good source of nutrients to support OM therapy. Herein, we produced a solid dispersion (SD) which is composed of OM and seaweed calcium (SC) and can be suitable for the oral treatment, via the ultra-multiple crystal method. We also optimized the film formulation so that the SD could be absorbed quickly and efficiently by the oral cavity. Due to many advantages of using the oral thin film (OTF), we chose to fabricate OTF with our optimized dispersion method. OTF allows for both the rapid and efficient dissolution within the oral cavity and the protection of the active ingredient (i.e., OM) from rapid degradation under acidic conditions. The prepared SD samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Thermal analysis of SD was conducted by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Hydrophobicity of SD was evaluated by the contact angle. Furthermore, the dissolution test and the HPLC analysis of SD were performed.