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Microbial infection and oxidative damage of the fibroblast often results in prolonged and incomplete wound healing. Therefore, there is an increasing demand for a scaffold being effective to prevent any possible infection and neutralize excessively released free radicals. Herein, we designed a PCL-based nanofiber loaded with ciprofloxacin hydrochloride (CHL) and quercetin. Developed nanofiber showed the formation of smooth and continuous nanofiber with 101.59 ± 29.18 nm average diameter and entrapping the drugs in amorphous form without any possible physico-chemical interaction between drugs and excipient. High entrapment efficiency (CHL: 92.04% and Que: 94.32%) and prolonged in-vitro release (for 7 days) demonstrated the capability of scaffold to suppress any probable infection and oxidative damage, which was further confirmed by in-vitro antibacterial and antioxidant activity. The biocompatibility of scaffold for direct application to wound site was evaluated through hemocompatibility and cytocompatibility assay. The wound healing efficacies of nanofiber were assessed using full thickness wound model in rats, which displayed accelerated wound healing with complete re-epithelialization and improved collagen deposition within 16 days. In-vivo wound healing finding was further corroborated by SOD, catalase, and hydroxyproline assay. The current study validates the application of ciprofloxacin HCl and quercetin functionalized nanofiber as a potential wound dressing material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Paclitaxel (PTX)-loaded polymer (Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid), PLGA)-based nanoformulation was developed with the objective of formulating cremophor EL-free nanoformulation intended for intravenous use. Significance: The polymeric PTX nanoparticles free from the cremophor EL will help in eliminating the shortcomings of the existing delivery system as cremophor EL causes serious allergic reactions to the subjects after intravenous use. Methods and results: Paclitaxel-loaded nanoparticles were formulated by nanoprecipitation method. The diminutive nanoparticles (143.2 nm) with uniform size throughout (polydispersity index, 0.115) and high entrapment efficiency (95.34%) were obtained by employing the Box-Behnken design for the optimization of the formulation with the aid of desirability approach-based numerical optimization technique. Optimized levels for each factor viz. polymer concentration (X1), amount of organic solvent (X2), and surfactant concentration (X3) were 0.23%, 5 ml %, and 1.13%, respectively. The results of the hemocompatibility studies confirmed the safety of PLGA-based nanoparticles for intravenous administration. Pharmacokinetic evaluations confirmed the longer retention of PTX in systemic circulation. Conclusion: In a nutshell, the developed polymeric nanoparticle formulation of PTX precludes the inadequacy of existing PTX formulation and can be considered as superior alternative carrier system of the same. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Periodontal disease is chronic, highly prevalent infectious disease that requires prolonged and controlled delivery of antimicrobial agents into pockets. To achieve this objective, dual antimicrobials encapsulated chitosan fortified calcium alginate (CS-Ca-SA) microspheres were formulated by application of Plackett-Burman factorial design. The microspheres were optimized for particle size (PS), entrapment efficiency (EE) and drug release. The optimized microspheres presented average PS of 74-461 µm and EE of 62.45-86.20% with controlled drug delivery for 120 hours. FTIR disclosed successful complexation between SA and CS. DSC and XRD studies showed changes in the crystallinity of drugs in microspheres. Shape factor and SEM demonstrated spherical to pear-shaped microspheres. Release exponent >0.43 and high diffusion coefficients revealed non-Fickian-based diffusion-limited drug release. CS-Ca-SA microspheres exhibited surface pH of 6.5 ± 0.5, moderate swelling, less erosion and improved mucoadhesion over Ca-SA microspheres. Also, significant antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus and cytocompatibility with L929 cell lines were observed. Further, microspheres exhibited long-term stability on refrigeration. The outcomes of study supported the potential of dual polymer and dual drug-based biodegradable, stable, non-toxic, mucoadhesive, controlled and prolonged drug release microspheres as more patient compliant by administration into periodontal pockets for the management of periodontal disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Nanocolloidal micelles (LP-PMs) were prepared to deliver hydrophobic drug, lapatinib. • Addition of Pluronic® F127 reduces the critical micelle concentration of Soluplus®. • Nanosize (<100 nm) indicated tumor targeting potential of LP-PMs by passive method. • Resistance to dilution and platelet aggregation proves I.V. administration aptness. • Encapsulation inside micelle core improved anticancer efficacy and reduced hemolysis. Nanocolloids are considered ideal carriers for hydrophobic drugs owing to their core–shell structure. Lapatinib is a potential anti-cancer agent, but its clinical use is limited because of its poor aqueous solubility, thus requiring larger oral doses with the associated toxicity. Thus, in the present study, we fabricated self-assembled nanocolloidal polymeric micelles (LP-PMs) of Soluplus® and Pluronic® F127 by the thin-film hydration method and assessed their delivery potential of the hydrophobic anti-cancer drug lapatinib (LP) and optimised these nanocolloidal polymeric micelles using Quality-by-Design approach. Amorphisation of the drug and no typical incompatibility other than hydrogen bonding in the LP-PMs was confirmed by solid-state characterisation. The LP-PMs exhibited a uniform size of 92.9 ± 4.07 nm, with a 5.06 mV zeta potential and approximately 87% drug encapsulation. The critical micellar concentration (CMC) of Soluplus® decreased from 6.63 × 10−3 to 4.4 × 10−3 mg/mL by incorporating Pluronic® F127. Further, the sustained release of LP from the LP-PMs was confirmed by in-vitro release studies showing 36% and 60% of LP released from the LP-PMs within 48 h in release media of pH 7.4 and pH 5.0, respectively. These results support their capability of preferential release at acidic tumor environment. Their hemocompatibility evidenced by hemolysis below accepted limits and no platelet aggregation with resistance to instant dilution illustrated their admirable blood compatibility and suitability for intravenous administration. The encapsulation of LP inside micelles enhanced the cytotoxicity of LP against SKBr3 breast cancer cells. Further, the LP-PMs were found to be stable over six months when stored at 2–8 °C. These findings indicate the improved potential of nanocolloidal polymeric micelles as promising carriers for the preferential and sustained delivery of hydrophobic anticancer drugs such as lapatinib to tumours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An open wound is highly susceptible to microbial infection leading to elevated level of inflammatory response. For prompt healing, a wound requires a biomimetic dressing material with ideal hydrophilicity and tensile strength, possessing antimicrobial and antioxidant property. Although PCL-based nanofibers have sufficient tensile strength and biocompatibility, it lacks in terms of optimum hydrophilicity and biodegradation. Therefore, we fabricated a PCL-gelatin based electrospun nanofibers, enriched with quercetin and ciprofloxacin hydrochloride (CH). The average diameter of developed nanofibers was 725.943 ± 201.965 nm, and devoid of chemical interaction between two drugs and polymers. CH and quercetin exhibited biphasic in-vitro release in phosphate buffer (pH 7.4). The in-vitro antibacterial and antioxidant property of scaffolds were evaluated by film-diffusion against Staphylococcus aureus and DPPH assay, respectively. The addition of gelatin along with CH and quercetin enhanced the hydrophilicity (contact angle = 48.8 ± 2.95°) and biodegradation rate of the nanofibers. In-vitro biocompatibility of scaffold was examined by hemocompatibility and fibroblast viability using MTT assay. The results confirm the direct application of scaffold in the wounded area. Further, complete closure of full-thickness wound within 16 days, and regulation of hydroxyproline, SOD and catalase level in granulation tissues following treatment with scaffold, confirmed its application for accelerated wound healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering alarming projections in the prevalence of periodontitis, following study was undertaken to develop chitosan-vanillin crosslinked microspheres loaded in-situ gel (MLIG) implants containing ornidazole and doxycycline hyclate for the treatment of pocket infections. Firstly, microspheres were formulated and optimized using response surface methodology for particle size <50 μm, entrapment efficiency >80%, in-vitro drug release (T 80% ) >7 days and acceptable mucoadhesion. Further, MLIG were optimized for gelation temperature of 34–37 °C and viscosity <1000 cps respectively. FTIR, DSC and XRD graphs disclosed compatibility and alterations in crystallinity of drugs. In-vitro dissolution study demonstrated non-Fickian type of drug release mechanism for twelve days. Stability studies ascertained MLIG implants were sterilizable and stable for about 11.29 months on refrigeration. The formulations exhibited significant (p < 0.001) antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus , Escherichia coli , and Enterococcus faecalis , and were found biocompatible and biodegradable during preclinical studies. Ligature-induced periodontal rat model, corroborated significant growth (p < 0.05) of gingival tissue after two weeks. Clinical trials revealed, intra-pocket administration of MLIG along with SRP provided significant reduction in clinical parameters as compared to SRP alone. Conclusively, antimicrobials incorporated thermosensitive, biodegradable, mucoadhesive and syringeable MLIG implants appeared as better option for the treatment of periodontitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Electrospinning is a facile and viable method for the fabrication of nanofibers. Electrospun nanofiber has a great potential in providing local drug or therapeutic molecule delivery to the wound site. The versatile nature of this technique ensures a broad scope of material used in the fabrication of nanofibers., Area Covered: A brief introduction to diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is covered with its pathogenesis, followed by the role of electrospun nanofibers in DFU. This review covers the evolution of the electrospinning technique over the past few years, various types of electrospun nanofibers reported for DFU or chronic diabetic wounds, the challenges associated with the preparation of nanofibers, and various methods to evaluate their efficacy and performance in diabetic wound healing., Expert Opinion: Electrospinning-based nanofibers provide a safe, effective, and multifunctional system for effective management of DFU.

Introduction: Breast cancer stands the second prominent cause of death among women. For its efficient treatment, Lapatinib (LAPA) was developed as a selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor of receptors, overexpressed by breast cancer cells. Various explored delivery strategies for LAPA indicated its controlled release with enhanced aqueous solubility, improved bioavailability, decreased plasma protein binding, reduced dose and toxicity to the other organs with maximized clinical efficacy, compared to its marketed tablet formulation., Areas Covered: This comprehensive review deals with the survey, performed through different electronic databases, regarding various challenges and their solutions attained by fabricating delivery systems like nanoparticles, micelle, nanocapsules, nanochannels, and liposomes. It also covers the synthesis of novel LAPA-conjugates for diagnostic purpose., Expert Opinion: Unfortunately, clinical use of LAPA is restricted because of its extensive albumin binding capacity, poor oral bioavailability, and poor aqueous solubility. LAPA is marketed as the oral tablet only. Therefore, it becomes imperative to formulate alternate efficient multiparticulate or nano-delivery systems for administration through non-oral routes, for active/passive targeting, and to scale-up by pharmaceutical scientists followed by their clinical trials by clinical experts. LAPA combinations with capecitabine and letrozole should also be tried for breast cancer treatment.