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This study reports the application of hierarchical porous monoliths as carriers for controlled and dose-adjustable release of model pharmaceutical (dexketoprofen, DEX). The synthesis and detailed characterization of the hierarchical porous scaffolds are provided before and after the adsorption of three doses of DEX─a widely used nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug. The drug incorporated in the mesopores of silica was stabilized in an amorphous state, while the presence of macropores provided sufficient space for drug crystallization as we demonstrated via a combination of powder X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, and imaging techniques (scanning electron microscopy and EDX analysis). Drug release from silica matrices was tested, and a mechanistic model of this release based on the Fick diffusion equation was proposed. The hierarchical structure of the carrier, due to the presence of micrometric macropores and nanometric mesopores, turned out to be critical for the control of the drug phase and drug release from the monoliths. It was found that at low drug content, the presence of an amorphous component in the pores promoted the rapid release of the drug, while at higher drug contents, the presence of macropores favored the crystallization of DEX, which naturally slowed down its release. Both the hierarchical porous structure and the control of the drug phase (amorphous and/or crystalline) were proven important for adjustable (fast or prolonged) release kinetics, desirable for effective pharmacotherapy and patient compliance. Therefore, the developed materials may serve as a versatile formulation platform for the smart manipulation of drug release kinetics.

In this work one-stage, no presence of acidic catalyst hydrothermal extraction of pectin from sugar beet pulp (SBP) as a batch process was investigated, leading to increasing the value of this by-product of sugar beet industry. The comprehensive study of the effect of the extraction temperature and the extraction time on the yield and composition of the pectin-enriched products, the water soluble product fractions and the water insoluble product fractions, were used that are feasible for industrial upscaling. It was shown that the highest yield of satisfactory purity of pectin extract (136.3 g kg−1) was obtained at a temperature of 120 °C and a holding time of 20 min. Both further increase of the extraction temperature and extending extraction time favor the occurrence of partial hydrothermolysis of pectin and hemicellulose contained in the SBP, leading to the production of uronic acids, monosaccharides, carboxylic acids and furfurals. In the applied extraction conditions, other components of the SBP: cellulose, lignin and protein did not undergo depolymerization and were still present in the solid post-extraction residue. This work provides an important method for the recovery of pectin from SBP using environmentally friendly technique and should help to facilitate further studies to develop a new process for the hydrothermal production of pectin from waste biomass.

The objective of this work was to investigate binary pharmaceutical mixtures of ezetimibe (EZT) and aspirin (ASA) in order to identify whether the occurrence of eutectic in this system has an effect on EZT dissolution improvement. Ezetimibe–aspirin (EZT–ASA) solid dispersions prepared by grinding in the whole range of compositions were characterized using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) for purpose to describe solid-liquid phase equilibrium diagram. The occurrence of interactions between ingredients was excluded by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray powder diffractometry. Dissolution studies have shown that the mixtures containing from 10 to 60 mass% of EZT (53.5 mass% of EZT in eutectic composition) have released ezetimibe faster than a sample of pure drug. Moreover, ASA is released more quickly from all obtained dispersions than from powder alone. Our studies have shown that obtained mixtures are useful to obtain the fixed-dose combinations, capable to deliver these two APIs together in a single system with enhanced dissolution of EZT and ASA.

Increasing access to additive manufacturing technologies utilising easily available desktop devices opened novel ways for formulation of personalized medicines. It is, however, challenging to propose a flexible and robust formulation platform which can be used for fabrication of tailored solid dosage forms composed of APIs with different properties (e.g., hydrophobicity) without extensive optimization. This manuscript presents a strategy for formulation of fast dissolving tablets using binder jetting (BJ) technology. The approach is demonstrated using two model APIs: hydrophilic quinapril hydrochloride (QHCl, logP = 1.4) and hydrophobic clotrimazole (CLO, logP = 5.4). The proposed printing method uses inexpensive well known and easily available FDA approved pharmaceutical excipients. The obtained model tablets had uniform content of the drug, excellent mechanical properties and highly porous structure resulting in short disintegration time and fast dissolution rate. The tablets could be scaled and obtained in predesigned shapes and sizes. The proposed method may find its application in the early stages of drug development where high flexibility of the formulation is required and the amount of available API is limited.

Tetracyclines, as beneficial antimicrobial factors in both local and systemic therapy, are characterized by high instability. The aim of the study was the development of the influence of hydrogel formulation on the tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) level under varying storage conditions. The HPLC, XPRD as well as SEM and macroscopic observations were involved in the study. The TC concentration decreased within ca. two months from 9.37 µg/mL to 4.41 µg/mL in the case of the photoprotected TC solution stored at 23 °C, whereas the decrease in storage temperature did not improve the final level of TC. In the presence of AMPD, the TC level in aqueous solution decreased drastically to ca. 1 µg/mL. Application of a polyacrylic acid derivative enabled conservation of the TC level through the ca. two months. Thus, the use of alcoholamine in the preparation of the TC hydrogel may result in the development of a therapeutic product with a dual action against acne, including antimicrobial activity and saponification of free fatty acids deposited in the follicles.

The hydrolysis of high methyl ester citrus-apple pectin as a model substance for plant biomass waste rich in pectin fraction resulting in an uronic acids was performed in a batch reactor using subcritical water. The effects of the reaction temperature and time on the composition of the products contained in the separated liquid fractions were studied. The optimal experimental design methodology was used for modelling and optimizing the yield of uronic acids. In good agreement with experimental results (R2 = 0.986), the model predicts an optimal yield of uronic acids (approx. 77.3 g kg-1 ± 0.7 g kg-1) at a temperature and a time of about 155°C and 36 min. Uronic acids were isolated from reaction mixture using the ion exchange method. Higher temperature and longer holding time resulted in a greater degree of thermal degradation of uronic acids and simultaneously higher yield of losses and gas fractions

We propose a one-stage hydrothermal extraction of sugar beet pulp leading to effective co-production of pectin and neutral monosaccharides with a relatively high yield and satisfactory purity without the presence of an acidic catalyst. The optimal experimental design methodology was used for modelling and optimizing the yield of pectin and neutral monosaccharides. In good agreement with experimental results (R2 = 0.955), the model predicts an optimal yield of pectin (approx. 121.1 g kg&minus, 1 &plusmn, 0.47 g kg&minus, 1) at a temperature and time of about 118.1 &deg, C and 21.5 min, respectively. The highest yield of the sum of neutral monosaccharides (approx. 82.6 g kg&minus, 0.72 g kg&minus, 1) was obtained at about 116.2 &deg, C and 26.4 min (R2 = 0.976). The obtained results are suitable for industrial upscaling and may provide an incentive to implement a new, environmentally friendly, simple, and effective method for treating waste product from the sugar refining industry, which has proved onerous until now.

Alkali lignin as an example of waste plant biomass was subjected in a batch reactor to decomposition in sub- and supercritical water. Hydrothermolysis of alkali lignin with relatively highmolecular-weight led to the production of phenolic compounds such as guaiacol and catechol, as well as phenol, m -cresol, p -cresols and o -cresol. Both an increase growth in conversion time and an increase in reaction temperature promoted secondary reactions: degradation of alkali lignin decomposition products, leading to, their repolymerization and carbonization. The components of the liquid fractions of products were examined by GC–MS and HPLC, whereas the solid charred post-reaction residues were analyzed by elemental analysis and FTIR.