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Ibrahim M Abdulbaqi, Yusrida Darwis, Reem Abou Assi, Nurzalina Abdul Karim Khan School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Minden, Penang, Malaysia Introduction: Colchicine is used for the treatment of gout, pseudo-gout, familial Mediterranean fever, and many other illnesses. Its oral administration is associated with poor bioavailability and severe gastrointestinal side effects. The drug is also known to have a low therapeutic index. Thus to overcome these drawbacks, the transdermal delivery of colchicine was investigated using transethosomal gels as potential carriers.Methods: Colchicine-loaded transethosomes (TEs) were prepared by the cold method and statistically optimized using three sets of 24 factorial design experiments. The optimized formulations were incorporated into Carbopol 940® gel base. The prepared colchicine-loaded transethosomal gels were further characterized for vesicular size, dispersity, zeta potential, drug content, pH, viscosity, yield, rheological behavior, and ex vivo skin permeation through Sprague Dawley rats’ back skin.Results: The results showed that the colchicine-loaded TEs had aspherical irregular shape, nanometric size range, and high entrapment efficiency. All the formulated gels exhibited non-Newtonian plastic flow without thixotropy. Colchicine-loaded transethosomal gels were able to significantly enhance the skin permeation parameters of the drug in comparison to the non-ethosomal gel.Conclusion: These findings suggested that the transethosomal gels are promising carriers for the transdermal delivery of colchicine, providing an alternative route for drug administration. Keywords: transethosomes, ethosomal nanocarriers, colchicine, factorial design, skin permeation, rheology

Traditional medical practitioners in Hawaii and Polynesia have used Morinda citrifolia L. (Noni) for centuries to cure or prevent varieties of illnesses. The popularity of M. citrifolia as a dietary supplement, a food functional ingredient, or as a natural health enhancer is increasing throughout the world. M. citrifolia contains phytochemicals that own antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, antitumor, anthelminthic, analgesic, hypotensive, anti-inflammatory and immune enhancing effects. Moreover, the increasing vogue of M. citrifolia has attracted industries to employ it as a part of various products and for wide applications such as a natural source of medicines and chemical reagents as well as a green insecticidal. The wide spread of M. citrifolia in tropical climate of the globe, from USA to Brazil reaching to Tahiti, Malaysia and Australia, contributed in enriching its uses and potentials due to the variation in harvest locations. M. citrifolia parts including fruits, seeds, barks, leaves, and flowers are utilized on their own for individual nutritional and therapeutical values, however, the fruit is considered to contain the most valuable chemical compounds. This review discusses in details the industrial uses and the pharmacological activities of M. citrifolia fruit, seed, leaf and root, along with their isolated phytochemical compounds, through describing the conducted in vitro and in vivo studies as well as clinical data.

Jahanzeb Mudassir1,2, Yusrida Darwis,1 Suriani Muhamad,1 Arshad Ali Khan1,31Discipline of Pharmaceutical Technology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains, Malaysia, 11800, Penang Malaysia; 2Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Bahanuddin Zakariya, Multan, Pakistan; 3Faculty of Engineering Technology, Universiti Malaysia Pahang, Kuantan, Pahang, MalaysiaIntroduction: Insulin is given by injection, because when administered orally, it would be destroyed by enzymes in the digestive system, hence only about 0.1% reaches blood circulation. The purpose of the present study was to use pH sensitive polyelectrolyte methyl methacrylate (MMA)/itaconic acid (IA) nanogels as carriers in an attempt to improve absorption of insulin administered orally.Methods: Insulin (Ins) was incorporated into the MMA/IA nanogels (NGs) using the polyelectrolyte complexation (PEC) method to form Ins/NGs-PEC. Several parameters, includingIns:NGs ratio, pH, incubation time and stirring rate were optimized during preparation of InsNGs-PEC. The prepared formulations were characterized in terms of particle size (PS), polydispersity index (PdI), zeta potential (ZP) and percent entrapment efficiency (% EE).Results: The optimized InF12 nanogels had a PS, PdI, ZP and %EE of 190.43 nm, 0.186, −16.70 mV and 85.20%, respectively. The InF12 nanogels were lyophilized in the presence of different concentrations of trehalose as cryoprotectant. The lyophilized InF12 containing 2%w/v trahalose (InF12-Tre2 nanogels) was chosen as final formulation which had a PS, PdI, ZP and %EE of 430.50 nm, 0.588, −16.50 mv and 82.10, respectively. The in vitro release of insulin from InF12-Tre2 nanogels in the SGF and SIF were 28.71% and 96.53%, respectively. The stability study conducted at 5±3°C for 3 months showed that lnF12-Tre2 nanogels were stable. The SDS-PAGE assay indicated that the primary structure of insulin in the lnF12-Tre2 nanogels was intact. The in-vivo study in the diabetic rats following oral administration of InF12-Tre2 nanogels at a dose of 100 IU/kg body weight reduced blood glucose level significantly to 51.10% after 6 hours compared to the control groups.Conclusions: The pH sensitive MMA/IA nanogels are potential carriers for oral delivery of insulin as they enhanced the absorption of the drug.Keywords: acrylic monomers, peptides self assembly, lyophilization, hypoglycemic effect, polymeric nanogels

Ethosomal systems are novel lipid vesicular carriers containing a relatively high percentage of ethanol. These nanocarriers are especially designed for the efficient delivery of therapeutic agents with different physicochemical properties into deep skin layers and across the skin. Ethosomes have undergone extensive research since they were invented in 1996; new compounds were added to their initial formula, which led to the production of new types of ethosomal systems. Different preparation techniques are used in the preparation of these novel carriers. For ease of application and stability, ethosomal dispersions are incorporated into gels, patches, and creams. Highly diverse in vivo models are used to evaluate their efficacy in dermal/transdermal delivery, in addition to clinical trials. This article provides a detailed review of the ethosomal systems and categorizes them on the basis of their constituents to classical ethosomes, binary ethosomes, and transethosomes. The differences among these systems are discussed from several perspectives, including the formulation, size, ζ-potential (zeta potential), entrapment efficiency, skin-permeation properties, and stability. This paper gives a detailed review on the effects of ethosomal system constituents, preparation methods, and their significant roles in determining the final properties of these nanocarriers. Furthermore, the novel pharmaceutical dosage forms of ethosomal gels, patches, and creams are highlighted. The article also provides detailed information regarding the in vivo studies and clinical trials conducted for the evaluation of these vesicular systems.

Curcuminoids have been used for the management of burns and wound healing in traditional Chinese medicine practices but the wide application of curcuminoids as a healing agent for wounds has always been a known problem due to their poor solubility, bioavailability, colour staining properties, as well as due to their intense photosensitivity and the need for further formulation approaches to maximise their various properties in order for them to considerably contribute towards the wound healing process. In the present study, a complex coacervation microencapsulation was used to encapsulate curcuminoids using gelatin B and chitosan. This study also focused on studying and confirming the potential of curcuminoids in a microencapsulated form as a wound healing agent. The potential of curcuminoids for wound management was evaluated using an in vitro human keratinocyte cell (HaCaT) model and the in vivo heater-inflicted burn wound model, providing evidence that the antioxidant activities of both forms of curcuminoids, encapsulated or not, are higher than those of butylated hydroxyanisole and butylated hydroxytoluene in trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) and (2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate) (DPPH) studies. However, curcuminoids did not have much impact towards cell migration and proliferation in comparison with the negative control in the in vitro HaCaT study. The micoencapsulation formulation was shown to significantly influence wound healing in terms of increasing the wound contraction rate, hydroxyproline synthesis, and greater epithelialisation, which in turn provides strong justification for the incorporation of the microencapsulated formulation of curcuminoids as a topical treatment for burns and wound healing management as it has the potential to act as a crucial wound healing agent in healthcare settings.

Objective: The aim was to investigate the suitability of hydrophilic natural gums, namely - konjac glucomannan gum (KG), Tara gallactomannan gum (TG) andxanthan gum (XG); and their combination, as bioadhesive polymers. Materials and Methods: Bioadhesive strength of the gums and their combination was investigated using texture analyzer employing chicken pouch as biological membrane. Results: It was observed that the bioadhesive strength was enhanced by the increase in contact time between the tablets under test and biological membrane. Different gums and their combination produced significantly different bioadhesive strength, and were ranked in the order of: XG > KG40H > KG40H + XG > KG32H > KG32H + XG + TG > KG32H + XG > XG + TG > KG40H + XG + TG. Conclusions: From these preliminary studies, it can be concluded that KG and XG are capable to be employed as bioadhesive polymers in drug delivery systems and chicken pouch an easily available, having uniform surface thus producing reproducible results, can be used as model mucosa.

Nanogels are polymeric nanoparticles that have similar characteristic to hydrogels, but have the size in nano range. The pH-sensitive nanogel have gained much interest in the field of pharmaceutical nanotechnology as they have potential to be used as nanocarriers in drug delivery system. The aim of the present study was to synthesize pH-sensitive polyelectrolyte MMA/IA nanogels using free radical polymerization containing methyl methacrylate (MMA), itaconic acid (IA), and a crosslinker ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA). In the synthesis of nanogels four parameters i.e. ethanol/water ratios (v/v), dilution volume using ethanol/water (v/v), crosslinker EGDMA concentration, and monomers MMA/IA ratios were optimized. Their effect on particle size, PdI, zeta potential and swelling ratio were evaluated. The swelling behaviour of the nanogels was studied by measuring swelling ratio using gravimetric method. The optimized nanogels were characterized by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), liquid chromatography/time-of-flight/mass spectrometry (LC-TOF-MS), X-ray powder diffraction (X-RD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Polyelectrolyte characteristic was confirmed by measuring isoelectric point using aqueous electrophoresis. The in-vitro and in-vivo toxicity studies were performed by MTT assays using Caco-2 cells and Limit test using female Sprague Dawly rats, respectively. The nanogels were amorphous in nature, exhibited pH-responsive property and polyelectrolyte characteristics, which showed an isoelectric point at pH 2.78. They had an average particle size

Extensive research has been carried out for developing nanocarriers to overcome the major barriers preventing success in oral insulin therapy, which includes (a) identification of in vivo barriers, (b) incorporation of prerequisite characteristics into single nanocarrier, and (c) exclusion of the use of additional potentially toxic chemicals as enzyme inhibitors or permeation enhancers. The present review identifies the prerequisite characteristics of single nanocarrier that could avoid major hindrance being faced in oral insulin delivery. An effort is made to discuss the involvement of prerequisite characters to overcome the major hurdles, which prevent the success in oral insulin delivery.

A simple and selective RP-HPLC-UV method with SPE was developed and validated for the quantification of cefotaxime in all-in-one total parenteral nutrition (AIO-TPN) admixtures. Chromatographic separation was achieved on a 5 μm particle size C18 DB column (250 × 4.6 mm id) using the mobile phase ammonium acetate (25 mM, pH 4.0)–50% acetonitrile in methanol (80 + 20, v/v). The flow rate was 0.9 mL/min and the detection wavelength was 254 nm. The analyte was extracted from AIO-TPN admixtures by means of an SPE method. The cefotaxime calibration curve was linear over a concentration range of 100–1400 μg/mL with a correlation coefficient of ≥0.9994. The intraday accuracy and precision for cefotaxime were ≤–3.15 and ≤3.08%, respectively, whereas the interday accuracy and precision were ≤–2.48 and ≤2.25%, respectively. The method was successfully applied to stability studies of cefotaxime in the presence of micronutrients together with low and high concentrations of macronutrients in AIO-TPN admixtures. Cefotaxime was degraded by 13.00 and 26.05% at room temperature (25 ± 2°C) after 72 h in low and high macronutrient concentration formulations of AIO-TPN admixtures, respectively. The values of cefotaxime degradation rates for low and high macronutrient concentration formulations of AIO-TPN admixtures were –0.164 and –0.353, respectively. These results indicated that there was higher rate of degradation in the AIO-TPN admixture formulations containing high concentrations of macronutrients.

Tuberculosis (TB) is the main infectious disease causing 1.8 million deaths worldwide every year and represents a principal cause of mortality resulting from a bacterial infection. The emergence of multidrug-resistant strains and lack of effective anti-TB drugs are threatening the future control of TB. The present multidrug regimen against TB needs daily administration for at least 6 months, and patients often fail to follow this complex regimen for such a long interval, thus leading to patient non-compliance and treatment related side effects. To avoid daily dosing, application of nanotechnology is a promising solution by virtue of sustained drug release. Nanotechnology-based rational targeting may improve therapeutic success by limiting adverse drug effects and requiring less frequent administration regimens, ultimately resulting in higher patient compliance, and thus attain higher adherence levels. Today, the pipeline of potential new treatments consists of several compounds in clinical trials or preclinical development with promising activities against sensitive and resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains. Encapsulation of existing anti-TB drugs into nano-delivery systems and introduction of new drugs in combination treatment for all forms of tuberculosis have resulted in novel treatments with more effectiveness and reduced side effects.Keywords: Tuberculosis, Nanotechnology, Anti-tuberculosis drugs, Nano carriers, Rifampicin

Orthosiphon stamineus extracts contain three flavonoids (3'-hydroxy-5,6,7,4'-tetramethoxyflavone, sinensetin, and eupatorin) as bioactive substances. Previous reported high performance liquid chromatography- ultraviolet (HPLC-UV) methods for the determination of these flavonoids have several disadvantages, including unsatisfactory separation times and not being well validated according to International Conference on Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH) standard guidelines. A rapid, specific reversed-phase HPLC method with isocratic elution of acetonitrile: isopropyl alcohol: 20mM phosphate buffer (NaH(2)PO(4)) (30:15:55, v/v) (pH 3.5) at a flow-rate of 1ml/minute, a column temperature of 25°C, and ultraviolet (UV) detection at 340 nm was developed. The method was validated and applied for quantification of different types of O stamineus extracts and fractions. The method allowed simultaneous determination of 3'-hydroxy-5,6,7,4'-tetramethoxyflavone, sinensetin, and eupatorin in the concentration range of 0.03052-250 μg/ml. The limits of detection and quantification, respectively, were 0.0076 and 0.061 μg/ml for 3'-hydroxy-5,6,7,4'-tetramethoxyflavone, 0.0153 and 0.122 μg/ml for sinensetin and 0.0305 and 0.122 μg/ml for eupatorin. The percent relative standard deviation (% RSD) values for intraday were 0.048-0.368, 0.025-0.135, and 0.05-0.476 for 3'-hydroxy-5,6,7,4'-tetramethoxyflavone, sinensetin, and eupatorin, respectively, and those for intraday precision were 0.333-1.688, 0.722-1.055, and 0.548-1.819, respectively. The accuracy for intraday were 91.25%-103.38%, 94.32%-109.56%, and 92.85%-109.70% for 3'-hydroxy-5,6,7,4'-tetramethoxyflavone, sinensetin, and eupatorin, respectively, and those for interday accuracy were 97.49%-103.92%, 103.58%-104.57%, and 103.9%-105.33%, respectively. The method was found to be simple, accurate and precise and is recommended for routine quality control analysis of O stamineus extract containing the three flavonoids as the principle components in the extract.

Strategy, Management and Health Policy Enabling Technology, Genomics, Proteomics Preclinical Research Preclinical Development Toxicology, Formulation Drug Delivery, Pharmacokinetics Clinical Development Phases I-III Regulatory, Quality, Manufacturing Postmarketing Phase IV Nebulized corticosteroid drugs have several shortcomings due to their poor water solubility and nonoptimal deposition pattern. The aims of this study were to investigate the in vitro and in vivo characteristics of beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP)-loaded sterically stabilized phospholipid nanomicelles (SSMs) of a polyethylene glycol–phosphatidylethanolamine conjugate as a pulmonary delivery system. The particle size distribution and zeta potential measurements were 14.60 ± 1.11 nm and −46.94 ± 3.27 mV, respectively. The solubility of BDP was highly improved by at least 1,300 times its actual solubility. No chemical interaction was found between the PEGylated polymer and BDP as demonstrated by the Fourier transform infrared results. The in vitro aerodynamic of the aerosolized BDP-SSMs using an Omron nebulizer showed an improvement in the aerodynamic values, with a significant deposition in the seven-stage Next Generation Impactor. The BDP-SSMs showed a prolonged dissolution profile of about 3 days. Intratracheal administration of the BDP-SSMs (1 mg/kg) 12 or 23 h before a challenge in the asthmatic rat model led to a significant reduction in the inflammatory cell counts in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid samples compared with the administration of solubilized BDP. The SSM system appears to be an effective way of improving the therapeutic index of nebulized, poorly soluble corticosteroids.

Summary A new sensitive and specific isocratic RP-HPLC-UV method was developed and validated for the determination of ondansetron in rabbit plasma using risperidone as an internal standard (IS). The sample preparation involved a simple deprotenization procedure with a mixture of 1 mL of acetonitrile and 50 μL of 10% w/υ zinc sulfate. Analysis was performed on a Phenomenex CN column (250 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) with 50 mM ammonium acetate (pH 3.5) and acetonitrile (35:65, υ/υ) as mobile phase at a flow rate of 1.0 mL min−1. Column eluent was monitored at 310 nm. The calibration curve was linear over the concentration range of 25–1000 ng mL−1 (r2 = 0.9999) with a limit of quantification (LOQ) 25 ng mL−1. The intraday and interday precision and accuracy were between 0.93% and 3.41% and −3.63% and 1.01%, respectively. The mean recoveries of ondansetron and risperidone were 85.87% and 99.80%, respectively. Ondansetroncontaining plasma samples were stable at −20°C for 14 days. The validated method was successfully a...

A simple yet sensitive high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was developed and validated for the determination of aerodynamic characteristics of the emitted dose of beclomethasone dipropionate from Beclate-50 Inhaler®. The mobile phase consisted of a mixture of acetonitrile and 10 mM ammonium acetate (70:30% v/v) adjusted to pH 5 with orthophosphoric acid. The HPLC analysis was run at a flow rate of 1 mL/min using a C18 column at a UV detection wavelength of 254 nm. The method was validated for specificity, linearity, precision, accuracy, limit of quantification, limit of detection, robustness, and solution stability. The calibration curve was linear over a concentration range of 0.03–62.50 µg/mL (r2 = 0.9999) with limit of detection and limit of quantification of 0.01 and 0.03 µg/mL, respectively. The intra-day and inter-day precision and accuracy were between 0.02 and 1.89% and −1.08 and 2.62%, respectively. The method was successfully applied to the aerodynamic characterization of both t...

The aims of the present research were to mask the intensely bitter taste of sumatriptan succinate and to formulate orally disintegrating tablets (ODTs) of the taste masked drug. Taste masking was performed by coating sumatriptan succinate with Eudragit EPO using spray drying technique. The resultant microspheres were evaluated for thermal analysis, yield, particle size, entrapment efficiency and in vitro taste masking. The tablets were formulated by mixing the taste masked microspheres with different types and concentrations of superdisintegrants and compressed using direct compression method followed by sublimation technique. The prepared tablets were evaluated for weight variation, thickness, hardness, friability, drug content, water content, in vitro disintegration time and in vitro drug release. All the tablet formulations disintegrated in vitro within 37-410 s. The optimized formulation containing 5% Kollidon CL-SF released more than 90% of the drug within 15 min and the release was comparable to that of commercial product (Suminat®). In human volunteers, the optimized formulation was found to have a pleasant taste and mouth feel and disintegrated in the oral cavity within 41 s. The optimized formulation was found to be stable and bioequivalent with Suminat®.

Summary An isocratic RP-HPLC-UV method for analysis of sumatriptan succinate in pharmaceutical dosage forms has been developed and validated. Best separation was achieved on a Thermo Hypersil C4 column (250 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 µm) using a mobile phase of 20 mM potassium dihydrogen phosphate adjusted to pH 4.0 with orthophosphoric acid and acetonitrile (65:35, v/v) at a flow rate of 1.0 mL min−1. UV detection was performed at 227 nm. The method was validated for specificity, linearity, precision, accuracy, limit of quantification, limit of detection, robustness, and solution stability. The calibration plot was linear over the concentration range 25–600 ng mL−1 (r2 = 0.9998) and the limits of detection and quantification were 10 and 25 ng mL−1, respectively. Intra-day and inter-day precision and accuracy were between 1.25 and 2.95% and between −1.15 and 2.47%, respectively. The method was successfully used for analysis of sumatriptan succinate, in the presence of excipients, in orally disintegrating tablets prep...

A new, simple, rapid, sensitive and specific isocratic RP–LC–UV method was developed and validated for the determination of ondansetron in pharmaceutical dosage forms of orally disintegrating tablets, oral solution and injection. The LC separation was achieved on a Hypersil C4 column (250 × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) using a mobile phase of 50 mM potassium dihydrogen phosphate anhydrous adjusted to pH 3.5 with orthophosphoric acid and acetonitrile (30:70, v/v) at a flow rate of 1.0 mL min−1 and UV detection at 310 nm. The method was validated for specificity, linearity, precision, accuracy, limit of quantification, limit of detection, robustness and solution stability. The calibration curve was linear over a concentration range of 100–1,000 ng mL−1 (r 2 = 0.9996) with limit of detection and limit of quantification 50 and 100 ng mL−1, respectively. The intra-day and inter-day precision and accuracy were between 0.79 and 2.37% and −0.64 and 1.65%, respectively. The method was successfully applied for analysis of ondansetron in the presence of excipients in commercially available pharmaceutical dosage forms.

The leaf material of lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.) was extracted with 450 ml/l aqueous ethanol by medium pressure liquid–solid extraction. The total phenolic content of the extract was estimated as gallic acid equivalents by Folin–Ciocalteu reagent method and a qualitative–quantitative compositional analysis was carried out using high performance liquid chromatography coupled with photodiode array detection. The lemon balm extract contained hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives and flavonoids with caffeic acid, m-coumaric acid, eriodictyol-7-O-glucoside, naringin, hesperidin, rosmarinic acid, naringenin, hesperetin being identified based on their chromatographic behaviour and spectral characteristics. The extract was also investigated for potential in vitro antioxidant properties in iron(III) reduction, iron(II) chelation, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl, 2,2′-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonate), superoxide anion and nitric oxide free-radical scavenging, and inhibition of β-carotene–linoleic acid bleaching assays. The extract demonstrated antioxidant activity in all the assays. However, it was not as potent as the positive controls except in the β-carotene–linoleic acid bleaching assay, where its activity was superior to that of gallic and caffeic acids and statistically indistinguishable from quercetin and BHA. The exceptionally high antioxidant activity and the fact that this assay is of biological relevance warrants further investigation of lemon balm extract in ex vivo and in vivo models of oxidative stress.

A simple, sensitive high performance liquid chromatographic method with UV detection was developed and validated for determination of insulin in rat plasma, using methyl paraben as an internal standard. Insulin was extracted from plasma by a liquid–liquid extraction with a mixture of dichloromethane and n-hexane (1:1, v/v) followed by an acidic back extraction. Chromatographic separation was achieved isocratically with a Phenomenex® C18 analytical column (150 × 4.6 mm ID, 5 μm) at ambient room temperature. The calibration curves were linear within a concentration range of 0.7–8.4 μg mL−1 (r 2 = 0.9994). The inter-day and intra-day accuracy and precision were ≤3.33 and ≤5.55%. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were 0.35 and 0.7 μg mL−1. The average recovery was 87.86% for insulin and 83.52% for methyl paraben. Insulin containing plasma samples were stable at −20 °C for 7 days. Validated HPLC method was successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study of insulin in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats.

Solid lipid nanoparticles of atovaquone (ATQ-SLN) were prepared by high shear homogenization method using tripalmitin, trilaurin, and Compritol 888 ATO as the lipid matrices and Phospholipon 90H, Tween 80, and poloxamer 188 as the surfactants. Optimization of the formulations was conducted using 6 sets of 2(4) full-factorial design based on four independent variables that were the number of homogenizing cycles, concentration of the lipid, concentration of the co-surfactant, and concentration of the main surfactant. The dependent variables were particle size and polydispersity index (PdI). The homogenizing cycles showed a negative influence on the dependent variables which reduced both the particle size and the PdI value. Moreover, a combination of certain percentages of the main surfactant and co-surfactant also showed a negative influence that reduced both the particle size and PdI value. Selected formulations from each design were further characterized for the entrapment efficiency and yield. The optimised formulation of ATQ-SLN consisted of trilaurin, Phospholipon 90H and Tween 80 with a particle size of 89.4 ± 0.2 nm and entrapment efficiency of 83.0 ± 1.7%. The in-vitro release evaluation of the formulation showed a complete and immediate release of ATQ from the SLN that could be a solution to improve the poor aqueous solubility and hence poor bioavailability of the drug.

The potential of using poly-(ethylene oxide)-block-distearoyl phosphatidyl-ethanolamine (mPEG-DSPE) polymer to prepare BDP-loaded micelles with high entrapment efficiency and mass median aerodynamic diameter of less than 5 μm demonstrating sustained release properties was evaluated. The result showed that lyophilized BDP-loaded polymeric micelles with entrapment efficiency of more than 96% could be achieved. Entrapment efficiency was affected by both the drug to polymer molar ratio and the amount of drug used. Investigation using FTIR and DSC confirmed that there was no chemical or physical interaction and the drug was molecularly dispersed within the micelles. TEM images showed that the drug-loaded polymeric micelles were spherical in shape with multivesicular morphology. Further analysis by photon correlation spectroscopy indicated that the particle size of the BDP-loaded micelles was about 22 nm in size. In vitro drug release showed a promising sustained release profile over six days following the Higuchi model. The mass median aerodynamic diameter and fine particle fraction were suitable for pulmonary delivery. Moreover, the small amount of deposited drug in the induction port (throat deposition) suggested possible reduction in incidence of oropharyngeal candidiasis, a side effect normally associated with inhaled corticosteroids therapy. The high encapsulation efficiency, comparable inhalation properties, sustained release behavior together with biocompatibility nature of the polymer support the potential of BDP-loaded polymeric micelles as a versatile delivery system to be used in the treatment of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Objective: To develop and validate a stability-indicating reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) method for the determination of colchicine in bulk and ethosomal gel nano-formulation.Methods: The chromatographic conditions were optimized using stainless steel Hypersil Gold C-18 analytical column with the dimensions of 250 mm x 4.6 mm ID x 5 µm. The mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile and ammonium acetate buffer (20 mmol/l, pH=4.85) in the ratio of 32:68 v/v. The flow rate was set at 1 ml/min and the detection wavelength was 353 nm. The column was maintained at 30 °C and the injection volume was 10 µl. The stability of colchicine in different conditions was investigated by exposing the drug to stress degradation using acid, base, oxidation, heat and light.Results: There was no interference from excipients, impurities, dissolution media or degradation products at the retention time of colchicine 5.9 min indicating the specificity of the method. The limit of detection (LOD) and the limit of quantification (LOQ) were 8.64 ng/ml and 26.17 ng/ml respectively. The drug showed good stability under heat, acid, oxidation and light, but substantial degradation was observed under alkali condition. The procedure was validated for specificity, linearity, accuracy and precision.Conclusion: A simple, rapid, specific and stability-indicating HPLC–UV method for the determination of colchicine in the pure and ethosomal gel was successfully developed. The developed method was statistically confirmed to be accurate, precise, and reproducible.

Lactulose is used as a triggering substance in a unique colon-specific delivery technology called CODESTM. Colonic microflora degrades lactulose and forms short-chain fatty acids to activate the CODESTM system. However, lactulose has been reported to cause a Maillard-type reaction with substances containing primary or secondary amino groups that may produce carcinogenic compounds. Thus, the aim of this study was to look into the possibility to substitute lactulose with isomalt for fabrication of CODESTM. The in vitro degradation of both sugars before incorporating them into the CODESTM system was evaluated with the help of rat caecal microflora. The results showed that isomalt was less efficient with regard to its rate and extent of degradation into short-chain fatty acids by the microflora compared to lactulose. However, the in vitro dissolution study did not show a significant difference in the performance between lactulose and isomalt when they were incorporated separately in CODESTM. A similar result was also obtained in the in vivo study. Based on the above results, isomalt could be used as an alternative to lactulose for colonic delivery system utilizing the principles of CODESTM.

A new, sensitive and specific isocratic reverse phase-high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) method with fluorescence detection was developed and validated for the determination of sumatriptan in rabbit plasma using sulpiride as an internal standard (IS). Sumatriptan was extracted from plasma by a liquid-liquid extraction with a mixture of tert-butyl methyl ether, dichloromethane and ethyl acetate (2:2:3, v/v). Chromatographic separation of the analyte and internal standard was achieved on a Phenomenex C4 (250 × 4.6 mm, 5 µm) analytical column maintained at 40°C. The mobile phase was composed of 25 mM ammonium acetate (pH 6.5) and acetonitrile (85:15, v/v), pumped isocratically at a flow rate of 0.9 ml/min. Column eluent was monitored at excitation and emission wavelengths of 225 and 350 nm. The calibration curve was linear over a concentration range of 1 to 300 ng/ml (r2 = 0.9999) with a limit of quantification, 1 ng/ml. The intra-day and inter-day precision and accuracy were between 2.24 and 4.28% and -1.10 and 2.86%, respectively. The mean recoveries of sumatriptan and sulpiride were 89.92 and 91.03%, respectively. Sumatriptan containing plasma samples were stable at -20°C for 14 days. The validated method was successfully applied for pharmacokinetic study after a single oral administration of sumatriptan (50 mg) to rabbits. Key words: Sumatriptan, rabbit plasma, reverse phase-high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC), liquid-liquid extraction, pharmacokinetics.

Mohanad Naji Sahib, Yusrida Darwis, Kok Khiang Peh, Shaymaa Abdalwahed Abdulameer, Yvonne Tze Fung TanSchool of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, MalaysiaBackground: Inhaled corticosteroids provide unique systems for local treatment of asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. However, the use of poorly soluble drugs for nebulization has been inadequate, and many patients rely on large doses to achieve optimal control of their disease. Theoretically, nanotechnology with a sustained-release formulation may provide a favorable therapeutic index. The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility of using sterically stabilized phospholipid nanomicelles of budesonide for pulmonary delivery via nebulization.Methods: PEG5000-DSPE polymeric micelles containing budesonide (BUD-SSMs) were prepared by the coprecipitation and reconstitution method, and the physicochemical and pharmacodynamic characteristics of BUD-SSMs were investigated.Results: The optimal concentration of solubilized budesonide at 5 mM PEG5000-DSPE was 605.71 ± 6.38 µg/mL, with a single-sized peak population determined by photon correlation spectroscopy and a particle size distribution of 21.51 ± 1.5 nm. The zeta potential of BUD-SSMs was -28.43 ± 1.98 mV. The percent entrapment efficiency, percent yield, and percent drug loading of the lyophilized formulations were 100.13% ± 1.09%, 97.98% ± 1.95%, and 2.01% ± 0.02%, respectively. Budesonide was found to be amorphous by differential scanning calorimetry, and had no chemical interaction with PEGylated polymer according to Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Transmission electron microscopic images of BUD-SSMs revealed spherical nanoparticles. BUD-SSMs exhibited prolonged dissolution behavior compared with Pulmicort Respules® (P , 0.05). Aerodynamic characteristics indicated significantly higher deposition in the lungs compared with Pulmicort Respules®. The mass median aerodynamic, geometric standard deviation, percent emitted dose, and the fine particle fraction were 2.83 ± 0.08 µm, 2.33 ± 0.04 µm, 59.13% ± 0.19%, and 52.31% ± 0.25%, respectively. Intratracheal administration of BUD-SSMs 23 hours before challenge (1 mg/kg) in an asthmatic/chronic obstructive pulmonary disease rat model led to a significant reduction in inflammatory cell counts (76.94 ± 5.11) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid compared with administration of Pulmicort Respules® (25.06 ± 6.91).Conclusion: The BUD-SSMs system might be advantageous for asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other inflammatory airway diseases.Keywords: micelles, PEGylated polymer, aerodynamics, pharmacodynamics

The aim of this study was to formulate cost effective taste-masked orally disintegrating tablets of ondansetron, a bitter drug using different superdisintegrants by a wet granulation technique. Microcrystalline cellulose (Avicel) as a diluent and disintegrant in addition to aspartame as a sweetener were used in all formulations. The prepared tablets were evaluated for weight variation, thickness, hardness, friability, drug content, water content, in vitro disintegration time and in vitro drug release. The tablets’ hardness was maintained in the range of 2–3 kg and friability was

Rifampicin-loaded nanoparticles were prepared using two different molecular weights of poly-(ethylene oxide)-block-distearoyl phosphatidyl-ethanolamine (mPEG2000-DSPE and mPEG5000-DSPE) polymers. Particle sizes of all formulations studied were in the range of 162-395 nm. The entrapment efficiency (EE) was not affected by the copolymer's molecular weight, and the highest EE (100%) was obtained with drug to copolymer ratio of 1:5. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) thermograms showed Tg of rifampicin-loaded PEG-DSPE nanoparticles that shifted to a lower value, indicating entrapment of rifampicin in polymer matrix. The Fourier transformed infrared spectra revealed no chemical interactions between the drug and both copolymers. The in vitro drug release from the formulations occurred over 3 days and followed first-order release kinetic and Higuchi diffusion model. The nebulization of rehydrated lyophilized rifampicin mPEG-DSPE formulations had mass median aerodynamic diameter of 2.6 microm and fine particle fraction of 42%. The aerodynamic characteristic of the preparations was not influenced by the molecular weight of the copolymers. Therefore, it is suggested that both mPEG-DSPE are promising candidates as rifampicin carrier for pulmonary delivery.

The self-microemulsifying drug delivery system (SMEDDS) was employed to improve the bioavailability of sulpiride, a drug which is poorly soluble. The mean droplet size and emulsification time of the test formulation used for in vivo study were 9.27 ± 2.02 nm and 87 ± 5 s, respectively. When compared with Reference (Dogmatil®), the test formulation exhibited faster in-vitro drug release rate. The Cmax and AUC values of the test formulation were significantly higher than those of Reference, with an enhancement of 210.64% in the extent of absorption in rabbits. In conclusion, SMEDDS could be a potential drug delivery system to enhance the bioavailability of sulpiride., Colegio de Farmacéuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aires

This study examined out-patients' interpretation of prescription instructions at a community hospital. The results showed a wide range of misinterpretation with respect to drug name, dose schedule, and auxiliary labels. Age level, education and financial status emerged as the most significant variables associated with the patient's response. Therefore, both physicians and pharmacists may wish to review their traditional prescribing and dispensing procedures to help out-patients make better use of potent medication.

Cinnamon leaf oil contains a high percentage of eugenol and has antimicrobial, antioxidant and antiinflammatory properties. However, the undiluted oil can cause irritation to the skin. Therefore, the aims of this study were to develop and evaluate cinnamon leaf oil nanocream using palm oil. Nanocream base was prepared using different ratios of oil, surfactants and water. The surfactant used were mixture of Tween 80:Carbitol or Tween 80:Span 65 at different hydrophile-lipophile balance values. The pseudoternary phase diagrams were constructed to identify the nanocream base areas and the results showed that the nanocream bases using Span 65 as co-surfactant produced bigger cream area. Fifteen formulations using mixtures of Tween 80:Span 65 were further evaluated for accelerated stability test, droplet size, zeta potential, rheological properties and apparent viscosity. The nanocream base which had an average droplet size of 219 nm and had plastic flow with thixotropic behavior was selected for incorporation of 2% cinnamon leaf oil. The nanocream containing cinnamon leaf oil had the average size of 286 nm and good rheological characteristics. The in vitro release study demonstrated that eugenol as the main constituent of cinnamon leaf oil was released for about 81% in 10 h. The short-term stability study conducted for 6 months showed that the cinnamon leaf oil nanocream was stable at a temperature of 25° and thus, cinnamon leaf oil nanocream is a promising natural based preparation to be used for topical application.

Purpose: To develop a new spectrophotometric method with improved sensitivity and at higher wavelength for the determination of p-aminosalicylic acid in tablets. Methods : Two simple and sensitive spectrophotometric methods (methods A and B) were developed using p-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde (DAB), and p-dimethylaminocinnamaldehyde (DAC) as derivatizing reagents for the determination of p-aminosalicylic acid (PAS) in tablets. The derivatization was carried out using 3M HCl-KCl buffer for DAB and 5M HCl-KCl buffer solutions. Result: The new derivatives of PAS absorbed maximally with bathochromic shift to 460 and 555 nm in the linear concentration range of 0.4 – 2.0 μg/mL with molar absorptivities of 2.4 × 10 4 and 3.8 × 10 4 L/mole/cm, respectively, compared to pure PAS which absorbed at λ max of 264 nm with molar absorptivity 7.65 × 10 3 L/mole/cm in the linear concentration range of 2 - 10 μg/mL. The developed methods were successfully applied to assay PAS in tablets with % recovery of 97.6 ± 1.71 and 98.4 ± 1.45 for methods A and B, respectively. Conclusion: Both PAS derivatives absorb in the visible spectral region. The presence of excipients in pharmaceutical preparations did not interfere in the determination of PAS as PAS-DAB and PAS-DAC derivatives. Both methods can be applied to determine PAS from bulk and various pharmaceutical dosage forms. Keywords : p-Aminosalicylic acid, p-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde, p-dimethylaminocinnamaldehyde, Spectrophotometry

The delivery of drugs and bioactive compounds via the lymphatic system is complex and dependent on the physiological uniqueness of the system. The lymphatic route plays an important role in transporting extracellular fluid to maintain homeostasis and in transferring immune cells to injury sites, and is able to avoid first-pass metabolism, thus acting as a bypass route for compounds with lower bioavailability, ie, those undergoing more hepatic metabolism. The lymphatic route also provides an option for the delivery of therapeutic molecules, such as drugs to treat cancer and human immunodeficiency virus, which can travel through the lymphatic system. Lymphatic imaging is useful in evaluating disease states and treatment plans for progressive diseases of the lymph system. Novel lipid-based nanoformulations, such as solid lipid nanoparticles and nanostructured lipid carriers, have unique characteristics that make them promising candidates for lymphatic delivery. These formulations are superior to colloidal carrier systems because they have controlled release properties and provide better chemical stability for drug molecules. However, multiple factors regulate the lymphatic delivery of drugs. Prior to lymphatic uptake, lipid-based nanoformulations are required to undergo interstitial hindrance that modulates drug delivery. Therefore, uptake and distribution of lipid-based nanoformulations by the lymphatic system depends on factors such as particle size, surface charge, molecular weight, and hydrophobicity. Types of lipid and concentration of the emulsifier are also important factors affecting drug delivery via the lymphatic system. All of these factors can cause changes in intermolecular interactions between the lipid nanoparticle matrix and the incorporated drug, which in turn affects uptake of drug into the lymphatic system. Two lipid-based nanoformulations, ie, solid lipid nanoparticles and nanostructured lipid carriers, have been administered via multiple routes (subcutaneous, pulmonary, and intestinal) for targeting of the lymphatic system. This paper provides a detailed review of novel lipid-based nanoformulations and their lymphatic delivery via different routes, as well as the in vivo and in vitro models used to study drug transport in the lymphatic system. Physicochemical properties that influence lymphatic delivery as well as the advantages of lipid-based nanoformulations for lymphatic delivery are also discussed.

The aim of this study was to prepare insulin-loaded poly(lactic acid)-polyethylene glycol microspheres that could control insulin release at least for 1 week and evaluate their in vivo performance in a streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat model.The microspheres were prepared using a water-in-oil-in-water double emulsion solvent evaporation technique. Different formulation variables influencing the yield, particle size, entrapment efficiency, and in vitro release profiles were investigated. The pharmacokinetic study of optimized formulation was performed with single dose in comparison with multiple dose of Humulin 30/70 as a reference product in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.The optimized formulation of insulin microspheres was nonporous, smooth-surfaced, and spherical in structure under scanning electron microscope with a mean particle size of 3.07 microm and entrapment efficiency of 42.74% of the theoretical amount incorporated. The in vitro insulin release profiles was characterized by a bimodal behavior with an initial burst release because of the insulin adsorbed on the microsphere surface, followed by slower and continuous release corresponding to the insulin entrapped in polymer matrix.The optimized formulation and reference were comparable in the extent of absorption. Consequently, these microspheres can be proposed as new controlled parenteral delivery system.

The aim of the present work was to investigate the preparation of microspheres as potential drug carriers for proteins, intended for controlled release formulation. The hydrophilic bovine serum albumin was chosen as a model protein to be encapsulated within poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (50:50) microspheres using a w/o/w double emulsion solvent evaporation method. Different parameters influencing the particle size, entrapment efficiency and in vitro release profiles were investigated. The microspheres prepared with different molecular weight and hydrophilicity of poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) polymers were non porous, smooth surfaced and spherical in structure under scanning electron microscope with a mean particle size ranging from 3.98 to 8.74 mum. The protein loading efficiency varied from 40 to 71% of the theoretical amount incorporated. The in vitro release profile of bovine serum albumin from microspheres presented two phases, initial burst release phase due to the protein adsorbed on the microsphere surface, followed by slower and continuous release phase corresponding to the protein entrapped in polymer matrix. The release rate was fairly constant after an initial burst release. Consequently, these microspheres can be proposed as new controlled release protein delivery system.