In vitro/in vivo performance of different complexes of itraconazole used in the treatment of vaginal candidiasis

A large majority of new chemical entities and many existing drug molecules exhibit poor aqueous solubility, which may limit their potential use in developing drug formulations, with optimum bioavailability. One of the approaches to improve the solubility of a poorly water soluble drug and eventually its bioavailability is complexation with agents like humic acid (HA), fulvic acid (FA), β-cyclodextrin (β-CD), 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) and caffeine (Caff). The current work emphasized at employing these agents to prepare different complexes and their in vitro/in vivo assessment. All the complexes evaluated for their complexation efficiency and authenticated by molecular modeling; conformational analysis, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mass spectroscopy. Furthermore, the complexes were assessed in an in vivo, rat vaginal model for their efficacy in treatment of vaginal candidiasis. Amongst the five tested complexes, fulvic acid-itraconazole complex yielded better solubility as well as in vivo efficacy and therefore may further be explored for developing a commercial formulation for treating vaginal candidiasis.A maioria das novas entidades químicas e muitas moléculas de fármacos existentes apresenta fraca solubilidade em água, o que pode limitar seu uso potencial no desenvolvimento de formulações com biodisponibilidade ideal. Uma das abordagens para melhorar a solubilidade de um fármaco pouco solúvel em água e, eventualmente, a sua biodisponibilidade é a complexação com agentes como o ácido húmico (HA), ácido fúlvico (FA), β-ciclodextrina (β-CD), 2-hidroxipropil-β-ciclodextrina (HP-β-CD) e cafeína (Caff). O presente trabalho baseia-se no uso desses agentes para preparar diferentes complexos e suas avaliações in vitro/in vivo. Todos os complexos foram avaliados quanto à eficiência de complexação por modelação molecular, análise conformacional, calorimetria de varredura diferencial (DSC), difração de raios-X (XRD), ressonância magnética nuclear (RMN) e espectroscopia de massas. Além disso, os complexos foram avaliados in vivo, em ratas, no tocante à sua eficácia no tratamento de candidíase vaginal. Entre os cinco complexos testados, o complexo de ácido fúlvico-itraconazol foi o que apresentou melhor solubilidade, bem como melhor eficácia in vivo e, portanto, pode ser explorado para o desenvolvimento de uma formulação comercial para o tratamento de candidíase vaginal

Chitosan-modified nanocarriers as carriers for anticancer drug delivery: promises and hurdles

With the advent of drug delivery, various polymeric materials are being explored to fabricate numerous nanocarriers. Each polymer is associated with a few characteristics attributes which further facilitate its usage in drug delivery. One such polymer is chitosan (CS), which is extensively employed to deliver a variety of drugs to various targets, especially to cancer cells. The desired properties like biological origin, bio-adhesive, biocompatibility, the scope of chemical modification, biodegradability and controlled drug release make it a highly rough after polymer in pharmaceutical nanotechnology. The present review attempts to compile various chemical modifications on CS and showcase the outcomes of the derived nanocarriers, especially in cancer chemotherapy and drug delivery

Enhanced drug delivery and wound healing potential of berberine-loaded chitosan–alginate nanocomposite gel: characterization and in vivo assessment

Berberine–encapsulated polyelectrolyte nanocomposite (BR–PolyET–NC) gel was developed as a long-acting improved wound healing therapy. BR–PolyET–NC was developed using an ionic gelation/complexation method and thereafter loaded into Carbopol gel. Formulation was optimized using Design-Expert® software implementing a three-level, three-factor Box Behnken design (BBD). The concentrations of polymers, namely, chitosan and alginate, and calcium chloride were investigated based on particle size and %EE. Moreover, formulation characterized in vitro for biopharmaceutical performances and their wound healing potency was evaluated in vivo in adult BALB/c mice. The particle distribution analysis showed a nanocomposite size of 71 ± 3.5 nm, polydispersity index (PDI) of 0.45, ζ–potential of +22 mV, BR entrapment of 91 ± 1.6%, and loading efficiency of 12.5 ± 0.91%. Percentage drug release was recorded as 89.50 ± 6.9% with pH 6.8, thereby simulating the wound microenvironment. The in vitro investigation of the nanocomposite gel revealed uniform consistency, well spreadability, and extrudability, which are ideal for topical wound use. The analytical estimation executed using FT-IR, DSC, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) indicated successful formulation with no drug excipients and without the amorphous state. The colony count of microbes was greatly reduced in the BR–PolyET–NC treated group on the 15th day from up to 6 CFU compared to 20 CFU observed in the BR gel treated group. The numbers of monocytes and lymphocytes counts were significantly reduced following healing progression, which reached to a peak level and vanished on the 15th day. The observed experimental characterization and in vivo study indicated the effectiveness of the developed BR–PolyET–NC gel toward wound closure and healing process, and it was found that >99% of the wound closed by 15th day, stimulated via various anti-inflammatory and angiogenic factors

Spray-dried nanoemulsion for improved oral delivery of silymarin against hepatic cancer cells

Silymarin recognized for numerous activities, but the use is limited due to poor aqueous solubility, inefficient intestinal permeability, and low-erratic bioavailability. The aim of the current research was formulation of spray-dried nanoemulsion to enhance the solubility of silymarin. The nanoemulsion was prepared by aqueous titration method, spray died and characterized for thermal analysis by diffraction scanning calorimetry, crystallography analysis by x-ray diffraction, surface morphology by scanning electron microscopy. The reconstitution properties were determining for droplet size, polydispersity index and microscopic structure. Optimized nanoemulsion composed of 15% v/v of oil, 33% v/v of Smix and 52% v/v of distilled water demonstrated lowest droplet size (52.4 ± 1.63 nm) and polydispersity index (0.112), optimum viscosity (23.37 ± 2.36 cps), maximum % transmittance (94.55), optimum cloud point (88°C) and cumulative % drug release (98.43%). The microscopic structure of spray-dried nanoemulsion after reconstitution in distilled water revealed spherical shape free from any aggregation. Spray-dried nanoemulsion demonstrated amorphous sate of silymarin after fabrication into solid state. The cumulative % release of silymarin was significantly higher than marketed conventional suspension (Limarin). The developed spray-dried nanoemulsion was robust and stable for a period of 3 months that could be recommended for oral administration of silymarin after further study. Solids are preferred over liquid dosage form; the formulation may offer better patient compliance over liquid nanoemulsion. In addition, the in-vitro cytotoxicity study revealed more cytotoxicity of SD-NE than plain silymarin against HepG2 cell line after 48 h of incubation. Moreover, the HepG2 cellular uptake silymarin was found to be substantially higher from NE when compared to the plain silymarin. Further, silymarin loaded SD-NE could be potential approach against hepatic cancer.&#x0D; Keywords: Silymarin, spray-dried nanoemulsion, dextran, phase diagram, solubility, stability</jats:p

Fabrication of Sustained Release Curcumin-Loaded Solid Lipid Nanoparticles (Cur-SLNs) as a Potential Drug Delivery System for the Treatment of Lung Cancer: Optimization of Formulation and In Vitro Biological Evaluation

The goal of current research was to develop a new form of effective drug, curcumin-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (Cur-SLNs) and test its efficacy in the treatment of lung cancer. Different batches of SLNs were prepared by the emulsification&ndash;ultrasonication method. For the optimization of formulation, each batch was evaluated for particle size, polydispersity index (PI), zeta potential (ZP), entrapment efficiency (EE) and drug loading (DL). The formulation components and process parameters largely affected the quality of SLNs. The SLNs obtained with particle size, 114.9 &plusmn; 1.36 nm; PI, 0.112 &plusmn; 0.005; ZP, &minus;32.3 &plusmn; 0.30 mV; EE, 69.74 &plusmn; 2.03%, and DL, 0.81 &plusmn; 0.04% was designated as an optimized formulation. The formulation was freeze-dried to remove excess water to improve the physical stability. Freeze-dried Cur-SLNs showed 99.32% of drug release and demonstrated a burst effect trailed by sustained release up to 120 h periods. The erythrocyte toxicity study of Cur-SLNs and its components demonstrated moderate hemolytic potential towards red blood cells (RBCs). The cytotoxic potential of the formulation and plain curcumin was estimated using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay against A549 cell line. After 48 h of incubation, Cur-SLNs demonstrated more cytotoxicity (IC50 = 26.12 &plusmn; 1.24 &micro;M) than plain curcumin (IC50 = 35.12 &plusmn; 2.33 &micro;M). Moreover, the cellular uptake of curcumin was found to be significantly higher from Cur-SLNs (682.08 &plusmn; 6.33 ng/&micro;g) compared to plain curcumin (162.4 &plusmn; 4.2 ng/&micro;g). Additionally, the optimized formulation was found to be stable over the period of 90 days of storage. Hence, curcumin-loaded SLNs can be prepared using the proposed cost effective method, and can be utilized as an effective drug delivery system for the treatment of lung cancer, provided in vivo studies warrant a similar outcome

Spray-dried nanoemulsion for improved oral delivery of silymarin against hepatic cancer cells

Silymarin recognized for numerous activities, but the use is limited due to poor aqueous solubility, inefficient intestinal permeability, and low-erratic bioavailability. The aim of the current research was formulation of spray-dried nanoemulsion to enhance the solubility of silymarin. The nanoemulsion was prepared by aqueous titration method, spray died and characterized for thermal analysis by diffraction scanning calorimetry, crystallography analysis by x-ray diffraction, surface morphology by scanning electron microscopy. The reconstitution properties were determining for droplet size, polydispersity index and microscopic structure. Optimized nanoemulsion composed of 15% v/v of oil, 33% v/v of Smix and 52% v/v of distilled water demonstrated lowest droplet size (52.4 ± 1.63 nm) and polydispersity index (0.112), optimum viscosity (23.37 ± 2.36 cps), maximum % transmittance (94.55), optimum cloud point (88°C) and cumulative % drug release (98.43%). The microscopic structure of spray-dried nanoemulsion after reconstitution in distilled water revealed spherical shape free from any aggregation. Spray-dried nanoemulsion demonstrated amorphous sate of silymarin after fabrication into solid state. The cumulative % release of silymarin was significantly higher than marketed conventional suspension (Limarin). The developed spray-dried nanoemulsion was robust and stable for a period of 3 months that could be recommended for oral administration of silymarin after further study. Solids are preferred over liquid dosage form; the formulation may offer better patient compliance over liquid nanoemulsion. In addition, the in-vitro cytotoxicity study revealed more cytotoxicity of SD-NE than plain silymarin against HepG2 cell line after 48 h of incubation. Moreover, the HepG2 cellular uptake silymarin was found to be substantially higher from NE when compared to the plain silymarin. Further, silymarin loaded SD-NE could be potential approach against hepatic cancer. Keywords: Silymarin, spray-dried nanoemulsion, dextran, phase diagram, solubility, stabilit

Development of a Fast and Highly Sensitive UPLC–MS/MS Technique for Simultaneous Estimation of Artemether and Dihydroartemisinin with its Application to Pharmacokinetic and Biodistribution Studies

Background: Artemether (ART) has been recognized as a potent and rapidly acting antimalarial agent metabolized by cytochrome P450 isoenzyme 3A4 into a more active form dihydroartemisinin (DHA). Hence, it was required to study the pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of ART and DHA for the optimization of dose. Objectives: The current research aims to develop an ultra-performance liquid chromatographytandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) technique with high sensitivity for quantification of ART and DHA simultaneous in the biological fluid. Methods: An isocratic elution mode was applied for delivery of mobile phase (A) ammonium acetate (2mM) in UPLC grade water and (B) acetonitrile (20:80, v/v) comprising 0.1% v/v formic acid in each solvent system with the rate of flow maintained at 400 μL/min. For analyte detection and parent to daughter ion transition tracking, multiple reaction monitoring system was adopted. Artemisinin was selected as the internal standard (IS) for its structural similarity with the analytes. Results: The linearity range of the calibration curve was between 0.5-200 ng/mL. The regression equation indicated r2 = 0.996 for ART and r2 = 0.997 for DHA. Precision and accuracy set in terms of relative error (RE%: ±15) and relative standard deviation (RSD%: ±15) expressed in percentage were within the acceptability range. The % recoveries were within the acceptable limit (90–110%). The detection and quantification limits of the analyte were 0.2 ng/mL and 0.5 ng/mL, respectively. Conclusion: The method demonstrated a useful technique for quantification of ART and DHA for evaluating the pharmacokinetics and biodistribution studies in rat plasma following orally administered nanoformulation. </jats:sec