Ionic liquid-mediated ethosome for transdermal delivery of insulin.

Herein, we report ethosome (ET) formulations composed of a safe amount of 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine (DMPC)-based ionic liquid with various concentrations of ethanol as a carrier for the transdermal delivery of a high molecular weight drug, insulin. The Insulin-loaded ET vesicles exhibited long-term stability compared to conventional DMPC ETs, showing significantly higher drug encapsulation efficiency and increased skin permeation ability.

Essential oil-loaded biopolymeric particles on food industry and packaging: A review.

Essential oils (EOs) are liquid extracts derived from various parts of herbal or medicinal plants. They are widely accepted in food packaging due to their bioactive components, which exhibit remarkable antioxidant and antimicrobial properties against various pathogenic and food spoilage microorganisms. However, the functional efficacy of EOs is hindered by the high volatility of their bioactive compounds, leading to rapid release. Combining biopolymers with EOs forms a complex network within the polymeric matrix, reducing the volatility of EOs, controlling their release, and enhancing thermal and mechanical stability, favoring their application in food packaging or processing industries. This study presents a comprehensive overview of techniques used to encapsulate EOs, the natural polymers employed to load EOs, and the functional properties of EOs-loaded biopolymeric particles, along with their potential antioxidant and antimicrobial benefits. Additionally, a thorough discussion is provided on the widespread application of EOs-loaded biopolymers in the food industries. However, research on their utilization in confectionery processing, such as biscuits, chocolates, and others, remains limited. Further studies can be conducted to explore and expand the applications of EOs-loaded biopolymeric particles in food processing industries.

Formulation and characterization of choline oleate-based micelles for co-delivery of luteolin, naringenin, and quercetin.

Flavonoids have diverse beneficial roles that potentiate their application as nutraceutical agents in nutritional supplements and as natural antimicrobial agents in food preservation. To address poor solubility and bioactivity issues, we developed water-soluble micellar formulations loaded with single and multiple flavonoids using the biocompatible surface-active ionic liquid choline oleate. The food preservation performance was investigated using luteolin, naringenin, and quercetin as model bioactive compounds. The micellar formulations formed spherical micelles with particle sizes of <150 nm and exhibited high aqueous solubility (>5.15 mg/mL). Co-delivery of multiple flavonoids (luteolin, naringenin, and quercetin in LNQ-MF) resulted in 84.85% antioxidant activity at 100 µg/mL. The effects on Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella enterica were synergistic with fractional inhibitory concentration indices of 0.87 and 0.71, respectively. LNQ-MF hindered the growth of S. aureus in milk (0.83-0.89 log scale) compared to the control. Co-delivered encapsulated flavonoids are a promising alternative to chemical preservatives.

Transformation of Hydrophilic Drug into Oil-Miscible Ionic Liquids for Transdermal Drug Delivery.

The transdermal delivery of hydrophilic drugs remains challenging owing to their poor ability to permeate the skin; formulation with oil media is difficult without adding chemical permeation enhancers or co-solvents. Herein, we synthesized 12 oil-miscible ionic liquid (IL) drugs comprising lidocaine-, imipramine-, and levamisole (Lev)-hydrochloride with fatty acid permeation enhancers, i.e., laurate, oleate, linoleate, and stearate as counterions. A set of in vitro and in vivo studies was performed to investigate the potency and deliverability of the transdermal drug formulations. All of the synthesized compounds were freely miscible with pharmaceutically acceptable solvents/agents (i.e., ethanol, N-methyl pyrrolidone, Tween 20, and isopropyl myristate (IPM)). In vitro permeation studies revealed that the oleate-based Lev formulation had 2.6-fold higher skin permeation capability than the Lev salts and also superior ability compared with the laurate-, linoleate-, and stearate-containing samples. Upon in vivo transdermal administration to mice, the peak plasma concentration, elimination half-life, and area under the plasma concentration curve values of Lev-IL were 4.6-, 2.9-, and 5.4-fold higher, respectively, than those of the Lev salt. Furthermore, in vitro skin irritation and in vivo histological studies have demonstrated that Lev-IL has excellent biocompatibility compared with a conventional ionic liquid-based carrier. The results indicate that oil-miscible IL-based drugs provide a simple and scalable strategy for the design of effective transdermal drug delivery systems.