Evaluation of different solvents and solubility parameters on the morphology and diameter of electrospun pullulan nanofibers for curcumin entrapment.

In this work, the effect of different solvents and solvent binary mixtures on the morphology of electrospun pullulan (Pull) nanofibers was evaluated. The solution viscosities, interactions between solvent and polymer, as well as, solvent vapor pressure, were correlated to the morphology and diameters of the nanofibers. Water, dimethylformamide (DMF) and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and Teas graphs that rely on the use of Hildebrand solubility parameters were used to identify the most suitable mixtures of solvents. The best binary mixture of solvents to produce Pull nanofibers without defects and with small diameters (203±32 nm) was DMF/DMSO in the ratio of 70/30 wt.%. Pull nanofibers containing 3 and 5 wt. % of curcumin (Curc) in a mixture of DMF/DMSO (70/30 wt.%) were then obtained, and the entrapment efficiency was evaluated using 1H NMR and a UV--vis spectrophotometer. The results obtained in this work create a new approach for the production of Pull nanofibers for drug delivery systems.

Elucidation of alginate-drug miscibility on its crystal growth inhibition effect in supersaturated drug delivery system.

The objective of this study is to investigate the influence of drug-alginate miscibility on maintaining drug supersaturation. Using lovastatin, indomethacin, itraconazole as model drugs, drug-alginate miscibility was estimated by Hansen solubility parameters. The mechanism of drug-alginate miscibility on maintaining drug supersaturation was elucidated by microscopy, molecular mobility (T2), FTIR and X-ray crystallography. The influence of alginate properties on maintaining drug supersaturation was also examined. It was demonstrated that the capacity of alginate to maintain drug supersaturation was dependent on alginate-drug miscibility. Further mechanistic study revealed that alginate interacts with drugs via hydrogen bonding at different extent based on varied drug-alginate miscibility. Alginate could suppress drug molecular mobility and corresponding crystal growth inhibition. The properties of alginate also play an important role in maintaining drug supersaturation. In conclusion, alginate could be used as a potential crystal growth inhibitor, and the crystal growth inhibition effect depends on drug-alginate miscibility and alginate properties.

Computer-based formulation design and optimization using Hansen solubility parameters to enhance the delivery of ibuprofen through the skin.

Trial-and-error approach to formulation development is long and costly. With growing time and cost pressures in the pharmaceutical industry, the need for computer-based formulation design is greater than ever. In this project, emulgels were designed and optimized using Formulating for Efficacy™ (FFE) for the topical delivery of ibuprofen. FFE helped select penetration enhancers, design and optimize emulgels and simulate skin penetration studies. pH, viscosity, spreadability, droplet size and stability of emulgels were evaluated. Franz cell studies were performed to test in vitro drug release on regenerated cellulose membrane, drug permeation in vitro on Strat-M® membrane and ex vivo on porcine ear skin, a marketed ibuprofen gel served as control. Emulgels had skin compatible pH, viscosity and spreadability comparable to a marketed emulgel, were opaque and stable at 25 °C for 6 months. Oleyl alcohol (OA), combined with either dimethyl isosorbide (DMI) or diethylene glycol monoethyl ether (DGME) provided the highest permeation in 24 h in vitro, which was significantly higher than the marketed product (p < 0.01). OA + DGME significantly outperformed OA ex vivo (p < 0.05). The computer predictions, in vitro and ex vivo penetration results correlated well. FFE was a fast, valuable and reliable tool for aiding in topical product design for ibuprofen.

Effect of Tetrabutylammonium Bromide-Based Deep Eutectic Solvents on the Aqueous Solubility of Indomethacin at Various Temperatures: Measurement, Modeling, and Prediction with Three-Dimensional Hansen Solubility Parameters.

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have recently been getting a great deal of attention in many fields of science and technology. The objective of this study was to peruse the solubility of indomethacin (IMC) as sparingly soluble drug in some tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBAB)-based DESs (TBAB/ethylene glycol and TBAB/glycerol). The shake flask method has been employed in this study at temperature ranges T = (298.15-313.15) K and atmospheric pressure (pP = 86.6 kPa). The results showed that the solubility of IMC in TBAB/ethylene glycol system was obtained approximately 17,000-fold more than its solubility in water. The solubility data were accurately correlated by the famous local composition activity coefficient models including e-NRTL and UNIQUAC. It was also our aim to evaluate Hansen solubility parameters in IMC solubility prediction. These parameters can help to predict the solvent performance during the manufacturing processes and will be useful in guessing solvent behavior in many other fields of effort. The experimental and the Hansen solubility parameters results are very well matched. In addition, the apparent thermodynamic properties of dissolution and mixing were studied in these solutions based on Van't Hoff and Gibbs equations.

Determination of Solubility Parameters of Ibuprofen and Ibuprofen Lysinate.

In recent years there has been a growing interest in formulating solid dispersions, which purposes mainly include solubility enhancement, sustained drug release and taste masking. The most notable problem by these dispersions is drug-carrier (in)solubility. Here we focus on solubility parameters as a tool for predicting the solubility of a drug in certain carriers. Solubility parameters were determined in two different ways: solely by using calculation methods, and by experimental approaches. Six different calculation methods were applied in order to calculate the solubility parameters of the drug ibuprofen and several excipients. However, we were not able to do so in the case of ibuprofen lysinate, as calculation models for salts are still not defined. Therefore, the extended Hansen's approach and inverse gas chromatography (IGC) were used for evaluating of solubility parameters for ibuprofen lysinate. The obtained values of the total solubility parameter did not differ much between the two methods: by the extended Hansen's approach it was δt = 31.15 MPa(0.5) and with IGC it was δt = 35.17 MPa(0.5). However, the values of partial solubility parameters, i.e., δd, δp and δh, did differ from each other, what might be due to the complex behaviour of a salt in the presence of various solvents.

Extended Hansen's solubility approach: meloxicam in individual solvents.

The solubility behaviour of meloxicam in individual solvents ranging from non-polar to highly polar was studied. For understanding the solute-solvent interactions, partial solubility parameters concept was utilized. The extended Hansen's method was used for analyzing the solubility data and for obtaining partial solubility parameters of meloxicam. The analysis was not successful though correlations were 81%. The Flory-Huggins size correction term 'B' was found to improve the prediction of solubility. The correlations were high (92%) and total solubility parameter was 11.6 H. The four-parameter approach involving proton-donor and proton-acceptor parameters was also used in fitting the solubility data. The correlations were appreciable (87%) and total solubility parameter was 11.2 H. The term 'B' combined with four-parameter approach was also used in order to improve the data, and was found to be improved the correlations (R2=0.94). This new approach may thus be used in fitting the experimental solubility data and to predict solubility behaviour of meloxicam in untested solvents. The total solubility parameter of meloxicam was assigned at 11.2 H.

Evaluation of solid dispersions of Clofazimine.

Clofazimine (CLF) was formulated with polyethylene glycol (PEG) and polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) as a solid solid dispersion (SSD) to increase the aqueous solubility and dissolution rate of the drug. Different molecular weights of PEG (1500, 4000, 6000, and 9000 Da) and PVP (14,000 and 44,000 Da) were used in different drug:carrier weight ratios (1:1, 1:5, and 1:9) and their effect on the dissolution performance of the drug was evaluated in USP Type 2 apparatus using 0.1 N HCl medium. The dissolution rate was compared with corresponding physical mixtures, a currently marketed soft gelatin capsule product, and free CLF. The effect of different methods of preparation (solvent/melt) on the dissolution rate of CLF was evaluated for PEG solid dispersions. Saturation solubility and phase solubility studies were carried out to indicate drug:carrier interactions in liquid state. Infrared (IR) spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to indicate drug:carrier interactions in solid state. Improvement in the drug dissolution rate was observed in solid dispersion formulations as compared to the physical mixtures. The dissolution rate improved with the decreasing weight fraction of the drug in the formulation. Polyvinyl pyrrolidone solid dispersion systems gave a better drug release profile as compared to the corresponding PEG solid dispersions. The effect of molecular weight of the PEG polymers did not follow a definite trend, while PVP 14,000 gave a better dissolution profile as compared to PVP 44,000. Improvement in saturation solubility of the drug in the solid dispersion systems was noted in all cases. Further, IR spectroscopy indicated drug:carrier interactions in solid state in one case and XRD indicated reduction in the crystallinity of CLF in another. It was concluded that solid-dispersion formulations of Clofazimine can be used to design a solid dosage form of the drug, which would have significant advantages over the currently marketed soft gelatin capsule dosage form.

Proposition of group molar constants for sodium to calculate the partial solubility parameters of sodium salts using the van Krevelen group contribution method.

The aim of this study is to propose, for the first time, a set of group molar constants for sodium to calculate the partial solubility parameters of sodium salts. The values were estimated using the few experimental partial solubility parameters of acid/sodium salt series available either from the literature (benzoic acid/Na, ibuprofen acid/Na, diclofenac Na) or determined in this work (salicylic acid/Na, p-aminobenzoic acid/Na, diclofenac), the group contribution method of van Krevelen to calculate the partial parameters of the acids, and three reasonable hypothesis. The experimental method used is a modification of the extended Hansen approach based on a regression analysis of the solubility mole fraction of the drug lnX(2) against models including three- or four-partial solubility parameters of a series of pure solvents ranging from non-polar (heptane) to highly polar (water). The modified method combined with the four-parameter model provided the best results for both acids and sodium derivatives. The replacement of the acidic proton by sodium increased the dipolar and basic partial solubility parameters, whereas the dispersion parameter remained unaltered, thus increasing the overall total solubility parameter of the salt. The proposed group molar constants of sodium are consistent with the experimental results as sodium has a relatively low London dispersion molar constant (identical to that of -OH), a very high Keesom dipolar molar constant (identical to that of -NO(2), two times larger than that of -OH), and a very high hydrogen bonding molar constant (identical to that of -OH). The proposed values are: F((Na)d)=270 (J cm(3))(1/2) mol(-1); F((Na)p)=1030 (J cm(3))(1/2) mol(-1); U((Na)h)=17000 J mol(-1). Like the constants for the other groups, the group molar constants proposed for sodium are certainly not the exact values. However, they are believed to be a fair approximation of the impact of sodium on the partial solubility parameters and, therefore, can be used as such in the group contribution method of van Krevelen.

The modified extended Hansen method to determine partial solubility parameters of drugs containing a single hydrogen bonding group and their sodium derivatives: benzoic acid/Na and ibuprofen/Na.

Sodium salts are often used in drug formulation but their partial solubility parameters are not available. Sodium alters the physical properties of the drug and the knowledge of these parameters would help to predict adhesion properties that cannot be estimated using the solubility parameters of the parent acid. This work tests the applicability of the modified extended Hansen method to determine partial solubility parameters of sodium salts of acidic drugs containing a single hydrogen bonding group (ibuprofen, sodium ibuprofen, benzoic acid and sodium benzoate). The method uses a regression analysis of the logarithm of the experimental mole fraction solubility of the drug against the partial solubility parameters of the solvents, using models with three and four parameters. The solubility of the drugs was determined in a set of solvents representative of several chemical classes, ranging from low to high solubility parameter values. The best results were obtained with the four parameter model for the acidic drugs and with the three parameter model for the sodium derivatives. The four parameter model includes both a Lewis-acid and a Lewis-base term. Since the Lewis acid properties of the sodium derivatives are blocked by sodium, the three parameter model is recommended for these kind of compounds. Comparison of the parameters obtained shows that sodium greatly changes the polar parameters whereas the dispersion parameter is not much affected. Consequently the total solubility parameters of the salts are larger than for the parent acids in good agreement with the larger hydrophilicity expected from the introduction of sodium. The results indicate that the modified extended Hansen method can be applied to determine the partial solubility parameters of acidic drugs and their sodium salts.

Partial-solubility parameters of naproxen and sodium diclofenac.

The expanded Hansen method was tested for determination of the solubility parameters of two non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, naproxen and sodium diclofenac. This work describes for the first time the application of the method to the sodium salt of a drug. The original dependent variable of the expanded Hansen method, involving the activity coefficient of the drug, was compared with the direct use of the logarithm of the mole fraction solubility 1nX2 in the solubility models. The solubility of both drugs was measured in pure solvents of several chemical classes and the activity coefficient was obtained from the molar heat and the temperature of fusion. Differential scanning calorimetry was performed on the original powder and on the solid phase after equilibration with the pure solvents, enabling detection of possible changes of the thermal properties of the solid phase that might change the value of the activity coefficient. The molar heat and temperature of fusion of sodium diclofenac could not be determined because this drug decomposed near the fusion temperature. The best results for both drugs were obtained with the dependent variable 1nX2 in association with the four-parameter model which includes the acidic and basic partial-solubility parameters delta(a) and delta(b) instead of the Hansen hydrogen bonding parameter delta(h). Because the dispersion parameter does not vary greatly from one drug to another, the variation of solubility among solvents is largely a result of the dipolar and hydrogen-bonding parameters, a fact that is being consistently found for other drugs of small molecular weight. These results support earlier findings with citric acid and paracetamol that the expanded Hansen approach is suitable for determining partial-solubility parameters. The modification introduced in the expanded Hansen method, i.e. the use of 1nX2 as the dependent variable, provides better results than the activity coefficient used in the original method. This is advantageous for drugs such as sodium diclofenac for which the ideal solubility cannot be estimated. This paper shows for the first time that the method is suitable for determination of the partial-solubility parameters of a sodium salt of a drug, sodium diclofenac.