Simplex Lattice Design and Machine Learning Methods for the Optimization of Novel Microemulsion Systems to Enhance p-Coumaric Acid Oral Bioavailability: In Vitro and In Vivo Studies.

Novel p-coumaric acid microemulsion systems were developed to circumvent its absorption and bioavailability challenges. Simplex-lattice mixture design and machine learning methods were employed for optimization. Two optimized formulations were characterized using in vitro re-dispersibility and cytotoxicity on various tumor cell lines (MCF-7, CaCO2, and HepG2). The in vivo bioavailability profiles of the drug loaded in the two microemulsion systems and in the suspension form were compared. The optimized microemulsions composed of Labrafil M1944 CS (5.67%)/Tween 80 (38.71%)/Labrasol (38.71%)/water (16.92%) and Capryol 90 (0.50%)/Transcutol P (26.67%)/Tween 80 (26.67%)/Labrasol (26.67%)/water (19.50%), respectively. They revealed uniform and stable p-coumaric acid-loaded microemulsion systems with a droplet size diameter of about 10 nm. The loaded microemulsion formulations enhanced the drug re-dispersibility in contrast to the drug suspension which exhibited 5 min lag time. The loaded formulae were significantly more cytotoxic on all cell lines by 11.98-16.56 folds on MCF-7 and CaCo2 cells and 47.82-98.79 folds on HepG2 cells higher than the pure drug. The optimized microemulsions were 1.5-1.8 times more bioavailable than the drug suspension. The developed p-coumaric acid microemulsion systems could be considered a successful remedy for diverse types of cancer.

Nanoparticles Based on Linear and Star-Shaped Poly(Ethylene Glycol)-Poly(ε-Caprolactone) Copolymers for the Delivery of Antitubulin Drug.

PURPOSE: Biodegradable polymeric nanoparticles of different architectures based on polyethylene glycol-co-poly(ε-caprolactone) block copolymers have been loaded with noscapine (NOS) to study their effect on its anticancer activity. It was intended to use solubility of NOS in an acidic environment and ability of the nanoparticles to passively target drugs into cancer tissue to modify the NOS pharmacokinetic properties and reduce the requirement for frequent injections. METHODS: Linear and star-shaped copolymers were synthetized and used to formulate NOS loaded nanoparticles. Cytotoxicity was performed using a sulforhodamine B method on MCF-7 cells, while biocompatibility was determined on rats followed by hematological and histopathological investigations. RESULTS: Formulae with the smallest particle sizes and adequate entrapment efficiency revealed that NOS loaded nanoparticles showed higher extent of release at pH 4.5. Colloidal stability suggested that nanoparticles would be stable in blood when injected into the systemic circulation. Loaded nanoparticles had IC50 values lower than free drug. Hematological and histopathological studies showed no difference between treated and control groups. Pharmacokinetic analysis revealed that formulation P1 had a prolonged half-life and better bioavailability compared to drug solution. CONCLUSIONS: Formulation of NOS into biodegradable polymeric nanoparticles has increased its efficacy and residence on cancer cells while passively avoiding normal body tissues. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.

Vesicular powder as carrier for doxycycline hydrochloride and metronidazole combination therapy.

In this study, vesicular proniosomal powder encapsulating doxycycline hydrochloride (DH) and metronidazole (MT) combination therapy was developed using different types of spans, cholesterol (CH) and maltodextrin as a carrier. Proniosomal powder was free flowing and spherical in shape. The surfactant structure affected the entrapment efficiency of both drugs with highest value of Sp 60 proniosomes of 45.16% and 42.64% for DH and MT, respectively. Incorporation of CH influenced vesicle stability and permeability with optimum concentration of 10 mole%. Increasing the surfactant loading from 1 mM to 3 mM resulted in a significant decrease in the amount of drugs (mg) entrapped per mM lipid (from 9.95 to 1.13 and from 8.88 to 1.22 for DH and MT, respectively). Longer chain length surfactants produced larger vesicles. Surfactant hydrophilicity affected zeta potential. Both drugs were molecularly dispersed in the proniosomal powder with no chemical interaction with other components. Proniosomal powder was stable at 2-8 °C for three months.

Quercetin loaded cosm-nutraceutical electrospun composite nanofibers for acne alleviation: Preparation, characterization and experimental clinical appraisal.

In the cosmeceutical field, it is essential to develop topical delivery systems which would allow drugs to create a depot and permeate within the skin. The aim of the present study was to develop composite nanofibers of polyvinyl alcohol/quercetin/essential oils using the electrospinning technique, and assess their efficiency in acne alleviation. Quercetin was chosen due to its anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and antibacterial activities. Nanofibers were characterized for their morphology, ex-vivo deposition/permeation, physical/mechanical integrity, thermal properties, and chemical characteristics. In addition, the anti-bacterial efficacy was tested on Propionibacterium acne (P. acne), and a cytotoxicity assay was carried out. Lastly, an experimental clinical trial was conducted on acne patients, where the percentage reduction of inflammatory, non-inflammatory and total acne lesions was taken as evaluation criterion. Results showed that quercetin was successfully loaded into the nanofibers which were homogenously dispersed. They showed a reasonable skin deposition percentage of 28.24% ± 0.012, a significantly higher antibacterial efficacy against Propionibacterium acne than quercetin alone, and were utterly safe on skin fibroblastic cells. Upon clinical examination on acne patients, the nanofibers showed 61.2%, 14.7%, and 52.9% reduction of inflammatory, comedonal, and total acne lesions respectively, suggesting a promising topical anti-acne delivery system.

Intranasally administered melatonin core-shell polymeric nanocapsules: A promising treatment modality for cerebral ischemia.

AIMS: The neurohormone melatonin (MEL) has been reported as a promising neuroprotective molecule, however it suffers pharmaceutical limitations such as poor solubility and low bioavailability, which hinder its pharmacological and clinical potential. In the current work, MEL was loaded in core-shell nanocarrier system; polymeric nanocapsules (PNCs), and assessed for its potential in cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury rat model when administered intranasally. KEY FINDINGS: Adopting a D-optimal factorial design, MEL-PNCs were successfully formulated using the nanoprecipitation technique. MEL-PNCs exhibited a particle size ranging from 143.5 to 444 nm, negative zeta potential values ranging from -24.2 to -38.7 mV, cumulative release % for MEL ranging from 36.79 to 41.31 % over 8 h period, with overall good storage properties. The selected MEL-PNCs formulation displayed 8-fold higher permeation than the drug solution across sheep nasal mucosa. MEL-PNCs administered intranasally decreased oxidative stress and hippocampal inflammation, and the histological examination revealed the significant restoration of hippocampal neurons. SIGNIFICANCE: MEL-PNCs administered intranasally could be a promising treatment modality in brain ischemia.

QbD approach of rapid disintegrating tablets incorporating indomethacin solid dispersion.

The development of rapid disintegrating tablets (RDT) requires the use of highly soluble components to support the intended use of these products. In an attempt to prepare RDT of indomethacin, its solid dispersion with polyvinyl pyrrolidone K25 (PVP) was incorporated in a fast disintegrating matrix. Drug polymer interactions were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Indomethacin 1:1 solid dispersion with PVP was used to prepare its RDT. Two factors at 3 levels full factorial design were employed as a statistical approach to optimize the amount of superdisintegrant (Ac-di-sol) and hardness value regarding the desired disintegration and release characteristics. Drug to carrier ratio was the controlling factor for dissolution improvement. XRD and FTIR data revealed a remarkable interaction between the drug and the carrier that might be responsible for the dissolution enhancement. Multiple regression analysis revealed a significant effect of the polynomial terms for obtaining rapid disintegrating tablets. It was inferred that the hardness value is the most important factor controlling the disintegration time and the release characteristics. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that quality by design (QbD) is a potential paradigm for understanding the quality and optimizing the formulation of RDT containing indomethacin solid dispersion.

Insights on the Use of Nanocarriers for Acne Alleviation.

Among the common myths in the cosmetics industry is the perception that acne only happens to teenagers, and specifically to females. However, acne is neither limited to a specific age, nor to a certain gender, it creates a stressful problem for many people. Many chemical treatments for acne were proven to be successful, but when administered as such, they showed many adverse effects, starting from itching to skin dryness and inflammation. Natural remedies have also been explored for acne treatment, and despite their safety, they suffered many stability problems attributed to their physicochemical properties, creating an obstacle for their topical delivery. Therefore, many nanocarriers were used to deliver those chemical and natural remedies topically to maximize their therapeutic potential in acne treatment. The present review discusses the different nanocarriers which were proven successful in improving the acne lesions, focusing on vesicular, lipidic, and polymeric systems.

Pharmacokinetic/pulmokinetic analysis of optimized lung targeted spray dried ketotifen-dextran core shell nanocomplexes-in-microparticles.

A passive lung targeted system for controlled lung delivery of ketotifen (KT) was developed based on the green complexation of dextran sulphate (DS) and KT. Achieving deep lung deposition of high drug fraction, while evading lung defense mechanisms were set as goals. Optimized uniform negatively charged nanocomplexes (NC), <80 nm, were obtained at KT/DS weight ratio of 1:0.66 to 1:0.5 and 1% surfactant concentration with 90% drug complexation efficiency. The interaction between KT and DS and matrix formation were evidenced by Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) studies. A respirable particle percent reaching 67.41 ±â€¯2.6% was obtained following co-spray drying NC containing poloxamer with leucine. A higher lung/plasma partitioning was obtained following pulmonary administration of selected nanocomplexes in microparticles (NCEMP) to rats compared to oral and intravenous (iv) routes. A new core shell nanocomplex formed of DS and KT as main substrates exhibited a potential for lung targeting of the anti-asthmatic drug.

Effect of some formulation parameters on flurbiprofen encapsulation and release rates of niosomes prepared from proniosomes.

Proniosomal gels or solutions of flurbiprofen were developed based on span 20 (Sp 20), span 40 (Sp 40), span 60 (Sp 60), and span 80 (Sp 80) without and with cholesterol. Nonionic surfactant vesicles (niosomes) formed immediately upon hydrating proniosomal formulae. The entrapment efficiency (EE%) of flurbiprofen (a poorly soluble drug) was either determined by exhaustive dialysis of freshly prepared niosomes or centrifugation of freeze-thawed vesicles. The influence of different processing and formulation variables such as surfactant chain length, cholesterol content, drug concentration, total lipid concentration, negatively or positively charging lipids, and the pH of the dispersion medium on flurbiprofen EE% was demonstrated. Also, the release of the prepared niosomes in phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) was illustrated. Results indicated that the EE% followed the trend Sp 60 (C(18))>Sp 40 (C(16))>Sp 20 (C(12))>Sp 80 (C(18)). Cholesterol increased or decreased the EE% depending on either the type of the surfactant or its concentration within the formulae. The maximum loading efficiency was 94.61% when the hydrating medium was adjusted to pH 5.5. Increasing total lipid or drug concentration also increased the EE% of flurbiprofen into niosomes. However, incorporation of either dicetyl phosphate (DCP) which induces negative charge or stearyl amine (SA) which induces positive charge decreased the EE% of flurbiprofen into niosomal vesicles. Finally, in vitro release data for niosomes of Sp 40 and Sp 60 showed that the release profiles of flurbiprofen from niosomes of different cholesterol contents is an apparently biphasic release process. As a result, this study suggested the potential of proniosomes as stable precursors for the immediate preparation of niosomal carrier systems.

In vitro evaluation of proniosomes as a drug carrier for flurbiprofen.

The purpose of the present investigation is to formulate and evaluate proniosomal transdermal carrier systems for flurbiprofen. Proniosomes were prepared using various non-ionic surfactants, namely span 20 (Sp 20), span 40 (Sp 40), span 60 (Sp 60) and span 80 (Sp 80) without and with cholesterol at percentages ranging from 0% to 50%. The effect of surfactant type and cholesterol content on drug release was investigated. Drug release was tested by diffusion through cellophane membrane and rabbit skin. Drug release from the prepared systems was compared to that from flurbiprofen suspensions in distilled water and HPMC (hydroxypropylmethylcellulose) gels. In case of Sp 20 and Sp 80, the added amount of cholesterol affected the preparation type to be either proniosomal alcoholic solutions or liquid crystalline gel systems. On the other hand, both Sp 40 and Sp 60 produced gel systems in presence or absence of cholesterol. Microscopic observations showed that either proniosomal solutions or gel formulations immediately converted to niosomal dispersions upon hydration. Due to the skin permeation barrier, rabbit skin showed lower drug diffusion rates compared to cellophane membrane. The proniosomal composition controlled drug diffusion rates to be either faster or slower than the prepared flurbiprofen suspensions in HPMC gels or distilled water, respectively. In conclusion, this study demonstrated the possibility of using proniosomal formulations for transdermal drug delivery.

In vitro stabilization and in vivo improvement of ocular pharmacokinetics of the multi-therapeutic agent baicalin: Delineating the most suitable vesicular systems.

Baicalin is a multi-purpose flavonoid used in the treatment of different ocular diseases. Owing to its poor stability in basic pH and its poor solubility, a suitable carrier system is needed to enhance its ocular therapeutic potential. Therefore, the objective of this work was to prepare and contrast different baicalin vesicular systems; namely liposomes, penetration enhancer vesicles PEVs and transfersomes. Results revealed that baicalin vesicles exhibited suitable particle size and zeta potential, high entrapment efficiency and controlled release. Depending on the vesicular composition, selected formulations were able to resist physical changes of particle size, zeta potential, entrapment efficiency and in vitro release after storage for 3 months, while retarding the degradation of baicalin. Selected vesicular formulations displayed equivalent or superior antioxidant potential compared to baicalin solution, with absolute superiority over ascorbic acid reference, while demonstrating sterilization endurance and safety on ocular tissues. Pharmacokinetic studies revealed that transfersomes displayed the fastest onset of action, while liposomes displayed the highest extent of absorption as concluded from the Tmax, Cmax, and AUC0-∞ values with 4-5 folds increase in bioavailability compared to baicalin control solution. This delineates baicalin vesicular systems as a promising platform for treatment of ocular diseases such as inflammation, cataract and diabetic retinopathy.

Quality by design: understanding the formulation variables of a cyclosporine A self-nanoemulsified drug delivery systems by Box-Behnken design and desirability function.

Quality by design (QBD) refers to the achievement of certain predictable quality with desired and predetermined specifications. A very useful component of the QBD is the understanding of factors and their interaction effects by a desired set of experiments. The present project deals with a case study to understand the effect of formulation variables of nanoemulsified particles of a model drug, cyclosporine A (CyA). A three-factor, three-level design of experiment (DOE) with response surface methodology (RSM) was run to evaluate the main and interaction effect of several independent formulation variables that included amounts of Emulphor El-620 (X(1)), Capmul MCM-C8 (X(2)) and 20% (w/w) CyA in sweet orange oil (X(3)). The dependent variables included nanodroplets size (Y(1)), nanoemulsions turbidity (Y(2)), amounts released after 5 and 10min (Y(3), Y(4)), emulsification rate (Y(5)) and lag time (Y(6)). A desirability function was used to minimize lag time and to maximize the other dependent variables. A mathematical relationship, Y(5)=9.09-0.37X(1)+0.37X(2)-0.45X(3)+0.732X(1)X(2)-0.62X(1)X(3)+0.3X(2)X(3)+0.02X(1)(2)-0.28X(2)(2)+0.471X(3)(2) (r(2)=0.92), was obtained to explain the effect of all factors and their colinearities on the emulsification rate. The optimized nanodroplets were predicted to yield Y(1), Y(2), Y(3), Y(4), Y(5) and Y(6) values of 42.1nm, 50.6NTU, 56.7, 107.2, 9.3%/min and 3.5min, respectively, when X(1), X(2), and X(3) values were 36.4, 70 and 10mg, respectively. A new batch was prepared with these levels of the independent variables to yield Y(1)-Y(6) values that were remarkably close to the predicted values. In conclusion, this investigation demonstrated the potential of QBD in understanding the effect of the formulation variables on the quality of CyA self-nanoemulsified formulations.

Doxycycline hydrochloride-metronidazole solid lipid microparticles gels for treatment of periodontitis: development, in-vitro and in-vivo clinical evaluation.

OBJECTIVE: To formulate solid lipid microparticles (SLMs) encapsulating doxycycline hydrochloride (DH) and metronidazole (MT) for the treatment of periodontal diseases. METHODS: SLMs were prepared applying hot homogenization method, using different types of lipids and stabilized with various types and concentrations of surfactants. The optimized formula was subjected to freeze-drying followed by incorporation into poloxamer gel. Microbiological and clinical evaluation of the selected SLMs on patients suffering from periodontal diseases was performed. RESULTS: SLMs could entrap high percentage of both drugs (81.14% and 68.75 % for doxycycline hydrochloride and metronidazole respectively). Transmission electron microscopy images of SLMs showed nearly spherical particles. Freeze-dried SLMs showed satisfactory stability for three months. Combined drugs were molecularly dispersed in SLMs. Incorporation of the freeze-dried SLMs powder in poloxamer gel could control the drugs release for 72 h. In-vivo study revealed effective and safe use of SLMs gel for periodontitis treatment. Significant improvement in both microbiological and clinical parameters was observed as compared to scaling and root planing alone. CONCLUSION: The formulated SLMs gel offers an applicable dosage form that can be injected directly into the periodontal pocket as adjunctive to scaling and root planing.

Formulation and optimization of mouth dissolve tablets containing rofecoxib solid dispersion.

The purpose of the present investigation was to increase the solubility and dissolution rate of rofecoxib by the preparation of its solid dispersion with polyvinyl pyrrolidone K30 (PVP K30) using solvent evaporation method. Drug-polymer interactions were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), x-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). For the preparation of rofecoxib mouth dissolve tablets, its 1:9 solid dispersion with PVP K30 was used with various disintegrants and sublimable materials. In an attempt to construct a statistical model for the prediction of disintegration time and percentage friability, a 3(2) randomized full and reduced factorial design was used to optimize the influence of the amounts of superdisintegrant and subliming agent. The obtained results showed that dispersion of the drug in the polymer considerably enhanced the dissolution rate. The drug-to-carrier ratio was the controlling factor for dissolution improvement. FTIR spectra revealed no chemical incompatibility between the drug and PVP K30. As indicated from XRD and DSC data, rofecoxib was in the amorphous form, which explains the better dissolution rate of the drug from its solid dispersions. Concerning the optimization study, the multiple regression analysis revealed that an optimum concentration of camphor and a higher percentage of crospovidone are required for obtaining rapidly disintegrating tablets. In conclusion, this investigation demonstrated the potential of experimental design in understanding the effect of the formulation variables on the quality of mouth dissolve tablets containing solid dispersion of a hydrophobic drug.

Formulation of anastrozole microparticles as biodegradable anticancer drug carriers.

The purpose of this study was to develop poly(d,l-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA)-based anastrozole microparticles for treatment of breast cancer. An emulsion/extraction method was used to prepare anastrozole sustained-release PLGA-based biodegradable microspheres. Gas chromatography with mass spectroscopy detection was used for the quantitation of the drug throughout the studies. Microparticles were formulated and characterized in terms of encapsulation efficiency, particle size distribution, surface morphology, and drug release profile. Preparative variables such as concentrations of stabilizer, drug-polymer ratio, polymer viscosity, stirring rate, and ratio of internal to external phases were found to be important factors for the preparation of anastrozole-loaded PLGA microparticles. Fourier transform infrared with attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR) analysis and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were employed to determine any interactions between drug and polymer. An attempt was made to fit the data to various dissolution kinetics models for multiparticulate systems, including the zero order, first order, square root of time kinetics, and biphasic models. The FTIR-ATR studies revealed no chemical interaction between the drug and the polymer. DSC results indicated that the anastrozole trapped in the microspheres existed in an amorphous or disordered-crystalline status in the polymer matrix. The highest correlation coefficients were obtained for the Higuchi model, suggesting a diffusion mechanism for the drug release. The results demonstrated that anastrozole microparticles with PLGA could be an alternative delivery method for the long-term treatment of breast cancer.

Use of biorelevant media for assessment of a poorly soluble weakly basic drug in the form of liquisolid compacts: in vitro and in vivo study.

The purpose of this work is to use biorelevant media to evaluate the robustness of a poorly water soluble weakly basic drug to variations along the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) after incorporation in liquisolid compacts and to assess the success of these models in predicting the in vivo performance. Liquisolid tablets were prepared using mosapride citrate as a model drug. A factorial design experiment was used to study the effect of three factors, namely: drug concentration at two levels (5% and 10%), carriers at three levels (avicel, mannitol and lactose) and powder excipients ratio (R) of the coating material at two levels (25 and 30). The in vitro dissolution media utilized were 0.1 N HCl, hypoacidic stomach model and a transfer model simulating the transfer from the stomach to the intestine. All compacts released above 95% of drug after 10 min in 0.1 N HCl. In the hypoacidic model, the compacts with R 30 were superior compared to R 25, where they released >90% of drug after 10 min compared to 80% for R 25. After the transfer of the optimum compacts from Simulated gastric fluid fast (SGFfast) to fasted state simulated intestinal fluid, slight turbidity appeared after 30 min, and the amount of drug dissolved slightly decreased from 96.91% to 90.59%. However, after the transfer from SGFfast to fed state simulated intestinal fluid, no turbidity or precipitation occurred throughout time of the test (60 min). In vivo pharmacokinetic study in human volunteers proved the success of the in vitro models with enhancement of the oral bioavailability (121.20%) compared to the commercial product.

Nebulizable colloidal nanoparticles co-encapsulating a COX-2 inhibitor and a herbal compound for treatment of lung cancer.

A challenging disease such as lung cancer requires the combination of different modalities to achieve beneficial therapeutic outcomes. In this work, PLGA nanoparticles were chosen as colloidal carrier for two drugs with reported anti-lung cancer activity: naringin and celecoxib. PLGA nanoparticles were prepared and characterized for their particle size, zeta potential, entrapment efficiency, in vitro release, stability, morphology, cytotoxicity, as well as aerosolization and nebulization behaviors. Their biodistribution pattern upon pulmonary aerosolization, and safety on healthy lung tissues were determined as well. Results showed that the described system displayed a particle size <260nm with unimodal distribution, entrapment efficiency for celecoxib and naringin reaching 96% and 62% respectively and a controlled release profile for the two drugs. The selected formula displayed favorable nebulization properties with high drug deposition percentages in lower impinger and impactor stages. It also exhibited higher cytotoxic activity on A549 lung cancer cell lines compared to the free drugs combination, while displaying considerable safety on healthy lung tissues. Biodistribution studies delineated the lung deposition potential of the nanoparticles accompanied with high distribution to the bones, brain and liver which are common metastatic sites of lung cancer, proving their promising nature in the treatment of lung cancer.

Determination of factors controlling the particle size and entrapment efficiency of noscapine in PEG/PLA nanoparticles using artificial neural networks.

In this study, di- and triblock copolymers based on polyethylene glycol and polylactide were synthesized by ring-opening polymerization and characterized by proton nuclear magnetic resonance and gel permeation chromatography. Nanoparticles containing noscapine were prepared from these biodegradable and biocompatible copolymers using the nanoprecipitation method. The prepared nanoparticles were characterized for size and drug entrapment efficiency, and their morphology and size were checked by transmission electron microscopy imaging. Artificial neural networks were constructed and tested for their ability to predict particle size and entrapment efficiency of noscapine within the formed nanoparticles using different factors utilized in the preparation step, namely polymer molecular weight, ratio of polymer to drug, and number of blocks that make up the polymer. Using these networks, it was found that the polymer molecular weight has the greatest effect on particle size. On the other hand, polymer to drug ratio was found to be the most influential factor on drug entrapment efficiency. This study demonstrated the ability of artificial neural networks to predict not only the particle size of the formed nanoparticles but also the drug entrapment efficiency. This may have a great impact on the design of polyethylene glycol and polylactide-based copolymers, and can be used to customize the required target formulations.