Impact of Compression Force on Mechanical, Textural, Release and Chewing Perception Properties of Compressible Medicated Chewing Gums.

Medicated chewing gums (MCGs) represent a beneficial platform for realizing drugs intended for dental prophylaxis and treatment. The present study aimed to investigate the impact of compression force on the mechanical, textural, release, and chewing perception characteristics of compressible MCGs with the combination of lysozyme hydrochloride (LH) and ascorbic acid (AsA). Four batches of MCGs were obtained on a laboratory single-punch tablet machine applying different forces, i.e., 5, 7, 10, and 15 kN, and evaluated by their geometrical parameters, mechanical resistance, surface and internal structure characteristics, texture profile, release behavior, and perception attributes during mastication. It was found that increasing compression force slightly affected resistance to crushing and friability of MCGs, but resulted in surface smoothing and formation of a thicker layer with highly compacted particle arrangement. According to the texture analysis, increasing compression force led to harder and more adhesive gums, indicating possible difficulties in chewing and, therefore, impairment of their consumer properties. Lower compression forces were also found to be preferable in terms of better drug release from the obtained chewing gums. The volunteers' assessment showed that an increase of compression force led to significantly raising the initial hardness and crumbliness as well as to decreasing the rate of the integral gum mass formation during mastication, which may negatively affect perceptive sensations when using MCGs. Based on the results obtained, the optimal compressing force was selected to be 7 kN, which allows obtaining MCGs with good organoleptic, mechanical, textural, and release properties.

The Influence of pH Values on the Rheological, Textural and Release Properties of Carbomer Polacril® 40P-Based Dental Gel Formulation with Plant-Derived and Synthetic Active Components.

The physicochemical properties, especially pH value of dental medicines, have significant influence on the health of oral cavity tissues. The pH of formulations should correspond to the value of saliva pH (5.5-8.0). For carbomer-based gels, the required pH value is obtained by neutralizing them with alkaline components, which leads to their structuring (thickening). This affects the physical properties of the gel, its residence time at the application site and the rate of release of active pharmaceutical ingredient. Therefore, the main purpose of this study is to evaluate the rheological, textural, and biopharmaceutical properties of Carbomer Polacril® 40P-based dental gel depending on the pH value. Evaluation of the rheological properties of gel preparations were performed by measuring the structural viscosity of the samples as a function of pH and temperature. The textural properties of the gel were evaluated by performing tests regarding back extrusion and spreadability. Carbomer Polacril® 40P-based gels haven't shown noticeable thixotropic behavior, and were characterized by plastic flow in the whole studied pH range. The structural viscosity at the selected average pH value hasn't differed at storage (25 °C) and application (37 °C) temperature. Texture studies of dental gels have shown a strong correlation with rheoparameters. Their rheological behavior and textural properties haven't changed significantly between the pH range of 5.5-6.6. The relatively narrow range of working pH values does not affect the change in the viscosity of the preparation significantly and, consequently, does not affect the release of APIs from the developed Carbomer Polacril® 40P-based dental gel.

GC-MS Analysis of the Composition of the Extracts and Essential Oil from Myristica fragrans Seeds Using Magnesium Aluminometasilicate as Excipient.

Myristica fragrans (f. Myristicaceae) seeds are better known as a spice, but their chemical compounds may have a pharmacological effect. The yield of their composition of extracts and essential oils differs due to different methodologies. The aim of this study was to evaluate an excipient material-magnesium aluminometasilicate-and to determine its influence on the qualitative composition of nutmeg extracts and essential oils. Furthermore, we wanted to compare the yield of essential oil. The extracts were prepared by maceration (M) and ultrasound bath-assisted extraction (UAE), and the essential oil-by hydrodistillation (HD). Conventional methods (UAE, HD) were modified with magnesium aluminometasilicate. The samples were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method. From 16 to 19 chemical compounds were obtained using UAE with magnesium aluminometasilicate, while only 8 to 13 compounds were obtained using UAE without an excipient. Using our conditions and plant material, for the first time eight new chemical compounds in nutmeg essential oil were identified. Two of these compounds (γ-amorphene and cis-α-bergamotene) were obtained with the use of excipient, the other six (ß-copaene, bergamotene, citronellyl decanoate, cubebol, cubenene, orthodene) by conventional hydrodistillation. Magnesium aluminometasilicate significantly increased the quantity of sabinene (from 6.53% to 61.42%) and limonene (from 0% to 5.62%) in essential oil. The yield of the essential oil from nutmeg seeds was significantly higher using magnesium aluminometasilicate; it increased from 5.25 ± 0.04% to 10.43 ± 0.09%.

Formulation and Characterization of Potential Antifungal Oleogel with Essential Oil of Thyme.

The aim of this research was to formulate oleogel with thyme essential oil with potential antimicrobial activity, design optimal formulation, and evaluate the influence of ingredients on texture parameters of preparation. Central composite design was applied to statistical optimization of colloidal silica and paraffin oil mixture for the modeling of oleogel delivery system. The influence of designed formulations on response variables (texture parameters), firmness, cohesiveness, consistency, and index of viscosity, was evaluated. Quality of essential oil of thyme was assessed by determinate concentration of thymol and carvacrol using gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID). Microbiological tests have shown that oleogel with thyme essential oil affects Candida albicans microorganism when thyme essential oil's concentration is 0,05% in oleogel mixture.

Evaluation of Beeswax Influence on Physical Properties of Lipstick Using Instrumental and Sensory Methods.

The aim of this study was to optimize the lipsticks formulation according to the physical properties and sensory attributes and investigate the relationship between instrumental and sensory analyses and evaluate the influence of the main ingredients, beeswax and oil, with analysis of lipsticks properties. Central composite design was used to optimize the mixture of oils and beeswax and cocoa butter for formulation of lipsticks. Antioxidant activity was evaluated by DPPH free radical scavenging method spectrophotometrically. Physical properties of lipsticks melting point were determined in a glass tube; the hardness was investigated with texture analyzer. Sensory analysis was performed with untrained volunteers. The optimized mixture of sea buckthorn oil and grapeseed oil mixture ratio 13.96 : 6.18 showed the highest antioxidative activity (70 ± 0.84%) and was chosen for lipstick formulation. According to the sensory and instrumental analysis results, optimal ingredients amounts for the lipstick were calculated: 57.67% mixture of oils, 19.58% beeswax, and 22.75% cocoa butter. Experimentally designed and optimized lipstick formulation had good physical properties and high scored sensory evaluation. Correlation analysis showed a significant relationship between sensory and instrumental evaluations.

New formula herbal pellets demonstrate a uniform and stable release of the active ingredients in vitro.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different capsule filling manufacturing techniques and storage conditions on the release of the active ingredients from herbal capsules during the dissolution test in vitro. Different techniques for the preparation of the original mixture of dry extracts were applied, and subsequently capsules with six different fillings were prepared. The stability of the capsules was evaluated in different long-term storage conditions, registering changes in the water content (loss of drying), capsule disintegration time, and phenolic compounds dissolution test in vitro. The baseline of phenolic compounds release in the control capsules (filled with the mixture of the powder of dry herbal extracts) was the highest, compared to other capsule groups, yet during long-term storage, these capsules accumulated too much moisture, which impeded capsule disintegration time and phenolic compounds release. The study showed that moisture and temperature changes occurring during the storage of the preparation had a negative effect on the release of phenolic compounds from herbal capsules. Capsules filled with pellets demonstrated a uniform and stable release of the active ingredients in different long-term storage conditions, which indicates that the manufacturing technology of dry herbal extracts affects the stability of the active ingredients.

The evaluation of formulations for the preparation of new formula pellets.

The aim of the study was to prepare pellets of maidenhair tree (Ginkgo biloba), motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca) and hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) dry extracts by extrusion/spheronization method. The critical step of this process was the amount of added wetting liquid (water-ethanolic mixture) and the amount of extract in the formulation. The samples of pellets containing 30-50% of extracts were formulated: Pellets contained extracts of Ginkgo, Crataegi and Leonuri. The last sample was aimed at the formulation of pellets with the content of 30% of the mixture of Ginkgo, Leonuri and Crataegi extracts in a ratio of 1:5:6. The remainder of the solid compounds in all formulations was microcrystalline cellulose (Avicel® PH-101). It was not possible to find a way to adequately wet the formulations with the content of extracts higher than 30% because of the unsuitable properties of all three extracts used. On the basis of the experiments, pellets with mixtures of all three previously used extracts were prepared. These pellets showed perfect physico-mechanical properties: Hardness (10.00 ± 2.24 N), friability (0.06%), repose angle (20.99 ± 0.41°), flowability (6.97 ± 0.29 s/100g of pellets), sphericity (0.81 ± 0.05), compressibility index (4.65%), intraparticular porosity (0.09%) and interparticular porosity (45.11%), which predetermine them to other testing and usage (feeling into capsules, tableting, coating etc.).

The comparison of anti-oxidative kinetics in vitro of the fluid extract from maidenhair tree, motherwort and hawthorn.

The aim of the study was to perform a quantitative analysis of fluid extracts of maidenhair tree (Ginkgo biloba L.), motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca L.) and hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna Jacq.), to evaluate their antioxidant activity and to compare their ability to inactivate free radicals. The antioxidant activity was measured using the DPPH*and the ABTS*+ radical scavenging reaction systems. The study showed that the manifestation of the radical scavenging capacity in the DPPH* reaction system was in the following order: the fluid extract of hawthorn (70.37 +/- 0.80%) > the fluid extract of maidenhair tree (82.63 +/- 0.23%) > the fluid extract of motherwort (84.89 +/- 0.18%), while in the ABTS*+ reaction system, the manifestation of the radical scavenging capacity was in the following order: the fluid extract of hawthorn (87.09 +/- 0.55%) > the fluid extract of motherwort (88.28 +/- 1.06%) > the fluid extract of maidenhair tree (88.39 +/- 0.72%). The results showed that in the DPPH* reaction system, fluid extract of motherwort manifested higher antioxidant activity, compared to the fluid extracts of maidenhair tree and hawthorn. By contrast, in the ABTS*+ reaction system, higher antioxidant activity was found in the fluid extract of maidenhair tree, compared to the fluid extracts of motherwort and hawthorn. This would suggest that preparations manufactured from these herbal raw materials could be used as effective preventive means and valuable additional remedies in the treatment of diseases caused by oxidative stress.

The qualitative analysis of ethanol extracts of herbal raw materials by method of high pressure liquid chromatography.

The article describes the qualitative analysis of ethanol extracts from St. John's wort, cinnamon bark, rosemary leaves, lavender flowers, and ginger rhizomes, and the extract of their mixture using the method of high pressure liquid chromatography in order to identify flavonoids. The aim of the study was to identify the amounts of rutin, hyperoside, quercetin, and other flavonoids in the multi-component extract as well as in the control extracts of its compositional parts using the method of high pressure liquid chromatography, by evaluation of the correlation between the amounts of flavonoids in the extracts. The evaluation of the results of the study showed that flavonoid amount in the control extracts of the herbal material and flavonoid amount in the ethanol extracts of the mixture of raw material did not differ significantly. It was found that the largest amount of flavonoids was extracted from St. John's wort. The results of the analysis confirmed the assumption that the yield of flavonoids from St. John's wort has no influence on the active substance of other medicinal herbal raw materials.

[Technology for tablets with herbal extracts and evaluation of its quality]. / Tableciu su augaliniais ekstraktais technologijos kurimas ir kokybes ivertinimas.

The article deals with the development of technology for production of tablets containing dry herbal extracts. Dry herbal extracts of two different compositions were produced by spray drying using BUCHI 190 apparatus. The quality of dry extracts was evaluated by determination the loss of extract mass during the drying process, and estimation of the amount of biologically active combinations. The tableting methods for dry herbal extracts--direct compression and also employing granulation--were used. The quality of the produced tablets was determined by examining their appearance, resistance to abrasion, crushing strength, mass uniformity, disintegration time. Contents of biologically active compounds in tablets were evaluated by the quantitative methods.

[Development and analysis of revitalizing tincture]. / "Gaiviosios" tinkturos technologijos kurimas ir analize.

The article deals with the production of the complex tincture of Hyperici herba 80.0 g, Cinnamomi cortex 20.0 g, Rosmarini folium 20.0 g, Lavandulae flos 20.0 g, Zingiberis rhizoma 60.0 g and the selection of an extracting liquid phase, and the choice of extraction method. The experimentally determined optimal conditions for tincture preparation were as follows: concentration of ethanol--70% (V/V), the particle size of the leaves, herb, flowers--2.0-3.0 mm, for the bark and the roots--0.3-0.5 mm, the extraction method--percolation. The quality of the tincture was evaluated by analyzing the sum of flavonoids (recalculated into equivalent amount of rutin), dry residue, the concentration of ethanol, density of the extractive preparation, and microbial contamination. Also the overall appearance was checked, the identification of flavonoids was performed by color reactions and high-pressure liquid chromatography.