Topical Delivery of Terbinafine HCL Using Nanogels: A New Approach to Superficial Fungal Infection Treatment.

This study investigated pH-responsive Terbinafine HCL (TBH)-loaded nanogels as a new approach to treating superficial fungal infections. Acrylic acid (AA) is a synthetic monomer that was crosslinked with a natural polymer (gelatin) using a free radical polymerization technique to fabricate gelatin-g-poly-(acrylic acid) nanogels. Ammonium persulphate (APS) and N, N'-methylene bisacrylamide (MBA) were used as the initiator and crosslinker, respectively. Developed gelatin-g-poly-(acrylic acid) nanogels were evaluated for the swelling study (pH 1.2, 5, 7.4), DEE, particle size, FTIR, thermal stability (TGA, DSC), XRD, SEM, DEE, and in vitro drug release study to obtain optimized nanogels. Optimized nanogels were incorporated into 1% HPMC gel and then evaluated in comparison with Lamisil cream 1% for TBH stratum corneum retention, skin irritation, and in vitro and in vivo antifungal activity studies. Optimized nanogels (AAG 7) demonstrated a 255 nm particle size, 82.37% DEE, pH-dependent swelling, 92.15% of drug release (pH) 7.4 within 12 h, and a larger zone of inhibition compared to Lamisil cream. HPMC-loaded nanogels significantly improved the TBH skin retention percentage, as revealed by an ex vivo skin retention study, indicating the usefulness of nanogels for topical use. In vivo studies conducted on animal models infected with a fungal infection have further confirmed the effectiveness of nanogels compared with the Lamisil cream. Hence, Gelatin-g-poly-(acrylic acid) nanogels carrying poorly soluble TBH can be a promising approach for treating superficial fungal infections.

Development and Evaluation of pH-Responsive Pluronic F 127 Co-Poly- (Acrylic Acid) Biodegradable Nanogels for Topical Delivery of Terbinafine HCL.

Research aimed to develop and evaluate biodegradable, pH-responsive chemically cross-linked Pluronic F127 co-poly- (acrylic acid) nanogels for dermal delivery of Terbinafine HCL (TBH) to increase its permeability and as a new approach to treat skin fungal infections. TBH-loaded nanogels were successfully synthesized from acrylic acid (AA) and Pluronic F127 by free-radical copolymerization technique using N,N'-methylene bisacrylamide (MBA) as crosslinker and ammonium persulphate (APS) as initiator. Prepared nanogels exhibited 93.51% drug entrapment efficiency (DEE), 45 nm particle size, pH-dependent swelling and release behavior. Nanogels were characterized using different physicochemical techniques. The ex-vivo skin retention studies through rat skin showed about 42.34% drug retention from nanogels while 1% Lamisil cream (marketed product) showed about 26.56% drug retention. Moreover, skin irritation studies showed that nanogels were not irritating. Nanogels showed improved in-vitro antifungal activity against Candida albicans compared to commercial product. In-vivo studies on rats infected with Candida albicans confirmed superiority of nanogels over 1% Lamisil for eradication of fungal infection. This confirms that TBH loaded in Pluronic F127 co-poly-(acrylic acid) nanogels provided greater targetibility and cure rates of poorly soluble TBH in animal model and hence nanogels could be a potential carrier for effective topical delivery of TBH for skin fungal infection treatment.

Current Strategies in Development of New Chromone Derivatives with Diversified Pharmacological Activities: A Review.

Chromone derivatives possess a spectrum of biological activities. Chromone has been recognized as a privileged structure for new drug invention and development. Substitution pattern of chromone scaffold determines different type of biological activities. The type, number and position of substituents connected to the chromone core play a vital role in determining pharmacological activities. In the present review, we have discussed new chromone derivatives as anticancer, anti-diabetic, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and as anti-Alzheimer agents. This review deals with the chromone derivatives prepared by combining chromone molecule with various natural and synthetic pharmacophores and pharmacological activities presented by them. The main aim is to highlight the diversified pharmacological activities exhibited by chromone hybrid molecules during the last eight to ten years.

Increased burden of disease and role of health economics: Asia-pacific region.

Background: Health-care systems in Asian countries are diverse. The economic evaluation provides information on how to make efficient use of the resources available to obtain the maximum benefits. In Asia, diseases such as cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), diabetes mellitus (DM), tuberculosis (TB) and epilepsy generate a heavy economic burden. The objective of this article is to provide a review of the economic burden of health to patients in Asian countries. Areas covered: All data were collected from already published research article and review papers. The databases searched were Science Direct, PubMed, MEDLINE and Google scholar. We found a total of 4456 articles on health economics. After reviewing the title, only 876 relevant articles were considered. Only 92 (n = 92) articles were considered on the basis of inclusion and exclusion criteria. Expert opinion: Available data give evidence that diseases are linked to the low socio-economic status of the Asian population. The cost per capita is high in Asian countries due to insufficient health-care facilities. The cost per capita in Asian countries ranges from $23 (Pakistan) to $1775 (Taiwan). The per capita cost of Malaysia, China, Singapore, and Thailand is $27 $83, $75, and $27, respectively.