Role of humic acid on oral drug delivery of an antiepileptic drug.

CONTEXT: Humic acid (HA) is omnipresent in natural organic matter that is a macromolecular, negatively charged polyelectrolyte that contains a hydrophobic core. It is also present in a significant amount in Shilajit (used frequently in traditional medicines), which is used in this study as a source of extraction. HA is evaluated for the oral drug delivery of carbamazepine (CBZ). OBJECTIVE: HA is used in this study to increase the dissolution, intestinal permeation, and pharmacodynamic response of CBZ (bio pharmaceutics classification system (BCS) II) by the technique of complexation and other related mechanism reported with humic substances. METHODS: Different complexation techniques were explored in this study for the entrapment of CBZ, which was authenticated by molecular modeling and conformational analysis. These were further characterized using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Solubility analysis and dissolution release profile were carried out to access the in vitro parameters. For ex vivo studies, rat gut intestinal permeability was done. And finally pharmacodynamic evaluation (maximal electroshock method) was carried out for optimized complexes. RESULTS: Molecular modeling approach and instrumental analysis (DSC, XRD, and FT-IR) confirmed the entrapment of CBZ inside the complexing agent. Increased solubility (∼1742%), sustained release (∼78%), better permeability (∼3.5 times), and enhanced pharmacodynamic responses conferred the best to 1:2 freeze dried (FD) and then 1:2 kneading (KD) complexes compared with pure CBZ. CONCLUSION: Now it could be concluded that HA may be tried as a complexing agent for antiepileptic drug and other classes of low water-soluble drug.

Comparative evaluation of humic substances in oral drug delivery.

Major and biologically most explored components of natural organic matter (NOM) are humic acid (HA) and fulvic acid (FA). We have explored rock shilajit as a source of NOM. On the other hand carbamazepine (CBZ) is a well known anticonvulsant drug and has a limited accessibility to brain. Bioavailability and pharmacokinetic profiles of CBZ have been improved by complexation and different techniques also. Present study has assessed the comparative abilities of FA and HA as complexing agent for CBZ in order to enhance pharmacokinetic profile of CBZ and accessibility to the brain. These two complexing agents have been compared on various indices such as their abilities to cause complexation and enhance solubility, permeability and dissolution. The present study also compared pharmacodynamic and biochemical profiles after oral administration of complexes. With the help of various pharmaceutical techniques such as freeze drying, physical mixture, kneading and solvent evaporation, two molar ratios (1:1 and 1:2) were selected for complexation and evaluated for conformational analysis (molecular modeling). Complex formed was further characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), mass spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Preclinical study on rodents with CBZ-HA and CBZ-FA has yielded appreciable results in terms of their anticonvulsant and antioxidants activities. However, CBZ-HA (1:2) demonstrated better result than any other complex.

Influence of fulvic acid and hydroxy propyl-beta-cyclodextrin on aspirin degradation.

OBJECTIVE: The degradation of aspirin (ASA) was investigated to reveal information about the influence of complexation with fulvic acid (FA), as a new complexing agent and compared with hydroxy propyl-beta-cyclodextrin complex. MATERIALS AND METHODS: ASA was complexed with FA in the molar ratio 1:0.5, 1:1, and 1:2 by different methods through lyophilization, solvent evaporation, and spray drying. Spray-dried (1:1) ASA-hydroxy propyl-beta-cyclodextrin complex was prepared and compared with optimized complex of FA. All the complexes and ASA alone were packaged in well-labeled sealed polythene-lined aluminum pouches and stored in stability chamber at 40 +/- 2 degrees C and 75 +/- 5% relative humidity for 120 days. Samples were analyzed for salicylic acid content at 0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 days. RESULTS: Overall 4.31% salicylic acid was formed in 1:1 ASA-FA spray-dried complex, which was optimized stable complex among other complexes of FA prepared by different methods in different molar ratios. However, 2.35% salicylic acid was measured with 1:1 spray-dried ASA-hydroxy propyl-beta-cyclodextrin complex. Stability of ASA increased more when complexed with hydroxy propyl-beta-cyclodextrin as compared to FA. CONCLUSIONS: A novel complexing agent in the form of FA was investigated to increase the stability of ASA. A marked improvement in stability of ASA was observed when complexed with hydroxy propyl-beta-cyclodextrin (1:1) by spray drying as compared to 1:1 spray-dried ASA-FA complex.

Complexation of furosemide with fulvic acid extracted from shilajit: a novel approach.

The aim of the present work was to complex furosemide (FSM) with fulvic acid (FA) extracted from shilajit with the hope of having a better understanding of the complexation behavior. The effect of FA on the aqueous solubility, dissolution rate, and permeability of FSM was investigated. Different techniques, such as grinding, freeze drying, solvent evaporation, and so forth, were used for the preparation of the complex. The complexes were prepared in molar ratios of 1:1 and 1:2 FSM:FA and were evaluated for drug inclusion, solubility, differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, dissolution study, and permeation study. These methods confirm the formation of an amorphous inclusion complex of FSM with FA.