Syringeable self-assembled cyclodextrin gels for drug delivery.

The design of syringeable cyclodextrin (CD) gels is a developing area in the drug delivery and tissue engineering fields, since they offer the possibility of being administered with minimally invasive maneuvers to form depots that can remain for prolonged time in the implantation site. Two different supramolecular systems can be obtained exploiting the capability of CDs to form inclusion complexes. (i) The threading of free CDs on certain blocks or side chains of copolymers leads to polypseudorotaxanes, which can assembly via regular stacking of the threaded CDs. The resultant assemblies can be reversible broken under a certain shear stress and reformed at rest, exhibiting thixotropy that enables the flow through the syringe and the gel recovery in the implantation site. (ii) CDs grafted to polymer chains can develop their ability to form inclusion complexes with complementary guest moieties in other polymeric structures. The result is a ladder- or zipper-like arrangement, which can be also broken and reformed under certain stress conditions. Both types of CDsupramolecular gels can load and stabilize a variety of drugs via interaction with available polymer functional groups or with the CDs that are not participating in other complexes. Moreover, since the complex formation depends on various external and internal variables of the body, the syringeable CD gels can also provide stimuli-responsive drug release. This review focuses on the two main types of syringeable CD gels, prepared via self-aggregation of poly(pseudo)rotaxanes and via zipper-like assembly of CD-functionalized and guest-functionalized macromolecules, and analyzes the mechanisms and variables involved in the gelling processes and the most recent applications in the drug delivery field.

Poloxamine-cyclodextrin-simvastatin supramolecular systems promote osteoblast differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells.

Osteogenic/osteoinductive systems combine simvastatin, poloxamine Tetronic 908 (T908) and α-cyclodextrins (αCDs) in a supramolecular network that enhances the solubility/stability of the simvastatin hydroxy acid form and synergistically promotes osteoblast differentiation. Incorporation of 5% αCD transforms dilute T908 solutions (as low as 2% copolymer) into gels, enhances the osteoinductive activity of T908, and provides simvastatin sustained release for more than one week, which results in higher and more prolonged alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity. The performance of the intrinsically osteoinductive polypseudorotaxane scaffold can be easily tuned by modifying the concentrations of T908, αCD, and simvastatin in a certain range of values. Moreover, the use of affordable, stable materials that can be sterilized applying a conventional method make the supramolecular gels advantageous candidates as scaffolds to be applied in the critical defect using minimally invasive techniques.

Benznidazole drug delivery by binary and multicomponent inclusion complexes using cyclodextrins and polymers.

Benznidazole (BNZ) is the drug of choice for Chagas disease treatment, which affects about 9.8 million people worldwide. It has low solubility and high toxicity. The present study aimed to develop and characterize inclusion complexes (IC) in binary systems (BS) with BNZ and randomly methylated-ß-cyclodextrin (RMßCD) and in ternary systems (TS) with BNZ, RMßCD and hydrophilic polymers. The results showed that the solid BS had a large increase in dissolution rate (Q>80%). For the solid IC obtained, the kneading method, in ratio of 1:0.17 (77.8% in 60 min), appeared to be the most suitable for the development of a solid oral pharmaceutical product, with possible industrial scale-up and low concentration of CD. The solid TS containing 0.1% of hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC) showed no significant advantages compared to the binary IC in solid state. The use of cyclodextrins proved to be a viable tool for effective, standardized and safe drug delivery.

Bioinspired imprinted PHEMA-hydrogels for ocular delivery of carbonic anhydrase inhibitor drugs.

Hydrogels with high affinity for carbonic anhydrase (CA) inhibitor drugs have been designed trying to mimic the active site of the physiological metallo-enzyme receptor. Using hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) as the backbone component, zinc methacrylate, 1- or 4-vinylimidazole (1VI or 4VI), and N-hydroxyethyl acrylamide (HEAA) were combined at different ratios to reproduce in the hydrogels the cone-shaped cavity of the CA, which contains a Zn(2+) ion coordinated to three histidine residues. 4VI resembles histidine functionality better than 1VI, and, consequently, pHEMA-ZnMA(2) hydrogels bearing 4VI moieties were those with the greatest ability to host acetazolamide or ethoxzolamide (2 to 3 times greater network/water partition coefficient) and to sustain the release of these antiglaucoma drugs (50% lower release rate estimated by fitting to the square root kinetics). The use of acetazolamide as template during polymerization did not enhance the affinity of the network for the drugs. In addition to the remarkable improvement in the performance as controlled release systems, the biomimetic hydrogels were highly cytocompatible and possessed adequate oxygen permeability to be used as medicated soft contact lenses or inserts. The results obtained highlight the benefits of mimicking the structure of the physiological receptors for the design of advanced drug delivery systems.

Benznidazole.

THE CONFORMATION OF THE TITLE COMPOUND [SYSTEMATIC NAME: N-benzyl-2-(2-nitro-imidazol-1-yl)acetamide], C(12)H(12)N(4)O(3), can be described in terms of the relative orientation of three planar fragments, the imidazol group (A), benzyl group (B), and the acetamide fragment (C), with corresponding dihedral angles: A/C = 88.17 (4), B/C = 67.12 (5) and A/B = 21.11 (4)°. The crystal packing is enhanced by a network of strong inter-molecular N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds.

Characterization of beta-lapachone and methylated beta-cyclodextrin solid-state systems.

The purpose of this research was to explore the utility of beta cyclodextrin (betaCD) and beta cyclodextrin derivatives (hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin [HPbetaCD], sulfobutylether-beta-CD [SBbetaCD], and a randomly methylated-beta-CD [RMbetaCD]) to form inclusion complexes with the antitumoral drug, beta-lapachone (betaLAP), in order to overcome the problem of its poor water solubility. RMbetaCD presented the highest efficiency for betaLAP solubilization and was selected to develop solid-state binary systems. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray powder diffractometry (XRPD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and optical and scanning electron microscopy results suggest the formation of inclusion complexes by both freeze-drying and kneading techniques with a dramatic improvement in drug dissolution efficiency at 20-minute dissolution efficiency (DE(20-minute) 67.15% and 88.22%, respectively) against the drug (DE(20-minute) 27.11%) or the betaCD/drug physical mixture (DE(20-minute) 27.22%). However, the kneading method gives a highly crystalline material that together with the adequate drug dissolution profile make it the best procedure in obtaining inclusion complexes of RMbetaCD/betaLAP convenient for different applications of betaLAP.

Cyclodextrin/carbopol micro-scale interpenetrating networks (ms-IPNs) for drug delivery.

Cross-linking of hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HP beta CD) with ethyleneglycol diglycidylether (EGDE) in carbopol dispersions enabled the synthesis of cyclodextrin hydrogels with domains of interpenetrating acrylic microgels (micro-scale-IPNs) in a single step under mild conditions. As carbopol proportion increased, the hardness and compressibility of the ms-IPNs decreased, but their bioadhesion force and pH-responsiveness rose. Control HP beta CD hydrogel and ms-IPNs were loaded with estradiol and ketoconazole by immersion in drug suspensions, some of which were autoclaved to enhance (up to a 50%) drug/cyclodextrin affinity. ms-IPNs prepared with 0.8% or 1.0% carbopol showed the highest loading due to their greater swelling degree and, consequently, mesh size. The total loading of the ms-IPNs greatly exceeded (up to 200-fold) the amount dissolved in their aqueous phase, which highlights the main role of drug complexation with the cross-linked cyclodextrins. The affinity of the drug for HP beta CD sustained the release for several days; the rate being also dependent on carbopol content and on pH of the medium. Therefore, an adequate design of the HP beta CD/carbopol ms-IPNs provides a single material with tunable mechanical properties, in which the complexation ability of cyclodextrins is combined with the bioadhesive and pH-responsive properties of carbopol. The ms-IPNs are potentially useful as vehicles of relatively hydrophobic substances.

Solid-state characterization and dissolution profiles of the inclusion complexes of omeprazole with native and chemically modified beta-cyclodextrin.

The aim of this work was to investigate the formation of the inclusion complex between omeprazole (OME), a benzimidazolic derivative and a methylated cyclodextrin, methyl-beta-cyclodextrin (MbetaCD), with an average degree of substitution of 0.5. Inclusion complex between OME and beta-cyclodextrin (betaCD), a natural cyclodextrin, was used as reference. In aqueous media, apparent stability constants (K(s)), which describe the extent of formation of the complexes, have been determined by UV spectroscopy and 1H NMR experiments. The stoichiometry of the complexes was found to be 1:1 mol:mol OME:cyclodextrin (CD) and the value of K(s) was higher for OME:MbetaCD than for OME:betaCD inclusion complexes. Solid binary systems of OME and CDs were prepared by different techniques, namely kneading, spray-drying and freeze-drying. The formation and physicochemical characterization of solid inclusion complexes were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform-infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results show that freeze-drying method produces true inclusion complexes between OME and both CDs. In contrast, crystalline drug was detectable in kneaded and spray-drying products. The dissolution of OME from the binary systems was studied to select the most appropriate system for the development of a buccal drug delivery formulation. It was concluded that the preparation technique played an important role in the dissolution behaviour of the drug and the inclusion complex between OME and MbetaCD obtained by spray-drying and freeze-drying allowed better performances.

Improved anti-inflammatory properties for naproxen with cyclodextrin-grafted polysaccharides.

Mannan and carboxymethylcellulose, previously activated by periodate oxidation, were grafted with mono-6-butylenediamino-6-deoxy-beta-cyclodextrin derivatives by reductive alkylation in the presence of sodium borohydride. The formation of supramolecular complexes between these polymers and Naproxen was confirmed by fluorescence spectroscopy. The solubility of the drug was 3.8-4.6 fold increased in the presence of the cyclodextrin-grafted polysaccharides. The in vivo anti-inflammatory property of Naproxen was 1.7 times higher after supramolecular association with beta-cyclodextrin-branched mannan.

Sertaconazole/hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin complexation: isothermal titration calorimetry and solubility approaches.

Complexation of sertaconazole (SN) with hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HP-beta-CD) was characterized by phase-solubility diagram measurements and isothermal calorimetry (ITC) in aqueous medium, and by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffractometry in solid state. The strongest interaction was observed at pH 1.2, at which two different 1:1 complexes can be formed depending on the hydrophobic ring of the drug involved in the process. At pH 5.8 and 7.4 the likelihood of 1:2 stoichiometry increases as a consequence of the simultaneous complexation of the nonprotonized imidazolyl and the dichlorophenyl groups. In the presence of 20% HP-beta-CD, SN solubility is enhanced by a factor of 116, 107, and 5 at pH 1.2, 5.8, and 7.4, respectively. Complexation enthalpy recorded by ITC showed the same tendency which confirms the practical interest of this technique for fast screening of the potential of CDs as drug solubilizers. Solubility and dissolution rate of the drug from compacts prepared with freeze-dried complexes were significantly greater than those obtained with SN powder or compacts made with physical blends.

Cyclodextrin-grafted polysaccharides as supramolecular carrier systems for naproxen.

Dextran, mannan and carboxymethylcellulose, previously activated by periodate oxidation, were grafted with beta-cyclodextrin moieties by reductive alkylation in the presence of sodium borohydride. These polymers were used as supramolecular carriers for naproxen, improving the "in vivo" anti-inflammatory properties of this drug.

New cyclodextrin hydrogels cross-linked with diglycidylethers with a high drug loading and controlled release ability.

PURPOSE: The goal of the study is to develop new hydrogels based on cyclodextrins cross-linked with ethyleneglycol diglycidylether (EGDE) under mild conditions, to be used as carriers of amphiphilic drugs. Also, it aims to characterize the cross-linking and the drug loading and release processes. METHODS: The cross-linking of hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HPbetaCD) with EGDE, in the absence or presence of hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC) Methocel K4M, was optimized applying oscillatory rheometry and Fourier transform infrared. Hydrogels were characterized regarding swelling in water, ability to load diclofenac, and release after different drying treatments. RESULTS: Solutions of HPbetaCD (14.28%), without or with HPMC (0.2-1.0%), provided firm and transparent hydrogels after cross-linking with EGDE (14.28%), in which around two thirds of the OH groups were cross-linked. The incorporation of HPMC progressively reduced the gel time and the swelling degree of hydrogels. HPbetaCD hydrogels efficiently loaded diclofenac and sustained the release for several hours. The presence of HPMC slowed the release from swollen hydrogels, but promoted it from hydrogels dried before the loading and also before the release. CONCLUSIONS: HPbetaCD hydrogels with good mechanical properties and tunable loading and release ability can be obtained by direct cross-linking with EGDE.

Modulating drug release with cyclodextrins in hydroxypropyl methylcellulose gels and tablets.

This paper reports on the effect of beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) and hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HP-beta-CD) on the diffusion and the release behavior of diclofenac sodium and sulphamethizole from HPMC K4M gels and matrix tablets. The gels were prepared with 0.5-2.0% polymer and different drug/CD mole ratios, and their viscosity, cloud point and drug diffusion coefficients were estimated. No differences in cloud point were observed. The viscosity of the gels strongly depended on HPMC proportions (from 0.7 to 100 mPa.s), which affected to a lesser extent the resistance to the diffusion of the drugs (D values from 60 x 10(-6) to 5 x 10(-6) cm(2)/s). The influence of CD on diffusion was particularly evident in gels prepared with polymer proportions above its entanglement concentration, 2.0% HPMC K4M. In these systems, while high drug/CD proportions enhanced the diffusivity preventing polymer/drug hydrophobic interactions, low drug/CD ratios hindered it. An excess of free CD, especially the bulky HP-beta-CD, made the diffusion of the complexes in the relatively low mesh size 2% polymer network more difficult. In the case of tablets, CD plays an additional role as dissolution rate promoter. To evaluate to what extent the balance between the increase in dissolution rate and the decrease in diffusion rate induced by CD determines drug release, matrix tablets were prepared by direct compression of 100 mg drug and 400 mg polymer/CD/lactose blends, whose composition was chosen following a simplex centroid design. A higher CD/lactose ratio significantly increased the release rate of hydrophobic drugs (sulphamethizole), but decreased the release rate of hydrophilic drugs (diclofenac sodium), indicating the predominance of a different contribution depending on the hydrophilicity of the drug. Therefore, the use of CD derivatives may be particularly useful to modulate drug release from HPMC gels and matrix tablets; the influence of these additives being dependent on the nature of the drug and on the molecular size and hydrophilic character of the CD used.