Antioxidant Biodegradable Covalent Cyclodextrin Frameworks as Particulate Carriers for Inhalation Therapy against Acute Lung Injury.

Drug therapies for acute lung injury (ALI) are far from satisfactory, primarily because drugs cannot specifically target the lungs. Direct delivery of drugs to the deep alveolar regions by inhalation administration is crucial for the treatment of ALI. However, conventional inhalable carriers such as lactose and mannitol are generally inactive. Therefore, the use of a novel pharmacologically active carrier for pulmonary delivery may produce synergetic effects in treating ALI. Considering the pathophysiological environment of ALI, which typically featured excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) and acute inflammation, we synthesized a novel kind of biodegradable and ROS-sensitive cross-linked covalent cyclodextrin frameworks (OC-COF) with uniform inhalable particle size to treat ALI. OC-COF was devised to incorporate H2O2-scavenging peroxalate ester linkages, which could hydrolyze and eliminate ROS generated in inflammatory sites. Ligustrazine (LIG), an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory natural compound, was loaded into OC-COF and evaluated as a dry powder inhaler (LIG@OC-COF) in vitro and in vivo, showing favorable aerodynamic properties and prominent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacities for the synergistic effects of OC-COF and LIG. In ALI rats, inhalation of LIG@OC-COF with a one-fifth LIG dose significantly alleviated the inflammation, oxidant stress, and lung damage. Western blot analysis demonstrated that LIG@OC-COF protected the lungs by regulating the Nrf2/NF-κB signaling pathway. In summary, this study provides a novel ROS-responsive material as an inhalable particulate carrier for the improved treatment of ALI and other medical conditions.

Redefinition to bilayer osmotic pump tablets as subterranean river system within mini-earth via three-dimensional structure mechanism.

Defining and visualizing the three-dimensional (3D) structures of pharmaceuticals provides a new and important tool to elucidate the phenomenal behavior and underlying mechanisms of drug delivery systems. The mechanism of drug release from complex structured dosage forms, such as bilayer osmotic pump tablets, has not been investigated widely for most solid 3D structures. In this study, bilayer osmotic pump tablets undergoing dissolution, as well as after dissolution in a desiccated solid state were examined, and visualized by synchrotron radiation micro-computed tomography (SR-µCT). In situ formed 3D structures at different in vitro drug release states were characterized comprehensively. A distinct movement pattern of NaCl crystals from the push layer to the drug layer was observed, beneath the semi-permeable coating in the desiccated tablet samples. The 3D structures at different dissolution time revealed that the pushing upsurge in the bilayer osmotic pump tablet was directed via peripheral "roadways". Typically, different regions of the osmotic front, infiltration region, and dormant region were classified in the push layer during the dissolution of drug from tablet samples. According to the observed 3D microstructures, a "subterranean river model" for the drug release mechanism has been defined to explain the drug release mechanism.

Bridging the structure gap between pellets in artificial dissolution media and in gastro-intestinal tract in rats.

Changes in structure of oral solid dosage forms (OSDF) elementally determine the drug release and its therapeutic effects. In this research, synchrotron radiation X-ray micro-computed tomography was utilized to visualize the 3D structure of enteric coated pellets recovered from the gastrointestinal tract of rats. The structures of pellets in solid state and in vitro compendium media were measured. Pellets in vivo underwent morphological and structural changes which differed significantly from those in vitro compendium media. Thus, optimizations of the dissolution media were performed to mimic the appropriate in vivo conditions by introducing pepsin and glass microspheres in media. The sphericity, pellet volume, pore volume and porosity of the in vivo esomeprazole magnesium pellets in stomach for 2 h were recorded 0.47, 1.55 × 108 µm3, 0.44 × 108 µm3 and 27.6%, respectively. After adding pepsin and glass microspheres, the above parameters in vitro reached to 0.44, 1.64 × 108 µm3, 0.38 × 108 µm3 and 23.0%, respectively. Omeprazole magnesium pellets behaved similarly. The structural features of pellets between in vitro media and in vivo condition were bridged successfully in terms of 3D structures to ensure better design, characterization and quality control of advanced OSDF.

Microrobotic laser steering for minimally invasive surgery.

The creation of multiarticulated mechanisms for use with minimally invasive surgical tools is difficult because of fabrication, assembly, and actuation challenges on the millimeter scale of these devices. Nevertheless, such mechanisms are desirable for granting surgeons greater precision and dexterity to manipulate and visualize tissue at the surgical site. Here, we describe the construction of a complex optoelectromechanical device that can be integrated with existing surgical tools to control the position of a fiber-delivered laser. By using modular assembly and a laminate fabrication method, we are able to create a smaller and higher-bandwidth device than the current state of the art while achieving a range of motion similar to existing tools. The device we present is 6 millimeters in diameter and 16 millimeters in length and is capable of focusing and steering a fiber-delivered laser beam at high speed (1.2-kilohertz bandwidth) over a large range (over ±10 degrees in both of two axes) with excellent static repeatability (200 micrometers).

Multiscale Co-reconstruction of Lung Architectures and Inhalable Materials Spatial Distribution.

The effective pulmonary deposition of inhaled particulate carriers loaded with drugs is a prerequisite for therapeutic effects of drug delivery via inhalation route. Revealing the sophisticated lung scaffold and intrapulmonary distribution of particles at three-dimensional (3D), in-situ, and single-particle level remains a fundamental and critical challenge for dry powder inhalation in pre-clinical research. Here, taking advantage of the micro optical sectioning tomography system, the high-precision cross-scale visualization of entire lung anatomy is obtained. Then, co-localized lung-wide datasets of both cyto-architectures and fluorescent particles are collected at full scale with the resolution down to individual particles. The precise spatial distribution pattern reveals the region-specific distribution and structure-associated deposition of the inhalable particles in lungs, which is undetected by previous methods. Overall, this research delivers comprehensive and high-resolution 3D detection of pulmonary drug delivery vectors and provides a novel strategy to evaluate materials distribution for drug delivery.

Dynamic structure model of polyelectrolyte complex based controlled-release matrix tablets visualized by synchrotron radiation micro-computed tomography.

Hydrophilic matrix tablets are the most commonly used dosage forms to fabricate oral controlled-release systems. It is highly desirable to design delivery system with novel mechanism to achieve sustained drug release through a simplified preparation process. The chitosan-anionic polymers based matrix tablets is assumed to produce self-assembly in the gastrointestinal tract, then transferring into film-coated tablets from original matrix type. But its dynamic behavior during dissolution process and the on-going internal microstructural changes during drug release were still in the dark. In this study, by using synchrotron radiation X-ray micro-tomography (SR-µCT) with phase contrast imaging, the micro-structure characteristics of chitosan-λ-carrageenan (CS-λ-CG) matrix based tablets during the dissolution were successfully elucidated for the first time. The qualitative and quantitative analyses of intensity distribution distinguished a hydrated CS-λ-CG layer from a solid core. Visualization based on 3D models provided quantitative details on the micro-structural characteristics of hydration dynamics. After CS-λ-CG matrix tablets were immersed in simulated gastric fluid (SGF) pH 1.2 medium for 0.5-2.0 h, the hydrated layer transformed into a gel layer and a solid swollen layer. The erosion front, swelling front, and solvent penetration front were also defined from the distinguishable micro-structures. More importantly, once the matrix tablet was transferred from SGF to the simulated intestinal fluid (SIF) pH 6.8 medium, a new layer with the enhanced strength and compactness in comparison to common gels was formed on the surface of tablets. The temporal and spatial variation of 3D models further provided direct evidence for this cross-linking behavior, the new layer was composed of CS-λ-CG polyelectrolyte complexes (PEC) which subsequently dominated release mechanisms. In summary, the phase contrast SR-µCT technique was utilized to investigate the hydration dynamics of CS-λ-CG matrix tablets which was supposed to provide a novel drug release mechanism. Based on the structure feature obtained from the high contrast image, different hydration region was distinguished and the cross-linked film was identified and visualized directly for the first time.

Static and dynamic structural features of single pellets determine the release behaviors of metoprolol succinate sustained-release tablets.

The multiple-unit sustained-release (MUSR) dosage forms containing numerous sustained-release subunits present a reliable choice for oral formulation of controlled release systems. As a typical MUSR, the metoprolol succinate sustained-release tablet is an advanced system with limited researches devoted to relating its structure to the drug release phase other than the preparation process and modulation to the release behaviors. This research details a three-dimension method to image the internal structure and detail drug release features of commercial metoprolol succinate sustained-release tablets and component individual single pellets. As such, a new perspective for MUSR dosage form is provided. Using high energy synchrotron radiation X-ray microcomputed tomography (SR-µCT), the in-situ structure parameters were obtained nondestructively. It was demonstrated that the average number of spherical pellets in a tablet was 853 ± 12 (n = 3). The average volume of the pellets was 0.09 ± 0.01 mm3, the diameter was 0.55 ± 0.03 mm, and the sphericity was 0.87 ± 0.06. These data reflected the numerical features of pellets in MUSR tablets, which were helpful for reverse engineering to MUSR. Based on the three dimensional model generated by image processing and analysis software, the pellet structures were divided into three layers of typical depot sustained release system: pellet core, drug-containing layer and outer film. The dynamic structural features determined refer to the changes of structures in pellets during in vitro drug release, with evidence that the coating layer on the pellets maintained a spherical morphology whilst numerous valleys appeared on the surface. The material constitution and distribution in coating layer were evaluated by synchrotron radiation-based Fourier transform infrared mapping and results indicated a composition of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose dispersed in ethyl cellulose. Knowledge of these structural characteristics confirmed that the mechanism of sustained drug release was membrane controlled and consistent with the drug release profiles. In conclusion, the structural investigation provided knowledge of the intrinsic quality of metoprolol succinate sustained-release tablets and offers guidance for reverse engineering of MUSR.

Cuboidal tethered cyclodextrin frameworks tailored for hemostasis and injured vessel targeting.

Rationale: Targeted delivery of therapeutic drugs or imaging agents to injured blood vessels via nanocarriers is likely to be dependent on the particle shape, yet cubic nanoparticle carriers have not been reported for vascular targeting. Here, we demonstrate that cuboidal cyclodextrin frameworks possess superior hemostasis effect and injured vessels targeting compared with spherical counterpart. Methods: Cuboidal and biocompatible γ-cyclodextrin metal-organic frameworks (CD-MOFs) are synthesized, tethered via crosslinking and surface modification with GRGDS peptide (GS5-MOFs). The specific interactions of cubic GS5-MOF nanoparticles with activated platelets were investigated by in vitro platelet aggregation assay and atomic force microscopy measurements (AFM). The hemostatic capacity and injured vessel targeting efficacy were evaluated in vivo. Results: Cuboidal GS5-MOF nanoparticles exhibit enhanced adhesion and aggregation with activated platelets in vitro under static condition and a physiologically relevant flow environment. The cubic GS5-MOF nanoparticles show efficient hemostatic effects with bleeding time and blood loss decrease of 90% and strong injured vessel targeting in vivo, markedly superior to spherical γ-CD nanosponges with the same chemical composition. Conclusions: These results clearly highlight the contribution of the cuboidal shape of GS5-MOFs to the enhanced aggregation of activated platelets and high targeting to damaged vessels. The cuboidal nanoparticle system provides an innovative delivery platform for the treatment and diagnosis of vascular diseases.

Nanoporous CD-MOF particles with uniform and inhalable size for pulmonary delivery of budesonide.

It is essential to optimize a carrier of dry powder inhalation (DPI) for the aerodynamic deposition in vitro to achieve pulmonary delivery of drug molecules in vivo. In this study, neutralized nanoporous γ-cyclodextrin metal-organic framework (CD-MOF) crystals with cubic morphology and uniform inhalation size were developed and modified as a DPI carrier for budesonide (BUD). Cholesterol (CHO) and leucine (LEU)-poloxamer were used to modify the CD-MOF powder for the improvement of flowability and particle aerodynamic behaviour, for which the particle size distribution, Carr's index and in vitro pulmonary deposition were assessed. Compared to CD-MOF or LEU-CD-MOF-BUD, CHO-CD-MOF had a superior mass median aerodynamic diameter (4.35 ±â€¯0.04 µm) and inhalable performance (fine particle fraction of 30.60 ±â€¯0.76%), which were maintained after budesonide loading (4.47 ±â€¯0.30 µm, 24.95 ±â€¯4.33%). The crystallinity, cytotoxicity and in vivo deposition of drug loaded samples (CHO-CD-MOF-BUD) were then investigated by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), cell viability study, in vivo fluorescence imaging and pharmacokinetic studies in rats. The characteristic PXRD crystallinity peaks of budesonide disappeared after being loaded into CHO-CD-MOF, potentially indicating the molecular incorporation of budesonide into the pores of CD-MOF. The cell viability of A549 cell was more than 90% for CHO-CD-MOF-BUD as a result of the good biocompatibility of CD-MOF. When Rhodamine B was carried by the DPI particles, the fluorescence signal at the lung tissue was markedly improved after cholesterol modification compared with CD-MOF, whilst the bioavailability of CHO-CD-MOF-BUD in rat was equivalent with that of the commercial product of Pulmicort Turbuhaler. Therefore, the CD-MOF powders modified by cholesterol can be used as a promising inhalable carrier for pulmonary delivery of drugs with small dose.

Material distributions and functional structures in probiotic microcapsules.

Smart microstructure design of dosage forms such as microcapsules that protect the microorganism, can improve probiotics survival from gastric pH challenges and prolong their shelf life. In this study, synchrotron radiation X-ray microcomputed tomography (SR-µCT) was applied to quantitatively reveal the material distributions and functional structures of bifidobacterium and lactobacillus microcapsules. The shell layer, middle protective layer, and the microorganisms as particles in the center layer were extracted and visualized. All the microorganisms were encapsulated by the shell completely, which prevents them from being destroyed by external environments. However, the non-uniform thickness of the shell and typical defects in the microcapsules were observed. The quantitative analysis and characterization of internal microstructures provide evidence of the need for further improvement in formulations and processing technologies for the structured system to deliver living microorganisms.

Enhanced stability of vitamin A palmitate microencapsulated by γ-cyclodextrin metal-organic frameworks.

γ-Cyclodextrin metal-organic frameworks (γ-CD-MOFs) are highly porous and bio-friendly novel materials formed by γ-CD as an organic ligand and potassium ion as an inorganic metal centre. The aim of this study was to enhance the stability of vitamin A palmitate (VAP) using γ-CD-MOFs as the carrier. Herein, γ-CD-MOFs displayed VAP microencapsulating capacity of 9.77 ± 0.24% with molar ratio as nMOFs:nVAP = 3.2:1.0. It was important to find that the improved stability of VAP microencapsulated by γ-CD-MOFs without addition of any antioxidant(s) was better than that of the best available reference product in the market, with 1.6-fold elongated half-life. The protecting mechanism of γ-CD-MOFs for VAP contributed that VAP molecules preferentially curled inside the cavities of dual γ-CD pairs in γ-CD-MOFs. It was proved that γ-CD-MOFs were an efficient new carrier to deliver and protect VAP for food and pharmaceutical applications.

Synchrotron Radiation Microcomputed Tomography Guided Chromatographic Analysis for Displaying the Material Distribution in Tablets.

One unusual and challenging scientific field that has received only cursory attention to date is the three-dimensional (3D) microstructure and spatial distribution of drug(s) and formulation materials in solid dosage forms. This study aims to provide deeper insight into the relationships between the microstructure of multiple-unit pellet system (MUPS) tablets and the spatial distribution of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and excipients to facilitate the design of quantitative models for drug delivery systems. Synchrotron radiation X-ray microcomputed tomography (SR-µCT) was established as a 3D structure elucidation technique, which, in conjunction with liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-MS) or liquid chromatography with evaporative light-scattering detector (LC-ELSD) enables chemical analysis of tablets. On the basis of the specific interior construction of theophylline MUPS tablets, the spatial distribution of materials was acquired by quantifying microregion samples that had been validated by SR-µCT for their locations in the MUPS tablets. The 3D structure of the MUPS tablets was catalogued as three structural domains: a matrix layer (ML), a protective cushion layer (PCL), and pellets (PL). Compared with the components in the ML, components in the PL had a larger proportion of theophylline, sucrose, and diethyl phthalate and a smaller proportion of lactose and sodium lauryl sulfate, whereas glyceryl monostearate was found to account for a large portion of the PCL. Microstructural characterization-guided zonal chemical determination represents a new approach for quality assessment and the development of drug delivery systems with in-depth insight into their constituent layers on a new scale.

A stable hydrocortisone nanosuspension for improved dissolution: Preparation, characterization and in vitro evaluation.

Drug nanosuspensions have gained tremendous attraction as a platform in drug delivery. In the present work, a nanosuspension was prepared by a wet milling approach in order to increase saturation solubility and dissolution of the water insoluble drug, hydrocortisone. Size of the generated particeles was 290 nm ± 9 nm having a zeta potential of -1.9 mV ± 0.6 mV. Nanosized particles were found to have a rod shape with a narrow particle size distribution (PDI =0.17). Results of differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction analyses revealed minor modifications of crystallinity of hydrocortisone following the milling process. Solubility of hydrocortisone was enhanced by nanonization to 875µg/ml ±2.5, an almost 2.9-fold compared to the raw hydrocortisone. Moreover, the nanosuspension formulation substabtially enhanced the dissolution rate of hydrocortisone where >97% of the hydrocortisone was dissolved within 10 minutes opposed to 22.3% for the raw 50% for the raw hydrocortisone and the commercial tablet, respectively. The bioavailability study resulted in AUC 0-9h for HC nanosuspensions (31.50±2.50), which is significantly (p<0.05) higher compared to the AUC 0-9h (14.85±3.25) resulted for HC solution. The nanosuspension was physically stable at room temperature for 24 months.

Classification of microcrystalline celluloses via structures of individual particles measured by synchrotron radiation X-ray micro-computed tomography.

Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) is one of the most important excipients due to its outstanding binding and tableting properties. Owing to the absence of high resolution characterization techniques at the single particle scale, 3D (three dimension) microstructure of MCC and its effects on formulation performance remain unexamined. The aim of this work was to establish a methodology for single particles of MCC type 102 based on synchrotron radiation X-ray micro computed tomography (SR-µCT), principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least square discriminant analysis (PLSDA). Scanning electron microscopy, SR-µCT, powders properties together with tensile strength (TS), disintegration time (DT), Kawakita plots and force/displacement profiles of tablets were measured. PCA-PLSDA was applied to evaluate the structural classification of MCC particles on the basis of 2D and 3D SR-µCT derived images. The studied MCCs were found to differ in the TS, DT, Kawakita plot and force/displacement, while box ratio and Feret ratio had major influence on the principal components, but the angle of repose, bulk and tapped density did not exhibit significantly. These findings verified that different samples of MCCs from alternative suppliers have morphological diversity when assessed at the individual particle level, which could result into variation in powder properties and tableting performance.

Host-guest kinetic interactions between HP-ß-cyclodextrin and drugs for prediction of bitter taste masking.

Cyclodextrins (CD) are widely used bitter taste masking agents, for which the binding equilibrium constant (K) for the drug-CD complex is a conventional parameter for quantitating the taste masking effects. However, some exceptions have been reported to the expected relationship between K and bitterness reduction and the relationship between kinetic parameters of a drug-CD interaction, including association rate constant (Ka) and disassociation rate constant (Kd), and taste masking remains unexplored. In this study, based upon a database of kinetic parameters of drugs-HP-ß-CD generated by Surface Plasmon Resonance Imaging for 485 drugs, the host-guest kinetic interactions between drugs and HP-ß-CD for prediction of taste masking effects have been investigated. The taste masking effects of HP-ß-CD for 13 bitter drugs were quantitatively determined using an electronic gustatory system (α-Astree e-Tongue). Statistical software was used to establish a model based on Euclidean distance measurements, Ka and Kd of the bitter drugs/HP-ß-CD-complexes (R2=0.96 and P<0.05). Optimized parameters, Ka3, Kd, KaKd, Kd3, Ka2 and Ka/Kd with notable influence, were obtained by stepwise regression from 12 parameters derived from Ka, Kd and K (Ka/Kd). 10-fold cross-validation was used to verify the reliability of the model (correlation coefficient of 0.84, P<0.05). The established model indicated a relationship between Ka, Kd, K and taste masking by HP-ß-CD and was successful in predicting the extent of taste masking by HP-ß-CD of 44 bitter drugs, which was in accordance with the literature reported. In conclusion, the relationship between kinetics of drug-CD interactions and taste masking was established and providing a new strategy for predicting the cyclodextrin mediated bitter taste masking.

Design, Fabrication, and Testing of a Needle-Sized Wrist for Surgical Instruments.

This paper presents a miniature wrist that can be integrated into needle-sized surgical instruments. The wrist consists of a nitinol tube with asymmetric cutouts that is actuated by a single tendon to provide high distal curvature. We derive and experimentally validate kinematic and static models for the wrist and describe several prototype wrists, illustrating the straightforward fabrication and scalability of the design. We experimentally investigate fatigue life, the concept of tip-first bending, and practical use of the wrist with a concentric tube robot in an endonasal surgical scenario.

Three dimensional distribution of surfactant in microspheres revealed by synchrotron radiation X-ray microcomputed tomography.

This study investigated the formulation mechanism of microspheres via internal surfactant distribution. Eudragit L100 based microspheres loaded with bovine serum albumin were prepared by solid in oil in oil emulsion solvent evaporation method using acetone and liquid paraffin system containing sucrose stearate as a surfactant. The fabricated microspheres were evaluated for encapsulation efficiency, particle size, production yield, and in vitro release characteristics. The internal structures of microspheres were characterized using synchrotron radiation X-ray microcomputed tomography (SR-µCT). The enhanced contrast made the sucrose stearate distinguished from Eudragit to have its three dimensional (3D) distribution. Results indicated that the content and concentration determined the state of sucrose stearate and had significant influences on the release kinetics of protein. The dispersity of sucrose stearate was the primary factor that controlled the structure of the microspheres and further affected the encapsulation efficiency, effective drug loading, as well as in vitro release behavior. In conclusion, the 3D internal distribution of surfactant in microspheres and its effects on protein release behaviors have been revealed for the first time. The highly resolved 3D architecture provides new evidence for the deep understanding of the microsphere formation mechanism.

A comparison report of three advanced methods for drug-cyclodextrin interaction measurements.

Three advanced methods, high performance affinity chromatography (HPAC), surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and surface plasmon resonance imaging (SPRi) were compared and evaluated for determining the drug-cyclodextrin (CD) interactions herein. In total, 18 sparingly soluble drugs were selected for this comparative study. The three methods share a unique connection in the working principles and strategies. The same strategies of CD fixation onto solid phase were used in HPAC and SPR for the measurements, whereas, the SPR and SPRi share identical working principles. However, whilst these relationships are evident, no strong correlation was found between kinetic constants obtained from the three methods: Four drugs, namely, prednisolone, pseudolaric acid B, diazepam and gramisetron failed to show any response on SPR, whereas, the kinetics parameters from SPRi and HPAC were successfully measured. From a comparative review of all the kinetic data, random results without any trends were observed (ka, kd and KA) regardless of the relationships between the three methods: It is apparent that the measurement conditions (volume, flow rate, buffers), non-specific adsorption and experimental procedures had a strong impact on the generated data. The relative advantages and limitations of each method are critically presented on the basis of generated data. This comparative study provides a basis to further upgrade these techniques for confident measurement of drug-CDs interactions.

Optimized synthesis and crystalline stability of γ-cyclodextrin metal-organic frameworks for drug adsorption.

The biocompatible and renewable cyclodextrin metal-organic frameworks (CD-MOFs) have addressed a range of opportunities in molecular storage and separation sciences. The reported protocols for their synthesis, however, were carried out at room temperature over long time periods of time (24h), producing crystals of relatively poor uniformity. In this investigation, micron sized γ-CD-MOFs were synthesized by an optimized vapor diffusion method at elevated temperature (50°C) within 6h, after which the size control, crystalline stability and drug adsorption behavior were investigated in detail. In this manner, uniform cubic γ-CD-MOF crystals were obtained when the reaction temperature was raised to 50°C with pre-addition of the reaction solvent. The size of γ-CD-MOFs was adjusted efficiently by changing the reactant concentrations, temperatures, time, γ-CD ratios to KOH and surfactant concentrations, without influencing the porosity and crystallinity of the material markedly. Varing degrees of reduction in crystallinity and change in morphology were observed when the γ-CD-MOF crystals are treated under conditions of high temperature (100°C), high humidity (92.5%) and polar solvents (e.g., MeOH and DMF). In relation to drug adsorption by γ-CD-MOFs, most of the drug molecules containing carboxyl groups showed relatively high adsorption (>5%), while low adsorption (<5%) was found for drugs with nitrogen-containing heterocyclic rings. In addition, the adsorption kinetics of captopril to standard γ-CD-MOFs matched a pseudo-second-order model rather well, whilst captopril adsorption to the damaged γ-CD-MOFs only partially matched the pseudo-second-order model. In summary, based upon the optimized synthesis and size control of γ-CD-MOFs, the crystalline stability and drug adsorption characteristics of γ-CD-MOF crystals have been evaluated as a fundamental requirement of a potential vehicle for drug delivery.

Three dimensional structural insight of laser drilled orifices in osmotic pump tablets.

The orifice drilled in the membrane as a channel for drug delivery is the key functional part of the osmotic pumps for a controlled drug release system. Reported conventional microscopic evaluations of these orifices have been limited to measurement of two-dimensional cross-section diameters. This study was aimed at establishing a novel method to measure quantitatively the three-dimensional architectures of orifices based on synchrotron radiation X-ray microcomputed tomography (SR-µCT). Quantitative analysis of architectures extracted from captopril osmotic pumps drilled by a range of operating parameters indicated that laser power correlated with the cross section area, volume, surface area and depth of the orifices, while scanning speed of laser beam showed inverse relationships with the above structure characters. The synchrotron radiation based Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy mapping showed that there was no apparent chemical change in the surrounding area of the orifice compared with the normal membrane region. Thus SR-µCT was successfully applied to marketed felodipine osmotic pumps for architectural evaluation of the orifices. In conclusion, the first three-dimensional structural insight of orifices in osmotic pump tablets by SR-µCT and structural reconstruction for the architectures has provided deeper insight into improving the design of advanced osmotic pumps for controlled drug release.