Nanocosmeceuticals: facets and aspects.

The global cosmetic market prized $532.43 billion USD in 2017 is expected to reach $805.61 billion USD by 2023, with a 7.14% compound annual growth rate. These figures have appealed to the cosmeceutical players for developing new and effective products containing advanced materials. Cosmetics incorporated with pharmaceutical actives, termed as 'cosmeceuticals,' are receiving an overwhelming response from cosmetic industry. Nowadays, the implementation of nanotechnology for enhanced effectiveness of cosmeceuticals is witnessing a huge success. These applications include remedies for hair damage, wrinkles, aging and skin dryness. Currently, there is a need to establish regulations and harmonized guidelines for nanotechnology-based products to assess their efficacy, safety and toxicity profiles. This review summarizes current development, applications, safety and regulations of nanocosmeceuticals.

Effect of USP Induction Ports, Glass Sampling Apparatus, and Inhaler Device Resistance on Aerodynamic Patterns of Fluticasone Propionate-Loaded Engineered Mannitol Microparticles.

The present investigation is to study the effect of two different induction ports (IP), i.e., USP IP and USP-modified IP equipped with andersen cascade impactor on in vitro aerodynamic performance along with the impact of USP-modified glass sampling apparatus on delivered dose uniformity of fluticasone propionate (FP) dry powder inhaler (DPI). FP DPI was fabricated by spray drying technique using engineered mannitol microparticles (EMP) with different force controlling agents, i.e., leucine and magnesium stearate. Additionally, commercially available two DPI inhaler devices namely Handihaler® and Breezhaler® were used to aerosolize the FP blends. Spherical smooth surface of EMP showed good powder flow properties and acceptable percentage content uniformity (> 95%). Amounts of FP deposited in cascade assembly using USP-modified IP with the Breezhaler® device was significantly higher (1.32-fold) as compared with the Handihaler® device. Moreover, USP-modified IP showed better deposition as compared with USP IP. Additionally, both inhaler devices showed a satisfactory delivered dose (> 105%) for FP using modified glass sampling apparatus at a flow rate of 60 L/min for 2 s. It was interesting to note that not only formulation properties but also IP geometry and device resistance have significant impact on DPI deposition pattern. This study is a first detailed account of aerodynamic performance of FP using USP-modified IP and USP-modified glass sampling apparatus. Thus, it can be of potential importance for both the academic and industry perspective.

Anticancer and antimetastatic potential of enterolactone: Clinical, preclinical and mechanistic perspectives.

Currently cancer is the second leading cause of death globally and worldwide incidence and mortality rates of all cancers of males and females are rising tremendously. In spite of advances in chemotherapy and radiation, metastasis and recurrence are considered as the major causes of cancer related deaths. Hence there is a mounting need to develop new therapeutic modalities to treat metastasis and recurrence in cancers. A significant amount of substantiation from epidemiological, clinical and laboratory research highlights the importance of diet and nutrition in cancer chemoprevention. Enterolactone (EL) is a bioactive phenolic metabolite known as a mammalian lignan derived from dietary lignans. Here in we review the reported anti-cancer properties of EL at preclinical as well as clinical level. Several in-vivo and in-vitro studies have provided strong evidence that EL exhibits potent anti-cancer and/or protective properties against different cancers including breast, prostate, colo-rectal, lung, ovarian, endometrial, cervical cancers and hepatocellular carcinoma. Reported laboratory studies indicate a clear role for EL in preventing cancer progression at various stages including cancer cell proliferation, survival, angiogenesis, inflammation and metastasis. In clinical settings, EL has been reported to reduce risk, decrease mortality rate and improve overall survival particularly in breast, prostate, colon, gastric and lung cancer. Further, the in-vitro human cell culture studies provide strong evidence of the anticancer and antimetastatic mechanisms of EL in several cancers. This comprehensive review supports an idea of projecting EL as a promising candidate for developing anticancer drug or adjunct dietary supplements and nutraceuticals.

Phytoconstituent based dry powder inhalers as biomedicine for the management of pulmonary diseases.

Pulmonary disease represents a major global health issue. They are commonly treated by various synthetic molecules. But, frequent high-dose of oral and injectable drugs may lead to severe side effects and this juncture demands inhaled formulations that facilitate effective drug delivery to the lower airways with negligible side effects. Natural phytoconstituents or phytoalexin (i.e. plant antibiotics) have showed an unique treatment array with minimum side effects and great capability to treat intrapulmonary and extrapulmonary diseases compared to synthetic drugs. Moreover, the progress of disciplines such as nanotechnology, material science and particle engineering allows further improvement of the treatment capability and efficiency. This article review and analyze literatures on inhaled phytoconstituents which were published in the last 10 years. Additionally, it will also offer the researcher with some basic background information for phytoconstituents profile, formulation requirements and drug delivery systems.

Potential of dry powder inhalers for tuberculosis therapy: facts, fidelity and future.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a contagious and airborne infectious disease caused by the pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). In spite of substantial research efforts, continuous multiple high-dose drug therapy regularly for 4-7 months can impede patient quality of life. The pathology of TB and biology of pulmonary airways permits for a variety of drug delivery strategies and natural route of infection denotes a more logical remedial approach for treatment of TB. Pulmonary delivery is non-invasive, allow easy transcytosis in alveolar region, avoids first-pass metabolism and extensive vascularization facilitates delivery of therapeutic agents to infection site. It also potentially reduces the frequency with dose requirement and linked side effects. Dry powder is a most preferred inhalation option due to their greater physiochemical stability over liquid or suspension based formulations. Dry powder inhalers (DPIs) are easy to handle and appropriate for high-dose formulations. Moreover, the progress of disciplines such as nanotechnology, particle engineering, material science and molecular biology permits further expansion of treatment capability and efficiency. Thus, this article will focus on the role of novel DPIs systems for treatment of TB. This article also contains a dedicated section discussing about technical limitations and clinical challenges with help of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis. Additionally, it will also offer some basic background information for drug repurposing, formulation development and drug delivery systems.

Enterolactone modulates the ERK/NF-κB/Snail signaling pathway in triple-negative breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 to revert the TGF-ß-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

OBJECTIVE: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is highly metastatic, and there is an urgent unmet need to develop novel therapeutic strategies leading to the new drug discoveries against metastasis. The transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) is known to promote the invasive and migratory potential of breast cancer cells through induction of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) via the ERK/NF-κB/Snail signaling pathway, leading to breast cancer metastasis. Targeting this pathway to revert the EMT would be an attractive, novel therapeutic strategy to halt breast cancer metastasis. METHODS: Effects of enterolactone (EL) on the cell cycle and apoptosis were investigated using flow cytometry and a cleaved caspase-3 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively. Effects of TGF-ß induction and EL treatment on the functional malignancy of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells were investigated using migration and chemo-invasion assays. The effects of EL on EMT markers and the ERK/NF-κB/Snail signaling pathway after TGF-ß induction were studied using confocal microscopy, quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), Western blot, and flow cytometry. RESULTS: Herein, we report that EL exhibits a significant antimetastatic effect on MDA-MB-231 cells by almost reverting the TGF-ß-induced EMT in vitro. EL downregulates the mesenchymal markers N-cadherin and vimentin, and upregulates the epithelial markers E-cadherin and occludin. It represses actin stress fiber formation via inhibition of mitogen-activated protein kinase p-38 (MAPK-p38) and cluster of differentiation 44 (CD44). EL also suppresses ERK-1/2, NF-κB, and Snail at the mRNA and protein levels. CONCLUSIONS: Briefly, EL was found to inhibit TGF-ß-induced EMT by blocking the ERK/NF-κB/Snail signaling pathway, which is a promising target for breast cancer metastasis therapy.

Enterolactone Suppresses Proliferation, Migration and Metastasis of MDA-MB-231 Breast Cancer Cells Through Inhibition of uPA Induced Plasmin Activation and MMPs-Mediated ECM Remodeling

Background: To enhance their own survival, tumor cells can manipulate their microenvironment through remodeling of the extra cellular matrix (ECM). The urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) system catalyzes plasmin production which further mediates activation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and plays an important role in breast cancer invasion and metastasis through ECM remodeling. This provides a potential target for therapeutic intervention of breast cancer treatment. Enterolactone (EL) is derived from dietary flax lignans in the human body and is known to have anti-breast cancer activity. We here investigated molecular and cellular mechanisms of EL action on the uPA-plasmin- MMPs system. Methods: MTT and trypan blue dye exclusion assays, anchorage-dependent clonogenic assays and wound healing assays were carried out to study effects on cell proliferation and viability, clonogenicity and migration capacity, respectively. Real-time PCR was employed to study gene expression and gelatin zymography was used to assess MMP-2 and MMP-9 activities. All data were statistically analysed and presented as mean ± SEM values. Results: All the findings collectively demonstrated anticancer and antimetastatic potential of EL with antiproliferative, antimigratory and anticlonogenic cellular mechanisms. EL was found to exhibit multiple control of plasmin activation by down-regulating uPA expression and also up-regulating its natural inhibitor, PAI-1, at the mRNA level. Further, EL was found to down-regulate expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 genes, and up-regulate TIMP-1 and TIMP-2; natural inhibitors of MMP-2 and MMP-9, respectively. This may be as a consequence of inhibition of plasmin activation, resulting in robust control over migration and invasion of breast cancer cells during metastasis. Conclusions: EL suppresses proliferation, migration and metastasis of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells by inhibiting induced ECM remodeling by the 'uPA-plasmin-MMPs system'.

Contemporary acupressure therapy: Adroit cure for painless recovery of therapeutic ailments.

Since time immemorial, complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) have played a significant role in human health care. CAM is known to have a strong reputation and reliability within every culture to provide basic health care treatment for patients. CAM acts as a better therapeutic option in human being for treating various diseases and improving quality of life with apt consideration to the economic aspects. Acupressure, one of the known CAM, originated in ancient China is based on the principal of acupoints activation across the meridians which correct the imbalance between Qi. Activation of specific points on the meridians is known to facilitate reduction of pain at the local sites. It also reduces the pain from other body parts. This review outlines various types, devices and mechanisms involved in the acupressure treatment.

Reduced ulcerogenic potential and antiarthritic effect of chitosan-naproxen sodium complexes.

The purpose of this research was to address the utility of naproxen sodium-chitosan spray-dried complexes for antiulcer and antiarthritic activities. The cold stress technique was used to examine the ulcerogenic potential of naproxen sodium (NPX) and spray-dried formulations in the different doses. The ulcerations reduced with the dose of spray-dried complexes of naproxen sodium and chitosan. The conspicuous hemorrhagic lesions were visible in the morphological features of the animal treated with naproxen 50 mg/kg (p.o.). Thus, the results suggest that the spray-dried naproxen sodium-chitosan complex (NPXF) was not corrosive to the gastric mucosa at high doses of 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg (p.o.) under stressful conditions. It is evident from the present investigation that NPXF does not possess any ulcerogenic potential in comparison to naproxen which, under stressful conditions, led to the hypersecretion of HCl, culminating to petichial hemorrhages in the gastric mucosa of the animals. The biphasic pattern was observed in the various arthritic parameters. The rise in paw volume, joint diameter, WBC count, arthritis score, and fall in body weight was significantly ameliorated in the animals treated with NPXF (5, 10, and 20 mg/kg, p.o). At the end of the study, slight erythema was visible in the naproxen-treated animals. However, no erythema, redness, or ulcers were visible in the animals treated with NPXF. Thus, the direct compression properties and reduced ulcerogenic activity, combined with the demonstrated solubilizing power and analgesic effect enhancer ability toward the drug, make naproxen sodium-chitosan spray-dried complexes particularly suitable for developing a reduced-dose, fast-release, solid oral dosage form of naproxen.

Effect of oppositely charged polymer and dissolution media on rheology of spray-dried ionic complexes.

The purpose of this research was to address the utility of rheological study in understanding the influence of oppositely charged polymers on release of naproxen sodium encapsulated in chitosan particles. The interaction between oppositely charged kappa-carrageenan (kappa-Ca) and chitosan leads to relatively higher gel strength, which is proportional to the ability to retard the drug release at acidic pH. The oscillatory tests within the linear viscoelastic range where the stress is proportional to the applied strain were performed on the hydrated sample matrices containing chitosan-naproxen sodium spray-dried complexes and k-Ca or hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) in various ratios. It was observed that the effect of pH change on the dynamic moduli in spray-dried complexes containing kappa-Ca was much stronger than that with HPMC reflecting presence of strong ionic interaction between kappa-Ca and chitosan. The combination of oppositely charged polymers in different ratios proved to be useful in modulating the rheological properties of the hydrated formulations and their release-retarding properties. Dynamic moduli can be used to measure gel strength and are significant for the interpretation of oral sustained release spray-dried complexes.

Pharmacophore generation and atom-based 3D-QSAR of novel 2-(4-methylsulfonylphenyl)pyrimidines as COX-2 inhibitors.

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors are widely used for the treatment of pain and inflammatory disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. A series of novel 2-(4-methylsulfonylphenyl)pyrimidine derivatives has been reported as COX-2 inhibitors. In order to understand the structural requirement of these COX-2 inhibitors, a ligand-based pharmacophore and atom-based 3D-QSAR model have been developed. A five-point pharmacophore with four hydrogen bond acceptors (A) and one hydrogen bond donor (D) was obtained. The pharmacophore hypothesis yielded a 3D-QSAR model with good partial least-square (PLS) statistics results. The training set correlation is characterized by PLS factors (r (2) = 0.642, SD = 0.65, F = 82.7, P = 7.617 e - 12). The test set correlation is characterized by PLS factors (Q (2) (ext) = 0.841, RMSE = 0.24,Pearson-R = 0.91). A docking study revealed the binding orientations of these inhibitors at active site amino acid residues (Arg513, Val523, Phe518, Ser530, Tyr355, His90) of COX-2 enzyme. The results of ligand-based pharmacophore hypothesis and atom-based 3D-QSAR give detailed structural insights as well as highlights important binding features of novel 2-(4-methylsulfonylphenyl)pyrimidine derivatives as COX-2 inhibitors which can provide guidance for the rational design of novel potent COX-2 inhibitors.

Studies on formulation development of mucoadhesive sustained release itraconazole tablet using response surface methodology.

The purpose of this research was to prepare and evaluate sustained release mucoadhesive tablets of Itraconazole. It is practically insoluble in aqueous fluids hence its solid dispersion with Eudragit E100 was prepared by spray drying. This was formulated in matrix of hydrophilic mucoadhesive polymers Carbopol 934P (CP) and Methocel K4M (HPMC). The formulation was optimized using a 3(2) factorial design. Amounts of CP and HPMC were taken as formulation variables for optimizing response variables i.e. mucoadhesion and dissolution parameters. The optimized mucoadhesive formulation was orally administered to albino rabbits, and blood samples collected were used to determine pharmacokinetic parameters. The solid dispersion markedly enhanced the dissolution rate of itraconazole. The bioadhesive strength of formulation was found to vary linearly with increasing amount of both polymers. Formulations exhibited drug release fitting Peppas model with value of n ranging from 0.61 to 1.18. Optimum combination of polymers was arrived at which provided adequate bioadhesive strength and fairly regulated release profile. The experimental and predicted results for optimum formulations were found to be in close agreement. The formulation showed C (max) 1898 +/- 75.23 ng/ml, t (max) of the formulation was 2 h and AUC was observed to be 28604.9 ng h/ml.

Effect of drying methods on swelling, erosion and drug release from chitosan-naproxen sodium complexes.

The purpose of this research was to explore theapplication of ionic interactions between naproxen sodium (NS) and chitosan (CH) in complexes (NSC) prepared by tray drying (TD) and spray drying (SD) methods. Drug-polymer ratio (1:1) in the NSC was optimized on the basis of dialysis studies. The particulate systems of NSC were prepared by tray drying (TD) and spray drying (SD) methods. Release retarding polymers were added to the NSC and to the physical mixtures containing NS-CH and their effects on water uptake, matrix erosion and drug release at different pH were compared. Spray dried complexes (SDC) were spherical, free flowing, light and fine amorphous particles in contrast to the crystalline, hard, tenacious, irregularly shaped, denser tray dried complexes (TDC) with poor flowability. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) patterns confirm the conversion of crystalline to high energy amorphous phase suitable for ionic interactions in NSC. Presence of release retarding polymers, kappa carrageenan and hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC) in the NSC compacts retarded the drug release and improved the matrix integrity. Carrageenan matrices exhibited more retardation than HPMC tablets. FTIR patterns, erosion, swelling and drug release from matrices support ionic interactions between NS and CH in NSC. The reasons for retarded drug release from the chitosan matrices at acidic pH include poor solubility of drug at acidic pH, formation of a rate limiting polymer gel barrier along the periphery of matrices and the ionic interactions between oppositely charged moieties.

Development and validation of a TLC-densitometric method for the simultaneous quantitation of strychnine and brucine from Strychnos spp. and its formulations.

A simple, sensitive, and specific thin-layer chromatography densitometric method has been developed for the simultaneous quantitation of strychnine and brucine. These two marker compounds are quantitated in the seeds of Strychnos nux-vomica, Strychnos ignatii, and its formulations. The method involves densitometric evaluation of strychnine and brucine after resolving it by high-performance TLC on silica gel plate with toluene-ethyl acetate-diethyl amine-methanol (7:2:1:0.3 v/v) as the mobile phase. The method is validated for precision (interday and intraday), repeatability, and accuracy. The relationship between the concentration of standard solutions and the peak response is linear within the concentration range of 160 to 480 ng/spot for strychnine and 80 to 480 ng/spot for brucine. Instrumental precision is found to be 0.54 and 0.78 (% CV), and repeatability of the method is 1.01 and 1.06 (% CV) for strychnine and brucine, respectively. Accuracy of the method is checked by recovery study conducted at three different levels and the average percentage recovery is found to be 99.13% for strychnine and 100.16% for brucine. The proposed HPTLC method for the simultaneous quantitation of strychnine and brucine is found to be simple, precise, specific, sensitive, and accurate, and it can be used for routine quality control of raw material of Strychnos spp. It also can be applied in quantitating any of these marker compounds in other formulations.

Synthesis and antihyperlipidemic activity of some novel condensed 2-chloroalkyl-4-chloro/hydroxy-5,6-disubstituted pyrimidines.

Synthesis and antihyperlipidemic activity of a series of novel condensed 2-chloroalkyl-4-chloro/hydroxy-5,6-di-substituted pyrimidines are described. The design of these compounds is based on the earlier QSAR study on the antihyperlipidemic 2-substituted methylthienopyrimidin-4-ones. The newly synthesized condensed 4-chloro-2-chloroalkylpyrimidines (IIIa-n) have exhibited much superior antihyperlipidemic activity, compared to their earlier reported 4-hydroxy analogs. Notably, in this series, five compounds, IIIa, IIIb, IIIc, IIIi and IIIm showed good ability to reduce total cholesterol and two compounds, IIIa and IIIk exhibited better reduction in serum triglycerides. All the newly synthesized compounds have been evaluated by the Triton WR 1339 induced hyperlipidemia in albino Wistar rats model for antihyperlipidemic activity, and their activity is superior to that exhibited by the standard gemfibrozil used in the study. A 3D QSAR study has also been performed to delineate the effect of the substituents at 5 and 6 positions on the antihyperlipidemic activity of 2-chloromethyl-5,6-substituted thieno(2,3-d) pyrimidin-4(3H)-ones (IIa-e).

Human protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B inhibitors: QSAR by genetic function approximation.

Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP 1B), a negative regulator of insulin receptor signaling system, has emerged as a highly validated, attractive target for the treatment of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) and obesity. As a result there is a growing interest in the development of potent and specific inhibitors for this enzyme. This quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) study for a series of formylchromone derivatives as PTP lB inhibitors was performed using genetic function approximation (GFA) technique. The QSAR models were developed using a training set of 29 compounds and the predictive ability of the QSAR model was evaluated against a test set of 7 compounds. The internal and external consistency of the final QSAR model was 0.766 and 0.785. The statistical quality of QSAR models was assessed by statistical parameters r2, r2 (crossvalidated r2), r2pred (predictive r2) and lack of fit (LOF) measure. The results indicate that PTP lB inhibitory activity of the formylchromone derivatives is strongly dependent on electronic, thermodynamic and shape related parameters.

Effect of oppositely charged polymer and dissolution medium on swelling, erosion, and drug release from chitosan matrices.

The reasons for retarded release of naproxen sodium from the chitosan matrices at different pH include poor aqueous solubility of drug, the formation of a rate-limiting polymer gel barrier along the periphery of matrices, the interaction of naproxen sodium with protonated amino groups of chitosan, and the interaction of ionized amino groups of chitosan with ionized sulfate groups of kappa-carrageenan.

Vacuum foam drying for preservation of LaSota virus: effect of additives.

The purpose of this research was to apply vacuum foam drying (VFD) for processing of LaSota virus and to screen formulation additives for its stability. The aqueous dispersion of harvest containing sucrose or trehalose in combination with additive (monosaccharides, polymers, N-Z-amine) was prepared. The diluted dispersions in vials were vacuum concentrated, foamed to form a continuous structure, and vacuum dried. The products were evaluated for foam characteristics, residual moisture, virus titer, x-ray diffraction pattern, and stability profile. The foamability increased with solid content in solutions. The foamability of sucrose was enhanced with incorporation of N-Z-amine (10% and 15% wt/vol) and polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP K30, 3% wt/vol). The fructose- or galactose-containing mixtures were deposited irregularly on the vial surface. The virus titer increased with disaccharides in the formulation. Sucrose provided better protection than trehalose. Unlike lyophilization, N-Z-amine with sucrose protected the virus from Millard's Browning. Amino acids do not have a catalytic effect on hydrolysis of sucrose during VFD. Monosaccharides were ineffective. A synergistic effect of PVP K30 or polyethylene glycol 6000 (3% wt/vol) with N-Z-amine provided the maximum virus titer (6.97 and 7.15, respectively). This formulation retained the desired virus potency at 5 degrees , 25 degrees , and 40 degrees C. The diffraction pattern revealed that a threshold concentration of N-Z-amine was required for inhibiting crystallization of sucrose during VFD. VFD was successfully applied to produce a solid LaSota formulation. The products were amorphous and did not devitrify on storage.

Development of tetracycline-serratiopeptidase-containing periodontal gel: formulation and preliminary clinical study.

The purpose of this research was to reduce the polymer concentration and to obtain reasonable viscosity at a lower concentration of pluronic by the addition of a viscosity modifier. A 20% wt/wt pluronic gel was prepared on a weight basis using the cold method. The effect of the amount of tetracycline and Aerosil on gel properties was studied. The gel was evaluated using different parameters: polarizing microscopy, gelation, gel melting, bioadhesivity, viscosity, drug release, and stability of enzyme. An in vivo study was performed to evaluate the clinical efficiency of the liquid crystalline gel. Addition of Aerosil to the gel favored hexagonal phase formation. Viscosity and bioadhesivity increased with an increase in the concentration of Aerosil. Release of tetracycline was sustained as the concentration of Aerosil increased. Various clinical parameters confirmed the acceptability and efficiency of this gel system.

Preparation and characterization of pluronic-colloidal silicon dioxide composite particles as liquid crystal precursor.

The purpose of this study was to produce spray-dried Pluronic-colloidal silicon dioxide (Aerosil) composite particles as a liquid crystal precursor that would form a liquid crystalline phase upon hydration. A Pluronic-colloidal silicon dioxide dispersion in isopropyl alcohol was spray-dried to obtain composite particles using different concentrations of Aerosil. Polarizing microscopy, gelation, gel melting, and rheological studies were employed to characterize the composite particles. The composite particles obtained were irregular, with concave depression. Gelation was found to decrease with the addition of Aerosil, while gel melting was found to increase with the concentration of Aerosil. Rheological studies showed an increase in elasticity as well as viscosity with an increase in the concentration of Aerosil. Composite particles showed improved gelation and rheological properties. These composite particles and the process by which they were obtained may be useful for designing various drug delivery systems.