Mechanical, optical, and physicochemical properties of HPMC-based doxazosin mesylate orodispersible films

Abstract In this study, orodispersible films formed from hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) E6 (2, 2.5, and 3%) and plasticizers ((glycerin (Gly), propylene glycol (PP), or polyethylene glycol (PEG)), containing doxazosin mesylate, were prepared by the solvent casting method and characterized. Design of experiments (DoE) was used as a statistical tool to facilitate the interpretation of the experimental data and allow the identification of optimal levels of factors for maximum formulation performance. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) curves and X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) diffractograms showed doxazosin mesylate amorphization, probably due to complexation with the polymer (HPMC E6), and the glass transition temperature of the polymer was reduced by adding a plasticizer. Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy results showed that the chemical structure of doxazosin mesylate was preserved when introduced into the polymer matrix, and the plasticizers, glycerin and PEG, affected the polymer matrix with high intensity. The addition of plasticizers increased the elongation at break and adhesiveness (Gly > PEG > PP), confirming the greater plasticizer effect of Gly observed in DSC and FTIR studies. Greater transparency was observed for the orodispersible films prepared using PP. The addition of citric acid as a pH modifier was fundamental for the release of doxazosin mesylate, and the desirability formulation had a release profile similar to that of the reference product

Efeitos do laser de baixa intensidade em osteoblastos cultivados em arcabouços nanofibrosos de ácido polilático / Effects of low-intensity laser on osteoblasts cultured on polylactic acid nanofibrous scaffolds

A engenharia de tecidos ósseos é um ramo importante da medicina regenerativa e envolve o desenvolvimento de arcabouços com composição e arquitetura favoráveis à integração celular, além do estudo de fatores capazes de promover a adesão e proliferação celular, incluindo estímulos químicos e biofísicos. O objetivo do estudo foi avaliar a utilização do laser de baixa intensidade (LBI) como uma ferramenta para promover a bioestimulação in vitro de células osteoblásticas cultivadas em arcabouços nanofibrosos de ácido polilático (PLA). Os arcabouços foram produzidos pela técnica de eletrofiação e caracterizados quanto à molhabilidade, composição pela espectroscopia no infravermelho por transformada de Fourier (FTIR), morfologia da superfície por microscópica eletrônica de varredura (MEV), caracterização termogravimétrica (TGA), calorimetria diferencial exploratória (DSC) e cristalinidade por difração de raios-X (DRX). Os ensaios biológicos foram conduzidos com osteoblastos da linhagem OFCOL II cultivados na superfície dos arcabouços e submetidos ou não (grupo controle) a irradiação com laser diodo InGaAIP na potência de 30 mW, nas doses de 1, 4 e 6 J/cm² e nos comprimentos de onda de 660 nm (grupos V1, V4, V6, respectivo as doses) e 780 nm (grupos I1, I4 e I6, respectivo as doses). Os efeitos do LBI na proliferação dos osteoblastos foram avaliados através do método bioquímico Alamar Blue, nos intervalos de 24, 48 e 72h, enquanto a viabilidade e a morfologia celular foram analisadas no intervalo de 72h, através do ensaio Live/Dead e da microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV), respectivamente. Os dados do ensaio bioquímico de Alamar Blue mostraram uma maior proliferação celular nos grupos V6 em todos os intervalos analíticos em comparação ao grupo controle (p<0,05). Outras diferenças entre o grupo controle e irradiados foram encontradas apenas nos intervalos de 48h e 72h para V1, e para o grupo IV6 em 72h. O ensaio Live/Dead revelou um aumento na viabilidade celular nos grupos trados com LBI, sendo significativamente maior no grupo V1 quando comparado ao grupo controle. A análise por MEV mostrou adequada interação dos osteoblastos aos arcabouços, com o corpo celular se espalhando ao longo do eixo da nanofibra e a presença de contatos físicos mais evidentes, através da formação de ligação por meio de filopódios e lamelipódios, nos grupos V1, V6 e I6. Em conjunto, os dados do presente trabalho mostraram que o LBI promove a bioestimulação de osteoblastos cultivados sobre nanofibras de PLA, o que aponta para o seu uso potencial nas técnicas de engenharia tecidual óssea, sobretudo no que se refere ao uso do comprimento de onda de 660 nm, a qual apresentou grupos com mais resultados significativos (AU).

Bone tissue engineering is a relevant branch of regenerative medicine and involves the development of scaffolds with composition and architecture favorable to cell integration, in addition to studying factors capable of promoting cell adhesion and proliferation, including chemical and biophysical stimuli. The study aimed to evaluate the use of low-level laser irradiation (LLLI) to promote in vitro biostimulation of osteoblastic cells cultured on polylactic acid (PLA) nanofibrous scaffolds. The scaffolds were produced by the electrospinning technique and characterized in terms of wettability, composition by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), surface morphology by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric characterization (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and crystallinity by Xray diffraction (XRD). The biological assays were conducted with osteoblasts of the OFCOL II lineage cultured on the surface of the scaffolds and submitted or not (control group) to irradiation with InGaAIP diode laser, power of 30 mW, with doses of 1, 4 and 6 J/cm² and wavelengths of 660 nm (groups V1, V4, V6, respectively doses) and 780 nm (groups I1, I4 and I6, respectively doses). The effects of LLLT from the perspective of osteoblasts were evaluated using the biochemical method Alamar Blue assay, at intervals of 24, 48 and 72h, while cell viability and morphology were observed at 72h, using the Live/Dead assay and electron microscopy. scan (SEM), respectively. The Alamar Blue assay data showed more significant cell proliferation in groups in the V6 groups at all analytical intervals compared to the control group (p<0.05). Other differences between the control and irradiated groups were found only at intervals of 48h and 72h for V1, and for group IV6 at 72h. The Live/Dead assay revealed an increase in cell viability in the groups treated with LLLT, being significantly higher in the V1 group when compared to the control group. SEM analysis showed adequate interaction between osteoblasts and scaffolds, with the cell body spreading along the nanofiber axis and the presence of more evident physical contacts, through the formation of bonds through filopodia and lamellipodia, in groups V1, V6 and I6. Together, the data from the present study observed that LLLT promotes the biostimulation of osteoblasts cultured on PLA nanofibers, which pointed to its potential use in bone tissue engineering techniques, especially with regard to the use of the wavelength of 660 nm, which presented groups with more significant results (AU).

Formulation and Optimization of Diclofenac Sodium Loaded Ethylcellulose Nanoparticles

Abstract Design of experiment (DoE) is a useful time and cost-effective tool for analyzing the effect of independent variables on the formulation characteristics. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of the process variables on the characteristics involved in the preparation of Diclofenac Sodium (DC) loaded ethylcellulose (EC) nanoparticles (NP) using Central Composite Design (CCD). NP were prepared by W/O/W emulsion solvent evaporation method. Three factors were investigated (DC/EC mass ratio, PVA concentration, homogenization speed) in order to optimize the entrapment efficiency (EE) and the particle size of NP. The optimal formulation was characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), and in vitro release. Optimized formulation showed an EE of 49.09 % and an average particle size of 226.83 nm with a polydispersity index of 0.271. No drug-polymer interaction was observed in FTIR and DSC analysis. SEM images showed that the particles are spherical and uniform. The in vitro release study showed a sustained release nature, 53.98 % of the encapsulated drug has been released over 24hours period. This study demonstrated that statistical experimental design methodology can optimize the formulation and the process variables to achieve favorable responses.

Characteristics of Starch Extracted from the Stem of Pineapple Plant (Ananas comosus) - an Agro Waste from Pineapple Farms

Abstract The present study focused on the use of pineapple plant stem, which is an agro-waste, for the production of starch (11.08 % ± 0.77). Characters were studied using X-ray diffraction, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and rheological methods. The granular size of stem starch was comparatively smaller than corn starch granules. The X-ray diffraction data revealed that stem starch has an A-type crystal structure. The molecular structure was similar to those obtained for native starches, which is confirmed by NMR and FTIR. The gelatinization temperature was observed to be higher than corn starch and rheological studies revealed; stem starch is more viscous than corn starch. The purity analysis showed that the harmful heavy metals were in negligible quantity and the tested pesticides were absent. This could make this a good source of starch for food industries. Results revealed that this agro-waste has a high potential for the production of good quality starch.

On-demand manufacturing of immediate release levetiracetam tablets using pressure-assisted microsyringe printing.

Fast and accurate manufacturing of individually tailored solid dosage forms is one of the main challenges for personalized medicine. The use of 3D printers has recently been studied to determine their suitability for personalized drug manufacturing. In the current work, formulations free of organic solvents were developed for a pressure-assisted microsyringe printing method (PAM). The water soluble polymer polyvinyl alcohol-polyethylene glycol graft copolymer (PVA-PEG) was used as matrix, while levetiracetam (LEV) was used as model drug. Furthermore, the influence of a second polymer, polyvinylpyrrolidone-vinyl acetate copolymer (PVP-PVAc) on the properties of the printed tablets was investigated. Tablets were printed using a 3D-Bioplotter. The printed formulations were analyzed regarding mass variation, friability and thickness. Furthermore, the disintegration behavior and dissolution profile were analyzed. Investigations of the dissolution profiles of printed tablets show that an immediate release of the API could be achieved. For tablets with PVA-PEG the drug is released completely within 10 min while the additional use of PVP-PVAc leads to a slightly delay with a complete release within 20 min. The same trend is observed regarding the disintegration time of printed tablets. Tablets with PVA-PEG disintegrated within 95 ±â€¯10 s while tablets with additional PVP-PVAc disintegrated within 130 ±â€¯20 s. Friability of <0.5% indicate that the used PAM printing method provides tablets without loss of structural integrity during handling. Furthermore, it could be shown that the production of tablets with a good content uniformity using a 3D Bioplotter is suitable.

Isothermal calorimetry of a monoclonal antibody using a conventional differential scanning calorimeter.

It has been shown that isothermal calorimetry is able to provide critical information regarding the kinetics of denaturation/aggregation of monoclonal antibodies at temperatures below Tm. Those measurements, however, required sophisticated specialized instrumentation. Here, we demonstrate that similar measurements can be performed using widely available conventional differential scanning calorimeters (DSC) when operated in isothermal scan mode. The denaturation/aggregation kinetics of the anti-HIV monoclonal antibody VRC07-523LS was measured by isothermal DSC at ten degrees below Tm. It is shown that a readily available instrument provides similar kinetic information and can become an important tool for determining the long term stability of biologics.

Fast scanning calorimetry of lysozyme unfolding at scanning rates from 5 K/min to 500,000 K/min.

BACKGROUND: Protein denaturation is often studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). However, conventional instruments are limited in the temperature scanning rate available. Fast scanning calorimetry (FSC) provides an ability to study processes at much higher rates while using extremely small sample masses [ng]. This makes it a very interesting technique for protein investigation. METHODS: A combination of conventional DSC and fast scanning calorimeters was used to study denaturation of lysozyme dissolved in glycerol. Glycerol was chosen as a solvent to prevent evaporation from the micro-sized samples of the fast scanning calorimeter. RESULTS: The lysozyme denaturation temperatures in the range of scanning rates from 5 K/min to ca. 500,000 K/min follow the Arrhenius law. The experimental results for FSC and conventional DSC fall into two distinct clusters in a Kissinger plot, which are well approximated by two parallel straight lines. CONCLUSIONS: The transition temperatures for the unfolding process measured on fast scanning calorimetry sensor are significantly lower than what could be expected from the results of conventional DSC using extrapolation to high scanning rates. Evidence for the influence of the relative surface area on the unfolding temperature was found. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: For the first time, fast scanning calorimetry was employed to study protein denaturation with a range of temperature scanning rates of 5 orders of magnitude. Decreased thermal stability of the micro-sized samples on the fast scanning calorimeter raise caution over using bulk solution thermal stability data of proteins for applications where micro-sized dispersed protein solutions are used, e.g., spray drying.

Quantitation of polymorphic impurity in entecavir polymorphic mixtures using powder X-ray diffractometry and Raman spectroscopy.

Entecavir was used for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B through inhibiting hepatitis B virus. The anhydrous form of entecavir (ENT-A) often appeared as impurity polymorph in the manufacturing process of entecavir monohydrate (ENT-H) such as granulation, drying and compression. Since different crystal forms might affect drug bioavailability and therapeutic effect, it was vital to control the ENT-A content of the drug product. The work aimed to develop useful methods to assess ENT-A weight percentage in ENT-H. Powder X-ray diffractometry (PXRD) and Raman spectrometric methods were applied. Binary mixtures with different ratios of pure ENT-H and pure ENT-A were scanned using PXRD and Raman to obtain spectra. Then peak heights and peak areas versus weight percentage were used to construct calibration curves. The best linear regression analysis data for PXRD and Raman method were found to be R2 = 0.9923 and R2 = 0.9953, in the weight ratio range of 2.1-20.2% w/w% of ENT-A in binary mixtures. Limit of detection (LOD) of ENT-A was 0.38% and limit of quantitation (LOQ) was 1.15% for PXRD method. LOD and LOQ for Raman method were 0.48% and 1.16%. The results showed that PXRD and Raman methods: both were precise and accurate, and could be used for measurement of ENT-A content in the selected weight percentage range. Partial least squares (PLS) algorithm with four data pre-processing methods: including multiplicative scatter correlation (MSC), standard normal variate (SNV), first and second derivatives were applied and evaluated using prediction errors. The best performance of PLS was R2 = 0.9958 with RMSEC (0.44%) and RMSEP (0.65%). Multivariate analysis for Raman spectra showed similar good results with univariate analysis, and would be an advantageous method when there were overlapped peaks in the spectra. In summary, the proposed PXRD and Raman method could be developed for the quality control of ENT-H. And Raman was a more promising method in industrial practice due to its slightly better precision, accuracy and time-saving advantage.

Anhydrates and hemihydrate of tasimelteon: Synthesis, structure, and pharmacokinetic study.

Two new crystal forms of tasimelteon TSM-I and TSM-II were reported here. Crystallization of crude in methanol or mixture solvent results in anhydrate crystal form (TSM-I) and hemihydrate crystal form (TSM-II) respectively. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first report about crystalline form of tasimelteon. The two crystal forms were exhaustively characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, Raman Spectra, Differential Scanning Calorimetry, Thermogravimetric Analysis, Solid State NMR Spectroscopy and Powder X-ray diffraction and Single Crystal X-ray Diffraction. Furthermore, the pharmacokinetic behavior of TSM-I and TSM-II in rats were measured. We found that though TSM-II is considerably more soluble than TSM-I under water (pH = 7.0) and pH 1.2 buffer conditions, the bioavailability of TSM-Ivia oral administration was better compared to that of TSM-II.

Characterization of systems with amino-acids and oligosaccharides as modifiers of biopharmaceutical properties of furosemide.

Furosemide is the most commonly prescribed diuretic drug in spite of its suboptimal biopharmaceutical properties. In this work, the addition of different amino-acids was studied with the aim of selecting an enhancer of the furosemide solubility. The best results were obtained with arginine. Also, binary (furosemide:arginine) and ternary (furosemide:arginine:ß-cyclodextrin and furosemide:arginine:maltodextrin) systems were prepared by the kneading method and they were compared with their corresponding physical mixtures. These new systems were characterized by Fourier transform infrared and Raman spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry. In addition, dissolution studies were performed in simulated gastric fluid. The best results in relation to improving biopharmaceutical properties were obtained with a binary combination of furosemide and arginine, demonstrating that this system could result in a suitable candidate for the development of a promising pharmaceutical formulation of the drug.

Rufinamide: Crystal structure elucidation and solid state characterization.

Rufinamide (R) is a triazole derivative approved for the management of partial seizures and seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome, in November 2007. Crystal structure, solid state characterization, drug-excipient compatibility and solubility play a pivotal role in formulation development. This work deals with the crystal structure elucidation of R by single crystal X-ray diffraction and solid state characterization by thermal, spectroscopic and crystallographic techniques. Drug- excipient compatibility was assessed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). New RP-HPLC method for quantification of R was developed with improved retention time. Solubility and dissolution of drug in different media was determined. Additionally, the flow behavior of the drug was evaluated by measuring Carr's index and Hausner's ratio, while the compressibility behavior was studied using Well's protocol. R crystallized from dimethylformamide (R-DMF) was utilized for single crystal analysis. The drug crystallized in triclinic crystal system with P-1 space group. Asymmetric unit cell consists of two molecules of R held by intermolecular hydrogen bond (connected by NH⋯O, which forms the catemeric chain). Analytical outcomes from DSC, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) revealed that the drug was present in pure crystalline form and was devoid of any polymorphic or pseudopolymorphic impurities. Influence of pH on the solubility and dissolution of R-DMF was found to be insignificant. The drug exhibited poor aqueous solubility, which was improved nearly 4.6 fold with the addition of 2% sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS). The drug exhibits poor flow and elastic compression nature. Excipients such as poly ethylene glycol (PEG) 8000, SLS, lactose monohydrate, starch and Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) E15 were incompatible with R-DMF as identified by thermal analysis. It is envisaged that these information regarding solid state properties of R-DMF would aid in identifying a logical path for formulation development.

Micro-differential scanning calorimeter for liquid biological samples.

We developed an ultrasensitive micro-DSC (differential scanning calorimeter) for liquid protein sample characterization. This design integrated vanadium oxide thermistors and flexible polymer substrates with microfluidics chambers to achieve a high sensitivity (6 V/W), low thermal conductivity (0.7 mW/K), high power resolutions (40 nW), and well-defined liquid volume (1 µl) calorimeter sensor in a compact and cost-effective way. We further demonstrated the performance of the sensor with lysozyme unfolding. The measured transition temperature and enthalpy change were in accordance with the previous literature data. This micro-DSC could potentially raise the prospect of high-throughput biochemical measurement by parallel operation with miniaturized sample consumption.

One-step Real-time Food Quality Analysis by Simultaneous DSC-FTIR Microspectroscopy.

This review discusses an analytical technique that combines differential scanning calorimetry and Fourier-transform infrared (DSC-FTIR) microspectroscopy, which simulates the accelerated stability test and detects decomposition products simultaneously in real time. We show that the DSC-FTIR technique is a fast, simple and powerful analytical tool with applications in food sciences. This technique has been applied successfully to the simultaneous investigation of: encapsulated squid oil stability; the dehydration and intramolecular condensation of sweetener (aspartame); the dehydration, rehydration and solidification of trehalose; and online monitoring of the Maillard reaction for glucose (Glc)/asparagine (Asn) in the solid state. This technique delivers rapid and appropriate interpretations with food science applications.

A polymer visualization system with accurate heating and cooling control and high-speed imaging.

A visualization system to observe crystal and bubble formation in polymers under high temperature and pressure has been developed. Using this system, polymer can be subjected to a programmable thermal treatment to simulate the process in high pressure differential scanning calorimetry (HPDSC). With a high-temperature/high-pressure view-cell unit, this system enables in situ observation of crystal formation in semi-crystalline polymers to complement thermal analyses with HPDSC. The high-speed recording capability of the camera not only allows detailed recording of crystal formation, it also enables in situ capture of plastic foaming processes with a high temporal resolution. To demonstrate the system's capability, crystal formation and foaming processes of polypropylene/carbon dioxide systems were examined. It was observed that crystals nucleated and grew into spherulites, and they grew at faster rates as temperature decreased. This observation agrees with the crystallinity measurement obtained with the HPDSC. Cell nucleation first occurred at crystals' boundaries due to CO2 exclusion from crystal growth fronts. Subsequently, cells were nucleated around the existing ones due to tensile stresses generated in the constrained amorphous regions between networks of crystals.

Calorimetric analysis of cryopreservation and freeze-drying formulations.

Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) is a commonly used thermal analysis technique in cryopreservation and freeze-drying research. It has been used to investigate crystallization, eutectic formation, glass transition, devitrification, recrystallization, melting, polymorphism, molecular relaxation, phase separation, water transport, thermochemistry, and kinetics of complex reactions (e.g., protein denaturation). Such information can be used for the optimization of protective formulations and process protocols. This chapter gives an introduction to beginners who are less familiar with this technique. It covers the instrument and its basic principles, followed by a discussion of the methods as well as examples of specific applications.

Interlot variations of transition temperature range and force delivery in copper-nickel-titanium orthodontic wires.

INTRODUCTION: The manufacturing process for copper-nickel-titanium archwires is technique sensitive. The primary aim of this investigation was to examine the interlot consistency of the mechanical properties of copper-nickel-titanium wires from 2 manufacturers. METHODS: Wires of 2 sizes (0.016 and 0.016 × 0.022 in) and 3 advertised austenite finish temperatures (27°C, 35°C, and 40°C) from 2 manufacturers were tested for transition temperature ranges and force delivery using differential scanning calorimetry and the 3-point bend test, respectively. Variations of these properties were analyzed for statistical significance by calculating the F statistic for equality of variances for transition temperature and force delivery in each group of wires. All statistical analyses were performed at the 0.05 level of significance. RESULTS: Statistically significant interlot variations in austenite finish were found for the 0.016 in/27°C (P = 0.041) and 0.016 × 0.022 in/35°C (P = 0.048) wire categories, and in austenite start for the 0.016 × 0.022 in/35°C wire category (P = 0.01). In addition, significant variations in force delivery were found between the 2 manufacturers for the 0.016 in/27°C (P = 0.002), 0.016 in/35.0°C (P = 0.049), and 0.016 × 0.022 in/35°C (P = 0.031) wires. CONCLUSIONS: Orthodontic wires of the same material, dimension, and manufacturer but from different production lots do not always have similar mechanical properties. Clinicians should be aware that copper-nickel-titanium wires might not always deliver the expected force, even when they come from the same manufacturer, because of interlot variations in the performance of the material.

Experimental verification of methane-carbon dioxide replacement in natural gas hydrates using a differential scanning calorimeter.

The methane (CH4) - carbon dioxide (CO2) swapping phenomenon in naturally occurring gas hydrates is regarded as an attractive method of CO2 sequestration and CH4 recovery. In this study, a high pressure microdifferential scanning calorimeter (HP µ-DSC) was used to monitor and quantify the CH4 - CO2 replacement in the gas hydrate structure. The HP µ-DSC provided reliable measurements of the hydrate dissociation equilibrium and hydrate heat of dissociation for the pure and mixed gas hydrates. The hydrate dissociation equilibrium data obtained from the endothermic thermograms of the replaced gas hydrates indicate that at least 60% of CH4 is recoverable after reaction with CO2, which is consistent with the result obtained via direct dissociation of the replaced gas hydrates. The heat of dissociation values of the CH4 + CO2 hydrates were between that of the pure CH4 hydrate and that of the pure CO2 hydrate, and the values increased as the CO2 compositions in the hydrate phase increased. By monitoring the heat flows from the HP µ-DSC, it was found that the noticeable dissociation or formation of a gas hydrate was not detected during the CH4 - CO2 replacement process, which indicates that a substantial portion of CH4 hydrate does not dissociate into liquid water or ice and then forms the CH4 + CO2 hydrate. This study provides the first experimental evidence using a DSC to reveal that the conversion of the CH4 hydrate to the CH4 + CO2 hydrate occurs without significant hydrate dissociation.

Correlation of thermal analysis and pyrolysis coupled to GC-MS in the characterization of tacrolimus.

In recent years, thermal analysis has assumed major role in the pharmaceutical industry because it can be used to evaluate the stability both in the control of raw materials and the finished product, having employment potential in the development and characterization of new products and assessment processes. Tacrolimus (TCR) is a macrolide lactone with potent immunosuppressive activity. The purpose of this study was to characterize tacrolimus raw material using Thermal analysis and Pyrolysis coupled to Gas chromatography-Mass spectrometry (Pyr-GC-MS). It was analyzed four samples of tacrolimus named TCR A, B, C and D. Thermal analysis experiments was performed in Shimadzu equipment, under nitrogen and synthetic air atmosphere in different heating rate. Pyrolysis analysis was conducted in isothermal conditions of 300°C and 400°C coupled to GC-MS, in which the mass spectrometer was operated in scan mode to detect ions in the range of mass of m/z 25-900. The thermal studies by DSC, DTA and DSC-Photovisual showed desolvation process for all tacrolimus raw materials and TG-dynamical demonstrated two pseudo-polymorphic forms (monohydrate and sesquihydrate) of tacrolimus. It was observed good correlation between the stoichiometric mass losses of the TG-dynamical and identification of product ion in Pyr-GC/MS technique. It was possible to correlate the five pyrolytic product ions with the Ozawa kinetic analysis from the thermal decomposition of TG-dynamical. The thermal studies (DSC, DSC-Photovisual, DTA and TG-dynamical) were applied in the thermal characterization of the raw materials of tacrolimus which showed pseudo-polymorphic forms, which must be monitored by pharmaceutical industry, avoiding future problems in pharmaceutical process, chemical stability and bioavailability of the tacrolimus product.

Inhibition of ice nucleation by slippery liquid-infused porous surfaces (SLIPS).

Ice repellent coatings have been studied and keenly sought after for many years, where any advances in the durability of such coatings will result in huge energy savings across many fields. Progress in creating anti-ice and anti-frost surfaces has been particularly rapid since the discovery and development of slippery, liquid infused porous surfaces (SLIPS). Here we use SLIPS-coated differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) pans to investigate the effects of the surface modification on the nucleation of supercooled water. This investigation is inherently different from previous studies which looked at the adhesion of ice to SLIPS surfaces, or the formation of ice under high humidity conditions. Given the stochastic nature of nucleation of ice from supercooled water, multiple runs on the same sample are needed to determine if a given surface coating has a real and statistically significant effect on the nucleation temperature. We have cycled supercooling to freezing and then thawing of deionized water in hydrophilic (untreated aluminum), hydrophobic, superhydrophobic, and SLIPS-treated DSC pans multiple times to determine the effects of surface treatment on the nucleation and subsequent growth of ice. We find that SLIPS coatings lower the nucleation temperature of supercooled water in contact with statistical significance and show no deterioration or change in the coating performance even after 150 freeze-thaw cycles.

DSC evaluation of extra virgin olive oil stability under accelerated oxidative test: effect of fatty acid composition and phenol contents.

Three extra virgin olive oils having different fatty acid compositions and total phenol contents were submitted to an accelerated storage test at 60°C for up to 21 weeks. Their oxidative status, evaluated by peroxide values and total phenolic content, was related to differential scanning calorimetry cooling profiles and thermal properties. Changes in crystallization profiles were consistent starting from 12 weeks for the two oil samples (B and C) that had a higher content of linoleic acid and medium/low amounts of phenols, respectively, whereas they became detectable at the end of the test for the remaining oil (sample A). Decrease of crystallization enthalpy and shift of transition towards lower temperature were also evident at 4 weeks of storage for samples B and C, whereas the same changes in the transition profile were noticeable at 12 weeks for sample A. Differential scanning calorimetry appears to be suitable for the discrimination of oxidative status of extra virgin olive oils with widely different fatty acid composition.