Development and in vitro permeation studies of proniosomal based transdermal delivery system of Atenolol.

Proniosomes refer to a flexible vesicular carrier with the potential for drug administration through the transdermal route. A proniosome gel type transdermal delivery system of Atenolol was prepared and extensively studied both in vitro drug release and ex vivo permeation studies. The prepared formulations were evaluated for vesicle size, entrapment efficiency, in vitro drug loading, and drug release studies. The release of drug had shown considerable improvement in controlled manner from the prepared gel formulation. It was observed that Span 40 & 60 (A 8) based formulations shows vesicles of minimum size and higher entrapment efficiency compared to the other formulations. Proniosomal transdermal therapeutic system (A 8) was found to be the optimized formulation as it possess good drug release and shows permeation in a steady-state manner over a desired period of time. Also the drug diffusion across snake sheded skin, guinea pig abdomen skin, albino rat, porcine ear correlates better with in vitro drug release studies. The formulation was found to be stable when stored at room temperature and at refrigeration temperature (4 ± 2°C) for 90 days.

Box-Behnken Design: Optimization of Proanthocyanidin-Loaded Transferosomes as an Effective Therapeutic Approach for Osteoarthritis.

Transferosomes are one of the vesicular carriers that have received extensive research and attention recently because of their capacity to get beyond the barriers posed by the stratum corneum to penetration. The intent of the current study is to optimize and evaluate proanthocyanidin (PAC) containing transferosomal transdermal gels. PAC-containing transferosomes were prepared using the film hydration method and then loaded into a 4% methylcellulose gel. A 23 Box-Behnken design was used to optimize the PAC-loaded transferosomal gel, where the effects of phospholipid 90 G (X1), Tween 80 (X2), and sonication time (X3) were evaluated. The formulation factors, such as the drug entrapment efficiency percentage (PEE) and in vitro drug release, were characterized. A PEE of 78.29 ± 1.43% and a drug release in vitro at 6 h of 24.2 ± 1.25% were obtained. The optimized transferosomal-loaded proanthocyanidin (OTP) formulation penetrated the porcine skin at an excellent rate (0.123 ± 0.0067 mg/cm2/h). Stability tests were conducted for OTP to predict the effects of various temperature conditions on the physical appearance, drug content, and PEE for periods of 15, 30, and 45 days. Finally, this transferosomal system for transdermal PAC delivery may be a suitable alternative to the conventional treatment for osteoarthritis.

Development of Nanocrystal Compressed Minitablets for Chronotherapeutic Drug Delivery.

The present work aimed to develop a chronotherapeutic system of valsartan (VS) using nanocrystal formulation to improve dissolution. VS nanocrystals (VS-NC) were fabricated using modified anti-solvent precipitation by employing a Box−Behnken design to optimize various process variables. Based on the desirability approach, a formulation containing 2.5% poloxamer, a freezing temperature of −25 °C, and 24 h of freeze-drying time can fulfill the optimized formulation's requirements to result in a particle size of 219.68 nm, 0.201 polydispersity index, and zeta potential of −38.26 mV. Optimized VS-NC formulation was compressed (VNM) and coated subsequently with ethyl cellulose and HPMC E 5. At the same time, fast dissolving tablets of VS were designed, and the best formulation was loaded with VNM into a capsule size 1 (average fill weight­400−500 mg, lock length­19.30 mm, external diameter: Cap­6.91 mm; Body­6.63 mm). The final tab in cap (tablet-in-capsule) system was studied for in vitro dissolution profile to confirm the chronotherapeutic release of VS. As required, a bi-pulse release of VS was identified with a lag time of 5 h. The accelerated stability studies confirmed no significant changes in the dissolution profiles of the tab in cap system (f2 similarity profile: >90). To conclude, the tab in cap system was successfully developed to induce a dual pulsatile release, which will ensure bedtime dosing with release after a lag-time to match with early morning circadian spikes.