Application of UV-Vis-NIR and FTIR spectroscopy coupled with chemometrics for quality prediction of katsuobushi based on the number of smoking treatments.

Katsuobushi, a smoked, dried skipjack tuna, is a traditional Japanese food additive with a unique flavor and taste. Gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS), fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and ultraviolet-visible-near infrared spectroscopy (UV-Vis-NIR) combined with chemometric methods were evaluated the quality of katsuobushi according to the number of smoking treatments. Using GC-MS, 46 metabolites were identified and five metabolites were selected as key compounds. All samples were classified according to their smoking number via principal component analysis (PCA), partial least squares-discriminate analysis (PLS-DA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) of the FTIR and NIR spectra. Partial least squares regression (PLSR) analysis revealed that the FTIR and NIR spectra were highly correlated with the metabolites by GC-MS. These results demonstrated the potential of using the FTIR and NIR spectroscopy combined with chemometrics to assess the quality of katsuobushi based on the smoking treatments, with NIR spectroscopy showed particularly promising.

Post-Processing Techniques for the Improvement of Liposome Stability.

Liposomes have been utilized as a drug delivery system to increase the bioavailability of drugs and to control the rate of drug release at the target site of action. However, the occurrence of self-aggregation, coalescence, flocculation and the precipitation of aqueous liposomes during formulation or storage can cause degradation of the vesicle structure, leading to the decomposition of liposomes. To increase the stability of liposomes, post-processing techniques have been applied as an additional process to liposomes after formulation to remove water and generate dry liposome particles with a higher stability and greater accessibility for drug administration in comparison with aqueous liposomes. This review covers the effect of these techniques including freeze drying, spray drying and spray freeze drying on the stability, physicochemical properties and drug encapsulation efficiency of dry liposomes. The parameters affecting the properties of liposomes during the drying process are also highlighted in this review. In addition, the impact of using a protective agent to overcome such limitations of each process is thoroughly discussed through various studies.

Cloning and expression analysis of the duplicated genes for carbon monoxide dehydrogenase of Mycobacterium sp. strain JC1 DSM 3803.

Carbon monoxide dehydrogenase (CO-DH) is an enzyme catalysing the oxidation of CO to carbon dioxide in Mycobacterium sp. strain JC1 DSM 3803. Cloning of the genes encoding CO-DH from the bacterium and sequencing of overlapping clones revealed the presence of duplicated sets of genes for three subunits of the enzyme, cutB1C1A1 and cutB2C2A2, in operons, and a cluster of genes encoding proteins that may be involved in CO metabolism, including a possible transcriptional regulator. Phylogenetic analysis based on the amino acid sequences of large subunits of CO-DH suggested that the CO-DHs of Mycobacterium sp. JC1 and other mycobacteria are distinct from those of other types of bacteria. The growth phenotype of mutant strains lacking cutA genes and of a corresponding complemented strain showed that both of the duplicated sets of CO-DH genes were functional in this bacterium. Transcriptional fusions of the cutB genes with lacZ revealed that the cutBCA operons were expressed regardless of the presence of CO and were further inducible by CO. Primer extension analysis indicated two promoters, one expressed in the absence of CO and the other induced in the presence of CO. This is believed to be the first report to show the presence of multiple copies of CO-DH genes with identical sequences and in close proximity in carboxydobacteria, and to present the genetic evidence for the function of the genes in mycobacteria.

Preparation and characterization of curcumin solid dispersion using HPMC.

Curcumin solid dispersions were prepared using hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) to enhance water solubility of curcumin. The particle size of curcumin solid dispersions was in range from 371 to 528 nm and particles were shaped as spherical with wrinkles. The encapsulation efficiency was over 93% for all samples, and water solubility of curcumin was significantly improved to 238 µg/mL when the ratio of curcumin to HPMC was 20:80. The results of X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimeter, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed that crystalline form of curcumin changed to amorphous form. Curcumin solid dispersions showed improved dissolution behavior compared to pure curcumin and the curcumin release kinetic studies were applied to find best-fitting model. This study showed a great potential of solid dispersion using HPMC as curcumin delivery system with improved water solubility and oral absorption. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Curcumin has limited applications in the food industry because of low water solubility. Dongoh water-soluble curcumin (DW-CURs) were prepared by solid dispersion method with HPMC. Our results indicated that curcumin solid dispersions improved the water solubility of curcumin and showed a sustained release, demonstrating its possibility of body application. Therefore, DW-CURs are a promising formulation for application as a functional ingredient in the food industry.

Nanoparticulate platinum(II) anticancer drug: synthesis and characterization of amphiphilic cyclotriphosphazene-platinum(II) conjugates.

Novel cyclotriphosphazene-platinum(II) conjugates were prepared by hydrolysis and platination of the amphiphilic cyclotriphosphazenes grafted with equimolar hydrophilic methoxy-poly(ethylene glycol) (MPEG) and hydrophobic oligopeptide. These macromolecular conjugates were found to form stable nanoparticles with a mean diameter of approximately 90-200 nm depending on the hydrophobicity of the conjugated (diamine)platinum moieties. The nanoparticulate platinum(II) conjugates have shown temperature and concentration dependent particle sizes. However, the particle sizes of the conjugates were found to decrease to a certain size as the solution concentration was decreased but remained stable even at 10 microM, which is enough for systemic delivery by injection. The conjugates exhibited lower in vitro cytotoxicity than cisplatin but reasonably good activity against selected human tumor cell lines.

Relative bioavailability of generic and branded 250-mg and 500-mg oral chlorphenesin carbamate tablets in healthy Korean volunteers: a single-dose, randomized-sequence, open-label, two-period crossover trial.

BACKGROUND: Chlorphenesin carbamate is a skeletal muscle relaxant approved in Korea for use in the treatment of pain and discomfort related to skeletal muscle trauma and inflammation. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the bioequivalence of a generic formulation of chlorphenesin carbamate at doses of 250 and 500 mg and 2 branded formulations of the same doses in healthy Korean adults. METHODS: This single-dose, randomized-sequence, open-label, 2-period crossover study was conducted in healthy Korean male and female volunteers. Subjects were assigned to receive, in a randomized sequence, a single dose of the generic (test) and branded (reference) formulations of chlorphenesin carbamate at a dose of 250 or 500 mg. Blood samples were drawn at 0, 0.33, 0.67, 1, 1.5, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 12, and 15 hours after administration. Pharmacokinetic properties (C(max), T(max), AUC(0-t) AUC(0-infinity), t(1/2), and ke) were determined using HPLC. The formulations were to be considered bioequivalent if the 90% CIs of the treatment ratios of the geometric means of C(max) and AUC(0-t) were within a predetermined range of log 0.80 to log 1.25 based on regulatory criteria. Tolerability was assessed by monitoring for adverse events (AEs) on physical examination and/or e-mail and personal interview at the beginning and end of each study period. RESULTS: Twenty-eight subjects (22 men, 6 women) received chlorphenesin carbamate at the 250-mg dose, and 24 male subjects received the 500-mg dose. The mean (SD) ages of the subjects were 24.0 (2.6) and 24.0 (1.9) years in the 250- and 500-mg groups, respectively. No significant differences were found between the test and reference formulations (90% CIs: C(max), 1.0048-1.1153 with the 250-mg dose and 0.9630-1.1189 with the 500-mg dose; AUC(0-t), 0.9882-1.0546 and 0.9842-1.0578, respectively). No clinically significant AEs (upper gastric pain, abdominal bloating, pyrexia, edema, nausea, heartburn, constipation, headache, dizziness, drowsiness, or fatigue) were reported throughout the study. CONCLUSION: In this single-dose study in these healthy Korean subjects, the generic and branded formulations of chlorphenesin carbamate 250 and 500 mg met the regulatory criteria for bioequivalence. All formulations were well tolerated.