Diclofenac sodium injection sterilized by autoclave and the occurrence of cyclic reaction producing a small amount of impurity

Super-Strong Hydrogel Composites Reinforced with PBO Nanofibers for Cartilage Replacement

Cartilage replacement materials exhibiting a set of demanding properties such as high water content, high mechanical stiffness, low friction, and excellent biocompatibility are quite difficult to achieve. Here, poly(p-phenylene-2,6-benzobisoxazole) (PBO) nanofibers are combined with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) to form a super-strong structure with a performance that surpasses the vast majority of previously existing hydrogels. PVA-PBO composites with water contents in the 59-76% range exhibit tensile and compressive moduli reaching 20.3 and 4.5 MPa, respectively, and a coefficient of friction below 0.08. Further, they are biocompatible and support the viability of chondrocytes for 1 week, with significant improvements in cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation compared to PVA. The new composites can be safely sterilized by steam heat or gamma radiation without compromising their integrity and overall performance. In addition, they show potential to be used as local delivery platforms for anti-inflammatory drugs. These attractive features make PVA-PBO composites highly competitive engineered materials with remarkable potential for use in the design of load-bearing tissues. Complementary work has also revealed that these composites will be interesting alternatives in other industrial fields where high thermal and mechanical resistance are essential requirements, or which can take advantage of the pH responsiveness functionality.

Development, Characterization and Evaluation of Parenteral Formulation of Diclofenac Sodium

Diclofenac sodium is a potent NSAID, classified under BCS class II category having a poor aqueous solubility. Recently, its injectable formulation got banned and withdrawn from the market due to its severe nephrotoxicity caused by the use of synthetic surfactant, i.e. Transcutol-P as solubilizer. Therefore, the present study was aimed to prepare Transcutol-P free injectable using Vitamin E TPGS as a biosurfactant which is in list of inactive ingredients by US-FDA. Various cost effective aqueous injectable formulations were prepared by mixed solvency method that were characterized and optimized for different in vitro quality control parameters. Further, ex vivo hemolytic study showed the increased safety (23.4 ± 1.6%) of optimized formulation as compared with its commercial counterpart (100 ± 4.2%) at 75 mg/ml. Furthermore, in vivo acute and sub-acute toxicity study demonstrated an increase in LD₅₀ to 123.75 ± 6.2 mg/kg to that of a commercial counterpart (109.96 ± 5.5 mg/kg). In addition, optimized formulation demonstrated better mean residence time and area under curve when compared with commercial test group, respectively. Moreover, optimized formulation was also evaluated for its therapeutic efficacy. The results obtained from acetic acid-induced writhing test in albino mice showed 78 ± 2.1% protection from writhes after 120 min, whereas the commercial formulation had only 48.3 ± 1.9% protection. Additionally, carrageenan-induced rat paw edema model also confirmed the better anti-inflammatory activity of optimized aqueous injectable formulation than its commercial counterpart. Thus, the developed aqueous injectable formulation of diclofenac is free from toxic Transcutol-P with enhanced safety and therapeutic efficacy.

Gamma sterilization of diclofenac sodium loaded- N-trimethyl chitosan nanoparticles for ophthalmic use

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of gamma irradiation on physicochemical properties of N-trimethyl chitosan (TMC), diclofenac sodium (DC) and diclofenac sodium loaded N-trimethylchitosan nanoparticles (DC-TMCNs), and to determine suitable doses of gamma rays for sterilization of DC-TMCNs. Physicochemical properties of TMC, DC and DC-TMCNs before and after exposure to gamma rays at various doses were investigated. It was found that gamma irradiation at doses of 5-25kGy did not cause any significant changes in physical and chemical properties of TMC, DC and DC-TMCNs. The bioburden of DC-TMCNs was 1.5×10⁶ CFU/vial. The initial contaminating bacteria were radiosensitive bacteria. A number of microorganisms was reduced to 10^-6 after exposure to 9.9kGy of gamma rays. Therefore, DC-TMCNs could be sterilized by gamma irradiation at a dose of 10kGy, which did not alter their physicochemical properties and did not produce any substances toxic to the eye.

A novel stability-indicating UPLC method development and validation for the determination of seven impurities in various diclofenac pharmaceutical dosage forms

An innovative simple, fast, precise and accurate ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) method was developed for the determination of diclofenac (Dic) along with its impurities including the new dimer impurity in various pharmaceutical dosage forms. An Acquity HSS T3 (C18, 100×2.1mm, 1.8μm) column in gradient mode was used with mobile phase comprising of phosphoric acid, which has a pH value of 2.3 and methanol. The flow rate and the injection volume were set at 0.35ml·min(-1) and 1μl, respectively, and the UV detection was carried out at 254nm by using photodiode array detector. Dic was subjected to stress conditions from acid, base, hydrolytic, thermal, oxidative and photolytic degradation. The new developed method was successfully validated in accordance to the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) guidelines with respect to specificity, limit of detection, limit of quantitation, precision, linearity, accuracy and robustness. The degradation products were well resolved from main peak and its seven impurities, proving the specificity power of the method. The method showed good linearity with consistent recoveries for Dic content and its impurities. The relative percentage of standard deviation obtained for the repeatability and intermediate precision experiments was less than 3% and LOQ was less than 0.5μg·ml(-1) for all compounds. The new proposed method was found to be accurate, precise, specific, linear and robust. In addition, the method was successfully applied for the assay determination of Dic and its impurities in the several pharmaceutical dosage forms.

Microwave synthesis and in vitro stability of diclofenac-β-cyclodextrin conjugate for colon delivery

The aim of this work was to synthesize an ester prodrug of diclofenac and β-cyclodextrin suitable for colonic delivery. The synthesis of an ester linkage between diclofenac and β-cyclodextrin was conducted by the nucleophilic substitution of mono-6-tosyl-β-cyclodextrin under microwaves irradiation. After purification, the conjugate was characterized by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry; infrared (IR) spectroscopy; proton nuclear magnetic resonance ((1)H NMR) spectroscopy; and two-dimensional rotating frame nuclear overhauser effect (ROESY) spectroscopy. The purity was qualified by high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). To assess its potential for colonic delivery, the conjugate was evaluated for stability in simulated gastric and small intestinal fluids, and in fecal material from humans processed within a slurry under anaerobic conditions. The conjugate was successfully synthesized with a yield of 20% following purification. The mass spectra showed the parent peak m/z 1434 corresponding to [conjugate+Na] adduct. IR and NMR results confirmed that the carboxyl group of diclofenac is covalently bound to one of the hydroxyl groups of cyclodextrin by an ester linkage. Moreover, ROESY data indicated that the formation of the conjugate is not accompanied by the inclusion of diclofenac within the cyclodextrin. The conjugate was otherwise stable in simulated gastric and small intestinal conditions, but was also readily hydrolyzed liberating diclofenac in less than 2h within the human fecal slurry. This confirmed the potential for this new prodrug as a carrier for colonic delivery.

Development and evaluation of diclofenac sodium thermorevesible subcutaneous drug delivery system

The objective of current work was to develop and evaluate thermoreversible subcutaneous drug delivery system for diclofenac sodium. The poloxamer 407, methyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose and polyethylene glycol were used alone and in combination in different ratios to design the delivery system. The physical properties like Tsol-gel, viscosity, clarity of solution and gel were evaluated. The in vitro release of the drug delivery system was evaluated using membrane less method and the drug release kinetics and mechanism was predicted by applying various mathematical models to the in vitro dissolution data. Rabbits were used as in vivo model following subcutaneous injection to predict various pharmacokinetics parameters by applying Pk-Summit software. The in vitro and in vivo data revealed that the system consisting of the poloxamer 407 in concentration of 20% (DP20) was the most capable formulation for extending the drug release and maintaining therapeutic blood level of DS for longer duration (144 h). The data obtained for drug content after autoclaving the solutions indicate that autoclaving results in 6% degradation of DS. The data also suggested that the studied polymers poloxamer, MC and PG are good candidate to extend the drug release possessing a unique thermoreversible property.

Identification of degradation products of diclofenac by electrospray ion trap mass spectrometry

The degradation products of diclofenac in aqueous dosage form in accelerated storage conditions were characterized by electrospray ionization-ion trap mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). Liquid chromatography (LC)-MS analyses revealed the presence of three degradation products. ESI-MS(n) spectra were used to study diclofenac fragmentation in detail and to characterize the structures of degradation products. A previously described degradation product, formed by a cyclization reaction of diclofenac producing the indolinone derivative, was found. As any hydroxylated product was found, no oxidation seems to occur in the dosage form used. On the contrary, two degradates have been detected and identified, leading to a primary alcohol structure or an aldehyde function in place of the acetate group of diclofenac.

STUDIES ON THE CHEMICAL REACTIVITY OF DICLOFENAC ACYL GLUCURONIDE WITH GLUTATHIONE: IDENTIFICATION OF DICLOFENAC-S-ACYL-GLUTATHIONE IN RAT BILE

Diclofenac, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, is metabolized to a reactive acyl glucuronide that has been proposed to mediate toxic adverse drug reactions associated with its use. In the present study, we examined the ability of diclofenac acyl glucuronide (D-1-O-G) to transacylate glutathione (GSH) in vitro in buffer and in vivo in rats. Thus, in vitro reactions of D-1-O-G (100 microM) with GSH (10 mM) at pH 7.4 and 37 degrees C showed a linear time-dependent formation of diclofenac-S-acyl-glutathione (D-SG, 3 microM/h) through 60 min of incubation, reaching a maximum of 3.7 microM after 2 h of incubation. The major reaction that occurred was acyl migration of D-1-O-G (t1/2, 54 min) to less reactive isomers. The D-SG thioester product was shown to be unstable by degrading primarily to 1-(2,6-dichlorophenyl)indolin-2-one and by hydrolysis to diclofenac. After administration of diclofenac to rats (200 mg/kg), bile was collected and analyzed for D-SG by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Results indicated the presence of D-SG, which was confirmed by coelution with synthetic standard and by its tandem mass spectrum. When the reactivity of D-SG (100 microM) was compared with D-1-O-G (100 microM) in vitro in reactions with N-acetylcysteine (NAC, 10 mM), results showed the quantitative reaction of D-SG with NAC after 30 min of incubation, whereas only approximately 1% of D-1-O-G reacted to form diclofenac-S-acyl-NAC at the same time point. Results from these studies indicate that GSH reacts with D-1-O-G in vitro, and presumably in vivo, to form D-SG, and that the product D-SG thioester is chemically more reactive in transacylation-type reactions than the D-1-O-G metabolite.

Pharmaceutical impurities--a mini-review

The control of pharmaceutical impurities is currently a critical issue to the pharmaceutical industry. The International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) has formulated a workable guideline regarding the control of impurities. In this review, a description of different types and origins of impurities in relation to ICH guidelines and, degradation routes, including specific examples, are presented. The article further discusses measures regarding the control of impurities in pharmaceuticals.