Ionizing radiation and its effects on pharmaceuticals

The long-term stability of solid-state oral pharmaceuticals exposed to simulated intravehicular space radiation

Pharmaceutical products brought for space missions must remain effective and safe throughout the mission. Previous NASA experiments suggest that radiation exposure could threaten drug stability during long-duration space missions. The Exploration Medical Capability (ExMC) Element has evaluated this possibility by exposing four medications to simulated Galactic Cosmic Radiation (GCRSim) at the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory followed by a three-year storage period. The solid oral drug products Acetaminophen, Amoxicillin, Ibuprofen, and Promethazine were used. Identical lots of each medication were assigned to four experimental groups: the non-irradiated Johnson Space Center control group, the non-irradiated traveling control group, the irradiation group I (GRSim, 0.5 Gy), and the irradiation group II (GCRSim, 1.0 Gy). Drug products were assessed for active pharmaceutical ingredient, degradation impurities, and dissolution 2, 18, and 34 months after irradiation. All samples show comparable degradation, revealing that GCR exposure does not facilitate the degradation of the drugs.

Do Rutin and Quercetin Retain Their Structure and Radical Scavenging Activity after Exposure to Radiation?

The influence of ionizing radiation on the physicochemical properties of quercetin and rutin in the solid state was studied. Quercetin and rutin were irradiated with the standard recommended radiation dose (25 kGy) according to EN 522 standard. The samples were irradiated by electron beam radiation. EPR studies indicate the formation of a small number of free radicals due to irradiation. Moreover, some radicals recombined with the mean lifetime of 1200 and 93 h, and a stable radical concentration reached only 0.29 and 0.90 ppm for quercetin and rutin, respectively. The performed spectroscopic study (FT-IR) confirmed the radiostability of the flavonoids tested. Chromatographic tests (HPLC, HPLC-MS) showed that irradiation of quercetin and rutin with a 25 kGy dose did not change the physicochemical properties of the tested compounds. Degradation products were not observed. The antioxidant activities were determined by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-pycrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging activity assay, ABTS Radical Scavenging Assay (ABTS), Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power Assay (FRAP), Cupric Ion Reducing Antioxidant Capacity Assay (CUPRAC). The conducted research confirmed that exposure to ionizing radiation does not change the chemical structure of tested flavonoids and their antioxidant properties.

To infinity and beyond: Strategies for fabricating medicines in outer space

Recent advancements in next generation spacecrafts have reignited public excitement over life beyond Earth. However, to safeguard the health and safety of humans in the hostile environment of space, innovation in pharmaceutical manufacturing and drug delivery deserves urgent attention. In this review/commentary, the current state of medicines provision in space is explored, accompanied by a forward look on the future of pharmaceutical manufacturing in outer space. The hazards associated with spaceflight, and their corresponding medical problems, are first briefly discussed. Subsequently, the infeasibility of present-day medicines provision systems for supporting deep space exploration is examined. The existing knowledge gaps on the altered clinical effects of medicines in space are evaluated, and suggestions are provided on how clinical trials in space might be conducted. An envisioned model of on-site production and delivery of medicines in space is proposed, referencing emerging technologies (e.g. Chemputing, synthetic biology, and 3D printing) being developed on Earth that may be adapted for extra-terrestrial use. This review concludes with a critical analysis on the regulatory considerations necessary to facilitate the adoption of these technologies and proposes a framework by which these may be enforced. In doing so, this commentary aims to instigate discussions on the pharmaceutical needs of deep space exploration, and strategies on how these may be met.

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Space is a hostile environment that threatens human health and drug stability.

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Data on the behaviour of medicines in space is critical but lacking.

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Novel drug manufacturing and delivery strategies are needed to safeguard crewmembers’ safety.

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Chemputing, synthetic biology, and 3D printing are examples of such emerging technologies.

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A regulatory framework for space medicines must be implemented to assure quality.

Recent Advances in Smart Hydrogels Prepared by Ionizing Radiation Technology for Biomedical Applications

Materials with excellent biocompatibility and targeting can be widely used in the biomedical field. Hydrogels are an excellent biomedical material, which are similar to living tissue and cannot affect the metabolic process of living organisms. Moreover, the three-dimensional network structure of hydrogel is conducive to the storage and slow release of drugs. Compared to the traditional hydrogel preparation technologies, ionizing radiation technology has high efficiency, is green, and has environmental protection. This technology can easily adjust mechanical properties, swelling, and so on. This review provides a classification of hydrogels and different preparation methods and highlights the advantages of ionizing radiation technology in smart hydrogels used for biomedical applications.

An EVOH nanofibrous sterile membrane with a robust and antifouling surface for high-performance sterile filtration via glutaraldehyde crosslinking and a plasma-assisted process

Constructing a sterile membrane with a robust and antifouling surface is a powerful means to improve the sterile filtration efficiency of sterile membranes. In this work, a robust EVOH nanofibrous sterile membrane was facilely fabricated by the method of in situ crosslinking with glutaraldehyde and surface plasma treatment. The resultant EVOH nanofibrous sterile membrane possessed a carboxylated-crosslinked surface, with high hydrophilicity, which generated high chemical stability, high-temperature steam resistance, and an ultrahigh antifouling performance against bovine serum albumin, ribonucleic acid and nanoparticle pollutants. Moreover, the membrane also exhibited a reasonably high primary water permeance (4522.2 LMH bar^-1 at 0.2 MPa), as well as an absolute interception rate (100%) of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus cells and Brevundimonas diminuta superior to the state-of-the-art sterile membrane. Moreover, the modified membrane packed syringe-driven filter presented 100% interception (LRV ≥ 7) to Brevundimonas diminuta and high permeation flux (from 10.8 to 41.8 L·h^-1) in a wide operating pressure range of 0.1 MPa to 0.6 MPa, indicating its potential in real bio-separation applications. This work provides a facile strategy for the preparation of a high-performance sterile membrane for biological drug product sterilization.

Stability of freeze-dried products subjected to microcomputed tomography radiation doses

OBJECTIVES

Microcomputed tomography (µCT) is a powerful analytical tool for non-invasive structural analysis. The stability of drug substances and formulations subjected to X-ray radiation may be a concern in the industry. This study examines the effect of X-ray radiation on the stability of freeze-dried pharmaceuticals. The investigation is a proof of concept study for the safety of µCT X-ray radiation doses during the non-destructive investigation of freeze-dried products.

METHODS

Different formulations of clotrimazole, insulin and l-lactate dehydrogenase were freeze-dried and the products exposed to a defined dose of radiation by µCT. Conservative freeze-drying conditions were used. Irradiated and normal samples were analysed for their stability directly after freeze-drying and after stability testing.

KEY FINDINGS

The stability of model compounds was well maintained during freeze-drying. Some degradation of all compounds occurred during accelerated stability testing. The results showed no differences between the irradiated and normal state directly after freeze-drying and accelerated stability testing.

CONCLUSIONS

No evidence of a detrimental effect of 100 Gy X-ray exposure on a model small molecule, peptide and protein compound was found while useful structural information could be obtained. Consequently, the technology may be useful as a non-destructive tool for product inspections if the formulation proves stable.