The role of ionic vs. non-ionic excipients in APIs-based eutectic systems

Critical overview on the use of hydrophobic (deep) eutectic solvents for the extraction of organic pollutants in complex matrices

During the last decades, many efforts have been devoted to the adaptation of sample preparation techniques and methods to the principles of Green Analytical Chemistry. Among them, this article review focusses on those aimed to green the solvents involved in sample treatment. Research in this field started in the late 1990s with the synthesis of room temperature ionic liquids, which were later replaced by the deep eutectic solvents (DESs). During the last years, a subclass of DESs, the so-called hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents (HDESs) have attracted attention. HDESs have contributed to circumventing some of the limitations of early-synthesised hydrophilic DESs regarding the cost of raw materials, the simplicity of synthesis, and the biocompatibility and, apparently, the biodegradability of the mixtures. In addition, these mixtures allowed the treatment of aqueous samples and the extraction of non-polar analytes. This article discusses fundamental aspects regarding the nomenclature used concerning HDESs, summarises the main physicochemical properties of these mixtures, and through discussion of key application studies, describes current progress in the use of these green solvents for the extraction of trace organic contaminants from a variety of matrices. Remaining gaps and possible lines of future development in this emerging, active and attractive research area are also identified and critically discussed.

COSMO Models for the Pharmaceutical Development of Parenteral Drug Formulations

The aqueous solubility of active pharmaceutical ingredients is one of the most important features to be considered during the development of parenteral formulations in the pharmaceutical industry. Computational modelling has become in the last years an integral part of pharmaceutical development. In this context, ab initio computational models, such as COnductor-like Screening MOdel (COSMO), have been proposed as promising tools for the prediction of results without the effective use of resources. Nevertheless, despite the clear evaluation of computational resources, some authors had not achieved satisfying results and new calculations and algorithms have been proposed over the years to improve the outcomes. In the development and production of aqueous parenteral formulations, the solubility of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) in an aqueous and biocompatible vehicle is a decisive step. This work aims to study the hypothesis that COSMO models could be useful in the development of new parenteral formulations, mainly aqueous ones.

Liquefying Flavonoids with Terpenoids through Deep Eutectic Solvent Formation

The formation of deep eutectic solvents (DES) is tied to negative deviations to ideality caused by the establishment of stronger interactions in the mixture than in the pure DES precursors. This work tested thymol and menthol as hydrogen bond donors when combined with different flavonoids. Negative deviations from ideality were observed upon mixing thymol with either flavone or flavanone, two parent flavonoids that only have hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA) groups, thus forming non-ionic DES (Type V). On the other hand, the menthol systems with the same compounds generally showed positive deviations from ideality. That was also the case with the mixtures containing the more complex hydroxylated flavonoid, hesperetin, which resulted in positive deviations when mixed with either thymol or menthol. COSMO-RS successfully predicted the behavior of the solid-liquid phase diagram of the studied systems, allowing for evaluation of the impact of the different contributions to the intermolecular interactions, and proving to be a good tool for the design of DES.

Design of a Stable Coamorphous System Using Lactose as an Antiplasticizing Agent for Diphenhydramine Hydrochloride with a Low Glass Transition Temperature

Coamorphous systems comprising small molecules are emerging as counterparts to polymeric solid dispersions. However, the glass transition temperatures (T_gs) of coamorphous materials are relatively low because of the lack of polymeric carriers with higher T_gs. This study aimed to investigate the applicability of lactose (LAC) as an antiplasticizing coformer to a coamorphous system. Diphenhydramine hydrochloride (DPH) was selected as a model drug (T_g = 16 °C). Differential scanning calorimetry showed a comelting point in addition to a decrease in the neat melting points depending on the composition of the physical mixtures, suggesting that the mixture of DPH-LAC was eutectic. The melting point of the eutectic mixture was calculated according to the Schröder-van Laar equation. The heat of fusion of the eutectic mixture was maximized at a 70:30 molar ratio of DPH to LAC; at this point, the melting peaks of the pure components disappeared. The heat flow profiles following the melting and cooling of DPH-LAC physical mixtures at the ratios from 10:90 to 90:10 showed a single T_g, suggesting the formation of a coamorphous system. Lactose showed a T_g of over 100 °C, and the T_g of DPH increased with the molar ratio of LAC; it was 84 °C at a 10:90 molar ratio of DPH to LAC. The Raman image indicated the formation of a homogeneous dispersion of DPH and LAC in the coamorphous system. Peak shifts in the infrared spectra indicated the presence of intermolecular interactions between the amino group of DPH and the hydroxyl group of LAC. Principal component analysis of the infrared spectra revealed a significant change at the 70:30 molar ratio of DPH to LAC, which was in agreement with the results of the thermal analysis. A stability test at 40 °C revealed rapid crystallization of the supercooled liquid DPH. The coamorphous samples containing 10-50% of LAC remained in an amorphous state for 21 days, and no crystallization was observed for the samples containing >60% of LAC for 28 days. The relatively lower T_g (less than 40 °C) of the coamorphous system containing 10-50% of LAC might have caused crystallization during storage. These findings indicate that LAC, which is a safe and widely used pharmaceutical excipient, can be applied to coamorphous systems as an antiplasticizing coformer.

Solids Turn into Liquids—Liquid Eutectic Systems of Pharmaceutics to Improve Drug Solubility

The low solubility of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) is a problem in pharmaceutical development. Several methodologies can be used to improve API solubility, including the use of eutectic systems in which one of the constituents is the API. This class of compounds is commonly called Therapeutic Deep Eutectic Systems (THEDES). THEDES has been gaining attention due to their properties such as non-toxicity, biodegradability, and being non-expensive and easy to prepare. Since the knowledge of the solid liquid diagram of the mixture and the ideal eutectic point is necessary to ascertain if a mixture is a deep eutectic or just a eutectic mixture that is liquid at ambient temperature, the systems studied in this work are called Therapeutic Liquid Eutectic Systems (THELES). Therefore, the strategy proposed in this work is to improve the solubility of chlorpropamide and tolbutamide by preparing THELES. Both APIs are sulfonylurea compounds used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus and have low solubility in water. To prepare the THELES, several coformers were tested, namely, tromethamine, L(+)-arginine, L-tryptophan, citric acid, malic acid, ascorbic acid, and p-aminobenzoic acid, in molar ratios of 1:1 and 1:2. To improve viscosity, water was added in different molar ratios to all systems. THELES were characterized by mid-infrared spectroscopy (MIR), and differential scanning calorimetry. Their viscosity, solubility, and permeability were also determined. Their stability at room temperature and 40 °C was accessed by MIR. Cytocompatibility was performed by metabolic activity and cell lysis evaluation, according to ISO10993-5:2009, and compared with the crystalline APIs. THELES with TRIS were successfully synthesized for both APIs. Results showed an increased solubility without a decrease in the permeability of the APIs in the THELES when compared with the pure APIs. The THELES were also considered stable for 8 weeks at ambient temperature. The cells studied showed that the THELES were not toxic for the cell lines used.