Enhanced anti-inflammatory activity of carbopol loaded meloxicam nanoethosomes gel

Novel oxicam nonsteroidal compound XK01 attenuates inflammation by suppressing the NF-κB and MAPK pathway in RAW264.7 macrophages

Traditional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) show serious adverse effects during clinical use, which limits their usage. Oxicams (e.g., piroxicam, meloxicam) are widely used as NSAIDs. However, selectivity to cyclooxygenase (COX) 2 may cause cardiovascular problems considering the long-term use of the drugs. Therefore, it is important to develop new non-steroidal compounds as anti-inflammatory drugs. In the present study, we evaluated the anti-inflammatory activity of a newly developed nonsteroidal drug XK01. Our data showed that XK01 reduced the contents of nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS)and inhibited the transcription levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-1β in a dose-dependent manner in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated mouse RAW264.7 macrophages. XK01 showed no significant inhibitory effect on COX-1, but inhibited the expression of COX-2. At molecular level, XK01 prevented the translocation of p65 protein from the cytoplasm to the nucleus and inhibited the phosphorylation of p65, IκB, and MAPKs proteins. And high concentration of XK01 also inhibited the phosphorylation of JNK, p38 and ERK, showing stronger effect than that of meloxicam. In addition, the anti-inflammatory activity of XK01 was further validated in Xylene-induced mouse ear swelling model. Thus, this study verified that XK01 inhibits the expression of inflammatory mediators and COX-2, and exhibits potential anti-inflammatory effects via suppressing the NF-κB and MAPK pathway.

Long-Acting Drug Delivery Technologies for Meloxicam as a Pain Medicine

Meloxicam, a selective COX-2 inhibitor, has demonstrated clinical effectiveness in managing inflammation and acute pain. Although available in oral and parenteral formulations such as capsule, tablet, suspension, and solution, frequent administration is necessary to maintain therapeutic efficacy, which can increase adverse effects and patient non-compliance. To address these issues, several sustained drug delivery strategies such as oral, transdermal, transmucosal, injectable, and implantable drug delivery systems have been developed for meloxicam. These sustained drug delivery strategies have the potential to improve the therapeutic efficacy and safety profile of meloxicam, thereby reducing the frequency of dosing and associated gastrointestinal side effects. The choice of drug delivery system will depend on the desired release profile, the target site of inflammation, and the mode of administration. Overall, meloxicam sustained delivery systems offer better patient compliance, and reduce the side effects, thereby improving the clinical applications of this drug. Herein, we discuss in detail different strategies for sustained delivery of meloxicam.

Preparation and Characterization of Transethosome Formulation for the Enhanced Delivery of Sinapic Acid

Sinapic acid (SA) is a bioactive phenolic acid; its diverse properties are its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer, and antibacterial activities. The bioactive compound SA is poorly soluble in water. Our goal was to formulate SA-transethosomes using thin-film hydration. The prepared formulations were examined for various parameters. In addition, the optimized formulation was evaluated for surface morphology, in-vitro penetration studies across the Strat M®, and its antioxidant activity. The optimized formulation (F5) exhibited 74.36% entrapment efficacy. The vesicle size, zeta potential, and polydispersity index were found to be 111.67 nm, -7.253 mV, and 0.240, respectively. The surface morphology showed smooth and spherical vesicles of SA-transethosomes. In addition, the prepared SA-transethosomes exhibited enhanced antioxidant activity. The SA-transethosomes demonstrated considerably greater penetration across the Strat M® membrane during the study. The flux of SA and SA-transethosomes through the Strat M® membrane was 1.03 ± 0.07 µg/cm2/h and 2.93 ± 0.16 µg/cm2/h. The enhancement ratio of SA-transethosomes was 2.86 ± 0.35 compared to the control. The SA-transethosomes are flexible nano-sized vesicles and are able to penetrate the entrapped drug in a higher concentration. Hence, it was concluded that SA-transethosome-based approaches have the potential to be useful for accentuating the penetrability of SA across the skin.

A novel deformable liposomal hydrogel loaded with a SREBP-1-inhibiting polypeptide for reducing sebum synthesis in golden hamster model

Excessive sebum is the major factor involved in the pathophysiology of seborrheic diseases. Chemical medicines can result in mild to severe side effects. Polypeptides with much less side effects make them ideal for reducing sebum synthesis. Sterol regulatory element-binding proteins-1 (SREBP-1) is necessary for the biosynthesis of sterols. A SREBP-1-inhibiting polypeptide (SREi), which competitively inhibits the ubiquitination of Insig-1 so as to suppress the activation of SREBP-1 was selected as an active ingredient and formulated into skin topical preparations. The SREi anionic deformable liposomes contained sodium deoxycholate (SDCh) at the concentration of 4.4 mg/mL (SREi-ADL3) and SREi-ADL3 in 0.3% (w/v) carbomer hydrogel (SREi-ADL3-GEL) were prepared and characterized. The SREi-ADL3 presented a high entrapment efficiency of 92.62 ± 6.32%, a particle size of 99.54 ± 7.56 nm and a surface charge of -19.18 ± 0.45 mV. SREi-ADL3-GEL exhibited a sustained release behavior, a higher stability, a much more cellular uptake ability and transdermal absorption. In vivo golden hamster model confirmed that SREi-ADL3-GEL presented the strongest inhibitory effect on sebaceous gland growth and sebum synthesis by down-regulating the mRNA and protein expression of SREBP-1, fatty acid synthase (FAS) and acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase 1 (ACC1). As confirmed by histological analysis, only a small amount of sebaceous gland lobes with the lightest staining intensity and the smallest dyeing area could be observed in the SREi-ADL3-GEL group. Taken together, SREi-ADL3-GEL displayed potential applications in sebum excessive production related diseases.

Development and Optimization of Erythromycin Loaded Transethosomes Cinnamon Oil Based Emulgel for Antimicrobial Efficiency

Erythromycin (EM) is a macrolide antibiotic that is frequently used to treat skin bacterial infections. It has a short half-life (1-1.5 h), instability in stomach pH, and a low oral bioavailability. These foregoing factors limit its oral application; therefore, the development of topical formulations loaded with erythromycin is an essential point to maximize the drug's concentration at the skin. Accordingly, the current study's goal was to boost the antimicrobial activity of EM by utilizing the advantages of natural oils such as cinnamon oil. Erythromycin-loaded transethosomes (EM-TE) were generated and optimized using a Box-Behnken design employing, phospholipid concentration (A), surfactant concentration (B), and ethanol content (C) as independent variables. Their effects on entrapment efficiency, EE, (Y₁) and the total amount of erythromycin that penetrated the skin after 6 h, Q6h (Y₂), were assessed. The optimized transethosome showed a particle size of 256.2 nm, EE of 67.96 ± 0.59%, and Q6h of 665.96 ± 5.87 (µg/cm²) after 6 h. The TEM analysis revealed that, the vesicles are well-known packed structures with a spherical shape. The optimized transethosomes formulation was further transformed into a cinnamon oil-based emulgel system using HPMC as a gelling agent. The generated EM-TE-emulgel was characterized by its physical features, in vitro, ex vivo studies, and antimicrobial activities. The formulation showed sufficient characteristics for effective topical application, and demonstrated a great stability. Additionally, EM-TE-Emulgel had the highest transdermal flux (120.19 μg/cm²·h), and showed considerably (p < 0.05) greater antimicrobial activity, than EM-TE-gel and placebo TE-Emulgel. The action of EM was subsequently augmented with cinnamon oil, which eventually showed a notable effect against bacterial growth. Finally, these results demonstrate that the transethosomes-loaded cinnamon oil-based emulgel is an alternative way to deliver erythromycin for the treatment of topical bacterial infections.

Drug-Loaded Chitosan Scaffolds for Periodontal Tissue Regeneration

Chitosan is a natural anionic polysaccharide with a changeable architecture and an abundance of functional groups; in addition, it can be converted into various shapes and sizes, making it appropriate for a variety of applications. This article examined and summarized current developments in chitosan-based materials, with a focus on the modification of chitosan, and presented an abundance of information about the fabrication and use of chitosan-derived products in periodontal regeneration. Numerous preparation and modification techniques for enhancing chitosan performance, as well as the uses of chitosan and its metabolites, were reviewed critically and discussed in depth in this study. Chitosan-based products may be formed into different shapes and sizes, considering fibers, nanostructures, gels, membranes, and hydrogels. Various drug-loaded chitosan devices were discussed regarding periodontal regeneration.

Formulation and Characterization of Metformin-Loaded Ethosomes for Topical Application to Experimentally Induced Skin Cancer in Mice

To achieve the best treatment of skin cancer, drug penetration inside the deepest layers of the skin is an important scientific interest. We designed an ethosome formulation that serves as a carrier for metformin and measured the in vitro skin permeation. We also aimed to measure the antitumor activity of the optimal ethosomal preparation when applied topically to chemically induced skin cancer in mice. We utilized a statistical Box–Behnken experimental design and applied three variables at three levels: lecithin concentration, cholesterol concentration and a mixture of ethanol and isopropyl alcohol concentrations. All formulations were prepared to calculate the entrapment efficiency %, zeta potential, size of the vesicles and drug release % after 1, 2, 4, 8 and 24 h. The size of the vesicles for the formulations was between 124 ± 14.2 nm and 560 ± 127 nm, while the entrapment efficiency was between 97.8 ± 0.23% and 99.4 ± 0.24%, and the drug release % after 8 h was between 38 ± 0.82% and 66 ± 0.52%. All formulations were introduced into the Box–Behnken software, which selected three formulations; then, one was assigned as an optimal formula. The in vivo antitumor activity of metformin-loaded ethosomal gel on skin cancer was greater than the antitumor activity of the gel preparation containing free metformin. Lower lecithin, high ethanol and isopropyl alcohol and moderate cholesterol contents improved the permeation rate. Overall, we can conclude that metformin-loaded ethosomes are a promising remedy for treating skin cancers, and more studies are warranted to approve this activity in other animal models of skin cancers.

Insightful exploring of advanced nanocarriers for the topical/transdermal treatment of skin diseases

Dermatological products constitute a big segment of the pharmaceutical market. From conventional products to more advanced ones, a wide variety of dosage forms have been developed till current date. A representative of the advanced delivery means is carrier-based systems, which can load large number of drugs for treatment of dermatological diseases, or simply for cosmeceutical purposes. To make them more favorable for topical delivery, further incorporation of these carriers in a topical vehicle, such as gels or creams is made. Therefore in this review article, an overview is compiled of the most commonly encountered novel carrier based topical delivery systems; namely lipid based (nanoemulsions, microemulsions, solid lipid nanoparticles [SLNs] and nanostructured lipid carriers [NLCs]), and vesicular carriers (non-deformable, such as liposomes, niosomes, emulsomes and cerosomes, and deformable, such as transfersomes, ethosomes, transethosomes, and penetration enhancer vesicles), with special emphasis on those loaded in a secondary gel vehicle. A special focus was made on the commonly encountered dermatological diseases, such as bacterial and fungal infections, psoriasis, dermatitis, eczema, vitiligo, oxidative damage, aging, alopecia, and skin cancer.

Formulation development and in vitro-in vivo assessment of protransfersomal gel of anti-resorptive drug in osteoporosis treatment

Osteoporosis is a major cause of morbidity, mortality, and economic burden worldwide. Despite being an effective in combating the bone-deteriorating disorders, bisphosphonates have several shortcomings including poor and variable bioavailability, low permeability, high toxicity, etc. In this study, we developed and optimized protransfersome formulation for the drug risedronate sodium (RIS-Na) with the goal of enhancing its bioavailability and hence patient compliance. Phase separation coacervation technique was utilized for development of optimized formulation. Optimization was achieved by using three-factor, three-level Box-Behnken design combined with Response Surface Methodology (RSM). This enabled us to decipher the effect of 3 independent variables (Phospholipid, Tween-80 and Sodium Deoxycholate) on three dependent parameters (entrapment efficiency, vesicle size and transdermal flux). Optimized formulation was further evaluated for pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameters. Smooth, spherical protransfersomes with a size of 260 ± 18 nm, having entrapment efficiency and flux of 80.4 ± 4.90% and 8.41 ± 0.148 μg/cm²/h, respectively were prepared. Ex vivo studies revealed a shorter lag time of 1.21 ± 0.18 h and higher flux associated with transdermal formulation. CLSM analysis further revealed better drug penetration (220 μm) through the skin in case of protransfersomes as compared to drug solution (72 μm). Additionally, biomechanical, biochemical, and histo-pathological studies further validated the results. Thus, it was concluded that protransfersome formulation has a great potential in providing better therapeutic efficacy of risedronate than its conventional counterpart.

Tailoring of Retinyl Palmitate-Based Ethosomal Hydrogel as a Novel Nanoplatform for Acne Vulgaris Management: Fabrication, Optimization, and Clinical Evaluation Employing a Split-Face Comparative Study

AIM

Retinyl palmitate (RP), the most stable vitamin A derivative, is used to treat photoaging and other skin disorders. The need to minimize the adverse effects of topical drug administration has led to an enhanced interest in loading RP on ethosomes for topical drug delivery. The aim of the current study was to prepare and compare the performance of RP decorated ethosomal hydrogel with tretinoin cream in the treatment of acne vulgaris as an approach to improve drug efficacy and decrease its side effects.

METHODS

RP-loaded ethosomes were prepared using the injection sonication technique. A Box-Behnken design using Design Expert® software was used for the optimization of formulation variables. Particle size, zeta potential (ZP), entrapment efficiency percent (EE%), % drug release, and permeation over 24 h of different formulations were determined. The optimal formulation was incorporated into a hydrogel. Finally, the efficacy and tolerability of the optimized RP ethosomal hydrogel were clinically evaluated for acne treatment using a split-face comparative clinical study.

RESULTS

The optimized ethosomal RP showed particle size of 195.8±5.45 nm, ZP of -62.1±2.85 mV, EE% of 92.63±4.33%, drug release % of 96.63±6.81%, and drug permeation % of 85.98 ±4.79%. Both the optimized RP ethosomal hydrogel and tretinoin effectively reduced all types of acne lesions (inflammatory, non-inflammatory, and total lesions). However, RP resulted in significantly lower non-inflammatory and total acne lesion count than the marketed tretinoin formulation. Besides, RP-loaded ethosomes showed significantly improved tolerability compared to marketed tretinoin with no or minimal skin irritation symptoms.

CONCLUSION

RP ethosomal hydrogel is considerably effective in controlling acne vulgaris with excellent skin tolerability. Therefore, it represents an interesting alternative to conventional marketed tretinoin formulation for topical acne treatment.

Quality by Design for Development, Optimization and Characterization of Brucine Ethosomal Gel for Skin Cancer Delivery

Natural products have been extensively used for treating a wide variety of disorders. In recent times, Brucine (BRU) as one of the natural medications extracted from seeds of nux vomica, was investigated for its anticancer activity. As far as we know, this is the first study on BRU anticancer activity against skin cancer. Thus, the rational of this work was implemented to develop, optimize and characterize the anticancer activity of BRU loaded ethosomal gel. Basically, thin film hydration method was used to formulate BRU ethosomal preparations, by means of Central composite design (CCD), which were operated to construct (3²) factorial design. Two independent variables were designated (phospholipid percentage and ethanol percentage) with three responses (vesicular size, encapsulation efficiency and flux). Based on the desirability function, one formula was selected and incorporated into HPMC gel base to develop BRU loaded ethosomal gel. The fabricated gel was assessed for all physical characterization. In-vitro release investigation, ex-vivo permeation and MTT calorimetric assay were performed. BRU loaded ethosomal gel exhibited acceptable values for the characterization parameters which stand proper for topical application. In-vitro release investigation was efficiently prolonged for 6 h. The flux from BRU loaded ethosome was enhanced screening optimum SSTF value. Finally, in-vitro cytotoxicity study proved that BRU loaded ethosomal gel significantly improved the anticancer activity of the drug against A375 human melanoma cell lines. Substantially, the investigation proposed a strong motivation for further study of the lately developed BRU loaded ethosomal gel as a prospective therapeutic strategy for melanoma treatment.

Ethosomes as Nanocarriers for the Development of Skin Delivery Formulations

The use of nanotechnology has been extensively explored for developing efficient drug delivery systems towards topical and transdermal applications. Ethosomes constitute a vesicular nanocarrier containing a relatively high concentration of ethanol (20-45%). Ethanol is a well-known permeation enhancer, which confers ethosomes unique features, including high elasticity and deformability, allowing them to penetrate deeply across the skin and enhance drug permeation and deposition. The improved composition of ethosomes offer, thereby, significant advantages in the delivery of therapeutic agents over particularly the conventional liposomes regarding different pathologies, including acne, psoriasis, alopecia, skin infections, hormonal deficiencies, among others. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the ethosomal system and an assessment of its potential as an efficient nanocarrier towards the skin delivery of active ingredients. Special attention is given to the composition of ethosomes and the mechanism of skin permeation, as well as their potential applications in different pathologies, particularly skin pathologies (acne, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, skin cancer and skin infections). Some examples of ethosome-based formulations for the management of skin disorders are also highlighted. Besides the need for further studies, particularly in humans, ethosomal-based formulations hold great promise in the skin delivery of active ingredients, which increasingly asserts oneself as a viable alternative to the oral route.

Design and optimization of nano invasomal gel of Glibenclamide and Atenolol combination: in vitro and in vivo evaluation

Background

There are many circumstances where chronic disease is associated with other disorders, especially in diseases such as diabetes with noncommunicable disease risk factors, such as hypertension. The current therapies for treating such chronic comorbid diseases are limited and challenging due to the difficulties in overcoming the side effects from complex therapeutic treatment regimen. The present study is aimed to develop and optimize the combinational nano invasomal gel of Glibenclamide (GLB) and Atenolol (ATN) as a novel combination therapy for comorbid treatment of diabetic hypertensive patients. The developed formulations were characterized for various parameters, including in-vitro skin permeation, skin irritation, in-vivo antidiabetic, and antihypertensive activities.

Results

OCNIG showed that the % entrapment efficiency of GLB is 96.67 ± 0.65% and % entrapment efficiency of ATN is 93.76 ± 0.89%, flux of GLB (240.43 ± 1.76 μg/cm2/h), and flux of ATN (475.2 ± 1.54 μg/cm2/h) which was found to conform to the expected value. The results indicated desired release and permeation profiles. Optimized formulation showed significant pharmacokinetic properties, which shows improvement in bioavailability by 134.30% and 180.32% respectively for two drugs, when compared to marketed oral preparation. Pharmacodynamic studies showed improved and prolonged management of diabetes and hypertension in Wistar rats, compared to oral and drug-loaded nano invasomes formulations.

Conclusion

Overall, the results showed that nano invasomal gel was found to be a useful and promising transdermal delivery system for the treatment of concurrent diseases.

Mitigation of Rheumatic Arthritis in a Rat Model via Transdermal Delivery of Dapoxetine HCl Amalgamated as a Nanoplatform: In vitro and in vivo Assessment

Purpose

Dapoxetine HCl (DH), a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, may be useful for the treatment of rheumatic arthritis (RA). The purpose of this study was to investigate the therapeutic efficacy of transdermal delivery of DH in transethosome nanovesicles (TENVs). This novel delivery of DH may overcome the drawbacks associated with orally administered DH and improve patient compliance.

Methods

DH-TENV formulations were prepared using an injection- sonication method and optimized using a 3³ Box-Behnken-design with Design Expert^® software. The TENV formulations were assessed for entrapment efficiency (EE-%), vesicle size, zeta potential, in vitro DH release, and skin permeation. The tolerability of the optimized DH-TENV gel was investigated using a rat skin irritation test. A pharmacokinetic analysis of the optimized DH-TENV gel was also conducted in rats. Moreover, the anti-RA activity of the optimized DH-TENV gel was assessed based on the RA-specific marker anti-cyclic cirtullinated peptide antibody (anti-CCP), the cartilage destruction marker cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) and the inflammatory marker interleukin-6 (IL-6). Level of tissue receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-Β ligand (RANKL) were also assessed.

Results

The optimized DH-TENV formulation involved spherical nanovesicles that had an appropriate EE- % and skin permeation characteristic. The DH-TENV gel was well tolerated by rats. The pharmacokinetics analysis showed that the optimized DH-TENV gel boosted the bioavailability of the DH by 2.42- and 4.16-fold compared to the oral DH solution and the control DH gel, respectively. Moreover, it significantly reduced the serum anti-CCP, COMP and IL-6 levels and decreased the RANKL levels. Furthermore, the DH-TENV gel attenuated histopathological changes by almost normalizing the articular surface and synovial fluid.

Conclusion

The results indicate that DH-TENVs can improve transdermal delivery of DH and thereby alleviate RA.

Preparation and optimization of fisetin loaded glycerol based soft nanovesicles by Box-Behnken design

The present study focused on the development and optimization of glycerosomes for dermal delivery of fisetin. The fisetin loaded glycerosomes formulation was optimized by Box-Behnken design. The independent variables were the lipoid S 100, glycerol, and sonication time, whereas the dependent variables were the vesicles size, entrapment efficiency, and flux. The mechanism of skin penetration of fisetin loaded glycerosomes formulation was determined by the DSC and FTIR studies. Confocal scanning microscopy was used to detect the penetration ability of glycerosomes. The optimized fisetin loaded glycerosomes formulation was converted into a Carbopol® gel matrix, and the latter was analyzed for various parameters. The optimized formulation of glycerosomes presented vesicles size, entrapment efficiency and flux of 138.8 ± 4.09 nm, 86.41 ± 2.95% and 5.04 ± 0.17 µg/cm²/h, respectively. The transmission electron microscopy of optimized fisetin loaded formulation revealed the spherical and sealed structure of glycerosomes vesicles. The confocal study confirmed that the Rhodamine B incorporated glycerosomes penetrated up to deeper layers of skin. The DSC and FTIR studies revealed that the hydration of skin layers and skin lipid fluidization could be the penetration mechanism of fisetin glycerosomes formulation. The optimized fisetin loaded glycerosomes gel formulation presented a flux of 4.24 ± 0.14 μg/cm²/h, and exhibited zero-order release kinetics. The texture analysis of fisetin glycerosomes gel displayed a sufficient hardness, consistency, cohesiveness, and index of viscosity. It was concluded that the prepared fisetin loaded glycerosomes gel was suitable for the dermal application.

The transdermal performance, pharmacokinetics, and anti-inflammatory pharmacodynamics evaluation of harmine-loaded ethosomes

Harmine (HAR) is a β-carboline alkaloid with anti-inflammatory and antipruritic effect. However, the low bioavailability and side effects of HAR severely limited its clinical application. The main objective of this study was to develop harmine-loaded ethosomes (HLE) drug delivery system for topical application to treat inflammation. HLE were obtained by ethanol injection method and characterized. The morphology of HLE was evaluated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). HLE exhibited a good biocompatibility with human embryonic skin fibroblasts and rat skin. The in vitro skin penetration studies showed that HLE had the greatest skin deposition than harmine-loaded liposomes (HLL) and harmine solution (HS). In vivo pharmacokinetic study demonstrated that AUC_(0-∞) and C_max of HLE in subcutaneous tissues were much higher than that of in blood. Moreover, for convenience of fixing on skin, HLE were mixed with gel. HLE gel significantly inhibited the overexpression of inflammation cytokines prostaglandin E2, interleuking (IL)-1β, nitric oxide, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in the inflammation model of rat paw edema compared with HS gel. In short, HLE was promising formulation for topical delivery in treatment of inflammatory diseases.

Preclinical assessment of the potential of a 3D chitosan drug delivery system with sodium meloxicam for treating complications following tooth extraction

Current medical healthcare has no sufficient innovative drug delivery formulations for treating patients with alveolar osteitis. This study presents a portion of research conducted to design, fabricate, and characterize systems for the treatment of alveolar osteitis. The results demonstrate that intra-alveolar formulations can be designed to function as drug carriers, facilitate wound dressing, and promote tissue regeneration. Our aim was to design cone-shaped implants made of microcrystalline chitosan filled with sodium meloxicam, i.e., a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agent. SEM analysis revealed the porous structure and monophasic characteristic of the formulation. Moreover, textural analysis demonstrated the effect of different factors (shape, hydration, addition of an active substance) on the hardness, springiness and cohesiveness of the studied systems. The active substance was released in a two-phase process. In vitro biocompatibility tests performed according to ISO 10993-5 confirmed the lack of cytotoxicity of the tested formulations. The designed formulations did not stimulate human THP1-XBlue™ monocytes to activate the transcription nuclear factor NF-κB, which ensures that the performed systems do not induce local inflammation. These initial results indicate that the innovative sodium meloxicam release system can improve safety and efficacy in clinical settings.

Quality by design driven development of resveratrol loaded ethosomal hydrogel for improved dermatological benefits via enhanced skin permeation and retention

Resveratrol is a potent anti-oxidant agent and can be used for the effective management of different skin conditions like extrinsic skin ageing, psoriasis, etc. The objective of this research was to develop a dermal delivery system of resveratrol for its improved dermatological benefits for achieving its enhanced skin deposition profile with limited systemic exposure. Resveratrol loaded ethosomal hydrogel was developed and optimized using systematic Quality by Design approach. Firstly, the quality target product profile (QTPP) of ethosomal formulation was defined and critical quality attributes (CQAs) and critical material attributes (CMAs) were screened through risk assessment studies based on fish bone diagram. 3² full factorial design using Design Expert software was employed to optimize the selected CMAs. Concentration of phospholipid (X1) and concentration of ethanol (X2) were selected as independent CMAs. Vesicle size (Y1), entrapment efficiency (Y2), permeation flux (Y3) and drug deposition in dermal layer (Y4) were evaluated as dependant CQAs. Optimized formulation was then evaluated for physicochemical and skin permeation properties. Ethosomal hydrogel was able to significantly enhance the skin permeation parameters and skin deposition of resveratrol in comparison to the conventional cream. The results were highly ratified by CLSM studies in which ethosomal hydrogel was found to be vastly scattered in the deeper skin layers. Thus, there is evidence that systemically developed ethosomal gel can deliver enhanced amounts of bioactives into the skin and it is expected that a number of products for dermal/transdermal applications will be developed in the future based on it.

Development and optimization of self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems (SNEDDS) for curcumin transdermal delivery: an anti-inflammatory exposure

The purpose of this work is to develop novel lipid-based self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems (SNEDDS) as carriers for transdermal delivery of curcumin. SNEDDS containing black seed oil, medium chain mono- and diglycerides and surfactants, were prepared as curcumin delivery vehicles. Their formation spontaneity, morphology, droplet size, and drug loading were evaluated. Gel preparation containing two of the SNEDDS formulations were used in the carrageenan induced paw edema to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect. Results showed droplet size as low as 71 nm. The highest drug loading was observed with SNEDDS-F6 of ∼45 mg/g. In in-vivo investigation, SNEDDS-F6 exhibited significant anti-inflammatory activities in terms of 80% reduction in paw edema when compared with positive control. The prepared SNEDDS with the elevated entrapment efficiency, good transdermal penetration ability could be a suitable candidate for effective transdermal curcumin skin delivery.

Localized and targeted delivery of NSAIDs for treatment of inflammation: A review

IMPACT STATEMENT

This work provides an overview of research currently being done exploring potential drug delivery device strategies for NSAIDs as an alternative to systemic delivery. Commentary on this field is made in an attempt to aid future experimental design, enabling researchers to determine the drugs and delivery vehicles which are most advantageous for them to pursue, as well as suggestions to standardize the reporting of such future research.

Factorial design based curcumin ethosomal nanocarriers for the skin cancer delivery: in vitro evaluation

Melanoma is the most deadly and life-threatening form of skin cancer with progressively higher rates of incidence worldwide. The objective of the present investigation is to develop and to statistically optimize and characterize curcumin (CUR) loaded ethosomes for treatment of melanoma. A two factor, three level (3²) factorial design approach was employed for the optimization of ethosomes. The prepared ethosomes were evaluated for size, zeta potential, entrapment efficiency, in vitro skin permeation and deposition ability. The optimized ethosomal formulation was evaluated for in vitro cytotoxicity and cellular uptake studies using A375 human melanoma cells. The optimized formulation has imperfect round shaped unilamellar structures with a mean vesicle size of 247 ± 5.25 nm and an entrapment efficiency of 92.24 ± 0.20%. The in vitro skin permeation studies proved the superiority of ethosomes over the traditional liposomes in terms of the amount of drug permeated and deposited in skin layers. Fluorescence microscopy showed the enhanced penetration of ethosomes into the deeper layers of the skin. In vitro cytotoxicity and cellular uptake studies revealed that curcumin ethosomes have significantly improved cytotoxicity and cellular uptake in A375 human melanoma cell lines. The colony formation assay results showed that curcumin ethosomes have a superior antiproliferative effect as they effectively inhibit the clonogenic ability of A375 cells. The flow cytometry results indicate that curcumin ethosomes induce cell death in A375 cells by apoptosis mechanism. The present study provides a strong rationale and motivation for further investigation of newly developed curcumin ethosomes as a potential therapeutic strategy for melanoma treatment.

Transdermal applications of ethosomes - a detailed review

Skin, the largest organ of the body serves as a potential route of drug delivery for local and systemic effects. However, the outermost layer of skin, the stratum corneum (SC) acts as a tough barrier that prevents penetration of hydrophilic and high molecular weight drugs. Ethosomes are a novel phospholipid vesicular carrier containing high ethanol concentrations and offer improved skin permeability and efficient bioavailability due to their structure and composition. This article gives a review of ethosomes including their compositions, types, mechanism of drug delivery, stability, and safety behaviour. This article also provides a detailed overview of drug delivery applications of ethosomes in various diseases.

PEGylated meloxicam-loaded nanocapsules reverse in vitro damage on caspase activity and do not induce toxicity in cultured human lymphocytes and mice

Meloxicam is an anti-inflammatory drug that has a potential protective effect in many common diseases. However, this molecule is quickly eliminated from the body due to it short half-life. One way to overcome this problem is to incorporate meloxicam into lipid-core nanocapsules which may increase it anti-inflammatory effects. In view of this, the objective of this work was to evaluate the potential toxicity and safety of these novel nanomaterials both in vitro and in vivo. Here, we evaluated the effects of uncoated meloxicam-loaded nanocapsules (M-NC), uncoated and not loaded with meloxicam or blank (B-NC), PEGylated meloxicam-loaded lipid-core nanocapsules (M-NCPEG), blank PEGylated lipid-core nanocapsules (B-NCPEG) and free meloxicam (M-F) in vitro through the analysis of cell viability, caspase activity assays and gene expression of perforin and granzyme B. Meanwhile, the in vivo safety was assessed using C57BL/6 mice that received nanocapsules for seven days. Thus, no change in cell viability was observed after treatments. Furthermore, M-NC, M-NCPEG and M-F groups reversed the damage caused by H₂O₂ on caspase-1, 3 and 8 activities. Overall, in vivo results showed a safe profile of these nanocapsules including hematological, biochemical, histological and genotoxicity analysis. In conclusion, we observed that meloxicam nanocapsules present a safe profile to use in future studies with this experimental protocol and partially reverse in vitro damage caused by H₂O₂.

Development of transethosomes formulation for dermal fisetin delivery: Box-Behnken design, optimization, in vitro skin penetration, vesicles-skin interaction and dermatokinetic studies

The present study was conducted for the optimization of transethosomes formulation for dermal fisetin delivery. The optimization of the formulation was carried out using "Box-Behnken design". The independent variables were Lipoid S 100, ethanol and sodium cholate. The prepared formulations were characterized for vesicle size, entrapment efficiency and in vitro skin penetration study. The vesicles-skin interaction, confocal laser scanning microscopy and dermatokinetic studies were performed with optimized formulation. Results of the present study demonstrated that the optimized formulation presented vesicle size of 74.21 ± 2.65 nm, zeta potential of -11.0 mV, entrapment efficiency of 68.31 ± 1.48% and flux of 4.13 ± 0.17 µg/cm²/h. The TEM image of optimized formulation exhibited sealed and spherical shape vesicles. Results of thermoanalytical techniques demonstrated that the prepared transethosomes vesicles formulation had fluidized the rigid membrane of rat's skin for smoother penetration of fisetin transethosomes. The confocal study results presented well distribution and penetration of Rhodamine B loaded transethosomes vesicles formulation up to deeper layers of the rat's skin as compared to the Rhodamine B-hydro alcoholic solution. Present study data revealed that the developed transethosomes vesicles formulation was found to be a potentially useful drug carrier for fisetin dermal delivery.

Intermolecular interaction as a direct measure of water solubility advantage of meloxicam cocrystalized with carboxylic acids

The solubility advantage (SA) of meloxicam cocrystalized with mono- and dicarboxylic acids was expressed in terms of equilibrium constants involving active pharmaceutical ingredient and coformer in aqueous solutions. It is argued that SA can be quantified by concentration of pairs formed in water. The pH and concentration of dissolved components is included explicitly in the model. The alternative behavior of mono- and dicarboxylic acids was emphasized and addressed to different structural motifs. The structural and energetic properties of meloxicam and its complexes with carboxylic acids were characterized, including tautmerism and dissociation in aqueous media. In particular, performed in silico modeling confirmed experimental observation that meloxicam dissolved in water or modest acidic solutions is expected to be a mixture of anionic form in equilibrium with at least five neutral isomers. Tautomer-related diversity of pairs formation and the possibility of salt formation is also discussed. Graphical abstract Two types of motifs found in meloxicam cocrystals reveal two sources of solubility advantage.

5-Fluorouracil ethosomes - skin deposition and melanoma permeation synergism with microwave

This study focuses on the use of ethosome and microwave technologies to facilitate skin penetration and/or deposition of 5-fluorouracil in vitro and in vivo. Low ethanol ethosomes were designed and processed by mechanical dispersion technique and had their size, zeta potential, morphology, drug content and encapsulation efficiency characterized. The skin was pre-treated with microwave at 2450 MHz for 2.5 min with ethosomes applied topically and subjected to in vitro and in vivo skin drug permeation as well as retention evaluation. The drug and/or ethosomes cytotoxicity, uptake and intracellular trafficking by SKMEL-28 melanoma cell culture were evaluated. Pre-treatment of skin by microwave promoted significant drug deposition in skin from ethosomes in vitro while keeping the level of drug permeation unaffected. Similar observations were obtained in vivo with reduced drug permeation into blood. Combination ethosome and microwave technologies enhanced intracellular localization of ethosomes through fluidization of cell membrane lipidic components as well as facilitating endocytosis by means of clathrin, macropinocytosis and in particularly lipid rafts pathways. The synergistic use of microwave and ethosomes opens a new horizon for skin malignant melanoma treatment.

Enhanced transdermal delivery of meloxicam by nanocrystals: Preparation, in vitro and in vivo evaluation

Meloxicam (MLX) is efficient in relieving pain and inflammatory symptoms, which, however, is limited by the poor solubility and gastrointestinal side effects. The objective of this study is to develop a nanocrystal formulation to enhance transdermal delivery of MLX. MLX nanocrystals were successfully prepared by the nanoprecipitation technique based on acid-base neutralization. With poloxamer 407 and Tween 80 (80/20, w/w) as mixed stabilizers, MLX nanocrystals with particle size of 175 nm were obtained. The crystalline structure of MLX nanocrystals was confirmed by both differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray powder diffractometry. However, the nanoprecipitation process reduced the crystallinity of MLX. Nanocrystals increased both in vitro and in vivo transdermal permeation of MLX compared with the solution and suspension counterparts. Due to the enhanced apparent solubility and dissolution as well as the facilitated hair follicular penetration, nanocrystals present a high and prolonged plasma MLX concentration. And 2.58- and 4.4-fold increase in AUC_0→24h was achieved by nanocrystals comparing with solution and suspension, respectively. In conclusion, nanocrystal is advantageous for transdermal delivery of MLX.

A novel transdermal nanoethosomal gel of betahistine dihydrochloride for weight gain control: in-vitro and in-vivo characterization

Background

Betahistine dihydrochloride (BDH) is a histamine analog used to control weight gain, with short elimination half-life and gastric irritation as side effects.

Objective

The aim of the current investigation is to formulate and optimize a topical BDH ethosomal gel for weight gain control.

Materials and methods

Box–Behnken design was applied to study the effect of independent variables: phosphatidylcholine (PC), propylene glycol (PG), and ethanol on vesicle size; entrapment efficiency; % drug release; and flux. The morphology and zeta potential of the optimized formulation were evaluated. The % drug release, flux, and pharmacodynamics of the optimized formulation gel were studied.

Results

The size and entrapment efficiency percent had a direct positive relationship with the concentration of PC and negative relationship with ethanol and PG. The % drug release and flux decreased with increasing PC and PG, while ethanol enhanced both responses. Regression modeling indicated a good correlation between dependent and independent variables, where F16 was chosen as the optimized formulation. F16 showed well-defined spherical vesicles and zeta potential of −24 mV, and % release from the gel exceeded 99.5% over 16 h with the flux of 0.28 mg/cm²/h. Food intake and weight gain of rats were significantly decreased after transdermal application of the BDH ethosomal gel when compared with control, placebo, and BDH gel. The histopathological findings proved the absence of inflammation and decrease in adipose tissue.

Conclusion

Results obtained showed a significant, sustained transdermal absorption of BDH ethosomal gel and, consequently, a decrease in food intake and weight gain.

Current progress and challenges of nanoparticle-based therapeutics in pain management

Pain is a widespread and growing health problem worldwide that exerts a considerable social and economic impact on both patients and healthcare systems and, therefore, on society in general. Although current treatment modalities include a wide variety of pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches, due to the complexity of pain and individual differences in clinical response these options are not always effective in mitigating and relieving pain. In addition, some pain drugs such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), local anesthetics and opioids show several unfavorable side effects. Therefore, current research advances in this medical field are based on the development of potential treatments to address many of the unmet needs and to overcome the existing limitations in pain management. Nanoparticle drug delivery systems present an exciting opportunity as alternative platforms to improve efficacy and safety of medications currently in use. Herein, we review a broad range of nanoparticle formulations (organic nanostructures and inorganic nanoparticles), which have been developed to encapsulate an array of painkillers, paying special attention to the key advantages that these systems offer, (compared to the use of the free drug), as well as to the more relevant results of preclinical studies in animal models. Additionally, we will briefly discuss the impact of some of these nanoformulations in clinical trials.

Formulation and characterization of novel soft nanovesicles for enhanced transdermal delivery of eprosartan mesylate

The objective of the present work was to formulate, optimize and evaluate the potential of novel soft nanovesicles i.e. nano-transfersomes, containing eprosartan mesylate (EM) for transdermal delivery. Nano-transfersomes of EM were developed using Phospholipon 90G, Span 80 (SP) and sodium deoxycholate (SDC) and characterized for vesicle size, shape, entrapment efficiency, in vitro skin permeation study and confocal laser scanning microscopy. The optimized nano-transfersomes formulation showed vesicles size of 108.53 ± 0.06 nm and entrapment efficiency of 63.00 ± 2.76%. The optimized nano-transfersomes provided an improved transdermal flux of 27.22 ± 0.29 µg/cm²/h with an enhancement ratio of 16.80 over traditional liposomes through Wistar rat skin. Confocal laser microscopy of rat skin treated with the optimized formulation showed that the formulation was eventually distributed and permeated deep into the rat skin. The present investigation has shown that the nature and concentration of surfactants (edge activators) influence immense control on the characteristics of nano-transfersomes. It was concluded that the developed nano-transfersomes surmount the limitation of low penetration ability of the traditional liposomes across the rat skin. Improved drug delivery presented by nano-transfersomes establishes this system as an encouraging dosage form for the delivery of EM via skin route.

Meloxicam-loaded nanocapsules as an alternative to improve memory decline in an Alzheimer's disease model in mice: involvement of Na(+), K(+)-ATPase

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of meloxicam-loaded nanocapsules (M-NC) on the treatment of the memory impairment induced by amyloid β-peptide (aβ) in mice. The involvement of Na(+), K(+)-ATPase and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) activities in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex was also evaluated. Mice received aβ (3 nmol/ 3 μl/ per site, intracerebroventricular) or vehicle (3 μl/ per site, i.c.v.). The next day, the animals were treated with blank nanocapsules (17 mL/kg) or M-NC (5 mg/kg) or free meloxicam (M-F) (5 mg/kg). Treatments were performed every other day, until the twelfth day. Animals were submitted to the behavioral tasks (open-field, object recognition, Y-maze and step-down inhibitory avoidance tasks) from the twelfth day. Na(+), K(+)-ATPase and COX-2 activities were performed in hippocampus and cerebral cortex. aβ caused a memory deficit, an inhibition of the hippocampal Na(+), K(+)-ATPase activity and an increase in the hippocampal COX-2 activity. M-NC were effective against all behavioral and biochemical alterations, while M-F restored only the COX-2 activity. In conclusion, M-NC were able to reverse the memory impairment induced by aβ, and Na(+), K(+)-ATPase is involved in the effect of M-NC.

Feasibility of binary composition in development of nanoethosomal glycolic vesicles of triamcinolone acetonide using Box-behnken design: in vitro and ex vivo characterization

Triamcinolone acetonide (TA) employed for the treatment of atopic dermatitis exhibits limited penetration into the epidermis. This investigation aimed to explore the role of binary solvents in topical drug delivery of TA by developing nanoethosomal glycolic lipid vesicles by infusion method. Screening of vesicles (TA1-TA17) formulated by Box Behnken design identified the optimized formulation (TA10) that was developed as carbomer gels. The gels were then evaluated for pharmaceutical properties and compared with control and reference ethosomal gel (RG). Higher in vitro permeation was found in gels containing TA10, prepared with or without using penetration enhancer (EGP 83.76 ± 0.72% and EG 82.42 ± 0.89%, respectively). CLSM studies depicted deeper uniform penetration of fluorescent tracer into the epidermis via EG as compared with RG and control gel. Enhanced penetration was due to combinational solvent effect exerted by ethanol and propylene glycol. Histological analysis confirmed the non-irritant potential of the gel. Thus, it can be concluded that nanoethosomal glycolic vesicles proved to be an effective non irritant carrier for improvised penetration of triamcinolone acetonide for potential topical therapeutics.

Ethosomal nanocarriers: the impact of constituents and formulation techniques on ethosomal properties, in vivo studies, and clinical trials

Ethosomal systems are novel lipid vesicular carriers containing a relatively high percentage of ethanol. These nanocarriers are especially designed for the efficient delivery of therapeutic agents with different physicochemical properties into deep skin layers and across the skin. Ethosomes have undergone extensive research since they were invented in 1996; new compounds were added to their initial formula, which led to the production of new types of ethosomal systems. Different preparation techniques are used in the preparation of these novel carriers. For ease of application and stability, ethosomal dispersions are incorporated into gels, patches, and creams. Highly diverse in vivo models are used to evaluate their efficacy in dermal/transdermal delivery, in addition to clinical trials. This article provides a detailed review of the ethosomal systems and categorizes them on the basis of their constituents to classical ethosomes, binary ethosomes, and transethosomes. The differences among these systems are discussed from several perspectives, including the formulation, size, ζ-potential (zeta potential), entrapment efficiency, skin-permeation properties, and stability. This paper gives a detailed review on the effects of ethosomal system constituents, preparation methods, and their significant roles in determining the final properties of these nanocarriers. Furthermore, the novel pharmaceutical dosage forms of ethosomal gels, patches, and creams are highlighted. The article also provides detailed information regarding the in vivo studies and clinical trials conducted for the evaluation of these vesicular systems.