Preparation and evaluation of cefuroxime axetil gastro-retentive floating drug delivery system via hot melt extrusion technology

Hydrophilic High Drug-Loaded 3D Printed Gastroretentive System with Robust Release Kinetics

Three-dimensional printing (3DP) technology enables an important improvement in the design of new drug delivery systems, such as gastroretentive floating tablets. These systems show a better temporal and spatial control of the drug release and can be customized based on individual therapeutic needs. The aim of this work was to prepare 3DP gastroretentive floating tablets designed to provide a controlled release of the API. Metformin was used as a non-molten model drug and hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose with null or negligible toxicity was the main carrier. High drug loads were assayed. Another objective was to maintain the release kinetics as robust as possible when varying drug doses from one patient to another. Floating tablets using 10–50% w/w drug-loaded filaments were obtained by Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) 3DP. The sealing layers of our design allowed successful buoyancy of the systems and sustained drug release for more than 8 h. Moreover, the effect of different variables on the drug release behaviour was studied. It should be highlighted that the robustness of the release kinetics was affected by varying the internal mesh size, and therefore the drug load. This could represent a step forward in the personalization of the treatments, a key advantage of 3DP technology in the pharmaceutical field.

Development and characterization of gastro-floating sustained-release capsule with improved bioavailability of levodopa

In this study, a new gastro-floating sustained-release capsule (GFC) with levodopa (LD) and benserazide hydrochloride (BH) was successfully developed. GFCs were prepared by filling the LD and BH granules into hard capsules and coated with cellulose acetate (CA) solution as a controlled-release layer. The effects of formulation factors on the release of GFCs were conducted. The AUC_0~24 (µg h/mL) of LD were 69.31 ± 3.61 (μg h/mL) and 28.87 ± 2.58 (μg h/mL) and the C_max were 7.84 ± 0.34 (μg/mL) and 9.21 ± 1.04 (μg/mL) in the GFCs and commercial tablets respectively. The relative bioavailability of LD was 267.55 ± 34.54%. Compared with commercial tablets, the pharmacokinetic study indicated that the developed GFCs provided a better sustained-release effect and higher bioavailability than commercial tablets.

Recent development in nanoencapsulation and delivery of natural bioactives through chitosan scaffolds for various biological applications

Nowadays, nano/micro-encapsulation as a pioneering technique may significantly improve the bioavailability and durability of Natural bioactives. For this purpose, chitosan as a bioactive cationic natural polysaccharide has been frequently used as a carrier because of its distinct chemical and biological properties, including polycationic nature, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. Moreover, polysaccharide-based nano/micro-formulations are a new and extensive trend in scientific research and development in the disciplines of biomedicine, bioorganic/ medicinal chemistry, pharmaceutics, agrochemistry, and the food industry. It promises a new paradigm in drug delivery systems and nanocarrier formulations. This review aims to summarize current developments in approaches for designing innovative chitosan micro/nano-matrix, with an emphasis on the encapsulation of natural bioactives. The special emphasis led to a detailed integrative scientific achievement of the functionalities and abilities for encapsulating natural bioactives and mechanisms regulated in vitro/in vivo release in various biological/physiological environments.

Effects of cefuroxime axetil combined with Xingpi Yanger granules on the serum gastrin, motilin, and somatostatin levels in children with upper respiratory tract infection accompanied by diarrhea: results of a randomized trial

BACKGROUND

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of cefuroxime axetil combined with Xingpi Yanger granules on the treatment of upper respiratory tract infection accompanied by diarrhea and on serum gastrin (GAS), motilin (MOT), and somatostatin (SS) levels in children.

METHODS

In total, 124 children with upper respiratory tract infection accompanied by diarrhea admitted to the department of pediatrics in our hospital from May 2019 to May 2020 were selected and divided into a study group (n=62) and a reference group (n=62), according to admission number. The reference group children received routine treatment, while the children in the study group were treated with cefuroxime axetil combined with Xingpi Yanger granules. After treatment, each clinical index of the children in both groups was detected to evaluate the clinical efficacy of the different treatment methods.

RESULTS

There were no significant differences in gender ratio, average age, mean body temperature, mean duration of diarrhea, average weight, or place of residence between the 2 groups (P>0.05); the total clinical effective rate after treatment in the study group was significantly higher than that in the reference group (P<0.05); the dehydration correction time, antipyretic time, antidiarrheal time, and total treatment time in the study group were all significantly lower than those in the reference group (P<0.001); the serum GAS and MOT levels at T1, T2, and T3 in the study group were significantly lower than those in the reference group (P<0.001), whereas the SS levels at T1, T2, and T3 in the study group were significantly higher than those in the reference group (P<0.001); and the incidence of adverse reactions of the children in the study group was significantly lower than that in the reference group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Cefuroxime axetil combined with Xingpi Yanger granules can significantly lower serum GAS, MOT, and SS levels and shorten treatment time in children with upper respiratory tract infection accompanied by diarrhea, with significant clinical efficacy and high safety, and is thus worthy of application and promotion.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2100049234.

Specific mechanical energy - An essential parameter in the processing of amorphous solid dispersions

Specific mechanical energy (SME) is a frequently overlooked but essential parameter of hot-melt extrusion (HME). It can determine whether an amorphous solid dispersion (ASD) can be successfully processed. A minimum combination of thermal input and SME is required to convert a crystalline active pharmaceutical product (API) into its amorphous form. A maximum combination is allowed before it or the carrier polymer chemically degrades. This has important implications on design space. SME input during HME provides information on the totality of the effect of various independent processing parameters such as screw speed, feed rate, and complex viscosity. If only these independent processing parameters are considered separately instead of SME, then important information would be lost regarding the interaction of these parameters and their ability to affect ASD formulation. A complete understanding of the HME process requires an analysis of SME. This paper provides a review of SME use in the pharmaceutical processing of ASDs, the importance of SME in terms of a variety of formulation qualities, and novel future uses of SME. Theoretical background is discussed, along with the relative importance of thermal and mechanical input on various nonsolvent ASD processing methods.

Recent Biomedical Approaches for Chitosan Based Materials as Drug Delivery Nanocarriers

In recent decades, drug delivery systems (DDSs) based on nanotechnology have been attracting substantial interest in the pharmaceutical field, especially those developed based on natural polymers such as chitosan, cellulose, starch, collagen, gelatin, alginate and elastin. Nanomaterials based on chitosan (CS) or chitosan derivatives are broadly investigated as promising nanocarriers due to their biodegradability, good biocompatibility, non-toxicity, low immunogenicity, great versatility and beneficial biological effects. CS, either alone or as composites, are suitable substrates in the fabrication of different types of products like hydrogels, membranes, beads, porous foams, nanoparticles, in-situ gel, microparticles, sponges and nanofibers/scaffolds. Currently, the CS based nanocarriers are intensely studied as controlled and targeted drug release systems for different drugs (anti-inflammatory, antibiotic, anticancer etc.) as well as for proteins/peptides, growth factors, vaccines, small DNA (DNAs) and short interfering RNA (siRNA). This review targets the latest biomedical approaches for CS based nanocarriers such as nanoparticles (NPs) nanofibers (NFs), nanogels (NGs) and chitosan coated liposomes (LPs) and their potential applications for medical and pharmaceutical fields. The advantages and challenges of reviewed CS based nanocarriers for different routes of administration (oral, transmucosal, pulmonary and transdermal) with reference to classical formulations are also emphasized.

Gastro-retentive drug delivery systems: a recent update on clinical pertinence and drug delivery

Gastro-retentive drug delivery systems are some of the best technologies delivered through oral route. These mainly came into picture for their effective local action in the GI region, specifically for the drugs with narrow absorption window. In the recent decades, several technologies have evolved showing different mechanisms for retaining the drug in GI region for longer duration with increased bioavailability. Floatable, mucoadhesive, swelable, magnetic, nanofibrous, high-density, and expandable systems have been investigated extensively as the potential gastro-retentive strategies. The advances in the technologies studied, their clinical pertinence, and methods of drug delivery are described in this review with their immense future utilities. Their entry into the pharmaceutical market is a huge matter to look into as most of the studied strategies are facing problems and hence are underrated to overcome the clinical trials. Their success in the clinical trials are enormously required for gaining their access into the pharmaceutical market. Selection of the right technology for the right purpose through the right mechanism of action is to be done for obtaining the system with desired activity.

In-Depth Study into Polymeric Materials in Low-Density Gastroretentive Formulations

The extensive use of oral dosage forms for the treatment of diseases may be linked to deficient pharmacokinetic properties. In some cases the drug is barely soluble; in others, the rapid transit of the formulation through the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) makes it difficult to achieve therapeutic levels in the organism; moreover, some drugs must act locally due to a gastric pathology, but the time they remain in the stomach is short. The use of formulations capable of improving all these parameters, as well as increasing the resident time in the stomach, has been the target of numerous research works, with low-density systems being the most promising and widely explored, however, there is further scope to improve these systems. There are a vast variety of polymeric materials used in low-density gastroretentive systems and a number of methods to improve the bioavailability of the drugs. This works aims to expedite the development of breakthrough approaches by providing an in-depth understanding of the polymeric materials currently used, both natural and synthetic, their properties, advantages, and drawbacks.

Repka M. Novel Gastroretentive Floating Pulsatile Drug Delivery System Produced via Hot-Melt Extrusion and Fused Deposition Modeling 3D Printing

This study was performed to develop novel core-shell gastroretentive floating pulsatile drug delivery systems using a hot-melt extrusion-paired fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printing and direct compression method. Hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) and ethyl cellulose (EC)-based filaments were fabricated using hot-melt extrusion technology and were utilized as feedstock material for printing shells in FDM 3D printing. The directly compressed theophylline tablet was used as the core. The tablet shell to form pulsatile floating dosage forms with different geometries (shell thickness: 0.8, 1.2, 1.6, and 2.0 mm; wall thickness: 0, 0.8, and 1.6 mm; and % infill density: 50, 75, and 100) were designed, printed, and evaluated. All core-shell tablets floated without any lag time and exhibited good floating behavior throughout the dissolution study. The lag time for the pulsatile release of the drug was 30 min to 6 h. The proportion of ethyl cellulose in the filament composition had a significant (p < 0.05) effect on the lag time. The formulation (2 mm shell thickness, 1.6 mm wall thickness, 100% infill density, 0.5% EC) with the desired lag time of 6 h was selected as an optimized formulation. Thus, FDM 3D printing is a potential technique for the development of complex customized drug delivery systems for personalized pharmacotherapy.