The novel combination of dynamic vapour sorption gravimetric analysis and near infra-red spectroscopy as a hyphenated technique

Amorphous Solid Dispersion as Drug Delivery Vehicles in Cancer

Cancer treatment has improved over the past decades, but a major challenge lies in drug formulation, specifically for oral administration. Most anticancer drugs have poor water solubility which can affect their bioavailability. This causes suboptimal pharmacokinetic performance, resulting in limited efficacy and safety when administered orally. As a result, it is essential to develop a strategy to modify the solubility of anticancer drugs in oral formulations to improve their efficacy and safety. A promising approach that can be implemented is amorphous solid dispersion (ASD) which can enhance the aqueous solubility and bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs. The addition of a polymer can cause stability in the formulations and maintain a high supersaturation in bulk medium. Therefore, this study aimed to summarize and elucidate the mechanisms and impact of an amorphous solid dispersion system on cancer therapy. To gather relevant information, a comprehensive search was conducted using keywords such as "anticancer drug" and "amorphous solid dispersion" in the PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases. The review provides an overview and discussion of the issues related to the ASD system used to improve the bioavailability of anticancer drugs based on molecular pharmaceutics. A thorough understanding of anticancer drugs in this system at a molecular level is imperative for the rational design of the products.

Pilot Aquaphotomic Study of the Effects of Audible Sound on Water Molecular Structure

Sound affects the medium it propagates through and studies on biological systems have shown various properties arising from this phenomenon. As a compressible media and a “collective mirror”, water is influenced by all internal and external influences, changing its molecular structure accordingly. The water molecular structure and its changes can be observed as a whole by measuring its electromagnetic (EMG) spectrum. Using near-infrared spectroscopy and aquaphotomics, this pilot study aimed to better describe and understand the sound-water interaction. Results on purified and mineral waters reported similar effects from the applied 432 Hz and 440 Hz frequency sound, where significant reduction in spectral variations and increased stability in water were shown after the sound perturbation. In general, the sound rearranged the initial water molecular conformations, changing the samples’ properties by increasing strongly bound, ice-like water and decreasing small water clusters and solvation shells. Even though there was only 8 Hz difference in applied sound frequencies, the change of absorbance at water absorbance bands was specific for each frequency and also water-type-dependent. This also means that sound could be effectively used as a perturbation tool together with spectroscopy to identify the type of bio, or aqueous, samples being tested, as well as to identify and even change water functionality.

Analysing the water spectral pattern by near-infrared spectroscopy and chemometrics as a dynamic multidimensional biomarker in preservation: rice germ storage monitoring

Water activity is an important phenomenon not yet explained in terms of water molecular structure. This paper aims to find the relationship between the water activity and water molecular structure of the rice germ, based on its spectral pattern which can be measured using non-destructive technology. Aquaphotomics near-infrared spectroscopy was used to study rice germ stored at different levels of water activity and atmosphere. The findings show that state of the rice germ is governed by the water activity upon storage, which is defined by the structure of water within germ matrix. The structure of water can be described solely by the absorbance spectral pattern at the following absorbance bands: proton hydrates, hydration shells and water vapor (1364, 1375 and 1382 nm), trapped water (1392 nm), free water (1410 nm), hydration water (1425 nm), adsorbed water (1455 nm), non-bonded hydroxyl (1436 nm) and bound water (1520 nm).

Studies of the crystallization of amorphous trehalose using simultaneous gravimetric vapor sorption/near IR (GVS/NIR) and "modulated" GVS/NIR

The purpose of this research was to investigate the influence of changes in the amorphous state on the crystallization of trehalose. Amorphous trehalose is known to stabilize biomaterials; hence, an understanding of crystallization is vital. Amorphous trehalose, prepared by spray-drying, was exposed to either a single step (0-75%) in relative humidity (RH) or to modulated 0-75-0% RH to cause crystallization. For the single-step experiment, two samples crystallized in a predictable manner to form the dihydrate. One sample, while notionally identical, did not crystallize in the same way and showed a mass loss throughout the time at 75% RH, with a final mass less than that expected for the dihydrate. The idiosyncratic sample was seen to have a starting near infrared (NIR) spectra similar to that exhibited by anhydrous crystalline trehalose, implying that short-range order in the amorphous material (or a small amount of crystalline seed, not detectable using powder X-ray diffraction) caused the sample to fail to form the dihydrate fully when exposed to high RH. The modulated RH study showed that the amorphous material interacted strongly with water; the intensity of the NIR traces was not proportional to mass of water but rather the extent of hydrogen bonding. Subsequent crystallization of this sample clearly was a partial formation of the dihydrate, but with the bulk of the sample then shielded such that it was unable to show significant sorption when exposed to elevated RH. It has been shown that the nature of the amorphous form will alter the way in which samples crystallize. With oscillation in RH, it was possible to further understand the interactions between water and amorphous trehalose.

The Hygroscopicity of Moisture Barrier Film Coatings

The hygroscopicity of three commercial moisture-barrier film coatings, namely, Eudragit L30 D-55 (methacrylic acid-ethyl acrylate copolymer), Opadry AMB (polyvinyl alcohol based system), and Sepifilm LP 014 (hypromellose, microcrystalline cellulose, and stearic acid based formulation), was investigated using a dynamic vapor sorption apparatus. Moisture uptake by cast films and uncoated and coated tablet cores, which were designed to be hygroscopic, low hygroscopic, and waxy, was measured following exposure to repeat relative humidity (RH) cycles of 0-50-0-50-0%, 0-75-0-75-0%, and 0-90-0-90-0% RH at 25 degrees C. Eudragit cast film exhibited the fastest equilibration but was also the least hygroscopic. Sepifilm had the fastest sorption and took up the greatest mass of water. The rate of uptake for Opadry film was similar to Sepifilm. However, this film continued to sorb moisture for a longer period. When returned to 0% RH it retained moisture in the film showing that it had a high affinity for moisture within the film. The data for the different cores indicated that there was very little benefit in using a moisture barrier film on cores with low hygroscopicity, the mass gain being a sum of that which would be expected to sorb to the film and that which sorbs to the uncoated core. There was, however, some advantage for hygroscopic cores where, even though the barrier coatings allowed substantial water sorption into the core, the extent of this was less and the rate of uptake lower than for the uncoated sample.

Granule Characterization During Fluid Bed Drying by Development of a Near Infrared Method to Determine Water Content and Median Granule Size

PURPOSE

Water content and granule size are recognized as critical process and product quality parameters during drying. The purpose of this study was to enlighten the granule behavior during fluid bed drying by monitoring the major events i.e. changes in water content and granule size.

METHODS

NIR spectra collected during drying and water content of sampled granules were correlated by principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares regression (PLSR). NIR spectra of dried granules were correlated to median granule size in a second PCA and PLSR.

RESULTS

The NIR water model discriminates between various stages in fluid-bed drying. The water content can be continuously predicted with errors comparable to the reference method. The four PLS factors of the granule size model are related to primary particle size of lactose, median granule size exceeding primary particle size and amorphous content of granules. The small prediction errors enable size discrimination between fines and granules.

CONCLUSION

For product quality reasons, discrimination between drying stages and end-point monitoring is highly important. Together with the possibilities to determine median granule size and to distinguish fines this approach provides a tool to design an optimal drying process.

Hyphenation of Raman spectroscopy with gravimetric analysis to interrogate water–solid interactions in pharmaceutical systems

A moisture sorption gravimetric analyzer has been combined with a Raman spectrometer to better understand the various modes of water-solid interactions relevant to pharmaceutical systems. A commercial automated moisture sorption balance was modified to allow non-contact monitoring of the sample properties by interfacing a Raman probe with the sample holder. This hybrid instrument allows for gravimetric and spectroscopic changes to be monitored simultaneously. The utility of this instrument was demonstrated by investigating different types of water-solid interactions including stoichiometric and non-stoichiometric hydrate formation, deliquescence, amorphous-crystalline transformation, and capillary condensation. In each of the model systems, sulfaguanidine, cromolyn sodium, ranitidine HCl, amorphous sucrose and silica gel, spectroscopic changes were observed during the time course of the moisture sorption profile. Analysis of spectroscopic data provided information about the origin of the observed changes in moisture content as a function of relative humidity. Furthermore, multivariate data analysis techniques were employed as a means of processing the spectroscopic data. Principle components analysis was found to be useful to aid in data processing, handling and interpretation of the spectral changes that occurred during the time course of the moisture sorption profile.

The use of inverse gas chromatography and gravimetric vapour sorption to study transitions in amorphous lactose

The aim of this study was to measure the glass transition of amorphous lactose under well-controlled temperature and humidity, using inverse gas chromatography (IGC) and to relate these data to gravimetric vapour sorption experiments. Amorphous lactose (spray-dried) was exposed to a stepwise increment in the relative humidity (%RH) under isothermal conditions in an IGC. At the end of each conditioning step a decane injection was made, and the retention volumes were calculated using the maximum peak height (V(max)) method. The pressure drop across the column was recorded using the pressure transducers. These measurements were performed at various temperatures from 25 to 40 degrees C. The extent of water sorption at identical humidity (%RH) and temperature conditions was determined gravimetrically using dynamic vapour sorption (DVS). At each T, it was possible to determine: (1) a transition at low RH relating to the onset of mobility; (2) changes in retention volume relating to the point, where T(g) = T; (3) changes in pressure drop, which were related to the sample collapse. The rate and extent of water sorption was seen to alter at T(g) and also at a collapse point. Combinations of temperature and critical %RH (%cRH required to lower the dry glass transition temperature to the experimental temperature) obtained from IGC were comparable to those obtained from DVS. It was shown that at each T, the sample spontaneously crystallised, when T(g) was 32 degrees C below T. Inverse gas chromatograph can be used in this novel way to reveal the series of transitions that occur in amorphous materials.

The use of dynamic vapour sorption and near infra-red spectroscopy (DVS-NIR) to study the crystal transitions of theophylline and the report of a new solid-state transition

This study was undertaken to see if the combined technique of DVS-NIR could add to the understanding of transitions between physical forms of theophylline. There was excellent correlation between the mass changes and the intensity of the NIR peaks, showing that the hydrate was being formed and lost. This was characterised by the peaks at 1478 and 1972 nm representing an -OH deformation. NIR spectra for desorption shows that the dehydrate retains partial structure of both the anhydrate and hydrate crystal lattices. During rehydration of the dehydrate a new transition was discovered. An unexpected mass loss occurred between 40 and 50% RH. Usually, a mass loss during water sorption is characteristic of crystallisation of an amorphous material, although in this case it could be that the sample is crystalline. NIR data showed that during this transition the dehydrate peaks reverted back to the peak positions seen for anhydrous theophylline. The absorption of water into the dehydrate allowed the freedom of movement for the stable anhydrous lattice to form. It was concluded that DVS-NIR is a useful tool to study solid-state transitions and that the transition exists for conversion of theophylline dehydrate to anhydrate which is facilitated through water sorption.

New perspectives for the on-line monitoring of pharmaceutical crystallization processes using in situ infrared spectroscopy

Chemists and engineers involved in the industrial production of solid drugs have to deal with difficult new challenges, including the on-line mastery of the crystal habits and size distribution, the control of polymorphic transitions or the improvement of the chemical purity. A major limitation to improving the control of industrial crystallizers lies in the lack of versatile, accurate and reliable on-line sensors. It is shown that supersaturation measurements can be performed using in situ ATR mid-infrared spectroscopy thus providing valuable real-time information about the crystallization process. Several case studies are presented to illustrate new potential applications of the technique. The reported experimental results outline recent advances in the acquisition of key data characterizing the solute/solvent system in question (i.e. solubility, metastability, phase transformations...), the design of on-line control strategies capable of improving both the crystal size distribution (CSD) and the reproducibility of the quality of the final product, the assessment of improved operating strategies (e.g. seeding batch crystallizers), and the monitoring of polymorphic transitions during cooling crystallization operations. The possibility of evaluating on-line the process impurities, which could allow the reduction of batch-to-batch variations of the quality of the solid product, is also briefly envisaged.

A study of the crystallisation of amorphous salbutamol sulphate using water vapour sorption and near infrared spectroscopy

The crystallisation of amorphous salbutamol sulphate prepared by spray drying was monitored using a humidity controlled microbalance (Dynamic Vapour Sorption apparatus, Surface Measurement Systems) combined with a near-infrared probe. Amorphous salbutamol sulphate was prepared by spray drying from a solution in water. The particles were then analysed using scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, powder X-ray diffraction, isothermal microcalorimetry and water vapour sorption analysis combined with near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR). Isothermal microcalorimetry and water vapour sorption combined with NIR spectroscopy were able to detect the transition from the amorphous to crystalline state. However while the isothermal microcalorimeter showed only a classic crystallisation exotherm when the material was exposed at 75% RH, the DVS-NIR results at the same humidity highlighted a more complex process. When exposed at 75% RH, the uptake of water was followed by crystallisation that was detected using NIR. The expulsion of water after crystallisation was very slow and at a constant rate whether the material was exposed to 75 or 0% RH. The NIR and DVS studies indicated that the material had crystallised very soon after exposure to high RH. The water that was expelled during crystallisation was not displaced from the particles and remained associated with the particles for many days. This study showed that the use of gravimetric analysis together with NIR spectroscopy provided valuable information on the dynamics of the crystallisation of salbutamol sulphate. The retention of water within recently crystallised salbutamol is potentially important to the behaviour of dosage forms containing the amorphous (or partially amorphous) form of this drug.