[6]-Shogaol/β-CDs inclusion complex: preparation, characterisation, in vivo pharmacokinetics, and in situ intestinal perfusion study

Preparation of PEG-modified isoquercitrin liposomes and anti-chronic kidney disease research

The clinical application of Isoquercitrin (IQ) is limited by its low water solubility and short retention time in the body, despite its diverse pharmacological effects. To address these issues, we prepared polyethylene glycol (PEG)-modified IQ liposomes (IQ-L) using the thin film dispersion method and optimized the formulation through a combination of One Factor at a Time (OFAT) method and response surface experiments. Characterization of the IQ-L that was prepared using the optimal formulation revealed a particle size of 185.48 nm, a polydispersity index of 0.252, a zeta potential of -33.88 mV, and an impressive encapsulation efficiency of 97.84%. In vitro release studies showed a significantly higher cumulative release rate for IQ-L compared to free IQ. Pharmacokinetic evaluations in rats demonstrated a 4.54-fold increase in the area under the concentration-time curve, a 1.63-fold prolongation of the half-life, and a 2.07-fold increase in peak concentration for IQ-L compared to unmodified IQ. Moreover, assessments of renal function in a mouse model indicated promising therapeutic effects. In summary, the PEG-modified liposome system greatly improved the solubility and in vivo retention time of IQ, thus making it a potential clinical agent for the treatment of chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Integration of Complexed Caffeic Acid into Poly(Lactic Acid)-Based Biopolymer Blends by Supercritical CO2-Assisted Impregnation and Foaming: Processing, Structural and Thermal Characterization

Conventional techniques for incorporating active ingredients into polymeric matrices are accompanied by certain disadvantages, primarily attributable to the inherent characteristics of the active ingredient itself, including its sensitivity to temperature. A potential solution to these challenges lies in the utilization of supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) for the formation of polymeric foam and the incorporation of active ingredients, in conjunction with the encapsulation of inclusion complexes (ICs), to ensure physical stability and augmented bioactivity. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of IC impregnation and subsequent foam formation on PLA films and PLA/PBAT blends that had been previously impregnated. The study's methodology encompassed the formation and characterization of ICs with caffeic acid (CA) and β-cyclodextrin (β-CD), along with the thermal, structural, and morphological properties of the resulting materials. Higher incorporation of impregnated IC into the PLA(42)/PBAT(58) blend was observed at 12 MPa pressure and a depressurization rate of 1 MPa/min. The presence of IC, in addition to a lower rate of expansion, contributed to the formation of homogeneous cells with a size range of 4-44 um. On the other hand, the incorporation of IC caused a decrease in the crystallinity of the PLA fraction due to the interaction of the complex with the polymer. This study makes a significant contribution to the advancement of knowledge on the incorporation of compounds encapsulated in β-CD by scCO2, as well as to the development of active materials with potential applications in food packaging.

Isoliquiritigenin Containing PH Sensitive Micelles for Enhanced Anti-Colitis Activity

Isoliquiritigenin (ISL) is known to have a variety of pharmacological activities, but its poor water solubility limits its application. In order to improve the bioavailability of ISL and its anti-colitis activity, this study aims to develop an effective drug delivery system loaded with ISL. In this study, ISL pH-sensitive micelles (ISL-M) were prepared by thin film hydration method. The micellar size (PS), polydispersity index (PDI), electrokinetic potential (ζ-potential), drug loading (DL), encapsulation rate (EE) and other physical parameters were characterized. The storage stability of ISL-M was tested, release in vitro and pharmacokinetic studies in rats were performed, and the anti-inflammatory effect of ISL-M on ulcerative colitis induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) was evaluated. The results showed that PS, PDI, ZP, EE% and DL% of ISL-M were 151.15±1.04 nm, 0.092±0.014, -31.32±0.721 mV, 93.97±1.53 % and 8.42±0.34 %, respectively. Compared with unformulated ISL (F-ISL), the cumulative release rate of ISL-M in the three different media was significantly increased and showed a certain pH sensitivity. The area under drug curve (AUC0-t) and peak concentration (Cmax) of ISL-M group were 2.94 and 4.06 times higher than those of ISL group. In addition, ISL-M is expected to develop new methods for increasing the bioavailability and anti-inflammatory activity of ISL.

Anticancer perspective of 6-shogaol: anticancer properties, mechanism of action, synergism and delivery system

Cancer is a malignant disease that has plagued human beings all the time, but the treatment effect of commonly used anticancer drugs in clinical practice is not ideal by reason of their drug tolerance and Strong adverse reactions to patients. Therefore, it is imperative to find effective and low-toxic anticancer drugs. Many research works have shown that natural products in Chinese herbal medicine have great anticancer potential, such as 6-shogaol, a monomer composition obtained from Chinese herbal ginger, which has been confirmed by numerous in vitro or vivo studies to be an excellent anti-cancer active substance. In addition, most notably, 6-shogaol has different selectivity for normal and cancer cells during treatment, which makes it valuable for further research and clinical development. Therefore, this review focus on the anti-cancer attributes, the mechanism and the regulation of related signaling pathways of 6-shogaol. In addition, its synergy with commonly used anticancer drugs, potential drug delivery systems and prospects for future research are discussed. This is the first review to comprehensively summarize the anti-cancer mechanism of 6-shogaol, hoping to provide a theoretical basis and guiding significance for future anti-cancer research and clinical development of 6-shogaol.

Cyclodextrin inclusion complex of a multi-component natural product by hot-melt extrusion

This study aimed to investigate whether hot-melt extrusion (HME) processing can promote molecular encapsulation of a multi-component natural product composed of volatile and pungent hydrophobic substances (ginger oleoresin (OR)) with cyclodextrins. 6-Gingerol and 6-shogaol, the biomarkers of ginger OR, were quantified by HPLC. Phase-solubility studies were performed using β-cyclodextrin (βCD) and hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPβCD) for ginger OR complexation. Solid complexes were then prepared by thermal (HME)- and solvent (slurry (SL))-based methods. Morphology, thermal behavior, solubility, in vitro dissolution, and in vivo anti-inflammatory activity were evaluated. HPβCD gave rise to AL-type complexes with ginger OR, whereas βCD led to materials with limited solubility. Ginger OR was complexed with HPβCD by HME without significant change in gingerol and shogaol content. Additionally, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) suggested higher volatile retention in HME complexes than in SL ones. Shogaol and gingerol solubility and dissolution significantly increased from SL and HME complexes compared with ginger OR. In turn, 1:2 OR/HPβCD HME complex showed higher 6-shogaol solubility than SL, associated with a gradual release. The carrageenan-induced pleurisy test showed that the anti-inflammatory activity of ginger OR was maintained after complexation with HPβCD. The complexes significantly decrease the levels of IL-1β and inhibit cell migration. HME complex showed performance equivalent to the positive control and superior to the SL material. Taken together, these results indicate that HME can be useful for promoting the molecular encapsulation of complex natural products that contain volatile and thermolabile substances. HME complexes showed better in vivo and in vitro performance than complexes prepared using the solvent-based method.

Enhanced oral bioavailability and anti-hyperuricemic activity of liquiritin via a self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system

BACKGROUND

This study focused on the development of a self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system (SNEDDS) to improve, potentially, the solubility and oral bioavailability of liquiritin (LQ).

METHODS

The solubility of LQ in different types of excipient, namely oils (OLs), emulsifiers (EMs), and co-emulsifiers (CO-EMs), was evaluated, and a pseudo-ternary phase diagram (PTPD) and the formulation optimization were established. The prepared self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system of liquiritin (LQ-SNEDDS) was assessed using droplet size (DS), zeta potential (ZP), polydispersity index (PDI), droplet morphology, drug release in vitro, and oral bioavailability.

RESULTS

After the dilution of the LQ-SNEDDS, a transparent nanoemulsion was obtained with an acceptable DS (24.70 ± 0.73 nm), ZP (-18.69 ± 1.44 mV), and PDI (0.122 ± 0.006). The LQ-SNEDDS that was developed had a better release rate in vitro than the free LQ suspension. Pharmacokinetic evaluation showed that the relative oral bioavailability of LQ-SNEDDS was increased by 5.53 times, and LQ-SNEDDS exhibited a delayed half life and longer retention time in comparison with those of free LQ. Similarly, LQ-SNEDDS had a better urate lowering effect and provided better organ protection than free LQ at the same dose (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The incorporation of LQ into SNEDDS could serve as a promising approach to improve the solubility, oral bioavailability, and anti-hyperuricemic effect of LQ. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Improvement of Oral Bioavailability and Anti-Tumor Effect of Zingerone Self-Microemulsion Drug Delivery System

This study sought to prepare a self-microemulsion drug delivery system containing zingerone (Z-SMEDDS) to improve the low oral bioavailability of zingerone and anti-tumor effect. Z-SMEDDS was characterized by particle size, zeta potential and encapsulation efficiency, while its pharmacokinetics and anti-tumor effects were also evaluated. Z-SMEDDS had stable physicochemical properties, including average particle size of 17.29 ± 0.07 nm, the zeta potential of -22.81 ± 0.29 mV, and the encapsulation efficiency of 97.96% ± 0.02%. In vitro release studies have shown the release of zingerone released by Z-SMEDDS was significantly higher than free zingerone in different release media. The relative oral bioavailability of Z-SMEDDS was 7.63 times compared with free drug. Meanwhile, the half inhibitory concentration （IC50）of Z-SMEDDS and free zingerone was 8.45 μg/mL and 13.30 μg/mL, respectively on HepG2. This study may provide a preliminary basis for further clinical research and application of Z-SMEDDS.

Mixed micelles for enhanced oral bioavailability and hypolipidemic effect of liquiritin: preparation, in vitro and in vivo evaluation

OBJECTIVES

Liquiritin, as one of the main flavonoids in Glycyrrhiza, exhibits extensive pharmacological effects, such as the anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor and so on. Herein, the aqueous solubility and oral bioavailability of liquiritin was purposely enhanced via the preparation of the mixed micelles.

METHODS

The liquiritin-loaded micelles (LLM) were fabricated via thin-film dispersion method. The optimal LLM formulation was evaluated through physical properties including particle size (PS), encapsulation efficiency (EE) and drug loading (DL). In vitro accumulate release as well as in vivo pharmacokinetics were also evaluated. Moreover, the hypolipidemic activity of LLM was observed in the hyperlipidemia mice model.

RESULTS

The LLM exhibited a homogenous spherical shape with small mean PS, good stability and high encapsulation efficiency. The accumulate release rates in vitro of the LLM were obviously higher than free liquiritin. The oral bioavailability of the formulation was heightened by 3.98 times in comparison with the free liquiritin. More importantly, LLM increased the hypolipidemic and effect of alleviating lipid metabolism disorder in hepatocytes of liquiritin in hyperlipidemia mice model.

CONCLUSIONS

Collectively, the improved solubility of liquiritin in water coupled with its enhanced oral bioavailability and concomitant hypolipidemic activity could be attributed to the incorporation of the drug into the mixed micelles.