Pharmaceutical properties of freeze-dried formulations of egg albumin, several drugs and olive oil

Self-emulsifying drug delivery systems: a novel approach to deliver drugs

Self-emulsifying drug delivery systems (SEDDS) are a proven method for poorly soluble substances works by increasing the solubility and bioavailability. SEDDS and isotropic mixtures, are composed of oils, surfactants, and occasionally cosolvents. The ability of these formulations and methods to produce microemulsions or fine oil-in-water (o/w) emulsions after moderate stirring and dilution by water phase along the GI tract might be a promising technique for lipophilic agents with dissolution rate-limited absorption. This review provides an outline of SEDDS's numerous advances and biopharmaceutical elements, types, manufacturing, characterization, limitations, and future prospects. The evaluation of SEDDS and its applications are also discussed, focusing on the advances of SEDDS's solid self-emulsifying delivery mechanism and dosage form. By integrating suitable polymer into the formulation, SEDDS may be studied for the creation of a formulation with sustained drug release. This technology's improvement might lead to a new application in the field of medicine delivery. SEDDS has been demonstrated to be quite efficient in increasing oral bioavailability of lipophilic products. SEDDS is one of the promising methods for controlling the characteristics of medications that are not great choices for oral delivery. It is also worth mentioning that SEDDS may be made in variety of solid dosage forms that are acceptable for both oral and parenteral administration.

Preparation of nanoparticles of Magnolia bark extract by rapid expansion from supercritical solution into aqueous solutions

A rapid expansion from supercritical solution into aqueous solution (RESSAS) technology was presented for the micronization of Chinese medicinal material. Magnolia bark extract (MBE) obtained by supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO₂) extraction technology was chosen as the experimental material. RESSAS process produced 303.0 nm nanoparticles (size distribution, 243.6-320.5 nm), which was significantly smaller than the 55.3 µm particles (size distribution, 8.3-102.4 µm) prepared by conventional mechanical milling. The effect of process parameters, including extraction temperature (30 °C, 40 °C, 50 °C), extraction pressure (200, 250, 300 bar) and nozzle size (50, 100, 200 µm), on the size distribution of nanoparticles was investigated. The characteristics of nanoparticles and materials were also studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and laser light scattering (LLS). This study demonstrates that RESSAS is applicable for preparing nanoparticles of MBE at low operating temperature; the process is simple without any residual solvent.

Micronization of magnolia bark extract with enhanced dissolution behavior by rapid expansion of supercritical solution

A rapid expansion of supercritical solution (RESS) technology was presented for the micronization of Chinese medicinal material. Magnolia bark extract (MBE) obtained by supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO(2)) extraction technology was chosen as the experimental material. RESS process produced 4.7 microm size MBE microparticles (size distribution, 0.2-24.1 microm), which was significantly smaller than the 55.3 microm size particles (size distribution, 8.3-102.4 microm) obtained from conventional mechanical milling. Dissolution rate study showed that drug dissolution was significantly enhanced by the RESS progress. At 90 min, the amount dissolved of mechanical milling MBE was 6.37 mg x l(-1), which was significantly lower than that of micronized MBE (14.77 mg x l(-1)), according to the results of ANOVA (p<0.01). The effect of extraction temperature (30, 40, 50 degrees Celsius), extraction pressure (200, 250, 300 bar) and nozzle size (50, 100, 200 microm) on the size distribution of microparticles was investigated. The characteristics of microparticles were also studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), infrared spectroscopy (IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and image analysis. This study demonstrates that RESS is applicable for preparing microparticles of MBE at low operating temperature; the process is simple without residual solvent.

Micronization and microencapsulation of felodipine by supercritical carbon dioxide

Felodipine (FLD) is a poorly water-soluble drug. To improve its dissolution rate, the rapid expansion of supercritical solutions (RESS) technique was used to prepare micronized FLD drug particles, which were encapsulated in poly-(ethylene glycol) 4000 (PEG 4000). The physical properties of the encapsulated drug particles were characterized by a variety of analytical methods, including optical light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and powder X-ray diffraction (powder-XRD) and the dissolution behaviour of FLD was studied in the microparticles. The supercritical condition of micronized FLD occurred at a relatively high pressure and moderate temperature. FLD-PEG 4000 microparticles compared well with micronized FLD. RESS was effective in reducing the particle size of FLD; spot-shaped micronized FLD and popcorn-shaped FLD-PEG 4000 microparticles were observed. The particulate properties of the microparticles included a narrow distribution and uniform size. Thermodynamic analysis showed an implantation interaction between FLD and PEG 4000 molecules, but no polymorphism in the micronized FLD or FLD-PEG 4000 microparticles. FLD-PEG 4000 microparticles had a significantly faster drug dissolution rate than micronized FLD. These data show that RESS can be used to prepare FLD-PEG 4000 microparticles with small particle size (2-6 microm) and enhanced dissolution rate.

Oil-in-water lipid emulsions: implications for parenteral and ocular delivering systems

Lipid emulsions (LEs) are heterogenous dispersions of two immiscible liquids (oil-in-water or water-in-oil) and they are subjected to various instability processes like aggregation, flocculation, coalescence and hence eventual phase separation according to the second law of thermodynamics. However, the physical stability of the LE can substantially be improved with help of suitable emulsifiers that are capable of forming a mono- or multi-layer coating film around the dispersed liquid droplets in such a way to reduce interfacial tension or to increase droplet-droplet repulsion. Depending on the concentrations of these three components (oil-water-emulsifier) and the efficiency of the emulsification equipments used to reduce droplet size, the final LE may be in the form of oil-in-water (o/w), water-in-oil (w/o), micron, submicron and double or multiple emulsions (o/w/o and w/o/w). The o/w type LEs (LE) are colloidal drug carriers, which have various therapeutic applications. As an intravenous delivery system it incorporates lipophilic water non-soluble drugs, stabilize drugs that tend to undergo hydrolysis and reduce side effects of various potent drugs. When the LE is used as an ocular delivery systems they increase local bioavailability, sustain the pharmacological effect of drugs and decrease systemic side effects of the drugs. Thus, the rationale of using LE as an integral part of effective treatment is clear. Following administration of LE through these routes, the biofate of LE associated bioactive molecules are somehow related to the vehicles disposition kinetics inside blood or eyeball. However, the LE is not devoid from undergoing various bio-process while exerting their efficacious actions. The purpose of this review is therefore to give an implication of LE for parenteral and ocular delivering systems.

A novel oral vehicle for poorly soluble HSV-helicase inhibitors: PK/PD validations

PURPOSE

The current study describes the design and validation of a novel oral vehicle for delivering poorly water-soluble herpes simplex virus (HSV)-helicase inhibitors in preclinical pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) evaluations.

METHODS

Poorly water-soluble compounds were used in solubility and drinking compliance tests in mice. A preferred vehicle containing 0.1% bovine serum albumin (BSA), 3% dextrose, 5% polyethylene glycol (PEG) 400, and 2% peanut oil, pH 2.8 with HCL (BDPP) was selected. This vehicle was further validated with oral PK and in vivo antiviral PD studies using BILS 45 BS.

RESULTS

Solubility screen and drinking compliance tests revealed that the BDPP vehicle could solubilize BILS compounds at 0.5-3 mg/ml concentration range and could be administered to mice without reducing water consumption. Comparative oral PK of BILS 45 BS in HCL or BDPP by gavage at 40 mg/kg showed overlapping PK profiles. In vivo antiviral efficacy and potency of BILS 45 BS in BDPP by oral gavages or in drinking water were confirmed to be comparable as that achieved by gavage in HCL solution.

CONCLUSIONS

These results provide a protein-enriched novel oral vehicle for delivering poorly water-soluble antiviral compounds in a continuous administration mode. Similar approaches may be applicable to other poorly soluble compounds by gavage or in drinking solution.

Self-emulsifying drug delivery systems (SEDDS) for improved oral delivery of lipophilic drugs

The oral delivery of hydrophobic drugs presents a major challenge because of the low aqueous solubility of such compounds. Self-emulsifying drug delivery systems (SEDDS), which are isotropic mixtures of oils, surfactants, solvents and co-solvents/surfactants, can be used for the design of formulations in order to improve the oral absorption of highly lipophilic drug compounds. SEDDS can be orally administered in soft or hard gelatin capsules and form fine relatively stable oil-in-water (o/w) emulsions upon aqueous dilution owing to the gentle agitation of the gastrointestinal fluids. The efficiency of oral absorption of the drug compound from the SEDDS depends on many formulation-related parameters, such as surfactant concentration, oil/surfactant ratio, polarity of the emulsion, droplet size and charge, all of which in essence determine the self-emulsification ability. Thus, only very specific pharmaceutical excipient combinations will lead to efficient self-emulsifying systems. Although many studies have been carried out, there are few drug products on the pharmaceutical market formulated as SEDDS confirming the difficulty of formulating hydrophobic drug compounds into such formulations. At present, there are four drug products, Sandimmune and Sandimmun Neoral (cyclosporin A), Norvir (ritonavir), and Fortovase (saquinavir) on the pharmaceutical market, the active compounds of which have been formulated into specific SEDDS. Significant improvement in the oral bioavailability of these drug compounds has been demonstrated for each case. The fact that almost 40% of the new drug compounds are hydrophobic in nature implies that studies with SEDDS will continue, and more drug compounds formulated as SEDDS will reach the pharmaceutical market in the future.