Improvement of Butamben Anesthetic Efficacy by the Development of Deformable Liposomes Bearing the Drug as Cyclodextrin Complex

Development of a Hydroxypropyl-β-Cyclodextrin-Based Liquid Formulation for the Oral Administration of Propranolol in Pediatric Therapy

Propranolol (PPN) is widely used in children to treat various cardiovascular diseases. The availability of a suitable PPN solution should avoid recourse to extemporaneous preparations of unknown/limited stability, as commonly made in hospital pharmacies. However, the development of pediatric PPN solutions is hindered by their instability to light and stability at pH ≈ 3, bitter taste, and the need to improve palatability and avoid co-solvents, flavoring agents, or preservatives that are potentially toxic. In this study, cyclodextrin (CD) complexation has been exploited to develop a safe, stable, and palatable oral pediatric solution of PPN. An initial screening among various CDs allowed us to select HPβCD for its good complexing ability and no toxicity. Drug-HPβCD physical mixtures or co-ground systems (1:1 or 1:2 mol:mol) were used to prepare 0.2% w/v drug solutions. Photo stability studies evidenced the protective effect of HPβCD, revealing a reduction of up to 75% in the drug degradation rate after 1 h of exposure to UV radiation. Storage stability studies showed unchanged physical-chemical properties and almost constant drug concentration after 6 months and under accelerated conditions (40 °C), despite the less aggressive pH (≈5.5) of the solution. The electronic tongue test proved that the HPβCD taste-masking properties improved the formulation palatability, with a 30% reduction in drug bitterness.

Co-Encapsulation of Simvastatin and Doxorubicin into pH-Sensitive Liposomes Enhances Antitumoral Activity in Breast Cancer Cell Lines

Doxorubicin (DOX) is a potent chemotherapeutic drug used as the first line in breast cancer treatment; however, cardiotoxicity is the main drawback of the therapy. Preclinical studies evidenced that the association of simvastatin (SIM) with DOX leads to a better prognosis with reduced side effects and deaths. In this work, a novel pH-sensitive liposomal formulation capable of co-encapsulating DOX and SIM at different molar ratios was investigated for its potential in breast tumor treatment. Studies on physicochemical characterization of the liposomal formulations were carried out. The cytotoxic effects of DOX, SIM, and their combinations at different molar ratios (1:1; 1:2 and 2:1), free or co-encapsulated into pH-sensitive liposomes, were evaluated against three human breast cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231, MCF-7, and SK-BR-3). Experimental protocols included cell viability, combination index, nuclear morphological changes, and migration capacity. The formulations showed a mean diameter of less than 200 nm, with a polydispersity index lower than 0.3. The encapsulation content was ~100% and ~70% for DOX and SIM, respectively. A more pronounced inhibitory effect on breast cancer cell lines was observed at a DOX:SIM molar ratio of 2:1 in both free and encapsulated drugs. Furthermore, the 2:1 ratio showed synergistic combination rates for all concentrations of cell inhibition analyzed (50, 75, and 90%). The results demonstrated the promising potential of the co-encapsulated liposome for breast tumor treatment.

Enhanced Influenza Immunity by Nasal Mucosal Administration of the TPGS-Modified Liposomal Vaccine

Influenza infection is difficult to prevent, control, and treat because of rapid viral mutation, fast disease progression, and high mortality. Vaccination is the main means by which to prevent and control influenza, but effectiveness is limited in that poor cellular uptake and weak immunogenicity of vaccines provides less than optimal host protection. Liposomal influenza vaccines are a promising strategy to overcome these limitations and the use of liposomal immune modulators and intranasal administration of liposomal influenza vaccines may be a means by which to improve influenza protection. The cationic lipids, i.e., dimethyldioctadecylammonium (DDA), 1,2-dioctadecanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DSPC), and D-α-tocopherol polyethylene glycol 1000 (TPGS) can form blank liposomes, which can incorporate influenza antigens to produce an influenza vaccine (DDA-DSPC-TPGS). Herein, this vaccine was shown to induce dendritic cell maturation, increase host cellular uptake of the vaccine, and enhance immune responses both in vitro and in vivo. The addition of TPGS, as an amphiphilic immune adjuvant, significantly reduced the toxicity of the DDA liposomal influenza vaccine. Further, the polyethylene glycol component and tocopherol structure of TPGS enhanced the cellular uptake of the vaccine by means of stealth properties and the capacity to inhibit cellular efflux. After nasal mucosal immunization, enhanced cellular uptake rates and abundant immune cells in the nasopharyngeal-associated lymphoid tissue promoted the production of immunoglobulin A, immunoglobulin G1, and interferon-γ, which in turn mediated a more robust immune response against influenza virus. In summary, the DDA-DSPC-TPGS influenza vaccine is a safe and effective means by which to activate the immune system. The results herein provide an effective strategy by which to overcome current difficulties associated with the prevention and treatment of influenza.

Quality by Design-Driven Zeta Potential Optimisation Study of Liposomes with Charge Imparting Membrane Additives

Liposomal formulations, as versatile nanocarrier systems suitable for targeted delivery, have a highly focused role in the therapy development of unmet clinical needs and diagnostic imaging techniques. Formulating nanomedicine with suitable zeta potential is an essential but challenging task. Formulations with a minimum ±30 mV zeta potential are considered stable. The charge of the phospholipid bilayer can be adjusted with membrane additives. The present Quality by Design-derived study aimed to optimise liposomal formulations prepared via the thin-film hydration technique by applying stearylamine (SA) or dicetyl phosphate (DCP) as charge imparting agents. This 3² fractional factorial design-based study determined phosphatidylcholine, cholesterol, and SA/DCP molar ratios for liposomes with characteristics meeting the formulation requirements. The polynomials describing the effects on the zeta potential were calculated. The optimal molar ratios of the lipids were given as 12.0:5.0:5.0 for the SA-PBS pH 5.6 (optimised sample containing stearylamine) and 8.5:4.5:6.5 for the DCP-PBS pH 5.6 (optimised sample containing dicetyl phosphate) particles hydrated with phosphate-buffered saline pH 5.6. The SA-PBS pH 5.6 liposomes had a vesicle size of 108 ± 15 nm, 0.20 ± 0.04 polydispersity index, and +30.1 ± 1.2 mV zeta potential, while these values were given as 88 ± 14 nm, 0.21 ± 0.02, and −36.7 ± 3.3 mV for the DCP-PBS pH 5.6 vesicles. The prepared liposomes acquired the requirements of the zeta potential for stable formulations.

N-Glucosylation in Corynebacterium glutamicum with YdhE from Bacillus lichenformis

Corynebacterium glutamicum is traditionally known as a food-grade microorganism due to its high ability to produce amino acids and its endotoxin-free recombinant protein expression factory. In recent years, studies to improve the activities of useful therapeutics and pharmaceutical compounds have led to the engineering of the therapeutically advantageous C. glutamicum cell factory system. One of the well-studied ways to improve the activities of useful compounds is glucosylation with glycosyltransferases. In this study, we successfully and efficiently glycosylated therapeutic butyl-4-aminobenzoate and other N-linked compounds in C. glutamicum using a promiscuous YdhE, which is a glycosyltransferase from Bacillus lichenformis. For efficient glucosylation, components, such as promoter, codons sequence, expression temperatures, and substrate and glucose concentrations were optimized. With glucose as the sole carbon source, we achieved a conversion rate of almost 96% of the glycosylated products in the culture medium. The glycosylated product of high concentration was successfully purified by a simple purification method, and subjected to further analysis. This is a report of the in vivo cultivation and glucosylation of N-linked compounds in C. glutamicum.

Cyclodextrin-Modified Nanomaterials for Drug Delivery: Classification and Advances in Controlled Release and Bioavailability

In drug delivery, one widely used way of overcoming the biopharmaceutical problems present in several active pharmaceutical ingredients, such as poor aqueous solubility, early instability, and low bioavailability, is the formation of inclusion compounds with cyclodextrins (CD). In recent years, the use of CD derivatives in combination with nanomaterials has shown to be a promising strategy for formulating new, optimized systems. The goals of this review are to give in-depth knowledge and critical appraisal of the main CD-modified or CD-based nanomaterials for drug delivery, such as lipid-based nanocarriers, natural and synthetic polymeric nanocarriers, nanosponges, graphene derivatives, mesoporous silica nanoparticles, plasmonic and magnetic nanoparticles, quantum dots and other miscellaneous systems such as nanovalves, metal-organic frameworks, Janus nanoparticles, and nanofibers. Special attention is given to nanosystems that achieve controlled drug release and increase their bioavailability during in vivo studies.