Exploration of a transdermal nanoemulgel as an alternative therapy for postmenopausal osteoporosis

Raloxifene encapsulated spanlastic nanogel for the prevention of bone fracture risk via transdermal administration: Pharmacokinetic and efficacy study in animal model

This research work is to evaluate spanlastic-loaded raloxifene (RLX) nanogel administration via the transdermal route to avoid its hepatic metabolism and to enhance the bioavailability for better management of osteoporosis. RLX-loaded spanlastic nanogel was prepared and characterized for its viscosity, pH, spreadability, and texture profile. The formulation was applied on the skin surface of the animal for pharmacokinetic evaluation, and later, the efficacy of the formulation was assessed in ovariectomized female Wistar rats. The nanogel was obtained with a viscosity (2552.66 ± 30.61 cP), pH (7.1 ± 0.1), and spreadability (7.1 ± 0.2 cm). The texture properties, cohesiveness, and adhesiveness of the nanogel showed its suitability for transdermal application. Nanogel showed no sign of edema and erythema in the skin irritation test which revealed its safety for transdermal application. The t1/2 obtained for RLX-spanlastic nanogel (37.02 ± 0.59 h) was much higher than that obtained for RLX-oral suspension (14.43 h). The relative bioavailability was found to be 215.96% for RLX-spanlastic nanogel, and the drug and formulation did not show any toxicity in any of the vital organs, as well as no hematological changes occurring in blood samples. In microarchitectural measurement, RLX-spanlastic nanogel exhibited no unambiguous deviations along with improved bone mineral density compared to the RLX suspension treated group. Transdermal administration of RLX-spanlastic nanogel showed significant improvement of drug bioavailability (approx. twice to oral administration) without any toxic effect in the treated rats. Hence, spanlastic nanogel could be a better approach to deliver RLX via transdermal route for the management of osteoporosis.

Design and Development of a Topical Nanogel Formulation Comprising of a Unani Medicinal Agent for the Management of Pain

The oil of the Unani medicinal herb Baboona (Matricaria chamomilla) has shown potential in the management of pain. However, predicaments such as poor skin penetration, skin sensitization, liable to degradation, and volatile nature restrict its use. Therefore, our group for the first time has developed a carrier-based delivery system to facilitate the direct application of chamomile oil to the forehead. The developed nanogel was characterized for physical parameters such as compatibility, TEM, and stability studies. Further, it was also evaluated for pH, viscosity, spread ability, and extrudability, as well as through texture analyses, in vitro studies, and skin irritation tests. The formulation was successfully developed with all the necessary attributes. The in vitro studies revealed the enhanced skin penetration of chamomile oil nanogel. The in vivo studies were also performed in chemically induced pain models, mimicking migraine. The studies show significant improvement of the pain threshold for chamomile nanogel when compared to the positive control group and the results were comparable to marketed diclofenac formulations. Finally, the encapsulation into nanogel reduced the skin irritation property. The nanogel formulation showed promising effects in the pain management of migraine.

Drug Delivery and Therapy Strategies for Osteoporosis Intervention

With the advent of the aging society, osteoporosis (OP) risk increases yearly. Currently, the clinical usage of anti-OP drugs is challenged by recurrent side effects and poor patient compliance, regardless of oral, intravenous, or subcutaneous administration. Properly using a drug delivery system or formulation strategy can achieve targeted drug delivery to the bone, diminish side effects, improve bioavailability, and prolong the in vivo residence time, thus effectively curing osteoporosis. This review expounds on the pathogenesis of OP and the clinical medicaments used for OP intervention, proposes the design approach for anti-OP drug delivery, emphatically discusses emerging novel anti-OP drug delivery systems, and enumerates anti-OP preparations under clinical investigation. Our findings may contribute to engineering anti-OP drug delivery and OP-targeting therapy.

Formulation of lemongrass oil (Cymbopogon citratus)-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles: an in vitro assessment study

Cymbopogon citratus (DC) stapf. (Gramineae) is a herb known worldwide as lemongrass. The oil obtained, i.e., lemongrass oil has emerged as one among the most relevant natural oils in the pharmaceutical industry owing to its extensive pharmacological and therapeutic benefits including antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiviral and anticancer properties. However, its usage in novel formulations is constrained because of its instability and volatility. To address these concerns, the present study aims to formulate lemongrass-loaded SLN (LGSLN) using hot water titration technique. In the Smix, Tween 80 was selected as a surfactant component, while ethanol was taken as a co-surfactant. Different ratios of Smix (1:1, 1:2, 1:3, 2:1 and 3:1) were utilized to formulate LG-loaded SLN. The results indicated the fact that the LGSLN formulation (abbreviated as LGSLN1), containing lipid phase 10% w/w (i.e., LG 3.33% and SA 6.67%), Tween 80 (20% w/w), ethanol (20% w/w) and distilled water (50% w/w), revealed suitable nanometric size (142.3 ± 5.96 nm) with a high zeta potential value (- 29.12 ± 1.7 mV) and a high entrapment efficiency (77.02 ± 8.12%). A rapid drug release (71.65 ± 5.33%) was observed for LGSLN1 in a time span of 24 h. Additionally, the highest values for steady-state flux (Jss; 0.6133 ± 0.0361 mg/cm2/h), permeability coefficient (Kp; 0.4573 ± 0.0141 (cm/h) × 102) and enhancement ratio (Er; 13.50) was also conferred by LGSLN1. Based on in vitro study results, the developed SLN appeared as a potential carrier for enhanced topical administration of lemongrass oil. The observed results also indicated the fact that the phyto-cosmeceutical prospective of the nanolipidic carrier for topical administration of lemongrass oil utilizing pharmaceutically acceptable components can be explored further for widespread clinical applicability.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-023-03726-5.

Investigation of the treatment potential of Raloxifene-loaded polymeric nanoparticles in osteoporosis: In-vitro and in-vivo analyses

Osteoporosis (OP), is a systemic bone disorder associated with low bone mass and bone tissue corrosion. Worsening of the disease condition leads to bone delicacy and fracture. Various drugs are available for the treatment of OP, however they have limitations including poor solubility, bioavailability and toxicity. Herein, Raloxifene-loaded polymeric nanoparticles (RLX-PNPs) were developed and investigated for the treatment of OP with possible solutions to the above mentioned problems. RLX-PNPs were prepared by modified ionic gelation method followed by determining their particle properties. FTIR, DSC and PXRD analysis of the RLX-PNPs were performed to check chemical interaction, thermal behavior and crystallinity, respectively. In-vitro release profile of RLX-PNPs was checked in lab setting, whereas its pharmacokinetics was investigated in Sprague-Dawley rats, in-vivo. Finally, the treatment potential of RLX-PNPs was analyzed in OP induced animal model. The optimized PNPs formulation indicated 134.5 nm particle size, +24.4 mV charge and 91.73% % EE. TEM analysis showed spherical and uniform sized particles with no interactions observed in FTIR analysis. In-vitro release of RLX from RLX-PNPs showed more sustained release behavior as compared to RLX-suspension. Moreover, pharmacokinetic investigations showed a significantly enhanced bioavailability of the RLX-PNPs as well as reduced serum levels of alkaline phosphatase and calcium in OP induced rats when compared with RLX-Suspension after oral administration. Findings of this study suggested that the developed RLX-PNPs have the potential to treat OP due to sustained release and improved bioavailability of the incorporated drug.

Nanoemulgel: A Novel Nano Carrier as a Tool for Topical Drug Delivery

Nano-emulgel is an emerging drug delivery system intended to enhance the therapeutic profile of lipophilic drugs. Lipophilic formulations have a variety of limitations, which includes poor solubility, unpredictable absorption, and low oral bioavailability. Nano-emulgel, an amalgamated preparation of different systems aims to deal with these limitations. The novel system prepared by the incorporation of nano-emulsion into gel improves stability and enables drug delivery for both immediate and controlled release. The focus on nano-emulgel has also increased due to its ability to achieve targeted delivery, ease of application, absence of gastrointestinal degradation or the first pass metabolism, and safety profile. This review focuses on the formulation components of nano-emulgel for topical drug delivery, pharmacokinetics and safety profiles.

A Pharmaco-Technical Investigation of Thymoquinone and Peat-Sourced Fulvic Acid Nanoemulgel: A Combination Therapy

Thymoquinone has a multitude of pharmacological effects and has been researched for a wide variety of indications, but with limited clinical success. It is associated with pharmaco-technical caveats such as hydrophobicity, high degradation, and a low oral bioavailability. A prudent approach warrants its usage through an alternative dermal route in combination with functional excipients to harness its potential for treating dermal afflictions, such as psoriasis. Henceforth, the present study explores a nanoformulation approach for designing a fulvic acid (peat-sourced)-based thymoquinone nanoemulsion gel (FTQ-NEG) for an enhanced solubility and improved absorption. The excipients, surfactant/co-surfactant, and oil selected for the o/w nanoemulsion (FTQ-NE) are Tween 80/Transcutol-P and kalonji oil. The formulation methodology includes high-energy ultrasonication complemented with a three-dimensional/factorial Box-Behnken design for guided optimization. The surface morphology assessment through scanning/transmission electron microscopy and fluorescence microscopy revealed a 100 nm spherical, globule-like structure of the prepared nanoemulsion. Furthermore, the optimized FTQ-NE had a zeta potential of -2.83 ± 0.14 Mv, refractive index of 1.415 ± 0.036, viscosity of 138.5 ± 3.08 mp, and pH of 5.8 ± 0.16, respectively. The optimized FTQ-NE was then formulated as a gel using Carbopol 971^® (1%). The in vitro release analysis of the optimized FTQ-NEG showed a diffusion-dominant drug release (Higuchi model) for 48 h. The drug permeation flux observed for FTQ-NEG (3.64 μg/cm²/h) was much higher compared to that of the pure drug (1.77 mg/cm²/h). The results were further confirmed by confocal microscopy studies, which proved the improved penetration of thymoquinone through mice skin. Long-term stability studies of the purported formulation were also conducted and yielded satisfactory results.