Parenteral Sustained Release Lipid Phase-Transition System of Ziprasidone: Fabrication and Evaluation for Schizophrenia Therapy

TLC-MS-Bioautographic Identification of Antityrosinase Compounds and Preparation of a Topical Gel Formulation from a Bioactive Fraction of an RSM-Optimized Alcoholic Extract of Rubia Cordifolia L. stem

BACKGROUND

Rubia cordifolia L., Rubiaceae, is globally reported to treat skin-related problems. The study aimed to assess the antityrosinase potential of Rubia cordifolia (ARC) and the development of gel formulation.

METHODS

The AutoDock Vina (version V.1.2.0) program package was used for molecular docking to check for the binding affinity of ligands with protein. Response surface methodology (RSM) software was used to optimize extraction parameters for an alcoholic extract of Rubia cordifolia (ARC). The developed HPTLC method for the quantification of purpurin in ARC was validated as per the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) guidelines. A bioautographic study for the evaluation of antityrosinase effects was performed; an anthraquinone-enriched fraction (AEF)-loaded gel formulation developed and evaluated physicochemically which could be used to reduce skin pigmentation.

RESULTS

Purpurin showed optimum binding affinity (-7.4 kcal/mol) with the molecular target (tyrosinase) when compared to that of standard kojic acid (-5.3 kcal/mol). Quantification of purpurin in ARC, optimized by RSM software, was validated and physiologically significant results were observed for the antityrosinase potential of an AEF, along with TLC-MS-bioautographic identification for antityrosinase compounds: purpurin (m/z 256.21) and ellagic acid (m/z 302.19). Evaluation of an AEF-loaded gel formulation by in vitro and ex vivo permeation studies was performed.

CONCLUSION

ARC extraction parameters optimized by RSM, and a bioautographic study helped identify antityrosinase compounds. The development of a gel formulation could be a cost-effective option for the treatment of depigmentation in the future.

HIGHLIGHTS

A TLC-MS-Bioautography-based Identification of Antityrosinase Compounds and development of AEF-loaded Topical Gel formulation from a Bioactive Fraction of an RSM-Optimized Alcoholic Extract of Rubia Cordifolia L. stem, which could help with promising results in reducing skin pigmentation and maintaining even tone.

Intranasal inorganic cerium oxide nanoparticles ameliorate oxidative stress induced motor manifestations in haloperidol-induced parkinsonism

Cerium oxide nanoparticles (CONPs), owing to their radical scavenging property, have recently emerged as a therapeutic candidate for oxidative stress-mediated neurological diseases. However, oral and intravenous administration of CONPs is limited due to their poor physicochemical characteristics, low bioavailability, rapid systemic clearance, poor blood-brain penetration and dose-dependent toxicity. To overcome these challenges, we developed intranasal CONPs and evaluated their potential in the experimental PD model. CONPs were prepared by homogenous precipitation using tween 80 as a stabilizer and methanol/water as solvent. The optimization was done using Central Composite Design (CCD). The CONPs synthesis was confirmed by UV and FTIR. The optimized CONPs were small-sized (105.1 ± 5.78 nm), spherical (TEM), uniform (PDI, 0.119 ± 0.006) and stable (ZP, -22.7 ± 1.02 mV). Energy-dispersive X-ray analysis showed characteristic signals of Ce in developed CONPs. The X-ray diffraction pattern described the cubic fluorite structure and nano-crystalline nature of CONPs. The CONP anti-oxidant activity was found to be 93.60 ± 0.32% at 25 µg/mL concentration. Finally, motor manifestation studies like the forced swim test, locomotor test, akinesia, catalepsy, and muscle coordination test were conducted to assess the motor dysfunctions and behavioral activity in all four animal groups. Results of the in vivo motor manifestation studies in the haloperidol-induced PD rat model showed that co-administration of intranasal CONPs along with a half dose of levodopa resulted in significant protection, and results were significantly different from the untreated group but not significantly different from the healthy group. In conclusion, intranasal CONPs can be useful in ameliorating oxidative stress through their antioxidant effect and could be prospective therapeutics for the treatment of motor manifestations in Parkinson's disease.

Recent advances in lipid-based long-acting injectable depot formulations

Long-acting injectable (LAIs) delivery systems sustain the drug therapeutic action in the body, resulting in reduced dosage regimen, toxicity, and improved patient compliance. Lipid-based depots are biocompatible, provide extended drug release, and improve drug stability, making them suitable for systemic and localized treatment of various chronic ailments, including psychosis, diabetes, hormonal disorders, arthritis, ocular diseases, and cancer. These depots include oil solutions, suspensions, oleogels, liquid crystalline systems, liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, nanostructured lipid carriers, phospholipid phase separation gel, vesicular phospholipid gel etc. This review summarizes recent advancements in lipid-based LAIs for delivering small and macromolecules, and their potential in managing chronic diseases. It also provides an overview of the lipid depots available in market or clinical phase, as well as patents for lipid-based LAIs. Furthermore, this review critically discusses the current scenario of using in vitro release methods to establish IVIVC and highlights the challenges involved in developing lipid-based LAIs.

Intranasal cerium oxide nanoparticles improves locomotor activity and reduces oxidative stress and neuroinflammation in haloperidol-induced parkinsonism in rats

Introduction: Cerium oxide nanoparticles (CONPs) have been investigated for their therapeutic potential in Parkinson's disease (PD) due to their potent and regenerative antioxidant activity. In the present study, CONPs were used to ameliorate the oxidative stress caused by free radicals in haloperidol-induced PD in rats following intranasal administration. Method: The antioxidant potential of the CONPs was evaluated in vitro using ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay. The penetration and local toxicity of the CONPs was evaluated ex-vivo using goat nasal mucosa. The acute local toxicity of intranasal CONPs was also studied in rat. Gamma scintigraphy was used to assess the targeted brain delivery of CONPs. Acute toxicity studies were performed in rats to demonstrate safety of intranasal CONPs. Further, open field test, pole test, biochemical estimations and brain histopathology was performed to evaluate efficacy of intranasal CONPs in haloperidol-induced PD rat model. Results: The FRAP assay revealed highest antioxidant activity of prepared CONPs at a concentration of 25 μg/mL. Confocal microscopy showed deep and homogenous distribution of CONPs in the goat nasal mucus layers. No signs of irritation or injury were seen in goat nasal membrane when treated with optimized CONPs. Scintigraphy studies in rats showed targeted brain delivery of intranasal CONPs and acute toxicity study demonstrated safety. The results of open field and pole test showed highly significant (p < 0.001) improvement in locomotor activity of rats treated with intranasal CONPs compared to untreated rats. Further, brain histopathology of treatment group rats showed reduced neurodegeneration with presence of more live cells. The amount of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) was reduced significantly, whereas the levels of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and GSH were increased significantly, while amounts of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) showed significant reduction after intranasal administration of CONPs. Also, the intranasal CONPs, significantly high (p < 0.001) dopamine concentration (13.93 ± 0.85 ng/mg protein) as compared to haloperidol-induced control rats (5.76 ± 0.70 ng/mg protein). Conclusion: The overall results concluded that the intranasal CONPs could be safe and effective therapeutics for the management of PD.

Formulation and development of novel lipid-based combinatorial advanced nanoformulation for effective treatment of non-melanoma skin cancer

Non-melanoma skin cancer is one of the most common malignancies reported with high number of morbidities, demanding an advanced treatment option with superior chemotherapeutic effects. Due to high degree of drug resistance, conventional therapy fails to meet the desired therapeutic efficacy. To break the bottleneck, nanoparticles have been used as next generation vehicles that facilitate the efficient interaction with the cancer cells. Here, we developed combined therapy of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and cannabidiol (CBD)-loaded nanostructured lipid carrier gel (FU-CBD-NLCs gel). The NLCs were optimized using central composite design that showed an average particle size of 206 nm and a zeta potential of -34 mV. In addition, in vitro and ex vivo drug permeations studies demonstrated the effective delivery of both drugs in the skin layers via lipid structured nanocarriers. Also, the prepared FU-CBD-NLCs showed promising effect in-vitro cell studies including MTT assays, wound healing and cell cycle as compared to the conventional formulation. Moreover, dermatokinetic studies shows there was superior deposition of drugs at epidermal and the dermal layer when treated with FU-CBD-NLCs. In the end, overall study offered a novel combinatorial chemotherapy that could be an option for the treatment of non-melanoma skin cancer.

Review on 3D printing in dentistry: conventional to personalized dental care

The CAD (Computer-aided design) and CAM (computer-aided manufacturing) have most applications in the manufacturing of fully automated, personalized dental devices and tailor-made treatment plans. 3D printing is one of the most rapidly expanding and new methods of manufacturing different things because of its on-demand and high productivity within the cost-effective manner which have a variety of applications in healthcare, pharmaceuticals, orthopaedics, engineered tissue models, medical devices, defence industries, automotive and aerospace sectors. Due to its emerging applications in the various sectors, the healthcare, Industries, and academic sectors are attracted towards the 3D printed materials. This review talks about the dental implants, polymers that are employed in concocting dental implants, critical parameters, and challenges which are to be considered while preparing these implants, advantages of 3D printing in the field of dentistry and the current trends. it discusses the variety of applications of 3D printed materials in the field of dentistry. Along with their method of fabrication, their critical process parameters (CPPs) are also discussed.

Cannabis as a potential compound against various malignancies, legal aspects, advancement by exploiting nanotechnology and clinical trials

Various preclinical and clinical studies exhibited the potential of cannabis against various diseases, including cancer and related pain. Subsequently, many efforts have been made to establish and develop cannabis-related products and make them available as prescription products. Moreover, FDA has already approved some cannabis-related products, and more advancement in this aspect is still going on. However, the approved product of cannabis is in oral dosage form, which exerts various limitations to achieve maximum therapeutic effects. A considerable translation is on a hike to improve bioavailability, and ultimately, the therapeutic efficacy of cannabis by the employment of nanotechnology. Besides the well-known psychotropic effects of cannabis upon the use at high doses, literature has also shown the importance of cannabis and its constituents in minimising the lethality of cancer in the preclinical models. This review discusses the history of cannabis, its legal aspect, safety profile, the mechanism by which cannabis combats with cancer, and the advancement of clinical therapy by exploiting nanotechnology. A brief discussion related to the role of cannabinoid in various cancers has also been incorporated. Lastly, the information regarding completed and ongoing trials have also been elaborated.

Fundamental Aspects of Lipid-Based Excipients in Lipid-Based Product Development

Poor aqueous solubility of drugs is still a foremost challenge in pharmaceutical product development. The use of lipids in designing formulations provides an opportunity to enhance the aqueous solubility and consequently bioavailability of drugs. Pre-dissolution of drugs in lipids, surfactants, or mixtures of lipid excipients and surfactants eliminate the dissolution/dissolving step, which is likely to be the rate-limiting factor for oral absorption of poorly water-soluble drugs. In this review, we exhaustively summarize the lipids excipients in relation to their classification, absorption mechanisms, and lipid-based product development. Methodologies utilized for the preparation of solid and semi-solid lipid formulations, applications, phase behaviour, and regulatory perspective of lipid excipients are discussed.

Intranasal Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles Ameliorate Cognitive Function in Rats with Alzheimer’s via Anti-Oxidative Pathway

Cerium oxide nanoparticles (CNPs), owing to their antioxidant property, have recently emerged as therapeutic candidate for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, intravenous CNPs are limited due to their poor physicochemical properties, rapid blood clearance and poor blood–brain penetration. Thus, we developed intranasal CNPs and evaluated its potential in experimental AD. CNPs were synthesized using homogenous precipitation method and optimized through Box–Behnken Design. The formation of CNPs was confirmed by UV spectroscopy and FTIR. The optimized CNP were spherical, small (134.0 ± 3.35 nm), uniform (PDI, 0.158 ± 0.0019) and stable (ZP, −21.8 ± 4.94 mV). The presence of Ce in CNPs was confirmed by energy-dispersive X-ray analysis. Further, the X-ray diffraction spectra revealed that the CNPs were nano-crystalline. The DPPH assay showed that at concentration of 50 µg/mL, the percentage radical scavenging was 95.40 ± 0.006%. Results of the in vivo behavioral studies in the scopolamine-induced Alzheimer rat model showed that intranasal CNPs dose dependently reversed cognitive ability. At dose of 6 mg/kg the morris water maze results (escape latency, path length and dwell time) and passive avoidance results (retention latency) were significantly different from untreated group but not significantly different from positive control group (rivastigmine patch, 13.3 mg/24 h). Further, biochemical estimation showed that intranasal CNP upregulated the levels of SOD and GSH in brain. In conclusion, intranasal CNPs, through its antioxidant effect, could be a prospective therapeutics for the treatment of cognitive impairment in AD.

Recent update on electrospinning and electrospun nanofibers: current trends and their applications

Electrospinning is a versatile and viable technique for generating ultrathin fibers. Remarkable progress has been made in techniques for creating electro-spun and non-electro-spun nanofibers. Nanofibers were the center of attention for industries and researchers due to their simplicity in manufacture and setup. The review discusses a thorough overview of both electrospinning and non-electrospinning processes, including their setup, fabrication process, components, and applications. The review starts with an overview of the field of nanotechnology, the background of electrospinning, the surge in demand for nanofiber production, the materials needed to make nanofibers, and the critical process variables that determine the characteristics of nanofibers. Additionally, the diverse applications of electrospun nanofibers, such as smart mats, catalytic supports, filtration membranes, energy storage/heritage components, electrical devices (batteries), and biomedical scaffolds, are then covered. Further, the review concentrates on the most recent and pertinent developments in nanofibers that are connected to the use of nanofibers, focusing on the most illustrative cases. Finally, challenges and their possible solutions, marketing, and the future prospects of nanofiber development are discussed.

Electrospinning is a versatile and viable technique for generating ultrathin fibers.

Simulate SubQ: The Methods and the Media

For decades, there has been a growing interest in injectable subcutaneous formulations to improve the absorption of drugs into the systemic circulation and to prolong their release over a longer period. However, fluctuations in the blood plasma levels together with bioavailability issues often limit their clinical success. This warrants a closer look at the performance of long-acting depots, for example, and their dependence on the complex interplay between the dosage form and the physiological microenvironment. For this, biopredictive performance testing is used for a thorough understanding of the biophysical processes affecting the absorption of compounds from the injection site in vivo and their simulation in vitro. In the present work, we discuss in vitro methodologies including methods and media developed for the subcutaneous route of administration on the background of the most relevant absorption mechanisms. Also, we highlight some important knowledge gaps and shortcomings of the existing methodologies to provide the reader with a better understanding of the scientific evidence underlying these models.

Standardizing the Effective Correlated Dosage of Olanzapine and Empagliflozin in Female Wistar Rats

AIM

The primary aim of this study was to standardize the correlated effective dosage of the antidiabetic drug empagliflozin (EMPA) and the antipsychotic drug olanzapine (Ola).

BACKGROUND

Atypical antipsychotics are associated with BWG and metabolic disturbances for which many approaches have been used to minimize these issues, including antidiabetic drugs. The antidiabetic drugs have been quite effective in reversing BWG induced by the administration of antipsychotic drugs in patients who have psychosis, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to standardize the correlated effective dosage of EMPA and Ola.

METHODS

The study was carried out for 28 days to represent the chronic effect of Ola on female Wistar rats. Rats were divided into three groups based on the dose they received: control (vehicle), Ola-4 and Ola-8 (4 and 8 mg/kg/OD, respectively), and EMPA-10 and EMPA-20 (10 and 20 mg/kg/OD, respectively).

RESULTS

Both doses of Ola produced a significant increase in the percentage of BWG, however, Ola-4 produced a higher BWG. Also, both the doses of EMPA were able to reverse the effect of Ola-induced BWG; however, EMPA-20 produced a higher reversal in BWG and normalized the rat's body weight.

CONCLUSION

We conclude that Ola-4 and EMPA-20 were the most effective dosage for experimental purposes in female Wistar rats. The findings of this study standardized the effective correlated dosage of olanzapine and empagliflozin in female Wistar rats that will help understand the underlying molecular and behavioral mechanisms.