Therapeutic applications of capsaicin in humans to target conditions of the respiratory system: A scoping review.

Background: Various studies have explored potential therapeutic applications of capsaicin in human medicine, for example in pain, obesity, cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory disease. The aim of this scoping review was to identify and chart available evidence on therapeutic applications of capsaicin in humans using any mode of capsaicin delivery to treat conditions of the respiratory system.

Methods: Electronic bibliographic databases (Web of Science, PubMed, Medline, ScienceDirect, Embase, Scopus) were searched from inception to 2021 to identify experimental studies reporting clinical outcomes of therapeutic applications of capsaicin.

Quercetin loaded cosm-nutraceutical electrospun composite nanofibers for acne alleviation: Preparation, characterization and experimental clinical appraisal.

In the cosmeceutical field, it is essential to develop topical delivery systems which would allow drugs to create a depot and permeate within the skin. The aim of the present study was to develop composite nanofibers of polyvinyl alcohol/quercetin/essential oils using the electrospinning technique, and assess their efficiency in acne alleviation. Quercetin was chosen due to its anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and antibacterial activities.

Fructose malabsorption: causes, diagnosis and treatment.

This review intends to act as an overview of fructose malabsorption (FM) and its role in the aetiology of diseases including, but not limited to, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and infantile colic and the relationship between fructose absorption and the propagation of some cancers. IBS results in a variety of symptoms including stomach pains, cramps and bloating. Patients can be categorised into two groups, depending on whether the patients’ experiences either constipation (IBS-C) or diarrhoea (IBS-D).

3DP Printing of Oral Solid Formulations: A Systematic Review.

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is a recent technology, which gives the possibility to manufacture personalised dosage forms and it has a broad range of applications. One of the most developed, it is the manufacture of oral solid dosage and the four 3DP techniques which have been more used for their manufacture are FDM, inkjet 3DP, SLA and SLS. This systematic review is carried out to statistically analyze the current 3DP techniques employed in manufacturing oral solid formulations and assess the recent trends of this new technology.

Pharmaceutical Excipients and Drug Metabolism: A Mini-Review.

Conclusions from previously reported articles have revealed that many commonly used pharmaceutical excipients, known to be pharmacologically inert, show effects on drug transporters and/or metabolic enzymes. Thus, the pharmacokinetics (absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination) of active pharmaceutical ingredients are possibly altered because of their transport and metabolism modulation from the incorporated excipients. The aim of this review is to present studies on the interaction of various commonly-used excipients on pre-systemic metabolism by CYP450 enzymes.

3D Printing of Solid Oral Dosage Forms: Numerous Challenges With Unique Opportunities.

Since the FDA approval of Spritam, there has been a growing interest in the application of 3D printing in pharmaceutical science. 3D printing is a method of manufacturing involving the layer-by-layer deposition of materials to create a final product according to a digital model. There are various techniques used to achieve this method of printing including the SLS, SLA, FDM, SSE and PB-inkjet printing.

Cosm-nutraceutical nanovesicles for acne treatment: Physicochemical characterization and exploratory clinical experimentation.

The full exploration of the 'nutraceuticals' therapeutic potential in cosmetics has been hindered by their poor stratum corneum permeation. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to formulate a nutraceutical; quercetin, in novel vitamin C based nanovesicles (aspasomes), and to explore their beneficial effects in the treatment of acne. Aspasomes were characterized for their particle size, zeta potential, entrapment efficiency (EE%), 3-months storage stability, skin deposition/permeation, antioxidant potential, and morphology.

H NMR quantification of spray dried and spray freeze-dried saccharide carriers in dry powder inhaler formulations.

Quantitative analysis using proton NMR (H qNMR) has been employed in various areas such as pharmaceutical analysis (e.g., dissolution study), vaccines, natural products analysis, metabolites, and macrolide antibiotics in agriculture industry.

Patients' and prescribers' perception of contact lenses as a potential ocular drug delivery system.

Contact lenses (CLs) designed to deliver medication gradually to the eye are being developed and investigated for the use in ocular drug delivery. The aim of the current research is to determine patients' acceptance of the use of lenses for ocular drug delivery. In addition, the study aimed to seek the views and perceptions of healthcare professionals (HCPs) on CLs as a method of ocular drug delivery and whether it will be prescribed to treat ocular conditions.

Microfabrication of Net Shape Zirconia/Alumina Nanocomposite Micro Parts.

Recently, there are growing demands in manufacturing of net shape micro parts for wide range of applications due to the increasing interest in miniaturization. In this paper, the fabrication of tetragonal phase zirconia/alumina (YSZ/Al₂O₃) nanocomposite micro-parts with high quality is presented. The fabrication process is based on soft lithography and colloidal powder dispersion.

Perceptions by Adult Patients With Type 1 and 2 Diabetes of Current and Advanced Technologies of Blood Glucose Monitoring: A Prospective Study.

Objective: Intensive self-monitoring of blood glucose levels by patients with diabetes achieves optimal glucose control, hence reducing the likelihood of complications.

Methods: This is a prospective, cross-sectional study targeting adults with diabetes through community pharmacies and patient groups in Central and West London over a period of 10 weeks.

Results: In all, 195 adults with diabetes were included in the analysis of the results.

Fatty Acid Based Microemulsions to Combat Ophthalmia Neonatorum Caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Staphylococcus aureus.

The bacterial species () and () are amongst the main microorganisms that cause ophthalmia neonatorum. The current treatment involves the use of various antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin, cephalosporin, ceftriaxone and cefotaxime. However, this treatment strategy is becoming more ineffective due to the antibiotic resistance in The current study explores the potential use of fatty acid based microemulsions (ME) to prevent and infections in new-borns' eyes without harmful side effects such as corneal or conjunctiva irritation.

Adherence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa onto surfactant-laden contact lenses.

There is an immense research interest to utilise contact lens (CLs) as a popular platform for ocular drug delivery. However, CLs are the major predisposing factors of bacterial keratitis which is commonly caused by adhesion of microbes such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus epidermidis. The aim of the current study is to explore the effect of surfactants; Poloxamer 188, Polysorbate 80 and Tetronic 90R4 (at 0.

Stainless steel with tailored porosity using canister-free hot isostatic pressing for improved osseointegration implants.

Porous biomedical implants hold great potential in preventing stress shielding while improving bone osseointegration and regeneration. In this paper, a novel approach is introduced to control the porosity of 316L stainless steel implants by using canister-free hot isostatic pressing (CF-HIPing). The proposed approach uses cold isostatic pressing (CIPing) to generate powder compacts with various particle sizes, followed by CF-HIPing.

Understanding the compaction behaviour of low-substituted HPC: macro, micro, and nano-metric evaluations.

The fast development in materials science has resulted in the emergence of new pharmaceutical materials with superior physical and mechanical properties. Low-substituted hydroxypropyl cellulose is an ether derivative of cellulose and is praised for its multi-functionality as a binder, disintegrant, film coating agent and as a suitable material for medical dressings. Nevertheless, very little is known about the compaction behaviour of this polymer.

The use of albumin solid dispersion to enhance the solubility of unionizable drugs.

In this study, solid dispersions of prednisolone (PRD) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) were prepared by spray drying and freeze drying methods using a PRD:BSA solution [20:1 molar ratio (MR)]. PRD-BSA dispersed mixtures were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). PRD-BSA physical and dispersed mixtures showed significantly higher solubility in water than that of unprocessed drug.

Efficient approach to enhance drug solubility by particle engineering of bovine serum albumin.

The aim of this study was to investigate the use of bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a solubility enhancer for indometacin (IND) as a model drug. IND-BSA solid dispersions were prepared by both spray drying and freeze drying techniques using IND:BSA solution (20:1 Molar Ratio (MR)) and IND:BSA suspension (100:1 MR). The solid state of IND in solid dispersions was characterised by SEM, DSC and XRD.

Fatty acid microemulsion for the treatment of neonatal conjunctivitis: quantification, characterisation and evaluation of antimicrobial activity.

Fatty acids (FAs) are used by many organisms as defence mechanism against virulent bacteria. The high safety profile and broad spectrum of activity make them potential alternatives to currently used topical antibiotics for the treatment of eye infections in neonates. The current study utilised a Design of Experiment approach to optimise the quantification of five fatty acids namely; lauric acid, tridecanoic acid, myristoleic acid, palmitoleic acid and α-linolenic acid.

Nanoparticle-Laden Contact Lens for Controlled Ocular Delivery of Prednisolone: Formulation Optimization Using Statistical Experimental Design.

Human eye is one of the most accessible organs in the body, nonetheless, its physiology and associated precorneal factors such as nasolacrimal drainage, blinking, tear film, tear turnover, and induced lacrimation has significantly decreased the residence time of any foreign substances including pharmaceutical dosage forms. Soft contact lenses are promising delivery devices that can sustain the drug release and prolong residence time by acting as a geometric barrier to drug diffusion to tear fluid. This study investigates experimental parameters such as composition of polymer mixtures, stabilizer and the amount of active pharmaceutical ingredient on the preparation of a polymeric drug delivery system for the topical ocular administration of Prednisolone.

Nano-engineering chitosan particles to sustain the release of promethazine from orodispersables.

Orally dispersing tablets (ODTs), also known as orodispersibles, were first introduced into the market in 1980s to overcome dysphagia problems amongst pediatrics and geriatrics. Despite their abilities to avoid swallowing difficulties, frequency of dosing stood as a barrier for these formulations. The aim of the current study is to produce and optimize a sustained release orally disintegrating tablets (SR-ODT), with the aid of chitosan.

A methodological evaluation and predictive in silico investigation into the multi-functionality of arginine in directly compressed tablets.

The acceleration of solid dosage form product development can be facilitated by the inclusion of excipients that exhibit poly-/multi-functionality with reduction of the time invested in multiple excipient optimisations. Because active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and tablet excipients present diverse densification behaviours upon compaction, the involvement of these different powders during compaction makes the compaction process very complicated. The aim of this study was to assess the macrometric characteristics and distribution of surface charges of two powders: indomethacin (IND) and arginine (ARG); and evaluate their impact on the densification properties of the two powders.

New Generation of Orally Disintegrating Tablets for Sustained Drug Release: A Propitious Outlook.

Orally disintegrating tablets (ODTs) or orodispersible tablets are solid dosage forms that disintegrate within 3 minutes in the mouth into a paste that can be easily swallowed. ODTs have improved over the past years, in an attempt to produce a safe and efficient substitute to the conventional oral dosage forms, particularly for dysphagia patients. Since its introduction in the market in the 1980s, ODTs expanded rapidly and achieved revenues over $3 billion in 2006 and sustaining 20% annual growth.

Contact lenses as drug reservoirs & delivery systems: the successes & challenges.

Although conventional eye drops comprise over 90% of the marketed ocular dosage forms, they do have limitations, such as poor ocular drug bioavailability and systemic side effects; contact lenses are amongst the new delivery systems and devices that could overcome some of these problems. The most common approach to load drug molecules into contact lenses includes soaking in a drug solution. This approach had some success, but failed to achieve controlled/sustained drug release to the eye.