Publications by authors named "Areen Ashkar"

Oral administration is the most popular and patient-compliant route for drug delivery, though it raises great challenges due to the involvement of the gastro-intestine (GI) system and the drug bioavailability. Drug bioavailability is directly related to its ability to dissolve, transport and/or absorb through the physiological environment. A great number of drugs are characterized with low water solubility due to their hydrophobic nature, thus limiting their oral bioavailability and clinical use.

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This research demonstrates the ability to direct the rate and extent of lipid hydrolysis of oleogels using a combination of different structuring agents. Combinations of ethyl cellulose (EC) (20 cP and 45 cP) and commercial mixture of mono and di-glycerides (E471), at different ratios, were examined. The results suggest that the combination of E471 and EC significantly affects both gel physical properties and intestinal lipolysis.

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Volatile organic compound (VOC) testing in breath has potential in gastric cancer (GC) detection. Our objective was to assess the reproducibility of VOCs in GC, and the effects of conditions modifying gut microbiome on the test results. Ten patients with GC were sampled for VOC over three consecutive days; 17 patients were sampled before and after H.

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