Publications by authors named "Cinzia A Ventura"

Cinnamic acid (CA) has many beneficial effects on human health. However, its poor water solubility (0.23 g/L, at 25 °C) is responsible for its poor bioavailability.

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Ocular pathologies present significant challenges to achieving effective therapeutic results due to various anatomical and physiological barriers. Natural products such as flavonoids, alone or in association with allopathic drugs, present many therapeutic actions including anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial action. However, their clinical employment is challenging for scientists due to their low water solubility.

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Morin (MRN) is a natural compound with antiangiogenic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activity. However, it shows a very low water solubility (28 μg/mL) that reduces its oral absorption, making bioavailability low and unpredictable. To improve MRN solubility and positively affect its biological activity, particularly its antiangiogenic activity, in this work, we prepared the inclusion complexes of MNR with sulfobutylether--cyclodextrin (SBE--CD) and hydroxypropyl--cyclodextrin (HP--CD).

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In recent years, bioactive compounds have been the focus of much interest in scientific research, due to their low toxicity and extraordinary properties. However, they possess poor solubility, low chemical stability, and unsustainable bioavailability. New drug delivery systems, and among them solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs), could minimize these drawbacks.

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Idebenone (IDE), a synthetic short-chain analogue of coenzyme Q10, is a potent antioxidant able to prevent lipid peroxidation and stimulate nerve growth factor. Due to these properties, IDE could potentially be active towards cerebral disorders, but its poor water solubility limits its clinical application. Octanoyl-β-cyclodextrin is an amphiphilic cyclodextrin (ACyD8) bearing, on average, ten octanoyl substituents able to self-assemble in aqueous solutions, forming various typologies of supramolecular nanoassemblies.

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Bicalutamide (BCL) is a nonsteroidal antiandrogen drug that represents an alternative to castration in the treatment of prostate cancer, due to its relatively long half-life and tolerable side effects. However, it possesses a very low water solubility that can affect its oral bioavailability. In this work, we developed inclusion complexes of BCL with the highly soluble hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CyD) and sulfobutylether-β-cyclodextrin (SBE-β-CyD) to increase the water solubility and anticancer activity of BCL.

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Idebenone (IDE) is a powerful antioxidant that is potentially active towards cerebral diseases, but its low water solubility and fast first pass metabolism reduce its accumulation in the brain, making it ineffective. In this work, we developed cyclodextrin-based chitosan nanospheres (CS NPs) as potential carriers for nose-to-brain targeting of IDE. Sulfobutylether-β-cyclodextrin (SBE-β-CD) was used as a polyanion for chitosan (CS) and as a complexing agent for IDE, permitting its encapsulation into nanospheres (NPs) produced in an aqueous solution.

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In the present study, we developed chitosan/hyaluronan nanoparticles (CS/HY NPs) for tumor targeting with vinblastine sulfate (VBL), that can be directed to the CD44 transmembrane receptor, over-expressed in cancer cells. NPs were prepared by coating with HY-preformed chitosan/tripolyphosphate (CS/TPP) NPs, or by polyelectrolyte complexation of CS with HY. NPs with a mean hydrodynamic radius (R) of 110 nm, 12% polydispersity index and negative zeta potential values were obtained by a direct complexation process.

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Article Synopsis
  • Levofloxacin (LVF) is an antibacterial drug used for treating eye infections, but its low availability in eye tissues requires high doses, risking bacterial resistance.
  • Researchers developed chitosan nanospheres (CH/SBE--CD NPs) to improve the delivery of LVF to ocular tissues, demonstrating high encapsulation efficiency and proper size for eye interaction.
  • In vitro tests showed that these nanospheres have double the antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria compared to the free drug, suggesting a promising solution for treating eye infections.
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A combination of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy in attenuated total reflectance geometry (FTIR-ATR) and 2D correlation analysis (2D-COS) was applied here for the first time in order to investigate the temperature-dependent dynamical evolution occurring in a particular type of inclusion complex, based on sulfobutylether-β-cyclodextrin (SBE-β-CD) as hosting agent and Coumestrol (7,12-dihydorxcoumestane, Coum), a poorly-soluble active compound known for its anti-viral and anti-oxidant activity. For this purpose, synchronous and asynchronous 2D spectra were calculated in three different wavenumber regions (960-1320 cm, 1580-1760 cm and 2780-3750 cm) and over a temperature range between 250 K and 340 K. The resolution enhancement provided by the 2D-COS offers the possibility to extract the sequential order of events tracked by specific functional groups of the system, and allows, at the same time, the overcoming of some of the limits associated with conventional 1D FTIR-ATR analysis.

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Linoleic and oleic acids are natural unsaturated fatty acids involved in several biological processes and recently studied as structural components of innovative nanovesicles. The use of natural components in the pharmaceutical field is receiving growing attention from the scientific world. The aim of this research work is to design, to perform physico-chemical characterization and in vitro/in vivo studies of unsaturated fatty acids vesicles containing ammonium glycyrrhizinate, obtaining a new topical drug delivery system.

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This study was aimed at preparing and characterizing solid lipid nanoparticles loading rutin (RT-SLNs) for the treatment of oxidative stress-induced diseases. Phospholipon 80H as a solid lipid and Polysorbate 80 as surfactant were used for the SLNs preparation, using the solvent emulsification/diffusion method. We obtained spherical RT-SLNs with low sizes, ranging from 40 to 60 nm (hydrodynamic radius) for the SLNs prepared starting from 2% and 5% () theoretical amount.

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Poloxamer 407 copolymer is a versatile and widely used thermo-reversible material. Its use has many advantages, such as bio-adhesion, enhanced solubilization of poorly water-soluble drugs and many applications fields like oral, rectal, topical, nasal drug administration. Hydrogels made up of Poloxamer 407 are characterized by specific rheological features, which are affected by temperature, concentration and presence of other compounds.

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Idebenone (IDE) is an antioxidant drug active at the level of the central nervous system (CNS), whose poor water solubility limits its clinical application. An IDE/2-hydroxypropyl--cyclodextrin (IDE/HP--CD) inclusion complex was investigated by combining experimental methods and theoretical approaches. Furthermore, biological in vitro/ex vivo assays were performed.

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We investigated the complexation of celecoxib (CCB) into sulfobuthyl-ether-β-cyclodextrin (SBE-β-CD) for the realization of an inhalable dry-powder formulation containing gemcitabine (GEM) for lung anticancer therapy. Complexation increased the water solubility of CCB (0.003 mg/mL and 0.

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Hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CyD) and sulfobutyl ether-β-cyclodextrin (SBE-β-CyD) were used to generate hydrophilic complexes of the poorly water-soluble drug testosterone propionate (TP). The inclusion complexes were obtained by freeze-drying, and then analyzed at both liquid and solid states. Phase solubility studies, performed according to the type-A solubility diagrams of TP in presence of both CyDs, suggested the formation of water-soluble complexes at 1:1 molar ratio.

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In order to obtain nanocarriers suitable for the delivery of drugs in the treatment of cancer, pH-responsive nanovesicles capable of facilitating fusion (fusogenic nanovesicles) were synthesized and then their physicochemical characteristics were modified. These nanovesicles were made by combining polysorbates having different physicochemical features with the aim of realizing multiple-targeting nanoformulations suitable for in vitro treatment of cancer cells. Tween21 and Tween80 were self-assembled at different molar concentrations resulting in pH-responsive fusogenic nanovesicles with an average size of less than 150nm, and a narrow size distribution (polydispersity index) value of less than 0.

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Considerable evidence demonstrated that the central role of reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species (ROS and RNS) in the development of thermal hyperalgesia is associated to acute and chronic inflammation. Idebenone (IDE), a synthetic analogue of the endogenous cellular antioxidant coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), is an active drug in the central nervous system which shows a protection in a variety of neurological disorders. Since it is lipophilic, poorly water soluble and highly bound to plasma proteins, different technological approaches have been explored to increase its solubility and new pharmaceutical properties.

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A vibrational study by means of UV-Raman and FTIR-ATR measurements has been performed on sulfobutyl ether β-cyclodextrin (SBE-β-CD)-water solutions, as a function of concentration and temperature, with the aim to provide a molecular-scale explanation of the enhanced performances as carrier agent exhibited by this modified macrocycle with respect to natural cyclodextrin. The attention has been mainly paid to the modifications induced on the vibrational band assigned to the O-H stretching intramolecular mode, in turn related to the dynamical rearrangement occurring in the hydrogen bonding (HB) network of water molecules. The results of our measurements clearly showed a characteristic "structure-breaker" effect on the tetrahedral HB arrangements induced on water molecules by increasing of both temperature and solute concentration, allowing us to also extract thermodynamic parameters.

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The ability of some surfactants to self-assemble in a water/oil bi-phase environment thus forming supramolecular structure leading to the formation of w/o/w multiple emulsions was investigated. The w/o/w multiple emulsions obtained by self-assembling (one-step preparation method) were compared with those prepared following the traditional two-step procedure. Methyl-nicotinate was used as a hydrophilic model drug.

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We report the synthesis of an oligomeric prodrug of the antiviral agent Acyclovir (Acy) conjugated to β-cyclodextrin (β-CyD). The drug was selectively linked through a succinic spacer to one of the primary hydroxyl groups of β-CyD by ester linkage in a 1:1 molar ratio. The conjugate was purified by semipreparative reverse-phase chromatography and characterized by FAB mass spectrometry and NMR experiments.

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Ultradeformable liposomes represent useful formulations able to increase the skin permeation of drug compounds. In this study, resveratrol- and 5-fluorouracil-loaded ultradeformable liposomes were investigated for the potential treatment of non-melanoma skin cancer. The in vitro anticancer activity of ultradeformable liposomes was tested on human skin cancer cells through viability-, cell cycle- and apoptosis-analysis.

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Therapeutic guidelines indicate prostacyclin as the first line of treatment in inflammation and vascular diseases. Prostacyclins prevent formation of the platelet plug involved in primary hemostasis by inhibiting platelet activation and, combined with thromboxane, are effective vasodilators in vascular damage. Trans-Atlantic Inter-Society Consensus Document on Management of Peripheral Arterial Disease II guidelines indicates prostacyclins; in particular, Iloprost, as the first therapeutic option for treating peripheral arterial disease.

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A resveratrol/sulfobutylether-β-cyclodextrin inclusion complex was prepared using the freeze-drying method and characterized in solution through UV-vis spectroscopy, solubility phase studies and Job's plot methods. At the solid state it was characterized using the FTIR-ATR technique. Sulfobutylether-β-cyclodextrin has a high affinity for the drug, and forms an inclusion complex with a 1:1 molar ratio both in solution and as a solid sample.

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Currently, six liposomal chemotherapeutics have received clinical approval and many more are in clinical trials or undergoing preclinical evaluation. Liposomes exhibit low toxicity and improve the biopharmaceutical features and therapeutic index of drugs, thereby increasing efficacy and reducing side effects. In this review we discuss the advantages of using liposomes for the delivery of chemotherapeutics.

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