Self-assembly mucoadhesive beads of κ-carrageenan/sericin for indomethacin oral extended release.

Oral drug administration, especially when composed of mucoadhesive delivery systems, has been a research trend due to increased residence time and contact with the mucosa, potentially increasing drug bioavailability and stability. In this context, this study aimed to develop self-assembly mucoadhesive beads composed of blends of κ-carrageenan and sericin (κ-Car/Ser) loaded with the anti-inflammatory drug indomethacin (IND). We investigated the swelling, adhesion behaviour, and mechanical/physical properties of the beads, assessing their effects on cell viability, safety and permeation characteristics in both 2D and triple-culture model.

Development and characterization of crosslinked k-carrageenan/sericin blend with covalent agents or thermal crosslink for indomethacin extended release.

Modified release of multiparticulate pharmaceutical forms is a key therapeutic strategy to reduce side effects and toxicity caused by high and repeated doses of immediate-release oral drugs. This research focused on the encapsulation of indomethacin (IND) in the crosslinked k-Car/Ser polymeric matrix by covalent and thermal methods to evaluate drug delivery modulation and properties of the crosslinked blend. Therefore, the entrapment efficiency (EE %), drug loading (DL %) and physicochemical properties of the particles were investigated.

Supramolecular Arrangement of Doxycycline with Sulfobutylether-β-Cyclodextrin: Impact on Nanostructuration with Chitosan, Drug Degradation and Antimicrobial Potency.

Doxycycline (DX) is a well-established and broad-spectrum antimicrobial drug. However, DX has drawbacks, such as physicochemical instability in aqueous media and bacterial resistance. The inclusion of drugs in cyclodextrin complexes and their loading into nanocarriers can overcome these limitations.

k-Carrageenan/sericin-based multiparticulate systems: A novel gastro-resistant polymer matrix for indomethacin delivery.

This study aimed to develop a natural and multiparticulate carrier of k-carrageenan (k-Car) and sericin (Ser) for encapsulation of indomethacin (IND) in order to minimize gastrointestinal effects caused by immediate-release. Increasing the amount of IND in the formulations subtly reduced the entrapment efficiency (EE) and drug loading (DL) due to matrix saturation. Sericin was essential to improve EE and DL when compared to pure k-Car (EE > 90 % and DL > 47 %) with suitable particle sizes (1.

Nanotechnology as a tool to overcome macromolecules delivery issues.

Nanocarriers can deliver drugs to specific organs or cells, potentially bridging the gap between a drug's function and its interaction with biological systems such as human physiology. The untapped potential of nanotechnology stems from its ability to manipulate materials, allowing control over physical and chemical properties and overcoming drug-related problems, e.g.

Nanotechnology-Based Dressings for Wound Management.

Wound healing is known to be a complicated and intricate process and commonly classified as chronic or acute. Patients with chronic wounds are of public health concern, and require more attention onto skin lesions, including atopic dermatitis. Despite being a natural process, healing can be impaired by existing chronic de diseases such as diabetes, for example.

Levofloxacin in nanostructured lipid carriers: Preformulation and critical process parameters for a highly incorporated formulation.

The first step of a successful nanoformulation development is preformulation studies, in which the best excipients, drug-excipient compatibility and interactions can be identified. During the formulation, the critical process parameters and their impact must be studied to establish the stable system with a high drug entrapment efficiency (EE). This work followed these steps to develop nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) to deliver the antibiotic levofloxacin (LV).

Five decades of doxycycline: Does nanotechnology improve its properties?

Doxycycline (DX) is a well-established antimicrobial drug that has been used since 1967 to treat several diseases. This drug has a wide therapeutic range, acting as antibacterial, antiviral, antiparasitic, and anticancer agent, including its neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, and wound healing effects. However, DX is unstable in the physiological environment, presenting poor cellular penetration and adverse effects related to gastrointestinal irritation.

In vitro performance of free and encapsulated bromelain.

For centuries, bromelain has been used to treat a range of ailments, even though its mechanism of action is not fully understood. Its therapeutic benefits include enzymatic debridement of the necrotic tissues of ulcers and burn wounds, besides anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, and antioxidant properties. However, the protease is unstable and susceptible to self-hydrolysis over time.

Capsaicin-Cyclodextrin Complex Enhances Mepivacaine Targeting and Improves Local Anesthesia in Inflamed Tissues.

Acidic environments, such as in inflamed tissues, favor the charged form of local anesthetics (LA). Hence, these drugs show less cell permeation and diminished potency. Since the analgesic capsaicin (CAP) triggers opening of the TRPV1 receptor pore, its combination with LAs could result in better uptake and improved anesthesia.

Effect of Polysaccharide Sources on the Physicochemical Properties of Bromelain-Chitosan Nanoparticles.

Bromelain, a set of proteolytic enzymes potential pharmaceutical applications, was encapsulated in chitosan nanoparticles to enhance enzyme stability, and the effect of different chitosan sources was evaluated. Chitosan types (i.e.

Pharmacokinetic Aspects of Nanoparticle-in-Matrix Drug Delivery Systems for Oral/Buccal Delivery.

Oral route maintains its predominance among the ones used for drug delivery, especially when medicines are self-administered. If the dosage form is solid, therapy gains in dose precision and drug stability. Yet, some active pharmaceutical substances do not present the required solubility, permeability, or release profile for incorporation into traditional matrices.

Protein drug delivery: current dosage form profile and formulation strategies.

Protein drugs present specific challenges to the maintenance of long-term stability, which can be accomplished by altering parameters of obtention, purification, molecule structure and formulation. As we believe, commercial formulations are undervalued; therefore, this review focuses on screening, categorising and discussing all formulations of protein drugs approved and not withdrawn by regulatory agencies from United States, Canada and Europe until mid-2018. Peptides (<50 amino acids) were not included to allow a more precise evaluation of choices for larger molecules.

Excipient-excipient interactions in the development of nanocarriers: an innovative statistical approach for formulation decisions.

Excipient interaction has become essential knowledge for rational formulation design of nanoparticles. Nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) include at least three types of excipient, which enhance excipient interaction possibilities and relevance. The present article introduces an alternative approach for evaluating a great number of excipients with few samples, using NLC as a model delivery system.

A mini-review on drug delivery through wafer technology: Formulation and manufacturing of buccal and oral lyophilizates.

A great number of patients have difficulty swallowing or needle fear. Therefore, buccal and orodispersible dosage forms (ODFs) represent an important strategy to enhance patient compliance. Besides not requiring water intake, swallowing or needles, these dosage forms allow drug release modulation.

Biodegradable nanocarriers coated with polymyxin B: Evaluation of leishmanicidal and antibacterial potential.

Most treatments of leishmaniasis require hospitalization and present side effects or parasite resistance; innovations in drug formulation/reposition can overcome these barriers and must be pursued to increase therapeutic alternatives. Therefore, we tested polymyxin B (polB) potential to kill Leishmania amazonensis, adsorbed or not in PBCA nanoparticles (PBCAnp), which could augment polB internalization in infected macrophages. PBCAnps were fabricated by anionic polymerization and analyzed by Dynamic Light Scattering (size, ζ potential), Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (size/concentration), vertical diffusion cell (release rate), drug incorporation (indirect method, protein determination) and in vitro cell viability.

Natural actives for wound healing: A review.

Nature has been a source of medicinal treatments for thousands of years, with the use of plants as prototypes for drug development and for the extraction of active compounds. Skin injuries occur regularly in everyday life, and the human skin has the ability to promote repair spontaneously under healthy conditions. However, some intrinsic and external factors may interfere with skins' natural ability, leading to nonhealing lesions and chronic wounds, which directly affect health and quality of life.

Complexation of oxethazaine with 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin: increased drug solubility, decreased cytotoxicity and analgesia at inflamed tissues.

Objectives: Oxethazaine (OXZ) is one of the few local anaesthetics that provides analgesia at low pH, but presents poor solubility, cytotoxicity and no parenteral formulations. To address these issues, we aimed to prepare OXZ host-guest inclusion complex with hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD).

Methods: The inclusion complex was formed by co-solubilization, followed by a job plot analysis to determine stoichiometry of complexation and dialysis equilibrium analysis (based on UV/VIS absorption and fluorescence profiles of OXZ).

Biopharmaceuticals from microorganisms: from production to purification.

The use of biopharmaceuticals dates from the 19th century and within 5-10 years, up to 50% of all drugs in development will be biopharmaceuticals. In the 1980s, the biopharmaceutical industry experienced a significant growth in the production and approval of recombinant proteins such as interferons (IFN α, β, and γ) and growth hormones. The production of biopharmaceuticals, known as bioprocess, involves a wide range of techniques.

Cytotoxicity of doxycycline effluent generated by the Fenton process.

This study aims at determining the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration with Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and cytotoxicity to L929 cells (ATCC CCL-1) of the waste generated by doxycycline degradation by the Fenton process. This process has shown promise in this treatment thanks mainly to the fact that the waste did not show any relevant inhibitory effect on the test organism and no cytotoxicity to L-929 cells, thus demonstrating that the antibiotic properties were inactivated.

The Role of TLR2 in Infection and Immunity.

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are recognition molecules for multiple pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. TLR2 forms heterodimers with TLR1 and TLR6, which is the initial step in a cascade of events leading to significant innate immune responses, development of adaptive immunity to pathogens and protection from immune sequelae related to infection with these pathogens. This review will discuss the current status of TLR2 mediated immune responses by recognition of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPS) on these organisms.

Human airway epithelial cell responses to Neisseria lactamica and purified porin via Toll-like receptor 2-dependent signaling.

The human airway epithelium is constantly exposed to microbial products from colonizing organisms. Regulation of Toll-like receptor (TLR) expression and specific interactions with bacterial ligands is thought to mitigate exacerbation of inflammatory processes induced by the commensal flora in these cells. The genus Neisseria comprises pathogenic and commensal organisms that colonize the human nasopharynx.

Bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue (BALT) and survival in a vaccine mouse model of tularemia.

Background: Francisella tularensis causes severe pulmonary disease, and nasal vaccination could be the ideal measure to effectively prevent it. Nevertheless, the efficacy of this type of vaccine is influenced by the lack of an effective mucosal adjuvant.

Methodology/principal Findings: Mice were immunized via the nasal route with lipopolysaccharide isolated from F.

Evaluation of recombinant green fluorescent protein, under various culture conditions and purification with HiTrap hydrophobic interaction chromatography resins.

To determine the influence of various culture conditions, transformed cells of Escherichia coli expressing recombinant green fluorescent protein (GFPuv) were grown in nine cultures with four variable conditions (storage of inoculated broth at 4 degrees C prior to incubation, agitation speed, isopropyl-beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside [IPTG] concentration, and induction time). The pelleted cells were resuspended in extraction buffer and subjected to the three-phase partitioning (TPP) extraction method. To determine the most appropriate purification resin, protein extracts were eluted through one of four types of HiTrap hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC) columns prepacked with methyl, butyl, octyl, or phenyl resins and analyzed further on a 12% sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel.