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β-Caryophyllene (BCP), a common constituent of many spice and food plants, is gaining increased attention due to recent research identifying numerous potential health benefits. Due to limited oral bioavailability observed in preclinical models, the described benefits of BCP may be maximized by using a suitable delivery system. Additionally, human pharmacokinetics (PK) remain unknown. This study evaluates the relative oral bioavailability of BCP formulated in a self-emulsifying drug delivery system (SEDDS) based on VESIsorb ® formulation technology (BCP-SEDDS) compared to BCP neat oil. Hence, a randomized, double-blind, cross-over design, single oral dose study (100 mg BCP) in 24 healthy subjects (12 men/12 women) was performed under fasting conditions. Pharmacokinetic parameters were analyzed from individual concentration-time curves. The data show that BCP-SEDDS resulted in a 2.2/2.0-fold increase in AUC 0-12h /AUC 0-24h and a 3.6-fold increase in C max compared to BCP neat oil. Moreover, BCP was absorbed faster from BCP-SEDDS (T max : 1.43 h) compared to BCP neat oil (T max : 3.07 h). Gender analysis revealed that there is no significant difference between men and women for both the investigated formulations and all investigated PK endpoints. In conclusion, BCP-SEDDS offers a well-tolerated and effective oral delivery system to significantly enhance the oral bioavailability of BCP in humans.

With the limitation of solubility and dissolution rate of insoluble drugs, following oral administration, they would rifely prove poor and volatile bioavailability, which may fail to realize its therapeutic value. The drug nanocrystals are perceived as effective tactic for oral administration of insoluble drugs attributes to possess many prominent properties such as elevating dissolution rate and saturation solubility, high drug loading capacity, and improving oral bioavailability. Based on these advantages, the application of nanocrystals in oral drug delivery has acquired significant achievement, and so far more than 20 products of drug nanocrystals have been confirmed in the market. However, the oral absorption of drug nanocrystals is still facing huge challenges due to the limitation of many factors. Intrinsic properties of the drugs and complex physiological environment of the intestinal tract are the two most important factors affecting the oral bioavailability of drugs. In addition, the research on the multi-aspect mechanisms of nanocrystals promoting gastrointestinal absorption and bioavailability has been gradually deepened. In this review, we summarized recent advances of the nanocrystals delivered orally, and provided an overview to the research progress for crossing the intestinal tract transport mechanisms of the nanocrystals by some new research techniques. Meanwhile, the factors relevant to the transport of drug nanocrystals were also elaborated in detail. Graphical Abstract.

The oral route of protein and peptide drugs has been a popular method of drug delivery in recent years, although it is often a challenge to achieve effective drug release and minimize the barrier functions of the gastrointestinal tract. Gastrointestinal mucosa can capture and remove harmful substances; similarly, it can limit the absorption of drugs. Many drugs are effectively captured by the mucus and rapidly removed, making it difficult to control the release of drugs in the gastrointestinal tract. The use of drug carrier systems can overcome the mucosal barrier and significantly improve bioavailability. Nanoparticle drug carriers can protect the drug from degradation, transporting it to a predetermined location in the gastrointestinal tract to achieve more efficient and sustained drug delivery. It is becoming clearer that the characteristics of nanoparticles, such as particle size, charge, and hydrophobicity, are related to permeability of the mucosal barrier. This review focuses on the latest research progress of nanoparticles to penetrate the mucosal barrier, including the delivery methods of nanoparticles on the surface of gastrointestinal mucosa, and aims to summarize how successful oral nanoparticle delivery systems can overcome this biological barrier in the human body. In addition, the in vitro model based on gastrointestinal mucus is an important tool for drug research and development. Here, we discuss different types of drug delivery systems and their advantages and disadvantages in design and potential applications. Similarly, we reviewed and summarized various methods for evaluating oral nanoparticles in in vitro and in vivo models., (© 2020 Société Française de Pharmacologie et de Thérapeutique.)

Bacterial infections are the main infectious diseases and cause of death worldwide. Antibiotics are used to treat various infections ranging from minor to life-threatening ones. The dominant route to administer antibiotics is through oral delivery and subsequent gastrointestinal tract (GIT) absorption. However, the delivery efficiency is limited by many factors such as low drug solubility and/or permeability, gastrointestinal instability, and low antibacterial activity. Nanotechnology has emerged as a novel and efficient tool for targeting drug delivery, and a number of promising nanotherapeutic strategies have been widely explored to overcome these obstacles. In this review, we explore published studies to provide a comprehensive understanding of the recent progress in the area of orally deliverable nano-antibiotic formulations. The first part of this article discusses the functions and underlying mechanisms by which nanomedicines increase the oral absorption of antibiotics. The second part focuses on the classification of oral nano-antibiotics and summarizes the advantages, disadvantages and applications of nanoformulations including lipid, polymer, nanosuspension, carbon nanotubes and mesoporous silica nanoparticles in oral delivery of antibiotics. Lastly, the challenges and future perspective of oral nano-antibiotics for infection disease therapy are discussed. Overall, nanomedicines designed for oral drug delivery system have demonstrated the potential for the improvement and optimization of currently available antibiotic therapies., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work., (© 2020 Wu et al.)

Cannabidiol (CBD), a phytocannabinoid compound of Cannabis sativa , shows limited oral bioavailability due to its lipophilicity and extensive first-pass metabolism. CBD is also known for its high intra- and inter-subject absorption variability in humans. To overcome these limitations a novel self-emulsifying drug delivery system (SEDDS) based on VESIsorb ® formulation technology incorporating CBD, as Hemp-Extract, was developed (SEDDS-CBD). The study objective was to evaluate the pharmacokinetic profile of SEDDS-CBD in a randomized, double-blind, cross-over design in 16 healthy volunteers under fasted conditions. As reference formulation, the same Hemp-Extract diluted with medium-chain triglycerides (MCT-CBD) was used. CBD dose was standardized to 25 mg. Pharmacokinetic parameters were analyzed from individual concentration-time curves. Single oral administration of SEDDS-CBD led to a 4.4-fold higher C max and a 2.85-/1.70-fold higher AUC 0-8h /AUC 0-24h compared to the reference formulation. T max was substantially shorter for SEDDS-CBD (1.0 h) compared to MCT-CBD (3.0 h). Subgroup analysis demonstrated a higher bioavailability in women compared to men. This difference was seen for MCT-CBD while SEDDS-CBD mitigated this gender effect. Overall, SEDDS-CBD showed a significant improvement for all determined pharmacokinetic parameters: increased CBD plasma values (C max ), favorably enhanced bioavailability (AUC) and fast absorption (T max ). No safety concerns were noted following either administration.

In the drug delivery area, versatile therapeutic systems intended to yield customized combinations of drugs, drug doses and release kinetics have drawn increasing attention, especially because of the advantages that personalized pharmaceutical treatments would offer. In this respect, a previously proposed capsular device able to control the release performance based on its design and composition, which could extemporaneously be filled, was improved to include multiple separate compartments so that differing active ingredients or formulations may be conveyed. The compartments, which may differ in thickness and composition, resulted from assembly of two hollow halves through a joint also acting as a partition. The systems were manufactured by fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printing, which holds special potential for product personalization, and injection molding (IM) that would enable production on a larger scale. Through combination of compartments having wall thickness of 600 or 1200μm, composed of promptly soluble, swellable/erodible or enteric soluble polymers, devices showing two-pulse release patterns, consistent with the nature of the starting materials, were obtained. Systems fabricated using the two techniques exhibited comparable performance, thus proving the prototyping ability of FDM versus IM., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A nanosized drug delivery platform with a combination of rational components and tumor targeting is significant for enhancement of anticancer therapy and reduction of side effects. In this study, we developed a octanoyl galactose ester-modified microemulsion system self-assembled by coix seed components (Gal(oct)-C-MEs), which improved the tumor accumulation through asialoglycoprotein receptor-mediated endocytosis and promoted the antitumor efficacy through multicomponent-mediated synergistic effect. Octanoyl galactose ester (Gal(oct)) with a yield of 82.3% was synthesized through a green enzymatic reaction and multidimensional characterization. Gal(oct)-C-MEs with a spherical shape had a small and uniform particle size (58.49±1.03 nm), narrow polydispersity index (0.09±0.01) and neutral surface charge (-5.82±0.57 mV). In the cellular uptake studies, the internalized Gal(oct)-C-ME was 2.28-fold higher relative to that of coix seed component-based microemulsions (C-MEs). The half-maximal inhibitory concentration of Gal(oct)-C-MEs against HepG2 cells was 46.5±2.4 μg/mL, which was notably higher than that of C-MEs. Importantly, the intratumor fluorescence of HepG2 xenograft-bearing nude mice treated with Cy5/Gal(oct)-C-MEs was 1.9-fold higher relative to treatment with Cy5/C-MEs. In the study of antitumor efficacy in vivo, HepG2 xenograft-bearing nude mice intragastrically administered Gal(oct)-C-MEs for 14 days exhibited the strongest inhibition of tumor growth and the lowest toxicity against liver and kidney among all the treatments. In summary, Gal(oct)-C-ME, as a highly effective and safe anticancer drug delivery system, showed promising potential for hepatoma therapy., Competing Interests: Disclosure The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Introduction: Most conventional drug delivery systems are not acceptable for pediatric patients as they differ in their developmental status and dosing requirements from other subsets of the population. Technology platforms are required to aid the development of age-appropriate medicines to maximize patient acceptability while maintaining safety, efficacy, accessibility and affordability., Areas Covered: The current approaches and novel developments in the field of age-appropriate drug delivery for pediatric patients are critically discussed including patient-centric formulations, administration devices and packaging systems., Expert Opinion: Despite the incentives provided by recent regulatory modifications and the efforts of formulation scientists, there is still a need for implementation of pharmaceutical technologies that enable the manufacture of licensed age-appropriate formulations. Harmonization of endeavors from regulators, industry and academia by sharing learning associated with data obtained from pediatric investigation plans, product development pathways and scientific projects would be the way forward to speed up bench-to-market age appropriate formulation development. A collaborative approach will benefit not only pediatrics, but other patient populations such as geriatrics would also benefit from an accelerated patient-centric approach to drug delivery.

With the growing prevalence of diabetes, there is an urgent demand for a user‐friendly treatment option that minimizes side effects related to the use of subcutaneous injections. Scientists have dedicated over a century to developing an oral dosage form of insulin that can be administrated orally. The oral route of administration is the most desirable route for regularly dosed drugs in terms of safety and patient compliance. However, oral delivery of insulin remains a formidable challenge due to its intrinsically limited ability to cross the intestinal epithelium membrane and susceptibility to enzymatic degradation. This article reviews oral insulin research over the past decade, with a particular focus on surface modifications of nanoparticles (NPs). Various strategies involving controlling surface charges, utilizing protective proteins, and targeting specific receptors with ligands have been explored. Notably, surface modifications of the NPs for targeting specific intestinal receptors have shown promise in enhancing insulin oral absorption and bioavailability. Advanced technologies such as oral microneedles and gene therapy have also been developed, but their safety requires further assessment. Despite encouraging preclinical results across numerous strategies, the current clinical evidence is less optimistic. In summary, the present findings highlight the substantial journey that still lies ahead before achieving successful oral delivery of insulin. Practical Applications: This review provides a summary of recent progress in oral insulin delivery, particularly highlighting surface‐modified functional nanoparticles serving as an effective drug delivery system, which offers valuable information to the researchers. Due to the limited effectiveness of oral protein drugs caused by biological barriers, innovative technologies and drug delivery systems have been developed to overcome these obstacles and achieve therapeutic goals. This review concluded that surface modifications to nanoparticles can improve insulin stability and permeability, thereby enhancing oral bioavailability. It could assist researchers in developing more effective and patient‐friendly oral drug delivery systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food‐derived extracellular vesicles (FEVs) are nanoscale membrane vesicles obtained from dietary materials such as breast milk, plants and probiotics. Distinct from other EVs, FEVs can survive the harsh degrading conditions in the gastrointestinal tract and reach the intestines. This unique feature allows FEVs to be promising prebiotics in health and oral nanomedicine for gut disorders, such as inflammatory bowel disease. Interestingly, therapeutic effects of FEVs have recently also been observed in non‐gastrointestinal diseases. However, the mechanisms remain unclear or even mysterious. It is speculated that orally administered FEVs could enter the bloodstream, reach remote organs, and thus exert therapeutic effects therein. However, emerging evidence suggests that the amount of FEVs reaching organs beyond the gastrointestinal tract is marginal and may be insufficient to account for the significant therapeutic effects achieved regarding diseases involving remote organs such as the liver. Thus, we herein propose that FEVs primarily act locally in the intestine by modulating intestinal microenvironments such as barrier integrity and microbiota, thereby eliciting therapeutic impact remotely on the liver in non‐gastrointestinal diseases via the gut‐liver axis. Likewise, drugs delivered to the gastrointestinal system through FEVs may act via the gut‐liver axis. As the liver is the main metabolic hub, the intestinal microenvironment may be implicated in other metabolic diseases. In fact, many patients with non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease, obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease suffer from a leaky gut and dysbiosis. In this review, we provide an overview of the recent progress in FEVs and discuss their biomedical applications as therapeutic agents and drug delivery systems, highlighting the pivotal role of the gut‐liver axis in the mechanisms of action of FEVs for the treatment of gut disorders and metabolic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Soybean phospholipid was used as an amphiphilic material to form reverse micelles (RMs) in medium glycerol monolinoleate (Maisine) with Exenatide (EXT.) encapsulated in the polar core formed by the hydrophilic part of phospholipid. Cremopher RH40 and caprylocaproyl macrogol-8 glycerides EP/caprylocaproyl polyoxyl-8 glycerides NF (Labrasol) were added as surfactants to prepare reverse micelles-self emulsifying drug delivery system (RMs-SEDDS). On this basis, oil in water (O/W) emulsion was further prepared. By adding DOTAP, the surface of the emulsion was positively charged. Finally, hyaluronic acid wrapping in the outermost layer by electrostatic adsorption and reverse micelles-O/W-sodium hyaluronate (RMs-O/W-HA) nanoparticles containing Exenatide were prepared. RMs-SEDDS was spherical with an average particle size of 213.6 nm and RMs-O/W-HA was double-layered spherical nanoparticle with an average particle size of 309.2 nm. HA coating enhanced the adhesion of nanoparticles (NPs), and RMs-O/W-HA increased cellular uptake through CD44-mediated endocytosis. Pharmacodynamics results showed that RMs-SEDDS and RMs-O/W-HA could reduce blood glucose in type 2 diabetic rats, protect pancreatic β cells to a certain extent, and relieve insulin resistance and hyperlipemia complications with good safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orally administered peptides or proteins are garnering increasing preference owing to their superiority in terms of patient compliance and convenience. However, the development of oral protein formulations has stalled due to the low bioavailability of macromolecules that encounter the aggressive gastrointestinal environment and harsh mucus villi barrier. Herein, we propose an ideal reverse micelle/self-emulsifying drug delivery system (RM/SEDDS) nanoplatform that is capable of improving the oral bioavailability of hydrophilic peptides by preventing enzymatic degradation and enhancing mucosal permeability. Upon the passage through the mucus, the self-emulsifying drug delivery system with optimal surface properties effectively penetrates the viscoelastic mucosal barrier, followed by the exposure of the inner reverse micelle amphipathic vectors, which autonomously form continua with the lipidic cell membrane and facilitate the internalization of drugs. This membrane-fusion mechanism inaugurates a new way for hydrophilic peptide delivery in the free form, circumventing the traditional impediments of the cellular internalization of nanocarriers and subsequent poor release of drugs. And more importantly, reverse micelles are not spatially specific to the laden drugs, which enables their delivery for a myriad of peptide clinical drugs. In conclusion, as an exquisitely designed nanoplatform, RM/SEDDS overcomes multiple physiological barriers and opens a new path for drug cellular entry, providing new prospects for the development of oral drug delivery systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The oral route is the most preferred route for systemic and local drug delivery. However, the oral drug delivery system faces the harsh physiological and physicochemical environment of the gastrointestinal tract, which limits the bioavailability and targeted design of oral drug delivery system. Innovative pharmaceutical approaches including nanoparticulate formulations, biomimetic drug formulations, and microfabricated devices have been explored to optimize drug targeting and bioavailability. In this review, the anatomical factors, biochemical factors, and physiology factors that influence delivering drug via oral route are discussed and recent advance in conventional and novel oral drug delivery approaches for improving drug bioavailability and targeting ability are highlighted. We also address the challenges and opportunities of oral drug delivery systems in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are biological nanoparticles with phospholipid bilayers that regulate cell communication through molecular cargo transport and surface signaling. EVs are found in almost all body fluids, including milk. In addition to the advantages of traditional EVs, such as low immunogenicity and high biocompatibility, milk EVs also have the characteristics of high yield, partially digestive resistance, oral administration and targeting the intestinal tract to regulate intestinal growth and development. Based on the above characteristics of milk EVs, we believe that milk EVs are very suitable for oral treatment of intestinal diseases. In this review, we introduced the physical and biochemical characteristics of milk EVs, the advantages of oral treatment for intestinal diseases, the potential application of milk EVs in treating such conditions. And we also discussed the problems encountered in the study of milk EVs. It provides a new direction for the treatment of intestinal diseases mediated by nanoparticles. We expect that the ongoing advancements in therapeutic and delivery nanoplatforms based on milk EVs will further support their clinical applications in the treatment of intestinal diseases. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microsponges are at the forefront of the field of new drug delivery technology, which is rapidly evolving. Microsponge drug delivery technology holds a lot of potential in terms of reaching the aim of controlled and site-specific drug delivery, thus it’s gotten a great deal of interest from scientists. Microsponges are porous microsphere and biologically inert. Particle size of microsponges was 10- 25μm. The Quasi emulsion solvent diffusion method was used to construct microsponges. It is a unique technique for controlled release formulation.This page gives an overview of the Microsponges delivery system, including the principles and methods of preparation. Particle size and distribution, surface morphology, porosity, and density are all considered as appropriate analytical methods for characterization of Microsponges. The advantages, drawbacks, and possible responses of microsponge drug delivery are also examined. The advantages, drawbacks, and alternative solutions of microsponge drug delivery are also explored. These microsponges are included in sunscreens, balms, ointments, and over-the-counter skin care products that are designed for external use. Microsponge drug delivery can provide increased efficacy for topically active agents with enhanced safety, extended product stability and improved aesthetic properties in an efficient and novel manner. They are mostly used for topical use and have recently been used for oral administration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared with vein injection, oral administration is a preferred non-invasive and self-help treatment option for doctors and patients for cancer therapy. However, this convenient method has been severely limited by the harsh gastrointestinal tract (GI) and various biological barriers, such as the intestinal mucus/epithelial barrier and tumor matrix barrier. Those phenomena bring a huge challenge to the stability and efficiency of the oral drug delivery system that aims to improve the therapeutic effect of chemotherapy drugs. Liposomes owning good biocompatibility are able to maintain relative stability and reduce the toxic side effects of drugs. Nevertheless, liposomes still suffer from inaccurate drug release and low drug accumulation at the focus. To overcome the above problems and obtain a more efficient drug delivery platform, we screened the length of the carbon chain and introduced the disulfide bond (-S-S-) into Cerasome to prepare Cyssome. Results of our experiments prove that Cyssome owns the siliceous bodies (-Si-O-Si-) to keep them stable in the harsh environment of the gastrointestinal tract and the appropriate Young's modulus to help them penetrate the intestinal mucus/epithelial layer, as well as the thick pancreatic cancer matrix. Meanwhile, the glutathione responsive structure in Cyssome will accelerate drug release in tumor tissues which significantly improves the bioavailability of gemcitabine and reduces the related side effects. The anticancer experiments on the pancreatic cancer model in vitro and in vivo prove that Cyssome takes great potential in comprehensively improving the efficacy of oral medication for pancreatic cancer. [Display omitted] • The screened carbon chain, siliceous bodies, and disulfide network make Cyssome a promising carrier candidate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An appropriately designed sustained release dosage form is opted to be a major goal in solving the problems which arises regarding the targeting of a drug to a specific organ or tissue and for controlling its rate of delivery to the target site. The development of oral sustained release system has proven to be a major challenge to formulation scientist due to their inability to restrain as well as localize the system at targeted areas of the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore the development of matrix type drug delivery system is promising option regarding the development of an oral sustained release system. There is availability of wide variety of polymers which helps the formulation scientist to develop sustained/controlled release products. The attractiveness of these dosage forms is increasing because of their awareness towards toxicity and ineffectiveness when administered by oral route in the form of tablets and capsules. Numerous advantages are provided by sustained release products over conventional dosage forms through optimizing various bio-pharmaceutics, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics properties of drugs and finally leads to reduction in dosing frequency to such an extent that only once daily dose is required for therapeutic management with maximum utility of drug with reduction in both local as well as systemic side effects. They can cure or control diseased condition in shortest possible time with smallest quantity of drug to assure greater patient compliance. Polymer swelling, drug dissolution and its diffusion are the known mechanisms for drug release through polymer network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary goals in development of drug delivery systems are to protect an active therapeutic molecule from premature degradation, enhance drug efficacy and minimize side effects. Ideally, controlled release systems can meet the criteria by maintaining the drug concentration within a therapeutic window over an extended period of time, minimizing dosage and frequency of administration. The oral route for drug delivery is regarded as the optimal route for achieving therapeutic benefits & patient compliance. Despite phenomenal advances in injectable, transdermal, nasal and other routes of administration, the reality is that oral drug delivery remains preferred delivery route. This paper provide detail information about preparation and evaluation of Nanocomposite gel using biopolymer gel as drug carrier for delivery of therapeutic agents. Nanocomposite using biopolymer can overcome the major challenges associated with this route of administration: mainly poor solubility, stability and biocompatibility of drugs. Biopolymer-clay mineral hydrogel composites are expected to impart novel properties due to the plate-like shape which may also affect the mechanical properties and thermal stability. The excellent properties of the biopolymer-clay mineral composites such as easy degradation, biocompatibility and tunable mechanical properties are essential for controlled drug delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The production of protein drugs has recently increased due to advances in biotechnology, but their clinical use is generally limited to parenteral administration due to low absorption in non-parenteral administration. Therefore, non-parenteral delivery systems allowing sufficient absorption draw much attention. Methods: Microparticles (MP) were prepared using chitosan-4-thio-butylamidine conjugate (Ch-TBA), trimethyl-chitosan (TMC), and chitosan (Ch). Using salmon calcitonin (sCT) as a model protein drug, Ch-TBA-, Ch-TBA/TMC (4/1)-, and Ch-based MP were produced, and their Eudragit L100 (Eud)-coated MP, named Ch-TBA-MP/Eud, Ch-TBA/TMC-MP/Eud, and Ch-MP/Eud, respectively, were prepared as oral delivery systems. These enteric-coated microparticles were examined in vitro and in vivo. Results: All microparticles before and after enteric coating had a submicron size (600-800 nm) and micrometer size (1300-1500 nm), respectively. In vitro release patterns were similar among all microparticles; release occurred gradually, and the release rate was slower at pH 1.2 than at pH 6.8. In oral ingestion, Ch-TBA-MP/Eud suppressed plasma Ca levels most effectively among the microparticles tested. The relative effectiveness of Ch-TBA-MP/Eud to the intramuscular injection was 8.6%, while the sCT solution showed no effectiveness. Conclusion: The results suggest that Eud-coated Ch-TBA-based microparticles should have potential as an oral delivery system of protein drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The oral route for delivery of pharmaceuticals is widely used and accepted. However, many biological therapeutics that have poor solubility, poor permeability, and/or poor stability in the gastrointestinal environment have poor oral bioavailability and are therefore rarely used for oral drug delivery. In recent years, nanocarriers are widely used, which can provide an alternative solution for oral administration of these drugs. In this article, several nanocarriers (nanoparticles, micelles, liposomes, nanocrystals, carbon nanotubes, nanoemulsions, dendrimers, and nanospheres) for drug delivery systems have been designed based on different nanomaterials for oral drug delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A novel liquefied gas based drug delivery system for the oral delivery of liquid and semi-solid drug formulations is presented. The capsule-shaped system is equipped with a capillary as an element controlling the release rate. The delivery mechanism is based on a constant vapor pressure produced by isopentane as a low-boiling liquefied gas. The liquid drug valproic acid (VA) was used as a model compound. The viscosity was increased by the addition of povidone (PVP). The VA–PVP gel exhibited pseudoplastic rheological properties, the shear rate was above 0.1s−1, similar to a Newtonian liquid. The gels tested in the gas based delivery system provided near-zero-order release kinetics. The longest delivery time was up to ca. 8h. The system is characterized by high flexibility of the delivery rate, which can be achieved by adjusting system parameters such as the diameter and length of the capillary, the vapor pressure of the propellant and the viscosity of the drug formulation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The aim of this study was to prepare a biocompatible and biodegradable nanoparticulate drug delivery system to increase the efficiency and bioavailability of oral drugs. Chitosan nanoparticles containing salicylic acid (SA) were prepared by emulsion method. The morphology of nanoparticles was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Particle size distribution was examined by laser light scattering. The drug released and drug content was examined by UVspectroscopy. The effects of different initial drug loading on the drug content and drug released were investigated. The nanoparticles were spherical and the average size of them was 300 nm, the drug content was in the range of 20-35%. All the nanoparticles had a burst release initially and the burst release behavior of them conformed best to higuchi model. The release of SA from chitosan nanoparticles was Fickian. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this study, we demonstrated that the CSKSSDYQC-peptide ligand which was identified from a random phage-peptide library through an in vivo phage display technique with rats could prominently improve the transport efficiency of macromolecules, such as large filamentous phage particles (M13 bacteriophage), across the intestinal mucosal barrier. Synthetic CSKSSDYQC-peptide ligands significantly inhibited the binding of phage P1 encoding CSKSSDYQC-peptide ligands to the intestinal mucosal tissue and immunohistochemical analysis showed that the CSKSSDYQC-peptide ligands could be transported across the intestinal mucosal barrier via goblet cells as their specific gateway. Thus, we inferred that CSKSSDYQC-peptide ligand might have a specific receptor on the goblet cells and transported from intestinal lumen to systemic circulation by transcytosis mechanism. These results suggest that CSKSSDYQC-ligand could be a promising tool for development of an efficient oral delivery system for macromolecular therapeutics in the carrier-drug conjugate strategy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Currently, delayed/pulsatile release and colon delivery represent topics of remarkable interest. The present paper deals with the study and development of an oral dosage form devised to release drugs following a programmed time period after administration or, when opportune design modifications are introduced, to target the colon. The system is composed of a drug-containing core and a hydrophilic swellable polymeric coating capable of delaying drug release through slow interaction with aqueous fluids. An optional external gastroresistant film is applied to overcome gastric emptying variability, thus allowing colon delivery to be pursued according to the time-dependent approach. The aim of this work was to evaluate different hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) viscosity grades as possible materials for the attainment of the system retarding hydrophilic layer. Both the relevant suitability for application onto tablet cores by aqueous spray-coating in fluid bed and capability of delaying drug release for a programmable period were explored and compared. Methocel® E50 was found to afford the best balance among different important items, i.e. process time, retarding ability, dimensions of the coated units and possibility of finely tuning the delay duration. Further results pointed out the robustness of Methocel® E50-based systems, which have shown to be practically unaffected by the concentration of the employed coating solution and the pH of the release medium, as well as only poorly influenced by ionic strength, at least with regard to values encompassed in the physiological range for gastrointestinal fluids. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

[Display omitted] • pH-/thermo-responsive hydrogels were prepared using PAA, CsNb, and bisTz-PNIPAM. • Porous structure formed by Tz-Nb reaction greatly increased the drug loading content. • Hydrogels released a much higher amount of drug at pH 7.4 than at pH 2.2. • The drug release from hydrogels was enhanced at 37 °C via "shrinkage" of PNIPAM. A dual pH-/thermo-responsive hydrogel was designed based on a polyelectrolyte complex of polyacrylic acid (PAA) and norbornene-functionalized chitosan (CsNb), which was synergized with chemical crosslinking using bistetrazine-poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) (bisTz-PNIPAM). The thermo-responsive polymeric crosslinker, bisTz-PNIPAM, was synthesized via reversible addition–fragmentation transfer polymerization of NIPAM. FTIR, XRD, rheological and morphological analyses demonstrated the successful formation of the polyelectrolyte network. The highly porous structure generated through the in-situ "click" reaction between Tz and Nb resulted in a higher drug loading (29.35 %). The hydrogel (COOH/NH 2 mole ratio of 3:1) exhibited limited drug release (8.5 %) of 5-ASA at a pH of 2.2, but it provided an almost complete release (92 %) at pH 7.4 and 37 °C within 48 h due to the pH responsiveness of PAA, hydrogel porosity, and shrinkage behavior of PNIPAM. The hydrogels were biodegradable and non-toxic against human fibroblast cells, suggesting their considerable potential for a colon-targeted drug delivery system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cannabidiol (CBD), a phytocannabinoid compound of Cannabis sativa, shows limited oral bioavailability due to its lipophilicity and extensive first-pass metabolism. CBD is also known for its high intra- and inter-subject absorption variability in humans. To overcome these limitations a novel self-emulsifying drug delivery system (SEDDS) based on VESIsorb® formulation technology incorporating CBD, as Hemp-Extract, was developed (SEDDS-CBD). The study objective was to evaluate the pharmacokinetic profile of SEDDS-CBD in a randomized, double-blind, cross-over design in 16 healthy volunteers under fasted conditions. As reference formulation, the same Hemp-Extract diluted with medium-chain triglycerides (MCT-CBD) was used. CBD dose was standardized to 25 mg. Pharmacokinetic parameters were analyzed from individual concentration-time curves. Single oral administration of SEDDS-CBD led to a 4.4-fold higher Cmax and a 2.85-/1.70-fold higher AUC0–8h/AUC0–24h compared to the reference formulation. Tmax was substantially shorter for SEDDS-CBD (1.0 h) compared to MCT-CBD (3.0 h). Subgroup analysis demonstrated a higher bioavailability in women compared to men. This difference was seen for MCT-CBD while SEDDS-CBD mitigated this gender effect. Overall, SEDDS-CBD showed a significant improvement for all determined pharmacokinetic parameters: increased CBD plasma values (Cmax), favorably enhanced bioavailability (AUC) and fast absorption (Tmax). No safety concerns were noted following either administration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]