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Pharma 4.0, a technology ecosystem in drug development analogous to Industry 4.0 in healthcare, is transforming the traditional approach to drug discovery and development, aligning product quality with less time to market, and creating intelligent stakeholder networks through effective collaborations. The wide range of potential Pharma 4.0 networks have produced several conceptualizations, which have led to a lack of clarity and definition. The main emphasis of this paper is on the clinical trial stage of drug development in the Pharma 4.0 era. It highlights the merged computerized technologies that are currently used in clinical research, and proposes a framework for integrating Pharma 4.0 technologies. The impact of and barriers to employing the proposed framework are discussed, highlighting its potential and some future research applications.

Taste masking of paracetamol was achieved by preparing amorphous solid dispersion (ASD) using modified coacervation method. The method is based on dissolving the drug and polymeric carrier in water adjusted to certain pH level. Then, precipitation of ASD granules is performed by gradually changing pH level. Therefore, the chosen drug and polymer should obtain appropriate acidic or basic groups to enable pH-dependent solvation. Moreover, using solubility enhancing additives such as sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) and low viscosity polyethylene glycol (PEG 400) found to be essential in aiding drug/polymer aqueous solvation which enhanced amorphization, hence taste masking and drug loading. Solid dispersion between Paracetamol and Eudragit E was formed and that proved by FT-IR, DSC, PXRD and SEM. Also, Paracetamol was released after 2 min in 0.1 N hydrochloric acid medium and the taste of masking forms are accepted from all volunteers. Modified coacervation method does not involve organic solvents, high temperatures, or sophisticated instruments commonly used in taste masking methods. Using PEG 400 resulted in significantly higher drug loading and dissolution rate compared to SLS granules. Moreover, using previously reported scoring system for the evaluation of taste masking methods shows that pH dependent coacervation obtained high scoring over common methods and thus display a robust potential for industrial applications.

Ethanol readily solubilizes the active components of propolis. Due to certain disadvantages of ethanolic extracts, developing new non-ethanolic extraction methods is highly desirable. This study aimed to determine the content of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity of propolis by using lactic acid extraction compared to ethanol. Various concentrations of ethanol and lactic acid were utilized to produce extracts, and an in vitro digestion procedure was applied to the extracts to compare the bioaccessibility of phenolic compounds by using LC-MS/MS in extracts and HPLC-DAD in digested samples. The compounds detected in the lactic acid-based propolis solution had similar values to those in the ethanol solution at a propolis concentration of 10%. The propolis-lactic acid solution had a significantly higher antioxidant activity against DPPH radical than the one prepared with ethanol at the same concentration (p < 0.05). Chrysin and naringenin were found as the most abundant phenolic compounds in the initial samples during in vitro digestion experiments. Pinocembrin was the most bioaccessible component among the dialyzed IN fractions of ethanol and lactic acid-based solutions, whereas some compounds were not detected. The results suggest that lactic acid may be used as an alternative to ethanol for propolis extraction. University of California

The main objective of this research is to investigate both the mechanism and the kinetics of solvent-free destabilization of the model caffeine/malonic acid cocrystal (CA/MO 2:1) in the presence of...

The objective of the study was to explore the potential of a novel nicotinamide extrudate as an anti-aging platform compared to the conventional gel. Nicotinamide extrudates were prepared by hot melt extrusion and characterized pharmaceutically for their thermal behavior, mositure uptake, skin adhesion, and deposition in different skin layers. The pharmacological potential of the extrudates was explored in terms of induction of skin amino acids, cellular energy estimation, 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine content, Nitrate + nitrite content and histological chacaterization of collagen area percent. Results revealed that the extrusion technique managed to amorphize nicotinamide and enhance its skin deposition (46%) compared to the gel form which only showed about 10% deposition, owing to the mucoadhesive nature of the former. Extrudates were also found superior to the gel form as demonstrated by the increased amino acids level (glycine, proline, hydroxyproline), increased cellular energy, decreased oxidative stress and increased collagen formation. Nictotinamide extrudates were proven to be a scalable promising anti-aging platform which are worthy of entering the cosmeceutical market as products.

Mechanistic understanding of competitive destabilization of carbamazepine:nicotinamide and carbamazepine:saccharin cocrystals under solvent free conditions has been investigated. The crystal phase transformations were monitored using hot stage microscopy, variable-temperature powder X-ray diffraction, and sublimation experiments. The destabilization of the two cocrystals occurs via two distinct mechanisms: vapor and eutectic phase formations. Vapor pressure measurements and thermodynamic calculations using fusion and sublimation enthalpies were in good agreement with experimental findings. The mechanistic understanding is important to maintain the stability of cocrystals during solvent free green manufacturing.

The major concern of the physical and chemical instability of effervescent products during manufacturing and storage is addressed through a co-crystallization strategy. Citric acid (CA) and sodium ...

The present study demonstrates the application of decision tree algorithms to the cocrystallization process. 54 batches of Carbamazepine–Salicylic acid cocrystals embedded in poly(ethylene oxide) w...

Pongamia pinnata (L.) Pierre (Pongamia) is a tree native to Southeast Asia. Recently, interest in Pongamia focused on its potential as a biofuel source as its seeds contain around 40% oil. However, Pongamia has multiple applications beyond biofuel production. It is a legume, can form symbiotic associations with mycorrhizal fungi, has been shown to be tolerant to drought, salinity, and heavy metals in soil, and has potential to mitigate climate change. Additionally, Pongamia oil has medicinal properties, can be used as biopesticide, insect repellent, to produce soap, and as a source of edible grade vegetable oil. The seed cake can be used as a source of bioenergy, food and feed protein, and organic fertiliser, and the flowers are a good source of pollen and nectar. Pongamia can also bring socio-economic benefits as its ability to restore degraded and contaminated land provides opportunities for local communities through novel valorisation pathways. These multiple applications have potential to form part of a circular bioeconomy in line with sustainable development goals. Although research on the multiple applications of Pongamia has grown considerably, knowledge gaps remain and these need to be addressed so that the full potential of Pongamia can be achieved. Further understanding of the mechanisms underlying its resilience to abiotic stresses, phytoremediation potential and biotic interactions should be a priority, and co-ordinated breeding efforts will be key. Here, we critically review the available literature on Pongamia and highlight gaps in knowledge in which future research should focus on to ensure that the full potential of this versatile tree can be achieved. We conclude that Pongamia can potentially form part of a circular bioeconomy and that harnessing the multiple applications of Pongamia in a holistic manner, with collaboration among key stakeholders, is crucial for the successful application of its benefits far beyond biofuel production.

Propolis is a resinous natural product collected by honeybees (Apis mellifera and others) from tree exudates that has been widely used in folk medicine. The present study was carried out to investigate the fatty acid composition, chemical constituents, antioxidant, and xanthine oxidase (XO) inhibitory activity of Jordanian propolis, collected from Al-Ghour, Jordan. The hexane extract of Jordanian propolis contained different fatty acids, which are reported for the first time by using GC-FID. The HPLC was carried out to identify important chemical constituents such as fatty acids, polyphenols and α-tocopherol. The antioxidant and xanthine oxidase inhibitory activities were also monitored. The major fatty acid identified were palmitic acid (44.6%), oleic acid (18:1∆9cis, 24.6%), arachidic acid (7.4%), stearic acid (5.4%), linoleic acid (18:2∆9–12cis, 3.1%), caprylic acid (2.9%), lignoceric acid (2.6%), cis-11,14-eicosaldienoic acid (20:2∆11–14cis, 2.4%), palmitoleic acid (1.5%), cis-11-eicosenoic acid (1.2%), α–linolenic acid (18:3∆9–12–15cis, 1.1%), cis-13,16-docosadienoic acid (22:2∆13–16cis, 1.0%), along with other fatty acids. The major chemical constituents identified using gradient HPLC-PDA analysis were pinocembrin (2.82%), chrysin (1.83%), luteolin-7-O-glucoside (1.23%), caffeic acid (1.12%), caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE, 0.79%), apigenin (0.54%), galangin (0.46%), and luteolin (0.30%), while the minor constituents were hesperidin, quercetin, rutin, and vanillic acid. The percentage of α-tocopherol was 2.01 µg/g of the lipid fraction of propolis. Antioxidant properties of the extracts were determined via DPPH radical scavenging. The DPPH radical scavenging activities (IC50) of different extracts ranged from 6.13 to 60.5 µg/mL compared to ascorbic acid (1.21 µg/mL). The xanthine oxidase inhibition (IC50) ranged from 75.11 to 250.74 µg/mL compared to allopurinol (0.38 µg/mL). The results indicate that the various flavonoids, phenolic compounds, α-tocopherol, and other constituents which are present in propolis are responsible for the antioxidant and xanthine oxidation inhibition activity. To evaluate the safety studies of propolis, the pesticide residues were also monitored by LC-MS-MS 4500 Q-Trap. Trace amounts of pesticide residue (ng/mL) were detected in the samples, which are far below the permissible limit as per international guidelines.

We report formation of polymorphs and new eutectics and cocrystals of curcumin, a sparingly water-soluble active component in turmeric, structurally similar to cinnamic acid. The curcumin polymorphs were formed using liquid antisolvent precipitation, where acetone acted as a solvent and water was used as the antisolvent. The metastable form 2 of curcumin was successfully prepared in varied morphology over a wide range of solvent-to-antisolvent ratio and under acidic pH conditions. We also report formation of new eutectics and cocrystals of curcumin with cinnamic acid acting as a coformer. The binary phase diagrams were studied using differential scanning calorimetry and predicted formation of the eutectics at the curcumin mole fraction of 0.15 and 0.33, whereas a cocrystal was formed at 0.3 mole fraction of curcumin in the curcumin-cinnamic acid mixture. The formation of the cocrystal was supported with X-ray powder diffraction, the enthalpy of fusion values, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The hydrogen bond interaction between curcumin and cinnamic acid was predicted from Fourier-transform infrared spectra, individually optimized curcumin and cinnamic acid structures by quantum mechanical calculations using Gaussian-09 and their respective unit cell packing structures.

Both the season and region in which propolis is collected influence its chemical composition, resulting in variations in biological activity. Significant differences in composition and concentratio...

Extensive research has demonstrated the potential effectiveness of curcumin against various diseases, including asthma and cancers. However, few studies have used liquid-based vehicles in the preparation of curcumin formulations. Therefore, the current study proposed the use of nanoemulsion and microsuspension formulations to prepare nebulised curcuminoid for lung delivery. Furthermore, this work expressed a new approach to understanding the aerosol performance of nanoparticles compared to microsuspension formulations. The genotoxicity of the formulations was also assessed. Curcuminoid nanoemulsion formulations were prepared in three concentrations (100, 250 and 500 µg/ml) using limonene and oleic acid as oil phases, while microsuspension solutions were prepared by suspending curcuminoid particles in isotonic solution (saline solution) of 0.02% Tween 80. The average fine particle fraction (FPF) and mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) of the nebulised microsuspension formulations ranged from 26% and 7.1 µm to 40% and 5.7 µm, for 1000 µg/ml and 100 µg/ml respectively. In a comparison of the low and high drug concentrations of the nebulised nanoemulsion, the average FPF and MMAD of the nebulised nanoemulsion formulations prepared with limonene oil ranged from 50% and 4.6 µm to 45% and 5.6 µm, respectively; whereas the FPF and MMAD of the nebulised nanoemulsion prepared with oleic acid oil ranged from 46% and 4.9 µm to 44% and 5.6 µm, respectively. The aerosol performance of the microsuspension formulations were concentration dependent, while the nanoemulsion formulations did not appear to be dependent on the curcuminoids concentration. The performance and genotoxicity results of the formulations suggest the suitability of these preparations for further inhalation studies in animals.

Over the past 2 decades, due to the development of fast throughput screening and combinatorial screening tools, most of the pharmaceutical development sectors are facing a major challenge with dissolution and solubility performance of poorly soluble active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). According to the Biopharmaceutics Classification System (BCS), a drug moiety is categorized as a poorly soluble drug when the highest dose of the drug is not soluble in 250 mL of aqueous medium over wide pH range at 37°C. The BCS has categorized these drug molecules in Class II (see Fig. 5.1). These drug molecules retain poor aqueous solubility and good permeability according to the pH of the gastrointestinal fluids. These drugs, due to poor solubility and dissolution rate, have bioavailability performance that is hindered. Therefore, one of the major challenges in pharmaceutical drug discovery and development is to find out different novel ways to enhance the solubility and dissolution rate of these drugs .

Solid state shear milling (S3M) is reported as a scalable, continuous, polymer-assisted cocrystallization technique. A specially designed milling pan was employed to provide high levels of applied shear, and the addition of a polymeric processing aid enabled generation of high stress fields. Carbamazepine–salicylic acid cocrystals were produced with 5–25 wt % of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO). A systematic study was carried out to understand the effect of process variables on properties and performance of the cocrystals. S3M offers an important new route for continuous manufacturing of pharmaceutical cocrystals.

Polymorphism in active pharmaceutical ingredients can be regarded as critical for the potential that crystal form can have on the quality, efficacy, and safety of the final drug product. The current contribution aims to characterize thermodynamic interrelationship of a dimorphic co-crystal, FI and FII, involving carbamazepine (CBZ) and saccharin (SAC) molecules. Supramolecular synthesis of CBZ-SAC FI and FII has been performed using thermokinetic methods and systematically characterized by differential scanning calorimetry, powder X-ray diffraction, solubility, and slurry measurements. According to the heat of fusion rule by Burger and Ramberger, FI (ΔHfus = 121.1 J/g; melting point, 172.5°C) and FII (ΔHfus = 110.3 J/g; melting point, 164.7°C) are monotropically related. The solubility and van't Hoff plot results suggest FI stable and FII metastable forms. This study reveals that CBZ-SAC co-crystal phases, FI or FII, could be stable to heat-induced stresses; however, FII converts to FI during solution-mediated transformation.

A green approach has been used for co-crystallization of noncongruent co-crystal pair of caffeine/maleic acid using water. Ultrasound is known to affect crystallization; hence, the effect of high power ultrasound on the ternary phase diagram has been investigated in detail using a slurry co-crystallization approach. A systematic investigation was performed to understand how the accelerated conditions during ultrasound-assisted co-crystallization will affect different regions of the ternary phase diagram. Application of ultrasound showed considerable effect on the ternary phase diagram, principally on caffeine/maleic acid 2:1 (disappeared) and 1:1 co-crystal (narrowed) regions. Also, the stability regions for pure caffeine and maleic acid in water were narrowed in the presence of ultrasound, expanding the solution region. The observed effect of ultrasound on the phase diagram was correlated with solubility of caffeine and maleic acid and stability of co-crystal forms in water.

Simvastatin(SMV) is poorly soluble drug classified as belonging to Class II of BiopharmaceuticsClassification System. Common approach to improve apparent solubility of drugsis production of amorphous solid dispersions (ASD) by means of spray drying(SD) or hot-melt extrusion. Spray drying of low-glass transition temperature(Tg) ASDs is challenging due to the risk of material being exposed to SD outlettemperatures close to its Tg which may result in melting of ASD and subsequentcrystallisation of amorphous drug. It was hypothesised that addition ofeasily-crystallising material to ASD will improve its SD processability. Inaddition, it was hypothesised that produced ternary solid dispersions (TSD)composed of amorphous composite of drug and the polymer (PVP K17, 55 and 150) andcrystalline, soluble nanoparticles (NaCl) will improve dissolution of TSDtablets. The dissolution of SMV fromTSDs was faster compared with that of binary solid dispersion in case of SMV-TSDsproduced with PVP K55 and 150. The tabletabilityassessment showed increase in compression led to increase in tensile strengthand decrease in porosities of SDs tablets.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the choice of polymer and polymer level on the performance of the microstructure and wettability of hot-melt extruded solid dispersion of Glyburide (Gly) as a model drug. The produced solid dispersion were characterised using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), image analysis using a focus variation instrument (FVI), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), X-ray microtomography (XµT), dynamic contact angle measurement and dissolution analysis using biorelevant dissolution media (FASSIF). SEM and focus variation analysis showed that the microstructure and surface morphology was significantly different between samples produced. This was confirmed by further analysis using XµT which showed that an increase in polymer content brought about a decrease in the porosity of the hot-melt extruded dispersions. DSC suggested complete amorphorisation of Gly whereas XRPD suggested incomplete amorphorisation. The static and dynamic contact angle measurement correlated with the dissolution studies using FASSIF media indicating that the initial liquid imbibition process as captured by the dynamic contact angle directly affects the dissolution performance.

The use of polymeric materials in drug development has been significantly enhanced due to their unique properties. Polymeric materials can be easily modified and further utilized to achieve desirable pharmaceutical and biomedical characteristics. They are widely used as excipients (binders, viscosity enhancers, taste masking agents, etc.) to adjust the drug release behavior as per requirements, such as controlled drug release and improvement in biocompatibility. They are also combined with pharmaceutical implants and therapeutic medical devices to prevent the surface-induced reactions as well as to facilitate targeted drug delivery by covalently binding the drug to the polymeric backbone by the formation polymer-drug conjugates. This chapter elaborates and expounds the prospective applications of polymers with a basic introduction to polymeric materials, their classifications, synthesis mechanisms, and the ideal characteristics required to make them suitable for various pharmaceutical and biomedical applications.

Proteins and peptides are involved in a wide range of vital functions and processes in the body that are essential for life. Proteins and peptides also have various roles in pathological conditions such as cancer and diabetes. Therefore, the use of proteins and peptides as therapeutic agents is considered as an attractive approach to combating various diseases. However, the physicochemical properties of proteins and peptides make them challenging for exogenous administration, especially by the oral route of administration. Various protein/peptide drug delivery systems have been extensively investigated to overcome the problems associated with the exogenous administration of protein and peptide therapeutics. In this chapter, different approaches for the delivery of proteins and peptides are discussed including chemical modifications, absorption enhancers, carrier systems, and various other approaches.

The use of near infra red spectroscopy to predict the concentration of two pharmaceutical co-crystals; 1:1 ibuprofen–nicotinamide (IBU-NIC) and 1:1 carbamazepine–nicotinamide (CBZ-NIC) has been evaluated. A partial least squares (PLS) regression model was developed for both co-crystal pairs using sets of standard samples to create calibration and validation data sets with which to build and validate the models. Parameters such as the root mean square error of calibration (RMSEC), root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) and correlation coefficient were used to assess the accuracy and linearity of the models. Accurate PLS regression models were created for both co-crystal pairs which can be used to predict the co-crystal concentration in a powder mixture of the co-crystal and the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API). The IBU-NIC model had smaller errors than the CBZ-NIC model, possibly due to the complex CBZ-NIC spectra which could reflect the different arrangement of hydrogen bonding associated with the co-crystal compared to the IBU-NIC co-crystal. These results suggest that NIR spectroscopy can be used as a PAT tool during a variety of pharmaceutical co-crystal manufacturing methods and the presented data will facilitate future offline and in-line NIR studies involving pharmaceutical co-crystals.

Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) is a polyphenolic active compound present in popular apiproduct, “propolis”, obtained from beehives. Though it has broad therapeutic capability, the bioavailability of CAPE is limited due to poor solubility. In this study, we report novel cocrystals of CAPE engineered using coformers such as caffeine (CAF), isonicotinamide (INIC), and nicotinamide (NIC) with enhanced solubility and bioavailability of CAPE. The cocrystals were prepared by microwave-assisted cocrystallization and characterized using PXRD, DSC, and Raman spectroscopy. PXRD and DSC confirm the successful formation and phase purity of CAPE-CAF, CAPE-INIC, and CAPE-NIC cocrystals. Raman spectra of CAPE cocrystals complement these results in confirming the formation of novel crystalline phases. CAPE-NIC cocrystal was further subjected to X-ray crystallography to understand its molecular arrangement and hydrogen bonding in the crystal structure. The CAPE-NIC cocrystal structure is found to be stabilized by a ra...

The thermodynamic stability of caffeine (CA) cocrystals with dicarboxylic acids (DAs) as coformers was investigated in the presence of a range of structurally related dicarboxylic acids (SRDs). Two experimental conditions (slurry and dry-grinding) were studied for mixing the cocrystal and the SRD additive. The additives oxalic, malonic, and glutaric acid led to the replacement of the acid coformer for certain cocrystals. Interestingly, a change in stoichiometry was observed for the CA:maleic acid system. A stability order among the cocrystals was established depending on their tendency to replace the coformer. To understand the factors controlling the relative stabilities, lattice energies were calculated using dispersion corrected density functional theory (DFT). Gibbs free energy changes were calculated from experimental solubilities. The observed stability order corroborated well with lattice energy and Gibbs free energy computations.

A study has been carried out to investigate controlled release performance of caplet shaped injection moulded (IM) amorphous solid dispersion (ASD) tablets based on the model drug AZD0837 and polyethylene oxide (PEO). The physical/chemical storage stability and release robustness of the IM tablets were characterized and compared to that of conventional extended release (ER) hydrophilic matrix tablets of the same raw materials and compositions manufactured via direct compression (DC). To gain an improved understanding of the release mechanisms, the dissolution of both the polymer and the drug were studied. Under conditions where the amount of dissolution media was limited, the controlled release ASD IM tablets demonstrated complete and synchronized release of both PEO and AZD0837 whereas the release of AZD0837 was found to be slower and incomplete from conventional direct compressed ER hydrophilic matrix tablets. The results clearly indicated that AZD0837 remained amorphous throughout the dissolution process and was maintained in a supersaturated state and hence kept stable with the aid of the polymeric carrier when released in a synchronized manner. In addition, it was found that the IM tablets were robust to variation in hydrodynamics of the dissolution environment and PEO molecular weight.

Hot melt extrusion is a continuous process with wide industrial applicability. Till current date, there have been no reports on the formulation of extrudates for topical treatment of dermatological diseases.The aim of the present work was to prepare and characterize medicated hot melt extrudates based on Soluplus polymer and nicotinamide, and to explore their applicability in acne treatment. The extrudates were characterized using DSC, FTIR, XRD, and DVS. The extrudates were also tested for their skin adhesion potential, ability to deposit nicotinamide in different skin layers, and their clinical efficacy in acne patients.The 10% nicotinamide extrudates exhibited amorphous nature which was reserved during storage, with no chemical interaction between nicotinamide and Soluplus. Upon contrasting the skin adhesion and drug deposition of extrudates and nicotinamide gel, it was evident that the extrudates displayed significantly higher adhesion and drug deposition reaching 4.8 folds, 5.3 folds, and 4.3 folds more in the stratum corneum, epidermis and dermis, respectively. Furthermore, the extrudates significantly reduced the total number of acne lesions in patients by 61.3% compared to 42.14% with the nicotinamide gel.Soluplus extrudates are promising topical drug delivery means for the treatment of dermatological diseases.

New multicomponent solid forms of sildenafil have been discovered by means of a combined virtual/experimental cocrystal screening. Coformer selection of candidates was conducted based on an in silico screening method from a database of more than 2000 organic compounds, and the intensive experimental screen produced 23 new solid forms. Since the 12 coformers chosen have a combination of phenol and carboxylic acid groups, a variety of cocrystals, salts, and hybrid salt-cocrystals were discovered and characterized.

A revolutionary change in conventional methods of testing bioactivity of plant materials has taken place with the intervention of computing. The computer-aided tools have significantly reduced the time necessary for bioactivity assessments. Quick and cost-effective prediction of biological activity of plant materials is now possible based on physicochemical properties. Although Computer-Aided Drug Discovery (CADD) has emerged as a broad subject in the field of medicinal plants research, computational molecular docking and computational target fishing are the specific techniques applied in this field. Above all, Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) have become one of the latest techniques for direct prediction of a specific property of specific bio-molecules. This chapter, utilizing a specific example, describes how ANNs could be used to predict possible biological activity of a few drug molecules using computational tools. Results obtained from ANNs have been cross-validated using molecular docking technique. Six gossypol derivatives, whose biological activities have not been studied before, were taken for the study. Their physicochemical properties were considered as input and biological activities as output. Chemical descriptors and their respective biological activities of a number of compounds were recorded from NCBI PubChem compound database. The data were divided into 70% and 30% as training set and test set, respectively. On successful validation of the training by adjusting different layers and nodes of ANNs and after setting out final networks, descriptors of six unknown gossypol derivatives were used as experimental set for prediction of their bioactivity. Based on ANNs prediction, out of the six, three derivatives, whose predicted biological activities were the same, were taken for finding their activity using BiosolveIT FlexX 1.3.0 software to cross validate the prediction of ANNs. It was observed that ANN prediction for contraceptive activity of gossylic lactone, gossypol tetra acetic acid, and gossypol-6,6'-dimethyl ether matched with cross validation result obtained from BiosolveIT FlexX 1.3.0. The cross validation study also suggested that by inhibiting acrosin and hyaluronidase enzymes, these three derivatives might exert contraceptive activity.

A transflectance near infra red (NIR) spectroscopy approach has been used to simultaneously measure drug and plasticiser content of polymer melts with varying opacity during hot melt extrusion. A high temperature reflectance NIR probe was mounted in the extruder die directly opposed to a highly reflective surface. Carbamazepine (CBZ) was used as a model drug, with polyvinyl pyrollidone-vinyl acetate co-polymer (PVP-VA) as a matrix and polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a plasticiser. The opacity of the molten extrudate varied from transparent at low CBZ loading to opaque at high CBZ loading. Particulate amorphous API and voids formed around these particles were found to cause the opacity. The extrusion process was monitored in real time using transflectance NIR; calibration and validation runs were performed using a wide range of drug and plasticiser loadings. Once calibrated, the technique was used to simultaneously track drug and plasticiser content during applied step changes in feedstock material. Rheological and thermal characterisations were used to help understand the morphology of extruded material. The study has shown that it is possible to use a single NIR spectroscopy technique to monitor opaque and transparent melts during HME, and to simultaneously monitor two distinct components within a formulation.