Search

The absorption of topically applied substances is challenging due to the effective skin barrier. Encapsulation of substances into nanoparticles was expected to be promising to increase the bioavailability of topically applied products. Since nanoparticles cannot traverse the intact skin barrier, but penetrate into the hair follicles, they could be used to deliver substances via hair follicles, where the active is released and can translocate independently transfollicularly into the viable epidermis. In the present in vivo study, this effect was investigated for caffeine. Caffeine nanocrystals of two sizes, 206 nm and 694 nm, with equal amounts of caffeine were used to study caffeine serum concentration kinetics after topical application on 5 human volunteers. The study demonstrated that at early time points, the smaller nanocrystals were more effective in increasing the bioavailability of caffeine, whereas after 20 min, the serum concentration of caffeine was higher when caffeine was applied by larger nanocrystals. Caffeine was still detectable after 5 days. The area under the curve could be increased by 82% when the 694 nm nanocrystals were applied. Especially larger sized nanocrystals seem to be a promising type of nanoparticulate preparation to increase the bioavailability of topically applied drugs via the transfollicular penetration pathway.

Cavi-precipitation has the potential to generate drug nanocrystals very efficiently. Achieving smaller than 100 nm particle size for organic drug substances still remained a challenge. The objective of this study was to demonstrate if cavi-precipitation technology can be used to generate smaller than 100 nm drug nanocrystal particle.This study demonstrates that cavi-precipitation process can be used to generate drug nanocrystals of the model compound resveratrol (RVT) consists of crystallites of 30-50 nm size.RVT was dissolved in different organic solvents to prepare the solvent phase (S-phase). Several stabilizers were tested for the organic phase. A combination of SDS and PVP was used stabilizer system in the aqueous anti-solvent phase (AS-phase). The S-phase was added to the AS-phase inside the Emulsiflex C5 homogenizer. Nanosuspension was characterized by laser diffractometry (LD), photon correlation spectroscopy (PCS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The solid state of the suspended particles was investigated by powder X-ray diffractometry (PXRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC).It was found that DMSO, alone or in combination with acetone in the S-Phase generated the smallest size RVT nanocrystals. The optimum solvent (S) antisolvent (AS) ratio (S:AS) was found to be 3.6:56.4 (v:v). Span 20 was identified as the best stabilizer for the organic phase at a ratio (w:w) of 1:3 (Span 20:RVT). The particles precipitated from different solvents were predominantly crystalline.The best sample had a mean particle size (LD) of 167 nm [d(0.5)] which was composed of smaller crystallites having 30-50 nm size (SEM).

Phosphoinositides play crucial roles in intracellular membrane dynamics and cell signaling, with phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-phosphates being the predominant phosphoinositide lipids at endosomes and lysosomes, whereas PI 4-phosphates, such as phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PI(4,5)P2), are enriched at the cell surface including sites of endocytosis. How PI 4-phosphates and PI 3-phosphates are dynamically interconverted within the endocytic pathway and how this is controlled in space and time remains poorly understood. Here, combining live imaging, genome engineering, and acute chemical and genetic manipulations, we found that local synthesis of PI(3,4)P2 by phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase C2α at plasma membrane clathrin-coated pits is spatially segregated from its hydrolysis by the PI(3,4)P2-specific inositol polyphosphate 4-phosphatase 4A (INPP4A). We observed that INPP4A is dispensable for clathrin-mediated endocytosis and is undetectable in endocytic clathrin-coated pits. Instead, we found that INPP4A partially localizes to endosomes and that loss of INPP4A in HAP1 cancer cells perturbs signaling via AKT kinase and mTOR complex 1. These results reveal a function for INPP4-mediated PI(3,4)P2 hydrolysis in local regulation of growth factor and nutrient signals at endosomes in cancer cells. They further suggest a model whereby synthesis and turnover of PI(3,4)P2 are spatially segregated within the endocytic pathway to couple endocytic membrane traffic to growth factor and nutrient signaling.

SmartLipids are the latest generation of dermal lipid nanoparticles with solid particle matrix. Their characteristic properties resulting from the “chaotic” and disordered particle matrix structure are reviewed. These properties are high loading and firm inclusion of active agents, physical stability of the particle matrix lipid modification (primarily α, β′), and related to these three properties the improved chemical stabilization of labile active agents. Exemplarily data for these effects are shown and underlying mechanisms are discussed. Further, general properties of lipid nanoparticles, which are also exhibited by the SmartLipids, are reviewed. These include the restauration of the protective lipid skin barrier (anti-pollution effect), penetration enhancement by occlusion (invisible patch effect) and the option to control the release of active agents for optimized biological effect and reduction of side effects (e.g., skin irritation through sensitizing active agents), which improves the skin tolerability. Regulatory aspects, such as submicron particle status, excipients, and certifications, are also discussed.

smartPearls® are a novel dermal delivery system based on mesoporous (pores 2–50 nm) particles, developed in 2014. Their pores can be loaded with active which is long-term stabilized in its amorphous state. The increased saturation solubility by the amorphous state leads to an increased dermal bioavailability of poorly soluble actives. To avoid sedimentation of the porous particles (3–50 µm) in dermal formulations, viscoelastic gels were developed using ι–carrageenan, polyacrylate and the viscoelastic Kuhne salad dressing as a reference from food industry. Silica particles (company Grace/US, 50 and 150 µm) were loaded into the gels and long-term stability was assessed by a VIS sedimentation test. Furthermore, the gels were characterized by analytical centrifugation (LUMiSizer®) to assess the critical rpm/g values, allowing to order them after their absolute viscoelastic stabilizing ability. Characterization was complemented by rotation rheology, amplitude sweep and a frequency sweep analysis for the determination of elastic and viscous moduli G′ and G′′ at varying conditions. Based on the throughout characterization, polymers can be selected to sufficiently stabilize dermal formulations even with large sized smartPearls® – the prerequisite for using this delivery system in dermal products.

The purpose of this study was to show whether it is possible to prepare sub 100 nm or preferably sub-50 nm drug nanosuspension (NS) of suitable quality for intravenous administration. Furthermore, we have studied how the brain targeting potential of such small size organic NS differs from relatively bigger size NS. Two combination technologies (cavi-precipitation, H96) and a standard high-pressure homogenization (HPH) technology were used to prepare drug NS of different sizes. The cavi-precipitation process generated the smallest AmB NS, i.e., 27 nm compared to 79 nm by H96 technology and 252 nm by standard HPH technology. Dialysis of the nanosuspension in the original dispersion media was found to be the most efficient solvent removal method without negatively affecting particle size. The removal of organic solvent was found to drastically improve the stability of the formulations. The protein adsorption pattern shows that the small size NS particles obtained by the cavi-precipitation process have the potential to circulate longer in the bloodstream and have the potential to be taken up by the blood–brain barrier. The cavi-precipitation process generated ultrafine NS particles, which fulfilled the quality requirements for intravenous administration and offer a potential solution for brain targeting.

Nicotine, obtained from tobacco leaves, has been used to promote the cessation of smoking and reduce the risk of COPD and lung cancer. Incorporating the active in lipid nanoparticles is an effective tool to minimize its irritation potential and to use the particles as intermediate to produce final products. However, as a hydrophilic active, it is a challenge to prepare nicotine loaded lipid nanoparticles with high drug loading. In this study, lipid-drug-conjugates (LDC) were formed by nicotine and different fatty acids to enable the production of sufficiently loaded nicotine lipid nanoparticles. The encapsulation efficiency of nicotine in LDC-containing SLN was about 50%, which increased at least fourfold compared to the non-LDC formulations (around 10%) due to the increased lipophilicity of nicotine by strong interactions between positively charged nicotine and negatively charged fatty acids (formation of LDCs). The z-average of all formulations (150–350 nm) proved to be in the required submicron size range with a narrow size distribution. In summary, nicotine loaded LDC lipid nanoparticles with high drug loading were successfully developed with Kolliwax® S and stearic acid as counter-ion forming the LDC and hydrogenated sunflower oil (HSO) as lipid particle matrix.

Production of nanosuspension for drug bioavailability improvement has been accepted and frequently used in pharmaceutical industry. Normally, the preparation started from crystalline drug. However, some previous studies found that amorphous drug powder obtained from processes such as spray-drying might contribute to nanosizing process, i.e. reduced homogenization cycles and smaller achievable particle size. The mechanism behind this improved behavior was still unclear. In order to systematically investigate, three technologies, i.e. spray-drying, rotary evaporation and quench cooling, were used to modify drug powders, which were all processed by high pressure homogenization (HPH). Predominately amorphous solids have been obtained after processing both spray-drying (spherical particle) and rotary evaporation (no obvious morphology modification). However, those samples could not be beneficial to efficiency of nanosizing process. The smallest particle size of nanosuspensions was achieved by using spray-dried solid possessing predominately crystallinity (slightly reduced crystallinity) and changed morphology (more breakage points). Therefore, both the modification of morphology and solid state control were confirmed crucial for the followed HPH efficiency. In another part of this study, it was found that the directly dried nanosuspensions used in many previous studies were actually not suitable for a proper solid state analysis by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). A separation step of drug and stabilizer/surfactant is strongly recommended in order to improve the validity of solid state measurement for drug nanosuspensions.

Drug nanosuspension is one of the established methods to improve the bioavailability of poorly soluble drugs. Drug physical properties aspect (morphology, solid state, starting size et al) is a critical parameter determining the production efficiency. Some drug modification approaches such as spray-drying were proved to improve the millability of drug powders. However, the mechanism behind those improved performances is unclear. This study is to systematically investigate the influence of those physical properties.Five different APIs (active pharmaceutical ingredients) with different millabilities, i.e. resveratrol, hesperetin, glibenclamide, rutin, and quercetin, were processed by standard high pressure homogenization (HPH), wet bead milling (WBM), and a combinative method of spray-drying and HPH.Smaller starting sizes of certain APIs could accelerate the particle size reduction velocity during both HPH and WBM processes. Spherical particles were observed for almost all spray-dried powders (except spray-dried hesperetin) after spray-drying. The crystallinity of some spray-dried samples such as rutin and glibenclamide became much lower than their corresponding unmodified powders. Almost all spray-dried drug powders after HPH processes could lead to smaller nanocrystal particle size than unmodified APIs.The modified microstructure instead of solid state after spray-drying explained the potential reason for improved nanosizing efficiency. In addition, the contribution of starting size on the production efficiency was also critical according to both HPH and WBM results.

Amorphous state of drugs increases the oral bioavailability, but typically faces physical stability problems. Amorphous rutin was generated and physically stabilized by encapsulating inside mesopores of porous AEROPERL® 300 Pharma and named as rutin CapsMorph® in this study. AEROPERL® 300 Pharma was loaded with rutin dissolved in DMSO containing Tween 80, and subsequently the solvent evaporated (wetness impregnation method). The loading process was monitored by light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were used to confirm the amorphous state in AEROPERL® 300 Pharma. A loading of 20% of the rutin-AEROPERL® 300 Pharma mixture was obtained. The amorphous state proved to be stable over 2years of storage at room temperature. Due to the amorphous state and the nanosize of the rutin in the mesopores, the kinetic saturation solubility increased to about 4mg/ml (water, 0.1MHCl, pH 6.8PBS) compared to the maximum observed thermodynamic equilibrium solubility of rutin raw drug powder of only 74.48±1.42μg/ml in pH 6.8PBS (=increase by factor about 54). The dissolution velocity also increased distinctly, e.g. about 96.1% of rutin dissolution from CapsMorph® powder in water within 5min compared to less than 40% of raw drug powder after 3h. Tablets were produced with rutin CapsMorph®, raw drug powder and their dissolution velocity compared to a marketed product. About 83.0-95.6% were released from the rutin CapsMorph® tablet within 5min, compared to 42.7-52.5% from the marketed tablet after 3h (water, 0.1MHCl, pH 6.8PBS). After dissolution the supersaturation level of rutin CapsMorph® remained over about 2h, then solubility slowly reduced, but remained after 48h still multifold above the thermodynamic rutin solubility. This should be sufficient for many poorly soluble drugs to achieve a sufficient bioavailability. For optimal exploitation of the supersaturation, a multiple step release system could be used, e.g. release of CapsMorph® particles every 2-3h.

Phenylethyl resorcinol (PER, 4-(1-phenylethyl)1,3-benzenediol) is a very potent tyrosinase inhibitor with clinically proven effectiveness at already 0.5%. A major challenge of incorporating PER into dermal products is its high sensitivity against light. Previously, by incorporating PER in nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC), chemical stability and tyrosinase activity could be increased by 29% and 67%, respectively. Despite this, degradation still occurred accompanied with reddish discoloration of the formulation - not acceptable for market products. In this study PER was incorporated into smartLipids, the 3rd generation of lipid carriers. Compared to NLC, the smartLipids formulation had a higher PER loading, was PEG-free and used ECOCERT-certified Lanette N. For PER stabilization, 14 additives from three groups were investigated: UV blockers, antioxidants and chelating agents. The UV blockers Tinosorb S and Oxynex ST liquid, as well as the chelating agents ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and phytic acid completely prevented reddish discoloration under test conditions (3 months in the dark and 7 days at light exposure). Investigating the stabilizing mechanisms, UV absorbers with high absorption in UV-A range were most effective (Tinosorb S, Oxynex liquid). They showed good stabilization in dark and at light exposure. Chelating agents had mainly an effect via pH shift to pH 2, thus are not suitable for dermal products requiring pH around 5. Antioxidants were less effective. The antioxidants propyl gallate and BHT showed best stabilization at storage in dark and slightly less at light exposure, not impairing the physical stability. Some antioxidants even accelerated discoloration (e.g. Tinogard TT). In general, low standard electrode potential (0.4 mV) seems to be favorable for PER stabilization. In conclusion, Tinosorb S proved to be the best stabilizer; combination with an antioxidant is optional. By combination of smartPearls technology and the Tinosorb S stabilization, PER market products without discoloration are feasible.

Dermal products in pharma are a relatively small market when compared to, e.g., oral products like tablets and capsules. Considering the small market size (annual sales per dermal product) together with the high costs for introducing a new drug product to the market, pharma companies consider twice if they replace a well selling product with “old” technology by a successor product, having only a limited improvement in performance.

Background: Miniaturization of nanosuspensions preparation is a necessity in order to enable proper formulation screening before nanosizing can be performed on a large scale. Ideally, the information generated at small scale is predictive for large scale production. Objective: This study was aimed to investigate the scalability when producing nanosuspensions starting from a 10 g scale of nanosuspension using low energy wet ball milling up to production scales of 120 g nanosuspension and 2 kg nanosuspension by using a standard high energy wet ball milling operated in batch mode or recirculation mode, respectively. Methods: Two different active pharmaceutical ingredients, i.e. curcumin and hesperetin, have been used in this study. The investigated factors include the milling time, milling speed, and the type of mill. Results: Comparable particle sizes of about 151 nm to 190 nm were obtained for both active pharmaceutical ingredients at the same milling time and milling speed when the drugs were processed at 10 g using low energy wet ball milling or 120 g using high energy wet ball milling in batch mode, respectively. However, an adjustment of the milling speed was needed for the 2 kg scale produced using high energy wet ball milling in recirculation mode to obtain particle sizes comparable to the small scale process. Conclusion: These results confirm in general, the scalability of wet ball milling as well as the suitability of small scale processing in order to correctly identify the most suitable formulations for large scale production using high energy milling.

Skin is a multifunctional organ with activities in protection, metabolism and regulation. Skin is in a continuous exposure to oxidizing agents and inflammogens from the sun and from the contact with the environment. These agents may overload the skin auto-defense capacity. To strengthen skin defense mechanisms against oxidation and inflammation, supplementation of exogenous antioxidants is a promising strategy. Quercetin is a flavonoid with very pronounced effective antioxidant and antiinflammatory activities, and thus a candidate of first choice for such skin supplementation. Quercetin showed interesting actions in cellular and animal based models, ranging from protecting cells from UV irradiation to support skin regeneration in wound healing. However, due to its poor solubility, quercetin has limited skin penetration ability, and various formulation approaches were taken to increase its dermal penetration. In this article, the quercetin antioxidant and antiinflammatory activities in wound healing and supporting skin against aging are discussed in detail. In addition, quercetin topical formulations from conventional emulsions to novel nanoformulations in terms of skin penetration enhancement are also presented. This article gives a comprehensive review of quercetin for topical application from biological effects to pharmaceutical formulation design for the last 25 years of research.

Nanosizing is frequently used as formulation approach to increase the bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs. However, standard size reduction processes can be relatively time-consuming. It was found that the modification of the physical properties of a starting material by means of spray-drying can be used to improve the effectiveness of a subsequently performed high pressure homogenization. Such a process belongs to the combinative particle size reduction methods and is also referred to as H 42 process. Based on previous studies, it was hypothesized that the improved efficiency was a result of reduced crystallinity of the modified drug. The present study was conducted in order to asses this hypothesis in a systematical manner by applying design of experiment (DoE) principles. Resveratrol was selected as model compound for this study. It was processed by both standard high pressure homogenization and by a combinative particle size reduction process (the H42 process). An optimized resveratrol/surfactant ratio for the spray-dried intermediate was identified by using the response-surface methodology. The optimization led to a nanosuspension with a mean particle size of 192 nm, which is much smaller than the mean particle size of 569 nm when standard high pressure homogenization was used. Both predominately crystalline and predominately amorphous solids resulted from the spray-drying process. In contrast to the initial hypothesis, the smallest particle sizes were achieved by processing predominately crystalline intermediate with high pressure homogenization.

Systematic screening for optimal formulation composition and production parameters for nanosuspensions consumes a lot of time and also drug material when performed at lab scale. Therefore, a cost-effective miniaturized scale top down approach for nanocrystals production by wet bead milling was developed. The final set-up consisted of 3 magnetic stirring bars placed vertically one over the other in a 2 mL glass vial and agitated by a common magnetic stirring plate. All of the tested actives (cyclosporin A, resveratrol, hesperitin, ascorbyl palmitate, apigenin and hesperidin) could be converted to nanosuspensions. For 4 of them, the particles sizes achieved were smaller than previously reported on the literature (around 90 nm for cyclosporin A; 50 nm for hesperitin; 160 nm for ascorbyl palmitate and 80 nm for apigenin). The "transferability" of the data collect by the miniaturized method was evaluated comparing the production at larger scale using both wet bead milling and high pressure homogenization. Transferable information obtained from the miniaturized scale is minimum achievable size, improvements in size reduction by reduction of beads size, diminution kinetics and potentially occurring instabilities during processing. The small scale batches also allow identification of optimal stabilizer types and concentrations. The batch size is 0.5 mL, requiring approximately 50 mg or 5 mg of drug (5% and 1% suspension, respectively). Thus, a simple, accessible, low-cost miniaturized scale method for the production of pharmaceutical nanocrystals was established.

Lipid nanoparticles are well-known nanocarriers for improved drug delivery. Their formulation development typically involves three formulations steps. In the first part a suitable lipid mixture which enables a high loading capacity and high encapsulation efficacy of the active needs to be identified (lipid screening). In the second step suitable stabilizers that enable the production of small-sized lipid nanoparticles with narrow size distribution and sufficient physical stability need to be identified (stabilizer screening, optimization of production parameters) and in the third step the biopharmaceutical efficacy needs to be evaluated. Based on the results obtained the formulations will require further optimization. The classical formulation development of lipid nanoparticles and especially the classical lipid screening is tedious. Therefore, in this study, a novel approach for the lipid screening that was based on the determination of the Hansen solubility parameters was evaluated and the results obtained were compared to the results from the classical model. Tacrolimus was used as a model drug. Results showed that both lipid screenings led to similar results, indicating that the new approach can be used for future developments. The optimized formulation was composed of a lipid matrix system that contained waxes, triglycerides and monoacylglycerols with various carbon chain lengths (C8, C10, C16, C18) and enabled an encapsulation efficiency of ~99%. The stabilizer screening showed that surfactants with high HLB values, lower molecular weight, and shorter alkyl chain length tended to form smaller particles with narrower size distribution and better physical stability. The most suitable surfactant was found to be a caprylyl/capryl glucoside (Plantacare® 810), a PEG-free stabilizer, that is extremely mild for atopic skin. It led to particle sizes of about 200 nm and a zeta potential well above |30| mV. The optimized formulation contained 0.1% tacrolimus and possessed good physical stability. In conclusion, an optimized method for the selection of lipids that results in a limited number of experiments could be established and tacrolimus loaded lipid nanoparticles with similar drug load as a marketed formulation was successfully developed in this study.

The amorphous state of actives can be long-term stabilized by incorporation into mesoporous particles, thus the increase in the saturation solubility by amorphicity can be exploited to improve the bioavailability. In this study 5 different silica particles were investigated regarding loading capacity and long-term stability of the amorphous form. Five different silica were used ranging in pore mean size from 3 to 25 nm, pore volume 0.4 to 1.8 mL/g, and BET surface from 740 to 320 m2/g. As model active avobenzone was used, because it is a challenging molecule by its high crystallisation tendency. To be industrially feasible, a loading capacity of about 50% pore volume was investigated. The particles were loaded by an immersion evaporation method, being able to be used in industrial production. A theory of the active precipitation in the pores was developed based on the Ostwald-Miers range. The 25 nm pore-sized particles showed a crystalline fraction directly after loading, the 3 nm and 17 nm pore-sized particles after 1 month of storage. Long-term stability of 1 year had the silica with 6 nm and 10 nm pore size, thus being ideal for products. By nitrogen sorption studies, primarily filling of the pores from bottom to top was identified as loading mechanism. HPLC analysis showed some active remaining in the pores due to strong interaction with the pore surface, which needs to be considered when developing dermal products. Interestingly, the increase in saturation solubility Cs – determined in carrageenan gels – remained also for silica particles showing a minor partial crystalline avobenzone fraction. Thus, limited crystallinity does not impair the shelf-life and performance of dermal formulations.

smartPearls

Dermally applied poorly soluble actives whether in cosmetics or pharmaceuticals show insufficient skin penetration. Especially actives being insoluble in both phases of dermal vehicles, i.e. water and oil have no or less real effect. An approach to overcome this obstacle is the use of amorphous actives instead of the crystalline ones. The higher saturation solubility creates an increased concentration gradient between the formulation and skin. Thus, the diffusive flux into the skin is improved. However, the amorphous state of actives is highly labile, and the durability of such formulations would be too short for a marketable product. smartPearls is a novel technology efficiently long-term stabilize the amorphous state. They consist of µm sized particles with mesopores (e.g. silica: SYLOID®, AEROPERL®, Neusilin®), in which the active can be loaded and preserved in amorphous state. Due to the tightness of the pores, not enough space is given for re-crystallization. In this work, the skin penetration of poorly soluble actives loaded in smartPearls is compared to the present "gold standards" in dermal delivery, e.g. amorphous microparticles, amorphous nanoparticles and nanocrystals. The performance was at least similar or even better than the gold standards, explainable by the increased saturation solubility of active due to a) amorphous state and b) nanostructure inside the µm-sized particles. Sedimentation investigations showed, that the physical stabilization of very dense smartPearls in semi-solid vehicles is possible by viscoelastic repulsion. Also, the technical, regulatory and marketing aspects for the use of smartPearls technology in products are discussed, e.g. status of excipients used, and advantages of not being a nanoparticle, but being as efficient as them. Overall, smartPearls proved to be a promising dermal delivery technology for poorly soluble actives with a high market potential.

International audience; Quercetin is a flavonoid with strong antioxidant and antiinflammatory activities considered as a potential drug candidate for skin exogenous supplementation. Nevertheless, crude quercetin suffers from poor water solubility and consequently topical inactivity. Therefore, quercetin formulation within a suitable system that overcomes its solubility limitation is a matter of investigation. Three approaches were tested to improve quercetin delivery to skin: liposomes, lipid nanocapsules (LNC) and smartCrystals®. These nanoformulations were compared in terms of average particle size, homogeneity (PDI), quercetin loading and cellular interactions with HaCaT (keratinocytes) and TPH-1 (monocytes) cell lines. Finally, two formulations were selected for testing quercetin delivery to human skin in vivo using stripping test. Different size distribution was obtained with each strategy starting from 26 nm with quercetin LNC, 179 nm with liposomes to 295 nm with quercetin smartCrystals®. The drug loading varied with each formulation from 0.56 mg/ml with liposomes, 10.8 mg/ml with LNC to 14.4 mg/ml with smartCrystals®. No toxicity was observed in HaCaT cells with quercetin and free radical scavenging ability was established at 5 µg/ml. The safety of quercetin at 5 µg/ml was further confirmed on THP-1 cells with efficient free radical scavenging ability. Finally, skin penetration evidenced different behavior between the two selected forms (LNC and SmartCrystals®), which could lead to different promising strategies for skin protection. On one side, quercetin smartCrystals® seems to enable the superficial deposition of quercetin on top of the skin, which presents a good strategy for a quercetin-based sunscreen product. On the other side, LNC seems to allow quercetin delivery to viable epidermis that holds the promise for skin inflammatory disorders such as psoriasis.

The CapsMorph(®) technology prepares amorphous drugs for oral delivery by encapsulating them into porous materials. Hesperidin as model compound was loaded onto AEROPERL(®) 300 Pharma using the wetness impregnation method. Hesperidin was dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and alternatively in DMSO with addition of Tween 80. The drug solutions were added dropwise to the porous material and subsequently DMSO was evaporated. The AEROPERL(®) 300 Pharma could be loaded with about 30% hesperidin in the amorphous form. Amorphous state was verified by X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry. The CapsMorph(®) formulation was compared regarding properties determining oral bioavailability, i.e., kinetic saturation solubility and dissolution rate to raw drug powder and hesperidin nanocrystals. The saturation solubility of CapsMorph(®) without Tween 80 was 654 μg/ml, which is 36-fold higher than the raw drug powder (18 μg/ml) and about 20 times higher than nanocrystals (30 μg/ml). In vitro release was faster (100% in 10 min at pH 6.8) compared to dissolution of nanocrystals with about 15%. Addition of Tween 80 to CapsMorph(®) lowered the solubility (168 μg/ml) and slowed down the release, but provided longer times of supersaturation without precipitation of drug. Based on these data, it appears that drug loaded porous materials provide better formulations compared to nanocrystals for poorly soluble drugs.

Hyperphosphatemia is one of the main risk factors contributing to morbidity and mortality in patients with end stage renal disease. The demand for a new phosphate binder is continuously increasing since the number of patients suffering under hyperphosphatemia is growing. However, side effects and high pill burden of currently available phosphate binders are the main reasons for low compliance and uncontrolled serum phosphate levels. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop a novel phosphate binder with a high phosphate binding capacity over the entire gastrointestinal (GI) pH range. This novel phosphate binder C-PAM-10 is based on d-mannose coated nanocrystalline maghemite and belongs to the new class of phosphate binders, called the "iron based agents". It was possible to obtain a phosphate binding product that showed very high phosphate binding capacities with the characteristic of being pH independent at relevant pH ranges. The simulation of a GI passage ranging from pH 1.2 to pH 7.5 showed a 2.5 times higher phosphate binding capacity compared to the commonly used phosphate binder sevelamer carbonate. The simulation of a pH sensitive coating that releases the iron based phosphate binder at pH values ≥4.5 still showed a very high phosphate binding capacity combined with very low iron release which might decrease iron related side effects in vivo. Therefore, C-PAM-10 and its variations may be very promising candidates as a superior phosphate binder.

Industrial concentrates of hesperidin nanocrystals (5.0% nominal concentration) were produced applying the smartCrystal(®) combination technology of wet bead milling and subsequent high pressure homogenization. Stabilization was performed by Kolliphor(®) P 188, preservation by Euxyl PE 9010 and glycerol. Physical and chemical stability were monitored over 1.5 years of storage at 4-6 °C. The size of the bulk population stayed unchanged with about 250 nm (photon correlation spectroscopy). Absence of crystal growth by Ostwald ripening and absence of agglomerates were shown by laser diffraction (LD) and light microscopy. The LD diameter 90% was still 0.7 μm after 1.5 years. Despite the large surface of the nanosuspension in contact with the water phase, the chemical content proved also stable, only a reduction by 0.15% from 5.70% to 5.55% content was observed. The nanocrystals kept their crystalline state unchanged as shown by X-ray diffraction. The saturation solubility of the nanosuspension was more than triple compared to the raw drug powder in water. The data show the availability of a stable hesperidin concentrate as intermediate for industry to produce dermal formulations.

For the development of ultra-small NLC (usNLC) the determination of the required HLB (hydrophilic lipophilic balance) was found to be a suitable method, i.e., usNLC with a size below 50 nm were obtained by this method. Loading with 5% (w/w) coenzyme Q10 (Q10) led to usNLC with a size of about 85 nm. In comparison to classical NLC with a size of 230 nm and a nanoemulsion with similar size, the Q10 loaded usNLC show a higher release, a higher antioxidant capacity, and a better skin penetration for Q10. The reason for this is a flip–flop core–shell structure of the lipid matrix, i.e., the oil with dissolved active is surrounding the solid lipid based core. As the flip–flop structure was probably achieved by admixing high contents of liquid lipid, oil enriched usNLC might represent a novel and promising carrier system for the improved delivery of lipophilic actives.

To accelerate the determination of optimal spray drying parameters, a "Design of Experiment" (DoE) software was applied to produce well redispersible hesperidin nanocrystals.For final solid dosage forms, aqueous liquid nanosuspensions need to be solidified, whereas spray drying is a large-scale cost-effective industrial process.A nanosuspension with 18% (w/w) of hesperidin stabilized by 1% (w/w) of poloxamer 188 was produced by wet bead milling. The sizes of original and redispersed spray-dried nanosuspensions were determined by laser diffractometry (LD) and photon correlation spectroscopy (PCS) and used as effect parameters. In addition, light microscopy was performed to judge the redispersion quality.After a two-step design of MODDE 9, screening model and response surface model (RSM), the inlet temperature of spray dryer and the concentration of protectant (polyvinylpyrrolidone, PVP K25) were identified as the most important factors affecting the redispersion of nanocrystals. As predicted in the RSM modeling, when 5% (w/w) of PVP K25 was added in an 18% (w/w) of hesperidin nanosuspension, subsequently spray-dried at an inlet temperature of 100 °C, well redispersed solid nanocrystals with an average particle size of 276 nm were obtained. By the use of PVP K25, the saturation solubility of the redispersed nanocrystals in water was improved to 86.81 µg/ml, about 2.5-fold of the original nanosuspension. In addition, the dissolution velocity was accelerated.This was attributed to the additional effects of steric stabilization on the nanocrystals and solubilization by the PVP polymer from spray drying.

Nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) of Leonotis leonurus were successfully produced using high-pressure homogenisation (HPH) on a LAB 40 homogeniser. The particle size was determined for the formulation as well as short-term stability study. The formulation was exposed to Chang liver cells for a glucose uptake study and to INS-1 cells for a chronic insulin release study under normoglycaemic and hyperglycaemic conditions. The particle size of the extract NLC was 220 nm with a PdI of 0.08 after homogenisation at 800 bar. The formulation was stable at the tested temperatures. The extract NLC formulation at 1 µg/ml improved glucose uptake, relative to the control liver cells. Insulin release in INS-1 cells was also elevated under hyperglycaemic conditions when exposed to the NLCs, in comparison with the control untreated cells and the non-formulated extract. The plant extract encapsulated in NLC improved the uptake of glucose and enhanced the insulin sensitivity in vitro, compared to the extract.

Nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) of Leonotis leonurus were successfully produced using high-pressure homogenisation (HPH) on a LAB 40 homogeniser. The particle size was determined for the formulation as well as short-term stability study. The formulation was exposed to Chang liver cells for a glucose uptake study and to INS-1 cells for a chronic insulin release study under normoglycaemic and hyperglycaemic conditions. The particle size of the extract NLC was 220 nm with a PdI of 0.08 after homogenisation at 800 bar. The formulation was stable at the tested temperatures. The extract NLC formulation at 1 µg/ml improved glucose uptake, relative to the control liver cells. Insulin release in INS-1 cells was also elevated under hyperglycaemic conditions when exposed to the NLCs, in comparison with the control untreated cells and the non-formulated extract. The plant extract encapsulated in NLC improved the uptake of glucose and enhanced the insulin sensitivity in vitro, compared to the extract.

A sufficient bioavailability of active ingredients is the prerequisite for high quality nutraceuticals, functional beverages, well-being or energy drinks, and functional foods, in general for all products supporting health and well-being. However, poorly soluble bioactives often have a low bioavailability, which may limit their effectiveness considering the low doses used in these products. The BioSmart technology, based on nanocrystals, is presented for increasing the oral bioavailability. BioSmarts are particles in the submicron range (100–1000 nm) made of pure bioactive ingredients. In this chapter, regulatory aspects of nanocrystals are discussed enabling the safe use of these products. The physics of the special properties which enhance bioavailability are also explained, that is, enhanced saturation solubility, dissolution velocity, and bioadhesion to membranes of the gastrointestinal tract. The production technology using the smart Crystal process is briefly described. The mechanisms of adsorption enhancement are discussed, and the in vivo efficiency exemplified by products from pharma and cosmetics/consumer care. Potential use in functional drinks, oral nutraceutical products (tablets, capsules), and food is described using as examples the flavonoids rutin and hesperidin, and the antioxidant coenzyme Q 10 . BioSmarts are commercially available as water-based submicron (i.e., regulatorily no nanoproduct) particle suspensions (available preserved or nonpreserved), which are simply admixed during the production of the various products.

In comparison to other lipid-based nanocarriers; such as nanoliposomes and nanoemulsions, solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) and nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) have lately attracted much attention from the food and pharmaceutical industries due to their advantages. SLNs are novel nanoparticulate vehicles containing lipid droplets that are fully crystallized with the bioactive components being a part of the lipid matrix. SLNs were designed to combine the advantages of polymeric particles, liposomes, and emulsions and to avoid some of their disadvantages. Later, NLCs entered the nanoencapsulation field to cover the deficiencies found in SLNs. The main aim was to enhance the loading capacity and to inhibit the expulsion of bioactive compounds. They are produced by dispersion of mixture of solid and liquid lipids, and active ingredients (as inner phase) in water containing emulsifiers (as outer phase). In contrast to SLNs, the presence of liquid lipid in inner phase of NLCs cause to the possibility of entrapping active ingredients which are better solubilized in liquid lipid. This chapter focuses on the use of lipids as matrix material for nanoencapsulation of molecular actives, but also particulate actives. It covers the full range of aspects from the basic structure of the various lipid nanoparticulate systems to large-scale production and gives examples for the in vivo performance of these systems.

Summary The surface hydrophobicity of nanoparticles is one factor determining blood protein adsorption after intravenous administration, thus the organ distribution. Hydrophobic surfaces lead to opsonization and uptake by the liver macrophages, when hydrophilic nanoparticles avoid this and can circulate in the blood. To predict, at least to a certain degree, the in vivo distribution, the surface hydrophobicity needs to be measured and quantified. Methods need to be used which quantify hydrophobicity of nanoparticles in liquid environment similar to the body situation (= real environment), not using e.g. dry methods from tabletting. Different of those methods are mentioned in this work. In the present study the hydrophobicity of differently coated azithromycin nanocrystals was analyzed with hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC) and aqueous two-phase partitioning (TPP). Investigated stabilizers were Poloxamer 188, Poloxamer 407, caprylyl/capryl polyglucoside (Plantacare® 810), decyl polyglucoside (Plantacare® 2000), polyethylene glycol (PEG)-20 sorbitan monooleate (Tween 80) and tocopheryl polyethylene glycol succinate. HIC results revealed that coating with PEG free Plantacares leads to more hydrophobic surfaces (e.g. Plantacare 2000 retention time (tr) = 17.0 ± 1.9 min and tr = 6.5 ± 0.1 min for Tween 80), when also an increase of the amount of polypropylene glycol (PPG) in the Poloxamers lead to a stronger retention. Furthermore, PEG containing samples were analyzed by TPP whereby HIC results could be confirmed. Additionally, TPP showed differences between stabilizers having only 1 PEG chain and stabilizers with more than 1 PEG chain. In perspective, these stabilizers leading to a low hydrophobicity are promising candidates for further in vivo studies due to a decreased opsonization.

Summary The organ distribution of intravenously injected nanoparticles is determined by the composition of the blood protein adsorption pattern occurring after injection. This is exploited in the concept of “differential protein adsorption” for drug targeting, which is briefly discussed. The surface properties of the nanoparticles determine the adsorption patterns, by controlling the surface properties one can generate adsorption patterns required for achieving the desired organ distribution. The efficiency of this principle is shown by reviewing different organ distributions achieved using various polymeric nanoparticles with different surface properties. Surface modification can be obtained by polymer adsorption and can create nanoparticles circulating in the blood, or accumulating in targets such as bone marrow and brain. The protein adsorption patterns were analyzed using two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2-D PAGE). Here, adsorption patterns of dendritic polymer nanoparticles were investigated, where the used polymer was dendritic polyglycerol sulfate. They showed reduced opsonization and preferential adsorption of apolipoprotein A-I with brain targeting potential. In perspective, the principle of surface property modification by polymer/stabilizer adsorption can be transferred to intravenous drug nanocrystals. A hybrid system of nanocrystal and polymeric nanoparticles is suggested, the polymeric nanoparticle with nanocrystal core.

Nanocrystals are meanwhile applied to increase the dermal penetration of drugs, but were applied by now only to poorly soluble drugs (e.g. 1–10 μg/ml). As a new concept nanocrystals from medium soluble actives were produced, using caffeine as model compound (solubility 16 mg/ml at 20 °C). Penetration should be increased by (a) further increase in solubility and (b) mainly by increased hair follicle targeting of nanocrystals compared to pure solution. Caffeine nanocrystal production in water lead to pronounced crystal growth. Therefore the stability of nanocrystals in water–ethanol (1:9) and ethanol–propylene glycol (3:7) mixtures with lower dielectric constant D was investigated, using various stabilizers. Both mixtures in combination with Carbopol® 981 (non-neutralized) yielded stable nanosuspensions over 2 months at 4 °C and room temperature. Storage at 40 °C lead to crystal growth, attributed to too strong solubility increase, supersaturation and Ostwald ripening effects. Stability of caffeine nanocrystals at lower temperatures could not only be attributed to lower solubility, because the solubilities of caffeine in mixtures and in water are not that much different. Other effects such as quantified by reduced dielectric constant D , and specific interactions between dispersion medium and crystal surface seem to play a role. With the 2 mixtures and Carbopol® 981, a basic formulation composition for this type of nanocrystals has been established, to be used in the in vivo proof of principle of the new concept.

After use in oral pharmaceutical products, nanocrystals are meanwhile applied to improve the dermal penetration of cosmetic actives (e.g. rutin, hesperidin) and of drugs. By now, nanocrystals are only dermally applied made from poorly soluble actives. The novel concept is to formulate nanocrystals also from medium soluble actives, and to apply a dermal formulation containing additionally nanocrystals. The nanocrystals should act as fast dissolving depot, increase saturation solubility and especially accumulate in the hair follicles, to further increase skin penetration. Caffeine was used as model compound with relevance to market products, and a particular process was developed for the production of caffeine nanocrystals to overcome the supersaturation related effect of crystal growth and fiber formation - typical with medium soluble compounds. It is based on low energy milling (pearl milling) in combination with low dielectric constant dispersion media (water-ethanol or ethanol-propylene glycol mixtures) and optimal stabilizers. Most successful was Carbopol(®) 981 (e.g. 20% caffeine in ethanol-propylene glycol 3:7 with 2% Carbopol, w/w). Nanocrystals with varied sizes can now be produced in a controlled process e.g. 660 nm (optimal for hair follicle accumulation) to 250 nm (optimal for fast dissolution). The short term test proved stability over 2 months of the present formulation being sufficient to perform in vivo testing of the novel concept.

The ARTcrystal process is a new approach for the production of drug nanocrystals. It is a combination of a special pre-treatment step with subsequent high pressure homogenization (HPH) at low pressures. In the pre-treatment step the particle size is already reduced to the nanometer range by use of the newly developed ART MICCRA rotor-stator system. In this study, the running parameters for the ART MICCRA system are systematically studied, i.e. temperature, stirring speed, flow rate, foaming effects, size of starting material, valve position from 0° to 45°. The antioxidant rutin was used as model drug. Applying optimized parameters, the pre-milling yielded already a nanosuspension with a photon correlation spectroscopy (PCS) diameter of about 650 nm. On lab scale production time was 5 min for 1L nanosuspension (5% rutin content), i.e. the capacity of the setup is also suitable for medium industrial scale production. Compared to other nanocrystal production methods (bead milling, HPH, etc.), similar sizes are achievable, but the process is more cost-effective, faster in time and easily scale-able, thus being an interesting novel process for nanocrystal production on lab and industrial scale.

Polyhydroxy surfactants are nonionic ethylene oxide free stabilizers known for their complimentary dermatological properties and favorable environmental profile. The aim of this study was to develop solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) stabilized with polyhydroxy surfactants varying in the chemical structure and to investigate the influence of the surfactants on the characteristics of the particles. Particles were produced by hot high pressure homogenization and the physico-chemical properties, e.g. contact angle, particle size, size distribution, zeta potential and crystallinity were determined. Results showed that the chemical structure of the surfactants influences the contact angle, particle size and crystallinity. Furthermore, the low surfactants concentration used (1% (w/w)) allowed the formation of the particles with a mean size below 200 nm, polydispersity index lower than 0.1 and sufficient physical stability for at least 6 months. As postulated by the zeta potential analysis stabilization ability of the surfactants was attributed to the superposition of electrostatic and steric effect which complement each other. All SLN formulations consisted of the same lipid matrix, but were found to possess different crystallinity indices. These differences are obviously created by the differences in the chemical structure of the surfactants. Therefore, the polyhydroxy surfactants investigated in this study can be judged to be novel suitable stabilizers for the formulation of well-skin tolerable SLN. The use of specific chemical structures of the surfactants can be used for the production of “tailor-made” SLN in the future.

In the treatment of mild to medium severe atopic dermatitis a new formulation proved to be highly efficient. The formulation is based on a combination of microsilver and nanolipid carriers (NLC) incorporated into an o/w cream and a lotion. A theory of action was proposed, the formation of silver-NLC complex (sNLC). In this study this theory was proven, and based on this new mechanism two new approaches for dealing with AD are suggested to distinctly improve AD treatment, i.e. increasing efficiency, reducing drug exposure and reducing side effects. The antimicrobial silver ions adsorb onto the surface of the negatively charged NLC (=sNLC complex). The sNLC as nanoparticles are highly adhesive to skin and bacterial surfaces, leading to a locally high concentration of silver ions killing the bacteria, much more effective than silver alone. The NLC restore the distorted skin barrier. Based on this a new two-step approach is suggested: (1) "treatment-supportive consumer care" by restoring the normal skin condition (NLC for barrier restoration plus synergistic antibacterial silver-NLC complex) and (2) "drug-loaded consumer care AD formulations". i.e. incorporating drugs into the NLC of this consumer care formulation. NLC incorporation makes the drugs more effective (penetration enhancement) and simultaneously exploits the skin normalization ability of the skin care sNLC formulation, future drug candidates being prednicarbate and tacrolimus.

Objective: To prepare stable and easy to handle formulation of solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) by freeze-drying with or without cryoprotectants, as appropriate.Materials and methods: SLNs were freeze-dried without cryoprotectants or with cryoprotectants in quantities selected by freeze–thaw test (sucrose, glucose) or literature search (trehalose, maltose). Appearance, re-dispersability and size distribution of re-dispersed samples were evaluated.Results: SLN could be freeze-dried using 10% sucrose, trehalose or maltose. Trehalose was effective in protecting one of presented formulations that was already very stable on its own; its efficiency in protecting other two formulations was limited.Discussion: Our results are in line with various reports of successful freeze-drying of SLN, but considering the stability of original dispersions, no improvement was achieved.Conclusion: We confirmed that trehalose is among the most suitable cryoprotectant for SLN, however it did not improve shelf-life of the ...

Coenzyme Q10 (Q10) has a poor bioavailability due to its very low aqueous solubility and high molecular weight. The purpose of this review is to discuss the different types of Q10 drug delivery systems (DDS) ranging from the simple oily dispersions to the nanotechnology-oriented systems such as nanocrystals, self-nanoemulsified drug delivery systems, etc. to overcome the solubility issue. The basics of these approaches were discussed in relationship to the effect of Q10 absorption. For that purpose, the percentage of the drug absorbed to the blood stream out of the administered dose was calculated as the fraction absorbed (Fa%). The Fa% for the nanoemulsions discussed in this article did not correlate with droplet size. In human studies most of the delivery systems had a low Fa% being in the range from 1.53 to 12.48 %. The highest Fa% value was found to be for the self-emulsified drug delivery systems (SEDDS). In dogs studies, the Fa% values ranged between 0.28 (cyclodextrin complex) and 4.8 %. In rat studies, some other DDS like emulsions and solubilized formulations showed Fa% of around 0.22 %. The relationship between the average Fa% in rats, dogs and humans was found to be 1:15:20. One recent study applied both oral and intravenous delivery of Q10; the orally tested SEDDS formulation had an absolute bioavailability of 2.2 % corresponding to Fa% = 0.04 %. The studies with Q10 formulations based only on in vitro data were also discussed and assessed regarding the influence of formulation on solubility, release and/or uptake.

There is an increasing discussion about potential toxicity of nanoparticles (nanotoxicity). A classification system is proposed classifying the nanoparticles in four classes (I to IV) from low/no risk to high risk. It is based on the nanoparticle size (>/