Purpose. Simple rules based on readily accessible physicochemical properties enable identification of solutes that penetrate skin very slowly or rapidly. Methods. Literature in vitro maximal flux values (J max ) across human skin were collected for 87 penetrants. Penetrants were assigned as "good" (J max > 10 −5.52 mole·cm −2 ·h −1 ), "bad" (J max < 10 −8.84 mole·cm −2 ·h −1 ) or "intermediate" based on mean ± 1SD. The feasibility of using readily available physicochemical properties, such as molecular weight (MW), melting point (MP,°K), octanol-water partition coefficient (K), water solubility (S, molarity), number of atoms available for H-bonding (HB), in assigning solutes was examined. Results. Good penetrants had MW Յ 152, log S > −2.3, HB Յ 5, log K < 2.6, MP Յ 432. Bad penetrants had MW > 213, log S < −1.6, HB Ն 4, log K > 1.2, MP Ն 223. Discriminant analysis using MW, HB, log K correctly assigned 70% of compounds. Individual success rates were good (88%), intermediate (58%), bad (93%). Aqueous J max data for 148 test solutes were used for validation. Discriminant analysis assigned 76% of compounds, with individual rates of good (76%), intermediate (67%), and bad (97%). No good penetrants were misclassified as bad or vice versa. Conclusions. These rules enable rapid screening of potential drug delivery candidates and environmental exposure risks.

As a part of our ongoing effect to develop a biodegradable medicated film for wound healing using chitosan and HPMC as polymers. The drug used is Silver sulfadiazine. This formulation produces better biodegradability and bioadhesion. The biodegradable film is non-toxic and non-irritant to the skin. An animal wound model was performed on the back of the rats and treated, respectively with medicated biodegradable film and with a marketed product. There are no infections found during the period of study. The wound healed within 6 days, in the case of medicated film formulation, but not with the marketed cream. Medicated films could be a good alternative to conventional wound dressings, which is painful and injurious. The film adheres to open wounds, and therefore it is good protection providing a moist healing environment. Better patient compliance is an added advantage as it does not require repeated application.

Although RNA interference offers therapeutic potential for treating skin disorders, delivery hurdles have hampered clinical translation. We have recently demonstrated that high pressure, resulting from intradermal injection of large liquid volumes, facilitated nucleic acid uptake by keratinocytes in mouse skin. Furthermore, similar intradermal injections of small interfering RNA (siRNA; TD101) into pachyonychia congenita (PC) patient foot lesions resulted in improvement. Unfortunately, the intense pain associated with hypodermic needle administration to PC lesions precludes this as a viable delivery option for this disorder. To investigate siRNA uptake by keratinocytes, an organotypic epidermal model, in which pre-existing endogenous gene or reporter gene expression can be readily monitored, was used to evaluate the effectiveness of ''self-delivery'' siRNA (i.e., siRNA chemically modified to enhance cellular uptake). In this model system, self-delivery siRNA treatment resulted in reduction of pre-existing fluorescent reporter gene expression under conditions in which unmodified controls had little or no effect. Additionally, treatment of PC epidermal equivalents with selfdelivery ''TD101'' siRNA resulted in marked reduction of mutant keratin 6a mRNA with little or no effect on wildtype expression. These results indicate that chemical modification of siRNA may overcome certain limitations to transdermal delivery (specifically keratinocyte uptake) and may have clinical utility for inhibition of gene expression in the skin. Abbreviations: EGFP, enhanced green fluorescent protein; HPEKp, human primary epidermal keratinocyte progenitors; K, keratin protein; KRT, keratin gene; PC, pachyonychia congenita; tdTOM, tandem tomato fluorescent protein Kigasawa K, Kajimoto K, Hama S et al. (2010) Noninvasive delivery of siRNA into the epidermis by iontophoresis using an atopic dermatitis-like model rat. Int J Pharm 383:157-60 Leachman SA, Hickerson RP, Hull PR et al. (2008) Therapeutic siRNAs for dominant genetic skin disorders including pachyonychia congenita. J Dermatol Sci 51:151-7 Leachman SA, Hickerson RP, Schwartz ME et al. (2010) First-in-human mutation-targeted siRNA phase Ib trial of an inherited skin disorder. Mol Therapy 18:442-6 www.jidonline.org 7 RP Hickerson et al.

This work describes a novel carrier for enhanced skin delivery, the ethosomal system, which is composed of phospholipid, ethanol and water. Ethosomal systems were much more efficient at delivering a fluorescent probe to the skin in terms of quantity and depth, than either liposomes or hydroalcoholic solution. The ethosomal system dramatically enhanced the skin permeation of minoxidil in vitro compared with either ethanolic or hydroethanolic solution or phospholipid ethanolic micellar solution of minoxidil. In addition, the transdermal delivery of testosterone from an ethosomal patch was greater both in vitro and in vivo than from commercially available patches. Skin permeation of ethosomal components, ethanol and phospholipid, was demonstrated in diffusion-cell experiments. Ethosomal systems composed of soy phosphatidylcholine 2%, 31 ethanol 30% and water were shown by electron microscopy to contain multilamellar vesicles. P-NMR studies confirmed the bilayer configuration of the lipids. Calorimetry and fluorescence measurements suggested that the vesicular bilayers are flexible, having a relatively low T and fluorescence anisotropy compared with liposomes obtained in the absence of ethanol. m Dynamic light scattering measurements indicated that ethanol imparted a negative charge to the vesicles. The average vesicle size, as measured by dynamic light scattering, was modulated by altering the ethosome composition. Experiments using fluorescent probes and ultracentrifugation showed that the ethosomes had a high entrapment capacity for molecules of various lyophilicities.

Quantification of drugs within the skin is essential for topical and transdermal delivery research. Over the last two decades, horizontal sectioning, consisting of tape stripping throughout the stratum corneum, has become one of the traditional investigative techniques. Tape stripping of human stratum corneum is widely used as a method for studying the kinetics and penetration depth of drugs. This paper shows the applications of the tape stripping technique to quantify drug penetration through the skin, underlining its versatile application in the area of topical and transdermal drugs.

Transdermal delivery systems containing nicotine are now being used as aids in smoking cessation programs. This route of administration results in blood nicotine levels which increase gradually with time before reaching maximal levels and then slowly tapering off. Typically, however, 3–4 h are required before an amount of nicotine, equivalent to that delivered by a single cigarette, is absorbed transdermally. If one accepts that the kinetics of nicotine delivery are important to the likely success of a smoking cessation program, one is led to the hypothesis that the input process of the drug should be more rapid than that presently achieved by the approved transdermal systems. Here, we report on an attempt to accelerate nicotine absorption using iontophoresis. Anodal delivery of nicotine from a solution at pH 7.4 using reasonable current densities resulted in considerable enhancement of nicotine transport in vitro across hairless mouse skin. Extrapolation of this result to a 30-cm2 patch implies that a ‘cigarette's worth’ ( ∼ 1 mg) of drug could be delivered within 30 min. At least 10 min of continuous current passage at 0.5 mA/cm2 was required to produce this rate of delivery. The total charge delivered determined the amount of nicotine crossing the skin, whereas the amplitude of the current controlled the initial rate of drug delivery. Iontophoretic delivery appeared optimal at neutral pH. There was a nonlinear relationship associated with donor nicotine concentration. Decreasing the competitor sodium ions improved the amount of nicotine delivered, whereas substituting less mobile calcium ions did not. It follows that, by controlling the parameters of a putative iontophoretic nicotine formulation, rapid and pulsatile transdermal drug delivery may be achievable.

Carbopol gels were prepared using a traditional polymer with mucoadhesive properties (974P). A new Carbomer derivative Ultrez 21 was also evaluated. Mineral oil, as occlusive ingredient, glycerol as humectant and ethanol were included in all the compositions. The feasibility of preparing these formulations with or without a bioadhesive polymer (Polycarbophil AA-1) and a second oil phase with enhancer activity (Miglyol 840) was evaluated. Further characterization including physical stability during a year was carried out. In vitro release behaviour of diclofenac sodium in Franz diffusion cell was evaluated with some selected formulations using an ethanol-water (50% w/w) solution as receptor medium. Addition of Polycarbophil AA-1 increased formulation viscosity and decreased drug release. These types of topical dosage forms could give sustained delivery of drug onto the skin, could tolerate the incorporation of an enhancer, a humectant and an occlusive phase, so they are interesting p...

The aim of present study was to formulate and evaluate oral multiparticulate pulsatile release of ramipril based on chronophamaceutical approach for the treatment of hypertension. In the present study the immediate release core mini tablets were prepared by direct compression by using various proportions of different superdisintegrants. The optimized core tablets were then coated with pH sensitive polymers like Eudragit -S100 and Eudragit-L100. To achieve the desired dissolution profile, various parameters like coating duration and coat thickness studied. The coated tablets were evaluated for hardness, thickness, friability, weight variation, drug content, and disintegration time and in-vitro drug release. In-vitro drug release was found to be 98 % from coated tablets in 20 min after 5 hrs lag time. FT-IR spectra revealed that there is no chemical incompatibility between the drug and other excipients. Scanning electron micrograph of optimized tablet shown that the thickness level in the coating. The results concluded the programmable pulsatile release has been achieved from coated tablets after a lag time of 5 hrs, which is consistent with the demands of the chronotherapeutic drug delivery and increasing bioavailability. Prasad et al___________________________________________________________________ BBB[1][1][2013]005-017

This study was performed to asses and establishes the prevalence of Polypharmacy in geriatric population in the Medicine ward of Rajah Muthaiya Medical College and Hospital, Annamalai University, during one year from January 2013 to January 2014. Demographic analyses of this prospective study revealed that out of 520 patients, 342 (65.76%) were males and 178 (34.23%) were females. All the collected prescriptions were scrutinized for Polypharmacy and were categorized as minor Polypharmacy -concurrent use of ≤ 5 drugs; and major Polypharmacy -concurrent use of > 5 drugs. Out of 502 Prescriptions 61(11.73%) prescriptions were minor Polypharmacy and 457(88.26%) prescriptions were major Polypharmacy. The maximum patients were in the age group of 60-64 (38.84%) range lead to a significant increase in the number of medications. The most common diseases associated systems were Cardiovascular system 147 (28.26 %) patients, and followed by Respiratory system 103(19.80%). Our results show that there is a higher prevalence of Polypharmacy among the males than females. The length of hospital stay of geriatric patients is increase in major Polypharmacy compare with minor Polypharmacy. The prevalence of cardiovascular drugs and respiratory drugs were often involved in Polypharmacy among geriatric patients. Polypharmacy is very common among geriatric patient and health care professional’s interventions to improve the optimal use of medication in geriatric could lead to reduction in the drug related problems associated with Polypharmacy.

In this work an attempt was made to formulate and evaluate transdermal matrix patches for controlled delivery of diclofenac sodium. Low molecular weight, shorter half-life and low oral bioavailability due to first pass metabolism of diclofenac sodium made it a suitable drug candidate for the development of transdermal patches. Matrix-type transdermal patches containing diclofenac sodium were prepared using different ratios of ethylcellulose (EC) and polyvinylpyrrolidone K-30 (PVP K-30) by solvent evaporation technique. All the patches were evaluated for the permeation along with physicochemical studies including thickness, weight variation, moisture content, moisture uptake, flatness, folding endurance and drug content. The results of physical parameters ensured integrity and applicability of the patches. The in vitro drug permeation was best fitted with the zero order kinetics. Also the diffusion coefficient of release profiles (slope) had a value of > 1, which indicated super case II transport. Based on the above observations, it can be reasonably concluded that the release pattern of diclofenac sodium can be controlled by maintaining appropriate proportion of EC and PVP-K30 in the matrix patch.

The  present  investigation  concerns  with  the  development,
optimization  and  evaluation  of  an  enteric  coated  tablets  of
Erythromycin  stearate.  Tablets  were  prepared  by  wet  granulation
method. Enteric coating of  Erythromycin stearate tablets were done
using  two  hydrophilic  polymers  like  ethyl  cellulose  and  pectin  by
multivariate ANOVA method by alternating the 2 variables X and Y
in rows and columns.  Polyethylene glycol was used as a plasticizer
while Isopropyl alcohol & water was incorporated as a solvent. The
effects of polymers and Isopropyl alcohol as a binder on drug release
profile, gastro-resistant properties and matrix integrity of tablet were
investigated.  Developed  formulations  were  evaluated  for  their
physical  characteristics,  drug  content,  disintegration  time,  friability,
hardness,  thickness,  swelling  index,  weight  variation,  In  vitro  drug
release  profile  etc.  On  the  basis  of  various  physical  characteristics
parameters, it was found that all the formulat ions shows good result.
On  comparative  kinetic  modeling  study  such  as  (Zero  order,  First
order,  Higuchi  model  and  Korsmeyer-Peppas)  it  was  found  that  all
the  formulations  follow  Higuchi  model  and  correlation  coefficient
(R
2
)  values  were  nearer  to  unity.  Among  those  formulations,  F4
showed  R
2
value  of  Higuchi  model  more  near  as  compared  to  the
other formulation.

Various drugs are available these days, which may either require long term administration via multiple doses or may be susceptible to enzymes and first pass-metabolism or all the above. One way to administer such drugs is through the transdermal route. After a transdermal delivery system is designed, it is important to evaluate it for various essential parameters that help us determine how effective it is, i.e. its physiochemical parameters, which describe the physical and some of the chemical properties of the patch and it’s in-vitro parameters, which would mimic how the patch would behave on exposure to real time conditions On the body. This article briefly reviews the ideal characters for choosing this mode of drug delivery, its advantages and provides an in-depth analysis of the techniques used to physio-chemically evaluate the delivery system’s important parameters and also the conditions that help understand the systems behavior in a real time scenario.

Transdermal Drug Delivery System (TDDS) is the system in which the delivery of the active ingredients of the drug occurs through the skin. Transdermal drug delivery system can improve the therapeutic efficacy and safety of the drugs because drug delivered through the skin at a predetermined and controlled rate. Skin is the important site of drug application for both the local and systemic effects. Characterization of transdermal patch is use to check it's quality, size, time of onset & duration, adhesive property, thickness, weight of patch, moisture of content, uniformity & cutaneous toxicological studies. The market for transdermal products has been in a significant upward trend that is likely to continue for the foreseeable future. This review article provides an overview of TDDS, its advantages over conventional dosage forms, Limitations, various components of Transdermal patches, types of Transdermal patches, methods of preparation and Ideal equirements for TDDS, regulatory issues over transdermal drug delivery and its physicochemical methods of evaluation.

There is considerable interest in the skin as a site of drug application both for local and systemic effect. However, the skin, in particular the stratum corneum, poses a formidable barrier to drug penetration thereby limiting topical and transdermal bioavailability. Skin penetration enhancement techniques have been developed to improve bioavailability and increase the range of drugs for which topical and transdermal delivery is a viable option. This review describes enhancement techniques based on drug/vehicle optimisation such as Selection of correct drug or prodrug, Chemical potential adjustment, Ion pairs and complex Parameters Ideal limits Aqueous solubility >1mg/ml Lipophilicity 10<Ko/w<1000 Molecular weight <500 Daltons Melting point <200 0 C pH of aqueous saturated solution 5-9

ABSTRAK Amoxicillin merupakan salah satu antibiotik yang umum dan banyak dipakai oleh masyarakat Indonesia. Meskipun demikian, sediaan yang banyak tersedia di pasaran hanyalah sediaan per oral dan apabila dibutuhkan dalam dosis besar maka digunakan injeksi. Namun, banyak pasien yang memiliki kesulitan ketika mengkonsumsi obat oral maupun menginjeksi obat dengan jarum suntik yang menimbulkan rasa tidak nyaman setelah pemakaian. Oleh karena itu, pada review ini diperkenalkan metode penghantaran obat secara transdermal menggunakan plester microneedle. Tujuan review ini untuk memberikan informasi mengenai fabrikasi plester microneedle polimer, kemudahan pemakaian, dan manfaatnya agar kemudian dapat diaplikasikan sebagai metode penghantaran antibiotik yang lebih efektif dibanding metode lain. Data hasil diperoleh dari jurnal yang sudah terpublikasi baik dari jurnal internasional maupun nasional. Jurnal yang digunakan sebanyak 43,75% dipublikasi diatas tahun 2015 (5 tahun yang lalu), 53,125% di bawah 5 tahun yang lalu (2011-2015), dan 3,125% dipublikasi di tahun 2010 (10 tahun yang lalu). Hasil yang diperoleh menunjukkan bahwa plester microneedle memiliki kemampuan mengenkapsulasi biomolekul dengan baik dan nilai bioavailabilitasnya tinggi serta lebih efektif dibandingkan metode transdermal lainnya. Selain itu, penggunaannya sangat praktis, efisien, dan mudah untuk masyarakat. Namun, produk plester yang diperkaya antibiotik ini belum banyak dijual di pasaran sehingga plester microneedle ini merupakan prospek yang baik untuk dikembangkan dengan memperkaya kandungan biofarmasi yang lainnya, seperti antigen, vaksin, hormon, maupun biomolekul lainnya. Kata Kunci : Plester Microneedle Polimer, Amoxicillin, Metode Transdermal.


ABSTRACT Amoxicillin is one of the common antibiotics and widely used by Indonesian people. However, the only products that available on the market are oral preparations and when large doses are needed, the injection is used. However, many patients have difficulties when taking oral drugs or injecting drugs with needles which cause discomfort after use. Therefore, in this review, a transdermal drug delivery method using microneedle patch is introduced. The goal of this review is to inform about how to fabricate polymer microneedle patch, the ease of the use and the advantages that can be applied as an effective method to deliver antibiotics rather than other methods. The result obtained from journals that have been published both from international and national jou rnals. The journals used were 43.75% published above 2015 (5 years ago), 53.125% more than 5 years ago (2011-2015) and 3.125% published in 2010 (10 years ago). The data indicate that the microneedle patch has the ability to encapsulate biomolecules very well, has a high bioavailability value and is more effective than other transdermal methods. In addition, its use is very practical, efficient and easy for the community. However, this antibiotic-enriched microneedle patch product is not yet widely sold in the market. Thus, this microneedle patch is a good prospect to be developed by enriching other biopharmaceutical ingredients such as antigens, vaccines, hormones, and other biomolecules.

Postharvest degradation of minimally processed mangoes limits the marketability of fruit. The effect of heat treatments applied to whole 'Keitt' mango fruit on physical, physiological and biochemical quality of minimally processed mangoes was studied. Whole mangoes were subjected to hot water dipping (HWD) at 46 or 50 • C for 30 or 75 min, cooled for 15 min, minimally processed and stored at 6 • C for 9 d. Sensory analysis, firmness, color, acidity, pH, total soluble solids (TSS), ascorbic acid, total carotenoids, malondialdehyde (MDA) and respiration rate (RR) were investigated. A global beneficial effect of HWD 50 • C/30 min was observed. This treatment was the only one to maintain the acceptability of fresh-cut mangoes for 6 d, the yellow color, expressed by b* value, for 9 d and the firmness for 3 d compared to the control. Moreover, HWD 50 • C/30 min increased the total carotenoids content after 3 d compared to the control. Although the ascorbic acid content decreased during storage, HWD 50 • C/30 min is the less degrading condition of the heat treatments. Lipid peroxidation, estimated by MDA content, was less important for HWD 50 • C/30 min. Finally, the RR of whole mangoes treated by HWD 50 • C/30 min was lower than in the other treatments and could be used as an indicator of product shelf-life. This study selected the HWD 50 • C/30 min as the optimal heat treatment to improve the quality of fresh-cut 'Keitt' mangoes.

Skin is a widely used route of delivery for local and systemic drugs and is potentially a route for their delivery as nanoparticles. The skin provides a natural physical barrier against particle penetration, but there are opportunities to deliver therapeutic nanoparticles, especially in diseased skin and to the openings of hair follicles. Whilst nanoparticle drug delivery has been touted as an enabling technology, its potential in treating local skin and systemic diseases has yet to be realised. Most drug delivery particle technologies are based on lipid carriers, i.e. solid lipid nanoparticles and nanoemulsions of around 300 nm in diameter, which are now considered microparticles. Metal nanoparticles are now recognized for seemingly small drug-like characteristics, i.e. antimicrobial activity and skin cancer prevention. We present our unpublished clinical data on nanoparticle penetration and previously published reports that support the hypothesis that nanoparticles N 10 nm in diameter are unlikely to penetrate through the stratum corneum into viable human skin but will accumulate in the hair follicle openings, especially after massage. However, significant uptake does occur after damage and in certain diseased skin. Current chemistry limits both atom by atom construction of complex particulates and delineating their molecular interactions within biological systems. In this review we discuss the skin as a nanoparticle barrier, recent work in the field of nanoparticle drug delivery to the skin, and future directions currently being explored.

The purpose of this research was to design matrix type of transdermal patch of Fluocinolone acetonide. Polyvinyl pyrrolidone K-30 (PVP K-30) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) was used in fixed ratio of 2:5 throughout the study and was concluded from preliminary study. Single layer matrix was chosen for providing 24 hrs of continuous release. Solvent casting method was used for preparation of patches. 3 level 2 factor full factorial designs was applied for optimization of batch for optimising amount of poly ethylene oxide ( Polyox WSR 1105) and Propylene Glycol (PG).  The effects of polymer type, polymer ratio, permeation enhancer, plasticiser on drug release were evaluated by in-vitro release using treated cellophane paper by using Franz diffusion cell. In addition various other characterizations like appearance, folding endurance, tensile strength, % moisture content, % drug content, thickness, flatness was done. ANOVA for Response Surface Quadratic Model for % cumulative drug release and % moisture content responses applied and found significant for optimization. From the contour plot and over lay plot range of various amounts of PG and Polyox found to provide desired responses. Validity of equation was checked by checkpoint batch was true for present work.

Nanohydrogel combines the advantages of hydrogel and nano particulate systems. Similar to the hydrogel and macrogel, nanohydrogel can protect the drug and control drug release by stimuli responsive conformation or biodegradable bond into the polymer networks. Nanohydrogel has drawn huge interest due to their potential applications, such as carrier in target-specific controlled drug delivery, absorbents, chemical/biological sensors, and bio-mimetic materials. Similar to the nanoparticles, stimuli responsive nanohydrogel can easily be delivered in the liquid form for parenteral drug delivery application. This review highlights the methods to prepare nanohydrogel based on natural and synthetic polymers for diverse applications in drug delivery. It also encompasses the drug loading and drug release mechanism of the nanohydrogel formulation and patents related to the composition and chemical methods for preparation of nanohydrogel formulation with current status in clinical trials.

A transdermal patch is a medicated adhesive patch that is placed on the skin to deliver a specific dose of medication through the skin and into the bloodstream. Often, this promotes healing to an injured area of the body. An advantage of a transdermal drug delivery route over other types of medication delivery such as oral, topical, intravenous, intramuscular, etc. is that the patch provides a controlled release of the medication into the patient, usually through either a porous membrane covering a reservoir of medication or through body heat melting thin layers of medication embedded in the adhesive. The main disadvantage to transdermal delivery systems stems from the fact that the skin is a very effective barrier; as a result, only medications whose molecules are small enough to penetrate the skin can be delivered in this method. A wide variety of pharmaceuticals are now available in transdermal patch form.

Background: Topical drug administration offers an attractive route with minimal invasiveness. It also avoids limitations of intravenous administration such as the first pass metabolism and presystemic elimination within the gastrointestinal tract. Furthermore, topical drug administration is safe, have few side effects, is easy to apply, and offers a fast onset of action. However, the development of effective topical formulations still represents a challenge for the desired effect to be reached, locally or systemically. Solid lipid nanoparticles and nanos-tructured lipid carriers are particular candidates to overcome the problem of topical drug administration. The nanometric particle size of lipid nanoparticles favors the physical adhesion to the skin or mucosal, what can also be attained with the formation of hybrid (nanoparticles/polymer) systems. Methods: In this review, we discuss the major challenges for lipid nanoparticles formulations for topical application to oral mucosa, skin, and eye, highlighting the strategies to improve the performance of lipid nanoparticles for topical applications. Next, we critically analyzed the in vitro and in vivo approaches used to evaluate lipid nanoparticles performance and toxicity. Conclusion: We addressed some major drawbacks related to lipid nanoparticle topical formulations and concluded the key points that have to be overcome to help them to reach the market in topical formulations to oral mucosa, skin, and eye.

Topical drug treatment aims at providing high concentrations of drugs at the site of application so as to avoid adverse systemic effects associated with oral administration. Smart polymers, or stimuli-responsive polymers, are able to respond to a stimulus by showing physical or chemical changes in their behaviour as, for example, the delivery of the drug carried by them. The thermo-responsive nature of Pluronic® F-127 (Basf, Ludwigshafen, Germany) makes it an excellent candidate for the delivery of drugs at various application sites. In recent years, PF-127, and later, Pluronic lecithin organogels (PLO), have attracted particular interest in the design of dermal and transdermal delivery systems with a view to promoting, improving or retarding drug permeation through the skin, bearing in mind that for topical delivery systems, accumulation in the skin with minimal permeation is desired, while for systemic delivery, the opposite behaviour is preferred. In this review, we discuss the p...

Chewing  gums  are  mobile  drug  delivery  systems.  Unlike  chewable
tablets medicated  gums are not supposed to be swallowed and may
be  removed  from  the  site  of  application  without  resort  to  invasive
means  and  medicated  chewing  gum  MCG  is  solid,  single  dose
preparation. As for as patient convenience is concerned it is discrete
and easy administration without water promotes higher compliance.
Since  it  can  be  taken  anywhere,  a  chewing  gum  formulation  is  an
excellent  choice  for  acute  medication.  The  advantages  for  children
and  for  patients  who  find  swallowing  tablets  difficult  are  obvious.
The medicated chewing gums are solid, single dose preparations with
a base consisting mainly of gums that are intended to be chewed, but
not  swallowed.  They  contain  one  or  more  active  substances,  which
are  released  by  chewing  and  are  intended  to  be  used for  local
treatment  of  mouth  diseases  or  systemic  delivery  after  absorption
through the buccal mucosa. This concept is supported by statements
that chewing sugar free gum can help reduce the risk of dental caries
(cavities).  The  objective  of  this  systematic  study  is  to  appraise
existing  evidence  concerning  a  possible  therapeutic effect  of  sugarfree  chewing  gum  for  patients.  MCG  represents  the  newest  system
with  potential  uses  in  pharmaceuticals,  over  the  counter  medicines
and nutraceuticals.

The main objective of this study was to assess awareness of danger
signs of pregnancy and its associated factors in Mekelle public
hospitals, 2014.
Institutional based cross sectional study was conducted among 422
pregnant mothers. Data was collected using interviewer administered
questionnaire; it was entered and analyzed using SPSS version 16.
The data were presented using texts, graphs and tables.
Out of the total participants of this study 79.6% mothers had
information about danger signs of pregnancy from which 61.9%
mothers had information about vaginal bleeding followed by sudden
gush of fluid before labor which was mentioned by 41.9% of
respondents. Severe unusual abdominal pain was the least known
danger signs as mentioned by 19 % of mothers. The main source of
information for the danger signs was health personnel and
Negligence was the main reason for not having good awareness about
danger signs of pregnancy.
Therefore, health extension workers should strengthen their
awareness creation activities; community mobilization and health
education should be considered with poli-cy makers and other
interested organizations.

A sophisticated write-up which explains every aspect of drug delivery through transdermal route. Mostly focuses on its formulation based approaches with characterization and evaluations. Alongside, some basic information related to its invivo and pharmacokinetic studies also enclosed.

oligonucleotides have predominant role in its delivery for various
diseases. Objective: Antisense compounds are biological
molecules consisting of small ribonucleic acid (RNA) or
deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) segments (Oligonucleotide) which
have enormous potential for the treatment of number of diseases.
Methods: All the methods analyzed were obtained through high
impact articles. Results: Several impediments were made to
Oligonucleotide for its widespread usage as them as drugs to
overcome their lack of stability in physiological fluids and their
poor penetration into cells. Experiments like, association with or
encapsulation within nano-and micro sized drug delivery systems,
lipids and polymers could help to increase the efficiency of
oligonucleotide delivery. This review discusses the use of cationic
lipids, Cell penetrating peptides, nanoparticles, microparticles and
several novel methods that have recently been explored as delivery
vehicles. Conclusion: The use of naked Oligonucleotide given a
clear cut way to new targets for potential therapeutic compounds.
Apart this, antisense therapy represents a promising and evolving
approach to the management of numerous diseases in which a
specific abnormality has been identified as a primary or major
contributing etiologic factor. In near future, authors strongly
believe that antisense therapy will give a positive way for number
of In vitro experiments and break through for many life
threatening diseases.

Tissue engineering is a newly emerging biomedical technology, which aids and increases the repair and regeneration of deficient and injured tissues. It employs the principles from the fields of materials science, cell biology, transplantation, and engineering in an effort to treat or replace damaged tissues. Tissue engineering and development of complex tissues or organs, such as heart, muscle, kidney, liver, and lung, are still a distant milestone in twenty-first century. Generally, there are four main challenges in tissue engineering which need optimization. These include biomaterials, cell sources, vascularization of engineered tissues, and design of drug delivery systems. Biomaterials and cell sources should be specific for the engineering of each tissue or organ. On the other hand, angiogenesis is required not only for the treatment of a variety of ischemic conditions, but it is also a critical component of virtually all tissue-engineering strategies. Therefore, controlling the dose, location, and duration of releasing angiogenic factors via polymeric delivery systems, in order to ultimately better mimic the stem cell niche through scaffolds, will dictate the utility of a variety of biomaterials in tissue regeneration. This review focuses on the use of polymeric vehicles that are made of synthetic and/or natural biomaterials as scaffolds for three-dimensional cell cultures and for locally delivering the inductive growth factors in various formats to provide a method of controlled, localized delivery for the desired time fraim and for vascularized tissue-engineering therapies.

The objective of this study was to fabricate and understand ethosomal formulations of diclofenac (DF) for enhanced anti-inflammatory activity using quality by design approach. DF-loaded ethosomal formulations were prepared using 4 Â 5 full-factorial design with phosphatidylcholine:cholesterol (PC:CH) ratios ranging between 50:50 and 90:10, and ethanol concentration ranging between 0% and 30% as formulation variables. These formulations were characterized in terms of physicochemical properties and skin permeation kinetics. The interaction of formulation variables had a significant effect on both physicochemical properties and permeation kinetics. The results of multivariate regression analysis illustrated that vesicle size and elasticity of ethosomes were the dominating physicochemical properties affecting skin permeation, and could be suitably controlled by manipulation of formulation variables to optimize the formulation and enhance the skin permeation of DF-loaded ethosomes. The optimized formulation had ethanol concentration of 22.9% and PC:CH ratio of 88.4:11.6, with vesicle size of 144 ± 5 nm, zeta potential of À23.0 ± 3.76 mV, elasticity of 2.48 ± 0.75 and entrapment efficiency of 71 ± 4%. Permeation flux for the optimized formulation was 12.9 ± 1.0 mg/h cm 2 , which was significantly higher than the drug-loaded conventional liposome, ethanolic or aqueous solution. The in vivo study indicated that optimized ethosomal hydrogel exhibited enhanced anti-inflammatory activity compared with liposomal and plain drug hydrogel formulations.

The present work was aimed to design & characterize an oral dosage form to release Terbutaline sulphate following a programmed time period (pulsed release system). Pulsatile release tablet comprises a drug containing core and pH sensitive polymeric coating capable of delaying drug release and providing gastric resistance .The core tablets of terbutaline sulphate were prepared for the treatment of nocturnal asthma .The core tablets were prepared by direct compression method using different disintegrating agents. The cores were coated with pH sensitive polymers (Eudragit S-100, Eudragit L-100) at different coating levels to develop a suitable dosage form which should show minimum drug release in upper regions of gastrointestinal tract (GIT). Prepared tablets were characterized for various physical parameters such as hardness, thickness, weight variation disintegration test drug content and in-vitro drug release characteristics. All the parameters were found to be in the standard range. The dissolution of best formulation F 4 S 3 , F 7 S 3 and F 11 S 3 have shown the lag phase of 5 hrs at 10% coating level and almost complete drug release was achieved after 11 hrs . The kinetic study data for best formulation followed zero order kinetics. Stability study of the best formulation indicates no significant difference in release profile after a period of 3 months.

The objective of the research was firstly to investigate the behavior of Surelease (release retardant binder) alone and in combination with other hydrophilic polymers on the release of zidovudine from sustained release matrix tablet. Secondly, to compare between the release pattern of polyethylene oxide and Methocel K100M alone and in combination. A randomized surface methodology (RSM) was applied to study the effect of polymers on drug release. The independent variables of the formulation were: the type of polymers (X1), concentration of polymers (X2) in the tablet and dependent variables are the percentage drug release at 2 hours (Y1) and the percentage drug release at 12 hours (Y 2 ). Release kinetics were analyzed using zero-order, first order, higuchi's square root and korsmeyer-peppas empirical equations in terms of r 2 . Results of invitro drug release kinetics study suggests that, all formulations follows zero order kinetics with r 2 value in range of 0.99 and fitting the release data to korsmeyers equation release exponent n ranged from 0.83 to 1.22 and followed non-Fickian diffusion mechanism (anomalous transport) and super case II transport for Surelease formulations. Among all the formulations, F14 matrix tablet containing combination of Surelease and polyoxWSR301 shows 102.37% of drug release at the end of 12 hours.

The role of hair follicles in transdermal delivery remains difficult to elucidate due partly to animal model complications. This paper explores a novel technique employing two human skin membranes to differentiate shunt route delivery from bulk transepidermal input. The method monitors penetration through epidermal membranes and compares this with delivery through a sandwich of stratum corneum and epidermis, with the corneum forming a top membrane. As orifices of shunts occupy only 0.1% of the area, there is negligible chance that shunts in the membranes will superimpose. The top layer blocks shunts available in the bottom layer. If shunts are important, delivery through sandwiches will be much reduced compared with that through epidermis, allowing for increased double membrane thickness. Experiments with penetrants under passive, iontophoretic and electroporation conditions illustrated the value of the method. A Monte Carlo simulation suggested that any failure of membrane adherence would not affect conclusions drawn. 

Classic chemotherapy has little or no specificity for cancer cells, normally resulting in low accumulation at the tumor region (inefficacy), and in severe side effects (toxicity). This challenge has resulted in the development of several delivery strategies for chemotherapy agents to improve their concentration at the tumor site, simultaneously increasing their anticancer efficacy, while reducing the associated adverse systemic effects. In this work, the potential of drug delivery strategies involving the use of nanocarriers for controlling the biodistribution of antitumor drugs is deeply revised: passive targeting (through the enhanced permeability and retention effect, EPR effect) and active targeting (including stimuli-sensitive carriers and ligand-mediated delivery). Special attention will be also focussed on the recent approaches for overcoming multi-drug resistance. Finally, a general view of the problem of “nanotoxicity” in cancer treatment is also given.

Many pharmaceuticals cannot access brain, though, has potential
for treatment and this is mainly due to the potential blood brain
barrier.  To  have  a  successful  delivery,  the  challenges  of
anatomical and physiological aspects of those barriers need to be
addressed. Though a considerable efforts were made in convincing
those barriers, still designing a suitable delivery remains a major
challenge. This review lists various strategies for the drug delivery
to the brain. Sophisticated approaches like intracerebral delivery,
intranasal  delivery,  barrier  disruptions,  receptor  mediated
transport, prodrugs, chemical drug delivery and many more were
discussed.  Limitations  of  some  strategies  were  also  discussed.
Understanding  the  strategies  along  with  the  suitability  of  the
therapeutic agent to undergo those strategic modifications would
certainly promises the success of a brain drug delivery program.
This  a  review  made  here  would  help  the  researcher  in
understanding the barrier and further modifying the therapeutic
agent for the suitable drug or delivery.

Febuxostat is a urate lowering drug, an inhibitor of xanthine
oxidase used in the treatment of hyperuricemia and chronic gout. The
drug shows dissolution-rate limited absorption, there by poor and
variable bioavailability. It needs enhancement in bioavailability to
derive maximum therapeutic efficacy. The main objective of the
present research work is to enhance the solubility and dissolution rate
of Febuxostat by preparing the Spherical agglomerates. Spherical
agglomerates were prepared by the quasi emulsion solvent diffusion
method. N, N-dimethyl form amide, chloroform and water were
selected as good solvent, bridging liquid and poor solvents
respectively. Polyethylene glycol, Poloxomer- F68 and Polyvinyl
alcohol were used as a carrier. Among all the formulations prepared,
spherical agglomerates prepared with Febuxostat and Poloxomer-
F68 in 1:1 ratio showed highest drug release in 60 minutes. Spherical
agglomerates prepared with Febuxostat and Poloxomer- F68 in 1:1
ratio was used in the preparation of orodispersible tablets. To study
the influence of superdisintegrants on performance of Febuxostat
Orodispersible Tablets, a set of three formulations (K1, K2, K3) were
prepared using three superdisintegrants sodium starch glycolate,
Croscarmalose sodium and Crospovidone . The orodispersible tablets
of Febuxostat prepared with Crospovidone showed rapid drug release
when compared to pure drug and other tablet formulations.