3D Raman mapping as an analytical tool for investigating the coatings of coated drug particles.

The properties of dry-coated paracetamol particles (fast-dissolving model drug) with carnauba wax particles as the coating agent (dissolution retardant) were investigated. Raman mapping technique was used to non-destructively examine the thickness and homogeneity of coated particles. The results showed that the wax existed in two forms on the surface of the paracetamol particles, forming a porous coating layer: i) whole wax particles on the surface of paracetamol and glued together with other wax surface particles, and ii) deformed wax particles spread on the surface. Regardless of the final particle size fraction (between 100 and 800 µm), the coating thickness had high variability, with average thickness of 5.9 ± 4.2 µm. The ability of carnauba wax to decrease the dissolution rate of paracetamol was confirmed by dissolution of powder and tablet formulations. The dissolution was slower for larger coated particles. Tableting further reduced the dissolution rate, clearly indicating the impact of subsequent formulation processes on the final quality of the product.

A new way to prepare gold nanoparticles by sputtering - Sterilization, stability and other properties.

We have developed a novel simple method for effective preparing gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) intended for utilization in biomedicine. The method is based on gold sputtering into liquid poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). The PEG was used as a basic biocompatible stabilizer of the AuNP colloid. In addition, two naturally occurring polysaccharides - Chitosan (Ch) and Methylcellulose (MC) - were separately diluted into the PEG base with the aims to enhance the yield of the sputtering without changing the sputtering parameters, and to further improve the stability and the biocompatibility of the colloid. The colloids were sterilized by steam, and their stability was measured before and after the sterilization process by dynamic light scattering and UV-Vis spectrophotometry. The results indicated a higher sputtering yield in the colloids containing the polysaccharides. The colloids were also characterized by atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) to reveal the composition of the prepared nanoparticles by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to visualize the nanoparticles and to evaluate their size and clustering, and by rheometry to estimate the viscosity of the colloids. The zeta-potential of the AuNPs was also determined as an important parameter indicating the stability and the biocompatibility of the colloid. In addition, in vitro tests of antimicrobial activity and cytotoxicity were carried out to estimate the biological activity and the biocompatibility of the colloids. Antimicrobial tests were performed by a drip test on two bacterial strains - Gram-positive Staphylococcus epidermidis and Gram-negative Escherichia coli. AuNP with chitosan proved to possess the highest antibacterial activity, especially towards the Gram-positive S. epidermidis. In vitro tests on eukaryotic cells, i.e. human osteoblastic cell line SAOS-2 and primary normal human dermal fibroblasts (NHDF), were performed after a 7-day cultivation to determine the effect and the toxic dose of the colloids on human cells. The studied colloid concentrations were in the range from 0.6 µg/ml to 6 µg/ml. Toxicity of the colloids started to reappear at a concentration of 4.5 µg/ml, especially with chitosan in the colloid, where the colloid with a concentration of 6 µg/ml proved to be the most toxic, especially towards the SAOS-2 cell line. However, the PEG and PEG-MC containing colloids proved to be relatively non-toxic, even at the highest concentration, but with a slowly decreasing tendency of the cell metabolic activity.

Reaction parameters of in situ silver chloride precipitation on cellulose fibres.

In the present work, non-woven, non-regenerated cellulose wound dressing was subjected to in situ silver (Ag) deposition in the form of silver chloride (AgCl) under various reaction conditions. The studied reaction parameters were as follows: time, temperature, and reactants´ concentration. AgCl was bound on the cellulose via two-step process. Firstly, the silver ions (Ag+) were attracted to cellulose in the solution of silver nitrate (AgNO3). Secondly, Ag+ were precipitated directly on the cellulose by immersing the samples into the solution of sodium chloride (NaCl). The prepared samples were examined on the amount of bound and released Ag, and the release was studied both in water and in simulated body fluids. The reaction parameters significantly affected the amount of bound and released Ag, the difference of released Ag was as high as 75%. The key parameter in the process was reactants´ concentration. Non-regenerated cellulose modified with AgCl was antibacterially active.