Ternary Dry Powder Agglomerate Inhalation Formulation of Melatonin With Air Jet Mixing to Improve In Vitro And In Vivo Performance.

An improved agglomerate formulation with melatonin and fine lactose for dry powder inhalation using Turbuhaler® was developed. Co-grinding lactose with 1 % magnesium stearate prior to air jet mixing served as a key factor to improve the in vitro aerosolization and in vivo efficacy. Elevated mixing pressure facilitated the dispersion and homogenization of the cohesive mixture for even distribution of agglomerate size after spheroidization and subsequent higher emitted dose with lower variation. Magnesium stearate was employed as a tertiary component to adjust the interparticle force for better aerosolization. At optimized mixing pressure, co-grinding lactose with magnesium stearate before jet mixing displayed further improvement of fine particle fraction to 71.6 ± 3.1 %. The superior fine particle deposition efficiency contributed to rapid onset of action and a high bioavailability of 67.0 % after intratracheal administration to rats. Overall, an inhalable melatonin dry powder formulation exhibiting good aerosol property and lung deposition with clinical translation potential was developed.

Factors Affecting Patient Adherence to Inhalation Therapy: An Application of SEIPS Model 2.0.

Purpose: This study aims to explore factors that affect patient adherence to inhalation therapy by applying a patient-centered approach. Patients and Methods: We conducted a qualitative study to identify the factors that influence adherent behaviors among asthma/COPD patients. 35 semi-structured interviews with patients, and 15 semi-structured interviews with healthcare providers (HCPs) who manage asthma/COPD patients were conducted. The SEIPS 2.0 model was applied as a conceptual framework for guiding the interview content and analysis of the interview data. Results: Based on the findings of this study, a conceptual framework of patient adherence in asthma/COPD during inhalation therapy was constructed including five themes: person, task, tool, physical environment, and culture and society. Person-related factors include patient ability and emotional experience. Task-related factors refer to task type and frequency and flexibility. Tool-related factors are the type of inhalers and usability of inhalers. Physical environment-related factors include home environment and COVID-19 situation. Culture and social related factors consist of two aspects: cultural beliefs and social stigma. Conclusion: The findings of the study identified 10 influential factors that impact on patient adherence to inhalation therapy. A SEIPS-based conceptual model was constructed based on the responses of patients and HCPs to explore the experiences of patients engaging in inhalation therapy and interacting with inhalation devices. In particular, new insight about factors of emotional experience, physical environment and traditional cultural beliefs were found crucial for patients with Asthma/COPD to conduct patients' adherent behaviors.

Improving Inhalation Performance with Particle Agglomeration via Combining Mechanical Dry Coating and Ultrasonic Vibration.

Agglomerate formulations for dry powder inhalation (DPI) formed with fine particles are versatile means for the highly efficient delivery of budesonide. However, uncontrolled agglomeration induces high deposition in the upper airway, causing local side effects due to high mechanical strength, worse deagglomeration, and poor fine-particle delivery. In the present study, fine lactose was mechanically dry-coated prior to particle agglomeration, and the agglomerates were then spheroidized via ultrasonic vibration to improve their aerosol performance. The results showed that the agglomerate produced with the surface-enriched hydrophobic magnesium stearate and ultrasonic vibration demonstrated improved aerosolization properties, benefiting from their lower mechanical strength, less interactive cohesive force, and improved fine powder dispersion behavior. After dispersion utilizing a Turbuhaler® with a pharmaceutical cascade impactor test, a fine particle fraction (FPF) of 71.1 ± 1.3% and an artificial throat deposition of 19.3 ± 0.4% were achieved, suggesting the potential to improve the therapeutic outcomes of budesonide with less localized infections of the mouth and pharynx.

Production of H2-Rich Syngas From Lignocellulosic Biomass Using Microwave-Assisted Pyrolysis Coupled With Activated Carbon Enabled Reforming.

This study focuses on the use of a microwave reactor that combines biomass pyrolysis, at mild temperature, with catalytic reforming of the pyrolytic gas, using activated carbon, for generating hydrogen-rich synthesis gas. The traditional pyrolysis of biomass coupled with the reforming of its pyrolytic yields were also conducted using an electrically heated reactor. The bio-oil attained from conventional pyrolysis was higher in comparison to the yield from microwave pyrolysis. The reforming of the pyrolytic gas fraction led to reductions in bio-oil yield to <3.0 wt%, with a simultaneous increase in gaseous yields. An increase in the syngas and H2 selectivity was discovered with the reforming process such that the use of microwave pyrolysis with activated carbon reforming produced 85 vol% synthesis gas fraction containing 55 vol% H2 in comparison to the 74 vol% syngas fraction with 30 vol% H2 obtained without the reforming. Cracking reactions were improved with microwave heating, while deoxidation and dehydrogenation reactions were enhanced by activated carbon, which creates a reduction environment. Consequently, these reactions generated H2-rich syngas formation. The approach implemented in this study revealed higher H2, syngas yield and that the overall LHV of products has huge potential in the transformation of biomass into high-value synthesis gas.

Highly Efficient Sulfonic/Carboxylic Dual-Acid Synergistic Catalysis for Esterification Enabled by Sulfur-Rich Graphene Oxide.

A new sulfonic/carboxylic dual-acid catalyst based on sulfur-rich graphene oxide (GO-S) was readily prepared and used as a highly efficient and reusable solid acid catalyst toward the esterification of oleic acid with methanol for biodiesel production. Higher yields of methyl oleate (98 %) and over 3 times higher turnover frequencies (TOFs) were observed for the GO-S dual-acid catalyst, compared to liquid sulfuric acid or other carbon-based solid acid catalysts. The "acidity" of sulfonic acid groups was enhanced by the addition of carboxylic acid groups as the combination of the two acids enhances their inherent activity by associative interaction.