Fabrication and characterization of cocoa butter-based caffeine fast-melting tablets.

Aim: The objective of this study was to develop and characterize the physical properties of fast-melting tablets (FMTs) using cocoa butter as the base and caffeine as the model drug. Method: The simple refrigerator freezing method was employed to prepare caffeine-loaded, FMTs from cocoa butter bases. Results: The F3 chosen formulation achieved a disintegration time of 1.20 min ± 0.035, which falls within the specified limit set by the European Pharmacopoeia. The cumulative drug release data of F3, was 88.52 and 94.08% within 60 and 75 min, respectively (NLT 85% as per US FDA requirement). All the other physical test standards for FMTs met the pharmacopeial specifications. Conclusion: Based on the findings, the simple refrigerator freezing method could be used to formulate FMTs.

Patient-friendly natural caffeine-loaded cocoa butter-based fast-melting tablets with rapid disintegration, affordability, safety and biocompatibility are an efficient base for drug delivery.

Biodegradable polymeric insulin microneedles - a design and materials perspective review.

Microneedle (MN) delivery devices are more accepted by people than regular traditional needle injections (e.g. vaccination) due to their simplicity and adaptability. Thus, patients of chronic diseases like diabetes look for alternative pain-free treatment regimens circumventing regular subcutaneous injections. Insulin microneedles (INS-MNs) are a thoughtfully researched topic (1) to overcome needle phobia in patients, (2) for controlled delivery of the peptide, (3) decreasing the frequency of drug administration, (4) to ease the drug administration procedure, and (5) thus increasing patient adherence to the treatment dosage regimes. MNs physically disrupt the hard outer skin layer to create minuscule pores for insulin (INS) to pass through the dermal capillaries into the systemic circulation. Biodegradable polymeric MNs are of greater significance for INS and vaccine delivery than silicon, metal, glass, or non-biodegradable polymeric MNs due to their ease of fabrication, mass production, cost-effectiveness, and bioerodability. In recent years, INS-MNs have been researched to deliver INS through the transdermal implants, buccal mucosa, stomach wall, intestinal mucosal layers, and colonic mucosa apart from the usual transdermal delivery. This review focuses on the design characteristics and the applications of biodegradable/dissolvable polymeric INS-MNs in transdermal, intra-oral, gastrointestinal (GI), and implantable delivery. The prospective approaches to formulate safe, controlled-release INS-MNs were highlighted. Biodegradable/dissolvable polymers, their significance, their impact on MN morphology, and INS release characteristics were outlined. The developments in biodegradable polymeric INS-MN technology were briefly discussed. Bio-erodible polymer selection, MN fabrication and evaluation factors, and other design aspects were elaborated.

A review and revisit of nanoparticles for antimicrobial drug delivery.

Antimicrobials are widely used to treat bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa. Therefore, research and development of newer types of antimicrobials are important. Antimicrobial resistance has emerged as a major challenge to the healthcare system, although various alternative antimicrobials have been proposed. However, none of these show consistent and comparable efficacy to antimicrobials in clinical trials. More recently, nanoparticles have emerged as a potential solution to antimicrobial agents to overcome antimicrobial resistance. This article revisits and updates applications of various types of nanoparticles for the delivery of antimicrobial agents and their characterization. Though nanoparticle technology has some limitations, it provides an innovative approach to pharmaceutical technology. Furthermore, nanoparticles offer a variety of advantages, such as enhancement of solubility and permeation, leading to better efficacy. In this article, approaches commonly employed to improve antimicrobial therapy are discussed. These approaches have advantages and applications and provide a broader opportunity for pharmaceutical scientists to choose the proper method per the desired outcome.

Protective effect of methanolic extract of Annona squamosa Linn in isoniazid-rifampicin induced hepatotoxicity in rats.

The present study was made to investigate the protective effect of methanolic extract of Annona squamosa on isoniazid-rifampicin-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Rats were divided into five different groups (n=6), group 1 served as a control, Group 2 received isoniazid (100 mg/kg, i.p.) and co-administered with rifampicin (100 mg/kg, i.p.), in sterile water, group 3 and 4 served as extract treatment groups and received 250 & 500 mg/kg bw, p.o methanolic extract of Annona squamosa and group 5 served as standard group and received silymarin 2.5 mg/kg bw, p.o. All the treatment protocols followed 21 days and after rats were sacrificed blood and liver were used for biochemical and histological studies, respectively. Administration of isoniazid and rifampicin caused a significant elevation in the levels of liver marker enzymes and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS, oxidative stress markers) in experimental rats. Administration of methanolic extracts of Annona squamosa significantly prevented isoniazid-rifampicin-induced elevation in the levels of serum diagnostic liver marker enzymes (alanine amino transferase (ALT), aspartate amino transferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and gamma glutamate transpeptidase (γ-GT)), serum bilirubin, and TBARS level in experimental groups of rats. Moreover, total protein and reduced glutathione (GSH) levels were significantly increased in treatment group. The effect of extract was compared with a standard drug, silymarin. The changes in biochemical parameters were supported by histological profile. It is to be concluded that the methanolic extract of Annona squamosa protects against isoniazid and rifampicin-induced oxidative liver injury in rats.