Pharmaceutical Applications of Biomass Polymers: Review of Current Research and Perspectives.

Polymers derived from natural biomass have emerged as a valuable resource in the field of biomedicine due to their versatility. Polysaccharides, peptides, proteins, and lignin have demonstrated promising results in various applications, including drug delivery design. However, several challenges need to be addressed to realize the full potential of these polymers. The current paper provides a comprehensive overview of the latest research and perspectives in this area, with a particular focus on developing effective methods and efficient drug delivery systems. This review aims to offer insights into the opportunities and challenges associated with the use of natural polymers in biomedicine and to provide a roadmap for future research in this field.

Romanian Wild-Growing Chelidonium majus-An Emerging Approach to a Potential Antimicrobial Engineering Carrier System Based on AuNPs: In Vitro Investigation and Evaluation.

Novel nanotechnology based on herbal products aspires to be a high-performing therapeutic platform. This study reports the development of an original engineering carrier system that jointly combines the pharmacological action of Chelidonium majus and AuNPs, with unique properties that ensure that the limitations imposed by low stability, toxicity, absorption, and targeted and prolonged release can be overcome. The metabolite profile of Romanian wild-grown Chelidonium majus contains a total of seventy-four phytochemicals belonging to eight secondary metabolite categories, including alkaloids, amino acids, phenolic acids, flavonoids, carotenoids, fatty acids, sterols, and miscellaneous others. In this study, various techniques (XRD, FTIR, SEM, DLS, and TG/DTG) were employed to investigate his new carrier system's morpho-structural and thermal properties. In vitro assays were conducted to evaluate the antioxidant potential and release profile. The results indicate 99.9% and 94.4% dissolution at different pH values for the CG-AuNPs carrier system and 93.5% and 85.26% for greater celandine at pH 4 and pH 7, respectively. Additionally, three in vitro antioxidant assays indicated an increase in antioxidant potential (flavonoid content 3.8%; FRAP assay 24.6%; and DPPH 24.4%) of the CG-AuNPs carrier system compared to the herb sample. The collective results reflect the system's promising perspective as a new efficient antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory candidate with versatile applications, ranging from target delivery systems, oral inflammation (periodontitis), and anti-age cosmetics to extending the shelf lives of products in the food industry.

An Innovative Approach to a Potential Neuroprotective Sideritis scardica-Clinoptilolite Phyto-Nanocarrier: In Vitro Investigation and Evaluation.

The cutting-edge field of nanomedicine combines the power of medicinal plants with nanotechnology to create advanced scaffolds that boast improved bioavailability, biodistribution, and controlled release. In an innovative approach to performant herb nanoproducts, Sideritis scardica Griseb and clinoptilolite were used to benefit from the combined action of both components and enhance the phytochemical's bioavailability, controlled intake, and targeted release. A range of analytical methods, such as SEM-EDX, FT-IR, DLS, and XDR, was employed to examine the morpho-structural features of the nanoproducts. Additionally, thermal stability, antioxidant screening, and in vitro release were investigated. Chemical screening of Sideritis scardica Griseb revealed that it contains a total of ninety-one phytoconstituents from ten chemical categories, including terpenoids, flavonoids, amino acids, phenylethanoid glycosides, phenolic acids, fatty acids, iridoids, sterols, nucleosides, and miscellaneous. The study findings suggest the potential applications as a promising aspirant in neurodegenerative strategy.

Synthesis and Characterization of Polymer-Based Membranes for Methotrexate Drug Delivery.

Methotrexate or amethopterin or 4-amino-N10-methyl pteroylglutamic acid is used for treating autoimmune diseases, as well as certain malignancies. Drug delivery systems, which are based on biopolymers, can be developed to improve the therapeutic and pharmacological properties of topically administered drugs. Biopolymers improve the therapeutic effect of drugs, mainly by improving their biodistribution and modulating drug release. This study presents the synthesis of membranes based on anionic polysaccharides and cationic polysaccharides for transdermal delivery of the active ingredient methotrexate, as well as a compatibility study between methotrexate and each of the components used in the prepared membranes. The obtained membranes based on different marine polysaccharides, namely κ-carrageenan and chitosan, for the release of the active ingredient methotrexate were characterized using techniques such as TG, FTIR, UV-Vis spectrophotometry, FTIR microscopy, water absorption capacity, water vapor permeability, and biodegradation rate. Following the studies, the membranes suitable for the transdermal release of the active substance were validated.

The Influence of an Isocyanate Structure on a Polyurethane Delivery System for 2'-Deoxycytidine-5'-monophosphate.

The delivery of nucleosides represents an interesting research trend in recent years due to their application in various viral infections. The main aims of this study were to develop and to characterize polyurethane particles that are intended to be used for the transport of nucleosides. Three samples have been prepared using aliphatic diisocyanates, a mixture of polyethylene glycol, polycaprolactone, and diols, respectively. The samples were characterized through refractivity measurements, drug loading efficacy, release and penetration rate investigations, FTIR and Raman spectroscopy, thermal analyses, Zetasizer, SEM, HDFa cells viability, and irritation tests on mice skin. The results indicate the obtaining of particles with sizes between 132 and 190 nm, positive Zeta potential values (28.3-31.5 mV), and a refractivity index around 1.60. A good thermal stability was found, and SEM images show a medium tendency to agglomerate. The samples' color, pH, and electrical conductivity have changed only to a small extent over time, and the evaluations indicate an almost 70% encapsulation efficacy, a prolonged release, and that around 70% of particles have penetrated an artificial membrane in the first 24 h. The synthesized products should be tested in further clinical trials, and the current tests on cell cultures and mice skin revealed no side effects.

Wild-Grown Romanian Helleborus purpurascens Approach to Novel Chitosan Phyto-Nanocarriers-Metabolite Profile and Antioxidant Properties.

The current nanomedicinal approach combines medicinal plants and nanotechnology to create new scaffolds with enhanced bioavailability, biodistribution and controlled release. In an innovative approach to herb encapsulation in nanosized chitosan matrices, wild-grown Romanian Helleborus purpurascens was used to prepare two new chitosan nanocarriers. The first carrier preparation involved the nanoencapsulation of hellebore in chitosan. The second carrier emerged from two distinct stages: hellebore-AgNPs phyto-carrier system succeeded by nanoencapsulation in chitosan. The morphostructural characteristics and thermal behavior of these newly prepared nanocarriers were examined using FT-IR, XRD, DLS, SEM, EDS and thermogravimetric analyses. In addition, the encapsulation yield, encapsulation efficiency and encapsulation contents were investigated. The antioxidant activity was estimated using four in vitro, noncompetitive methods: total phenolic assay; 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay; phosphomolybdate (i.e., total antioxidant capacity); and iron(III)-phenanthroline antioxidant assay. Moreover, this study reports the first low-molecular-weight metabolite profile of wild-grown Romanian Helleborus purpurascens Waldst. & Kit. A total of one hundred and five secondary metabolites were identified in the mass spectra (MS)-positive mode from fourteen secondary metabolite categories (alkaloids, butenolides, bufadienolides, phytoecdysteroids, amino acids and peptides, terpenoids, fatty acids, flavonoids, phenolic acids, sterols, glycosides, carbohydrates, nucleosides and miscellaneous). The collective results suggest the potential application is a promising new antioxidant vehicle candidate in tumor therapeutic strategy.

Preliminary Study of κ-Carrageenan Based Membranes for Anti-Inflammatory Drug Delivery.

This study proposes a simple and effective method to obtain ultra-thin membranes based on κ-carrageenan. Two types of membranes were obtained, one based on κ-carrageenan and the second type based on κ-carrageenan, hydroxyethyl cellulose and the plasticizer (glycerol). Three non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Dexketoprofen trometamol, Meloxicam, Diclofenac sodium) and a glucocorticoid (Dexamethasone) were introduced, looking for the best option for incorporation. The obtained membranes were characterized by FTIR, TG/DTG and UV-VIS methods and the data collected following these methods indicated success in terms of the incorporation of the active substance, as well as the high thermal stability in the temperature range 37-100 °C of both the matrices of membrane types, as well as the membranes with the drug incorporated. All the studies carried out led to the conclusion that within all the membranes the anti-inflammatory substances were intact and, thus we can say that these membranes can be used for transdermal administration of the studied anti-inflammatory substances.

Preliminary Study for the Preparation of Transmucosal or Transdermal Patches with Acyclovir and Lidocaine.

The present study aimed to prepare and evaluate patches for the controlled release of lidocaine/acyclovir and the binary mixture between lidocaine: acyclovir in the oral cavity. Mucoside adhesive patches containing 12.5 mg/cm2 lidocaine/acyclovir or binary mixture base were developed by a solvent casting method using sodium alginate, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), glycerol (Gly), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and Span 80 (S). Binary mixtures between all components were prepared before the patches' formulation in order to be able to check the substance compatibility. All formulated patches were analyzed by FT-IR spectroscopy, UV-Vis analysis, thermogravimetry (TGA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). FT-IR and TGA analyses were also used to check compatibility between binary mixtures. The study establishes which membranes are indicated in the controlled release of lidocaine/acyclovir and those membranes that contain both active principles. Membranes based on alginate, PVP, and PVA can be used to release the active substance. Simultaneously, membranes with SPAN used as a gelling agent were excluded due to the interaction with the active substance. The following membranes composition have been chosen for lidocaine release: Alginate:Gly and Alginate:Gly:PVP. At the same time, the following membrane compositions were chosen for acyclovir membranes: Alginate:Gly:PVP and Alginate:PVA:Gly. Both active substances could be included to obtain a homogeneous distribution only in the membrane based on alginate, PVA, and Gly.

Microbial cellulases immobilized in biopolymer/silica matrices used as enzyme release systems.

Trichoderma viride CMGB 1 cellulases were immobilized by entrapment in silica gels (by sol-gel method), alginate biopolymers and hybrid alginate/silica materials. Tetramethoxysilane (TMOS), tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and tetrakis (2-hydroxyethyl) orthosilicate (THEOS) were used as organoalkoxysilane precursors and ethanol or ethylene glycol as cosolvents in a two step sol-gel synthesis. Combined alginate/silica matrices resulted by mixing silica sol with sodium alginate or by coating alginate beads with a silica shell. The partial confinement of ethylene glycol in the matrix with consequences on biocatalytic activity was investigated using SEM-EDAX, thermal analysis and FT-IR spectroscopy. The efficiency of the enzyme-matrix biomaterials was tested in controlled enzyme release experiments. The sol-gel method developed using EG as a co-solvent allowed cellulase immobilization yields 1.5-4.5 times higher compared to classical sol-gel methods that use EtOH. The characterization of the gels by microscopic and spectrophotometric analyzes showed that there are similarities between the structure of the gels based on THEOS and those developed by us from TEOS, TMOS and EG as co-solvent. The new developed gels showed good cellulase release properties at acidic pH, comparable to those based on THEOS and alginate. The microbial cellulases immobilized in the matrices obtained and characterized in this work can operate as efficient systems for releasing enzymes, in acidic pH conditions, as feed additives.

Precious metals recovery from aqueous solutions using a new adsorbent material.

Platinum group metals (PGMs) palladium, platinum, and ruthenium represent the key materials for automotive exhaust gas treatment. Since there are no adequate alternatives, the importance of these metals for the automotive industry is steadily rising. The high value of PGMs in spent catalysts justifies their recycling. Therefore, it is really important to recovery platinum group metals from aqueous solutions. Of the many PGMs recovery procedures, adsorption is a process with a good efficiency, but an important role is played by the adsorbent material used into the process. In order to improve the adsorption properties of materials were developed new methods for chemical modification of the solid supports, through functionalization with different extractants. In present paper a new adsorbent material (Chitosan-DB18C6) was used for PGMs recovery. The new adsorbent material was produced by impregnating Chitosan with dibenzo-18-crown-6-ether using Solvent Impregnated Resin (SIR) method. The crown ethers were chosen as extractant due to their known ability to bind metallic ions, whether they are symmetrically or unsymmetrically substituted. In order to determine the PGMs recovery efficiency for new prepared adsorbent material the equilibrium and kinetic studies were performed. Also, to study the PGMs adsorption mechanism the experimental data were modelled using pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second order kinetic models. Experimental data were fitted with three equilibrium isotherm models: Langmuir, Freundlich and Sips. The results proved that new adsorbent material (Chitosan-DB18C6) is an efficient adsorbent for PGMs recovery from aqueous solutions.

Formulation and Characterization of Alginate-Based Membranes for the Potential Transdermal Delivery of Methotrexate.

The aim of this study is to obtain and characterize of alginate-based membranes, as well as to choose the most suitable membrane type for the transdermal release of methotrexate. The paper presents the synthesis of four types of membranes based on alginate to which are added other copolymers (Carbopol, Tween, and Polyvinylpyrrolidone) as well as other components with different roles. Membranes and binary mixtures made between the components used in membrane synthesis and methotrexate are analyzed by thermogravimetric techniques, FTIR and UV spectroscopic techniques as well as SEM. The analyses aim to establish the type of membrane most indicated in the use of the controlled release of methotrexate, namely those membranes in which there are no interactions that could inactivate the active substance. Following these studies, it was concluded that membranes obtained from alginate/alginate and Tw can be used for methotrexate release. The membrane obtained from alginate and carbopol was excluded from the beginning because it is not homogeneous. Regarding the AGP-MTX membrane, it presents interactions with the active substance, carboxylate group interactions argued by TGA and FTIR studies, and interactions that occur in aqueous medium.

Solid State Stability and Kinetics of Degradation for Candesartan-Pure Compound and Pharmaceutical Formulation.

The aim of this work was to assess the impact of an excipient in a pharmaceutical formulation containing candesartan cilexetil over the decomposition of the active pharmaceutical ingredient and to comparatively investigate the kinetics of degradation during thermolysis in an oxidative atmosphere under controlled thermal stress. To achieve this, the samples were chosen as follows: pure candesartan cilexetil and a commercial tablet of 32 mg strength. As a first investigational tool, Universal attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (UATR-FTIR) spectroscopy was chosen in order to confirm the purity and identity of the samples, as well as to check if any interactions took place in the tablet between candesartan cilexetil and excipients under ambient conditions. Later on, samples were investigated by thermal analysis, and the elucidation of the decomposition mechanism was achieved solely after performing an in-depth kinetic study, namely the use of the modified non-parametric kinetics (NPK) method, since other kinetic methods (American Society for Testing and Materials-ASTM E698, Friedman and Flynn-Wall-Ozawa) led to inadvertencies. The NPK method suggested that candesartan cilexetil and the tablet were degraded by the contribution of two steps, the main being represented by chemical degradation and the secondary being a physical transformation. The excipients chosen in the formulation seemed to have a stabilizing effect on the decomposition of the candesartan cilexetil that was incorporated into the tablet, relative to pure active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), since the apparent activation energy for the decomposition of the tablet was 192.5 kJ/mol, in comparison to 154.5 kJ/mol for the pure API.

Stability and Compatibility Studies of Levothyroxine Sodium in Solid Binary Systems-Instrumental Screening.

The influence of excipients on the stability of sodium levothyroxine pentahydrate (LTSS) under ambient conditions and thermal stress was evaluated. Since LTSS is a synthetic hormone with a narrow therapeutic index, the interactions of LTSS with excipients can lead to a drastic diminution of therapeutic activity. Ten commonly used pharmaceutical excipients with different roles in solid formulations were chosen as components for binary mixtures containing LTSS, namely, starch, anhydrous lactose, D-mannitol, D-sorbitol, gelatin, calcium lactate pentahydrate, magnesium stearate, methyl 2-hydroxyethyl cellulose (Tylose), colloidal SiO2 (Aerosil) and talc. As investigational tools, universal attenuated total reflectance- Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy UATR-FTIR spectroscopy and thermal analysis were chosen and used as follows: UATR-FTIR spectra were drawn up for samples kept under ambient conditions, while thermoanalytical tools (TG/DTG/HF data) were chosen to evaluate the inducing of interactions during thermal stress. The corroboration of instrumental results led to the conclusion that LTSS is incompatible with lactose, mannitol and sorbitol, and these excipients should not be considered in the development of new generic solid formulations.

Comparative Solid-State Stability of Perindopril Active Substance vs. Pharmaceutical Formulation.

This paper presents the results obtained after studying the thermal stability and decomposition kinetics of perindopril erbumine as a pure active pharmaceutical ingredient as well as a solid pharmaceutical formulation containing the same active pharmaceutical ingredient (API). Since no data were found in the literature regarding the spectroscopic description, thermal behavior, or decomposition kinetics of perindopril, our goal was the evaluation of the compatibility of this antihypertensive agent with the excipients in the tablet under ambient conditions and to study the effect of thermal treatment on the stability of perindopril erbumine. ATR-FTIR (Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared) spectroscopy, thermal analysis (thermogravimetric mass curve (TG-thermogravimetry), derivative thermogravimetric mass curve (DTG), and heat flow (HF)) and model-free kinetics were chosen as investigational tools. Since thermal behavior is a simplistic approach in evaluating the thermal stability of pharmaceuticals, in-depth kinetic studies were carried out by classical kinetic methods (Kissinger and ASTM E698) and later with the isoconversional methods of Friedman, Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose and Flynn-Wall-Ozawa. It was shown that the main thermal degradation step of perindopril erbumine is characterized by activation energy between 59 and 69 kJ/mol (depending on the method used), while for the tablet, the values were around 170 kJ/mol. The used excipients (anhydrous colloidal silica, microcrystalline cellulose, lactose, and magnesium stearate) should be used in newly-developed generic solid pharmaceutical formulations, since they contribute to an increased thermal stability of perindopril erbumine.

Thermal stability of synthetic thyroid hormone l-thyroxine and l-thyroxine sodium salt hydrate both pure and in pharmaceutical formulations.

In this paper, the thermal stability of pure l-thyroxine (THY) and l-thyroxine sodium salt hydrate (THYSS) vs. two pharmaceutical solid formulations commercialized on both Romanian and European market (with a content of 100µg, respectively 200µg THYSS per tablet) were investigated. In order to determine whether the presence of excipients affects the thermal stability of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), the preliminary study of thermal stability in air atmosphere was completed with an in-depth solid-state kinetic study. By kinetic analysis, the non-isothermal degradation of the selected active pharmaceutical ingredients vs. the solid formulation with strength of 200µg THYSS per tablet was investigated. Isoconversional methods (Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose, Flynn-Wall-Ozawa and Friedman) were employed for the estimation of activation energies values, at five different heating rates, ß=5, 7, 10, 12 and 15°Cmin(-1). Also, a fourth method was applied in the processing of data, namely NPK, allowing an objective separation in the physical and chemical processes that contribute to the thermal degradation of the selected compounds. A discussion of thermal stability from the kinetic point of view is also presented.

Solid-State Characterization and Biological Activity of Betulonic Acid Derivatives.

Betulonic acid belongs to the pentacyclic triterpenic derivative class and can be obtained through the selective oxidation of betulin. In this study we set obtaining several functionalized derivatives of this compound by its condensation with several amino compounds such as aminoguanidine, hydroxylamine, n-butylamine and thiosemicarbazide as our goal. The functionalization of the parent compound led to several molecules with antiproliferative potential, the most promising being 3-2-carbamothioylhydrazonolup-20(29)-en-28-oic acid.

Synthesis and degradation of Schiff bases containing heterocyclic pharmacophore.

This paper reports on the synthesis and characterization of two Schiff bases bearing 1,2,4-triazolic moieties, namely 4H-4-(2-hydroxy-benzylidene-amino)-5-benzyl-3-mercapto-1,2,4-triazole and 4H-4-(4-nitro-benzylidene-amino)-5-benzyl-3-mercapto-1,2,4-triazole using thin layer chromatography, melting interval, elemental analysis, spectroscopy and thermal stability studies.

Thermal behaviour of procaine and benzocaine Part II: compatibility study with some pharmaceutical excipients used in solid dosage forms.

BACKGROUND: The compatibility study of active substances with excipients finds an important role in the domain of pharmaceutical research, being known the fact that final formulation is the one administered to the patient. In order to evaluate the compatibility between active substance and excipients, different analytical techniques can be used, based on their accuracy, reproducibility and fastness. RESULTS: Compatibility study of two well-known active substances, procaine and benzocaine, with four commonly used excipients, was carried out employing thermal analysis (TG/DTG/HF) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (UATR-FT-IR). The selected excipients were microcrystalline cellulose, lactose monohydrate, magnesium stearate and talc. Equal proportion of active substance and excipients (w/w) was utilized in the interaction study. The absolute value of the difference between the melting point peak of active substances and the one corresponding for the active substances in the analysed mixture, as well the absolute value of the difference between the enthalpy of the pure active ingredient melting peak and that of its melting peak in the different analysed mixtures were chosen as indexes of the drug-excipient interaction degree. All the results obtained through thermal analysis were also sustained by FT-IR spectroscopy. CONCLUSIONS: The corroboration of data obtained by thermal analysis with the ones from FT-IR spectroscopy indicated that no interaction occurs between procaine and benzocaine, with microcrystalline cellulose and talc, as well for the benzocaine-lactose mixture. Interactions were confirmed between procaine and benzocaine respectively and magnesium stearate, and for procaine and lactose.

Physico-chemical solid-state characterization of pharmaceutical pyrazolones: an unexpected thermal behaviour.

In this work, the thermal behaviour of three active substances (phenazone, aminophenazone, phenylbutazone) was studied by drawing up the TG/DTG/DTA curves in air/nitrogen atmosphere at 10 °C min(-1) heating rate. The information on the thermal-induced events was corroborated with the IR spectra of the solid samples (pharmaceutical compounds and the remaining chars after heating treatment), respectively with the ones obtained by evolved gases analysis (EGA). The data on a possible drug-excipient interaction were obtained from the thermoanalytical study of mixtures of these active compounds with talc, magnesium stearate, starch and microcrystalline cellulose. No changes were observed by TG/DTG/DTA curves of mixtures in comparison with the pure compound. Even if the three active substances contain the same heterocyclic ring, having similar molecular structures, their thermal behaviour is not similar. According to thermal and evolved gas analysis, it was proved that formation of CO2 does not involve atmospheric oxygen. By stoichiometric means, the molecular breakdown of aminophenazone can generate only carbon monoxide, which undergoes disproportionation, generating CO2.

Comparative kinetic analysis on thermal degradation of some cephalosporins using TG and DSC data.

BACKGROUND: The thermal decomposition of cephalexine, cefadroxil and cefoperazone under non-isothermal conditions using the TG, respectively DSC methods, was studied. In case of TG, a hyphenated technique, including EGA, was used. RESULTS: The kinetic analysis was performed using the TG and DSC data in air for the first step of cephalosporin's decomposition at four heating rates. The both TG and DSC data were processed according to an appropriate strategy to the following kinetic methods: Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose, Friedman, and NPK, in order to obtain realistic kinetic parameters, even if the decomposition process is a complex one.The EGA data offer some valuable indications about a possible decomposition mechanism. The obtained data indicate a rather good agreement between the activation energy's values obtained by different methods, whereas the EGA data and the chemical structures give a possible explanation of the observed differences on the thermal stability. A complete kinetic analysis needs a data processing strategy using two or more methods, but the kinetic methods must also be applied to the different types of experimental data (TG and DSC). CONCLUSION: The simultaneous use of DSC and TG data for the kinetic analysis coupled with evolved gas analysis (EGA) provided us a more complete picture of the degradation of the three cephalosporins. It was possible to estimate kinetic parameters by using three different kinetic methods and this allowed us to compare the Ea values obtained from different experimental data, TG and DSC. The thermodegradation being a complex process, the both differential and integral methods based on the single step hypothesis are inadequate for obtaining believable kinetic parameters. Only the modified NPK method allowed an objective separation of the temperature, respective conversion influence on the reaction rate and in the same time to ascertain the existence of two simultaneous steps.