Purification of Drug Loaded PLGA Nanoparticles Prepared by Emulsification Solvent Evaporation Using Stirred Cell Ultrafiltration Technique.

PURPOSE: The emulsifiers in an exceedingly higher level are used in the preparation of drug loaded polymeric nanoparticles prepared by emulsification solvent evaporation method. This creates great problem to the formulator due to their serious toxicities when it is to be administered by parenteral route. The final product is therefore required to be freed from the used surfactants by the conventional purification techniques which is a cumbersome job. METHODS: The solvent resistant stirred cell ultrafiltration unit (Millipore) was used in this study using polyethersulfone ultrafiltration membrane (Biomax®) having pore size of NMWL 300 KDa as the membrane filter. The purification efficiency of this technique was compared with the conventional centrifugation technique. RESULTS: The flow rate of ultrafiltration was optimized for removal of surfactant (polyvinyl alcohol) impurities to the acceptable levels in 1-3.5 h from the nanoparticle dispersion of tamoxifen prepared by emulsification solvent evaporation method. CONCLUSIONS: The present investigations demonstrate the application of solvent resistant stirred cell ultrafiltration technique for removal of toxic impurities of surfactant (PVA) from the polymeric drug nanoparticles (tamoxifen) prepared by emulsification solvent evaporation method. This technique offers added benefit of producing more concentrated nanoparticles dispersion without causing significant particle size growth which is observed in other purification techniques, e.g., centrifugation and ultracentrifugation.

[Research on the treatment of wastewater containing PVA by ozonation-activated sludge process].

The wastewater containing polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) was characterized with poor biodegradability, and was difficult to remove. In order to find an economically reasonable and practical technology, the research on the removal efficiency of different concentration wastewater containing PVA by ozonation-activated sludge process was studied, and the result was compared with the traditional activated sludge process. The results showed that the ozonation-activated sludge process was not suitable for treating influent with COD below 500 mg x L(-1) and the wastewater PVA concentration was 10-30 mg x L(-1). When the influent COD was between 500-800 mg x L(-1) and the PVA concentration was 15-60 mg x L(-1), the system had advantages on dealing with this kind of wastewater, and the average removal efficiency of COD and PVA were 92.8% and 57.4%, which were better than the traditional activated sludge process 4.1% and 15.2% respectively. In addition, the effluent concentrations of COD could keep between 30-60 mg x L(-1). When the influent COD was 1 000-1 200 mg x L(-1) and the PVA concentration was 20-70 mg x L(-1), the average removal efficiencies of COD and PVA were 90.9% and 45.3%, which were better than the traditional activated sludge process 12.8% and 12.1% respectively, but the effluent should to be further treated. Compared with the traditional activated sludge process, ozonation-activated sludge process had high treatment efficiency, stable running effect, and effectively in dealing with industrial wastewater containing PVA.

Removal and adsorption characteristics of polyvinyl alcohol from aqueous solutions using electrocoagulation.

The study was to investigate the performance of electrocoagulation (EC) for the efficient removal of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) from aqueous solutions. Several parameters were evaluated to characterize the PVA removal efficiency, such as various electrode pairs, current densities, supporting electrolytes, temperatures, and initial electrolyte concentrations. The effects of the current density, supporting electrolyte, and temperature on the electrical energy consumption were also investigated. The experimental results indicate that a Fe/Al electrode pair is the optimum choice out of four different electrode pair combinations. The optimum current density, supporting electrolyte concentration, and temperature were found to be 5 mA cm(-2), 0.008 N NaCl, and 298 K, respectively. The PVA removal efficiency decreased with increasing in the initial concentrations. The kinetic studies indicated that the EC process was best described using pseudo-second-order kinetics. The experimental data were also compared to different adsorption isotherm models in order to describe the EC process. The adsorption of PVA was best fitted by the Langmuir adsorption isotherm model. Thermodynamic parameters such as the Gibbs free energy, enthalpy, and entropy indicated that the adsorption of PVA on metal hydroxides was feasible, spontaneous and endothermic in the temperature range of 288-318 K.

Preparation of PVA/PEI ultra-fine fibers and their composite membrane with PLA by electrospinning.

Ultra-fine fibers of poly(vinyl alcohol)/polyethylenimine (PVA/PEI) were prepared by electrospinning of their blend solutions in water. Effects of PVA/PEI mass ratio and the polymer concentration on the fiber morphology were discussed by analysis of scanning electron micrographs. Results showed that uniform ultra-fine fibers could be obtained from an 8% PVA/PEI solution with 75:25 mass ratio. It was supposed that the introduction of PVA could promote electrospinning of PEI by weakening the intermolecular interaction and increasing solution viscosity. A composite membrane of PVA/PEI with poly(D,L-lactide) (PLA) was produced by co-electrospinning simultaneously from the aqueous 8% PVA/PEI (75:25) solution and a 20% PLA solution in N,N-dimethylformamide in two separated syringes. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy verified the existence of PVA/PEI and PLA in the fibrous membrane. We attempted to incorporate PEI with PLA as ultra-fine fibers to diminish the acidic inflammation caused by biodegradation of PLA. The fibrous composite membrane of PVA/PEI-PLA could provide better biocompatibility and would be used as drug-delivery carriers or tissue-engineering scaffolds.

Poly(vinyl alcohol) hydrogels: their synthesis and steps towards control of electroendosmosis.

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVAl) hydrogel networks cross-linked with glutaraldehyde were prepared and their properties as membranes examined using a variety of techniques including preparative electrophoresis. Electroendosmosis (EEO) was observed and shown to be the result of charges on the membrane and of complexation with borate buffer ions. Investigation of "glutaraldehyde" solutions showed acid entities in, or formed in "glutaraldehyde" were responsible for EEO. Techniques for using "glutaraldehyde" which minimize EEO are described.

Anticoagulant effect of sulphated poly/vinyl alcohol-acrylic acid/copolymers.

Copolymers of poly/vinyl alcohol-acrylic acid/ with various content of sulphate and carboxyl groups have been synthetized and tested for their in vitro effect on blood coagulation. The results indicate that the sulphated copolymers display an inhibitory effect but there is a requirement in the charged groups of about 20% in the molecule to possess effective anticoagulation. The biochemical mechanism of their actions is complex, i.e. the inhibition of blood clotting is a consequence of both the accelerated inactivation rate of thrombin by antithrombin-III and a direct inhibitory effect on the thrombin-fibrinogen reaction. Moreover, additional effects may occur on other blood coagulation enzymes than thrombin, depending on the chemical composition of the copolymers.