Tamoxifen-Loaded Eudragit Nanoparticles: Quality by Design Approach for Optimization of Nanoparticles as Delivery System.

Nanoparticles have numerous applications as drug carriers in drug delivery. The aim of the study was to produce tamoxifen nanoparticles with a defined size and higher encapsulation for efficient tissue uptake with controlled drug release. The quality by design approach was utilized to produce tamoxifen-loaded Eudragit nanoparticles by identifying the significant process variables using the nanoprecipitation method. The process variables (amount of drug, polymer, and surfactant) were altered to analyze the influence on particle size (PS), % encapsulation efficiency (EE). The results showed that the drug and polymer individually as well as collectively have an impact on PS, while the surfactant has no impact on the PS. The %EE was influenced by the surfactant individually and in interaction with the drug. The linear regression model was endorsed to fit the data showing high R2 values (PS, 0.9146, %EE, 0.9070) and low p values (PS, 0.0004, EE, 0.0005). The PS and EE were confirmed to be 178 nm and 90%, respectively. The nanoparticles were of spherical shape, as confirmed by SEM and TEM. The FTIR confirmed the absence of any incompatibility among the ingredients. The TGA confirmed that the NPs were thermally stable. The in vitro release predicted that the drug release followed Higuchi model.

Factors and Predictors of Health Related Quality of Life of the General Population of Pakistan.

Background and Objective: The standards of living, improvement in public health, and medical care in Pakistan are increasing day by day, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) has been increasingly acknowledged in various patient's reported outcomes in Pakistan. However, a large-scale general population-based study on assessing HQRoL in Pakistan was not conducted. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate HRQoL for the general Pakistani population. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study with a population sample (n = 16,672) was selected from all Pakistan provinces using a stratified sampling approach. The EQ-5D-3L tool was used to measure the HRQoL of the general population of Pakistan. The descriptive and inferential statistics have been done by using SPSS version 20. Results: Overall, 121 health states were reported in this study. EQ-5D index and EQ-VAS scores were 0.74 ± 0.32 and 0.75 ± 0.25, respectively. The percentage of people responding to any problems increased with age. Males have better health as compared to females in all age groups. All demographics were significantly associated (P < 0.01) with the mean EQ5D index and VAS scores except residence (p > 0.05). The regression model reported that age was the best predictor of the EQ-5D index scores after adjusting for the covariates (beta = 0.19; p < 0.001). This study provides Pakistani population HRQoL data measured by the EQ-5D tool, based on a national representative sample. Conclusion: The current study concluded that Age, City, Gender, Education, Occupation, Residence, and House occupancy are significantly affecting HRQOL. The socioeconomically deprived groups and females have inferior health status than more advantaged. The trends detected in high-income nations were usually similar to Pakistan.

Improved Ocular Bioavailability of Moxifloxacin HCl using PLGA Nanoparticles: Fabrication, Characterization, In-vitro and In-vivo Evaluation.

Improving the bioavailability of a drug at the ocular surface presents a profound challenge. Due to ocular physiological barriers, conventional eye drops exhibit poor bioavailability of drugs. Sustained-release nanoparticles may improve the residence time and hence increase absorption of the drug from the corneal surface. The current study focuses on the development of a nanoparticle-based system for the ophthalmic sustained delivery of moxifloxacin, to enhance ocular retention and bioavailability of the drug. PLGA was used as the matrix-forming polymer in the nanoparticle formulation. Nanoparticles were manufactured using a double emulsion (w/o/w) solvent evaporation technique. The formulation was optimized based on physicochemical properties, including size, polydispersity index, and stability. Nanoparticles were also evaluated for in-vitro drug release and pharmacokinetic evaluation in a rabbit model. The optimized formulation exhibited a relatively high initial release rate for six hours followed by sustained release of a drug via diffusion. The in-vivo ocular tolerance studies confirmed that moxifloxacin-loaded PLGA nanoparticles were non-irritating to the eye. The pharmacokinetic studies revealed that the nanoparticles provided a high Cmax, AUC, MRT, and low clearance rate when compared to commercial eye drops. It can be concluded that such PLGA nanoparticles offer the potential for improved bioavailability of moxifloxacin HCl.