Raman chemical mapping of magnesium stearate delivered by a punch-face lubrication system on the surface of placebo and active tablets.

Raman chemical mapping was used to determine the distribution of magnesium stearate, a lubricant, on the surface of tablets. The lubrication was carried out via a punch-face lubrication system with different spraying rates applied on placebo and active-containing tablets. Principal component analysis was used for decomposing the matrix of Raman mapping spectra. Some of the loadings associated with minuscule variation in the data significantly overlap with the Raman spectrum of magnesium stearate in placebo tablets and allow for imaging the domains of magnesium stearate via corresponding scores. Despite the negligible variation accounted for by respective principal components, the score images seem reliable as demonstrated through thresholding the one-dimensional representation and the spectra of the hot pixels that show a weak but perceivable magnesium stearate band at 1295 cm(-1). The same approach was applied on the active formulation, but no magnesium stearate was identified, presumably due to overwhelming concentration and spectral contribution of the active pharmaceutical ingredient.

Structure determination and characterization of carbendazim hydrochloride dihydrate.

The objective of this study was to synthesize and characterize the hydrochloride salt of carbendazim with the aim of improving the intrinsic solubility of the parent compound. Carbendazim hydrochloride dihydrate was synthesized for the purpose of increasing the aqueous solubility of the parent drug, carbendazim. This was done with the commonly used saturation and cooling method. The structure was determined by single crystal radiograph crystallography, and the hydrochloride salt was found to be a dihydrate. The salt crystallized in a P 2(1) 2(1) 2(1) (#19) space group, which is typical for nonplanar, achiral, and noncentrosymmetric molecules. The asymmetric unit is comprised of 1 molecule each of carbendazim and chloride and 2 water molecules. The carbendazim molecules arrange themselves in a helical structure, with the waters and the chloride molecules in the channel linking the helix. The crystal lattice is held together by numerous hydrogen bonds, as well as van der Waals interactions. The melting point of the salt is 125.6 degrees C. The solubility of the salt is 6.08 mg/mL, which is a thousand-fold increase from the intrinsic solubility (6.11 microg/mL) of the free base.

Stabilization and preformulation of anticancer drug--SarCNU.

The stability of SarCNU (NSC364432), 1-(2-chloroethyl)-3-sarcosinamide-1-nitrosourea in several pharmaceutically acceptable solvents was investigated by high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). The influences of light, ionic strength, pH, buffer concentration, and the following excipients: benzyl alcohol, ascorbic acid, sodium bisulfite, and disodium EDTA were studied at room temperature. The stability of the drug was also determined in water, EtOH, PG, Capmul PG, DMSO, and in different combinations of these cosolvents at four different temperatures. The degradation of the drug, which is catalyzed not only by general but also by specific acid and base, follows first order kinetics. Antioxidants, EDTA, and light have no effect on the degradation rate, suggesting oxidation is not a major degradation pathway. The t(90) in pure cosolvent is 25-50 times higher than that in water or semi-aqueous vehicles. Neat EtOH can be used to store the drug in a nonaqueous concentrate that is diluted with aqueous solvent prior to injection.

Solubilization and preformulation of carbendazim.

The solubilization of carbendazim by pH in combination with cosolvents, surfactants or complexants was investigated. At pH 7 the total drug solubility is 6.11 +/- 0.45 microg/ml which increases by 1-7 fold with cosolvent, surfactant or complexant. However, at pH 2 the solubility increases by 250 times. Cosolvents have a negligible effect (50% increase) on the total drug solubility at pH 2 because of the high polarity of the cationic drug. Also pH combined with nonionic surfactants does not improve solubility, as relatively less polar micelles are not able to accommodate the cationic drug. Interestingly, the total drug solubility increases by combining pH 2 with complexants, as they can form a complex with the isolated aromatic ring of both the unionized and the ionized drug. The proposed oral formulation of 1 mg/ml carbendazim at pH 2 does not precipitate in the presence of Seven Up or water. But it does precipitate with pH 7 buffer when diluted 1:10 but not 1:100 or 1:250.

Independence of the product of solubility and distribution coefficient of pH.

PURPOSE: The relationship between the pH, solubility, and partition coefficient was investigated to show that the product of intrinsic values of solubility and partition coefficient is equal to the product of total values of solubility and distribution coefficient at different pH. METHODS: The pH distribution profiles were obtained from the literature and the pH solubility profiles were obtained from the literature or calculated from their intrinsic solubility and pK(a). RESULTS: The pH solubility and pH distribution coefficient profiles of 25 compounds were investigated to show that the product of intrinsic solubility (S(w)) and intrinsic octanol-water partition coefficient (K(ow)) is equal to the product of total solubility of a partially ionized solute (ST) and its octanol-buffer distribution coefficient (K(D)) at any pH where ion pair formation and salt precipitation are not present. CONCLUSIONS: The fact that S(w) x K(ow) can be used instead of S(T) x K(D) to model the absorption of partially ionized drugs in the gastrointestinal tract has important biopharmaceutical implications.