Water Absorption Enhancement of Sodium Poly Acrylate and Poly(2-Acrylamido-2-Methylpropane Sulphonic Acid) Based Hydrogel Mixtures

Introduction: Hydrogels are hydrophilic polymers which are cross-linked to form three-dimensional structures, which can absorb, swell and retain huge amounts of water or aqueous fluids. Objective: This paper reports the preparation and characterisation of Poly(2-Acrylamido-2-Methylpropane Sulphonic Acid) (PAMPS) hydrogel with different crosslinking intensities. Methodology: 2-Acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid (AMPS) monomer was purchased from Alfa Aesar Company as reagent grade. It was used as received (>98% purity) without any further purification. PAMPS hydrogel was prepared by free radical crosslinking solution polymerization of AMPS in water at room temperature under a nitrogen blanket in cylindrical glass tubes. The characteristics of the obtained PAMPS hydrogel were compared with those of commercial sodium polyacrylates hydrogel. Results: It was found that decreasing the crosslinker weight improved the absorbance capacity but to a limit. The suggested reasons were discussed. The mixture showed higher absorbance rate than PAMPS, and bigger absorbance capacity than sodium polyacrylates. Conclusion: This paper investigates the effect of crosslinker ratio on the swelling capacity of PAMPS. It was found that as the crosslinking ratio decreases, the porosity of the hydrogel increases, thus improving the swelling capacity.

“FORMULATION DEVELOPMENT AND SOLUBILITY ENHANCEMENT OF ROSUVASTATIN CALCIUM BY USING HYDROPHILIC POLYMERS AND SOLID DISPERSION METHOD”

Objective: Preparation of Rosuvastatin Calcium by Using Hydrophilic Polymers and Solid Dispersion Method, Rosuvastatin calcium is a Dyslipidaemic agent, which act as a selective competitive inhibitor of HMG CoA educates enzyme and is used in the treatment of hyperlipidemia. Methods: In the present work, Solid Dispersion was prepared by kneading method to increase the solubility of Rosuvastatin Calcium. Results: Solid dispersions were evaluated by determining percentage yield, drug content, solubility, Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), DSC and in vitro dissolution profile. The prepared solid dispersion are formulated into capsule dosage form and characterized by various parameters i.e. weight variation, content uniformity, disintegration and dissolution. The evaluated parameters of capsule dosage form increase in solubility and dissolution rate of the pure drug. Conclusion: These are various techniques to enhance the solubility of the drug, such as particle size reduction, use of surfactants, solid dispersion etc. Carriers are the major players in these formulations, e. g. Hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, ethylcellulose, Carbopol, Acacia Gum etc. Carbopol and Acacia Gum is one of the most efficient polymers work as a carrier for these drugs to enhance solubility.

MXene-based hybrid system exhibits excellent synergistic antibiosis

MXene are a group of inorganic two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterial, and have raised significant interests in biomedical areas. Ti3C2Tx, as an important member of MXene family, is widely studied because of its biodegradability and low-cytotoxicity. However, their single antibacterial mechanism and poor stability in aqueous solution need to be improved, especially for the antimicrobial applications. In this work, a MXene-based hybrid antibacterial system (M-HAS) was developed and its synergistic antibacterial activity was investigated. In the M-HAS, 2D few-layer Ti3C2Tx (FL-Ti3C2Tx) was modified with hydrophilic polymers and thereby used as carriers for silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs). By assembling these two substrates, photodynamic performance of the prepared system is significantly improved with a large amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production under 660 nm laser. Antibacterial effects of the M-HAS are enhanced by over 4 times with irradiation. In another word, the developed hybrid system displays excellent photodynamic antibacterial synergistic properties. This work takes full advantage of the photodynamic properties of every component in the MAS to achieve efficient antibacterial activity and proposes an innovative approach to develop the 2D FL-Ti3C2Tx-based antibacterial platform.

Enhanced Dissolution of Sildenafil Citrate Using Solid Dispersion with Hydrophilic Polymers: Physicochemical Characterization and In Vivo Sexual Behavior Studies in Male Rats

Sildenafil citrate (SLC) is a frequently used medication (Viagra®) for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED). Due to its poor solubility, SLC suffers from a delayed onset of action and poor bioavailability. Hence, the aim of the proposed work was to prepare and evaluate solid dispersions (SDs) with hydrophilic polymers (Kolliphor® P188, Kollidon® 30, and Kollidon®-VA64), in order to enhance the dissolution and efficacy of SLC. The SLC-SDs were prepared using a solvent evaporation method (at the ratio drug/polymer, 1:1, w/w) and characterized by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscope (SEM), drug content, yield, and in vitro release studies. Based on this evaluation, SDs (SLC-KVA64) were optimized, with a maximum release of drug (99.74%) after 2 h for all the developed formulas. The SDs (SLC-KVA64) were further tested for sexual behavior activity in male rats, and significant enhancements in copulatory efficiency (81.6%) and inter-copulatory efficiency (44.9%) were noted in comparison to the pure SLC drug, when exposed to the optimized SLC-KVA64 formulae. Therefore, SD using Kollidon®-VA64 could be regarded as a potential strategy for improving the solubility, in vitro dissolution, and therapeutic efficacy of SLC.

Characterization of Hydrophilic Polymers as a Syringe Extrusion 3D Printing Material for Orodispersible Film

The application of hydrophilic polymers in designing and three-dimensional (3D) printing of pharmaceutical products in various dosage forms has recently been paid much attention. Use of hydrophilic polymers and syringe extrusion 3D printing technology in the fabrication of orodispersible films (ODFs) might hold great potential in rapid drug delivery, personalized medicine, and manufacturing time savings. In this study, the feasibility of 3D-printed ODFs fabrication through a syringe extrusion 3D printing technique and using five different hydrophilic polymers (e.g., hydroxypropyl methylcellulose E15, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose E50, high methoxyl pectin, sodium carboxymethylcellulose, and hydroxyethylcellulose) as film-forming polymers and printing materials has been investigated. Rheology properties and printability of printing gels and physicochemical and mechanical properties of 3D-printed ODFs were evaluated. Amongst the investigated hydrophilic polymers, sodium carboxymethylcellulose at a concentration of 5% w/v (SCMC-5) showed promising results with a good printing resolution and accurate dimensions of the 3D-printed ODFs. In addition, SCMC-5 3D-printed ODFs exhibited the fastest disintegration time within 3 s due to high wettability, roughness and porosity on the surface. However, the results of the mechanical properties study showed that SCMC-5 3D printed ODFs were rigid and brittle, thus requiring special packaging to prevent them from any damage before practical use.