Dosage Forms Research Articles

Moisturizing Cream

A cream is a preparation usually for application to the skin. Creams are defines as "a semisolid dosage form containing one or more drug substances dissolved or dispersed in a suitable base

An Updated Review For Hyperuricemia and Gout Management; Special Focus on the Available Drug Delivery Systems and Clinical Trials.

Hyperuricemia belongs to metabolic syndromes where increased uric acid levels are identified in the blood serum. Such a syndrome could be responsible for kidney stone formation, gout, hypertension, and chronic kidney diseases. It has been reported that cardiovascular risks have been linked with hyperuricemia. Gout is of the most frequent manifestations due to hyperuricemia; its management involves various pharmacological available options and dietary changes. Throughout the literature, various dosage forms are studied as alternative options to the present drug delivery systems. To update and summarize the current information for gout and hyperuricemia management. Authors have performed a thorough literature research from 2010-2023 using keywords such as hyperuricemia, gout, diagnosis, guidelines, drug delivery and clinical trials. The databases used were PubMed, ScienceDirect. According to our inclusion criteria, all studies which include the previous terms, as well as drugs or other molecules that can be applied for gout and/or hyperuricemia management, were added. In this article, authors have summarized the pathogenesis, diagnosis and updated guidelines for gout and hyperuricemia management. Moreover, the authors have reviewed and discussed current drug delivery systems found in the literature, including drugs targeting the above disorders. Finally, the available clinical trials assessing the efficacy of newer drugs or combinations of the past ones, are being discussed. The available drugs and dosage forms are limited, and therefore, scientific society should focus on the development of more efficient drug delivery systems for hyperuricemia and gout management.

USO DO RETINOL NO TRATAMENTO DO ENVELHECIMENTO

INTRODUCTION: Skin aging results from intrinsic and extrinsic processes, manifesting itself in characteristics such as wrinkles and loss of firmness. Retinol, a form of vitamin A, plays a crucial role in skin health but can cause irritation, limiting skin acceptance. This study investigates the benefits of retinol in treating aging, including its effectiveness, dosage forms and interactions with other substances. METHODOLOGY: A systematic search was conducted, in accordance with PRISMA guidelines, using the PubMed and VHL databases until August 2024. The search was based on descriptors in English, such as “Retinol AND AntiAging”, applying exclusion criteria to limit the scope to relevant studies. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The search identified 128 studies, of which 13 met the eligibility criteria. Topical application of retinol has been shown to be effective in modulating the molecular biology of the skin, with a lower incidence of side effects compared to more potent retinoids. Studies have also indicated that combining retinol with massage techniques and new formulations, such as cyclodextrin encapsulation, improves its effectiveness and reduces irritation. Additionally, interactions with substances such as niacinamide and bakuchiol enhance anti-aging results. CONCLUSION: Topical use of retinol is a safe and effective approach to skin aging, offering significant benefits and reduced irritation. Its combinations with other substances and modern technologies promise innovative solutions for skin care.

Exploring the interaction between the gut microbiota and cyclic adenosine monophosphate-protein kinase A signaling pathway: a potential therapeutic approach for neurodegenerative diseases

The interaction between the gut microbiota and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)- protein kinase A (PKA) signaling pathway in the host's central nervous system plays a crucial role in neurological diseases and enhances communication along the gut–brain axis. The gut microbiota influences the cAMP-PKA signaling pathway through its metabolites, which activates the vagus nerve and modulates the immune and neuroendocrine systems. Conversely, alterations in the cAMP-PKA signaling pathway can affect the composition of the gut microbiota, creating a dynamic network of microbial-host interactions. This reciprocal regulation affects neurodevelopment, neurotransmitter control, and behavioral traits, thus playing a role in the modulation of neurological diseases. The coordinated activity of the gut microbiota and the cAMP-PKA signaling pathway regulates processes such as amyloid-β protein aggregation, mitochondrial dysfunction, abnormal energy metabolism, microglial activation, oxidative stress, and neurotransmitter release, which collectively influence the onset and progression of neurological diseases. This study explores the complex interplay between the gut microbiota and cAMP-PKA signaling pathway, along with its implications for potential therapeutic interventions in neurological diseases. Recent pharmacological research has shown that restoring the balance between gut flora and cAMP-PKA signaling pathway may improve outcomes in neurodegenerative diseases and emotional disorders. This can be achieved through various methods such as dietary modifications, probiotic supplements, Chinese herbal extracts, combinations of Chinese herbs, and innovative dosage forms. These findings suggest that regulating the gut microbiota and cAMP-PKA signaling pathway may provide valuable evidence for developing novel therapeutic approaches for neurodegenerative diseases.

Assessment of Transcription Errors and their Effects on Medical Approach, Hospitalization Duration, and Financial Costs of Traumatic Patients: How Can We Prevent Them?

Background and aims: Transcription errors pose significant risks to patient well-being, potentially leading to morbidity, mortality, and financial burdens on healthcare systems and society. This study assessed the prevalence of transcription errors and their impacts on medical treatment approaches, hospitalization duration, and associated costs. Methods: Direct observation was used to evaluate and compare all patients’ medical records, identifying errors, costs, and hospitalization duration. Physician orders and patient applications were checked, with intervention and control groups categorized based on the presence or absence of errors, respectively. Data were analyzed using descriptive and quantitative methods such as the chi-square, student’s t-test, Mann-Whitney test, and ANCOVA, to assess statistical significance. Results: No significant differences were observed in gender (P=0.73) and age (P=0.89) between patients. Omission errors and incorrect dosage forms were the most common. Errors were more frequent in patients with underlying diseases (P<0.001), with nurses frequently involved (P<0.001). Errors were more prevalent in intensive care units (ICUs) (P=0.002) and during morning and night shifts (P<0.001). A significant association was found between trauma severity and medication error occurrence (P<0.001). Moreover, patients with transcription errors had higher medical expenses and extended hospital stays (P<0.001). Conclusion: Effective preventive measures are crucial to avoid transcription errors and their adverse consequences. Recommendations include minimizing abbreviations, ensuring complete and explicit orders, rigorous training, double-checking, using technology such as Electronic Prescription and Physician Orders, maintaining a distraction-free, ergonomic work environment, and fostering open communication among healthcare providers and patients to enhance medication safety.

Role of enzyme replacement therapy for exocrine and nutritional insufficiency in patients with malignancies: A review

Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) is a condition in which the amount of secreted pancreatic enzymes is insufficient to maintain normal digestion. EPI is a frequent complication of pancreatic or other malignancies. The presence of EPI in a cancer patient may be suggested by symptoms of maldigestion, malabsorption, and alteration of nutritional markers; however, it is important to note that the EPI symptoms may be subtle. In the early stages, EPI may be latent and manifested by malnutrition. However, even in the later stages, the symptoms of EPI may be similar to those of cancer or be masked by the condition after chemoradiation therapy. Antitumor therapy itself may also cause EPI. Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) is the standard of care for EPI, but it is rarely prescribed to cancer patients. However, supportive therapy plays an essential role in treating cancer patients because the quality of life and life expectancy of patients largely depend on the adequacy of the complex treatment. The review discusses the possible causes of EPI and its diagnosis and treatment in cancer patients. Special attention is paid to ERT regimens, including those for improving digestion and the drug's dosage form. It is shown that pancreatin in minimicrospheres is the drug of choice for ERT, since the minimum particle size facilitates the most physiological digestion process.

Acute purulent otitis media: key features of pathogenetic therapy

Acute purulent otitis media is an inflammation of the mucous membrane of the middle ear, a disease often encountered both in pediatric practice and in adult patients. The prerequisite for the development of this pathology is a violation of the function of the auditory tube, often occurring in inflammatory diseases of the upper respiratory tract, as well as in conditions of hypertrophy of the pharyngeal tonsil. Bacterial microflora, represented in most clinical cases by S. pneumoniae and H. influenzae, traditionally acts as an etiological factor of acute purulent otitis media. The authors of the article discuss the features of the clinical course of the disease, the causes of frequent recurrent course and the risk of developing purulent complications. The article highlights current problems of diagnosis and treatment of acute otitis media at different stages, including rational and justified use of antibacterial drugs. The authors consider the possibility of using topical anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs as an alternative to the systemic use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for rapid relief of the main symptoms of the disease. The authors conclude that ear drops containing lidocaine and phenazone, due to their combined action, are effective as a symptomatic treatment for acute otitis media, including its recurrent course, help reduce the frequency of prescribing antibacterial drugs, effectively relieve pain, reduce the duration of the disease and significantly improve the patient’s quality of life. Due to the high safety profile and the possibility of using ear drops with phenazone and lidocaine from birth, this dosage form finds its successful application in pediatric practice.

Eco-friendly four spectrophotometric approaches for the simultaneous determination of the recently FDA-approved combination, bupivacaine and meloxicam in pharmaceutical dosage forms

In this study, bupivacaine (BUP) and meloxicam (MLX) were simultaneously assayed in their co-formulated ampoules without interference using four affordable, sensitive, and eco-friendly spectrophotometric methods. The assay of MLX at 359.3 nm over the concentration range of 1.0–15.0 µg/mL was accomplished using a direct UV-spectrophotometric method (Method I) without interference from BUP. However, there was a significant overlap between the spectra of BUP and MLX, making it difficult to determine BUP directly from the UV spectrum. Therefore, various UV-based techniques, including second derivative spectrophotometry (Method II), ratio subtraction method (Method III), and absorption factor method (Method IV), were used to determine BUP over the concentration range of 5.0–80.0 µg/mL. The proposed methods could simultaneously determine the studied drugs with a challenging ratio of 33.3:1.0 (BUP: MLX), which increases the importance of the current study. The proposed methods were applied to estimate the studied drugs in commercial ampoules with high % recoveries and low %RSD values. The excellent eco-friendliness of the developed methods was demonstrated using GAPI and AGREE metrics. The developed methods were validated according to ICHQ2(R2) guidelines. The proposed methods can be better suited for the routine analysis of BUP and MLX in their fixed-dose combination with high selectivity.

The use of azithromycin in the treatment of inflammatory diseases of the upper respiratory tract and ear

Despite the extensive accumulated clinical experience, inflammatory diseases of the upper respiratory tract and ear still remain an important problem in the field of otorhinolaryngology, especially pediatric practice, since these diseases are associated with the risk of complications. One of the reasons for the ineffectiveness of conservative treatment is the incorrect initial antibacterial therapy. Errors in antimicrobial therapy are associated with both insufficient knowledge of clinical pharmacology by doctors and incorrect interpretation of anamnestic and clinical data, which leads to incorrect treatment of CCA. The aim of the work is to analyze the use of azithromycin in the treatment of upper respiratory tract and ear infections in children, based on pharmacological characteristics, as well as to consider current methods of antibiotic therapy in pediatric practice. An analysis of the literature and our own observations allows us to conclude that azithromycin is an effective antibacterial drug. Taking into account the low toxicity and good bioavailability, azithromycin continues to be one of the main drugs in the arsenal of doctors for the treatment of various infections, including respiratory diseases and infectious processes of ENT organs in children caused by both typical and atypical bacterial pathogens. The convenient dosage form and simple dosage regimen make this drug a popular choice in outpatient pediatric practice, which confirms the widespread use and trust in this antibacterial drug among both doctors and parents.

Assessment of Errors in Handwritten Prescriptions in Zliten City- Libya

Errors in handwritten prescriptions are a major factor in medical errors and are the main cause of harm to patients due to the lack of clarity of the prescription or the lack of correct data, which leads to the prescription of the wrong medication, causing adverse events. The present study aimed to identify the common errors in handwriting prescriptions in Zliten City. To collect information about errors in handwritten prescriptions, we used two models: first, we distributed fifty-one questionnaires to fifty-one pharmacies distributed in all areas of Zliten city, and second, we collected one hundred and fifty prescriptions from different health facilities distributed in different areas within Zliten city. The questionnaires and prescriptions then analysed to identify medical errors. In the first model of the questionnaire, the results are as follows: the patient's name and age are often present, while the gender, doctor's name, and stamp are often absent. The main issue lies in the clarity of the font for the drug's name, dose, and dosage form. In the second model of the prescriptions, the results are as follows: the patient's name is mostly present, while gender and diagnosis are absent in about 40% of the prescriptions, the doctor's name is mostly absent, and only 2% of the prescriptions have the doctor's stamp and number in the syndicate, and the main issue lies in the clarity of the font for the drug's name, dose, and dosage form., as it is unclear in between 20-30% of the prescriptions. We found that the patient's information is present in most prescriptions the opposite of the questionnaire in which it is less. Also in the prescriber's information, the analysis in our result for prescription contradicted the questionnaires, as most prescribers in the questionnaire are present, we also found that during the analysis of drug information in prescription not clear more than in the questionnaire. From this research, we concluded that there are many errors in prescriptions, possibly because of the large number of cases that need to be seen by the doctor and the speed of writing, and perhaps because doctors forget the vocabulary of the names of medicines. Because of the many errors in handwritten prescriptions, we must immediately switch to computerized prescription writing.

Role of letermovir therapeutic drug monitoring for cytomegalovirus prophylaxis in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation recipients: a prospective study.

The role of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) recipients receiving letermovir has not yet been clarified. This study is to explore letermovir trough concentration (Cmin) correlation with its clinical efficacy and adverse events, and factors affecting its plasma concentrations. A prospective, non-interventional study was performed in allo-HSCT recipients receiving letermovir prophylaxis. Plasma concentrations were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Data analysis was performed using logistic regression, linear regression, and classification and regression tree (CART) models. 701 trough concentrations from 71 recipients were included, uncovering pronounced intra- and inter-individual variability in letermovir Cmin. During 24-week follow-up, CMV infection incidence was 16.4%. A significant correlation was identified between letermovir Cmin and its clinical efficacy, and the CART model showed an increased risk of CMV infection when Cmin ≤ 2731 ng/mL. However, no clear correlation was found between Cmin and adverse events. Gastrointestinal graft-versus-host disease, cyclosporine Cmin, gender, and concomitant medications, including mycophenolate mofetil, ondansetron, caspofungin, and methylprednisolone, may impact letermovir Cmin. Additionally, coadministration with cyclosporine injection significantly decreased median letermovir Cmin compared with cyclosporine capsules (2311 vs. 3386 ng/mL). Moreover, with the extension of time post-transplant, trough concentrations of both cyclosporine and letermovir significantly decreased. TDM for letermovir may be beneficial in allo-HSCT recipients considering the variability in letermovir Cmin and its correlation with clinical efficacy. Moreover, drug interactions and the effects of changes in cyclosporine dosage forms or concentrations require careful monitoring for their effect on letermovir Cmin.

Study of nifedipine solubility in physical mixtures and solid dispersions

Introduction. Poor aqueous solubility significantly hinders the bioavailability of numerous orally administered drugs. Nifedipine, a widely-used cardiovascular agent, is categorized as practically insoluble according to pharmacopoeias, thus presenting a significant challenge in formulation development. This study investigates the potential of solid dispersion (SD) technology and physical mixtures to improve the dissolution profile of nifedipine.Aim. Development of a technological method for increasing the solubility of nifedipine by developing physical mixtures and SD with the aim of creating a dosage form with improved properties.Materials and methods. Nifedipine, methanol, nifedipine standard samples, potassium dihydrogen phosphate, sodium heptanesulfonate, phosphoric acid (85 %), purified water, and pvp K-30. Solubility studies were performed by HPLC using three objects: nifedipine, a physical mixture (PM), and SD of nifedipine with PVP K-30. The study assessed the effect of different ratios (nifedipine : PVP K-30) in the physical mixture and SD on nifedipine solubility. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (IR spectroscopy) and powder X-ray diffractometry were used to characterize the samples.Results and discussion. A notable increase in nifedipine solubility was observed in both PM3 (1 : 3 nifedipine : PVP K-30) and SD3 (1 : 3 nifedipine : PVP K-30). PM3 exhibited a solubility of 9.70 %, while SD3 demonstrated a remarkable enhancement to 32.07 % compared to the pure nifedipine (0.24 %). FTIR analysis did not reveal significant interactions between nifedipine and PVP K-30. PXRD results confirmed the transition of nifedipine from a crystalline to amorphous form within the hydrophilic PVP K-30 matrix, contributing to the observed solubility enhancement.Conclusion. The study highlights the effectiveness of SD technology in significantly improving nifedipine solubility and potential bioavailability. The 134-fold increase in solubility achieved with SD3 at a 1 : 3 ratio demonstrates the significant potential of this approach for enhancing the pharmacokinetic properties of poorly soluble drugs. This research opens up new avenues for developing innovative formulations with improved dissolution characteristics and potentially enhanced therapeutic efficacy.

In silico formulation optimization and particle engineering of pharmaceutical products using a generative artificial intelligence structure synthesis method

Pharmaceutical drug dosage forms are critical for ensuring the effective and safe delivery of active pharmaceutical ingredients to patients. However, traditional formulation development often relies on extensive lab and animal experimentation, which can be time-consuming and costly. This manuscript presents a generative artificial intelligence method that creates digital versions of drug products from images of exemplar products. This approach employs an image generator guided by critical quality attributes, such as particle size and drug loading, to create realistic digital product variations that can be analyzed and optimized digitally. This paper shows how this method was validated through two case studies: one for the determination of the amount of material that will create a percolating network in an oral tablet product and another for the optimization of drug distribution in a long-acting HIV inhibitor implant. The results demonstrate that the generative AI method accurately predicts a percolation threshold of 4.2% weight of microcrystalline cellulose and generates implant formulations with controlled drug loading and particle size distributions. Comparisons with real samples reveal that the synthesized structures exhibit comparable particle size distributions and transport properties in release media.

DEVELOPMENT, OPTIMIZATION AND ASSESSMENT OF NAPROXEN MICROSPONGES BY BOX-BEHNKEN DESIGN AS A TARGETTED AND CONTROLLED RELEASE DRUG DELIVERY

Objective: Due to weak physical, chemical stability and poor bioavailability of Naproxen conventional dosage form; the purpose of this work is to improve formulation stability, additionally to accomplish highest possible concentration of the drug in the blood by preparing Naproxen loaded microsponges. Methods: Naproxen Microsponge (NM) was created utilising the quasi emulsion technique. In this process Ethyl Cellulose (EC) acts as a polymer, Poly Vinyl Alcohol (PVA) acts as the emulsifier, and Dichloromethane acts as the solvent. To investigate how changes in different formulation and processing parameters affect important product qualities, a Box Behnken Design (BBD) was used. Particle Size, Percentage Yield, and Entrapment Efficiency (%EE) were selected as response factors, whereas independent variables including EC quantity (X1), PVA concentration (X2), and Stirring Speed (X3) were selected as independent variables. Results: The microsponges underwent thorough analysis using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), and Particle Size analysis. The evaluation included studying the morphology, drug loading, and in vitro drug release. The compatibility studies showed no chemical interactions between the drug and the polymers used. It was observed that the ratio of drug to polymer had a significant impact on drug content, EE and particle size. The SEM results revealed that the microsponges were spherical with a porous surface and had a mean particle size of 15.15 µm. The in vitro drug release studies demonstrated that the optimized Naproxen Microsponge Formulation (NMF2) achieved over 80% extended drug release by the end of 8 h, following the Corsmeyer Peppas Model. Conclusion: The Naproxen loaded microspheres possessed a sustained release with improved bioavailability and better stability.

Comparative Dissolution Study of Ciprofloxacin Hydrochloride-sustained Release Tablets by Using Carbopol-934 and Guar Gum Polymers

Aims: This study aimed to identify the potential release of the drug from the tablet dosage form using Carbopol-934 and Guar Gum polymers at different concentration ratios. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the cumulative percentage of ciprofloxacin hydrochloride released from different polymers. Method: We formulated ciprofloxacin hydrochloride sustained-release tablets with Carbopol-934 and Guar gum using the wet granulation method. For the formulation of sustained-release ciprofloxacin hydrochloride tablets, both polymers were mixed in varying ratios. The tablets were examined for pre-formulation studies, including the angle of repose, bulk density, compressibility index, and physiological properties, such as variations in weight, friability, and drug content. For postformulation studies, such as the in vitro study, the in vitro release of the drugs was evaluated in a phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.4) for 8 h. However, the physiological properties of ciprofloxacin hydrochloride tablets were limited due to their liberality. Results: The tablets containing guar gum (Batches B-I and B-II) showed better drug content than other polymer-based batches, such as Carbopol-934 (Batch A-I, A-II) and a mixture of both polymer Carbopol-934 and Guar gum (Batch C-I, C-II). Sustained drug release was observed in the guar gum polymer-based tablets (Batch B-II). It was observed that the dissolution profile of ciprofloxacin hydrochloride tablets formed using different polymers showed an increase in the polymer ratio, which can be related to the increase in drug release. Conclusion: From this study, we can conclude that the ciprofloxacin hydrochloride drug release percentage was maximum when guar gum polymer was used in the tablet dosage form.

Green metrics-based HPLC method for quantification of three antidiabetic drugs in tablet dosage form using Box–Behnken design

Green metrics-based HPLC method for quantification of three antidiabetic drugs in tablet dosage form using Box–Behnken design

Artemisinin emulgel ameliorates cartilage degradation in knee osteoarthritis: in vitro and in vivo studies.

Aim: Laboratory scale-up of artemisinin-loaded emulgel (ART-emulgel) was carried out and characterized for therapeutic performance in osteoarthritis (OA).Materials & methods: The solubility of ART in various oils, surfactants and co-surfactants were screened for construction of pseudo ternary phase diagram (TPD), followed by scale-up of artemisinin loaded nanoemulsion (ART-NE). ART-NE was amalgamated with Carbopol Ultrez 10-NF to prepare ART-emulgel that was later characterized invitro and invivo to analyze therapeutic efficacy in monosodium-iodoacetate (MIA) induced knee OA.Results: The droplet diameter of ART-NE was estimated to be 104.3±2.593nm with a polydispersity index of 0.245±0.019 in addition to ζ-potential of 0.434±0.028mV. Steady-state flux and permeability coefficient for ART-emulgel were estimated to be 0.651±0.031 µg.cm2/h and 0.245±0.011cm/h, respectively. ART-emulgel demonstrated 43.18% reduction in COX-2 level; 52.28% drop in IL-1β, and 88.78% alleviation of Tumor Necrosis Factor-α (TNF-α) level when compared with monosodium-iodoacetate induced OA rats. ART-emulgel and injectable ART (intra-articular; I.A) portrayed minor synovial erosion compared with blank and diclofenac emulgel. Histopathological evidences indicated restoration of cartilage integrity followed by reduction of OARSI scores in ART-emulgel when compared with disease control animals.Conclusion: ART-emulgel is a potential dosage form for translating into a clinically viable product for the management of OA.

Assessing the ability of GPT-4o to visually recognize medications and provide patient education.

Various studies have investigated the ability of ChatGPT (OpenAI) to provide medication information; however, a new promising feature has now been added, which allows visual input and is yet to be evaluated. Here, we aimed to qualitatively assess its ability to visually recognize medications, through medication picture input, and provide patient education via written and visual output. The responses were evaluated by accuracy, precision and clarity using a 4-point Likert-like scale. In regards to handling visual input and providing written responses, GPT-4o was able to recognize all 20 tested medications from packaging pictures, even with blurring, retrieve their active ingredients, identify formulations and dosage forms and provide detailed, yet concise enough, patient education in an almost completely accurate, precise and clear manner with a score of 3.55 ± 0.605 (85%). In contrast, the visual output through GPT-4o generated images illustrating usage instructions contained many errors that would either hinder the effectiveness of the medication or cause direct harm to the patient with a poor score of 1.5 ± 0.577 (16.7%). In conclusion, GPT-4o is capable of identifying medications from pictures and exhibits contrasting patient education performance between written and visual output with very impressive and poor scores, respectively.

New Dosage Form of Insulin: Review Article

Many patients with advanced type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and all patients with T1DM require insulin to keep blood glucose levels in the target range. The most common route of insulin administration is subcutaneous insulin injections. There are many ways to deliver insulin subcutaneously, such as vials and syringes, insulin pens, and insulin pumps. Though subcutaneous insulin delivery is the standard route of insulin administration, it is associated with injection pain, needle phobia, lipodystrophy, noncompliance, and peripheral hyperinsulinemia. Therefore, the need exists to deliver insulin in a minimally invasive or noninvasive way and in the most physiological way. Inhaled insulin was the first approved noninvasive and alternative way to deliver glucose, but it has been withdrawn from the market. Researchers are exploring technologies to enable noninvasive insulin delivery. Some of the routes for insulin administration that are under investigation are oral, buccal, nasal, peritoneal, and transdermal. This article has focused on different possible routes of insulin administration, their advantages and limitations, and the possible scope of the new drug development.

Forced stability studies and estimation of encapsulated ellagic acid in nano-formulations using UV-spectroscopy

Abstract There is a growing interest in dietary materials to explore their therapeutic activities. Ellagic acid is considered as a dietary supplement and is naturally present in fruits and other foods. It has anticancer, antimalarial, antiviral, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities. These activities can be enhanced with nanoformulations, which can increase its oral bioavailability. However, there is a need for an economical, simple, sensitive, and robust analytical method for the estimation of entrapped ellagic acid in the nanoformulations. Therefore, the present study presents the development and validation of a UV–visible spectroscopy method for the estimation of EA in nanoformulations. The phosphate buffer (pH 7.2) and the detection wavelength of 253.5 nm were used for the method development, and its validation was performed according to the ICH Q2A (R1) guidelines. The coefficient of determination value of the developed method was found to be 0.9988 in the concentration range of 1 μg mL−1 to 6 μg mL−1. The method was found to be linear, precise, sensitive, and robust. This method can be used for the estimation of EA in nanoformulations, bulk dosage forms, and other pharmaceutical formulations.