Pharmaceutical Industry Research Articles

Usability evaluation and proposals for paediatric liquid medication containers

Japan’s universal health system allows free access to medical institutions and medical costs for children are often fully covered. While this is a good system, people are not always aware of the concept of self-medication and are less inclined to buy medication over the counter. The negative impacts of this can be inaccurate administration of medicine for people and their children. Professor Mikio Murata is a licensed pharmacist working on a project to investigate and research pharmaceutical containers, devices and packaging and drug delivery devices. The work will lead to improved containers, benefiting those administering and receiving medication. As paediatric prescriptions are often prepared by mixing different liquids and then dispensed by adding water to a measuring cup using markings on the liquid container, the process for a parent administering medicine to their child is cumbersome and it can be difficult to accurately measure medication. There is a need to decipher if the devices in use are fit-for-purpose and if there is a need for new methods for administering certain medicines to ensure the safety of patients. Further issues relate to the regulation of drug prices, with costs including necessary administration devices and packaging. This means pharmaceutical manufacturers may be reluctant to change packaging or containers after they have been launched due to the production line modifications that would be needed. Additionally, cost is often prioritised over user convenience as the cost of liquid and ointment containers used in pharmacies is borne by the pharmacy.

Analytical Methodologies for Anti-Infective Orphan Drugs: A Comprehensive Review of FDA Approvals (2013-2023) Part 1.

Most orphan diseases, which affect small patient populations, are chronic, incurable and often lead to early death. Due to small market size, orphan drugs developed to address these diseases receive little attention from the pharmaceutical industry. This lack of interest also applies to the development of analytical methods, which are crucial for drug analysis and quality control. Analysis of orphan drugs faces challenges, including a lack of reference standard and an inadequate number of samples for testing. In addition, constant adjustment of analytical techniques is demanded due to the lengthy development process. Financial constraints further hinder the advancement of analytical techniques since orphan drugs represents a narrow niche market and the pharmaceutical industry often focuses on research with greater impact, causing orphan drugs to be deprioritized. This review summarizes the analytical methods developed for US FDA-approved anti-infective orphan drugs (except antivirals) in the period between 2013 to 2023, covering in depth small molecules and broadly biologics in numerous dosage forms and biological samples. It covers the most common reported analytical methods, such as liquid chromatography, TLC, spectroscopy, and electrochemical analysis. This review highlights the crucial need for the continuous development of new analytical techniques to support the development and quality control of orphan drugs.

HERBAL EXCIPIENTS USED IN NOVEL DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEM

Modern drug formulations have integrated excipients to serve a more active role unlike in the past when they were merely passive ingredients. A shift towards more herbal and natural alternatives has made the use of herbal excipients in novel drug delivery systems (NDDS) more feasible. These plant based materials, which include gums, mucilages, and resins, have biocompatibility and biodegradability properties, rendering them much safer than conventional drugs. Thus, they are ideal for advanced drug delivery systems which require more sophisticated approaches such as controlled release, targeted delivery, and even nanoparticles. This article describes the different kinds of NDDS herbs used as excipients and their benefits over man made ones. Moreover, this article highlights the effect of consistency, standardization, and regulations posed on herbal materials. Lastly, this review stresses the future importance of herbal excipients in drug delivery systems as it is beneficial for both the patient and the pharmaceutical companies. KEYWORDS: Herbal excipients , NDDS

Emerging patents versus brain eating amoebae, Naegleria fowleri.

Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM) is a severe and often fatal infection caused by the free-living amoebae Naegleria fowleri. This condition typically results from exposure to contaminated warm freshwater/inadequately treated recreational water/or ablution/nasal irrigation with contaminated water. The management of PAM is hindered by the absence of effective treatment coupled with challenges in early diagnosis. This review explores emerging patents that could be utilized for the treatment, diagnosis of PAM, as well as water treatment. Recent patents from the past five years, along with research and innovations are reviewed and categorized into therapeutic agents, water treatment technologies, and diagnostic methods. It is hoped that collaboration and awareness between pharmaceutical companies, water industries, and academic institutions is essential for advancing effective strategies against this severe central nervous system pathogen.

Comparative Effect of Free Vanillin and Vanillin‐Loaded Nanoemulsion in Airways of Rodents

ABSTRACTVanillin (4‐hydroxy‐3‐methoxybenzaldehyde) is a phenolic aldehyde compound found in the plants of the genus Vanilla. This substance is widely used as a flavouring in the world, used in the food even pharmaceutical industries. Some studies have reported pharmacological activities such as antitumor, antinociceptive, anti‐inflammatory and neuroprotective activities. This study aimed to investigate the spasmolytic, antitussive, expectorant and anti‐asthmatic effects of vanillin in rodents. The spasmolytic activity of vanillin was assayed in isolated rat tracheas that were contracted with carbachol or KCl. The in vivo effects were evaluated in mouse models of citric acid‐induced cough, phenol red dosage in bronchoalveolar lavage and ovalbumin‐induced asthma. The maximal relaxing effect promoted by vanillin in isolated rat trachea was greater in contractions induced by KCl 60 mM than by carbachol (10 μM). In calcium‐free media, this effect was significantly reduced during CCh‐induced contractions. Vanillin at doses of 10, 30 or 100 mg/kg reduced the number of inflammatory cells in bronchoalveolar lavage and the number of coughs in mice after treatment. The effect of vanillin may be related to the opioid receptor, as the antitussive effect was abolished in the presence of 0, 4 mg/kg naloxone. The vanillin‐loaded nanoemulsions exhibited expectorant activity. The present study showed that vanillin may be responsible for these anti‐asthmatic, antitussive and spasmolytic effects.

The Multifaceted Chemistry Of Chili Peppers: A Biodiversity Treasure For Nutrition And Biomedicine.

Chili pepper (Ch-p), a spice-utilizing fruit, is rich in natural medicinally bioactive compounds, such as flavonoids, capsaicinoids, and many other phytochemicals and phytonutrients. Operating in synergy and consortium, these compounds demonstrate their functionality, in comparison to lonely treatment, as active agents in handling many disorders. These may include abnormal coagulation, oxidative stress, obesity, diabetes, inflammation, cancer, and microbe-inducing diseases. Recently, capsaicinoids, particularly capsaicin, have been shown to manage the symptoms of significant viral diseases, including COVID-19. Capsaicin also has the potential to be an effective anesthetic agent and enables Ch-p to be expandedly employed as a topical preparation in relieving pain as well. The phytochemicals of Ch-p are not only beneficial and inexpensive phyto-alternatives in disease management, but they can also be used as scaffolds for the production of novel medicines. The study also substantiates the role of the TRPV1 receptor in the mitigation of chronic diseases in conjunction with capsaicin.The nutritional and biomedical prospection of Ch-p-derived products has been addressed in an accessible format in this artifact, with the potential to precisely enhance and enrich our pharmaceutical industries in the pursuit of human well-being.

Phytochemical profiling of methanolic extract and petroleum ether soluble fraction of Nami (Dioscorea hispida Dennst.) leaves

Medicinal plants are essential in drug development since they serve as raw materials in the pharmaceutical industry. One such plant, Nami (Dioscorea hispida Dennst.), which belongs to the family Dioscoreaceae, is well known for its medicinal properties. This study aimed to identify the bioactive metabolites present in the leaves of D. hispida Dennst. The phytochemical screening of methanolic extract and petroleum ether soluble fraction extract of D. hispida Dennst. leaves revealed the presence of tannin, flavonoids, saponins, alkaloids, glycosides, terpenoids, and steroids, all of which possess medicinal properties. Hence, these bioactive metabolites may be employed to develop innovative drugs for several diseases.

Qualitative In-trial Interviews: Methods, Challenges, and Best Practice.

Qualitative in-trial interviews with clinical trial participants are a means of providing rich, in-depth patient experience data to supplement and complement data captured by clinical outcome assessments and other clinical trial efficacy endpoints. Such in-trial interview data can be used to build understanding of disease and treatment experiences, evaluate content validity of clinical outcome assessments, aid interpretation of scores and meaningful changes, inform trial design feasibility and operational considerations, and provide supportive evidence regarding safety, efficacy, and effectiveness. Despite the rapid growth of in-trial interviews as part of clinical development programs in the pharmaceutical industry in recent years, published guidelines regarding the methods, conduct, and implementation of in-trial interviews are scarce. Drawing on published examples and the authors' experiences of conducting in-trial interview studies, this article provides an overview of best practice methods for implementing this methodology (including considerations for study design, sample size, interview conduct, and analysis) and the value of in-trial interview data to answer specific research questions. Operational and logistical considerations are outlined, including recommendations for country selection, site selection, training and communication, adverse event safety reporting, and data management and handling. Well-designed and carefully implemented in-trial interviews can lead to generation of insightful patient experience data that are truly of value to inform regulators, health technology agencies, clinicians, patients, and caregivers about product attributes and the impact of diseases and treatments on patients' lives.

Impact of Critical Process Parameters on the Dimensional, Mean Weight and Swelling Properties of 3D-Printed Intravaginal Rings: A Quality by Design approach

ABSTRACT 3D printing has been emerging as a transformative technology in pharmaceutical manufacturing, offering potential for personalized medicine and innovative dosage forms. It enables precise control over drug release profiles and dosage customization, addressing individual patient needs. Various 3D printing techniques, including fused deposition modeling (FDM), are being explored for pharmaceutical applications. The choice of polymers and their rheological properties are crucial for successful extrusion-based 3D printing of pharmaceuticals. While 3D printing shows promise in accelerating drug development and facilitating large-scale manufacturing, challenges remain in terms of quality and quality control. Quality-by-design (QbD) approaches for developing 3D-printed dosage forms are essential for assessing drug content, release profiles, and overall quality to ensure safe and effective pharmaceutical products. In this study we highlight the role of critical process parameters (CPPs), such as infill density and printing speed in the production of poly (lactic acid) based intravaginal rings. The effect of the CPPs on critical quality attributes (CQAs), i.e. ring dimensions, mean weight and swelling degree is studied. The study evaluated the influence of printing speed (25-100 mm/s) and infill density (0-20%) on the weight and dimensions of 3D-printed rings using ANOVA. The results showed that printing settings significantly impacted both weight and dimensions. Average weights ranged from 0.537 g to 0.629 g, with the highest weights found in samples with the highest infill density and lowest printing speed. Internal ring dimensions varied between 9.73 mm and 9.81 mm, while external dimensions ranged from 19.43 mm to 19.69 mm. In swelling tests, rings with the lowest printing speed and highest infill density showed the greatest swelling, up to 2.47%, after 3 hours in distilled water with a pH of 4.3. Infill density and printing speed produced a pivotal impact on dimensions, weight and swelling behavior of intravaginal rings. The results demonstrate that FDM offers a viable approach to producing cost-effective, patient-specific intravaginal rings, with statistical analysis confirming the reproducibility and effectiveness of the fabricated devices.

Analysis of the registration and manufacturing of heparin drugs in Russia

Objective. To analyze the circulation processes of heparin group drugs for 2004–2024 from the point of view of the rates of registration and localization of production of active pharmaceutical substances (APS), finished dosage forms, and prospects for implementing a full production cycle in Russia.Materials and methods. An analysis of information from 693 registry entries in the State Register of Medicines dedicated to heparin-based drugs was conducted, and a database was compiled in Microsoft Excel. Information on registered drugs was classified according to their belonging to the heparin group, the name of the APS, dosage form, date of registration, presence in the list of vital and essential drugs, country of manufacture of the APS, and finished dosage forms.Results. In accordance with the anatomical-therapeutic-chemical classification, more than 20 names of drugs were classified as heparin group drugs: unfractionated heparin, low-molecular-weight heparin, heparinoid, and antithrombin III. 95 current registration certificates (hereinafter referred to as RC) and 13 RC excluded from the State Register of Medicines were studied — a total of 108 RC. Graphs were constructed to reflect the rate of drug registration in each named group. The highest rates of registration are observed in the period from 2020 to 2024 — on average 5.25 drugs are approved per year. The years with the most active registration were 2011 (11 approved drugs), 2017 (8 approved drugs), and 2023 (9 approved drugs). The production localization of heparin drugs for 2024 is presented in the diagrams. The main country producing APS for heparin drugs is China. However, for every fifth heparin drug, the full production cycle can be performed in Russia, including the synthesis of APS.Conclusions. Information was received on the structure of the product range (95 drugs are presented in 10 dosage forms for 5 different routes of administration), rate of registration of drugs in the heparin group, and localization of production of the APS, finished dosage form. The production of APS for sodium heparin is concentrated in China. Information is known about the construction in the coming years in Russia of three production sites for the production of the APS of sodium heparin: by the Chinese company “Hebei Changshan Biochemical Pharmaceutical”, the Russian company’s “Pharmasyntez-Kama” and “Severnyj ocean”. At present, only Russian companies are declared to be suppliers of APS is 3 drugs. Heparin drugs are mainly produced in Russia (75.4 % for sodium heparin drugs and 65.1 % for low-molecular-weight heparin).

Challenges in medicine procurement through GeM in a tertiary care hospital in northeast India

Background & objectives The procurement of medical items (drugs and consumables) through the Government e-marketplace (GeM) is a recent initiative. This study aimed to comprehensively assess the bottlenecks, procedural pitfalls, and delays impacting the supply chain in the procurement process of a tertiary care hospital in northeast India. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the procurement data obtained from the hospital’s procurement cell over 12 months. The study primarily focused on the total demand for medicines and consumables through the e-portal and compared it with the actual quantity/quality received by healthcare facilities. Results The initial demand was placed for 1507 medicines and 1219 medical consumables. However, the healthcare facility received only 695 (46.1%) medicines and 945 (77.5%) consumables. Major bottlenecks identified were non-quotation of medicines, price negotiation rejections, and vendor failure to supply. Interpretation & conclusions This study identifies a few bottlenecks: non-quotation by vendors, price negotiation rejections and failure to supply medicines and consumables by the vendors in procurement through the GeM. Efforts like flexibility in matching previous purchase rates, International Organisation for Standardisation/World Health Organization (ISO/WHO) qualified vendor base at the GeM level and porting in reliable pharmaceutical companies must be directed towards optimising procurement processes and enhancing supply chain management to bridge the identified gaps and promote seamless healthcare delivery.

PretoxTM: a text mining system for extracting treatment-related findings from preclinical toxicology reports

Over the last few decades the pharmaceutical industry has generated a vast corpus of knowledge on the safety and efficacy of drugs. Much of this information is contained in toxicology reports, which summarise the results of animal studies designed to analyse the effects of the tested compound, including unintended pharmacological and toxic effects, known as treatment-related findings. Despite the potential of this knowledge, the fact that most of this relevant information is only available as unstructured text with variable degrees of digitisation has hampered its systematic access, use and exploitation. Text mining technologies have the ability to automatically extract, analyse and aggregate such information, providing valuable new insights into the drug discovery and development process. In the context of the eTRANSAFE project, we present PretoxTM (Preclinical Toxicology Text Mining), the first system specifically designed to detect, extract, organise and visualise treatment-related findings from toxicology reports. The PretoxTM tool comprises three main components: PretoxTM Corpus, PretoxTM Pipeline and PretoxTM Web App. The PretoxTM Corpus is a gold standard corpus of preclinical treatment-related findings annotated by toxicology experts. This corpus was used to develop, train and validate the PretoxTM Pipeline, which extracts treatment-related findings from preclinical study reports. The extracted information is then presented for expert visualisation and validation in the PretoxTM Web App.Scientific ContributionWhile text mining solutions have been widely used in the clinical domain to identify adverse drug reactions from various sources, no similar systems exist for identifying adverse events in animal models during preclinical testing. PretoxTM fills this gap by efficiently extracting treatment-related findings from preclinical toxicology reports. This provides a valuable resource for toxicology research, enhancing the efficiency of safety evaluations, saving time, and leading to more effective decision-making in the drug development process.

Exploring Corporate Capital Structure and Overleveraging in the Pharmaceutical Industry

This paper applies an empirical model of corporate capital structure, optimal debt, and overleveraging to estimate overleveraging measured as the difference between actual and optimal debt. Estimated using a sample of the twenty largest pharmaceutical firms, covering the time span from 2000 to 2018, the model sheds light on an industry-specific default risk. The analysis presented in this paper reveals a concerning trend in the pharmaceutical industry, with corporate excess debt steadily increasing over the past two decades, particularly peaking during the 2008 crisis and after 2013. These findings underscore the critical role of excess debt in exacerbating financial instability and highlight the pharmaceutical sector’s unique challenges, including high R&D intensity and regulatory pressures. By quantifying overleveraging and linking it to financial risk, the paper offers valuable policy implications, emphasizing the need for proactive management of optimal debt levels to mitigate default risks and enhance macroeconomic resilience.

Integrated characterization of Greek fennel genotypes through morpho‐agronomical characteristics, yield components and phytochemical compounds

AbstractBackgroundFennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) is a widely cultivated vegetable and aromatic‐medicinal plant. In this research, field studies assessed 12 fennel genotypes of diverse origin, comprising 10 Greek accessions and two European commercial varieties, focusing on their morpho‐agronomical traits, phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity in the aboveground biomass. Emphasis gave on the post‐harvest determination of seed yield and essential oil's (EO's) profile for each genotype.ResultsMultivariate data analysis on both morpho‐agronomical descriptors and EO's components demonstrated clear distinction of Greek fennel accessions (groups I and III) from commercial varieties (group II). Accessions of groups I and III were ranked with intermediate values of height, foliage density, leaf length, green color intensity and primary canopy diameter. In addition, fennel accessions differentiated in their EO's yield (ranged from 2.2% to 7.8%), although they exhibited similar qualitative profile. The main EO's compound of group I was trans‐anethole, estragole and fenchone for group III, while commercial varieties characterized by high concentration in trans‐anethole and fenchone. Variations among genotypes were also demonstrated in the content of total phenolics (7.0–11.6 mg g−1 on dry weight basis, dw) and flavonoids (5.9–12.4 mg g−1 dw), while the antioxidant activity determined by ABTS test, varied from 9.0 to 16.2 mg Trolox equivalents g−1 dw.ConclusionThe observed variability in morpho‐agronomical descriptors and phytochemical profile among fennel genotypes recorded for the first time the potential of Greek native genetic material. The data of this research provides useful information for direct future uses in pharmaceutical industry and for applications in plant breeding programs, aiming to produce new type of fennel varieties.

Porous nonwoven calendered fabrics (membranes) based on electrospun prepolymers of modified polyimides

AbstractThe article presents data on the method of obtaining porous nonwoven polyimide fabrics (membranes), their deformation and strength characteristics, heat resistance, and surface properties. The membranes are produced as a result of a multistep processing of copoly(urethane‐imides) prepolymers that includes the synthesis of copoly(urethane‐amiс acids) of a given chemical composition, the molding of nonwoven fabrics (mats) by electrodeposition of copoly(urethane‐amic acids), the compaction of the volumetric structure of electrodeposited nonwoven fabrics by calendering on hot rollers, the thermal cyclization (imidization) of amic acid units of copolymers during calendering to form imides, and the controlled selective thermal destruction of the urethane groups in the copolymers conditioning the transition from poly(urethane‐imides) to polyimides, which is accompanied by the formation of pores in nonwoven polyimide fabrics, resulting in porous polyimide webs with specific properties. In the synthesis of the polymers studied, polycaprolactone diol, 2,4‐toluene diisocyanate, 4,4′‐oxydianiline, pyromellitic dianhydride, and 3,3′,4,4′‐oxydiphthalic anhydride were used. The polymers were characterized using X‐ray, 1H NMR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical analysis, and scanning electron spectroscopy. The deformation and strength properties of the nonwoven polyimide fabrics were also determined. Chemical composition of the synthesized polymer systems and the conditions for creating porous polyimide nonwoven fabrics influence the physical properties of the resulting fabrics. Porous polyimide nonwoven fabrics hold promise for the development of advanced filtration materials with enhanced strength, heat resistance, and resistance to aggressive amide solvents, which could be used in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. The nonwoven fabrics are based on copoly(urethane imides) in terms of dimethylformamide (DMF) permeability and phthalocyanine rejection with a diameter of 240 nm. The DMF permeability was 280 kg/m2 h bar, the phthalocyanine rejection was 98%.Highlights Nonwoven poly(urethane‐amic acid) materials were obtained by electrodeposition. Nonwovens were rolled at high temperatures and pressure. The materials were compacted and acquired the structure of poly(urethane‐imides). Porous polyimide materials were obtained by annealing poly(urethane‐imides). The obtained materials have the properties of ultrafiltration membranes.

Dendrimers as drug delivery vehicles: a comprehensive review.

Dendrimers are chemical compounds that have functional groups on their surface and a hyperbranched structure. It is simple to promote the functionality of dendrimers and produce a variety of biocompatible products by altering their terminal groups. These materials have exceptional physicochemical characteristics that make them more beneficial in the administration of medications. They have a vigorous amount of potential as agents for nanomedicine applications because of their rare properties, which compose internal cavities, strong reactivity, globular form, solubility in water, and nanoscale size. They might also be synthesized easily. In-depth information about dendrimer composition and classifications, synthesis, and applications in nanomedicine, particularly drug delivery, is mentioned in this paper. Dendrimers are chiefly categorized by their functional groups, which permit for concise encapsulation of active compounds and structural imitatively of biomaterials. A rare property not often seen in other polymers serves to stabilize the surface of dendrimers to broaden their solubility in water.Dendritic molecules own a different variety of applications, such as dendrimers, dendrons, dendronized polymers, and hyperbranched polymers, which are organized based on their molecular weight. The role-play of dendrimers' is the capability to attach a broad range of chemical entities and their ability to shift pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic features through tailored drug delivery. To sum up, this study bolded how dendrimers' intricate structure and versatility make them excellent drug delivery vehicles since they may exactly modify their properties to reach special requirements. Drugs can be aimed at neuroinflammatory disorders and made more soluble and stable by dendrimers, which also deliver for a diversity of modes of delivery. Additionally, they show attractive ability in gene transfection and sensor production, drawing near their potential for a difference of usages in industries including pesticide delivery and medicine. With the potential to send out gene therapy, medicine delivery, and other specialties of science and medicine, dendrimers are becoming a huge crucial in the pharmaceutical and medical industries through the next research and clinical investigations.

Real-time monitoring of small changes in powder blends and ejected tablets in a low-dose formulation with 1 %w/w of active pharmaceutical ingredient using Raman and near-infrared spatially resolved spectroscopy within a tablet press.

This study used Raman and near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy to monitor small real-time changes in powder blends and tablets in low-dose pharmaceutical formulations. The research aims to enhance process analytical technology (PAT) in pharmaceutical manufacturing, ensuring high-quality and uniform products with applications to produce drugs with narrow therapeutic indices (NTI). The study utilizes Raman and NIR spatially resolved spectroscopy (SRS) techniques to monitor a moderate cohesive material's active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) concentrations during manufacturing. The sampling locations were a bin blender for the batch blending procedure where the powder heterogeneity plays a significant role in product homogeneity, a feed frame of a tablet press where powder blend dynamics is critical to final product quality, and the outlet port of the tablet press where tablets immediately after ejection can be monitored in real-time. The study used semifine acetaminophen (APAP) as the API. Results indicated that Raman and NIR SRS could detect small API concentration changes as low as 0.50%w/w, demonstrating their sensitivity and utility in real-time monitoring. The findings support the feasibility of these techniques in ensuring tight process control and highlight the performance of reducing waste and optimizing manufacturing processes in line with quality by design principles. The results highlight the importance of residence time distribution (RTD) in understanding the flow of the materials and powder behavior within the tablet press feed frame. RTD analyses showed that both Raman and NIR SRS techniques could effectively track concentration changes and ensure uniformity in the powder blends and tablets with signal-to-noise ratios higher than 3, demonstrating the sensitivity of the methods to small API changes. The %RSD during a steady state of 250s (corresponding to 1.04kg of material at 15kg/h) for the step changes presented values of 6.74% at 0.50%w/w, 5.39% at 1.00%w/w, and 2.99% at 1.50%w/w for Raman predictions in powder blends within the feed frame and 15.46% at 0.50%w/w, 9.64% at 1.00%w/w, and 5.68% at 1.50%w/w for NIR SRS predictions of tablets ejected at the outlet port of the tablet press. In conclusion, this research demonstrates the potential of advanced spectroscopic techniques and data analysis in pharmaceutical manufacturing. By enabling precise real-time monitoring and control, these techniques contribute to higher-quality drug products, particularly NTI drugs, aligning with modern regulatory expectations and advancing pharmaceutical production technology.

Unlocking the potential of microbes: Concomitant production of polyhydroxyalkanoates and carotenoids.

The escalating environmental concerns and depletion of crude oil resources have catalyzed interest in biologically derived polymers, particularly biodegradable ones such as polyhydroxyalkanoates. However, the high production costs associated with polyhydroxyalkanoates, driven by raw material expenses, stringent production conditions and low yields, hinder their widespread adoption. A potential strategy to mitigate these costs involves the production of PHAs and other high-value bioproducts, such as carotenoids simultaneously in microbial systems, utilizing shared metabolic pathways. Carotenoids, known for their antioxidant properties and applications in the food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries, offer substantial market potential. This review presents a comprehensive overview of the current progress in polyhydroxyalkanoate and carotenoid co-production, explores the co-synthesis pathways, addresses the challenges involved and explores the future prospects of this integrated bioprocess. By diversifying the product portfolio and optimizing microbial production systems, the co-production strategy could pave the way for more sustainable and economically viable bioplastics.

Designing, Optimising, and Assessing a Novel Emulgel Containing Minoxidil for Controlled Drug Release, Incorporating Marine-based Polymers.

This study aimed to develop an emulgel containing minoxidil as a drug for hair growth promotion in diseases, such as androgenetic alopecia, using gelling agents, such as chitosan and fucoidan. In this study, gelling agents were selected for the emulgel formulation. By various evaluation tests and through optimization, the chitosan-fucoidan combination was selected as the gelling agent for the preparation of emulgel using various evaluation parameters. X2, the best emulgel formulation, contained 2.54 % chitosan and 0.896 % fucoidan. Chitosan prolonged the duration of drug release, and controlled release was obtained. Fucoidan increased the gelling activity, water absorption rate, and stability of the formulation. In this study, the X2 formulation showed the highest percentage of drug release at the 12th hour. It was found to be 99.7%, which followed the zero-order release model. Owing to the wide range of biological activities of fucoidan, the loaded active substance can be protected, and at the same time, its potency can be improved, resulting in effective treatment. Because fucoidan has diverse properties and potential, it will be widely used in the biomedical and pharmaceutical industries in the future.

PDMS membrane incorporated by zeolites with tunable pore chemistry for dimethyl carbonate/methanol azeotropic mixture separation

The separation of organic-organic azeotropic mixtures is important in the petrochemical, agrochemical, and pharmaceutical industries, which is energy-intensive by using the current distillation technology. Pervaporation process is energy-efficient for azeotropic separation, while lacks of high-performing membrane materials. In this work, to realize efficient separation of dimethyl carbonate/methanol azeotropic mixtures, a benchmarked membrane, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), was incorporated by zeolites with tunable pore chemistry. Specifically, MFI-type zeolite was grafted by alkyl chains with different carbon numbers (C1, C4, C8), thereby providing tunable transport channels for organic molecules. Based on systematic characterizations (e.g., sorption and LF-NMR) and permeation test, we found that the organophilic alkyl chain can trap organic molecules into the zeolitic pores while may also hinder the organic diffusion through the zeolite due to the steric hindrance effect. The PDMS mixed-matrix membrane (MMM) with optimized C1-grafted MFI loading as high as 50 wt% exhibited separation factor of 3.6, and permeation flux of 11.5 kg m-2 h-1 for 30 wt% DMC-methanol azeotropic mixture at 40 °C. With slightly higher separation factor, the flux of PDMS MMM is 1.5-fold higher than that of the pure PDMS membrane. This work highlights the critical role of filler pore chemistry on the solution-diffusion transport and thus performance enhancement of MMM.