Three-component Formulation Research Articles

Mitigating the skin irritation potential of mixtures of anionic and non-ionic surfactants by incorporating low-toxicity silica nanoparticles

There has been a notable upswing in the adoption of product formulations based on nanotechnology within the cosmetics industry. By using nanocarriers, such as solid or micellar nanoparticles, the quality and performance of cosmetics can be improved, allowing for better transport of bioactive components into the skin. However, it is important to note that the interaction between these compounds may lead to skin irritation. To mitigate skin irritability, nano-formulation strategies should be implemented in cosmetics. A proof-of-concept study was therefore conducted to investigate if low-toxicity nanoparticles (silica) could be used in combination with a mixture of anionic surfactants and a low-irritant cosurfactant (non-ionic) to develop safer cosmetic formulations that reduce skin damage. The skin irritation potential of the formulations was assessed in vitro using the well-known Zein method.As anticipated, non-ionic surfactants pose the lowest risk for skin irritation. When compared to single anionic surfactants, non-ionic/anionic mixtures were found to decrease skin irritability by 24–67 %. However, when silica nanoparticles (NPs) were added to single surfactants, the potential for skin irritation increased, particularly when the anionic surfactant molecules were arranged in a spherical core-shell structure around the surface of the NPs. On the other hand, incorporating NPs in surfactant mixtures enhanced their formulation stability. While all three-component formulations were found to decrease skin irritability, those that formed spherical core-shell structures demonstrated the most significant reduction, likely related to a reduction in charge density caused by the non-ionic surfactant which may decrease protein solubilisation. Therefore, the inclusion of silica NPs can potentially result in a further reduction of the skin irritation potential caused by mixtures of anionic and non-ionic surfactants.

Engineering of levodopa inhalable microparticles in combination with leucine and dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine by spray drying technique

The aim of this work was to study the effect of concomitant use of leucine and dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine, in different ratios, on aerosolization performance of levodopa. Three-component formulations were selected based on a central composite design using percentages of leucine and dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine as the independent variables. Particle size, surface roughness index, surface phosphorus and fine particle fraction were considered as dependent variables in the model. The spray dried samples were also characterized to determine their particle shape and solid state nature. levodopa was spray dried with 10–40% w/w of the excipients to prepare two- or three-component formulations. A crystalline nature was determined for levodopa in all samples spray dried from water:ethanol (30:70 v/v). Roughness in surface of the processed particles increased with increasing total concentration of the excipients, specially above 25% w/w. Analysis of phosphorus on the surface demonstrated that three-component formulations prepared with combination of 12.5% w/w leucine had the highest amount of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine in the surface, regardless of its percentage used in the initial feed. A combination of 12.43% w/w of leucine and 9.80% w/w of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine used in formulation exhibited the highest fine particle fraction (72.63%). It can be concluded that spray drying of levodopa with a suitable combination of both excipients leads to production of a three-component formulation of crystalline levodopa, with an aerosolization performance which is significantly higher than two-component formulations composed of the drug with either leucine or dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine.

Successful Development of Bacteriocins into Therapeutic Formulation for Treatment of MRSA Skin Infection in a Murine Model.

The emergence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens has caused a serious worldwide problem in infection treatment in recent years. One of the pathogens is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which is a major cause of skin and soft tissue infections. Alternative strategies and novel sources of antimicrobials to solve antibiotic resistance problems are urgently needed. In this study, we explored the potential of two broad-spectrum bacteriocins, garvicin KS and micrococcin P1, in skin infection treatments. The two bacteriocins acted synergistically with each other and with penicillin G in killing MRSA in vitro The MICs of the antimicrobials in the three-component mixture were 40 ng/ml for micrococcin P1 and 2 μg/ml for garvicin KS and penicillin G, which were 62, 16, and at least 1,250 times lower than their MICs when assessed individually. To assess its therapeutic potential further, we challenged the three-component formulation in a murine skin infection model with the multidrug-resistant luciferase-tagged MRSA Xen31, a strain derived from the clinical isolate S. aureus ATCC 33591. Using the tagged-luciferase activity as a reporter for the presence of Xen31 in wounds, we demonstrated that the three-component formulation was efficient in eradicating the pathogen from treated wounds. Furthermore, compared to Fucidin cream, which is an antibiotic commonly used in skin infection treatments, our formulation was also superior in terms of preventing resistance development.

A general formulation approach for the fabrication of water repellent materials: how composition can impact resilience and functionality

A universal approach for fabricating superhydrophobic materials, through a three-component formulation (nanomaterial, polymer, and solvent) that can be readily interchanged.

Electrochemical behaviour of interface of carbon steel/solution containing three-component formulations

Abstract Two phosphonic acids namely 1-hydroxyethane-1,1-diphosphonic acid (HEDP) and Nitrilotris(methylenephosphonic acid) (NTMP) in combination with Zn2+ and ascorbic acid (AA) are known to be effective inhibitor systems for corrosion control of carbon steel in aqueous environments. The present study was aimed at exploring modifications occurring at the interface of carbon steel and the solutions containing HEDP-Zn2+-AA and NTMP-Zn2+-AA using electrochemical studies. The nature of the interface is found to change in presence of the formulations. The formulations affect both the anodic and cathodic partial reactions occurring on the substrate. The effects of immersion time and temperature are also studied.

Розробка рецептур м’ясних паштетів з використанням білково-жирових емульсій на основі вітамінізованих купажованих рослинних олій

У статті розглянута розробка рецептур м’ясних паштетів з використанням білково-жирових емульсій (БЖЕ) на основі вітамінізованих купажованих рослинних олій (ВКРО). Досліджено органолептичні, фізико-хімічні та функціонально-технологічні показники нових рецептур м’ясних паштетів з метою збагачення біологічно активними компонентами. В процесі роботи було створено вісім рецептур паштетів з м’яса птиці зі використанням розроблених БЖЕ, що входили до складу рецептури в кількості 15…20% та дві рецептури з вітамінізованими купажованими рослинними оліями двокомпонентного та трикомпонентного складів у кількості 10%. Контролем були зразки паштетів, виготовлені згідно з ДСТУ 4432:2005, які містили 10% свинячого шпику. Як основну сировину в рецептурах паштетів використовували куряче та індиче м'ясо (попередньо бланшоване), печінку курячу (попередньо бланшовану), яйця курячі. Дана сировина забезпечує дієтичність продукту, збалансовує вироби за амінокислотним складом. Також в рецептуру дослідних зразків входили такі інгредієнти, як морква та цибуля пасеровані, манка, хліб пшеничний (попередньо гідратований). Внесення розроблених ВКРО та БЖЕ на їх основі дозволяє збалансувати продукт за жирнокислотним та вітамінним складом. Вивчено також зміни структурно-механічних властивостей у готовому продукті при заміні в ньому шпику на БЖЕ. Проведено ряд мікробіологічних випробувань, а саме: визначення кількості мезофільних аеробних та факультативно-анаеробних мікроорганізмів (МАФАнМ), бактерій групи кишкової палички (БГКП), сульфітредукувальних клостридій, Staphylococcus aureus, L.Monocytogenes та Salmonella. Подовжено термін зберігання м’ясних паштетів у 2 рази (48 год), тимчасом як за ДСТУ 4432:2005 – 24 год. Технологія купажування рослинних олій розроблена і впроваджена на Одеському заводі кісточкових та рослинних олій, ТОВ «АВА», (акт від 26.03.2015 р.). Апробацію проведено на виробничих площах ТОВ «Зернопром», де виготовлено пробну партію м’ясних паштетів з використанням білково-жирових емульсій, створених на основі вітамінізованих купажованих рослинних олій (акт від 18.03.2016 р.).

A new three-component formulation for the efficient whitening of teeth (Carbamide Plus).

This study aimed to develop and characterise a new three-component dental whitening formulation which is as effective as the currently used carbamide peroxide but at significantly lower hydrogen peroxide concentrations. The new formulation (Carbamide Plus) was prepared containing hydrogen peroxide, urea, and sodium tripolyphosphate and compared directly with carbamide peroxide (containing just hydrogen peroxide and urea). To evaluate the clinical effectiveness of 5% Carbamide Plus, a randomised double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted comparing the tooth colour of 33 patients using L*a*b* scores at baseline and after a 2-week whitening treatment. The behaviour of the three components in solution was determined by (1)H and (31)P NMR spectroscopy and pH dilution experiments. This clinical trial revealed that 5% whitening gels containing Carbamide Plus were as effective as those containing 10% carbamide peroxide. (1)H and (31)P NMR spectroscopy revealed strong intermolecular interactions between hydrogen peroxide and both urea and sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP) with little apparent interaction between urea and STPP. In this manuscript, we postulate that this increased whitening efficiency is due to a marked increase in local pH upon dilution which destabilises the hydrogen peroxide and expedites the whitening process. We postulate Carbamide Plus to be a three-component adduct with two molecules of carbamide peroxide binding to a central STPP unit with no direct interaction between STPP and urea. There were no statistically significant differences between Carbamide Plus and 10% carbamide peroxide in tooth-whitening achieved at 2 weeks. These results were recorded following 2 weeks of 2-h daily wear of at-home trays. Carbamide Plus offers the potential of using significantly lower levels of hydrogen peroxide concentration to achieve similar dental whitening effects.

Sex pheromone of the African armyworm Spodoptera exempta (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae): identification of components of the Okinawan population and formulation for population monitoring

In 2010, abrupt outbreaks of the African armyworm, Spodoptera exempta (Walker), occured on the Tarama, Iriomote and Kikai Islands in southwestern Japan. Analysis by gas chromatography-electroantennographic detection (GC-EAD) revealed two EAG-active compounds on male antenna in crude extract of virgin females. These compounds were identified as (9Z)-9-tetradecenyl acetate (Z9-14:Ac) and (9Z,12E)-9,12-tetradecadienyl acetate (Z9E12-14:Ac) in ca. 90:10 ratio by subsequent GC-MS analyses. (11Z)-11-Hexadecenyl acetate (Z11-16:Ac), which had previously been identified as a third component in the Kenyan population, was not detected. Binary blends of Z9-14:Ac and Z9E12-14:Ac at ratios between 99:1 and 90:10 showed a potent attractiveness in the field, superior to that of virgin females and comparable to that of the three-component formulation determined in Kenya. For the population survey, a 98:2 blend was used. In Tarama, only a few moths of S. exempta were captured with a light trap during the night when more than 600 males were captured with synthetic sex pheromone; more S. exempta captures with a light trap had been reported than with sex-pheromone traps in Kenya. This indicates that the Okinawan population has different properties from the Kenyan population in pheromone composition and behavioral response to light.

The Photon Wave Function

The properties of a wave equation for a six-component wave function of a photon are re-analyzed. It is shown that the wave equation presents all the properties required by quantum mechanics, except for the ones that are linked with the definition of the position operator. The situation is contrasted with the three-component formulation based on the Riemann-Silberstein wave function. The inconsistency of the latter with the principles of quantum mechanics is shown to arise from the usual interpretation of the wave function. Finally, the Lorentz invariance of the six-component wave equation is demonstrated explicitly for Lorentz boosts and space inversion.

Path-Dependent Morphologies in Oil/Water/Diblock Copolymer Mixtures

Amphiphilic block copolymer surfactants have been studied primarily in binary or pseudobinary systems, where they form a variety of dispersions, including micelles and vesicles, characterized by extremely low critical micelle concentrations (CMCs). In this study, a poly(1,2-butadiene-b-ethylene oxide) (OB) diblock copolymer (M(n) = 33 kg/mol, and 72 wt % PEO) was combined with water (W) and 1,5-cyclooctadiene (C) in binary (OB/W and OB/C) and ternary (OB/W/C and OB/C/W) mixtures, where the order of components indicates the mixing sequence. The resulting morphologies were characterized by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and cryogenic scanning electron microscopy (cryo-SEM). Addition of 1,5-cyclooctadiene to premicellized OB in water (OB/W) leads to swelling of the initially spherical hydrophobic micelle cores followed by micelle fusion leading to three-dimensional network structures. Combining water with premixed OB in 1,5-cyclooctadiene (OB/C) transforms a periodic sheet-like lamellar microstructure into a complex state of phase separation built on water-swollen poly(ethylene oxide) bilayers, which are manifested as uniformly sized small vesicles. Thus, two entirely different microstructures, which are stable for at least a month, have been prepared from a single three-component formulation. This pronounced nonequilibrium phase behavior, attributed to the non-ergodic character of amphiphilic block copolymers, may offer new processing strategies for the preparation of desirable self-assembled structures.

Modeling the rheology of anaerobic adhesive formulations

In a previous paper, the influence of the two typical major components of anaerobics (fumarate-based thickeners and low-molecular-weight poly(ethylene glycol) dimethacrylate monomers) on the blend rheology was studied. The blends obtained showed pseudoplastic behavior, and their viscosity at room temperature was established using the Cross equation as a function of the composition and the shear rate. In addition, the evolution of the zero shear rate viscosity as a function of the thickener weight fraction was studied, and it was shown that two critical concentrations were present. This work has focused on three-component formulations, based on the two previous components plus a thixotropic agent; fumed silica. Various fumed silicas were evaluated and they showed a significant effect on the blend pseudoplasticity even at low concentrations. In addition, the mixtures showed both the Bingham effect and thixotropy. These formulations were modeled using non-phenomenological equations. Finally, a method based on the previous models has been proposed to estimate the flow behavior in actual dispensing equipments.

Surfactant-Enhanced Treatment of Oil-Based Drill Cuttings

Surfactant-enhanced washing of oil-based drill cuttings was evaluated as a technology of benefit to domestic oil producers. Laboratory studies showed the branched C14-C15 alcohol propoxylate sulfate to be a promising surfactant for liberating oils from these drill cuttings. Low concentrations (∼0.1% by weight) of this surfactant produced ultra-low oil-water interfacial tensions (IFTs), thereby allowing the rollup/snap-off mechanisms to liberate drilling oil (C16, C18 alpha olefins) from the cuttings. Surfactant-enhanced washing was compared between oil-based drill cuttings, Canadian River Alluvium (CRA), and silica, showing that the hydrophobic nature of the oil-based cuttings limited the amount of oil removed. The Ca++ content of the cuttings promoted surfactant abstraction by the cuttings, thereby increasing the hydrophobicity and oil retention by the cuttings. For this reason, three components were added to produce a robust system: (1) branched C14-C15 alcohol propoxylate sulfate, (2) octyl-sulfobetaine, and (3) builder (Na2SiO3). The Na2SiO3 builder was added to promote Ca++ sequestration, thereby decreasing the Ca++ available for precipitating the surfactant. The octyl-sulfobetaine helps mitigate high hardness and high hydrophobicity by acting as a lime soap dispersing agent (LSDA). Surfactant losses were minimized and oil removal was maximized by using all three components. When washing with this three-component formulation, oil removal was relatively independent of operating conditions such as bath-cuttings contact time and agitation energy; minimizing the contact time and agitation has the added benefit of reducing the fines production during washing operations. When washing with the three-component formulation, the oil was liberated from the cuttings as a free phase layer, sans surfactant and sans solids. The final (post washing) oil content of oil-based cuttings was in the range of 2% to 5%, which is below treatment standards for these cuttings. In addition, greater than 85% of the initial branched C14-C15 alcohol propoxylate sulfate remained in the bath after washing, which minimizes the need for make-up surfactant when the wash water is reused.

Simple and efficient finite-element analysis of microwave and optical waveguides

A simple and efficient finite-element method for the analysis of microwave and optical waveguiding problems is formulated using three components of the electric or magnetic field. In order to eliminate spurious solutions, edge elements are introduced. In the edge element approach the nodal parameters are not limited to the magnetic field as in the conventional three-component formulation for the dielectric waveguiding problem. An eigenvalue equation that involves only the edge variables in the transversal plane and can provide a direct solution for the propagation constant is derived. To show the validity and usefulness of this approach, computed results are illustrated for microstrip transmission lines and dielectric waveguides.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>

Three-component, two-dimensional analysis of the eddy current diffusion problem

In many electrical engineering applications, one is required to solve the electromagnetic field problem taking into account the effect of induced currents in conducting parts. Since the geometry of the structure is complex and the source distribution, in many cases, is multidimensional, a truly three-dimensional analysis is required to obtain the eddy current distribution in the volume of the conducting structure. This 3D analysis not only is difficult and cumbersome, but also yields a field distribution that is difficult to comprehend. It is, therefore, necessary to construct simpler two-dimensional models as a step in understanding and validating three-dimensional models. Previously, 2D analyses concentrated on a one-component formulation of the eddy current diffusion problem in a 2D geometry. These techniques are inadequate to obtain the eddy current distribution in the presence of a flaw, as occurs in nondestructive evaluation applications. In this paper, a new three-component formulation is presented to represent source current and eddy current fields accurately. The method is validated by comparison with closed form solutions for simplified geometries.

An E Vector Variational Formulation of the Maxwell Equations for Cylindrical Waveguide Problems

A vector variational formulation of the Maxwell equations applicable to cylindrical waveguide problems is developed in terms of the electric E field. This three-component vector formulation allows an approximate solution of loaded waveguide structures which cannot be described in terms of a single-field component or potential function. The three-component formulation is more economical than corresponding six-component formulations for a given order of approximation because the solution matrices which result are reduced in size (/spl sim/1/2) and contain fewer zero elements. The E-field variational integral is expanded in terms of the field components for inhomogeneously loaded parallel-plate and rectangular waveguide geometries to illustrate a computer-assisted vector variational solution procedure.