A REPORT ON QUANTUM COMPUTING

Today's computers work on bits that exist as either 0 or 1. Quantum computers aren't limited to two states; they encode information as quantum bits, or qubits, which can exist in superposition. Qubits represent atoms, ions, photons or electrons and their respective control devices that are working together to act as computer memory and a processor. Because a quantum computer can contain these multiple states simultaneously, it has the potential to be millions of times more powerful than today's most powerful supercomputers. A processor that can use registers of qubits will be able to perform calculations using all the possible values of the input registers simultaneously. This superposition causes a phenomenon called quantum parallelism, and is the motivating force behind the research being carried out in quantum computing. Due to technical obstacles, till date, a quantum computer has not yet been realized. But the concepts and ideas of quantum computing has been demonstrated using various methods like NMR, Ion Trap, Quantum Dot, Optical Methods, etc. A quantum computer manipulates qubits by executing a series of quantum gates, each a unitary transformation acting on a single qubit or pair of qubits.  In applying these gates in succession, a quantum computer can perform a complicated unitary transformation to a set of qubits in some initial state.  The qubits can then be measured, with this measurement serving as the final computational result.  Research must devise a way to maintain decoherence and other potential sources of error at an acceptable level. Probably the most important idea in this field is the application of error correction in phase coherence as a means to extract information and reduce error in a quantum system without actually measuring that system. Thereby, quantum computers will emerge as the superior computational devices and perhaps one day make today's modern computer obsolete

Application of hot melt extrusion for improving bioavailability of artemisinin a thermolabile drug

Hot melt extrusion has been used to produce a solid dispersion of the thermolabile drug artemisinin. Formulation and process conditions were optimized prior to evaluation of dissolution and biopharmaceutical performance. Soluplus®, a low Tg amphiphilic polymer especially designed for solid dispersions enabled melt extrusion at 110 °C although some drug-polymer incompatibility was observed. Addition of 5% citric acid as a pH modifier was found to suppress the degradation. The area under plasma concentration time curve (AUC0–24h) and peak plasma concentration (Cmax) were four times higher for the modified solid dispersion compared to that of pure artemisinin

Investigation of Plasma Treatment on Micro-Injection Moulded Microneedle for Drug Delivery

YesPlasma technology has been widely used to increase the surface energy of the polymer surfaces for many industrial applications; in particular to increase in wettability. The present work was carried out to investigate how surface modification using plasma treatment modifies the surface energy of micro-injection moulded microneedles and its influence on drug delivery. Microneedles of polyether ether ketone and polycarbonate and have been manufactured using micro-injection moulding and samples from each production batch have been subsequently subjected to a range of plasma treatment. These samples were coated with bovine serum albumin to study the protein adsorption on these treated polymer surfaces. Sample surfaces structures, before and after treatment, were studied using atomic force microscope and surface energies have been obtained using contact angle measurement and calculated using the Owens-Wendt theory. Adsorption performance of bovine serum albumin and release kinetics for each sample set was assessed using a Franz diffusion cell. Results indicate that plasma treatment significantly increases the surface energy and roughness of the microneedles resulting in better adsorption and release of BSA

Development and evaluation of nanoemulsion and microsuspension formulations of curcuminoids for lung delivery with a novel approach to understanding the aerosol performance of nanoparticles

YesExtensive research has demonstrated the potential effectiveness of curcumin against various diseases, including asthma and cancers. However, few studies have used liquid-based vehicles in the preparation of curcumin formulations. Therefore, the current study proposed the use of nanoemulsion and microsuspension formulations to prepare nebulised curcuminoid for lung delivery. Furthermore, this work expressed a new approach to understanding the aerosol performance of nanoparticles compared to microsuspension formulations. The genotoxicity of the formulations was also assessed. Curcuminoid nanoemulsion formulations were prepared in three concentrations (100, 250 and 500 µg/ml) using limonene and oleic acid as oil phases, while microsuspension solutions were prepared by suspending curcuminoid particles in isotonic solution (saline solution) of 0.02% Tween 80. The average fine particle fraction (FPF) and mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) of the nebulised microsuspension formulations ranged from 26% and 7.1 µm to 40% and 5.7 µm, for 1000 µg/ml and 100 µg/ml respectively. In a comparison of the low and high drug concentrations of the nebulised nanoemulsion, the average FPF and MMAD of the nebulised nanoemulsion formulations prepared with limonene oil ranged from 50% and 4.6 µm to 45% and 5.6 µm, respectively; whereas the FPF and MMAD of the nebulised nanoemulsion prepared with oleic acid oil ranged from 46% and 4.9 µm to 44% and 5.6 µm, respectively. The aerosol performance of the microsuspension formulations were concentration dependent, while the nanoemulsion formulations did not appear to be dependent on the curcuminoids concentration. The performance and genotoxicity results of the formulations suggest the suitability of these preparations for further inhalation studies in animals

Gaps in Propolis Research: Challenges Posed to Commercialisation and the Need for an Holistic Approach

YesBoth the season and region in which propolis is collected influence its chemical composition, resulting in variations in biological activity. Significant differences in composition and concentration of certain chemical compounds in propolis make standardisation and quality control challenging. In addition, the lack of uniformity in evaluation methodology and analytical techniques, make it extremely difficult to correlate data across the climatic zones. In this report, we focus on the gaps in propolis research and the challenges they pose for commercialisation, with suggestions as to how we might address them. We hope to stimulate further research which explores the holistic nature of propolis in order to derive a propolis bioactivity standard

SEPARATION OF BACOSIDE A 3 AND BACOPASIDE II, MAJOR TRITERPENOID SAPONINS IN Bacopa monnieri, BY HPTLC AND SFC. APPLICATION OF SFC IN IMPLEMENTATION OF UNIFORM DESIGN FOR HERBAL DRUG STANDARDIZATION, WITH THERMODYNAMIC STUDY

SUMMARY Development, optimization, and validation of new analytical methods for standardization of bacoside A 3 and bacopaside II, the major triterpenoid saponins present in Bacopa monnieri extract, are needed to improve the quality assurance of derived extracts and phytomedicines. Two chromatographic methods are described for evaluation of the quality of Bacopa monnieri extract and its commercial formulations. The first is reversed-phase high-performance thin-layer chromatography (RP-HPTLC), the second is packed column supercritical-fluid chromatography with photodiode-array detection (PC-SFC-DAD). SFC conditions were optimized by uniform design. The effect of temperature on the separation of the saponins was studied in detail. The Van't Hoff plots for retention and selectivity were found to be linear. To obtain a better understanding of the different separations, the temperature dependence was studied to determine the thermodynamic data ∆H°, ∆S°, ∆∆H° and ∆∆S°. These data revealed that separation of bacoside A 3 was enthalpically favoured in the range of temperatures investigated whereas entropy-controlled separation was observed for bacopaside II. Both methods were validated for precision, robustness, recovery, and limits of detection and quantitation. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Student's t-test were used to correlate results from quantitative determination of the markers by RP-HPTLC and PC-SFC-DAD. -126

Mechanism of Hydrogen-Bonded Complex Formation between Ibuprofen and Nanocrystalline Hydroxyapatite.

Nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite (nanoHA) is the main hard component of bone and has the potential to be used to promote osseointegration of implants and to treat bone defects. Here, using active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) such as ibuprofen, we report on the prospects of combining nanoHA with biologically active compounds to improve the clinical performance of these treatments. In this study, we designed and investigated the possibility of API attachment to the surface of nanoHA crystals via the formation of a hydrogen-bonded complex. The mechanistic studies of an ibuprofen/nanoHA complex formation have been performed using a holistic approach encompassing spectroscopic (Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman) and X-ray diffraction techniques, as well as quantum chemistry calculations, while comparing the behavior of the ibuprofen/nanoHA complex with that of a physical mixture of the two components. Whereas ibuprofen exists in dimeric form both in solid and liquid state, our study showed that the formation of the ibuprofen/nanoHA complex most likely occurs via the dissociation of the ibuprofen dimer into monomeric species promoted by ethanol, with subsequent attachment of a monomer to the HA surface. An adsorption mode for this process is proposed; this includes hydrogen bonding of the hydroxyl group of ibuprofen to the hydroxyl group of the apatite, together with the interaction of the ibuprofen carbonyl group to an HA Ca center. Overall, this mechanistic study provides new insights into the molecular interactions between APIs and the surfaces of bioactive inorganic solids and sheds light on the relationship between the noncovalent bonding and drug release properties

Understanding matrix-assisted continuous co-crystallization using a data mining approach in Quality by Design (QbD)

YesThe present study demonstrates the application of decision tree algorithms to the co-crystallization process. Fifty four (54) batches of carbamazepine-salicylic acid co-crystals embedded in poly(ethylene oxide) were manufactured via hot melt extrusion and characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, differnetial scanning calorimetry, and near-infrared spectroscopy. This dataset was then applied in WEKA, which is an open-sourced machine learning software to study the effect of processing temperature, screw speed, screw configuration, and poly(ethylene oxide) concentration on the percentage of co-crystal conversion. The decision trees obtained provided statistically meaningful and easy-to-interpret rules, demonstrating the potential to use the method to make rational decisions during the development of co-crystallization processes.Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK (ZMCS-2018-783) and Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC EP/J003360/1 and EP/L027011/1

Design, synthesis, pharmacological evaluation and molecular docking studies of substituted oxadiazolyl-2-oxoindolinylidene propane hydrazide derivatives

©2016 Sociedade Brasileira de Química. The manuscript describes design and synthesis of novel oxadiazolyl-2-oxoindolinylidene propane hydrazides as amide tethered hybrids of indole and oxadiazole and their evaluation for antiinflammatory and analgesic activity. The compounds were synthesized following five step reaction to yield fifteen derivatives as 3-(5-substituted-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl)-N′-[2-oxo-1,2-dihydro-3Hindol-3-ylidene]propane hydrazides. The final derivatives 3-[5-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl]-N′-[2-oxo-1,2-dihydro-3H-indol-3-ylidene]propane hydrazide and 3-[5-(4-methylphenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl]-N′-[2-oxo-1,2-dihydro-3H-indol-3-ylidene]propane hydrazide were found to be highly promising molecules with severity index of 0.35 and 0.56, respectively, which is promising for an analgesic compound. The hydroxy and methyl substitution on phenyl ring system provided with active anti-inflammatory compounds having increase in reaction time of 84.11 and 83.17%, respectively compared to standard drug at 85.84%. Molecular docking studies exhibit comparable interaction with synthesized derivatives and standard drug having a dock score of -4.44 by the K-nearest neighbour genetic algorithm method.Published versio

Tracing the architecture of caffeic acid phenethyl ester cocrystals: studies on crystal structure, solubility, and bioavailability implications

YesCaffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) is a polyphenolic active compound present in popular apiproduct, ‘propolis’ obtained from beehives. Though it has broad therapeutic capability, the bioavailability of CAPE is limited due to poor solubility. In this study, we report novel cocrystals of CAPE engineered using coformers such as caffeine (CAF), isonicotinamide (INIC), nicotinamide (NIC) with enhanced solubility and bioavailability of CAPE. The cocrystals were prepared by microwave-assisted cocrystallization and characterized using PXRD, DSC and Raman spectroscopy. PXRD and DSC confirm the successful formation and phase purity of CAPE-CAF, CAPE-INIC and CAPE-NIC cocrystals. Raman spectra of CAPE cocrystals complement these results in confirming the formation of novel crystalline phases. CAPE-NIC cocrystal was further subjected to X-ray crystallography to understand its molecular arrangement and hydrogen bonding in the crystal structure. The CAPE-NIC cocrystal structure is found to be stabilized by a rare 1,2-benzenediol-amide heterosynthon. Cocrystallization of CAPE with NIC improved its aqueous solubility and pharmacokinetic profile thereby demonstrating 2.76 folds escalation in bioavailability.We thank UKIERI: UK-India Education and Research Initiative (TPR26) and EPSRC (EP/J003360/1, EP/L027011/1) for providing financial support during this study