Preparation of nanovehicles for targeted drug delivery

Application of nanotechnology in pharmaceutical research has opened new frontiers for drug development and its efficient delivery. In recent years, the focus of the research has been on the engineering of nano/micro-particulate structures for efficient and targeted delivery of drugs for selective and enhanced absorption. This work throws light on the preparation of biodegradable and non-toxic nanoparticulate systems for targeted drug delivery. The drug vehicles were made by two different processes namely electrostatic interactions and desolvation process. The drug carriers made by these processes were found to be in the size range of 150-200nm which is necessary for cellular uptake of the drug carriers. The albumin nanocarriers were modified by antibody and showed binding to the Ramos lymphoma cells in-vitro. Formation of nano-sized Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) particles is another application of nanotechnology, where small size leads to improved solubility. Hence the API size reduction by milling was carried out to increase the bioavailability of the APIs after their incorporation in different dosage forms. The stable aqueous suspensions of the API were obtained using polymers and surfactants which could be mixed with excipients and formulated into thin film strips

Factors Influencing Consumers’ Buying Decision in Indian Trade Show: Evidence from Mahalaxmi Saras Exhibition, Mumbai

This study endeavors to explore the factors that influence buying decision of consumers in the trade show Mahalaxmi Saras organised in Mumbai. To fulfil the objective the data is collected from the consumers who visited the trade show in 2020. The total sample size consists of 249 respondents. Univariate analysis is used to study the economic and demographic background of the consumers, bivariate analysis is adopted to assess customers’ perception towards price of the products available by their income level. Further, factor analysis is employed to identify the important factors influencing consumers’ buying decision. The findings reveal that more than half of the consumers eagerly wait for the exhibition and fifty-five percent consumers agree that they visit more than once during the time span of the exhibition. However, consumers’ satisfaction level towards price of the product decreases with decrease in level of income. Result from factor analysis indicates that Product’s variety, artistic value, quality, exclusive nature, cultural importance and encouragement of rural entrepreneurs and artisans are the important components that influence consumers’ buying decision. Hence, Government and participating SHGs should take care of fixing the price of the products in order to attract more consumers. Also, rural entrepreneurs and artisans should be encouraged to participate in the exhibition to avail variety of products. Keywords: Consumers, Buying decision, factors, Trade show, India DOI: 10.7176/JMCR/79-05 Publication date:June 30th 202

Bioavailability Enhancement of Poorly Water-Soluble Drugs via Nanocomposites: Formulation–Processing Aspects and Challenges

Drug nanoparticles embedded in a dispersant matrix as a secondary phase, i.e., drug-laden nanocomposites, offer a versatile delivery platform for enhancing the dissolution rate and bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs. Drug nanoparticles are prepared by top-down, bottom-up, or combinative approaches in the form of nanosuspensions, which are subsequently dried to prepare drug-laden nanocomposites. In this comprehensive review paper, the term “nanocomposites” is used in a broad context to cover drug nanoparticle-laden intermediate products in the form of powders, cakes, and extrudates, which can be incorporated into final oral solid dosages via standard pharmaceutical unit operations, as well as drug nanoparticle-laden strip films. The objective of this paper is to review studies from 2012–2017 in the field of drug-laden nanocomposites. After a brief overview of the various approaches used for preparing drug nanoparticles, the review covers drying processes and dispersant formulations used for the production of drug-laden nanocomposites, as well as various characterization methods including quiescent and agitated redispersion tests. Traditional dispersants such as soluble polymers, surfactants, other water-soluble dispersants, and water-insoluble dispersants, as well as novel dispersants such as wet-milled superdisintegrants, are covered. They exhibit various functionalities such as drug nanoparticle stabilization, mitigation of aggregation, formation of nanocomposite matrix–film, wettability enhancement, and matrix erosion/disintegration. Major challenges such as nanoparticle aggregation and poor redispersibility that cause inferior dissolution performance of the drug-laden nanocomposites are highlighted. Literature data are analyzed in terms of usage frequency of various drying processes and dispersant classes. We provide some engineering considerations in comparing drying processes, which could account for some of the diverging trends in academia vs. industrial practice. Overall, this review provides rationale and guidance for drying process selection and robust nanocomposite formulation development, with insights into the roles of various classes of dispersants

Bioavailability Enhancement of Poorly Water-Soluble Drugs via Nanocomposites: Formulation–Processing Aspects and Challenges

Drug nanoparticles embedded in a dispersant matrix as a secondary phase, i.e., drug-laden nanocomposites, offer a versatile delivery platform for enhancing the dissolution rate and bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs. Drug nanoparticles are prepared by top-down, bottom-up, or combinative approaches in the form of nanosuspensions, which are subsequently dried to prepare drug-laden nanocomposites. In this comprehensive review paper, the term “nanocomposites” is used in a broad context to cover drug nanoparticle-laden intermediate products in the form of powders, cakes, and extrudates, which can be incorporated into final oral solid dosages via standard pharmaceutical unit operations, as well as drug nanoparticle-laden strip films. The objective of this paper is to review studies from 2012–2017 in the field of drug-laden nanocomposites. After a brief overview of the various approaches used for preparing drug nanoparticles, the review covers drying processes and dispersant formulations used for the production of drug-laden nanocomposites, as well as various characterization methods including quiescent and agitated redispersion tests. Traditional dispersants such as soluble polymers, surfactants, other water-soluble dispersants, and water-insoluble dispersants, as well as novel dispersants such as wet-milled superdisintegrants, are covered. They exhibit various functionalities such as drug nanoparticle stabilization, mitigation of aggregation, formation of nanocomposite matrix–film, wettability enhancement, and matrix erosion/disintegration. Major challenges such as nanoparticle aggregation and poor redispersibility that cause inferior dissolution performance of the drug-laden nanocomposites are highlighted. Literature data are analyzed in terms of usage frequency of various drying processes and dispersant classes. We provide some engineering considerations in comparing drying processes, which could account for some of the diverging trends in academia vs. industrial practice. Overall, this review provides rationale and guidance for drying process selection and robust nanocomposite formulation development, with insights into the roles of various classes of dispersants

Phase transitions in LiKSO<SUB>4</SUB>: low-temperature neutron diffraction results

Results of a detailed crystallographic study of the structural phase transitions in LiKSO<SUB>4</SUB>, carried out using single crystal neutron diffraction at ambient and below-ambient temperatures (300-100 K), are presented. The study indicates two clear phase transitions at 205 K (from space group P6<SUB>3</SUB> to space group P31c), at 189 K (to space group Cc) and a third transition at about 130 K in the cooling cycle. The corresponding temperatures are 250 K, 200 K and 138 K in the heating cycle. The existence of twins, mixed phases, and extremely sluggish kinetics for the various phase transitions, as well as the structural details of the various phases in this mixed salt, can explain the apparent inconsistencies in the results of several experimental investigations reported in the literature