Potential of a cyclone prototype spacer to improve in vitro dry powder delivery

Copyright The Author(s) 2013. This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits any use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and the source are creditedPurpose: Low inspiratory force in patients with lung disease is associated with poor deagglomeration and high throat deposition when using dry powder inhalers (DPIs). The potential of two reverse flow cyclone prototypes as spacers for commercial carrierbased DPIs was investigated. Methods: Cyclohaler®, Accuhaler® and Easyhaler® were tested with and without the spacers between 30-60 Lmin-1. Deposition of particles in the next generation impactor and within the devices was determined by high performance liquid chromatography. Results: Reduced induction port deposition of the emitted particles from the cyclones was observed due to the high retention of the drug within the spacers (e.g. salbutamol sulphate (SS): 67.89 ± 6.51 % at 30 Lmin-1 in Cheng 1). Fine particle fractions of aerosol as emitted from the cyclones were substantially higher than the DPIs alone. Moreover, the aerodynamic diameters of particles emitted from the cyclones were halved compared to the DPIs alone (e.g. SS from the Cyclohaler® at 4 kPa: 1.08 ± 0.05 μm vs. 3.00 ± 0.12 μm, with and without Cheng 2, respectively) and unaltered with increased flow rates. Conclusion: This work has shown the potential of employing a cyclone spacer for commercial carrier-based DPIs to improve inhaled drug delivery.Peer reviewe

Forage crops as substrate for animal feed and ethanol production in Thailand

Five forage crops, namely ruzi (Brachiaria ruziziensis), purple guinea (Panicum maximum), atratum (Paspalum atratum), plicatulum (Paspalum plicatulum), and rhodes grass (Chloris gayana), were experimented for their possibility of ethanol and animal feed utilization. All tested forage crops were harvested 45 and 75 days after being planted. The results indicate the effect of harvesting time on their composition, including the contents of cellulose, lignin, and crude protein, thus affecting the ethanol yield and quality of animal feed. Ruzi grass, harvested 45 days after being planted, was shown to be the most suitable substrate for animal feed due to its highest crude protein content (12.49%), whereas purple guinea and atratum grasses provided highest expected yield of ethanol (2,688.40 and 2,613.20 L/ha/year, respectively). Key words: Ethanol, animal feed, forage crops

Cyclodextrins as a potential carrier in drug nebulization.

The inhalation route is widely studied for many drug applications focusing on either local or systemic distributions. One matter of concern is the solubilization of hydrophobic drugs. We have studied the feasibility of using different cyclodextrins (CDs) to elaborate pharmaceutical formulations for the inhalation route and tested the short-term toxicity of such formulations administered by inhalation to C57BL/6 mice. We have shown that HP-beta-CD, gamma-CD, as well as RAMEB aqueous solutions can undergo aerosolization and that the resulting droplet-size ranges are compatible with pulmonary deposition. In vivo, we have demonstrated that short-term exposure to inhaled HP-beta-CD, gamma-CD and RAMEB solutions are non-toxic after assessing bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), lung and kidney histology, bronchial responsiveness to methacholine and blood urea. The only change noted is a slight increase in lymphocyte count in the BAL after HP-beta-CD and gamma-CD inhalation. We conclude that CDs are useful in significantly enhancing the solubility of apolar drugs with a view to inhalation therapy although an increase in lymphocyte counts in the BAL after CDs inhalations needs further investigations

Effect of rise in simulated inspiratory flow rate and carrier particle size on powder emptying from dry powder inhalers

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of carrier particle size and simulated inspiratory flow increase rate on emptying from dry powder inhalers (DPIs). Several flow rate ramps were created using a computer-generated voltage signal linked to an electronic proportioning valve with a fast response time. Different linear ramps were programmed to reach 30, 60, 90, and 120 L/minute over 1, 2, or 3 seconds. At the lower flow rates, 100-ms and 500-ms ramps were also investigated. Three DPIs, Spinhaler, Rotahaler, and Turbuhaler, were used to test the effect of flow rate ramp on powder emptying. To test the effect of carrier particle size, anhydrous lactose was sieved into 3 particle sizes, and 20 mg of each was introduced into #2 and #3 hard gelatin capsules for Spinhaler and Rotahaler, respectively. Emptying tests were also carried out using the on/off solenoid valve described in the United States. Pharmacopeia (USP) (resulting in no ramp generation). Powder emptying increased from 9% to 46% for Rotahaler and 69% to 86% for Spinhaler from the shallowest (3 seconds to reach peak flow) to the 100-ms ramp for the 53-to 75-μm lactose size range at 30 L/minute. Similar trends were observed for larger particle size fractions at the same flow rate. However, at higher airflow rates (60, 90, and 120 L/minute), there was no significant increase in percentage of emptying within the ramps for a particular particle size range. Trends observed were similar for placebo-filled Turbuhaler and commercially available Rotacaps used with Rotahaler, with the steepest ramp demonstrating more complete emptying. Percentage of powder emptying determined by the USP solenoid valve overestimated the emitted dose compared with the ramp method at 30 L/minute for all 3 devices. Results indicate that there is a significant difference in powder emptying at 30 L minute from the shallowest to the steepest ramp within a particular size range. Within a particular particle size range, the USP method produced more complete emptying than even the steepest ramp, especially at the lower flow rates. Thus, when the USP device is used to estimate DPI emptying at lower flow rates, the results are likely to overestimate DPI performance significantly