Controlled release from zein matrices: Interplay of drug hydrophobicity and pH

Purpose: In earlier studies, the corn protein zein is found to be suitable as a sustained release agent, yet the range of drugs for which zein has been studied remains small. Here, zein is used as a sole excipient for drugs differing in hydrophobicity and isoelectric point: indomethacin, paracetamol and ranitidine. Methods: Caplets were prepared by hot-melt extrusion (HME) and injection moulding (IM). Each of the three model drugs were tested on two drug loadings in various dissolution media. The physical state of the drug, microstructure and hydration behaviour were investigated to build up understanding for the release behaviour from zein based matrix for drug delivery. Results: Drug crystallinity of the caplets increases with drug hydrophobicity. For ranitidine and indomethacin, swelling rates, swelling capacity and release rates were pH dependent as a consequence of the presence of charged groups on the drug molecules. Both hydration rates and release rates could be approached by existing models. Conclusion: Both the drug state as pH dependant electrostatic interactions are hypothesised to influence release kinetics. Both factors can potentially be used factors influencing release kinetics release, thereby broadening the horizon for zein as a tuneable release agent

The development of direct extrusion-injection moulded zein matrices as novel oral controlled drug delivery systems

Purpose: To evaluate the potential of zein as a sole excipient for controlled release formulations prepared by hot melt extrusion. Methods: Physical mixtures of zein, water and crystalline paracetamol were hot melt extruded (HME) at 80°C and injection moulded (IM) into caplet forms. HME-IM Caplets were characterised using differential scanning calorimetry, ATR-FTIR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and powder X-ray diffraction. Hydration and drug release kinetics of the caplets were investigated and fitted to a diffusion model. Results: For the formulations with lower drug loadings, the drug was found to be in the non-crystalline state, while for the ones with higher drug loadings paracetamol is mostly crystalline. Release was found to be largely independent of drug loading but strongly dependent upon device dimensions, and predominately governed by a Fickian diffusion mechanism, while the hydration kinetics shows the features of Case II diffusion. Conclusions: In this study a prototype controlled release caplet formulation using zein as the sole excipient was successfully prepared using direct HME-IM processing. The results demonstrated the unique advantage of the hot melt extruded zein formulations on the tuneability of drug release rate by alternating the device dimensions

Solution thermal properties of a family of thermo-responsive N-isopropyl acrylamide-co-N-hydroxymethyl acrylamide copolymers – Aspects intrinsic to the polymers

A family of (N-isopropyl acrylamide-co-N-hydroxymethyl acrylamide) copolymers, p(NIPAAm-co-HMAAm), was synthesised and characterised with respect to solution thermal behaviour. A notable increase in cloud point (CP) was observed as the concentration of the polymer solutions was lowered, though the effect of concentration on CP of pure p(NIPAAm), was relatively small. In all cases, the elevation of CP was most evident at low concentration between 0.1 wt.% and 0.01 wt.%. Both at fixed and decreasing concentrations of p(NIPAAm) solutions, a direct relationship between molecular weight and CP was observed, where CP shifted to higher temperatures as the molecular weight increased. The polymer coil size in solution below the CP in the concentration range studied was between 4 and 11 nm for all the polymers in this study, irrespective of the concentration and of the fraction of hydroxy monomer incorporated, but increased dramatically above the CP. CPs obtained by Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) were lower than those obtained by UV absorbance as the latter is less sensitive. Copolymer compositions with more than 13% hydroxy monomer showed no thermal hysteresis, in contrast to pure p(NIPAAm). The rate of heating/cooling had almost no effect on the CP values recorded

Traditional and industrial oven-dry processing of olive fruits: influence on textural properties, cell wall polysaccharide composition, and enzymatic activity

The preparation of table olives according to the Italian traditional “Ferrandina” method (Fer) includes an initial blanching step of black Cassanese olives, followed by salting and oven-drying. Its industrial implementation, also called the “Sybaris” method (Syb), replaces the blanching procedure by cutting the olives followed by immersion in water. The measurement of tensile properties showed that the Fer processing increased the weakness, softness, and deformability of the skin and the flesh of olive fruits, while the flesh of the Syb fruits became stronger and stiffer. These differences are probably correlated to the degradation and/or reorganisation of cell wall polysaccharides in the fruits. The degradation of pectic and hemicellulosic polysaccharides in the Fer olives was inferred by their increased solubility in aqueous solutions. Contrarily, retention of pectic polysaccharides was observed in Syb olives. As no correlation was found between cell wall degrading enzymatic activities and cell wall polysaccharides extractability, it is probable that these modifications were driven by heat