3D Printing in Pharmaceutical Sector: An Overview

The pharmaceutical industry is moving ahead at a rapid pace. Modern technology has enabled the development of novel dosage forms for targeted therapy. However, the fabrication of novel dosage forms at industrial scale is limited and the industry still runs on conventional drug delivery systems, especially modified tablets. The introduction of 3D printing technology in the pharmaceutical industry has opened new horizons in the research and development of printed materials and devices. The main benefits of 3D printing technology lie in the production of small batches of medicines, each with tailored dosages, shapes, sizes, and release characteristics. The manufacture of medicines in this way may finally lead to the concept of personalized medicines becoming a reality. This chapter provides an overview of how 3D printed technology has extended from initial unit operations to developed final products

MUCOADHESIVE MICROSPHERES FOR CONTROLLED DELIVERY OF DRUGS

ABSTRACTMicrospheres constitute an important part of the novel drug delivery system by virtue of their small size and efficient carrying capacity. Due to theirlong residence time, bioadhesive characteristics mucoadhesion can be coupled to microspheres to develop mucoadhesive microspheres. Bioadhesioncan be defined as the state in which two materials, at least one of which is biological in nature, are held together for a prolonged time period bymeans of interfacial forces. Microspheres are the carrier linked drug delivery system in which particle size is ranges from 1 to 1000 μm range indiameter having a core of drug and entirely outer layers of polymer as a coating material. Mucoadhesive microspheres have advantages like efficientabsorption and improved bioavailability of the drugs due to a high surface to volume ratio, a much more intimate contact with the mucus layer,controlled and sustained release of drug from dosage form and exact targeting of drugs to the absorption site. The present study aims to provide anoverview of various aspects of mucoadhesive microspheres, methodology of preparation of mucoadhesive microspheres, method of evaluation, andtheir applications in drug delivery.Keywords: Mucoadhesion, Mucoadhesive microsphere, Controlled release

Development of a new rutin nanoemulsion and its application on prostate carcinoma PC3 cell line

Biological effects of rutin bioactive are limited due to its poor oral bioavailability and its degradation in aqueous environments. For the purpose of bioenhancement, different nanoemulsion systems of rutin were developed by aqueous titration method using water as dispersion media. The nanoemulsion systems were characterized for sur- face morphology, droplet size, polydispersity index, zeta potential, in vitro release profile and the formulations were optimized. The anticancer potential of optimized nanoemulsion was evaluated by cells viability (MTT) assay, nuclear condensation, and ROS activity using human prostate cancer (PC3) cell line. On the basis of cell viability data the inhibitory concentration (IC50) value for optimized nanoemulsion formulation on PC3 cancer cells was found to be 11.8 μM. Fluorescent microscopic analysis and intracellular ROS generation demonstrated significant ROS induction that might lead to triggering the apoptosis pathway. In conclusion, developed nanoemulsion displayed significant efficacy against prostate carcinoma cells

Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare: An Overview

The healthcare industry is advancing ahead swiftly. For many healthcare organizations, being able to forecast which treatment techniques are likely to be successful with patients based on their makeup and treatment framework is a big step forward. Artificial intelligence has the potential to help healthcare providers in a variety of ways, including patient care and administrative tasks. The technology aims to mimic human cognitive functions, as it offers numerous advantages over traditional analytics and other clinical decision-making tools. Data becomes more precise and accurate, allowing the healthcare industry to have more insights into the theranostic processes and patient outcomes. This chapter is an overview of the use of artificial intelligence in radiology, cardiology, ophthalmology, and drug discovery process

The Art and Science of Cosmetics: Understanding the Ingredients

Cosmetics, a captivating category of over-the-counter products that enhance appearance and promote skin health, have become ubiquitous in modern society. Initially associated with altering one’s appearance, cosmetics have evolved beyond their traditional beauty role to encompass skincare and the treatment of various skin conditions. While numerous chemicals can be utilised in cosmetic formulations, key ingredients include water, emollients, humectants, surfactants, preservatives, antioxidants and ultraviolet (UV) filters. With the rise in consumer preferences for clean beauty, silicone- and paraben-free cosmetics and cruelty-free testing, safe and effective herbal and plant-based products have gained significance. Researchers are actively exploring the development of natural cosmetics, leveraging the synergistic properties of these substances. Nanoformulations such as liposomes, nanoparticles and emulsions have been investigated and proven safer and more efficient than conventional cosmetics. This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of the utilisation of these ingredients in cosmetics, their specific effects on product development and properties, emerging alternatives in the personal care market, the widespread adoption of nanotechnology in various scientific fields, and its impact on the advancement of personal care products

Integrating Nanotherapeutic Platforms to Image Guided Approaches for Management of Cancer

Cancer is a leading cause of mortality worldwide, accounting for 8.8 million deaths in 2015. The landscape of cancer therapeutics is rapidly advancing with development of new and sophisticated approaches to diagnostic testing. Treatment plan for early diagnosed patients include radiation therapy, tumor ablation, surgery, immunotherapy and chemotherapy. However the treatment can only be initiated when the cancer has been diagnosed thoroughly. Theranostics is a term that combines diagnostics with therapeutics. It embraces multiple techniques to arrive at comprehensive diagnosis, molecular images and an individualized treatment regimen. Recently, there is an effort to tangle the emerging approach with nanotechnologies, in an attempt to develop theranostic nanoplatforms and methodologies. Theranostic approach to management of cancer offers numerous advantages. They are designed to monitor cancer treatment in real time. A wide variety of theranostic nanoplatforms that are based on diverse nanostructures like magnetic nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, gold nanomaterials, polymeric nanoparticles and silica nanoparticles showed great potential as cancer theranostics. Nano therapeutic platforms have been successful in integrating image guidance with targeted approach to treat cancer

Nanoemulgel: For Promising Topical and Systemic Delivery

Nanoemulgel delivery system is a fusion of two different delivery systems, wherein the physical state of drug containing nanoemulsion is changed by adding it to the gel matrix, thus enabling more lipophilic drugs to be used in treatment therapies. It solves the major issues such as limiting use of lipophilic drugs, poor oral bioavailability, and unpredictable pharmacokinetic and absorption variations. Simultaneously, its nongreasy nature and easily spreading ability support the patient compliance. Nanoemulgel can be widely used in the treatment of acne, pimple, psoriasis, fungal infection, and inflammation cause by osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. The delivery of drug via ocular, vaginal, dental, and nose to brain routes for the treatment of diverse local and systemic ailments for instance alopecia, periodontitis, and Parkinson’s are possible. In the cosmetic industries, UV absorber nanoemulgel protected skin from sunburn

Stability-indicating assay of repaglinide in bulk and optimized nanoemulsion by validated high performance thin layer chromatography technique

A sensitive, selective, precise and stability-indicating high-performance thin-layer chromatographic (HPTLC) method for analysis of repaglinide both as a bulk drug and in nanoemulsion formulation was developed and validated. The method employed TLC aluminum plates precoated with silica gel 60F-254 as the stationary phase. The solvent system consisted of chloroform/methanol/ammonia/glacial acetic acid (7.5:1.5:0.9:0.1, v/v/v/v). This system was found to give compact spots for repaglinide (R f value of 0.38 ± 0.02). Repaglinide was subjected to acid and alkali hydrolysis, oxidation, photodegradation and dry heat treatment. Also, the degraded products were well separated from the pure drug. Densitometric analysis of repaglinide was carried out in the absorbance mode at 240 nm. The linear regression data for the calibration plots showed good linear relationship with r 2 = 0.998 ± 0.032 in the concentration range of 50-800 ng. The method was validated for precision, accuracy as recovery, robustness and specificity. The limits of detection and quantitation were 0.023 and 0.069 ng per spot, respectively. The drug undergoes degradation under acidic and basic conditions, oxidation and dry heat treatment. All the peaks of the degraded product were resolved from the standard drug with significantly different R f values. Statistical analysis proves that the method is reproducible and selective for the estimation of the said drug. As the method could effectively separate the drug from its degradation products, it can be employed as a stability-indicating one. Moreover, the proposed HPTLC method was utilized to investigate the degradation kinetics in 1M NaOH