The Effect of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients on Aerosol Electrostatic Charges from Pressurized Metered Dose Inhalers

The final publication is available at Springer via: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11095-015-1674-6.Purpose. This study investigated the effect of different active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) on aerosol electrostatic charges and aerosol performances for pressurized metered dose inhalers (pMDIs), using both insulating and conducting actuators. Methods. Five solution-based pMDIs containing different API ingredients including: beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP), budesonide (BUD), flunisolide (FS), salbutamol base (SB) and ipratropium bromide (IPBr) were prepared using pressure filling technique. Actuator blocks made from nylon, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and aluminium were manufactured with 0.3 mm nominal orifice diameter and cone nozzle shape. Aerosol electrostatics for each pMDI formulation and actuator were evaluated using the electrical low-pressure impactor (ELPI) and drug depositions were analysed using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Results. All three actuator materials showed the same net charge trend across the five active drug ingredients, with BDP, BUD and FS showing positive net charges for both nylon and PTFE actuators, respectively. While SB and IPBr had significantly negative net charges across the three different actuators, which correlates to the ionic functional groups present on the drug molecule structures. Conclusions. The API present in a pMDI has a dominant effect on the electrostatic properties of the formulation, overcoming the charge effect arising from the actuator materials. Results have shown that the electrostatic charges for a solution-based pMDI could be related to the interactions of the chemical ingredients and change in the work function for the overall formulation

Polarized ATR-FTIR spectroscopy of the membrane-embedded domains of the particulate methane monooxygenase.

[[sponsorship]]化學研究所[[note]]已出版;[SCI];有審查制度;具代表性[[note]]http://gateway.isiknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcAuth=Drexel&SrcApp=hagerty_opac&KeyRecord=0006-2960&DestApp=JCR&RQ=IF_CAT_BOXPLO

Polymeric Piezoresistive Microcantilevers With Reduced Electrical Variability

The observed electrical variability has limited the usage of the carbon black (CB)-SU8 (an epoxy polymer of di-glycidyl ether of bisphenol A) nanocomposite as a piezoresistive element in the microelectromechanical systems-based sensor applications. We report here a simple modification to the CB-SU8 nanocomposite preparation, which improves the dispersion of the CB particles in the SU8 polymer matrix creating a CB-SU8 photopatternable nanocomposite with a stable conductive network. The modified CB-SU8 nanocomposite was used as the piezoresistive element to fabricate microcantilever devices for strain sensing applications. Improved stability of these microcantilever devices is reflected from their electrical characterization. The electromechanical characterization of these microcantilevers demonstrated their piezoresistive behavior

Zinc oxide nanorods functionalized paper for protein preconcentration in biodiagnostics

Distinguishing a specific biomarker from a biofluid sample containing a large variety of proteins often requires the selective preconcentration of that particular biomarker to a detectable level for analysis. Low-cost, paper-based device is an emerging opportunity in diagnostics. In the present study, we report a novel Zinc oxide nanorods functionalized paper platform for the preconcentration of Myoglobin, a cardiac biomarker. Zinc oxide nanorods were grown on a Whatman filter paper no. 1 via the standard hydrothermal route. The growth of Zinc oxide nanorods on paper was confirmed by a combination of techniques consisting of X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS,) scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDX) analysis. The Zinc oxide nanorods modified Whatman filter paper (ZnO-NRs/WFP) was further tested for use as a protein preconcentrator. Paper-based ELISA was performed for determination of pre-concentration of cardiac marker protein Myoglobin using the new ZnO-NRs/WFP platform. The ZnO-NRs/WFP could efficiently capture the biomarker even from a very dilute solution (Myoglobin < 50 nM). Our ELISA results show a threefold enhancement in protein capture with ZnO-NRs/WFP compared to unmodified Whatman filter paper, allowing accurate protein analysis and showing the diagnostic concept

Detection of heart-type fatty acid-binding protein (h-FABP) using piezoresistive polymer microcantilevers functionalized by a dry method

Piezoresistive microcantilever-based sensor platform is being used for the last two decades due to their low cost, rapid response and label-free detection system. In this work, we are reporting a microfabricated piezoresistive SU-8/carbon black (polymer cantilever)-based sensor platform for the detection of a clinically important early-stage cardiac marker, i.e., fatty acid-binding protein. It is a most preferred cardiac marker for the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction. The embodiment of the sensor is a SU-8 microcantilever chip with an integrated nanoparticle composite (carbon black) as a piezoresistor for on-chip electrical transduction. Prior to improving the sensing and susceptibility towards the specific target biomolecule (i.e., h-FABP), the fabricated SU-8 polymer cantilevers were subjected to tailored functionalization. This includes the use of an in-house dry method of hot wire chemical vapour deposition technique to graft amine groups onto the SU-8 surface. The surface-modified microcantilevers were further integrated with a polydimethylsiloxane liquid flow cell and connected externally with an electrical read-out system. Immobilization of the antibody corresponding to the marker protein on the microcantilever surface and subsequent recording of the signal generated upon the antibody-antigen interaction were carried out inside the liquid flow cell. Using our optimized immobilization protocol with this experimental set-up, we were successfully able to detect h-FABP concentration as low as 100 ng/ml

Absorption spectra of isomeric OH adducts of 1,3,7-trimethylxanthine

The reactions of OH&#8226;, O&#8226;-, and SO4&#8226;-with 1,3,7-trimethylxanthine (caffeine) were studied by pulse radiolysis with optical and conductance detection techniques. The absorption spectra of transients formed in OH&#8226; reaction in neutral solutions exhibited peaks at 310 and 335 nm, as well as a broad absorption maximum at 500 nm, which decayed by first-order kinetics. The rate (k = (4.0 &#177; 0.5) &#215; 104 s-1) of this decay is independent of pH in the range 4-9 and is in agreement with that determined from the conductance detection (k = 4 &#215; 104 s-1). The spectrum in acidic solutions has only a broad peak around 330 nm with no absorption in the higher wavelength region. The intermediates formed in reaction of O&#8226;- absorb around 310 and at 500 nm, and the first-order decay at the latter wavelength was not seen. The OH radical adds to C-4 (X-4OH&#8226;) and C-8 (X-8OH&#8226;) positions of caffeine in the ratio 1:2 as determined from the redox titration and conductivity measurements. H abstraction from the methyl group is an additional reaction channel in O&#8226;- reaction. Dehydroxylation of the X-4OH&#8226; adduct occurs, whereas the X-8OH&#8226; adduct does not undergo ring opening. The rate constant for addition of O2 to X-4OH&#8226; is estimated to be 1 &#215; 109 M-1 s-1, whereas it is unreactive toward X-8OH&#8226;. The spectrum obtained for OH&#8226; reaction in oxygenated solutions is similar to that observed in SO4&#8226;- reaction in basic solutions. The radical cation of caffeine formed from its reaction with SO4&#8226;- ( &#955; max = 320-340 nm) is hydrolyzed in basic solutions to yield the X-8OH&#8226; adduct. The molar absorptivities of the X-8OH&#8226; and the X-4OH&#8226; adducts at 300 and 335 nm are 6500 and 5300 M-1 cm-1, respectively. The yield of 1,3,7-trimethyluric acid in OH&#8226; reaction in the absence of O2 (28%) is reduced by more than 50% in its presence. The differences in the mechanism of OH&#8226; reaction with caffeine and its isomer 1,3,9-trimethylxanthine (isocaffeine) are discussed

Assessment of lung deposition and analysis of the effect of fluticasone/salmeterol hydrofluoroalkane (HFA) pressurized metered dose inhaler (pMDI) in stable persistent asthma patients using functional respiratory imaging

Abstract: Background: Unambiguously for inhaled products, PK measures are best suited for ensuring that the total systemic exposure is equivalent for two products but cannot provide regional information about lung deposition and structural changes. Functional respiratory imaging (FRI) has been demonstrated to be sensitive for distinguishing small but imperative differences related to a single treatment.Methods: In this study FRI is used in 16 asthmatic patients to assess equivalence in regional deposition for two products (fluticasone/salmeterol, test and reference) by directly measuring regional functional and structural changes within the lungs following its administration.Results: No differences were observed between the lung deposition patterns and the effects on lung structure and function of two products, having the same formulation and manufactured by different organizations using FRI.Conclusions: Results using FRI complement PK assessments. The added value of this approach to the conventional clinical methods could be significant