High-Speed Tableting of High Drug-Loaded Tablets Prepared from Fluid-Bed Granulated Isoniazid

Publisher Copyright: © 2023 by the authors.The aim of this feasibility study was to investigate the possibility of producing industrialscale relevant, robust, high drug-loaded (90.9%, w/w) 100 mg dose immediate-release tablets of isoniazid and simultaneously meet the biowaiver requirements. With an understanding of the reallife constrictions on formulation scientists during product development for the generic industry, this study was done considering a common set of excipients and manufacturing operations, as well as paying special attention to the industrial-scale high-speed tableting process as one of the most critical manufacturing operations. The isoniazid substance was not applicable for the direct compression method. Thus, the selection of granulation method was logically justified, and it was fluid-bed granulated with an aqueous solution of Kollidon® 25, mixed with excipients, and tableted with a rotary tablet press (Korsch XL 100) at 80 rpm (80% of the maximum speed) in the compaction pressure range 170–549 MPa monitoring of ejection/removal forces, tablet weight uniformity, thickness, and hardness. Adjusting the main compression force, the Heckel plot, manufacturability, tabletability, compactability, and compressibility profiles were analysed to choose the main compression force that resulted in the desirable tensile strength, friability, disintegration, and dissolution profile. The study showed that highly robust drug-loaded isoniazid tablets with biowaiver requirements compliance can be prepared with a common set of excipients and manufacturing equipment/operations incl. the industrial-scale high-speed tableting process.publishersversionPeer reviewe

Wurster fluidised bed coating of microparticles: Towards scalable production of oral sustained-release liquid medicines for patients with swallowing difficulties

© 2019 The Author(s). This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made.Suspension of microparticles in an easy-to-swallow liquid is one approach to develop sustained-release formulations for children and patients with swallowing difficulties. However, to date production of sustained-release microparticles at the industrial scale has proven to be challenging. The aim of this investigation was to develop an innovative concept in coating sustained-release microparticles using industrial scalable Wurster fluidised bed to produce oral liquid suspensions. Microcrystalline cellulose cores (particle size < 150 µm) were coated with Eudragit® NM 30 D and Eudragit® RS/RL 30 D aqueous dispersions using a fluidised bed coater. A novel approach of periodic addition of a small quantity (0.1% w/w) of dry powder glidant, magnesium stearate, to the coating chamber via an external port was applied throughout the coating process. This method significantly increased coating production yield from less than 50% to up to 99% compared to conventional coating process without the dry powder glidant. Powder rheology tests showed that dry powder glidants increased the tapped density and decreased the cohesive index of coated microparticles. Reproducible microencapsulation of a highly water-soluble drug, metoprolol succinate, was achieved, yielding coated microparticles less than 200 µm in size with 20-hour sustained drug release, suitable for use in liquid suspensions. The robust, scalable technology presented in this study offers an important solution to the long-standing challenges of formulating sustained-release dosage forms suitable for children and older people with swallowing difficulties.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

IVIVC for Extended Release Hydrophilic Matrix Tablets in Consideration of Biorelevant Mechanical Stress

Purpose When establishing IVIVC, a special problem arises by interpretation of averagedin vivoprofiles insight of considerable individual variations in term of time and number of mechanical stress events in GI-tract. The objective of the study was to investigate and forecast the effect of mechanical stress onin vivobehavior in human of hydrophilic matrix tablets. Methods Dissolution profiles for the marketed products were obtained at different conditions (stirring speed, single- or repeatable mechanical stress applied) and convoluted into C-t profiles. Vice versa, publishedin vivoC-t profiles of the products were deconvoluted into absorption profiles and compared with dissolution profiles by similarity factor. Results Investigated hydrophilic matrix tablets varied in term of their resistance against hydrodynamic stress or single stress during the dissolution. Different scenarios, including repeatable mechanical stress, were investigated on mostly prone Seroquel (R) XR 50 mg. None of the particular scenarios fits to the publishedin vivoC-t profile of Seroquel (R) XR 50 mg representing, however, the average of individual profiles related to scenarios differing by number, frequency and time of contraction stress. When different scenarios were combined in different proportions, the profiles became closer to the originalin vivoprofile including a burst between 4 and 5 h, probably, due to stress-events in GI-tract. Conclusion For establishing IVIVC of oral dosage forms susceptible mechanical stress, a comparison of the deconvoluted individualin vivoprofiles within vitroprofiles of different dissolution scenarios can be recommended

Flavonoids in the Spotlight : Bridging the Gap between Physicochemical Properties and Formulation Strategies

Flavonoids are hydroxylated polyphenols that are widely distributed in plants with diverse health benefits. Despite their popularity, the bioavailability of flavonoids is often overlooked, impacting their efficacy and the comparison of products. The study discusses the bioavailability-related physicochemical properties of flavonoids, with a focus on the poorly soluble compounds commonly found in dietary supplements and herbal products. This review sums up the values of pKa, log P, solubility, permeability, and melting temperature of flavonoids. Experimental and calculated data were compiled for various flavonoid subclasses, revealing variations in their physicochemical properties. The investigation highlights the challenges posed by poorly soluble flavonoids and underscores the need for enabling formulation approaches to enhance their bioavailability and therapeutic potential. Compared to aglycones, flavonoid glycosides (with sugar moieties) tend to be more hydrophilic. Most of the reviewed aglycones and glycosides exhibit relatively low log P and high melting points, making them “brick dust” candidates. To improve solubility and absorption, strategies like size reduction, the potential use of solid dispersions and carriers, as well as lipid-based formulations have been discussed.Peer reviewe

Easy to Swallow “Instant” Jelly Formulations for Sustained Release Gliclazide Delivery

© 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of the American Pharmacists Association®. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).It is a challenge to safely administer sustained release medicines to patients with dysphagia. Sustained release tablets must not be crushed and multiparticulates with large particle sizes cause gritiness reducing patient acceptability. The aim of this study was to develop “instant” jellies as delivery vehicles incorporating sustained release microparticles for patients with dysphagia. Dry powder mixtures containing gelling agents such as sodium alginate and calcium ions were hydrated in 20 mL of water and formed a jelly texture within 10 min. The “instant” jellies demonstrated comparable properites to commercial “read-to-eat” jellies in appearance, rheological/textural properties and in vitro swallowing performance in an artificial throat model. Gliclazide sustained release microparticles were produced by fluidized bed coating using Eudragit® NM 30 D and achieved 99% production yield and final coated particle size (D50) of 198 4.3 µm. Sustained gliclazide release was achieved over 15 h and the incorporation of the particles into the jellies significantly decreased the drug release rate. This novel drug delivery system offers a patient-centric solution to the long-standing challenge of administering sustained release medicines to patients with dysphagia and can potentially be used for paediatric patients.Peer reviewe

Regulating the pH of bicarbonate solutions without purging gases: Application to dissolution testing of enteric coated tablets, pellets and microparticles

© 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. This manuscript is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Licence http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.Dissolution media based on bicarbonate buffers closely mimic the environment of intestinal fluids and thus improve in vitro in vivo correlation compared to phosphate buffers. Purging gases into the medium is used as a method to stabilise bicarbonate buffers; however, this causes issues due to the disturbance of the hydrodynamics in the dissolution vessel. The aim of this study was to develop a novel system to regulate and stabilise the pH of bicarbonate buffers without purging gases for the application of dissolution testing of enteric coated products. A novel enclosure system was applied to the USP II dissolution vessel to supply N2 and CO2 gases above the dissolution medium without purging into the solution. Drug release from enteric coated predinisolone microparticles (216.9 µm), pellets (1.25 mm) and commercially available tablets was determined in 0.1 M HCl and subsequently in pH 6.8 phosphate buffer or pH 6.2–6.8 bicarbonate buffers generated by titration of the acidic medium in situ using USP II apparatus. Supplying N2 at 3–4 bar and CO2 at 0.1 bar were able to increase the pH of the bicarbonate buffer from pH 6.2 to 6.8 within 45 min and subsequently stabilise the medium pH at 6.8 ± 0.05 pH units. Enteric coated microparticles showed much faster drug release in the physiological bicarbonate buffers than tablets and pellets. The novel bicarbonate-based dissolution system moves forward the application of the physiological bicarbonate buffers for testing pharmaceutical products to meet compendial requirements.Peer reviewe

Novel Insights into the Role of Probiotics in Respiratory Infections, Allergies, Cancer, and Neurological Abnormalities

Publication history: Accepted - 31 August 2021; Published online - 2 September 2021.In recent years, probiotics have attracted public attention and transformed the social perception of microorganisms, convening a beneficial role/state on human health. With aging, the immune system, body physiology, and intestinal microbiota tend to change unfavorably, resulting in many chronic conditions. The immune-mediated disorders can be linked to intestinal dysbiosis, consequently leading to immune dysfunctions and a cluster of conditions such as asthma, autoimmune diseases, eczema, and various allergies. Probiotic bacteria such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species are considered probiotic species that have a great immunomodulatory and anti-allergic effect. Moreover, recent scientific and clinical data illustrate that probiotics can regulate the immune system, exert anti-viral and anti-tumoral activity, and shields the host against oxidative stress. Additionally, microbiota programming by probiotic bacteria can reduce and prevent the symptoms of respiratory infections and ameliorate the neurological status in humans. This review describes the most recent clinical findings, including safe probiotic therapies aiming to medicate respiratory infections, allergies, cancer, and neurological disorders due to their physiological interconnection. Subsequently, we will describe the major biological mechanism by which probiotic bacteriotherapy expresses its anti-viral, anti-allergic, anticancer, and neuro-stimulatory effectsThis work was supported by Environtech grant awarded to NC