No description available.

University of Macau / Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences

No description available.

The dissolution profiles of eight lots of paracetamol tablets representing seven different tablet brands are determined in a USP rotating basket assembly and a stationary basket-rotating paddle apparatus. The in vitro data are expressed in terms of dissolution parameters and inter-tablet differences are assessed statistically using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the Scheffe test. Highly significant differences are observed between a number of the tablets at the 95% confidence level. Representative tablets from the dissolution rate study and a control dose of paracetamol dissolved in water are subsequently investigated in a 4 x 4 latin square design bioavailability trial. Serum and urine samples are collected and assayed for paracetamol alone (serum) and together with its metabolites (urine) by means of high pressure liquid chromatography. The in vivo data are expressed in terms of bioavailability parameters and differences between the test doses are assessed by means of ANOVA. No significant differences are observed between the dosage forms at the 95% confidence level.

Numerous experiments in recent years have indicated differences in the bioavailability of corticosteroids from seemingly identical topical dosage forms. The human blanching assay was utilized in this study to assess the comparative blanching activities of various locally manufactured proprietary corticosteroid preparations. The first experiment was performed to assess the relative blanching activities of six semi - solid preparations containing the same concentration of betamethasone 17-valerate. The preparations used were Betnovate cream and ointment, Persivate cream and ointment and Celestoderm-V cream and ointment. This was followed, in the second experiment, by the investigation of the blanching activities of two lotions containing betamethasone 17-valerate (Betnovate and Celestoderm-V) and a lotion containing betamethasone 17,21- dipropionate (Diprosone). The third experiment involved a study of six semi-solid proprietary corticosteroid-containing formulations, viz. Dermovate (clobetasol propionate) cream and ointment, Betnovate (betamethasone 17-valerate) cream and ointment and Eumovate (clobetasone butyrate) cream and ointment. This investigation was prompted by claims in advertisements in the medical media that Dermovate is therapeutically more efficacious than Betnovate which is more efficacious than Eumovate. The penultimate experiment in this study served the purpose of finding a corticosteroid-containing preparation that falls into the moderately potent group of corticosteroid formulations, as described in the United Kingdom MIMS. This preparation was used in the final experiment which was undertaken to ascertain the potency category of Florone (diflorasone diacetate) cream and ointment.

The purpose of this project was to fabricate biodegradable ophthalmic inserts for controlled delivery of pilocarpine and evaluate them by both in-vitro and in-vivo studies. Emphasis was placed on the use of an inexpensive material as a drug carrier and on the ease of fabrication of the device. Based on these criteria, absorbable gelatin was selected to fabricate a matrix system. Absorbable gelatin can be obtained by either thermal treatment or chemical crosslinking of gelatin. In the first part of this project, we fabricated an insert using Gelfoamᴿ, an absorbable gelatin sponge obtained by thermal treatment. A prolonged in-vitro release of pilocarpine from the device was achieved through pharmaceutical modification by embedding a retardant in the pores. The devices impregnated with polyethylene glycol monostearate (PMS) and cetyl esters wax (CEW) were found to be most effective. The in-vivo evaluation of the devices indicated that pharmaceutical modification of Gelfoamᴿ is an effective means of improving the biological activity of pilocarpine without altering the biodegradability of the biopolymer backbone. The CEW device produces a substantial improvement in drug bioavailability and an increase in the duration of biological effect over that from the two commercial formulations, the eyedrop and the gel. In the second part of the project, we fabricated absorbable gelatin inserts through chemical crosslinking of gelatin. The effect of selected fabrication variables on profiles of the in-vitro release of pilocarpine and the dynamic water uptake by the crosslinked gelatin devices was investigated. These results were further substantiated by the measurement of the degree of crosslinking of gelatin. The in-vivo study indicated that the modification of the structure of gelatin by crosslinking is another simple and effective way of improving bioavailability and extending the duration of effect of pilocarpine incorporated in the biopolymeric device. In addition, altering the degree of crosslinking of gelatin allows a variation of the biodegradation time of the polymer.

published_or_final_version / Medicine / Master / Master of Philosophy

Conventional solid dosage forms often lead to fluctuations which exceed the maximum safe therapeutic level and/or decline below the minimum effective level. It is recognised that many drugs for chronic administration should be administered on a schedule that maintains plasma drug concentration within the therapeutic window. Research in controlled release dosage forms aims at designing a system with a zero-order input (eg, ideally to deliver 8.33% of the dose per hour over a 12 hour duration), producing steady state plasma drug levels. Oral dministration of drugs prepared as a controlled release formulation is extremely popular, and has attracted the attention of pharmaceutical scientists during the last decade. This has been due to the simultaneous convergence of various factors (eg, discovery of novel polymers and devices, better understanding of formulation and physiological constraints, expiration of existing patents, prohibitive cost of developing new drug entities), involved in the development of these delivery systems. Controlled release oral products can be formulated as single or multiple unit dosage forms and the relative merits of multiple unit forms with their own rate controlling systems are well established. This work describes the development of a relatively inexpensive multiple-unit capsule dosage form of theophylline containing coated mini-tablets for drug delivery throughout the gastrointestinal tract. Preformulation studies on theophylline anhydrous included solubility and dissolution rate determinations. Techniques including X-ray powder diffraction, differential scanning colorimetry and infrared spectroscopy provided no evidence of true polymorphism after recrystallisation from various solvents. However, scanning electron micrographs showed the effects of solvent polarity and cooling rate on the size and shape of recrystallised particles. Theophylline granules were manufactured by using various binders and were film coated by fluidised bed technology with various proportions of ethylcellulose, containing varying amounts of PEG 1540. In vitro release rates were dependent upon coating thickness and the proportion of PEG, which, being water soluble, created pores in the coating during dissolution studies as observed by a scanning electron microscope. However, substantial proportions of the drug remained unreleased from the granules. In order to overcome the problems of drug retention, plain granules were used and theophylline mini-tablets (3 mm diameter, weighing 15 - 20 mg) were manufactured and film coated with various Eudragits ® and other polymeric mixtures (soluble and insoluble). In vitro dissolution profiles from samples enclosed in hard gelatin capsules were determined using the USPXXI paddle apparatus in test media at pH 1.2 (HCI), pH 5.4 and 7.4 (phosphate buffers) at 37'C. Monitoring of in vitro theophylline release over 12 h, under identical hydrodynamic conditions, showed that the dissolution rate at pH 1.2 is substantially greater (95% of total drug content released in < 10 h) than that in phosphate buffers. The maximum release after 12 h was approximately 20 and 30% of total drug content of the tablet at pH 5.4 and 7.4, respectively. However, in vivo bioavailability after oral administration of tablets to rabbits corresponded to over 95% of total drug, compared with the same dose administered intravenously. The retarded drug release during in vitro dissolution in phosphate buffer was attributed to a possible interaction of phosphate ions with theophylline molecules at the tablet core-coat interface. These findings indicate that both rate and extent of theophylline release from the slow release coated mini-tablets are highly sensitive to phosphate buffers. The data also emphasise the usefulness of an animal model for assessment of in vivo drug release and subsequent absorption during the development of modified release dosage forms. Mini-tablets were subjected to isothermal and cyclic stresses to reach conditions for up to 6 months at different temperatures and relative humidity. The film integrity was maintained but ageing of the coating occurred which impeded dissolution. Reduced drug release was temperature related while the effect of relative humidi% was insignific~t. Encapsulated mini-tablets (uncoated and coated with Eudragit RL and RS 2% w/w) equivalent to a 300 mg dose, were evaluated both in vitro and in vivo using beagle dogs. The pharmacokinetic parameters from single and multiple dose studies showed several advantages over Theo-Dur® 300 mg tablets. Precise dosage titration is possible by careful adjustment of the number of encapsulated mini-tablets. This multiple unit mini-tablet delivery system will allow for greater flexibility in dosage adjustment compared to the currently available preparations, allowing individualised fine dose titration in those patients requiring therapeutic drug monitoring. The developmentof the multiple unit mini-tablet formulation appears to provide an optimal dosage form with maximum flexibility in respect of dose, duration range and ease of production.

No description available.

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