N-trimethyl chitosan chloride-coated liposomes for the oral delivery of curcumin

The aims of this study were to design the formulation of curcumin (CUR) liposomes coated with N-trimethyl chitosan chloride (TMC) and to evaluate in vitro release characteristics and in vivo pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of TMC-coated CUR liposomes in rats. The structure of synthesized TMC was examined by infrared spectroscopy, with the presence of trimethyl groups, and by proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, indicating the high degree of substitution quaternization (65.6%). Liposomes, composed of soybean phosphotidylcholine, cholestrol, and D-α-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate, were prepared by a thin-film dispersion method. Characteristics of the CUR liposomes, including entrapment efficiency (86.67%), drug-loading efficiency (2.33%), morphology, particle size (221.4?nm for uncoated liposomes and 657.7?nm for TMC-coated liposomes), and zeta potential (–9.63 mV for uncoated liposomes and +15.64 mV for TMC-coated liposomes) were investigated. Uncoated CUR liposomes and TMC-coated CUR liposomes showed a similar in vitro release profile. Nearly 50% of CUR was released from liposomes, whereas 80% of CUR was released from CUR propylene glycol solution. CUR incorporated into TMC-coated liposomes exhibited different pharmacokinetic parameters and enhanced bioavailability (C_max?=?46.13 μg/L, t_1/2?=?12.05 hours, AUC?=?416.58 μg/L·h), compared with CUR encapsulated by uncoated liposomes (C_max?=?32.12 μg/L, t_1/2?=?9.79 hours, AUC?=?263.77 μg/L·h) and CUR suspension (C_max?=?35.46 μg/L, t_1/2?=?3.85 hours, AUC?=?244.77 μg/L·h). In conclusion, oral delivery of coated CUR liposomes is a promising strategy for poorly water-soluble CUR.     

头孢氨苄胶囊制剂人体生物等效性研究

目的:研究新仿制的头孢羟氨苄胶囊制剂与市场在售的同类制剂在健康人体内的生物等效性。方法:采用随机交叉试验设计,20名健康男性志愿者分别口服受试制剂与参比制剂500 mg,HPLC法测定血浆中头孢氨苄的浓度,用DAS 2.0软件计算药动学参数并进行生物等效性评价。结果:受试制剂和参比制剂两药的主要药代动力学参数,Cmax分别为(18.12±3.17)μg/ml和(21.28±3.77)μg/ml,Tmax分别为(1.09±0.37)h和(1.04±0.33)h,t1/2分别为(1.15±0.22)h和(1.14±0.20)h,AUC0-t分别为(35.43±5.39)μg h/ml和(37.27±4.76)μg h/ml,AUC0-∞分别为(36.68±6.06)μg h/ml和(38.62±5.48)μg h/ml,受试制剂的平均相对生物利用度为(96.50±7.2)%。结论:受试制剂和参比制剂具有良好的生物等效性。     

Determining the pharmacokinetics of psilocin in rat plasma using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a photodiode array detector after orally administering an extract of Gymnopilus spectabilis

This study established ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a photodiode array detector for determining psilocin and its pharmacokinetics in rat plasma after orally administering an extract of Gymnopilus spectabilis. The extract was separated on an ODS C18 column (2.3 μm, 100 mm × 2.1 mm I.D.) by gradient elution with (A) water containing 50mM AcONH(4) and (B) acetonitrile. The wavelength was set at 265 nm and the injection volume was 10 μL. Under these conditions, the calibration curve was linear over the concentration range 0.2-20 μg/mL with a correlation coefficient of r(2)=0.9992. The inter- and intraday precision levels were less than 7% and the accuracies (%) were within the range 92.0-102.5%. The method was sufficiently valid to be applied to a pharmacokinetics study of psilocin in rat plasma. The pharmacokinetic parameters of psilocin in rat plasma after the oral administration of a G. spectabilis extract were as follows: C(max), 0.43 ± 0.12 μg/mL; T(max), 90 ± 2.1 min; AUC(0→t), 1238.3 ± 96.4 (μg/mL) min; and T(1/2), 117.3 ± 40.3 min.     

Chronopharmacology of roflumilast: a comparative pharmacokinetic study of morning versus evening administration in healthy adults

The human circadian system is known to affect the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of several classes of respiratory disease medications. The current study involving 16 healthy adults investigated if the time-of-day of dosing of roflumilast, a novel phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitor, affects its pharmacokinetics. The rate of drug absorption (t(max): 1.50 versus 2.00 h) and peak concentration at t(max) (C(max): 3.79 versus 3.06 μg/L) was slightly greater with morning than evening administration, but without clinical significance. The extent of drug absorption (AUC) and drug elimination (t(1/2)) did not differ between the two dosing times. The pharmacokinetics of the active main metabolite, roflumilast N-oxide, also was not affected by the time of drug administration. Finally, the safety and tolerability of roflumilast did not differ between the two different times of administration.     

Conventional and long-circulating liposomes of artemisinin: preparation, characterization, and pharmacokinetic profile in mice

Artemisinin (qinghaosu), a unique endoperoxide sesquiterpene lactone isolated from Artemisia annua L., is a very active antimalarial drug, including severe and cerebral malaria. However, its therapeutical efficacy is limited due to its scarce bioavailability. In this article, artemisinin-loaded conventional and polyethylene glycol (PEGylated) liposomes were proposed as carriers to increase biopharmaceutical properties of the drug. Encapsulation efficacy was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography/diode array detection/electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry, dimensional analysis was performed by dynamic light scattering, and morphology was performed by trasmission electron microscopy. After dialysis, both liposomal formulations showed an encapsulation efficacy of more than 70%; mean diameter of all the artemisinin-loaded vesicles was approximately 130-140?nm. The polydispersity index of the formulations ranged from 0.2 to 0.3 and resulted as suitable for intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration. Pharmacokinetic profile and the main pharmacokinetic parameters of the carriers were evaluated in healthy mice i.p. Free artemisinin was rapidly cleared from plasma and hardly detected 1 hour after administration. Conversely, both liposomal formulations showed much longer blood-circulation time than free artemisinin; artemisinin was still detectable after 3 and 24 hours of administration, respectively, for conventional and PEGylated liposomes. AUC(0-24 h) values were increased by approximately 6 times in both of the liposomal formulations, in comparison with free artemisinin. A strong effect of formulation on the half-life of artemisinin was enhanced by more than 5-fold by the incorporation of PEG into liposomes. Liposomes loaded with artemisinin, especially the long-circulating vesicles, could really represent a new strategy for developing smart, well-tolerated, and efficacious therapeutic nanocarriers to treat tumors, but could also be very useful to treat parasitic disease.     

Urinary L-FABP and its combination with urinary NGAL in early diagnosis of acute kidney injury after cardiac surgery in adult patients

Background/Aim: The early detection of acute kidney injury (AKI) may be become possible by several promising early biomarkers which may facilitate the early detection, differentiation and prognosis prediction of AKI. In this study, we investigated the value of urinary liver-type fatty acid-binding protein (L-FABP), neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and their combination in predicting the occurrence and the severity of AKI following cardiac surgery.

Methods: We prospectively followed 109 patients undergoing open heart surgery and identified 26 that developed AKI, defined as an increase in serum creatinine of ≥0.3?mg/dl or ≥150% of baseline creatinine. Serum creatinine (SCr), urinary L-FABP, and NGAL corrected by urine creatinine were tested pre-operation, at 0 hour and 2 hours post-operation. Each marker was assessed at each time point between patients with and without AKI. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and area under curves (AUC) were used to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of urinary L-FABP, NGAL and their combination for predicting AKI.

Results: Patients were aged 63.0?±?11.3 years, 66.1% were male and baseline SCr was 70.5?±?19.1 umol/L. Of 109 patients, 26(23.9%) developed AKI (AKIN stage I, II and III were 46.2%, 34.6% and 19.2% separately). The levels of urinary L-FABP and NGAL were significantly higher in AKI patients than non-AKI patients at 0 hour and 2 hours postoperative. AUCs for L-FABP was 0.844 (sensitivity (ST) 0.846, specificity (SP) 0.819, cut-off (CO) 2226.50 μg/g Ucr) at 0 hours and 0.832 at 2 hours (ST 0.808, SP 0.747, CO 673.09 μg/g Ucr) while 0.866 for NGAL at 0 hours (ST 0.769, SP 0.819, CO 131.12 μg/g Ucr) and 0.871 at 2 hours (ST 0.808, SP 0.831, CO 33.73 μg/g Ucr) to predict AKI occurrence. Using a combination of L-FABP and NGAL analyzed at the same timepoint as above, we were able to obtain an AUC of 0.911–0.927, p < 0.001. Similar AUCs of 0.81–0.87 were found to predict AKI stage II–III.

Conclusions: Urinary L-FABP and NGAL increased at an early stage after cardiac surgery. The combination of the two biomarkers enhanced the accuracy of the early detection of postoperative AKI after cardiac surgery before a rise in SCr.     

Study of prolactin permeation through the pericardium and its bioavailability

The prolactin (PRL) permeation through the pericardium depending on the species of origin (porcine, bovine and ovine) was studied, and the parameters of its bioavailability were calculated. An in vitro model using pericardium as a natural membrane and Frantz cell method was applied. Significant differences in permeation were observed depending on the species of origin. Within 5 h, 17.5% of bovine PRL, 27.2% of porcine PRL and 90.3% of ovine PRL permeated the pericardium. The amount of permeated ovine PRL was 3.3-fold higher than porcine PRL and 5.2-fold higher than bovine PRL. The maximum concentration of permeated PRL was reached in the thirtieth minute of the experiment and was the highest for ovine PRL (C(max) = 677.21 μg/cm2) and the lowest for bovine PRL (C(max) = 259.97 μg/cm2). Bioavailability of PRL through the pericardium is 3.3-fold greater for ovine PRL in comparison to porcine or bovine PRL. The relative extent of bioavailability for bovine and ovine prolactin versus the porcine PRL standard was 85.6% and 229.3%, respectively.     

Investigations on feasibility of in situ development of amphotericin B liposomes for industrial applications

Amphotericin B (AmB) liposome formulations are very successful in the treatment of fungal infections and leishmaniasis. But higher cost limits its widespread use among people in developing countries. Therefore, we have developed a modified ethanol-injection method for the preparation of AmB liposomes. Two liposomal formulations were developed with dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine [F-1a] and soya phosphatidylcholine [F-2a], along with egg phosphatidyl glycerol and cholesterol. AmB was dissolved in acidified dimethyl acetamide and mixed with ethanolic lipid solution and rapidly injected in 5% dextrose to prepare liposomes. Liposomes were characterized on the basis of size (~100?nm), zeta (-43.3?±?2.8 mV) and percent entrapment efficiency (>95%). The in vitro release study showed an insignificant difference (P?≥?0.05) for 24-hour release between marketed AmB liposomes (AmBisome) and F-1a and F-2a. Proliposome concentrate, used for the preparation of in situ liposomes, was physically stable for more than 3 months at experimental conditions. Similarly, AmB showed no sign of degradation in reconstituted liposomes stored at 2-8°C for more than 3 months. IC(50) value of Ambisome (0.18 μg/mL) was comparatively similar to F-1a (0.17 μg/mL) and F-2a (0.16 μg/mL) against intramacrophagic amastigotes. Under experimental conditions, a novel modified method for AmB liposomes is a great success and generates interest for development as a platform technology for many therapeutic drug products.     

Growth and nutrient responses of Eloecharis cellulosa (Cyperaceae) to phosphate level and redox intensity

Phosphorus (P) availability limits plant growth in many ecosystems. The ability of plants to explore for soil P is often impaired by nonresource stressors. Understanding the effects of these stressors on P acquisition in oligotrophic environments is critical in predicting species dominance. Growth and nutrient responses of Eleocharis cellulosa to redox intensity and phosphate level were evaluated under three redox potentials (Eh) and three phosphate (PO(4)) levels (P). Although low Eh (-150 mV) decreased root length at low P, Eh did not affect shoot height, relative growth rate (RGR), shoot elongation, photosynthesis, or biomass of E. cellulosa. Low PO(4) (10 μg P?·?L(-1)) strongly inhibited growth. Shoot height, RGR, elongation, photosynthesis, and biomass were lower at 10 μg P?·?L(-1) than at 80 or 500 μg P?·?L(-1). None of the growth variables, except the ratio of root-supported biomass to root biomass, significantly differed between the 80 and 500 μg P?·?L(-1) treatments. At low P, plants allocated relatively more biomass to roots than to shoots, compared to the medium and high P levels. Eleocharis cellulosa is well adapted to flooded conditions that lower soil Eh, and elevated PO(4) levels further promote its growth potential.     

三江平原不同群落小叶章氮素的累积与分配

2004年5—10月,对三江平原典型小叶章草甸和小叶章-苔草沼泽化草甸群落优势植物小叶章的氮素累积与分配特征进行了研究.结果表明：典型草甸和沼泽化草甸小叶章地上器官及枯落物的全氮含量在生长季均呈递减变化,符合指数衰减模型(T_N=Aexp(-t/B₁)+B₂,R²≥0.94),二者根的全氮含量波动较大,且在生长高峰期前的15～30 d存在一个明显的养分蓄积时期.不同器官和枯落物的氮累积量和累积速率(V_N)季节变化明显,且典型草甸小叶章地上部分的氮累积量和V_N明显高于沼泽化草甸,而地下部分则相反.两个群落小叶章不同部位的氮分配比差异明显,其中根分配比高达(59.38±12.86)%和(84.58±3.38)%,地上部分的氮分配比以叶最高,为(24.28±12.09)%和(8.18±3.32)%,其他部分较低.二者地上与地下部分的氮分配比呈相反规律变化,反映了其在氮供给方面的密切联系.典型草甸和沼泽化草甸小叶章氮的年吸收量和最大现存量分别为23.02、36.30 g·m^-2和28.18、51.43 g·m^-2,前者的氮吸收系数(0.017)和利用系数(0.634)明显高于后者(0.015和0.548),说明典型草甸在氮的吸收与利用方面强于沼泽化草甸.     

Determination of piracetam in human plasma by capillary electrophoresis

A capillary electrophoresis (CE) procedure has been developed for the determination of piracetam in human plasma. Analyses were performed on an uncoated silica capillary using borax buffer modified with the addition of α-cyclodextrin. The detection was UV, operated at 200 nm. The detection limit of the authentic samples was 1 μg/ml. The calibration curve was linear over a range of 4 to 24 μg/ml (r=0.997). Inter-assay R.S.D. was below 9.3%. The described method has been successfully applied to the quantitative determination of piracetam in human plasma and should be useful for clinical and bioavailability investigations.     

Mixed Polyethylene Glycol-Modified Breviscapine-Loaded Solid Lipid Nanoparticles for Improved Brain Bioavailability: Preparation,Characterization, and In Vivo Cerebral Microdialysis Evaluation in Adult Sprague Dawley Rats

Breviscapine is used in the treatment of ischemic cerebrovascular diseases, but it has a low bioavailability in the brain due to its poor physicochemical properties and the activity of P-glycoprotein efflux pumps located at the blood–brain barrier. In the present study, breviscapine-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) coated with polyethylene glycol (PEG) derivatives were formulated and evaluated for their ability to enhance brain bioavailability. The SLNs were either coated with polyethylene glycol (40) (PEG-40) stearate alone (Bre-GBSLN-PS) or a mixture of PEG-40 stearate and 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine-N-PEG2000 (DSPE-PEG₂₀₀₀) (Bre-GBSLN-PS-DSPE) and were characterized both in vitro and in vivo. The mean particle size, polydispersity index, and entrapment efficiency for Bre-GBSLN-PS and Bre-GBSLN-PS-DSPE were 21.60 ± 0.10 and 22.60 ± 0.70 nm, 0.27 ± 0.01 and 0.26 ± 0.04, and 46.89 ± 0.73% and 47.62 ± 1.86%, respectively. The brain pharmacokinetic parameters revealed that the brain bioavailability of breviscapine from the Bre-GBSLN-PS and Bre-GBSLN-PS-DSPE was significantly enhanced (p < 0.01) with the area under concentration–time curve (AUC) of 1.59 ± 0.39 and 1.42 ± 0.58 μg h/mL of breviscapine, respectively, in comparison to 0.11 ± 0.02 μg h/mL from the commercial breviscapine injection. The ratios of the brain AUC for scutellarin in comparison with the plasma scutellarin AUC for commercial breviscapine injection, Bre-GBSLN-PS, and Bre-GBSLN-PS-DSPE were 0.66%, 2.82%, and 4.51%, respectively. These results showed that though both SLN formulations increased brain uptake of breviscapine, Bre-GBSLN-PS-DSPE which was coated with a binary combination of PEG-40 stearate and DSPE-PEG₂₀₀₀ had a better brain bioavailability than Bre-GBSLN-PS. Thus, the coating of SLNs with the appropriate PEG derivative combination could improve brain bioavailability of breviscapine and can be a promising tool for brain drug delivery.KEY WORDS: breviscapine, microdialysis, mixed PEGylation, P-glycoprotein (P-gp), solid lipid nanoparticles     

L-抗坏血酸洛芬酯非水相酶促合成的动力学与热力学

对酶法合成L-抗坏血酸洛芬酯(芬维C酯)的反应动力学与热力学进行研究,确定了最有效的酶促反应环境。合成布洛芬维C酯的最优条件:转速200r/min,温度65℃,加酶量5%(以底物的质量分数计),底物浓度1mol/L,平衡所需时间66h,平衡时产物质量分数为19.07%;合成酮洛芬维C酯的最优条件:200r/min,60℃,加酶量7.5%,底物浓度600mmol/L,平衡时间132h,产物质量分数为10.63%;合成氟比洛芬维C酯的最优条件:200r/min,65℃,加酶量5%,底物浓度400mmol/L,平衡时间144h,产物质量分数为6.76%。对底物进行了比较,得到了各自的动力学与热力学参数。布洛芬米氏常数为0.101μmol/L,vmax=32.68μmol/(min.g),热力学平衡常数为0.166;酮洛芬的分别为0.144μmol/L,12.97μmol/(min.g),0.091;氟比洛芬的分别为0.185μmol/L,9.35μmol/(min.g),0.055。     

Elevating bioavailability of cyclosporine a via encapsulation in artificial oil bodies stabilized by caleosin

To elevate its bioavailability via oral administration, cyclosporine A (CsA), a hydrophobic drug, was either incorporated into olive oil directly or encapsulated in artificial oil bodies (AOBs) constituted with olive oil and phospholipid in the presence or absence of recombinant caleosin purified from Escherichia coli. The bioavailabilities of CsA in these formulations were assessed in Wistar rats in comparison with the commercial formulation, Sandimmun Neoral. Among these tests, CsA-loaded AOBs stabilized by the recombinant caleosin exhibited better bioavailability than the commercial formulation and possessed the highest maximum whole blood concentration (C(max)), 1247.4 +/- 106.8 ng/mL, in the experimental animals 4.3 +/- 0.7 h (t(max)) after oral administration. C(max) and the area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC(0-24)) were individually increased by 50.8% and 71.3% in the rats fed with caleosin-stabilized AOBs when compared with those fed with the reference Sandimmun Neoral. The results suggest that constitution of AOBs stabilized by caleosin may be a suitable technique to encapsulate hydrophobic drugs for oral administration.     

怀山药种质资源的包埋玻璃化超低温保存与植株再生

通过对怀山药（Dioscorea opposita）种质资源的包埋玻璃化超低温保存与植株再生进行研究,结果表明：将低温下锻炼7天的怀山药试管苗带芽茎段放入预培养基中,低温下培养3天,然后在室温下用3%的海藻酸钠和0.5mol·L-1CaCl2包埋,包埋珠用MS＋0.2mol·L-1蔗糖＋2mol·L-1甘油＋50g·L-1二甲基亚砜在0°C下装载60分钟,用30%甘油＋15%乙二醇＋10%二甲基亚砜＋15%聚乙二醇＋0.4mol·L-1蔗糖在0°C下脱水60分钟,迅速投入液氮,24小时后立即用40°C水浴快速化冻,再用MS＋0.5mol·L-1蔗糖溶液洗涤2次,转入再生培养基中培养,可获得再生植株。再生植株成活率因基因型而异,铁棍山药、太谷山药、怀庆1号山药和B号山药的成活率分别为64.29%、49.21%、13.11%和39.81%。     

pH敏脂质体对反义寡核苷酸抗流感病毒活性的影响

为了研究具有临床应用前景的 Ａ Ｓ Ｏ Ｄ Ｎ 脂质体转运系统,以临床药用大豆磷脂为主要原料制备了ｐ Ｈ 敏脂质体,并测定了脂质体体外转染活性、ｐ Ｈ 敏特性、细胞毒性和对 Ａ Ｓ Ｏ Ｄ Ｎ 抗流感病毒活性的影响 结果发现,批号为 ９８０５１９０３,９８０５１１０２ 和 ９８０５１２０２ 的脂质体具有较高转染活性,但只有ｌｉｐｏｆｅｃｔｉｎ 转染活性的 １／５０～１／１００当质粒／脂质体（ Ｗ ／ Ｗ ）为 １∶４～１∶８,转染时间为 ３～５ ｈ,质粒量为 ０５ μｇ,转染后 ２４～４８ ｈ 内检测时转染活性最高 脂质体 ９８０５１２０２ 表现明显 ｐ Ｈ值依赖溶解红细胞膜特性,而脂质体 ９８０５１１０２ 和 ９８０５１９０３ 的 ｐ Ｈ 敏特性不明显 脂质体细胞毒性明显降低,如 ９８０５１９０３、９８０５１１０２ 和 ９８０５１２０２ 的毒性分别是 ｌｉｐｏｆｅｃｔｉｎ 毒性的 １／１６、１／８ 和 １／４ｐ Ｈ 敏脂质体 ９８０５１２０２ 具有促进 Ａ Ｓ Ｏ Ｄ Ｎ 抗流感病毒作用,当 Ａ Ｓ Ｏ Ｄ Ｎ 浓度为 ０２ μｍ ｏｌ／ Ｌ 时,ｐ Ｈ 敏脂质体 ９８０５１２０２ 使其抗病毒活性提高 ５ 倍,但 Ａ Ｓ Ｏ Ｄ Ｎ 浓度较高时ｐ Ｈ 敏脂质体对 Ａ Ｓ Ｏ Ｄ Ｎ抗     

Pharmacokinetics of the active antifungal enantiomer, SCH 42427 (RR), and evaluation of its chiral inversion in animals following its oral administration and the oral administration of its racemate genaconazole (RR/SS)

Genaconazole (SCH 39304) is a potent triazole antifungal agent that is active both orally and topically. Genaconazole is a racemic mixture which contains 50% of the RR (SCH 42427) and 50% of the SS (SCH 42426) enantiomers. The RR isomer accounts for most of the antifungal activity of genaconazole. Serum concentrations of the RR and SS enantiomers were analyzed by a chiral HPLC method which involved extraction of serum with organic solvent followed by separation on a Cyclobond I column and quantification by UV absorbance at 205 nm. The bioavailability and pharmacokinetic profiles of the two enantiomers after oral administration of the racemate (genaconazole) were very similar in cynomolgus monkeys. In rats following dosing with genaconazole, the RR enantiomer had a lower C(max) and a longer t(1/2) than the SS enantiomer, while the AUC(I) values of the two enantiomers were similar. Based on chiral HPLC analysis, there was no evidence for the inversion of the RR to the SR isomer, or of the SS to the SR isomer, indicating that there was no chiral inversion of the RR or SS enantiomers in either species. Genaconazole at 20 mg/kg and the RR (SCH 42427) enantiomer at 10 mg/kg had very similar serum concentration-time profiles and C(max), AUC(I), and t(1/2) values for the RR enantiomer in both rats and monkeys, indicating that the two treatments were equivalent with respect to the bioavailability of the RR enantiomer.     

Surfactant induces ROS-mediated cell membrane permeabilization for the enhancement of mannatide production

A surfactant was a substance that had an important influence on the excretion of intracellular substances. In this work, it was found that cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) inhibited cell viability but increased the mannatide production by optimizing the addition time. Results revealed that CTAB changed cell surface properties (cell surface hydrophobicity and Zeta potential was increased from 3% to 14% and −14.5 mV to −10.2 mV, respectively) and permeabilized cell membrane (intercellular ATP content was decreased from 28.599 μg/g to 9.737 μg/g while extracellular ATP content was increased from 33.051 μg/g to 82.809 μg/g; the concentrations of K⁺ and Ca²⁺ were increased to 3.9 mg/L and 2.1 mg/L, respectively; membrane potential was formed). Moreover, the images of scanning electron micrographs indicated distinct morphological changes and disruption on the surface of the cells. Further pyridinium iodides staining showed CTAB could induce cell apoptosis from 4.24% to 31% with increasing the relative intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) from 0.11% to 7.31%. It is the most noteworthy that the addition of CTAB increased the mannatide production to 1.46 g/L, 98.6% higher than that of untreated cells. Consequently, the utilization of CTAB for the preparation of mannatide provide theoretical foundation for the further large-scale production.     

Mannosylated liposomes bearing Amphotericin B for effective management of visceral Leishmaniasis

The cationic and mannosylated liposomes were prepared using the cast film method and compared for their antileishmaniasis activity. The surface of the Amphotericin B (Amp B)-bearing cationic multilamellar liposomes was covalently coupled with p-aminophenyl-α-D-mannoside using glutaraldehyde as a coupling agent, which was confirmed by agglutination of the vesicles with concanavalin A. The prepared liposomes were characterized for shape, size, percent drug entrapment, vesicle count, zeta potential, and in vitro drug release. Vesicle sizes of cationic and mannosylated liposomes were found to be 2.32 ± 0.23 and 2.69 ± 0.13 μm, respectively. Zeta potential of cationic liposomes was higher (30.38 ± 0.3 mV), as compared to mannosylated liposomes (17.7 ± 0.8 mV). Percentage drug release from cationic and mannose-coupled liposomes was found to be 45.7% ± 3.1 and 41.9% ± 2.8, respectively, after 24 hours. The in vivo antileishmanial activity was performed on Leishmania donovani-infected golden hamster, and results revealed that Amp B solution was reduced by 42.5 ± 1.8% in the parasite load, whereas the placebo cationic liposomes and drug-containing cationic liposomes showed a reduced parasite load (i.e., 28.1 ± 1.5 and 61.2 ± 3.2%, respectively). The mannose-coupled liposomes showed a maximum reduction in parasite load (i.e., 78.8 ± 3.9%). The biodistribution study clearly showed the higher uptake of mannosylated liposomes in the liver and spleen and hence the active targeting to the reticular endothelial system, which, in turn, would provide a direct attack of the drug to the site where the pathogen resides, rendering the other organs free and safe from the toxic manifestations of the drug.     

Preparation and in vitro evaluation of a folate-linked liposomal curcumin formulation

Curcumin (CUR), a plant-derived compound, exhibits versatile antitumor effects. However, its poor hydrophilic property limits its application. To circumvent these drawbacks, we encapsulated CUR in liposomes modified with folic acid for better solubility and enhanced tumor targeting. This novel formulation was prepared by a film-dispersion method and characterized by size, zeta potential, drug-loading efficiency, and physical-condition stability. In vitro, cellular uptake efficiency, cytotoxicity, and apoptosis analysis by flow cytometry were performed to evaluate tumor targeting and killing ability. Results showed that the folate-receptor (FR)-targeted liposomal CUR (F-CUR-L) performed with improved solubility, sufficient stability, and enhanced antitumor activity. Mean diameter, zeta potential, and drug-loading efficiency were 182?nm, ?26 mV, and 68%, respectively, and this formulation exhibited stability in storage at 4°C for 1 month. In vitro, FR-positive cells endocytosed more F-CUR-L than nontargeted liposomal CUR (CUR-L); thus, the former induced more cellular proliferation inhibition and higher apoptosis than the latter, and the enhanced targeting could be hindered by 1?mM of free folic acid. Further, KB cells were more sensitive to F-CUR-L, compared to Hela cells. Finally, the two kinds of tumor cells treated with F-CUR-L also showed dose- and time-dependent apoptosis.