Design and development of novel bioadhesive niosomal formulation for the transcorneal delivery of anti-infective agent:In-vitro and ex-vivo investigations

Gatifloxacin eye drops are frequently used in eye infections.However such formulations have a major drawback i.e.short duration of action and usually require 4e6 times installations daily.A chitosan coated niosomal formulation of gatifloxain was purposed to show a longer retention time on eyes and subsequent reduction in dosing frequency.Vesicles were prepared by solvent injection method using cholesterol and Span-60.An extensive optimization of formulation was done using different ratios of cholesterol,Span-60 and drug,revealed NS60-5(cholesterol:span-6050:50 and drug content of 20 mg)to be the optimized niosome formulation.NS60-5 had shown a highest entrapment efficiency of 64.9±0.66%with particle size 213.2±1.5 nm and zeta potential
34.7±2.2 mV.Optimized niosomes were also coated with different concentrations of chitosan and evaluated.Permeation studies had revealed that optimized niosomes(86.77±1.31%)had increased the transcorneal permeation of Gatifloxacin more than two fold than simple drug solution(37.19±1.1%).Longer retention potential of the coated niosomes was further verified by fluorescence microscopy.Study revealed that simple dye solution got easily washed out with in 6 h.The uncoated niosomes(NS60-5)showed a longer retention(more than 6 h),which was further enhanced in case of coated niosomes i.e.CNS60-1(more than 12 h).Antimicrobial studies had shown the better efficacy of CNS60-1(zone of inhibition)when compared to marketed formulation.The final chitosan formulation was found to have shown better ocular tolerability as demonstrated by corneal hydration test histopathology investigations.

A stepwise optimization strategy to formulate in situ gelling formulations comprising fluconazole-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin complex loaded niosomal vesicles and Eudragit nanoparticles for enhanced antifungal activity and prolonged ocular delivery

Fungal keratitis and endopthalmitis are serious eye diseases.Fluconazole(FL)is indicated for their treatment,but suffers from poor topical ocular availability.This study was intended to improve and prolong its ocular availability.FL niosomal vesicles were prepared using span 60.Also,polymeric nanoparticles were prepared using cationic Eudragit RS100 and Eudragit RL100.The investigated particles had adequate entrapment efficiency(EE%),nanoscale particle size and high zeta potential.Subsequently,formulations were optimized using full factorial design.FL-HP-β-CD complex was encapsulated in selected Eudragit nanoprticles(FL-CD-ERS1)and niosmal vesicles.The niosomes were further coated with cationic and bioadhesive chitosan(FL-CD-Nios-ch).EE%for FL-CD-ERS1 and FL-CD-Niosch formulations were 76.4%and 61.7%;particle sizes were 151.1 and 392 nm;also,they exhibited satisfactory zeta potential+40.1 and+28.5 m V.In situ gels were prepared by poloxamer P407,HPMC and chitosan and evaluated for gelling capacity,rheological behavior and gelling temperature.To increase the precorneal residence time,free drug and selected nano-formulations were incorporated in the selected in situ gel.Release study revealed sustained release within 24 h.Permeation through excised rabbits corneas demonstrated enhanced drug flux and large AUC0-6 h in comparison to plain drug.Corneal permeation of selected formulations labeled with Rhodamine B was visualized by Confocal laser microscopy.Histopathological study and in vivo tolerance test evidenced safety.In vivo susceptibility test using Candida albicans depicted enhanced growth inhibition and sustained effect.In this study the adopted stepwise optimization strategy combined cylodextrin complexation,drug nano-encapsulation and loading within thermosenstive in situ gel.Finally,the developed innovated formulations displayed boosted corneal permeation,enhanced antifungal activity and prolonged action.

Tissue distribution and pharmacokinetics of brucine niosomal gels in rats after topical and oral application

Brucine has anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects and is the main active compound of the seeds of Strychnos nux-vomica L. To study brucine niosomal gels, a reliable and rapid LC-MS/MS method was established to quantify brucine levels in rats. Tissue distribution and pharmacokinetics of brucine were investigated after topical and oral application of brucine niosomal gels to rats. The plasma concentration versus time profiles suggested that systemic exposure of brucine for oral administration of brucine niosomal gels was higher than that for topical administration, and topical administration showed a relatively sustained release. There was a considerable amount of brucine distributed in the knee joint. These results provided a strong basis for the follow-up study of this preparation.

Niosome-encapsulated auraptene reduced the mRNA expression of VEGF-A and PDGFs genes in human retinaderived RPE cell line

AIM:To evaluate the effect of auraptene(AUR)treatment in forms of free and encapsulated in niosome nanoparticles by investigating the mRNA expression level of vascular endothelium growth factor(VEGF)-A and platelet-derived growth factors(PDGFs)in human retinal pigment epithelium(RPE)cell line.METHODS:Niosome nanocarriers were produced using two surfactants Span 60 and Tween 80.RPE cell line was treated with both free AUR and niosome-encapsulated.Optimum dosage of treatments was calculated using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide(MTT)assay.Expression of VEGF-A and PDGF-A,PDGF-B,PDGF-C,PDGF-D genes was measured after total RNA extraction and cDNA synthesis,using real-time polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR).RESULTS:The highest entrapment efficiency(EE)was achieved by Span 60:cholesterol(1:1)with 64.3%.The half maximal inhibitory concentration(IC50)of free and niosome-encapsulated AUR were 38.5 and 27.78µg/mL,respectively.Release study revealed that niosomal AUR had more gradual delivery to the cells.RT-PCR results showed reduced expression levels of VEGF-A,PDGF-A,PDGF-B,PDGF-C,and PDGF-D after treatment with both free and niosomal AUR.CONCLUSION:Niosomal formulation of Span 60:cholesterol(1:1)is an effective drug delivery approach to transfer AUR to RPE cells.VEGF-A,PDGF-A,PDGF-B,PDGF-C,and PDGF-D are four angiogenic factors,inhibiting which by niosomal AUR may be effective in age-related macular degeneration.

Combinational therapy with Myc decoy oligodeoxynucleotides encapsulated in nanocarrier and X-irradiation on breast cancer cells

The Myc gene is the essential oncogene in triple-negative breast cancer(TNBC).This study investigates the synergistic effects of combining Myc decoy oligodeoxynucleotides-encapsulated niosomes-selenium hybrid nanocarriers with X-irradiation exposure on the MDA-MB-468 cell line.Decoy and scramble ODNs for Myc transcription factor were designed and synthesized based on promoter sequences of the Bcl2 gene.The nanocarriers were synthesized by loading Myc ODNs and selenium into chitosan(Chi-Se-DEC),which was then encapsulated in niosome-nanocarriers(NISM@Chi-Se-DEC).FT-IR,DLS,FESEM,and hemolysis tests were applied to confirm its characterization and physicochemical properties.Moreover,cellular uptake,cellular toxicity,apoptosis,cell cycle,and scratch repair assays were performed to evaluate its anticancer effects on cancer cells.All anticancer assessments were repeated under X-ray irradiation conditions(fractionated 2Gy).Physicochemical characteristics of niosomes containing SeNPs and ODNs showed that it is synthesized appropriately.It revealed that the anticancer effect of NISM@Chi-Se-DEC can be significantly improved in combination with X-ray irradiation treatment.It can be concluded that NISM@Chi-Se-DEC nanocarriers have the potential as a therapeutic agent for cancer treatment,particularly in combination with radiation therapy and in-vivo experiments are necessary to confirm the efficacy of this nano-drug.

Impact of umbelliprenin-containing niosome nanoparticles on VEGF-A and CTGF genes expression in retinal pigment epithelium cells

AIM:To investigate the impact of niosome nanoparticles carrying umbelliprenin(UMB),an anti-angiogenic and anti-inflammatory plant compound,on the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF-A)and connective tissue growth factor(CTGF)genes in a human retinal pigment epithelium(RPE)-like retina-derived cell line.METHODS:UMB-containing niosomes were created,optimized,and characterized.RPE-like cells were treated with free UMB and UMB-containing niosomes.The IC_(50)values of the treatments were determined using an MTT assay.Gene expression of VEGF-A and CTGF was evaluated using real-time polymerase chain reaction after RNA extraction and cDNA synthesis.Niosomes’characteristics,including drug entrapment efficiency,size,dispersion index,and zeta potential were assessed.Free UMB had an IC_(50)of 96.2μg/mL,while UMB-containing niosomes had an IC_(50)of 25μg/mL.RESULTS:Treatment with UMB-containing niosomes and free UMB resulted in a significant reduction in VEGF-A expression compared to control cells(P=0.001).Additionally,UMB-containing niosomes demonstrated a significant reduction in CTGF expression compared to control cells(P=0.05).However,there was no significant reduction in the expression of both genes in cells treated with free UMB.CONCLUSION:Both free UMB and niosome-encapsulated UMB inhibits VEGF-A and CTGF genes expression.However,the latter demonstrates significantly greater efficacy,potentially due to the lower UMB dosage and gradual delivery.These findings have implications for anti-angiogenesis therapeutic approaches targeting age-related macular degeneration.

非离子表面活性剂囊泡作为药物载体的进展

综述了８０年代以来非离子表面活性剂囊泡（ｎｉｏｓｏｍｅ）的制备、结构、性能、特点、毒性、稳定性和体内行为，以及影响其大小、包裹率、释药速率的因素，并介绍了它在药剂上的应用及发展方向。

Tumor-targeted niosome as novel carrier for intravenous administration of tocotrienol

Tocotrienol(T3),the unsaturated form of vitamin E,has gained global attention due to its potent anticancer effects against a wide range of cancers.Found abundantly in palm oil[1],T3was reported to exhibit their anti-cancer properties via various pathways including anti-proliferative,anti-angiogenesis,antiinflammatory,apoptosis and improvement of immunological function[2].However,the lack of tumor specificity and rapid body clearance have restricted the clinical applications of T3[3].

Preparation and optimization of tocotrienol rich fraction(TRF)-loaded niosomes

Vesicular delivery systems have gainedmuch attention as pharmaceutical entities since their discovery.Niosomes occupy the general structure of bilayer vesicles,having a hydrophilic core shielded from one or multiple hydrophobic lipid bilayer.This unique structure enables them to both accommodate oilsoluble compounds as well as to encapsulate water-soluble drugs[1].The anticancer effects of tocotrienol were first discovered in the early 1990s when Nesaretnam et al.reported that palm oil stripped of vitamin E-promoted tumorigenesis in rats[2].

Influence of chemical penetration enhancers on skin permeability of ellagic acid-loaded niosomes

This study aimed to develop niosomes of ellagic acid(EA),a potent antioxidant phytochemical substance,for dermal delivery and to investigate the influence of chemical penetration enhancers on the physicochemical properties of EA-loaded niosomes.The EA niosomes were prepared by reverse phase evaporation method using Span 60,Tween 60 and cholesterol as vesicle forming agents and Solulan C24 as a steric stabilizer.Polyethylene glycol 400(PEG)was used as a solubilizer while dimethylsulfoxide(DMSO)or Nmethyl-2-pyrrolidone(NMP)was used as a skin penetration enhancer.It was found that the mean particle sizes of EA-loaded niosomes were in the range of 312e402 nm with PI values of lower than 0.4.The niosomes were determined to be spherical multilamellar vesicles as observed by transmission electron microscope and optical microscopy.All niosomes were stable after 4 months storage at 4
C.In vitro skin permeation through human epidermis revealed that the skin enhancers affected the penetration of EA from the niosomes at 24 h.The DMSO niosomes showed the highest EA amount in epidermis;whereas the NMP niosomes had the highest EA amount in the acceptor medium.Concomitantly,the skin distribution by confocal laser scanning microscopy showed the high fluorescence intensity of the DMSO niosomes and NMP niosomes at a penetration depth of between 30e90 mm(the epidermis layer)and 90e120 mm(the dermis layer)under the skin,respectively.From the results,it can be concluded that the DMSO niosomes are suitable for epidermis delivery of EA while the NMP niosomes can be used for dermis delivery of EA.

Tioxolone niosomes exert antileishmanial effects on Leishmania tropica by promoting promastigote apoptosis and immunomodulation

Objective: To explore the antileishmanial effect of tioxolone and its niosomal form against Leishmania tropica. Methods: Tioxolone niosomes were prepared by the hydration method and were evaluated for morphology, size, release study, and encapsulation efficiency. The cytotoxicity of tioxolone and its niosomal form was measured by MTT assay, leishmanicidal activity against promastigote and amastigote by MTT assay, apoptosis by flow cytometry, IL-12, IL-10 and metacaspase gene expression levels by q-PCR. Results: Span/Tween 40 and Span/Tween 60 niosomes had good physical stability as depicted in their size distribution curves and high encapsulation efficiency(>99%). The release profile of the entrapped compounds showed Fickian’s model of tioxolone delivery based on diffusion through lipid bilayers. With the IC50 value for amastigote as(24.5±2.1) μg/mL and selectivity index as 10.5, the Span/Tween 60 niosome(NT2) had a superior effect to other drugs. The CC50 value and IC50 of promastigote value for NT2 were(257.5±24.5) μg/mL and(164.8±20.6) μg/mL, respectively. The flow cytometric analysis showed that tioxolone and niosomal forms induced apoptosis of Leishmania tropica promastigotes in a dose-dependent manner. NT2 increased the expression level of IL-12 and metacaspase genes and decreased the expression level of the IL-10 gene.Conclusions: Niosomes of tioxolone play an immunomodulatory role in increasing Th1 cytokine profile and inhibiting the Th2 cytokine profile. It could be used for treatment of anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis.

Anti-cancer drugs targeting using nanocarrier niosomes-a review

In the last few decades numbers of review and research articles have been published on niosomes. This shows the relevant interest of academias & researchers in niosomes because of the advantages sponsored by them over other colloidal drug delivery systems. Niosomes formation occurs when non-ionic surfactant vesicles assemble themselves. Various antineoplastic agents are used in chemotherapy, but they have some drawbacks that these agents cause cell death in normal tissues as well. There are two approaches to overcome this limitation. First, to modify the structure of existing drugs, but this will not possible because it changes the properties of drugs. Second, the development of nano-carriers like liposomes, dendrimers, nanoparticles, niosomes et al. Among all, niosomes (non-ionic surfactant vesicles) have more advantages besides all nano-carriers. Drugs either hydrophilic in nature or hydrophobic in nature, both can be incorporated in niosomes. And by embedding specific ligands over vesicular surface enables us to target the drug to specific cancer cells.

Vesicular drug delivery systems for oral absorption enhancement

Oral administration is the most acceptable route of drug delivery at this stage due to its convenience,safety,and non-invasiveness.However,drugs given orally are exposed to a complex gastrointestinal environment,causing a tremendous challenge for their successful absorption into the circulation.Over the past decades,researchers have developed various novel pharmaceutical technologies to improve oral absorption,among which the vesicular drug delivery system(like liposomes,niosomes and transfersomes)has received extensive attention.Encouragingly,there have been several investigations confirming the improved effect of vesicular drug delivery systems on oral drug absorption.Nevertheless,the clinical translation of oral vesicular drug delivery systems has been less impressive than implied by the positive results,and few vesicular formulations for oral use have been marketed yet.Against this background,this article provides an overview of the current applications and challenges associated with the vesicular delivery systems available for oral drug delivery,specifically liposomes,niosomes,transfersomes,chitosomes and bilosomes.The composition,formation mechanism,drug delivery advantages and application cases of these carriers in oral drug delivery are summarized.The possible mechanisms by which vesicular carriers enhance oral drug absorption are analyzed in terms of the in vivo process of oral drugs.Further,the challenges that oral vesicular carriers now face,such as safety,undefined in vivo fate,and scale-up production,are summarized,while possible strategies to deal with them are indicated.By reviewing the aforementioned,it can facilitate a more comprehensive knowledge of vesicular systems that can be used for oral drug delivery,providing a theoretical basis and reference for the design of oral formulations.

Nonionic surfactant vesicular systems for effective drug delivery—an overview

Vesicular systems are a novel means of drug delivery that can enhance bioavailability of encapsulated drug and provide therapeutic activity in a controlled manner for a prolonged period of time.Liposomes were the first such system but they suffer from a number of drawbacks including high cost and lack of stability at various pHs.Niosomes are a nonionic surfactant vesicular system,which can be easily and reliably made in the laboratory.Many factors affect noisome formation such as the method of manufacture,nature of surfactant and encapsulated drug,temperature at which the lipids are hydrated and the critical packing parameter.This review describes all aspects of niosomes including their different compositions,the various methods of preparation,the effect of changing manufacturing parameters,methods of characterization,factors that affect their stability,their use by various routes of administration,their therapeutic applications and the most important patents.The review also provides detailed information of the various types of niosomes that provide effective drug delivery.

Preparation and stability studies of dimethyl curcumin niosomes

In the present work, we aimed to optimize the preparation technology of dimethyl curcumin niosomes, improve its solubility and assess its stability. The novel anti-androgen dimethyl curcumin niosomes were prepared by thin-film dispersion-ultrasonic method, and the prescription composition and preparation process were optimized by single-factor investigation method. Certainly, the solubility and quality evaluation of dimethyl curcumin niosomes were also investigated. The average particle size of prepared dimethyl curcumin niosomes was （310.3＋0.9） nm. The highest encapsulation rate was 88.1%± 1.7%, and the drug-loading amount was 4.03%±1.05%. Moreover, the leakage rate was below 2% within 45 d. Collectively, all these findings indicated that the niosomes, as a vector, could significantly improve the solubility and stability of dimethyl curcumin, offering a theoretical basis for dimethyl curcumin as an anticancer drug in medicine application.

Preparation of Hollow Polypyrrole Nanospheres in Niosome System

Hollow polypyrrole nanospheres were successfully prepared in a Span80/PEG400/H20（PEG=polyethylene glycol） niosome system. The formation and morphology of the nanospheres vary with the concentrations of pyrrole monomer, salt and Span80. The shell thickness of the nanospheres increases gradually with monomer content. NaC1 can promote the formation of the nanospheres. The formation mechanism of the nanospheres was discussed.

Development and in vitro/in vivo evaluation of controlled release provesicles of a nateglinide–maltodextrin complex

The aim of this study was to characterize the provesicle formulation of nateglinide(NTG)to facilitate the development of a novel controlled release system of NTG with improved efficacy and oral bioavailability compared to the currently marketed NTG formulation(Glinate^(™)60).NTG provesicles were prepared by a slurry method using the non-ionic surfactant,Span 60(SP),and cholesterol(CH)as vesicle forming agents and maltodextrin as a coated carrier.Multilamellar niosomes with narrow size distribution were shown to be successfully prepared by means of dynamic laser scattering(DLS)and field emission scanning electron microscopy(FESEM).The absence of drug-excipient interactions was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FT-IR),differential scanning calorimetry(DSC)and X-ray diffraction(XRD)studies.In vitro release of NTG in different dissolution media was improved compared to pure drug.A goat intestinal permeation study revealed that the provesicular formulation(F4)with an SP:CH ratio of 5:5 gave higher cumulative amount of drug permeated at 48 h compared to Glinate^(™)60 and control.A pharmacodynamic study in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats confirmed that formulation F4 significantly(P<0.05)reduced blood glucose levels in comparison to Glinate 60.Overall the results show that controlled release NTG provesicles offer a useful and promising oral delivery system for the treatment of type Ⅱ diabetes.