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ABSTRACT Purpose To develop fenretinide oral mucoadhesive patch formulations and evaluate their in vitro and in vivo release performance for future site-specific chemoprevention of oral cancer. Methods Solubilization of fenretinide in simulated saliva (SS) was studied by incorporating nonionic surfactants (Tween® 20 and 80, and Brij® 35 and 98), bile salts (sodium salt of cholic, taurocholic, glycocholic, and deoxycholic acids), phospholipid (lecithin), and novel polymeric solubilizer (Souplus®). Adhesive (polycarbophil: hydroxypropyl methylcellulose 4KM) and drug release (Fenretinide/Eudragit® RL PO with or without solubilizers) layers were prepared by solvent casting. Oral mucoadhesive patches were formed by attaching drug and adhesive layers onto backing layer (Tegaderm™ film). Physical state of drug in Eudragit® films was examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Evaluation of in vitro and in vivo fenretinide release from the patch was conducted in SS containing 5%w/v sodium deoxycholate and rabbits, respectively. Fenretinide was quantified by HPLC. Results Tween® 20 and 80, Brij® 98, and sodium deoxycholate exhibited the highest fenretinide solubilization potential among the solubilizers. Drug loading efficiency in Eudragit® films was 90%–97%. XRD suggested fenretinide was amorphous in solubilizer-free and solubilizer-loaded films. Solubilizer-free patch exhibited poor in vitro and in vivo controlled drug release behavior. Increases in drug loading (5–10 wt%) or changes in polymeric matrix permeability did not provide continuous drug release. Co-incorporation of either single or mixed solubilizers in fenretinide/Eudragit® patches, (20 wt% Tween® 20, Tween® 80 and sodium deoxycholate or 20 wt% Tween® 80 + 40 wt% sodium deoxycholate solubilizers) led to significantly improved continuous in vitro/in vivo fenretinide release. Conclusion Fenretinide/Eudragit® RL PO patches with 20 wt% Tween® 80 + 40 wt% sodium deoxycholate solubilizers exhibit excellent release behavior for further preclinical and/or clinical evaluation in oral cancer chemoprevention.

ABSTRACT Purpose To investigate the effect of γ-irradiation of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA)/Al(OH) 3 /0 or 5 wt% diethyl phthalate (DEP) microspheres for active self-healing encapsulation of vaccine antigens. Methods Microspheres were irradiated with 60 Co at 2.5 and 1.8 MRad and 0.37 and 0.20 MRad/h. Encapsulation of tetanus toxoid (TT) was achieved by mixing Al(OH) 3 -PLGA microspheres with TT solution at 10–38°C. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy was used to examine free radical formation. Glass transition temperature (T g ) and molecular weight of PLGA was measured by differential scanning calorimetry and gel permeation chromatography, respectively. Loading and release of TT were examined by modified Bradford, amino acid analysis, and ELISA assays. Results EPR spectroscopy results indicated absence of free radicals in PLGA microspheres after γ-irradiation. Antigen-sorbing capacity, encapsulation efficiency, and T g of the polymer were also not adversely affected. When DEP-loaded microspheres were irradiated at 0.2 MRad/h, some PLGA pores healed during irradiation and PLGA healing during encapsulation was suppressed. The molecular weight of PLGA was slightly reduced when DEP-loaded microspheres were irradiated at the same dose rate. At the 0.37 MRad/h dose rate, these trends were not observed and the full immunoreactivity of TT was preserved during encapsulation and 1-month release. Gamma irradiation slightly increased TT initial burst release. The small increase in total irradiation dose from 1.8 to 2.5 MRad had insignificant effect on the polymer and microspheres properties analyzed. Conclusions Gamma irradiation is a plausible approach to provide a terminally sterilized, self-healing encapsulation PLGA excipient for vaccine delivery.

Purpose The objective of this study was to formulate and evaluate freeze-dried black raspberry (FBR) ethanol extract (RE) loaded poly(DL-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) and poly(DL-lactic acid) (PLA) injectable millicylindrical implants for sustained delivery of chemopreventive FBR anthocyanins (cyanidin-3-sambubioside (CS), cyanidin-3-glucoside (CG) and cyanidin-3-rutinoside (CR)). Methods Identification and quantitation of CS, CG, and CR in RE was performed by mass spectroscopy and HPLC. RE:triacetyl-β-cyclodextrin (TA-β-CD) inclusion complex (IC) was prepared by a kneading method and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) and UV-visible spectroscopy. RE or RE:TA-β-CD IC-loaded PLGA or PLA implants were prepared by a solvent extrusion method. In vitro and in vivo controlled release studies were conducted in phosphate-buffered saline Tween-80 (pH 7.4, 37°C) and after subcutaneous administration in male Sprague-Dawley rats, respectively. Anthocyanins were quantified by HPLC at 520 nm. Results The content of CS, CG, and CR in RE was 0.2, 1.5, and 3.5 wt%, respectively. The chemical stability of anthocyanins in solution was determined to be pH-dependent, and their degradation rate increased with an increase in pH from 2.4 to 7.4. PLGA/PLA millicylindrical implants loaded with 5 or 10 wt% RE exhibited a high initial burst and short release duration of anthocyanins (35–52 and 80–100% CG + CR release after 1 and 14 days, respectively). The cause for rapid anthocyanins release was linked to higher polymer water uptake and porosity associated with the high osmolytic components of large non-anthocyanin fraction of RE. XRD, 1 H NMR and UV-visible spectroscopy indicated that the non-anthocyanin fraction molecules of RE formed an IC with TA-β-CD, decreasing the hydrophilicity of RE. Formation of an IC with hydrophobic carrier, TA-β-CD, provided better in vitro/in vivo sustained release of FBR anthocyanins (16–24 and 97–99% CG + CR release, respectively, after 1 and 28 days from 20 wt% RE:TA-β-CD IC/PLA implants) over 1 month, owing to reduced polymer water uptake and porosity. Conclusion PLA injectable millicylindrical implants loaded with RE:TA-β-CD IC are optimal dosage forms for 1-month slow and continuous delivery of chemopreventive FBR anthocyanins.

Purpose The objective of this study was to develop poly(lactic- co -glycolic acid) (PLGA) injectable implants (i.e., millicylinders) with microencapsulated N-acetylcysteine (NAC) for site-specific controlled NAC release, for potential chemopreventive applications in persons with previously excised head and neck cancers. Methods PLGA 50:50 (i.v. = 0.57 dl/g) implants with 1–10 wt% NAC free acid or 10 wt% NAC salts (NAC–Na + , NAC–Mg 2+ and NAC–Ca 2+ ) were prepared by solvent extrusion and/or fluid energy micronization (FEM) methods. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) studies were performed to evaluate the physical mixing of NAC with PLGA. PLGA implant degradation was studied by kinetics of polymer molecular weight decline (gel permeation chromatography) and mass loss. Release studies were conducted in N 2 purged PBS (pH 7.4) at 37°C in evacuated and sealed ampoules. NAC was quantified by HPLC at 210 nm. Results XRD, SEM and DSC studies indicated that NAC had dissolved in the polymer phase at 1–3.5% w / w loading, but became discretely suspended in the polymer at 6–10% w / w . Initial burst and long-term release rate increased with increased drug loading, and release was uncharacteristically rapid at higher loading (6–10% w / w ). The cause of the rapid release was linked to extensive plasticization, matrix porosity and general acid catalysis of PLGA degradation caused by the NAC free acid. PLGA millicylinders loaded with 10% w / w NAC–Ca 2+ and NAC–Mg 2+ salts exhibited reduced burst (34 vs 13–22% release within a day of incubation for NAC free acid vs NAC–Ca 2+ and NAC–Mg 2+ salts, respectively) and slow and continuous complete release over 4 weeks without significant NAC-catalyzed degradation of PLGA. Release of NAC from NAC–Ca 2+ /PLGA implant was slower than that of NAC–Mg 2+ /PLGA consistent with the lower solubility of the former salt. NAC with its free thiol was rapidly converted to its cystine dimer in the presence of molecular oxygen. PLGA released samples in sealed and evacuated ampoules indicated >80% parent NAC remaining after the 1 month release analysis irrespective of initial NAC free acid and salt forms. Conclusion By encapsulating the NAC–Mg 2+ and NAC–Ca 2+ salts in PLGA implants, the high initial burst, short release duration, and the general acid catalysis caused by the NAC free acid were each prevented and 1-month slow and continuous release was attained with minimal instability of the free thiol group.

Chitosan was modified by conjugating coupling with linolenic acid through the 1-ethyl-3-（3-dimethylami- nopropyyl） carbodiimide （EDC）-mediated reaction. The degree of substitution 1.8% （ i.e. 1.8 linolenic acid group per 100 anhydroglucose units） was measured by ^1H NMR. The critical aggregation concentration （CAC） of the self-aggregate of hydrophobically modified chitosan was determined by measuring the fluorescence intensity of the pyrene as a fluorescent probe. The CAC value in phosphate-buffered saline （PBS） solution （pH 7.4） was 5 × 10^-2 mg mL^-1. The average particle size of selfaggregates of hydrophobically modified chitosan in PBS solution （pH7.4） was 210.8 nm with a unimodal size distribution ranging from 100 to 500 nm. Transmission electron microscopy （TEM） study showed that the formation of near spherical shape nanoparticles has enough structural integrity. The loading ability of hydrophibically modified chitosan （LA-chitosan） was investigated by using bovine serum albumin （BSA） as the model. The loading capacity of self-aggregated nanoparticles increases （ 19.85 % ± 0.04 % to 37.57 % ± 0.25 % ） with the concentration of BSA （0.1-0.5 mg mL^-1 ）.