The combination of certain non-sedating antihistamines (NSA) such as fexofenadine (FXD), ketotifen (KET) and loratadine (LOR) with pseudoephedrine (PSE) or acetaminophen (ACE) is widely used in the treatment of allergic rhinitis, conjunctivitis and chronic urticaria. A rapid, simple, selective and precise densitometric method was developed and validated for simultaneous estimation of six synthetic binary mixtures and their pharmaceutical dosage forms. The method employed thin layer chromatography aluminum plates precoated with silica gel G 60 F254 as the stationary phase. The mobile phases chosen for development gave compact bands for the mixtures FXD–PSE (I), KET–PSE (II), LOR–PSE (III), FXD–ACE (IV), KET–ACE (V) and LOR–ACE (VI) [Retardation factor (Rf) values were (0.20, 0.32), (0.69, 0.34), (0.79, 0.13), (0.36, 0.70), (0.51, 0.30) and (0.76, 0.26), respectively]. Spectrodensitometric scanning integration was performed at 217, 218, 218, 233, 272 and 251 nm for the mixtures I–VI, respectively. The linear regression data for the calibration plots showed an excellent linear relationship. The method was validated for precision, accuracy, robustness and recovery. Limits of detection and quantitation were calculated. Statistical analysis proved that the method is reproducible and selective for the simultaneous estimation of these binary mixtures.

The combination of certain non-sedating antihistamines (NSA) such as fexofenadine (FXD), ketotifen (KET) and loratadine (LOR) with pseudoephedrine (PSE) or acetaminophen (ACE) is widely used in the treatment of allergic rhinitis, conjunctivitis and chronic urticaria. A rapid, simple, selective and precise densitometric method was developed and validated for simultaneous estimation of six synthetic binary mixtures and their pharmaceutical dosage forms. The method employed thin layer chromatography aluminum plates precoated with silica gel G 60 F254 as the stationary phase. The mobile phases chosen for development gave compact bands for the mixtures FXD–PSE (I), KET–PSE (II), LOR–PSE (III), FXD–ACE (IV), KET–ACE (V) and LOR–ACE (VI) [Retardation factor (Rf) values were (0.20, 0.32), (0.69, 0.34), (0.79, 0.13), (0.36, 0.70), (0.51, 0.30) and (0.76, 0.26), respectively]. Spectrodensitometric scanning integration was performed at 217, 218, 218, 233, 272 and 251 nm for the mixtures I–VI, respectively. The linear regression data for the calibration plots showed an excellent linear relationship. The method was validated for precision, accuracy, robustness and recovery. Limits of detection and quantitation were calculated. Statistical analysis proved that the method is reproducible and selective for the simultaneous estimation of these binary mixtures.

The combination of certain non-sedating antihistamines (NSA) such as fexofenadine (FXD), ketotifen (KET) and loratadine (LOR) with pseudoephedrine (PSE) or acetaminophen (ACE) is widely used in the treatment of allergic rhinitis, conjunctivitis and chronic urticaria. A rapid, simple, selective and precise densitometric method was developed and validated for simultaneous estimation of six synthetic binary mixtures and their pharmaceutical dosage forms. The method employed thin layer chromatography aluminum plates precoated with silica gel G 60 F254 as the stationary phase. The mobile phases chosen for development gave compact bands for the mixtures FXD–PSE (I), KET–PSE (II), LOR–PSE (III), FXD–ACE (IV), KET–ACE (V) and LOR–ACE (VI) [Retardation factor (Rf) values were (0.20, 0.32), (0.69, 0.34), (0.79, 0.13), (0.36, 0.70), (0.51, 0.30) and (0.76, 0.26), respectively]. Spectrodensitometric scanning integration was performed at 217, 218, 218, 233, 272 and 251 nm for the mixtures I–VI, respectively. The linear regression data for the calibration plots showed an excellent linear relationship. The method was validated for precision, accuracy, robustness and recovery. Limits of detection and quantitation were calculated. Statistical analysis proved that the method is reproducible and selective for the simultaneous estimation of these binary mixtures.

The combination of certain non-sedating antihistamines (NSA) such as fexofenadine (FXD), ketotifen (KET) and loratadine (LOR) with pseudoephedrine (PSE) or acetaminophen (ACE) is widely used in the treatment of allergic rhinitis, conjunctivitis and chronic urticaria. A rapid, simple, selective and precise densitometric method was developed and validated for simultaneous estimation of six synthetic binary mixtures and their pharmaceutical dosage forms. The method employed thin layer chromatography aluminum plates precoated with silica gel G 60 F254 as the stationary phase. The mobile phases chosen for development gave compact bands for the mixtures FXD–PSE (I), KET–PSE (II), LOR–PSE (III), FXD–ACE (IV), KET–ACE (V) and LOR–ACE (VI) [Retardation factor (Rf) values were (0.20, 0.32), (0.69, 0.34), (0.79, 0.13), (0.36, 0.70), (0.51, 0.30) and (0.76, 0.26), respectively]. Spectrodensitometric scanning integration was performed at 217, 218, 218, 233, 272 and 251 nm for the mixtures I–VI, respectively. The linear regression data for the calibration plots showed an excellent linear relationship. The method was validated for precision, accuracy, robustness and recovery. Limits of detection and quantitation were calculated. Statistical analysis proved that the method is reproducible and selective for the simultaneous estimation of these binary mixtures.

Two separation methods were developed for the determination of S- and R-perindopril tert-butylamine (erbumine salt) (PER): high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and capillary electrophoresis (CE). The HPLC method uses a chiral stationary phase (CSP), ChiraDex column constituting -cyclodextrin chemically bonded to spherical silica gel particles. The mobile phase consisted of phosphate buffer (50 mM, pH 3.0) and acetonitrile (45 : 55 v/v). The flow rate was 1.0 mL min1 and the detection wavelength was 210 nm. In CE, 2-hydroxylpropyl--cyclodextrin (10 mM) was used as a chiral selector. It was added to the background buffer composed of phosphate buffer (100 mM, pH 7.0) and methanol (15% v/v). The applied voltage was 15 kV and the detection was carried out using a diode array detector. All factors affecting the chromatographic or electrophoretic separations were studied and optimized. The linear concentrations ranged from 5–150 and 25–800 µg mL1 with detection limits of 2.3 and 14.7 µg mL1 for HPLC and CE methods, respectively. The methods were validated according to ICH and USP guidelines. The suggested methods were applied for the determination of S-PER in bulk powder and commercial tablets containing PER erbumine racemate.

Topical administration is attractive and non-invasive gene delivery approach. It is simple and allows repeated administration. In addition, the skin is active immune surveillance site. Topical gene therapy, although promising for treatment of cancer, dermatological disorders, vaccination and autoimmune disease, has not progressed yet to clinical trials. The inability of nucleic acids to survive the extra- and intracellular environment and to permeate through the outermost layer of the skin, the stratum corneum, compromise the therapeutic outcomes of nucleic acids-based therapies. Nanostructured vehicles (e.g. transfersomes, niosomes, nanoemulsions, gemini-lipid nanoparticles and biphasic vesicles) have the ability to partially disrupt and perturb lipids that are found in the skin layers and deliver their nucleic acid cargos to their targeted subcellular compartments. However, the efficiency of these carriers is still inferior to other invasive methods (e.g. epidermal and intradermal injections). The goal of this review is to examine the critical parameters required to enhance the efficiency of the currently available nanostructured vehicles, for example, by combining them with minimally invasive techniques, such as, electroporation, iontophoresis, microneedles, ultrasound, gene gun and femtosecond laser. The recent advances in engineering these nanovectors will be discussed with a focus on their future prospects.

Paclitaxel-loaded shell cross-linked polymeric nanoparticles having an enzymatically and hydrolytically degradable poly(lactic acid) core and a glutathione-responsive disulfide cross-linked poly(oligoethylene glycol)-containing corona were constructed in aqueous solution and investigated for their stimuli-responsive release of the embedded therapeutics and in vitro cytotoxicity. Paclitaxel release from the nanoparticles in PBS buffer was accelerated in the presence of glutathione at both pH 5.5 and pH 7.4, reaching ca. 65% cumulative drug release after 8 d, whereas only ca. 50% and 35% extents of release were observed in the absence of glutathione at pH 5.5 and pH 7.4, respectively. Enzyme-catalyzed hydrolysis of the nanoparticle core resulted in the degradation of ca. 30% of the poly(lactic acid) core to lactic acid within 12 h, with coincidently triggered paclitaxel release of ca. 37%, as opposed to only ca. 17% release from the uncatalyzed nanoparticles at pH 7.4. While empty nanoparticles did not show any inherent cytotoxicity at the highest tested concentrations, paclitaxel-loaded nanoparticles showed IC50 values that were similar to those of free paclitaxel at 72 h incubation with KB cells and were more efficacious at ca. 3-fold lower IC50 value (0.031 μM vs 0.085 μM) at 2 h of incubation. Against human ovarian adenocarcinoma cells, the paclitaxel-loaded nanoparticles exhibited a remarkable ca. 11-fold lower IC50 than a Taxol-mimicking formulation (0.0007 μM vs 0.008 μM) at 72 h of incubation. These tunable dual-responsive degradable nanoparticles show great promise for delivery of paclitaxel to tumor tissues, given their superior in vitro efficacies compared to that of free paclitaxel and Taxol-mimicking formulations.

Nanoscale objects, whether of biologic origin or synthetically created, are being developed into devices for a variety of bionanotechnology diagnostic and pharmaceutical applications. However, the potential immunotoxicity of these nanomaterials and mechanisms by which they may induce adverse reactions have not received sufficient attention. Nanomaterials, depending on their characteristics and compositions, can interact with the immune system in several ways and either enhance or suppress immune system function. Cytokines perform pleiotropic functions to mediate and regulate the immune response and are generally recognized as biomarkers of immunotoxicity. While the specificity and validity of certain cytokines as markers of adverse immune response has been established for chemicals, small and macromolecular drugs, research on their applicability for predicting and monitoring the immunotoxicity of engineered nanomaterials is still ongoing. The goal of this review is to provide guidelines as to important cytokines that can be utilized for evaluating the immunotoxicity of nanomaterials and to highlight the role of those cytokines in mediating adverse reactions, which is of particular importance for the clinical development of nanopharmaceuticals and other nanotechnology-based products. Importantly, the rational design of nanomaterials of low immunotoxicity will be discussed, focusing on synthetic nanodevices, with emphasis on both the nanoparticle-forming materials and the embedded cargoes.

In this work, degradable cationic shell cross-linked knedel-like (deg-cSCK) nanoparticles were developed as an alternative platform to replace similar nondegradable cSCK nanoparticles that have been utilized for nucleic acids delivery. An amphiphilic diblock copolymer poly(acrylamidoethylamine)90-block-poly(DL-lactide)40 (PAEA90-b-PDLLA40) was synthesized, self-assembled in aqueous solution, and shell cross-linked using a hydrolyzable cross-linker to afford deg-cSCKs with an average core diameter of 45±7 nm. These nanoparticles were fluorescently labeled for in vitro tracking. The enzymatic- and hydrolytic-degradability, siRNA binding affinity, cell uptake and cytotoxicity of the deg-cSCKs were evaluated. Esterase-catalyzed hydrolysis of the nanoparticles resulted in the degradation of ca. 24% of the PDLLA core into lactic acid within 5 d, as opposed to only ca. 9% degradation from aqueous solutions of the deg-cSCK nanoparticles in the absence of enzyme. Cellular uptake of deg-cSCKs was efficient, while exhibiting low cytotoxicity with LD50 values of ca. 90 and 30 μg/mL in RAW 264.7 mouse macrophages and MLE 12 cell lines, respectively, ca. 5- to 6-fold lower than the cytotoxicity observed for non-degradable cSCK analogs. Additionally, deg-cSCKs were able to complex siRNA at an N/P ratio as low as 2, and were efficiently able to facilitate cellular uptake of the complexed nucleic acids.

Polymeric micelles and shell crosslinked knedel-like (SCK) nanoparticles were loaded with up to 48% (w/w) cisplatin. These spherical cisplatin-loaded nanoparticles displayed sustained platinum release over 5 days in PBS, enhanced stability over free cisplatin in aqueous milieu, and significant antitumor activity in vitro against two cancer cell lines.