OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to formulate FMTs using cocoa butter as a base and investigate the effect of various disintegrants and superdisintegrants on their characteristics.
METHODS: Cocoa butter-based FMTs were prepared via the fusion molding technique. Different disintegrants and superdisintegrants were added at varying concentrations and subjected to characterization. The optimal formulation was selected and incorporated with 10 mg memantine hydrochloride.
RESULTS: The optimal FMT formulation consisted of 340 mg cocoa butter, 75 mg starch, and 75 mg crospovidone, exhibiting a hardness of 17.12 ± 0.31 N and a disintegration time of 32.67 ± 0.17 s. Furthermore, FMTs demonstrated a faster release profile compared to the commercially available product, Ebixa. SEM micrographs revealed homogenous blending of individual ingredients within the cocoa butter matrix and FT-IR analysis confirmed the chemical stability of memantine hydrochloride in the formulation. The dissolution profile of F17 suggested that the drug in FMTs released faster compared to Ebixia. Memantine hydrochloride achieved 98.07% of drug release in FMTs at 10 min. Moreover, the prepared FMTs exhibited stability for at least 6 months.
CONCLUSION: The successful development of cocoa butter-based FMTs containing memantine hydrochloride highlights the potential of cocoa butter as viable alternative matrix-forming material for FMTs production. This innovative formulation offers patients a convenient alternative for medication administration.
PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to coat surgical sutures with a new quaternary ammonium silane (QAS) antimicrobial compound at two different application temperatures and then to evaluate the resulting structural, physical, mechanical, and biological properties.
STUDY DESIGN, SETTING, SAMPLE: In vitro and in vivo studies were conducted using male albino Wistar rats approved by the Joint Ethical Committee of IMU and Postgraduate Medical Institute, Lahore. Only suture samples, coated uniformly with verified presence of the compound and of adequate length were used. Samples which were not coated uniformly and with inadequate length or damaged were excluded.
PREDICTOR VARIABLE: Predictor variables were sutures with and without QAS coatings and different temperatures. Sutures were coated with QAS at 0.5 and 1.0% wt/vol using the dip coating technique and sutures with and without QAS coating were tested at 25 and 40 °C temperatures.
MAIN OUTCOME VARIABLE(S): Outcome variables of structural and physico-mechanical properties of QAS-coated and non-coated sutures were measured using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (for structural changes), confocal laser and scanning electron (for diameter changes), and tensile strength/modulus (for mechanical testing). Biologic outcome variables were tested (bacterial viability); macrophage cultures from Wistar rats were tested (M1/M2 polarization detecting IL-6 and IL-10). Macrophage cells were analyzed with CD80+ (M1) and CD163+ (M2). Chemotaxis index was calculated as a ratio of quantitative fluorescence of cells.
COVARIATES: Not applicable.
ANALYSES: Ordinal data among groups were compared using the Wilcoxon Mann-Whitney U test along with the comparison of histological analysis using the Wilcoxon Sign-rank test (P Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy peak at 1490 cm-1 confirmed the presence of QAS on suture's surfaces with a significant increase (P