Lipophilic compounds constitute a majority of therapeutics in the pipeline of drug discovery. Despite possessing enhanced efficacy and permeability, some of these drugs suffer poor solubility necessitating the need of a suitable drug delivery system. Nanoemulsion is a drug delivery system that provides enhanced solubility for poorly soluble drugs in an attempt to improve the oral bioavailability. The purpose of this study is to develop a nanoemulsion system using ibuprofen as a model drug in order to investigate the potential of this colloidal system to enhance the absorption of poorly water-soluble drugs. Ibuprofen loaded-nanoemulsion with different drug concentrations (1.5, 3 and 6% w/w) were formulated from olive oil, sucrose ester L-1695 and glycerol using D-phase emulsification technique. A pseudoternary phase diagram was utilised to identify the optimal excipient composition to formulate the nanoemulsion system. In vitro diffusion chamber studies using rodent intestinal linings highlighted improved absorption profile when ibuprofen was delivered as nanoemulsion in comparison to microemulsions and drug-in-oil systems. This was further corroborated by in vivo studies using rat model that highlighted a two-fold increase in ibuprofen absorption when the drug was administered as a nanoemulsion relative to drug-in-oil system. On the other hand, when ibuprofen was administered as microemulsions, only a 1.5-fold increase in absorption was observed relative to drug-in-oil system. Thus, this study highlights the potential of using nanoemulsion as a drug delivery system to enhance the oral bioavailability of hydrophobic drugs.
Since the first patent for microneedles was filed in the 1970s, research on utilising microneedles as a drug delivery system has progressed significantly. In addition to the extensive research on microneedles for improving transdermal drug delivery, there is a growing interest in using these devices to manage dermatological conditions. This review aims to provide the background on microneedles, the clinical benefits, and challenges of the device along with the potential dermatological conditions that may benefit from the application of such a drug delivery system. The first part of the review provides an outline on benefits and challenges of translating microneedle-based drug delivery systems into clinical practice. The second part of the review covers the application of microneedles in treating dermatological conditions. The efficacy of microneedles along with the limitations of such a strategy to treat diseased skin shall be addressed.
We report a case of globe avulsion secondary to maxillofacial trauma and propose potential mechanisms of injury. This case highlights the importance of wearing proper safety attire, especially during motorcycling.
Introduction: Intra-articular hyaluronic acid (HA) is widely utilized in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis whereas platelet rich plasma (PRP) enhances the regeneration of articular cartilage. This study analyses the efficacy of HA and PRP in grade III and IV knee osteoarthritis. Methodology: This is a cross sectional study with retrospective review of 64 patients (101 knees) which includes 56 knees injected with HA+ PRP, and 45 knees with HA only. Results: During the post six months International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) evaluation, HA+PRP group showed marked improvement of 24.33 compared to 12.15 in HA group. Decrement in visual analogue score (VAS) in HA+PRP was 1.9 compared to 0.8 in HA group. Conclusion: We propose intra-articular HA and PRP injections as an optional treatment modality in Grade III and IV knee osteoarthritis in terms of functional outcome and pain control for up to six months when arthroplasty is not an option.
Study site: Melaka General Hospital, Malaysia