• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.52 no.3
• /
• pp.266-272
• /
• 2008

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
• /
• 2002.10a
• /
• pp.214-217
• /
• 2002

Cyclosporin A (CSA) is a poorly water-soluble cyclic peptide comprising 11 amino acids. It inhibits T-lymphocyte function that plays an important role in the induction of immune response. The potent immunosuppressive activity of CSA has been used for the prevention of rejection following transplantation of liver, kidney and bone marrow, etc. The use of CSA has been often limited by several disadvantages including low bioavailability, narrow therapeutic window, nephrotoxicity, hepatotoxicity and neurotoxicity. Moreover, CSA injection is limited to patients who are unable to take the oral preparations, because it has a risk of anaphylactic shock and nephrotoxicity due to Cremophor EL$\textregistered$, a solubilizing agent used in the commercial intravenous formulation. Owing to above mentioned disadvantages of commercial products, there is a great interest in the development of the alternative dosage forms. (omitted)

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Fisheries Technology Conference
• /
• 2000.05a
• /
• pp.416-417
• /
• 2000

Chitin, a poly $\beta$-(1longrightarrow14)-N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, is best known as a cell wall component of fungi and as a skeletal materials of invertebrates. Chitosan is derived from chitin by deacetylation in the presence of alkali. Chitosan has been developed as new physiological materials since it possesses antibacterial activity, hypocholesterolemic activity and antihypertensive action. However, the actions of chitosan in vivo still remain ambiguous as the physiological functional properties because most animal intestines, especially the human gastrointestinal tract, do not possess enzyme such as chitosanase which directly degrade the $\beta$-glucosidic linkage in chitosan, and consequently the unbroken polymers may be poorly absorbed into the human intestine. Therefore, recent studies as chitosan have attracted interest for chitosan oligosaccharides, because the oligosaccharides process not only water-soluble property but also versatile functional properties such as antitumor activity, immune-enhancing effects, enhancement of protective effects against infection with some pathogens in mice and antimicrobial activity (Kingsnorth et al., 1983, Mori et al., 1997). (omitted)

• YAKHAK HOEJI
• /
• v.41 no.5
• /
• pp.602-606
• /
• 1997

Peonjahwan composed of crude herb, and materials and tissue of animals is a considerably bitter and poorly water-soluble oriental medicine for the treatment of hepatitis. Peonja dry elixir and Eudragit-coated peonja dry elixir were prepared using spray-dryer to mask the bitterness and enhance the release of ingredients from peonjahwan. The bitterness of peonja dry elixir and Eudragit-coated peonja dry elixir reduced to 1/2 and 1/4 of that from peonja powder, respectively. Furthermore, the release rate of bound bilirubin from dry elixir was significantly higher than that from peonja powder.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
• /
• v.26 no.4
• /
• pp.257-261
• /
• 1996

The seeds of Zizyphus Jujuba have been used as an antianxiety agent for the treatment of insomnia from the earliest times. Sanjoinine-A, isolated from the seeds of Zizyphus Jujuba, have been found to have a minor tranquilizer activity. However this drug is poorly soluble in water. In order to increase the dissolution rate of sanjoinine-A, solid dispersions with PVP-MC and inclusion complex with ${\beta}-cyclodextrin$ were prepared and evaluated. All of these systems increased the dissolution rate of sanjoinine A comparing with sanjoinine-A free base. From pH-rate profile of sanjoinine-A at $60^{\circ}C$, it was found that sanjoinine A was relatively stable in acidic solution, but unstable in basic solution.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
• /
• v.29 no.3
• /
• pp.185-191
• /
• 1999

The polymeric films containing drug and various excipients were fabricated using aqueous-based $Eudragit^{\circledR}$ RS 30D dispersions. The diffusional behaviors and mechanism of the fabricated polymeric film were investigated using Keshary-Chien diffusion cell. The melatonin was used as a model drug. The diffusion behaviors of drug through the fabricated polymeric films were highly dependent on drug concentration in donor part, polymer contents and drug concentration, and the types of plasticizers and solubilizers. The fabricated polymeric films containing excipients and solubilizers could be applied for the controlled release of poorly water-soluble drug and for the preparation of drug-containing latex films for topical or oral drug delivery.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.45 no.6
• /
• pp.344-352
• /
• 2012

Mercury is a toxic and non-essential metal in the human body. Mercury is ubiquitously distributed in the environment, present in natural products, and exists extensively in items encountered in daily life. There are three forms of mercury, i.e., elemental (or metallic) mercury, inorganic mercury compounds, and organic mercury compounds. This review examines the toxicity of elemental mercury and inorganic mercury compounds. Inorganic mercury compounds are water soluble with a bioavailability of 7% to 15% after ingestion; they are also irritants and cause gastrointestinal symptoms. Upon entering the body, inorganic mercury compounds are accumulated mainly in the kidneys and produce kidney damage. In contrast, human exposure to elemental mercury is mainly by inhalation, followed by rapid absorption and distribution in all major organs. Elemental mercury from ingestion is poorly absorbed with a bioavailability of less than 0.01%. The primary target organs of elemental mercury are the brain and kidney. Elemental mercury is lipid soluble and can cross the blood-brain barrier, while inorganic mercury compounds are not lipid soluble, rendering them unable to cross the blood-brain barrier. Elemental mercury may also enter the brain from the nasal cavity through the olfactory pathway. The blood mercury is a useful biomarker after short-term and high-level exposure, whereas the urine mercury is the ideal biomarker for long-term exposure to both elemental and inorganic mercury, and also as a good indicator of body burden. This review discusses the common sources of mercury exposure, skin lightening products containing mercury and mercury release from dental amalgam filling, two issues that happen in daily life, bear significant public health importance, and yet undergo extensive debate on their safety.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
• /
• v.38 no.4
• /
• pp.241-247
• /
• 2008

Paclitaxel is a taxane diterpene amide, which was first extracted from the stem bark of the western yew, Taxus brevifolia. This natural product has proven to be useful in the treatment of a variety of human neoplastic disorders, including ovarian cancer, breast and lung cancer. Paclitaxel is a highly hydrophobic drug that is poorly soluble in water. It is mainly given by intravenous administration. Therefore, The pharmaceutical formulation of paclitaxel ($Taxol^{(R)}$; Bristol-Myers Squibb) contains 50% $Cremophor^{(R)}$ EL and 50% dehydrated ethanol. However the ethanol/Cremophor EL vehicle required to solubilize paclitaxel in $Taxol^{(R)}$ has a pharmacological and pharmaceutical problems. To overcome these problems, new formulations for paclitaxel that do not require solubilization by $Cremophor^{(R)}$ EL are currently being developed. Therefore this study utilized a supercritical fluid antisolvent (SAS) process for cremophor-free formulation. To select hydrophilic polymers that require solubilization for paclitaxel, we evaluated polymers and the ratio of paclitaxel/polymers. HP-${\beta}$-CD was used as a hydrophilic polymer in the preparation of the paclitaxel solid dispersion. Although solubility of paclitaxel by polymers was increased, physical stability of solution after paclitaxel/polymer powder soluble in saline was unstable. To overcome this problem, we investigated the use of surfactants. At 1/20/40 of paclitaxel/hydrophilic polymer/ surfactant weight ratio, about 10 mg/mL of paclitaxel can be solubilized in this system. Compared with the solubility of paclitaxel in water ($1\;{\mu}g/mL$), the paclitaxel solid dispersion prepared by SAS process increased the solubility of paclitaxel by near 10,000 folds. The physicochemical properties was also evaluated. The particle size distribution, melting point and amophorization and shape of the powder particles were fully characterized by particle size distribution analyzer, DSC, SEM and XRD. In summary, through the SAS process, uniform nano-scale paclitaxel solid dispersion powders were obtained with excellent results compared with $Taxol^{(R)}$ for the physicochemical properties, solubility and pharmacokinetic behavior.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
• /
• v.29 no.6
• /
• pp.520-524
• /
• 2006

Ibuprofen-loaded gelatin microcapsule, a solid form of microcapsules simultaneously containing ethanol and ibuprofen in water-soluble gelatin shell was previously reported to improve the dissolution of drug. In this study, to retard the initial high dissolution of ibuprofen from gelatin microcapsule, the ibuprofen-loaded cross-linked gelatin microcapsule was prepared by treating an ibuprofen-loaded gelatin microcapsule with glutaraldehyde and its dissolution was evaluated compared to ibuprofen powder and gelatin microcapsule. The ibuprofen-loaded crosslinked microcapsule treated with glutaraldehyde for 10 and 60 sec gave significantly higher dissolution rates than did ibuprofen powder. Furthermore, the dissolution rate of ibuprofen from the cross-linked microcapsule treated for 10 sec was similar to that from gelatin microcapsule. However, the dissolution rate of ibuprofen from the cross-linked microcapsule treated for 60 sec decreased significantly compared to gelatin microcapsule, suggesting that the treatment of gelatin microcapsule with glutaraldehyde for 60 sec could cross-link the gelatin microcapsule. Furthermore, the cross-linking of gelatin microcapsule markedly retarded the release rate of ibuprofen in pH 1.2 simulated gastric fluid compared to gelatin microcapsule. However, the cross-linking of gelatin microcapsule with glutaraldehyde hardly changed the size of gelatin microcapsules, ethanol and ibuprofen contents encapsulated in gelatin microcapsule. Thus, the ibuprofen-loaded cross-linked gelatin microcapsule could retard the initial high dissolution of poorly water-soluble ibuprofen.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.50 no.6
• /
• pp.464-470
• /
• 2006

the coricosteroid drug dexamethasone is an efficacious antiinflammatory drug, it is difficult to formulate in an injectable formulation due to its poor aqueous solubility. A lipid-based nanosphere formulation containing dexamethasone was designed for solubilization of the drug in aqueous solution and sustained release of the drug from the nanosphere. The lipid nanospheres, composed of phospholipid, cholesterol and cationic lipid, were prepared by self emulsification-solvent diffusion method followed by diafiltration. Physicochemical characteristics such as mean particle diameter, zeta potential and drug loading efficiency of the lipid nanospheres were investigated according to the variation of either the kind of lipid or the lipid composition. The lipid nanospheres had a mean diameter 80-120 nm and dexamethasone loading efficiency of greater than 80%. The drug loading efficiency increased with the increase of the length of aliphatic chain attached to the phospholipid. However, the drug loading efficiency was inversely proportional to the increase of cholesterol content in the lipid composition. The lipid nanosphere could not be prepared without the use of cationic lipid and the drug loading efficiency was proportional to the increase of cationic lipid content. The lipid nanospheres containing dexamethasone are a promising novel drug carrier for an injectable formulation of the poorly water-soluble drugs.