Mumuni Audu Momoh

This study evaluated the wound-healing potential of creams formulated with Moringa oleifera aqueous leaf extract. Fresh leaves of Moringa oleifera were air-dried, powdered, and extracted using Soxhlet extraction. The resulting extract was screened for phytochemical constituents and incorporated into cream formulations at concentrations of 0.2, 0.4, and 0.6%. The wound healing efficacy of the creams was evaluated using an excision wound model in rats over a 12-day period. Wound contraction was monitored and recorded at intervals of 2 days. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids, tannins, carbohydrates, and reducing sugars. The formulated creams showed desirable physical characteristics, including smooth texture, pleasant smell, and good washability. In vivo wound-healing evaluation revealed that the 0.6% Moringa cream consistently produced the highest percentage of wound contraction across all time points, reaching a peak of 97.06% by Day 12. The 0.2 and 0.4% formulations also produced positive healing trends but at a slower rate. This study therefore shows that Moringa oleifera aqueous leaves extract have wound-healing potentials and can serve as a natural, safe, and cost-effective ingredient for topical formulations.

Quinine hydrochloride (QHCl) has remained a very relevant antimalarial drug 400 years after its effectiveness was discovered. Unlike other antimalarials, the development of resistance to quinine has been slow. Hence, this drug is to date still used for the treatment of severe and cerebral malaria, for malaria treatment in all trimesters of pregnancy, and in combination with doxycycline against multidrug-resistant malaria parasites. The decline in its administration over the years is mainly associated with poor tolerability due to its gastrointestinal (GIT) side effects such as cinchonism, complex dosing regimen and bitter taste, all of which result in poor compliance. Hence, our research was aimed at redesigning quinine using nanotechnology and investigating an alternative route for its administration for the treatment of malaria. QHCl nanosuspension (QHCl-NS) for intranasal administration was prepared using lipid matrices made up of solidified reverse micellar solutions (SRMS) comprising Phospholipon^® 90H and lipids (Softisan^® 154 or Compritol^®) in a 1:2 ratio, while Poloxamer^® 188 (P188) and Tween^® 80 (T80) were used as a stabilizer and a surfactant, respectively. The QHCl-NS formulated were in the nanosize range (68.60 ± 0.86 to 300.80 ± 10.11 nm), and highly stable during storage, though zeta potential was low (≤6.95 ± 0.416). QHCl-NS achieved above 80% in vitro drug release in 6 h. Ex vivo permeation studies revealed that formulating QHCl as NS resulted in a 5-fold and 56-fold increase in the flux and permeation coefficient, respectively, thereby enhancing permeation through pig nasal mucosa better than plain drug solutions. This implies that the rate of absorption as well as ease of drug permeation through porcine nasal mucosa was impressively enhanced by formulating QHCl as NS. Most importantly, reduction in parasitaemia in mice infected with Plasmodium berghei ANKA by QHCl-NS administered through the intranasal route (51.16%) was comparable to oral administration (52.12%). Therefore, redesigning QHCl as NS for intranasal administration has great potential to serve as a more tolerable option for the treatment of malaria in endemic areas.

The aim of the work was to formulate piroxicam-loaded solid lipid microparticles (SLMs) using natural biodegradable lipids and to evaluate the in vitro and in vivo properties of the formulations.

Background: The aim of the study was to evaluate the suitability of triclosan (TCS) and flurbiprofen (FLB) with poly-ε-caprolactone (PCL), chitosan (CS), and Kolliphor® P188 (KP) for possible application in the design of nano-formulations.Results: Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed the physical characteristics of the various sample compositions without any apparent interaction. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR)’s spectra of the physical mixtures showed their characteristic absorption bands with broadening and overlapping of bands in some instances, but no appearance of new bands was observed.Conclusion: The study revealed the physical form stability of the evaluated components after the storage period and lack of definite pharmaceutical incompatibility between them. Thus, the selected drugs and excipients could be used for the development of pharmaceutical nano-formulations.

The potential enhancement of metformin hydrochloride (MH) loaded in lipid vesicles targeting therapeutic efficacy on alloxan-induced diabetic rats was investigated. This involved lipid vesicles formulated with homogenously distributed nano-sized particles by a novel integrated process of multiple emulsification by membrane and solvent evaporation. The average diameter of the water-in-oil (W₁/O), W₁/O/W₂ emulsion droplets, and lipid vesicles was 192 nm, 52 µm, and 173 nm, respectively. The entrapment yield of metformin hydrochloride (MH) in the prepared lipid vesicles was 40.12%. The metformin hydrochloride-loaded lipid vesicles (MH-LLVs) sustained the release of the entrapped drug over a 12-h period and reduced the plasma glucose level of diabetic rats by 77.4% compared with free MH solution (2-h period and 58.2%, respectively) after one week post-diabetic treatment through oral administration of MH-LLV and the free drug. The remarkable improvement in the biochemical parameters recorded in the MH-LLV-treated animals compared with those that received free MH solutions depicted an enhanced kidney function, liver function, as well as oxidative stress status. Pancreatic histology depicted a pancreas with intralobular ducts (ID) and exocrine secretory acini that characterize an intact pancreas, which suggests the ability of the MH-LLVs to restore pancreatic cells to normal, on a continued treatment. Overall, MH-LLV appears an encouraging extended-release formulation with enhanced bioavailability, sustained release, and improved antihyperglycemic potentials.

In this study, different ratios of mucin-grafted polyethylene-glycol-based microparticles were prepared and evaluated both in vitro and in vivo as carriers for the oral delivery of insulin. Characterization measurements showed that the insulin-loaded microparticles display irregular porosity and shape. The encapsulation efficiency and loading capacity of insulin were >82% and 18%, respectively. The release of insulin varied between 68% and 92% depending on the microparticle formulation. In particular, orally administered insulin-loaded microparticles resulted in a significant fall of blood glucose levels, as compared to insulin solution. Subcutaneous administration showed a faster, albeit not sustained, glucose fall within a short time as compared to the polymeric microparticle-based formulations. These results indicate the possible oral delivery of insulin using this combination of polymers.