Application of Novel Drug Delivery System in Herbal Medicines

• Novel drug delivery system is an advanced drug delivery system targeting the modification of drug release, site specificity, improved drug absorption, reduced side effect profile and increased patient compliance toward the dosage form.
• Hence novel drug delivery systems can provide a new life to the drug molecule.
• Use of Herbal Drugs is increasing worldwide with reference to their effectiveness with lower side effect profiles over their allopathic counterparts.
• India is home to “Ayurveda” have more scope as well as demand for the herbal formulations.
• However the current herbal formulations lack in several areas like,

1. Improper absorption. ( Mostly due to interaction with other substances and partial deactivation by acid/enzymes or by both).
2. Decreased patient compliances. ( Conventional dosage forms are not modified for aesthetic properties like colour, odour, taste etc.).
3. Fluctuations in drug plasma level.
4. Pre-systemic metabolism.
5. Accumulation of drug at non-targeted sites.

• The herbal formulations were considered difficult to incorporate into novel drug delivery systems due to their poly-chemical compositions but after vigorous research, it is made possible.
• In this post, we are going to touch the important delivery systems that can be used for herbal medicines.

1. Liposomes:

• A liposome is a spherical vesicle having at least one lipid bilayer.
• They can have one, several or multiple concentric membranes. Liposomes are constructed of polar lipids which are characterized by having a lipophilic and hydrophilic group of the same molecules.
• Simple examples are detergents, components form micelles, while polar lipids with bulkier hydrophobic parts cannot associate into micelles with high curvature radii but form bilayers which can self-close into liposomes or lipid vesicles.
• A cross-section of a liposome depicts the hydrophilic heads of the amphiphile orienting towards the water compartment while the lipophilic tails orient away from the water towards the centre of the vesicle, thus forming a bilayer.
• Consequently, water-soluble compounds are entrapped in the water compartment and lipid-soluble compounds aggregate in the lipid section.
• Uniquely, liposomes can encapsulate both hydrophilic and lipophilic materials.
• Liposomes usually formed from phospholipids have been used to change the pharmacokinetics profile of, not only drugs but herbs, vitamins and enzymes. 
• Because of their unique properties, liposomes are able to enhance the performance of products by increasing ingredient solubility, improving ingredient bioavailability, enhanced intracellular uptake and altered pharmacokinetics and biodistribution and in vitro and in vivo stability.
• Liposomes as a drug delivery system can improve the therapeutic activity and safety of drugs, mainly by delivering them to their site of action and by maintaining therapeutic drug levels for prolonged periods of time.
• Quercetin an anticancer when entrapped in liposome formulation shown reduced dose and increased blood-brain barrier penetration.

2.  Nanoparticles:

• Nanoparticles and nanoemulsions are colloidal systems with particles varying in size from 10 nm to 1000 nm
• Nanoparticles can be defined as submicronic (b1 lm) colloidal systems.
• The nanospheres have a matrix type structure in which the active ingredient is dispersed throughout (the particles), whereas the nanocapsules have a polymeric membrane and an active ingredient core.
• Nanonization possesses many advantages, such as increasing compound solubility, reducing medicinal doses, and improving the absorbency of herbal medicines compared with the respective crude drugs preparations.
• e.g. nanonized curcuminoids, paclitaxel and praziquantel which have a mean particle size of 450, 147.7, and even higher than 200 nm.

3. Phytosomes:

• Many of the biologically active components of plant origin are polar or say water soluble and hence show lesser absorption.
• A novel approach was introduced by a leading manufacturer by incorporating polar herbal substances into phospholipid sacs and making them more absorbable.
• These lipid macromolecular complexes containing phytoneutrients are called as “Phytosomes”.
• The major difference between the liposomes and phytosomes is chemical bonding.
• In case of the liposomes, the phosphatidyl molecule only surrounds the water-soluble substances.
• In case of the Phytosomes, the phosphatidyl molecule actually forms the chemical bond with the phytoconstituents.
• Phytosomes represent and emerging novel trend in herbal drug delivery systems.

4. Emulsions:

• Emulsions are heterogeneous systems composed of two immiscible liquids and an emulsifying agent mostly a surfactant.
• Emulsions are unstable systems made stable by adding an emulsifying agent.
• In case of emulsions, one liquid is uniformly distributed in the body of another liquid in the form of droplets.
• Depending on droplet size they are categorized as,

1. Micro Emulsions. (10– 100 nm).
2. Sub-micro Emulsions. (100–600 nm).
3. Ordinary Emulsions. (0.1–100 μm)

• The microemulsions are also called as “Nanoemulsions”, while sub microemulsions are also called as “Lipid emulsions”.
• The emulsions as a dosage form can provide targeted drug release, as water-soluble drugs are made as a water in oil type or water in oil in water type (W/O, W/O/W) emulsions while oil-soluble drugs are made as an  Oil in water or oil in water in oil type (O/W, O/W/O).
• The oil-soluble drugs after administration get phagocytized and hence achieve a higher concentration in liver, kidney and spleen.
• Water-soluble drugs after administration get highly concentrated in the lymphatic system however, those given by intramuscular route shows the sustained duration of action where the size of the droplets plays an important role.
• e.g. Emulsion of camphotericin, elememeum emulsion.

5.  Microspheres:

• Administration of medication via microparticulate systems is advantageous because microspheres can be ingested or injected and; they can be tailored for desired release profiles and used site-specific delivery of drugs and in some cases can even provide organ-targeted release.
• So far, a series of plant active ingredients, such as rutin, camptothecin, zedoary oil, tetrandrine, quercetine and Cynara scolymus extract has been made into microspheres.
• In addition, reports on immune microsphere and magnetic microsphere are also common in recent years. Immune microsphere possesses the immune competence as a result of the antibody and antigen was coated or adsorbed on the polymer microspheres.

Microspheres encapsulated herbal formulations.
Formulations	Active ingredients	Applications of formulations	Biological activity	Method of preparation	Size in µm	Route of administration	Reference
Rutin–alginate-chitosan microcapsules	Rutin	Targeting into cardiovascular and cerebrovascular region	Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular diseases	Complexcoacervation method	165.00– 195.00	In vitro
Zedoary oil microsphere	Zedoary oil	Sustained release and Higher bioavailability	Hepatoprotective	Quasi-emulsion– solvent diffusion method	100– 600	Oral
CPT loaded microspheres	Camptothecin	Prolonged-release of camptothecin	Anticancer	Oil-in-water evaporation method	10	Intraperitoneally and intravenously
Quercetin microspheres	Quercetin	Significantly decreases the dose size	Anticancer	Solvent evaporation	6	In vitro
Cynara scolymus microspheres	Cynara scolymus extract	Controlled release of neutraceuticals	Nutritional supplement	Spray-drying technique	6–7	Oral

• :
• We have so far seen the present scenario of advancements in novel herbal drug delivery systems however, the area has an extensive scope of research.

Biopharmaceutics: Transfer of Drug Molecules Across the Biological Barriers.

Transfer of Drug Molecules Across the Biological Barriers.

• For systemic absorption, a drug must pass from the absorption site through one or more layers of cells to gain access to the general circulation.
• For absorption into the cells, a drug must traverse the cell membrane.

STRUCTURE OF CELL MEMBRANE

• Cell membrane surrounds the entire cells and acts as a boundary between the cell and interstitial fluid. 
• Cell membrane acts as a selective barrier to the passage of molecules. Water, some small molecules, and lipid-soluble molecules pass through such membrane; whereas highly charged molecules and large molecules, such as proteins and protein-bound drugs, can not.

Structure

• Cell membranes are generally thin, approximately 70 to 100 Å in thickness. 
• They are primarily composed of phospholipids in the form of a bilayer. 
• Some carbohydrates and proteins are interspersed within this lipid bilayer.

Lipid bilayer or Unit membrane theory (Proposed by Davson & Danielli; 1952):

• According to this theory, the cell membrane is composed of two layers of phospholipids between two surface layers of proteins. 
• The hydrophilic “head” groups of the phospholipids facing the protein layers and the hydrophobic “tail” groups of the phospholipids aligned towards the interior.

* This theory can explain:

            The observations that lipid-soluble drugs tend to penetrate cell membranes more easily than polar molecules.

* This theory cannot explain:

           The diffusion of water, small molecules such as urea, and certain charged ions through this lipid-bilayer.

Fluid mosaic model (Proposed by Singer & Nicolson 1972):

• According to this model, the cell membrane consists of globular proteins embedded in a dynamic fluid, lipid-bilayer matrix.
• Integral proteins are embedded in the lipid bilayer; 
• The integral proteins provide a pathway for selective transfer of certain polar molecules and charged ion through the lipid membrane.
• Peripheral proteins are associated with the inner and outer surfaces of the membrane. 
• In the inner surface the peripheral proteins are attached to the fatty acid chain and at the outer surface, they are attached to the integral proteins or to oligosaccharides.
• The carbohydrates consist of monosaccharides attached together in chains that are attached to proteins (forming glycoproteins) or to lipids (forming glycolipids).
• Carbohydrates are always on the exterior side and peripheral proteins are always on the cytoplasmic or inner surface.

Mechanisms of Drug Transfer:

• The principal mechanisms of transport of drug molecules across the cell membrane are:

1.         Passive diffusion

2.         Carrier-mediated transport

                        (a) Active transport

                        (b) Facilitated transport

3.         Vesicular transport

                        (a) Pinocytosis

                        (b) Phagocytosis

4.         Pore transport

5.         Ion pair formation

1. PASSIVE TRANSPORT

• Passive diffusion is the process by which molecules spontaneously diffuse from a region of higher concentration to a region of lower concentration. 
• This process is passive because no external energy is expended.

Characteristics of passive transport

1.      Drug molecules move from a region of relatively high concentration to one of lower concentration.

2.      The rate of transfer is proportional to the concentration gradient between the compartments involved in the transfer.

3.      The transfer process achieves equilibrium when the concentration of the transferable species is equal on both sides of the membrane.

4.      Drugs which are capable of existing in both charged and a non-charged form approach an equilibrium state primarily by transfer of the non-charged species across the membrane.

5.      Greater the membrane/water partition coefficient of drug faster the absorption [since the membrane is lipoidal in nature, a lipophilic drug diffuses at a faster rate by solubilising in the lipid layer of the membrane]

Mathematical expression

• Passive diffusion is best expressed by Fick’s first law of diffusion which can be expressed mathematically:

                              

                                        Fick's First Law of Diffusion 1

Several factors influence the passive diffusion of the drug:

1.      The degree of lipid solubility of the drug (Km/w)

• Highly lipid soluble drug has a large value of Km/w and hence has a higher rate of transport.

2.      The surface area of the membrane (A)

• The duodenal area shows most rapid drug absorption than that of other places of the intestine because the duodenal area has villi and microvilli, which provide a large surface area.
• These villi are less abundant in other areas of the GIT.

3.    Thickness of the membrane (h)

• Drugs usually diffuse very rapidly through the capillary cell membrane except through the cell membranes present in the capillaries of the brain. 
• In the brain, the capillaries are densely lined with glial cells, so a drug diffuses slowly into the brain.

2. CARRIER MEDIATED TRANSPORT:

• Some polar molecules cross the membrane more readily than can be predicted from their concentration gradient and partition coefficient values. 
• This suggests the presence of some specialized transport mechanisms without which many essential water-soluble nutrients like monosaccharides, amino acids and vitamins will be poorly absorbed. 
• The mechanism is thought to involve a component of the membrane called as the carrier that binds reversibly or noncovalently with the solute molecules to be transported.
• This carrier-solute complex traverses across the membrane to the other side where it dissociates and discharges the solute molecule. 
• The carrier then returns to its original site to complete the cycle by accepting a fresh molecule of solute. 
• The carrier may be an enzyme or some other component of the membrane.

Characteristics of Carrier-Mediated Transport:

1.       The transport is structure specific i.e. the carrier can bind with a specific chemical structure only. 

• Since the system is structure-specific, drugs having structure similar to essential nutrients, called false-nutrients are absorbed by the same carrier system. e.g. 5-fluorouracil and 5-bromouracil serves as false nutrients.

2.       As the number of carrier systems is limited there will be competition between similar chemical structures for the carrier molecules.

3.        Since there are a finite number of carriers available, the system is capacity limited. If the total number of transferable molecules exceeds the number of carrier sites available for transfer, the system will become saturated. The system will then be working at full capacity and the transfer of drug may thus occur at a constant rate until the concentration of drug falls below that of the capacity limit of the system.

4.       For a drug absorbed by passive diffusion the rate of absorption increases linearly with the concentration but in case of carrier-mediated process, the drug absorption increases linearly with concentration until the carriers become saturated after which it becomes curvilinear and approach a constant value at higher doses. Such a capacity limited process can be adequately described by mixed order kinetics also called as Michaelis-Menten saturation or non-linear kinetics.

• The process is called mixed order because it is first order at subsaturation drug concentration but apparent zero order at and above saturation levels.

N.B. The bioavailability of a drug absorbed by such a system decrease with increasing dose – for example vitamins like B₁, B₂ and B₁₂. Hence administration of large dose of such vitamins is irrational.

5.       Carrier-mediated absorption generally occurs from specific sites of the intestinal tract which are rich in a number of carriers. Such an area in which the carrier system is most dense is called an absorption window. Drugs absorbed through such absorption windows are poor candidates for controlled release formulations.

Active Transport

• The drug is transported from a region of lower concentration to a region of higher concentration, i.e. against the concentration gradient

1.       Since the process is occurring against the concentration gradient hence, energy is required in the work done by the carrier.

2.       As the process requires the expenditure of energy it can be inhibited by metabolic poisons that interfere with energy production like fluorides, cyanide and dinitrophenol and lack of oxygen.

3.       It is a capacity limited process. When all the carriers become saturated the drug is carried at a constant rate.

• Endogenous substances that are transported actively include

                Sodium (Na⁺), potassium (K⁺), calcium (Ca⁺⁺), iron (Fe⁺⁺) in ionic state;

                certain amino acids and

                vitamins like niacin, pyridoxine and ascorbic acid.

• Drugs having structural similarity to such agents are absorbed actively, particularly the agents used in cancer chemotherapy.

Examples:             Absorption of 5-fluorouracil and 5-bromouracil via pyrimidine transport system,

                                Absorption of methyldopa and levodopa via L-amino acid transport system

                                Absorption of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor (e.g. enalapril)via the small peptide carrier system

Facilitated diffusion

• Facilitated diffusion is also a carrier-mediated transport system but it moves along a concentration gradient (i.e from higher to lower concentration) and hence it does not require any energy.

Characteristics:

·         It is a carrier-mediated transport system.

·         The carriers are saturable and structurally selective for a drug and shows competition kinetics for drugs having similar structures.

·         It does not require any energy expenditure.

·         Facilitated diffusion of ions takes place through proteins, or assemblies of proteins, embedded in the plasma membrane. These transmembrane proteins form a water-filled channel through which the ion can pass down its concentration gradient. The transmembrane channels that permit facilitated diffusion can be opened or closed. They are said to be "gated". Some types of gated ion channels:

• ligand-gated
• mechanically-gated
• voltage-gated
• light-gated

Examples:

·         Acetylcholine (ligand) binds to a certain synaptic membrane and opens Na⁺ channels and initiate a nerve impulse.

·         Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) binds to GABA_A receptors and the chloride channel opens. This inhibits the creation of a nerve impulse.

3. VESICULAR TRANSPORT:

• Vesicular transport is the process of engulfing particles or dissolved materials by the cell.
• There are two types of vesicular transport – Pinocytosis and Phagocytosis.
• Pinocytosis refers to the engulfment of small solutes or fluid. (Drinking by cell)
• Phagocytosis refers to the engulfment of larger particles or macromolecules, generally by macrophages. (Eating by cell.)
• Endocytosis and exocytosis are the processes of moving macromolecules into and out of a cell, respectively.
• During pinocytosis or phagocytosis, the cell membrane invaginates to surround the material and then engulfs the material, incorporating into the cell (fig). subsequently, the cell membrane containing the material forms a vesicle or vacuole within the cell.

e.g.

·         Vesicular transport is the proposed process for the absorption of orally administered Sabin polio vaccine and large proteins.

·         Transport of proteins, polypeptides like insulin from insulin-producing cells of the pancreas into the extracellular space.

4. PORE TRANSPORT:

• Very small molecules (such as urea, water, and sugars) are able to rapidly cross cell membranes as if the membrane contains channels or pores. [although pores are not evident microscopically]. 
• A certain type of protein called transport protein may form an open channel across the lipid membrane of the cell.

e.g.

·         Drug permeation through aqueous pores is used to explain the renal excretion of drugs and the uptake of drugs into the liver.

5. ION PAIR FORMATION:

• Strong electrolyte drugs are highly ionized or charged molecules, such as quaternary nitrogen compounds with extreme pKa values. 
• Strong electrolyte drugs maintain their charge at all physiologic pH values and penetrate the membrane very poorly.

• When ionized drugs are linked up with an oppositely charged ion, an ion pair is formed in which the overall charge of the pair is neutral. This neutral drug-complex diffuses more easily across the membrane.

e.g.

·         Propranolol, a basic drug, forms an ion pair with oleic acid.

·         Quinine forms an ion pair with hexyl salicylate.

"Fibers" in Pharmacognosy.

Fibers

CLASSIFICATION:

1. Vegetable origin – cotton, jute
2. Animal origin – wool, silk
3. Mineral origin – asbestos, glass wool
4. Synthetic origin – nylon, terylene
5. Regenerated from cellulose – rayon
6. Regenerated from protein – milk protein, groundnut

COTTON / RAW COTTON:

BIOLOGICAL SOURCE: 

• Trichomes of seeds of cultivated species of Gossypium herbaceum
• Family: Malvaceae

GEOGRAPHICAL SOURCE: India, Egypt

Collection:

• The capsule of cotton consists contains large number of seeds covered with trichomes
• The trichomes are separated
• Long trichomes are used in preparation of fabric & short ones are used in preparation of surgical dressings
• This non-absorbent cotton, when treated with dilute soda solution for 10 to 15 hours at a higher pressure, gets free of fats.
• The resulting absorbent cotton is dried, sterilized with gamma radiation

Description:

• White, soft to touch

Chemical Tests:

ABSORBENT COTTON:

1. Fibre when treated with N/50 iodine solution & 80% H2SO4 gives a blue stain
2. Fibre when treated with Cuoxam reagent, swells & dissolves
3. Fibre gives a blue stain with chlorzinc iodide.

NON ABSORBENT COTTON:

1. Fibre when treated with Cuoxam reagent, swells & dissolves with ballooning
2. Fibre gives a violet stain with chlorzinc iodide

Uses:

• Fabrics, surgical dressings.

JUTE

• BIOLOGICAL SOURCE: obtained from phloem fibres of Corchorus capsularis
• Family: Tiliaceae.

Description:

• Brown, rough to touch.

Chemical Test:

1. Fibre, when stained with phloroglucinol & HCl, gives a deep red colour
2. Fibre gives a yellow stain with chlorzinc iodide

Uses:

• Preparation of jute bags.

SILK:

• BIOLOGICAL SOURCE: obtained from secretion/cocoon of Bombyx mori
• Family: Bombycidae.

Description:

• Yellow, smooth to touch.

Uses:

• Sutures & ligatures.

Collection:

• The larvae produce fibroin from the mouth glands which gets united with a gum-like secretion known as sericin to form a cocoon.

• These cocoons are exposed to steam & finally plunged in boiling water to separate the gum & the fibres.

Chemical:

• Proteins & subunits made of alanine & glycine.

Chemical Tests:

1. Fibre does not blacken on treatment with lead acetate
2. On treatment with Millon's reagent, it gives a brick red colour

WOOL

• BIOLOGICAL SOURCE: obtained from fleece of sheep Ovis aries
• Family: Bovidae

Description:

• Soft, lustrous.

Preparation:

• Raw wool is washed with water followed by a second washing with soap solution & then treated with sulphuric acid.

• The wool fat is separated by extracting with acetone.

• Thus wool fibre is obtained.

Chemical Test:

• Fibre blackens with lead acetate. (Contains sulphur containing amino acids)

Uses:

• Fabrication, ligatures & sutures.

GLASS WOOL:

• Source: made up of silica, mixture of silica & oxides of aluminium, calcium, boron & magnesium

Uses:

• Insulating material & in the manufacture of filters.

Chemical Tests:

1. Fibre is partly soluble in 60% sulphuric acid
2. Fibre on ignition forms a hard bead

ASBESTOS:

• Source: consists of hydrated magnesium silicates & occurs as white, yellow or green fibres.

Uses:

• Filtering media

Chemical Test:

• Fibre insoluble in warm HCl

NYLON

• Source: Polymer of adipic acid & hexamethylene diamine.

Description:

• It is dull or lustrous, white in colour.

Uses:

• Preparation of sutures & ligatures, sieves & fabrics.

Chemical Tests:

1. Fibre soluble in warm HCl
2. Forms a hard bead on ignition

TERYLENE:

• Source: Polymer of ethylene glycol & terephthalic acid.

Uses:

• Preparation of artificial grafts.

Chemical Tests:

1. Fibre is soluble in formic acid
2. Forms a hard round bead on ignition

RAYON / VISCOUS RAYON / REGENERATED CELLULOSE:

Preparation:

• Cellulose is treated with sodium hydroxide to yield sodium cellulosate.
• This, when treated with carbon disulphide in sodium hydroxide, gives sodium cellulose xanthate.
• The solution is passed through fine nozzles in a bath of sodium sulphate & H2SO4 to yield filaments of viscous rayon.
• It is further made free of sulphur, bleached & washed.

Uses:

• Preparation of surgical dressings & fabric.

SHORT NOTE ON CELLULOSE:

• Cellulose is obtained from wood or cotton
• It is extracted using hot methanol followed by methanolic NaOH treatment
• The solution is further exposed to an explosion process wherein the high pressure is cut down in a very short interval of time
• The cellulose thus obtained is a polymer of glucose units linked together in a beta- 1,4 linkage

Derivatives:

1. Ester: esterification of cellulose yields products such as cellulose nitrate & cellulose acetate which are used in the preparation of films & plasticizers
2. Ether: etherification yields products such as methyl cellulose, CMC, HPMC, HPC. The solubility of these polymers depends on the degree of substitution of hydroxyl group

Uses:

• Stabilizers, suspending agents & in ophthalmic solutions.