Evaluation of the disintegration time of rapidly disintegrating tablets via a novel method utilizing a CCD camera

Many kinds of rapidly disintegrating or oral disintegrating tablets (RDT) have been developed to improve the ease of tablet administration, especially for elderly and pediatric patients. In these cases, knowledge regarding disintegration behavior appears important with respect to the development of such a novel tablet. Ordinary disintegration testing, such as the Japanese Pharmacopoeia (JP) method, faces limitations with respect to the evaluation of rapid disintegration due to strong agitation. Therefore, we have developed a novel apparatus and method to determine the dissolution of the RDT. The novel device consists of a disintegrating bath and CCD camera interfaced with a personal computer equipped with motion capture and image analysis software. A newly developed RDT containing various types of binder was evaluated with this protocol. In this method, disintegration occurs in a mildly agitated medium, which allows differentiation of minor distinctions among RDTs of different formulations. Simultaneously, we were also able to detect qualitative information, i.e., morphological changes in the tablet during disintegration. This method is useful for the evaluation of the disintegration of RDT during pharmaceutical development, and also for quality control during production.     

Cloning and sequence analysis of the poly(3-hydroxyalkanoic acid)-synthesis genes ofPseudomonas acidophila

Pseudomonas acidophila can grow with CO₂ as a sole carbon source by the possession of a recombinant plasmid that clones genes that confer chemolithoautotrophic growth ability derived from the H₂-oxidizing bacteriumAlcaligenes hydrogenophilus. H₂-oxidizing bacteria produce poly(3-hydroxybutyric acid) (PHB) from CO₂, but recombinant P.acidophila can produce the more useful biopolymer poly(3-hydroxyalkanoic acid) (PHA). In this study, thepha genes ofP. acidophila were cloned and a sequence analysis was carried out. A gene library was constructed using the cosmid vector pVK102. A recombinant cosmid carrying thepha genes was selected by the complementation of a PHB-negative mutant ofAlcaligenes eutrophus H16. The resulting recombinant cosmid pIK7 contained a 14.8-kb DNA insert. Subcloning was done, and the recombinant plasmid pEH74 was selected by hybridization with theA. eutrophus H16pha genes.Escherichia coli possessing pEH74 produced PHB, indicating that pEH74 contained thepha genes ofP. acidophila. The nucleotide sequences of the PHA-synthesis genesphaA (3-ketothiolase),phaB (acetoacetyl-CoA reductase), andphaC (PHA synthase) in pEH74 were determined. The homologies ofphaA, phaB, andphaC betweenP. acidophila andA. eutrophus H16 were 64.7, 76.1, and 56.6%, respectively.

     

Hydrodynamic limit for a spin system on a multidimensional lattice

Summary The hydrodynamic limit for a Markov process of [0, )-valued spin fields on a periodic multidimensional lattice is studied. In the process a positive real number, called energy, is attached to each site of the lattice and each couple of adjacent sites exchange thier energy by random amounts at random times. The law of the exchange is such that the sum of the total energy is conserved, and that the process is reversible and of gradient type for the energy distribution. We show that under diffusion type scaling of space and time, the macroscopic energy distribution converges to a deterministic limit which is characterized by a non-linear diffusion equation /t=2^–1P(), whereP is an increasing function which in a typical case equals const·².     

Anionic polymerization and copolymerization of S-methyl thiomethacrylate

S-Methyl thiomethacrylate (methyl thiolmethacrylate, MTMA) was polymerized with a variety of anionic initiators such as n-BuLi, octylpotassium, PhMgBr, and Et₂AlNPh₂ in toluene and THF. Stereoregularity of the polymer (PMTMA) was determined from the ¹H-NMR spectrum of poly(methyl methacrylate), which had been derived from PMTMA, because the α-methyl resonance in the ¹H-NMR spectrum of PMTMA was not satisfactorily solved owing to the overlap of pentad signals. The ¹³C-NMR spectrum of PMTMA also showed the splitting due to pentad sequences. Stereoregularity of PMTMA was always low compared with that of poly(methyl methacrylate), which was prepared under the same reaction conditions. MTMA was much more reactive than methyl methacrylate and methacrylonitrile in the copolymerization with n-BuLi in toluene and in THF at ?78°C. The lower stereoregulation of the polymerization of MTMA and the higher reactivity of MTMA were mainly ascribed to the higher resonance effect of MTMA.     

Stereoselective synthesis of procyanidin B3-3-O-gallate and 3,3″-di-O-gallate, and their abilities as antioxidant and DNA polymerase inhibitor

A simple method for the synthesis of procyanidin B3 substituted with a galloyl group at the 3 and 3″ position is described. Condensation of a benzylated catechin-3-O-gallate electrophile with a nucleophile, catechin and catechin-3-O-gallate, proceeded smoothly and stereoselectively to afford the corresponding dimer gallates, procyanidin B3-3-O-gallate and procyanidin B3-3,3″-di-O-gallate, in good yields. Further, their antioxidant activities on UV-induced lipid peroxide formation, DPPH radical scavenging activity and inhibitory activity of DNA polymerase were also investigated. Among three procyanidin B3 congeners (procyanidin B3, 3-O-gallate and 3,3″-di-O-gallate), the 3,3″-di-O-gallate derivative showed the strongest antioxidant and radical scavenging activity. Interestingly, the 3-O-gallate derivative was the strongest inhibitor of mammalian DNA polymerase with IC₅₀ value of 0.26 μM, although it showed the weakest antioxidant and radical scavenging activity. It became apparent that the presence of a galloyl group at the C-3 position in the proanthocyanidin oligomer was very important for biological activity, however, the antioxidant activity of these compounds was not parallel to the DNA polymerase inhibitory activity.     

Dioxopyrrolines. LXII. Diels-Alder reaction of 1-Aryl-4- and 5-methoxycarbonyl-1H-pyrrole-2,3-diones with various 1,3-dienes

Two new dioxopyrrolines (1-aryl-4-methoxycarbonyl-1H-pyrrole-2,3-dione 6 and the 5-methoxycarbonyl isomer 8) behaved as good dienophiles to some kind of 1,3-dienes examined. In most cases, the products were explained by the reaction where the largest lobe of HOMO of dienes reacted to the larger LUMO of dienophiles in an expected cis-endo manner. However, in the reactions of 8 with alkylbutadienes, piperylene and isoprene, abnormality in the reaction was observed, which was well explained by taking account of steric factors.     

Circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) characteristics of hydrophobic pyrene derivatives/γ-cyclodextrin (γ-CD) complexes in aqueous solution dissolved by grinding

Circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) organic dyes are currently receiving a great interest, but there are still not many reported observations of CPL spectra of hydrophobic dyes from aqueous solution. We have prepared hydrophobic pyrene derivatives and dissolved them into aqueous solutions with γ-cyclodextrin (γ-CD) by using grinding technique. Among these derivatives, (pyrene-1-carbonyl)serine (PySer) forms a spatially restricted dimer in the hydrophobic chiral cavity of γ-CD and exhibits excimer emission with a high quantum yield of Φ_f?=?0.68. In addition, circular dichroism and CPL signals were induced for the complex. The strong g_CPL value of g_CPL?=?+?2.2?×?10^?3 was obtained, which may be attributed to the interaction between the hydroxyl groups in the side chain of PySer with those of γ-CD and it strengthens the chiral dimeric structure.

Graphic abstract

     

Phospholipases Induce Melanogenesis in Organ-Cultured Skin

Guinea pig skin becomes more pigmented following exposure to UV rays. This melanization was accompanied by enhanced intensity of tyrosinase-staining and increased number of tyrosinase-positive melanocytes (MEL^ty+), with resultant enhancement of melanin synthesis. To clarify the regulatory mechanism for melanization following UV irradiation, organ-cultured guinea pig skins have been used to examine their melanogenic responses to exogenous stimulation. This organ culture system responded well to UV irradiation, by increasing melanogenic activity. Also, in this system, phospholipases (PL), arachidonic acid, interleukin-1α and melanocytestimulating hormone, but not endothelin-1 or phosphatidylinositol-specific PLC (PI-PLC), stimulated melanogenesis to various extents as indicated by the number of MEL^ty+ and morphological changes. Among them, the PLA₂ and PLD were found to have a potent stimulatory property for melanocytes. They might affect melanocytes directly or indirectly through an effect on keratinocytes. These results suggest that PLA₂ and PLD play a key role in epidermal hyperpigmentation after UV irradiation or inflammation.     

Phase behavior of sucrose monoalkanoate in a water-long-chain alcohol system

Phase diagram of a water/sucrose monododecanoate (SE)/hexanol system was determined at 30°C. Aqueous micellar, reverse micellar, normal hexagonal liquid crystalline, and lamellar liquid crystalline phases appear in the phase diagram. The change in interlayer spacing and interfacial section area of surfactant in the liquid crystalline phases was investigated by small-angle x-ray scattering. Upon addition of water, the section area and the radius of cylindrical aggregates are almost constant in a hexagonal liquid crystal, whereas the distance between each cylinder is separated on the water-SE axis. The interlayer spacing slightly decreases or is almost unchanged on the surfactant-hexanol axis, because alcohol molecules penetrate into the palisade of bilayers. Although the average section area decreases with increasing alcohol content, each section area of SE and alcohol molecules are kept constant. Since the interfacial section area of alcohol is less than the section area of hydrocarbon chain, the phase transition from lamellar liquid crystal to reverse micelle occurs in an alcohol-rich region.