Design and ocular tolerance of flurbiprofen loaded ultrasound-engineered NLC

Packaging small drug molecules, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) into nanoparticulate systems has been reported as a promising approach to improve the drug's bioavailability, biocompatibility and safety profiles. In the last 20 years, lipid nanoparticles (lipid dispersions) entered the nanoparticulate library as novel carrier systems due to their great potential as an alternative to other systems such as polymeric nanoparticles and liposomes for several administration routes. For ocular instillation nanoparticulate carriers are required to have a low mean particle size, with the lowest polydispersity as possible. The purpose of this work was to study the combined influence of 2-level, 4-factor variables on the formulation of flurbiprofen (FB), a lipophilic NSAID, in lipid carriers currently named as nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC). NLC were produced with stearic acid (SA) and castor oil (CO) stabilized by Tween^® 80 (non-ionic surfactant) in aqueous dispersion. A 2⁴ full factorial design based on 4 independent variables was used to plan the experiments, namely, the percentage of SA with regard to the total lipid, the FB concentration, the stabilizer concentration, and the storage conditions (i.e., storage temperature). The effects of these parameters on the mean particle size, polydispersity index (PI) and zeta potential (ZP) were investigated as dependent variables. The optimization process was achieved and the best formulation corresponded to the NLC formulation composed of 0.05 (wt%) FB, 1.6 (wt%) Tween^® 80 and a 50:50 ratio of SA to CO, with an average diameter of 288 nm, PI 0.245 of and ZP of −29 mV. This factorial design study has proven to be a useful tool in optimizing FB-loaded NLC formulations. Stability of the optimized NLC was predicted using a TurbiScanLab^® and the ocular tolerance was assessed in vitro and in vivo by the Eytex^® and Draize test, respectively. The developed systems were shown physico-chemically stable with high tolerance for eye instillation.     

Chromatographic separation and enantiomeric resolution of flurbiprofen and its major metabolites

Summary The chromatographic separation and resolution of the enantiomers of flurbiprofen and its two major metabolites, 4′-hydroxyflurbiprofen and 3′-hydroxy-4′-methoxyflurbiprofen was investigated using four different approaches: reversed-phase HPLC after pre-column derivatization with (R)-1-(naphthen-1-yl)ethylamine; reversed-phase HPLC using hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin as a chiral mobile phase additive; chiral-phase HPLC using either an α₁-acid glycoprotein CSP (Chiral-AGP) or an amylose tris(3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) CSP (Chiralpak AD). Of all the approaches, only the direct method using the Chiralpak AD CSP demonstrated separation and enantiomeric resolution of all three analytes within an acceptable run time of 45 minutes. Enantiomeric resolution values of 1.67,3.67 and 3.44 were obtained for flurbiprofen, 4′-hydroxyflurbiprofen and 3′-hydroxy-4′-methoxyflurbiprofen respectively. Semi-preparative isolation of the individual enantiomers of both metabolites, followed by CD analysis, revealed that the elution order on the AD CSP wasR-beforeS-enantiomer for both metabolites and the same as that observed for flurbiprofen. The metabolite elution order was subsequently confirmed on the analysis of urine samples obtained from a healthy volunteer following oral administration of the individual drug enantiomers.     

COX抑制剂——氟比洛芬衍生物的作用方式及选择性研究

用DOCK4.0程序搜索氟比洛芬衍生物与环氧合酶结合的构象。用Cscore综合评 分体系确定最佳构象，复合物经分子力学优化后，发现衍生物在COX-1中的取向和 位置与X射线衍射测犁晶体复合物中氟比洛芬作用方式相同；衍生物在COX-2中也有 与氟比洛芬类似的结合方式。衍生物对COX-2/COX-1 的选择掏性与衍生物作用于两 种酶的结合自由能之差有较好的相关性。相关系数     

Determination of flurbiprofen in pharmaceutical formulations by UV spectrophotometry and liquid chromatography

In this study, a new and rapid UV spectrophotometric (UV) method and a reversed phase high performance liquid chromatographic (LC) method were developed for quantitative estimation of flurbiprofen, a non-selective, non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), in pure form and in pharmaceutical dosage form. The solvent system, wavelength of detection, chromatographic conditions were optimized in order to maximize the sensitivity of both the proposed methods. The linear regression equations obtained by least square regression method were Abs=7.5906×10⁻² concentration (μg/ml) + (−) 4.6210×10⁻² for the UV method, and peak area=1.2652×10² concentration (ng/ml) + 1.4830×10³ for the LC method. The detection limit as per the error propagation theory was found to be 0.34 μg/ml for UV method and 15 ng/ml for LC method. The developed methods were successfully employed with high degree of precision and accuracy for the estimation of total drug content in two commercial ophthalmic drops of flurbiprofen. The results of analysis were treated statistically, as per USP 2000 and International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) guidelines for validation of analytical procedures, and by recovery studies. The results obtained from UV method were comparable with those obtained by using LC. It was concluded that both the developed methods are equally accurate, sensitive, precise, reproducible, robust and rugged and could be applied directly and easily to the pharmaceutical preparations of flurbiprofen. However, LC method is useful at very low level (ng/ml), whereas UV method is suitable at μg/ml level.     

Identification of flurbiprofen and its photoproducts in methanol by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A sample of 10 mM flurbiprofen in methanol (or ethanol) was photoirradiated with sixteen 8 W low-pressure quartz mercury lamps irradiated at 306 nm in a Panchum PR-2000 photochemical reactor. In total, four major photoproducts derived from each sample were observed from the HPLC chromatogram. The photoproducts were separated and their structures elucidated by various spectroscopic methods. Alternatively, using GC-MS, 11 major photoproducts were observed. A reaction scheme of flurbiprofen in methanol is proposed: the photochemical reaction routes occur mainly via esterification and decarboxylation, followed by oxidation with singlet oxygen to produce a ketone, alcohols and other derivatives.     

Elimination profiles of flurbiprofen and its metabolites in equine urine for doping analysis

Flurbiprofen and its main acidic metabolites were detected in equine urine after a single-dose administration of 500 mg flurbiprofen to two 2.5–3.5-years-old mares, in order to be used in equine doping control routine analysis. The urine levels of the parent drug were determined using GC/MS. Five acidic metabolites were found in the urine. The structure of the proposed metabolites was confirmed by HRMS accurate mass measurements. The highest flurbiprofen concentration was 204 μg ml⁻¹ at 1–3 h post administration. Flurbiprofen could be detected for 24–37 h in urine using the standard screening procedure. All metabolites were present 25 h post administration, while 4′-hydroxyflurbiprofen could be traced for more than 48 h and it is regarded as the long-term metabolite of flurbiprofen in horse.     

Enantiomeric resolution of ibuprofen and flurbiprofen in human plasma by SPE-chiral HPLC methods

Chiral analysis of profens in human plasma is an important area of research due to different pharmaceutical activities of their enantiomers. The solid phase extraction of ibuprofen and flurbiprofen from human plasma was carried out on C18 cartridges by using phosphate buffer (50 mM, pH 6.0) followed by elution with methanol. Chiral-HPLC was performed on AmyCoat RP (150 mm x 46 mm, 3 μm particle size) column by using different combinations of water-acetonitrile-trifluoro acetic acid at 1.5 mLmin-1 flow rate. The detection was achieved at 236 and 254 nm for ibuprofen and flurbiprofen, respectively with 27±1°C as working temperature. The chromatographic parameters i.e. retention (k), separation (α) and resolution (Rs) factors ranged from 4.54-14.42, 1.10-1.30 and 1.01-1.49, respectively. The binding differences of enantiomers of ibuprofen and flurbiprofen were 4.4 and 5.2, respectively. These values suggest that S-(+)- enantiomer of flurbiprofen is more active than ibuprofen due to low enantiomeric difference of the later drug. The developed SPE-Chiral HPLC methods were validated, which are selective, efficient and reproducible.     

Determination of pharmacokinetics of flurbiprofen in Pakistani population using modified HPLC method

Pharmacokinetics of flurbiprofen has been studied in different populations, especially in Caucasian. However, there are very few studies reported from Eastern part of world. Previous studies suggested that genetic and environmental factors may cause inter-individual differences in flurbiprofen disposition, so we investigated the pharmacokinetics of flurbiprofen in Pakistani subjects. A single oral dose of 100 mg of flurbiprofen was administered to 22 healthy male Pakistani adults after overnight fasting for 10 h. Periodical blood sampling was done at 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, and 24 h after dosing. Plasma concentration of flurbiprofen was determined by a modified high-performance liquid chromatography method, which was simple, sensitive, less time consuming and economical with ordinary internal standard. The method was validated according to ICH guidelines and was found to be sensitive, accurate and precise. The pharmacokinetic parameters observed in Pakistani subjects when compared with other populations (USA, UK, Canadian, French, and Indian) did not show considerable ethnic differences. However, one subject's data was suggestive of being poor metabolizer of flurbiprofen which supports the presence of CYP2C9 polymorphism contributing to inter-individual differences in flurbiprofen disposition. Pharmacogenomic studies are needed to verify this hypothesis.     

Stereospecific analysis of flurbiprofen and its major metabolites in plasma and urine by chiral-phase liquid chromatography

Summary Direct chiral-phase HPLC methods have been developed for the determination of flurbiprofen and its major metabolites, namely 4′-hydroxyflurbiprofen and 3′-hydroxy-4′-methoxyflurbiprofen, in biological fluids using a derivatized amylose chiral stationary phase (CSP; Chiral-pak AD). Quantification of all three analytes, both free and conjugated, in urine was carried out following liquid-liquid extraction using tandem ultraviolet (UV) and fluorescence detection. Determination of flurbiprofen and the 4′-hydroxy-metabolite in plasma utilized the same CSP but required modification in the mobile phase composition and sole use of fluorescence detection. The urine assay was linear (r>0.998) between 0.05–10 μg mL⁻¹, 0.1–20 μg mL⁻¹ and 0.01–2 μg mL⁻¹ for the enantiomers of flurbiprofen, 4′-hydroxyflurbiprofen and 3′-hydroxy-4′-methoxyflurbiprofen respectively. The plasma assay was linear (r>0.997) between 0.1–6 μg mL⁻¹ and 0.01–0.6 μg mL⁻¹ for the enantiomers of flurbiprofen and 4′-hydroxyflurbiprofen respectively. Both assays, typically yielded within- and between-day imprecision and accuracy values less than 10% for the enantiomers of the different analytes. Initial volunteer studies suggest that the disposition of flurbiprofen displays modest enantioselectivity in humans.     

Enantioseparation of flurbiprofen on amylose-derived chiral stationary phase by supercritical fluid chromatography

The separation of the enantiomers of flurbiprofen on an amylose-derived chiral stationary phase, Chiralpak AD-H, by supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) under both linear and non-linear conditions is studied. Pulse injections were implemented using supercritical CO₂modified with methanol as a mobile phase at a temperature of 30 °$°$C. At linear conditions, the isotherm is determined directly from the chromatogram. Under overload conditions, the elution profiles were described by competitive Langmuir and bi-Langmuir isotherm. Isotherm parameters were estimated using the inverse method and the effects of operation variables such as pressure and modifier composition were studied. The value of selectivity is from 1.9 to 2.1 while the value of resolution is from 5.3 to 11.8. The number of theoretical plates is always greater than 5000 indicating high efficiency of SFC.     

Chiral resolution of flurbiprofen and ketoprofen enantiomers by HPLC on a glycopeptide-type column chiral stationary phase

Vancomycin is an amphoteric, glycopeptide, macrocyclic antibiotic. When attached to 5 microspherical silica gel, vancomycin proved to be an effective chromatographic chiral stationary phase that could be used in the reversed-phase mode. In this study, a bonded vancomycin chiral stationary phase (Chirobiotic Vtrade mark) was investigated for the chiral liquid chromatography analysis of ketoprofen and flurbiprofen. The selectivity factor (alpha) and the chiral resolution factor (RS) of Chirobiotic Vtrade mark were evaluated first as a function of the buffer pH and molarity, and second as a function of organic modifier type and composition of the mobile phase. Four organic modifiers (tetrahydrofuran, 2-propanol, 1,4-dioxane and methanol) have been tested for their selectivity. Optimized conditions using 20% of tetrahydrofuran in ammonium nitrate (100 mM, pH 5) were selected for the enantioseparation of flurbiprofen and ketoprofen from their racemic forms. At pH 5, these acidic compounds are almost negatively charged, while the chiral selector possesses a positive charge allowing it to interact electrostatistically with the analytes. Using these chromatographic conditions, the column stability was excellent over several months of experiments.     

Comparative study on inclusion complexations of antiinflammatory drug flurbiprofen with β-cyclodextrin and methylated β-cyclodextrins

Abstruct Some physicochemical properties of methylated -cyclodextrins, i.e., heptakis(2,6-di-O-methyl)--cyclodextrin (DM--CyD) and heptakis(2,3,6-tri-O-methyl)--cyclodextrin (TM--CyD) were compared with those of natural -cyclodextrin (-CyD). Inclusion behaviors of -CyD and methylated -CyDs in water and in solid state were studied by solubility analysis, spectroscopies (UV, CD,¹³C-NMR and IR), X-ray diffractometry and thermal analysis, using an antiinflammatory drug flurbiprofen (FP) as a guest molecule. The spectral data suggest that the inclusion mode of FP-TM--CyD is somewhat different from those of FP--CyD and FP-DM--CyD. The solid complexes of FP with - and methylated -CyDs were obtained in molar ratio of 11, and their dissolution behavior and release from suppository base were examined. The data are presented suggesting that DM--CyD is particularly useful for improving the pharmaceutical properties of FP in various dosage forms.     

Improvement in bioavailability of transdermally applied flurbiprofen using tulsi (Ocimum sanctum) and turpentine oil

Penetration enhancing potential of tulsi and turpentine oil on transdermal delivery of flurbiprofen, a potent non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent, was investigated. The transdermal permeation rate of flurbiprofen across the rat abdominal skin from binary solvent mixture composition of propylene glycol (PG):isopropyl alcohol (IPA) (30:70%, v/v) was 98.88 microg/cm(2)/h, significantly higher than other binary solvent mixtures. The corresponding steady state plasma concentration, 0.71 microg/ml, was much lower than required steady state plasma concentration of 3-5 microg/ml. Hence influence of tulsi and turpentine oil in the optimized binary solvent mixture along with the increased drug load on the flurbiprofen permeation was evaluated. The magnitude of the flux enhancement factor with turpentine oil and tulsi oil was 2.4 and 2.0 respectively at 5% (v/v) concentration beyond which there was no significant increase in the flux. Addition of 2% (w/v) hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), as a thickening agent, resulted in desired consistency for the fabrication of patch with insignificant effect on permeation rate of flurbiprofen. The reservoir type of transdermal patch formulation, fabricated by encapsulating the flurbiprofen reservoir solution within a shallow compartment moulded from polyester backing film and microporous ethyl vinyl acetate membrane, did not modulate the skin permeation of flurbiprofen through rat skin in case of turpentine formulations whereas flux of formulations with tulsi oil was significantly altered. The influence of penetration enhancer and solvents on the anatomical structure of the rat skin was studied. Enhancement properties exhibited by turpentine oil and tulsi oil in optimized binary solvent mixture were superior as compared to solvent treated and normal control groups with negligible skin irritation. The fabricated transdermal patches were found to be stable. The bioavailability of flurbiprofen with reference to orally administered flurbiprofen in albino rats was found to increase by 2.97, 3.80 and 5.56 times with transdermal patch formulation without enhancer, tulsi and turpentine oil formulations, respectively. The results were confirmed by pharmacodynamic studies in rat edema inflammation model.     

HPLC microdetermination of flurbiprofen enantiomers in plasma with a glycopeptide-type chiral stationary phase column

A rapid and stereospecific HPLC micromethod to quantify flurbiprofen enantiomers was developed. Both flurbiprofen enantiomers and indomethacin, used as internal standard, were extracted with methylene chloride from 100 microL of acidified plasma. The resolution of the R- and S-forms was performed on a bonded vancomycin chiral stationary phase (Chirobiotic V) with 20% of tetrahydrofuran in ammonium nitrate (100 mM, pH 5) as mobile phase. Calibration curves were linear in the range 0.5-10 microg/mL for both enantiomers. A good accuracy (< or = 5%) was obtained for all quality controls, with intra-day and inter-day variation coefficients equal or less than 7.7%. Recovery of both enantiomers was found in the range 77.4-86.3%. The lower limit of quantitation was 0.25 microg/mL for both enantiomers, without interference of endogenous components. This validated micromethod has been successfully applied for quantifying R- flurbiprofen and S- flurbiprofen in rat plasma.     

Validation of an analytical method to quantify the permeation and penetration of flurbiprofen into human pharynx tissue

The aim of this investigation was to develop receiver and extraction fluids, and subsequently validate an analytical method to quantify the permeation and penetration of flurbiprofen into human pharynx tissue using a Franz diffusion cell. The solubility and stability of flurbiprofen in a suitable receiver fluid, and a suitable extraction method and fluid to recover and quantitate flurbiprofen from human pharynx tissue, were investigated using high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The potential interference of human pharynx tissue in the receiver fluid was also investigated. The HPLC analytical method was successfully validated according to current guidelines. The final receiver fluid demonstrated sufficient solubility and stability, and the extraction method and fluid resulted in >95% recovery of flurbiprofen following exposure to human pharynx tissue. The lower limit of quantitation of flurbiprofen was 0.045 μg/mL in both the receiver and extraction fluids. There was no interference of the human pharynx tissue with the HPLC method. This investigation validated an analytical method for quantitating flurbiprofen, and determined a suitable receiver fluid and extraction method and fluid, which can be used to investigate the permeation and penetration of flurbiprofen through human pharynx tissue using the Franz diffusion cell method.     

Effect of pore size of FSM-16 on the entrapment of flurbiprofen in mesoporous structures

The interaction between FSM-16 and flurbiprofen (FBP) in the mesopores of FSM-16 was investigated by using three types of FSM-16 with different pore diameters, i.e., FSM-16(Oc), FSM-16(Do) and FSM-16(Doc) (pore diameters 16.0, 21.6, 45.0 A, respectively). Solid dispersions of 30% FBP-70% FSM-16 were prepared by solvent evaporation and sealed-heating of the physical mixture at 100 degrees C for 6 h. Changes in the molecular state of FBP were investigated using powder X-ray diffractometry, thermal analysis and FT-IR spectroscopy. The changes in pore diameter and specific surface area of FSM-16 systems were investigated by small angle X-ray scattering and nitrogen gas adsorption. Powder X-ray diffractometry and thermal analysis revealed that FBP was adsorbed onto the mesopores of FSM-16(Do) and FSM-16(Doc), leading to an amorphous state, while no change was observed for FSM-16(Oc). Fourier-transformed IR spectroscopy showed a hydrogen bond interaction between the carbonyl groups of FBP and the silanol groups of FSM-16. The pore diameter and specific surface area of FSM-16 in solid dispersions decreased due to the adsorption of FBP. Improved dissolution of FBP from solid dispersions prepared by the evaporation and the sealed-heating methods was observed in comparison with FBP crystals.     

The complexation of flurbiprofen with β-cyclodextrin: a NMR study in aqueous solution

The complexation process between racemic flurbiprofen and β-cyclodextrin in solution was investigated by 1D and 2D proton NMR spectroscopy. In the presence of β-cyclodextrin, the aromatic protons of flurbiprofen were the most affected, suggesting a strong involvement of the phenyl groups in the inclusion mechanism. The stoichiometry of the complex was determined by the method of continuous variation, using the chemical induced shifts of both host and guest protons. The association constant, K_a of the obtained complex was calculated and found to be 2483.8 M^?1. On the other hand, signals belonging to the protons associated with the carboxyl group are split in the presence of β-cyclodextrin indicating enantiomeric differentiation. Rotating frame NOE spectroscopy, (ROESY), was used to ascertain the solution geometry of the host–guest complex. The result suggested that the flurbiprofen molecule fully penetrates the β-cyclodextrin cavity with the carboxyl group protruding from the primary hydroxyl side and the phenyl group close to the secondary rim.     

Determination of flurbiprofen enantiomers in plasma using a single-isomer amino cyclodextrin derivative in nonaqueous capillary electrophoresis

A nonaqueous capillary electrophoresis (NACE) assay was developed for the separation and determination of flurbiprofen enantiomers in plasma samples using 6-monodeoxy-6-mono(3-hydroxy)propylamino-beta-cyclodextrin as chiral selector. The nonaqueous background electrolyte was made up of 40 mM ammonium acetate in methanol (MeOH), and flufenamic acid was employed as internal standard. Solid-phase extraction was used for sample cleanup prior to the NACE separation. The NACE method reproducibility was optimized by evaluating different capillary washing sequences between runs. After having tested various conditions, trifluoroacetic acid (1 M) in MeOH was finally selected. Concerning the solid-phase extraction procedure, good and reproducible analyte recoveries were obtained using MeOH for protein denaturation and a polymeric phase combining hydrophobic interactions with anion exchange properties (Oasis) MAX) was selected as extraction sorbent. The method selectivity was not only demonstrated toward a blank plasma sample but also toward other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The method was then successfully validated with respect to response function, trueness, precision, accuracy, linearity and limit of quantification.