Amphotericin B (AMB) is used most commonly in severe systemic life-threatening fungal infections. There is currently an unmet need for an efficacious (AMB) formulation amenable to oral administration with better bioavailability and lower nephrotoxicity. Novel PEGylated polylactic-polyglycolic acid copolymer (PLGA-PEG) nanoparticles (NPs) formulations of AMB were therefore studied for their ability to kill Candida albicans (C. albicans). The antifungal activity of AMB formulations was assessed in C. albicans. Its bioavalability was investigated in nine groups of rats (n = 6). Toxicity was examined by an in vitro blood hemolysis assay, and in vivo nephrotoxicity after single and multiple dosing for a week by blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and plasma creatinine (PCr) measurements. The MIC of AMB loaded to PLGA-PEG NPs against C. albicans was reduced two to threefold compared with free AMB. Novel oral AMB delivery loaded to PLGA-PEG NPs was markedly systemically available compared to Fungizone® in rats. The addition of 2% of GA to the AMB formulation significantly (p < 0.05) improved the bioavailability from 1.5 to 10.5% and the relative bioavailability was > 790% that of Fungizone®. The novel AMB formulations showed minimal toxicity and better efficacy compared to Fungizone®. No nephrotoxicity in rats was detected after a week of multiple dosing of AMB NPs based on BUN and PCr, which remained at normal levels. An oral delivery system of AMB-loaded to PLGA-PEG NPs with better efficacy and minimal toxicity was formulated. The addition of glycyrrhizic acid (GA) to AMB NPs formulation resulted in a significant oral absorption and improved bioavailability in rats.

A new selective and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was developed for the quantification of diclofenac sodium (DS) in pharmaceutical dosage form using lidocaine as internal standard (IS). Chromatographic separation was achieved on a symmetry C18 column (4.6 mm × 150 mm, 3 μm spherical particles) using 0.05 M orthophosporic (pH 2.0) 35% and acetonitrile as 65%, as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 2.0 mL/min and monitored at 210 nm. The run time was 2 min. The method was validated to fulfill International Conference on Harmonisation (ICH) requirements and this validation included specificity, linearity, limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantification (LOQ), accuracy, precision and robustness. The calibration curve was linear over the concentration range from 10 to 200 µg/ml, and lower limit of detection of 12.5 ng/ml. The accuracy and precision of the method were within the acceptable limit of ±20% at the lower limit of quantitation and ±15% at other concentrations. Diclofenac was unstable at room temperature it showed more than 25% loss after 24 h. While, DS is very stable at refrigerator 4 °C auto-sampler, freeze/thaw cycles and 30 days storage in a freezer at -35 ± 2 °C. All results were acceptable and this confirmed that the method is suitable for its intended use in routine quality control and assay of drugs.

Messenger RNA (mRNA)-based vaccines have shown promise against infectious diseases and several types of cancer in the last two decades. Their promise can be attributed to their safety profiles, high potency, and ability to be rapidly and affordably manufactured. Now, many RNA-based vaccines are being evaluated in clinical trials as prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines. However, until recently, their development has been limited by their instability and inefficient in vivo transfection. The nanodelivery system plays a dual function in RNA-based vaccination by acting as a carrier system and as an adjuvant. That is due to its similarity to microorganisms structurally and size-wise; the nanodelivery system can augment the response by the immune system via simulating the natural infection process. Nanodelivery systems allow non-invasive mucosal administration, targeted immune cell delivery, and controlled delivery, reducing the need for multiple administrations. They also allow co-encapsulating with immunostimulators to improve the overall adjuvant capacity. The aim of this review is to discuss the recent developments and applications of biodegradable nanodelivery systems that improve RNA-based vaccine delivery and enhance the immunological response against targeted diseases.

Shampooing is the most common form of hair treatment. Shampoos are primarily products aimed at cleansing the hair and scalp. There are many brands of shampoos in Saudi Arabia, available from different sources, locally and imported from other countries. This study aims to investigate whether such brands comply with the Saudi standard specifications for shampoos, issued by the National Center for Specifications and Standards, and to what extent these specifications are applied. Six shampoo brands were randomly collected from Riyadh market (Pantene®, Sunsilk®, Herbal essences®, Garnier Ultra Doux®, Syoss® and L'Oreal Elvive®). The selected shampoos were evaluated according to their physicochemical properties, including organoleptic characterization, pH measurement, percentage of solid content, rheological measurements, dirt dispersion level, foaming ability and foam stability, and surface tension. All shampoos had a good percentage of solids, excellent foam formation with stable foam and a highly viscous nature. Regarding the pH measurement, all shampoo samples were within the specified range with good wetting ability.

Background: Human epidermal growth factor receptor2 (Her2) positive breast cancer represents 25% of breast cancer cases. Targeted therapy with Her2 monoclonal antibody, trastuzumab (TZ), represents the first-line treatment for this type of breast cancer. In addition, neratinib, an irreversible inhibitor of the HER-2 receptor tyrosine kinase, has recently been approved as adjuvant therapy to TZ. This study aims to formulate (TZ)-grafted dendrimers loaded with neratinib, allowing a dual treatment alongside reducing the associated resistance as well as targeted therapy. Methods: TZ was conjugated on the surface of dendrimer using hetero-cross linker, MAL-PEG-NHS, and the zeta potential, and in vitro release of neratinib from dendrimers was characterized. Formulated dendrimers were also fluorescently conjugated with fluorescein isothiocyanate to visualize and quantify their SKBR-3 cellular uptake. Results: The G4 PAMAM dendrimer showed successful encapsulation of neratinib and a sustained release profile. Comparative in vitro studies revealed that these TZ-targeted dendrimers loaded with neratinib were more selective and have higher antiproliferation activity against SKBR-3 cells compared to neratinib alone and neratinib loaded dendrimer. Conclusion: In the current study, neratinib loaded in plain and trastuzumab-grafted dendrimer were successfully prepared. Enhanced cellular uptake of trastuzumab conjugated dendrimers was shown, together with a higher cytotoxic effect than plain neratinib dendrimers. These findings suggest the potential of TZ-conjugated dendrimers as targeting carrier for cytotoxic drugs, including neratinib.