Sunscreen use has increased in recent years, as sunscreen products minimize the damaging effects of solar radiation. Active ingredients called ultraviolet (UV) filters or UV agents, either organic or inorganic, responsible for defending skin tissue against harmful UV rays, are incorporated in sunscreen formulations. UV agents have a serious impact on many members of bio communities, and they are transferred to the environment either directly or indirectly. Many organic UV filters are found to be accumulated in marine environments because of high values of the octanol/water partition coefficient. However, due to the fact that UV agents are not stable in water, unwanted by-products may be formed. Experimental studies or field observations have shown that organic UV filters tend to bioaccumulate in various aquatic animals, such as corals, algae, arthropods, mollusks, echinoderms, marine vertebrates. This review was conducted in order to understand the effects of UV agents on both the environment and marine biota. In vivo and in vitro studies of UV filters show a wide range of adverse effects on the environment and exposed organisms. Coral bleaching receives considerable attention, but the scientific data identify potential toxicities of endocrine, neurologic, neoplastic and developmental pathways. However, more controlled environmental studies and long-term human use data are limited. Several jurisdictions have prohibited specific UV filters, but this does not adequately address the dichotomy of the benefits of photoprotection vs lack of eco-friendly, safe, and approved alternatives.

The aim of this review is to present the factors influencing the mechanical properties of 3D-printed oral dosage forms. It also explores how it is possible to use specific excipients and printing parameters to maintain the structural integrity of printed drug products while meeting the needs of patients. Three-dimensional (3D) printing is an emerging manufacturing technology that is gaining acceptance in the pharmaceutical industry to overcome traditional mass production and move toward personalized pharmacotherapy. After continuous research over the last thirty years, 3D printing now offers numerous opportunities to personalize oral dosage forms in terms of size, shape, release profile, or dose modification. However, there is still a long way to go before 3D printing is integrated into clinical practice. 3D printing techniques follow a different process than traditional oral dosage from manufacturing methods. Currently, there are no specific guidelines for the hardness and friability of 3D printed solid oral dosage forms. Therefore, new regulatory frameworks for 3D-printed oral dosage forms should be established to ensure that they meet all appropriate quality standards. The evaluation of mechanical properties of solid dosage forms is an integral part of quality control, as tablets must withstand mechanical stresses during manufacturing processes, transportation, and drug distribution as well as rough handling by the end user. Until now, this has been achieved through extensive pre- and post-processing testing, which is often time-consuming. However, computational methods combined with 3D printing technology can open up a new avenue for the design and construction of 3D tablets, enabling the fabrication of structures with complex microstructures and desired mechanical properties. In this context, the emerging role of computational methods and artificial intelligence techniques is highlighted.

Skin care formulations have evolved as the interaction of health and beauty products for the skin. Their benefits are based on the combination of cosmetic active ingredients and targeted application. Cosmetic actives have been used in novel formulations for decades (sunscreens, anti-aging treatments, etc.), but the problems with their low solubility, low penetration, and physicochemical instability when applied to the skin have yet to be solved. One way to circumvent these shortcomings is to use lipid carriers, which are known to play an important role in the solubility of poorly soluble compounds by facilitating skin permeation and improving stability. This review addresses recent advances in skin care products that use novel nanotechnology-based lipid systems (liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, etc.) to deliver moisturizing cosmetic actives and improve product efficacy.

Furosemide, a chloride channel blocker ordinarily used as a high-ceiling or loop diuretic, is practically insoluble in water and dilute acids. Due to its acidic nature, furosemide is mostly absorbed in the stomach and in the upper small intestine. Efforts have focused on the development of sustained release systems of furosemide in order to improve the effectiveness of the drug, which exhibits poor aqueous solubility and poor permeability. Recently, electrospun nanofibrous drug delivery systems have emerged as promising alternative solid-dosage forms due to their advantages of high porosity, high surface to volume ratio, and high drug-loading efficacy. Herein, a number of nanofibrous mats composed of different types of Eudragit^® polymers in various concentrations and combinations loaded with furosemide were designed, successfully electrospun, and characterized using SEM, FTIR, DSC, and TGA analyses. The nanofibrous nonwovens were formulated in nanofiber tablets and the release profile of furosemide from them was evaluated at pH 1.2 and 6.8 and compared to that of physical mixture matrix tablets of analogous composition as well as to that of a commercial formulation. It was found that the release of furosemide was compatible with the gastroretentive and slower intestinal release requirements with a well-defined absorption window, while some nanofiber formulations could act as furosemide carriers in emergency situations where a relatively fast onset of its action is required, as in the case of critically ill post-traumatic patients.

The formulation of an ideal vaginal drug delivery system (DDS), with the requisite properties, with respect to safety, efficacy, patient compliance, aesthetics, harmonization with the regulatory requirements, and cost, requires a meticulous selection of the active ingredients and the excipients used. Novel excipients defined by diversity and multifunctionality are used in order to ameliorate drug delivery attributes. Synthetic and natural polymers are broadly used in pharmaceutical vaginal formulations (solid, semi-solid dosage forms, implantable devices, and nanomedicines) with a promising perspective in improving stability and compatibility issues when administered topically or systemically. Moreover, the use of biopolymers is aiming towards formulating novel bioactive, biocompatible, and biodegradable DDSs with a controllable drug release rate. Overviewing vaginal microenvironment, which is described by variable and perplexed features, a perceptive choice of excipients is essential. This review summarizes the recent advances on the excipients used in modified vaginal drug delivery formulations, in an attempt to aid the formulation scientist in selecting the optimal excipients for the preparation of vaginal products.

Objective: Aiming at the modified release of melatonin (MLT), electrospun-MLT loaded nanofibers, filled into hard gelatin and DRcapsTM capsules, were used as formulants. Methods: Cellulose acetate, polyvinylpyrrolidinone and hydroxypropylmethylcellusose (HPMC 2910) were used for the preparation of the fiber matrices through electrospinning. The in vitro modified release profile of MLT from the fabricated matrices in gastrointestinal-like fluids was studied. At pH 1.2, the formulations CA1, CA2, PV1, HP1, HP2 and the composite formulations CAPV1-CAPV5 in hard gelatin capsules exhibited fast MLT release. Results: In general, the same trend was observed at pH 6.8, with the exception of CAPV1 and CAPV2. These two composite formulations delivered 52.08% and 75.25% MLT, respectively at a slower pace (6 h) when encapsulated in DRcapsTM capsules. In all other cases, the release of MLT from DRcapsTM capsules filled with the MLT-loaded nanofibers reached 100% at 6h. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the MLT-loaded nanofibrous mats developed in this study exhibit a promising profile for treating sleep dysfunctions.