Purpose The goal was to directly deliver curcumin, a natural polyphenolic anticancer and anti-inflammatory compound, to the lung tissues with minimal systemic exposure through the fabrication of proliposomes, overcoming its poor aqueous solubility and oral bioavailability. Methods Nano-spray drying was employed to prepare proliposomes using hydroxypropyl beta-cyclodextrin as a carrier. Lecithin and cholesterol were used as lipids, stearylamine and Poloxamer 188 were added as positive charge inducer and a surfactant, respectively. Different characterization parameters were evaluated like percentage yield, entrapment efficiency, drug loading, aerodynamic particle size, in vitro release besides morphological examination. Cytotoxicity studies on cell line A549 lung tumor cells as well as in vivo lung pharmacokinetic studies were also carried. Results The optimized formulations showed superior aerosolization properties coupled their enhanced ability to reach deep lung tissues with a high % of fine particle fraction. Cytotoxicity studies using MTT assay demonstrated enhanced growth inhibitory effect on lung tumor cells A549 and significant reduction of proinflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6 and interleukin-10 compared to the pure drug. Results of lung pharmacokinetic tests confirmed the superiority of proliposomal curcumin over curcumin powder in both, the rate and extent of lung tissue absorption, as well as the mean residence time within the lung tissues. Conclusion The pulmonary delivery of curcumin-loaded proliposomes as dry powder provides a direct approach to lung tissues targeting while avoiding the limitations of the oral route and offering a non-invasive alternative to the parenteral one.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

Background: Hydroxyethyl Ester of Mefenamic acid (HEMA), which is an available derivative of mefenamic acid (MFA) in the literature, was shown to exert a strong resistance to enzymatic hydrolysis in various buffer solutions as well as in the plasma. However, there are no studies yet that investigate the biological effects of HEMA as a possible active drug in-vivo. This study provides an in-vivo investigation of the efficacy and toxicity of HEMA in comparison to those of a related drug, MFA, that has a similar chemical structure. Methods: Acute toxicity evaluations were conducted in various groups of mice following administration of high equimolar doses of HEMA and MFA and were measured at various parameters including the percentage of catalepsy, seizure score, percentage of clonic-tonic seizure and death, grimace scale score (GSS) and locomotor activity. In addition, the anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive effects of HEMA were evaluated in the carrageenan-induced paw edema test and acetic acid-induced writhing test, respectively. Results: The findings of this study revealed that the percentage of catalepsy, clonic-tonic seizure and death as well as seizure and grimace scale scores were lower in mice treated with HEMA than those treated with equimolar doses of MFA. In addition, treatment with HEMA caused a comparable anti-inflammatory activity in the carrageenan-induced paw edema test and a significantly (p<0.05) higher anti-nociceptive effect in the acetic acid-induced writhing test than that of MFA. Conclusion: Results obtained from this study may indicate that HEMA has superior therapeutic advantages for the management of acute and inflammatory events with a less potential risk of neuromuscular adverse effects.