| 2020 | Responses of female reproductive hormones and histopathology in the reproductive organs and associated lymph nodes of Boer does challenged with Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis and its immunogenic corynomycolic acid extract. | Microb Pathog | Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis biotype ovis is a bacterium that causes caseous lymphadenitis (CLA), a chronic disease of sheep and goats characterized by the formation of suppurative abscesses in superficial and visceral lymph nodes and internal organs of small ruminants. This study was designed to evaluate the reproductive hormonal changes (estrogen and progesterone) and histopathology in the reproductive organs and associated lymph nodes of does challenged with C. pseudotuberculosis biotype ovis and its immunogen; corynomycolic acid. A total of 12 healthy non-pregnant female goats were grouped into three: A, B and C consisting of four does each. Group A was intradermally inoculated with 2 mL of sterile phosphate buffered saline (PBS) pH 7 (negative control group); group B was intradermally inoculated with 2 mL of corynomycolic acid extract (CMAs), while group C was intradermally inoculated with 2 mL of 10⁹ colony-forming unit (cfu) of live C. pseudotuberculosis. Blood samples were also collected at predetermined intervals for estrogen and progesterone hormonal assays. The does were euthanized 90 days post challenge and tissue samples of the uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, cervix and associated lymph nodes were collected and fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin for histopathological processing. The result showed various degrees of histopathological changes (hemorrhage, congestion, degeneration, necrosis, edema, leucocytic infiltrations) in the reproductive organs and associated lymph nodes of both inoculation groups. Increases in estrogen hormone concentration were observed in both inoculation groups in comparison to the control group. However, progesterone concentration was only increased in group C. This study highlighted that corynomycolic acid extract from C. pseudotuberculosis biotype ovis resulted in significant histopathology in the reproductive organs and associated lymph nodes of does and increase estrogen concentration. |
| 2017 | Quality by Design (QbD)-enabled development of aceclofenac loaded-nano structured lipid carriers (NLCs): An improved dermatokinetic profile for inflammatory disorder(s). | Int J Pharm | Present study was designed to prepare and characterize aceclofenac loaded nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) employing Quality by Design (QbD)-oriented approach. The NLCs were evaluated for their transdermal penetration potential and stability. Aceclofenac loaded nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) were prepared & characterized, by employing Quality by Design (QbD)-oriented approach and further evaluated for transdermal penetration potential and stability. Different lipids and surfactants were chosen to prepare NLCs using microemulsion method as critical material attributes (CMAs). A 3 factorial design was used for optimization of NLCs, and evaluating them for different critical quality attributes (CQAs), viz. particle size, polydispersity index (PDI), zeta potential, in vitro drug release, entrapment efficiency. The effect of CMAs such as lipids, oil: lipid ratio and concentration of surfactants on CQAs viz. drug entrapment efficiency and particle size were systematically evaluated to optimize NLCs. The optimized NLCs were further incorporated into carbopol gel and characterized for texture and rheology profile followed by in vitro and in vivo evaluations. The optimized ACE-NLCs were found to be spherical, nanometric in size with higher drug loading and entrapment efficiency. Results of the in vitro drug release study showed that the developed formulation followed Korsmeyer-Peppas model showing Fickian diffusion. The release was biphasic i.e., initial burst release followed by sustained drug release upto 48h. The optimized NLCs-based gel formulation showed superior texture, rheological profile and showed better cell uptake efficiency on hyperkeratinocytic cells (HaCaT cell lines) with higher ex vivo skin permeability efficiency vis-à-vis marketed formulation. In conclusion, dermatokinetic modeling and pharmacodynamic study using carrageenan induced edema mice suggests that aceclofenac loaded NLCs hydrogel may provide a better delivery alternative to target various skin layers. |