Patent Application
20200316150
The present invention relates to the novel gastroretentive swellable oral formulations for sustained or delayed release of bergenin-rich Bergenia ciliata extract/fraction and a process for preparing the same. In particular, the present invention relates to novel formulations which gets retained in the stomach, and thereby avoids intestinal degradation of the active constituent ‘bergenin’, resulting in sustained release of active constituent in stomach over a period of 16-24 hrs. The said formulations are useful for the treatment of inflammatory diseases.
Gastroretentive drug delivery (GRDD) is an approach to prolong gastric residence time, thereby targeting site-specific drug release in the upper gastrointestinal tract (GIT) i.e. stomach. Such delivery systems are particularly useful for drugs which are unstable in intestinal environment. After oral administration, such drug delivery would be retained in the stomach and releases the drug in a controlled manner, so that the drug could be supplied continuously to its absorption sites in the GIT. Several GRDD formulations are also commercially available in the market, for example, Madopar HBS® (active constituent: Levodopa), Valrelease® (active constituent: diazepam), Topalkan® (active constituent: alginic acid), and Almagate Flotcoat® (active constituent: levofloxacin).
Over the last few decades, several GRDD approaches were designed and developed, including: high density (sinking) systems that is retained in the bottom of the stomach (image ‘c’ from the Schematic diagram shown below) (Rouge N et al., Pharm Acta Helbetiae 1998, 73, 81), low density (floating) systems that causes buoyancy in gastric fluid (image ‘d’) (Streubel A et al, J Microencapsul 2003, 20, 329; Goole J et al, Int J Pharm 2007, 334, 351; Sharma S and Pawar A. Int J Pharm 2006, 313, 150), mucoadhesive systems that causes bioadhesion to stomach mucosa (image ‘a’) (Santus G et al, Eur J Pharm Biopharm 1997, 44, 39), unfoldable, extendible, or swellable systems which limits emptying of the dosage forms through the pyloric sphincter of stomach (image ‘b’) (Klausner E A et al, J Control Release 2003, 90, 143), and other systems such as superporous hydrogel systems (Park K, Biomaterials 1988, 9, 435), magnetic systems (Fujimori J et al, STP Pharma Sci 1994, 4, 425) (Lopez C M et al, Int J Pharm. 2016, 510, 144) etc. The density controlled drug delivery system is further of two types viz. effervescent system and non-effervescent system. In effervescent system, either gas generating or volatile liquid containing systems are used, in order to make the formulation floatable in gastric fluid. In gas generating system, carbonates or bicarbonates are used (e.g. sodium bicarbonate) which react with gastric acid to produce carbon dioxide which reduces the density of formulation, making it buoyance or float on the media. However, non-effervescent density controlled system consists of gel-forming, highly swellable cellulosic hydrocolloids (e.g. HPMC, HEC) or matrix forming polymers (e.g. sodium alginate, ethyl cellulose). After oral administration, this dosage form swells in contact with gastric fluids. The air entrapped within the swollen matrix imparts buoyancy to the dosage form making it either float or sink in the medium. The so formed swollen gel-like structure acts as a reservoir and allows sustained release of drug through the gelatinous mass. The pictorial representation of floating drug delivery systems is shown below.
Bergenia ciliata (also known as Saxifraga ligulata; Family: Saxifragaceae) is one of the most important medicinal herbs in India, which widely occurs in temperate Himalayas from Kashmir to Bhutan and in Khasi hills at 1500 m altitude. The rhizomes of Bergenia ciliata have been used for centuries in the Ayurvedic medicine to treat kidney and bladder stones, abnormal leucorrhea, piles, and pulmonary affections, and its decoction is used for the treatment of various pain conditions. The alcoholic extract is reported to have anti-inflammatory, analgesic and diuretic properties (Gehlot, N. K. et al., Indian J. Pharmacol. 1976, 8, 92). The major chemical constituent of the plant bergenin (Hay, J. E. et al., J. Chem. Soc. 1958, 2231) is also reported to possess several pharmacological activities including hepatoprotective (Lim, H. K. et al., J. Ethnopharmacol. 2000, 72, 469), antiarrhythmic (Pu, H. L. et al., Planta Med. 2002, 68, 372-374), antiulcer (Arfan, M. et al., Med. Chem. Res. 2012, 21, 2454), neuroprotective/antioxidant (Takahashi, H. et al., Bioorg. Med. Chem. 2003, 11, 1781), anti-inflammatory (de Oliveira, C. M. et al., J. Nat. Prod. 2011, 74, 2062-2068; Jain S K et al, J. Med. Chem. 2014, 57, 7085; WO2014188440), immunomodulatory (Nazir, N. et al., J. Ethnopharmacol. 2007, 112, 401) and antimalarial activities (Liang, J. et al., Biomed. Rep. 2014, 2, 260).
Bergenin, a major bioactive constituent of Bergenia ciliata, despite of its interesting biological activities, it has certain stability concerns. Study indicated that bergenin gets degraded at intestinal pH (pH 6.8 and above), however it is stable at acidic pH of stomach (pH 1.2) (Singh, R. et al., Bioorg. Med. Chem. 2017, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bmc.2017.08.011; Zhou, D. et al., Pharmazie 2008, 63, 366). Zhou et al reported that the degradation half life of bergenin at pH 7 and pH 8 is 14.4 and 2.9 hrs (Zhou D. et al., Pharmazie 2008, 63, 366). Furthermore, in pharmacokinetic study in rats, the plasma half-life of bergenin is low (t1/2=1-2 hrs). Also the conventional formulations of herbal extracts have difficulty in filling into capsules because of their characteristic strong hygroscopicity. Therefore in view of the above, there is a need to develop formulation of Bergenia ciliata to overcome the existing drawbacks.
Thus, a gastro retentive sustained release formulation would be an ideal drug delivery system for effective delivery of this bioactive constituent from the Bergenia ciliata extract.
The main objective of this invention is to provide novel gastroretentive sustained release formulations of Bergenia ciliata extract/fraction capable of avoiding the intestinal degradation of active ingredient via retaining the formulation in gastric environment.
Also another object of the present invention is to provide an oral sustained release formulation for delayed release of the active ingredient over the period of up 16 to 24 hrs.
It is also an objective of this invention to provide novel gastroretentive sustained release formulations containing elevated concentrations of bergenin obtained by means of the process.
It is another objective of this invention to provide the use and method of application of this formulation for treatment of inflammatory diseases involving elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines.
Accordingly the present invention provides sustained release gastro retentive swellable formulations comprising of bergenin-rich Bergenia ciliata extract or fraction, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose K15M, ethyl cellulose of any viscosity between 10-100 cps and sodium alginate.
In an embodiment of the invention, wherein the said bergenin-rich Bergenia ciliata extract or fraction comprises at least 15-40% w/w of bergenin.
In another embodiment of the invention, contains at least 20-40% w/w of bergenin-rich Bergenia ciliata extract or fraction, 30-40% w/w hydroxypropylmethylcellulose K15M, 15-20% w/w of ethyl cellulose (of any viscosity between 10-100 cps) and 15-20% w/w of sodium alginate.
In further embodiment of the invention the formulation is useful for the treatment of inflammatory conditions wherein proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-alpha, interleukin-6) are involved.
In yet another embodiment of the invention wherein the inflammatory disease comprise rheumatoid arthritis, cystic fibrosis, atherosclerosis and cancer.
In still another embodiment of the invention, wherein the said formulation may be in the form selected from the group consisting of a hard gelatin capsule or a tablet.
One of the feature of the invention is to provide the sustained release of bergenin in the stomach for about 16-24 hrs.
In another aspect of the present invention, in the comparative pharmacokinetic study conducted in SD rats, the GRSR formulation (IIIM-160-A002-SR) displayed 4-fold enhancement in the AUC of the bergenin (a bioactive constituent) in comparison to the plain extract (IIIM-160-A002). In another embodiment of the invention, the binding agent may be selected from the group consisting of polyvinylpyrrolidone K 30, polyvinylpyrrolidone K15.
In yet another embodiment of the invention, 5-10% of binding agent may be used in isopropyl alcohol.
BCHA, Bergenia ciliata hydroalcoholic extract; BCE, Bergenia ciliata enriched fraction; GR-SR, gastroretentive sustained release; GRDD, gastroretentive drug delivery; GIT, gastrointestinal tract; EC, ethyl cellulose; HPLC, high performance liquid chromatography; HPMC-K15M, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose-K15M; PVP-K30, polyvinylpyrrolidone K 30; HEC, hydroxy ethyl cellulose; TNF-alpha, tumor necrosis factor-alpha; IL-6, interleukin-6; LPS, lipopolysaccharide; PDA, photo-diode array; SGF, simulated gastric fluid; SIF, simulated intestinal fluid; SD rat, Sprague Dawley rat.
The present invention provides the method for the preparation of novel drug delivery composition for the controlled release of an active ingredient in the stomach environment over a prolonged period of time. In particular, there is provided a novel gastroretentive sustained release oral formulations of Bergenia ciliata for supplying optimum plasma concentrations of the biologically active compound “bergenin”. These novel formulations are density-controlled delivery systems, which either float or sink in gastric fluids. These dosage forms prolong the gastric retention of formulation thereby avoiding exposure of bergenin to intestinal or colonic environment where it is unstable.
The oral sustained release formulations according to one exemplary embodiment of the present invention comprises bergenin-rich extract/fraction of Bergenia ciliata (family: Saxifragaceae) as an active substance. The “bergenin-rich extract/fraction of Bergenia ciliata” is characterized for the content of bergenin (C14H16O9, molecular weight=328.08), which should be in the range of 15-40% w/w. In this case, a mixture of water and ethanol (or water and methanol) may be used as the extraction solvent in the range of 20:80 to 80:20. The Bergenia extract is prepared in the form of dried lyophilized powder by extracting the aerial parts of the Bergenia ciliata with water and ethanol (or water and methanol) by cold maceration, filtering the extract, followed by concentrating the extract under reduced pressure. The enrichment of the extract for bergenin content, if required, can be done by further extracting the bergenin-rich fraction with acetone, acetonitrile or dichloromethane or in their mixture with hexane in the range of 50:50 to 90:10 solvent.
The novel drug release system according to one exemplary embodiment of the present invention is achieved by the use of the pharmaceutical composition comprising the bergenin-rich Bergenia ciliata extract/fraction mixed with an excipients i.e. expandable polymer and/or a sustained release polymer, selected from the group consisting of hydroxypropylmethylcellulose K15M, ethyl cellulose, xanthan gum, chitosan, sodium alginate. The solution of polyvinyl pyrrolidine K30 or polyvinyl pyrrolidine K90 in isopropanol, ethanol, propanol, or water was used as a binder.
In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the orally-administrable formulation for the controlled release of active ingredient ‘bergenin’ comprises granulated bergenin-rich Bergenia ciliata extract or fraction and expandable polymer/sustained release polymer in a specific ratio (extract to polymer ratio—40:60 or 20:80), and is characterized in that the total in vitro dissolution time of the formulation required for the release of 100% of the active ingredient available from the formulation, is between about 16-24 hrs, as determined by the U.S.P. dissolution apparatus by Paddle method at a speed of 50 rpm, and temperature of 37° C.±0.5, using 900 ml of dissolution media (pH 1.2 buffer).
The sustained release of the bioactive constituent “bergenin” was observed in the rat pharmacokinetic study; which validated the in-vitro dissolution results. The Bergenia ciliata extract (IIIM-160-A002) and its GRSR formulation, when administered orally at equivalent dose (a dose equivalent to 6.2 mg/kg of bergenin), the significantly higher AUC for “bergenin” was observed in case of GRSR formulation in comparison to the plain extract. This result indicated that GRSR formulation, controls the release of extract, leading to the release of bioactive constituent for prolonged time. As a overall effect of this, the higher amount of bergenin is available in the blood circulation (4-fold enhancement in AUC), which ultimately results in improved therapeutic effect.
In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the formulation is characterized in that it contains from 20 to 40% w/w of bergenin-rich Bergenia ciliata extract/fraction.
In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the formulation is in the form selected from the group consisting of a matrix tablet or a hard gelatin two-piece capsule filled with polymeric granules or microparticles of granulated extract.
The invention also comprises a process for the preparation of an orally-administrable gastroretentive formulation for the controlled release of granulated extract. The steps for preparation of said formulation comprising bergenin-rich Bergenia ciliata extract/fraction and polymers (namely hydroxypropyl methylcellulose K15M, ethyl cellulose (of any viscocity between 10-100 cps) and sodium alginate), comprises:
a). extraction of dried powdered material of Bergenia ciliata (aerial parts) with ethanol: water (1:1) to yield an extract solution
b). concentrating the extract solution first by vacuum drying followed by freeze drying to yield dry powder (IIIM-160-A002). The extractive value on dry weight basis was found to be 20-30% w/w. Further enrichment of the bergenin-content of the obtained extract was done using following steps:
c). stirring the dried hydroalcoholic extract in the solution of either acetone, acetonitrile or dichloromethane or as their individual mixture with hexane (50:50 to 90:10) at 50-70° C. for 4-8 hrs.
d). concentrating the soluble layer as obtained in step ‘c’ by vacuum drying to yield dry powder of bergenin-enriched fraction (IIIM-160-BEF). The extractive value of bergenin-enriched fraction from powdered plant material (on dry weight basis) was found to be 5-15% w/w.
The GR-SR formulations of the bergenin-rich Bergenia ciliata extract/fraction were prepared using following steps:
e). mixing the bergenin-rich Bergenia ciliata extract/fraction (containing at least 5% w/w of bergenin) with excipient(s) in mortor and pestle, following by addition of 10% PVP-K30 solution in isopropanol (as a binder) to form a dough.
f). passing the wet-mass through a stainless steel sieve of mesh size #10.
g). drying of granules in hot air oven at 50° C. for 30-60 min.
h). Passing the dried granules through sieve #10 and retaining on sieve #30.
i). filling the polymeric granules in two-piece hard gelatin capsules.
In another aspect of the present invention, a method for enrichment of one of the active constituent is provided.
In one more embodiment of the invention, the standardization of the bergenin-rich Bergenia ciliata extract/fraction is provided to identify and quantify the amount of bergenin in the standardized extract by HPLC.
In another embodiment of the invention, standardized bergenin-rich Bergenia ciliata extract/fraction displayed significant inhibition of proinflammatory cytokines in human monocytic THP-1 cells.
In one particular aspect of the present invention, bergenin-rich Bergenia ciliata extract/fraction is provided, which comprises active components for cytokine inhibition, and related manifestations and disorders with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, and methods of using the same. Accordingly, the present invention is directed generally to the sustained release formulations of standardized extracts or bergenin enriched fraction of Bergenia ciliata for treatment of inflammatory diseases wherein proinflammatory cytokines are involved.
In another aspect of the invention, inflammatory diseases comprise rheumatoid arthritis and related disorders in humans and other mammals.
Following examples are given by way of illustration and should not construe to limit the scope of invention.
The authentic plant material Bergenia ciliata (whole plant, aerial parts) was collected by the Biodiversity and Applied Botany Division of Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR), Jammu, in May 2011 from Gurez Valley of the Jammu and Kashmir state of India. The plant material was taxonomically characterized and a voucher specimen (collection ID: 50902; accession number, 22413) was deposited in the Janaki Ammal Herbarium at the CSIR-IIIM, Jammu. The dried and powdered plant material (150 g) was extracted with a water/ethanol solution of 50% ethanol by volume and then freeze dried. The steps involved in the preparation of extract are as follows:
HPLC analysis was performed on the Shimadzu HPLC system connected to a PDA detector, and RP-8e column (Chromolith® performance, 5 μm, 100 mm×4.6 mm) Column was eluted with MeOH: 0.1% v/v Formic acid (25:75 v/v) in isocratic manner at a flow rate of 1 ml/min. The column oven temperature was 37° C. (column oven, CTO-10ASVP). The detection wavelength was 280 nm using PDA detector (SPD-M20A, Prominence, Shimadzu).
The hydroalcoholic extract IIIM-160-A002 comprises bergenin as the major component (5-15% w/w of bergenin). Enrichment of this extract using acetone, acetonitrile, dichloromethane or their individual mixture with hexane solvent resulted in enrichment up to 25-40% w/w (IIIM-160-BEF).
The Stability Study was Performed in pH 1.2 buffer, pH 4.0 buffer, phosphate buffer pH 6.8, phosphate buffered saline pH 7.4, SGF (pH 1.2), SIF (pH 6.8) and plasma. The % of bergenin hydrolyzed after 24 h was determined by HPLC analysis. The HPLC analysis was carried out using the method as described in example 2. Results of stability studies are shown in
The stability results shown in
The bergenin-rich Bergenia ciliata extract [hydroalcoholic extract—IIIM-160-A002 or bergenin enriched fraction—IIIM-160-BEF] and excipient(s) HPMC-K15M, ethyl cellulose (of any viscosity between 10-100 cps) and sodium alginate were weighed accurately in the ratio of 40:30:15:15 or 20:40:20:20 and mixed thoroughly using mortar and pestle. This mixture was kneaded using 10% PVP-K30 solution in isopropanol (as a binder) to form a dough. This dough was then passed through sieve #10. The obtained granules were dried in oven at 50° C. for 30-60 min. The dried granules were passed through sieve #10 and retained on sieve #30. The dried granules were stored in air-tight container in vacuum desiccator till further analysis. The formulations were assayed for bergenin content using HPLC method as mentioned in example 2. Based on the results of assay, formulation equivalent to 50 mg of bergenin was filled into the hard gelatin capsules of size ‘0’. These capsules were analyzed for in-vitro dissolution profile. The composition and % release of bergenin of GR-SR formulations are provided in Table 1.
a10% PVP-K30 solution in isopropanol was added as a binder in each formulation to form a dough.
The dissolution profile of capsules filled with bergenin-rich Bergenia ciliata extract/fraction and their GR-SR formulations was studied using USP dissolution apparatus as per the protocol given in USP 2011 (The United States Pharmacopoeial Convention. 2011, Pages 1-8). Lab-India Dissolution Tester (Model: DS 8000; apparatus 2—Paddle Apparatus) was used for this study. Various parameters are: RPM=50; Temp.=37° C.±0.5; Volume of dissolution medium=900 ml; Dissolution medium=Hydrochloric acid buffer (pH 1.2) for 24 h, sampling time points (h)=0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20 and 24.
The percent release of bergenin from formulations was determined by HPLC analysis. Results showed that bergenin gets 100% released in 30 min in case of capsules filled with plain hydroalcoholic extract (BCHA) as well as in bergenin enriched fraction (BCE-1). However, capsules filled with novel GR-SR formulations BCHA-18R, BCHA-28, BCHA-29, BCE-5, and BCE-8 resulted in a delayed release of bergenin with 100% release up to 24 hrs. The composition of representative formulation batches are given in Table 1. The optimized GR-SR formulation BCHA-29 comprises the use of HPMC-K15M, ethyl cellulose 10 cps and sodium alginate in the ratio of 2:1:1. The overall drug:polymer ratio in this formulation is 40:60% w/w.
The dissolution profiles of optimized GR-SR formulation BCHA-29 of hydroalcoholic extract of Bergenia ciliata is shown in
Similarly, amongst various combination of polymer to IIIM-160-BEF (bergenin enriched fraction) attempted, the optimized GR-SR formulations BCE-5, and BCE-8 resulted in a delayed release of bergenin with 100% release up to 24 hrs (
The comparative profile of GR-SR formulations of hydroalcoholic extract and bergenin-enriched fraction, with and without sodium alginate has been shown in
The summarized overview of optimized formulations with their T10%, T50% and T75% values are shown in Table 2. The release half-life (T50%) for bergenin in plain extract and bergenin-enriched fraction is less than 0.5 hr, whereas it is 4 hrs and 2 hrs in GR-SR formulations BCHA-29 and BCE-8. The T75% (time taken to release 75% of drug from the formulation) for bergenin in plain extract and fraction is less than 0.5 hr, whereas it is 8 and 5 hrs in GR-SR formulations BCHA-29 and BCE-8.
The swelling index of optimized GR-SR formulations during USP dissolution study was calculated using the formula as shown in
The floating ability (float or sink) was also determined by visual observation. The floating time was defined as the time when the capsule floated on the top surface of 900 mL of the dissolution medium at 37.0±0.5° C.
As shown in the
The study was performed in male SD rats. To determine oral bioavailability of bergenin, the bergenin was administered at 5 mg/kg by IV route and at 50 mg/kg by oral route. For comparative oral pharmacokinetic study of plain extract (IIIM-160-A002) and GRSR formulation (filled in 9 el capsules), the dose equivalent to 6.2 mg/kg of bergenin was administered in SD rats in both these groups. Blood samples were collected (n=3/time point) at 0.083 (IV only), 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8 and 24 h, post-dose. At each time point about 200 μL of blood was collected by jugular vein into a labeled microfuge tube containing 200 mM K2EDTA solution (20 μL per mL of blood) and equivalent volume of heparinized saline was replaced following sample collection. The blood samples were processed to obtain the plasma samples within 30 min of scheduled sampling time. All plasma samples were stored below −60° C. until bioanalysis. The plasma samples were analyzed for bergenin content using a fit-for purpose LC-MS/MS method with a lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) of 9.95 ng/mL The pharmacokinetic parameters of bergenin were calculated using the non-compartmental analysis tool of validated Phoenix® WinNonlin® software (version 6.3).
Following a single intravenous bolus administration of “bergenin” to male SD rats (5 mg/kg), the mean plasma clearance (Cl) was found to be high (95.5 mL/min/kg which is almost 1.74-folds higher than the normal hepatic blood flow of 55 mL/min/kg in rats) with elimination half-life (t1/2) of 0.318 h. The volume of distribution at steady state was found to be 1.05 L/kg which is almost 1.50-fold higher than the normal total body water content (0.7 L/kg in rats). Mean plasma exposure (AUClast) was found to be 874 h*ng/mL. Following a single oral gavage administration of “bergenin” to male SD rats (50 mg/kg), median time to reach the maximum plasma concentration was found to be 0.25 h with peak plasma concentration (Cmax) of 170 ng/mL. Plasma exposure (AUClast) was found to be 269 h*ng/mL. The terminal plasma half-life was found to be 1.74 h. The absolute oral bioavailability of bergenin was determined to be 3% (
The comparative oral pharmacokinetic analysis of plain hydroalcoholic extract and GRSR formulation was performed in SD rats. The extract/formulation equivalent to 6.2 mg/kg of bergenin were filled in the 9 el capsules, which were delivered to rats by oral route. The PK results indicated that there is 4-fold increase in the AUClast of bergenin in case of GRSR formulation in comparison to that of plain extract. Similarly, the Tmax, t1/2 and Tlast values were increased in GRSR formulation in comparison to plain extract, because of the sustained release of the bergenin in formulations. The time-plasma concentration curve of extract and formulation is depicted in
For the in vitro analysis of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and TNF-α), human leukemia THP-1 cells were seeded in a 24-well plate at a density of 4×105 cells/ml of RPMI medium per well. THP-1 cells were then treated with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (20 ng/ml) for differentiation into macrophages for 18 h followed by a rest period of 48 h. Cells were further co-treated with test samples and 1 μg/ml of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in a serum-free medium. Culture supernatant was harvested after 24 h for analysis of different cytokines by using OptEIA ELISA Kits from BD Biosciences. Total protein content for all the samples was calculated by using Bradford reagent from Bio-Rad Laboratories. All the samples were normalized by dividing cytokine concentration with total quantity of protein. Results are shown in Table 3. Bergenin was reported earlier as an inhibitor of TNF-alpha and IL-6 and was therefore was used as a positive control in this assay.
The LPS induced release of TNF-alpha and IL-6 was significantly suppressed by hydroalcoholic extract/fraction at the test concentration of 12 μg/ml. The significantly better inhibition profile of bergenin enriched fraction was observed.
The main advantages of the present invention are:
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 201711036683 | Oct 2017 | IN | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/IN2018/050588 | 9/11/2018 | WO | 00 |
