B029600 - SOFT MATTER MATERIALS APPLIED TO DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEMS, FOOD SUPPLEMENTS AND COSMETIC SCIENCES

English

The course will focus on the basic principles of the pre-formulation and application of soft matter materials to develop drug delivery systems and delivery systems to administrate food supplements and cosmetic products. It will underline on the modern approaches to formulate vesicles, nanoparticles, micelles, semi-solid formulations, microemulsions and nanoemulsions, and appropriate analytical techniques in order to fully characterize the formulations.

Liposomes : a practical approach Torchilin and Volkmar Oxford : Oxford University Press ; 2003

Aulton's Pharmaceutics, The Design and Manufacture of Medicines 5th Edition Aulton and Taylor, Elsevier 2017

Classification of soft matter materials for delivery systems. Definition of vesicles, nanoparticles, micelles, semi-solid formulations, microemulsions and nanoemulsions. knowledge of problems related to interfacial phenomena. Encapsulation efficiency, morphology, particle size, zeta potential, stability studies, release studies, permeation across biological membranes, rheology. Pharmaceutical application, formulations for food supplements and cosmetic science. Routes of administrations and interaction with biological systems. Active and passive targeting of drug delivery systems. Safety and efficacy.

As by study plan

Theoretical frontal lessons based on the most recent knowledge of soft matter material. Individual practical exercitation in laboratory, consisting in the preparation and the characterization of several kind of colloidal systems.Characterization of formulations in terms of drug entrapment, chemical stability and release (HPLC), morphology (Cryo-EM, TEM), particle size, zeta-potential and physical stability (DLS, ELS), release and permeation (HPLC, PAMPA, Franz diffusion cells). Rheological properties. Students are required to submit a written report at the end of each laboratory exercise.

All teaching material is in the e-Learning platform (http://e-l.unifi.it/). This material, supplemented by the notes taken directly during the lessons, is quite sufficient for the preparation of the exam. However, some texts are recommended to deep specific topics.

5 exam sessions are scheduled, 2 in the winter session January-February, and 3 in the summer session, June-September. Furthermore, 2 exam sessions are scheduled, one in November and one in April, during the periods of didactic silence. In the event of failure to pass, students can register for the next first useful appeal. The final exam is oral during about 20 minutes, during which the student is called to describe and apply the topics and concepts covered in class.
The understanding of the technological processes underlying the formulation of studied systems is verified, for example, through the provision of the choice of a formulation methodology and the characterization of the formulation. The ability to solve formulation problems is verified through the application of formulas studied during the course. The ability to identify the biopharmaceutical implications and consequences of the properties and procedures described is verified.

Interfacial and superficial phenomena. Surface tension measurement. Surfactants, classification and functions. Disperse systems: colloidal dispersions, emulsions, suspensions. Micelles and polymeric micelles. Micro and nanoemulsions. Dermatological preparations. Examples of formulations.Routes of administrations and interaction with biological systems. Oral, nasal, buccal, parenteral, pulmonary, vaginal and rectal routes. Safety and efficacy. Gels, niosomes, nanoparticles, liposomes and mixed systems. Drug-in-cyclodextrin-in-colloidal systems. Colloidal systems and gels preparation and characterization (DLS,TEM).