In the last decade, carbon quantum dots (CQDs), as a novel class of carbon-based nanomaterials, have received increasing attention due to their distinct properties. CQDs are ultimately small nanoparticles with an average size below 10 nm, possessing high water solubility, alluring photoluminescence, photostability, excellent biocompatibility, low/none toxicity, environmental friendliness, and high sustainability, etc. In history, there are intermittent threats from viruses to humans, animals and plants worldwide, resulting in enormous crises and impacts on our life, environment, economy and society. Some recent studies have unveiled that certain types of CQDs exhibited high and potent antiviral activities against various viruses such as human coronavirus, arterivirus, norovirus and herpesvirus. Moreover, they have been successfully explored and developed for different virus detections including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This article exclusively overviews and discusses the recent progress of designing, synthesizing, modifying/functionalizing and developing CQDs towards effective virus detection as well as the inhibition and treatment of viral infection. Their mechanisms and applications against various pathogenic viruses are addressed. The latest outcomes for combating the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) utilizing CQDs are also highlighted. It can be envisaged that CQDs could further benefit the development of virus detectors and antiviral agents with added broad-spectrum activity and cost-effective production.
The aim of this study was to prepare tablets that offer an immediate release (IR) of the loaded active ingredient using fused deposition modelling (FDM) 3D printing. Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) was used as a model drug, with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as the primary polymeric carrier and sorbitol as a plasticizer. The impact of printer parameters, including infill density, roof and floor (R&F) thickness and nozzle size, on the drug release properties of printed tablets was investigated. The results support the use of FDM-3DP as an approach to manufacture IR tablets and highlighted the importance of the printing design on drug release properties.
This work demonstrated the importance of pre-formulation studies and proposed a generalised scheme for excipient screening in the early stage of amorphous solid dispersion(ASD) system development by profiling the excipients’ capability to solubilise, amorphisise, and stabilise the chosen active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) in an effort to rank their suitability. Lumefantrine, an antimalarial active compound with both poor solubility and permeability, was used as a model API and solvent evaporation film casting was used to prepare the candidate ASD matrices in this work.
Deep eutectic solvents (DES) are products of interaction betweensolid parent compounds resulting in a liquid at room temperature due to significantmelting point depression. Such phenomenon has been employed to improve drugs’ biopharmaceuticalbehavior by including at least one API as DES former to produce a therapeuticDES (THEDES). DES physicochemical characteristics are affected by those of the parentcompounds. Investigating such relation can help in tailoring THEDES formationfor specific outcomes. This was done by comparing THEDES of lidocaine witheither of structurally similar ibuprofen or ketoprofen through thermalanalysis, FTIR and rheological studies to highlight the effect of differentphysicochemical properties on the formed THEDES. Eutectic composition for bothproducts was similar, indicating the important role of supramolecularcomplementarity in eutectic point determination. Glass transition (Tg)of drugs seemed to have direct impact on Tg of the formed THEDESwhere higher Tg ketoprofen produced a higher Tg THEDES. Similarly,higher number of hydrogen bonding sites within ketoprofen structure led to moreviscous and thermally stable product. Moreover, the degree of chargeinvolvement in the interaction network was related to pKa of thedrugs. Such findings can help to construct a structural based approach to selectTHEDES components.
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