THE DESIGN AND ANALYSIS OF EXPERIMENTS. By Oscar Kempthorne. New York, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 1952. 631 pp. $8.50. This book by a teacher of statistics (as well as a consultant for \"experimenters\") is a comprehensive study of the philosophical background for the statistical design of experiment. It is necessary to have some facility with algebraic notation and manipulation to be able to use the volume intelligently. The problems are presented from the theoretical point of view, without such practical examples as would be helpful for those not acquainted with mathematics. The mathematical justification for the techniques is given. As a somewhat advanced treatment of the design and analysis of experiments, this volume will be interesting and helpful for many who approach statistics theoretically as well as practically. With emphasis on the \"why,\" and with description given broadly, the author relates the subject matter to the general theory of statistics and to the general problem of experimental inference. MARGARET J. ROBERTSON

The Design and Analysis of Experiments

Polysaccharides-based nanoparticles as drug delivery systems

Chitosan, an aminopolysaccharide biopolymer, has a unique chemical structure as a linear polycation with a high charge density, reactive hydroxyl and amino groups as well as extensive hydrogen bonding. It displays excellent biocompatibility, physical stability and processability. The term 'chitosan' describes a heterogeneous group of polymers combining a group of physicochemical and biological characteristics, which allow for a wide scope of applications that are both fascinating and as yet uncharted. The increased awareness of the potentials and industrial value of this biopolymer lead to its utilization in many applications of technical interest, and increasingly in the biomedical arena. Although not primarily used as an antimicrobial agent, its utility as an ingredient in both food and pharmaceutical formulations lately gained more interest, when a scientific understanding of at least some of the pharmacological activities of this versatile carbohydrate began to evolve. However, understanding the various factors that affect its antimicrobial activity has become a key issue for a better usage and a more efficient optimization of chitosan formulations. Moreover, the use of chitosan in antimicrobial systems should be based on sufficient knowledge of the complex mechanisms of its antimicrobial mode of action, which in turn would help to arrive at an appreciation of its entire antimicrobial potential.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1751-7915.2008.00080.x

Chitosan and its antimicrobial potential – a critical literature survey

A crystal engineering strategy for designing cocrystals of pharmaceuticals is presented. The strategy increases the probability of discovering useful cocrystals and decreases the number of experiments that are needed by selecting API:guest combinations that have the greatest potential of forming energetically and structurally robust interactions. Our approach involves multicomponent cocrystallization of hydrochloride salts, wherein strong hydrogen bond donors are introduced to interact with chloride ions that are underutilized as hydrogen bond acceptors. The strategy is particularly effective in producing cocrystals of amine hydrochlorides with neutral organic acid guests. As an example of the approach, we report the discovery of three cocrystals containing fluoxetine hydrochloride (1), which is the active ingredient in the popular antidepressant Prozac. A 1:1 cocrystal was prepared with 1 and benzoic acid (2), while succinic acid and fumaric acid were each cocrystallized with 1 to provide 2:1 cocrystals of fluoxetine hydrochloride:succinic acid (3) and fluoxetine hydrochloride:fumaric acid (4). The presence of a guest molecule along with fluoxetine hydrochloride in the same crystal structure results in a solid phase with altered physical properties when compared to the known crystalline form of fluoxetine hydrochloride. On the basis of intrinsic dissolution rate experiments, cocrystals 2 and 4 dissolve more slowly than 1, and 3 dissolves more quickly than 1. Powder dissolution experiments demonstrated that the solid present at equilibrium corresponds to the cocrystal for 2 and 4, while 3 completely converted to 1 upon prolonged slurry in water.

http://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/ja048114o

Crystal Engineering Approach To Forming Cocrystals of Amine Hydrochlorides with Organic Acids. Molecular Complexes of Fluoxetine Hydrochloride with Benzoic, Succinic, and Fumaric Acids

Chitosan—one of the natural multifunctional polymers—due to its unique and versatile biological properties is regarded as a useful compound in medical and pharmaceutical technology. Recently, considerable research effort has been made in order to develop safe and efficient chitosan products. However, the problem of poor stability of chitosan-based systems restricts its practical applicability; thus, it has become a great challenge to establish sufficient shelf-life for chitosan formulations. Improved stability can be assessed by controlling the environmental factors, manipulating processing conditions (e.g., temperature), introducing a proper stabilizing compound, developing chitosan blends with another polymer, or modifying the chitosan structure using chemical or ionic agents. This review covers the influence of internal, environmental, and processing factors on the long-term stability of chitosan products. The aim of this paper is also to highlight the latest developments which enable the physicochemical properties of chitosan-based applications to be preserved upon storage.

https://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/13/4/1819/pdf

Stability of chitosan-a challenge for pharmaceutical and biomedical applications.

http://mis.pharm.su.ac.th/web/sites/default/files/Characterization%20of%20chitosan%20acetate%20as%20a%20binder.pdf

Sontaya Limmatvapirat

Papers

Characterization of chitosan acetate as a binder for sustained release tablets.

Enhanced enteric properties and stability of shellac films through composite salts formation.

Modification of physicochemical and mechanical properties of shellac by partial hydrolysis

Preparation and in vitro evaluation of a multiple-unit floating drug delivery system based on gas formation technique

Utilization of shellac and gelatin composite film for coating to extend the shelf life of banana