NOVASOME: A PIONEERING ADVANCEMENTIN VESICULAR DRUG DELIVERY

Pharmaceutical research has developed various new types of innovative forms of drug delivery. Advancement in current drug delivery methods has led to the development of numerous new revolutionary technologies that support safe and efficient formulations over existing ones. Novasome technology is one of the latest liposome developments that have overcome many of the liposomal drug delivery system-related problems. This provides a seven bilayer membrane which is capable of absorbing water-soluble as well as insoluble drugs. The improved efficiency of entrapping drugs with good encapsulation features enables better frequency of dosing, which can be accomplished through the high shear system. These find their applications in diverse fields such as cosmetics, chemicals, personal care, food, pharmacy, and agrochemicals. Several products have already been launched into the market using this technology with an additional launch plan. Due to its depth of penetration, novasomes have been one of the most popular derma cosmetics. It is being studied continuously to obtain improved release characteristics. The prospect of drug delivery and targeting using novasomes is an important area of research and development. This review pinpoints the various aspect of the novasome and will be a milestone for the researchers in the area of drug delivery.

Crystallography of γ′-Fe4N formation in single-crystalline α-Fe whiskers

Gaseous nitriding of steel and iron can significantly improve their properties, for example corrosion resistance, fatigue endurance and tribological properties. In order to obtain a better understanding of the early stages of formation of the initial cubic primitive γ′-Fe4N, the mechanism and crystallography of the α–γ′ phase transformation was investigated under simplified conditions. Single-crystal α-Fe whiskers were nitrided at 823 K and a nitriding potential of 0.7 atm−1/2 for 20 min. The resulting microstructure and phases, as well as the crystallographic orientation of crystallites belonging to a particular phase, were characterized by scanning electron microscopy coupled with electron backscatter diffraction. The habit planes were investigated by single- and two-surface trace analysis. The α-Fe whiskers partly transform into γ′-Fe4N, where γ′ grows mainly in a plate-like morphology. An orientation relationship close to the rational Pitsch orientation relationship and {0.078 0.432 0.898}α and {0.391 0.367 0.844}γ′ as habit planes were predicted by the phenomenological theory of martensite crystallography (PTMC), adopting a {101}α〈101〉α shear system for lattice invariant strain, which corresponds to a {1 1 1}γ′〈1 12〉γ′ shear system in γ′. The encountered orientation relationship and the habit planes exhibit excellent agreement with predictions from the PTMC, although the transformation definitely requires diffusion. The γ′ plates mainly exhibit one single internally untwinned variant. The formation of additional variants due to strain accommodation, as well as the formation of a complex microstructure, was suppressed to a considerable extent by the fewer mechanical constraints imposed on the transforming regions within the iron whiskers as compared to the situation at the surface of bulk samples.

How Nanoscale Dislocation Reactions Govern Low- Temperature and High-Stress Creep of Ni-Base Single Crystal Superalloys

The present work investigates γ-channel dislocation reactions, which govern low-temperature (T = 750 °C) and high-stress (resolved shear stress: 300 MPa) creep of Ni-base single crystal superalloys (SX). It is well known that two dislocation families with different b-vectors are required to form planar faults, which can shear the ordered γ’-phase. However, so far, no direct mechanical and microstructural evidence has been presented which clearly proves the importance of these reactions. In the mechanical part of the present work, we perform shear creep tests and we compare the deformation behavior of two macroscopic crystallographic shear systems [ 01 1 ¯ ] ( 111 ) and [ 11 2 ¯ ] ( 111 ) . These two shear systems share the same glide plane but differ in loading direction. The [ 11 2 ¯ ] ( 111 ) shear system, where the two dislocation families required to form a planar fault ribbon experience the same resolved shear stresses, deforms significantly faster than the [ 01 1 ¯ ] ( 111 ) shear system, where only one of the two required dislocation families is strongly promoted. Diffraction contrast transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis identifies the dislocation reactions, which rationalize this macroscopic behavior.