Papers by Keyword: Formulation

Abstract: Infant malnutrition remains a major health problem in West Africa, particularly among children aged 6 months, the crucial period for dietary diversification. Faced with the predominance of imported industrial flours, which are often expensive, local populations are turning to traditional flours. To improve the nutritional quality of these flours, food fortification, recommended by bodies such as the FAO and the WFP, is commonly used. In this study, the mixture design method was used to formulate an affordable complementary flour, enriched in iron, zinc and vitamin C, from under-exploited local plant resources such as Anacardium occidentale kernel fragments and Parkia biglobosa pulp. An augmented centred mixing design with constraints was used to formulate, model and optimise the iron, zinc and vitamin C content of the infant supplement flour. Modelling of the iron content revealed a synergistically interacting cubic model with a desirability of 0.97, and an average iron content of 14.13 mg/100 g. Zinc content was estimated at 5.78 mg/100 g and modelled by a significant quadratic model. The vitamin C content was better represented by a linear model with a synergistic interaction, with a desirability of 0.97 and an average content of 117.6 mg/100 g, well above the standard of 30 mg/100 g. In conclusion, the optimisation has maximised the iron, zinc and vitamin C content of the formulation, offering an improved nutritional solution for combating infant malnutrition.

Abstract: Olive oil is widely used in cosmetics, food, and pharmaceuticals, and oil-in-water (O/W) nanoemulsions have gained attention in recent years due to their ease of preparation, cost-effectiveness, and enhanced efficacy. However, the high costs associated with advanced technologies hinder small enterprises from adopting these formulations, limiting global competitiveness. This study aims to develop olive oil-based nanoemulsions (ONEs) as versatile carriers for active ingredients in various industrial applications. The research focused on creating O/W nanoemulsions using the D-phase emulsification (DPE) method, known for its low-energy consumption and simplicity. The impact of surfactants, co-surfactants, glycerol, oil content, initial water addition, and stirring time on the particle size and polydispersity index (PDI) was studied. The optimized formulation with a single surfactant had a particle size of 10.03 ± 3.08 nm and a PDI of 0.343 ± 0.024, while the use of co-surfactants resulted in a particle size of 200.13 ± 3.03 nm and a PDI of 0.145 ± 0.000. The co-surfactant formulation demonstrated stability at 35°C over 4 months. Furthermore, retinol was incorporated into the optimized nanoemulsion, and the physical properties were compared to those of the base formulation. The particle size and PDI remained similar, suggesting that the formulation is robust enough for active ingredient incorporation. This research provides a foundation for future formulation efforts, offering a cost-effective and efficient approach for industrial applications.

Abstract: Levodopa is used for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease (PD) for the last few decades. However, adverse reactions such as dyskinesia, somnolence, nausea, itching, rash, as well as the need for frequent dosing and low bioavailability problems affect the success of the treatment. To prevent side effects caused by conventional therapy, a nanoparticular drug delivery system has been developed, in which receptors are constantly stimulated, and the frequency of dosing is reduced. In this study, levodopa was loaded in Poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) nanoparticles (NP) which modified with Wheat Germ Agglutinin (WGA) To increase the effectiveness of levodopa, reduce its side effects and apply to the nasal area which is an alternative way for brain targeting with lower doses. To obtain the optimum levodopa loaded PLGA nanoparticles, the effect of some formulation variables such as polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) concentration, homogenization speed, polymer amount and molecular weight, and levodopa content on the entrapment efficiency (EE) and particle size of the nanoparticles were investigated. Besides these variables, the effect of different parameters on the WGA binding constant was also searched. In addition to in vitro release studies, Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrophotometer (FT-IR), and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis were used in the characterization of nanoparticles. Among all formulations, A2 and A8a which was produced with different molcular weights of PLGA, different added levodopa amounts and with different homogenization speeds were chosen as optimum formulations due to their sustained release properties and the ability to release 80 % of their drug content.WGA binding constant was found 78.20 % for A8a-1 and 95 % for A2-1. In this study, we aimed to determine the effect of different formulation parameters on the development of levodopa loaded and WGA grafted PLGA nanoparticles and on the quality characteristics of nanoparticle formulations such as particle size, zeta potential, and EE. In this paper, our results are demonstrated for a better understanding of the effect of process parameters on the development of nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems by using the double-emulsion solvent evaporation technique and on WGA binding of drug-loaded PLGA nanoparticles.

Abstract: In this study the objective was to evaluate the properties affected by the incorporation of phyllite and sand as raw materials in the composition of ceramic material for the roofing tiles production with light color using kaolinite clay from Campos dos Goytacazes – RJ, Brazil as main raw material. Specimens were prepared by uniaxial pressing at 20 MPa and fired at 950oC. The determined technological properties were: dry apparent density, linear shrinkage, water absorption and mechanical strength (three point bend test). The results indicated that the incorporation of sand and phyllite improved the dry apparent density, reduced loss on ignition and aluminum oxide content of the pure clay. These factors resulted in a reduced open porosity, improving water absorption and linear shrinkage. However, the mechanical strength was compromised due to the increase of quartz content.

Abstract: In some parts of Algeria, the alluvial deposits are depleted. Optimizing the use of available resources, has become gradually urgent need and more and more important. Algeria does not remain on the sidelines of this idea, an approach is part of a sustainable development has been developed to make available to the manufacturer a steady stream of material coming from the exploitation of limestone. The importance of this production can be explained by the activity of the carrier ever growing sector. Research programs have been launched in Algeria to focus on aspects, related to the composition of concrete and influence of the nature of the constituents on the mechanical mixing quality, especially compressive strength remains the point of view of the engineer, the most important property of the material, if we exclude the sustainability indicators. Usual concretes were made using local materials. Results showed that the intrinsic properties of the constituents of concrete, and particularly studied the crushed aggregate, provide the concrete characteristics resistors quite satisfactory. To go further and in a growing cares about improving the mechanical strength of these concretes we tried to formulate a very high performance concrete (VHPC) made from local crushed aggregate, in this case the crushed limestone sands as a resource alternative to over-exploited rolled sands. The objective of this study is to enhance the crushed sand in the formulation of VHPC. The referred physical-mechanical performances are related to defer deformations within time (shrinkage) and instantaneous mechanical compressive and flexural strength.

Abstract: Kaolin, an abundantly available material that mainly contains alumina and silica is now being used in geopolymer system. Kaolin based geopolymer has been proven to acquire remarkable thermal resistance, chemical resistance, and mechanical properties. Geopolymer materials have become the new favorite, especially for the carbon conscious end users as a potential replacement for widely used Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC). This works shares the effect of various mix designs, especially in terms of altering the solid/liquid ratio, sodium silicate/sodium chloride ratio and sodium chloride molarity on the flexural properties of kaolin coated lumber woods via geopolymer technology.

Abstract: Concrete is composed of a liquid phase (paste) and of a solid phase (aggregates with fixed gravel/sand ratio), the concrete self-compacting properties come necessarily from those of the paste. The present research is the continuity of a first phase of the testing already conducted, which resulted in obtaining an optimal self-compacting cement paste composition. This paste will be used to prepare a self-compacting concrete (SCC), while passing from the scale of the cement paste to that of the concrete, by injecting wet aggregate to the self-compacting paste. The excess paste theory was used to determine the thickness of the paste coating each aggregate with a given diameter of constituting granular skeleton, then generalized for the determination of the quantity of total paste allowing the flow of the concrete by decreasing frictions between the grains of its granular skeleton. This approach was also experimentally validated. The influence of the granular distribution was minimized by the use of the approach based on the determination of the average diameter of the aggregates. This required the determination of a homothetic factor “K” similar for all concretes with different aggregate grading. Formulation of a self-compacting concrete passes initially by the determination of a sufficient quantity of paste allowing its flow without frictions between its aggregates and to balance the mixture by the quantity of water retained by the aggregates. The self-compacting concrete characteristics would come from those of the cement paste which composes it.

Abstract: The ambition of the world oil industry is currently directed toward the deepest traps of oil and gas, despite the very high temperatures. The objective of this study is to improve and control a conventional formulation of cement slurry that meets the critical conditions during the cementing of 7" liner on high pressure/high temperature (HPHT) gas well at 5570m depth, located at Hassi Berkine in the southern Algeria. Under the influence of high temperature, the characteristics of the cement slurry changed. We carried out several tests on various samples in order to revise the design by using equivalent substitutions of the additives to obtain a better profile. The use of a new, very powerful, synthetic retarder (SR-31L) instead of liquid, modified sodium lignosulfonate (R-15 L) led us to obtain a significant thickening time but decreased the rheological properties as well as fluid loss and free water. We also provided a gas block by introducing latex-styrene-butadiene with a specific stabilizer (LS-1) in combination with a compatible bonding agent (amorphous silica) in aqueous suspension (BA-58L). The study determined one of the best cement slurry designs practicable on different down-hole applications in HPHT wells.

Abstract: Edible bird nest (EBN) is a product obtained from the salivary excretion of different species of swiftlets during the breeding season. It is an expensive health food product. The raw EBN needs intensive cleaning before it can be consumed. Currently, EBN is increasingly used in cosmetic products. The cleaning procedure generally produced about 30 % (w/w) of waste. To date, there is no work conducted to study the composition of the waste recovered from the cleaning process and converting the waste into useful downstream products. Therefore, the aim of this study is to determine the composition of the EBN wastes and to formulate a value added facial cream product from the EBN waste. EBN waste (residues) was collected from the cleaning water of EBN samples from the swiftlet species Aerodramus fuciphagus using the centrifugation method. The chemical composition of the EBN waste (residues) was analyzed qualitatively using the FTIR technique. Similarly, the different grades of processed EBN samples (2A, 3A, 4A, 5A and biscuit white) from the swiftlet species Aerodramus fuciphagus were quantitatively analyzed using the elemental analyzer. The residual EBN showed high protein content (47.33±3.09 %) and carbohydrate content of 2.4±0.37 %. Interestingly, nitrite, nitrate and lead were not present in the EBN waste. Thus, EBN waste is considered safe to formulate a facial cream. The collagen content in EBN is good as an anti-aging beauty cream. Since the EBN is a very expensive product, the residual EBN waste has good potential to formulate a value added product without any loss in its nutritional health benefits to achieve a similar effect as EBN. The high protein content retained in EBN waste makes the wash off water from EBN washings a suitable nutrient – rich component for the formulation of health and beauty products.

Abstract: This work carries an experimental study on the composition and the characterization of the self-compacting concretes made starting from waste of construction with comparisons which were made by contribution with the vibrated concrete. Studies on the workability and the compactness of material were made and this in a fresh state and a hardened state. Five different mechanical tests were performed: compression, direct tensile, splitting tensile, 3 points binding and failure to the shear force. Confrontations of the test results compared to formulas for calculating the shear force were realized. All the test results showed an increase in terms of resistance for SCC contribution to the VC, except the direct tensile test which gave values slightly lower. The SCC improves the failure load notably and gives better mechanical performances.