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Robert Gordon University

Pharmaceutical applications and crystal structures of trehalose and its derivatives.

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

a-a’-Trehalose dihydrate, a-D-glucopyranosyl-a-D-glucopyranoside, is a naturally occurring sugar composed of two glucose monomers with an a-1,1-glycosidic linkage. Some plants and animals utilise trehalose to facilitate cryptobiosis (life without water), actively synthesising and storing increased amounts in response to water, cold or heat stress. Preformulation profiling of trehalose has been performed, with consideration to solubility, flowability, spray-drying, particle size analysis and thermal studies. Further, planned solid, oral formulation strategies using model drugs (ascorbic acid and nitrofurantoin) were prospectively developed and tested for unwanted stability problems or incompatibilities between active compound and proposed excipients. A stability indicating HPLC assay (using an ODS C8 column), to quantify ascorbic acid recovery from tablets containing trehalose, has been developed, validated, and applied in the context of the tablet matrix. Accelerated storage testing has been undertaken for ascorbic acid tablets under conditions of elevated humidity and heat, with comparisons made to tablets stored under less deleterious conditions. Molecular and physical mixing techniques of nitrofurantoin and sugar were developed and amounts of drug recovered from these mixtures, examined spectroscopically, were compared. Using sucrose and lactose as alternative sugars for mixing with drug, initially intrinsic dissolution testing equipment was used and results compared. Finally comparison between batches of tablets containing trehalose and drug and batches containing comparison sugar and drug were made, showing similar increases in dissolution rate and saturated solubility of poorly water soluble nitrofurantoin as when intrinsic dissolution equipment was used. The molecular conformations of a,a’-trehalose dihydrate and novel carbohydrate derived compounds by single crystal X-ray diffraction have been elucidated. Five unique derivatised compounds were studied: 2,2'3,3'4,4’-hexaacetato-6,6’-bis(isobutanoyl)-a,a’-trehalose hydrate, 2,2’,3,3’,4,6,6'-hepta-O-pivaloyl-a,a’-trehalose, ditrityl a,a’-trehalose hexaacetate, 4,4' -di-O-isobutyroyl-2,2',3,3’,6,6'-hexa-O-acetyl-a,a’-trehalose and a,a’-trehalose octaacetate ethyl acetate solvate. These molecules were derivatised from a,a’-trehalose in order to investigate the role of intermolecular hydrogen bonding within crystalline trehalose, by reducing or abolishing the availability of potential hydrogen bonding sites. The molecular structure elucidation of a,a’-trehalose dihydrate was from a data set collected from a crystal grown and harvested in the laboratory. Neutron diffraction studies of a,a’- trehalose dihydrate were undertaken and H-atom positions were located accurately from the H-atom positions calculated from the X-ray data set.

Degree

thesis:*
Grantor dc:publisher.institution
Robert Gordon University
Year dc:date.issued
2004

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Clow, Simon Menzies
Advisor dc:contributor.advisor
  • P.J. Cox, D.L. Munday, R.R. Moody, D.G. Durham, D. Hansford and S.M. MacManus

Subjects

dc:subject × 5

Rights

Language dc:language
en

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Identifier
oai:rgu-repository.worktribe.com:2807331
https://doi.org/10.48526/rgu-wt-2807331
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:rgu-repository.worktribe.com:2807331

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Robert Gordon University
Base URL
rgu-repository.worktribe.com/oaiprovider
Last updated
2026-07-24
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Clow, Simon Menzies. Pharmaceutical applications and crystal structures of trehalose and its derivatives.. Robert Gordon University, 2004. https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/2807331/1/CLOW%202004%20Pharmaceutical%20applications%20and%20crystal